Kevin Ayers played a large part in the English psychedelic rock realm, and was a founding member of Soft Machine, an early English psychedelic group. On his Wikipedia page, there’s a very intriguing quote from a British rock journalist, Nick Kent, who wrote that “Kevin Ayers and Syd Barrett were the two most important people in British pop music”, which has me intrigued even more than I was before I saw that quote. Ayers worked with artists, including Syd Barrett, Elton John, Bridget St John, and Brian Eno, among others. I’m pretty excited to listen to this album, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“There Is Loving / Among Us / There Is Loving” begins right away with a rapid, somewhat chaotic symphony of unsynchronized flutes. Oh wow, some more orchestral instrumentation comes into the soundscape and sets a mood that captured my attention almost immediately. Holy smokes, the instrumentation incorporates some rock elements in a super strange introductory movement, before switching over to a mellow, psychedelic rock groove that sounds something from a Pink Floyd album of some sort. Oh wow, the orchestral instruments gradually work back into the soundscape in a really far-out manner. Holy smokes, this movement sounds like pure chaos, with a nearly ominous undertone that seems to just barely evade darkness as the tune continues along, and I’m digging the resulting sound a lot. Holy smokes, Ayers finally comes in with some vocals around the midpoint of the song. Holy smokes, the song almost sounds like some far-out voyage that reminds me a ton of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon (1973). Oh wow, the soundscape has returned to the mellow, psychedelic instrumental portion that begins with instruments more generally used for rock and roll, but some orchestral instrumentation gradually works its way into the soundscape in a very natural, incredibly intriguing manner. Wow, awesome track, and I’m excited to hear more.
Holy smokes, “Margaret” has a strange ethereal bliss sound that has a drippy resonance to the musical landscape. Oh wow, Ayers’ tenor voice brings such a calming presence into the already serendipitous soundscape of the track; Ayers’ voice sort of has a quality that reminds me of Skip Spence’s voice. Oh wow, the combination of sweet sounds from the orchestral strings, Ayers’ deep humming, and the blissful keys is super relaxing. Great track.
Holy smokes, “Oh My” gets grooving right away with the sound of a big dripping noice, after which the soundscape seems to pick up a psychedelic mixture of New Orleans and country sounds, and I’m really digging the track a ton. This one album I definitely want to pick up on vinyl based on the first three tracks alone thus far. Holy smokes, there’s a piano that begins to rollick around from a distance near the end of tune. Holy smokes, awesome song.
Oh wow, “Song from the Bottom of a Well” there are some super interesting percussion and other sound effects that travel back and forth across the soundscape, seemingly in an effort to get the listener in a trance of some sort. Oh wow, the soundscape seems to have both a dark and inviting sound at the same time, with a bit of a galloping march in the beat, while the electric guitar seems to nearly have a proto-industrial rock sound. Holy smokes, this song is sweet. Oh wow, a mixture of chaotic sounds builds up to a crescendo of sorts at the end of the song. Great track.
Oh wow, “Whatevershebringswesing” almost feels like a more relaxed, somewhat exotic version of Pink Floyd’s “The Great Gig in the Sky” with the mellow, rich instrumentation, and gentle background chorus vocals. Oh wow, the tune also seems to remind me a bit of the Grateful Dead’s “Stella Blue” to some extent, as some of the licks from the guitar work sound a bit similar in both tone and the patterns of the licks. Oh wow, this track is super groovy so far. The guitar seems to be taking a solo that reminds me a fair deal of the slow, bending style of David Gilmour. Holy smokes, the solo from the guitar and the accompanying groove from the band just keeps on giving. Wow, that instrumental section was awesome, and the vocals seem to pick up the momentum effortlessly and add to it. Super sweet tune.
Holy smokes, “Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes” gets grooving right away with some bright and light acoustic guitar. Holy smokes, this track has a psychedelic pop style in the guitars that reminds me a lot of The Beatles, while the rhythm section has a super strong backbeat that, when combined with the deep, conversation tone of the vocals, almost seems to have a bit of a country blues rock sound. Holy smokes, the vocals and accompanying instrumentation almost sound like Beck. Oh wow, the piano really starts jamming in a super groovy way and doesn’t stop for anything, even as the track begins to fade out. Wow, great track.
Oh wow, “Champagne Cowboy Blues” seems to start out with a slow galloping avant-garde rhythm that is comprised of numerous percussive instruments, like chimes, wooden blocks, cymbals, and even what sounds to be the slamming of a a sheet of steel, as though this were recorded near an engineering facility in the south. Oh wow, I’m digging this track a ton. The electric guitars seem to bring about a psychedelic rock sound that sounds as though Pink Floyd were playing a country tune. Holy smokes, a super interesting movement of music just traveled across the soundscape, as though a bright, cheery sounding psychedelic rock band were walking right by the studio as this song was recorded. Great tune.
Oh wow, “Lullaby” starts off of the heels of the previous tune with a super serene sound of a babbling brook, which is soon joined by some delicate flutes and a soft, rich keyboard of sorts that plays a melody fit for a children’s lullaby. Wow, great track, and an awesome way to finish this album.
Holy smokes, this album is awesome. If you’re into Pink Floyd at all, and especially if you’re a fan of psychedelic rock and psychedelic prog rock, you might want to consider checking out this album. There were times when I thought I might have been listening to lost tracks from Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon (1973), but this album was released two years prior to that album. This is definitely an album that I want to get on vinyl. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely hope that you enjoy the experience at least as much as I did.
-A