Various Artists – Bring Flowers To U.S. – 20 Popsike Gems from U.S.A.

+ – Bring Flowers To The World: 20 Transworld Popsike Gems –

With the idea of “bringing dizzy day-glo swirl of mind-bending shapes and sounds” dating all the way from 2001, let’s hope that another thing that these CD re-issues of the initial vinyl versions will also bring, is at least a volume or two more coming down the Misty Lane in the near future.

Expectedly enough, the American flowers seem to be the more fragrant ones, while it’s the ones from the rest of the world that are more exotic, featuring gems from Nigeria, Greece, ex-Yugoslavia, Italy, Germany, Holland … and some of them even sung in Greek, Italian or Serbo-Croatian (as the language was called back in the ex-Yugoslavia days), as heard from INDEXI, who also happen to be the cover/CD art stars.

Accidentally, I might as well mention that this one happens to be preceded by the Dutch NICOLS’ version of This World Is My World, which was also covered (and released on a single) by another ex-Yugobeat band called Crni Biseri (Black Pearls).

Other exotic flourishes featured here, are the Canadian MAGIC CYCLE, showing off their more innocent Monkee-bussiness of It’s A Sunny Day, before getting slightlydelic and groovy with the appropriately titled Groovy Things, a genuine, genre defining piece of popsike by (mistakenly omitted from booklet) YOUNG ENERPRISE, as well as some classic British psychedelia as heard from PESKY GEE’s Where Is My Mind.

Of the more usual American take on the matter, worth of special mention are the opening Wild In The Streets movie theme tune by JERRY HOWARD, the Left Banke-ish baroqe-ing pair by LISTENING (featuring ex-Lost Walter Power) and SIDEWALK SKIPPER BAND (Cynthia At Her Garden), the Randy Newman co-written tune for SUNSHINE TROLLEY, recalling some of Roger Nichols’ sunshiniest moments, Gordon & Bonner’s The Dance At St. Francis written for BARRACUDA, fronted by Gandalf’s Peter Sando, BLADES OF GRASS’ Zombified type of eclectic sound in Just Another Face, as well as a pair of songs by the pre-Hudson Brothers, just as brotherly project THE NEW YORKERS.

In spite of another great record label, Rev-Ola, in the meantime already making sure to gather the complete recordings of some of the participants (Blades of Grass, Eternity’s Children, Deep Six), it’s great to have some of these flowers in a unique “bouquet” like this.

[Released by Misty Lane 2007]