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VO 1 - 6360 013
* NOTE: ALBUMS WITH AN IRREGULAR CATALOGUE NUMBER ARE EVALUATED AT THE REAR OF THE SERIES.

VO 1
COLOSSEUM - VALENTYNE SUITE (november 1969)

Launching the label with the second album by Colosseum seems a logical choice. The band recorded a quite succesful LP for Phonogram already, Those Who Are About To Die Salute You, on Fontana (STL 5510). Their brand of mixing jazz and rock in a rather original way is custom made for the concept of the label. There can be little doubt about the musical competence of these gentlemen. Almost 40 years later, the music still sounds more or less fresh. Technically this is top-notch. Blues, jazz and rock are blended into a heady mixture and the playing sounds extremely confident. The ever present danger of too elaborate soloing is wisely restricted, especially on side A, which features strong compositions and fine singing. This A side is better than the long suite on side B: more compact and emotional. This is ever so important, where this kind of venture is always threatened to be marred by too much intellectual exercise. The sidelong suite of side B certainly has its moments, but its weak points show clearly through: not all parts are bridged adequately and some of the ensemble playing sounds cerebral. Still a fine LP by any standard.

The striking image on the cover does not reflect anything I can discern in the music, but that may not be a real disadvantage. Estranging light effects (sun and candles) and unreal sizes (the candles are enormous) create a surrealistic atmosphere. A desolate landscape of low brush with a very highly placed horizon does the rest. Is the lady waitng for you to marry her? Her virginal white clothing and her uncertain attitude seem to suggest so. Especially when opened the cover is impressive.
The lettering has a slight ''american'' touch and does look out of place on the overall design.
The inside of the gatefold has the liner notes superimposed on the foto of the ad below. Hiseman is portrayed once again beside this, heroically swinging the drumsticks. The liner notes are efficient and belie the egocentrical pose of this shot.

Notes: This LP was issued on Fontana in The Netherlands with the ''correct'' catalogue number 847 900. It probably was in Australia too. Can someone confirm the latter?
It was also issued in the USA as The grass is greener on Dunhill (DS 50079) in 1970 with different tracks and in an altered cover. In Japan it was released on Philips (SFX-7201) and in New Zealand on Fontana (VTY 847 900)
A cassette release in Britain has been confirmed, the catalogue number is 16 000 CVO.

VO 2

JUICY LUCY - ''same'' (november 1969)

For the liner notes by Welch the term ''pretentious'' would be an understatement. A quote: I encourage seekers of musical truth to investigate the work on this album. Believe me, don't. In retrospect there is not much more to hear than beefed-up boogie blues, with the asset of an unexpected steel guitar, but without any sublety in the composition department. The arrangements sound commonplace, maybe especially since all are so energetic that they ring false and superfluous. Solos are long, some are good, some really stink. The hitsingle Who Do You Love is hot enough, but this is concise and written by Bo. Some other tracks have such thin material that they are tramping common ground much too long to hold the attention of the listener, Are you satisfied? being the prime example. Yes, the band can play, no argueing with their ability. And yes, they can sweat too, most doggedly so. Any secretion 40 years old goes stale...

The cover-art strikes to stun, but ultimately succeeds perhaps only in evoking a mild smile. The lady (or is it a drag queen?), lying on the table under an avalanche of downpouring fruit, is one of those images you will never forget, once you have seen her in her helpless nakedness. Should we turn away disgusted, should we become appetized? Should we feel pity, loathing or even envy? Her left breast seems to have been airbrushed away, thereby creating an androgyne impression. She wears heavy make-up but has no body hair at all, is she a dummy? Bad taste is timeless, it only goes to show. Just watch the watermelon juice on the back cover dripping slowly down and down and down.
The lettering subtly echoes the fruity contents of the pictures: first rate!
The inside of the gatefold has a decent band photo in black and white, quite a deliverance after the outside.

Notes: There are also copies with regular matrix numbers, of course. These seem to have a slightly bigger distance between ''1969'' and ''331/3'' on the label.
This was released in the USA on Atco (SD 33-325) in 1970.
If you want to see a hilarious variation, just have a look at the Spain page! Or else the New Zealand page...
It was released in Australia on Fontana (847 901 VTY), which was to be expected, on a yellow label.
A cassette release in Britain has been confirmed, the catalogue number is 7138 002.

Juicy Lucy's first LP was issued in The Netherlands on Fontana with the catalogue number 847 901 VTY in a different cover, although they did use the same idea on the design as on the British release. Under the Fontana logo on the front cover ''A Vertigo production'' pops up. The same happens at the bottom of the label. It looks like the same lady (is it?), but this is a much more decent picture, I guess. In this era, before Photoshop, they still had to cut and paste with scissors and glue, which shows clearly. Take a good look at the picture! The orange left to her face is litterally hanging in the air. The matrix number (machine-stamped) is AA 847 901 1Y 1 (P) 1969 670 11 and AA 847 901 2Y 1 (P) 1969 670 11 as regular as it gets, ''670'' being the country code for The Netherlands.

VO 3

MANFRED MANN CHAPTER THREE - ''same'' (november 1969)

Manfred Mann, major poppifier of Dylan, lost grip on the dying market for their kind of brew and disbanded in june 1969. A second incarnation of just Mann and Mike Hugg resulted in a flopped single and some advertising music. Small wonder that they claim on the first release of their third incarnation: This LP represents in general what we personally have been wanting to do for some years. Well, what they wanted to do for years turned out to be a pretty claustrophobic affair. Two keyboards at once, the vocals of Mike Hugg, who whispers and groans more than that he sings, and the somewhat cluttered production produce a sombre and at times difficult to penetrate sound. Main disadvantage seems to be the poor integration of rock drums in a setting that suggests jazz more than anything else. Shreds of Dr. John and of Soft Machine keep popping up, but the uncanny atmosphere is pretty unique nonetheless.. Very dense and here and there even strictly non-commercial, this album makes for uneasy listening.

The cover is of  great simplicity: silver line drawing on a dismal dark green background. The portraits of the musicians are drawn in haste, but yet with commendable likeness. Looks like a typical art-school product.
The lettering is done by the same hand as the drawings are and is by its very nature excellently assimilated into the whole picture.
Inside the shrewd use of green, black and silver, along with convincing slices of transparancy is a better recipe.

Notes: This was issued in the USA on Polydor (24-4013) in 1970 and in Japan on Philips (SFX-7200).
Some copies have ''A Philips record product'' on the backcover (and some don't).
We would like to hear of any Fontana releases of this LP.
A cassette release in Britain has been confirmed, the catalogue number is 16 001 CVO.

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Line-up: Mike d'Abo, keyb/ Ian MacLagen, keyb/ Martin Pugh, gtr/ Martin Quittenton, gtr/ Rod Stewart, voc, gtr/ Michael Waller, dr/ Ron Wood, gtr, bsgtr. Production: Lou Reizner. Cover-design by Marcus Keef. Photography by Marcus Keef. Liner notes by unknown. Recorded at Lansdowne & Olympic Studios. Track listing A-side: Street Fighting Man (Mick Jagger + Keth Richard) 5'04'' / Man Of Constant Sorrow (trad.) 2'30''/ Blind Prayer (Rod Stewart) 4'36''/ Handbags & Gladrags (Michael d'Abo) 4'22''. Track listing B-side: An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down  (Rod Stewart) 3'02''/  I Wouldn't Ever Change A Thing (Rod Stewart) 4'45''/ Cindy's Lament (Rod Stewart) 4'28''/ Dirty Old Town (Ewan McColl) 3'40''. Again there are no composer credits on the label, they are inside the gatefold. The Vertigo logo on front is white. The backcover lists the ''old'' number 847 200 VTY, as does the label, just under VO 4. The small lettering underneath  gives the used matrix number as 852 684, which is irregular. Matrix number A-side 852684 1Y* 2 420 1 1 2 Matrix number B-side 852684 2Y//1 ▼420 1 1 1 Rarity scale: SC

VO 5
ANCIENT GREASE - WOMAN AND CHILDREN FIRST

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  BLACK SABBATH - ''same'' (februari 1970)

The beginning of an era, I guess. Where hard-rock up till here was pitting pathos and violence against each other, Black Sabbath introduced (not very convincingly yet) elements of evil and anti-christian symbolism. Although completely paling in comparison with what the end of the last century and the beginning of this one spawned in this direction, the band plunges into realms hitherto uncraved for with mixed results. Black Sabbath attempts to express the antipode of the spiritual quest as advocated by countless progressive bands, but has not yet the ability to musically convince. The music is simply not evil enough to effectuate its claim. That doesn't mean that some of the stylistic traits this LP inaugurates do not have their merits. Grinding guitars, emphasis on strictly unswinging rhythms and heavy textures prevail everywhere, quite a combination. With unmelodic and thus unmannered heavy rock Black Sabbath proves that the straight line sometimes holds more power than the ornament. And don't forget that being first is a feat in itself. A lot left to cultivate here, but ''the beginning of an era'' holds true.

The cover image is brilliant. A slightly more rural House of Usher bathes in a bloody red light. An impressive lady looks at us broodingly from a distance. She cradles a cat, of course. Trees and other vegetation suggest subtle decay. An image much more refined and unnerving than the music and one of Keef's best covers so far.
The lettering is nearly perfect. Modestly ornamental and again subtly suggestive of a restless mind in distress.
The inside provokingly only holds a cross upside-down with the recording information.

Notes: This was released in the USA on Warner Brothers (WS 1871) in 1970 and in Israel on Phonodor (12182) in 1970 with a different backcover to the UK, while keeping the Vertigo logo on front. On this version the production is by Boger Bain..... In Australia it was released on Vertigo with number 847 903 VTY (old Phonogram number) but in a Fontana cover!
We would like to hear about releases on other labels in other countries of this record.
There are in fact three swirl pressings of this record: the first with a label as shown above, the second with the label omitting ''A Philips record product'', and a third with the Vertigo wording above the spindle hole (more about this on the next pages).
Legend has it, that this album was released on friday the 13th of  februari (according to the book "How Black Was Our Sabbath").

A cassette release in Britain has been confirmed, the catalogue number is 7138 001

VO 7
 CRESSIDA - ''same'' (beginning of 1970)

One of Vertigo's finest hours, this is. It's progressive rock from Scotland, nothing less, but almost all irritating traits of that genre are carefully avoided. The mellow emotional singing is free from any mannerisms, the compositions are among the most moving in this realm. There is room for everyone in the production and the playing is refined, even restrained, but without sacrificing any of its splendour. Another point in favour: there is great variety of approach, both instrumentally and stilistically, yet the sound is immediately recgonizable. Stately striding from one climax to another, this still stands as one of the highlights of early British prog. A record that proves that aspirations do not necessarily become pretensions. Melodically extremely affecting with too many highlights to mention, this comes wholeheartedly recommended.

The cover is too rigidly composed to please. The geometric placement of its elements is very austere, the colours are not very fitting. Front and back cover do not truly match. More than a hint of Magritte is present, but to no real effect.
The lettering is too modest to cope with the stark hierachy of the image.
Inside there is a hotch-potch of constituents taken from antique sculpture and architecture. This may look impressive just at first glance, but bores soon after.

A cassette release in Britain has been confirmed, the catalogue number is 7138 017.

6360 001
  FAIRFIELD PARLOUR - FROM HOME TO HOME (beginning of 1970)

Finally Vertigo managed to agree upon a uniform system of cataloguing. The prefix 6360 will from now on indicate Vertigo releases, this in similarity with other Philips/Phonogram releases of the time. The ''VO'' prefix is almost buried, ending the confusion of the six previous releases, but clings to existence in the ''price code''.

As you probably all know, this is the third LP by Kaleidoscope, issued under an alias probably because Kaleidoscope seemed too much connected with the by now irretrievably vanished sixties. Again, this is a gem in the crown of Vertigo, almost as good as the two Kaleidoscope albums, albeit somewhat unfashionable and more disciplined. I strongly doubt that there were many listeners in 1970 waiting for a typical British "nice" psychedelic record, but maybe we are in 2007. The melodies are as innocent as they get and there is just enough whimsy to attract the attention without working contrived. Flamboyant highlight: the ever modulating and revolving Sunny Side Circus. Outdated, but very listenable nonetheless.

The cover works great when it is folded open. The elderly lady reading a paper in her rustic attic does not seem to know that there are four very solemn lads in the adjoining room: the band. They look as if they were preparing a sermon. The combination of diagonal lines and all kinds of frames (a mirror, a portrait, a letter, a doorpost etc.) is maintained with iron discipline. Hundred shades of brown and the use of a delicately structured board for the cover enhance the homeliness. The cover is structured in rectangles (see scan above).
The lettering is effective: just a hint of fancy and ornament.
Inside the lyrics are printed over a dark and misty landscape where the band is hardly visible in the gloom. The remains of a tree stick sharply into the nebulous air. Another tree, wintry and leafless, offers some protection. Very atmospheric.

A cassette release in Britain has been confirmed, the catalogue number is 7138 005.

We found a very strange copy of this record too and we will describe the differing details in full. The vinyl is evidently thinner than on the regular release. The cover is single instead of  folding out, thereby rendering the concept of its design incomprehensible. The contents of the inside are discarded except for the liner notes. The liner notes in typescript are transferred to the bottom right corner of the back. The front cover is the same as the regular release, but the backcover is in black and white. The spine is left unprinted. The catalogue number according to the label is VO 231 (!). Although the label boasts the British design for most of its elements, the printing year has been replaced by ''stereo'', which is decidedly un-British. The production credit is omitted, as are the composers credits. The record number is inserted into the left of the label. The matrix number is HAND-ETCHED and goes: FAIR 10-1A and FAIR 11-1B and has the inscription -L.Nix. So far so good. The most astonishing fact, however, is the INCLUSION OF 4 NON-LP TRACKS, which were released on an EP (6059 008) around the same time as the album. These extra tracks are inserted two each at the end of the regular album sides, doing fully justice to the term ''LP''. Side A has Just another day and Song for you, while side B has Caraminda and I am all the animals. We would be very grateful if there was anyone who could clarify this mysterious release. In the meantime we did receive a scan from a white label copy of this record! That particular copy has a caption on  the front stating ''plus 4 bonus tracks'', so this is likely a (Korean?) reissue. My copy does not have this. Still, we do not quite know what to think...

6360 002
GRACIOUS - ! (beginning of 1970)

Another fine progressive album from Vertigo. At this stage they seem to have the knack of signing adventurous bands that do not sound much like anyone else, while still keeping the prog flag high. Some sounds akin to King Crimson make their appearance (there are worse examples, of course), but the melodies are fresh and the instrumentation (like harpsichord and tympani) shows classical preferences, without imitating classical music. The overall sound maybe somewhat rusty at times and some themes are stretched a bit thin, but profuse washes of mellotron make up for this. The ''fugue'' actually isn't really one...


The cover is structured with an avalanche of small dots in different sizes (see above scan), almost conveying the impression of reptile skin to the touch. The exclamation mark is perhaps over-evident, but at least it is nice to hold the cover in your bare hands, due to the tactile experience it gives off.
The lettering is as neutral as you can get it and therefore nothing to bother about at all.
The inside is a collage that is probably meant to combine pop-art and psychedelics, but it's too cheap to convince. More Keef, please and less Teenburger!

A cassette release in Britain has been confirmed, the catalogue number is 7138 010.

Notes: This was released in the U.S.A.on Capitol (ST 602) in 1970.
Some copies have the matrix of side B ending in 1 2 2 and the wording ''Marty'' after the initial digits in the run-off groove.

6360 003
MAGNA CARTA - SEASONS (beginning of 1970)

Naturally Vertigo needs a folkband, so why not this one, that was already signed and quite popular too, we gather. Still, there are plenty of reasons why this was not the right choice, as the music is so inoffensive, that it actually offends the ear. Expertly played, arranged and produced, this is a conglomerate of meagre compositions, almost invariably too heavily instrumentated or even orchestrated. A sad climax is the sitar on Give me no goodbye, a sorry attempt to upgrade the sound with an unintegrated instrument. It is very unfortunate that this is just one example of many. Do not forget that this is a ''concept'' album, just look at the track listing of side A. The concept is superfluous, the music stale and contrived. What in the world do people hear in this? The British answer to Simon & Garfunkel? It's far less than even that, I  fear.

Opened-out the cover becomes a nice, but overly aesthetic, composition of botanical objets trouvé, augmented with a few acceptable line-drawings. Kitsch, but agreeably so.
The lettering follows the kitsch route devoutly and is fitting enough in the whole picture.
Inside there are the lyrics, which I will be so kind to not reproduce. They are printed over a brown in brown photosession, very rural and sophisticated.

A cassette release in Britain has been confirmed, the catalogue number is 7138 006.

Notes: This was released in the U.S.A.on Dunhill (DS 50091) in 1970.

6360 004
AFFINITY - ''same"" (spring 1970)

Quite enjoyable late-night blues plus jazz-pop, with the convincing voice of Hoyle to the fore. Playing and arrangements are authorative, Naiff plays a fine organ. Comparisons with Julie Driscoll can hardly be suppressed, though this is much less hectic. Opening very stridently with swing and brass, the record contains quite some relaxed cuts too, and these are obviously preferable. Not all choices are fit for their treatment. The generally highly praised cover of All along the watchtower sounds too contrived to us and the lack of substantial melody on Three sisters is not very inviting, but on the whole this is an agreeable album within its genre.

Another memorable cover shot by Keef. This one radiates calm and peace and is more or less the antipode to the Black Sabbath cover. The lady relaxedly observes the foraging swans, both the masonry at her back and the parasol serve to make her look very protected and cosy. The overall turquoise tinting works wonders too.
The lettering uses a well-known font to good effect.
Inside the musicians pose very aesthetically in grey-blue and silver. No less than seven positive reviews from the tabloids are displayed.

A cassette release in Britain has been confirmed, the catalogue number is 7138 009.

Notes: This was released in the U.S.A.on Paramount (PAS 5027) in 1970.

6360 005
BOB DOWNES OPEN MUSIC - ELECTRIC CITY (spring 1970)

Another attempt to elevate rock-jazz fusion into a style of its own, without letting one of the components dominate. Inventive arrrangements notwithstanding, much on this album sounds forced. A few tracks could pass for accompanying music to some seventies BBC police series. The flute of Downes himself is beyond critisism: agile and expressive all the way. Still the overall sound is asthmatic and thick. A pity that the unexpected ballad In your eyes is clogged with brass too. Maybe Downes was overestimating himself when he took the production chair.

An enormous wall-painting is the background to a display of assorted electric devices (and a rose too) that ultimately reaches the flute player himself, who carries a Siamese cat on his shoulder while playing. Very colourful and somehow quite convincing.
The lettering is sober and fits the image effortlessly.
Inside a selection of the musicians is being seen while traversing a typical London street-scene, executed in impressive black and white.

A cassette release in Britain has been confirmed, the catalogue number is 7138 015.

URIAH HEEP - ...VERY 'EAVY...VERY 'UMBLE (spring 1970)

Poor Heap! Panned by the press, but still one of the most succesful Vertigo acts according to sales-figures. Hard organ rules, rips and even fakes church-organ. Drilling guitar-riffs abound, some blues is incorporated. Simulated prog-kitsch is available too, but the band sounds - luckily - tight and professional, though not very inventive. Probably this album wants to scare us, but there is just enough of a pinch of irony to sow doubts. So we have theatrical horror-rock with a useful and unexpected cover of Come away Melinda and a genuine highlight too: the truly progressive last cut of side B.

A more or less dead body in (eternal?) repose with a wide open mouth is wrapped in gossamer, but the colour of its skin is much too lively to convince and the lips are a healthy red too... The hands are better: a body-like blue-grey. Flirting with the other side of the grave clearly has become a fashion or even a trademark. This is the first release to boast a laminated cover.
The lettering is quite sober, which seems a good idea. A more gothic lettering would definitely only have contributed to the overkill.
The inside shows Heep in live action, a fine picture. The bassdrum carries the same head as the cover of this LP and another copy is projected behind the band. Looks neither heavy nor humble to us.

A cassette release in Britain has been confirmed, the catalogue number is 7138 004.

Notes: This was released in the U.S.A as a self-titled album on Mercury (SR 61294) in 1970.
We also got the notice that there are copies around that do have composers credits on the label.

MAY BLITZ - ''same'' (summer 1970)

A whole album of power-trio violence: somewhat hard on the listener's patience. Luckily overdubs are allowed on this record. Quite often there are two guitars rather than one, rendering a cut like Squeet a bit reminiscent of Wishbone Ash. The overall atmosphere is gloomy, especially when the tempo is decreasing like in Dreaming, where even some acoustic guitar becomes hearable. An effective vibraphone is a boon too. This makes for a rather diverse album, much more than the narrow format would suggest. Definitely a talented bunch.

A fat and monstrous woman in underwear and wearing a hat is drawn in a sordid black and white on the front. Opening the cover shows her to be on top of a city of empty blocks of flats, where a likewise monstrous ape sees up to her with a mixture of malice and servitude. About as ugly as it gets, but therefore almost laudable.
The lettering is hardly readable pink on light grey. It's a haven of normality in this context.

The inside shows more of the same. Now, the woman seems to flow out downwards into something like roots of flesh that form the name of the band. Small and out of character are the bandphoto's at the right. Left, three notables state that they surely dig May Blitz. Well, why not?

A cassette release in Britain has been confirmed, the catalogue number is 7138 008.

Notes: This was released in the U.S.A on Paramount (PAS 5020) in 1970.

NUCLEUS - ELASTIC ROCK (summer 1970)

Yes, it can be called jazz, we guess, though the atmosphere has hardly the agitation you would expect from a venture of this kind. The blending of rock and jazz elements works well on much of the first side. Nobody tries to steal the show through overlong soloing, the emphasis lies on ensemble play. As the record goes on, it becomes hard to distinguish between the different themes and tracks. The sound is now often too monochrome and the lack of variety in pace mars the proceedings. Still, a listenable album in this difficult realm, sounding as British as you could wish for.

This is the first of the Vertigo die-cut gimmix covers and a fine one too. A hole shaped like a looking glass is cut away from the front and a seething mass of magma shines through. It is also the first Vertigo cover that mentions where it was made.
The lettering is done in an elegant and beautiful outline font.

Opened up the magma proves to be the contents of an impressive crater, the picture of which was taken on Iceland. Left of this the recording  info. On the back Dean has drawn superb small portraits of the band members.

A cassette release in Britain has been confirmed, the catalogue number is 7138 007.

Notes: First pressings with a large swirl logo (this is a premature remark, details of label differences are to be found on the second Britain page below 6360 028) have the opening to let the disc through at their ''normal'' outside of the cover and no title on the spine. Second printings with a smaller swirl logo have the opening at the inside of the gatefold in the way of the Beatles For Sale album and do correct the omission of the title.

DR. STRANGELY STRANGE - HEAVY PETTING (summer 1970)

Second album of this idiosyncratic crew that incorporates a young and restless Gary Moore into its chaotic folky leanings. Hired-in drummer Mattacks mostly tries in vain to keep order among the players, but that seems to be exactly what makes this album interesting. Chaos and cosmos are in constant struggle with each other, while the musicians only smile benignly or frown lightly and do not seem to wish to do anything about it. Producer Boyd, champion of the unpolished folk sound, has no intention to pull the reins tight and already the opening Ballad of the wasps boasts an enormous mistake in the singing parts that is met not with a cut and a re-take, but with a full peel of laughter. In this atmosphere it is not difficult to feel free and unbound and so the whole album emits relaxation and enjoyment. You want chaos? Check Ashlings! You want melodic folk-brilliancy mixed to the bones with unashamed amateurism? This is your album!

We cannot refrain from letting you know how Longman's Dictionary defines the album title: sexual activities without actual having sex. How would that feel for a change?

Vertigo takes the concept of gimmix covers another step up. The cover proper (with top-opening to let the disc through) is wrapped in two folding flaps that have been die-cut in three places on front and that fold into two iconic pieces at the back. On the front cover a strange building on pillars rises into the grey sky. The foreground is a painted wood with very green but gnarly bushes everywhere. The contrast is striking. Three of our culprits peep through. Lyrics in white on black and written in Dean's gorgeous but hardly readable handwriting are on the back flaps and on the back cover. There is a photo of stairs covered with moss, too, as well as numerous small drawings of embracing trees, wasps and more like that. Phew!

The lettering is leafy and green, as was to be expected.


Notes: It seems an unlikely candidate for a bootleg, but there defintely is one around, gimmix cover and all. It is easily discernable by its hand-etched matrix. The corners of the cover look blurred: evidently a photograph of the real thing.

There are copies around with a mistake on the label: tracks 4 and 5 are interchanged (not on the actual record, though).
If you have excellent eyesight, you may discern this from the following scan.




A cassette release in Britain has been confirmed, the catalogue number is 7138 020 and here is how it looks. The running order has been totally revised, not for the better, though.

JIMMY CAMPBELL - HALF BAKED (summer 1970)

Too little originality severely impairs most of the tracks collected here. The ballads are better than the rocking tracks, but it only goes to show that Campbell (from Rocking Horse) doesn't quite seem to know whether he opts for being a singer/songwriter or a rocker. Rustic watercolours characterize the slow tracks, but mostly there is not enough happening to seriously attract the attention. Fine exception: the orchestrated title track, which seems a genuine expression of self-doubt. Some acceptably interesting harmonic progressions do pop up, but these are few and far between.

Back to the normal gatefold cover, but a nice one it surely is. The atmospheric photograph of two clowns, one male and one female, comes into perspective when folding-out the cover. The park-like landscape is inhabited by a rook and a vague figure that could be a nun. Great surrealistic kitsch.

The lettering is very difficult to read, though this does not seem to be meant that way: an unfavourable sign.
Inside the lyrics are printed red over grey and a photo of the singer is displayed as well. Nothing special here.

A cassette release in Britain has been confirmed, the catalogue number is 7138 012.

Notes: A6 is wrongly credited on the label as ''I do not mind''.

BLACK SABBATH - PARANOID (september 1970)

It may be self-explanatory that albums like this are not primarily concerned with new musical horizons. This LP does not add much to what we already knew from the first album, but it converted a lot more people and it is undoubtedly better played than the debut. So this became Vertigo's first number 1 LP in Britain. Musically it is only slightly more, well eh, catchy and some tracks survived several decades in live performances like War pigs, Rat salad and, of course, the title track. In retrospect the music isn't quite as dangerous as it would like to be. Most of the riffs are almost shamelessly simple and the playing is not even as heavy as you would think. Naturally, our ears have been schooled by another forty years of heavy riffing, so I guess at the time this was weighing enough to convince. The vague attempts to consider the other side of occultism sound dated and actually embarrassingly comparable to children who talk about the ''dirty'' side of sex, that is without having any inkling. The evil forces will not consider these endeavours as any help at all.

A strange kind of modern day crusaders seems to populate the cover brandishing a sword made out of moonlight. By slyly copying several photographs into each other the impression of a secret army is conveyed. Well-done, but a bit cheap as an image.

The lettering could have been more elaborate, but its chubby letters do not look misplaced, though.
Inside the four gentleman are posing in the grass. They seem actually nice guys. The cross that is dangling from the neck of one of the villains is in fact the right way up!


Notes: This was released in the USA on Warner Brothers (WS 1887) in 1971
It even got a quadrophonic USA release on the same label in 1974 (WS4 1887)

A cassette release in Britain has been confirmed, the catalogue number is 7138 011

The Swiss book club release of this album, pressed in the UK, has been relocated to: Switzerland

MANFRED MANN CHAPTER THREE - VOLUME TWO (october 1970)

It's more rock than the debut, but solos still mean reeds and no guitars. A few morsels acoustic guitar are an asset and the music tastes less wry. I ain't laughing is even almost folk and It's good to be alive is commendable slow and sleepy rock with ace drummer McCulloch playing a remarkably restrained role. Very unfortunate is the extreme boredom provoked by the never-ending pianosolos on side B. Somehow this formula didn't really work and the next release was already by another band, Manfred Mann's Earthband. Rightly so!

A host of doll's heads fills every inch on the cover, with the one black face strongly crying for attention. A slightly unsettling image.

The lettering echoes the round forms of eyes and heads very nicely.
Inside the picture goes on: now a little polynesian boy sits on a landscape of stones with sparse vegetation and plays with the heads. This results in a playground filled with severed heads. They are only dolls, mind you!

A cassette release in Britain has been confirmed, the catalogue number is 7138 013

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Line-up: John Simms, voc, gtr/ Mark Sheather, bsgtr/ Ken White, dr. Production: Patrick Campbell-Lyons. Cover-design by Roger Dean. Photography by unknown Liner notes: by Nick Massey. Recorded at Island Studios. Cover manufactured by Howards Printers. Track listing A-side: Sweet Leaf (9'30'')/ The Rocket Ride (5'57'')/ I'm Coming Home (3'05''). Track listing B-side: You Mistify (7'45'')/ Tool Of My Trade (4'50'')/ My Heaven (5'00'')/ Birdcatcher (4'10''). All tracks by John Simms There are no running time indications on the label, they are on the backcover. The Vertigo logo on front is black. Matrix number A-side 6360013 A//1  1 1 5 Matrix number B-side 6360013 2Y//2   1 1 2 Rarity scale: R2

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Britain overview

6360 014 - 6360 033

6360 034 - 6360 053

6360 054 - 6360 073


singles Britain

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