"Pipedream" by ALAN HULL of LINDISFARNE - July 1973 UK Debut Album on Charisma Records (March 1974 USA on Elektra Records) featuring Members of Lindisfarne Ray Jackson, Ray Laidlaw and Ken Craddock along with John Turnbull and more (October 2005 UK EMI/Virgin/Charisma 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue and Remaster with Six Bonus Tracks) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

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"...Back On The Road..." 

 
I've always struggled big-time with the idea that Alan Hull's debut solo album after splitting from Lindisfarne is some kind of lost masterpiece - it just isn't. And re-listening to it nearly 50-years down the line - despite the gorgeous Remaster from Kathy Bryan from original tapes - I'm still largely unconvinced. Sure there are moments of melodic genius - three of the expert players are his muckers from Lindisfarne anyway (Ray Jackson, Ray Laidlaw and new boy Ken Craddock)...
 
But to the good - what gets me about this CD Reissue and Remaster is the six extras - two rare B-sides and four from Bob Harris' Radio 1 Sessions that offer Hull unadorned and raw and really well produced too - two of which could easily have replaced the more rowdy cack on the original LP. To the beers and wines and tequila and whatever else is at hand...

UK released 24 October 2005 - "Pipedream" by ALAN HULL of LINDISFARNE on EMI/Virgin/Charisma CASCDR 1069 (Barcode 094633695320) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue and Remaster with Six Bonus Tracks that plays out as follows (56:29 minutes):

1. Breakfast [Side 1]
2. Justanothersadsong 
3. Money Game 
4. STD 0632 
5. United States Of Mind 
6. Country Gentleman's Wife 
7. Numbers (Travelling Band) [Side 2]
8. For The Bairns
9. Drug Song 
10. Song For A Windmill 
11. Blue Murder 
12. I Hate To See You Cry
Tracks 1 to 12 are his debut solo album (after Lindisfarne disbanded) "Pipedream" - released July 1973 in the UK on Charisma CAS 1069, March 1974 USA on Elektra EKS-75075. Produced by MICKEY SWEENEY and ALAN HULL (mastered by KEN SCOTT) - it peaked on the UK LP charts at No. 29 (didn't chart USA).

BONUS TRACKS: 
13. Drinking Song 
14. One Off Pat 
Tracks 13 are 14 were the Non-LP Alan Hull original song B-sides of the album's first UK 45-single "Numbers (Travelling Band)" released 15 June 1973 on Charisma CB 208. 

15. Down On The Underground 
Track 15 is a Bob Harris Radio 1 Session for the BBC, first transmission 6 August 1973
 
16. Gin And Tonics All Round 
17. One More Bottle Of Wine
18. Dan The Plan
Tracks 16 to 18 are Bob Harris Radio 1 Sessions for the BBC, first transmission 14 January 1974
 
Musicians: 

ALAN HULL - Guitars, Piano, Harmonium and Lead Vocals
KEN CRADDOCK - Piano, Organ, Harmonium, Electric Piano and Guitars 
RAY JACKSON - Harp, Mandolin and Vocals 
JOHN (JON) TURNBULL - Guitars 
RAY LAIDLAW - Drums  
Guest: 
Dave Brooks - Saxophone on "For The Bairns"

The UK LP came in a gatefold sleeve with an elaborate 8-page booklet, but clearly neither Hull nor Lindisfarne were making much headway in the USA at that time. The US LP turned up as late as March 1974 on Elektra Records with a single sleeve and no insert. In fact, I suspect it sold so poorly that in 2022 you generally only ever see Promo-copies of the LP up on Auction sites - stock copies being the real rarity. I mention all of this because without saying so, the 12-page booklet reproduces most all of it (photos and lyrics) which in some ways makes up for the complete lack of new liner notes outside of reissue credits.

 

Fans have been down the digital rabbit-hole before with "Pipedream" - 1994 and 2000 on CD with no bonuses or Remaster - so the KATHY BRYAN audio on this 2005 sucker will blow them away (done at Abbey Road). Bowie's Ken Scott was the Engineer on the original sessions and clearly Charisma gave Hull enough room and money to produce this LP to buggery - it sounds alarmingly audiophile in most places. It's just sloppy to use the All-Pink Scroll Logo for Charisma Records on the CD label (that's 1970 to 1971) - it was the Mad Hatter Charisma label variant by 1972 and 1973 and that's what should be on here (Virgin is like this at times, slapdash when it's mid-price reissues). To the music...
 
Before the album hit the shops - Charisma picked what they clearly thought was the most commercially catchy of tunes on the forthcoming LP. "Numbers (Travelling Band)" was released 15 June 1973 in the UK on Charisma CB 208 with two Hull non-LP originals shoring up the B-side - "Drinking Song" and "One Off Pat". The first is awful, but that second is an acoustic winner in my book and one of the genuine highlights on this CD reissue. If you were looking for an example of great sound, you could also go to the out-of-place almost elevator-ish instrumental "STD 0632" from Side 1 - check out that Mandolin break half way through its four-minute duration. 
 
The LP opens with loveliness - "Breakfast" - but a heavy-handed Rock-Guitar break soon wrecks it for me. With the album having spent nearly a month on the UK LP charts, Charisma tried another 45 in early September 1973 (Charisma CB 211) with Track 2 on Side 1. But "Justanothersadsong" b/w "Waiting" did no business (despite being Non-LP at the time of release and therefore a shoe-in for a Bonus Track on this CD, "Waiting" would eventually show up on his second studio album "Squire" in 1975 - so its on the CD Remaster of that). I think their mistake was not to issue the gorgeous "United States Of Mind" as a 7" single - it's more suited to Radio and the one I play most in retrospect.  Despite the obvious wit in "Country Gentleman's Wife", I find it kind of insufferable game nowadays. 
 
You can hear why the guitar-boozing "Numbers (Travelling Band)" was picked as 45 number one - cool Production values - getting-drunker-by-the-minute harmonica punctuating the acoustic strums. But then that's followed by the unbearable jaunt of "For The Bairns" - awful stuff - itself flowing into crystal clear acoustics picking out misery in "Drug Song". Again great audio for "Song For A Windmill" - but they are all bettered by "Blue Murder" - fuzzed-up electric guitar siding with acoustic and layered voices in one Production wallop. The album ends on Hull vs. Piano on the unbearably sad "I Hate To See You Cry". The bonuses feature songs (not surprsingly) about boozing, but the admittedly short "One Off Pat", the beer-stained hurt in "Down On The Underground" and especially "Pat The Plan" are shockingly good acoustic ditties and elevate this CD up majorly in my books. 
Ray Jackson and Ray Laidlow made their presence felt on "Pipedream" while the multi-instrumentalist Ken Craddock had come up through Ginger Baker's Airforce and alongside John (Jon) Turnbull (also on "Pipedream") came via the obscure one-album band Bell + Arc who were also on Charisma Records. 
 
The bottom-line is that any Hull/Lindisfarne fan who has affection for the band or him will have to own this wonderful sounding EMI CD Remaster. And then whilst listening to Alan Hull's so-English melodies, raise a glass to their hero who's moved on to a better watering hole - bendy nose and all...

"H To He Who Am The Only One" by VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR (May 2005 UK Virgin/Charisma 'Expanded Edition' CD - Peter Hammill and Kathy Bryan Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...The Emperor In His War-Room..."

Named after the American Engineer Robert Van De Graaff's surname and his particle accelerator device for creating static electricity - Van Der Graaf Generator's second studio album for 1970 came hot on the heels of their January debut - "The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other". Released December 1970 by the newly formed Charisma Records - home of Audience, Rare Bird, Everyone, Merrill Moore, Atomic Rooster, (Keith Emerson's) The Nice and that other huge British Progressive Rock band Genesis – VDGG’s second platter expanded the experimental musical horizons laid down by their acclaimed debut.

Equal to its predecessor's quirky moniker - "H To He Who Am The Only One" is reckoned by Prog Rockers and VDGG fans alike to be up there as one of the Manchester boys wildest and best outings – a boundary pusher resplendent with mad Paul Whitehead artwork (a fave of the Genesis lads too). And this rather brill little 2005 CD Remaster (complete with two lengthy bonus cuts) bears that out. Here are the Houses with No Doors...

UK released 30 May 2005 - "H To He Who Am The Only One" by VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR on Virgin/Charisma CASCDR 1027 (Barcode 724347488825) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue and Remaster with Two Bonus Tracks that plays out as follows (71:29 minutes):

1. Killer [Side 1]

2. House With No Door

3. The Emperor In His War-Room Part 1. The Emperor Part 2. The Room

4. Lost Part 1. The Dance In Sand And Sea Part 2. The Dance In Frost [Side 2]

5. Pioneers Over C

Tracks 1 to 5 are their second studio album "H To He Who Am The Only One" - released January 1970 in the UK on Charisma Records CAS 1027 and March 1971 in the USA on Dunhill/ABC Records DS 50097.  Produced by JOHN ANTHONY - Track 1 was written by Peter Hammill, Hugh Banton and Stratton Smith, Tracks 2, 3 and 4 written by Peter Hammill with Track 5 written by Peter Hammill and David Jackson.

BONUS TRACKS:

6. Squid 1/Squid 2/Octopus [15:24 minutes]

7. The Emperor In His War-Room (First Version) [8:50 minutes]

VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR was:

PETER HAMMILL - Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar and Piano on "House With No Door"

HUGH BANTON - Vocals, Hammond and Farfisa Organs, Piano, Oscillator and Bass on "House With No Door" and "Killer"

DAVID JACKSON - Vocals, Alto, Tenor and Baritone Saxophones and Flute

GUY EVANS - Drums, Tympani and Percussion

Guests:

NIC POTTER (of The Misunderstood) - Bass on "Killer", "The Emperor In His War Room” and "Lost"

ROBERT FRIPP (of King Crimson) - Guitar on "The Emperor In His War-Room"

The 20-page booklet is a pleasingly thorough affair with new liner notes from MARK POWELL - soon to be head honcho at Esoteric Recordings over at Cherry Red UK - home to all things Avant Garde, Left Of Field and Proggy. There are period photos of the four-piece hairy men live, loitering in parks and outside French cafes, lyrics, the inner gatefold of the original release repro'd on the centre pages, trade adverts and their 9-album strong catalogue of Virgin/Charisma Remasters listed on the last page next to the extensive re-issue credits. It's all very tastefully done.

All four members of the band had a hand in Remastering consultation (including principal songwriter PETER HAMMILL) with the tape transfers done by KATHY BRYAN at Abbey Road Studios. I had this album on one of those early 'Pink Scroll' Label Charisma pressings with Audio that was always good but never great. Here the instruments have real power and even the two Bonus Cuts sound like they could have made the grade. Let's dance in the Static Sea...to the music...

We're informed by the opener "Killer" that someone who lives at the bottom of the sea is lonely – a solitary predator made manifest by earnest men with saxophones and doom-laden churchy organs. The 8-minutes of Side 1's "Killer" is in fact more Atomic Rooster than VDGG in my books. Things become very melodic on "House With No Door". That hissy beginning is still there, but there's warmth and clarity in the bass now and the piano feels less muddled than it did on the LP. It's a dark song actually - a home with no roof that lets in the rain and cold at night - Hammill's hurting vocals at times sounding like a melancholic David Bowie circa "The Man Who Sold The World".

Things get deathly heavy with "The Emperor In His War-Room" - a tin-pot dictator cradling his gun in his chamber of ghosts (dig those cascading flutes and chunky organ stabs) - Robert Fripp's very King Crimson guitar notes sailing into "The Room" just when the piece needs some Prog uplift. Speaking of KC - the 11-minutes of "Lost" is probably the most Crimson-sounding piece on the album - ideas and had-all-my-chances lyrics falling over each other as instrument piles on instrument. Album No. 2 ends with nearly fourteen minutes of "Pioneers Over C" - VDGG stretching out everywhere and thinking intergalactic travel will be commonplace in 1983 and they have the Bass Lines. Sexy Saxophones and Fiery Keyboard sounds to prove it.

In truth VDGG were never nearly as commercial or frankly as good as Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett and Co over in Genesis – but there is a lot to like in this adventurous and challenging album.

"...One last brief whisper in our loved one's ears..." – Hammill sang on tone of the lovelier passages in "Pioneers Over C" - David Jackson's saxophone slipping in soft at first and then going solo mad after that. Mad after that – a bit like VDGG and their music really...

"Fog On The Tyne" by LINDISFARNE (2004 EMI/Virgin/Charisma 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...We Can Have A Wee-Wee...

We Can Have A Wet On The Wall..."

Before we get into the review - a point of order should you order from any Amazon site. 

Even if you use the right Barcode in the Amazon search bar for the original No. 1 UK LP from 1971 - you're directed to some CD of re-makes with different artwork and 'not' the original band or LP (the usurper artwork has the five of them stood by railings – the original album artwork and CD you need is shown in the pictures provided below). 

The CD Remaster you do want is the official May 2004 CD Reissue on Virgin/Charisma CASCDR 1050 - Barcode 724357990325 only - an 'Expanded Edition' of Lindisfarne's second album "Fog On The Tyne" with two Bonus Tracks added on. You may need to search for it and ask you're online seller to sell you the right issue. 

That said - here are the unclouded technical details for the 2004 Version...

UK released May 2004 - "Fog On The Tyne" by LINDISFARNE on Virgin/Charisma CASCDR 1050 (Barcode 724357990325) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster with Two Bonus Tracks that plays out as follows (36:31 minutes):

1. Meet Me On The Corner
2. Alright On The Night
3. Uncle Sam
4. Together Forever
5. January Song
6. Peter Brophy Doesn't Care [Side 2]
7. City Song
8. Passing Ghosts
9. Train In G Major
10. Fog On The Tyne
Tracks 1 to 10 are their 2nd studio album "Fog On The Tyne" - released October 1971 in the UK on Charisma Records CAS 1050 and February 1972 in the USA on Elektra EKS-75021. Produced by BOB JOHNSTON - the album peaked at No. 1 in the UK – didn’t chart USA. "Meet Me On The Corner" and "Train In G Major" written by Rod Clements - "Alright On The Night", "January Song", "Peter Brophy Don't Care" [co-write with Terry Morgan], "City Song", "Passing Ghosts" and "Fog On The Tyne" written by Alan Hull - "Uncle Sam" written by Simon Cowe and "Together Forever" is a Rab Noakes cover version.

BONUS TRACKS:
11. Scotch Mist
12. No Time To Lose
Tracks 11 and 12 are both non-album UK B-sides (B1 and B2) to the February 1972 3-Track 7” Maxi Single for "Meet Me On The Corner" on Charisma CB 173 (peaked at No. 5 on the UK charts). "Scotch Mist" is written by all five band-members - "No Time To Lose" by Alan Hull.

LINDISFARNE was:
RAY JACKSON - Lead Vocals, Mandolin and Harmonica
ALAN HULL - Lead Vocals, Acoustic, 12-String and Electric Guitars and Keyboards
SIMON COWE - Acoustic, 12-String and Electric Guitars, Mandolin and Backing Vocals
ROD CLEMENTS - Bass, Acoustic, 12-String and Electric Guitars and Violin
RAY LAIDLAW - Drums and Percussion

The gatefold slip of paper that acts as an inlay goes no further than offering the original LP artwork - inside and out. The colour photos of our Newcastle heroes lollygagging on a bench outside the salubrious 'Britannia Lodging' are still there - as well as them taking a cuppa inside their 'Tea Rooms'. It's a damn shame Virgin did no more - this was a Number One album fro god's sake and a hugely popular one at that - some hindsight would have been nice - foreign picture sleeves for "Meet Me On The Corner" maybe - but alas. This Virgin/Charisma CD reissue has used the 'Pink Scroll Label' variant of 'The Famous Charisma Label' on the CD aping the appearance of the rare 1st pressing British LP (most copies were represses on the Mad Hatter label variant). Beneath the see-through CD tray is an advert for their debut "Nicely Out Of Tune" from November 1970 and their 3rd album "Dingly Dell" from September 1972 (that CD unfortunately uses different artwork). It's nice to look at but you wish there was more...

By way of compensation however we do get a new KATHY BRYAN CD Remaster done at Abbey Road from real tapes - and man does this thing sound good. Being essentially a Folk-Rock act based around 12-string guitars, mandolins and the occasional sweet Harmonica solo - the music is a dead-ringer for decent remastering and that's indeed what we get. Lindisfarne's sound has echoes of Matthews Southern Comfort, Brinsley Schwarz, Cochise, Fotheringay and even traces of John Martyn and the transfer here is lovely.

As you can see from the detailed credits above - Alan Hull takes the lion's share of songwriting credits - but two of my fave-raves are actually Rod Clements songs - the hugely popular hit single "Meet Me On The Corner" and the Bluesy LP gem "Train In G Major" (he also penned the fabulous "Road To Kingdom Come" on the "Nicely Out Of Tune" LP from 1970). On both tracks Ray Jackson takes lead vocals - Hull laying into stunning piano fills on "Train In G Major" before the band all converge on a boozy barroom rock out. Hull, Jackson and Cowe all share leads on "Alright On The Night" - a take-me-as-I-am Acoustic romp that leads very nicely into Simon Cowe's superb "Uncle Sam" - a strangely pretty song about soldiers press-ganged into fighting. Devious little bugger starts out all strumming sweet - but then jumps into a fantastic band effort anchored by cool piano and harmonica. Their country-comfort-cover of Rab Noakes' "Together Forever" (sung by Jackson) and Hull's own "January Song" (sung by Hull) both feature something that's not praised enough - the England's CSNY sound their harmony vocals added to every track.

Side 2 opens with "Peter Brophy Doesn't Care" - a Hull co-write with Terry Morgan about a monocle-faced man with disdain for all ordinary life. "...I've been too long travelling on your train..." - Hull complains on "City Song" - sick of cold metropolis indifference - longing for the warmth of a garden and children and a lady watching over it all (magical harmonies in this forgotten gem of a song). A huge sound emanates from the walls of acoustics on "Passing Ghosts" – a you-don't-have-to-talk song that finishes with a Bass line that threatens to do for your speaker cones. I'm amazed no one has thought to cover the brill Acoustic Blues of "Train In G Major" – perhaps Marc Cohn when he gets round to his 1971 album of cover version (want a man like me – yes you do Marc with a C). It finishes on the brilliance of Hull's wit where our heroes are sitting in some café 'sucking sickly sausage rolls' contemplating the Dole queue while crooked coffin-makers are trying to be their friend. All this and its time for a slash (adapted lyrics from this song title this review).

As if the album isn't enough – we get two genuinely great Bonus Tracks – the rare non-album B-sides to the "Meet Me On The Corner" single. "Scotch Mist" turns out to be a Mandolin instrumental rave-up where Lindisfarne sounds like Fairport Convention or Horslips having a laugh (the Audio is amazing). But better is the 'time is half-past nine' outtake "No Time To Lose" where you can't help but think this song could easily have made the album.

The equally excellent (and way more political) "Dingly Dell" album followed in September 1972 with their fourth "Roll On, Ruby" in December 1973 – but by such time – few were listening. Charisma issued a Best Of vinyl compilation called "Lindisfarne's Finest Hour" in October 1975 (Charisma CAS 1108) that featured four cuts from the popular "Fog On The Tyne" - while on quitting the band Alan Hull released a couple of quality solo albums - the overlooked "Pipedream" in July 1973 on Charisma CAS 1069 and "Squire" in May 1975 on Warner Brothers K 56121.

But when people think of Lindisfarne – they will inevitably grin from ear-to-ear at the thought of 1971's "Fog On The Tyne" that like The Faces "Ooh La La " album in 1973 and Dr. Feelgood's live set "Stupidity" in 1976 – was an unlikely but entirely justified Number 1 chart topper on the British LP charts.

Despite the passing years and the mist closing in - "Fog On The Tyne" is indeed all yours - still there - tugging on your heart strings again. Now if you can only nail down the right friggin CD reissue...elusive little bleeder...wee-weeing on walls somewhere...

"Nicely Out Of Tune" by LINDISFARNE (2004 EMI/Virgin/Charisma 'Expanded Edition' CD - Kathy Bryan Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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Issued late September 1971 in the USA (November 1970 in the UK)

"...Alan In The River With Flowers..."

"...It's all right Lady Eleanor..." Well on the evidence presented here - indeed it is. Newcastle's Lindisfarne made a wonderful Folk-Rock sound - similar in many ways to Matthews Southern Comfort, Brinsley Schwarz, Fotheringay and even at times John Martyn.

Re-listening to their November 1970 debut album "Nicely Out Of Tune" in November 2016 (46 years after the event) and you're struck by the accomplished songwriting - the warmth of the melodies - and especially the lovely audio on this 2004 CD Remaster (done at Abbey Road). In fact I'm thinking it's a bit of a lost and forgotten classic. And I love the way this Virgin/Charisma CD reissue has used the 'Pink Scroll Label' variant of 'The Famous Charisma Label' on the CD aping the appearance of the rare November 1970 original British LP (Charisma CAS 1025). Here are the Roads To Kingdom Come...

UK released May 2004 - "Nicely Out Of Tune" by LINDISFARNE on EMI/Virgin/Charisma CASCDR 1025 (Barcode 724357990226) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster with Two Bonus Tracks and plays out as follows (52:53 minutes):

1. Lady Eleanor

2. Road To Kingdom Come

3. Winter Song

4. Turn A Deaf Ear

5. Clear White Light (Part 2)

6. We Can Swing Together [Side 2]

7. Alan In The River With Flowers

8. Down

9. The Things I Should Have Said

10. Jackhammer Blues

11. Scarecrow Song

Tracks 1 to 11 are their debut studio album "Nicely Out of Tune" - released November 1970 in the UK on Charisma Records CAS 1025 (Pink Scroll Label variant) - Produced by JOHN ANTHONY. It was reissued January 1972 on the Charisma 'Mad Hatter' Label variant with the same catalogue number - this version rose to No. 8 on the UK LP charts.

NOTE: The American LP was belatedly issued late September 1971 on Elektra EKS-74099 and was also called "Nicely Out Of Tune". But it not only featured different 'upgraded' die-cut artwork on the front and rear and a lyric inner bag (no lyrics appeared with the UK issue) - but was reputedly remixed. It also featured an altered Side 2 track list that ran as - "We Can Swing Together", "Float Me Down The River", "Down", "Nothing But The Marvellous" and "Scarecrow Song". "Float Me Down The River" is "Alan In The River With Flowers" under another name and if you use the Bonus Track of "Nothing But The Marvellous Is Beautiful"- you can also sequence that US album variant from this CD. The supposed American remix is still absent from CD - this disc uses UK tapes.

BONUS TRACKS:

12. Knackers Yard Blues - non-album B-side to "Clear White Light - Part 2" - UK 7" single released September 1970 on Charisma CB 137

13. Nothing But The Marvellous Is Beautiful - non-album B-side to "Lady Eleanor" - UK 7" single released January 1971 on Charisma CB 153

LINDISFARNE was:

ALAN HULL - Lead Vocals, Acoustic and 12-String Guitar, Piano, Electric Piano and Organ

ROD CLEMENTS - Electric Bass, Organ, Piano, Violin, Guitar and Vocals

RAY JACKSON - Vocals, Mandolin and Harmonica

SIMON COWE - Lead Acoustic, 12-String Guitars, Mandolin, Banjo and Vocals

RAY LAIDLAW - Drums and Percussion

The gatefold slip of paper gives only the basic album details with two black and white photos in the centre spread of our heroes giving it some live welly at some festival somewhere. While the inlay is lo-fi and cheap - the KATHY BRYAN Remaster carried out at Abbey Road is nothing of the sort. This album sounds gorgeous - alive and full of warmth and melody - a superb transfer. Let's get to the music...

Charisma tried "Clear White Light – Part 2" as the band’s debut 45 in September 1970. Charisma CB 137 came with the non-album "Knackers Yard Blues" on the flipside (the first of two bonus tracks presented here) – but it sank without notice. In January 1971 the famous types at Charisma tried again but this time with "Lady Eleanor" backed with another non-LP B-side "Nothing But The Marvellous is Beautiful" (the second bonus track) – but again it initially received no joy. But when Lindisfarne’s second album - October 1971's "Fog On The Tyne" unexpectedly went all the way to No. 1 in the UK on the strength of the "Meet Me On The Corner" 7” single (Charisma CB 173, February 1972) – Charisma resurrected "Lady Eleanor" in May 1972 and were promptly rewarded by a UK No. 3 placing on the Pop charts. What is surprising now is that Joe Public didn’t seem to notice (or perhaps hear) the first time around?

Its writer ALAN HULL also penned six other songs on the 11-cut LP - "Winter Song", "Clear White Light – Part 2", "We Can Swing Together" (another of the album’s anthems), "Alan In The River With Flowers", "Down", "Scarecrow Song" and the B-side "Nothing But The Marvellous Is Beautiful". The other creative force in the band was ROD CLEMENTS who penned the truly lovely "Road To Kingdom Come" – a song so good THE BAND might give it a begrudging nod. On the LP Roderick also contributed "The Things I Should Have Said" and the first non-album B-side – the jaunty "Knackers Yard Blues". The other two LP cuts are cover versions – Rab Noakes for "Turn A Deaf Ear" – a song Noakes wouldn’t release himself until his fourth LP "Never Too Late" on Warner Brothers K 56114 in April 1975 – and Woody Guthrie’s Traditional "Jackhammer Blues".

Highlights are many but the simplicity and beauty of "Winter Song" gets me every time while the speaker-to-speaker panning of "Alan In The River With Flowers" also makes great use of their unique harmonising. I could probably live without the jugband-whomp of Woody's "Jackhammer Blues" – better is the Rod Clements ballad "The Things I Should Have Said" where he meets a new lady but each is waiting for the silence to be broken as the sparks in the campfire start to fade. "We Can Swing Together" has become something of an anthem for the band – Jackson's growl and Harmonica making the 'roll your own' lyrics feel like a shanty-sailor-song – Dutch courage press-ganged kids drunk and pining for home. And that Bass/Mandolin break at the end of "Lady Eleanor" is middle-eight genius.

"Nicely Out Of Tune" has always been in the shadow of its more famous follow-up – 1971's "Fog On The Tyne" – a Number One album back when such things mattered and took serious sales to achieve. But I'm thinking its time to call both albums sweethearts ("Dingly Dell" too for that matter).

"...Didn’t think there could be more..." – Lindisfarne sang on the hypnotic and ethereal "Lady Eleanor" Turns out there is...

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