"Be Glad For The Song Has No Ending/Liquid Acrobat As Regards The Air" by THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND (2004 Beat Goes On 2CD Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Evolution Rag..." 

I've reviewed the earlier catalogue of THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND from 1967 to 1970 on other superlative Beat Goes On CD Reissues - but have been avoiding this release because I can't abide the hippy claptrap of "Be Glad For The Sing Has No Ending" - especially its associations with the destructive and appalling Scientology Cult that is imbedded into the lyric-songs on Side 1. It's saved by some interesting instrumental passages on Side 2's nine-part Instrumental "The Song Has No Ending" (music from the limited-release 1970 film "Be Glad For The Song Has No Ending").

And then there's "Liquid Acrobat As Regards The Air" - coming at the tail end of 1971 - an underground album that fascinates to this day (spoken of in hushed tones by some). There are unfortunately still traces of Hubbard’s mind-bending cosmic psychobabble (indoctrinating young impressionable minds for momentary gain) – but the music was better and for its time – a bit out there. Let's get to the Cosmic Boys and their Evolution Rags...

UK released June 2004 (reissued October 2010) - "Be Glad For The Song Has No Ending/Liquid Acrobat As Regards The Air" by THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND on Beat Goes On BGOCD 627 (Barcode 5017261206275) offers 2LPs from 1971 (March and October) - Remastered onto 2CDs and plays out as follows:

Disc 1 (50:54 minutes):

1. Come With Me [Side 1]

2. All Writ Down

3. Veshengro

4. See All The People

5. Waiting For You

6. The Song Has No Ending (A Selection Of Instrumental Pieces - 26:45 minutes) [Side 2]

Tracks 1 to 6 are the album "Be Glad For The Song Has No Ending" - released March 1971 in the UK on Island Records ILPS 9140 (No US release). "Save All The People" recorded live March 1968 at The Royal Festival Hall - all other tracks studio.

Disc 2 (48:44 minutes):

1. Talking Of The End [Side 1]

2. Dear Old Battlefield

3. Cosmic Boy

4. Worlds They Rise And Fall

5. Evolution Rag

6. Painted Chariot

7. Adam And Eve [Side 2]

8. Red Hair

9. Here Till Here Is There

10. Tree

11. Jigs: Eyes Like Leaves/Sunday is My Wedding Day/Drops Of Whiskey/Grumbling Old Men

12. Darling Belle

Tracks 1 to 12 are the album "Liquid Acrobat As Regards The Air" - released October 1971 in the UK on Island Records ILPS 9172 and February 1972 in the USA on Elektra EKS-74112

The card slipcase always lends these BGO releases a feel of class. ALAN ROBINSON provides the very informative and entertaining liner notes in the tastefully laid out 16-page booklet – a lot of which is taken from and in collusion with Adrian Whittaker – author of the 2003 Book “Be Glad: An Incredible String Band Compendium” published by Helter Skelter. Adorning both sides of the text pages are small black and white period photos of the mad ensemble doing their flowers & cosmos thing – whilst the rest of the pages provide you with original recording credits and lyrics for both 1971 LPs.

Audio-wise - it doesn't say who or where these were Remastered - but I'm presuming it's the work on ANDREW THOMPSON. Anyway - the Audio is superb throughout - most of the Acoustic-based songs benefitting from that extra oomph the transfer has given them. With John Woods as the original Engineer (Nick Drake etc) – it’s hardly surprising that these CDs sound so sweet. But the music for me is very much a tale of two cities.

"Be Glad For The Song Has No Ending" feels like an odds and sods record - whatever was left in the can - thrown into one lump and issued regardless. Side 1 has the five lyric-based studio songs (One live in 1968) - while Side 2 is the 26-minute-plus Instrumental in nine different parts. The 'ha ha ha' chorus of the live track "See All The People" is insufferable hippy chanting and like most of Side 1 - I find it unlistenable now. There are pretty acoustic passages around the six-minute mark in the Side 2 instrumental that suddenly locate that ISB magic again - and later in the sitar break - but mostly it feels disorganised and rambling for the sake of it. Best track is the slightly vaudeville singing/talking more-tea-vicar song - "Waiting For You".

The harpsichord, the monastic voices and the clever Hari Krishna chanting percussion of "Talking Of The End" make it an extraordinarily odd yet intoxicating opening track. And just when you think you know where the song is going - it suddenly goes into a Sitar break that's both cool and eerie. "...Death is unreal...there's more to be revealed..." they sing on "Dear Old Battlefield" - the most Liege & Lief track on the LP. Mike Heron plays the Randy Newman piano while Likky handles the girly vocals on the pretty yet weird "Cosmic Boy" where the ISB of old is almost unrecognisable. Back to Folk-Prog business with "Worlds They Rise And Fall" - quite possibly the best melody on the album and beautifully played too. The very Richard and Linda Thompson guitar vibe of "Painted Chariot" got picked as a representative of the band on the "Strangely Strange But Oddly Normal" 3CD Box Set for Island Records in 2005. The vey English Traditional "Here Till Here Is There" is almost Acapella - Heron and Likky sharing the microphone while Recorders provide the plaintive backing. But the sophisticated story-telling, cod-faced funny and occasionally World War sad and beautiful "Darling Belle" dominates the LP – an elongated finisher about life and loss that is all flutes and hissing swans and glockenspiels giving it some banjo yearning. Mad as a dingbat on some very potent mushrooms - how very British...

The Incredible String Band has always divided listeners - they're a Marmite band - love or loathe them. Those silly youthful indoctrinations aside - "Liquid Acrobat As Regards The Air" is still pretty much unlike anything then or since.

Keep the home fires burning music while the leaves fall with whispers and the foggy dew is wet with aura daffodil love (know what I'm saying pal)...

"Classic Thin Lizzy - Universal Masters Collection" by THIN LIZZY (1999/2009 Decca/Deram CD Compilation of Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

(Original 1999 Cover)

(2009 Reissue Artwork)

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"…Remembering Part One…"

The budget-to-mid price Series "Universal Masters Collection" spans a huge range of artists on the Universal roster of Labels - from ABC through to DONNA SUMMER - and all points in between. But this little gem given over to THIN LIZZY and the Irish band’s early Decca Label material seems to have gone largely unnoticed.

The booklet is a 4-page foldout inlay with a decent essay on the band at that time by DARYL EASLEA and a basic track listing.

But the really good news is that all 18 of its tracks have been Digitally Remastered and many of them are hard-to-find rarities. The compilation covers the period 1971 to 1974, their first 3 albums and the non-album 7" singles around them. As you can see from the photo they've used for the front cover of the booklet, the rocking Dublin band was still a POWER TRIO at that time - PHIL LYNOTT on Bass and Vocals (principal songwriter), ERIC BELL on Guitar and Vocals with BRIAN DOWNEY on Drums and Percussion (the famous dual-guitars of BRIAN ROBERTSON and SCOTT GORHAM began with "Nightlife" in 1974).

The albums featured here are "Thin Lizzy", their debut from April 1971, "Shades Of A Blue Orphanage", their second album from March 1972 (un-issued in the US) and their fantastic third album from September 1973, "Vagabonds Of The Western World" (on the Decca label in the UK and the London label in the USA). As the first three albums were put out onto CD in 1990, 1993 and 1993 respectively with 'ok' sound quality - these 1999 sonic upgrades are both long overdue and superb-sounding into the bargain.

Originally UK released December 1999 (reissued 2005 and 2009) - "Classic Thin Lizzy: The Universal Masters Collection" by THIN LIZZY is an 18-track CD compilation on Universal/Deram/Decca 844 945-2 (Barcode 042284494526). Here’s the track-by-track breakdown (most of this info isn’t on the outer sleeve):

1. Whisky In The Jar

Their 1st UK 7" single from November 1972 and originally a non-album track – the song is an updated cover version of a 1729 Traditional Irish air. The cut supplied here is the rare 'Promotional Edited Version' used on UK Demos and the US issue of the single that cut down the standard 7" release from its full running time of 5:44 minutes to a shorter 3:40 minutes

2. The Rocker

Their 3rd UK 7" single, this is the rare ‘Edited Single Version'. It chops down the full "Vagabonds Of The Western World" album cut of 5:12 minutes to 2:41 minutes - essentially editing out Eric Bell's guitar solo

3. Look What The Wind Blew In (on "Thin Lizzy" - their 1st album)

4. Randolph's Tango

Their 2nd UK 7" single from May 1973 and again a non-album track. This is credited as the ‘US Edited Single Version’ - but as the original UK version runs to 3:53 minutes and this cut is 3:49 minutes - in a crazy world of 45 playing times - 4-seconds is seen as an 'edit'…

5. Sarah (Version 1) (on "Shades Of A Blue Orphanage" - their 2nd album)

6. Things Ain't Workin' Out Down At The Farm (Version 1)

The 4th of 4 tracks on the ultra-rare "New Day" EP - a UK-only 7" single-only release from 21 August 1971. The 1st track on the EP "Dublin" is also on this compilation - Track 12. For CD versions of the other two songs on the EP, "Remembering Part II (New Day)" and "Old Moon Madness” - they can be found as bonus tracks on both the 1990 and 2010 CD reissues of "Thin Lizzy”

7. Vagabond Of The Western World

Edited 7” Single Version - it cuts down the "Vagabonds..." album track of 4:49 minutes to a running time of 4:06 minutes

8. Here I Go Again (non-album B-side to the November 1973 UK 7” single of "The Rocker" on Decca F 13467)

9. Buffalo Gal (on "Shades Of A Blue Orphanage” - their 2nd album)

10. Honesty Is No Excuse (on "Thin Lizzy” - their 1st LP)

11. Black Boys On The Corner

Released in the UK in November 1972 as Decca F 13356 - it's the non-album B-side to both the UK and USA 7" single "Whisky In The Jar" (spelt without an 'e' in the UK and EUROPE but with an 'e' in the USA.

12. Dublin (1st of 4 tracks on the ultra-rare "New Day" EP, a UK-only 7" single-only release from 21 August 1971)

13. Little Darling (a UK 7" single-only release from April 1974 on Decca F 13507 featuring GARY MOORE (ex Ireland's SKID ROW) on Guitar)

14. Brought Down (on "Shades Of A Blue Orphanage” - their 2nd LP)

15. Remembering Part One (on "Thin Lizzy". This is credited as the 'US Edited Version' - but at 6:00 minutes it appears to me to be the same as the UK album version)

16. Chatting Today (on "Shades Of A Blue Orphanage” - their 2nd LP)

17. Broken Dreams (non-album B-side to "Randolph's Tango" – released May 1973 as their 2nd UK 45 on Decca F 13402 – both tracks were non-album at the time)

18. Little Girl In Bloom

(US Edited Version - it cuts down the "Vagabonds..." album cut from 5:14 minutes to 5:06 minutes and was apparently released like this on the 1973 AMERICAN versions of the "Vagabonds..." album)

Apart from the obvious rarity nature of many of these tracks what is thrilling is the stunning upgraded remastering that each has been given. A comparison of "Black Boys On The Corner" is one good example. Originally only available on the 1991 CD issue of “Vagabonds Of The Western World" as a bonus track in ok remastered sound - the upgrade here is just breathtaking. A truly great B-side (and far more indicative of their rockin' nature than the A) - it's been a fan-favourite for years and to hear it sound this good is an absolute blast.

Initially penciled in for release February 2008 - the first three albums on Decca "Thin Lizzy" (1971), “Shades Of A Blue Orphanage" (1972) and a 2CD Deluxe Edition of their wonderful 1973 LP "Vagabonds Of The Western World” finally arrived in 2010 after five or even six delays - and all of them with copious bonus tracks and top-quality remastering well worth the wait (see my reviews for all of them).

'Classic Thin Lizzy' is probably pushing the term here - but if you want a taster of those early years - “Classic/Universal Masters Collection" is an excellent CD compilation and a cheap way of accessing their earlier and wildly underrated material. And it’s a cool way to remember this beloved (original trio) of an Irish Rock Band and its much-missed leader - PHILIP PARIS LYNOTT. Rock on you peach…

"Taking Some Time On – The Parlophone-Harvest Years (1968-73)" by BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST (2011 EMI/Harvest 5CD Box Set) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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Featuring the 1971 Album "Once Again" on Harvest Records

"…Come On Let's Get Together…"

UK released 18 July 2011 - "Taking Some Time On: The Parlophone-Harvest Years (1968-73)" by BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST features 69-tracks across 5CDs and is housed in a double jewel case (with fold-out flaps on the inside for some of the discs). Here's a detailed breakdown of EMI/Harvest 5099908378826 (SHTW 802)…

Disc 1 (60:56 minutes)

Tracks 1 & 2 are "Early Morning" and "Mr. Sunshine" – the non-album A&B-sides of the band’s debut UK 7” single released 26 April 1969 on Parlophone R 5693

3. So Tomorrow

4. Eden Unobtainable

5. Eden Unobtainable (May 1968 Version)

Tracks 3 to 5 are a 'BBC Top Gear Session' recorded live 23 April 1968

6. Night

7. Pools Of Blue

8. Need You Oh So Bad

9. Small Time Town

10. Dark Now My Sky

Tracks 6 to 10 are a 'BBC Top Gear Session' recorded live 30 July 1968

Tracks 11 and 12 are "Brother Thrush" and "Poor Wages" – the non-album A&B-sides of their 2nd UK single on Harvest HAR 5003 (released 20 June 1969)

Track 13 is "Mocking Bird" (May 1970 version at 6:17 minutes)

[Another version at 6:39 minutes is on the "Once Again" album on Disc 2]

14. Taking Some Time ON

15. Mother Dear

16. The Sun Will Never Shine

17. When The World Was Woken

Tracks 14 to 17 are Side 1 of their debut LP "Their First Album" released 5 June 1970 in the UK on Harvest SHVL 770

Disc 2 (62:42 minutes):

1. Good Love Child

2. The Iron Maiden

3. Dark Now My Sky

Tracks 1 to 3 are Side 2 of "Their First Album" (as per 14 to 17 on Disc 1)

Track 4 "I Can’t Go On Without You" was a 'Bonus Track' on the expanded 2002 CD of "Their First Album"

5. She Said

6. Happy Old World

7. Song For Dying

8. Galadriel

9. Mocking Bird

10. Vanessa Simmons

11. Ball And Chain

12. Lady Loves

Tracks 5 to 12 are their 2nd album "Once Again" released 5 February 1971 in the UK on Harvest SHVL 788

Disc 3 (66:39 minutes):

1. Introduction-White Sails (A Seascape)

2. Too Much On Your Plate

3. Galadriel (Non Orchestral Version)

4. Happy Old World (Take One)

5. Song For Dying (Full Un-edited Version)

6. Mocking Bird (Extended Non-Orchestral Version)

7. Dark Now My Sky (Live March 1971)

Tracks 1 to 7 are bonus tracks on the CD of "Once Again"

8. Galadriel

9. She Said

10. Someone There You Know

11. Ursula (The Swansea Song)

12. Medicine Man

Tracks 8 to 12 are a 'Bob Harris Session' recorded for the BBC on 29 June 1971

Disc 4 (67:06 minutes):

1. Medicine Man

2. Someone There You Know

3. Harry’s Song

4. Ursula (The Swansea Song)

5. Little Lapwing

6. Song With No Meaning

7. Blue John’s Blues

8. The Poet

9. After The Day

Tracks 1 to 9 are their 3rd album "And Other Short Stories" released 5 November 1971 in the UK on Harvest SHVL 794

Track 10 is "Brave New World (Demo Version)" – a bonus track on the "And Other Short Stories" CD of 2002

Track 11 is "Child Of Man" recorded for a 'Bob Harris Session' on 15 March 1972

Tracks 12 and 13 are "I'm Over You" and "Child Of Man" – the non-album A&B-sides of a UK 7” single released 28 April 1972 on Harvest HAR 5051

Tracks 14 and 15 are "Breathless" and "When The City Sleeps" (with the band credited as BOMBADIL) – the A&B-sides of a UK 7" single released 29 September 1971 on Harvest HAR 5056

Track 16 is "Medicine Man" – released 20 October 1972 as the non-album B-side of "Thank You" on Harvest HAR 5058

Disc 5 (60:41 minutes):

1. One Hundred Thousand Smiles Out

2. Delph Town Morn

3. Summer Soldier

Tracks 1 to 3 are a 'Bob Harris Session' for the BBC recorded 9 October 1972

4. Crazy Over (You)

5. Delph Town Morn

6. Summer Soldier

7. Thank You

8. One Hundred Thousand Smiles Out

9. Moonwater

Tracks 4 to 9 are their 4th LP "Baby James Harvest" released 10 November 1972 in the UK on Harvest SHSP 4023

Track 10 is "Thank You (Alternate Version)" is a bonus track on the 2002 expanded CD of "Baby James Harvest"

Track 11 and 12 are "Rock And Roll Woman" and "The Joker" – the A&B-sides of a UK 7" single released 4 May 1973 on Harvest HAR 5068

The discs themselves all have the distinctive 'Harvest' label logo and there are pictures of the band beneath the see-through trays (a nice touch). But its also one of those fiddly and easy to break double jewel-cases - so you need to be a tad careful handling it. The booklet has excellent liner notes by MALCOM DOME, but at 12-pages is a fairly slight affair. However it does picture concert tickets, flyers, badges, posters, small shots of the four album sleeves etc…and of course full discography info.

But the really great news is the superb new remastered sound. Done by PETER MEW at Abbey Road Studios, I've praised his exceptional transfer work before (see reviews for the Deluxe Editions of Dr. Feelgood's "Down By The Jetty", David Bowie's "David Bowie", Free's "Fire And Water" and Jethro Tull's "This Was") – here it's the same. The audio is very clear despite the denseness of the instrumentation, powerful without being over-trebled for effect and full of presence. (See the 'tag' marked "Peter Mew Remasters" above this review and it will give you a pictorial of 40 great reissues he’s been involved in).

The music as you can imagine is a mixed bag of the great and the merely good. Comparison-wise BJH were actually hard to pin down (constantly experimenting with their 'sound' as the liner notes explain). The Mellotron gives a song like the lovely "Mocking Bird" a sort Moody Blues feel with a faint hint of Nick Drake's melancholy – while the compilation’s title track "Taking Some Time On" (lyrics above) rocks it up with the best of them (albeit in a very Seventies Prog Rock kind of a way). The early BBC stuff (expertly engineered by the greatly missed BBC engineer and character BERNIE ANDREWS) is tight and impressive. It's all very inviting somehow. And you can feel them inching towards "Time Honoured Ghosts" and "Octoberon" (their popular 1975 and 1976 Polydor LPs) by the time you get to the strings and acoustic bedroom melodrama of "Medicine Man" and "Song With No Meaning" on Disc 4. 

To sum up - die-hard BJH fans will know that the 2002 remasters for the first four LPs - "Their First Album" [aka "Barclay James Harvest"], "Once Again", "And Other Short Stories" and "Baby James Harvest" - are all here along with their large number of bonus tracks (64 songs in total). So there are only 5 new additions. But for the casual buyer however - you get 4 whole albums worth, 5 rare non-album 45s (A&B-sides) and a slew of live BBC Sessions and other rarities. A huge haul in great sound and all at a very reasonable cost…

"The House On The Hill" by AUDIENCE (2015 Esoteric Recordings Expanded CD – Ben Wiseman Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Light Through My Window Pane..."

If was to describe Audience's 3rd album for the eclectic Charisma Records label – it would be 'Beautiful Rock'. Sometimes a band that starts out thrashing about making their own unique kind of Roxy Music meets The Move meets The Electric Light Orchestra sound madness – settles down and actually produces that gorgeous melodic wonderwork everyone who signed them thought them capable of in the first place. Housed in its cool and striking Hipgnosis sleeve - 1971's "The House On The Hill" is that album.

Along with their uber-rare debut LP on Polydor Records in 1969 – Esoteric Recordings (part of Cherry Red of the UK) have reissued all 4 of their albums in 2015 onto Expanded CDs – remastered from original master tapes – all with bonus cuts and involvement from Howard Werth of the band (see the list of 4 titles below).

"The House On The Hill" was Audience's 2nd LP for the Charisma Label in the spring of 1971. "Lunch" - their third record in 1972 would turn out to be their last - disbanding shortly after due to musical differences ("Lunch" actually troubled the American LP charts in July 1972 on Elektra Records rising to the lofty placing of 175 – none of their other albums charted there including this one). Here are the back door details...

UK released 25 May 2015 (June 2015 in the USA) – "The House On The Hill" by AUDIENCE is an Expanded 11-track CD on Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 2492 (Barcode 5013929459243) and breaks down as follows (51:11 minutes):

1. Jackdaw

2. You're Not Smiling

3. I Had A Dream

4. Raviole

5. Nancy [Side 2]

6. Eye To Eye

7. I Put A Spell On You

8. House On The Hill

Tracks 1 to 8 are their 3rd studio album "The House On The Hill" – released April 1971 in the UK on Charisma Recordings CAS 1032 and in the USA on Elektra Records EKS 74100. Produced by Gus Dudgeon of Elton John and Hookfoot fame - Tracks 1 and 2 are written by Werth and Gemmell, Tracks 3, 5, 6 and 8 are written by Werth and Williams, the largely instrumental Track 4 is written by Werth with the Strings Arranged by Robert Kirby conducting members of the LSO and finally Track 7 is an Acoustic cover version of the famous Screamin' Jay Hawkins classic "I Put A Spell On You" from 1957.

BONUS TRACKS:

9. You're Not Smiling (Single Mix) - see paragraphs below

10. Indian Summer - see paragraphs below

11. You’re Not Smiling (Promotional Radio Version) – Previously Unreleased

AUDIENCE was:

HOWARD WERTH - Vocals and Electric Classical Guitar

KEITH GEMMELL – Tenor Sax, Clarinet and Flute

TREVOR WILLIAMS – Bass Guitar

TONY CONNOR – Percussion and Vibes

In a roundabout kind of a way - Charisma actually pushed out four 7" singles surrounding the album. First up (and before the LP hit the racks) came the non-album "Indian Summer" in March 1971 as a 3-track EP in a rare picture sleeve (Charisma CB 141). A2 was "It Brings A Tear" with "Priestess" as its B – both cuts from their 2nd album "Friend's, Friend's, Friend" from 1970. A 7" Single Edit/Remix of the album cut "You're Not Smiling" at 4:19 minutes (the LP version is 5:22 minutes) was issued as an A-side on Charisma CB 156 in July 1971 with the LP track "Eye To Eye" as its flipside (some rare copies list "Eye To Eye" on both sides in error). 45 No. 3 showed up November 1972 when they put the gorgeous "Raviole" on the A of Charisma CB 196 with the non-album "Hard Cruel World" on the flip ("Hard Cruel World" is available as a bonus on the Extended "Lunch" CD). The fourth and final 7" single came in February 1973 when Charisma were plugging the budget-priced Audience compilation LP "You Can't Beat 'Em" released in the same month on Charisma CS 7. They lumped "You're Not Smiling" with "Raviole" on the B-side – credited them to Howard Werth and Audience on Charisma CB 204.

Recorded at Trident Studios in London and Produced by the legendary GUS DUDGEON - the wonderful gatefold album artwork became something of a cause celebre on release. Done by Storm Thorgerson and Pip of Hipgnosis sleeve-art fame – it turns out the man dragging the dead body by the stairs (inner gatefold) is the butler of the house they shot the cover in - while the dead body is the band’s roadie (it was actually a black and white photo hand-tainted to get that 1930s and 1940s look).

The 16-page booklet is coloured in the same tint as the original artwork (a nice touch) with 2015 liner notes by noted freelance writer and reviewer SID SMITH that features new interviews with Howard Werth. It goes into the history of the album (Werth feels its all good and he’s right) and how they revisited the song “The House On The Hill” which was actually on their first LP in 1969 on Polydor. But the big news for fans (as it is with all the other issues) is a 24-bit remaster from original Charisma master tapes by Sound Engineer BEN WISEMAN who has done loads of great work for a large number of reissue labels. The audio is wonderful – giving truly lovely clarity to those classical acoustic guitar passages and the Move/Roy Wood soundscapes on tracks like "Jackdaw" and near 8-minute title track. This remaster is superb.

"House" opens with "Jackdaw" which is just 7:31 minutes of brilliance with what has to be Werth's best-ever vocal performance. Their sound is a strange mixture of Mott The Hoople meets Lindisfarne meets Roxy Music meets Duncan Browne on RAK – Werth's vocals sounding like the lovechild of Roy Wood and Lindisfarne's Alan Hull - while the Saxophones and layered vocals give it a lovely musicality. I've never really liked "You're Not Smiling" in any of the three variants offered here – but the stunning acoustic genius of "I Had A Dream" is a different matter entirely. What a wonderful song this is - and one with real gut feeling. His acoustic guitar is kept sparse for most of the duration until layered backing vocals and a restrained Saxophone compliment the centre passage. I love this song and it's on my 70's Fest CD-R of "Forgotten Gems" like a bullet. And as if that's not good enough – Side One ends with the largely instrumental acoustic beauty of "Raviole" – another absolute corker in the style of Gordon Giltrap and easy to hear why someone thought it worthy of A-side status on a Charisma 45.

Side 2 opens with the jaunty "Nancy" which feels like the Andy McKay Saxophone of Roxy Music going all soppy alongside a furiously strummed Classic Acoustic Guitar – it's a great sound and one that feels fresh to this day. "Eye To Eye" is the closet they get to Jethro Tull circa "Stand Up" and "Benefit" – Gemmell's breathy Flute dominating the track. We then enter into an area of unexpected inspiration – a slow-at-first-then-fast acoustic cover of Screamin' Jay Hawkins 1957 Okeh Records classic "I Put A Spell On You" where Werth makes his arrangement sound like he's Jose Feliciano on fire. His vocal is wicked too – wailing one moment then reining it in again – brilliant. It ends on the most Prog song on the LP – the 7:33 minutes of the title track. His vocals quiver at times like Donovan doing Hurdy Gurdy Man – it’s great stuff and sounds ahead of its 1971 timeframe. The non-album "Indian Summer" is a another pretty Acoustic Folk-Rock track in the vein of Lindisfarne – a track you feel that should have done better business...

Sticks man Tony Connor joined Hot Chocolate, Trevor Williams did stints with Jonathan Kelly’s Outside and Judas Jump and has been a part of the Audience reunion gigs while Keith Gemmell moved into Stackridge and spent many years with The Pasadena Roof Orchestra. The band’s main man and principal songwriter Howard Werth released a solo album "King Brilliant" in September 1975 (Charisma CAS 1104) trading as Howard Werth & The Moonbeams. They regrouped briefly and successfully in 2004 and Audience retain huge affection amongst fans to this day (they were monster in Europe in 1972 – Number 1 in Italy in fact).

Audience’s music is never going to be everyone’s favourite tipple if I'm honest (none of their albums charted in the UK) - but there’s beauty and Rock wonder on here – and more than once or twice too. A top job done by Esoteric Recordings and an absolute must-buy for fans...

AUDIENCE Expanded CD Remasters on Esoteric Recordings:

1. Audience (1969 debut LP on Polydor 583 065)

29 June 2015 Expanded CD Remaster with 3 Bonus Tracks on Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 2494 (Barcode 5013929459441)

2. Friend’s Friend’s Friend (May 1970 2nd LP on Charisma CAS 1012)

29 June 2015 Expanded CD Remaster with 7 Bonus Tracks on Esoteric Records ECLEC 2499 (Barcode 5013929459946)

3. The House On The Hill (April 1971 3rd LP on Charisma CAS 1032)

25 May 2015 Expanded CD Remaster with 3 Bonus Tracks on Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 2492 (Barcode 5013929459243)

4. Lunch (July 1972 4th and final studio LP on Charisma CAS 1054)

25 May 2015 Expanded CD Remaster with 3 Bonus Tracks on Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 2493 (Barcode 5013929459342)

"Songs Of Love And Hate" from 1971 by LEONARD COHEN (Inside October 2011's "The Complete Studio Albums Collection" 11CD Box Set with New Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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1971 LP "Songs Of Love And Hate" on Columbia and CBS Records

Remastered inside "The Complete Studio Albums Collection"

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"...Diamonds In The Mines..." 

As others have quite rightly commented - it's a triple-whammy - great music, great price and stunning remastered audio for Montreal's finest.

These eleven Leonard Cohen Columbia Records studio albums stretching from 1967's "Songs Of Leonard Cohen" through to 2004's "Dear Heather" are presently clocking in at less than two quid a pop (March 2017) - which given what's on offer here is utterly remarkable - 'new skin for the old ceremony' indeed. The only missing LP is April 1973's "Live Songs" because it's outside this box studio box set's remit.

His deeply sad passing in November 2016 saw the loss of yet another style-setting songsmith from back in the day – Canada's great mumbling lover man – Leonard Cohen. Always bigger in the UK and Europe than he was in Canada and the States - his deep tonal voice and tales of forlorn love struck a mighty chord in Blighty especially. Not for everyone for sure - but those who loved his articulate wallowing did so with a passion bordering on mania. Sisters Of Mercy named their band after a song on his 1967 debut - while everyone from Tori Amos and Jennifer Warnes to Jeff Buckley, Johnny Cash, Judy Collins, Neil Diamond, Richie Havens, Tim Hardin, Joe Cocker, Eddie Kendricks, Don Henley, Nick Cave, Roberta Flack, James Taylor, Suzanne Vega, Peter Gabriel and Madeleine Peyroux (amongst many) has covered his lonesome pine tunes. Jeff Buckley practically owns the beautiful and ethereal "Hallelujah" and every Indie Movie its ever been featured in (a UK No 1 while Cohen was still with us). And all of this is yours for less than twenty-two UK pre-Brexit smackers.

Let's get to the various musical positions before someone out there in overpriced digital 'la la land' notices the wrong envelope...and in particular the wonderful third LP from 1971 – overlooked and unfairly forgotten...

UK released 9 October 2011 - "The Complete Studio Albums Collection" by LEONARD COHEN on Sony/Legacy 88697961772 (Barcode 886979617728) is an 11CD Box Set of New Remasters with a 24-page booklet that plays out as follows:

Disc 3 - "Songs Of Love And Hate" (1971) - 45:02 minutes:

1. Avalanche

2. Last Year's Man

3. Dress Rehearsal Rag

4. Diamonds In The Mine

5. Love Calls You By Your Name [Side 2]

6. Famous Blue Raincoat

7. Sing Another Song, Boys

8. Joan Of Arc

Tracks 1 to 8 are his 3rd studio album "Songs Of Love And Hate" - released March 1971 in the USA on Columbia C 30103 and in the UK on CBS Records S 69004 (Stereo only in both cases). Produced by BOB JOHNSTON - it peaked at No. 145 in the USA and No. 4 in the UK.

Produced for Sony/Legacy by Steve Berkowitz and Bruce Dickinson - pages 2 to 5 of the 24-page booklet feature new liner notes from novelist and fan PICO LYER - while the remaining pages offer basic track lists, some musician credits and three or four black and white photos of Cohen during various stages of his career. It's nice but hardly great or in-depth. Excepting the gatefold of 1977's "Diary Of A Ladies' Man" - each album is in a singular card sleeve as per their original vinyl/CD releases - but there's no inserts or the mini booklet that accompanied "Songs Of Love And Hate" - that sort of thing (not reproduced in the booklet either). There's no real analysis of the albums in the booklet - hell they can't even be bothered to put the LP release dates anywhere (you get more info from my lists than you do in here).

But all of that goes out the presentation window when you clap your ears on the wonderful new Remasters. MARK WILDER and BRUCE DICKINSON are the Audio Engineers behind each album (all done at Battery Studios in New York) except "Dear Heather" which doesn't need any work and was originally mastered by STEPHEN MARCUSSEN (he did all the Polydor CD reissues for The Rolling Stones in 2009). Many of these albums have eluded Remaster for years - so it's a welcome Audio haul that's for sure. Let’s focus on 1971...

Producer Bob Johnston had twiddled the knobs for the one and only album by West in 1968 – the self-titled "West" on Epic BN 23860. For the "Songs Of Love And Hate" sessions Johnston brought in the Guitarist from West Ron Cornelius as the principal player (he’d also strummed on Dylan’s "New Morning" LP earlier in 1971). And along with Paul Buckmaster who’d arranged strings for Elton John and David Bowie – you also got Southern Rocker Charlie Daniels later of The Charlie Daniels Band contributing Guitar, Bass and Fiddle. The other element was Bubba Fowler – an Acoustic Folk Guitarist who had managed a lone album called "...And Then Came Bubba" on Columbia CS 9971 in 1970. He plays Bass, Acoustic and Banjo. Cohen in fact decided to dub his troop of players ‘The Army’ and would play live with most of them to Israeli Soldiers later that year on one of his many world-wandering forays. Last but not least - the second song on Side 1 - "Last Year’s Man" - also features the children’s voices of London’s Corona Choir to very moving effect.

It seemed that between the eighteen months since the last LP "Songs From A Room" in April 1969 – Cohen’s vocal range had dipped even lower. I say this because although the first two sparse albums get all the 4 to 5-star accolades - I find his deeper tone on this album to be the best of all that period. Lyrically too – whether it be the acoustic guitar tumble of the opener "Avalanche" or the six-minutes of "Dress Rehearsal Rag" – his words flowed like wise poetry – a very Dylanesque string of consciousness that was both sleepy and ever so slightly drugged-up. There is gorgeous audio on "Diamonds In The Mine" – where there are no grapes on the vine or chocolates in the box – an acidic growling song about Christians getting eaten and doctors sterilising needles (nice).

Things return to that pretty drone of his with "Love Calls You By Your Name" – where lyrics talk about open oceans and even more open veins – women in scrapbooks to be praised and blamed as Paul Buckmaster pours on those trademark strings. In 1986 Jennifer Warners would start the first of three tribute albums to LC by calling hers after the next famous song - "Famous Blue Raincoat" (check out the CDs for “I’m Your Fan” in 1991 and "Tower Of Song" in 1995). Corlynn Hanney and Susan Mussman are the female vocalists who provide those beautiful counterpoint vocals sailing over his story of Jane – while Buckmaster keeps the horns and strings so subtle and therefore so moving. "Famous Blue Raincoat" is worth the price of admission alone. I find the mock live feel to "Sing Another Song, Boys" a bit grating – but the six-minutes of "Joan Of Arc" is classic Leonard Cohen. The blood-spattered Crusader bemoans the war – wants a wedding dress – wants the night to sooth her – wants the mantle of heroine lifted. The remaster is gorgeous throughout this LP finisher that feels like Mike Oldfield on an Acoustic Guitar two years before forming the quieter passages in "Tubular Bells" (the two aforementioned ladies also add a beauty to this song).

It would be over three years until he returned with "New Skin For The Old Ceremony" in August 1974 where Cohen suddenly sounded like Dr. John from New Orleans.

"...I hear that you’re building your little house...deep in the desert..." – Cohen sings on the epic "Famous Blue Raincoat". Start building your love affair with this lovely-sounding album and great value CD Box Set...

PS: If you can’t locate a 1971 original LP - Music On Vinyl – the repressing wing of Columbia – put out a 180-grams remastered vinyl LP version of "Songs Of Love And Hate" in November 2009 (minus the booklet) on Music On Vinyl MOVLP036 (Barcode 5099703221916)...