Stackridge - The Man In The Bowler Hat (1973 uk, sharp elegant progressive rock, 2007 remaster edition)

Recorded between July and September 1973 at Air Studios, London, and released the following February, ‘The Man In The Bowler Hat’ was Stackridge’s third long-player. It was, by common consent, their finest achievement, both up to that point and in their entire seven-year career.

For James Warren, Stackridge had ‘three ingredients going for it: eccentricity, Englishness and an incredible stylistic diversity. We were flying in the faces of the Frees, Zeppelins and Sabbaths, undoubtedly; but none of us were out and out rockers at heart, so we just stuck to ploughing our own idiosyncratic furrow.’

But the magic ingredient ‘Bowler Hat’ boasted was the involvement of an iconic musical figure: GEORGE MARTIN, producer of the Beatles until their split three years previously.

Andy Davis had sessioned on John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ album, while James Warren had been inspired to pick up the guitar by such classic singles as ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ and ‘I Feel Fine’. ‘We had unwittingly joined the musical aristocracy,’ he marvelled, ‘and it was a very pleasant three-month sojourn’.

Angel-Air

Tracks
1. Fundamentally Yours - 2:36
2. Pinafore Days - 2:36
3. The Last Plimsoll - 4:31
4. To the Sun and the Moon (Mutter Slater, Peter Denman) - 2:50
5. The Road to Venezuela - 4:53
6. The Galloping Gaucho - 2:48
7. Humiliation (James Warren) - 3:33
8. Dangerous Bacon (Warren, Smegmakovitch) - 2:43
9. The Indifferent Hedgehog (Davis, Graham Smith) - 3:14
10.God Speed the Plough (Wabadaw Sleeve) - 5:29
All songs by Andy Davis, Smegmakovitch except where noted.

Stackridge
*Andy Cresswell-Davis - Guitars, Keyboards, Percussion, Singing
*Michael 'Mutter' Slater - Flute, Keyboards, Percussion, Singing
*Mike Evans - Violin, Singing
*Billy Bent (Aka Billy Sparkle) - Drums
*James Warren - Guitars, Singing
*Jim "Crun" Walter - Bass Guitar
*Keith Gemmell - Saxophones
Additional Personnel
*Reg Leopold - Violin
*William Reid - Violin
*Graeme Scott - Viola
*Vivian Joseph - Cello
*Jack Emblow - Accordion
*Ray Davies - Trumpet/Cornet
*Derek Taylor - French Horn And Solo On "To The Sun And The Moon"
*B. Lamb - Trombone
*M. Fry - Tuba
*R. Chamberlain - Clarinet, Saxes

1972  Stackridge - Friendliness (2006 remaster and expanded)

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David McWilliams ‎– The Days Of Pearly Spencer (1967-69 ireland, amazing orchestrated baroque folk psych, 2002 remaster with bonus tracks)

Born 4th July 1945, David never forgot his Ballymena roots. At the height of his success, he would have popped home to play with Broadway Celtic in the Saturday Morning League.

'The Days of Pearly Spencer' released on the Major Minor label, was a huge radio hit but, inexplicably, failed to chart. Most people that were listening to the radio in 1967 will remember its 60s 'psychedelia' vibe with pleasure.

The record like David McWilliams himself, seemed to have all the right attributes for success. It just seemed like one of those numbers that you didn't buy. Despite several re-issues in later years, this self penned number by David McWilliams was never to succeed. Yet the 60s and 70s saw an amazing period of productivity matched by the amazing consistency of quality throughout all the material he wrote and recorded. Musically he backed himself on 6 and 12 string guitar with further arrangement and orchestration provided by the then wunderkind producer Mike Leander.

The combination of McWilliams' heartfelt lyrics and song style with Leander's evocative arrangements of the simple melodies still sounding bewitching today. 'The Days of Pearly Spencer' was covered by Marc Almond in the early 90s and 'Three O'Clock Flamingo Street is another radio favourite. Rated alongside Donovan an Dylan, he place in music history is assured, McWilliams died of a heart attack at his home in Ballycastle, County Antrim in 2002, at the age of 56.

from B/mena Tmes

Tracks
1. Days Of Pearly Spencer - 2:32
2. Can I Get There By Candlelight - 3:08
3. For Josephine - 3:01
4. How Can I Be Free - 3:49
5. Brown Eyed Girl - 2:23
6. Marlena - 2:27
7. For A Little Girl - 2:31
8. Lady Helen Of The Laughing Eyes - 3:10
9. Time Will Not Wait - 3:01
10.What's The Matter With Me - 3:26
11.There's No Lock Upon My Door - 2:49
12.Tomorrow's Like Today - 1:52
13.Harlem Lady - 3:02
14.This Side Of Heaven - 3:14
15.Poverty Street - 2:29
All songs by David McWilliams

*David McWilliams - Vocals, Guitar

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Moby Grape - Wow (1969 us, superb west coast psych, Sundazed digipack remaster and expanded)

Between the time that Moby Grape released their brilliant self-titled debut and when their second album Wow appeared in 1968, a little thing called Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band happened, and for the next few years it was no longer enough for a band with some claim to importance to just play rock & roll, even if they approached it with the freshness and imagination Moby Grape displayed on their first LP. 

Bowing to the pervading influences of the day, Wow is a far more ambitious album than Moby Grape, trading in the latter's energetic simplicity for an expansive production complete with strings, horns, and lots of willful eccentricity, best typified by the helium-treated vocals on the hillbilly pastiche "Funky Tunk" and "Just Like Gene Autry: A Foxtrot," a woozy '60s dance band number complete with introduction from Arthur Godfrey (the band went so far as to master the tune at 78 rpm on the original vinyl edition). 

While at first glance Wow pales in comparison to the instant classic Moby Grape, repeated listening reveals this album has plenty of strengths despite the excess gingerbread; the horn-driven boogie of "Can't Be So Bad" swings hard, "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" is a tough and funky blues number, "He," "Rose Colored Eyes," and "Bitter Wind" are lovely folk-rock tunes with shimmering harmonies (even if the latter is marred by a pretentious noise collage at the close), and "Motorcycle Irene" is a witty tribute to a hard-livin' biker mama. 

Wow lacks the rev-it-up spirit of Moby Grape's masterpiece, but Peter Lewis, Jerry Miller, and Skip Spence's guitar work is just as impressive and richly layered, and the group's harmonies and songwriting chops are still in solid shape. While the unobtrusive production on Moby Grape showcased the group's many virtues, those attributes are visible on Wow despite the layers of studio excess, which sapped the momentum and charm of this band without snuffing them out altogether. 

by Mark Deming

Tracks
1. The Place And The Time (Miller, Stevenson) - 2:06
2. Murder In My Heart For The Judge (Miller, Stevenson) - 2:56
3. Bitter Wind (Mosley) - 3:04
4. Can't Be So Bad (Miller, Stevenson) - 3:39
5. Just Like Gene Autry: A Foxtrot (Spence) - 3:02
6. He (Lewis) - 3:34
7. Motorcycle Irene (Spence) - 2:22
8. Three-Four (Miller, Spence) - 5:00
9. Funky-Tunk (Spence) - 2:09
10.Rose Colored Eyes (Mosley) - 3:59
11.Miller's Blues (Miller) - 5:212
12.Naked, If I Want To (Miller) - 0:46
13.The Place And The Time (Alternate Take) (Miller, Stevenson) - 2:23
14.Stop (Demo) (Lewis) - 2:20
15.Loosely Remembered (Mosley) - 3:24
16.Miller's Blues (Alternate Take) (Miller) - 5:19
17.What's To Choose (Lewis) - 1:59
18.Seeing (Spence) - 5:11

Moby Grape
*Peter Lewis - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
*Bob Mosley - Bass, Vocals
*Jerry Miller - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Skip Spence - Rhythm Guitar, Piano, Vocals
*Don Stevenson - Drums, Vocals

1966-69  Live (Sundazed digipack issue)

Related Act
1972  Bob Mosley - Bob Mosley
1974-77  Bob Mosley - Never Dreamed

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Moby Grape - Live (1966-69 us, classic west coast psych, Sundazed digipack issue)

Live by Moby Grape, is the first official collection of concert recordings by the legendary San Francisco band at its blazing late-Sixties peak.

At that time, in rock's hippest city, there was no other band like the original Grape: Jerry Miller, Skip Spence, Bob Mosley, Peter Lewis and Don Stevenson.

Their Columbia debut LP, Moby Grape, issued in June 1967, is still acclaimed as one of the greatest rock albums ever—a thrilling union of blues, soul, country, surf twang and day-glo garage rock, packed into original killer-pop songwriting.

Even as extreme Columbia hype, devastating business hassles and Spence's tragic mental collapse threatened to blow up the band, the Grape continued to make immortal albums, including 1968's Wow and the magnificent Moby Grape '69.

But the records told only half of the tale. Moby Grape, in their prime, were also one of the Bay Area's—and America's—best stage bands, like the Beatles and Rolling Stones in one, with a breathtaking triple-guitar attack and stunning vocal harmonies.

Live is the long-awaited proof. It features more than an hour of dynamite performances from soundboard and broadcast tapes, including tracks from the Avalon Ballroom in 1967 and the band's complete long-lost set at the Monterey Pop Festival, just a week after Moby Grape came out.

There are live versions of the great rare Grape songs "Rounder" and "Looper" and five tracks from a famous Dutch radio show featuring the hard-charging '69 lineup of Miller, Mosley, Lewis and Stevenson.

And Live climaxes with the historic first-ever release of Spence's acid-guitar masterpiece "Dark Magic"—never recorded in the studio by the original band but presented here in an epic 17-minute performance at the Avalon, on New Year's Eve 1966.

Moby Grape were the hottest band in town that night, with the whole rock & roll world ahead of them. And they sound like it. These four-decade-old recordings have been spectacularly mastered, in you-are-there fidelity, and this album comes with sumptuous packaging and rare photos, in true Sundazed style, plus liner notes by Rolling Stone writer and Moby Grape authority David Fricke.

Live presents, at last, the untold part of Moby Grape's incredible story. It is San Francisco psychedelia at its zenith and the best historical rock release of the year.

Tracks
1. Ain't No Use (Jerry Miller, Don Stevenson) - 1:33
2. Rounder - 2:00
3. Looper (Peter Lewis) - 2:24
4. Bitter Wind (Bob Mosley) - 1:47
5. Changes (J. Miller, D. Stevenson) - 4:36
6. Indifference - 2:47
7. Someday (J. Miller, D. Stevenson, A. Spence) - 3:21
8. Introduction - 1:18
9. Indifference - 3:16
10.Mr. Blues (Bob Mosley) - 1:52
11.Sitting By The Window (Peter Lewis) - 2:55
12.Omaha - 2:53
13.Sweet Little Angel (B.B. King, J. Taub) - 4:50
14.Murder In My Heart For The Judge (J. Miller, D. Stevenson) - 4:51
15.I Am Not Willing (Peter Lewis) - 5:31
16.Trucking Man (Bob Mosley) - 2:05
17.Fall On You (Peter Lewis) - 2:13
18.Omaha - 6:04
19.Dark Magic - 17:27
All songs by Alexander "Skip" Spence except where noted.
Tracks 1-7 at the Avalon Ballroom '67
Tracks 8-12 at the Monterey International Pop Festival '67
Track 13 at the Avalon Ballroom '68
Tracks 14-18 at the RAI, Amsterdam, Netherlands '69
Track 19 at the Avalon Ballroom '66

Moby Grape
*Jerry Miller - Guitar, Vocals
*Peter Lewis - Guitar, Vocals
*Alexander "Skip" Spence - Guitar, Vocals
*Bob Mosley - Bass, Vocals
*Don Stevenson - Drums, Vocals

Related Act
1972  Bob Mosley - Bob Mosley
1974-77  Bob Mosley - Never Dreamed

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Peppermint Rainbow - Will You Be Staying After Sunday (1969 us, cute sunny folk, 2008 remaster and expanded)

Baltimore's the Peppermint Rainbow got their big break when Cass Elliot of the Mamas and the Papas caught their act at a club in Georgetown, VA, and was impressed enough to help them land a record contract and a management deal. The happy irony is that on their first and only album, Will You Be Staying After Sunday, the Peppermint Rainbow sound much less like the Mamas & the Papas than their rivals on the charts Spanky and Our Gang, right down to their fondness for songs about the first day of the week, and singer Bonnie Lamdin was a dead ringer for Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane. 

Paul Leka, the producer responsible for the Lemon Pipers' "Green Tambourine," was the man behind the controls for the Peppermint Rainbow's recordings, and his talent for top-shelf sunshine pop with just a hint of psychedelia is very much in evidence here; the group's two hit singles, "Will You Be Staying After Sunday" and "Don't Wake Me Up in the Morning, Michael," boast splendid harmonies and rich, dynamic arrangements that buoy the arrangements with strings, horns, and well-punctuated drumming. Those two songs are the best things on the album, but the rest of the tracks are more than just filler (except for a curious cover of "Green Tambourine" in which Leka appears to have recycled the backing track from the Lemon Pipers' original version). 

"Pink Lemonade" was the group's first single and should have enjoyed the same success as its siblings, the French-accented "Jamais" has a string arrangement the Left Banke would have been proud of, "Rosemary" features a curious "Asian"-flavored arrangement that melds well with the harmonies, and "Sierra (Chasin' My Dream)" is a welcome detour into folk-rock. Will You Be Staying After Sunday is a pleasant surprise, a solid and thoroughly enjoyable album from an all but forgotten band, and it suggests the Peppermint Rainbow might have had a few more hits in them if they'd lasted long enough to cut a second LP. 

by Mark Deming

Tracks

1. Will You Be Staying After Sunday (Al Kasha, Joel Hirschhorn) - 3:28

2. Pink Lemonade (Paul Leka, Shelley Pinz) - 2:06

3. And I'll Be There (Denise Gross, Paul Leka) - 2:10

4. Run Like The Devil (Irwin Schuster, Paul Leka) - 2:40

5. Jamais (Earl Fralick, Anita McCafferly) - 3:19

6. Don't Wake Me Up In The Morning, Michael (Al Kasha) - 2:33

7. Walking In Different Circles (Larry Weiss, Scott English) - 2:14

8. Sierra (Chasin' My Dream) (Dan Green, Gary DeCarlo) - 3:18

9. Green Tambourine (Paul Leka, Shelley Pinz) - 2:23

10.Rosemary (Paul Leka) - 3:17

11.I Found Out I Was A Woman (Alan Bernstein, Vic Millrose) - 2:32

12.Pink Lemonade (Paul Leka, Shelley Pinz) - 2:06

13.Walking In Different Circles (Larry Weiss, Scott English) - 2:13

14.Will You Be Staying After Sunday (Al Kasha, Joel Hirschhorn) - 2:29

15.And I'll Be There (Denise Gross, Paul Leka) - 2:10

16.Rosemary (Paul Leka) - 3:15

17.Don't Wake Me Up In The Morning, Michael (Al Kasha) - 2:34

18.You're The Sound Of Love (Paul Leka, Billye Davis) - 2:21

19.Jamais (Earl Fralick, Anita McCafferly) - 3:20

20.Good Morning Means Goodbye (Howard Greenfield, Neil Sedaka) - 2:21

21.Don't Love Me Unless It's Forever (Paul Leka, Sheila Davis) - 2:17

The Peppermint Rainbow
*Pat Lamdin - Vocals
*Bonnie Lamdin - Vocals
*Skip Harris - Bass
*Doug Lewis - Guitar
*Tony Carey - Drums

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The Nova Local - Nova 1 (1967 us, delicate psychedelia)

The Nova Local was a psychedelic pop band formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in 1964, initially under the name The Shadows. It comprised singer Randy Winburn, guitarists Joe Mendyk and Phil Lambeth, bassist Jim Opton, keyboardist Cam Schinhan and drummer Bill Levasseur.

Their single "If You Only Had the Time", released in 1967, was a minor hit in North Carolina. They recorded one album, Nova 1 (released on Decca Records in 1968 in the United States), shortly before disbanding.

The album was also released in Canada and in the United Kingdom. According to Opton, the album was the first ever recorded using the Dolby NR. This is another one of those albums if you heard for the first time today you might say, So What? but back in 1968 it was an awesome record and one that I still enjoy playing today.

The first I heard of this album was on late night underground radio when one of the DJ's would play Tobacco Road every night. I was so impressed at the time with their version of this tired old song that I searched and searched until I found a copy of the album to make mine. To this day Nova Local's version of Tobacco Road is probably my favorite out of all the versions I've heard over the years.

Along with Tobacco Road they also do above average covers of Hitch Hike and Mountain Dew. The rest of the album consists of original tunes which are quite good also. This is a classic piece of Psychedelica from the late 60's, a time that produced a lot of unique and timeless music.

If you're a fan of that era then this album needs to be part of your collection. It's rife with great Hammond B-3 organ and above average vocals and harmonies. Unfortunately they only put out this one Lp before breaking up and going their seperate ways 

by Tom Eckels

Tracks
1. $5 a Ticket - 2:55
2. If You Only Had the Time - 2:20
3. Yascha New Deli Intimately - 0:35
4. A Visit From It, The Kong - 1:15
5. Tobacco Road - 5:35
6. Hitch Hike - 2:50
7. Morning Dew - 5:33
8. Forgotten Man - 2:19
9. Dear Jim - 0:45
10.And I Remember - 2:13
11.John Knight's Body - 2:12

The Nova Local
*Randy Winburn - Rhythm Guitar
*Joe Mendyk - Lead Guitar
*Jim Option - Bass
*Bill Levasseur - Drums
*Phil Lambert - Guitar

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Snafu - Snafu / Situation Normal (1973-74 uk, excellent groovy rock with jazzy blues shades, two disc set)

Snafu was formed in 1973 by former Procol Harum and Freedom vocalist Bobby Harrison along with Mick Moody, formerly of Tramline, the Mike Cotton Sound and Juicy Lucy. With Colin Gibson from Ginger Baker's Air Force, Terry Popple from Mickey Jupp's Legend, and session musician Pete Solley, the band released two critically acclaimed albums for the WWA label in 1974, Snafu and Situation Normal. In 1975, Solley left the band to be replaced by another session musician, Brian Chatton, and Tim Hinkley was recruited to complete the lineup that would record the band's third album, All Funked Up. This album has been seen as the band's "great lost album" because of its limited vinyl-format release, originally on the Capitol label. Shortly after the release of this album in 1976, Snafu broke up. 

by Keith Pettipas

Tracks

Disc 1 Snafu 1973

1. Long Gone - 5:15

2. Said He The Judge (B. Harrison, M. Moody, P. Solley) - 4:31

3. Monday Morning - 3:16

4. Drowning In The Sea Of Love (Gamble, Huff) - 5:50

5. Country Nest - 5:19

6. Funky Friend - 4:05

7. Goodbye Usa - 4:22

8. That's The Song (P. Solley, Marcellino)  - 6:03

9. Dixie Queen - 4:38

10.Sad Sunday - 6:24

All songs by Bobby Harrison, Micky Moody except where stated

Bonus Tracks 9-10

Disc 2 Situation Normal 1974
1. No More - 6:16
2. No Bitter Taste - 3:21
3. Brown Eyed Beauty And The Blue Assed Fly - 3:23
4. Lock And Key - 2:48
5. Big Dog Lusty - 3:40
6. Playboy Blues - 8:15
7. Jessie Lee - 4:35
8. Ragtime Roll - 5:05
All songs by B. Harrison, M. Moody, P. Solley

Snafu
*Bobby Harrison - Vocals, Percussion
*Micky Moody - Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
*Pete Solley - Keyboards, Violin, Vocals
*Colin Gibson - Bass
*Terry Popple - Drums, Bass

Related Act
1969  Freedom - Nero Su Bianco / Black On White

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Freedom - Nero Su Bianco / Black On White (1969 uk, beautiful psychedelic rock, 2009 bouns tracks remaster)

A spin-off of Procol Harum, Freedom was formed by guitarist Ray Royer and drummer Bobby Harrison. Both of them were in Procol Harum's lineup at the outset for their debut "A Whiter Shade of Pale" single, but were ousted almost immediately when Procol singer, Gary Brooker, enlisted his former bandmates from the Paramounts, Robin Trower and Barry Wilson, as replacements. Freedom's early sound, perhaps unsurprisingly, echoed Procol Harum's in its prominent use of organ and piano, as well as heavy rock guitar, and like Procol Harum's early records, captured late British psychedelia as it was starting to inch toward progressive rock.

Freedom wasn't a Procol Harum clone, though, with a somewhat poppier take on psychedelia that was closer to Traffic than Procol Harum. Their initial lineup only released two singles in 1968 before breaking up, also recording a soundtrack for an obscure Italian film by Dino De Laurentis, Attraction/Black on White. The soundtrack LP was given a limited release in Italy -- so limited, in fact, that the group members themselves were unaware that it had come out. Recorded with noted future producers Eddie Kramer and Glyn Johns engineering, this was reissued on CD in 1999, and is actually a pretty good if derivative slice of late-'60s British psychedelia.

by Richie Unterberger

Tracks
1. To Be Free - 3:20
2. The Better Side - 4:35
3. Attraction- Black On White/With You - 7:55
4. The Butt Of Deception - 2:54
5. The Truth Is Plain To See - 3:54
6. Childhood Reflections - 3:07
7. Seeing Is Believing - 3:15
8. You Won't Miss - 3:31
9. Born Again - 4:21
10.Decidedly Man - 4:19
11.Relation - 3:23
12.We Say No - 3:11
13.The Game Is Over - 4:49
14.The Better Side (Working Mix, Single Vocal) - 4:41
15.The Butt Of Deception (Working Mix) - 2:54
16.Born Again (Dry Version) - 4:15
17.Where Will You Be Tonight? (Mike Lease) - 3:39
18.Trying To Get A Glimpse Of You (Ray Royer) - 3:02
19.Trying To Get A Glimpse Of You (Mellotron) (Ray Royer) - 3:02
20.Trying To Get A Glimpse Of You (Pisno) (Ray Royer) - 3:05
All songs by Bobby Harrison, Mike Lease, Ray Royer, Steve Shirley except where stated
Bonus Tracks 14 - 20

Freedom
*Bobby Harrison - Drums
*Mike Lease - Keyboards
*Ray Royer - Guitar
*Steve Shirley - Bass

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Ultra - Ultra (1975-77 us, explosive guitars drivin' tremendous hard southern rock)

Ultra is a home grown hard hitting classic rock band from San Antonio, Texas. Mixing southern blues, psychedelic rock and pro-metal.

Well-known, Ultra had its beginnings with “Homer”, who was made up of some of San Antonio’s finest musicians. They continue to amaze audiences and players alike after 30 plus years. They are part of the Texas musical elite that found success as musicians, recording engineers and writers. Being a success in the industry even for a short time is difficult. To pass into legend status, is rare.  In the 70’s when rock n roll was still exploding, they, as many bands do, went through changes.  When Ultra’s line up and signature style evolved to its final incarnation a rich music heritage was born.

Between 1975 through 1978 Ultra released one 5 track EP and recorded several demo tracks, which were never made public. Being an opening band can sometimes be a stepping-stone to stardom but this was not the case for these musicians. The band was never under contract and their roadies were receiving more pay than the band. To make matter worse. By 1978, the band had finally had enough and they decided to disband.

by Tess DeFlori

Tracks
1. Mutants - 3:29
2. Android - 3:10
3. Battery - 4:08
4. Ten Years Since - 4:18
5. Lamp Black, White Fight - 2:51
6. Windjammer - 3:40
7. Diggin' Deep - 4:31
8. Circe - 4:51
9. Seasons Pass - 4:16
10.City on Ice - 4:33
11.The Desert - 4:32
12.Souled There With Care - 3:51
13.Man on the Street - 4:06
14.Get Away - 4:02
15.Compass - 5:16
16.Hot n Cold - 3:40

All songs by Don Evans, Galen Niles, Larry McGuffin

Ultra
*Galen Niles - Guitars
*Larry McGuffin - Guitars
*Don Evans - Vocals
*Tom Schleuning - Drums
*Scott Stephens - Bass

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Stackridge - Friendliness (1972 uk, gorgeous baroque folk flavored and variety of styles notions and nuances, 2006 remaster and expanded)

The Beatles comparison with Stackridge is apt, not just because George Martin produced one of their records, but because they drew from similar sources.  More importantly, they take a fairly open ended approach to composing, so there is a certain degree of eclecticism within each song.  The more directions they can push material, the more variations on a theme they can squeeze in, the better.  The band’s best record is probably Friendliness, which employs this approach to the greatest effect.  It begins with Lummy Days, an instrumental track laid out like a sonata with an exposition, development, and a twist on the recapitulation.  It’s why this band typically gets lumped in with other prog acts though the focus is never on instrumental prowess the way ELP or Yes was.  

This is less a collection of songs than a set of compositions, and if you choose to be turned off by the pretentiousness of this notion, then Stackridge is not your cup of tea.  But for those who like to see a band stretching the boundaries of popular song using techniques developed by smart, dead, white guys, then look no further.  On this record the band never loses sight of melody and its overriding importance in pop music.  A song like There Is No Refuge is quite lyrical and might remind some of the more delicate moments from Of Montreal.  My guess is Kevin Barnes absorbed his share of Stackridge records before he started cranking out albums like Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies.  The best named song on the album, and perhaps the best song period, is Syracuse (the letter “y” idiosyncratically pronounced with a long “i”) the Elephant.  This takes a beautifully symmetrical melody and morphs it first into a minor key lament, then into a circus-like ditty and finally into an Indian-tinged section, sitars and all, before restating the main theme. 

It’s a very strong set of songs whose main strengths are tunefulness and unpredictability.  Even after many listens it’s hard to guess where the music is going next, but each bend in the road is meant to welcome you, not turn you away. The only serious misstep is the token Glitter rock piece, Keep on Clucking, which reads like the shameless grab for the charts it is.  But apart from that outlier, Friendliness is a font of many pleasures.  I think it could easily appeal to those normally turned off by the prog moniker sometimes attached to it.  It may not be surprising that Stackridge never achieved mainstream success since such restless eclecticism usually proves too challenging for the casual listener.  But for people who can devote more than two minutes and thirty seconds of their attention spans to enjoying music, this album will reward the time spent with it. 

by Alan Shulman

Tracks
1. Lummy Days (Davis) -  3:22
2. Friendliness (Part 1)  (Warren) -  2:29
3. Anyone For Tennis (Warren) -  2:32
4. There Is No Refuge (Warren) -  3:24
5. Syracuse The Elephant (Walter, Davis) -  8:46
6. Amazingly Agnes (Warren) -  3:30
7. Father Frankenstein Is Behind Your Pillow (Warren) -  3:35
8. Keep On Clucking (Walter, Davis) -  4:03
9. Story Of My Heart (Slater) -  2:03
10.Friendliness (Part 2) -  (Warren) -  1:55
11.Teatime (Walter, Davis) -  5:51
12.Everyman (Davis, Warren) -  4:27
13.Purple Spaceships Over Yatton (Walter, Davis) -  6:39
14.C'est La Vie (Warren, Davis) -  3:21
15.Do The Stanley (Wabadaw, Sleeve) -  2:54

Stackridge
*Andy Cresswell-Davis - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
*James Warren - Guitar, Vocals
*Michael 'Mutter' Slater - Flute, Piano, Vocals
*Michael Evans - Violin, Vocals
*Jim "Crun" Walter - Bass
*Billy "Sparkle" Bent - Drums

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