| features in: Album Chart of 1973 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1970s |
Staring back at you from the cover of their eleventh LP (clockwise from top left) were: Gerard Dott, Mike Heron, Malcolm Le Maistre and Robin Williamson. Persistent rumours about their artistic differences are answered by the very title of the album, and they reckon that the musicianship of new addition Dott has raised the standards of everyone else's playing. Under the production control of Heron, the self-indulgent and obscure aspects of the group's exotic experimenting are pruned, as they seek to reinvent themselves as agile all-rounders in fields various, incorporating folk, country, jazz, rock and reggae. Whilst I'm not entirely convinced by this dilution, I note that the two best songs are in the reggae and country fields, so they might have a bit of a point. “Second Fiddle” (Tommy McCook & The Supersonics, 1968) was plucked from a Trojan LP by Mike who was struck with the unusual clarinet and whistle solo, recreated here by Gerard and Robin. Anyone wondering why the base track is so pucker will be interested to know that it was played by UK Top 20 reggae act, Greyhound, they of “Black And White” fame. Album highlight “My Blue Tears” (Dolly Parton, 1971) was another chosen by Mike who had been getting heavily into Dolly Parton's work and persuaded the group to cover his favourite of hers, enriched here with a 12 string guitar, viola and bass clarinet. All in all, they're on the slide for me, but remain kinda interesting all the same.
The Jukebox Rebel
28–Sep–2009
| Tracklist |
| A1 | [03:29]  The Incredible String Band - Explorer (Robin Williamson) Folk Rock / Americana |
| A2 | [04:17]  The Incredible String Band - Down Before Cathay (Malcolm Le Maistre) Folk Rock / Americana |
| A3 | [02:43]  The Incredible String Band - Saturday Maybe (Robin Williamson) Songwriter |
| A4 | [02:49]  The Incredible String Band - Jigs (Traditional) Folk |
| A5 | [03:23] The Incredible String Band - Old Buccaneer (Robin Williamson) Cerebral Pop |
| A6 | [03:29]  The Incredible String Band - At The Lighthouse Dance (Malcolm Le Maistre) Cerebral Pop |
| B1 | [02:42]  The Incredible String Band - Second Fiddle (Duke Reid) Reggae |
| B2 | [02:30]  The Incredible String Band - Circus Girl (Robin Williamson) Crooner / Cabaret |
| B3 | [03:57] The Incredible String Band - Turquoise Blue (Mike Heron) Songwriter |
| B4 | [01:59]  The Incredible String Band - My Blue Tears (Dolly Parton) Country |
| B5 | [03:02]  The Incredible String Band - Weather The Storm (Robin Williamson) Blues / Rhythm n Blues |
| B6 | [04:22]  The Incredible String Band - Little Girl (Mike Heron) Songwriter |
