SAMURAI
Samurai
(Greenwich GSLP 1003) 8/71
‘Samurai have perfected a subtle series of tunes, for the most part soft, though there’s no lack of guts when needed – but there are too many similarities with far too many other bands’ – Melody Maker, 11/9/71

The short, punchy, riff-laden opener ‘Saving It Up For So Long’ is a false dawn: the remainder of this by-numbers prog LP fails to deliver, never shaking off the sense of an under-rehearsed sixth-form school band. ‘More Rain’ has especially poor lyrics. The live songs added to the CD, however, show that when the band kept it short and to the point they could rock. (GH)

SATISFACTION
Satisfaction
(Decca SKL 5075) 2/71
‘A group we will be hearing more of. On Satisfaction (interesting sleeve) the six-piece gives out a full sound as professional as any you’ll hear doing the rounds today’ – Disc & Music Echo, 6/2/71

Who’d ever have thought that a repackaged Mike Cotton Sound would, in 1970, record one of the great lost prog rock records? Every song has inventive arrangements and 24-carat tunes, and rarely has brass been utilised so effectively in this genre. ‘Just Lay Back And Enjoy It’ sounds like Chicago at their very best, ‘Cold Summer’ is a pacy rocker and ‘Sharing’ is a slow burner whose funky rhythm is regularly assaulted by sharp instrumental breaks. Side two boasts ‘Call You Liar Liar’ – heavy prog with the catchiness of a hit single – and a sensitive cover of Tim Hardin’s ‘You Upset The Grace Of Living When You Lie’, but the best cut is the Sergio Mendes-inspired jazz groover ‘Just Like Friends’, with superb harmony vocals and a searing guitar solo. This wonderful album closes with its longest song, the prog epic ‘Go Through Changes’, which demonstrates all the band’s best features: riffing guitar, parping horns, harmony vocals and gentle time-changes. A really superb LP – get it (relatively) cheap while you still can. (GH)

SECOND HAND
Reality
(Polydor 583 045) 3/69
‘This album features a large sound recorded on multi-channel equipment. There are cascading strings, cascading drums, Steve Miller-type guitar, buzz-bomber guitar, slow organ, echoing voices running round the room, flute playing over crackling and thundering noises – everything bar sitar… A lot of thought and planning has gone into this album, which was recorded over two years, and Second Hand are a group with a lot of potential’ – Beat Instrumental, April 1969

As 60s psych goes, this one is like no other and doesn’t neatly fall into any category. Within the first few minutes it spans heavy psych, Kinks-like storytelling, Blossom Toes-like twee popsike and steamy, proggy Mellotron. The rest of the album doesn’t get any simpler; they mix styles, instruments and lyrical subjects in a way that should not cohere, but it does, it does! It’s more keyboard-heavy than most psych of its time, which foreshadows the prog direction they’d take with their next album, and while the production sounds of its time, a lot of these ideas were just not being explored by anyone else yet. For some reason, Second Hand are rarely mentioned when people discuss the very best psych and heavy psych. Maybe this album is too complex and the moods are too extreme for some. Unlike with excellent but more accessible bands like July, Kaleidoscope or The End, it’s not easy to imagine Second Hand’s songs without these bizarre arrangements. The melodies and hooks are there, but play second fiddle to the overall intensity of sound. And when a song is easily hummable (i.e. ‘Good Old '59’), it is undercut by spastic stereo tricks, shrill vocals and a sense that they may just be joking. At times they strike me as what could have happened to Procol Harum if they’d had zero interest in commerciality and no soft side. The only negative is that the vocals often fall into the heavy rock trap of trying to sound as abrasive as the music rather than actually adding anything to the proceedings (a shame, because on the non-heavy songs the vocals are quite agreeable). This gets wearying by the album’s end. Otherwise, a peerless album: challenging, powerful and stunning. (AM)

SHAPE OF THE RAIN
Riley, Riley, Wood and Waggett
(RCA Neon NE 7) 7/71
‘Four Northerners with a beautiful first album, named after them. They write beautiful, carefully-tailored little songs and play them mainly acoustically, but with some clever electric guitar and piano slipped in. They’re most easily characterised as folk-rock’ – Disc & Music Echo, 10/7/71

Another abysmally-titled early 70s rock record – it’s hard to believe the band actually desired commercial success. This is a shame, as the album opens with one of THE great lost singles, ‘Woman’, a wonderfully bright and fresh-faced slice of West Coast psych, all nimble guitar riffs and insistent melodies. The next song, ‘Patterns’, is a similarly lovely dose of breezy Californian pop. The reminder of the LP struggles to match these standards, but is nonetheless very pleasant. ‘Castles’ and ‘Wasting My Time’ are also notable, though ‘Yes’ is sub-Man jamming. The guitar playing is excellent throughout, but the George Harrison-inflected vocals lack dynamism or range. Overall, a solid example of early 70s soft-rock. (GH)

DON SHINN
Temples With Prophets
(Columbia SCX 6319) 3/69
‘Organist and pianist, herewith introduced, along with guitar, bass and drums backing. A stylist who worked with the Echoes, backing group for several top names, and now in a curious but entirely satisfying mixture of styles. He wrote all the tracks for himself, and they include ‘A Minor Explosion’ and a couple of ‘Monophonic Interludes For Pianoforte’, no less’ – Record Mirror, 15/3/69

An instrumental jazz / pop / classical excursion for the former Soul Agents organist, who looks suitably mean and moody on the sleeve. A sinister atmosphere is conveyed through the shifting passages on these five workouts, with ‘Pits Of Darkness’ and ‘A Minor Explosion’ standing out as the prime cuts. Backed by bass, drums and ace Eastern-styled guitar (courtesy of one Paul Hodgeson), Shinn cajoles all manner of tones and sounds from his trusty organ, and even visits St. Mark’s Church in Cricklewood for the epic title track. Not all of this is top-notch, but for the most part it’s bizarre, groovy and compulsive, and especially worth seeking out for fans of progressive organ sounds. (RMJ)

SIDAN
Teulu Yncl Sam
(Sain 1017) 1975 
This gently progressive folk-pop LP centres on the awesome Welsh-language vocals of five teenage girls, all of whom look uncannily like Trisha out of Grange Hill on the back cover. Arrangements are sparse, at best consisting of unshowy piano, drums, oboe or strings (and at worst ill-advised yet harmless cheesy synth, giving them an unwelcome tinpot Abba sound at times), but where it works – on tracks like ‘Carol’, ‘Y Rhwyd’, ‘Di Enw’ and the disco psychedelia of ‘Di Enw’, with its wah-wahs, fuzz and Trees-style acid blues guitar flourishes, the effect is devastating, the voices combining to create a sound not unlike a quivering hormonal Mellotron. Elsewhere, fans of ‘ill beats’ will love ‘Ar Goll’, where ultra fit and alert head girl vocals meet amateur-hour Stevie Wonder electric piano funk, whilst fans of the Super Furries will like ‘Dyn Yr Eira’ (which wouldn’t sound out of place on Mwng), and the Suzi Quattro-lite of ‘Dwi Ddim Isio’. (DS) 

MIKE SILVER & MIKE BEASON
The Applicant
(Fontana STL 5506) 10/69
‘The musical interludes, which include a ragtime thing and a Dylan parody, provide a welcome relief from the monotonous narration’ – Melody Maker, 25/10/69

Produced by David Paramor (Simon Dupree, the Koobas, the Gods, Head Machine), this is one of the rarest and least-known major label albums of the period. Sub-titled ‘A Folk Opera’, it’s a strange combination of spoken word and songs following the attempts of a starving man (acted by Beason) to find work. Spread over two sides with no track breaks, it’s somewhat dated and, inevitably, the somewhat callow spoken sections stand up to fewer plays than the music. That said, it contains some fine, passionate songs from Silver, set to deft guitar, organ, flute and occasional oboe, reminiscent of Al Jones’s debut. No musicians are credited on the sleeve, but the arrangements are by Christopher Gunning, who went on to score numerous films and TV shows. Silver later played in Daylight, and recorded several solo albums. (RMJ)

ALAN SKIDMORE
Once Upon A Time
(Deram Nova DN / SDN 11) 3/70
‘Another major triumph for British jazz. Skid, Kenny Wheeler and pianist John Taylor all play brilliantly, helped by great work from Harry Miller and Tony Oxley, and the balance between the fascinating themes and eloquent solos is just right’ – Melody Maker, 7/3/70

On his debut as leader Skidmore is joined by Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, Harry Miller and Tony Oxley – a devastating quintet. Though deeply influenced by Coltrane, the quintet certainly had their own approach and ideas – this is not some second-hand facsimile, but a profoundly interesting and thoughtful take on jazz. The title cut is a growling smoker written by John Surman, while John Warren’s ‘Old San Juan’ is 12 minutes of unexpected changes and gear shifts. An album that blisters with brio and nerve. (TH)

SKIN ALLEY
Stop Veruschka
(CBS acetate, no cat #) 1970
This collection of nine incidental (and largely instrumental) tracks was recorded as the soundtrack to a documentary about the German supermodel Veruschka. Highlights including ‘Sofa / Taxi / Sand Sequence’ and ‘Russian Boogaloo’ (both featuring fine guitar soloing over a tight rock groove, something largely absent from their other CBS recordings) and the mellow, flute-driven ‘Skin Valley Serenade’. There are also some pleasant pop-styled tracks (‘Sun Music’, ‘Bird Music’, ‘Snow Music’) and a couple of tedious freakouts, ‘Cemetery Scene’ and ‘First Drug Scene’ (though the latter resolves itself into quite a cool funky groove). One copy is known to exist, whose sleeve says ‘Second Album’ on it, with the words crossed out. The only track that’s ever seen the light of day is ‘Sun Music’, which was released on April 1972’s Glastonbury Fayre LP. (RMJ)

SKIP BIFFERTY
Skip Bifferty
(RCA RD / SF 7941) 9/68
‘A brilliant first album by a struggling group that deserve recognition. They write excellent material and have a pleasant combination of humour and dedication’ – Melody Maker, 7/9/68

This is one of the few popsike ‘classics’ that actually had a bit of a cult following back before the reissue and collector madness hit in the 80s. That may be partly due to John Peel’s promotion of the band, but it also must be because the fourteen (count ‘em, fourteen!) songs on this album have some great rock strength and plenty of hooks, and are full of creative ideas that mesh extremely well with the trendy production styles. Harpsichords, choppy rhythms, heavy guitar solos on not-heavy songs, music hall ditties, backwards guitars, licks that repeat throughout an entire song, fuzz bass solos, and even a song that is mostly drums are all game here. Bits like the guitar / backing vocal solo on ‘When She Comes to Stay’ and the ultra-loud handclaps and crazed sound effects on ‘Time Track’ give this album a real edge, and the songwriting is ace throughout. Every song has something to distinguish it from the others. This one holds up extremely well all these years later; it unquestionably ranks with the best of the genre. (AM)

SOMEONE’S BAND
Someone’s Band
(Deram SML 1068) 10/70
‘A new and unknown British band who are destined to remain that way, I fear. They offer nothing new here; it’s music of pedestrian pace, without direction or energy, that leaves you totally unmoved’ – Sounds, 24/10/70

Recorded overnight and barely released (in classic Deram style), this contains a handful of stone cold classics: the irresistible ‘How It Began’, serene ‘Blues For Brother E’ and pounding ‘Hands Of Time’. Elsewhere things stray close to formulaic bluesy rock, though the soulful ballad ‘A Story’, country-inflected ‘Fiddlesticks’ and percussion blowout ‘Manhunt’ are effective. Lead singer Cecil James has a wonderfully gritty voice (check out ‘How It Began’), and at his best (‘Blues For Brother E’) guitarist Melvin Buckley gives Peter Green a run for his money. Incidentally, they must have been one of the first mixed-race bands in the UK. As C Jam Blues, an earlier incarnation had a single out in 1966 (‘Candy’ / ‘Stay At Home Girl’, Columbia DB 8064). (RMJ)

SPIROGYRA
St. Radigunds
(B&C CAS 1042, with inner) 9/71
‘There’s a bit of Pentangle here, a bit of Curved Air, a little of the Incredibles and a few shaky harmonies among this avant-garde, medieval-ish approach to electric folk. The occasional quiet guitar melody is nice, but it’s yet immature vocally and will improve with time’ – Record Mirror, 23/10/71

Spirogyra played a rather peculiar variation on progressive folk. The mix of male and female vocals, the use of violins, and the mostly acoustic instruments were not too different from that of other folk bands, but the band’s ambitions were quite a bit more complex than most. The songs told strange stories, not just via the lyrics but also the vocal inflections of Martin Cockerham, who sounds more like a demented cross between Dylan and Bowie than a traditional British folkie. Often Barbara Gaskin’s lovely but rather staid vocals end up taking second stage, creating a pretty sound that is at odds with the strangeness that surrounds it. On their debut, the pieces don’t really come together, creating a set of songs that cohere but don’t exactly stick in your memory. There are quite a few good bits, but too much violin and not enough appearances from the rhythm section. There’s definite promise here, and once in a while it seems as if a light bulb goes off (the last half of ‘Magical Mary’ is quite special, for instance.) Still, it feels like something’s missing, and to me this is a test run for the better albums that would follow. (AM)

MEIC STEVENS
Outlander
(Warner Bros WS 3005, with insert) 5/70
‘Unfortunately Meic Stevens’ songs aren’t quite strong enough to make this a successful album… It sounds in the main like early Bob Dylan material, accompanied by harmonica and an extra heavy backing; in fact there’s very little originality about his songwriting at all. Most of the material sounds dated – the kind of stuff that was being performed in folk clubs three or four years ago’ – Melody Maker, 30/5/70

This is the key album by this Welsh variation on the ‘new Dylan’. It is most certainly one of the very best ‘new Dylan’ albums of them all, mixing excellent singer-songwriter material with equally good folk-psych. The guitar playing throughout is terrific (just check out the very beginning of the album, where lovely acoustic guitars succumb gloriously to even more gorgeous wah-wah lead guitars), and Stevens has an evocative, exotic voice. This may be folk-based material, and some of the songs are merely acoustic guitar and harmonica, but at least half of it is clearly a rock record. There’s genuine power in the guitar-and-keyboard arrangements (‘Left Over Time’ and ‘Ghost Town’, in particular, have a perfect Blonde On Blonde feel) and in Stevens’ heart-heavy lyrics. Where this album really goes beyond, though, is on ‘The Sailor And Madonna’ and ‘Yorric’, two folk-psych epics with sitar, freaky flute, and poetic lyrics. This is a great record, highly recommended. Unlike much of Stevens’ other work, all but one song here is sung in English. (AM)

MICK STEVENS
See The Morning
(Deroy, no cat #) 1972
Low-fi but genuinely extraordinary, this horrendously rare album came out on the legendary DIY Deroy label, and was the first in a run of acclaimed psych-out folk LPs by the other Stevens (not Druid Overlord Meic). The charcoal simplicity of the cover sketch can’t prepare you for what lies within. What was influencing this guy? Hard to tell – frantic bass playing, flamenco-style acoustic flourishes and electric wah-wah straight out of the Bag O’Nails circa 1967 combine to reveal a serious talent. Mick plays everything – impressively, even a coffee-pot (sic) – layering tight CSNY-style harmonies on top of his semi-classical acoustic on tracks such as ‘Catherine’, whilst introducing restrained yet awesome psychedelic electric guitar textures on the excellent closer ‘Salotan Cinonrever’. (DS)

STONE ANGEL
Stone Angel
(Seashell SSLP 04) 1975
The gentleman who first discovered this local Norfolk LP in the early 1990s was inspired to write a full-page rant on its merits that stands as a high-water mark in the annals of record dealer prose. I can’t hope to match that, but must admit that this is one of my favourites in the field of privately released folk-rock. There is a gothic, ancient quality to Stone Angel that grabs you from the ghostly opening minute of ‘The Bells Of Dunwich’ and never lets go. Based on trad melodies and folklore myths, this is truly transporting music, ‘like a Pentangle LP recorded in 1869’, to quote another poetic record dealer. The band recreates the atmosphere of a dark, rural past that may still be secretly alive, like seeing candlelight burning in an abandoned cottage at the edge of the forest. Vocalist Joan Bartle sounds like a character from an Edgar Allen Poe story, frail and eerie at the same time, and even the amateurish male vocals work in the context of the LP. What is perhaps most surprising and effective is the use of electric instruments, including feedback guitar leads and electric bass that blend seamlessly into a rich acoustic instrumentation including dulcimer, violin, jews harp, crumhorn, mandolin and the murkiest percussion this side of Oberon. As often, the combination of an aesthetic awareness, complete artistic control and limited production funds help create a unified and truly memorable experience; a yardstick for local 1970s folk-rock albums. (PL)

STONEFIELD TRAMP
Dreaming Again
(Acorn / Tramp CF 247) 1974
This is one record that really has me scratching my head … the can’t-put-my-finger-on-it  oddness of the repetitive acoustic riffing, the terribly out of tune bass (how could they have not heard this?) which almost completely spoils the otherwise psych-folk otherness of ‘Bitter World’… and yet, and yet… Stonefield Tramp ultimately pull it off through sheer determination, coming across not unlike some kind of rural Essex, pot-smoking Velvet Underground-circa-‘Jesus’ wannabes. For all its amateurish faults, however, I can’t let this one slip away on eBay. Highlights include ‘Oh Mothers Tell Your Children’, which is very strange, all flanged acoustic guitars and tripped-out vocals complete with effects, whilst ‘Jaded Jane’ sounds like Creme Soda in one of their Anglo acoustic pop guises, and ‘Factory’ a credit-crunch Quicksilver with its ultra-simple yet flipped-out bass and acoustic lead flourishes. Hideously rare, it has recently been spotted at £400 on some lists. (DS)

PETER STRAKER
Private Parts
(RCA SF 8319, with insert) 11/72
‘The whole is principally concerned with things physical, with the accent on deviation… Lyrically the work is often striking, and the overall sound is reminiscent of the music from Hair, though not as strong melodically… Straker, backed by a goodly number of assorted musicians, handles the tales of sexual awakening, impotence and bisexuality with strength and some suitably bizarre phrasing, but sometimes takes it all too far… Nevertheless, it’s a work that aims to be taken seriously, and despite its tinges of pretension it’s a valid project which may well gain many aficianados’ – Disc, 18/11/72

Written and produced by hitmakers Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, this obscurity is by the guy who sang the lead in the original London production of Hair. It’s a song suite examining childhood, race, sexuality and other topics, with some remarkably direct lyrics and lush production values, both of which lend it something of the atmosphere of a stage musical. In fact it’s quite reminiscent of the contemporary work of David Bowie. ‘Evensong’ explores adolescent sexuality and ‘As You Were Dying’ deals with a father’s suicide, while the lengthy ‘A Bad Night’ is a genuinely remarkable trip through the darkest recesses of the mind (sample lyric: ‘I am the doom man, I am the done / Wading deep in mucous and the world’s unwanted come / Take me, enter one by one / All the pederasts and villains, all the psychopaths and sadomasochistic schizophrenics / All the scum’). There’s an odd fracture between the often jaunty, mainstream arrangements and blunt lyrics, making the LP an odd and quite unsettling listen. It was promoted by a gig at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall on December 1st 1972, which found Straker backed by a full orchestra, but it did little good, as this is one of the rarer albums on the label. I’d love to have seen ‘A Bad Night’ performed live, though. Great front cover, too. (RMJ)

THE STRAWBS
Strawberry Music Sampler No. 1
(no label) 1969
This is a lovely, charming folk-rock album, as one would expect from a collaboration between the nascent Strawbs and a pre-Fairport Convention Sandy Denny. Aside from including the first version of the latter’s seminal ‘Who Knows Where The Time Goes?’, this features a number of excellent compositions by Dave Cousins. However, there are also three whimsical music hall-style numbers that have dated extremely badly. Most of the tracks (some in different mixes) finally got a commercial release in 1973 as All Our Own Work, whilst further permutations of numbers and takes later appeared on CD as Sandy Denny And The Strawbs. Of the 100 copies originally pressed as a publisher’s demo, only a couple have resurfaced on the collectors’ market, making this one of the most expensive and sought-after British folk albums. (RF)

THE SUN ALSO RISES
The Sun Also Rises
(Village Thing VTS 2, with insert) 10/70
‘One of the most refreshingly original albums of the year. The husband and wife duo from Cardiff have captured moods by patterns of sound and words… Entertaining and absorbing’ – Sounds, 7/11/70

Totally influenced by the Incredible String Band, the album offers whimsical, acoustic acid folk, with weird, disjointed hippie lyrics. It’s a charming period piece, but lacks the impact to rank among the psychedelic folk classics. (RF)

SUNDAE TIMES
Us Coloured Kids
(Joy JOYS 159) 4/70
‘Eddie Grant’s influence is obvious, especially on ‘Baby Don’t Cry’, one of two numbers he wrote for them. They get quite a powerful sound, with some Hendrix-type vocals in places, but they need something fresh to lift them out of the ordinary’ – Melody Maker, 11/4/70

Discovered and produced by Eddie Grant (of the Equals), this awfully-named trio were arguably the first black rock band in the UK. Their music isn’t especially informed by black music, though – it’s meaty, beaty, quasi-psychedelic pop, sung and played with verve and melodic flair. Highlights include the punchy opener ‘Jack Boy’, pretty ‘Angels In The Sky’, odd ‘Electric Tree’ and stoned ‘Psychedelic Dream’. What lets it down is the almost total absence of guitar solos, which is mystifying. It’s almost as if they forgot to mix them in. The band’s impressive line-up was lisping singer-guitarist Wendell ‘Del’ Richardson (later with Osibisa and Free), bassist Calvin Samuels (later with One and various permutations of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young) and drummer Conrad Isadore (also with One, and Manfred Mann Chapter Three). (RMJ)

SUNFOREST
Sound Of Sunforest
(Deram Nova (S)DN 7) 1/70
‘A cross between the Incredible String Band and the Mamas And The Papas, with more than a touch of flower-child naïveté. Singable, hummable, whistleable, but not memorable’ – Melody Maker, 31/1/70

Drawing influences from medieval music and many other genres, this beautifully- packaged LP is a supremely inventive and trippy affair, with a big studio production adding to the disjointed Victorian popsike vibe. It is rightly revered as a classic of its genre, and two tracks went on to be re-recorded for Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (‘Overture To The Sun’ and ‘Lighthouse Keeper’). Freya Hogue was later a member of the superb Everyone Involved. (RF)

SWEENEY’S MEN
Sweeney’s Men
(Transatlantic TRA 170) 9/68
‘The music ranges from Irish traditional tunes and American country music to ballads. They have obtained a distinctive sound on a number of tracks by the use of the acoustic bouzouki combined with guitar, mandolin, harmonica and whistle… Altogether an entertaining album by three singers and musicians who are obviously not afraid to move outside their native traditions to find material’ – Melody Maker, 7/9/68

Received wisdom has it that this is one of the most revolutionary albums in the development of Irish folk, and some cloth-eared writers have even described it as ‘folk-rock’. In fact it’s straight folk, with reasonable instrumentation, no percussion or electricity, and unimpressive vocals. The trio of Andy Irvine, Johnny Moynihan and Terry Woods may have been more outward-looking than the Dubliners and the Clancy Brothers, but that’s not saying much, and it would be insane to suggest that their music was as adventurous as that of labelmates Pentangle, for starters. All but one of the songs are tried and tested trad numbers such as ‘Willy O’Winsbury’, ‘Rattlin’ Roarin’ Willie’ and ‘Tom Dooley’. The sole original is Woods’s ‘My Dearest Dear’, which doesn’t stand out much. For an album of its sort, I much prefer the Emmet Spiceland LP, which has received nowhere near as much retrospective applause. (RMJ)

SYNANTHESIA
Synanthesia
(RCA Victor SF 8058) 11/69
‘An inventive British group who have come up with a lyrical album that shows not only promise but real talent’ – Record Mirror, 22/11/69

A cool and unique folk album whose cover accurately promises strange fruits of the earth. Appealing vocals, jazzy flute and sax, spastic hand drums and lovely acoustic guitars characterise an album of freaky inspiration. It’s all pretty organic, but has a mildly trippy feel. Mostly, though, it’s the inspired songwriting and laid-back beauty of the performances that stand out. This isn’t as structurally ambitious as some of the progressive folk albums that would appear in the next few years, nor is it as wilfully odd as bands like the Incredible String Band, Tea & Symphony and Dr. Strangely Strange. And in this case that’s a good thing, because by being simply who they are they radiate confidence and musical energy. There are no obvious influences here; they could just as well have been weaned on jazz as folk. My favourite of many good songs: ‘Morpheus’, which has some really hot sax work. (AM)

MIKE TAYLOR QUARTET
Pendulum
(Columbia SX / SCX 6042) 5/66
‘Mike Taylor on piano goes through several of his own songs and a fair old version of Dizzy Gillespie’s ‘A Night In Tunisia’. Clever, and in places inspired’ – Record Mirror, 21/5/66

‘The three standards which make up the first side acclimatise the listener to the quartet’s approach – improvisation based on sequences of chords or scales, but occasionally free. ‘A Night In Tunisia’ is developed into an intriguing suite, and here the work of Tony Reeves and Jon Hiseman is outstanding. Hiseman is one to watch. Tomlin’s soprano is a curious but stimulating experience, with a decided Eastern influence. The three originals on the second side are superb, with ‘Leeway’ the real highlight of the set because of an excellent Tomlin solo. Taylor has managed to be progressive without sounding in the least bit chaotic – no mean feat – and this is one of the most outstanding British jazz releases, in any sphere, for some time’ – Melody Maker, 28/5/66

This enigmatic jazz pianist / composer gave no interviews, there are barely any pictures of him (and none that fully show his face), all the many amateur recordings made of him seem to have been lost, and by the time his two albums appeared he was already losing his mind to psychedelic drugs. Nonetheless, his slender body of work is as distinctive and original as anything recorded in the UK in the 1960s. Recorded in October 1965, Pendulum is endlessly fascinating, a maze of confounding turns, beautiful, suggestive and joyfully experimental without being vogueishly avant-garde. Dave Tomlin’s writhing soprano sax lines lock beautifully with Taylor’s flowing and unpredictable keys throughout, supported by the near-superhuman interplay between double bassist Tony Reeves and drummer Jon Hiseman. Side one comprises three standards turned inside out, including an epic treatment of Dizzy Gillespie’s ‘A Night In Tunisia’, while side two is given over to three Taylor originals – the sinister title track, beautiful ‘To Segovia’ and haunting ‘Leeway’, a tribute to Tomlin’s baby daughter Lee. (RMJ)

TEA & SYMPHONY
Jo Sago
(Harvest SHVL 785) 11/70
‘An interesting and enjoyable album. Side one is taken up with the story of the life of an immigrant of that name living on the outskirts of Birmingham. It’s sympathetically told, completely unbiased and musically good, with a range from Beefheart-like roaring to good pulsing African beat. Side two is a selection of their songs, and very good to listen to’ – Disc & Music Echo, 28/11/70

The second Tea & Symphony LP is as adventurous as the first, but in a very different way. Side one is a 27-minute suite that tells a complicated (more like incomprehensible) story, incorporating spoken sections and musical interludes from various cultures. The actual songs are similar to those on the first album, but a bit less frantic. There are moments of brilliance here, and it’s a rather fascinating achievement, but it doesn’t hold a listener’s interest like the individual songs from their debut. Side two comprises distinct songs, plenty weird but not quite as compelling as what they did before. This album is definitely interesting, but could have used some pruning. It’s not exactly a disappointment, but in the end falls a bit short. (AM)

THIN LIZZY
Thin Lizzy
(Decca SKL 5082) 5/71
‘A very good idea, carried off with precision. Excellent, tuneful and restrained lead guitar, terrific lead vocals and some wailing Mellotron strings create a pretty atmospheric mood. If they keep this up, they’ll have some hits on their hands’ – Record Mirror, 15/5/71

The first Thin Lizzy album shows Phil Lynott to be a poetic soul with a hard rocking heart. He would eventually become the working class rock and roll hero, a black Irishman naturally being a grittier variation on the Bruce Springsteen persona. Lynott was championed by a younger crowd who mostly shunned the intellectual rock critic elite who loved Bruce. The streamlined, formalised hard rock of their mid and late-70s recordings appealed more to those particular fans than the folk and blues-tinged rock here (there’s more than a share of influence from their countrymate Van Morrison, too). There are others, though, who prefer this version of Lizzy, and they have a legitimate argument. These are tough, evocative songs, Lynott’s vocals are equally suited to acoustic guitars and heavy rock, and despite the folk aspects, most of the album rocks hard. The rhythm section is ballsy, they get funky here and there, and there’s plenty of fat, loud lead guitar. Morrison influence aside, this is ahead of its time. You can hear bits of it in artists like Graham Parker, Mink DeVille, Boomtown Rats and even Patti Smith. This is essentially the prototype street-poet singer-songwriter rock album, a very welcome development at a time when singer-songwriters were getting progressively wimpier and more self-involved (i.e. old farts). Critics may not appreciate them, but Thin Lizzy were a very important band who made many fine albums. This, despite a bit of haphazardness, is one of the best. (AM)

THIRD WORLD WAR
Third World War
(Fly HIFLY 4, with insert) 4/71
‘A fierce, attacking, bolshie combination who reflect very well their life and times and social background… All in all, this first set has a lot of excitement and a lot of strange charm’ – Sounds, 17/4/71

One of the most distinctive records from 1971, and a bona fide proto-punk classic. Agit-prop lyrics, hoarse vocals, choppy guitars: the blueprint is here. Opener ‘Ascension Day’ sees the band proclaim their manifesto (‘Power to the people, power to the poor, power to the workers, power to us all, when we rise’), while ‘MI5’s Alive’ is a bluesy shuffle with rough brass and the Edward Heath-bashing ‘Teddy Teeth Goes Sailing’ (a paean to the hungry, poor and unemployed) is somewhat more scabrous than the Beatles’ assault on him in ‘Taxman’. ‘Working Class Man’ is pure Joe Strummer vox and sentiments, and – like the great man – this band has all the answers. This LP must have resounded out of Ladbroke Grove squats throughout the early 70s. Che Guevara would have loved it. (GH)

CHRIS THOMPSON
Chris Thompson
(Village Thing VTS 21) 1973
Sitting here tapping away at the keyboard whilst listening to this beauty for the first time in months merely hardens my view that this is surely amongst the top 5 so-called acid folk releases of the early 70s. Don’t let its awful sleeve put you off, or the fact that it costs about £20 to pick up (or did until quite recently…). Thompson is a brilliant Asian-Celtic guitarist whose lovely tunes and playing are brilliantly offset for the most part by Godhead Clem Alford on sitar and Keshav Sathe on tabla (both of Magic Carpet et al fame). Thompson does wonderful bendy, woozy things with his guitar, no more so than on ‘Her Hair Was Long’, a simply epic acid dervish which gets up and dances all round the room whenever you put it on. But he’s equally brilliant elsewhere – the shiny steel flourishes of ‘The Song Of Wandering Aengus’, with its W.B.Yeats lyrics and ISB flute dancing in the background, or the recurring climbing chord sequence which holds the whole LP together before dying out like the last rays of summer on closer ‘Love’. Like a good movie, I don’t want to give too much of this away – just check it out if you haven’t already. (DS)

TOMORROW
Tomorrow
(Parlophone PMC / PCS 7042) 2/68
‘Do not adjust your record players, this is the way this progressive group plays! Featuring Keith West as lead vocalist, the boys make interesting new jangle sounds for this varied set… There are some distorted yet fascinating sounds on ‘Revolution’ and ‘Hallucinations’, which bear out the sleevenotes’ contention that this is the sound of Tomorrow’ – NME, 10/2/68

This psych classic has always attracted attention because Keith West, Twink and Steve Howe were in the band, but it’s a whole lot more than just a starting point for some fascinating careers. It’s a totally solid, wonderfully experimental and exceptionally well-played record that has a lot more to offer than just ‘My White Bicycle’. All the songs are strong (with the only inessential piece being their cover of ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, which sounds like more of a case of ‘look what we can do’ than something that actually belongs on the album), and they incorporate all kinds of influences – blues, hard rock, pop, raga, jazz – without any of it sounding forced. The moment that cements the album’s masterpiece status is the one extended bit: the long guitar solo in ‘Now Your Time Has Come’, which is undeniable proof that Steve Howe was worthy of the fame he would find in Yes. The album’s release was postponed for months on end as a result of West’s unexpected solo hit with ‘Excerpt From A Teenage Opera’, so it really belongs to 1967. (AM)

STAN TRACEY
Alice In Jazzland
(EMI Columbia SCX 6051) 6/66
‘Tracey, for so long the problem child of British jazz, has now blossomed into a talented composer and arranger, over and above his abilities as a pianist… Another feather in Tracey’s cap, and an album of which British jazz can be exceedingly, even excessively, proud’ – Music Maker, September 1966

Abandoning Dylan Thomas for Lewis Carroll, and billed as ‘The Stan Tracey Big Band’, this LP is a great example of the pianist’s mid-60s form. Accompanied by an array of British jazz A-listers (Tubby Hayes, Kenny Wheeler, Bobby Wellins, Ronnie Stephenson), Tracey presents a suite of eight tracks inspired by Alice In Wonderland, each composed and arranged by him. Tracks like ‘Portrait Of  A Queen’ (a waltz) feature great soloing from Eddie Blair and Bobby Wellins, and ‘Summer Hallucination’ lets Alan Branscombe work out. This swings good and proper. (TH)

ALAN TRAJAN
Firm Roots
(MCA MKPS 2000) 11/69
‘Gutsy music from an impressive new talent. Trajan has a raw, convincing voice and plays spirited piano. His songs are direct and full of life, and his backing musicians – unfortunately unnamed – play with a nice, relaxed, heavy feel’ – Melody Maker, 8/11/69

This Scottish keyboard player’s real name was Alan Robertson, and he looks like a fierce Edwardian gamekeeper on the cover of his sole LP. A fascinating curio encompassing fiery R&B, contemplative folk and pedestrian covers, it’s split between good-timey singalongs and unsettling, existential singer-songwriter material. His own compositions tend towards the despairing. Opener ‘Speak To Me, Clarissa’ concerns a desperate attempt to revive a girl who’s overdosed, and the mood isn’t lightened by the anguished ‘One Tends To Get Bitter Now And Again’ (sample lyric: ‘Dancing in a fire of sorrow and pain / Swimming in a bath of blood-coloured rain / Lying in a grave of green-tinted eyes / Living in a life of love that’s been turned to lies’), cynical ‘This’ll Drive You Off Your Head’, despondent ‘Mental Destruction’ or self-explanatory ‘This Might Be My Last Number’. Best of all is the oddly-named closer, ‘Charles Russell, Gtr., Vcl. and Harmonica’, which exemplifies all that’s distinctive about the LP. On these cuts his organ and gritty vocals are backed by a solid drummer and excellent electric guitarist (frustratingly uncredited), while the lovely ballad ‘Thoughts’ features piano, acoustic guitar (from Davy Graham) and finger cymbals. His cover versions (four by Bob Dylan and one by David Ackles), on the other hand, are perfunctory and undistinguished, though a rollicking take on ‘Highway 61 Revisited’ is enjoyable. If only the whole lot had been self-penned! (RMJ)

TREES
The Garden Of Jane Delawney
(CBS 63837) 5/70
‘An excellent album, and their very first. They have successfully combined the lyrics and basic melody of early English folk songs with touches of electric acid rock. Add to this a well-engineered record with brilliant use of stereo, and you have a group that could be hot on the heels of Pentangle’ – Disc & Music Echo, 16/5/70

On their debut, Trees were a mass of fascinating contradictions. Their music is undeniably psychedelic, yet they were the cleanest batch of people to ever form a rock and roll band. They sound undeniably similar to Liege and Lief, yet this album was recorded before its release, and only one member of the band was even particularly familiar with Fairport Convention. Singer Celia Humphris has a pure and beautiful folk voice, yet she was trained in opera. Trees can jam with the best of them, yet they had never actually played a concert before they recorded the album. They don’t have especially fond feelings for their own record (i.e. the bass player says in retrospect he’d have played certain songs entirely differently; they think the instrumental sections are too unfocused and too long; when Liege and Lief came out, they felt that they were miles and miles behind their ‘competition’) – but, as is often the case, an artist is not always the best judge of their own work. The Garden of Jane Delawney is a masterpiece, one of the finest rock albums of its era and second only to Fairport in the folk-rock sweepstakes. In fact, there are people who like Trees better, as their US West Coast influences, electric instrumentation with fuzz guitar, eerie songwriting and Humphris’ fragile voice give them a powerful and compelling sound of their own. It’s debatable which Trees album is more successful, but I’m a big fan of the songs here, including the utterly gorgeous title track, the killer bass / double lead guitar playing on ‘The Great Silkie’ and ‘Lady Margaret’, and the creepy, unforgettable melody to ‘Snail’s Lament’. Many lesser bands (most of which do not have anywhere near their rock strength) get compared to Trees by reviewers and record dealers. Don’t buy into it. No other band comes close. Essential listening. (AM)

T. REX
Electric Warrior
(Fly HIFLY 6, with stickered sleeve, poster and inner) 9/71
‘It’s the new, dynamic T. Rex of their recent single releases, with a much fuller, stronger sound than before, helped by the recent addition of drums and bass. Marc Bolan’s voice cavorts and gasps, and his guitar playing has improved immeasurably since his switch to an electronic instrument’ – Sounds, 21/8/71

If ever a career led up to and away from a single album, it was Marc Bolan’s, and this is that album. Electric Warrior crystallises all that was unique and loveable about him – strong melodies (practically everything), quirky structures that synthesize his beloved early rock n roll with a modern glam pop sensibility (the irresistible ‘Jeepster’ and ‘Mean Woman Blues’), a tone that veers from the mystic (‘Cosmic Dancer’) to the blatantly sexual (the unfeasibly groovy ‘Mambo Sun’ and immortal ‘Get It On’) and plain hard-rocking (‘Rip Off’), and an enormous sense of fun. In fact, for all their superficial oddity, most of these songs focus on pop’s age-old boy / girl question. As ever, most of his lyrics hover on the fringes of the meaningless, but his imagery is usually memorable and there are some priceless lines here (‘Just like a car, you’re pleasing to behold / I’ll call you Jaguar, if I may be so bold’). Not all the songs are top-grade (things sag a little on side two, with ‘Planet Queen’, ‘Girl’ and ‘The Motivator’), but overall this finds Bolan revelling at the top of his game. His guitar playing was arguably never better (the album is peppered with superb, economic solos) and his band is crisp and punchy, with Kaylan and Volman’s falsetto backing vocals working a treat on several tracks. While I’m at it, the cover and title are brilliant, too. (RMJ)

T2
It’ll All Work Out In Boomland
(Decca SKL 5050) 8/70
‘An interesting band weighed down by the poverty of their material. They sound like able musicians who have had difficulty filling two sides of an album. So they’ve reverted to extended pieces, which ultimately are empty and meaningless. The music rambles and slides along, never getting to the point of what they’re playing’ – Record Mirror, 22/8/70

A showcase for the exceptional talents of Keith Cross, yet another unsung guitar hero of the early 70s. His playing is wild and exhilarating on ‘In Circles’, whilst he is nicely restrained on ‘JLT’, which also has an affecting Robert Wyatt-type vocal. Side one’s closer ‘No More White Horses’ is a prog-rock epic on which Cross stretches his multi-instrumental talents. Side two is taken up by ‘Morning’, which is full of wonderful passages, if a little unwieldy. (GH)

TUDOR LODGE
Tudor Lodge
(Vertigo 6360 043) 8/71
‘In order to strengthen the impact of their music, a surplus of orchestration has been added. More often than not this is superfluous… There is a lack of aggression and variation of mood within the basic framwework of the music… If more of the album had relied on the guts of a rock accompaniment then it would have been improved’ – Melody Maker, 21/8/71

This admittedly rare album sells for colossal sums of money, but I suspect that’s more to do with its magnificent 36” x 36" die-cut foldout sleeve and the cachet of the Vertigo label than the music. ‘Willow Tree’ has a mystical acid folk edge and ‘The Lady’s Changing Home’ is a great late period Beatles-style melodic rocker (with electric guitar leads and no orchestration, both unusual for this album) – but the rest is rather drippy hippy folk-pop about lovely days out at Kew Gardens and suchlike. (RF)

TWINK
Think Pink
(Polydor 2343 032, with insert) 1/71
‘An unbelievably appalling album. It doesn’t rock, it doesn’t blues, and starts with a joke of a track, ‘The Coming Of The Other One’, with much moaning from Twink in the background to an accompaniment of bad Floyd-type sound effects. Ex-T. Rex Steve Took has co-written a couple of tracks, ‘Three Little Piggies’ and ‘The Sparrow Is A Sign’, but alas the album has no redeeming features’ – Disc & Music Echo, 6/3/71

If left-field avant-garde psych is your thing, you may love this LP. Paul Rudolph provides some occasionally exceptional fretwork, as on ‘Rock And Roll The Joint’, and there are moments of sanity (‘Suicide’ is fine psych-pop, and there’s a decent reworking of ‘Ten Thousand Words In A Cardboard Box’, a 45 Twink had released in May 1968 as the Aquarian Age). But the overall impression is that the album’s extreme eccentricity is a cover for Twink’s shortcomings as a songwriter. (GH)

UNCLE DOG
Old Hat
(Signpost SG 4253) 10/72
‘Nothing would give me more pleasure than to think of this being played in thousands of homes as often and as loud as it is in mine… There’s such a range and depth of musical and emotional power within ‘Old Hat’, ‘Boogie With Me’ and ‘We’ve Got Time’ that some day they’ll be regarded as classics’ – Sounds, 21/10/72

Between her exploratory, progressive album with Delivery and her straighter blues-rock set Warm Blood, Carol Grimes participated in this pleasant but inconsequential bar-room rock LP. It’s pretty well done, but old hat indeed, even for 1972. Several of the songs were written by David Skinner, formerly of 60s pop duo Twice As Much. (RF)

see Carol Grimes / Twice As Much

VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR
The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other
(Charisma CAS 1007, with poster) 2/70
‘An exercise in rhythm and revolving tempos. The sound ranges from light organ to all the electric instruments in the world at once. Very tight and professional, with an evil undertone throughout. Grit your teeth’ – Record Mirror, 28/2/70

This refines their progressive sound without giving itself over to it completely. The result is their most consistently good record, without a complete dud among its six lengthy songs. Take that statement in context, though: as usual, there are some duff moments mixed into otherwise good songs. Most of these occur when the music either takes a back seat to, or is shaped by, Hammill’s lyrics. As is always the case with VDGG, I wish I had the patience to really immerse myself in the words, but the fact is that great lyrics need to be something you discover and love after you've loved the music, not so that you can like the music. My inability to love this band is not my own failing; it’s the fault of half-realised songwriting. The good bits: ‘Darkness’ makes terrific use of mulitple saxes, ‘Refugees’ is lovely from start to finish (setting the stage for the next album’s even better ‘House With No Door’), the organ solo on ‘White Hammer’ is wonderfully loud and shocking, and the rave up in ‘After The Flood’ will make your heart beat faster. It anticipates the stunning final moments on Pawn Hearts, which takes the listener through even more sludge than this album before it hits its stride. (AM)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
A Cold Wind Blows
(Elektra EUK 253) 1/67
‘If American Elektra have been rather a long time in discovering the British songwriting revival, they have nevertheless produced a very nice, if uneven, record in this study of four British songwriters’ – Melody Maker, 4/2/67

This rarity features a beautiful sleeve designed by John ‘Hoppy’ Hopkins and production by Joe Boyd, both of whom were in the throes of setting up UFO at the same time. The music isn’t in the least bit psychedelic or counter-cultural, though. It’s a showcase for four folk songwriters, Matt McGinn, Johnny Handle, Cyril Tawney and Alasdair Clayre (who recorded a whole LP of his songs for Elektra soon afterwards). None of it is much fun to listen to, as it’s quite earnest and stark. (RMJ)

Folk In Sandwich
(Eron 001) 1973
The first of six multi-artist compilations on the private Eron label (that I know of), Folk In Sandwich is by far the rarest, and one of only two to sell consistently for big money (the other being Cryptadia). With fifteen tracks from six acts, it covers a broad range of territory. To start with the less interesting performances, Holly Gwinn-Graham’s three acapella contributions are fairly unspectacular, Keith Pearson performs one really good song out of three, and Mariners have a very rustic style (although they’re far from bad). I much prefer Leonie & Stephanie Clarke’s charmingly naïve schoolgirl folk, Tundra’s excellent traditional folk-rock and the two mellow numbers by Paul Wilson. Gwinn-Graham was Davy Graham’s wife, incidentally, and collaborated with him on his Holly Kaleidoscope LP. (RF)

49 Greek St.
(RCA SF 8118) 8/70
An interesting collection of otherwise unavailable off-cuts by artists under contract to folk-rock entrepreneur Sandy Roberton’s September Productions roster. Its title refers to the address of the legendary London folk venue Les Cousins, but the material on offer goes beyond simple folk fare. Artists represented are Keith Christmas, Al Jones, Andy Roberts, Nadia Cattouse, Mike Hart, Synanthesia and Tin Angel (the latter being the only ones who didn’t make an album). The better tracks include Jones’s funky ‘Running Shoes’, Roberts’ deft instrumental ‘Untitled Piece’ and Cattouse’s melodic ‘Spread Your Carpet’. Unquestionably the best thing here, however, is Synanthesia’s magical ‘Shifting Sands’, one of the greatest underground folk tracks of its time. Backing musicians credited on the album sleeve include Martin Stone, Tyger Hutchings, Danny Thompson and Terry Cox. (RMJ)

Glastonbury Fayre
(Revelation REV 1A-3F, with printed plastic outer, poster cover, booklet, two posters and cut-out pyramid) 4/72
Despite the popular misconception, this lavish triple set is not a live album, but a mish-mash of tracks donated by numerous acts to help the promoters of June 1971’s Glastonbury Fayre festival, Solstice Capers, balance their books. Though scrappy by its very nature, it amounts to a fascinating summary of the genuine early 70s UK underground. Highlights include rare tracks by David Bowie (the terrific ‘Supermen’), Marc Bolan (‘Sunken Rags’) and Pete Townshend (‘Classified’), as well as underground luminaries such as Mighty Baby (the extended ‘A Blanket In My Muesli’ – actually John Coltrane’s ‘India’), Gong (a whole side of experimental rock), the Edgar Broughton Band (an epic version of ‘Out Demons Out’), Hawkwind (‘Silver Machine’), the Pink Fairies (lo-fi renditions of ‘Do It’ and ‘Uncle Harry’s Last Freak-Out’), Skin Alley (the mellow ‘Sun Music’, from their unreleased Stop Veruschka LP) and Brinsley Schwarz (a winsome rendition of ‘Love Song’). There’s also a lengthy performance of ‘Dark Star’ by the Grateful Dead. Only the contributions by Mighty Baby, Gong, Edgar Broughton and the Pink Fairies were actually recorded at the festival, with others being a mixture of home, studio and live recordings from elsewhere. Designed by Barney Bubbles, it’s easily the most lavishly packaged album to have been released in the UK in this book’s timeframe, and though none of the artists represented are on peak form, it’s still a fascinating artefact. (RMJ)

Made In Cornwall
(Cornish Legend Music CLM1) 1976
A lovely textured b&w folk-psych sleeve houses what is, for me, one of the best privately-released acid prog songs of the 70s: ‘Living In Comfort’ by Ark. A funky jam in the style of late 60s US psych band Cycle, with slightly-too-earnest-albeit-prescient lyrics about mankind trashing the world, precedes a fabulous coda which is almost up there with the Stone Roses’ breakdown in ‘I Am The Resurrection’. Wah-wah, flange, Titus Oates-style keys and the dirtiest fuzz guitar this side of Dark sees this track flopping around gasping for air. In fact, it’s not only a fish out of water on this LP (which otherwise consists of dreadful local banjo duels and dull pop), but in 1976 as a whole, where no one (except perhaps Welsh wizards Brân) were doing this kind of thing. Ark also turn up on side two, performing When You Go’ with one Reg Meuross, but unfortunately fail to repeat the alchemy. Not hard to find, this comp’s worth a little flutter for the first Ark track alone. (DS)

Paddy Is Dead And The Kids Know It
(Golden Guinea GGL 0451) 1969 [Ireland only]
This superbly-titled and very rare LP is a compilation of Irish beat and psych bands, whose work is unavailable elsewhere. Artists represented are Purple Pussycat, Some People, the Taxi, the Bye-Laws, the Pan Pipers and Mitch Mahon & the Editions, several of whom offer covers of well-known cuts like ‘Walk Like A Man’, ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, ‘Back In The USSR’, ‘River Deep Mountain High’ and ‘Summertime’. The unsettling cover shows a skinhead leaning against a gravestone, and the sleevenotes (by Irish DJ and pop journalist Pat Egan) explain that ‘For too long the Irish image has been one of donkey-carts, pigs in the kitchen and Paddys. Today a new scene is happening, so Paddy is gone.’ (RMJ)

Tony Klinger & Michael Lytton’s Extremes – Excerpts From The Soundtrack
(Deram SML 1095) 1972
Extremes was a 1971 documentary about the British counter-culture, which won prizes at the time such as ‘An Outstanding Film of The Year’ (sic) at the London Film Festival. Its soundtrack is now mainly remembered for being one of the rarest LPs on Deram, and for featuring three tracks from the debut LP by the then-unknown Supertramp – ‘Surely’, ‘And I Am Not Like Other Birds Of Prey’ and ‘Words Unspoken’. To these ears they sound a bit dull, like a Vanilla Floyd – but the soundtrack has much more to recommend it. There’s four pretty peachy tracks from Decca act Arc’s 1971 Arc At This LP, combining chugging rock guitar with celestial organ, West Coast femme backing vocals and, on the superb ‘Perfectly Happy Man’, a chorus straight out of the Fillmore, circa Quicksilver et al. There’s also the decidedly 60s-sounding Crucible (aka chart-toppers White Plains), one of whose tracks, ‘Box Man’, comes complete with Leslied vocals and wah-wah guitar, while fellow Cook / Greenaway act Mark McCann provides steely folk-rock on his two contributions. (DS) 

VELVETT FOGG
Velvett Fogg
(Pye NSPL 18272) 12/68
‘British commercial psychedelia, loosely based on Pink Floyd of two years ago, competently played and produced’ – Melody Maker, 29/3/69

The raw ingredients for an underground classic all seem to be here – a bunch of acid-freak hippies on the cover, two women with their ‘assets’ firmly on display, liner notes by John Peel and some promising song titles. Unfortunately their music is hardly exceptional, though it’s seldom less than entertaining. Opener ‘Yellow Cave Woman’ is a nice blend of organ and fuzz guitar, and clocks in at a respectable 7 minutes. Elsewhere, tracks such as ‘Lady Caroline’ and ‘Once Among the Trees’ are a likeable mix of psych, blues and Tolkienesque lyrics, while ‘The Wizard of Gobsolod’ manages to sound quirky and fun, despite having no obvious place here. The worst track is a ludicrous cover of the Bee Gees’ ‘New York Mining Disaster 1941’. (SC)

MIKE VERNON
Bring It Back Home
(Blue Horizon 2391 003, with insert) 1971
The legendary producer’s own solo LP is by no means a bad effort, with an appealing mix of blues-lite, R&B and simple rock n’ roll. Vernon is a surprisingly good guitarist, especially on the delightful ‘Brown Alligator’, but his vocals are comparatively weak. Famous chums Rory Gallagher and Paul Kossoff guest on ‘Come Back Baby’ and ‘My Say Blues’ respectively. The former passes unnoticed, but Kossoff turns in a great performance. A better LP than one might assume. (GH)

VULCAN’S HAMMER
True Hearts And Sound Bottoms
(Brown Label BVH 1, with insert) 1973
This quiet and rather mournful folk album could easily have come out on Folk Heritage, though the band has strong Kent accents rather than the Northern tones that characterise that label’s output. It’s a fairly dolorous set for the most part, especially on ‘Davy Lowston’ and ‘Poverty Knock’, but none the worse for that. Rather strangely, all the best songs are towards the end of the disc: the excellent originals ‘The Greenhopper’ and ‘The Grey Havens’ (which bear more than a passing resemblance to Shide & Acorn), the lively ‘The White Hare Of Howden’, and an anthemic version of Steve Ashley’s ‘Fire And Wine’ that closes proceedings. (RF)

RICK WAKEMAN
Piano Vibrations
(Polydor 2460 135) 11/71
‘In the new and interesting John Schroeder series of easy listening albums, this features sterling keyboard work on material from Randy Newman, Elton John, Leon Russell et al. And a very good ‘Classical Gas’’ – Record Mirror, 27/11/71

When he was a struggling session man in 1970, Rick Wakeman was paid to record backing tracks for a number of obvious cover versions (Elton John, Randy Newman, James Taylor), which would then have vocals overdubbed and be released as an anonymous budget LP. Soon afterwards, however, he found stardom with the Strawbs and Yes, and was dismayed to find these piano parts issued as a supposed solo LP, complete with cheesy overdubs of other instruments overseen by John Schroeder. So yes, it’s technically his solo debut – but it’s terribly bland, he has disowned it, and it can only be recommended to completists. It’s incredibly rare, though. (RMJ)

SCOTT WALKER
Scott
(Philips BL 7816) 8/67
‘An intriguing collection of sad, mysterious ballads. Stories of life, people and the artist himself. They’re all warm, tender and immensely moving… Mixed with the almost ethereal atmosphere and charm which he conjures up is a distinct urge to communicate. Don’t expect Walker Brotherts-type excitement, though’ – Disc & Music Echo, 2/9/67

Walker’s baffling solo career began with this moody collection of orchestrated ballads. His withdrawn, brooding persona is still nascent, with only three self-penned tracks. Instead, the album mixes mainstream ballads that verge on the overblown (‘Mathilde’, ‘Angelica’, ‘The Big Hurt’ and ‘You’re Gonna Hear From Me’) with smoother cuts that veer close to easy listening (‘When Joanna Loved Me’, ‘Through A Long And Sleepless Night’) and a pleasant take on Tim Hardin’s ‘Lady Came From Baltimore’. The most interesting cover is his spooky, atmospheric take on ‘My Death’, co-written by his hero Jacques Brel. But the album’s masterpiece is his own ‘Montague Terrace In Blue’, which manages to retain its moody, personal edge despite an overwhelmingly dramatic production, and stands as one of the greatest orchestrated pop songs of all time. His other two compositions are the effective but lesser ‘Such A Small Love’ and ‘Coming Back To You’. On this record the tension between Walker the poet / artist / existentialist and Walker the pop star / TV presenter / heart-throb is at its strongest. (RMJ)

GUY WARREN (OF GHANA)
Afro-Jazz
(Columbia SCX 6340) 5/69
‘Drummer Warren returns to the British scene with a fascinating LP that combines his talking drum and various other instruments with the talents of Don Rendell, Ian Carr and guitarist Amancio D’Silva. The mixture comes off wonderfully, especially with D’Silva’ – Melody Maker, 7/6/69

After a lay-off of almost five years, Warren returned with this exuberant, light-hearted collection of short African-inspired pieces, featuring the sterling line-up of Don Rendell (sax), Ian Carr (trumpet, flugelhorn), Amancio D’Silva (guitar), Michael Garrick (piano), Dave Green (bass) and Trevor Tomkins (drums). Irresistible opener ‘Ours, This Is Our Land’ – an infectious tune propelled by a prominent, shuffling beat – sets the tone for side one perfectly. The jaunty, languid ‘That Happy Feeling’ boasts a fine solo from Garrick, ‘Dear Noelle’ is a touching tribute to Warren’s cousin and ‘Souls Of The Departed, Have A Drink’ is a raucous pastiche of a Ghanaian wake. Side two is less even, with more experimental and improvisational playing, but never less than interesting. Other than some competent (if basic) percussion, bamboo flute and xylophone, it’s hard to pinpoint just what Warren adds musically – but his eccentric sleevenotes are a hoot. (RMJ)

WATER INTO WINE BAND
Hill Climbing For Beginners
(Myrrh MYR 1004, with insert) 1974
A facially-challenged foursome whose dress sense beats even Pererin’s in the Oxfam stakes. Two cover variants exist, and some people claim there’s a significant difference between the British (mainly acoustic) and American (more electric guitar) versions of the record, preferring the British version. To my ears there isn’t much in it – both are superb. At a minimum, this is very pretty progressive folk-rock. At its best, as on ‘Song Of The Cross’, one could make the claim that, alongside Caedmon, the band peddled the very best in progressive acid folk in the 1970s. Produced by John Pantry (Canaan etc), they occasionally sound like More-era Floyd, but mainly create a plaintive and longing sound all of their own. They play brilliantly across tracks such as the seriously progressive ‘Jesus I've Been Walking’ and the title track, where bendy acoustic guitar lines duel with modal violins and circular piano motifs to create a genuinely other-worldly, spiritual brew. On ‘I Have Seen The Lord’ they even pull off the trick (which only true 70s Christians could) of sounding like a bunch of 1967 longhairs, with psychedelic bongos chugging along under a very convincing acid fuzz riff. But it’s ‘Song Of The Cross’ which truly makes the hairs on the neck stand up: words can hardly do justice to this towering progressive acid folk masterpiece, which starts with the whole band on their knees in prayer, building slowly from a ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’-style electric guitar riff into a right lather, with violins, bass and acoustic guitars furiously spitting out complex patterns until the whole thing collapses in discord, before rising once again, as the singer convincingly and movingly puts himself in Jesus’ place on the cross. Triple A, man. (DS)

WEB
I Spider
(Polydor 2383 024) 10/70
‘Clever interspersing of musical tone patterns, dominated by Dave Lawson’s organ… His vocals are given special distortions at times, and are most ultra-sonic. An interesting jazz-rock set’ – NME, 7/11/70

When an album has only five tracks, two of which are called ‘Concerto For Bedsprings’ and ‘Ymphasomniac’ you know it must be 1970 and that we’re not discussing MOR. Instead, what we have is a superbly constructed set of jazz-based progressive rock that’s menacing and uplifting by turns. The arrangements, keyboards and sax are exemplary and at its best the effect is mesmerising and hypnotic. What lets the album down, however, are the vocals. When you need the menace and intonation of, say, Peter Hammill, you get a flatness that struggles to rise above the mix. Thankfully this is less lyrically intense then anything by VDGG, so the damage is lessened. The highlight is the slow-burning title track, which is crying out to soundtrack some arthouse thriller. The group split shortly afterwards and regrouped as Samurai, making an equally rare album. (SC)

MIKE WESTBROOK
Celebration
(Deram DML 1013) 11/67
‘The Mike Westbrook group contains some of the finest young jazz musicians in Britiin, and in multi-instrumentalist John Surman a soloist of real world stature. But this condensation of the Westbrook-Surman ‘Celebration’ suite may come as a disappointment to the followers the band has built up at venues like the Old Place. The writing is competent but lacks variety’ – Melody Maker, 20/1/68

High Wycombe’s favourite son (unless anyone knows of a better claimant to the title) is, I maintain, one of the most significant and important composers to emerge from Britain in the last forty years. That Westbrook is not given the acclaim in his own country that he so richly deserves is lamentable, if not outright contemptible. However, let’s focus on the positives, shall we? His debut came at a time when jazz was evaporating as a popular music for young people in the UK, rapidly losing ground to rock and pop. Whereas many jazzers had jumped on the R&B bandwagon, Westbrook held firm. Celebration is largely a synthesis of ideas and themes that had initially been worked out at art school in Plymouth, and later at The Old Place, the original basement venue for Ronnie Scott’s club on Soho’s Gerrard Street (now an anonymous greasy Chinese restaurant – and still no plaque!) that was, for a short while in the mid-60s, a vital crucible to young British jazz artists. Although the music here is still largely in debt to the big bands of Gil Evans, Charles Mingus and Duke Ellington, it’s elevated above the quotidian by the exemplary playing of its principal soloists, the then little-known saxophonists Mike Osborne and John Surman. Oh, how that was about to change! A bravura debut indeed. (TH)

WESTWIND
Love Is…
(Penny Farthing PELS 505) 11/70
‘Never too deep and never too hollow, Sarah Dyson, Nick Storey and Chris Stowell play their English folk music with a naïve freshness… To be too critical would be unfair, but they could do with a little more zip’ – Melody Maker, 5/12/70

Not unlike Tudor Lodge without the orchestrations and baroque edge, this middle-of-the-road folk-pop album offers songs about happy goblins from Mars and other such frippery. It’s quite a sweet period piece, but why it sells for three figures is very definitely beyond me. (RF)

KENNY WHEELER
Windmill Tilter
(Fontana STL 5494) 6/69
‘The grapevine has buzzed for months with reports of this album, and after a brief, heart-stopping rumour that Fontana had swallowed it, Kenny Wheeler’s musical score woven around the Don Quixote theme has been issued… The prevailing mood is melancholy, an emotion which Wheeler expresses fluently… The meticulous skill and often highly imaginative writing ensures there’s much more to enjoy than criticise’ – Melody Maker, 12/7/69

Hailing from Canada, Wheeler had, in the space of a little over ten years, become the most versatile and forward thinking trumpet player of his generation. By the time he came to record his first album under his own name he had not only established himself as the number one trumpet player in Europe, but also become recognised among his American peers as second only to Miles Davis. Windmill Tilter is based on the classic Cervantes tales of the knight-errant Don Quixote, and features some fine original compositions from Wheeler set to arrangements from Johnny Dankworth. Tracks like ‘Don the Dreamer’ and ‘Sweet Dulcinea Blue’ showcase top players at the top of their game. The LP’s breathtaking credits include an appearance from John McLaughlin alongside a roll call of Britain’s top jazz talent. Go seek. (TH)

WHISTLER
Ho-Hum
(Deram SML 1083) 7/71
‘A trio of very versatile instrumentalists / vocalists. Between the three of them they’ve written all the material, which is interesting, uncomplicated light rock music… Not terrific, but not bad either’ – NME, 10/7/71

This obscure album has a very strong Moody Blues influence, which leads to some not-quite-original-but-still-quite-catchy songs like the great opener ‘Help Me’. The vibe is dreamy, the vocals are excellent and keyboards and acoustic guitars dominate. There’s a reasonable amount of variety here, with ‘I Can’t Believe My Eyes’ flirting with gospel, and ‘Machine’ playing country, for instance. They give their best shots early, though: side two is quite blah (other than the closing ‘See What the Future Brings’, which is the only song to have a lot of lead guitar). Also, considering that they’re pretty wimpy to begin with, the heavy orchestration on some songs doesn’t help. Not exactly something I’d recommend to ‘rock’ fans, but fans of lightweight 70s pop will appreciate the better songs. Leader George Fenton went on to become a major composer of film and TV scores. (AM)

THE WHO
My Generation
(Brunswick LAT 8616) 12/65
‘Earthy R&B sounds emerge as Roger Daltrey wails over his messages, aided by the others vocally and instrumentally. The two guitarists get a full sound, and drummer Townshend, who gets eight composing credits, really beats out a compelling rhythm. There may be disagreement within the group, but when they get together they put together a united performance!’ – NME, 17/12/65

Opener ‘Out In The Street’ epitomises what is so unusual and exciting about these rabble-rousing West London mods. Concise, punchy, aggressive, melodic and bizarrely arranged (check out the odd backing vocals and brief taste of feedback), it clearly announces the arrival of a fascinating band and songwriter. Throughout the LP Pete Townshend produces unorthodox tones from his guitar, John Entwistle and Keith Moon are unimproveable and Daltrey (never rock’s strongest vocalist) is authoritative. Shel Talmy’s production is crisp and direct, and the songs are consistently effective – there are no lows, and the remarkable highs include ‘The Good’s Gone’, ‘The Kids Are Alright’, ‘A Legal Matter’, the vicious instrumental ‘The Ox’ and, of course, the title track. For me the only missteps are competent but unexciting covers of James Brown’s ‘I Don’t Mind’ and ‘Please Please Please’. The album also features prominent piano from an uncredited Nicky Hopkins. A word of warning: the version of ‘The Kids Are Alright’ included on the US version of the LP is inexplicably shortened, and thus ruined. (RMJ)

THE WOODS BAND
The Woods Band
(Greenwich GSLP 1004) 12/71
‘Terry and Gay Woods started playing in folk clubs in Dublin, and since then have been associated with Sweeney’s Men, Steeleye Span and Dr. Strangely Strange. They have created their own songs for this record, and based many of the tunes on traditional Irish airs. Gay Woods has a beautiful, clear voice, which she demonstrates on ‘January Snows’. A nice album’ – Disc & Music Echo, 5/2/71

For those who like early Steeleye Span but wish they’d been a little less trad, this overlooked album offers an exciting perspective. Highlighted by Terry Woods’ superbly fluent guitar-picking and a driving electric backing, the LP has a contemporary folk-rock feel which is carried further by an excellent, lively recording. There are some trad-oriented numbers on board, although they’re spun around and augmented in various ways, including some near-psychedelic organ arrangements. The end result sounds like a folk-influenced rock album (à la Mushroom) rather than the other way around, and to my ears it’s one of the best from the era, even if Gay Woods’ sweet voice is mysteriously underused. (PL)

WRITING ON THE WALL
The Power Of The Picts
(Middle Earth MDLS 303) 11/69
‘Tough, uncompromising sounds which augur well for the future of this fine but as yet unoriginal band. Worth a hard listen is their version of ‘Aries’ from the Cosmic Sounds album, which is propelled by a nice charging rhythm’ – Melody Maker, 29/11/69

This heavy rock album has a stereotypical sound, with tough bluesy guitars, prominent organ and macho vocals. It starts out without a whole lot of punch, and seems rather pedestrian for most of side one. But in the middle, it starts to get interesting.  Unquestionably the best song is the 8-minute ‘Aries’, which is a dead ringer for Arthur Brown. It’s pretentious, but wild and intense enough to work quite well. It’s followed by the oddly funky ‘Bogeyman’, which has some really catchy keyboard work and – as with ‘Aries’ (and the album cover) – creates an enjoyably campy sinister vibe. The album continues in suit for a few fun songs, though it returns to banality a bit towards the end. This is hard to take seriously, kind of like side two of JD Blackfoot’s Ultimate Prophecy – but, like that album or Brown’s work, it’s fun in spite and because of its pretensions.  (AM)

ROBERT WYATT
The End Of An Ear
(CBS S 64189) 12/70
‘Whatever you’re expecting, it probably isn’t… Mainly it’s very free group improvisation, sometimes using rhythm loops and strange overdubs and that pale, anaemic banshee voice which is Robert’s and Robert’s only’ – Melody Maker, 5/12/70

Wyatt was the drummer with Soft Machine when this solo debut appeared, and he has apparently all but disowned it since. A dense, jazzy, formless collection of instrumentals dedicated to various people (Bridget St. John, Caroline Coon, Marsha Hunt, Carla Bley, Caravan and others) and featuring support from several of his bandmates, it’ll either intrigue or irritate the hell out of you, depending on your mood and appetite for the distinctive Canterbury brand of art-rock. It isn’t in the skewed singer-songwriter vein of his later, post-accident material, that’s for sure. (RMJ)

THE YARDBIRDS
Five Live Yardbirds
(Columbia 33SX 1677) 12/64
‘A real wow of a live LP that whips up a storm in every groove. Every track is frenzied and full of excitement, and as you might expect there’s plenty of eager audience participation. This would be great for a party, and although the actual recording isn’t as good as a studio job, much of the atmosphere of a Yardbird performance comes through’ – Record Mirror, 5/12/64

Here is a rare animal – a live album from a major 60s band that actually makes sense, is great, even. Like a well-oiled locomotive, the Yardbirds roll and groove their way through ten classics and obscurities from the US R&B scene, several of which the group made their own for decades to follow. Cheered on by an enthusiastic Marquee crowd, Keith Relf and Eric Clapton engage in a series of harmonica-guitar battles with outstanding peaks reached in a blazing ‘Too Much Monkey Business’, a surging ‘Smokestack Lightnin’, and of course the rave-up blueprint par excellence, ‘I’m A Man’. The recording has the presence and dynamics (often lost on the inferior reissues) to bring the band right into your living room, and all over this is a British Beat classic no happy homestead can do without. Its historical importance cannot be overestimated, especially in America, where four of the best tracks made up one half of the massively influential Having A Rave Up album. (PL)

ZAKARRIAS
Zakarrias
(Deram SML 1091) 10/71
‘Charming his smile may be, but Mr. Zakarrias’ musical charms weave no spell. After squirming through the lyrics, you will encounter music of a strangely numbing kind. Others might call it insipid and dull. It doesn’t even amuse me, because it is such a negative album, leading nowhere. It might be kinder if all copies were withdrawn from public consumption’ – Record Mirror, 6/11/71

Arguably the rarest record on Deram, and testament to the ludicrous ease with which recording contracts were sometimes awarded in the late 60s / early 70s. Zakarrias was in real life Bobby Haumer, a wandering Austrian minstrel who’d ‘done the scene’ in Germany and come to London, where he met an unknown (and untalented) Israeli lyricist, Samy Birnbach. Blagging a one-off deal with a bare minimum of recording time, they entered the studio with a bunch of session musicians. While equally rare albums by labelmates Mellow Candle and Room are near-masterpieces, this definitely isn’t. Musically it’s hard glam rock, with the odd progressive touch and use of flute. Side one is listenable, and its closer, the extended ‘The Unknown Years’, is a pretty good prog track. The vocals are an acquired taste, however, and always something of a struggle. Side two is decidedly mediocre, with ‘Spring Of Fate’ (about the death of a flower!) predating the worst of Elton John’s overproduced schmaltz by some 20 years. DeramF did not promote the album, which was deleted within weeks, and only one live performance was arranged. As a consequence it is insanely rare, and has certainly proved a better investment than my pension. But don’t confuse its rarity with musical brilliance. (SC)

ZIOR
Zior
(Nepentha 6437 005) 5/71
‘Four average musicians and awful material. Melodies are highly non-existent and unoriginal, and the group is into a very undistinguished heavy rock scene – all the usual clichés. Lyrics are equally undistinguished’ – Disc & Music Echo, 15/5/71

Long considered an important collectible by metal archivists, this is an excellent slice of garage metal and blues-rock, with occasional psych flourishes. It’s none the worse for its rawness and lack of polish, and shows potential that went sadly unfulfilled. It gets off to a blistering start with the filthy garage blues of ‘I Really Do’, before a brief respite with the disarmingly lovely but lightweight psych of ‘Za Za Za Zilda’. It’s back to business with ‘Love’s Desire’, a footstomping, barnstorming rock anthem not dissimilar to Slade. ‘New Land’ is driven along by superb alternating keyboard / guitar riffs, while ‘Oh Mariya’ is catchy garage rock along early Blue Oyster Cult lines. Thereafter the album relies on a more typical heavy blues format; the best of these tracks are ‘Give Me Love’, ‘Now I’m Sad’ and ‘Rolling Thunder’. The CD reissue has some extra tracks which were lined up for a second LP that was never finished; more’s the pity. Perhaps their spirit was broken by the truly awful record they recorded soon afterwards for the Beacon label as Monument, the result of a drunken studio jam. (GH)

THE ZOMBIES
Begin Here
(Decca LK 4679) 3/65
‘Contains fourteen varied tracks, from strong beat to weak ballads. Average instrumental and vocal work, but the lead singer has a very distinctive voice which could be the asset to keep this decent group near the top’ – Record Mirror, 17/4/65

‘Good R&B sounds from this harmonica / guitar / drums group, especially in the non-vocal ‘Work N Play’… Vocals have a far-away, wistful sound on most tracks’ – NME, 6/8/65

Though this belongs to the days when albums were little more than formulaic collections of songs rushed out to cash in on a hit (in this case the immortal ‘She’s Not There’), the quality of the Zombies’ songwriting, singing and playing makes it far better than practically all comparable efforts. They’re unconvincing on the R&B numbers that bookend the album (‘Road Runner’ and ‘I Got My Mojo Working’), but score high practically everywhere else. Colin Blunstone’s evocative voice is perfectly suited to ‘Summertime’, ‘I Can’t Make Up My Mind’ is a fine beat ballad with a moody organ solo, ‘The Way I Feel Inside’ has an unusual structure and another fine Blunstone vocal, ‘I Don’t Want To Know’ is an excellent and intense original and the eerie, wistful ‘I Remember When I Love Her’ is a clear pointer to glories to come. All in all, pretty impressive. (RMJ)