US Progmasters Everfriend Compleat

Probably everyone reading this is familiar with at least the first, if not the first 2 records from this prog group led by the well-named Bill Rhodes.  However their third one is completely rare for everyone out there, I am pretty sure.  Unfortunately it turns out to be a bit too much like the generic jazz-rock soundtrack to a loungey banal movie.  There are some bits that shine through the darkness of the theatre though, as when Bill Rhodes pulls out the musical charts for classical composition (via ELP perhaps) on the Execution:





There is absolutely no doubt that as Tom pointed out, he could've done a better job with the keyboard selection here:

Everfriend's 3rd album, even more obscure than the other two, sees band leader Bill Rhodes moving into more trendy areas of sound for the era. Primarily synth pop rock coupled with long track electronic music, played on cheap sounding synthesizers. All quite typical for 1983. Not a whole lot to recommend here, and a long way from the intriguing Tropicsphere. But still worth seeking out for a listen, as a period piece.

Tom's review of the first album was, surprisingly, spot on [just kidding there]:

Tropicsphere starts off precisely in the place that the title suggests: The Love Boat basically. Breezy lounge styled jazz rock with trumpet, lightly amplified electric guitar, Rhodes piano, and lush dreamy female vocals. And then suddenly... ...suddenly it goes all Hatfield and the North. The drummer, who was going bonkers even on the slow commercial numbers, decided enough was enough, and it was time to start jamming! Here come the synthesizer solos and Northette styled vocals, and now we have something worth talking about! Now that the band has been "outed" as it were, all pretense of anything but keyboard driven Big 3 progressive rock are brought forth. Flip the record over and we start off with a flute driven jazz rock number. This is followed by a classically oriented harpsichord medley. And so it goes getting more and more progressive... a very good album overall.

Everfriend were from New Jersey and, perhaps predictably given their music "sphere", later relocated to Florida.