Here’s a rarity for you.
‘Losing You’ is a psychedelic-edged track from little known rock act Blue Beard, who are so arcane, in fact, that their album never got beyond test pressings.
It’s taken from the recently released compilation Looking Towards the Sky, which collects together the psychedelic, prog and folk rock output of the UK’s indie label, Ember Records, between 1969 and 1972. Needless to say it’s obscurity heaven with acts so deep underground, you’ll need Steve Austin implants to hear them.
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news, psychedelic rock
It would seem that Head Full of Snow is one year old this very day. That makes us six months older than my own shouty daughter.
Jeff Lynne and the Idle Race boys react to the news HFoS is one year old
365 days may have passed since the first proper posting here, but as I promised at the start of the year, we shan’t be doing anything to celebrate.
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music vid, news, psych-pop
Good news for anybody taken by the psychedelic stylings and off-the-wall showmanship of mad-as-a-shrews-hatbox Arthur Brown, as February 22nd 2010 sees the release of a 2-disc deluxe edition of 1968’s self-titled The Crazy World of Arthur Brown.
Yes, the good people at Esoteric have given the one and only album by this iconic, psycho-delic rock band the royal treatment, delivering a remastered version of the original album and a host of extras, such as alternate mixes, a BBC session from 1968 and rare single tracks, including the wonderfully anarchic piss-take of the peace and love movement, ‘Give Him a Flower’ – “Don’t ‘it ‘im wiv a bottle, Give him a flower”
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news, prog rock, psychedelic rock
2010. It may be January 5th, but the Christmas decorations are still up at HFoS towers, and the festive spirit will not wear off until at least April. But enough of that. The New Year brings a new decade, and inevitably more of my nonsense.
Jethro Tull look forward to another year of HFoS
2010 marks the official first birthday of Head Full of Snow, February 8th last year being the hallowed date when all this started with a wee profile of lost psychedelic popsters and brief Beatles’ protégés, Focal Point.
To celebrate this momentous occasion we’ll be doing absolutely nothing. Should you wish to wear a sparkly hat or release a party-popper into the wild on said date, you’re more than welcome.
Which brings me to the intentions for Head Full of Snow into 2010.
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acid-folk, news, prog rock, psychedelic rock
The BBC reports that rare footage of a Syd Barrett-led Pink Floyd, playing on Top of the Pops, has been unearthed and will be shown for the first the time in 42 years.
Image courtesy Capitol/EMI Archive
The damaged film stock, on 1 inch, reel to reel tape, was discovered in a private collection and has been restored to a state where it can once again be viewed.
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music vid, news, psychedelic rock
Esoteric Recordings continue their sterling crusade of reissuing remastered psychedelic and progressive rock albums of the 60s and 70s.
So as the leaves brown, the air gets colder and the door slowly creaks shut on 2009, what’s crackling away in the Esoteric fireplace, lined up for a November release?
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news, prog rock
‘I’ve Got a Feeling’ this Christmas is going to be one made in heaven for the weathered Beatles fan, ‘Yes it Is’. Following on from a veritable ‘Helter Skelter’ of Beatles business to coincide with the 40th anniversary of their split – including the complete digital remastering of the Fab Four’s backcatalog, as well as the first official venture into the world of video gaming with The Beatles Rock Band – ‘Yesterday’ it came to the attention of Head Full of Snow that The Beatles Box of Vision is to be released in the UK in time for the festive period.
Whereas, generally, ‘Happiness is a Warm Gun’ , true happiness can only be achieved by ‘Something’ such as this book/display case combo – the type which makes you want to scream in its general direction, “I’ve ‘Got to Get You into My Life’”…
… But crap punning aside, this really looks to be one for the collector, boasting three components that will leave a Beatles enthusiast foaming at the mouth.
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news
Just a quick announcement from the editorial staff here at HFoS towers that next week is officially declared Procol Harum Week.
Kicking off tomorrow, Head Full of Snow is dedicating itself to the innovative progressive rock act that will, unfairly or otherwise, forever be associated with one song, ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’.
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news, prog rock
As mentioned on Friday, there’s not only a new album by barking mad, 70’s progressive space rockers Gong, out on 21st September 2009, but they’re also embarking on a UK tour in November; featuring sometime Soft Machine member and founder of the group Daevid Allen, along with former core members Steve Hillage, Gilli Smyth, Mike Howlett and Miquette Giraudy.
Gong formed in 1968 during the Paris student riots, giving birth to a wealth of weird and wonderful albums, overflowing with psychedelic and progressive flavours, most notably the Radio Gnome Trilogy, of which the new album 2032 is to be the next installment.
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news, prog rock, psychedelic rock
All This and More, a four-disc Procol Harum compendium has been announced by Salvo Records as part of their 40th anniversary reissue campaign.
To me, just from the scant information at my fingertips, it looks to be a dead cert for the Christmas list.
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news, prog rock, psychedelic rock
Following on from the August and September release schedule for prog rock reissue merchants, Esoteric Records, October continues in earnest with the following CDs possibly of interest to Head Full of Snow readers.
First up is the reissue of Genesis keyboard-noodler, Tony Banks’ 1979 debut solo album A Curious Feeling. Released at a time when the rot that was Phil Collins had truly set in, this solo outing retains a feel for the early progressive sound of that once proud band. Further details of A Curious Feeling can be found here.
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news, prog rock
Next month sees the release of a brand new album from bonkers 60s-70s experimental/psychedelic/space rock/progressive avant-gardistas of the Canterbury scene, Gong.
2032 is released on 21st September (2009) and sees Steve Hillage back in the recording studio with Daevid Allen for the first time since creative differences saw them part company following 1974’s You.
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news, prog rock, psychedelic rock
It’s a new look for the latest issue of Shindig, as the magazine “for people who want more” celebrates two whole years at the forefront of underground music reportage. Yes, it’s 12 issues down the line since the magazine’s glossy relaunch (Shindig is published bi-monthly) and what better than a brand new design?
Following the last issue, for which your humble host here at HFoS towers contributed a feature article on Chicago psychedelic band H.P. Lovecraft, the latest edition maintains the usual standard for lovers of psych, prog, garage and the just plain weird.
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news
“… it enforces the argument that the only place for children in Spaghetti Westerns is sprawled across the floor, riddled with lead …”
HFoS spreads its wings over at LateMag, once again waxing lyrical about Spaghetti Westerns with a review of Cjamango.
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news
Esoteric Recordings, purveyors of fine prog and psychedelic rock reissues have announced their releases for August – okay, I’m a little late on this one, but things have been hectic of late – and September.
Esoteric really has some good stuff on its books, some of which hasn’t seen the light of day since the late sixties and seventies – the heyday of progressive rock.
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news, prog rock
Following the Salvo/Fly Records reissues of the first four Procol Harum albums earlier this year, the sterling work continues unabated with Salvo’s reissues of the next three albums in the Procol backcatalog, available now!
1971’s Broken Barricades carries on the tradition started on Home with a harder rock sound, Robin Trower’s guitar taking the lead in the absence of departed Matthew Fisher’s Hammond organ.
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news, prog rock, psychedelic rock
Just a quick note to say that none of these things have happened here at HFoS towers:
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music vid, news
The latest issue of Shindig! magazine (August – September 2009) hit the doormat yesterday and lo and behold, within its pages there’s an article written by yours truly. Not that you’d know it though, as they’ve neglected to mention this website. Ah well…
Anyway, beg, borrow or steal a copy if you’re interested and thumb through to the piece on late ’60s psychedelic rock group H.P. Lovecraft, entitled “Whirling, Twirling, Swirling”. That be the beast, right there.
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news
“… Well, the embarrassment of stopping is far worse than the mild pain of having a bit of tear gas down your lungs. That’s just uncomfortable for a few minutes. If you suddenly stopped or something, that would be something you’d have to live with for weeks afterwards — the embarrassment of it …” – Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull, 1971
And so the mighty Jethro Tull managed to quell a riot at the Red Rocks Amphitheater near Denver, Colorado, 38 years ago to this day (June 10th).
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news, prog rock
You see, in this world there’s two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig. - The Man With No Name (The Good, The Bad and the Ugly)
No, I’ve not given leave to my senses. This is just a spot of shameless self-promotion for an article I’ve had published over at the excellent LateMag – of which you can find out more in the Groovy Cats section. Indeed, Five Spaghetti Westerns not directed by Sergio Leone looks at another passion of mine, the Spaghetti Western (see how I secreted a subtle clue in the title?). Obviously, the Man With No Name quote is made redundant by the fact it’s from a Leone Spaghetti Western… But I likes it!
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news
Yes indeed. This Sunday (May 31st 2009) sees the two main men from Shindig! magazine invading the studios of BBC 6 Music. Editors Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills and Andy Morten join Stuart Maconie on his weekly Freakzone show, where the weird, the obscure, the underground and the unnaturally freakish collide head-on in a cloud of phased guitars, far-out sounds and communal hairiness.
Topics of discussion are, naturally, Shindig magazine, its origins as Gravedigger fanzine, its more recent history and rise to being the magazine for people in the musical know to be seen with. Also the plans for the future and the road down which Shindig magazine is headed.
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news
Further news on the the Fly Records and Salvo reissues of the first four Procol Harum albums as mentioned on Wednesday. As said, the first two, Procol Harum and Shine on Brightly are already out, but the classic A Salty Dog and Home are to be released on May 18th (2009).
As with all these superlative Fly reissues – the recent The Move ones being textbook examples of how these things should be done – they come with a host of bonus tracks to keep the connoisseur and completist happy.
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feature, news, prog rock, psychedelic rock
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