Marc Brierley was a talented folk artist who made his name as a singer-songwriter during the second half of the Sixties. After making an EP in 1966 for Transatlantic, Marc signed with CBS for two albums, Welcome To The Citadel (1968) and Hello (1969), helped by some of the best musicians on the circuit. Both are now prized collectors items by fans of the Acid Folk era. UK folky MARC BRIERLEY and his rare debut album - 1968's "Welcome To The Citadel" on CBS Records - has been treated to a luxurious and expanded CD remaster by Cherry Tree in September 2014 (Cherry Tree is part of Cherry Red Records). "Hello" is his second album from the summer of 1969 and again it's received a genuinely great upgrade. Here are the dewdrops and dodgy beards…
The second box in as many years of a truckload of obscure British psychedelia. Here are ten more CDs' worth of serious rarities by some bands that barely scratched the surface of the British freakbeat scene during rock's golden era, and a few who went on to other things. In all, there are 128 cuts here, all compiled and annotated by Phil Smee – of Perfumed Garden fame (also issued by Past And Present). While some of these acts, such as the Poets, the Human Instinct, Outer Limits, and Denny Laine left marks on the scene, as did mod bands such as les Fleur De Lys and the Buzz; many others came from the swamp and returned with only these few minutes of glory for all of their efforts.
The title of the popular trumpeter and composer's latest triumph is a wistful reference to a language created in the late 19th century (by Dr. L.L. Zamenhof, who used the pseudonym "Dr. Esperanto") to facilitate communication between people of different lands and cultures. It's representative of the unique vibe of the collection, which features distinctive Euro influences drawn from the realms of trance, electronica, and acid jazz, with dramatic orchestral touches as well. Before those kick in, however, listeners are treated to an extension of the old-school brassy soul of B.W.B., the Warner Bros. ensemble of Braun, Kirk Whalum, and Norman Brown.
This album's got lots of nice jazz fusion tracks, blended with the nice R&B tip that the band usually has. Titles include "Love In the Dark", "Soho", "One Step To A Miracle", "Smile", and their great cover of "Always There".
The Surfers' Touch and Go debut remains their highlight for many fans, an inspired blast of ugly noise, knowing idiocy, drugged-out insanity and some backhanded surprises. (…) The Surfers' crazy blend is completely distinctive, taking punk and the inspiration of their acid-addled Texas forebears to new heights.