A-440

A-440 appears to have been a studio entity built around the talents of writer/keyboardist Michael Rapp. Produced by J.J. Jorgensen A-440's debut came in the form of a rather bizarre 1978 effort entitled "Ulysses, the Greek Suite". Released for 20th Century Fox, the resulting 23 track, double album set was clearly intended as a concept piece built on ancient Greek mythology. Written and arranged by keyboardist Rapp, musically the set showcased the talents of singers Ted Neeley (who'd previously released several solo efforts and starred in the film "Jesus Christ Superstar") and Yvonne Iverson. Neeley wasn't half bad, displaying a nifty gruff voice that was well suited for more mainstream rock (the MOR Ambrosia-styled 'Ithaca'). Recalling Yvonne Elliman, Iverson wasn't as impressive, though it didn't matter since her performances were scattered far and wide ('Polyphemus (Island of the Cyclops)'). Exemplified by material such as the instrumental 'Greetings from Olympus', 'Ulysses Theme' and 'Island of the Lotus Eaters' the collection was heavy on pomposity, complete with spoken word narratives and over-the-top ELP-styled synthesizers and keyboards (check out the instrumental 'Greetings from Olympus'). Hardly something to get excited about, though it would have made for dandy background music when you were studying the Classics.