029667000864
029667096928

Tea & Symphony - The English Baroque Sound 1968-1974

Various Artists

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Format: 2LP

Cat No: XXQLP2064

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Format Details: Gatefold Double Vinyl Album

Format Details: Jewel Case

Release Date:  31 January 2020

Label:  Ace Records

Packaging Type:  Gate Fold

No of Units:  2

Barcode:  029667000864

Genres:  Rock  Pop  

Release Date:  31 January 2020

Label:  Ace Records

Packaging Type:  Jewel Case

No of Units:  1

Barcode:  029667096928

Genres:  Rock  Pop  

  • Description

    The English baroque sound of the late 60s and early 70s shunned guitar solos for string quartets and woodwind, drenched in summer-into-autumn melancholy, as heard on this collection of the genre's finest moments. When psychedelia had run its course in Britain, the predominant trend was to get hairier, heavier and more long-winded. Some reverted to the pure blues boom of the mid-60s, with Fleetwood Mac leading the way; some toughened up, forging the first wave of heavy metal; some loosened up, bringing jazz and folk into the equation and creating what would become known as progressive rock; others found solace in the rural sloth of the Band. Many musicians, however, were still hung up on the trappings of psychedelia's homegrown strain, having found a musical home in its mournful evocations of Victoriana, its village green gentility, its nods to the pleasures of suburbia and its church bells softly chiming. As the advent of the singer-songwriter offered another possible avenue for these refuseniks, a new brand of pop was discernible - the English baroque sound. It made great use of string quartets, woodwind, and summer-into-autumn melancholy. This was a sound informed by the Zombies' "Odessey And Oracle"�, the weighty chamber pop of the Bee Gees and Scott Walker, with a contemporary dash of Crosby, Stills & Nash harmony; it would survive as a viable format until surprisingly late, with some tracks on this compilation nudging the mid-70s. The urtexts had all been Paul McCartney's: the bereft strings of 'Eleanor Rigby'; the buttoned-up, parlour arrangement of 'For No One'; 'Your Mother Should Know''s sepia nostalgia and insistent piano; the entire acoustic corner of "The White Album"�. Just add harpsichord and a cor anglais to the mix, and there it was. The first "Tea & Symphony"� collection was released in 2007 on the Sanctuary label. The first official compilation of its kind, it was partly inspired by the groundbreaking, European-based "Fading Yellow"� series which, since the turn of the new century, had been feeding and informing pop-hungry 60s/70s fans looking for something a little more melodic than Comus or Leafhound. Unfortunately, the sudden demise of the record company meant "Tea & Symphony"� hardly made it into the shops. This compilation has four tracks in common with its ancient ancestor. To the delight of people who thought the mine was exhausted, previously undiscovered gems by artists such as Matthew Bones, Erasmus Chorum and Les Payne continue to be unearthed. Here are 23 of the genre's finest moments. Make yourself a pot of tea, find yourself a comfy armchair, place a ginger cat on your lap, and sit back. BOB STANLEY

    Description

    The English baroque sound of the late 60s and early 70s shunned guitar solos for string quartets and woodwind, drenched in summer-into-autumn melancholy, as heard on this collection of the genre's finest moments. When psychedelia had run its course in Britain, the predominant trend was to get hairier, heavier and more long-winded. Some reverted to the pure blues boom of the mid-60s, with Fleetwood Mac leading the way; some toughened up, forging the first wave of heavy metal; some loosened up, bringing jazz and folk into the equation and creating what would become known as progressive rock; others found solace in the rural sloth of the Band. Many musicians, however, were still hung up on the trappings of psychedelia's homegrown strain, having found a musical home in its mournful evocations of Victoriana, its village green gentility, its nods to the pleasures of suburbia and its church bells softly chiming. As the advent of the singer-songwriter offered another possible avenue for these refuseniks, a new brand of pop was discernible - the English baroque sound. It made great use of string quartets, woodwind, and summer-into-autumn melancholy. This was a sound informed by the Zombies' "Odessey And Oracle"�, the weighty chamber pop of the Bee Gees and Scott Walker, with a contemporary dash of Crosby, Stills & Nash harmony; it would survive as a viable format until surprisingly late, with some tracks on this compilation nudging the mid-70s. The urtexts had all been Paul McCartney's: the bereft strings of 'Eleanor Rigby'; the buttoned-up, parlour arrangement of 'For No One'; 'Your Mother Should Know''s sepia nostalgia and insistent piano; the entire acoustic corner of "The White Album"�. Just add harpsichord and a cor anglais to the mix, and there it was. The first "Tea & Symphony"� collection was released in 2007 on the Sanctuary label. The first official compilation of its kind, it was partly inspired by the groundbreaking, European-based "Fading Yellow"� series which, since the turn of the new century, had been feeding and informing pop-hungry 60s/70s fans looking for something a little more melodic than Comus or Leafhound. Unfortunately, the sudden demise of the record company meant "Tea & Symphony"� hardly made it into the shops. This compilation has four tracks in common with its ancient ancestor. To the delight of people who thought the mine was exhausted, previously undiscovered gems by artists such as Matthew Bones, Erasmus Chorum and Les Payne continue to be unearthed. Here are 23 of the genre's finest moments. Make yourself a pot of tea, find yourself a comfy armchair, place a ginger cat on your lap, and sit back. BOB STANLEY

  • Tracklisting

      Disc 1

      Side 1

      • 1. Pictures - Ray Brooks
      • 2. I Can't Let Maggie Go - The Honeybus
      • 3. Off To Find A New Land - Lea Nixon
      • 4. Alice - Jon Plum
      • 5. When The City Sleeps - Bombadil
      • 6. Fading Yellow - Mike Batt

      Side 2

      • 1. Say You Don't Mind - Colin Blunstone
      • 2. The Seventh Hour - Gordon Waller
      • 3. Mary Jane - Erasmus Chorum
      • 4. Shapes And Shadows - Tandem
      • 5. Please Believe Me - Nirvana

      Disc 2

      Side 1

      • 1. Forever Autumn - Vigrass & Osborne
      • 2. Oh Girl - Richard Henry
      • 3. Very Well - Les Payne
      • 4. You're Lovely - Sunchariot
      • 5. Pollution Song - Mike Sedgewick
      • 6. Epitaph (When Times Were Good) - Bill Kenwright

      Side 2

      • 1. Coathanger - Clifford T Ward
      • 2. The Race - Christopher
      • 3. Closing My Eyes - David McIvor
      • 4. Lifetime - The Bliss
      • 5. Two Sugars - Matthew Bones
      • 6. Waiting There - Me & Him

    Tracklisting

      Disc 1

      Side 1

      • 1. Pictures - Ray Brooks
      • 2. I Can't Let Maggie Go - The Honeybus
      • 3. Off To Find A New Land - Lea Nixon
      • 4. Alice - Jon Plum
      • 5. When The City Sleeps - Bombadil
      • 6. Fading Yellow - Mike Batt
      • 7. Say You Don't Mind - Colin Blunstone
      • 8. The Seventh Hour - Gordon Waller
      • 9. Mary Jane - Erasmus Chorum
      • 10. Shapes And Shadows - Tandem
      • 11. Please Believe Me - Nirvana
      • 12. Forever Autumn - Vigrass & Osborne
      • 13. Oh Girl - Richard Henry
      • 14. Very Well - Les Payne
      • 15. You're Lovely - Sunchariot
      • 16. Pollution Song - Mike Sedgewick
      • 17. Epitaph (When Times Were Good) - Bill Kenwright
      • 18. Coathanger - Clifford T Ward
      • 19. The Race - Christopher
      • 20. Closing My Eyes - David McIvor
      • 21. Lifetime - The Bliss
      • 22. Two Sugars - Matthew Bones