UK Psychedelia Discussion Forum
Regal Zonophone 2
A nice array of sounds there Stuart. I always like the Terry Knight & The Pack stuff. Dutronc was very eclectic but very worthwhile. The RPM set is a useful gathering of his best material.
I have been listening to these over the last week:
Roxy Music - complete studio recordings 1972-82. 10 x CD box each album in a glossy gatefold mini-LP sleeve. Very nice set. Just a shame there's no booklet. The last two albums are rather vapid sounding in that awful 80s production values sort of way but still had some good songs on them. The rest I always loved and it's greatt o have them all in one box in such an attractive style.
The Who - '1st' Singles box as outlined in another post
Rolling Stones - Singles 1963-71 32 x CD singles in 3 x box sets of CD singles in international replica sleeves. I got these at nearly half price on ebay and Amazon. I always wanted the Stones early 45s in a neat box, but I really don't like the old fashioned thick as a brick plastic 4-way jewel case that the 1980s 'London Sessions' set came in. The tracks are almost identical bar a couple of EPs, but these 2002 boxes are just so much more attractive.
MC5 - Purity, Accuracy 6 x cd box on Easy Action. Another ebay win of this long sold out box. Rather uneven but very pleasurable mix of live and demos.
T Rex - Electric Boogie - Yet another eBay win of an out of peint Easy Action 5 cd box, live and home demos from 1971.
Velevet Underground (actually just Doug Yule) - Squeeze. (Aurora CD). Yule always gets slagged by VU fans for keeping the band name fo this, but it's actaully a very enjoyable pop-rock album and well worth a listen.
V/A - Buttons: From Champaign To Chicago. New 1979-82 era power pop compilation on Numero. Excellent power pop 45s by local zeros.
Iggy & The Stooges - Raw Power (iggy re mix). Got the Columbia tin sleeved edition for just a fiver on Amazon and what a thing of beauty it is. Slim tin box with the classic sleeve design and reverse imagary and the kick-ass Iggy Pop remix of this alltime classic album.
PM
The Collectors-s/t
The Collectors-Grass and Wild Strawberries
The Monkees-Various albums,im going through a Monkees kick at the mo,some terrific stuff.Whether they played or didnot play on it,at the end of the day theres some great songs to be heard.
Amen Corner-The complete Deram recordings.
Homer-Grown in The USA
Gigymen - S/T (Guerssen CD) 1974 100 copy only private press by a group of Cambrodge Uni students. Excellent and stylistically odd mix of prog-folk rock and Beatles-esque pop. Very enjoyable and musical.
Rodriguez - Cold Fact
Rodriguez - Coming From Reality
both CD reissues on Light In The Attic. I like these a lot, the guy has a great way with words, very Dylanesque. The 3 bonus tracks on 'Coming' from 72 are also excellent.
Next up -
The Kinks At The BBC 1964-94 5 x CD + 1 DVD. I've just watched the DVD so far. It's over 3 hours long! All stuff from about 1970 onwards other than two early appearances at the beginning. Not sure why this is, they must have been filmed for the Beeb (and not subsequently wiped!) loads of times in the 60s. The early 70s stuff is not bad and some quite interesting, but the mid 70s stuff (Old Grey Whistle Test concert, Christmas concert from 1977) I thought was a good example of why punk had to happen!
PM
I am listening to the excellent Crystal Syphon LP. Strange that no track from this band surfaces during more than 40 years.
A bunch of Tommy James: "The psychedelic years", the two 1969 LP with the Shondells. And his solo albums from 1970 ("TJ") and 1971 ("Christian of the world"). I like all and if someone has advices about TJ's other LP, please let me know.
And some soul music: the 4 volumes of "Deep soul treasures" and the comp "the Fame studios story 1961-73"... nice. 
Hi Philippe,i love Tommy James and the Shondells,that Psychedelic Years cd issued by Revola is tremendous,containing both the "69 albums Crimson and Clover and Cellophane Symphony,there was an albu from 1970 that i do recommend to you Philippe,is titled"Travelin"which has some good way out moments but the songwriting is of a high standard and plenty of wailing guitar,don't let the sleeve artwork put you off as it looks like it could be a country album,it aint!!There is a country rock type track titled "Red Rover"on it but the rest aint!!By the way this album is by Tommy James and the Shondells its not a solo album!!Another little known solo album is "Christian of The World"i think came after the very good "Tommy James"album with the psych artwork.I think Tommy James is and was an under rated songwriter and artiste,he with the Shondells recorded some must have 60s music moments from the early years of "Hanky Panky"to the US number 1 single "Crimson and Clover"they recorded a lot of stuff and a box set would make a valuable contribution to music,but alas no box set from what i know off.
OK Stuart, let's go for "Travelin". Thanks.
...and speaking of Gentle Giant, I've just finished listening to Simon Dupree and The Big Sound 'Part Of My Past'. I find this an almost perfect compilation of all the EMI recordings, except for the inclusion of the mono Without Reservations LP. For me, it's just a bit of overkill... but then again, I'm not a big fan of the mono.
Earlier today I had Rainbow Press: There's a War On / Sunday Funnies. Good Pop Psych for a Sunday afternoon. From there it's onto some Neo-Sunshine Pop Psych with The Beginning: in everything. Damn, I love this album! It's been two years since it was released... I wonder if we'll see something else from Anders Ljunggren someday?
I've also been spinning Jacco Gardner's latest single, 'Where Will You Go' b/w 'Summers Game' (released earlier this month as a download and a 7" vinyl. €2 for the download and $5.00 for the 45 (from Trouble In Mind Records). Even better then this past Februarys 'Clear The Air' / 'A House On The Moon' - which was an amazing slice of Baroque Pop Psyche - and lightyears beyond his early work as one half of The Skywalkers. If you're not familiar with this 24 year old Dutchman, do yourself a favour and give a listen... you won't be disappointed.
Good call on Rainbow Press.
Been listening to a mesmerising little album by a group called Mormos titled"The Magic Spell Of Mothers Wrath"from "72 i think,thanks to Phil for sending me this,to be honest not a brilliant album but one which ive been glad in hearing.
Since im off work i've been playing things that ive not pulled out for a long time,heres some:
Gun
13th floor Elevators-Easter Everywhere(its taken me a long time to really appreciate how groundbreaking this group were.)
Art Supernatural Fairytales
Julians Treatment-A time before this
Dr Strangely Strange-Heavy Petting
The Easybeats-Volume 3(imo their best album)
Danny Kirwan-Second Chapter
The Who-Sell Out(am i the only one who thinks of this album as their psych opus?)
And a couple of newies:
(original)Iron Maiden-NO,,not the heavy metallers,this is an unreleased demo album from 1970 released on the Rise Above Relics record label,i really like this kinda heavy post psych rock,well worth investigation if you like heavy!!
The Knack-Time Waits For no One-NO not the powerpoppers but recordings from the US 60s group The Knack-This is the latest release on cd from Now Sounds label,fab pop with more than a pop/psych feel to a number of tracks.
But the next cd ive just got recently is a spaced jazzy cosmic and at times damn right freaky album titled "Soul Zodiac"by The Nat Adderley Sextet,this actually features in the top 50 us psych albums you must hear that featured in the most recent US Psych issue of Shindig!!Blazing stuff,and imo better than say Funkadelic!!!
Alice Cooper/Piccadilly Sunshine Vol 9 2 duplicates but clearer it seems on this comp.
I had origional vinyl of Hook -Hooked and got rid of it immediately.
Julians Treatment-A time before this
Ya know Elliot ive never listened to a Solarflares cd,in fact very rarely listen to anything post 70s except for some ska from the 2 tone crowd which i grew up with which will always stay with me.Apart from Kula Shaker(pilgrims choice is a real goody imo),Ocean Colour Scene, Weller....etc.I've never really listened to contemporary psych/garage groups from the 80s onwards,2 groups i keep hearing about are The Solarflares and THe Prisoners,where would one start to hear they're most psyched out stuff?Im basically one of those sad psych fans who listens to stuff mainly from 66-74 and after that lose interest,which is kinda ignorant of me as i bet theres some good psych albums recorded after that!!Can someone point me in the direction to albums post 74 which are worth hearing??Thank you folks.
I pretty much go with anything Graham Day has a hand in. The Prisoners were excellent, serious 60s modernism in the 80s with great hammond and guitar. I love Graham Day's voice as well. 'Melanie' for instance is a fave. See it on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmF84xZz0lg.
In fact look for Solar Flares and Graham Day & The Gaolers on there too. These are heavier guitar bands Graham day fronted (still does I think for the Gaolers). Day has a soulful voice a great guitar melody sensibility and good riffs.
Try this one on youtube by the Solar Flares, taken from their 'Best of collection:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTOzRacF7Qk&feature=related.
Paul
After reading the two part Fallen Angels article in the last two issues of Shindig! I had to dig out The Roulette Masters discs and give them a spin. Splendid US psychpop and a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
And since it is a Sunday, I had to spend some time with Spanky & Our Gang ('Sunday Will Never Be the Same' / 'Sunday Mornin'... they had a thing about Sundays).
Finishing up with Food - Forever Is a Dream (another one I haven't listened to in years)
Piccadilly Sunshine Vol 10
Saturday Morning.Holiday Monday Piccadilly Sunshine Vols 3,2,1/8.
food forever is a dream is a great album.
Heres what ive been listening to and thoroughly enjoying it:
Mixed Up Minds volume 3(im a bit behind in hearing this,but i think its a strong collection of mainly uk tracks from the very early 70s,some cracking little morsels to be heard)
Jungle-S/T(a pretty strong demo album by this US outfit from the late 60s,if i remember right didnt they have a track on the love,peace and poetry collections.)
Tetragon-Nature(just played this German album from 1971 and really enjoyed it,some cracking keyboard on this album and they do sound influenced by The Nice which is made clear in the liners)
The Free Design-You could be born again(Love Free Design and their lush harmonies,this ones from 68,they recorded a few albums in the space of such a short time,still to hear the cd "one by one"which is waiting patiently to get its turn on the cd player)
The Young Flowers-The Complete Recordings(excellent freaky psych ,this double cd is issued by RPM ,one of that labels best releases in my opinion)
Well thats been about it,still got Piccadilly Sunshine 9 to hear yet,but if its as half as good as Mixed Up Minds 3,it could be a good listen.
I must check out that Young Flowers set, it descriptively sounds cool.
Been playing:
Piccadilly Sunshine 9 and 10 - All good stuff, but why include two songs by Kippington Lodge - for the people who are going to buy these discs, those are about as unheard as Led Zepplin's 'Stairway To Heaven'! Also, as much as I was knocked out by Graham Bond's 'You Gotta Have LOve' it doesn't belong on a PS volume even if it dates from '67 (quite incredibly) - it should be on the Mixed Up Minds series - speaking of which....
Mixed Up Minds 3 and 4. More fab early 70s underground and funky progster 45s, as Stuart has mentioned. There's a good number of tunes on these though that belong on Piccadilly Sunshine as they date from the late 60s and have that PS sound. Sounds like the compilers lost interest in consistency and bunged them in any old order. However, all of the inclusions are great, just not well sequenced.
T Rex (yes them!) - Electric Boogie (5x cd + 1 DVD box), 'Total T Rex 1971-2 (5 x Cd + 1 DVD box) and 'Calling All Destroyers' 2 x CD - all on Easy Action, more ebay wins and I'm loving every note of them!
Psych Funk A La Turkish Vol.1 LP - Excellent 11 track comp of Anatolian pop and East-west funky grooves, absolutely love it. Some of these cuts date as late as 1983-88 and all sound psych and early 70s - a lot better than what the Western charts were offering at that time!
David Bowie - Space Oddity, Man Who Sold The World, Ziggy Stardust, Hunky Dory, Pin Ups - all Jap mini-LP card sleeve replicas, beautiful design and sounds.
Paul