Customer Reviews

Incredible String Band

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

 

 

A delightful album which showcases the emerging talents of songwriter/minstrels Mike Heron and Robin Williamson along with the (slightly) more conventional musical abilities of their friend and mentor Clive Palmer. Clive contributes the more traditional banjo and blues pieces while Robin and Mike drop fascinating hints about the diverse musical territories they were about to venture into. "Womankind" and especially "October Song" stand out as timeless classics but everything else is pretty fine. If this is a true reflection of the music to be heard regularly in Clive's Incredible Folk Club in the mid 1960's, it must have been an extraordinary time and place. The original Incredibles are now touring again after all these years, which makes this first album all the more fascinating.

Released in 1966, this first album by The Incredible String Band is an absolute must-have if you are into British folk. A little more direct and less adventurous than the albums that followed, it stands its ground as a marvellous piece of work.
Produced by Joe Boyd and recorded at Sound Techniques in London, this is also the only album by the original line-up which - apart from Robin Williamson and Mike Heron - still counted with Clive Palmer. The results are strikingly positive and I found myself at its feet for weeks!
There's no way to pick a favourite but Williamson's October Song with its wonderful lines comes close. Heron's The Tree, Maybe Someday and How Happy I Am are all classic examples of singing acoustic wizardry. And even Palmer's Empty Pocket Blues sheds some light and makes a difference.
When this music starts to play, let me be around!!!

This first album shows the ISB in very good spirits and it shows a transition from pure folk and R&B to the unique ISB-sound later to appear on the second album. In contrast to some other ISB-records it ages very well and it contains nothing but feel-good songs, even if some are meant to be a blues - it's humor, mostly ! What's more, Heron's liner notes make a fine contribution to the general sense of fun and well-being.

Mike Heron makes a powerful impression with songs like "Maybe Someday" and "Everything's fine" and Williamson hints at things to come in his beautiful "October Song" and "Womankind". Palmer's contributions, though very nice, show that he was not keeping up with the pace and direction of the other two, and he's not come back to record with the other two since.

This record may not be a classic in the vein of "5000 Spirits" or "Hangman's" but it easily matches those records in pace, freshness and joy. A feast for the ears and highly recommended to anybody, ISB-fan or no.

Hans Wigman

I remember first hearing the wonderfully eclectic mix of styles/content (including East Indian myth!) that the Incredible String Band brought to their songs -- and being absolutely amazed! Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull obviously struck a more popular note, but all lovers of thoughtful lyrics and hauntingly experimental/evocative musical styles -- and especially of the British acoustic "minstrel" tradition -- owe it to themselves to buy at least one "Incredible" CD!

This is the first ISB Album and it is special and the best, in many ways. If you like folk music at all, this album shows why the band's name is very accurate. There is energy in this album that only diminishes over the successive ones, so for an ISB or folk person, knowing this album is essential.
Anyone who did not give the album itself 5 stars must be high or something.

I never received my item; The seller shipped it via FedEx with no signature required so they left in outside my apartment and I never got it so I assume it was stolen. :(