Obscure UK/US Pop-Psych Round Table Discussion

You should've bumped the 'Zombies - Into The Afterlife' thread with that post. It needs a good bump! I love this CD too. One of my favorites for the year...

 

" ... Just picked up Into The Afterlife on Big Beat ... and WOW!! .. "

Being out of the loop on this one, please allow a Q & A: Where do I get this and how is it recorded = vinyl? DVD-A? CD?

 

........................CD. I picked it up at a Lawrence, Kansas CD/record shop on a road trip this last weekend. It has wide release so I would imagine most large online dealers would have it.

 

" ... I picked it up at a Lawrence, Kansas CD/record shop ..."

Thanks, Dorothy

(Born & raised in Wichita, me self.)

 

Speaking of Kansas, how about some props for the fab Blue Things. I'm not sure if they have been mentioned yet on this wide and wonderful thread, but both Orange Rooftops and One Hour Cleaners are as transedent as a field of sunflowers.

 

...............You will notice part of the tag line at the bottom of all my posts? Anyone who loves the Blue Things can live in my tree you betcha!

 

You kids talkin' about this? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000085N/

 

If you can find it I prefer this

http://product.half.ebay.com/The-Blue-Things_W0QQprZ3450248QQtgZinfo

 

What is more pop than the Monkee's I'm A Believer?
What is more British Canterbury psych than the voice of Robert Wyatt?
My "pick to click" this week is Wyatt's transcendent version of this Neil Diamond penned pop nugget.

 

That's got me thinking....did Neil Diamond ever have a Psych faze? If not, maybe we could persued him to have one now. I'd love to hear his take on the genre.

 

OK, here some obscure stuff for ya, via Freak Emporium:

Psychedelic Schlemiels - Various. CD, GBP 12.00.
The British psychedelic scene has been so heavily anthologised over the years that many cult acts are now as familiar as the era�s major players. But while London-based bands like Tintern Abbey and Dantalian�s Chariot have belatedly received the attention that they deserve, the local group scenes that thrived up and down the country during the late Sixties remain a mystery to even the keenest collector. The first volume of a new series, Psychedelic Schlemiels explores the secret garden of sweet floral Albion with no less than twenty unreleased acetates and private tapes recorded by mostly unsigned provincial groups, the majority of whom weren�t even household names in their own households. With vital contributions from such local heroes as Peanut Rubble, So On & So Forth and Herbal Remedy, and featuring previously unreleased demos by major label acts The Carnaby, Sounds Around and West Coast Consortium, Psychedelic Schlemiels offers a fascinating window on a hitherto lost world of small-town suburban psychedelia. All twenty tracks unreleased at the time, and all previously unavailable on CD, with most making their first-ever appearance in any format 1. Elastic Band West Coast Consortium 2. Broken Man Peanut Rubble 3. Sweet Wine So On & So Forth 4. Try Me On For Size Those Fadin� Colours5. When My Train Comes In Urban 6. Brave New Sights The Phoenix7. I (Who Have Nothing) Herbal Remedy 8. Willow Tree Peanut Rubble9. Blue Skies & Green Green Grass The Object 10. I�m Not Your Steppin� Stone So On & So Forth11. Ginny Stop West Coast Consortium12. Live For The Sun The Phoenix 13. Blow Up Those Fadin� Colours 14. Wax Candle Harverson Apricot 15. You�re My Cream - Thor16. Just A Dream Peanut Rubble17. Floating On A Dream Alfie Shepherd18. In The Sunset Barnaby Rudge19. I Don�t Deserve A Girl Like You The Carnaby20. Two People Sounds Around.

 

I'm psyched (heh-heh) just got my NM Jake Holmes Letter From Katherine December in the mail today. Real Tower, not a crappy Radioactive needle drop. I'll report back later!

 

My psych album of the week has been Five Day Week Straw People, an amazing British release on the budget label Saga in 1968. Not much was known about the recording of this album, or the performers on it, until a few years back. Now, RPM/Cherry Red have reissued it. I know I'm often on here touting my latest "lost psych classic," but I assure you this album lives up to the title.

According to the songwriters, Guy & David, the album is about "people who work monotonously during the week and then try to enjoy themselves at weekends." The sound quality is not the best due to limitations in the source material, I believe, but it does not hinder enjoyment of CD. Also, the cover is one of the best psych album sleeves ever!

 

Duly noted and aprreciated, Alison. It's added to my list.

I've been preoccupied with the Van Morrison A-by-A thread which I'm co-hosting wth DJWilbur, but I still managed to get in my Obscure PopSike fix for the week: Lately I've been digging Fairfield Parlour. Nice! "Caraminda" is my current fave.

 

I agree. This is one of the best UK "Swinging London" psych albums. The funny thing is, it was probably a cash-in/exploitative effort, but it turned out really good. The title track is a killer in particular.

 

Another vote for the new reissue of Five Day a Week Straw People - great job on this one - blows the old Akarma clean away!

 

I still have the no-name pre-Akarma version, from vinyl. Wasn't even aware of this new one. Then there's also the Angel Air (I think) version which also has tracks by The Attack (has anyone mentioned them yet? Good stuff.)

Pretty amazing for an LP that probably disappeared without a trace back in the day.

 

Another example of guitarist John Cann's incredible output of excellent psych/prog music in the late '60's. If you didn't already know, the "Five Day Week Straw People" CD that John was involved with on Angel Air, has 9 bonus tracks by The Attack recorded for Decca when John was a member of the band. Also, "Five Day Week Straw People" was basically Andromeda with a different drummer. Shortly after "Five Day Week Straw People" was released, John and bassist Mick Hawksworth wanted to move their music into a heavier psych/prog sound and brought in drummer Ian McLane and changed the band's name to Andromeda.



Ed Hurdle
HeavyDistortion

 

Attack fans: there's an interview with Richard Shirman in the new Ugly Things magazine.

As I understand it, About Time is the only comp Richard authorized and worked on.

 

Thanks for all the responses to my post regarding The Five Day Week Straw People.

David Montague mentioned something interesting regarding Du Cann, Hawksworth, and McCullogh in the liners for the RPM release: "The musicians--Mike, John, and Jack--were pretty dismissive of everything [regarding The Five Day Week Straw People] to be particularly honest. John wasn't really interested as he was doing stuff with his own bands." I guess at that point, Du Cann was ready to move in a different direction with Andromeda (whose album I have on my wish list!).

I believe those Attack tracks are also on About Time!

(And, Ben, I do have that collection now!)

sharedon: Richard Shirman seems like such a great guy--and someone to be admired, too. He doesn't seem bitter about what's come his way over the years.

 

About Richard Shirman, indeed, Alison - and especially given his health problems, I found his frame of mind absolutely remarkable. I also admired how readily, and with such a sense of humor, he admitted mistakes with the band! What a guy...

 

Thanks for the info on the The Five Day Week Straw People reissue! I almost bought the old CD off eBay but I'll order in the new one now

 

Obscure? Maybe not after the glaring banner ads in New Yorker Magazine. UK/US pop or poop? Psych round table fodder? maybe:

Brian Ferry - Dylanesque, the CD verses Brian Ferry - Dylanesque, the (PAL) DVD = Q&A is: Which sounds better, the 16bit CD or the 24bit DVD sound track??

Hopefully someone has heard both of these. I'm hoping, anyway, as I would hate to buy either or both without a review ... I was hoping for something more than "Like putting on an old overcoat - Like a fine wine get's better with age" and a handfull of stars. Anybody?

My very favorite Dylan knockoff of all time = Jimi Hendrix "All along the Watch Tower ... " ... anyone else?

(the USA / NTSC zone 1 version of this DVD ... )

 

I never realized the First Edition did more psych songs besides "Just Stopped In To See What Condition My Condition Was In," but I just got their second album, and the lead off track, "Charlie the Fer de Lance" is a great piece of pop psych. Looking forward to hearing side two tonight!

 

Is there a CD comp (legit or otherwise) that has the song "Gingerbread Man" by the Mirror? I have the song, but I can't remember which CD it's on! I swear I just bought a psych comp in the last year or so with this song on it (and I'm not thinking of the Toytown comp).

This always drives me crazy when I know I have a song but I don't know where it is. I really have to get my CD cataloging software up to date!