by Dave SlegerDespite several early-'70s releases under the moniker the Mike Batt Orchestra, this is regarded by Batt himself as his solo debut. On Schizophonia, Batt finally was able to realize, in a tangible way, his desire to incorporate intelligent pop, prog, and orchestrated rock into a unified body of work. Needless to say, he wasn't able to do that with his previous associations with the Wombles and Steeleye Span, among others. A keyboard player by trade, Batt never allows his instrument of choice to dictate the development and outcome of his music. Batt's true skill lies in large-ensemble arrangements that include the standard rock & roll configuration of electric guitars, bass, and drums. On » Read more