Rating: ** (2 stars)
Title: The Amazing Adventures of the Liverpool Scene
Company: RCA Victor
Catalog: LSP-4189
Year: 1971
Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+
Comments: gatefold sleeve; original inner sleeve
Available: 1
Price: $20.00
Okay, we'd be skeptical of any band that included a resident poet in the lineup, Imagine how we feel about a band including two poets ...
Essentially a music collective, The Liverpool Express featured the talents of drummer Brian Dodson, poet Mike Evans, singer/guitarist Mike Hart, poet Adrian Henri, bassist Percy Jones and singer/guitarist Andy Roberts. With an act that featured a mixture of poetry, comedy and music, the group got their start playing local clubs. Their big break came when BBC DJ John Peel took up there cause. With his support they were signed by CBS, debuting with the single "Son Son" b/w "Baby" (RCA Victor catalog number 1762).
Released in 1969, "The Amazing Adventures of the Liverpool Scene" found the band signed by RCA Victor. Produced by Peel, the set featured a weird mixture of poetry, comedy and music. At least to our ears, the results aren't particularly attractive. On material such as "Che Guevara" Evan's topical humor/poetry sounds exceptionally dated. Unfortunately, unless your a fan of lame romantic claptrap such as "Love Story", Henri's poetic contributions aren't much better. Dedicated to Bob Kane, "Bat Poem" was mildly funny. As musicians Hart and Roberts' pedestrian stabs at folk and blues didn't exactly set the album on fire. So was there anything worth hearing here? Roberts' "Percy Paslow's Hamster Farm" and Hart's "Palms" come the closest to sporting normal melodies ... (The album was originally released with a gatefold sleeve.)
"The Further Adventures of the Liverpool Scene" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Tramcar to Frankenstein (Mike Evans - Andy Roberts) -
2.) Che Guevara (Part 1) (Mike Evans) -
3.) Gliders and Parks (Spiders and Larks) (Mike Hart) -
4.) Che Guevara (Part 1) (instrumental) (Mike Evans) -
5.) Universes (Adrian Henri) -
(side 2)
1.) Bat Poem (Adrian Henri - Andy Roberts) -
2.) Che Guevara (Part 3) (Mike Evans) -
3.) Percy Paslow's Hamster Farm (Andy Roberts)
4.) Happy Burial Blues (Wayne Cockrill - Mike Evans - Mike Hart) -
5.) Palms (Mike Hart) -
6.) Che Guevara (Part 4) (Mike Evans) -
7.) Love Story (Adrian Henri - Andy Roberts) -
Roberts called it quits in the early 1970s. He reappeared as a member of Plainsong and released a couple of solo efforts. Hart also released some solo material. Roberts and Henri also reappeared as members of The Grimms.