Notes

---

From 1971, a classic album that I was originally turned onto by none other than Steve Stapleton a year or so later. It's a classic slice of early seventies psychedelia with three tracks between just under 10 and over 20 minutes long, the last and longest called 'Stoned' and it's just superb, with tons of long passages of truly psychedelic, often multi-tracked, electric guitar soloing that will have you reaching for the nearest joint (and we're not talking meat-eaters here) and the first bong you can get a hold of. The vocals aren't out of place, with a sort of heady lightness to them, then there's an acoustic section mid-way through 'Stoned' giving a psychedelic Byrds/Airplane-like feel to it all before the track reverts to its searing heady electric-guitar dominated self, as vocals return, then drums storm in for a minute or so before the song reaches its climax. Sounding totally of its time but with a superb sound and production, it's an unforgotten masterpiece of its kind.

The sleeves of both Cravinkel records only stated their last names and contained no further information about these four guys. 'Cravinkel' (1970) had short tracks with a firm country-rock touch. The album was recorded in London at the IBC studios and produced by Rainer Goltermann (Phillips' "house producer"). It came in a poster fold-out cover which showed the band lazing in a haystack. 'Garden Of Loneliness' (1971) had a single cover (nice psychedelic artwork on the front!), but included a poster. Their music had by then become heavier and more "progressive" (which can be defined as: longer tracks, more time for instrumental work, and generally better albums). Side two had a 20-minute jam session called "Stoned", an apt title! It was quite a change from their first one, but indeed a logical development. This album, too, was a Goltermann production. There is also an obscure single from 1971, "Keep On Running", coupled with "Mr. Cooky" (Phillips 6003 158), neither track having been included on any of the albums.