For regulars at Alice in Wonderland and the Bat Cave some of Londons more obscure 80`s nightclubs the Psychedelic scene in the mids 80`s was thriving, many bands featured on the Cherry Red box Another Splash Of Colour Psychedelia in Britian 1980-1985 frequented and played at these clubs, as were other small clubs all over the UK.
Taking from predecessors such as The Electric Prunes, and The Seeds scene, the 3 cd box set covers a wide range of bands playing Psyche inspired music during this period.
One could argue it was a time a limbo for some bands that seemed to fall into this scene, the likes of Robyn Hitchcock, Julian Cope and the Icicle Works, and some old flames of the Punk scene also, Charlie Harper, Captain Sensible, also bands from the Creation Records stable, The Jasmine Minks and Biff Bang Pow, who themselves featured Creation Records guru Alan Mcgee.
Listening through this box set, its quite remarkable the mixture of songs and quality of the music of a period sometimes overlooked, from the start of disc 1, Mood Six Just Like A Dream, points the way to the changes from late New Romantic to a more cutting edge sound… The Barracudas Watching The World Go By, is great, its indie pre indie… an unknown term just round the corner.
For many in the Music press , New Psychedelia didn’t have legs and got knocked by many however this 3 cd proves them wrong, to me it was a wrong name given to a scene that deserved more, In fact was it a scene at all, perhaps a natural music progression at times where the charts were particularly poor.
More follows on CD2/3, The Dream Factory and the Jet Set, Julian COPE himself and The Purple Hearts who were associated with the Mod scene, it all goes to prove it was a time for new experimental pop with an edge.
Fortunate to see some of the bands from this set live during this period it’s a great reminder of a not forgotten period of underground music but one which pushed us into a better time, a truly interested and pleasurable listen.
Leggy Mountbatten
Tracks
DISC ONE
1. THE HIGH TIDE –
Dancing In My Mind
2. MOOD SIX – Just Like A Dream
3. MILES OVER MATTER -Something’s Happening Here
4. ROBYN HITCHCOCK –
It’s A Mystic Trip
5. THE BARRACUDAS –
Watching The World Go By
6. NICK NICELY – 49 Cigars
7. THE TIMES – I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape
8. THE ATTRACTIONS –
Slow Patience
9. THE EARWIGS –
Keep Your Voice Down
10. CHARLIE HARPER –
Night Of The Jackal
11. THE MARBLE STAIRCASE –
The Long Weekend
12. BLUE ORCHIDS – Work
13. THE SILENCE – Love Letters
14. KNOX – Gigolo Aunt
15. THE CHICAYNES –
Further Thoughts
16. THE VANDELLS –
I See Everything
17. KIMBERLEY REW –
Stomping All Over The World
18. DELMONTES –
Don’t Cry Your Tears
19. THE MONOCHROME SET –
On The Thirteenth Day
20. FUTURE DAZE – Connect *
21. THE SOFT BOYS –
Only The Stones Remain
22. FIRMAMENT & THE ELEMENTS – The Festival Of Frothy Muggament
23. THE VON TRAP FAMILY –
No Reflexes
* previously unissued
DISC TWO
1. NICK NICELY –
Hilly Fields (1892)
2. THE HIGH TIDE – Electric Blue
3. THE THIRD EYE – Pass Myself
4. MILES OVER MATTER –
Park My Car
5. SQUIRE – No Time Tomorrow
6. THE MARBLE STAIRCASE –
Still Dreaming
7. THE BARRACUDAS – Inside Mind
8. DEEP FREEZE MICE –
A Red Light For The Greens
9. PAUL ROLAND – Dr. Strange
10. MICHAEL MOORCOCK’S DEEP FIX – Brothel In Rosenstrasse
11. CLEANERS FROM VENUS –
Wivenhoe Bells II
12. SCARLET PARTY –
101 Dam-Nations
13. LE MAT – Waltz Of The Fool
14. THE DREAM FACTORY –
The Haze *
15. THE LEGENDARY PINK DOTS – Waving At The Aeroplanes
16. MODERN ART –
Fiction & Literature
17. THE JETSET –
And We Dance On
18. THE HEARTBEATS – Forever
19. PURPLE HEARTS –
Hazy Darkness…
20. PINK UMBRELLAS –
Raspberry Rainbow
21. THE TV PERSONALITIES –
The Dream Inspires (Live)
DISC THREE
1. THE REVOLVING PAINT DREAM – Flowers In The Sky
2. NAZ NOMAD & THE NIGHTMARES – I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)
3. JULIAN COPE – Sunspots
4. THE JASMINE MINKS – Mr. Magic
5. THE ICICLE WORKS – Nirvana
6. THE WAY OUT –
Do I Have To Be Here?
7. THE PRISONERS –
Reaching My Head
8. PLAYN JAYN –
In Your Eyes (Live)
9. THE PRIMEVALS –
Where Are You?
10. THE DENTISTS – Strawberries Are Growing In My Garden (And It’s Wintertime)
11. DOCTOR & THE MEDICS – Barbara Can’t Dance (Demo) *
12. BIFF BANG POW! – A Day Out With Jeremy Chester
13. MOOD SIX – Plastic Flowers (Psycho version)
14. FREIGHT TRAIN –
Man’s Laughter
15. THE ONLOOKERS –
You Know Everything
16. DIRECT HITS – Doctor Ben *
17. THE GREEN TELESCOPE –
Two By Two
18. MAGIC MUSHROOM BAND – Wide Eyed Electric
19. BRAINIAC FIVE – Endless River
20. CAPTAIN SENSIBLE – The 4 Marys Go Go Dance All Night At The
