Phantasmagoria was the third and last album to feature the classic Curved Air lineup before the band underwent a massive change in style and personnel and went from a pioneering prog approach to a more straightforward '70s rock sound. Curved Air's initial incarnation went out on a high note; this was the most fully realized version of their vision, encompassing everything from flowing ballads to manic instrumentals. The gently melodic "Melinda (More or Less)" spotlights the softer side of singer Sonja Kristina's sound and the lyrical qualities of Daryl Way's violin. "Not Quite the Same" ambitiously blends a brass section and a synthesizer, an instrument whose capabilities were just starting to be explored at the time. "Whose Shoulder Are You Looking Over Anyway" is an almost shocking burst of avant-garde exploration, in which Kristina's voice is electronically treated to create a dizzying blur of synthesized tones. And while Phantasmagoria was Curved Air's farewell to prog, in the thrillingly complex "Over and Above" it contains perhaps their most accomplished prog-rock piece ever.