This is an album that has been on my queue for quite a while, and tonight feels to be a good night to check it out. Andwellas Dream, formerly known as The Method and later known as Andwella, was a psychedelic rock band from Northern Ireland that was formed in 1968. The band went through some name changes and different band members before officially splitting in 1972. This album, Love and Poetry (1969), didn’t sell very well when it was first released, but has since become somewhat of a collector’s item as enthusiasts of the genre have rediscovered the album in recent decades. I’m pretty stoked to give this album a listen, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“The Days Grew Longer For Love” begins with a very Irish folk sounding acoustic guitar, somewhat reminiscent of Donovan. Oh wow, the acoustic guitar gets replaced by some flavorful electric guitar playing a similar. Holy smokes, the tune gets grooving really nicely by the midpoint of the tune, as multiple guitar parts are introduced with a fuzzed-out, strong flavor, and a beat that really seems to move the tune around really nicely. Oh wow, this track is super sweet. Holy smokes, I’m pretty hooked into this track as the band seems to keep grooving and moving around the soundscape with some pretty intense jams. I really dig the accentuations from the piano as well. Great track, and I’m stoked to hear the rest of the tunes.
Oh wow, “Sunday” gets grooving with a rapid, intense feel right away from the bass line and the galloping guitar and drum parts that seem to accompany the bass. So far I’m reminded a fair bit of Fields, another psychedelic rock band from the same time period. Oh wow, the syncopation in the beat brings a ton of flavor to the song as things seem to be gradually ramping up. Holy smokes, the ending feels pretty intense. Great tune.
“Lost a Number Found a King” starts out with the jangling of some chimes as things begin with a sort of ominous chaos somewhat reminiscent of Pink Floyd. Oh wow, the flute comes in with some super sweet flavor and a melody that sounds Asiatic in origin, almost as you’re being invited across some strange, psychedelic meadow somewhere in the east. Holy smokes, the bass, acoustic guitar, and organ come on as the flute exits, bringing about a super tasty psychedelic folk feel that reminds me a bit of Espers, a psychedelic folk band from the 2000s. Wow, I’m really digging this track. The delicate notes plucked out by the acoustic guitar ring out against a backdrop of slowly moving, bright organs, which produces a super flavorful combination of sounds. Oh wow, the track gets moving for a moment in which the organs start swirling around and the acoustic guitar strums out some chords; super sweet. Wow, great track.
Oh wow, “Man Without a Name” gets grooving right away in a style that feels reminiscent of The Beatles circa Revolver (1966), with the combination of the shakers and the distant, bubblegum-like fuzzed-out twang of the electric guitar. Oh wow, the drums are front and center in this track, and also have a feel that feels a bit like Ringo, yet I’m also reminded a bit of the psychedelic stylings of Bill Kreutzmann of the Grateful Dead. Holy smokes, an intense, fuzzed-out guitar part comes in at a couple moments with some psychedelic blues licks; awesome. Great tune.
Oh wow, “Clockwork Man” starts out with some horns and/or woodwinds that get the tune grooving with a seemingly new flavor in the pot that is this album, while a light, bright acoustic guitar plays some folksy lines that feel reminiscent of Donovan. Oh wow, the tunes gets a bit whimsical with the combination of the crashing of the cymbals, the style of playing from the woodwinds/horns, and the slide whistle. Wow, great track.
Oh wow, “Cocaine” has a super laid back, groovy rhythm at the onset of the tune, which has the feel of both a psychedelic blues and a psychedelic funk style tune. Oh wow, the band gets grooving a bit more as the song continues into the chorus, picking up more of a psychedelic blues inclination, it would seem. Holy smokes, the jamming from the band in this one is super groovy; the swirling organs really churn the tune around, while the blues-inflected jazz-styled playing from the band really gives the tune, and album a lot of depth. Holy smokes, the drums and bass get into a bit of a jazz-like swinging jam, while the other instruments seem to build up tension in the jam around them. Holy smokes, the electric guitar that once had more of a jazz-style has since gotten pretty far out as the reverberation seems to cause it to echo throughout the soundscape. Oh wow, the song has become a bit of an a-cappella scat-singing section from the band members about cocaine. Oh wow, the instrumentation comes back in alongside that scat-singing for a ton of flavor. Great, flavorful tune.
Oh wow, “Shades of Gray” seems to bring out a somewhat pleading psychedelic blues feel, as the vocals seem to nearly cry into the soundscape while being driven by a super groovy, syncopated beat. I’m really digging this track. Oh wow, this track feels like the band is building up to a massive conclusion, reminding me a bit of The Blues Magoos as well as Ford Theatre. Holy smokes, the syncopated fills from the drums are super flavorful. Awesome track.
Holy smokes, “High On a Mountain” gets bopping and grooving along right away with some drums, bass, and keys that feel reminiscent of a John Lennon type of tune with the forward feeling movement in the track. Holy smokes, the band gets into some super flavorful psychedelic grooves. I’m really digging the guitar in this one, which reminds me a bit of David Gilmour. Wow, great tune.
Oh wow, “Andwella” starts out with a combination from the organs and guitar(s) that seem to suggest an epic tune is ahead. Oh wow, the vocals come in and the tune seems to become a psychedelic storytelling ballad of sorts, and I’m really digging it so far, especially as the jamming picks up in intensity. Oh wow, the jams build up super nicely to the point at which they feel like they’re breaking through to another movement, before seeming to retract back into the building groove without losing any momentum. Holy smokes, the band does eventually break through to a super flavorful jam at the end of the tune. Wow, great track.
Oh wow, “Midday Sun” begins with some reversed instrumentation (possibly organs/keyboards), before the song seems to fall into place with some folksy acoustic guitar and some lightly swirling organs. I really dig the bass guitar in this one, which keeps the bass line moving around, leading the song to have a very dynamic feel in the background. Oh wow, the drums come in for a light psychedelic swing of sorts. There almost sounds to be a bit of a raga-inflection in the track. Wow, another great tune.
“Take My Road” begins with an epic singer/songwriter sound from the vocals while the keys slowly build up the groove. Oh wow, the drums come in with a super groovy, syncopated rhythm, while an orchestral string section comes in from the side of the soundscape. Oh wow, the bass line has a massive tone coming from the bottom of the soundscape. This tune almost seems like if Paul Simon wanted to make a psychedelic rock styled song, and I’m digging it. Oh wow, there’s a false ending as things fade out for a moment, only to fade back in with the violin at the front and center of your attention, adding a ton of sweetness while backed by the rest of the band. Great track.
Oh wow, “Felix” almost has a feel that reminds me a bit of an 80s ballad at first with the slow building organs/keys at the beginning, before dropping into a super flavorful psychedelic rock tune. Holy smokes, there’s a super flavorful part that causes the soundscape to be filled by a washing, swirling distortion, in which all of the instruments seem to meld together as one, while being driven by the a distorted electric guitar and some crashing cymbals. Oh wow, the tune gets into a super flavorful bopping groove before getting into an awesome psychedelic jam, in which the band feels like they’re beginning to wrap up the album. Holy smokes, awesome tune.
Oh wow, “Goodbye” feels like a lullaby of sorts with the folksy acoustic guitar and the delicate vocal performance. I really dig the flavor of the acoustic guitar in this one, with a reverberated sound that seems to nearly drip back into the soundscape after the notes are initially plucked. Oh wow, there’s also a bit of a quick reverberation to the vocals in an almost ghostly style. Great track.
Oh wow, “Every Little Minute (Bonus)” begins with a building movement from some orchestral instruments alongside the drums and bass. Oh wow, the sweetness in this track is nearly tangible. This track almost feels like a well-earned encore of sorts as the bonus track on the album. Oh wow, the orchestral instrumentation seems to be swelling behind the vocals. Holy smokes, the chorus background vocals adds so much flavor to the soundscape alongside the sweetness of the orchestral instrumentation, while the drums keep jamming and driving the tune forward, and some clapping gives the tune a wholesome feel, as if you’re jamming along with the band in this one. The style of the tune sort of reminds me of “All You Need Is Love” by The Beatles. Wow, great tune, and a super sweet way to end the album.
Wow, this album is pretty awesome; I’ve already started looking into picking up this record on vinyl. The psychedelic stylings of the album range between largely rock and folk, with some flavorings of blues and even a bit of pop. Throughout the record, I was reminded of a number of other British groups and artists such as Donovan, The Beatles, and even Pink Floyd. The album felt like each song served a purpose, with different sections of the album building and releasing momentum and tension in a manner that felt quite natural. If you enjoy psychedelic rock and psychedelic folk, especially that of a British origin, you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A