Manfred Mann was an artist who spent most of his career working on the peripheries of progressive rock, but there was a period during the mid-70's where his Earth Band decided to more fully embrace their prog rock leanings. Solar Fire was the first LP from that "prog phase", and inaugurates the era with one of the stronger records of their career. The music here features a mix of Mann's analog keyboard heroics with hard rock-leaning guitar and accessible vocal melodies from Mick Rogers. Pretty much the textbook definition of "crossover prog" on the tracks where the vocals come in, but always with enough interesting instrumentation that the record should still appeal to fans of more straightforward symphonic prog. Just don't be expecting anything particularly innovative, even in the keyboard excursions.