Various - Love, Peace and Revolution

  by Adrian Janes

published: 18 / 12 / 2013

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Review

Subtitled ‘A Journey through the British Psychedelic and Underground Scenes, 1966-72’, this 3 CD set doesn’t entirely live up to that billing. It suggests a more thoroughly adventurous and non-mainstream approach than the inclusion of competent pop like The Cortinas’ ‘Phoebe’s Flower Shop’, Second Hand’s ‘A Fairy Tale’ or Paper Bubble’s ‘Fillin’ a Gap’ can justify. Even if such tracks are simply labelled as “underground”, the connotations of that word imply more than the mere fact of not selling (or, as in some cases here, pressing) many records. That said, the 65 tracks David Wells has compiled effectively communicate a sense of how the music scene in this country gradually had its boundaries expanded in lyrics, instrumentation and production. The chronological approach helps in following this movement: it’s a long way from The Drag Set’s beat group-style ‘Day and Night’ of March 1967 to the shifting moods and fiery rock core of T2’s ‘Careful Sam’ from late 1970. It also shows the varying degrees of adventurousness: opening track ‘Pretty Colours’ by Deep Feeling (featuring Jim Capaldi, later of Traffic) is in 1966 already letting loose with florid guitar and apocalyptic, expanded consciousness lyrics ( “Will I remember this Judgement Day/When all illusions have passed away?”), while other bands (e.g. Blossom Toes’ ‘I’ll Be LatefFor Tea’) are content with a touch of phasing on the drums as their concession to freakiness. Admittedly that is a demo version - whether through choice or circumstance, a number of tracks that have been included are demos, though they are still intriguing to hear as part of the process of experimentation. One example of this approach is the use of sitar. On The Shame’s version of Janis Ian’s ‘Don’t Go ‘Way Little Girl’ (1967) it entwines with the guitar and enhances it. But by 1970 a sitar solo, as on the Fox’s ‘Butterfly’, feels more like a belated nod to fashion than something artistically worthwhile. A less anticipated Eastern influence is that of China. ‘A Strange Light from the East’ by Tuesday’s Children, and Phil Cordell’s ‘Red Lady’ both have interesting Chinese cadences and lyrical themes, and employ instruments like gongs and in Cordell’s case what sounds like a zither, while still remaining recognisably part of the Western pop tradition. Posterity seems to have been largely proved correct in its relative valuation of the artists. So among the best tracks are those from the Crazy World of Arthur Brown (the non-hit ‘Nightmare’ is virtually a template for the following year’s transatlantic smash ‘Fire’; it probably didn’t chart because Brown’s vocals and Vincent Crane’s organ are not so much off the wall as off the roof); the Spencer Davis Group (two post-Winwood brothers songs which, though quite strong, are in their pop-soul hybrid also the type of inclusion that raises questions as to what can really be considered psychedelic music); Bill Nelson, whose ‘End of the Seasons’ captures something of the early 70’s mood of comedown and urge for simplicity, while retaining such touches as slightly distorted vocals and phased guitar; and ‘Love’ by the curiously-named (even for this era) Shy Limbs. Not a success themselves, they featured Greg Lake and a guesting Robert Fripp, who supplies outstanding guitar - within a few months the pair had formed King Crimson. If there is one musician and singer this collection brings out of the shadows it’s Peter Dunton, who features on ‘Just Another Day’ by Neon Pearl (1967), ‘Winter Afternoon’ by the Flies (1968) ‘Strange Ways’ by Please (1969) and the previously mentioned ‘Careful Sam’ by T2. Unlike the latter, the earlier songs are muted in mood, and Dunton’s warm but melancholic voice evokes Robert Wyatt. All are among the best this set has to offer.(Dunton did in fact enjoy some commercial rewards with yet another band, the Gun.) Over the course of the three discs there is, at its best, a real sense of musicians discovering new possibilities. In part, this involved defying the convention that kept pop songs within a 2-3 minute range; indeed, the drive to push past this limit, allied to more powerful amplification, was a big factor in creating rock. This new freedom, realised to great effect on the Open Mind’s extremely potent ‘Magic Potion’, however, had its downside in leading to sheer self-indulgence on the part of some players. This tendency can for instance be heard in Czar’s ‘Ritual Fire Dance’; the kind of thing that ultimately provoked the reaction of punk. But there is much more here to be enjoyed than criticised. Even when the experiments aren’t totally successful - the Deviants’ inspiring ‘You’ve Got To Hold On’, at once rivalling the MC5 for power and yet with a throwback harmonica like some early 60s R and B group; the oddly appealing collision of Jefferson Airplane and Steeleye Span that is Principal Edward’s Magic Theatre, with the prescient ‘Lament for the Earth’ - there is a freshness that still comes across. It’s a quality that is far harder for contemporary musicians to tap into, whereas these bands had it naturally as they were often literally attempting things for the first time. The set succeeds in conveying just how fruitful a time this was. Yet for all the rapid pace of change, the final track, Kevin Coyne’s ‘Evil Island Home’, is a marriage of the time with musical history. It brings together just the simple elements of echoed bluesy guitar with Coyne’s anguished and distorted vocal, but it’s one of the most powerful tracks of all, the sound of a bad trip in the Sun studio. Respect must be paid to the quality and beauty of the overall package. In particular, the accompanying booklet is a work of art: profusely illustrated with band photographs and evocative memorabilia like sleeves, posters and adverts for gigs, the notes on the bands are clear, informative and even witty. By putting together this compilation, David Wells has done a great job in ensuring that this important period is not forgotten.

Track Listing:-