MINTY CLEAN UK 1972 Orig = 1st SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION Psych Prog PINK FLOYD Rare

$

148

       1972 RARE UK PSYCH PROG COLLECTIBLE

                        =MINTY CLEAN=             

      SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION

                                      UK - HARVEST RECORDS - SHVL 801

TOP COPY!

RARE and TOP MINTY CLEAN ...Original first 1972 BRITISH pressing on the highly collected "Harvest" label AND with textured gatefold cover = completely different & superior to the USA issue on Capitol... hard to find THIS 40 year old very first album by the interesting underground rock & progressive band Spontaneous Combustion ...it sparkles all over ...will be highly desireable to fans of  British underground progressive rock, Pink Floyd, Crimson, etc.

PRODUCED & directed by original King Crimson singer/bassist Greg Lake ...

The SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION  features guitar, bass and drums with added synth courtesy of GREG LAKE doing the production & direction duties. Tracks here are overall heavier, but a little less complex and more structured than their second album.There are also some more mellow moments which work perfectly with the rockier numbers. Both albums are very close in quality content. A classic example of 'if only this band had carried on'. A real shame they didn't as they had so much to offer. Once again well recommended and vastly underated.

Listen to the Wind begins sounding somewhat like Wishbone Ash , with, perhaps overtones of King Crimson 's I Talk to the Wind , over constantly changing riff patterns - there's no doubting the model for the first couple of minutes or so. But then it goes odd - maybe a bit Byrds y, or possibly Jefferson Airplane -like - but nicely unexpected, as is the sudden quote Living in the Past .

After the second vocal section, the expected instrumental materialises. Materialises is a good word for it, and some of it reminds of The Doors (pieces like When The Music's Over and Unknown Soldier , but also perhaps, the quiet section in Pink Floyd 's Careful with that Axe, Eugene) .

Suddenly, a heavier riff is thrown at us, then a new vocal section acting as a kind of epilogue to the song, that itself contains a surprise or two.

Onwards and upwards, Leaving carries a light Genesis flavour with the acoustic guitar and light percussion, and unexpected movements in the chord progression - but it's no carbon copy, this is just a passing stylistic similarity, and the song pans out interestingly - with timbral variations and ever- increasing intensity - and never succumbs to the obvious heavy jam with regular beat that lesser bands would give in to, fading out before it gets the chance.

200 Lives is a strange little piece of dark psychedelia, quite Floyd-influenced, until the Crimson- influenced surprise - the adaptation of the Mission Impossible riff used on 21st Century Schizoid Man , cruising through the tempo changes with ease, and completely avoiding the predictable for the ending.

Down With the Moon begins almost Groundhogs like, but gets very wierd, scooting off in all kinds of directions like a cat on a hot tin roof, with some superb vocal harmonies, creating an extremely unusual unfolding soundscape, somewhat similar in places to early Floyd - but not. Somehow a tangible continuity is preserved throughout, making this a real high point on the album. If you can get over the lack of synchronisation in places, it does come together in others, verging a little on the ludicrous, but never less than entertaining, defining absolutely what Prog is to many people in the constant changing and technical nuggets. As the piece draws to a close, you can't help but wonder how they held it all together for so long, with all the synchronised improvised-feel passages, some of which typify the more technical prog metal.

We finish up with the 10 and a half minute Reminder , a sure indication that the band had a LOT of fun making this album, and did not care what anybody thought. It IS rather brave of Harvest to have actually released this, in retrospect - although any record label that released Syd Barrett 's solo work was, quite frankly, the only label that was ever going to release this outside of the burgeoning Private record label industry. The change to a rural passage around 6:00 is, perhaps, somewhat dubious, but as it's a passing thing it's just about forgiveable. There are certainly more ideas crammed into these 10 minutes than in many entire albums you may have heard, even if not all of them work.

This is more the kind of album you'd dig out for one of those late night sessions than one you'd absorb yourself in for technical fireworks or amazing song writing - but it's jam-packed with sonic goodness and proggressive nuggets a-plenty, so well worth wrapping sober ears around at least once or twice.

If you're into Stoner Rock, then this is probably essential, so it goes without saying that this comes strongly recommended to fans of Krautrock. If you like your blues rock nice and hard, with more than the occasional twist, then this is also for you.

1. Speed Of Light - 5:27
2. Listen To The Wind - 7:47
3. Leaving - 5:13
4. 200 Lives - 2:57
5. Down With The Moon - 7:06
6. Reminder - 10:27

CONDITION: The cover: is the fragile & textured British gatefold ... hard to find THIS clean, here a clean copy in "EX" (excelllent) and would have been rated M- but for a small sticker pull (dot) at top right, otherwise solid all over = bright vibrant original colors. A collection upgrade or cool first time score !! No delete marks, No seam splits, no bends and no writing. Solid keeper!

The vinyl: is VERY clean, M- clear and smooth, playing TOP level and both UK Harvest labels are clean                                  

      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