reissues of psych folk / folkrock, page 5

BGO MusicHeron : The Best Of (UK,1970-1971, re.1988)***°°

Castle Music Heron : Upon Reflection -the Dawn Anthology- (UK,1970-1971, re.2006)*°°°°

There was already a very good compilation “Best of” on See For Miles. The liner notes in it, from Alan Clayson, rewritten in the notes of this new, more complete compilation, taught me some facts about the band. They said how much some groups, like for instance Traffic, serious with music, wanted to make from their musical group a communal living and to record in the country, but that it was Heron who really succeeded in doing so for their second album. It was because they were used to playing in warm environments and in a live setting, with an 8 track professional studio in a lorry, they went to a farm house, with the ambition to create such a warmer natural atmosphere. It was especially this set in combination with their talents that created something unique (you can even hear sparrows in the background). The band really sing together (more arranged and warmer than Simon and Garfunkel, to give just a clue), has very hung together arrangements on acoustic guitars and mandoline, a bit of organ, which all build up the warm atmosphere. While there is a clear songs focus, there is as much attention to the arrangements. The moody part was if I believe the liner notes partly inspired by Incredible String Band, although I don’t see much direct influence. Some guitar passages were more worked out as well.

This new double CD compilation has both Heron’s albums plus some unissued tracks from the same sessions, as well the maxi single from 1971.

The first 13 tracks on disc one cover the warm atmosphere I just explained. Then are included a few bonus tracks and a few other tracks, like “Only a hobo” (Dylan). This last track was meant as a selling point, and was the first recording they did, on the 8-track recording studio. Therefore, on the first compilation it was set as the first track. Also several of the bonus tracks, are more rock driven, and are much different, and with more straight forward energy, but don’t disturb in the way they are put in the running order of the compilation.

The second CD mixes more rocking tracks with a few left over more calm tracks. These rocking tracks direct more into slightly American styled west coast rock. One of my favourite (acoustic) tracks from Heron is “Winter Harlequin” because there the group has a duo guitar improvisation and a bit of piano while a black bird in the background sings his song.

Comparing both compilations, I have to notice that “Best of” compiled the soft tracks mostly between track 2-9 and 13-19, while on the new compilation they were compiled from 1-13 on cd 1, and were mixed on cd 2. While the new compilation is very much complete, and shows variation in style (they were not extremely incredible in their rockier tracks) the “best of” might be a more moody compilation almost entirely focusing on their more unique folk style.

Heron originally started with Roy Apps and Tony Pook - but there are no recordings of them as a duo. Robert Collins and Martin Hayward joined in the late 60s, but, again, there are no recordings of this line-up either. Collins and Hayward left the band, and Gerald T Moore and Steve Jones joined. It was this line-up (Roy Apps, Tony Pook, vocals, Gerald T Moore, guitar, mandolin, vocals, and Steve Jones, piano, organ and accordion) that recorded all the Dawn songs that are on the "Upon Reflection" Anthology. The albums were produced by Peter Eden (who previously introduced Donovan, and had produced Mick Softly and Bill Fay). Heron added two session players for the "Twice as Nice" album -Mike Finesliver (bass) and Terry Gittings (drums).

PS.1. The cover used for this double CD is based upon the cover for the first album. This might be a bit confusing. The cover of the second album is with the house which you can see on “the best of”.

PS.2. Around this time there was some radio one sessions which I don’t think are reissued yet.

The band still gigs, and will be at the Isle of Wight Folk and Blues Festival in September, 2007.

Audio here, here, here or on http://www.relaxx.co.uk/music/herondisc.htm

& on http://musicstore.connect.com/..

Heron webpage : http://www.relaxx.co.uk/heron.htm

with discography : http://www.relaxx.co.uk/music/heron2.htm

Info : http://www.strangemill.co.uk/catalog/heronsamedawndnls3010uk70exexreserved-p-30.html

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Relax Rec.Heron : River Of Fortune (UK,1998)***°?

Castle Music Heron : Upon Reflection -the Dawn Anthology- (UK,1970-1971, re.2006)***°?

These more recent albums are reviewed on http://www.psychedelicfolk.com/folk.html#anchor_94

Trunk V.A. : Fuzzy-felt folk (UK,1970s)****'

When music collectors and lovers Johnny Trunk and Martin Green listened to some music of their collection, one particular track ("the elf") made them think of a genre-describing title for it, and they called it "fuzzy-felt folk". They decided, with true love for the music, to find more, similar examples to compile a full album with that sound. The result is for me one of the best examples of how compilations should be done, and is completely different to any usual, commercialised or easily conceived ideas for any compilation. It is as if the album, as a perfect listen and concept, in time, was destined to be meant for an album like this.

"Suitable for all ages" says the back cover. Many of these delicately arranged perfectly sweet songs could fit perfectly in a '60s small children series. Other tracks, like "Tiffany Glass" from Orriel Smith could have fit easily on a Agincourt / Sallyangie/... association. Orriel's other listed track, "Winds of Space" is in a sweet comprehensible way a bit more experimental. Unfortunately her planned full LP was never made, and only these two brilliant tracks survived, now luckily found a fitting full release for it. The first casual reason for this compilation, "The Elf", by The Barbara Moore Singers, has this incredibly sunny, whistling puppet-swinging popcorn rhythmic theme, which, by the way, sounds close to "Georgy Girl" by the Seekers, from the from the movie from 1966 (see video here). "The Troll" by Reg Tilsey also sounds like it was made to fit exactly after that track, with similar rhythmic colourful happy fun. "My Mother Said" by Christopher Casson is a story for educating growing up girls. A simply brilliant compilation.

Audio : Basil Kirchin : "I Start Counting (Demo)", The Barbara Moore Singers : "Singing Low", Reg Tilsey : "The Troll" ; short audio tracks on http://www.moviegrooves.com/.. & http://allmusic.com/...

Label info : http://www.trunkrecords.com/turntable/fuzzy_felt.shtml

More info on LP : http://www.discogs.com/release/739785

Review with 3 audio tracks : http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=22394

and with 4 real audio tracks : http://www.virtually-distribution.com/....

Other reviews : http://www.dubfrog.com/fetch/3425/VARIOUS_ARTISTS-Fuzzy-Felt_Folk.htm

& http://terrascope.co.uk/Reviews/Reviews_August06.htm#Fuzzy

& http://www.digitalisindustries.com/foxyd/reviews.php?which=2026

Shagrat Amber : Pearls of Amber (UK,1969-1971)***'

Amber was a duo consisting of Julian McAllister (guitar, lead vocals), and Mac McLeod (lead guitar, sitar, tabla, percussion, backing vocals). For this direct recording they had help from Ray Cooper on tabla on the first few tracks.

The duo appeared often on the St.Albans jam sessions at the Cock where Mick Softly, Maddy Prior and Donovan were playing. Mac McLeod was very active in that period, and had toured with John Renbourne. In 1965 he had accompanied Donovan in a NME winning concert. But instead of heading further on tour with Donovan, he travelled to Scandinavia, while Julian travelled and stayed in Morocco and Turkey and areas in between, while discovering the Turkish saz and other stringed instruments. Mac McLeod made a popular single in Sweden which resulted in a tv show appearance. Shortly after that he joined a Danish duo called the B.B.Brothers, which led to the formation of a trio called Hurdy Gurdy, influenced by Cream and early Hendrix. In that time he asked Donovan if he could pen them a song, which became 'The Hurdy Gurdy Man' (George Harrison, Donovan said, wrote an extra verse for the song). Donovan didn’t like much the heavy version by the band and made his own version, based very much upon the Hurdy Gurdy one, which became a huge hit. Work permits were very difficult matters in Danmark, so it took until 1971 and a few side-projects before Hurdy Gurdy recorded their own album in 1971. This album was a combination of very heavy bluespsychrock and sitar driven tracks. They recently found 3 extra tracks on the master, and found now an official reissue by the Danish psych label Karma Records which list the album as “the oldest blues-rock-cult band in Denmark”. Before that was all possible Mac met Julian again, who had returned from his travels. Donovan was still interested in this duo to have them as a backing band for the US tour, with drummer Candy Carr, and they rehearsed one summer together, but again, in a hippie hearted freedom dream catcher fashion, they ended up in touring solo a while under the name of Amber, sometimes in an almost busker-like fashion. Only a few of the studio effort sessions survived. The liner notes say that in the second session, produced by ex-Yardbird Keith Relf, he almost joined the band.

First track, “Sea Shell Rock Me” (accompanied by sitar, tabla, guitar, bass), a track which has another version from the second session, is a song that reminds me very much of Wizz Jones when he was accompanied by John Renbourne on “Right Now”, for the guitar playing, the sitar as well as for the voice. I also wonder reading all the history how much a song and approach like this was an influence in the existing scene or was just very much part of what brooded in the area. The second track is a bit bluesier, in a hippie fashion, with acoustic guitars and tabla, bells. In this track I can sense Donovan’s interest here, and with all the right feelings there I still think it is a shame how such a duo wasn’t given the chance for a proper recording, and that that it had to wait until just now for the surviving tapes to appear. Most songs have rather hippie sunshine loving lyrics, and of course it must have been the circumstances partly lived by or made by the duo with fluent making free directions, which are also logical, that a discovery or chance didn’t materialize. A nice album, limited to 300 10" copies.

Other review :

http://www.theunbrokencircle.co.uk/album_reviews_05.htm#Bookmark%207

Homepage of MacMcleod : http://www.macmacleod.co.uk

More on MacMcleod : http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/macleod_mac/bio.jhtml

& http://www.macmacleod.co.uk/bio.html & http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/macleod_mac/bio.jhtml

and on Amber : http://www.macmacleod.co.uk/bio8.html

Danish info on B.B.Brothers : http://members.fortunecity.com/clelling/dkbbb.htm

Label listing of Hurdy Gurdy : http://www.karma.dk/cddanske_uk.htm

Acme Rec. Spriguns : Time will pass (UK,1977)****°

England has incredibly good folk music items. Some groups are more leaning towards traditional folk, some are more folkrock (of which Trees is one of my favourites). Some of the more original/progressive folkrock will be listed on these pages more easily (The Pentangle, Gryphon, Spirogyra, Fotheringay are some of my own favourites). And also The Spriguns are also one of the more original bands who were rooted in folkrock, but Mandy Morton thoroughly conceptualized her own visions, with the help of the band, comparable to what Sandy Denny tried. Sandy Denny was heavily admired by Mandy Morton, who dedicated the titletrack of her 1978 album to her, “Magic Lady”. Even when albums like that and “Time Will Pass”, which are the strongest starters of all Mandy Morton & Spriguns related albums, we had to wait for reissues of these albums for a very long time. The band had started off as Spriguns Of Tolgus with more traditional folk inspirations with their own visions. Both albums are also very much worth tracing. Most of these albums were only very limited available mostly only through Japanese and Korean reissues. Acme now reissued, and 24 bits digitally remastered, “Time Will Pass” and “Revel, Weird and Wild”.

Mandy Morton led much more the band away from the limitations in creativity of folk and even folkrock visions, but kept the whole typical linear heritage of England’s culture, with references to Renaissance and medieval times that brings an idea of magic, giving that way more colour and depth in background to the inspirations. Sandy Roberton did the production. He produced before the early folk/folkrock albums of Steeleye Span. Especially on the opener “Dead Man’s Eyes” we can hear a comparable approach of an influence of folk mixed with a straight rock rhythm. The lush orchestrations on “All Before” by Robert Kirby* are comparable to some Sandy Denny tracks, while especially on the closing track, “Letter to a lady” the arrangements that confirm the old England blossoming days with bassoon and such, are most impressive. Most arrangements are definitely making the best of a singer-songwriting vision, with tracks that have rather progressive or often crafted even at times with its own subtleness, heavy rocking arrangements. I must also mention how Mandy also has a beautiful coloured voice and singing and a personality and vision that give this album a masterly musically conceptual vision, which made this album an essential classic.

Audio : "White Witch", "Letter To A Lady"

Details of album : http://www.geocities.com/fantasticmandy/Dis1977.htm & http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_CD.asp?cd_id=10284

Description : http://www.clear-spot.nl/catalog/view.php?item_id=255118

Label : http://www.acmerecords.co.uk

Spriguns fan page : http://www.geocities.com/fantasticmandy/

Related albums I have :

private? Spriguns of Tolgus : Rowdy Dowdy Day (UK,1974)**°°

BackgroundSpriguns of Tolgus : Jack with a feather (UK,1975)***°

Polydor Mandy Morton & Spriguns : Revel, weird and wild (UK,1976)***°

Acme Rec. Spriguns : Time Will Pass (UK,1977)****'

English GardenMandy Mortan & Spriguns : Magic Lady (UK,1978)****'

English GardenMandy Morton Band :Valley of Light (UK,1983)*°'

* he did orchestrations for Nick Drake & Steve Ashley

Fonomusic Daniel Vega : La Noche que precede a la batalla (SPK,1976)****'

Now and then in the ‘70s, in Spain were made great epos-like musical-concepts (Luis Llach did some great albums). Also Daniel Vega’s album is such an album, with a bit of impressive spoken word on the introduction, jazzy rock improvisations with electric piano, with a fundament often laid by acoustic guitar, with a few parts of impressive acoustic guitar layers on top of each other, flute, with some wah-wah and amplified guitar, saxes, and very emotionally sung songs by Daniel Vega. The style is progressive song driven music with rhythmically and emotionally driven musical evolutions, in a very progressive way. A masterpiece.

According to a Spanish review I read, the first track refers to the battle of Covadonga in 722, the starting point for the Reconquista, where the soldier prepares himself for his destiny. Then the theme thoroughly changes to relate to the hard life of the miners (who had their revolt in 1934).

The album was originally released on the legendary label Movieplay-Gong and is now re-released on LP and CD.

Participating musicians : Daniel Vega (leading the project), Luis Mendo, Miguel Sanz “Judas”, Manuel Aguilar, Pedro Perez, Rafael Perez and Juan Carlos Medrano. The cover by Máximo Moreno is the same artists that designed the first two albums from (the first popular flamencorock band in Spain) Triana.

Audio : "Alma Gemela","Esperando Al Sol","Cantábrico"

Descriptions : http://www.forcedexposure.com/artists/vega.daniel.html

& http://www.lasercd.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=50467716025

& http://www.blrrecords.com/prod/1529/la_noche_que_precede_a_la_batalla.html

Spanish reviews : http://www.dlsi.ua.es/~inesta/LCDM/Discos/danielvega_lanoche.html &

http://www.losrecuerdosdelunicornio.com/CDreviews/Html/DanielVega.htm

Sunbeam Rec. Bread, Love and Dreams : Amaryllis (UK,1971)*****

After having noticed this reissue, I gave a second listen to the two previous releases, and confronted me with how I remembered them. The first self-titled album, "Bread, Love and Dreams" (1969)***°' is a really great original folk album, with self-penned songs, with some dual vocals, and sweet solo (and mostly female) vocals, and some orchestrations on "the least said". "Mirrors" is more traditional in style and has orchestrations as well. Also very nice is the spoken word story with acid/psych folk improvisations, on "the yellow bellied reback". Last track was a bluesier folk interpretation. The album was reissued unofficially by Si-Wan and lately Hugo-Montes. After years in my collection I appreciate it more.

On the second album, "The Strange Tale of Captain Shannon and the Hunchback from Gigha" (1970)***°' the group is just the duo. They had help from Dave Richmond, Danny Thompson & Terry Cox (Pentangle), Alan Trojan and Graeme Robertson. It starts, with the first side, a bit rockier, in a rather acoustic way, which has less emotional subtleness compared to the previous album. From the 3rd track on the B-side, it starts to change. "Butterflyland" starting with a spoken word introduction, it is sunnier and dreamier. "Purple Hazy Melancholy" is again a more delicate song, sung by Angie, with some classical brass arrangements and acoustic guitar. "Sing me a Song" is like an early Elly & Rikkert-like hippie happiness (influenced by flower power). Also the titletrack, by David, in a simple way, is a very long tale-to-tell in a Dylan fashion, and is nice original folk.

That last album was recorded together with "Amaryllis" on the same 5-day sessions in Decca studios. Decca didn't make too much money with the first album, so had decided to publish both albums separately. When the second album didn't sell better, they lost all interest in bothering much more about the duo, but still released "Amaryllis" in the UK only despite interests outside the UK. It received also again good critics, but without support the duo wasn't able to continue. A shame, because Amaryllis was their most ambitious album, with the one side long titletrack. The album was one of the first to get appreciated by the real music lovers in Japan and Korea.

The titletrack, an unusual piece of almost 22 minutes is a real unique piece with delicate fingerpicking guitars that fuse the different sections, beautiful vocals and so on. There does not exist many such ambitious folk tracks, and although Incredible String Band was one of their influences, the style was much more independent. There were not too many long tracks of this calibre (Madden & Harris I think were one the best who did this succesfully as well, but there were of course just a few others who might also come to mind, eg. Mountain Ash Band..). The track builds up from guitar-driven with solo vocals, to dual vocals with band, to more improvised acid passages (tabla,..). The subtlety and emotionality from the first album is still here, and with strong building tensions and emphases. A small "church"-theme is included in (organ & harmony vocals). The whole album sounds very much like THE perfect folk concept album, which makes it unbelievable that a band who created such a good work were neglected by a label because they did not immediately have the response expected in their own country.

Nice to mention also, according to the liner notes in the cd booklet, the first time "Amaryllis" was played was in a chapel in Antwerp in 1970 (I wonder which chapel it must have been). They had already appeared in Brussels the previous year, with several radio broadcasts and creating a Belgian following. They did also mention what an emotional performance they experienced when having performed one of the first allowed concerts in Spain during dictator Franco's years.

Audio : "Brother John" (WMFU)

Discography : http://www.groove.no/html/band/16691121.html

Label info : http://www.sunbeamrecords.com/bread_love_and_dreams.htm

Other review of original LP : http://mysanantonio.mediamallnetwork.com/...

Sunbeam Rec. Dawnwind : Looking back on the future (UK,1975)***°

Encouraged by people like Alex Campbell to write their own material, this duo, dedicated especially since 1970 their lives to the music, looking for over another 4 intense years for a way how to record an album. After one previous recording attempt for a private label called Eden, in 1972, which was never released, the final first concrete recording happened in just one winter weekend in 1975, (commissioned a year before) and now finally submitted and released by a private label called Amron. Unless the quick recording, and while recalling very much a live Folk club atmosphere, the mood is rather steady and it worked out very well. A few studio musicians (guitars, mandolin and fiddle) helped with a few additional improvised arrangements. There’s enough delicacy and honesty in the singing and songs to make it work. Even when they had gigs from 1972 with some of the famous (the liner notes mention Pretty Things, Jethro Tull, East Of Eden, Bridget St.John, UFO, Sandy Denny,..) the many years of a busker-type travelling, made them focus mostly on songs, which did not bring them never far from a folk era that a public could recognise. When hearing the two bonus tracks from a live recording, you can hear how their style and songs worked live. A nice album that shows us something of the real attractiveness in the music of some singers in the folkclubs of those days.

Audio : "The Derelict", "I’m Sentimental Too" or on http://www.jpc.de/...

Label info : http://www.sunbeamrecords.com/dawnwind.htm

Homepages : http://www.intermetmusic.com/sparklingwine & http://www.myspace.com/dawnwind

& http://www.intermetmusic.com/sparklingwine & http://www.sparklingwinerecords.co.uk/page3.html

Other reviews : (with audio) http://www.billboard.com...& on http://www.lefthip.com/...

Sunbeam Rec. Mark Fry : Dreaming with Alice (UK,1972)****'

Great to see how Sunbeam re-releases some of the classics of UK folk history, that are often still sadly neglected by media, but that collectors music lovers of the genre all have in mind, on their want list or already (most probably as a bootleg reissue) in their collection, amongst what they call the classics.

Mark Fry's album was written in Italy mostly during the time he tried to study at the art academy in Florence. After a second visit to Rome when presenting his demo, he was offered a contract by RCA, but for some reasons, described in the liner notes, was recorded basically in a private studio session on two four-track recorders. The album never found a way to the UK, and with one Italian pressing, it passed unnoticed.

The style of Mark Fry's songs shows hints to early Al Stewart and just here and there Donovan. The album itself more hangs together like a perfect musical concept, with the poetic inter-connecting "Dreaming with Alice" poem, split in various verses, and accompanied with a repeated acoustic guitar theme. Other tracks have very delicate band arrangements, leaving the song and acoustic guitar lead the music, with a enriched very acid folk driven sound. "The Witch", a bit like some Meic Stevens tracks, also has some rewarding sitar (?) and flute.

Nice to notice how the last two bonus tracks, which were recorded three years later in US, fit well with the album, and still make a convincing alternative ending.

PS. Mark was a bit dissapointed to see how the cover photo on the original vinyl album had been cut down so you couldn’t see that his little brother Wilde was playing a miniature guitar alongside.

Audio : "Dreaming With Alice"(or here), "The Witch"(or here), "Song For Wild"(or here), "A Norman Soldier",

"Mandolin Man", "Rehtorb Ym No Hcram"

Label info : http://www.sunbeamrecords.com/mark_fry.htm

Other reviews of other, unofficial reissues : http://www.psychedelic-music.net/pmdb/db3/db_band.php4?id=502

& http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,2975794,00.html

& http://speedguru.blog45.fc2.com/blog-entry-9.html

& with one audio track : http://www.theunbrokencircle.co.uk/album_reviews_MarkFry.htm

Korean review : http://myhome.hanafos.com/~thrak/html/markfry.htm

Other reviews and descriptions of this reissue : http://www.popjunkie.tv/2006/08/mark_fry_create.html

Paintings and art biography by Mark Fry : http://archeus.co.uk/pages/thumbnails/128.html

Guerssen Rec.Walti Huber : A Sense Of Touch (UK,1984)***'

Walti Huber started as a folk trio, inspired by people like Jethro Tull, Stephen Stills, and Cream, until his best friend and musical partner died of cancer. He decided to go in studio to inject new life and start to record some songs which they were not able to do live. In 1982 his first album, “Only One Smile Alone” was recorded, entirely with William Blake poem interpretations. Also this second album, from 1983, adapted some William Blake lyrics, but there appeared also some self-penned songs appeared, two Stephen Stills interpretations (“So begin the task”, “Thoroughfare Gap”), a John Martyn song (“Just Now”). This album was musically more ambitious and added drums(,tabla), keyboards, electric guitars, and some accordion and xylophones and marimbaphones, and additional female dual vocal arrangements. These arrangements give often a more “progressive” touch to the folk leanings.

After this album, a third album was published under the group name of Jetsam, putting John Donne’s sonnets onto music. Three tracks from his Jetsam work from 1988 are added as bonus tracks. Since 1994 Walti released four cd’s with this group.

Guerssen, with the last few re-releases (Pererin, Bob Theil, Walti Huber, Penny Davies & Roger Illott), proved collector's and musical lovers wrong how they almost automatically leave the '80s acidfolk releases unexplored.

Audio : "crystal cabinet", "grey monk", "thoroughfare gap"

Info : http://www.madmanvinyl.com/principalin/Walti%20Huber%20A%20Sense%20Of%20Touch.htm

Label info : http://www.guerssen.com/productes.html?prod=8045

The 1988 Jetsam album : http://www.madmanvinyl.com/principalin/Jetsam.htm