SINGLES
THE
ACCENT-Red Sky At Night/ Wind Of Change (Decca)
THE AFEX-Shes Got The Time/ I Never Knew Love Was Like This
(King)
BLOSSOM TOES-What On Earth/ Mrs Murphys Budgerigar/ Look At
Me Im You (Marmalade)
ALAN BOWN-Toyland/ Technicolour Dream (MGM)
ERIC BURDON/ANIMALS-San Franciscan Nights/ Gratefully Dead (MGM)
#7
CALIFORNIANS-Follow Me/ What Love Can Do (Decca)
DAVE CLARK 5-Everybody Knows/ Concentration Baby (Columbia) #2
CREATION-Life Is Just Beginning/ Through My Eyes (Polydor)
CROCHETED DOUGHNUT RING-Two Little Ladies (Azelia And
Rhododendrun)/ Nice (Polydor)
DONOVAN-There Is A Mountain/ Sand And Foam (Pye) #8
SIMON DUPREE AND THE BIG SOUND-Kites/ Like The Sun Like The Fire
(Parlophone) #9
EPISODE SIX-I Can See Through You/ When I Fall In Love (Pye)
FAMILY-Scene Through The Eyes Of A Lens/ Gypsy Woman (Liberty)
FOCUS THREE-10,000 Years Behind My Mind/ The Sunkeeper (Columbia)
HONEYBUS-Do I Still Figure In Your Life? /Throw My Love Away
(Deram)
ICE-Anniversary (Of Love)/ So Many Times (Decca)
JOHNS CHILDREN-Go-Go Girl/ Jagged Time Lapse (Track)
THE KINKS-Autumn Almanac/ Mr Pleasant (Pye) #3
KIPPINGTON LODGE-Shy Boy/ Lady On A Bicycle (Parlophone)
JACKIE LOMAX-Genuine Imitation Life/ One Minute Woman (CBS)
THE LOVIN-All Youve Got/ Do It Again (Page One)
THE MISUNDERSTOOD-I Can Take You To The Sun/ Who Do You Love
(Fontana)
MUD-Flower Power/ Youre My Mother (CBS)
THE QUIK-I Cant Sleep/ Soul Full Of Sorrow (Deram)
ROULETTES-Help Me To Help Myself/ To A Taxi Driver (Fontana)
RUPERTS PEOPLE-Prologue To A Magic World/ Dream On My Mind
(Columbia)
TIMEBOX-Walking Through The Streets Of My Mind/ Dont Make
Promises (Deram)
THE TROGGS-Love Is All Around/ When Will The Rain Come (Page One)
#5
TWO AND A HALF-Suburban Early Morning Station/ Just Couldnt
Believe My Ears (Decca)
THE WHO-I Can See For Miles/ Someones Coming (Track) #10
ALBUMS
BONZO DOG
DOO-DAH BAND-Gorilla (Liberty)
ERIC BURDON/ANIMALS-Winds Of Change (MGM)
HOLLIES-Butterfly (Parlophone)
DAVID McWILLIAMS-Volume 2 (Major Minor) #
HAPPENING!
- Brian Jones is
sentenced to nine months imprisonment for possession of
cannabis. The sentence is suspended in December following
an appeal.
- The Move cancel plans
to release "Cherry Blossom Clinic" as their
next single because they feel the song isn't strong
enough. "It isn't the right one. We are not
enthralled with it at all", says singer Carl Wayne.
- The Move do release
an 8mm silent Home Movie film that has been shot and
edited to accompany their "Flowers In The Rain"
single. This precursor to the 'pop video' retails for one
pound seven shillings and sixpence (black & white) or
three pounds fifteen shillings (colour). "Ideal for
parties etc".
- The Bee Gees reject
an offer to compose the soundtrack to the film
"Wonderwall". Australian members of the group Colin Peterson
and Vince Melouney are told they will have to leave Britain when their
work permits expire on Nov 30th. (A campaign by Bee Gees fans plus legal
representations by the group's management eventually results in the
decision being reversed).
- Mick Jagger apparently turns down a
starring role in the forthcoming film version of best-seller The Virgin
Soldiers. (David Bowie has a blink and you miss him role in the finished
movie).
- The Beatles work on
the soundtrack to their forthcoming "Magical Mystery
Tour" TV film.
- The Beatles and The
Rolling Stones are apparently discussing a business
merger that could result in the setting up of new
recording studios, talent schools and more.
- Procol Harum decline
an offer to appear in the film "Seventeen
Plus", announcing that they will write their own
movie instead! Meanwhile, organist Matthew Fisher is
reportedly at work on a solo album for independent record
producer Denny Cordell, while Gary Brooker is taken ill at Rediffusion
TV studios following an appearance on the David Frost TV show (6th)
- Producer Mark Wirtz
reportedly is negotiating with Universal Pictures with a
view to filming the "Teenage Opera". He also
announces that the opera will not be released on album
until summer 1968. According to Wirtz "The Opera
will be the biggest ever pop production. People are
calling me the Cecil B De Mille of the record
industry". Meanwhile Keith West constantly denies rumours that he
is to leave Tomorrow and go solo.
- The Spencer Davis
Group retire to deepest Cornwall for a few weeks to
"re-think its musical future and seek new
ideas".
- Art change their name
once again, this time to Spooky Tooth, when American
organist/vocalist Gary Wright (ex-The New York Times) is
added to the group.
- Carter-Lewis, the
songwriters behind The Flowerpot Men hit "Let's Go
To San Francisco, lease the group name to Ivy League
singer Tony Burrows so that he can put together a touring
group to cash-in on the hit. The group includes future
Deep Purple members Jon Lord and Nick Simper, Ged Peck
who eventually becomes guitarist with Simper's
post-Purple group Warhorse, and future Fat Mattress
singer Neil Landon. They tour constantly through until
the following February.
- The UFO club closes.
- Sheffield's premier "Beat
Music" Club, is closed down by the city authorities. Owner Peter
Stringfellow (yes, that one!) pledges to launch an appeal that will cost
£1000.
- Windsor Council announce that
following "acts of immorality" at this year's event, the
National Jazz and Blues Festival will not be staged in Windsor in 1968.
- Jimi Hendrix guests
on Jonathan King's ATV programme "Good Evening"
(14th)
- Southern ITV
"New Release"-The Who
- Kaleidoscope appear
on Granada TVs "First Timers" show (17th). The
Klubs also appeared in this series.
- The Who perform
"I Can See For Miles" on BBC TVs "Twice A
Fortnight" (21st)
- BBC1 TV "Dee
Time"-Procol Harum (14th), The Kinks, Bonzo Dog Doo
Dah Band (21st)
- BBC1 TV
"Crackerjack"-Procol Harum (6th), Bee Gees
(13th), Troggs (27th)
- BBC1 TV "Late Night
Extra"- Flowerpot Men (9th)
- BBC2 TV "Julie
Felix Show"-Manfred Mann (24th)
- The Small Faces
appear on ATVs "Morecombe and Wise Show"
(22nd).
- German TV "Beat
Club"-The Herd (14th)
- BBC SESSIONS-The
Action (2nd-6th, David Symonds), Amen Corner (7th,
Saturday Club-22nd, Top Gear), Jeff Beck Group (16th,
David Symonds), Bee Gees (2nd-6th, David Symonds-6th, Joe
Loss--15th, Top Gear-21st, Pete Murray's People), Blossom
Toes (29th, Top Gear), Crazy World Of Arthur Brown (8th,
Top Gear), Eric Burdon & The New Animals (1st,
Happening Sunday-2nd, WS R&B), Bystanders (2nd, David
Symonds), Cream (29th, Top Gear), Flowerpot Men (1st,
Happening Sunday-2nd-6th, Pete Brady), Roy Harper (29th,
Top Gear), Jimi Hendrix (15th, Top Gear), The Herd (8th,
Happening Sunday-18th, Parade Of The Pops), Hollies
(22nd, Top Gear), Idle Race (8th, Top Gear),
Incredible
String Band (15th, Top Gear), Kinks (29th, Top Gear),
Denny Laine & the Electric String Band (8th, Top
Gear), Marmalade (21st, Pete's People), Mindbenders (4th,
Parade Of Pops), Montanas (2nd, David Symonds-26th, Pop
North), Moody Blues (23rd, Monday Monday),
The Move (1st,
Top Gear-2nd-6th, David Symonds-9th, Monday, Monday-
20th, Joe Loss), Mud (30th-Monday Monday) The Nice (22nd,
Top Gear), Pink Floyd (1st, Top Gear), Procol Harum (8th,
Top Gear-12th, Pop North-14th, Saturday Club-16th, David
Symonds-22nd, Happening Sunday), Skip Bifferty (15th, Top
Gear), The Spectrum (21st, Saturday Club),
Cat Stevens
(5th, 26th Pop North), Sharon Tandy & Les Fleur De
Lys (1st, Top Gear) Tomorrow (1st, Top Gear-2nd-6th,
David Symonds), Traffic (1st, Top Gear-23rd, Let's Go),
Tremeloes (2nd-6th, Jimmy Young-27th, Late Night Extra),
Troggs (11th, Parade Of The Pops-21st, Saturday Club),
Unit 4 Plus 2 (19th, Late Night Extra), The Who (15th,
Top Gear--28th, Saturday Club, tracks repeated from Top Gear broadcast)
WATCHING!
- Traffic headline a
package tour bill that includes The Flowerpot Men,
Tomorrow, Art, The Mindbenders and Vanilla Fudge. Dates
played-Finsbury Park Astoria (4th), ABC, Chesterfield
(6th), City Hall, Newcastle (7th), Empire, Liverpool
(8th), ABC, Croydon (10th), Birmingham Town Hall (11th),
Colston Hall, Bristol (13th), Gaumont, Wolverhampton
(14th), De Montfort Hall, Leicester (15th), Gaumont,
Ipswich (17th)
- Pink Floyd headline
at The Saville Theatre on the 1st, supported by the
Incredible String Band, Tomorrow, Tim Rose and Fairport
Convention.
- Jimi Hendrix's turn
to headline at the Saville on the 8th. Support: Crazy
World Of Arthur Brown, The Herd, Eire Apparent.
- Saville Theatre-The
Who (22nd), Cream, Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, The Action
(29th)
- Marquee-- The Nice
(2nd, 16th, 24th), Nite People (2nd, 23rd), The Action
(3rd, 23rd), Timebox (3rd, 10th, 19th, 30th), Studio Six
(5th, 16th), Ten Years After (6th, 20th), The Gods (7th),
Herbal Mixture (7th), Alan Bown (10th), Syn (12th), The
Third Eye (12th, 28th), Neat Change (14th, 21st, 28th),
Iveys (14th), Amboy Dukes (17th), Open Mind (21st), Jimi
Hendrix Experience (24th), Marmalade (26th),
- Middle Earth-Crazy
World Of Arthur Brown, Mabel Greer's Toyshop, The Kult
(1st), The Action, Sam Gopal Dream, Tyrannosaurus Rex
(7th), Soft Machine, The Third Ear (13th), Blossom Toes,
Limousine, Dr K's Blues Band (14th), Denny Laine's
Electric String Band, Nervous System (15th), Aynsley
Dunbar Retaliation, Herbal Mixture, Pete Brown's Poetry
Band (20th), Eire Apparent, Mabel Greer's Toyshop (21st),
Pegasus, Canterbury Glass (22nd), The Nice, Eyes Of Blue (27th),
Incredible String Band, Fairport Convention (28th)
- UFO-Denny Laine, The
Knack (6th), Soft Machine, Fairport Convention (13th)
- Roundhouse- Soft Machine, Open Mind
etc (14th), "The
Exploding Galaxyz Bird Ballet" with Soft Machine,
Graham Bond, Crazy World Of Arthur Brown (20th, 22nd,
26th, 27th, 29th)
- Happening 44- Social Deviants, Sam
Gopal (7th), South East Blues Band (14th)
- Pink Flamingo-Paper Blitz Tissue
(11th), Geranium Pond (25th), Riot Squad (27th)
- Speakeasy-Incredible
String Band (1st), Eric Burdon & The Animals (6th),
Jeff Beck Group (26th)
- Upper Cut-West Coast
Consortium (1st), Flowerpot Men (14th), Grannie's Intentions (28th), Riot Squad, Original
Dyaks (29th)
- Whisky A'Go Go-Mr
Mo's Messengers (1st, 8th), Cat's Pyjamas (5th)
- Beach Ballroom,
Aberdeen-The Who (7th)
- Aberdeen, Douglas-The
Troggs (4th)
- Aldershot Army Camp- The Gods (10th)
- Barnstaple Queen's Hall- The Gods
(27th)
- Pavilion, Bath-Pink
Floyd (16th), Small Faces (30th)
- Caesar's Club,
Bedford-Pink Floyd (14th)
- Bexley Black Prince- Amboy Dukes
(8th)
- Birmingham, Kyrle
Club-The Kinks (6th)
- Birmingham Penthouse- Human
Instinct, Penny Peep Show (7th)
- Blackdown Army Camp- The Gods (11th)
- Bolton Palais-The
Herd (26th)
- Boston Starlight
Room-The Tages, Amboy Dukes (14th)
- Bournemouth Ritz-The
Move (12th)
- Bournemouth Samantha's- The Gods
(18th)
- Top Rank,
Brighton-Pink Floyd (6th)
- Bristol
University-Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (27th)
- Victoria Rooms,
Bristol-Pink Floyd (7th)
- Catterick Army Camp- The Gods (2nd,
3rd)
- Chelmsford Corn Exchange- Fleetwood
Mac (7th), The Web (14th)
- Chislehurst Caves- Eric Burdon &
The Animals (6th)
- Coatbridge Town
Hall-Bee Gees (28th)
- Colston Sport & Social Club- The
Gods (20th)
- Starlight Ballroom,
Crawley-The Move (1st), Jimi Hendrix Experience (15th)
- Wellington Club,
Dereham-Jimi Hendrix Experience (7th)
- Doncaster Top
Rank-The Troggs (27th)
- Dundee Top Ten
Club-Bee Gees (29th)
- Kinema, Dunfermline-Koobas (1st),
The Who (8th)
- California Ballroom,
Dunstable-Jimi Hendrix Experience (28th)
- Durham
University-Pink Floyd (28th)
- Capitol,
Edinburgh-Cream (27th)
- Edinburgh Rosewell
Institute-Bee Gees (27th)
- Epping Wake Arms- Downliners Sect
(28th)
- Exeter St George's Hall- The Gods
(14th)
- Exeter University- The Gods (28th)
- Folkestone Tofts- Geranium Pond
(8th), Savoy Brown (15th), Amboy Dukes, Wages Of Sin (22nd, supporting Jnr
Walker)
- Magoo's,
Glasgow-Cream (26th)
- Grantham Cat Ballou Club- The Gods
(29th)
- Greenford
Starlite-Alan Bown (1st), Chris Farlowe (8th), Amen Corner (13th), Human Instinct (20th)
- Wooden Bridge Hotel,
Guildford-Jeff Beck Group (15th)
- Hampstead Klooks
Kleek-Dantalion's Chariot (3rd), The Web (19th), Alan Bown (31st)
- Hastings Pier-Jimi
Hendrix Experience, Orange Seaweed (22nd)
- Henley Sport & Social Club- The
Gods (4th)
- Heyton Jazz Club- The Gods (22nd)
- Hinckley St George's
Ballroom-Flowerpot Men (28th)
- Hull Skyline
Ballroom-The Kinks (18th)
- Inverness
Caledonian-The Troggs (5th)
- Kelso Corn
Exchange-The Troggs (7th)
- Kirklevington Country
Club-Jeff Beck Group (29th)
- Langley Mill Working
Men's Club-The Kinks (5th)
- Larkhill Army Camp- The Gods (12th)
- Leeds University-Jeff
Beck Group (7th), The Kinks (26th)
- Leicester Nite Owl-Family (7th),
Amen Corner, Pesky Gee! (14th), Alan Bown (21st)
- Lewes Town Hall-The
Move (13th)
- Leyton Baths-Small
Faces (28th)
- Leytonstone Nutty
Club-Marmalade (22nd)
- Liverpool
University-The Kinks (21st)
- London, Blue Horizon Club- Ten Years
After (16th)
- London, City
University-The Action, Episode Six (21st)
- London, College For The Distributive
Trades- Moody Blues (27th)
- London, Dee's Club
& Disco-Pregnant Insomnia (21st), Locomotive (22nd),
Studio Six (26th)
- Friar's Hall,
Blackfriars, London-Soft Machine, Open Mind (14th)
- London Manor House- Amboy Dukes
(6th), John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (13th)
- London Soho Les Cousins- Indian
Music (13th), Davy Graham, Young Tradition (14th)
- Luton Beachcomber- The Gods (16th)
- Lymington Youth Club- The Gods
(21st)
- Manchester Drokiweeny- The Move
(15th)
- Manchester Mr
Smiths-Flowerpot Men (1st)
- New Century Hall,
Manchester-The Who (21st)
- Manchester Top
Rank-Troggs (27th)
- Palace Theatre,
Manchester-The Nice (23rd)
- Middle Wallop Army Camp- The Gods
(5th)
- Ballerina Ballroom,
Nairn-The Who (6th)
- Nantwich Civic
Hall-Tremeloes (21st)
- Neath New Yorker Disco- The Gods
(31st)
- Nelson Imperial
Hall-The Move (28th)
- Newbury Plaza- The Gods (8th)
- Newcastle Club A Go Go- The Gods
(1st)
- Newcastle
Mayfair-Small Faces (27th)
- Newcastle Under Lyme Clayton Lodge
Hotel- Floribunda Rose (1st)
- Newport College-The
Herd (20th)
- Nottingham Britannia Rowing Club-
Blossom Toes (28th)
- Nottingham Union Rowing Club- Human
Instinct (22nd)
- Nottingham
University-The Move (14th)
- Parley Sport & Social Club- The
Gods (15th)
- Porthcawl Grand
Pavilion-The Move (20th)
- Ramsey Gaiety
Ballroom-The Move (21st)
- Reading
University-Jeff Beck Group (14th)
- Rotherham LBJ
Club-The Herd (1st)
- Rugby Benn Memorial
Hall-Flowerpot Men (6th), Bee Gees (13th), Manfred Mann
(27th)
- Salisbury City Hall- Rupert's People
(5th), The Maze (13th)
- Saltcoats
Kaleidoscope-The Troggs (6th)
- Sheffield Mojo-Eric
Burdon & The Animals (1st)
- Shrewsbury Music
Hall-Marmalade (12th), Honeybus (26th)
- Southend
Pavilion-Mindbenders (21st)
- Southampton
University-Jeff Beck Group (21st)
- Southport Floral Hall- Traffic
(21st)
- Southport Starlite
Ballroom-The Move (17th), Tremeloes (24th)
- Stewards Sport & Social Club-
The Gods (30th)
- Stockport
Tabernacle-The Herd (15th)
- Stoke Beau
Brummell-The Herd (22nd)
- Stoke Clayton Lodge- Floribunda Rose
(1st)
- Silver Blades Ice
Rink, Streatham-Small Faces (2nd), The Move (23rd), Mud
(28th)
- Swansea Jazz Club- The Gods (25th)
- Top Rank,
Swansea-Jeff Beck Group (6th)
- Assembly Rooms,
Tamworth-Jeff Beck Group (27th)
- Royal Theatre,
Tottenham-Simon Dupree & the Big Sound (6th)
- Tunstall Golden
Torch-The Herd (21st)
- Uxbridge Burton's-The
Marmalade (7th), The Gass (14th), Amboy Dukes (21st)
- West Bromwich
Adelphi-The Move (27th)
- Pavilion,
Weymouth-Pink Floyd (13th)
- Worthing Pavilion-The
Move (19th)
- Yeovil Liberal Hall- The Gods (26th)
- York University-Pink
Floyd (21st)
REVIEWS
Blossom
Toes
Look At Me I'm You / What On
Earth / Mrs. Murphys Budgerigar : A value for money single! The first side runs
over 4 minutes, and the 2 titles on the flip total nearly 5 and a half minutes.
Difficult to describe the disc in a few lines, because there are so many
different styles, influences, and ideas incorporated into 3 tracks. You've heard
the Teenage Opera? Well, this is a sort of Teenage Compendium of Modern Beat
Group Sounds! I found the disc thoroughly intriguing from the word
"go". Blossom Toes is a group laden with talent, which is exploited to
the full advantage. Give it a try, and I think you'll agree that there's more
substance and original musical conception in this single than in many an album,
definitely worth while.
Look At Me I'm You: I think
there are just the slightest signs that they're trying to do something along the
lines of psychedelic, wouldn't you say? No, you've got to have a melody. They
are thinking that everything is going in this direction and they've gone
overboard and slapped in everything. I mean look at Pink Floyd. They know how to
do it. This has got everything psychedelic and weird that the hippie wants but
it's just shades of Strawberry Fields though. No matter how many times I hear
it, it just doesn't happen. There's too many tempos and arrangements going on.
(Barry Gibb in Melody Maker's Blind Date feature)
Alan
Bown
Toyland :
Enchanting words set to an up-to-the-minute backing, incorporating flute, cellos
and organ. Mid-tempo beat. Well worth your attention.
Toyland :
I'm a bit tired of songs saying how turned on childhood is. We all know that.
Now why don't they leave it alone? Beautiful production.
Toyland: Too
much! A great record from a great group. This must mark the long awaited chart
breakthrough of Alan and his exceptional young singer Jess Roden. It's clever,
cute and a hit, or my name isn't Ronald K Sprothole.
Eric
Burdon & The Animals
San
Franciscan Nights: Virtually a poem to San Francisco, it commences with a
dramatic narrative a la Dragnet, followed by a gentle description, laced with
occasional strong sentiments about "the Cops." The fade out is a
rather anti-climax after such a strong opening, but doubtless all things have
their purpose. A hit!
The
Creation
Life Is Just Beginning :
Another one of those discs with strong classical overtones. It opens like a
Haydn string quartet, then suddenly breaks into a thumping mid tempo beat opus,
though the cellos and fugal strains are still much in evidence in the scoring.
The boys generate a good vocal sound, involving an absorbing harmonic blend, and
the mixture of solid beat and classical influences comes across surprisingly
well.
Crocheted
Doughnut Ring
Two Little Ladies : You
could expect almost anything from a group with a name like this. What you get is
a delightful story-in-song, set to a jazz-tango beat, with a few psychedelic
effects thrown in.
Two Little Ladies : Some
nice ideas. Funny little ethereal icicle sound. Reminded me of "Mellow
Yellow".
Donovan
There Is A
Mountain : Magic minstrel skips out of the mist and into the pool of warm
sunlight to look beautiful again. Donovan is Donovan and he's back with another
graceful, enterprising song breathing with life and pulsating with natural,
vital energy like an internal combustion engine tunefully chugging in his head.
A relaxed "live" studio recording, timing , lyrics --
"caterpillar sheds his skin to find the butterfly within" -- plus the
cool, sighing sounds of flute, clopping bongos and congas, coupled with Don's
vocal expression gives this record the disturbing gentleness of both
"Sunshine Superman" and "Mellow Yellow" and the power of a
thousand exploding suns.
There Is A
Mountain : "Mellow Yellow" with a West Indian influence, bongos, and
warm, shuffling sound hand-clapping, and his voice sounding like sand going
through a timer. It's hard to tell whether it's commercial. Certainly it will
offend no-one's parents.
Simon
Dupree and the Big Sound
Kites: Ah, so
velly gloovy. Fiendish Chinese effects bow in Simon and his Oriental sound. It's
a beautiful song, made more tender by some genuine dialect by Jacqui Chan. Gongs
clang, rice paper bowls across the Great Wall and the Red Guards will have their
hands full when this decadent Western pop song becomes a hit from Chungking to
Gerrard Street. Bang on.
Episode
Six
I Can See Through
You : A thundering beat, with a double-time tambourine and a great guitar sound,
underlines this well-written number. And there are a couple of tempo breaks,
with the group supported only by a flute.
I Can See Through
You : How strange. They go off on another tangent and freak out liberally. It
makes me feel a bit uncomfortable for them and it's rather uncontrolled stuff
too.
I Can See Through
You: Good grief, here is a merry marriage of idioms. I detect a sort-of Buddy
Holly guitar riff, a nice solid drum beat, plus modern advanced vocal harmonies
and flute breaks. It's an inventive concept which keeps on happening right
through to the end, with a surprise a microgroove. If not a hit, it deserves an
award of some description for ideas, taste and good intentions.
Family
Scene Through The Eye Of A
Lens : This is weird enough to make it. Strange eastern sounds, a mid-record
change of mood, a lead singer with the confidential style of Steve Marriott and
a good bit of record engineering make this an impressive first single. I like it
anyway.
Scene Through The Eye Of A
Lens : Produced by hit-maker Jimmy Miller, this has a Traffic quality about it.
Intriguing lyric, with an unusual sitar-like sound emanating from the
twin-necked guitar, and a punch-packed second half. Sensual and startling.
Scene Through The Eye Of A
Lens : An excellent record of its type. Actually it sounds as if it was recorded
in a Hindu Temple.
Honeybus
Do I Still Figure
In Your Life? : Written, arranged and produced by the group's lead singer Peter
Blumson, it's an intimately handled ballad, with a glowing backing of cellos and
acoustic guitars.
Ice
Anniversary :
Better than expected. Nice breathlessness about it all. Super chorus, and I
liked the lead singer. Yes!
John's
Children
Go-Go Girl / Jagged Time
Lapse : If you can resist the compulsion to dance to this you must be a Radio 3
listener! It's a sizzling hunk of r-and-b, blended with psychedelic effects and
oscillations, and strings - surprising, but effective - in the background. Ideal
for discotheques, but the welter of big-name releases coming out simultaneously
may prevent it from making the chart. FLIP : You'd expect something way-out from
this title - and you'd get it. Not so much from the treatment, as from the
lyric, which is very surrealistic. Unusual!
Kinks
Autumn Almanac :
There are few groups more capable of painting vivid and descriptive verbal
pictures than The Kinks. This follows the tradition of "Waterloo
Sunset" by latching on to every-day happenings and giving them an absorbing
lyrical quality. Ray Davies takes the lead and the other boys join in with
carefree abandon. Like most of the Kinks' discs this is loaded with commercial
appeal-- a catchy, if somewhat familiar tune; a bouncy beat and a fruity sound
in the backing. I wouldn't class it as one of their very best discs, if only
because the melody has a certain similarity with past releases, but a big one
for sure.
Kippington
Lodge
Shy Boy / Lady On A Bicyle :
EMI has high hopes of this new group, and with some justification. Relating a
charming story-in-song, about the slow and embarrassed getting together of a boy
and girl, it's very true to life - and will have a self-indentification to many
youngsters. Set to a easy-paced Good-Time rhythm, and pleasantly sung. Produced
and arranged by the "Teenage Opera" man, Mark Wirtz. Could happen!
FLIP : Another good story line in this lyric. The verses are soloed, with
falsetto harmonies in the chorus. The rhythm is a sort of beat-waltz. Fun!
Shy Boy: Once in a while a
really great record bubbles to the surface. Pop. One just came up. It's written
by Keith West, who should be awarded a silver cup and gold watch for the lyrics,
which are brilliant. It's produced by Mark Wirtz and it's sympathetically sung
by a new group, who actually rehearse at Kippington Lodge, Sevenoaks, in Kent.
You'll want to listen all the way through to this sad tale about the shy boy,
whose clothes don't fit, who's skin is never right, buys a ring for a girl and
finds she's already wearing one. A small gem of all-British originality.
Ruperts
People
Prologue To A
Magic World : Based on "Alice In Wonderland" and an excellent disc.
Absorbing story-in-song lyrics with a melodic chorus, gentle rhythm, rippling
celeste and fascinating organ sound.
Timebox
Don't Make Promises: A new
group making quite an impact with their interpretation of this interesting
medium pacer. Soloed, with an ear catching backing of organ, vibes, guitar and
assorted strange noises.
The
Who
I Can See For Miles : An
ear-shattering wall of sound, with penetrating rasping guitars, heavy-handed
drumming and constant cymbal-crashing, and Pete Townsend's vocal riding smoothly
above the all-happening backing. Strident, repetitive, raucous and beaty, but
it's also charged with dynamite and laden with atmosphere. Not quite so tuneful
as some of their hits but another big one.
I Can See For Miles : I
can't say I was as knocked out with this as I expected to be. It has none of the
charm that one has come to expect of Townsend's compositions and in many ways it
sounds just like lots of other groups, which is a shame, because one expects The
Who to be always ahead, although naturally it is a very superior record of its
type. It is hard and it is driving. It has tight, crashing aggressiveness with
Moon falling onto his drums and plenty of room for Pete to circle his arms
around. Daltrey insinuates the bitter words and it sounds like eight electric
trains going through a tunnel. Having read all that--it sounds good. I just
think it seems very long, and usually for me, The Who can't make a record that's
too long, that's all.
I can See For Miles: In a
town without end, with a moon that never sets, there is a fire burning. It is
the fire of the Who, once though to be diminished or dying, but obviously
glowing with that renewed heat. Forget Happy Jack, this marathon epic of
swearing cymbals and cursing guitars marks the return of The Who as a major
freak-out force.
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