Genre: psych
Rating: ** (2 stars)
Title: Apricot Brandy and Albatross
Company: Alshire
Catalog: S-5154
Year: 1969
Country/State: US
Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+
Comments: still in shrink wrap (but is opened)
Available: SOLD
GEMM catalog ID: SOLD
Price: SOLD
Cost: $66.00
The Berkeley, California-based Alshire Records was one of those budget labels that made its money with a seemingly endless catalog of MOR cocktail lounge albums, including the mind numbing 101 Strings series that seem to clog every charity store in the country. The label also dabbled in more contemporary sounds via albums by such studio entities as The Animated Egg and The Electric Firebirds. Add to that short list John Bunyan's Progressive Pilgrim.
Namesake John Bunyan's probably best known as the author of Pilgrim's Progress,. Given the book describes the journey of a person seeking God and the struggles he encounters after becoming a Christian, one can only guess that the choice of names was meant to be funny.
Musically this set wasn't a major departure from the label's earlier stabs at rock and roll, though this time the marketing strategy was to attract fans of English hard rock (okay, "Hot Shot" sounded like something out of the Stax catalog). All but devoid of liner notes, the album says the set was recorded in London with recording director Jack Dorsey. A doubtful claim. In all likelihood 1969's "Apricot Brandy and Albatross" was recorded by anonymous, cash starved studio musicians - perhaps the same group responsible for the label's earlier rock releases. Like the earlier albums, the set offered up a mixture of popular hits and similarly-styled originals. An all instrumental collection, the covers weren't half bad, though the rote performances really didn't add much to tracks such as Fleetwood Mac's "Albatross" or The Who's "Summertime Blues". Elsewhere, credited to Martin Huckridge and Al Sherman, originals such as the freak out "Mozart's Dilemma", "Spaced Out" and "Winter Draws On" were full of fuzz guitar solos and screaming organs, making them surprisingly good for what were clearly throwaway efforts. All told one of the better exploitation LPs out there ....
"Apricot Brandy and Albatross" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Albatross (instrumental)
2.) Apricot Brandy (Rhinocerous) (instrumental)
3.) Sabre Dance (arranged by Al Sherman) (instrumental)
4.) Mozart's Dilemma (Martin Huckridge) (instrumental)
5.) Spaced Out (Al Sherman) (instrumental)
(side 2)
1.) Hot Shot (Martin Huckridge) (instrumental)
2.) Summertime Blues (instrumental)
3.) Winter Draws On (Al Sherman) (instrumental)
4.) Spring without Words (Martin Huckridge) - Al Sherman) (instrumental)
5.) Pecadillo (Martin Huckridge) (instrumental)
Curiously, a children's Halloween LP entitled "The Headless Horseman" is credited to a Martin Huckridge.