The Mike Stuart SpanChildren Of Tomorrow/ Concerto Of Thoughts
Released 1968 on Jewel
Reviewed by Dave Furgess, 21/03/2001ce
Either way "Children Of Tomorrow" is a real keeper, which opens at breakneck speed and goes right for the throat with a menacing guitar riff, full tilt drums and typically gruff British vocals, not to mention large doses of panning and phasing ( just the way I like it! ). A great performance all the way. The flipside "Concerto Of Thoughts" is also a worthy listen, this one is a bit slower and more reflective. Stuart's "Mob" then relocated once again, this time to Fontana for a 45 later in 1968.
By late 1968 I guess the group got tired of their somewhat Merseybeat sounding band name and like Zoot Money's Big Roll Band decided a more psychedelic sounding name was in order, so they changed names to Leviathan and jumped labels once again to Elektra, where they issued the devastating "The War Machine" 45 and a couple of other worthwhile efforts. For the most part that is where the story ends.
The great thing about groups like The Mike Stuart Span is they arrived on the scene cut a few classic sides then got the fuck out of town instead of torturing the world for decades later like so many of the DINOSAUR groups that I try to ignore now! ( MIck Jagger are you listening? ). For that we should be grateful for the likes of The Mike Stuart Span and their cohorts in obscurity land.