DISCOGRAPHY CRYSTAL:

1. The one for you (USA/CCR 1985) EP
2. Crystal               (USA/CCR 1989) Tape-only
3. Crystal 3            (USA/CCR 1993) Tape-only

Unknown but great pomprockband from San Diego. Their music is a mixture of PROPHET, SUGARCREEK and DAY ONE. Their first LP saw the light of day in 1985. Released on their own Crystal Clear Records label. The band pressed 500 copies and autographed all the back covers themselves.

Opener "Why have all the right girls been taken" is a pretty good uptempo Pomprocksong, but "I'm a dreamer" brings out the best of CRYSTAL. Listen to the drive and you will be hooked. Side-closer "A piece of my heart" is more of the same. What a song! Sadly the ballad on the flipside doesn't live up the standard of the other songs. The titletrack ends this EP. All in all a pretty good record you need for your collection. I give it a 7.5
 

Then came the silence, but in 1989 they released a 5 track Tape-only EP with CD quality. "Into the night" opens and will surprise everyone. What has this band improved. What a pomprock killer! "Point of view" follows. Listen to the arrangements and the superb synth/guitar duels. The re-recorded "I'm a dreamer" has far more power than before.

The intro of "Time keeps runnin'" is not too promising, but also this song turns into a classic Pomprock song. The re-recorded "The one for you" ends this surprisingly good tape! Remember well, we talk about 1989 here! Poprock and FM-rock ruled the world. For me, one of the best releases of that year! What else can I say? I give it a 9.0
 

Who would believe there was more to come? Well, it came in 1993. Once again a Tape-only EP, this time with 3 new tracks. "Always be there" opens and proves, those guys haven't changed a bit! I love this! "Right before my eyes" is a great ballad. "One life" end this tape. All tracks are superb. So this one gets a 9.0 as well. I advise you to try to obtain them all, you won't be sorry.
 

I always wonder why such great bands stay totally unknown and if there are other bands from 'the old school' still alive and make self-financied tapes. Anybody got some Alpha Centauri tapes?? Then I'm your friend!!
 

(This story was made by Richard Leskens)

Additonal talk by Gabor Kleinbloesem, editor/webmaster of Strutter'zine Homepage:

CRYSTAL was a fantastic AOR band and the fact they released some stuff only 6 years back made me very curious if anyone knows if this band is still alive. If anyone (at best the band members themselves) reads this story and knows what happened to the band and it's bandmembers, sent me an e-mail please. Thanks!