1971 EL PEA prog psych SANDY DENNY Traffic QUINTESSENCE

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RARE 1971 UK ISLAND RECORDS PROG PSYCH & FOLK BLENDS  2 LP SET                          

                EL PEA

                                UK - ISLAND RECORDS - IDLP 1

SCARCE 1971 British original 2-LP Island Records set in gatefold with thick hard transparent plastic sleeves that house both records ...

Showcasing their "underground" prog & psych roster, and what a line-up...look closely:

Released in 1971, "El Pea" was another fine double LP by Island records star studded roster. Once again, while the bands featured now read like a who's who of early '70s prog and rock, at the time many of the artists were still paying their dues.  

Side one consists of five tracks, starting with Traffic's "Empty Pages" which, like the track on the Island sampler "Bumpers" is also taken from their "John Barleycorn" album. Sandy Denny appears on this side as a solo artist, but is absent from Fairport Convention's "Lord Marlborough" taken from "Angel delight". As the album was recorded after her departure it features Dave Swarbrick's vocals. The rather under appreciated Heads Hands and Feet contribute a rather out of character ballad in "Song for Suzie", which features some wonderful guitar work by Albert Lee. Strangely, this track was dropped from Dutch and German versions of El Pea, to be replaced by a lesser interesting John and Beverley Martyn offering.

Side two moves further into prog territory. It starts with the strange choice of "Mother  Goose" from Jethro Tull's "Aqualung", not an obvious selection to represent this classic album. Quintessence's "Dive deep" is a highlight of their great prog music, and representative of the general nature of the tracks selected for this album. Nice guitar work again.. Amazing Blondel's "Spring season" is an acoustic, folky song, with flowing West Coast like harmonies. King Crimson offshoot McDonald and Giles appear with an extract from "Tomorrow's People - The Children of Today", a sparse, echo laden slightly "Schizoid man" like number. Tir Na Nog's "Our Love Will Not Decay" is a typically soft acoustic piece. The side closes with "Don't Look Around" the SEARING heavy track to Mountain's "Nantucket sleighride", arguably the best track Mountain ever recorded.

The third side is generally the softest, with Cat Stevens (the lovely "Wild World"), an amusing ditty by the Incredible String, Mike Heron (of the aforementioned Incredible String Band), Jess Roden's Bronco, and a track from Free's "Highway" album.

Side four opens with ELP's wonderful "Knife Edge" from their first album, and closes with ex-Jethro Tull bassist Mick Abrahams' "Greyhound Bus"(pre-Blodwyn Pig). In between we have strong contributions by the late Nick Drake, Mott the Hoople before they went glam, and cross over reggae artist Jimmy Cliff. The Jimmy Cliff track is actually far removed from reggae, being a blues inspired song.

In all, a fine collection of artists make this a desirable collection from a historical perspective.

The sleeve is rather original, and clearly part of the marketing ploy. It has a giant pea on the front cover (a play on the phrase LP of course). Inside are two clear plastic sleeves for each of the LPs. There are sketches of each of the bands or artists featured, although names are not added, leaving it to the buyer to identify them.

SIDE ONE:
1. Empty Pages by Traffic
2. Late November by Sandy Denny
3. Thru The Night by Alan Bown
4. Song For Suzie by Heads Hand & Feat
5. Lord Marlborough by Fairport Convention

SIDE TWO:
6. Mother Goose by Jethro Tull
7. Dive Deep by Quintessence
8. Spring Season by Amazing Blondel
9. Extract from Tomorrow's People - The Children Of Today by McDonald & Giles
10. Our Love Will Not Decay by Tir Na Nog
11. Don't Look Around by Mountain

SIDE THREE:
12. Highway Song by Free
13. Waiting For You by Incredible String Band
14. Wild World by Cat Stevens
15. Sudden Street by Bronco
16. Feast Of Stephen by Mike Heron

SIDE FOUR:
17. Knife Edge by Emerson, Lake & Palmer
18. One Of These Things First by Nick Drake
19. Original Mixed-Up Kid by Mott The Hoople
20. Can't Stop Worrying, Can't Stop Loving by Jimmy Cliff
21. Greyhound Bus by Mick Abrahams Band

CONDITION: The cover is VG++ byway of a ding on top left corner, otherwise EXcellent and that is a clean grade for a cover that is usually found, IF found, in lesser condition...includes the scarce pastic window sleeves that house separately the two albums. The sleeves have foam siding on the plastic pocket openings (beatifully intact) as to not scratch the records (on the hard tranparent plastic...

The records are both M- all four sides clean and smooth

      A cool addition to anyone's music library!

SEE: SELLERS OTher items for similar cool sounds for "head" people...

EFFICIENT/CAREFUL GRADING

All imperfections are noted both cover & record