Great album by Dutch band led by Ton Scherpenzeel, later keyboard player for Camel. If I had to draw comparisons to any other band, It would have to be Supertramp, although that would be a very loose comparison as the vocals by Max Werner are more accented in British styling with the rolling of the 'r's and all.
I prefer these earlier efforts (this is their third album) with Werner singing than the Edward Reekers vocals on later recordings. The songs on the album ably move from shorter pop ballads, like "Life of Gold" and "Moments of Joy" to upbeat progressive jams like "Said No Word" with very nice keyboard work by Scherpenzeel.
With Kayak, a strong sense of humor and a Monty Python influence is often felt, especially on songs like "You're So Bizarre." Some other stand-out tracks on this album include "Chance For a Lifetime," If This Is Your Welcome," and the title track "Royal Bed Bouncer."
To me this is the greatest achievement and most complete of all Kayak recordings. They show us a nice mix of where they had been before with Genesis as their inspiration, to where they were headed to in the pop music vein. Still and throughout they never lose the sense of prog on Royal Bed Bouncer. Highly recommended if you enjoy humor in your music.
Reviewed by Terry Jackson on July 23rd, 2010
