...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

4CD REMASTERED CLAMSHELL BOX ANTHOLOGY COMPRISING ALL OF SKIN ALLEY’S RECORDINGS FOR CBS & TRANSATLANTIC RECORDS BETWEEN 1969-1973.

INCLUDES ALL THE TRACKS FROM THE ALBUMS ‘SKIN ALLEY’, ‘TO PAGHAM & BEYOND’, ‘TWO QUID DEAL’ & ‘SKINTIGHT’ ALONG WITH ALL TRACKS FROM ‘STOP VERUSHKA!’, THE BAND’S “LOST” 1970 SOUNDTRACK ALBUM & RARE SINGLES.

ALL TRACKS REMASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES.

INCLUDES AN ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET WITH NEW ESSAY.

Formed in 1968, Skin Alley were part of the infamous Clearwater stable that included fellow acts such as Hawkwind, High Tide, Trees and Cochise. The band’s infectious fusion of jazz and rock was suited to the time and the band became a regular attraction on the underground festival and concert circuit.

Skin Alley recorded their self-titled debut album for CBS Records in November 1969 with former Pretty Things guitarist Dick Taylor producing. The band’s second album, ‘To Pagham and Beyond’ was recorded in 1970, along with a shelved soundtrack album for an unreleased film about the German model Verushka.

In June 1971 Skin Alley performed at the legendary Glastonbury Fayre and the following year they contributed a track to the fund-raising triple album of the same name which also featured The Grateful Dead, David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Gong and Hawkwind among others. Signing to Transatlantic Records in 1972 they released the album ‘Two Quid Deal’ later that year. Their final album, ‘Skintight’, was issued in 1973.

This 4CD set has been newly remastered and is a fine tribute to one of Britain’s great unsung underground acts of the early 1970s includes all of Skin Alley’s albums and rare single tracks, along with the shelved Stop Verushka! soundtrack and the version of ‘Sun Music’ from Glastonbury Fayre.



A cop (and an ugly one at that) pulling his tongue right in your face under their bloodied name is the opening image that Skin Alley chose as an approach to music fans. Despite such a poor decision, the album was well received by the press and the fans alike, and rightfully so, because this unusual quartet (line-up wise) developed a distinctive mix of jazz and blues into their rock music, fronted by Bob James' wind instruments and Juskiewicz's (bless you ;-) organ and piano and usually offering "male" lyrics.
Opening on one of their most popular track Living In Sin (it was part of the sampler Fill Your Head With Rock), the group sets the tone for the whole album, as their jazz-inflected rock (it can be included in the early 70's UK proto prog) that enthrals the listener directly as the communicative enthusiasm of the band is almost overwhelming. Indeed Bob James alternates between the flute and guitar, while bassist Crimble sounds like Cressida's Angus Cullen on vocals. The same Cressida name is also reminded on Tell Me (mellotrons), this time more to do with the songwriting (I'm sure there is an unintentional borrowing from whomever recorded their track second, which is probably Cressida). The Mother Help Your Child track is one of the album's highlights, as Crimble's voice takes on dramatic Out Of Focus tones, after a menacing church-organ sound and an isolated flute opened it. The lengthier Marsha is an up-tempoed organ-driven groove that allows for a few wild sax solos, alternated by organ lines, reminiscent of the second-era Traffic.

On the flipside, past the short pastoral and medieval (piccolo flute and harpsichord) Country Aire, with the other mammoth track, the dark 8-mins All Alone, SA gets to serious business with the slow sinister organ that will drive the entire track, sharing the spotlight with the sax. Night time is one of my fave from the album, loaded with flute and tron layers, and later on evolving rolling jazzy piano ditty. Juskiewicz gives us another pointless taste of his harpsichord before the group closes the album with a boogie-ing Highway, maybe the album's weaker moment.

Included as bonus tracks are the two songs from the non-album single (engineered by Martin Birch, the first being a fairly different version of Tell Me with some wild cello lines replacing the melotron, the track resembling less the Cressida track, under this version, which I find better. Better Be Blind has a deceiving vocal line coupled with an annoying whistle, but outside this, it remains a worthy SA track, but sounding fairly different from the album per se.

A bit of a lost classic proto-prog album, Skin Alley's debut has recently received a re-issue through Eclectic Discs, with an excellent booklet and extensive liner notes, the object narrowingly missing the perfect mark, because of the band's name being black instead of the orange-blood colour scheme on the front cover, the rear artwork taken from a much weather-beaten vinyl. Besides this nitpicking, Skin Alley's debut comes awfully close to a masterpiece, but no cigar. Essential, certainly!!

Sean Trane


John Peel apparently discovered these guys playing live somewhere and invited them to do a live gig on his show. I really like their sound with the vocals, organ and flute all being for the most part warm and nostalgic for me. A sort of melancholy too bringing CAMEL to mind at times. Two of the guys play mellotron although it's only featured on two tracks. A four piece with sax and harpsichord also in play. There are five really good tracks on here and the only two I'm not into amount to less than 3 minutes so a very solid 4 star album in my books.
"Living In Sin" is an excellent opener and the lyrics from a bye gone day talking about "sin" which is usually boasted about these days and a non-issue. Pulsating bass with a beat and flute as vocals and organ join in. A CAMEL vibe here and the guitar arrives before 1 1/2 minutes. It comes to the fore around 2 minutes as the vocals step aside. Sax replaces the guitar before 3 1/2 minutes some nice prominent bass too. Flute and that earlier sound with vocals returning late.

"Tell Me Why" is my favourite. It's melancholic with picked guitar, mellotron and sad vocals to start. The chorus is meaningful and moving with 60's sounding harmonies. Pulsating organ before 3 minutes during an instrumental section. Just a killer tune. "Mother Please Help Your Child" has meaningful lyrics and after a dramatic intro it settles right down with flute as reserved vocals join in and solemn organ. It turns fuller 1 1/2 minutes in with passionate vocals. The chorus is downright sad then themes are repeated. Some powerful lyrics here.

"Marsha" obviously a Brady Bunch reference(kidding) is an excellent almost 7 1/2 minute instrumental. Love this organ led tune as bass and drums standout as well early on. Sax before 3 minutes as the organ steps aside but it's back before 5 minutes replacing the sax. The sax is back a minute later but the organ continues this time pulsating powerfully before settling back. "Country Aire" has this fairy sounding flute with harpsichord. So not my thing(haha). It's better a minute in though when the drums, bass and more arrive. "All Alone" has relaxed organ to start as bass and drums join in, sax too then reserved vocals. Very laid back then it's fuller after 2 minutes but it settles back quickly. A sax solo follows then organ as it stays laid back. Vocals are back before 6 minutes then it turns fuller with sax after 7 minutes but again it's brief. "Night Time" opens with flute, drums and bass then it kicks in quickly with mellotron too. Nice. Vocals just before a minute. Back to that opening theme and I just love the sound of this one. Some rare piano 2 1/2 minutes in.

"Concerto Grosso(Take Heed)" is but 26 seconds of harpsichord. "(Going Down The)Highway" has a catchy rhythm and is blues flavoured with pulsating organ and vocals. Sax 1 1/2 minutes in as the vocals step aside then the organ takes over. Vocals return but this isn't one of my favs.

Kind of a weird cover not representing the music in any way. I guess they thought it was funny. Anyway the music here is quite amazing for the most part, just a big fan of their sound and easily 4 stars for this one.

Mellotron Storm



..::TRACK-LIST::..

CD 1 - Skin Alley (1969):
1. Living in Sin
2. Tell Me
3. Mother, Please Help Your Child
4. Marsha
5. Country Aire
6. All Alone
7. Night Time
8. Concerto Grosso (Take Heed)
9. (Going Down the) Highway

Bonus Tracks:
10. Better Be Blind (B-side of single)
11. Tell Me (single version)
12. Shower Music (from Stop Verushka)
13. Sofa, Taxi and Sand Themes (from Stop Verushka)
14. Cemetery Scene (from Stop Verushka)
15. First Drug Scene (from Stop Verushka)



..::OBSADA::..

Organ, Piano, Harpsichord, Mellotron [Melotron], Vocals - Krzysztof-Henryk Juskiewicz
Bass, Mellotron [Melotron], Vocals - Thomas Crimble
Drums, Congas, Timpani - Alvin Pope
Guitar, Alto Saxophone, Flute, Vocals - Bob James




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCpLseZObp8



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