Visually the vinyl looks fantastic. It has been cleaned on a VPI Cyclone record cleaning machine and has shone as a result. Plays perfectly. The only blemish I could find was right at the end of Side 2 just going into the run off where it’s a little noisy. 

There are a few light black marks around the spindle hole but otherwise the labels are fine.

The cover has the original blue and white polylined inner sleeve which is slightly stained with a couple of creases across the corner. The cover has the number 3163 written on the top corner of this inner sleeve and also just inside the gatefold sleeve (on the inner part of the sleeve where the record is inserted). Both written small in biro and in the same handwriting. A slight crease across one corner of the front cover and the entrance to the cover (where the record slips) shows slight wear.

VINYL: VG+

LABEL: VG+

COVER: VG+

Side 1

1. Grande piano
2. Percy the Penguin
3. The three legged table
4. Dora the female explorer
5. Essence of porphyry

Side 2

1. Marigold conjunction
2. 32 West mall
3. Marzo plod
4. Slark

The first thing to mention on this LP is that you would be hard pressed to find track names of this nature and diversity nowadays. And any parent with children under the age of 10, Track 4, Side 1 will get you scratching your head. Did they really name the show after a 1970’s folk / rock band? Simply the titles themselves demand a listening by any music connoisseur.

The band arose out of the depths of the Bristol and Bath music scene in the late 60’s and were set for big things. George Martin, the legendary Beatles producer, produced their third LP, reckoned by many to be his best work beyond the Fab four. This first offering is a mix of witty lyrics and melodies which formed the basis of their popularity in the early days. They were not averse to extended musical passages, highlighting their dexterity and confidence in front of a live audience, which was in turn rewarded by a fanatical and vocal following on the live gig circuit around the UK.

Side 1 is very melancholic with lovely vocals by James Warren in particular. Indeed a small element of ‘The three legged table’ goes as far as hinting at being a pre-cursor of a multi-million dollar hit LP of a few years hence, namely Tubular Bells, before the second part of the same song lifts off into an altogether completely different direction. Quite bizarre. And then you come to ‘Dora’. What a jolly, uplifting song this is, and you can just imagine any crowd bouncing along and singing wildly to this tune.

Side 2 kicks off with lyrics straight out of the sixties. ‘Quaintly Ebeneezer, lemon tweezer, marigold conjunction, Fresian dairy, quite contrary…’ – sadly, a Nobel prize in literature was just out of reach. I am sure it was difficult for any band not to be influenced by The Beatles around this period (or at many times since over the past 50 years), but Tracks 2 and 3 on Side 2 are rich examples of how a band can lean heavily in this direction and put their own spin on a little bit of madness. And to top it all off, there is Slark. One hearing of that and I fell in love with it. Already a firm favourite. Terrific all round.