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Clouds - Scrapbook (1969 Uk Island Ilps 9100 24-96 Needledtop)(Son-Of-Albion)

Track listing:
  1. Introduction Scrapbook 1:10
  2. The Carpenter 4:35
  3. The Colours Have Run 3:02
  4. I'll Go Girl 3:25
  5. Grandad 2:17
  6. Ladies And Gentlemen 3:07
  7. Humdrum 1:09
  8. Union Jack 1:43
  9. Old Man 3:33
  10. Waiter, There's Something In My Soup 7:49
  11. Scrapbook 2:53

Notes

Clouds - Scrapbook (1969) 24-bit/96kHz

Progressive Rock, Psychedelia, Baroque Pop | 1969 UK LP | Island ILPS 9100

This is an oddly compelling album from a band that never got its due, despite some good reviews (for their concerts as well as their records) and did at least one international tour. The music is a strange mix of early prog rock, psychedelia, and baroque pop, moderately orchestrated pieces bumping up against works of Beatlesque music hall jollity ("Grandad") and spaced-out weirdness ("Waiter, There's Something in My Soup").

They weren't too strong in the vocal department, but Clouds reveal themselves as amazingly powerful in most other areas on this debut album, which seems to have been (rather successfully) aimed at bridging the gap between Sgt. Pepper/Mystery Tour-style psychedelic pop and the prog rock experiments of the Nice, the Moody Blues, and other such bands. Organist Billy Ritchie is the dominant musician, but bassist/guitarist/vocalist Ian Ellis gets moments to shine as well, and when the orchestrations aren't too prominent, drummer Harry Hughes has his innings. Island and producer Terry Ellis are to be commended for the time and money they put into this premiere effort by a trio that had yet to prove itself commercially, and leaving behind this enjoyable artifact from the psychedelic era. Bruce Eder, Allmusic.

Track listing:

01. Introduction - Scrapbook
02. The Carpenter
03. The Colours Have Run
04. I'll Go Girl
05. Grandad
06. Ladies and Gentlemen
07. Humdrum
08. Union Jack
09. Old Man
10. Waiter, There's Something In My Soup
11. scrapbook

Personnel:

Harry Hughes: Drums
Ian Ellis: Bass Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Lead Vocals, Occasional Backing Vocals
Billy Ritchie: Hammond Organ, Piano, Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Backing Vocals, Bass Guitar on 'Old Man', Lead Vocals on 'Grandad', 'Union Jack' and 'Ladies and Gentlemen'

Orchestrations written and conducted by David Palmer
Engineered by Andy Johns at Morgan Studios, London
Produced by Terry Ellis for Chrysalis Productions

Technicals:

Knosti RCM.
Michell GyroDec full version.
Funk Firm FXR II Tonearm.
Audio Technica AT33PTG/II MC Cartridge.
Harman Kardon HK990 Integrated Amplifier.
Gold Interconnects. E-MU 0204 Audio Interface.
Recording, split and manual de-click with Adobe Audition 3.0.1
Click Repair 3.9.1
Vinyl transfer by son-of-albion, February 2014