"Alchemy" by THIRD EAR BAND – July 1969 UK Debut LP on Harvest Records (April 2019 UK Esoteric Recordings '2CD Expanded Edition' Reissue with 10 Previously Unreleased Tracks and New Ben Wiseman Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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WHOLE LOTTA LOVE - 1969
Rock, Pop and Genres Thereabouts
Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters  

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"...Lark Rise..."

 

You would have to say that in early 2022 music like that of the THIRD EAR BAND simply wouldn't get made let alone released by a major label. 

Even trying to describe their sound is like trying to nail down genre quicksand - Art Rock with a definite whiff of the Avant Garde, Baba O’Riley Indian Raga drones, speaker-to-speaker ye olde English Folk mingled with adventurous 60ts Progressive Rock sensibilities, Captain Beefheart let loose with an Oboe, people always taking trips. Hell, there's even a Country lean on some of these mood-ethereal outpourings. And one of the band members is even credited as playing wind chimes (say no more). So God Bless Harvest Records and their truly eclectic band roster - here you go sales rep hipsters, sell this to the British public, good luck boys.

 

Which brings us today to other heroes, England's 'Esoteric Recordings' (part of Cherry Red) who have been winning the minds and wizened malfunctioning hearts of collectors like me these last few years, forcing us on far too many occasions to make more digital purchases of dodgy ruminations from our vast arsenal of bitcoin wealth.

 

Esoteric have taken on the beast that is this hard-to-define-and-hold music and done it proud (see list below). To the dragon lines, square circle druids and Egyptians sipping tea with their dead books...  

 

UK released 5 April 2019 - "Alchemy" by THIRD EAR BAND on Esoteric Recordings PECLEC 22668 (Barcode 5013929476844) is a '2CD Expanded Edition' Reissue and Remaster of their 1969 UK debut album with 10 Bonus Tracks and plays out as follows:

 

CD1 (62:07 minutes):

1. Mosaic [Side 1]

2. Ghetto Raga

3. Druid One

4. Stone Circle

5. Egyptian Book Of The Dead

6. Area Three

7. Dragon Lines

8. Lark Rise

Tracks 1 to 8 are their debut album "Alchemy" - released July 1969 in the UK on Harvest Records SHVL 756 and in the USA on Harvest SKAO-376. Produced by PETER JENNER – all songs written by Glen Sweeney, Richard Coff and Paul Minns except "Lark Rise" by Dave Tomlin.

 

BONUS TRACKS:

9. Hyde Park Raga

10. Druid One

Tracks 9 and 10 are a 'BBC Radio One "Top Gear" Session recorded for John Peel's Radio Program and is PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

 

CD2 (60:19 minutes):

1. Cosmic Trip

2. Jason's Trip

3. Devil's Weed

Tracks 1 to 3 made in 1968

 

4. Raga No. 1 (Mono)

5. Unity

Tracks 4 and 5 recorded 24 January 1969 at Abbey Road Studios and are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

 

6. The Sea

7. Druid

8. Hyde Park Raga

Tracks 6 to 8 recorded 12 September 1969 at Abbey Road Studios and are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

 

THIRD EAR BAND was:

GLEN SWEENEY – Tabla, Hand Drums, Wind Chimes

PAUL MINNS – Oboe, Recorder

RICHARD COFF – Violin, Viola

MEL DAVIS – Cello, Slide Pipes

Plus

JOHN PEEL – Jews Harp on "Area Three"

DAVE TOMLIN – Viola on "Lark Rise"

 

The 3-way foldout card digipak is pretty to look at (the artwork beneath the two see-through CD trays matching that of the LP) and reproduces the original LP’s gatefold artwork too. Working with remaining members of the band, Esoteric have even managed to uncover two sheets of unseen black and white photos taken for the cover shoot and promotional purposes. They are small and hard to discern, but there are also suitably physic posters on Page 5 of the superbly detailed 16-page booklet – the liner notes enlivened by LUCA CHINO FERRARI – the band's official archivist. Someone even had a photo of TEB on stage at The Isle Of Wight in 1969. As I say, proper attention paid...

 

The big draw for fans here is going to be the BEN WISEMAN Remasters from original Harvest tapes – the Audio is stupendous. Anyone who had this album on vinyl back in the day will know that during those quiet Oboe passages, that format was less than ideal. Here the clarity is startling and some might say – beautiful. I have to say though, that I find the music hard work after a fashion and any newcomers might recoil at the reality. With their endless ye olde Oboe noodlings like say on "Druid One", they come across like an earlier version of Gryphon and it can all be a bit too much. But then during the warbling of "Ghetto Raga", when the Tabla kicks in especially, the music goes to another trippy place that I know lovers of this band can't get enough of. Beautiful and difficult Prog Folk. Nice.

 

What is indisputable however, is that the Audio and Quality Presentation of this 2CD Expanded Edition of "Alchemy" have done this obscure band and their eclectic debut a solid. And Esoteric Recordings are to be praised to the Raga nines for that...

 

THIRD EAR BAND CD Reissues/Remasters on Esoteric Recordings

 

1. "Alchemy" [July 1969 Debut UK LP on Harvest SHVL 756] - April 2019 UK 2CD Expanded Edition with 10 Bonus Tracks on Esoteric Recordings PECLEC 22668 (Barcode 5013929476844)

 

2. "Third Ear Band" [July 1970 Second UK LP on Harvest SHVL 773] – December 2018 UK 3CD Compilation called "Elements 1970-1971" on Esoteric Recordings PECLEC 32653 (Barcode 5013929475342).

Tracks 1 to 4 on CD1 are the "Third Ear Band" album Remastered.

The "Elements 1970-1971" 3CD compilation also contains the "Abelard & Heloise" Soundtrack recorded July 1970 for German television (unreleased until 1997) and other Previously Unreleased period material

 

3. "Music From Macbeth" [March 1972 UK Third LP on Harvest SHSP 4019] – February 2019 UK 1CD Expanded Edition with 3 Bonus Tracks on Esoteric Recordings PECLEC 2656 (Barcode 5013929475649)

"Panama Limited Jug Band" by PANAMA LIMITED JUG BAND – September 1969 UK Debut LP on Harvest Records (February 2014 UK Esoteric Recordings 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue and Remaster with Two Bonus Tracks) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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WHOLE LOTTA LOVE - 1969
Rock, Pop and Genres Thereabouts
Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters  

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"...Wildcat Squall..."

 

Taking their name from a Bukka White song about a train run by the infamous Panama Ltd – these obscure English jug-band-music enthusiasts were steeped in Black Country Blues, Acoustic Folk and Americana and were stalwarts of the vibrant Blues/Folk gigging scene in late 60ts London.

 

Always a rare vinyl LP original from late 1969 on Harvest Records (complete with Hipgnosis artwork), "Panama Limited Jug Band" was hard to find at the time and sold to a limited audience. And it has to be said that this Esoteric Recordings 'Digitally Remastered' Expanded Edition CD Reissue from early 2014 isn't exactly a whole lot easier to find either (it's been deleted a while now) - both having fallen off the face of the earth decades/years ago.

 

For sure this happy-hour hybrid music is extraordinarily dated and will not be for everyone, but if you're a lover of this John Peel-produced and championed group of reprobates - then his fantastic sounding Remaster CD is the baby for you.

 

The Audio on this sucker is truly gorgeous – remastered by BEN WISEMAN for Esoteric from original tapes. Panama Limited Jug Band made only one more album called "Indian Summer" issued one year later in September 1970 on Harvest SHVL 779 and Esoteric Recordings have also reissued and remastered that for 24 February 2014 on ECLEC 2436 (Barcode 5013929453647, also with two bonus tracks).

 

As a listen, the self-titled debut doesn't all work for me, but the cuts that do are magical in their own downhome Skiffle-shuffling kind of a way. Let's get to the details...

 

UK released 24 February 2014 - "Panama Limited Jug Band" by PANAMA LIMITED JUG BAND on Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 2435 (Barcode 5013929453548) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue and New Remaster with Two Bonus Tracks that plays out as follows (52:38 minutes):

 

1. 38 Plug [Side 1]

2. Going To Germany

3. Canned Heat

4. Viola Lee

5. Alabamy Bound

6. Overseas Stomp

7. Round & Round

8. Cocaine Habit

9. Wildcat Squall [Side 2]

10. Don't You Ease Me In

11. Rich Girl

12. Sundown

13. Jailhouse

14. Guitar King

15. Railroad

Tracks 1 to 15 are their UK debut album "Panama Limited Jug Band" - released September 1969 in the UK on Harvest SHVL 753 and in the USA on Harvest SKAO-387. The American LP (same name and artwork) had only 10 tracks, dropping five - "Alabama Bound", "Overseas Stomp", "Round & Round", "Jailhouse" and "Guitar King". Produced by JOHN PEEL - it didn't chart in either country.

 

The 10-Track US album can be sequenced from this CD Remaster as follows:

Side 1: Tracks 1 to 4 and 8

Side 2: Tracks 9 to 12 and 15

 

BONUS TRACKS:

16. Lady Of Shallot

17. Future Blues

Tracks 16 and 17 are the A&B-sides of a stand-alone UK 45-single on Harvest HAR 5010 issued 28 November 1969.

 

Musically - think Mungo Jerry circa 1970 with Kazoos, Jug bottles blowing, whooping vocals, washboards, harmonicas, mandolins, sort of foot-stomping mad Judy Henske vocals (Liz Hanns) with a slight Beefheart soundscape when the male lead sings (Denis parker) with lyrics about drinking and farming and cocaine and infidelity and jailhouses and more drinking - with a jolly good old Folk Blues time being had by all.

 

Liz Hanns handles the opener "38 Plug" while Denis does a slag-off duet vocal with Liz on "Going To Germany". But my poison is their cover of "Canned Heat" where they left-right speaker their vocals against a mandolin/national steel backdrop. It's beautifully clear as they give it "...woke up this morning with Canned Heat blues all around my bed..." But stuff like "Overseas Stomp" is bad and I can see why they dropped it from the edited US LP. "Wildcat Squall" is a fab Harmonica vs. Mandolin shuffle with Parker and Hanns sharing shouts and singing. 

 

Gorgeous audio kicks in again for the excellent "Don't You Ease Me In" where Liz sounds like she’s channelling a drunken Jo Ann Kelly egged on by locals to give it some sing-for-my-supper over by the old Joanna. Jug Band shuffle returns with "Rich Girl" where it’s all hay-wagons and whiskeys and my gal getting high (might be there in the morning if both of them don’t get killed). Our lady feels so blue in "Sundown" – another nugget in National Steel Guitar vs. Harmonica mode – journey to the madhouse cause she feels so bad (baby left town you see). A variant of "Viola Lee" was even covered by The Grateful Dead on their 1967 debut (originally done by Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band in 1966).

 

Speaking of out-there music - with its fuzzed-up lead electric guitar and rockin' out nature, the A-side of their stand alone 45-single "Lady Of Shallott" written by Liz Hanns is more Psych than Jug Band and comes as a shock (and pleasant surprise) after the Acoustic Blues nature of the whole debut album. Its B-side "Future Blues" is a Traditional done more like the LP cuts - Acoustic Blues. Crackin' little 7" single that.

 

"Panama Limited Jug Band" will not be for everyone as I said, but its ramshackle heartfelt shuffling is beloved by those who dig their Kazoo as much as they do their tales of lovers in the jailhouse with a jug of moonshine cracked beneath their feet and a lawyer's name on their lips (if they could only remember the number).

 

They would change their name to simply Panama Limited for their second and last album "Indian Summer" issued September 1970 but this is where the giggles started. Great fun and a wonderful-sounding CD Remaster - just good luck finding one...

"Futurama" by BE-BOP DELUXE – May 1975 UK Second Studio Album on Harvest Records - featuring Bill Nelson, Charles Tumahai of Alta Mira and Simon Fox of Hackensack with guests Andy Evans and The Grimethorpe Colliery Band conducted by John Berryman (May 2019 UK Esoteric Recordings 2CD Expanded Edition – Ben Wiseman Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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PROVE IT ALL NIGHT 

Music Of 1975 to 1979 

Your All-Genres Guide To 

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"...Futurist Manifesto..."

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With a solid rawk debut in July 1974's "Axe Victim" in the bag and in the shops – Bill Nelson's band eclectic sounding Be-Bop Deluxe toured with Cockney Rebel in the UK to something of a rude awakening. 

Things were not working out down at the oh-so-tight-on-stage farm. The first album's four-piece band worked well in the studio, but still the overall soundscape wasn't coming together as Bill had hoped. At the insistence of his record-company EMI - Nelson auditioned and quickly found two musicians that gelled perfectly – a Mauri bassist with a huge Afro who had played with cult band Alta Mira called Charlie Tumahai and the Drummer from Hackensack – Simon Fox. And the classic Be-Bop Deluxe line-up was born. 

Bill Nelson and Harvest Records now had the power trio with the sympatico feel to go to the next stage, studio album number-two - "Futurama" - and then on to their breakthrough album in January 1976 - "Sunburst Finish" that finally saw the band chart in both the UK and America. 

Which brings us to the superlative 'Be-Bop Deluxe Remasters Series' from Esoteric Recordings of the UK (part of Cherry Red) – the British home to all things Progtastic, Glam and Art Rock. You could look at CD2 and of course notice that it is (aside from some unreleased) little more than a Remix of CD1 masquerading it would appear as a 'Bonus'. But then if you've been used to the original version – this new Stereo beauty will feel like a Steve Wilson remaster of say Crimson or Tull or Yes - revelatory. It really is great and having that bloody rare 45 tagged onto the end of both discs is an actual 'Bonus' too. 

For those who want to the full Dreamland - there is even a Deluxe Edition of "Futurama" with 3CDs+1DVD issued on the same day, 31 May 2019 – search Esoteric Recordings PECLEC 42670 on Barcode 5013929477049 to get the Box Set skinny on that one. But for the futuristic manifesto digipak we do have, let's deal with this 2CD Expanded Edition...

UK released 31 May 2019 - "Futurama" by BE+BOP DELUXE on Esoteric Recordings PECLEC 22672 (Barcode 5013929477247) is a 2CD Expanded Edition of their Second Studio Album from May 1975 that plays outs as follows: 

CD1 "Futurama" The Original Stereo Mix (41:46 minutes):
1. Stage Whispers [Side 1]
2. Love With The Madman
3. Maid In Heaven 
4. Sister Seagull 
5. Sound Track 
6. Music In Dreamland [Side 2]
7. Jean Cocteau 
8. Between The Worlds 
9. Swan Song 
Tracks 1 to 9 are their second album "Futurama" – released May 1975 in the UK on Harvest Records SHSP 4045 and May 1975 in the USA on Harvest/Capitol ST-11432. Produced by ROY THOMAS BAKER (Engineered by Pat Moran) – it didn't chart in either country. The band was credited as BE+BOP DELUXE at this point because of the artwork, but would become their more commonly used moniker BE-BOP DELUXE when they reached "Sunburst Finish" in 1976. 

BONUS TRACKS: 
10. Between The Worlds (Single Version)
11. Lights
Tracks 10 and 11 are a February 1975 UK 45-single on Harvest HAR 5091 with the B-side "Lights" being non-album. The A-side "Between The Worlds" is a different version to the one on the LP and was withdrawn in the UK (copies in either Demo or Stock form are very hard to find). In June 1975 EMI UK decided to issue the popular "Maid In Heaven" track from the LP as a 45-single instead – Harvest HAR 5098 also using the non-LP "Lights" as its flipside. October 1975 then saw the US 45-single of "Maid In Heaven" on Harvest Records 4151 with "Sister Seagull" from the LP on its B-side. 

CD2 "Futurama" New Stereo Mix (50:45 minutes): 
1. Stage Whispers [Side 1]
2. Love With The Madman
3. Maid In Heaven 
4. Sister Seagull 
5. Sound Track 
6. Music In Dreamland [Side 2]
7. Jean Cocteau 
8. Between The Worlds 
9. Swan Song 
BONUS TRACKS:
10. Between The Worlds (Single Version)
11. Lights 
12. Music In Dreamland (Phonogram Studios Version) *
13. Between The Worlds (Alternate Single Version) *
* Previously Unreleased

A four-flap foldout card digipak offers colour galore - that great George Hardie artwork very similar in fact to Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" hands logo that would appear in September 1975 - colour photos of the three-piece in varying weird garb (don't get me started on that suit and tie) - tape boxes pictured beneath the see-through CD trays and a properly informative 28-page booklet. It opens with five or so pages of reminiscences from Nelson (penned January 2019) that give insights straight from the horse's mouth - the text peppered with period memorabilia - gig posters (supporting Cockney Rebel on June 13th, 1974) - Harvest promo photos and even one of Bill smiling outside a record shop with a copy of "Futurama" in hand whilst the entire window is filled with the band's second album (bet those freestanding card cut-outs of the album artwork are worth a few quid now). To satiate that lust, Esoteric have put a foldout poster of the beautiful "Futurama" PECLEC 22672 artwork in one of the flaps (booklet in the other). 

As if that's not enough, head honcho and co-ordinator MARK POWELL gives it six more pages of even deeper detail - all sided with unpublished photos and so forth. People integral to the album's feel and sound like Audio Engineer Pat Moran at Rockfield Studios and hot-from-Queen-success Producer Ray Thomas Baker get more than honorary mentions – Nelson praising Moran expertly splicing in edits into the tapes at a time when computers were not around. Weird then (having sung its praises) that the booklet and digipak would leave out the original LP's inner sleeve with the lyrics (could have been put on the back of the poster - perhaps Nelson didn't want printed?)

But the big news is the newly remastered AUDIO - transfers from original master tapes done the vastly experienced BEN WISEMAN. And if you'll forgive the obvious pun - they don't 'alf Art-Rock and Roll man. I have to say too that I'm more partial now to the CD2 Mix than the original - it's like someone has done it right. To the tales of tomorrow...

Coming over like King Crimson mated with Rush before either band ever existed - it's clear from the immediate density of ideas swirling around the opening minute of "Stage Whispers" that "Futurama" isn't going to be a Christmas sing-along record tailored to everyone’s pallet. Nelson sings in that weirdly neither here nor there voice of his "...this guitar does not lie..." - yeah man - but it sure does make for some jagged-edged rhythms. Suddenly the fuzzed-up Aladdin Sane sounding guitars of "Love With The Madman" have a power - his keyboard work way better than Nelson ever gives it credit. 

In his mind BN rates "Maid In Heaven" and it's easy to hear why - that difficult-to-fully-embrace Be-Bop Deluxe sound given a sudden accessibility by the song. Riffage upon riffage upon guitar licks fill up ever second of "Sister Seagull" - will you meet me there - he asks - might do Buffalo Bill if yer bird keeps his poop off the bonnet of my car. "Sound Track" ends Side 1 with some welcome keyboard tinkling – a joyful little tune where those drums and high hats are clearer than they were before – an accomplished Be-Bop Deluxe sounding like Todd Rundgren meets Sparks meets Queen circa A Night At The Opera.

"...Maybe we'll make music in dreamland tonight..." gushes the rather oddly romantic Prog Rock of Side 2's "Music In Dreamland" where The Grimethorpe Colliery Band give the tune old-fashioned horns. I've always found it a little too melodramatic but I know there are fans who see it as brilliant, just another BBD mishmash that needs time and repeated listens. Acoustic Salsa now sails out of your speakers in the shape of "Jean Cocteau" - the Remix version amazing in its clarity (what playing chops they had even then). 

Back to wild rhythms and density, the very Sheer Heart Attack sounding "Between The Worlds" seems like a bloody odd choice for an album lead-off single, but maybe Harvest must have thought that its slightly Sparks "This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us" loony-sounding-Rock-meets-pantomime vibe would carry it with the public - it didn't. Huge chords and even bigger keyboard-washes fill your Siamese-twins speakers - an epic piece that talks of staying a while in Bill's dreams as he sings for you his swan song. And on it goes...

Even now in the Prog Revival of these last five years (right into 2020) - for absolutely sure, Be-Bop Deluxe and their dense soundscapes will not be for everyone looking for a chart topper. But re-visiting these albums has been something of an eye-opener for me - far better than I remember them and now sounding like perhaps Wakefield's weird man of Rock was cool all along. 

Impressive and recommended...

"Living On The Hill: A Danish Underground Trip 1967-1974" by VARIOUS ARTISTS – featuring Beefeaters, Day Of Phoenix, Burnin' Red Ivanhoe, Young Flowers, The Savage Rose, Alrune Rod, Delta Blues Band, Rainbow Band, Ache, Pan, Blast Furnace, Culpeper's Orchard, The Old Man & The Sea, Midnight Sun, Thor's Hammer, Secret Oyster, Hurdy Gurdy and Dr. Dopo Jam (October 2020 UK Esoteric Recordings 3CD Clamshell Mini Box Set – Ben Wiseman Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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CADENCE / CASCADE 

PROG ROCK, PSYCH, AVANT GARDE...
And Others Genres Thereabouts
Exceptional CD Remasters

Covering 1967 to 1977 - It Also Focuses On

Fusion Rock, Acid Folk, Art Rock and Underground 

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"...Mind Movies..."

I like to pride myself on knowledge when it comes to music (I used to run the Mail Order and Rarities department in Reckless Records London, a busy joint in the West End of London) - but I'd admit openly that looking at the band names on this extraordinary trawl through Denmark's underground music scene between 1967 and 1974 - I know only five of these wildly obscure bands - Day Of Phoenix, The Savage Rose, Burnin' Red Ivanhoe, Hurdy Gurdy and Midnight Sun - all of whom had limited UK albums releases - and I do mean ltd. 

I mention this because collectors of Sixties and Seventies Underground and beyond should be looking at this 3CD Clamshell Mini Box Set as a torch light shone under a very, very dark bush indeed. Know these acts - I can barely pronounce most of the titles of their songs. And I can tell you now that the album covers repro'd in the typically cool 36-page booklet that accompanies Esoteric's "Living On The Hill..." are not exactly growing on Record Fair trees. 

Content - Esoteric Recordings of the UK have once again dug deep and trumped up European LPs and 45-single goodies on Sonet Records, Polydor, Parlophone and Philips – stuff we've either forgotten and didn't know existed in any musical universe. So, onwards and backwards my hairy children of Thor's big Hammer (if you know what I'm saying)... 

UK released Friday, 30 October 2020 - "Living On The Hill: A Danish Underground Trip 1967-1974" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Esoteric Recordings ECLEC32733 (Barcode 5013929473386) is a 3CD Clamshell Mini Box Set that plays out as follows: 

CD1 The Savage Rose pictured on the card sleeve (78:52 minutes): 

1. Night Flight - BEEFEATERS (from the 1967 Danish LP "Beef Eaters" on Sonet SLPS 1242)

2. Tell Me - DAY OF PHOENIX (A-side of a 1968 Danish 45-single on Sonet T 7255, a Dave Cousins of The Strawbs cover version)

3. Ouverture/Take Warning - YOUNG FLOWERS (from the 1968 Danish LP "Blomsterpistolen" on Sonet Records SLPS 1258)

4. Long Before I Was Born - THE SAVAGE ROSE (from the 1968 Danish LP "In The Plain" on Polydor SLP HM 46 292)

5. Ksilioy - BURNIN' RED IVANHOE (from the 1969 Danish 2LP-set "M 144" on Sonet Records SLPS 1512)

6. Natskyggevej - ALRUNE ROD (from the 1969 Danish LP "Alrune Rod" on Sonet Records SLPS 1516)

7. Kragerne Vender - YOUNG FLOWERS (from the 1969 Danish LP "No. Two" on Sonet Records SLPS 1511)

8. Opus 1 - DELTA BLUES BAND (from the 1969 Danish LP "Delta Blues Band" on Parlophone E 062-37038)

9. Wide Open N-Way - DAY OF THE PHOENIX (from the 1970 Danish LP "Wide Open N-Way" on Sonet Records SLPS 1519 - reissued 1971 in the UK with altered track listing on Greenwich Gramophone Company GSLP-R 1002)

10. B.M. - RAINBOW BAND (from the 1970 Danish LP "Rainbow Band" on Sonet Records SLPS 1523)

11. Jingle Jangle Man - BURNIN' RED IVANHOE (1969 Recording, No Details)

CD2 Culpeper's Orchard pictured on the card sleeve (79:41 minutes):

1. De Homine Urbano - ACHE (from the 1970 Danish LP "De Homine Urbano" on Philips PY 841 906)

2. To Get Along - PAN (from the 1970 Danish LP "Pan" on Sonet Records SLPS 1518)

3. Rainbow Song - RAINBOW BAND (from the 1970 Danish LP "Rainbow Band" on Sonet Records SLPS 1523)

4. Toytown - BLAST FURANCE (from the 1971 Danish LP "Blast Furnace" on Polydor 2380 013)

5. Mountain Music (Part One) - CULPEPER'S ORCHARD (from the 1971 Danish LP "Culpeper's Orchard" on Polydor 2380 006)

6. Living Dead - THE OLD MAN & THE SEA (from the 1972 Danish LP "The Old Man And The Sea" on Sonet Records SLPS 1539)

7. Tapiola - THE SAVAGE ROSE (from the 1971 Danish LP "Your Daily Gift" on Polydor 2380 004)

8. Living On The Hill - RAINBOW BAND/MIDNIGHT SUN (from the 1971 Danish LP "Midnight Sun" on Sonet Records SLPS 1523)

9. Shadow Of A Gypsy - ACHE (August 1970 45 and also from the 1971 Danish LP "Green Man" on Philips Records 6318 005) 

CD3 Burnin' Red Ivanhoe pictured on the card sleeve (78:36 minutes):

1. Equatorial Rain - ACHE (from the 1971 Danish LP "Green Man" on Philips Records 6318 005) 

2. Avez Vous Kaskelainen? - BURNIN' RED IVANHOE (from the 1971 Danish LP "W.W.W." on Sonet records SLPS 1530 - UK-issued by John Peel's British label in 1971 on Dandelion 2310 145)

3. Paradox - DAY OF PHOENIX (from the 1972 Danish LP "The Neighbour's Son" on Sonet SLPS 1549)

4. A La Turca - MIDNIGHT SUN (from the 1972 Danish LP "Walking Circles" on Sonet SLPS 1536)

5. Mexico - THOR'S HAMMER (from the 1971 Danish LP "Thor's Hammer" on Metronome 15412)

6. Ginger Cake - BLAST FURNACE (from the 1971 Danish LP "Blast Furnace" on Polydor 2380 013)  

7. Going Blind - THE OLD MAN & THE SEA (from the 1972 Danish LP "The Old Man And The Sea" on Sonet Records SLPS 1539)

8. Fire And Water - SECRET OYSTER (from the 1973 Danish LP "Secret Oyster" on CBS Records CBS 65769)

9. Lost In The Jungle - HURDY GURDY (from the 1971 Danish and 1972 UK LP "Hurdy Gurdy" on CBS Records S 64871)

10. Spring Theme - Summer Theme - Dr. DOPO JAM (from the 1973 Danish LP "Entree" on Zebra 2949 007)

11. Classified Ads - CULPEPER'S ORCHARD (from the 1972 Danish LP "Second Sight" on Polydor 2380 018)

12. Mind Movie - SECRET OYSTER (from the 1974 Danish LP "Sea Son" on CBS Records S 80489)

A glossy clamshell mini box set houses three singular picture card-sleeves and a chunky 36-page booklet stuffed to the European tariffs with factoids, rare album cover art and peace sign photos of bands that rarely get a foot into any discography. Head honcho MARK POWELL has annotated this set with each artist and their recording history examined in alphabetical order - their country's counterculture explored and explained too. The genres work their way up from late 60ts Ten Years After swirling Blues Rock into wildly un-commercial Pop and more. But it is early 70ts Euro Prog Rock that dominates, some Psych guitars, Jazz flute and saxophones joining the proceedings on many occasions – with most tracks reassuringly long (as you can see from above, the near 80-minutes playing time of each CD is generous too). 

BEN WISEMAN has remastered the original tapes that concentrate a lot on Sonet Records and its eclectic output. I had expected wildly varying soundstages, and sure enough some of the tracks on CD1 betray crude productions. But as it progresses, the sound gets stronger and better. Wiseman has an enviable resume when it comes to transferring these kinds of recordings and like Andy Pearce and Matt Wortham (other top Audio Engineers), is a name I find I can rely on. It is so here. To the savage roses...

Farfisa Organ and grungy Guitar combine to open "Night Flight" by Beefeaters on CD1 – a shortish instrumental that features some gibberish spoken-words as it whirls to its homemade finish. Next up is Day Of Phoenix who is given two shots on Disc One. Back in September 2012, Esoteric CD-reissued their Danish LP "Wide Open N-Way" with Ben Wiseman Remasters (from original tapes) that tagged on both sides of their rare 45-single "Tell Me" b/w "I Think It's Going To Rain Today" as Bonus Tracks to ECLEC 2331 (Barcode 5013929433144). Both 7" single sides were covers - the A being a Dave Cousins song from the first Strawbs LP in 1969 with a famous Randy Newman track on the B. This Box Set returns to the A-side of the single first and then later on the lengthy "Wide Open N-Way" album title track. The eleven and a half minute title track is a tad meandering but in its better moments at times also feels like early Kraut Rock. Produced by Colosseum's Tony Reeves (later with Greenslade too) - "Wide Open N-Way" was also one of only a handful of Danish LPs issued in the UK (early 1971 saw it pressed on Chapter 1's Progressive Rock imprint label Greenwich Gramophone Company in a slightly altered track form). So along with Burnin' Red Ivanhoe - Day Of Phoenix have at least been seen by British genre fans from time to time in record shop racks and their tune here is a highlight. 

Young Flowers do a nightmarish Psych drone intro for "Ouverture/Take Warning" that quickly becomes a cool Rock groove, their album title "Blomsterpistolen" being Danish for 'Flower Pistols'. Anisette Hansen and her distinctive lead vocals for The Savage Rose comes on like Grace Slick's slightly demented younger sister – while the intriguing mishmash of styles displayed by Burnin' Red Ivanhoe encompasses American Harmony Vocals and Blodwyn Pig via Flute Rock. Members of The Maxwells and Burnin' Red Ivanhoe joined Young Flowers for the Kraut Rock drone of "Kragerne Vender". Not sure I thought much of the plodding Thor's Hammer song, strangulated vocals ahoy. 

One of Denmark's most respected underground groups Rainbow Band - would eventually morph into Midnight Sun as a Canadian act of the same name forced a change in moniker. Rainbow Band/Midnight Sun's four cuts across the three CDs are more than warranted, their genuinely brilliant and cool "B.M." sounding not unlike Pentangle with its heavy reliance on double-bass and Jazz floating rhythms. And you can so hear why their two British MCA Records albums "Midnight Sun" and "Walking Circles" from 1971 and 1972 (complete with Roger Dean artwork) are worth so much dosh. 

Disc 2 mellows down the mood a lot with the Hammond M3 Organ sound of Ache soon joined by fuzzed-up guitars while Pan could be Spooky Tooth meets the more trippy ethereal Blues side of John Mayall circa "Bare Wires" or "Blues From laurel Canyon". And despite the industrial warehouse cauldron of a name, Blast Furnace feels like a mid-tempo Wishbone Ash love song, Neils Vangkilde giving it some superb treated guitar until its fade-out ending. The Old Man And The Sea LP reputedly saw only 500 copies pressed by an unsure Sonet Records – hence the uber-rare cover art of a shark with its jaws on display on Page 26 of the booklet is a new one on me. And on the strength of the Grateful Dead meets Budgie track by Culpeper's Orchard on Disc 3 (Cy Nicklin on guitar), I'm looking forward to Esoteric's "Mountain Music: The Polydor Recordings 1971-1973" vaults reissue on the Danish band come 26 November 2020. And on it goes...

For sure I was expecting this listen to be arduous and perhaps too doomy for my aging tastes, but it wasn't. And furthermore, I am certain that lovers of 60ts and 70ts Psych, Euro Prog, Jazz Rock and even the trippy side of Blues Rock are going to love the discoveries offered in here. I know this sort of Prog and Jazz Rock won't be everyone's cup of herbal tea, but you absolutely have to say that Esoteric have done it again – finding gems on that yellow brick road of old we should give a second look at. 

Want a bit of Alrune's Rod shoved up your Kragerne Vender by Dr. Dopo's Jam - then look no further my fluffy friends (now isn't that a comforting thought)...