Being unavailable since about two years after it’s initial release in 1991 on Skyclad, the original 5-song EP by the renowned L.A. paisley psychedelicate popsters is being re-released for the first time on their own label, with the track listing being doubled with 4 unreleased tracks as well as an additional V.A. comp track.
Of the official content, it opens with Warehouse The Wicked, a power-popin’ piece of Britsike, followed by the acoustic ballad Black Aggie, sounding not too unlike the Love-ly ones from Forever Changes, with an additional Olde English feel to it, while Persephone Again is the only out-of-concept one, being an un-necessary (too) noisy kind of a hard-core post-punk.
It’s with a competent cover of Love’s The Daily Planet and the title song that they’re getting back to where it’s at, which with the latter happens to be an Eastern-tinged, psychedelic “child of nugget”, complete with an extended rave up, not heard on Rhino’s box version.
Of the bonuses, first off is the appropriately titled garagey surf instro Murder At The Luau, followed by I’m So Happy Today, which takes us back into the slightlydelic haze of the title tune, in a bit less adventurous way.
Off Track is a Stoned-country ballad, Eight Lancashire Lads (previously available on Skyclad’s Son Of A Witch compilation) is classic Syd Barrett-like quirkiness, with a Move-ing monster fuzz-bass, while their take on The Best Is Yet To Come doesn’t get too far from the previous formula neither, though being more upbeat in a freakbeatin’ sense.
With the usually imaginative Vibro-Phonic packaging, this is a most welcome re-issue!
[Released Deluxe/Vibro-Phonic 2006]
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