Not quite as easy as I'd expect from A&C, having a more rocky almost Krautrock feel.
An insistent bassline, nice harmonising vocals, shiny almost Can-like guitars, with these very, very nice pastoral breakdowns. Vaguely psychedlic almost.
Not the most obvious song by the late Athur Lyman for a favourite, but I was given the LP 'Blowing in the wind' when I'd never heard of Exotic music, let alone Denny or Lyman. This track was the one taht got me hooked, its a song I can remember from my childhood (god knows who by), and Lyman performs it beautifully, I can't remember if theres any accompaniment, but I doubt it (there isn't I checked). all I can remember is the vibes.
Theres a great dynamic spectrum on this track from still to speaker crackling and back to still again.
And all at about 2 minutes long.
Its 4 tracks into the CD, and after one of the fluffy pop numbers, so it quite takes you by surprise when a guitar kicks in of such rawness that it feels like small blisters are erupting over your eardrums.
In come the bass and drums, and the girly vocals (Janet presumably) with a nice sarcastic tone. The sarcasm seems to be a feature of the band.
Threres also a triffic 1980 style disco remix on the extra CD, for extra amusement. To be honest I love the whole LP, it has nice fat drums, lovely rolling bass, and they aren't afraid to use the technology, it was hard to pick one song out, but this one had the edge for Janets voice and that ruff guitar. God I love Fuzz.
Oddly the person who played the CD to me first dismissed them as just another Oz-Rock band. Nah, way off the mark.
15 Jul 02 ·n-jeff: My 4 year old daughter worked out enough of the CD player controls to play the disco remix back to back about twenty times over this weekend. Still sounds great.
I love the WCPAEB, they really seem to encapsulate Psychedelia perfectly. Light, blurred and dreamy. And unlike many of their contemporaries seem completely untouched by Garage authenticity. Not that theres anything wrong with garage punk per se, but it means that theres none of blundering of 'talk about girls' to fray those tinted moods.
Oh, it has loud guitars and harmonies right enough, but the whole thing is pitched just right to lift the dregs of any mood enhancers you may have floating around in your bloodstream and send them spinning into your brain.
from Volume 2, available on CD
01 Sep 02 ·john_l: I hadn't realized it was a WCPAEB original. I've only heard the version by Southwest FOB, which was pleasant enough.
It starts the LP with a blast of horns and a wail of Harry Stoneham on Organ, with a big intro that makes you check the LP sleeve - Is this really that folky ballad?
A drop down to a cowbell latin beat, and then back into the song proper. The main rendition is pretty good, but theres just something about that introduction that just turns it into a cheeseball, high kicking masterpiece. I start grinning every time I hear it, never fails to lift my spirits.
from Latin Style..plys the hits of Tom Springfield (Contour)