Customer Reviews

All of Us

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For any confused, this is not the Nineties band, Nirvana, but rather the Sixties psych-pop group, so don't expect anything to sound like "Lithium" or "Teen Spirit" here. This is a fine and classic album, with the extra b-sides being a nice added bonus.

FIRST OFF: Fans and reviewers of the 90's Kurt Cobain Nirvana please post elsewhere and keep your ignorant, narrow-minded comments away from these half dozen or so album listings from this 60's UK pop/psych group. Why comment here when these are two distinctly different groups, era and genre of music. I'm not surprised that fans of Kurt Cobain's Nirvana would put their ignorant 2 cents in. Also, there is a reason these CD's are unfamiliar to you grunge rock fans. Think of it this way, it's not cool to trash a group that was around when Kurt and the boys were still poopin' in their diapers. Perhaps when your music awareness evolves, you may appreciate the UK Nirvana just the same. I enjoy both Nirvana respectively and separately and identify the two groups together only for the purpose of writing this review. Please note that I am NOT doing any comparing. The musical integrity that the UK Nirvana possesses is most evident in this, their 1968 2nd album "All Of Us". An eclectic mix of classical arrangements, pop theatrical sensibility with surreal and imaginative lyrics that fit in nicely with the psychedelia of the time. Consider it "intelligent sunshine pop" that only the British 60's groups can execute with such uniqueness. The standout tracks are: Rainbow Chaser, Tiny Goddess, The Touchables (All Of Us), Melanie Blue, Trapeze and Girl In The Park. Well, basically the first 7 tracks of the album. This import Island remaster version comes complete with a 15 page booklet chock full o' informative notes on the band history and rare photos from the 66-68' Nirvana era. The sound is excellent, however it is a bit compressed and I believe they could have done a better job with the remastering. A bit disappointed, but nevertheless still worthy of a purchase if you're a collector or a casual listener just discovering this UK group.

This Nirvana is the UK band from the mid-to-late 60's who embodied, to their core, what became known as the "toytown baroque" style of music. A cellist was a permanent member of the band, which gives you the general idea. Delicate fare to be sure, but much of what was contained in toytown was core psychedelia. Listen, for example to the swirling echo chamber sounds of "Rainbow Chaser." In original release, this was one of those thick vinyl deep wax pink label Island LP's that seemed almost impossible to scratch. It was also pretty much impossible to figure out at the time if the name of the band was "All of Us" and the title was "Nirvana" or vice versa. For the musically adventurous, the mystery added to its marketability. Thank God today we have liner notes to help us out with that. While naturally the stylings are dated today, many of the songs such as "Rainbow Chaser" and "Melanie Blue" hold their charm, and the bonus tracks are non-LP additions that definitely contribute to the value of the CD.

This Nirvana is the UK band from the mid-to-late 60's who embodied, to their core, what became known as the "toytown baroque" style of music. A cellist was a permanent member of the band, which gives you the general idea. Delicate fare to be sure, but much of what was contained in toytown was core psychedelia. Listen, for example to the swirling echo chamber sounds of "Rainbow Chaser." In original release, this was one of those thick vinyl deep wax pink label Island LP's that seemed almost impossible to scratch. It was also pretty much impossible to figure out at the time if the name of the band was "All of Us" and the title was "Nirvana" or vice versa. For the musically adventurous, the mystery added to its marketability. Thank God today we have liner notes to help us out with that. While naturally the stylings are dated today, many of the songs such as "Rainbow Chaser" and "Melanie Blue" hold their charm, and the bonus tracks are non-LP additions that definitely contribute to the value of the CD.

It would be sad if this UK pop band was some lost treasure which made the subsequent spectacle of Cobain and company seem like a grievous historical rewrite. Well, dry those tears -- this Nirvana deserves its obscurity.

This is another one of those vaguely psychedelic, extravagantly orchestrated discs where there's little sense of any legitimate "band" beyond the lead singer plus whatever session players are trilling away behind him. And there's even less band than that on the instrumentals "The Show Must Go On" and "C Side of Ocho Rios." The tracks are passable at best, and embarrassing at worst.

The first two songs signal a potentially worthwhile album. The sluggish cadence of "Rainbow Chaser" has a satisfying, swanky thwack, and "Tiny Goddess" has some lovely, descending chords a la "Whiter Shade of Pale." But the pleasures end there. The rest of the disc can be casually tossed. Dangerously close to easy listening at times ("Melanie Blue") and ridiculously silly elsewhere ("Frankie the Great," "Everybody Loves the Clown," the ersatz '50s-piano of "Flashbulb"), it just doesn't have any further tracks worth saving from the shredder.

Odd that the jackets of this album and Bleach have such similar color schemes, eh? Pure coincidence?