VA - Cave Of Clear Light, The Pye And Dawn Records Underground Trip 1967-1975 [2010] (3 x CD's)

 

PYE & DAWN

VA - Cave Of Clear Light, The Pye And Dawn Records Underground Trip 1967-1975 [2010] (3 x CD's)

During the rise of the psychedelic underground on the British rock scene in the late ‘60s with bands like Traffic, Pink Floyd, the Nice, et al., the music industry scrambled to accommodate the new market created by these sounds. Their solution was the establishment of new imprints to specialize in the styles the longhairs of the day were pursuing; EMI's Harvest label -- home of Pink Floyd -- is a prime example. The Pye label, which had been through everything from skiffle to blues to Merseybeat, answered the call by inaugurating its own "hip" outlet, Dawn Records. This delicious three-disc collection -- with a well-appointed booklet -- chronicles the brief but bountiful Dawn years, from 1967 to 1975. Following Cave of Clear Light from beginning to end is like having an audio documentary of the way the underground music scene unfolded in England during the aforementioned era. Folk-rock and full-on paisley-patterned, canyons-of-your-mind psychedelia were the flavors of the day at the beginning, the latter represented most prominently by Pye's biggest breadwinner, Donovan, on the hits "Season of the Witch" and "Hurdy Gurdy Man," not to mention more esoteric but equally arresting outings like John Kongos' surreally Dylanesque "Confusions About a Goldfish." Psychedelically speaking, it's intriguing to discover the trippy beginnings of bands later known for heavier sounds -- this package's mind-bending title track comes from the Bystanders, who soon become known as Welsh axemeisters Man, while archetypal ‘70s boogie band Status Quo's psychedelic roots are laid bare on the heady, organ-drenched "Paradise Flat," and Episode Six's atmospheric, expansive take on "Morning Dew" offers few clues that their members would soon be found in Deep Purple. Of course, Cave of Clear Light follows psychedelia's evolution into progressive rock in the early to mid-‘70s as well, and even though prog outfits like Fruupp and Jonesy never made it to a King Crimson/Yes level of renown, they're no less worthy of attention, and the collection nicely fills in some historical gaps in this area. For anyone even vaguely interested in psychedelic or progressive rock (not to mention the styles' hardcore adherents), these three discs are a treasure trove of sweet sonic surprises. (Allmusic  Review by James Allen)

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Track lists

CD1

01 Bystanders Cave of Clear Light 3:44

02 Donovan Season of the Witch 4:56

03 Episode Six Morning Dew 2:55

04 Status Quo Paradise Flat 3:13

05 Neo Maya Ufo 2:49

06 Man The Future Hides Its Face 5:28

07 Blonde on Blonde Ride With Captain Max 5:22

08 Velvett Fogg Yellow Cave Women 6:58

09 Donovan Hurdy Gurdy Man 3:14

10 Woody Kern Tell You I'm Gone 4:10

11 Mooche Hot Smoke and Sassafras 3:12

12 Blonde on Blonde All Day, All Night 3:35

13 Status Quo Mister Mind Detector 4:04

14 Pesky Gee Peace of Mind 2:20

15 John Kongos Confusions About a Goldfish 4:14

16 Man It is as it Must Be 8:30

17 Fire Flies Like a Bird 3:40

18 Trader Horne Velvet to Atone 2:25

CD2

01 Fire Tell You A Story 5:43

02 Titus Groan Hall Of Bright Carvings 11:39

03 Atlantic Bridge Hilary Dixon 2:33

04 Comus Song To Comus 7:25

05 Mungo Jerry I Just Wanna Make Love To You 9:05

06 Jackie Mcauley Cameramen; Wilson And Holmes 4:53

07 Pluto Road To Glory 4:25

08 Quiet World Body To The Mind 3:26

09 Trifle One Way Glass 4:22

10 Mike Cooper Pharoah's March 7:16

11 Demon Fuzz I Put A Spell On You 3:54

12 Status Quo Someone's Learning 7:10

13 Atomic Rooster Time Take My Life 6:01

CD3

01 Paul Brett Sage 3D Mona Lisa 3:20

02 Trio Billy The Kid 1:32

03 Status Quo Gerdundula 3:50

04 Noir Hard Labour 5:22

05 Heron Yellow Roses 4:11

06 Atomic Rooster Save Me 3:16

07 Icarus Fantastic Four 3:20

08 Writing On The Wall Man Of Renown 3:08

09 Gravy Train Staircase To The Day 7:33

10 Jonesy Ricochet 4:05

11 Vincent Crane & Chris Farlowe Can't Find A Reason 4:29

12 Fruupp Decision 6:25

13 David Mcwilliams Lord Offaly 6:34

14 Paul Brett Sage Custom Angel Man 2:43

15 Quicksand Flying 4:23

16 Stray Stand Up And Be Counted 4:19

17 Jonsey No Alternative 8:14

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