Samurai is one of the great lost classics of the Progressive era. Released on the short-lived Greenwich Gramophone label in 1972, the album was influenced by the experiments of groups like King Crimson and Gentle Giant, but was more than a mere clone of these bands. Evolving from the equally excellent band Web (whose album 'I Spider' is a classic of the genre), the musicianship on the Samurai album was superlative, with keyboard player Dave Lawson breaking new musical ground throughout. Sadly Samurai disbanded shortly after this album's release. However, their influence was not lost, as both Dave Lawson and Tony Reeves went on to join Dave Greenslade in Greenslade, effectively taking up the musical mantle laid down by Samurai.