Sky 2

When this double album appeared in the spring of 1980, sky were riding high thanks to the success of their single Toccata. Sky2 was an instant classic that reached number one and stayed on the chart for a whole year! Francis Monkman's epic FIFO, which at 20 minutes occupied the whole of side two, was just one of the highlights of this diverse collection of rock and baroque. A barnstorming rendition of Curved Air's Vivaldi must have surprised a few fans, as did Monkman's masterful harpsichord solo, Gavotte and Variations. Elsewhere, Hotta allows the band to flex their musical muscles, Sahara captures perfectly the harsh beauty of the desert and Dance of the Little Fairies is as whimsical as the title suggests. Remastered for CD in 2005, sky2 has never sounded better and represents sky at their absolute zenith.