"From Beginning To End..." by THE END [Produced by Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones] – Including Their Debut and Only Album "Introspection" from November 1969 on Decca Records in Stereo along with Earlier Tracks from 1964 through to 1969 and 1970 alongside Singles, Outtakes from Their Unreleased 1969 Second Album and more – featuring Dave Brown, Nicky Graham, Colin Griffin, Terry Taylor, Hugh Attwooll and John Horton with guests Nicky Hopkins, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts and Ian Stewart of The Rolling Stones, Chris Spedding, Ken Leeman and Jim Henderson (December 2015 UK Edsel 4CD Clamshell Box Set – Phil Kinrade Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

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"...In My Dreamworld..."

So many could-have been/should-have been artists and bands litter the 60ts and 70ts. Championed by none other than The Rolling Stones' Bassist Bill Wyman (arguably at the height of their fame with "Let It Bleed") and as evidenced by this superbly assembled 4CD vaults-trawl – the five fiercely hairy men of THE END would have had legitimate cause to be more pissed than most at Joe Public's lack of take up.

This British Psych/Rock group had experienced players who stretched back to 1964 (including a half decent vocalist) and a Rolling Stone producing their album alongside legendary Audio Engineer Glyn Johns (the Production values are excellent). But more importantly - they had tunes to match the talent. But as always, bad timing, clumsy decisions and the sheer pace of change when 1968 quickly became 1969 - THE END did indeed live up to their name and their lone LP arrived a year too late and looking well past its December 1969 end-of-decade sell-by-date (they would eventually morph into Tucky Buzzard – see my review for "The Complete Tucky Buzzard" from July 2016, a 5CD Box Set also on Edsel).

Which is where "From Beginning To End..." featuring input from the band and Bill Wyman, comes a lollygagging in. Here are the retrospective introspective details...

UK released 4 December 2015 - "From Beginning To End..." by THE END on Edsel EDSB 4028 (Barcode 740155402839) is a 4CD 61-Track Clamshell Box Set covering 1964 to 1970 and plays out as follows:

CD1 "In The Beginning: 1964-1967" (44:40 minutes):

1. I Can't Get Any Joy

2. Hey Little Girl

3. I Want You Around

4. I Can't Believe It

5. Lost Without You

6. Baby Stay Like You Are

7. It Won't Be Long

8. She Believed Me

9. I Got Wise

10. You're So Right

11. You Better Believe It Baby

12. Please Do Something

13. Why

14. Yo-Yo

15. Searching For My Baby

16. Daddy Loves Baby

17. We've Got it Made (July 1967 Mix)

18. Shades Of Orange (November 1967 Mix)

NOTES:

Tracks 1 and 2 are the A&B-sides of a 22 October 1965 UK 45-single on Philips BF 1444

Tracks 11 and 12 are the A&B-sides of a January 1967 SPANISH 45-single on Sonoplay SN 20.002

Tracks 13 and 14 are the A&B-sides of a March 1967 SPANISH 45-single on Sonoplay SN 20.014

Tracks 3 and 4 recorded 18 November 1964, unissued until 1996

Tracks 5 to 10 recorded March and April 1965, unissued until 1996

Tracks 15, 16, 17 and 18 recorded August 1965, autumn 1967 (Tracks 15 and 16) and November 1967 - unissued until 1996 on the "In The Beginning...The End" UK LP on Tenth Planet TP025 (1000 copies only)

Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones plays tabla on "Shades Of Orange" 

CD2 "Introspection: 1968-1969" (40:16 minutes):

1. Dreamworld [Side 1]

2. Under The Rainbow

3. Shades Of Orange [Album Version]

4. Bromley Common [Vocals by George Kenset]

5. Cardboard Watch

6. Introspection (Pt. 1)

7. What Does It Feel Like [Side 2]

8. Linen Draper [Vocals by George Kenset]

9. Don't Take Me

10. Loving, Sacred Loving [Album Version]

11. She Said Yeah

12. Jacobs Bladder

13. Introspection (Pt. 2)

Tracks 1 to 13 are their debut and lone album "Introspection" - released August 1969 in the USA on London PS 560 (Stereo only) and November 1969 in the UK on Decca LK-R 5015 (Mono) and Decca SLK-R 5015 (Stereo) - the STEREO MIX is used for this CD. GUESTS: George Kensit does the Voice on the spoken-word tracks "Bromley Common", "Linen Draper" and "Jacob's Bladder", Nicky Hopkins plays Harpsichord on "Loving, Sacred Loving", Ken Leeman plays Saxophone on "She Said Yeah", Jim Henderson adds Harmony Vocals to "She Said Yeah" and Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones plays Tabla on "Shades Of Orange" 

BONUS TRACKS:

14. Shades Of Orange (Mono Single Version)

15. Loving, Sacred Loving (Mono Single Version)

Tracks 14 and 15 are the A&B-sides of a 8 March 1968 UK 45-single on Decca F 22750

Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones plays Tabla on "Shades Of Orange" 

CD3 "Retrospection: 1968-1969" (52:54 minutes):

1. Loving, Sacred Loving (February 1968 Remix)

2. Building Up A Dream

3. Little Annie

4. Morning Dew

5. Tears Will Be The Only Answer

6. Today Tomorrow

7. Lady Under The Lamp

8. Black Is Black [Side 2]

9. Mister Man

10. Call Me

11. Shades Of Orange (June 1968 Remix)

12. Mirror

13. We've Got It Made (Mellotron Mix)

14. Bypass The By-Pass

Tracks 1 to 14 first issued 1997 on the UK LP "Retrospection" on Tenth Planet TP033 - Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones plays Tabla on "Shades Of Orange"

BONUS TRACKS:

15. Mister Man (Instrumental Version)

16. The Fly

17. Sometimes I Wish I Were Dead

18. Stones In My Banana

CD4 "The Last Word: 1969-1970" (37:37 minutes):

1. Son Of Lightning

2. Second Glance

3. Mistress Bean

4. For Eleanor

5. So Free

6. North Thames Gas Board

7. Do Right Woman Do Right Man

8. Turn On Waterstone

9. Smartypants

10. My Friend

Tracks 1 to 10 (excluding Track 9 which is exclusive to this box) are the UK LP "The Last Word" issued 2000 on Tenth Planet TP047. Chris Spedding plays Guitar on "Mistress Bean" while Ian Stewart (of Rolling Stones fame) plays Piano on "North Thames Gas Board".

As you can see from the photos provided, the four singular card sleeves inside the glossy clamshell box look cool and mimc those vinyl-only Tenth Planet reissue compilation LPs of 1996 (Disc 1), 1997 (Disc 3) and 1999 (Disc 4) whilst the 32-page colour booklet provides a feast of period photos, trade adverts, foreign picture sleeves and of course photos of our five heroes looking suitably psyched. DAVID WELLS of Grapefruit Records fame penned the detailed and affectionate liner notes with contributions from band-members and Wyman of the Stones. The track-by-track annotation is superb, recording dates, release dates, personnel etc. It's a great job done as you can imagine. PHIL KINRADE - long-standing Audio Engineer for Edsel - did the Mastering at Alchemy and although you could argue that they really should included the British Mono variant of the "Introspection" LP on Disc 2 - the STEREO Mix is kicking - so all is good.

It opens with a very Hollies Pop 45 in the shape of "I Can't Get Any Joy" but its fairly dismissible stuff. Of the unreleased stuff "It Won't Be Long" could easily be a Monkees outtake but far edgier is "I Got Wise" and the baby-I-want-ya Kinks-dense riffage of "You Better Believe It Baby" (albeit that the first is a bit rough around the recording perimeters). The very Georgie Fame-beat vibe to "Why" (produced by Wyman) and its "Yo Yo" B-side had the chart chops for sure as had Wyman's writing contribution to the band "Shades Of Orange" which ends a patchy CD1 on a high.

On Disc 2 you're immediately hit with the swirling "Dreamworld", the "Introspection" album's opening tune and along with the poppy (and excellent) "Under The Rainbow" - you have to think that in December 1969 this was old hat already - so very 1967 and 1968. At least the audio is superb. The three George Kenset talking track interludes feature a 'sleeping it off' man bemoaning British Bobbies and their heavy-handed tactics in dealing with a hobo. Groovy tunes like "Cardboard Watch" and the fantastic fuzzed-up guitar hip-shaker "Introspection Pt. 1" are so 1967 Small Faces - it's frightening - and in a good way.  Side 2's "What Does It Feel Like?" (Yesterday I was a child) and the funky licks of "Don't Take Me" (you make fiction better) are excellent - but my fave is "Loving, Sacred Loving" - Nicky Hopkins' Harpsichord and their wickedly good vocal arrangements all enhancing a supremely musical tune. The whole shebang comes to another geetar ending with 'Pt. 2' of "Introspection" - the Jeff Beck-type axe-playing allowed to solo and you're left wondering why this album wasn't issued in 1968 where it would have caused a stir and not a yawn in December 1969? Disc 3 and 4 simply offer more of the same...

The band THE END is a forgotten musical footnote in British Pop History - but that Decca debut album (especially in sexy Stereo) should not be. Think Afghan Coats, think Small Faces and Kinks, think great Harmonies and clever mid-tune changes – in order words revisit these hep cats of old and think again...

PS: The entire Box Set is available on iTunes for under a fiver.