Odd folky prog.
Released on Harvest in 1969/70 this Brum trio came up with odd and somewhat eclectic lp that definitely has interesting moments cased in a sleeve that connects Yellow Submarine with early Python cut up. It all starts off on a bit of a cheesy cabaret song called ‘Armchair Theatre’ with wacky tangents all over the shot which puts a bit of a downer on the LP but towards end the track theres some nice folky moments but overall why did these guys start with this track,was wacky the raison d etre. After a stinker start you get the atmospheric sound of ‘Feel How So Cool the Wind’ with its strange shaky vocal and wind-like percussion,bongoes and acoustic.All in all a good spooky track, now that’s more like it.’Sometime’ starts with some wacky Cockney piano sing along but then saves itself but starting with a kinda of Sam Gopal acoustic riff with that mad shaky vocal.More cool acoustic and bongo action with gives it a kind of Amon Duul vibe,like the jammy last few tracks on Yeti but with a quirky English edge.’Maybe my mind’ is the last of the trio of top tracks on Side One, which has the same acoustics and bongo trip, wait there whats that the instrumental interlude gets a bit CAN and isnt that the riff from MOTHER SKY?Wow.All of sudden we descend into a recorder led Third Ear Band interlude for about 30 seconds and then back into the song,the tangents are definitely working on this number. Unfortunately after a good run we then descend into a piano led blues number ‘The Come On’ with Dave ‘Clem’ Clemson of then blues proggers ‘Bakerloo’(another Harvest band who never hit the mark with their synomous lp) doing the lead duties. Its 1969, these things are to be expected.
Okay well heres side 2 if your stupid enough to buy the vinyl which cos it’s a Harvest, its overpriced like them Pete Brown lps (which I’ve yet to hear).Kicks off with some melancholy piano through some tasty Leslie flange and here is ‘Terror In My Soul’, an aggressive doomy folk number with some nice psychy flute and those mad shaky vocals.Next up it’s a cover of Fred Neil scrolling song ‘Travelling Shoes’ on a kinda of jazzy folky tip.Then its ‘winter’ another pastoral folky number.’nothing will come of nothing’ supplies us with a few tangents before hitting a doomy piano and shaky theatrical vocal,one to some interesting tangents,oh wait there, heres a dodgy jazzy blues bit a comin, whats going on here.But then we are saved with some psych out sounds in the vein of Soft Machines Out of Tunes or those STRANGE BITS ON Aardvarks first lp,odd and unhinged and drifty,self-indulgent, who cares, I love self indulgent.Pleasanty psychedelic and doomy end.Ends with maybe the producer apologising to Jeff Daw?

Interesting quirky stuff

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