TAB 001
THE CLEANERS FROM VENUS "Under Wartime Conditions"

TRACKS: Summer In A Small Town/Johnny The Moondog Is Dead/ Hand Of Stone/Drowning Butterflies/Radio Seven/Fracas On West Street/Lukewarm Love Song/A Blue Wave/Song For Syd Barrett/The Winter Palace.

The overall feel of this tape is 1968 Deram flip side whimsy punctuated with U2 windchimes and searing acid-guitars. There's lots of Syd too, (often filtered through Hitchcock) and Beatlesque '66 pop-rock (a nod to the deceased ex-Moondog) which, when added to the stoned between cuts chatter, gives an air of English eccentricity to the proceedings. There's a really refreshing breadth of material and Martin Newall proves that even with unsophisticated equipment, real songwriting talent shines through. Ace tracks are "Hand Of Stone" (an ecological blues with social and political comment), the apocalyptic "Blue Wave" and "Song For Syd Barrett". The latter isn't a blatant attempt to sound like Syd but the aura is definitely reminiscent of the man. Both sides flow out on almost ethereal instrumentals: "Radio Seven" with its harpsichord flavour and "The Winter Palace" with its collage of bells.

TAB 002
THE END "Start Again"

TRACKS: Fade Away/Spanish Chilehood/Hilltop Land/Calling (Out Your Name)/Light My Fire/Time/Plus demos/ rehearsals/live material.

THE END were from the North East of the UK and this tape has a real 'Acid' touch. Twin guitars howl in flight and mesh in jagged unison to reveal THE END's trademark. "Fade Away" sets the scene and "Spanish Chilehood" finds the band brash and confident, slashing chords and building layers of guitar into Brainiac crescendos. "Hilltop Land" is a veritable mushroomed-climb to a desolate peak, soaring and swooping guitars are ubiquitous while "Calling Out Your Name" has great lurching rhythms and delicate tempo changes - it comes in acid waves. THE END present their magnum opus in "Light My Fire", and fascinating it is too! Moody chords, monotone lead vox by Dowb, mantric back-up by Laura (naive '67 Frisco flower girl aura), a raga-ish flow of solos and a flash of Morrison poetics, all building to an impressive hard rock guitar reprise. Flip the tape over for another insight into the band: psychedelic dub, a psychobilly instrumental, a non-Doors stab at "Backdoor Man" and more.

TAB 003 (DELETED)
UNKNOWN "L. S. D."

TRACKS: Unknown.

The mysterious missing Acid Tape. I have no idea what the name of the band was and nobody I know has a copy. If anybody out there has any more information (or a copy of the tape) please get in touch.

TAB 004 (DELETED)
ALTAMONT "Prayer For The Soul"

TRACKS: Altamont/Watching Statues/The Tell Tale Heart/Split Image/Prayer For The Soul.

This tape was recorded by Steve Wilson in his pre-Porcupine Tree days and has been deleted at his request. Lyrics were by Alan Duffy.

TAB 006
MODERN ART "Oriental Towers"

TRACKS: Oriental Towers/Through The Looking Glass/Sand In Your Eyes/Passing Days/Weekend/ Waiting/Rainfall/Beautiful Truth/ Dreaming Again/Sad Delusion/Little Ballerina/Stars/Calico Shadows/Untitled.

These two MODERN ART tapes were previously deleted until it was brought to my attention that unscrupulous dealers were offering bootleg copies for ridiculous sums of money, so here they are, available once again. MODERN ART feature a variety of subtle, low-key, discreetly melodic songs. Generally moving at a calm and unhurried pace and only rarely becoming overly mellow. A keyboard and drum machine dominated sound, which at times moves into Joy Division and Cure territory. Pre-Sundial recordings.

TAB 007
VARIOUS ARTISTS "Everybody's High"

TRACKS: MONTY THE MORON: Rocking Horse. NICK HALLIWELL: Only Perfume. THE OCHRE 5: Virtual Sham/ Special Attention. THE AARDVARKS: Meet Me On The Rooftop/ Sitting On The Sofa/These Things. THE PROWLERS: Crawler/ Don't Gimmie No Lip. THE CLEANERS FROM VENUS: Drowning Butterflies. THE PALACE STEPPES: My Pillar Box Is Green. MODERN ART: Beautiful Truth. THE GIFT: Nothing Gets To Thee.

MONTY THE MORON kicks off this tape with "Rocking Horse", a fairly orthodox romp through his childhood, full of wah-wah and raga, taken from his "Acorn Beer & Chestnut Wine" release (TAB 008). NICK HALLIWELL contributes "Only Perfume" from "Orphans" (TAB 016), a wistful folky tune with shades of Cohen and Brel: delicate introspection. THE OCHRE 5 were from Glasgow but sounded decidedly Californian with intense Kakish guitar lines, rich harmonies and folk-rock roots. "Special Attention" is an instrumental which builds with a great blend of organ and stuttering guitar fills, the riff closing each sequence bears an uncanny resemblance to Traffic's "Smiling Phases" but the images are of an anonymous band playing a discotheque scene from a 1967 B-movie. THE AARDVARK'S sound came from that fascinating beat/pop-art/psychedelic cross-over from '66 and "Sitting On A Sofa" is a perfect example. THE AARDVARKS are warm and friendly but also capable of catching you off-balance with stinging guitar breaks like the one in "These Things" which builds like one of Randy Wolfe's solos on the first Spirit LP to a blues-wailing finale. THE PROWLERS were from Sheffield and punch in with a blast of unpretentious, hard-edged rhythm and blues. All these songs are exclusive to this release. THE CLEANERS FROM VENUS' delicate ballad "Drowning Butterflies" is from "Under Wartime Conditions" (TAB 001) and the intriguing, compelling and extremely psychedelic "My Pillar Box Is Green" by THE PALACE STEPPES is from their "Trip Up!" release (TAB 014). This song is an hypnotic 8-minute acid-trip raga. THE MODERN ART's "Beautiful Truth" (From "Oriental Towers" - TAB 005) only reveals a portion of their talents, a twin guitar instrumental. THE GIFT were an excellent folk/rock/pop psychedelic cross-over band for whom NICK HALLIWELL was writer, vocalist and guitarist. "Nothing Gets To Thee" (Taken from "The Gift" TAB 015) is far removed from Nick's solo track here, with its classy hook and intricate guitar work.

TAB 008
MONTY THE MORON "Acorn Beer & Chestnut Wine"

TRACKS: The Dentist Song/Monty's Lament/Rocking Horse/ Little House By The Sea/Piano Concerto No. 1/Collecting Plastic Mon- sters/Sometimes You Just Can't Win/Living My Life Backwards/ Fallen Rose (4 Caz)/A Gentle Robot (Dedicated to the Soft Machine but you weren't listening).

Proceedings kick off with a ditty about not wishing to visit the dentist which mixes reggae, kazoos, wah-wah, guitars, harmonicas, dentist drills and ragtime. "Monty's Lament" is a stream-of- consciousness love-song with Monty sounding uncannily like "Madcap Laughs" Syd and features more off-the- wall guitar doodlings. His songs are jam packed with delights and with all the oddball percussion, seemingly random electronic whizzes, unorthodox guitar tones you're able to pick up on something new each play. "Little House By The Sea" ventures into Roy Harper territory and builds with layers of voice, organ and stunningly sharp guitar. "Fallen Rose" is a beautiful Syd-balled which changes tempo with trippy "Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" organ and moves into a wonderful jazzy sequence.

TAB 009
MONTY THE MORON "Tune Into Channel Z"

TRACKS: The Moth Blues/Rock Klima/Rip Off Dub No. 1/You're Such A Magical Thing/Tune Into Channel Z/Old Fashioned Jam No. 1/Stop Playing Football With My Heart/Rip Off Dub No. 2: Morbid Brain/Orange Nightmare - Dance Of The Hysterical Teddybears/ Splendid Pomposity/Asylum Boogie.

Yep, more Monty mayhem and an extravaganza of inspired lunacy to be sure. "Moth Blues" tells the story of how moths ate the Universe with primitive blues guitar. "Rock Klima" is a real stomper and a Monty classic with snarling guitars, pick-axe sound effects, chauvinist lyrics and a suitably psychedelic interlude with guitars whirling all around. There is reggae with clarinet in "Rip Off Dub No.1", vaudeville jazz in "You're Such A Magical Thing" and a free-flowing guitar based instrumental in "Splendid Pomposity".

TAB 010
VARIOUS ARTISTS "Everyday Heroes"

TRACKS: WESTERN HEROES: She Belongs To Me. THE PROWLERS: Cast-iron Arm/No Spitting On The Bus. GREAT PLAINS: When Do You Say Hello? SACRED COWS: Anything At All/Abandoned By History. SLIME AND THE POND DWELLERS: I'm A Man/I Live Alone. OCHRE 5: Only Now. ENDORPHINS: Fringe Benefit/Experimental Breakdown. ABSOLUTE GREY: Candy Canes/Getting Me Down. MONTY THE MORON: Rock Klima. ALTAMONT: Watching The Statues. THE END: Hilltop Land. THE CLEANERS FROM VENUS: The Winter Palace.

WESTERN HEROES kick things off with a really electric blast of Dylan, notable for a stinging guitar break and powerful and inspired lead (female) vocals and THE PROWLERS contribute two more of their hard, gritty rhythm and blues tunes. SACRED COWS were out of Kearny, Nebraska and both songs featured here are dark and mysterious. Their sound is heavy on rhythm with hard-edged guitar and passionate vocals. THE ENDORPHINS were from Philadelphia and played hard and uncompromising rock music. On these two recordings we have lashings of vibrant and metallic guitar work built around melodic hooks and a biting rhythm section. THE OCHRE 5 song is another soft and flowing slice of folk-rock that mixes Polydor-era Fairport with LA's Beckett Quintet. All these songs are exclusive to this release. GREAT PLAINS, who came from Columbus, Ohio, contribute a song from their own release (TAB 013); SLIME AND THE POND DWELLERS who slithered from Birmingham give us two songs from their "Biscuit Brained Frogs" release (TAB 011) - garage psychedelia with a swamp fetish. ABSOLUTE GREY's two songs are from TAB 012, "Absolute Grey"; "Rock Klima" is from MONTY THE MORONS "Tune Into Channel Z" (TAB 009); THE CLEANERS FROM VENUS song is from "Under Wartime Conditions" (TAB 001) and "Watching The Statues" by ALTAMONT is a must for all Porcupine Tree fans. It's all that's available from their "Prayer For The Soul" release which has been deleted.

TAB 011
SLIME AND THE POND DWELLERS "Biscuit Brained Frogs"

TRACKS: Some Kinda Rich Girl/The Swamp/My Baby's Gone/I'm A Man/I Live Alone/Voices Green And Purple/I Just Want To Be Green And Wet/I'm Maintaining My Cool/It's Out Of My Hands/ Froggy Took Some Acid.

This tape kicks off with a relatively orthodox version of "Some Kinda Rich Girl" with a lovely swirling keyboard sound that brings to mind The Doors and a fabulously stinging guitar solo. "The Swamp" is a weird shuffle that sets the scene in more ways than one, while "My Baby's Gone" features near-indecipherable whisperings over a moody psychedelic piece. The next two cuts were featured on TAB 010, here they really crackle with static electricity. "Voices Green And Purple" is ridiculously over-the-top as Slime's vocals slide up and down the octaves and he takes us for a trip on that 'brown acid'. Those familiar with the original psych-out 45 version may well be shocked or worse! "I'm Maintaining My Cool" is another dirty spoof-blues and "Out Of My Hands" is more mainstream acid-rock with some rasping guitar riffs. The circle is completed by a good, old-fashioned "freak out" as poor froggy's brain goes into overload and he starts clawing at the walls!

TAB 012
ABSOLUTE GREY "Absolute Grey"

TRACKS: Remorse/Candy Canes/Getting Me Down/Endeavour/ Sidewalk/Watching, Waiting/More Walnuts/Candy Canes/Tell Me When It's Over/Memory Of You/Elements.

ABSOLUTE GREY are vibrant and refreshing and kaleidoscoptic. They weave rich and hypnotic raga-like patterns with fuzzed bass and guitar while Beth's confident mantric vocals float gently by. They could be the missing stylistic link between Great Society, Joy Division and The Go-Betweens. The live side of this tape includes a firecracker version of Steve Wynn's "Tell Me When It's Over". From Rochester, NY, ABSOLUTE GREY soon formed a sound of their own. The bouncy rhythms are frequently fuzzy and phased and, when coloured by their sweet layers of guitar and voice, ABSOLUTE GREY can sweep you along like a warm summer breeze. Its sublime and subliminal, like stumbling over melted moonlight.

TAB 013
GREAT PLAINS "The Mark, Don & Mel EP"

TRACKS: The Way She Runs A Fever/When Do You Say Hello?/ Four Side In Three Shapes/It's Dying/Hamburger Boy/ Pretty Dictionary/The Night Won't Live To See The Day/Confetti/ Cave In/Cause Without The Rebel.

GREAT PLAINS were a quintet from Columbus, Ohio and include somebody called Mark (by coincidence), but I'm funked if I know where these Mark, Don and Mel guys come in! Actually it's all part of their whimwam, off-beatitude, just like the flashes of churning mid-sixties Farfisa and breezy prankster-pop hooks. Art without pretension, faultless musicianship, a whole stack of memorable tunes, quirky, strange and charming. Good wholesome rock and roll fun. "When Do You Say Hello?" captures the poppier side of the band but check out the moody and mysterious "It's Dying" for a taste of Balto-weird psychedelia. GREAT PLAINS drift at will between the avant gardening days of early Pere Ubu and dramatic stomping pop and it's an infectious blend that'll have you smiling out loud each time you discover a new delight buried in the mix. The teen-drama lyrics and the cheesy organ fills give them a healthy sixties pop feel but the band's attack is definitely 1980's, especially the aggressive lead vocal of Ron House. Ron also adds guitar while the Wyatt brothers, Matt and Mark, contribute guitar and keyboard respectively, and the rhythm section comprises Hank O'Hare (bass) and Robert Green (drums).

TAB 014
THE PALACE STEPPES "Trip Up!"

TRACKS: The Steppes Speak/Up The/Steppes/Better Day/You Did Me Wrong/Euphoria/The Dark Side/This Lime Tree Bower (My Prison)/Marcelle/Ballad Of Sir Michael/Hatching Out (I'm)/ Hey Joe/My Pillar Box Is Green/The Steppes Speak.

Originally released as an original '68 recording discovered in a friends basement in Exeter, THE PALACE STEPPES were in fact the brainchild of NICK HALLIWELL. A collection of folk-rock, ethereal ragas, delicate flower hymns, savage garage-punk and all things psychedelic. There are zillions of hidden delights to be discovered by wandering through THE PALACE STEPPES mynd gardens. "Up The Steppes" is a loosen-up instrumental; "Better Days" is a plaintive folk-rocker (reminiscent of '66 Love); "You Did Me Wrong" has backward (and forward) spidery guitars and more than a shade of Rocky's "Fire Engine" vocals; "Euphoria" is a delicate, dreamy folk-blues; "Dark Side" is The Shadows Of Knight number with a gentle Stones "Lady Jane" feel and tasty blues-guitar fills; "This Lime Tree Bower" is wonderfully bizarre, a Coleridge poem recited over backward drums, drones, feedback, atonal and raga guitars and throbbing bass. Totally off the wall; "Marcelle" is an obituary for the close spiritual companion of a Steppe, the pulsating bass, sad acoustic guitars and passionate vocals create an air of melancholy and "Ballad of Sir Michael" continues in a similar vein; we've already discussed "My Pillar Box Is Green", it's one of the eeriest psychedelic experiences ever recorded, as simple as that.

TAB 015
THE GIFT "The Gift"

TRACKS: It'll End In Tears/Symbols In The Jungle/Nothing Gets To Thee/Narrow Stories/A House Is Not A Motel/A Different Light/Kids Stuff/Six Weeks/Dull Days/Jenny/Cocktails In August/ Behind Bars/I Saw Blue/Complicity.

THE GIFT were formed in Exeter in 1981 by NICK HALLIWELL. These demos capture the essence of THE GIFT with Nick's irresistible hooks, Daz's distinctive (Revolver-esque) bubbling bass, the delicate folk-rock, the inspired cover version (in this case a ringing/stinging take of the Arthurly song) and lashing of superb Halliwell-guitar from the whispy, chiming and gossamer-winged "Jenny" to the psychedelic blitz of "Cocktails In August". The gem though is "Kids Stuff", a bittersweet love-song by Nick that belies his then 18 years. It opens with a beautiful acoustic guitar/calliope sequence that builds with thick electric chords, rumbling bass, lurching rhythms and impassioned vocals to a jagged blues-guitar finale.

TAB 017
NICK HALLIWELL "Tender Hours"

TRACKS: She's A Tequila/Balance Of Arms/Remembering Passion/ Birthday Surprise/Veteran's Day/Clocks Go Forward/Sleep Around Midnight/One Hundred And Six/She Crawls From Mirrors/Love Amongst Children/Every Man A Confidence/Tender Hours.

NICK HALLIWELL: vocal, guitar, keyboards, waistcoats, fringe and shades (no eyes, just empty pits). What we have here is 24 songs based on acoustic guitar and eerie organ chords (far removed from THE GIFT), wrapped in a fragile aura of honesty, wistfulness and despair. It's not easy listening but it becomes strangely compelling with the hints of Tim Buckley, David Ackles, Nick Drake, Leonard Cohen, Jacques Brel and Tom Rapp. Repeated listenings submerge the darker edges and the pure beauty of songs like "Geneva" with its delicious hook, lilting female back-up and swooping accordion (courtesy of Nick's brother Jeremy) shine through. Thrill to the tortured Meltzeresque 12-string fills of "Balance Of Arms" and the atmospheric, fluttering flamenco-guitar of "Sunday Mornings".

TRACKS: Grandma/Grandma's Story Pt 1/The Boys/Lines In The Sky/Story Pt 2/The Old Man/Sausages/On Stomachs/Germsong/ Story Pt 3/Faces/Monsters/The Conclusion Fugue No. 1/A Radio Ginger Report Winter '68/It's The Double D Show/Really Wanna Know You/Grandfather Clock/Further Reports/Wizzened Gnome Interview/The Late Ginger Mewing/Brain Massage 2/The Circle Dance (Second Attic Theme)

Side 1 consists of three rock songs interwoven with Grandma's bizarre tale as Monty lays his weary head on the surrealistic pillow. "Grandma" sets the scene with some neat Gates Of Dawn organ moves and gentle electric picking, giving it a child-like innocence. "Lines In The Air" has an opening instrumental sequence straight out of "The Journey" from "Ogdens Nut Gone Flake" and then adds psychedelic guitars to the heady Floydian brew. "Germsong" is an acid-punker for trusty Farfisa and snarling fuzz-guitar about botulism, the lyrics being the epitome of bad taste. Side 2 is built around snippets from Radio Ginger. "Really Wanna Know You" is another karma duster mixing Syd with H. P. Lovecraft and Californian acid-folk guitar. "Grandfather Clock" is chillingly Englishe, the swelling organ aligning it with "Chapter 24". The final track "The Circle Dance" is the gem though, it's rich Spanish/Quicksilver guitar, Monty's mantric vocal and exotic flute give it a real Family Dog Tribal Stomp soundtrack feel.

TAB 019
THE MIXERS "Speed, Madness, Flying Saucers"

TRACKS: No One Loves You At All/Pictures Of You/Dear Sister/Big Store/The Greenroom/Whisper Soft/Strangest Play/ Bitter Sun/Closer.

THE MIXERS evolved out of the wonderful OCHRE 5 and comprised Daniel Vallely (bass/vocal), Grant Morrison (gtr/vocal) and Peter Haggerty (drums). THE MIXERS influences, which they mix effortlessly into a potent pop-rock crossover, mainly stem from 1965-67 Swinging Britain and a beat/mod/pop-art/ psychedelic syntheses. The band's attack comes from Grant's Who/Creation power chords and Daniels punchy '66 McCartney bass patterns. Their sound is refreshingly uncluttered (occasionally augmented by organ) and Grant's solos are always concise, valid and razor sharp, which adds to the pop-sensibility and hints at late 70's roots (especially the Buzzcocks). These ten tracks give the band ample room to display their eclectic talents from the guitar distortion and churning organ of "Closer" and the Donovanesque "Greenroom" to the Kinky-folksiness of "Bitter Sun". Not forgetting "Pictures Of You", a paen to Swinging London.

TAB 020
PAUL ROLAND "House Of Dark Shadows"

TRACKS: Blades Of Battenburg/Captain Blood/Puppet Master/ Madelaine/Green Glass Violins/Ghost Ships/Death Or Glory/ Burnt Orchids/Doctor Strange/Lon Chaney/Cairo/Flying Ace/The Cars That Ate New York

PAUL ROLAND is a master at creating moods and atmospheres to suit the subject matter of his songs and with his fascination for the gothic all you need to do is close your eyes and you're standing under a flicking Victorian gas-light as a horse drawn carriage disappears into the misty midnight....he can effortlessly conjure up visions of highwaymen hanging from wayside gibbets, blood stained swords and smoking muskets on a muddy battlefield or spin an eerie soundtrack for a bizarre Edwardian murder. Musically the tape is a real delight and features superb guest appearances by Robin Hitchcock and Knox (reason enough for investigation) but it's Mr Roland's wonderful keyboard and string arrangements that hold the key. "Burnt Orchids is a gorgeous blend of Left Banke and 1967 Zombies and "Madelaine" is equally sublime with its gently strummed acoustic, rich strings and Hitchcock's oh-so-tasteful backwards guitar. "Green Glass Violins" is yet another evocative Left Banke-like tune with its rippling harpsichord and gently lilting strings and "Ghost Ship" is a Marie Celeste voyage to equal the nautical feel of Procul Harum's great "Salty Dog" or "Wreck Of The Hesperus". Roland's vision of 'rock' is totally unique and on tracks like "Captain Blood" and "Death Or Glory" you'll find Knox's dark psychedelic guitar providing the twist with its sinister overtones to otherwise gentle melodies. His vocals are a neat blend of Syd/Peter Perrett/Hitchcock that just add to the gothic.

TAB 021
VARIOUS ARTISTS "Little Creepy, We Shine So Sleepy, So Whoopee!"

TRACKS: ENDORPHINS: The Beat Goes On/Atlantic City. FANS: Looking Glass World. THE EYES OF FATE: I've Been So Far Away. FIT AND LIMO: Sunday Morning. SLEEP CREATURE AND THE VAMPIRES FROM VENUS: Kicks. PAUL ROLAND Madelaine. SLEEP CREATURE AND THE VAMPIRES FROM VENUS: Action Woman. OCHRE 5: Girl On The M6. GREEN TELESCOPE: A Glimpse/Turnin' Out. TROPICANA FISHTANK: Umbrella Men. PAUL ROLAND: Captain Blood. THE MIXERS: Pictures Of You. AMOEBA PIE: Day On The Hill.

The ENDORPHINS kick start this compilation with the rhythmic, pulsing "The Beat Goes On" followed by the New York flavoured pop/psyche of "Atlantic City. They are swiftly followed by "Looking Glass World" from the FANS with it's spidery guitar parts and gothic (Bauhaus) influenced vocals. All these tracks are exclusive to this release. Other exclusives include FIT AND LIMO's cover of "Sunday Morning", the Velvet Underground classic, which is well suited to the fragile female vocals and the sparse accompaniment of guitar, bass and tambourine (and a wonderfully strange keyboard solo). OCHRE 5 contribute another of their perky/quirky British powerpop songs and GREEN TELESCOPE (later to become The Thanes) clock in with two garage beat toons; the Elevator's sounding "A Glimpse" and the farfisa powered, R 'n' B power beat of "Turnin' Out" complete with snarling vocals. SLEEP CREATURES AND THE VAMPIRES FROM VENUS (who later decided they didn't come from Venus after all, perhaps because that's where The Cleaners came from) give us faithful renditions two classic psych covers (coincidentally covered later by Naz Nomad & the Night- mares), "Kicks" and Action Woman", from their deleted Acid Tapes release "A Trip In Time" (making these two tracks exclusives as well). TROPICANA FISHTANK's "Umbrella Men" would later turn up on their "Gentlemen...Raise Your Eyebrows" release (TAB 057); PAUL ROLAND's two songs are from his "House Of Dark Shadows" tape (TAB 020) mentioned earlier; "I've Been So Far Away" by THE EYES OF FATE comes from their TAB 037 release; THE MIXERS song is from their "Speed, Madness, Flying Saucers" release (TAB 019) and AMOEBA PIE's "Day On The Hill" is lifted from TAB 029, "Sand Betwixt Two Tides".

TAB 022
VARIOUS ARTISTS "Advice From A Caterpillar"

TRACKS: KARMA: Small Fish. FIT AND LIMO: Dear Monster Tentacles. THE GIFT: I Saw Blue. AARDVARKS: She's At Large/Sweet Talk/Don't You Wanna Rave. THE EYES OF FATE: Desolation Angel. RING: Time For Tomorrow. MONTY THE MORON: Monty's Lament. ENDORPHINS: Warm Blooded Woman (live). RUBBER DOLPHINARIUM: You're Gonna Love Me Every Day/Filthy Rich/Wipe Out! (live) FIT AND LIMO: I Know A Land.

"Small Fish" by KARMA is a song which would later turn up in a different form on the JABBERWOCKIES tape (TAB 043). Here we have Alan Duffy's lyrics given the KARMA treatment with swirling keyboards and deep, Syd style vocals which melt into a funky bass-riff, pulse-beat drums and bizarre roaring noises like some giant monster feeding on sheep...!! A must for all Steven Wilson fans. FIT AND LIMO give us two more samples of their charming brand of fragile psychedelia. "I Know A Land" which has frail female vocals and a "Sunday Morning" Velvet's feel with some lovely backwards guitar and "Dear Monster Tentacles" (great title), with a child's vocal over ethereal keyboards, strange 'monster' noises and a lazy Neil Young style guitar break. All these songs are exclusive to this tape as are the three melodic pop songs by THE AARDVARKS, "Time For Tomorrow" by RINGS, "Warm Blooded Woman by ENDORPHINS and the three RUBBER DOLPHIN- ARIUM songs. THE EYES OF FATE song is from their self titled tape (TAB 037) and "Monty's Lament" by MONTY THE MORON is lifted from "Acorn Beer and Chestnut Wine" (TAB 008)

TAB 023
DIZZY SATELLITES "Dizzy Satellites"

TRACKS: Theme/Lucie's Comeback/Fat Freddy/I Will Hate My Life/Underwater Love/Acid Rain/You're Shit.

DIZZY SATELLITES were a five piece from Germany who had several releases including this seven song collection. Combining a rockabilly rhythm with some stunning guitar work - shades of surf instrumentals but with a sinister edge. They create a sound which is, perhaps because of it's Germanic nature, somehow unsettling despite it's good-time rock 'n' roll rhythms. "Theme" opens the tape, a short instrumental, and then it's into a collection of songs with a definite weird edge to them, underpinned with a hard rocking rhythm section. "Underwater Love" has some impressive underwater, echo-drenched psych guitar at the fade out and throughout the keyboards and special effects add a unique acid flavour to everything.

TAB 024
THE HOLLOWMEN "Poison For Profit"

TRACKS: Face The Truth/First Mistake/This Time Of Year/Rise And Fall/Need It Most/Egad!

THE HOLLOWMEN were Tom Armstrong (vocals/gtr/ tambourine), Joe Page (drms), Mike Sangster (gtr/vocals/paino) and Eric Svenson (bass) and came from Des Moines, Iowa. This collection of songs was recorded in March 1985 and while not as varied as their later live release, is a fine collection of American rock with thumping bass and drums, jangling guitar and individual vocals.

TAB 025
SLEEP CREATURE AND THE VAMPIRES "A Trip In Time"

TRACKS: Bat Theme/Can't Stand This Love/Look To The Sun/ Night Time/Looking Glass Eyes/Magic Potion/Sometime/Too Much To Dream Last Night/Dr. Death/Kicks/The Waking Dream/ Action Woman/Driven Mad/Bat Theme (Reprise).

This tape was deleted when I took over the label from Alan Duffy.

TAB 026
ABSOLUTE GREY "Live At CBGB's"

TRACKS: Gardens/Umbrella/Untitled/More Walnuts/A Joke/No Man's Land/Memory Of You/Willow/White Rabbit/Killing Birds.

Here we have ABSOLUTE GREY captured live at CBGB's in April 1985 and with only a few tracks repeated from their earlier release (TAB 012). It's a chance to hear their Dream Syndicate/Joy Division/Great Society flavoured music played in a live setting. Cool female vocals by Beth Brown over a rhythm of guitar , (Matt Kitchen), bass (Mitch Rasor) and drums, (Pat Thomas). ABSOLUTE GREY have sincehad a number of albums released but this is where it all began with the sublime, hypnotic ABSOLUTE GREY.

TAB 027
MONTY THE MORON "Dr. Swastika Pumpanicle's Analysis"

TRACKS: Paradoxical Intention/Out Of The Frying Pan/Sewage Song/British Rail/Institutional Blues/Archetypal Fish Symbolism/ Slimy Green Frog Of The Moon/A Golden Tree/Pamela Lemon/ Song For A Solitary Lady/Love Is...Emphatically Insane.

Another helping of madcap Monty mayhem. The tape begins with maniacal laughing and screaming as Monty obviously falls off the edge of his mind and it's straight into another collection of bizarre and eccentric songs. From the soul searching blues of "Pamela Lemon" and "Song for a Solitary Lady" (with some lovely piano), through the Velvet Underground inspired "Sewage Song", (a raga-ish drone with a splendid understated guitar solo) to the rock flavoured "British Rail" with its B.R. style station announcement, a nice blues solo and lyrics on the (many) failings of British Rail.

TAB 028
CLEANERS FROM VENUS "Living With Victoria Grey"

TRACKS: Victoria Grey/Ilya Kuryakin Looked At Me/Clara Bow/Follow The Plough/Stay On/What's Going On (In Your Heart?/The Mercury Girl/Armistice Day/Pearl/Victoria Grey.

The second CLEANERS FROM VENUS tape on the label and it's even better than "Under Wartime Conditions" (TAB 001). Once again the songs are linked with Monty Pythonesque sketches with radio announcers and strange advertisements. Martin Newall creates an England that never was in his songs, but (as in "Illya Kuryakin Looked at Me) is aware that he is doing so. Jangling guitars which sparkle and shine, hooklines and melodies that will snare even the most jaded of imaginations and an Englishness which is refreshing and never laboured. This man should have been as famous as XTC. We have two versions of "Victoria Grey", (Martin's view on Thatcher's Britain), an acoustic love song for silent film star, "Clara Bow"; "Stay", with it's soul rhythms and the acapella "Pearl", amongst other gems.

TAB 029
AMOEBA PIE "Sand Betwixt Two Tides"

TRACKS: The Day On The Hill/Hell, Hull & Halifax/ Flowing/ A.R.I.T.H.M.A.T.I.C./A Freaky Song/Gypsy Joe/Camlann/Mandrake Mantra/Typical Tory/The Many Song/Nature's Song/Disaster At Sea/Leo The Lion/Forest Of Southampton/ Golden Tail/Rocket To Mars/O Long Haired Man From Greece/ Grin The Duck/Seeds/ Goodbye From The Pie.

AMOEBA PIE were a duo consisting of Paul Weatherhead and Michael L. B. West and with this tape we are introduced to their unique brand of anarchic, lysergic folk music. Acoustic guitars, penny whistles, mandolins, melodeons and a whole host of even more bizarre instruments combine in a collection of songs that will have your toes tapping and your mynd reeling. There are serious folk numbers like "Camlann" and "The Day On The Hill"; children's songs such as "Leo The Lion" (about a pacifist, vegetarian Lion) and "Grin The Duck", (the story of a male duck who discovers he's female when he lays an egg!); and amusing songs in the shape of "Disaster At Sea" and "Typical Tory". "Typical Tory" is also a biting attack at politicians. "Rocket To Mars" is a comment on the wisdom of collecting photographs and rocks from Mars while the Earth is polluted. AMOEBA PIE are kinda like a shambolic, folk inspired, mushroom driven Tyrannosaurus Rex.

TAB 030
VARIOUS ARTISTS "Seven Tiny Heads"

TRACKS: THE WALKING FLOORS: Somebody Told Me. TROPICANA FISHTANK: Mother Night. THE SNEETCHES: Only For A Moment. SLEEP CREATURE AND THE VAMPIRES: Looking Glass Eyes. ENDORPHINS: Surplus Sadness. THE INVISIBLE PARTY: Big Man's Daughter. THE JABBERWOCKIES: Nine Cats. THE WALKING FLOORS: There's Still Time To Go. THE EYES OF FATE: The Kids All Know. THE SNEETCHES: 54 Hours. THE DIZZY SATELLITES: Lucie's Comeback. THE BEVIS FROND: Song For The Sky. ABSOLUTE GREY: White Rabbit (live). THE EYES OF FATE: Violet.

Exclusive tracks include: "Somebody Told Me" and "There's Still Time to Go" by THE WALKING FLOORS; the fragile pop of "Only For A Moment" and "54 Hours" by THE SNEETCHES; the heavy psychedelia of SLEEP CREATURE AND THE VAMPIRES' "Looking Glass Eyes"; THE ENDORPHINS' "Surplus Sadness"; The Dream Syndicate flavoured "Big Man's Daughter" by THE INVISIBLE PARTY; THE BEVIS FROND'S instrumental guitar work-out "Song For The Sky" and "The Kids All Know" (a backwards psych weird-out) and "Violet" by THE EYES OF FATE. "Mother Night" by TROPICANA FISHTANK would eventually turn up on their own release (TAB 057), "White Rabbit" by ABSOLUTE GREY is from TAB 026, THE DIZZY SATELLITES' "Lucie's Comeback is from TAB 023 and THE JABBERWOCKIES track is from TAB 043.

TAB 031
THE TRYP "My Brain Collapsed"

TRACKS: Take The Tryp/I Dream In Black And White/The Shadows Of Night/Psychedelic Surfer/My Auntie Lives In Russia/ My Brain Collapsed/The Girl From Tomorrow/The Lizard Sheds Its Skin/Mangled Mind.

THE TRYP were from Calne, Wiltshire and featured 'Rustic Rod Goodway, Steve Lines and Paul Ricketts, who got together to record this tape of weird psychedelia especially for Acid Tapes (when Alan Duffy ran the label - it's a strange fact that this was the last tape Alan released...). The tape begins with weird chanting as strange noises and swirl in the background, then over a wall of backwards garage fuzz guitars the listener is encouraged to "Take The Tryp". "I Dream In Black And White" features guest musician Simon House on bass guitar. "The Shadows Of Night" has Rod doing his very best Jim Morrison and "Psychedelic Surfer" has spoken vocals over a garage-fuzz surfing beat. "My Brain Collapsed" features the demented screaming and ravings of one insane as his brain begin to melt and "The Lizard Sheds Its Skin" is a long poem over a moody and atmospheric psychedelic brew of out-of-tune guitars and weird sound effects. "The Girl From Tomorrow" which features the dual vocals of Rod and Paul, is a classic pop tune with psychedelic overtones. "Mangled Mind" shows what happens when the boys down in the swamp start drinking those potent potables.

TAB 032
VARIOUS ARTISTS "The Toads Are Dancing"

TRACKS: WEIRD SUMMER: A Knight These Days/She's Got An Engine Down. THE HOLLOWMEN: This World. MONTY THE MORON: Invisible Girlfriend. THE PROWLERS: High Flyin' Baby. THE JELLYMONSTERS: Because Of You. STORM CLOUDS: The Darkest Hour. WEIRD SUMMER: The Willow Weeps. THE HOLLOWMEN: My Bell. THE EYES OF FATE: Killing A Doll. AMOEBA PIE: Through The Eyes Of The Weathered Clown. MAGIC MUSCLE: Hey Ma/I Can Travel Anywhere/Fly Brothers.

This was the first tape put out after taking over the label from Alan Duffy and, as you'd expect, it presents artists old and new. WEIRD SUMMER contribute three songs with catchy hooklines, rich melodies and jangling Byrdsian guitars. Music for driving on a hot summer's day. THE PROWLERS song is one that was seemingly overlooked by Alan Duffy; another slice of their powerful rhythm and blues. MONTY THE MORON presents a wacky reggae song (with pots and pans as percussion) which was taken from his extensive catalogue in the Acid Tape archives. All these tracks are exclusive to this tape. Of the MAGIC MUSCLE songs included here "I Can Travel Anywhere" and "Fly Brothers" later turned up on their "The Pipe The Roar And The Grid" album but "Hey Ma" isn't available anywhere else. THE JELLYMONSTERS and STORMCLOUDS songs are taken from their tapes discussed later (TABs 046 and 045 respectively) as are the contributions from AMOEBA PIE (TAB 034), THE HOLLOWMEN (TAB 033) and THE EYES OF FATE (TAB 037).

TAB 033
THE HOLLOWMEN "Live"

TRACKS: Personal Architecture/Seven/Web Of Time/Mirror/ Treeline/My Bell/Where Do You Live?/Smartbomb/Living Room Eyes/Leave/Counting/This World/First Mistake/Soft World/ EGAD!/ Just Like You/Map Of The Heavens.

This live tape was recorded in Des Moines, Iowa, the hometown of THE HOLLOWMEN. It features some songs from their earlier release "Poison For Profit (TAB 024) plus some new material. A collection of unpretentious, sincere and friendly psychedelic beat music with a healthy dash of punk thrown in. Swirling, exotic guitar lines weave and compliment unobtrusive melodies. A combined mixture of fragility, talent, enthusiasm and garage beat.

TAB 034
AMOEBA PIE "Trapped By Moths And Apple Corpses"

TRACKS: The Shape Of Things.../Through The Eyes Of The Weathered Clown/Get It On The Table Son/Old Troubadour/ Mouldy Little Chicken/Carrion Cocktail/Stoned Ramble In E Minor/All There Is/The Blues You Can Choose/Lullabye/Dancing With Desmond/You Can Fight/The Thistle And The Ox-oh/The Worm Song/Palwithnarrowboat/In The Reeds/The Cess Pit Waltz/No Salad!/Cold Night/Tailpiece.

Once again AMOEBA PIE return in the shape of Paul Weatherhead and Michael L. B. West and another tape of their anarchic, funny, lysergic brand of folk. "The Shape Of Things" starts the tape, with the winding of music boxes then it's into "Through The Eyes Of The Weathered Clown" which starts quietly with just voice and acoustic guitar but is soon joined by cardboard box percussion, mandolin, keyboards and penny whistle. "Old Troubadour" has some fine acoustic guitar picking" in an up-tempo folk ballad with texture added by the penny whistle. Just a quick glance at the instruments used on these songs - mandolin, melodeon, ocarina, electric and soprano bagpipe chanters, harmonica, guitars, and assorted percussion - tells you that you're in for a varied and interesting 45 minutes. AMOEBA PIE come across like The Pogues, if they were an English duo and fuelled by magic mushrooms instead of alcohol.

TAB 035
STORMCLOUDS "It's Raining Still"

TRACKS: Midnight Train/To Tuesday/Stormclouds/Preacher Man/When The Dream Fades/Darkness Weaves/The Darkest Hour /Deadman's Creek/Sunshine/Don't Push Me Around/ Rubberneck Chicken/Turn Away/Mangled Mind.

This is STORMCLOUDS' first ever release and on this recording the duo of Steve Lines (instruments) and Louise Allen (vocals) was helped out by Rod Goodway (guitars) and Christine Cotter (vocals). They have put together a collection of country songs, blues songs, rock songs, folk songs, psychedelic songs and more and they come across as brightly as a rainbow on a thundery day. The garage fuzz of "Don't Push Me Around (their Pandoras tribute) contrasting with the haunting simplicity of the Clay Allison like "The Darkest Hour" To off-set the haunting melancholic psychedelia of "When The Dream Fades" and "Darkness Weaves" there is the hillbilly banjo flavoured "Preacher Man", "Rubberneck Chicken" and "Mangled Mind". There's also the Gun Club inspired "Deadman's Creek", based on a true story, the sea shanty folk of "Stormclouds" and the sugar-sweet pop of "Sunshine".

TAB 036
THE JELLYMONSTERS "Two True Believers"

TRACKS: Catch Me/Because Of You/Plastic Patterns/Livin' On My Own/Jellymonsters/A Month Of Sundays/Sunny Daze/The Firing Line/Two True Believers/Memory Man/Life Is Funny/3 Blonde Myce/Weirdo.

Recorded at the same time as the above tape, this features Rod Goodway and Christine Cotter - with Steve Lines (bass) and Louise Allen (backing vocals) returning the favour. Also helping out are Adrian Shaw (bass) and Simon House (violin) and even Adrian's son Aaron (on piano). A collection of fuzz classics written for Christine Cotter's guitar style. The material included here is varied.. There are a couple of Rod's old classics "Livin' On My Own" and "Two True Believers"; the psychedelic rhythm and blues of "Plastic Patterns"; the R.E.M. flavoured "Memory Man"; Rod's tribute to Robert Crumb, the strangely psyched out "Weirdo" and the country- flavoured autobiographical "The Firing Line".

TAB 037
THE EYES OF FATE "The Eyes Of Fate"

TRACKS: Killing A Doll/The Tumble/What Means Psychedelic?/ Don't Think Too Much/Desolation Angel/Great Invocation/My Blue Checker Shirt/The Birth Of William/All My Life/I've Been So Far Away.

THE EYES OF FATE have already appeared on a couple of compilations but here they are with their first full length album of individual 'acid' flavoured music, which has a hard punk edge to it. The strange lyrics and melodies and eerie, sometimes sinister music, produce a sound which is not unlike that of Nik Turner's Inner City Unit with trumpet instead of sax. THE EYES OF FATE are a duo comprising Repp and Limo who both contribute guitars, vocals, and bass, with help from guests.

TAB 038
MAGIC MUSCLE "Laughs & Thrills"

TRACKS: On The Run/Wally's Willey/Freedom Freakout/Knee Trembler/Schoolgirl Love/Waiting For My Man/Fellowship.

This cassette is now deleted as it was released on CD by SPM in Germany. This was MAGIC MUSCLE's first ever official release!

TAB 039
ALIEN PLANETSCAPES "Stop Light Pollution"

TRACKS: Six spontaneous compositions, no overdubs.

You've got to pull out some real old albums to find anything remotely similar to these landscapes. Get out your rock 'n' roll historian head and set in into (interstellar) overdrive back to the mid 70's and the heyday of Gong and Tangerine Dream. The music is performed live on analog synths with no overdubs and recorded at Space Station Studio. Anyone into psychedelic, ambient space-rock improvisations should love this album. It has the kind of unexpected and sombre beauty that you find in those unlikely moments in old science fiction movies when somebody puts a lovely melody alongside a slow pan of the monster planet.

TAB 040
J. P. SUNSHINE "J. P. Sunshine"

TRACKS: J. P. Sunshine/Hand In Hand/Hey Girl/Love Scene/Eyes Are Raining/This Side Up/Octopus/Nothing There But Your Hair/Dark Star/Swan Song/Rising Free/Dirt Blues.

From the swirling mysts of "swinging London" in the mid 60's comes this tyme capsule on unheralded pop gems. Wow! get out your beads and finger-cymbals, this is the genuine article. The original English flower-children. Musicians on this album include an amorphous cross-section of MAGIC MUSCLE and Wessex psychedelectricians Rustic Hinge and the Provincial Swimmers. A note for Hawkwind fans, this was bassist Adrian Shaw's first band. It also features 'Rustic' Rod Goodway on vocals. Genuine 60's acoustic flower music with hard edged lyrics hiding a darker side to this deceptively light and summery music. This has since been released on vinyl by Rod, with a slightly different track listing, but you heard it here first!

TAB 041
DAVID PRESCOTT "The Dark Pt 4"

TRACKS: Dark Pt 4.

If the ALIEN PLANETSCAPES album sounds interesting then check out this tape as well. Electronic space-rock performed on Analog synths. Performed live the music is ever changing, but not always noticeably; the sounds ooze and glide through unstructured cosmic landscapes. The music has it's own sort of ambience evoking the vastness of space, asteroids, meteors and stars.

TAB 042
VARIOUS ARTISTS "The Worm Is Waltzing"

TRACKS: WEIRD SUMMER: The Hands Are Mine/Obvious. FREE LOVE SOCIETY: Egyptian Song. DAVE MUDGE & CAROL: Daisy. THE DISPOSSESSED: Circus Nights/The Waltz. WEIRD SUMMER: Get Going! DAVE MUDGE & CAROL: Fighter Of Our Time. FREE LOVE SOCIETY: Pandora's Box/The Mirror. THE DISPOSSESSED: Hide The Day.

This is a compilation of songs which don't appear on any other release. Both THE DISPOSSESSED and FREE LOVE SOCIETY were dark Goth bands from the USA; the lead vocalist of THE DISPOSSESSED subsequently committed suicide. Not overtly gothic nor does it descend into parody like so much of this music does. Both bands are moody and atmospheric, especially "Egyptian Song" and "Pandora's Box" by FREE LOVE SOCIETY. DAVE MUDGE & CAROL turn in two folk flavoured tunes with some great lead guitar of "Fighter of Our Time" contrasting with the pure female vocals of CAROL. The WEIRD SUMMER tracks are companions to the three already released on TAB 032 "The Toads Are Dancing" and are catchy, melodic pop tunes with a Byrdsian flavour.

TAB 043
THE JABBERWOCKIES "The Jabberwockies"

TRACKS: Nine Cats/Empty Room/The Only Hope Is You And Me/The Zip-Zap Song/Small Fish/See My Friend/Milky Way/The Joke Is On You/Theme From An Empty Room/Nine Cats Conclusion.

THE JABBERWOCKIES were born out of Alan Duffy's and Limo's heads to re-create the visions of Marc Bolan, Syd Barrett, the ISB and Arthur Lee. Alan's Lewis Carroll-esque lyrics and Limo's 'English psychedelia' combine to produce a tape of melodic songs which will stick in your mynd like Hunny to Pooh's paw. A collection of psychedelic gems which sparkle and shine. Some of these lyrics were later to be used on songs by Porcupine Tree and the songs here are similar to that band's more melodic material. Fans of FIT & LIMO and THE EYES OF FATE may be interested in this as well as it features both Limo and Repp (plus Mrs. Fit!!). If you're into Syd, Bolan and classic pop psychedelia this tape is for you.

TAB 044
THE CHEMISTRY SET "The Chemistry Set"

TRACKS: The Rainbow Song/The Dreams That I Saw Yesterday/ Under The Valley (Where Mushrooms Grow)/I Can See You/These Are Like Castles/Minas Tirith/Love Will Always Disappear/The Postman Rides His Bike/Sitting On Top Of The World/As Jane Arrived (Who Brought Us Here)/You Make Me Feel Like I'm Sublime.

This tape by THE CHEMISTRY SET caused quite a stir when it originally did the rounds and still contains some of their best material. Recorded on four track in a rush of inspiration the songs are all classic pop psychedelia with great melodies and hooklines and soaring harmonies. Mixing the flavours of Syd Barrett, The Beatles, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and others in a collection of songs most people would kill to have written. Unfortunately the band never did live up to their promise and next to their unreleased "Sounds Like Painting" this is probably their finest hour.

TAB 045
STORMCLOUDS "Raindrops"

TRACKS: The Creature From Galaxy X/To Tuesday/Look At Her Eyes/He's Trash/The Ungrateful Dead/Raindrops/It's Raining Still/ Hideaway/The 2 Dimensional Man/I Don't Know/Down To The Sea.

Imagine the pop sensibilities of Blondie welded on to the crushing guitars of the Jesus And Mary Chain. A sea of raw noise surfs into "The Creature From Galaxy X" with punk propelled rhythms and Sci-Fi effects, followed by "To Tuesday" which you'll hardly recognise from their first tape. re-recorded speeded up with thumping bass, fuzz guitars and a guitar hookline that would stand out even on a Windbreakers album. Just when you thought there was going to be fuzz from start to end there's "Look At Her Eyes", with a descending chord run that I've never heard before. "He's Trash" sounds like classic Blondie reinforced with churning serrated guitars and shades of the Byrds are evident on the countryfied "It's Raining Still". The tape closes with "Down To The Sea" with Louise singing over a wall of feedback with a nod to The Jesus And Mary Chain.

TAB 046
THE FAREWELL PARTY "The Farewell Party"

TRACKS: A Promise Of Rain/32 Views Of Emma/Here (Letter To America)/Girl On The Ledge/Hadrian's Wall/Waterland/Terez Batista (Home Between The Wars)/Things Behind The Sun/Complete True Citizens Of The World/Radio Ghosts/Such A Fragile Thing/ People Are Strange.

Musically THE FAREWELL PARTY are reminiscent of The Doors, The Verlaines, The Byrds and very early Talking Heads. In their music you often find rough, edgy harmonies and although at times everything sounds fragile there is always an invisible power in their music which drives it and holds it together. THE FAREWELL PARTY were Americans living and working in Germany.

TAB 047
VARIOUS ARTISTS "Under The Valley Where Mushrooms Grow"

TRACKS: THE CHEMISTRY SET: Under The Valley (Where Mushrooms Grow)/Acacia Gardens. FIT & LIMO: Wined And Dined. SIMPLE CIRCUS: Siren Of Love. THREE BOXES: Face The Future. THE FAREWELL PARTY: Runaway Horses. THE JABBERWOCKIES: The Only Hope Is You And Me. PURE LEUGE: Late Night. THREE BOXES: If Only She Knew/I Committed A Crime. THE FAREWELL PARTY: James. SIMPLE CIRCUS: You're A Kennedy. STORMCLOUDS: Down To The Sea.

The only song here which appears on another release is "The Only Hope Is You And Me" by THE JABBERWOCKIES, all the remaining tracks are exclusive to this tape. The two songs by THE CHEMISTRY SET, are 8 track versions of songs from their own release (TAB 044); "Wined and Dined" by FIT AND LIMO is an outtake from the Syd Barrett album "Songs From The Wildwood", (released by Alan Duffy on Imaginary Records), SIMPLE CIRCUS, who were a five piece progressive rock band from the USA, give us "You're A Kennedy" a song about the space shuttle disaster and "Siren Of Love"; "James" and "Runaway Horses" by THE FAREWELL PARTY are two more examples of their fragile, melodic pop; STORMCLOUDS' "Down to the Sea" is an acoustic version of the song which originally appeared on "Raindrops (TAB 045) and THREE BOXES contribute two rock songs similar in approach to SIMPLE CIRCUS. They were also from the USA.

TAB 048
VARIOUS ARTISTS "Garage Ghouls"

TRACKS: THE BEATPACK: Heartbreak Hotel/Thinking About Today/Chicago/She Gives Me Love/It's Gone/Girl No More/Go Away. THE ROUGH SITUATION: Cute/Spider Light/ Blackness/ Been here Too Long/You're Gonna Miss THE TYME ELIMENT: Me. Make Me Some Love/You're Running Me Down/ Strangelove.

THE BEATPACK kick of side one of this tape with a raw, blistering set of punk/r 'n' b/garage beat classics. Influences include Rolling Stones, Who, Kinks, Pretty Things, Small Faces, Seeds, Shadows Of Knight etc. This should give you some idea where they were coming from (apart from Hastings that is). Loud, young and snotty (to steal a phrase). THE TYME ELIMENT lost a vocalist to THE BEATPACK soon after these recordings. Another garage band with snarling vocals and a tight/powerful garage/rhythm and blues beat. THE ROUGH SITUATION were from Germany and their brand of garage rock was flavoured with a definite 80's feel of their own only reverting to pure garage fuzz on their cover of "you're Gonna Miss Me".

TAB 049
JAMES T. RAO "Electric Fish Life Pt 1"

TRACKS: Forever Greenhouse/Evergreen Daydream/In A Summer Haze Of Rain/In The Glass Garden Where Turquoise Plays/ Vegetable Daze/You Don't Have To Be On drugs To Be Insane/ Transparent Epiphany 1/See Through Eyes/Transparent Epiphany 2/Wish/In A Summer Haze Of Rain 2/A Tearful Of Clouds/For Evergreen House.

JAMES T. RAO is one guy in his bedroom, but what a strange bedroom. You can hear the sound of a waterfall; slow strummed chords like "Colours For Susan" and occasional picked notes like a John Fahey dream of taking minimalism further, where an acoustic guitar note suddenly holds on when it should decay and shimmers against all expectations. A sound full of open spaces, a sparse landscape where the mountains of Marc and Syd are the only trig points. Listen to the drifting fishes hum and lose yourself in the strange, melancholic world of JAMES T. RAO.

TAB 050
VARIOUS ARTISTS "Heroes Everyday"

TRACKS: THE YOUTHFUL WARDS: Heroes Everyday. REEFUS MOONS: Jingle Jive/Grooving With The Vicar. JAMES T. RAO: I Scream Mantra. CHILDE ROLAND: Dunwich Town. ADRIAN SHAW: No Place To Go. STORMCLOUDS: Jellyclouds. KEN FLYNN: Without You. THE CUTTING EDGE: September. THE CHEMISTRY SET: Sitting On Top Of The World. CHILDE ROLAND: New Love. 'RUSTIC' ROD GOODWAY: Control. DIE GRUNDER: Turn Your Tables Around. STORMCLOUDS: The Last Song.

A compilation to celebrate our 50th release. We have here a selection of songs that, with a few exceptions, don't appear on any other release, though most of the artists will be familiar to you. Both ADRIAN SHAW and ROD GOODWAY contribute a solo song, both of which are unavailable anywhere else; "Sitting On Top Of The World" by THE CHEMISTRY SET is a different version to that on their own release (TAB 044); THE CUTTING EDGE were a Calne band (and this probably their finest three minutes) and KEN FLYNN is a member of STORMCLOUDS: both their songs are exclusives. As are the tracks by Germany's DIE GRUNDER, STORMCLOUDS ("Jellymonsters") and THE YOUTHFUL WARDS, who kick off the tape with an introductory ditty. The remaining songs by REEFUS MOONS, CHILDE ROLAND and STORMCLOUDS ("The Last Song") all appear on their respective releases.

TAB 051
CHILDE ROLAND - "Discover An Evil Fetish"

TRACKS: Into The Night/Tomorrow Morning/Cuban Missiles/ The Dunwich Horror/Sacrifice/The Breakers/Evil Fetish/Guardian Angels/Welcome/Ten Of Swords/New Love/Midnight.

The spirit of Marc Bolan is alive and well and evident throughout this collection by talented multi-instrumentalist CHILDE ROLAND. A rhythm of acoustic guitars and bongos (with 'The Little Big Man' as Peregrine Took), overlaid with scorching lead guitar work and mystical Bolanesque vocals evoking the "Beard Of Stars' period Tyrannosaurus Rex but with a slightly sinister edge. This is no mere imitation though and CHILDE ROLAND infuses the whole work with his own unique style and vision. Flavours of Lovecraft ("Dunwich Town"), the occult ("Ten Of Swords", "Evil Fetish") and stunning lead guitar work make this a must for lovers of strong songs, decent melodies and soaring guitar playing. CHILDE ROLAND comes from the city of Bath in the UK.

TAB 052
REEFUS MOONS - "World In A Droplet"

TRACKS: Ring The Chime Of A Merry Murder/Islington/ Footsteps In The Sky/The Pirate/Shadow Man/Ivanhoe/The Reptile House/The Pharoah/Living In An Animal Skull/World In A Droplet.

The first of three REEFUS MOONS tapes on the label, after which he went on to releasing vinyl and CDs on his own Insect Eye Label. Of the three tapes this was the first to be released and the last to be recorded. Confused?.... REEFUS MOONS' music has a definite Robin Hitchcock influence with some Syd and Bolan thrown in, not to mention The Beatles. Another one-man show with Reefus playing all instruments, singing and writing the songs (which hatch, like eggs, inside his head). This is English psychedelia without the sometimes laboured feel of Hitchcock, and these songs will stay in your head for weeks. Classic melodies and some inspired instrumentation make this a must for any fan of English psychedelia.

TAB 053
THE HONEYSMUGGLERS - "The Honeysmugglers"

TRACKS: Blind/You Are The Sun/Protean 82/Smokey Ice-cream/ Flamethrower/Anybody But You/Blind/Way/Need.

This is a collection of 8 and 16 tracks demos (plus a few live songs thrown in for good measure) from the now defunct London based HONEYSMUGGLERS. Their sound was psychedelic music with a definite 90's feel and they were a live band well worth seeing.

TAB 054
VARIOUS ARTISTS - "Daydreams & Nightmares"

TRACKS: THE HONEYSMUGGLERS: You Are The Sun. EFFERVESCENT ELEPHANTS: It's Raining. TROPICANA FISHTANK: Mad About Mung Beans. THE CHEMISTRY SET: Mr Soul. JAMES T. RAO: Evergreen Daydream. REEFUS MOONS: Newt Head. THE BEVIS FROND: Once Torn, Twice Forgotten. STORMCLOUDS: Heart Of Stone. DARK STAR: Wishful Thinking/Technicians. CHILDE ROLAND: Welcome. STORMCLOUDS: Shadowqueen. REEFUS MOONS: Hypnoteyes. KEN FLYNN: Remember. TROPICANA FISH TANK: Exorcism. THE CUTTING EDGE: Eyes Of Fire.

Songs which are exclusive to this release are "Mr Soul", a spirited cover of the old Buffalo Springfield song by THE CHEMISTRY SET; "Once Torn, Twice Forgotten" by THE BEVIS FROND, which he described as "a bit of an experiment in so far as I was jamming with myself for the most part of it."; "Wishful Thinking: and "Technicians" by Swedish space-rock combo DARXTAR: "Remember" by KEN FLYNN (although a different version did turn up on the STORMCLOUDS album "Nightmares In The Sky" as Ken is a member of that band) and "Eyes Of Fire" by a long defunct Calne pop band THE CUTTING EDGE. All the other songs appear on their respective band's own album length releases on the label.

TAB 055
STORMCLOUDS - "Lost In Space"

TRACKS: Lost In Space/Let's Talk About Love/Heart Of Stone/ Shadowqueen/Get Lost/Sandman/Honey Honey/Candy/Satellite Baby/Junk/20th Century Girl/The Last Song.

STORMCLOUDS on this tape are Steve Lines (music) and Louise Allen (Vocals). Right from the opening track the sound, as well as the songs, leap out at you with an impossible combination of catchiness and power. "Lost In Space" is full of steals from the TV series, which is just as if the cast had reassembled to help record this. The songs here are the best collection they've written and should be singles, should be on the radio. These songs are primarily pop songs, in that they could be hummed by anyone. The playing is basically fuzzed guitars, playing with a rush that sweeps the words along. There's two acoustic tracks "Heart Of Stone" and "Junk" in amongst the fuzzed pop. Shades of Transvision Vamp, Primitives, Ramones, Jesus And Mary Chain, Opal and Blondie combine in a collection of great pop songs.

TAB 056
REEFUS MOONS - "Moondust"

TRACKS: A Porkupine On Heat/The Praying Mantis/Hedgehog And The Speed-King/Fossilised Love/Newt-head/Hypnoteyes/Give God An Axe/Train Times/A Black And Greasy World.

This is REEFUS MOON'S second release on the label (though it was recorded before "World In A Droplet") and was recorded at home on 4 track. More REEFUS MOONS magic with another collection of English psych which is as good as anything out there. This man should be a star. "Give God An Axe" is an animal rights song; "A Porkupine On Heat" is about a frustrated lover and starts off like one of Kevin Ayres, Caribbean rhythms; "Praying Mantis", a song about not getting eaten, is more Syd Barrett; "Hypnoteyes" has a beat which combines with the acoustic guitar to recall the glorious Small Faces from around "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake" album; "Train Times" imitates a train whistle and a sense of puzzlement (rightfully so) as he sings "I wonder why this train's on time?" and "Newt Head" is about somebody who is always drunk.

TAB 057
TROPICANA FISHTANK "Gentlemen.... Raise Your Eyebrows"

TRACKS: Police Academy/Bricks And Trees/Fish Eye View/ Go Go Don't Go/Carve It In Wood/Old Potato/All I Can Do/Rabid Henry/Mother Night/Mad About Mung Beans/The Umbrella Men/Exorcism/Senility Blues.

A compilation put together by the band from hours of recordings (we have over 4 hours in the archives). Side one is comprised of demos and home recordings and includes Tropicana classics like "Old Potato" and Police Academy". Side two is a collection of studio demos, which includes the fabulous and slightly sinister "Mother Night: and the Devoesque "Mad About Mung Beans". This is English psychedelia in the Hitchcock vein with weird guitar riffs, sharp as fishhooks, that'll snare you every time.

TAB 058
JAMES T RAO - "Electric Fish Life pt 2"

TRACKS: Fading Colors/I Scream Mantra/Ancient Sky Remains Book About Man Ray 1/Gem/Book About Man Ray 2/River Mystic Flow/Song For Syd/You Take The Dark Out Of The Night/Arthur Lee/Watching The Moonrise/Glass Tears/What Are We Living For?

This is the second part of the "Electric Fish Life" cycle, and, as you'd expect, is similar in style to the first release (TAB 049). Guitars shimmer and echo like crystals in a cave and vocal mantras and delicate melodies interweave like seaweed in the waves of your imagination

TAB 059
THE LIMEYS - "The Limeys"

TRACKS: Distance/Loneliest Daze/Rising/Dreamscape/Love Was./ Don't Let Me Down/Sun Kissed Eyes/Love Was Weird/Play The Night.

THE LIMEYS were from Lincoln in the U.K. and were the brainchild of Gary Ross who handled all the vocals, guitars, keyboards etc, with help from Simon Short on bass and vocals and Roland on drums. This is swirling psychedelia with guitars and keyboards weaving together to create dreamscapes for the mynd. Long passages of music with waves of guitar washing at the shores of consciousness and vocals which blend with the ocean of sound to create lysergic heaven.

TAB 060
REEFUS MOONS - "The Art Of Slow Travelling"

TRACKS: Jingle Jive/Grooving With The Vicar/Monkey Man/ The Very Last Astronaut/Sleeploop/Spiders Can Fly/The Perfumed Dandy Fish/The Aquarium/The Intergalactic Rat.

The third release from REEFUS MOONS, with another fine selection of classic pop/psyche which to my mind, although inspired by Hitchcock, is better. REEFUS MOON'S is naturally this way and his lyrics, which deal with insects, animals and all manner of strange situations and characters, never sound forced. There is a strange world inside his head and you can have a peek in, just buy this tape. "The Aquarium" is gentle acoustic", "The Very last Astronaut" and "Spiders Can Fly" are fuzz laden psych classics, "Monkey Man" is a nursery rhyme dream and "The Intergalactic Rat" a strange bedtime story.

TAB 061
ANT BEE - "Through The Window Pain"

TRACKS: Pre-Cake/Eating Chocolate Cake In The Bath/Silent Mantroid Volume 1/Silent Mantroid Vol 2/Post-Cake.

ANT BEE is the brainchild of Billy James and it was these recordings that helped secure him his first record deal with Voxx. These are the demos for Pure Electric Honey combining the pristine melodic pop of prime era Brian Wilson with the weird noises of dragons heavy breathing mixing with the dinky voices of a kindergarten on helium, backwards vocals, haunted organ, wind blowing through underwater wires. There's "Eating Chocolate Cake In The Bath" (from the Voxx album) with the associated tracks "Pre-cake" and "Post-cake" in embryo. The other two tracks are "Silent Mantroid Vol 1 and 2"; high falsetto voice drifting over the simplest of piano strumming chords then the helium voices and more organ, hissing, caressing up through the cracks in the walls.

TAB 062
EFFERVESCENT ELEPHANTS "Indian Corn Expansions"

TRACKS: Loose Into The Night/So Easy/The Bells/It's Raining/ Mistic Eyes/Fall In Love With A Leaf/Seven Evenings/Electric Mantra.

EFFERVESCENT ELEPHANTS were formally known as The Clockmakers and were an Italian psych band. This is their first release on the label and on it they present a selection of pop psychedelia to please just about everyone. We ease in gently with "Loose Into The Night", featuring Lodovico's mellow vocals over a 2 chord guitar riff and some tasty guitar fills. Then the Byrdsian psych/pop jangle of "So Easy", through the acid folk of "Mistic Eyes" (with words by Van Morrison and music like the US band Kaleidoscope), to "Electric Mantra", a keyboard dominated piece which finishes the tape (and sounds like it could have been on Tyrannosaurus Rex's "A Beard Of Stars".

TAB 063
CHILDE ROLAND - "Psychedelic Meadows"

TRACKS: Waltzing With Matilda/Moon/Captain Nemo/ Pome- granate Queen/Patterns Of Love/Squatters Ball/Cuban Missiles/ Salad Days/Midnight/Priest King.

With this, his second release on the label, CHILDE ROLAND has adopted an acoustic approach, replacing the electric guitar of his earlier tape with acoustic guitars and the delicate strains of violin, cello and double bass. He also shares vocals with Jane Ellen, whose vocal delivery is not unlike CHILDE ROLAND's and combines with the strings to give an altogether folkier feel to the songs. "Cuban Missiles" and "Midnight" appear here in very different versions to the tracks on "Evil fetish". This tape shows another side to CHILDE ROLAND and the strings combine with guitar and voice to create an atmosphere of slightly sinister relaxation.

TAB 064
ROCKY THUNDER & THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION "Thunderous Conception"

TRACKS: Satanic Verse.../Love In These Days OfRage/Stop The Music/It Would Have Been Safer, It Would Have Been Wiser/ Gasp!/Play-time For Ming/Love In These Days Of Rage.

ROCKY THUNDER was partner in crime with CHILDE ROLAND on the X-MACHINA tape "God's From The Sky" (TAB 067) but here he is with THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. "Satanic Verse" leads us in with sonorous chiming of bells, strange breathing and Arabian style singing, followed by electronic drums and crazed, maniacal laughter. A soundtrack to read your copy of the Necronomicon by. "It Would Have Been Safer, It Would Have Been Wiser" once again has a basic rhythm of electronic drums with Vincent Price taking lead vocals. As with "Playtime For Ming", there are a lot of steals from movies, but it's none the worse for that, and together with the eerie music combines to create a strong and interesting atmosphere.

TAB 065
STORMCLOUDS "Psychotronic"

TRACKS: Psychotronic/Lost In Space/The Mushroom Men/The Boy With X-Ray Eyes/Galaxina/The 2 Dimensional Man/The Day The Earth Stood Still/He's Dead Jim/The Creature From Galaxy X/It Came From Outer Space/Altair 4

This tape is in the weirdly psychedelic vein rather than STORMCLOUDS' usual fuzz pop, using keyboards and special effects more than guitar to re-record a bunch of old favourites such as "Lost In Space" and "The Creature From Galaxy X" as well as a bunch of new numbers. The resulting sound is like being caught in an episode of The Time Tunnel, and the songs drift in and out as if in a dream - it's the world of outer space as seen though '50's coloured goggles. "The Day The Earth Stood Still is a gentle lullaby - girl falls in love with spaceman; "The Mushroom Men" is a squelching B Movie soundtrack, the story of fungoid invasion from your mind; "He's Dead Jim" is an affectionate tribute to Star Trek, complete with steals from the show; and "The Boy With X-Ray Eyes", featuring guest vocalist Jim Xavier, details the horror of being able to see through everything! Lose yourself in the psychedelic world of B Movie mayhem!

TAB 066
JAMES T. RAO - "Tao Window"

TRACKS: Zen Lunatic Theme/A Pause For Reflection/Zinc Treasure/Shell-Tribal Chant/My Island/Schizo Blues/Just A Dream- Meteor Shower Curtain/Deja Vu Blues/Just To Be Here/Heaven Smiles On You And The Dress You Wear/Now It's Gone/Shadow Walking Slow/The Very Reason/Forget Me Not/Weird Sky/Micro- cosmic Sister/3 Steps Away From The Void/Menories Mean Nothing When You're Dead/Another Orange Planet/A Garden Gives You Everything.

Another release for the prolific JAMES T. RAO. More shimmering psychedelia. See other entries for more details, (TAB's 049, 058, 066, 081 and 119).

TAB 067
X MACHINA - "Gods From The Sky"

TRACKS: Youth/Cuban Missiles/The Moon And The Sledge- hammer/Over The Edge/Queen Of Hell/Fallen Angels/X-Machina/ Lift-Off/The Reckoning/Youth/Mantra.

X - MACHINA are a collaboration between CHILDE ROLAND and ROCKY THUNDER and while this tape does sound a lot like the recordings by CHILDE ROLAND it is a lot heavier and ROCKY THUNDER's influence is felt in the subject matter and in the excellent bass playing. The tape begins with a warning that listening to it could cause severe damage to the listener and you're given a five second warning to switch it off before we're straight into a collection of heavy, guitar dominated songs exploring the darker side of psychedelic rock.

TAB 068
THE SCARLET DROPS - "Moose Power Au-Go-Go"

TRACKS: Death Boogie/Early In The Morning/I Know A Girl/Out Of Their Holes/Heavy Cow/A Little Cunning/Order Against/Bring 'em Down/Crazy/Playtoe.

Canada's SCARLET DROPS were a hard rock band with a definite punk attitude and were notable for two lead vocalist (male and female) who take turns in singing (on the same song. A solid, dependable beat of bass and drums and some blistering guitar work make this a collection of unpretentious goodtime rock destined to set the toes tapping.

TAB 069
ALICE'S ORB - "Alice's Orb"

TRACKS: Tomorrow's Orb/Sun, Sea, Surf And Sand/Wind Blows/Horace's Magic Pyjamas/Coal Barn Blues/Everyone Is Free/Teardrops/She Runs With The Light Mr. Philips.

A tape of psychedelic songs distinguished by some fine harmony work and lengthy guitar workouts. After a short keyboard intro and a brief burst of "You Are My Sunshine" it's into the Beatles/Beach Boys flavoured "Sun, Sea, Surf And Sand" (flavoured with magic mushrooms that is). It's like a psyched out cross between "Roll Over Beethoven" and a beach Boys surfin classic. Next up, after a short burst of "Do You Like Worms?" is the gentle, acoustic "Wind Blows" with some nice harmonies, (a feature of all ALICE'S ORB songs). "Horace's Magic Pyjamas" is a dirty fuzz guitar instrumental with some fine lead guitar to caress the corners of your mynd. "Mi Lady" once again features harmony vocals, this time over a backing of just keyboards. "Everyone If Free" features more vocal gymnastics with some subtle backwards guitar for effect.

TAB 070
THE CLEANERS FROM VENUS - "13"

TRACKS: The Jangling Man/No Go/Mariette/A Man Of Our Time/Here She Crashes/A Street Called Prospect/Minesweeping Memory Lane/Germayne/Boy From The Home Counties/The Tear Collector/Christmas In Suburbia.

The third release on the label for the excellent CLEANERS FROM VENUS. This tape once again is a collection of classic English psychedelia and Martin Newall gives us another set of killer songs. Jangling tunes for an English summer's day. For more on the CLEANERS FROM VENUS check out Giles Smith's excellent book Lost In Music.

TAB 071
DARXTAR - "Darxtar"

TRACKS: The Traveller/I Wish To Xplain/Abberant Station/Live To Live/Bevis On The radio/The Distant Sun/Wings.

This was DARXTAR's first official release and has been deleted as it was subsequently been released on CD.

TAB 072
VARIOUS ARTISTS ' "High Everybody"

TRACKS: THE NARC TWINS: Submarine/Tell The Time. ANT BEE: Here We Go Round The Lemon Tree. JAMES T. RAO: Zinc Treasure. EFFERVESCENT ELEPHANTS: A Rainbow In The Sky. ALICE'S ORB: Sun, Sea, Surf & Sand. SCARLET DROPS:. Death Boogie. MUD PIE: Who I Was. X-MACHINA:. Lift Off. CHILDE ROLAND: Moon. THE CLEANERS FROM VENUS: The Jangling Man. EFFERVESCENT ELEPHANTS: My Blue Words. ALICE'S ORB: Teardrops. WHAT KATY DID NEXT: The Little Death

Nearly all these songs collected here have been (or would be) included on other releases. So it's a good place to start if you want to sample what's on the label. The two songs by THE NARC TWINS are from "Life With The Lemon" (TAB 073); "Here We Go Round The Lemon Tree" by ANT BEE would finally appear on "Lunar Egg-Clips Dances With The Mystic Mother" (TAB 084); JAMES T. RAO's "Zinc Treasure" is from TAB 081; EFFERVESCENT ELEPHANTS' songs are from "Another Summer Of Grass" (TAB 076); The two songs by ALICE'S ORB are from their "Alice's Orb" release (TAB 069); "Death Boogie" by SCARLET DROPS is taken from TAB 068, MUD PIE's "Who I Was" is from "Rustle" (TAB 074); "Lift Off" by X - MACHINA is from TAB 067; "Moon" by CHILDE ROLAND is from TAB 063 and "The Jangling Man" by THE CLEANERS FROM VENUS is from TAB 070. "The Little Death" by WHAT KATY DID NEXT is the only exclusive on this tape and sounds like heavy acoustic Stooges.

TAB 073
THE NARC TWINS - "Life With The Lemons"

TRACKS: The Twins Of Narcness/Hack A Go Go/Big Green Marble/Tell The Time/Freeform Jazz Freakout/Submarine/ Following Marcia Freegley/Whisper Love/Don't You Know/Slow/ Lackadasical Chain/Oot Poppy/Dumb Angel/Trip To Brazil/Man In The Park/Loave Trans Comet/This Is My Dream/Don't Stop To Think That's It's Too Light/Bite The Wax Tadpole/Crystal Pools.

THE NARC TWINS 20 track demo is a kind of 'Sgt Pepper' recorded in the bedroom (Flowerbedroom Studios). THE NARC TWINS are just plain weird, the world obviously has to come to them on their own terms or pass them by. It's all credited to Buck Quickly and Quick Parkly, but, pseudonyms apart, this avoids being another psychedelic joke as these guys have no respect for traditional song structures like beginnings or endings and are seriously out to lunch. Because of the number of tracks, the more laboured bits, such as their intro to "Freeform Jazz Freakout" are cut short rather than splurging. Standout tracks on side 1 are the two tracks skirting this, the shimmering guitar and repeating mantric vocals of "Tell The Time" (wearing its Rain Parade shades) and the pop-art explosion of "Submarine" (an authentically cool thing to write psychedelic songs about as you are no doubt aware). Whichever one of these pseudonyms is playing the lead here has a fine wail. THE NARC TWINS aren't bound by commercial pressures. The songs and playing have a degree of class that many bands with record deals would give their eye teeth for. From the classic 60's pop of such tracks as "Whisper Love" and "Don't You Know" to the kaleidoscopic spin of tracks such as "Slow" and "The Third Stone" and the bass pulse and droning fuzz guitars of "Oot Poppy where all their drugs return to haunt them.

TAB 074
MUD PIE - "Rustle"

TRACKS: Tilt-o-whirl/Hum Drum/September/A Feeling/Prayer/ Who I Was/Theny Whent/I Saw How/Hat Pie/What You Wanted To Hear.

MUD PIE are an auto smash between a Morris Minor loaded with the solo recordings of Syd Barrett and a souped-up Dream Syndicate at-their-most-experimental hot-rod. They are two guitars (Rob Miller and Steven Pitcherella) and a bass (Tom Quinn) with all three sharing percussion. The combination of acoustic guitars with weird whistling noise and feedback, with ache wearied vocals is something Robert Gilligan and the Submarine prophets have also experimented with, but MUD PIE are less angst shocked than the former and both more tuneful than the latter. A song such as the opener "Tilt-o-whirl" repeatedly changes pace as it changes mood making rhythmic change necessary rather than pointless cleverness. As a journey through contemporary senseless America Rustle would make a fine soundtrack to a remake for the 90's of the classic Two Lane Blacktop. All the songs tease at motion, a feeling that the black hole spirals will straighten out, the maelstrom will convert into momentum and when in "Hat Pie" the guitars hit into a wildly strumming vein, you can just feel the gears changing under your feet. While "What You Wanted To Hear" has that modern hymn for modern times quality that so distinguished the songs on the first Dream Syndicate album.

TAB 075
THEE TROUBLE - "Always Returning"

TRACKS: Summer '66/Don't Leave Me Alone On The Bus/Angela/Chimes Of Freedom/For Greta/In A While/You've Got To Hide Your Love Away/Step Inside Love/Can't Step In The Dark/LifeIs Not A Circle.

Italian pop/psychedelia in the Beatles, Byrds vein, from Torino. The covers here tell part of the story but THEE TROUBLE are beginning to find their own style on this, their first Acid Tape' release. Their original numbers are still heavily influenced by the above bands (and nothing wrong with that) with close harmonies, killer melodies and jangling 12 strings, but from it all their own sound is emerging. (A sound which is even more evident on their second release "Swinging London 67 - 91" - TAB 098).

TAB 076
EFFERVESCENT ELEPHANTS - "Another Summer Of Grass"

TRACKS: John Cipollina's Night/That Human Side Of Play/Grass Session No. 5014/A Rainbow In The Sky/The Trip Of Mr. Four/My BlueWords/The Bee.

The second release for EFFERVESCENT ELEPHANTS kicks off with an extended instrumental jamming session laden with some fine psych/blues guitar playing from LODOVICO ELLENA. (as you'd expect from a song titled "John Cipollina's Night"; "Grass Session No. 5014 has a jazz flavour with sax and piano; "Rainbow In The Sky" is an Elephant's classic, a fast paced psych/fuzz track (the same goes for "My Blue Words"; "The Bee is free-form jazz with piano; "The trip" is another instrumental workout with layers of Lodovico's wah wah guitar and some great bass playing from Sergio Monti. Hell, what are you waiting for, this is Italian psychedelia at its best, check it out.

TAB 077
LODOVICO ELLENA - "Cats In Love"

TRACKS: I Walk And Walk/Here And Now/Into The Blues/ Somebody To Love/Spanish Roses/Cats In Love/The God's Lunatics/ I Walk And Walk II/The Stone/The Aristocratic Cat/Mistic Frog.

This is the first of several solo releases for LODOVICO ELLENA and showcases his songwriting talents and psychedelic guitar playing. From the heavy, fuzz drenched guitar riff and double tracked Syd vocals of "I Walk And Walk" to the blues guitar workout, backed with swirling keyboards which is "Into The Blues"" This tape is mostly heavy psychedelic fuzz guitar and fuzzed vocals presenting another side to the fine psychedelic music that he did with EFFERVESCENT ELEPHANTS.

TAB 078
MY FAVOURITE MARTIANS/THE LUCID DREAM "My Favourite Martians/The Lucid Dream"

TRACKS: MY FAVOURITE MARTIANS: High On Drugs/ Smell The Flowers/Castles Of Sand/Afraid To Touch Her/Graveyard Girlfriend. THE LUCID DREAM: I'm On Fire/Fear And Surprise/Shattered Illusion/Aural/Outside Looking In/The Perfect Lie.

MY FAVOURITE MARTIANS were from Sweden and here they present a short collection of some pop/psych classics. The soaring trip through the skies of psychedelia which is "High On Drugs", the equally trippy "Smell The Flowers", the sad "Afraid To Touch Her" and "Graveyard Girlfriend" which hides a sinister tale behind their trademark of 12 string jangle. There's tight, infectious harmonies and hooklines, swirling psychedelic keyboards and subtle, concise guitar playing.

THE LUCID DREAM were from Gloucester in the UK and were put together from the ashes of An Elegant Chaos. Their music contains elements of the early 80's post punk indie psychedelic pop fusing malevolently yet beautifully with the 90's festival sound

TAB 079
VARIOUS ARTISTS - "Sounds From L.S.D."

TRACKS: THE MARSHMALLOW OVERCOAT: 7 & 7 Is. DEADBOLTS: Watcha Gonna Do?/Mystery Girl. CRYPTICS: I Gotta Problem/Never Compromise. SIDEWINDERS: Blood On Her Hands/What She Said. RIVER ROSES: Set Down/Stay Away From Me. BLACK SUN ENSEMBLE: Dove Of The Desert. THE JOHNIES: Ill Wind/Down Home Girl. AL PERRY AND THE CATTLE: It's Your Grave (Can You Dig It?)/Lower Sonoran Desert.

"Sounds From The Lower Sonoran Desert": A tape put together by Tim Gassen of THE MARSHMALLOW OVERCOAT, which was intended to be a vinyl release by Get Hip records but it didn't happen. These recordings are raw and direct; each group was recorded in the same living room-studio on the most basic of equipment. There is a sense of continuity to it also because all the tracks were recorded by the same engineer and producer. This is the document of eight groups sharing the personality of a home town and a particular time in its music scene. A collection of American rock, garage punk and psychedelia from a collection of bands who should be familiar to most of you.

TAB 080
ROCKNOCEROS - "We're Rocknoceros And We Eat A Lot"

TRACKS: No One/Big Cats/Sam The Man/Swimming Man/ Posterior/My Hero Zero/Second Skin/Start It All Over Again.

ROCKNOCEROS hailed from Philadelphia, U.S.A. and featured bassist Tom Quinn from MUD PIE. Raw, energetic rock 'n ' roll with a B52 influence (all the band were big fans). The twin male/female vocals are put to good effect on songs like "No One" where they spend most of the time in a heated argument over a hard rock/punk rhythm. Watch out mother - this tape contains the "F-word"! I can hear Patti Smith and X - Ray Spex influences here in this collection of loud, aggressive American rock.

TAB 081
JAMES T. RAO - "Sadhanna & The Sick Muse"

TRACKS: Sadhana/One Tree Contains The Wisdom Of A Million Souls/Felt/The Sick Muse/Fun Ship Sea Vegetable Head/Sun Breaks Through/Dr. Fossil Returns/The Whole World revolves Around You/Bed/She Says Groovy/For Children Of Light Who Have Already Seen/Valentine/Ancient Sky Pt 3/For The TV Personalities/Summer Was/Older Than Tomorrow.

Enter the surreal, imagination of JAMES T. RAO and his understated brand of melancholic psychedelia for yet another release on the label. Check out his earlier listings for more details.

TAB 082
VARIOUS ARTISTS - "Isotopic Moments"

TRACKS: THE NARC TWINS: I Can See Your Face/I'm Already Gone. THE PETALS: The Garden Gate. MY FAVOURITE MARTIANS: High On Drugs. ROCKNOCEROS: No One/Big Cats. TWITCH: Splash. DARXTAR: High Tide. ANT BEE: Do You Like Worms? JAMES T. RAO: Something Like A Shadow. ALICE'S ORB: . Telescope.

The two NARC TWINS songs come from TAB 083, THE PETALS song isn't available anywhere else - another of their charming folk flavoured psychedelic gems; MY FAVOURITE MARTIANS' "High On Drugs" is from TAB 078; ROCKNOCEROS check in with two songs fromTAB 080; "Splash" by TWITCH is exclusive to this tape and was originally released on ALICE'S ORB Strangely Brown label, as is the Orb's "Telescope. "High Tide" by DARXTAR is another exclusive from these Swedish space-rockers; "Do You Like Worms?" by THE ANT BEE appeared on TAB 089 and JAMES T. RAO's "Something Like Shadow" eventually turned up on TAB 119.

TAB 083
THE NARC TWINS - "LMNOE"

TRACKS: Include The Hits/Ole Joe Mushroom/Somewhat Arnold Major/Magic Dot TV/Death's Door/Listen/I Can See Your Face/ Pretty Theme (From Freak Out)/Onion Overture (Parts 1 and 2)/ Christmas On The Moon/The Lake/Fall Of The Eyemen/ Subterranean Man/Flower Garden/Miracles Abound/I'm Already Gone/And 10 More.

The NARC TWINS were the cosmic powered duo of Quick Parkly and Buck Quickly and they were from Marlboro, N. J. U.S.A. where they obviously put strange things in the drinking water if this tape is anything to go by. Here is another collection of psychedelia which filters the Beatles Sgt Pepper through free-form jazz and 60's beat pop to produce a cassette of dense, weird, mind expanding music. There's great tunes amidst all the lysergic madness too and you'll be humming some of these tunes for days afterwards, especially the sublime "I Can See Your Face".

TAB 084
ANT BEE - "Son Of Lunar Egg-clips Dances With The Mystic Mother"

TRACKS: Intro/Petrouska - Where's My Llama?/My Cat/Kandy Korn/The Wrong At Once (Has Gone)/Greenbeans, Stringbeans And Other Assorted Vegetables/Son Of Orange County/Dancing Lips In Cloriform/Homage To Other Worlds/Lunar Egg-Clips Runs Amuck Black And White Cat, Black And White Cake/The Green Gin/Do You Like Worms?/Here We Go Round The Lemon Tree.

Another collection of ANT BEE'S Beefheart, Beach Boys, Zappa influenced lysergic lunacy. Side one of this tape has been edited together from live rehearsals of the ANT BEE band (which included members from the above mentioned groups) and you'll hear that they could cut it as a live band, moving through all the complicated time changes and rhythms with ease. The next best thing to seeing the band live. Side two comprises two classic covers and demos.

TAB 085
MAGIC MOMENTS AT TWILIGHT TIME - "Flashback #1"

TRACKS: State Of The Art/Acidic Heaven/Spirit/Bewitched/The Soultakers/Blitzkrieg!/Sister Jody.

A compilation tape put together by Mick Magic capturing his band MAGIC MOMENTS AT TWILIGHT TIME in the studio and jamming live. Powerful drum machines, spacy cosmic synth sounds and Hawkwind style guitar over which soar female vocals, sublime harmonies and melodic hooklines. MMATT have a number of releases (including a CD) and this tape is as good a place to start as any. Side one features studio tracks with lots of lysergic powered space-rock and side two is taken up with an extended instrumental jam.

TAB 086
MUD PIE - "These Days"

TRACKS: These Days/Lazy/Now, Here/Something Awful/ Everything Around Me Wasn't Right/I Can't Do Anything/Slip, Fall Down/On This Cold Day/ Rob Goes To The A/Your Word Is Good For Nothing These Days/Silver Noises/One Minute/I Didn't Know.

Another collection of intense and thoughtful songs from Steven Pitcherella and Tom Quinn with help from Rob Miller. A mixture of intense folk and discordant, raging fuzz with a Dream Syndicate, Pixies flavour. For more on MUD PIE see TAB 074.

TAB 087
THE 14TH WRAY - "Wig Man! Wig!"

TRACKS: 14th Wray Theme/My Ball And Chain/Psycho Girl/Yuppie Deadhead Party/It's My Pride/Corpse Grinders/Your face Is In My Mynd/I Married A Witch/Magical Drinking Box/ Hallucination Generation.

THE 14TH WRAY were a punk/garage band from Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Alan Wright, drummer with the band, was also the editor of the ultra-cool Canadian garage fanzine Cryptic Tymes (Canada can sure produce the goods when it comes to garage zines - check out back copies of What Wave as well if you don't believe me). Also in the band we have Pat Shanks (vocals, guitar), Greg Watson (vocals, guitar, organ) and Gordon Mylks (bass, vocals). Side 1 is the garage/punk side starting with a Link Wray inspired instrumental (Yup, that's where they got their name from) and then straight into teenage tales of psycho girls and corpse grinders witch wicked fuzz guitar and snarling vocals. Side 2 is the psych side which cools the pace a bit add lysergic swirling keyboards which seep inside your mynd, especially on the very psyched out "magical Drinking Box". A bunch of wyld, ravin' teenagers from Hell!

TAB 088
MIRRORS IN MOTION - "From Planet Mirror"

TRACKS: Awake!/Born To Be Wild/Let The Music Shining In Your Mind/Pretty Illusaions/Hyacinth House/Pagan Sacrifice/ Shake You By The Hand.

MIRRORS IN MOTION were the band LODOVICO ELLENA put together after the demise of EFFERVESCENT ELEPHANTS. Taking bassist Sergio Monti with him and adding vocalist Rita Francois and Claudio Giachino on drums he put together a more rockier combo, and with the Janis Joplin/Grace Slick inspired vocals a blusier feel to the music as well. There is still 'Vico's distinctive guitar work though, with it's Pink Floyd/Rain Parade feel, but with a harder edge.

TAB 089
ANT BEE - "Evolution"

TRACKS: In A Star/In Yellow Plastic Shoes Vol 1/Silly Fat Fingers/The Wrong At Once (Has Gone)/Evolution #7/Part III/Sluch revisited/Hello Sunrise/The Wrong Way At Once (Has Gone)/Cat Cry/Velvet Horses Sailing/Lunar Egg-Clips/In Yellow Plastic Shoes Vol 2/By The Sea-Sad.

Everything you wanted to know about ANT BEE but were to cool to ask" It includes outtakes from the Electric Honey album (different to those songs which appeared on "Through The Window Pain TAB 061), demos from various stages in the ANT BEE history and a stunning new song. Let's let ANT BEE tell it like it is: This compilation is for ANT BEE fanatics only! all material represents the progression from the beginning of ANT BEE to the present. So sound quality varies drastically from good to really lousy. Each composition holds some sort of key to where I'm at now."

TAB 090
VARIOUS ARTISTS - "Something In My Soup"

TRACKS: ANT BEE: In A Star. ORANGE CAKE MIX: High Flyin' UFO. REEFUS MOONS: See Through. THE UNDER- GROUND: Snapshots. LODOVICO ELLENA: The Window. STORMCLOUDS: Looking Glass World. SKYSAW: Killing Time. WHAT KATY DID NEXT: The Mare's Lemon. THE TWITCH: Home In Time For Tea. THE 14TH WRAY: Psycho Girl. MIRRORS IN MOTION: Mirrors In Motion.

This time it's up to ANT BEE to get things rolling with his psychedelic classic "In A Star" which appears on TAB 089). JAMES T. RAO follows with "High Flyin' UFO" which finally turned up on TAB 119). REEFUS MOONS' song is another outtake from The Word Raven album. THE UNDERGROUND give us "Snapshots", dominated by violin and female vocals, like a more laid-back Curved Air. "The Grave" by LODOVICO ELLENA is a slice of Italian psychedelia and is taken from TAB 115. "Looking Glass World" by STORMCLOUDS is a different version of the song on "House On The Borderland" (TAB 095). SKYSAW were a Calne band, inspired by the tribal punk beat of Killing Joke and "Killing Time" is exclusive to this compilation. Other exclusives are "The Mare's Lemon" a kind of acoustic Stooges workout by WHAT KATY DID NEXT, and the psychedelic "Home In Time For Tea" by THE SWITCH. "Psycho Girl" is a blast of garage punk from Canada's THE 14TH WRAY and is lifted from TAB 087. MIRRORS IN MOTION wind things up with "Mirrors In Motion" from TAB 105.

TAB 091
SPLENDID ISOLATION - "Cauldron"

TRACKS: Small Talk/Judgement/Indian Sky/An End To A Means/Fading...

SPLENDID ISOLATION were the brainchild of John Caddick who wrote all the lyrics and music to these songs which were recorded in 1992. A collection of English flavoured, sparsely arranged folk/rock with warm vocals and some catchy melodies.

TAB 092
TODD SHUSTER - "Todd Shuster"

TRACKS: My You Museum/The Breakfast Man/His Secret Vest/Veronica lake/Safe As Sal Mineo/My Imaginary Friend/Was I There At All.

TODD SHUSTER was/is from Philadelphia and plays all the instruments (and sings) on this 7 song collection of intense Beatlesque introspection. And that's basically all the information we have on the man except that this is a fine collection of sparse, acoustic based, mellow pop with an emotional edge. Kinda like something of "Abby Road" with all the sunlight stripped away.

TAB 093
EFFERVESCENT ELEPHANTS - "Sand And Wind"

TRACKS: My Blue Words/Cats In Love/A Rainbow In The Sky/ Sinner Man/That Human Side Of Play/Baby Lemonade/Loose Into The Night/The Bells/So Easy.

Most of the songs on this tape have appeared on earlier EFFERVESCENT ELEPHANTS tapes but these are all new versions. Notable alternate versions are "My Blues Words", which is faster and "A Rainbow In The Sky" which has some wild psychedelic wah wah guitar at the end. "Sinner Man" is a gentle acoustic number, and a new song, (though it would turn up re-recorded by THE MIRRORS on "Out Of The Shadows" - TAB 105).

TAB 094
ALICE'S ORB - "Ektachromeplane"

TRACKS: What's In The Cupboard?/Psycho Doodle/Hyacinth/ Round And Round/Chalets &Bungalows/My God, My Car/Radio News/Opel.

This second Acid release for ALICE'S ORB has all the trademarks you've come to expect from the band. "Psycho Doodle" is another of their understated psychedelic numbers; "Hyacinth" is a love song with chiming guitars proving that ALICE'S ORB can write great pop songs. It sounds uncannily like something from the early release by THE GIFT; "Chalets and Bungalows" has lots of lead fuzz guitar and "My God, My Car" is another of their 13th Floor Elevators flavoured numbers, which captures perfectly the feeling of Roky's classic band. It also includes some especially nice slide guitar.

TAB 095
STORMCLOUDS - "The House On The Borderland"

TRACKS: House On The Borderland/Ocean Jewel/We Believe/Look At Her Eyes/Looking Glass World/Sailors On The Seas/Baby Moonlight/When You Dream/Midnight Sun/Shooting Star.

A collection of acoustic songs with just Louise Allen on vocals and Steve Lines on acoustic guitar and occasional embellishments. Songs of the sea and the edges of the world like the title track, "Ocean Jewel" and "Sailors on the Seas"; or songs about the edge of reality like "Looking Glass World". The only known song is a re-recording of "Look at Her Eyes" from "Raindrops (TAB 045). On these songs what comes across is a sense of wonder in living in such a magical world.

TRACKS: Kisses/Seagull Girl/Even The Most Boring People/ Jennifer Is There Anywhere?/Daddy, Look That Man Is Dancing/ Just Remember This/Backwaterslide/She's So Out Of Touch/Forgive Me/Heavenly Bodies/She Has Everything I Love/The End Of The Tunnel/Four Little Sex-Gods/The Land Between The Bedclothes And The Bed.

THE KITCHEN CYNICS are from Aberdeen, Scotland and this is the first of two releases on the label (although they have many tapes and vinyl releases under their belt). Dense and intense arrangements based mainly around acoustic guitars and soft vocals (almost whispered in places), overlaid with sombre keyboards and weaving bass riffs. Slow, gentle and quiet for the most part, but the songs manage to convey a world of darkness and doubt. There is fuzz guitar as well, especially in "Daddy Look That Man Is Dancing" where it is a searing wash over the whole song, and the almost garage-like (except for the vocals which float rather than snarl) "Even The Most Boring People".

TAB 097
MUD PIE - "New Swing Mood Thing"/Two At Noon"

TRACKS: New Swing Mood Thing/Someone I Know/Any Minute/ Month Of Sundays/Aztec Head/5 Days After/Where You Belong/ Sending Everything/Just Like You/Blue Saturday/Hurt Me More/ Revisited/Goodbye.

This time around MUD PIE are Steven Pitcherella (lead vocals, acoustic guitars and drums on side A) and Tom Quinn (guitars, bass, percussion and stand up drums on side B). Here they give us two tapes for the price of one. "New Swing Mood Thing" is the studio side recorded in Tom and Steven's homes and it's predominately acoustic based, with sparse arrangements. Side 2; "Two At Noon" is recorded live at Tom's house and features a more electric approach (and a cover of Nikki Sudden's "Hurt Me More") with Tom Quinn providing percussion to Steven's guitar and vocals. For more on MUD PIE see TAB 074.

TAB 098
THEE TROUBLE - "Swinging London '67 - '91"

TRACKS: Swinging London '67 - '91/Gabrielle/Time Enough For Love/Saynia (Turquoise)/Losers Of The World Unite/Here We Are/ Big Surprise/The Elf.

THEE TROUBLE were a four piece from Italy and this is their second release on the label. Like their earlier "Always returning", this album is also influenced by The Beatles and The Byrds, with jangling 12 string guitars and warm, melodic harmonies. This time there aren't so many covers though and the band are rapidly building a sound and character of their own. "Swinging London '67 - '91" tries to capture that 60's feel that THE CLEANERS FROM VENUS do so well, and in fact this song sounds not unlike them, even down to the voice over at the fade out. Jangling guitars, great hooklines, and soaring harmonies all mesh, along with the occasional keyboards and horn section to create sounds for those lazy Summer days.

TAB 099
THE CONSPIRACY - "Retro 1"

TRACKS: Annhilation/Liars In Love/Let's Go Back/Little One/ Daddy/Do Or Die/Up & Away/You & Me/Schiz Attack/YRCTNOD/ Many Odd Years/Welcome No. 1/Green Tambourine/Dary Eyed Girl/Close Watch/Dave Hammerton/Heart Of Darkness.

This is a retrospective collection covering the years 1987-92. The music ranges from hard hitting fuzz to acoustic folk and is inspired by Hawkwind and Mark E Smith amongst others. From acoustic folk flavoured numbers to soaring psychedelic fuzz tracks with inspired lead guitars and even stranger things at points in between.

TAB 100
VARIOUS ARTISTS - "Open Channel D"

TRACKS: REEFUS MOONS: World Clock Prison. THE CONSPIRACY: Liars In Love. SANITY ASSASSINS: Passenger Seat. JOHN BARTLES: I Threw A Pitcher On My Baby. THE MIRRORS: Hyacinth House. THEE TROUBLE: Big Surprise. THE UNDERGROUND: M. K. U. MUD PIE: Someone I Know. ANT BEE: The One Who Is Gold/Thrills, Spills And Chills/Wheeze Pt 2. HERMAN MONSTER: Uncle Roy And His Band From Another Planet. ALICE'S ORB: Psycho Doodle. PROFESSOR X: Isotopic Moments.

REEFUS MOONS kicks off this collection with an exclusive outtake from his excellent Word Raven album. He is followed by THE CONSPIRACY and SANITY ASSASSINS whose tracks are both lifted from their respective releases. JOHN BARTLES' "I Poured A Pitcher On My Baby" is exclusive to this collection and is a fine example of John's brash, hard edged and humorous brand of American rock. THE MIRRORS turn in a version of The Doors' "Hyacinth House" from TAB 105. "Big Surprise", a slice of Byrdsian summer jangle by THEE TROUBLE is from TAB 098. M. K. U. by THE UNDERGROUND is another exclusive, notable for it's soaring violin and female vocals and the MUD PIE track is from TAB 097 ANT BEE contributes three more examples of his Zappa/ Beach Boys/Beefheart inspired psychedelia (featuring Don Preston on one track), which appeared here for the first time and are not on any of his other Acid releases. Side 2 opens with HERMAN MONSTER'S "Uncle Roy and his Band from Another Planet", otherwise known as Roy Herman, guitarist for ANT BEE. The tape is rounded off with a song by ALICE'S ORB from "Ektachrome- plane" and an exclusive from the mysterious PROFESSOR X.

TAB 101
SANITY ASSASSINS - "Sanity Assassins"

TRACKS: 10 AM/Not What You Think/Already Know/Passanger Seat/Hawks And Doves/Hope To Grow/Lack Of trust/Take Up They Stethescope/These Hands/Calling Out.

Formed in 1988, the SANITY ASSASSINS exploded onto the underground music scene. Their quick, assaulting style earned them places on a staggering amount of cassette compilations. Their sound is generated from a three-piece outfit: Ex Naked Maker's Pete Ricio supplies the solid drums and vocals; Adam bomb displays his frenzied guitar work and the pounding bass lines are driven out by ex - White Pigs, ex - DISPOSSESSED veteran Keith Grave. The sound is a mixture of 60's psych/garage with late 70's hard rocking punk and has been influenced by bands from Motorhead to Cream.

TAB 102
THE DRUM FONDU - "The Drum Fondu"

TRACKS: Day=Night/Yourself/Freakbeat/It's Late/Nervous Cat/Too Much Smog/Under My House/Can U Take My Blessings/ Busdriver (Sour Mix)/In Between Acts/End Of The Summer/Mister Cliché Again/Fireside/Nature/Friday/Shopping For Free/Silenzio Perduto/ Le Loup Se Danse/Distorted Cage.

"I think that this DRUM FONDU tape illustrated very well the different aspects of our music. It's not like our previous tapes, focused on one angle. We've tried to mix the experiences we had through our live concerts with the moods we create during our recording sessions we had in different locations (at home and elsewhere) and with different techniques (midi, acoustic, very well prepared, improvised). We hope now that it makes sense, that it's nice to listen to, that you can dance to it, that you get a laugh out of it." This is a collection of drum orientated dance music - heavy, mechanical drum machine music with thumping dance beats and a German flavour of industrial and robotic rhythms and effects.

TAB 103
SOSUMI - "Dark And Gloomy"

TRACKS: Genocide/After The Trance/He Spoiled The Party/I don't Want To Make The Scene/My Gun/Nuclear Age/Nuke Them All 92/When You Come Down/The Big One.

This tape combines a mixture of punk, thrash and heavy metal in a collection of amphetamine powered hard-core rock. Hellgirl's vocals will curdle your soul as she trades phrases with co-vocalist Malcolm Ryder over the solid backing of crunching bass and drums and evil, fuzz drenched guitars. Play loud and annoy the neighbours!

TAB 104
MY FAVOURITE MARTIANS - "Where No man Has Gone Before"

TRACKS: If You Want Me To/She Comes In The Summer/Boy Next Door/Cinderella/Fly/She Said (Ba-Pa-Ra-Ra)/Mrs Jones/Dr Dim/What A Way To Die/Mushroom Girl.

Sweden's MY FAVOURITE MARTIANS clock in with a full length album and another collection of their, keyboard dominated pop/psyche. Sparkling guitars with simple, subtle, yet haunting melodies and solos, fragile vocals and clean harmonies and songs about lost love, girls and psychedelic drugs. Every one a hit single in a world less cynical than our own. Pop psych at its best.

TAB 105
THE MIRRORS - "Out Of The Shadows"

TRACKS: Mirrors In Motion/Let The Music Shining In Your Mind/Listen To The Heart/Out Of The Shadows/Sinner Man/Rack's Dead/Pretty Illusions/Shake You By The Hand/I'll Always Be True.

THE MIRRORS were formally MIRRORS IN MOTION the band put together by LODOVICO ELLENA. Another collection of material similar to that earlier release ( TAB 088) with the Janis Joplin/Grace Slick inspired vocals and much more of a rock flavour to Lodovico's guitar. The Doors also make an appearance here with a fine cover of "Hyacinth House" and Hawkwind with "Out Of The Shadows".

TAB 106
THE OTHERS/THE MOLE PEOPLE "Revenge"/"It's Eerie"

TRACKS: THE OTHERS: I'm Not There/Loose Lip Synch Ship/When I Get Home/You Blow My Mind/Munsters Theme/Take Me As I Am/It's The Same All Over/No More. THE MOLE PEOPLE: Since U've Been Gone/I Love U/And Now You Say We're.../It'll Never Work Out.

THE OTHERS were and Italian garage band led by Brian '66, who also edits the ultra cool garage/beat magazine Misty Lane. Lots of twangy guitars and surf type instrumentals, a version of "The Munsters Theme" which is completely different to the TV show (am I missing something?), Criswell intro and snotty vocals over a tight garage beat. THE MOLE PEOPLE were from the UK and they also clock in with a short collection of garage/punk classics set to make you roll back the carpet and wig out!

TAB 107
WATERCOLOR SUNSET - "Faded"

TRACKS: Space Frosting/International Pop Star/Hollywood Decay/Jet Lag Haiku/Kevin A./Watercolor Sundet/The Mirror Tells A Joke/Please Don't Break My Little World/Ocean City Girl/ Waterdrops/The Wrong Key/A Walk To Nowhere.

JAMES T. RAO and JOSEPH MADDALENA team up for a collaboration, and, as mentioned below, their styles are so similar it's hard to see the joins. More moody, atmospheric introspection in a world loss, heartbreak and loneliness are constant companions. Shimmering guitars chords which hang in the air like rainbows, long, lazy guitar solos and aural instrumentals for those pensive moods.

TAB 108
LODOVICO ELLENA - "The Lake, The Clown & A Flea"

TRACKS: The Psychedelic Flea/Spanish Echo/May/Magma/ Sparks By Night/Sinner Man/Baby Lemonade/Cats In Love (Reprise)/The Clown/The Lake/Scioglie La Neve (Snow Is Dissolving)/A Picture.

Yet another solo release by LODOVICO ELLENA with tracks that for the most part have appeared on his other solo releases, but once again, these are different versions.

TAB 109
JOSEPH MADALENA - "Reclusive Aquarium"

TRACKS: A Flowered Reverie Of You/Underwater Barnyard/ Love Letters To A Rambler/Imitations Of An On-Off Switch/Dr. Gachot's Ringside Seat/Greendays Of Tomorrow/Amorphous Daze Of Confusion/Sutrains Silhoette/Hazy Portraits Of You/Tales Of A Nowhere Island/Third Dimension Lifetime/Passive Abstraction/ Glory Hallelujah Holocaust/I Can Hear It Now (Mutiny)/Think Twice Towards The Sky

When I first heard this tape I thought it was JAMES T. RAO under another name, the styles are so similar. To confuse matters even more Joe and James even teamed up as WATERCOLOR SUNSET and released "Faded" (TAB 107), which after hearing this tape, seemed an obvious thing to do. Whether the two had heard and been influenced by each other I have no idea, but on this collection of songs you have the same aural wash of gentle acoustic guitars and sparkling chords, underpinned with atmospheric keyboards and moody vocals, Sounding like a laid back and melancholic Galaxie 500, more than anything else. This tape has more acoustic guitar than we're used to hearing on a JAMES T. RAO tape and a more distinctive bass style. Fans of Mr. Rao will like this, though it isn't a straight copy. It's just that whatever planet they're living on, they're close neighbours.

TAB 110
THE KITCHEN CYNICS - "This Little Headache"

TRACKS: On The Bus/No, But I Can Hear The Dog/Significant Date/Please Don't Ask Me/Courting Blues/You Know Nothing Too/Morse Cat/Burning Witches/I Don't Want It/In My Wardrobe/ One Of Those Things/Fallen Hero/This Little Headache/Skin Deep/ Raga Doll.

Another collection of atmospheric intensity from Scotland's THE KITCHEN CYNICS. Acoustic based songs with strong melodies and a feeling of sombre introspection, embellished with keyboards, fuzz, wah wah guitar and intense vocals.

TAB 111
BUTTERSCOTT - "Crescendo Of Taste"

TRACKS: He Is Very Pretty/Peter, Paul 'n Manson/Jellybean Jungle/Prithee/Fields Of Fields/Plunger/Hey Bitch/Crunchy/The Irish Song/Gypsy Wheels/Come On Dawn/Cupcake City/Pigphat Chevrolet/Tommy 'n' Tammy/Namedropper/Sky Pilot Is Blue.

Ultra clever artist BUTTERSCOTT features great melodies and lyrics that are INSANE. This sounds like what might happen if you crossed the Rudy Schwartz Project with The Beach Boys. "The Irish Song" is a folk tale of love, murder, revenge and dripping brains; "Hey Bitch" is kinda like The Troggs only meaner; "Jellybean Jungle" is a slice of psychedelic pop. here's a collection of songs embracing (and deconstructing) several musical styles with perfect melodies, sharp, very funny lyrics and a macabre and malicious sense of humour.

TAB 112
BUTTERSCOTT - "Kitten"

TRACKS: Bubblegum Man/Turn To Your Heart/Games We Play/ Toy Piano Blues/Fruit Flavoured Rain/Hobbyhorse/Run Back/Come On Little Girl/Kris Teen/Best Move/The Ocean Is Deeper Than The Sea/Una Paloma Blanca/Goldfish Song/Frog Boogie/Silk Stockings/ Chicken From A Chain Store/Riker's Island/Bubblebosh.

One indication that this tape isn't going to be your run-of-the-mill demo is the "Centrefold" take-off "Bubblegum Man", followed by the sad, old, time-to-go-now, bloodshot-houndawg ballad "Turn to Your Heart".Then they cull a choice from the Psychedelic Hollies catalogue, none other than "Games We Play" and manage to make it sound like Byrds, Kinks, Monkees and a dash of Jan and Dean thrown in for good measure. "The Ocean is Deeper Than the Sea" mines the same loquitur: monster surf as the Cramps (c.f. "Human Fly") but the lyrics are a brilliant burst of sustained insipidity; the same is true of their cover of "Una Paloma Blanca". "Goldfish Song" has an intro that is a classic Bob Dylan take-off; "Riker's Island" ruins the creepy, pompous pretension of Simon and Garfunkel for all time. Of course, being the contrary cusses they are BUTTERSCOTT put what should have been the first song of the set dead last. I am referring to "Bubblebosh:, the funniest travesty of classical music heard hereabouts since Gingerbread's version of the Sword Dance.

TAB 113
DR CHADBOURNE & AND BEE "One Night In Infinity"

TRACKS: One Night In Infinity.

A live tape documenting the meeting of the above two mentioned lunatics. This is almost beyond description - you'll either love it or hate it!

TAB 114
ALPHANE MOON - "The Echoing Grove"

TRACKS: An Open Entrance/Circle Of Four/To Almandine/A Closed Gate/In The Vector Of Celestial Influences/Lunadial/ Saltsea/Reap A Field Of Light.

Echo drenched guitars, backwards ethereal guitar and spacy keyboards are the flavour of the day here, with controlled feedback added for good measure. A selection of aural gems, which for the most part are instrumentals. Turn off your mynd and float upstream with the ambient musical landscapes of ALPHANE MOON.

TAB 116
LODOVICO ELLENA - "Sparks By Night"

TRACKS: The Psychedelic Flea/Spanish Echo/The Aristocratic Cat/Mistic Frog/Sparks By Night/The God's Lunatics/The God's LunaticsII/Painted It Black/The God's Lunatics III/The God's Lunatics IV/The God's Lunatics V/Down To The Mistery/In The '700/Spanish Roses/Cats In Love.

Two more collections of LODOVICO ELLENA's demos. Even though some of the song titles may be repeated on these two (and other) releases they are all different version. There's lots of fuzzed, psychedelic guitar; growling fuzzed vocals, Syd inspired psych (and a cover of "Baby Lemonade); slow blues numbers; instrumentals; backward guitars and Spanish flavoured acoustic guitars. Lose yourself in the psychedelic mynd of one of Italy's most prolific and respected guitarists on the psychedelic underground scene.

TAB 117
AMOEBA PIE - "Live From The Nuthouse"

TRACKS: Disaster At Sea/A Freaky Song/A.R.I.T.H.M.A.T.I.C./ Goldentail/How Much Is That Lemon In The Window?/The Thistle And The Ox-0h/The Cess-pit Waltz/Get It On The Table Son/ Nature's Song/Show Me The Way To Go Home/The Red Flag/ Pal- withnarrowboat/The Furry Friend/You Can Fight/Mouldy Little Chickens/Shadows On The Wall/The World Is Full Of Crystal Balls/The Stream/Stoned Ramble In E Minor/Jigsaw Jig And Untitled Jig/Fancypants/Epitaph/Palwithnarrowboat (Reprise)

A collection of songs old and new, bringing together unreleased demos and alternative versions and a live gig recorded at the Nuthouse, Hebden Bridge, on 17 July 1986. Side one is the live side and proves, if proof be needed, that AMOEBA PIE weren't just a 'bedroom band' and that they could deliver their particular brand of anarchic, madcap folk on stage. If you've heard their earlier two tapes (TABs 029 and 034) you'll know what to expect, if not, go back and check them out. All you favourite songs are here. Side two is the studio side with more familiar songs but all different versions to the earlier releases. There's a bunch of new ones thrown in as well, including "The Stream", The World Is Full Of Crystal Balls", Shadows On The Wall" and "Diggers Song".

TAB 118
VARIOUS ARTISTS - "Look Up And Smile"

TRACKS: GHOST RIDER: Cops And Robbers/The Spin/The Vineyard/Queen Of Spades/Mars/Bad Milk Blues. ALTIMETER: Lush Life/Honey Beat/So Hot So. THE UNDERGROUND: Mantra No. 1/Trip That Never Ends.

GHOST RIDER were an Italian psych band who later went on to become more dance orientated. But here they present us with some gentle acoustic numbers, some, like" The Spin" embellished with a trumpet solo, and other, like "Queen Of Spades" with harmonica. It's not all acoustic though; "Cops And Robbers" has a neat bongo beat and some melodic psych lead guitar and "The Vineyard" is heavy rock. ALTIMETER were from the USA and give us three songs which sound a little like a less quirky, more serious, heavier, rockier Timbuck 3. There's some fine slide guitar on "Lush", screaming, soaring lead guitar on "Honey Beat" and "So Hot So" sounds like the soundtrack to a Latin American spy movie complete with manic talk-over. THE UNDER- GROUND present the final two tracks from their demo, the others have been released on earlier compilations. Soaring violin, jangling guitar and a female vocalist who reminds me of the singer in Girls At Our Best. None of the tracks appear on any other release.

TAB 119
JAMES T. RAO - "Invisible Mindscapes"

TRACKS: Something Like A Shadow/House Across The Lake/Too Selfish To Say It's True/Arizona Desert/Invisible Planet/Never Be The Same Without Her/Two Years Ago/High Flyin' UFO/Icy Nest/Leave Myself For Dead/Even The Sunshine Reminds Me Of You/This Is The Last Time I Tell You How I Feel/Dead Inside/World Awareness Hour.

This is sort of a 'Best Of' collection put together from the numerous JAMES T. RAO tapes we have in the archives and, as such, would be the perfect place to start for those of you who still haven't heard his music. Dwelling more on his pop side, although there are a number of his melancholy dirges such as "Something Like A Shadow", "Even The Sunshine Reminds Me Of You" and "Dead Inside", the tape is full of the distinctive oceanic wash of guitar chords, sparkling melodic notes like raindrops and mournful voice which make up the distinctive sound of JAMES T. RAO. Just the sort of music for a rainy Sunday afternoon.

TAB 120
VARIOUS ARTISTS - "Pass The Paintbrush"

TRACKS: REEFUS MOONS: Transparent Man/I Could Tell You. JOSEPH MADALENA: A Flowered Reverie Of You. LODOVICO ELLENA: The Window. THE MIRRORS: Nosferatu. BUTTERSCOTT: He Is Very Pretty/Peter, Paul & Manson. THE HUMUNGUS FUNGUS: Battle Song. THE KITCHEN CYNICS: Courting Blues. AMOEBA PIE: You Can Fight/Digger's Song. C. J. OTTER: Hello Mr. Sunshine. JAMES T. RAO: Here Come The Pastels.

This compilation kicks off with two exclusives from REEFUS MOONS. Also exclusive is "Battle Song" by THE HUMUNGUS FUNGUS, a musical piece based on Scandinavian mythology; "Hello Mr. Sunshine" by C. J. OTTER and "Nosferatu" by THE MIRRORS. JOSEPH MADDALENA contributes a song from TAB 109) BUTTERSCOTT's songs come from TAB 111; "Courting Blues by THE KITCHEN CYNICS is from TAB 110; the two songs by AMOEBA PIE are fromTAB 117 and the JAMES T RAO number is taken from TAB 119

TAB 121
MY FAVOURITE MARTIANS "I Was A Teenage Martian"

TRACKS: U.F.O./Mediaeval/Paisley Girl/The Wild Swans/ Almost Nineteen/Acapulco/In My Mind/She Comes In The Summer/Bimbo Girl/Ashley St. Ives/By Your Side/New York N.Y./Here Comes A New Day. Plus a bonus track!

The third release on the label for Sweden's MY FAVOURITE MARTIANS and if you liked their previous outings, especially "Where No Man Has Gone Before", here is more of the same. From the opening sequence, (Jack Nicholson on U.F.O.s from the film "Easy Rider") we are taken through their own unique brand of keyboard dominated, fragile pop/psyke. Once you hear this tape you'll be singing the tunes for days afterwards - and maybe you'll be a teenage Martian too! MY FAVOURITE MARTIANS are Johan Lundvall, Per Sparf, Jonas Jansson, Jesper Jansson and Per-Anders Enestrom.

TAB 122
SUNRAY "Dreamachine Music"

TRACKS: Halogen Melody/Music For The Dreamachine (part 1)/Music For The Dreamachine (part 2)/Subliminal Massage..

Enter the realm of the Dreamachine and travel with SUN RAY on a trip to the stars. An aural voyage into the heart of the life-giver, blessing you with the power of sight behind closed eyes. The first track, "Halogen Melody" is deliciously mellifluous, like a nursery rhyme from another galaxy it drifts on a background of crazed alien frequencies; yet simultaneously sounding delicately humane and optimistic. "Music For The Dreamachine" (parts one and two) are the main part of the tape, spanning almost thirty-five minutes of wondrous, free music; however, time isn't important here, it's irrelevant. Space and imagination - that's where SUN RAY are at.

TAB 123
THE MARSHMALLOW OVERCOAT - "Voices Green And Purple"

TRACKS: Our Love (Will Survive)/Kiss The Tears/Bones Crack/ Oceans From Home/I Don't Want You/Summers Lost/Dia De Los Muertos/The Mummy/Psilocybin Explosion/Tomorrow Today/ Beverly Pepper/1000Years Ago/I Love The Time/13 Ghosts/Yeah Yeah Yeah/Piece Of Mind/Home/When It's Dark/Suddenly Saturday/Bitter Heart/A Song For Steven.

A best of, cassette only collection from THE MARSHMALLOW OVERCOAT. The Tucson, Arizona group formed in 1986 and the 21 song tape compiles tracks from the band's eight previous albums. The result is THE MARSHMALLOW OVERCOAT's most adventurous and varied effort to date. "Voices Green And Purple" touches on majestic pop ("Kiss The Tears"), moody psych ("Dia De Los Muertos"), garage punk ("I Don't Want You"), all the way to a cello-driven baroque ballad ("Oceans From Home)---all Gassen originals. Virtuoso performances by keyboardist Debra Dickey and bassist Sean Randel also highlight the lush, intricate production. 21 aural nuggets from the jaws of this near-legendary garage/psych outfit. This "best of" collection touches on all their twisted sounds from Music Machine inspired garage punk to Strawberry Alarmclock-ish pop/psych with a heavy dose of Doors, Love and The Seeds added in as well.

TAB 124
THE ARCANES "Electric and Acoustic"

TRACKS: Into The Arcane/Sometimes/Sun's Going Down/Have You Ever Seen The Rain?/No Cry Baby/Piece Of My Heart/Born To Be Wild/Mercedes Benz/Till The End Of The Day/No Cry Baby/I Had A Dream.

The first Acid Tapes release by THE ARCANES but the tenth release featuring LODOVICO ELLENA! A quick look at the covers versions on this time will give a fair idea of where this band is coming from. Vocalist Stefania Bongioannis has a voice that does justice to the Janis Joplin covers. Less psychedelic than LODOVICO ELLENA'S previous bands with a more rock/blues orientation. But none the worse for that.

TAB 125
STORMCLOUDS "Nightmares in The Sky

TRACKS: To Sleep, Perchance To Dream/ Ocean Jewel/ Dream On My Angel/ Look At Her Eyes/ November Rain/ Drifting Away/Nightmares In The Sky/ Heart Of Stone/ Dream Of You/ Remember/ Looking Glass World/ The Darkest Hour/November Rain/Drifting Away.

The tape starts with "To Sleep, Perchance To Dream", a brilliant 1967 sounding fairy-tale, an early Pink Floyd standard with backwards guitar bits, stoned vocals etc. "Ocean Jewel" and "Dream On My Angel" are calm, serene, esoteric British folk songs. "Look At Her Eyes" is Velvet Underground with Nico on vocals and William Reid on guitar. Melanie's voice is best when she sings moody, psychy, somewhat mysterious modern folk of the Kendra Smith type in "Drifting Away", "Looking Glass World" and "The Darkest Hour", or when she performs like a traditional British folk nightingale in songs like "November Rain", "Heart Of Stone" and "Dream Of You". "Remember" is brilliant sixties U.S. folk rock in the Byrds vein with Ken Flynn taking over the lead vocals. The title tracks is a dark, brooding mass of totally stoned-out-of-your-mind folk rock with the haunting - dare I say - ethereal guitar playing of guest musician Rod Goodway.

TAB 126
VARIOUS ARTISTS "Never Been To Nashville"

TRACKS: JACK PEDLER: Fairieland It Ain't/ Shovel And Pail/ Don't Do It/Messages. THE GHOST ROCKETS: Family Tree/ Comin' Up For Air/ Roses To You/ In My Room. THE KNURLINGS: Night Of The Dworkins/ I Fell In Love With A Monster From Outer Space/ Do The Mutant/ We Are Memory Men/ Puck Bunny/ Blast Off/ Do You Know How To Do The Rock 'n' Roll?/

From out of the wilds of Hoboken, New Jersey,