The Incredible String Band | ||
| Allmusic Biography : One of the most engaging groups to emerge from the esoteric 60s was the Incredible String Band. Basically the duo of Mike Heron and Robin Williamson, its sound was comprised of haunting Celtic folk melodies augmented by a variety of Middle Eastern and Asian instruments. Heron was a member of several rock bands in England in the early 60s, while Williamson and Clive Palmer played as a bluegrass and Scottish folk duo. Heron was asked to join as rhythm guitarist, and the trio named itself the Incredible String Band. The band was spotted at a club by Joe Boyd, who was opening a British wing of Elektra Records. The trio gave Boyd a demo tape of mostly American bluegrass standards with a few original songs, which impressed him more than the standards. The Incredible String Band, released in 1966, featured mostly original numbers enthusiastically played in American and Celtic folk styles. Following the albums release, Williamson spent several months studying music in Morocco, and Palmer left the group to travel to Afghanistan. For the String Bands second album, The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion, exotic touches such as the Middle Eastern oud, Indian sitars, and tambouras began to permeate the groups sound. The bands lyrics also became more whimsical; highlights include Williamsons tale of insomnia "No Sleep Blues" and Herons amorous "Painting Box." The press raved about the Incredible String Band, and their next album, The Hangmans Beautiful Daughter, was the bands brief flirtation with stardom. Although the music was less commercial than its predecessor, the LP reached the Top Ten in the British album charts and was also the groups highest Billboard chart placing in America, reaching number 161. The songs became less structured, as on the opening, "Koeeoaddi There," which changed tempo frequently as it cascaded joyously with sitars and jaw harp. The albums centerpiece, "A Very Cellular Song," was a suite of short pieces sewn together with the folk song "Bid You Goodnight." For Wee Tam and the Big Huge, the Incredible String Band were augmented by Williamson and Herons girlfriends, Licorice McKechnie and Rose Simpson. The group also began to electrically amplify its instruments. This expanded lineup performed at the Woodstock festival in 1969, but due to circumstances it was not one of the bands most memorable performances. The Incredibles slot was originally to be Friday night after Joan Baez; however, due to heavy rain, the band opted not to perform. Folksinger Melanie took the Incredibles place and went down extremely well, writing her big hit "Candles in the Rain" about that moment. The Incredible String Band got a lukewarm reception the next afternoon between Creedence Clearwater Revival and Canned Heat. At the turn of the 70s, the Incredible String Band began to lose some of their momentum. The album Changing Horses was not as engaging as the bands previous collections, and the groups eclecticism became a liability rather than an asset. Bassist and pantomimist Malcolm LeMaistre joined in 1971 for U, a well-received stage show that did not translate as easily to record. The band made the transition to electric rock & roll in 1972. In 1974, following the album Hard Rope & Silken Twine, the Incredible String Band disbanded. Both founding members had prolific solo careers; Herons took him in a rock direction, while Williamson explored his Celtic roots. For several years the band was seen as a dated anachronism. Recently, with the resurgence in interest in the psychedelic 60s as well as world music, the Incredible String Bands music has been rediscovered by new audiences won over by its mystical charm. A double CD of rare tracks, studio outtakes, and live performances, Tricks of the Senses, was released by Hux Records in 2009. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 26 Title: Nebulous Nearness Released: Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:01:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 You Know What You Could Be (02:49) 2 Cousin Caterpillar (05:02) 3 Everythings Fine Right Now (02:18) 4 Chinese White (05:39) 5 Ducks on a Pond (06:34) 6 How Happy I Am (02:11) 7 The Water Song (04:57) 8 Banjo Tune (02:29) 9 Log Cabin Home in the Sky (04:22) 10 Painting Box (04:14) 11 Empty Pocket Blues (05:43) 12 The Hedgehogs Song (03:21) 13 A Very Cellular Song (12:09) |
 | Album: 2 of 26 Title: The Incredible String Band Released: 1966 Tracks: 16 Duration: 45:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Maybe Someday (02:20) 2 October Song (04:08) 3 When the Music Starts to Play (02:44) 4 Schaeffers Jig (00:58) 5 Womankind (03:45) 6 The Tree (02:55) 7 Whistle Tune (01:01) 8 Dandelion Blues (03:00) 9 How Happy I Am (02:20) 10 Empty Pocket Blues (04:47) 11 Smoke Shovelling Song (03:47) 12 Cant Keep Me Here (02:14) 13 Good as Gone (03:30) 14 Footsteps of the Heron (03:14) 15 Niggertown (02:09) 16 Everythings Fine Right Now (02:12) |
| The Incredible String Band : Allmusic album Review : The debut release from the original Incredible String Band trio -- Robin Williamson (violin/whistle/mandolin/guitar/vocals), Clive Palmer (banjo/guitar/vocals), and Mike Heron (guitar/vocals) -- was also their most simple. It is this minimalism that allowed the natural radiance of the bands (mostly) original material to be evident in the purist sense, and likewise without many of the somewhat intricate distractions and musical tangents that their future work would incorporate. Immediately striking is the groups remarkable and collective prowess on seemingly all things stringed -- hence, their apropos moniker. With an unmistakable blend of distinct instrumentation and harmony vocals, the Incredible String Band take inspiration from traditional music on both sides of the Atlantic. Their impish charm and tongue-in-cheek fairytale mythology also add to their folkie mystique. This first long-player -- originally issued in 1966 -- contains a bevy of songs that, while steeped in conventional folk music, are completely unique. This likewise holds true for the three traditional pieces, "Schaeffers Jig," "Whistle Tune," and the rare Clive Palmer instrumental solo, "Niggertown." Palmer, formerly of the highly underrated Famous Jug Band, would exit the Incredible String Band after this record, and thus the perpetually rotating personnel that would guide the group for the remainder of its existence began, perhaps aptly, at the beginning. The original songs range from light and airy love ballads -- such as the Williamson solo "Womankind" or the understated mischief of "Dandelion Blues" -- to the high and lonesome sound of Mike Herons mandolin-driven "How Happy I Am." There are likewise darker -- yet no less poignant -- tunes such as "Empty Pocket Blues" and the haunting "Good As Gone." While this album is a tremendous launch pad for potential enthusiasts, be aware that every Incredible String Band recording is also extremely individual and reflects the current membership of the group. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 26 Title: The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion Released: 1967 Tracks: 13 Duration: 50:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Chinese White (03:40) 2 No Sleep Blues (03:53) 3 Painting Box (04:04) 4 The Mad Hatters Song (05:40) 5 Little Cloud (04:05) 6 The Eyes of Fate (04:02) 7 Blues for the Muse (02:49) 8 The Hedgehogs Song (03:30) 9 First Girl I Loved (04:55) 10 You Know What You Could Be (02:46) 11 My Name Is Death (02:46) 12 Gently Tender (04:49) 13 Way Back in the 1960s (03:11) |
| The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion : Allmusic album Review : In 1967, Joe Boyd had signed the Incredible String Band, who were then down to Robin Williamson, Mike Heron, and Licorice McKechnie, to Elektra. The 5000 Spirits or Layers of the Onion had been crafted in a cottage in Glasgow, but Boyd wanted a proper recording studio to get it on tape. He chose engineer John Woods Chelsea studio for the sessions. Recorded on a four-track machine, Boyd and Wood proceeded to capture the very best of the dozens of songs Williamson and Heron brought in. Influenced heavily by the era -- this was the summer of love, after all -- and North African music due to Williamson’s recent trip to Morocco, the set is one of the most ambitious albums in the band’s catalog. The trio were also accompanied by Danny Thompson on bass on seven tracks, as well as Nazir Jarazbhoy on sitar. The standout tracks include “First Girl I Loved” (later covered by Judy Collins and Jackson Browne), and the cosmic folk-blues “The Mad Hatter’s Song.” On this set, British folk often comes up against against Williamson’s fascination with Middle Eastern sounds -- check the bowed gimbri hovering and flitting about the acoustic guitar on “Chinese White,” and the hand drums underscoring the acoustic slide guitar on “The Hedgehog Song.” Thompson’s bass and Williamson’s harmonica are the only elements that keep “Blues for the Muse” on the ground -- barely a blues at all because of the way it pushes the 12-bar envelope. The brief “My Name Is Death” begins as a one-chord drone before it moves back to a more formally constructed 18th century traditional song. The meld of all ISB’s influences are heard on “Gently Tender,” a beautiful if somewhat anarchic tune where flutes, acoustic blues, hand drums, bass, gimbri, and sitar are all employed. This set stands as one of the true masterpieces in the groups catalog. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 26 Title: Wee Tam & The Big Huge Released: 1968 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:27:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Jobs Tears (06:47) 2 Puppies (05:25) 3 Beyond the See (02:20) 4 The Yellow Snake (02:09) 5 Log Cabin Home in the Sky (04:03) 6 You Get Brighter (05:50) 7 The Half-Remarkable Question (05:07) 8 Air (03:19) 9 Ducks on a Pond (09:10) 1 Maya (09:32) 2 Greatest Friend (03:39) 3 The Son of Noahs Brother (00:22) 4 Lordly Nightshade (05:14) 5 The Mountain of God (01:53) 6 Cousin Caterpillar (05:23) 7 The Iron Stone (06:34) 8 Douglas Traherne Harding (06:24) 9 The Circle Is Unbroken (04:41) |
| Wee Tam & The Big Huge : Allmusic album Review : Originally issued as a double LP set in 1968 in the U.K, Wee Tam & the Big Huge was split into two LPs for the U.S. market in 1969 to no avail; they still didnt sell. The music on these two albums is ultimately kinder than the Incredible String Bands earlier albums, their self-titled debut, and The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion and The Hangmans Beautiful Daughter. While the bandmembers didnt give up their use of many Eastern string and reed instruments, they did employ more conventional Western folk song structures (somewhat), making the ease-of-listening factor much higher. Robin Williamson and Mike Heron, with Rose Simpson and Licorice McKechie, began to move toward the forefront of the collective here, asserting their often complementary but sometimes clashing styles over the gorgeous voices of the two women. The songs on the the Wee Tam half are somewhat stronger, but those on the latter one possess a certain spaciness and childishness that is charmingly anarchic in spirit. What sets these records apart from the previous albums is that here the Incredible String Band accepted their mantle as a band, letting the excess fall by the wayside and actually writing "conventional" songs without giving up either their love for arcane music and quirky humor or the influence of LSD culture that informed their artistic venture from the jump. Wee Tam & the Big Huge is not the innocent journey of a host of lost hippies in love with making weird, wonderful music from the wreckage of the distant past. Instead, the mysticism of the then-present era of the 1960s is fused together with progressive and ancient British Isles folk styles to produce a startlingly focused work. Ultimately, Wee Tam & the Big Huge is the sound of a band coming into its own. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 26 Title: Wee Tam Released: 1968 Tracks: 9 Duration: 44:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Jobs Tears (06:47) 2 Puppies (05:25) 3 Beyond the See (02:20) 4 The Yellow Snake (02:09) 5 Log Cabin Home in the Sky (04:03) 6 You Get Brighter (05:50) 7 The Half-Remarkable Question (05:07) 8 Air (03:19) 9 Ducks on a Pond (09:10) |
| Wee Tam : Allmusic album Review : This album was originally issued in the Incredible String Bands native Britain as the first in a two-LP collection with a companion disc entitled The Big Huge. However, stateside distributor Elektra Records decided to present them as two separate works. This version of the ISB includes founding members Robin Williamson (organ, bass, flute, guitar, percussion, piano, violin, drums, harpsichord, kazoo, whistle, sarangui, gimbri, and Irish harp) and Mike Heron (organ, bass, guitar, harmonica, harpsichord, sitar, and washboard) as well as their significant others, Christina "Liquorice" McKechnie (vocals, percussion, and Irish harp) and Rose Simpson (violin, bass, and vocals). At this point -- mid-1968 -- the quartet was continuing to experiment with a blend of folk music(s) from both sides of the Atlantic. They were also adding elements of psychedelia throughout. However, rather than the typical electric guitars and oftentimes nonsensical lyrics, the ISB were decidedly more insular. The double lead vocals on "Jobs Tears" as well as the delicate minor-chord cacophonies and random woodwinds during "Beyond the Sea" are infinitely more subtle yet no less trippy than most anything the band had tried previously. "The Half-Remarkable Question" is a musical enigma, replete with a bouncy sitar-driven melody. This inevitably reminds the listener of the genuine breadth and scope of both Heron and Williamsons multi-instrumental talents and seeming mastery of all things stringed. There are also a few ISB classics included on Wee Tam -- such as the acoustic Appalachian sound of Herons "Log Cabin in the Sky" as well as the innocuous love song "You Get Brighter," both of which remained at the heart of the ISB canon for decades to come. Unlike the excessive and scattered material that would accompany the quartets interests [read: obsession] in Scientology during the ensuing years, Wee Tam and The Big Huge are charming and among the most representative discs from this incarnation of the ISB. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 26 Title: The Hangmans Beautiful Daughter Released: 1968-03 Tracks: 10 Duration: 49:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Koeeoaddi There (04:48) 2 The Minotaurs Song (03:20) 3 Witches Hat (02:35) 4 A Very Cellular Song (13:04) 5 Mercy I Cry City (02:47) 6 Waltz of the New Moon (05:03) 7 The Water Song (02:54) 8 Three Is a Green Crown (07:44) 9 Swift as the Wind (04:52) 10 Nightfall (02:31) |
| The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter : Allmusic album Review : The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter stands as the Incredible String Bands undisputed classic among critics and musicians alike -- ask Robert Plant, who touted its influence on Led Zeppelins first album and general direction. Recorded and released in 1968, the album hit number five on the U.K. album charts, and was nominated for a Grammy in the U.S. It was produced by Joe Boyd, and engineered by John Wood using 24-track technology. Robin Williamson, Mike Heron, and Licorice McKechnie also utilized the talents of Dolly Collins (vocals, flute, organ, and piano), and David Snell (harp). Williamson and Heron employed a vast array of instruments on these songs including sitar, gimbri, pan pipe, oud, chahanai, mandolin, guitars, Hammond B-3, dulcimer, harpsichord, pan pipes, oud, water harp, and harmonica. The songs were much more freeform and experimental. Check Heron’s 13-minute “A Very Cellular Song,” which incorporates elements from a Sikh hymn and a Bahamian spiritual. Using the Hammond, a gimbri, pan pipes, handclaps, and other instruments, it begins on a two-chord vamp that employs a vocal round in five-part harmony, with secular and spiritual lyrics. It’s simply infectious. Other notables include the stellar “The Minotaur’s Song,” with its call and response chorus played on guitars, upright piano, and six-part harmonies. It melds a childrens song with a drinking song to humorous and utterly memorable effect. Elsewhere, “Waltz of the New Moon,” employs two-chord drones on acoustic guitar with a meld of Middle Eastern vocal styles and Scottish field songs. “Three Is a Green Crown” is a psychedelic folk song in all its hypnotic droning glory with Williamson’s primitive sitar playing featured prominently. The tender, exotic, "Nightfall,” the album’s closer, is a lullaby, with guitar and sitar accompanying the vocal in whole tone intervals. The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter is the most ambitious, focused, and brilliantly executed record in ISB’s catalog. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 26 Title: The Big Huge Released: 1968-10 Tracks: 9 Duration: 43:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Maya (09:32) 2 Greatest Friend (03:39) 3 The Son of Noahs Brother (00:22) 4 Lordly Nightshade (05:14) 5 The Mountain of God (01:53) 6 Cousin Caterpillar (05:23) 7 The Iron Stone (06:34) 8 Douglas Traherne Harding (06:24) 9 The Circle Is Unbroken (04:41) |
| The Big Huge : Allmusic album Review : Although issued as a separate release in the U.S., The Big Huge is actually the second-disc counterpart of Wee Tam. The set appeared as a two-LP package throughout the rest of the world. Understandably, the albums are very similar in structure and content. This quartet incarnation of the Incredible String Band featured primary songwriters Robin Williamson and Mike Heron as well as their significant others, Christina "Liquorice" McKechnie and Rose Simpson. The ISBs tradition of quirky, and at times atonal, acoustic material is well served by the nine compositions on this platter. The lengthy opening track, "Maya," foreshadows their less-focused upcoming works I Looked Up and U. Although there are a few moments of brilliant playing, the ambling nature of the song overall makes for difficult consumption during a single sitting. The remainder of the record -- while similar in unfettered spirit -- contains decidedly more cohesive pieces, a few of which are among the ISBs most lauded compositions. These include the pastoral "Greatest Friend" and a dirge-like "The Circle Is Unbroken." "Lordly Nightshade" contains a few 20th century references -- such as Hitler, who is likewise mentioned in "Maya." The minstrel storytelling quality adds an ethereal sense to the darkly toned subject matter. The vocal harmonies throughout The Big Huge are among the quartets finest -- most notably the four-part division on "The Mountain of God" and the deceptively simple and silly "Cousin Caterpillar." After several years out of print, Collectors Choice Music reissued both Wee Tam and The Big Huge as a double-CD set -- including the original LP graphics and lyrics. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 26 Title: Changing Horses Released: 1969 Tracks: 6 Duration: 50:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Big Ted (04:24) 2 White Bird (14:47) 3 Dust Be Diamonds (06:19) 4 Sleepers, Awake! (03:48) 5 Mr. & Mrs. (04:59) 6 Creation (16:04) |
| Changing Horses : Allmusic album Review : Although generally regarded as one of the Incredible String Bands sub-standard efforts, Changing Horses has an appealing looseness and sense of fun which nicely balances the often over-serious nature of the bands always strange mix of English folk and psycheldelia. With two tracks topping the 15-minute mark in length, some of the record comes off like a rambling, drunken living room jam session. This version of the Incredible String Band includes two women, Rose and Liquorice, who add some nice, high vocal harmonies to the standard Mike Heron/Robin Williamson sound. Rose also contributes some nice tuba-influenced electric bass work throughout the album. Changing Horses has a distinct lack of memorable songs (with the possible exception of Williamsons "Mr. and Mrs.," which, because of its raw production, organ and guitar work, bears a striking resemblance at times to the Velvet Underground) but, due to the groups willingness to take chances, bears repeated listenings. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 26 Title: U Released: 1970 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:47:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 El Wool Suite (08:31) 2 The Jugglers Song (03:13) 3 Time (03:58) 4 Bad Sadie Lee (03:49) 5 Queen of Love (08:37) 6 Partial Belated Overture (02:56) 7 Light in Time of Darkness / Glad to See You (10:16) 8 Walking Along With You (03:59) 9 Hirem Pawnitof / Fairies Hornpipe (06:20) 10 Bridge Theme (02:17) 1 Bridge Song (08:49) 2 Astral Plane Theme (04:53) 3 Invocation (04:49) 4 Robot Blues (04:09) 5 Puppet Song (06:17) 6 Cutting the Strings (05:10) 7 I Know You (03:25) 8 Rainbow (15:41) |
| U : Allmusic album Review : Of the records that the Incredible String Band recorded for Elektra, U is easily the strangest -- even by the bands standards. The sprawling double album was the musical element of a Robin Williamson theatrical presentation of the same name (with input from Mike Heron), that put the band on a stage with the Stone Monkey troupe, who did dances to these songs, complete with light projections. It played in London and at the Fillmore East in New York before it closed with disastrous financial results. Sans dancers, the group -- Williamson, Heron, Licorice McKechnie, and Rose Simpson -- went on and completed a limited tour of the West Coast before recording U. They recorded the double album in just two days. Along with their usual wacky and wonderful meld of psychedelic-cum-traditional folk, sitar, tabla, faux raga, and exotic world music aspirations, are songs that encompass blues, singer/songwriter fare, and more. Disc one features a shambolic, yodeling saloon song ("Bad Sadie Lee") offered by cover painting artist Janet Shankman, followed by the dreamy "Queen of Love," which was written by Tom Constanten (more famously a keyboard-playing guest of the Grateful Dead). There are plenty of other things, too, including the beautiful droning guitar and mandolin Baroqueness of "Time" and even rock -- check the psych instrumentals "Partial Belated Overtime" and "Bridge Theme." The second disc contains some wonderful vanguard moments in the solo guitar instrumental "Astral Plane Theme," the barrelhouse piano stride of "Robot Blues," and two long Heron pieces. The first is the gorgeous ballad "Light in Time of Darkness." "Rainbow," which closes the record, is a 15-plus-minute exercise in medieval minstrelsy. At the time and given its length, U was a stretch for all but the most adventurous of ISB fans. In the 21st century, it is still somewhat unfocused, but its best material rates with some of the best in the bands catalog. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 26 Title: I Looked Up Released: 1970 Tracks: 6 Duration: 41:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Black Jack Davy (03:59) 2 The Letter (03:09) 3 Pictures in a Mirror (10:46) 4 This Moment (06:08) 5 When You Find Out Who You Are (11:01) 6 Fair as You (06:24) |
| I Looked Up : Allmusic album Review : I Looked Up points fairly directly at the arguably self-indulgent side of the Incredible String Band (ISB) that had surfaced since the collective began congregating around Scientology in 1968. This incarnation of the ISB centered around the core unit of Mike Heron (guitar/harpsichord/violin/piano/organ/vocal), Robin Williamson (guitar/violin/flute/gimbri), and their respective girlfriends Rose Simpson (violin/bass/vocals), and Christina Licorice McKechnie (vocals). While not a complete loss, I Looked Up is less focused than their previous efforts -- particularly Williamsons miscellaneous "Pictures in a Mirror" and "When You Find Out Who You Are," which clock in at over ten-and-a-half minutes. These are contrasted by Herons comparatively more succinct and less eclectic "Black Jack Davy," "This Moment," and "Fair as You." "The Letter" is a spry uptempo number, recalling Daevid Allans quirky style of songwriting and also benefits from the addition of Fairport Convention skins man Dave Mattacks. Never failing the ISB is the bands amazing multi-instrument musicality. They couple that with seemingly organic adaptations of folk from both sides of the Atlantic. The celebratory Appalachian influenced "Black Jack Davy" is contrasted by the somewhat staid English balladry of "Fair as You." Likewise, the meandering epic "Pictures in a Mirror" -- recounting a tale of Lord Randall -- incorporates a gothic story line with an extended minstrel-esque quality and sonic attention to detail. This is in contrast to the buoyant and empowering "When You Find Out Who You Are" -- which is no doubt a reference into their Scientological lifestyles. Incidentally, when the ISB performed to a considerably less than enthusiastic reception at the Woodstock Music & Arts Fair, "When You Find Out Who..." was one of the two tracks played from this album. The other was the aptly prophetic "This Moment." | ||
 | Album: 11 of 26 Title: Liquid Acrobat as Regards the Air Released: 1971 Tracks: 12 Duration: 48:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Talking of the End (05:31) 2 Dear Old Battlefield (03:08) 3 Cosmic Boy (03:51) 4 Worlds They Rise and Fall (03:25) 5 Evolution Rag (04:44) 6 Painted Chariot (03:44) 7 Adam and Eve (02:33) 8 Red Hair (02:07) 9 Here Till Here Is There (03:06) 10 Tree (03:00) 11 Jigs & Reels (02:43) 12 Darling Belle (10:54) |
 | Album: 12 of 26 Title: Relics of the Incredible String Band Released: 1971 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:30:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Everything’s Fine Right Now (02:15) 2 October Song (04:00) 3 Painting Box (04:00) 4 First Girl I Loved (04:50) 5 The Hedgehog’s Song (03:25) 6 Way Back in the 1960’s (03:07) 7 No Sleep Blues (03:50) 8 Koeeoaddi There (04:41) 9 My Name Is Death (02:42) 10 A Very Cellular Song (12:50) 1 The Minotaur’s Song (03:13) 2 Air (03:12) 3 Cousin Caterpillar (05:13) 4 Job’s Tears (06:36) 5 Log Cabin Home in the Sky (04:00) 6 Maya (09:20) 7 Big Ted (04:29) 8 The Letter (03:00) 9 This Moment (06:07) |
| Relics of the Incredible String Band : Allmusic album Review : The ISBs prolific output makes a compilation a virtual necessity, and this two-record set selects wisely from the seven albums the group released in the U.S. between 1967 and 1970. From Robin Williamsons "First Girl I Loved" (covered by Judy Collins) and "Way Back in the 1960s" (recorded in 1967), to Mike Herons "Air" and "This Moment," the ISBs eclectic, fanciful acoustic style is well portrayed. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 26 Title: Earthspan Released: 1972 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 My Father Was a Lighthouse Keeper (04:27) 2 Antoine (03:57) 3 Restless Night (03:34) 4 Sunday Song (07:28) 5 Black Jack David (02:43) 6 Banks of Sweet Italy (03:07) 7 The Actor (03:54) 8 Moon Hang Low (03:23) 9 Sailor and the Dancer (02:39) 10 Seagull (06:03) |
| Earthspan : Allmusic album Review : At their peak in the late 60s, the Incredible String Band were wildly eclectic and virtually unclassifiable. Their blend of world folk musics and whimsical psychedelia made records like The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion and The Hangmans Beautiful Daughter sometimes deeply enigmatic but always absolutely compelling. By the time of 1972s Earthspan, however, the band was past its innovative prime and losing momentum. The core duo of Robin Williamson and Mike Heron remained in place, although both had already released solo albums and the latters rock orientation would soon place a strain on the bands creative cohesion; Rose Simpson had left in 1971, with Malcolm Le Maistre joining the group, and Licorice McKechnie would quit after this album. Earlier ISB records offered listeners a glimpse into a unique, occasionally esoteric world of kaleidoscopic sounds and images; Earthspan is a more mundane, one-dimensional affair. It eschews the non-Western sensibilities and the ethnic instrumentation that distinguished the ISBs most captivating work, instead drawing only on European and American traditions. Whereas the ornate "Banks of Sweet Italy" and the mournful "Sailor and the Dancer" are nautical folk songs, "Black Jack David" (reprised from I Looked Up) is a hand-clapping bluegrass fiddle stomp, and "Moon Hang Low" a bland pastiche of early jazz. Some of the strongest tracks benefit from an injection of electricity into the predominantly acoustic arrangements: Le Maistres "My Father Was a Lighthouse Keeper," the bluesy Van Morrison-esque "Restless Night" and the stirring, multi-part "Sunday Song," on which Heron and McKechnie trade vocals throughout the tracks shifting moods and tempos. While this is a solid record with some great moments, overall it lacks the mystery, the idiosyncrasy and the degree of eclecticism which originally accounted for the bands singular personality, and instead settles for rather unremarkable folk-rock. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 26 Title: No Ruinous Feud Released: 1973 Tracks: 12 Duration: 38:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Explorer (03:32) 2 Down Before Cathay (04:19) 3 Saturday Maybe (02:46) 4 Jigs (02:51) 5 Old Buccaneer (03:24) 6 At the Lighthouse Dance (03:33) 7 Second Fiddle (02:26) 8 Circus Girl (02:33) 9 Torquoise Blue (04:00) 10 My Blue Tears (02:03) 11 Weather the Storm (03:06) 12 Little Girl (04:22) |
| No Ruinous Feud : Allmusic album Review : The ISB began to change its approach in 1971, cutting back on its sometimes open-ended song structures and adding a rock rhythm section to selected tracks. But it wasnt until this album that everything came together, resulting in a delightful collection of songs that range from reggae to light pop, along with the traditional folk styles that had always been the groups strong suit. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 26 Title: Hard Rope and Silken Twine Released: 1974 Tracks: 6 Duration: 44:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Maker of Islands (06:04) 2 Cold February (05:49) 3 Glancing Love (04:03) 4 Dreams of No Return (05:23) 5 Dumb Kate (03:24) 6 Ithkos (19:22) |
 | Album: 16 of 26 Title: BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert Released: 1992 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:02:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Bright Morning Stars (01:45) 2 Worlds They Rise and Fall (05:55) 3 Spirit Beautiful (04:02) 4 Willow Pattern (05:16) 5 Turquoise Blue (05:49) 6 Whistle Tune (04:36) 7 Darling Belle (12:41) 8 Youve Been a Friend to Me (03:27) 9 I Know That Man (03:08) 10 The Old Buccaneer (05:29) 11 Black Jack David (02:49) 12 The Circle Is Unbroken (07:06) |
 | Album: 17 of 26 Title: First Girl I Loved Released: 2001 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:15:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Cousin Caterpillar (05:02) 2 I Know That Man (03:23) 3 The Circle Is Unbroken (06:23) 4 Wild Cat Blues (02:46) 5 First Girl I Loved (04:24) 6 Everythings Fine Right Now (02:45) 7 Old Buccaneer (05:28) 8 Catwalk Rag (03:24) 9 Giles Crocodile (09:25) 10 Turquoise Blue (04:52) 11 My Father Was a Lighthouse Keeper (04:31) 12 Black Jack David (02:53) 13 Ithkos (20:35) |
 | Album: 18 of 26 Title: Here Till Here Is There: An Introduction to The Incredible String Band Released: 2001 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:07:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 All Writ Down (04:26) 2 Vishangro (05:05) 3 Worlds They Rise and Fall (03:23) 4 Talking of the End (05:26) 5 Here Till Here Is There (03:04) 6 Red Hair (02:04) 7 Antoine (03:56) 8 Restless Night (03:32) 9 Bank of Sweet Italy (03:04) 10 Moon Hang Low (03:21) 11 Seagull (06:05) 12 Saturday Maybe (02:43) 13 Little Girl (04:24) 14 Maker of Islands (06:03) 15 Dreams of No Return (05:22) 16 Cold Days of February (05:54) |
 | Album: 19 of 26 Title: Be Glad For The Song Has No Ending Released: 2004 Tracks: 6 Duration: 50:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Come With Me (03:55) 2 All Writ Down (04:27) 3 Veshengro (05:07) 4 See All The People (03:41) 5 Waiting For You (06:48) 6 The Song Has No Ending (26:53) |
 | Album: 20 of 26 Title: The Circle Is Unbroken: Live and Studio 1967-1972 Released: 2005 Tracks: 28 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Lover Man (?) 2 Born in Your Town (?) 3 First Girl I Loved (?) 4 Gently Tender (?) 5 Little Cloud (?) 6 Blues for the Muse (?) 7 The Eyes of Fate (?) 8 The Mad Hatters Song (?) 9 Alice Is a Long Time Gone (?) 10 See Your Face and Know You (?) 11 Frutch (?) 12 The Iron Stone (?) 13 God Dog (?) 14 All Too Much for Me / Take Your Burden to the Lord / Let It Shine (?) 1 Cousin Caterpillar (?) 2 I Know That Man (?) 3 The Circle Is Unbroken (?) 4 Wild Cat Blues (?) 5 First Girl I Loved (?) 6 Everythings Fing Right Now (?) 7 Old Buccaneer (?) 8 Catwalk Rag (?) 9 Giles Crocodile (?) 10 Turquoise Blue (?) 11 My Father Was a Light House Keeper (?) 12 Black Jack David (?) 13 Oh Did I Love a Dream (?) 14 The Hag With Money (?) |
| The Circle Is Unbroken: Live and Studio 1967-1972 : Allmusic album Review : Essentially, this two-disc compilation pairs the Incredible String Bands previously issued Chelsea Sessions 1967 (with one bonus track -- a medley), with a live set from Canada in 1972. Therefore, its not material recorded between the years, as the title would suggest, so much as from those years. (It should be said, for the sake of accountability, that perhaps "God Dog" may date later than the other cuts; no one seems to know.) The 1967 material is wonderful, coming as it does from the sessions that resulted in the bands second album 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion. Six tracks made the LP. Many of these tunes feature Robin Williamson debuting his material solo, accompanied only by his guitar. The sound on the first disc is great throughout. The second disc here is from a Canadian gig in 1972 that featured Mike Heron and Williamson with four (then) new-ish members, including the bands equipment manager on drums and their soundman on bass. It was previously issued on CD as The First Girl I Loved in 1998 on Mooncrest. There is some debate here as well about the material being taken form various shows instead of a single concert. The original issue contained at least one cut, "Ithkos," that was from 1974. That song has been replaced by other bonus tracks from the same gig, or series of gigs: "Oh Did I Love a Dream," and "The Hag with the Money." The sound on this set is a bit more marginal, but the material and performances are lively and savvy. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 26 Title: Introducing The Incredible String Band Released: 2006 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:14:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 October Song (04:10) 2 Everythings Fine Right Now (02:14) 3 Empty Pocket Blues (04:46) 4 Painting Box (04:03) 5 First Girl I Loved (04:54) 6 Way Back in the 1960s (03:12) 7 Koeeaddi There (04:48) 8 Mercy I Cry City (02:46) 9 The Half-Remarkable Question (05:04) 10 You Get Brighter (05:49) 11 The Iron Stone (06:29) 12 Cousin Caterpillar (05:17) 13 Big Ted (04:24) 14 Sleepers, Awake! (03:47) 15 Black Jack Davey (03:58) 16 Queen of Love (08:36) |
 | Album: 22 of 26 Title: Across the Airwaves: BBC Radio Recordings 1969-1974 Released: 2007 Tracks: 33 Duration: 2:34:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Bright Morning Stars (01:45) 2 Worlds They Rise and Fall (05:45) 3 Spirit Beautiful (04:02) 4 Willow Pattern (05:08) 5 Turquoise Blue (05:49) 6 Whistle Tune (04:31) 7 Darling Belle (12:26) 8 Youve Been a Friend to Me (03:27) 9 I Know That Man (03:08) 10 The Old Buccaneer (05:29) 11 Black Jack David (02:49) 12 The Circle Is Unbroken (07:06) 13 Fine Fingered Hands (06:28) 14 Everythings Fine Right Now (03:52) 15 Raga Puti (03:55) 16 Empty Pocket Blues (03:53) 1 All Writ Down (04:26) 2 Dust Be Diamonds (04:43) 3 Theta (01:49) 4 Beautiful Stranger (05:02) 5 Wont You Come See Me (04:14) 6 Oh Did I Love a Dream (05:41) 7 Secret Temple (04:39) 8 Rends-Moi Demain (03:18) 9 Dreams of No Return (05:31) 10 Jane (04:21) 11 Dear Old Battlefield (03:08) 12 Log Cabin Home in the Sky (03:23) 13 1968 (06:08) 14 Hangmans Medley (08:19) 15 Ring Dance (03:53) 16 Long Long Road (03:33) 17 Living in the Shadows (03:09) |
| Across the Airwaves: BBC Radio Recordings 1969-1974 : Allmusic album Review : While 20 of these 33 tracks had been previously released before this CD was issued in 2007, this two-disc set is undoubtedly the most comprehensive anthology of the Incredible String Bands BBC recordings. As with most BBC compilations, you couldnt put this on par with the groups best studio work in terms of content, performance, or the thematic flow of particular albums. Yet at the same time its definitely a more valuable supplement to the bands official discography than is usually the case with BBC material, for several reasons. First and foremost, several of the songs never made it onto official ISB releases, including versions of "Ring Dance" and "Fine Fingered Hands" (both eventually included on Robin Williamsons 1998 solo album Ring Dance); "Beautiful Stranger" (which Mike Heron would do on his 1971 solo album Smiling Men with Bad Reputations); the Hindu devotional song "Raga Puti"; "Long Long Road" (the only song from the multimedia stage show U that didnt make it onto the ISB album of the same name); "Worlds They Rise and Fall" (a Heron original later used on the soundtrack of the film Hideous Kinky); the Carter Familys "Youve Been a Friend to Me"; "Secret Temple," co-written by Licorice McKechnie; "Oh Did I Love a Dream," a Malcolm Le Maistre tune; and assorted other Williamson and Heron songs that didnt find a home in the standard ISB catalog. Of perhaps more importance, no matter what you think of the Incredible String Band, the sheer stylistic range of the material here is astonishing. That could be said of many (and maybe most) of their official albums, too, but here its even more eclectic. Perhaps thats because of the five-year chronological span of the set, which encompasses seven different lineups of the band (though Williamson and Heron are always present); perhaps its also because they might have been inclined to put in a few off-the-wall items and side trips on their radio sessions that werent top candidates for their studio releases. Theres raga rock, rock-less raga-informed songs, relatively ordinary wistful folk-rock, amiable country barroom rambles, medieval-flavored minstrelsy, really spaced out quasi-world music/folk fusions, a cappella hymns, bluesy boogie, Cajun, a 12-minute suite ("Darling Belle"), and more. Yes, some of their oddest ventures are cringeworthy on occasion, particularly when they adopt fake Chinese accents for "Willow Pattern" (another Williamson song that, perhaps fortunately, never made it onto vinyl). But theres also an engaging merry looseness that, on some levels, makes this more accessible to casual listeners than much of their more familiar, official discography. In addition, the sound quality is reasonable-to-excellent throughout; although the packaging is careful to note that some of these tracks are off-air recordings not made from the best sources, even the fidelity on those is quite satisfactorily listenable. Add marvelously detailed liner notes (including complete information on their 1967-1974 sessions, though its unfortunate that a few of these dont survive in releasable fidelity), and you have a collection thats recommended to all Incredible String Band fans, not just completists. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 26 Title: Everythings Fine Released: 2007 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:41:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Everythings Fine Right Now (03:52) 2 Ducks on a Pond (06:54) 3 Log Cabin Home in the Sky (05:12) 4 Maker of Islands (06:25) 5 Banjo Tune (02:36) 6 Painting Box (05:10) 7 Empty Pocket Blues (06:33) 8 You Know What You Could Be (02:51) 9 Cousin Catapillar (05:06) 10 This Moment (04:12) 1 How Happy I Am (03:05) 2 The Hedgehogs Song (03:34) 3 The Water Song (04:16) 4 Chinese White (05:29) 5 Douglas Traherne Harding (09:29) 6 Medley of Filddle and Pipe Tune (05:04) 7 Worlds They Rise and Fall (04:01) 8 A Very Cellular Song (14:09) 9 Black Jack Davy (03:39) |
 | Album: 24 of 26 Title: Tricks of the Senses: Rare and Unreleased Recordings 1966-1972 Released: 2009-01-26 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:35:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Relax Your Mind (02:57) 2 Lover Man (02:53) 3 All Too Much for Me (07:43) 4 The Iron Stone (alternate take) (06:48) 5 The Head (US radio session) (04:02) 6 Douglas Traherne Harding (US radio) (07:42) 7 See All the People (US radio) (05:02) 8 Maya (US radio) (13:01) 1 Penwern (03:23) 2 El Ratto (U live) (05:41) 3 Long Long Road (U live) (02:45) 4 All Writ Down (alternate version) (05:21) 5 Queen Juanita and Her Fisherman Lover (16:26) 6 Poetry Play # 1 (05:26) 7 Secret Temple (04:39) 8 Curlew (01:44) |
 | Album: 25 of 26 Title: Original Album Series Released: 2012 Tracks: 57 Duration: 3:53:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Maybe Someday (02:20) 2 October Sing (04:09) 3 When the Music Starts to Play (02:44) 4 Schaeffers Jig (00:58) 5 Womankind (03:45) 6 The Tree (02:55) 7 Whistle Tune (01:01) 8 Dandelion Blues (03:00) 9 How Happy I Am (02:20) 10 Empty Pocket Blues (04:47) 11 Smoke Shovelling Song (03:47) 12 Cant Keep Me Here (02:14) 13 Good as Gone (03:30) 14 Footsteps of the Heron (03:14) 15 Niggertown (02:09) 16 Everythings Fine Right Now (02:12) 1 Chinese White (03:40) 2 No Sleep Blues (03:53) 3 Painting Box (04:04) 4 The Mad Hatters Song (05:40) 5 Little Cloud (04:05) 6 The Eyes of Fate (04:02) 7 Blues for the Muse (02:49) 8 The Hedgehogs Song (03:30) 9 First Girl I Loved (04:55) 10 You Know What You Could Be (02:46) 11 My Name Is Death (02:46) 12 Gently Tender (04:49) 13 Way Back in the 1960s (03:11) 1 Koeeaddi There (04:48) 2 The Minotaurs Song (03:20) 3 Witches Hat (02:35) 4 A Very Cellular Song (13:04) 5 Mercy I Cry City (02:47) 6 Waltz of the New Moon (05:03) 7 The Water Song (02:54) 8 Three Is a Green Crown (07:44) 9 Swift as the Wind (04:52) 10 Nightfall (02:31) 1 Jobs Tears (06:47) 2 Puppies (05:25) 3 Beyond the See (02:20) 4 The Yellow Snake (02:09) 5 Log Cabin Home in the Sky (04:03) 6 You Get Brighter (05:50) 7 The Half-Remarkable Question (05:07) 8 Air (03:19) 9 Ducks on a Pond (09:10) 1 Maya (09:32) 2 Greatest Friend (03:39) 3 The Son of Noahs Brother (00:22) 4 Lordly Nightshade (05:14) 5 The Mountain of God (01:53) 6 Cousin Caterpillar (05:23) 7 The Iron Stone (06:34) 8 Douglas Traherne Harding (06:24) 9 The Circle Is Unbroken (04:41) |
| Original Album Series : Allmusic album Review : This 2012 box set rounds up the first five albums from the Incredible String Band: their 1966 self-titled debut, The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion, The Hangmans Beautiful Daughter, Wee Tam, and The Big Huge. ISB may be an acquired taste but once its acquired, most fans want to dig deep and this is an excellent way to do so, as it is complete and affordable. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 26 Title: Live at the Fillmore 1968 Released: 2013-02-25 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:18:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Waltz of the New Moon (07:23) 2 You Get Brighter (05:23) 3 A Very Cellular Song (10:55) 4 October Song (10:04) 5 Bell Ringing (02:49) 6 Pig Went Walking / See All the People / Swift as the Wind / Mercy I Cry City (14:50) 7 Ducks on a Pond (08:00) 8 Puppies (05:22) 9 Chinese White (04:20) 10 Maya (09:37) |
| Live at the Fillmore 1968 : Allmusic album Review : Recorded on June 5 at the iconic Fillmore East in New York City during the Mike Heron- and Robin Williamson-led English folk ensembles 1968 tour in support of The Hangmans Beautiful Daughter, the long-awaited release of Live at the Fillmore 1968 (a muddy recording of the concert had been circulating on cassette and eventually CD for years before this 2014 release) features the Incredible String Band at the top of their game playing songs from their first three studio albums. The 24-bit remaster was taken from the original concert tape and features an accompanying booklet with extensive liner notes, including recollections of the evening and era from Williamson. | ||