"A blues-based band with art rock inclinations, Family were one of the more interesting groups of hippie-era Britain, between 1967 and 1973. Fronted by the deft and frequently excellent guitar playing of John "Charlie" Whitney and the raspy, whiskey-and-cigarette voice of Roger Chapman, Family were much loved in England and Europe but barely achieved cult status in America. While bands like Jethro Tull, Ten Years After, and the Keith Emerson-led Nice (and later Emerson, Lake & Palmer) sold lots of records, Family, who frequently toured with these bands, were left in the shadows, an odd band loved by a small but rabid group of fans. After Family's demise, Whitney and Chapman formed the blues-rock Streetwalkers; other Family members (of which there were quite a few in the band's tempestuous 8 years) such as John Wetton (King Crimson, Asia) and Jim Cregan (Rod Stewart) went off to find fame and fortune elsewhere. Later on, Chapman moved to Germany, where his solo career flourished." (John Dougan, Allmusic)
Debuut uit 1968, een psychedelisch rock-album dat voor het eerst de uitzonderlijke stem van Roger Chapman laat horen: soms grommend, dan weer haast gillend. De muziek staat op een aanstekelijke manier bol van ambitie/pretentie.
Het tweede album, dat opent met dé Family-klassieker "The Weaver's Answer", waarin Roger Chapmans aardappel-in-de-keel-vocalen schitteren. "Second band album, still recorded with its first incarnation: Roger Chapman (harmonica/tenor sax/vocals), Rick Grech (violin/cello/bass guitar/vocals), Rob Townsend (percussion/drums), John "Charlie" Whitney (guitar/pedal steel guitar/keyboards), and Jim King (harmonica/keyboards/soprano sax/tenor sax/vocals). While not totally dismissing their psychedelic leanings, much of the material bears a stronger acoustic influence, in much the same manner as Fairport Convention and Traffic were also exploring. (...) The edgy "Weaver's Answer" immediately establishes a broader spectrum of styles, most notably given Chapman's commanding if not slightly intimidating vocals. Whitney's blistering fretwork yields bite to the Grech-penned "Second Generation Woman," while "Emotions," another full-tilt rocker, is infused with an apparent R&B homage." (Lindsay Planer, Allmusic)
"Kicking off with the wickedly salacious "Burlesque," Bandstand was the best of the late Family recordings. For a band that for the most part eschewed riffs and hooks, both are in plentiful supply here. More important, by the time of Bandstand's release, Family had reconciled the war between their art-rock and hard rock tendencies; that is to say, there is more of the latter and less of the former. So, the record doesn't have the internal stress of their earlier releases, but what it does have is Chapman shouting like he could take on the world and Whitney playing like he must have when he formed the Farinas in 1962. A corker from the word go." (John Dougan, Allmusic) Deze editie is niet alleen geremastered, maar bevat ook een uitgebreid boekje met o.a. een lang essay inclusief interviewfragmenten met ex-leden van de band. Ook zijn er bonustracks, waaronder 3 obscure live-opnamen van o.a. "The Weaver's Answer" (een van de bekendste Family-songs, oorspr. van het album "Family Entertainment").
"In mid-1971, Family were to again face personnel changes as John Weider (bass) was replaced by John Wetton (bass/guitar/vocals) just in time to chip in for "Fearless", their sixth long-player in four years. Listeners who had enjoyed their most recent platters might have been a bit nonplussed when confronted with this disc, as the combo's direction was notably altered. Wetton brought along his trademark propulsive performance style, which is immediately evident on the heavy midtempo opener, "Between Blue and Me." Charlie Whitney (guitar/mandolin/percussion) presents some expressive strings weaving through Wetton's full bottom-end bombs. Poli Palmer's (keyboards/vibes/flute/percussion) roly-poly piano further conjures up a barroom setting while pulling the tune together. Another of the album's best offerings is the "Spanish Tide"/"Save Some for Thee'" medley. Highlighted is the combination of Roger Chapman's powerful warbling and Wetton's sturdy vocal timbre." (Lindsay Planer, Allmusic)
"Family was one of the premier 'underground' bands of late-'60s/early-'70s England, and this twofer featuring "A Song For Me" and "Anyway...", both from 1970, finds the group at a crucial transitional point. Featuring a new lineup, "A Song For Me" marked a step away from the more psychedelic leanings of Family's '60s recordings, moving more towards a mixture of heavy rock and acoustic-based tunes, while the follow-up, "Anyway...", presents the band in the first flower of the full-blown prog-rock style they'd pursue successfully for the next few years." (Jim Allen, Allmusic) "Anyway..." is voor de helft live-opgenomen, beide discs van deze heruitgave bevatten ook nog eens bonus-live-tracks (7 in totaal) plus twee B-kantjes.
Achtste en laatste album, uit 1973. Een binnen hun discografie relatief ontspannen klinkend album; soms funky rockend, soms ook statig, met strijkersarrangement. Chapman's unieke stem is en blijft de blikvanger.
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