Acid

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ACID TAPES

Acid Tapes was started by Alan Duffy sometime during 1983 and with the help of such friends as Colin Hill and Nigel Cross (and magazines like as Bucketful of Brains and High on the Pyg Track), he began to release and promote a series of tapes featuring some of the best unheard psychedelic/pop music around at the time. The label soon gained respect and began to flourish, with a wide variety of music put out on cheap, easy to obtain, lovingly packaged cassettes.

I first encountered the label when I was given a copy of "Everyday Heroes' by Paul Ricketts. It wasn't long before I was a regular customer, buying up the complete back catalogue. I was running a local music magazine in Calne at the time, called Mardenbeat, and inspired by Acid Tapes, I started my own tape label, featuring local bands, and called Mardentapes. Also, with partners 'Rustic' Rod Goodway and Paul Ricketts, I had began work on recording a tape which we hoped Alan would release on the label. We had heard "Trip Up!" by The Palace Steppes and thought that we could do something similar. Thus it was that The Tryp was born. This was in 1985, and when completed, the album, "My Brain Collapsed" was sent to Alan and finally saw release on the label in early 1986.

By this time word was filtering down to Calne that Alan was closing down Acid Tapes to concentrate on putting out vinyl under the name Imaginary Records. This was a bit of a blow because by the end of 1986 I'd just finished a debut tape of songs by my new band Stormclouds titled "It's Raining Still", and Rod Goodway had completed his new project: "Two True Believers" by The Jellymonsters, and we were hoping that these would also appear on the label. Meanwhile I released them on Mardentapes, sending copies to Alan with view of a release on Acid Tapes. He wrote back saying he loved the packaging of the tapes (but hadn't played them yet) and would I like to take over Acid Tapes? I of course said yes.

A week or so later I received a giant package of cassette masters, tape covers and labels. It took me almost a month to sort everything out. There were quite a few master tapes missing, so, as I had the complete back catalogue myself, I used my copies as masters. This will explain why some of the earlier releases, most notably the compilations (such as Advice from A Caterpillar, Little Creepy...., Everyday Heroes etc) are not of the best quality. No money changed hands, nor did I receive any information on any of the bands released on the label. There were hardly any cassette labels left and Alan didn't even forward a list of his customers. All this was bad enough, but Alan's loss of interest in the label had meant that in the past year he'd only released one tape (coincidentally "My Brain Collapsed" by The Tryp) and Acid Tapes had pretty much been run into the ground.

So, with my first batch of releases, I was basically starting Acid Tapes from scratch, hoping that there was still interest out there. I had a few tapes of unreleased material which Alan had sent me and I put these out, along with some new, original material (and the above mentioned tapes by Stormclouds and The Jellymonsters) in the Summer of 1987. I also put out the first issue of Try Acid! a catalogue/magazine listing all the new releases on the label, plus news and reviews. And from there it's just one small leap for a slimy toad to today.

TAB 001

THE CLEANERS FROM VENUS "Under Wartime Conditions"

TRACKS: Summer In A Small Town/Johnny The Moondog Is Dead/ Hand Of Stone/Drowning Butterflies/Radio Seven/Fracas On West Street/Lukewarm Love Song/A Blue Wave/Song For Syd Barrett/The Winter Palace.

The overall feel of this tape is 1968 Deram flip side whimsy punctuated with U2 windchimes and searing acid-guitars. There's lots of Syd too, (often filtered through Hitchcock) and Beatlesque '66 pop-rock (a nod to the deceased ex-Moondog) which, when added to the stoned between cuts chatter, gives an air of English eccentricity to the proceedings. There's a really refreshing breadth of material and Martin Newall proves that even with unsophisticated equipment, real songwriting talent shines through. Ace tracks are "Hand Of Stone" (an ecological blues with social and political comment), the apocalyptic "Blue Wave" and "Song For Syd Barrett". The latter isn't a blatant attempt to sound like Syd but the aura is definitely reminiscent of the man. Both sides flow out on almost ethereal instrumentals: "Radio Seven" with its harpsichord flavour and "The Winter Palace" with its collage of bells.

TAB 002

THE END "Start Again"

TRACKS: Fade Away/Spanish Chilehood/Hilltop Land/Calling (Out Your Name)/Light My Fire/Time/Plus demos/ rehearsals/live material.

THE END were from the North East of the UK and this tape has a real 'Acid' touch. Twin guitars howl in flight and mesh in jagged unison to reveal THE END's trademark. "Fade Away" sets the scene and "Spanish Chilehood" finds the band brash and confident, slashing chords and building layers of guitar into Brainiac crescendos. "Hilltop Land" is a veritable mushroomed-climb to a desolate peak, soaring and swooping guitars are ubiquitous while "Calling Out Your Name" has great lurching rhythms and delicate tempo changes - it comes in acid waves. THE END present their magnum opus in "Light My Fire", and fascinating it is too! Moody chords, monotone lead vox by Dowb, mantric back-up by Laura (naive '67 Frisco flower girl aura), a raga-ish flow of solos and a flash of Morrison poetics, all building to an impressive hard rock guitar reprise. Flip the tape over for another insight into the band: psychedelic dub, a psychobilly instrumental, a non-Doors stab at "Backdoor Man" and more.

TAB 005

MODERN ART "Underwater Kites"

TRACKS: Death Wish/Theme From A Programme/Fiction And Literature/46 Botanical Species/Hello - Goodbye/Vision/ Monochrome Dance/The Back-door Is Open/Landscape From A Dream/ (Trying To Find) The Hidden World/Tropic Of Cancer/Underwater Kites.

TAB 006

MODERN ART "Oriental Towers"

TRACKS: Oriental Towers/Through The Looking Glass/Sand In Your Eyes/Passing Days/Weekend/ Waiting/Rainfall/Beautiful Truth/ Dreaming Again/Sad Delusion/Little Ballerina/Stars/Calico Shadows/Untitled.

These two MODERN ART tapes were previously deleted until it was brought to my attention that unscrupulous dealers were offering bootleg copies for ridiculous sums of money, so here they are, available once again. MODERN ART feature a variety of subtle, low-key, discreetly melodic songs. Generally moving at a calm and unhurried pace and only rarely becoming overly mellow. A keyboard and drum machine dominated sound, which at times moves into Joy Division and Cure territory. Pre-Sundial recordings.

TAB 007

VARIOUS ARTISTS "Everybody's High"

TRACKS: MONTY THE MORON: Rocking Horse. NICK HALLIWELL: Only Perfume. THE OCHRE 5: Virtual Sham/ Special Attention. THE AARDVARKS: Meet Me On The Rooftop/ Sitting On The Sofa/These Things. THE PROWLERS: Crawler/ Don't Gimmie No Lip. THE CLEANERS FROM VENUS: Drowning Butterflies. THE PALACE STEPPES: My Pillar Box Is Green. MODERN ART: Beautiful Truth. THE GIFT: Nothing Gets To Thee.

MONTY THE MORON kicks off this tape with "Rocking Horse", a fairly orthodox romp through his childhood, full of wah-wah and raga, taken from his "Acorn Beer & Chestnut Wine" release (TAB 008). NICK HALLIWELL contributes "Only Perfume" from "Orphans" (TAB 016), a wistful folky tune with shades of Cohen and Brel: delicate introspection. THE OCHRE 5 were from Glasgow but sounded decidedly Californian with intense Kakish guitar lines, rich harmonies and folk-rock roots. "Special Attention" is an instrumental which builds with a great blend of organ and stuttering guitar fills, the riff closing each sequence bears an uncanny resemblance to Traffic's "Smiling Phases" but the images are of an anonymous band playing a discotheque scene from a 1967 B-movie. THE AARDVARK'S sound came from that fascinating beat/pop-art/psychedelic cross-over from '66 and "Sitting On A Sofa" is a perfect example. THE AARDVARKS are warm and friendly but also capable of catching you off-balance with stinging guitar breaks like the one in "These Things" which builds like one of Randy Wolfe's solos on the first Spirit LP to a blues-wailing finale. THE PROWLERS were from Sheffield and punch in with a blast of unpretentious, hard-edged rhythm and blues. All these songs are exclusive to this release. THE CLEANERS FROM VENUS' delicate ballad "Drowning Butterflies" is from "Under Wartime Conditions" (TAB 001) and the intriguing, compelling and extremely psychedelic "My Pillar Box Is Green" by THE PALACE STEPPES is from their "Trip Up!" release (TAB 014). This song is an hypnotic 8-minute acid-trip raga. THE MODERN ART's "Beautiful Truth" (From "Oriental Towers" - TAB 005) only reveals a portion of their talents, a twin guitar instrumental. THE GIFT were an excellent folk/rock/pop psychedelic cross-over band for whom NICK HALLIWELL was writer, vocalist and guitarist. "Nothing Gets To Thee" (Taken from "The Gift" TAB 015) is far removed from Nick's solo track here, with its classy hook and intricate guitar work.

TAB 008

MONTY THE MORON "Acorn Beer & Chestnut Wine"

TRACKS: The Dentist Song/Monty's Lament/Rocking Horse/ Little House By The Sea/Piano Concerto No. 1/Collecting Plastic Mon- sters/Sometimes You Just Can't Win/Living My Life Backwards/ Fallen Rose (4 Caz)/A Gentle Robot (Dedicated to the Soft Machine but you weren't listening).

Proceedings kick off with a ditty about not wishing to visit the dentist which mixes reggae, kazoos, wah-wah, guitars, harmonicas, dentist drills and ragtime. "Monty's Lament" is a stream-of- consciousness love-song with Monty sounding uncannily like "Madcap Laughs" Syd and features more off-the- wall guitar doodlings. His songs are jam packed with delights and with all the oddball percussion, seemingly random electronic whizzes, unorthodox guitar tones you're able to pick up on something new each play. "Little House By The Sea" ventures into Roy Harper territory and builds with layers of voice, organ and stunningly sharp guitar. "Fallen Rose" is a beautiful Syd-balled which changes tempo with trippy "Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" organ and moves into a wonderful jazzy sequence.

TAB 009

MONTY THE MORON "Tune Into Channel Z"

TRACKS: The Moth Blues/Rock Klima/Rip Off Dub No. 1/You're Such A Magical Thing/Tune Into Channel Z/Old Fashioned Jam No. 1/Stop Playing Football With My Heart/Rip Off Dub No. 2: Morbid Brain/Orange Nightmare - Dance Of The Hysterical Teddybears/ Splendid Pomposity/Asylum Boogie.

Yep, more Monty mayhem and an extravaganza of inspired lunacy to be sure. "Moth Blues" tells the story of how moths ate the Universe with primitive blues guitar. "Rock Klima" is a real stomper and a Monty classic with snarling guitars, pick-axe sound effects, chauvinist lyrics and a suitably psychedelic interlude with guitars whirling all around. There is reggae with clarinet in "Rip Off Dub No.1", vaudeville jazz in "You're Such A Magical Thing" and a free-flowing guitar based instrumental in "Splendid Pomposity".

TAB 010

VARIOUS ARTISTS "Everyday Heroes"

TRACKS: WESTERN HEROES: She Belongs To Me. THE PROWLERS: Cast-iron Arm/No Spitting On The Bus. GREAT PLAINS: When Do You Say Hello? SACRED COWS: Anything At All/Abandoned By History. SLIME AND THE POND DWELLERS: I'm A Man/I Live Alone. OCHRE 5: Only Now. ENDORPHINS: Fringe Benefit/Experimental Breakdown. ABSOLUTE GREY: Candy Canes/Getting Me Down. MONTY THE MORON: Rock Klima. ALTAMONT: Watching The Statues. THE END: Hilltop Land. THE CLEANERS FROM VENUS: The Winter Palace.

WESTERN HEROES kick things off with a really electric blast of Dylan, notable for a stinging guitar break and powerful and inspired lead (female) vocals and THE PROWLERS contribute two more of their hard, gritty rhythm and blues tunes. SACRED COWS were out of Kearny, Nebraska and both songs featured here are dark and mysterious. Their sound is heavy on rhythm with hard-edged guitar and passionate vocals. THE ENDORPHINS were from Philadelphia and played hard and uncompromising rock music. On these two recordings we have lashings of vibrant and metallic guitar work built around melodic hooks and a biting rhythm section. THE OCHRE 5 song is another soft and flowing slice of folk-rock that mixes Polydor-era Fairport with LA's Beckett Quintet. All these songs are exclusive to this release. GREAT PLAINS, who came from Columbus, Ohio, contribute a song from their own release (TAB 013); SLIME AND THE POND DWELLERS who slithered from Birmingham give us two songs from their "Biscuit Brained Frogs" release (TAB 011) - garage psychedelia with a swamp fetish. ABSOLUTE GREY's two songs are from TAB 012, "Absolute Grey"; "Rock Klima" is from MONTY THE MORONS "Tune Into Channel Z" (TAB 009); THE CLEANERS FROM VENUS song is from "Under Wartime Conditions" (TAB 001) and "Watching The Statues" by ALTAMONT is a must for all Porcupine Tree fans. It's all that's available from their "Prayer For The Soul" release which has been deleted.

TAB 011

SLIME AND THE POND DWELLERS "Biscuit Brained Frogs"

TRACKS: Some Kinda Rich Girl/The Swamp/My Baby's Gone/I'm A Man/I Live Alone/Voices Green And Purple/I Just Want To Be Green And Wet/I'm Maintaining My Cool/It's Out Of My Hands/ Froggy Took Some Acid.

This tape kicks off with a relatively orthodox version of "Some Kinda Rich Girl" with a lovely swirling keyboard sound that brings to mind The Doors and a fabulously stinging guitar solo. "The Swamp" is a weird shuffle that sets the scene in more ways than one, while "My Baby's Gone" features near-indecipherable whisperings over a moody psychedelic piece. The next two cuts were featured on TAB 010, here they really crackle with static electricity. "Voices Green And Purple" is ridiculously over-the-top as Slime's vocals slide up and down the octaves and he takes us for a trip on that 'brown acid'. Those familiar with the original psych-out 45 version may well be shocked or worse! "I'm Maintaining My Cool" is another dirty spoof-blues and "Out Of My Hands" is more mainstream acid-rock with some rasping guitar riffs. The circle is completed by a good, old-fashioned "freak out" as poor froggy's brain goes into overload and he starts clawing at the walls!

TAB 012

ABSOLUTE GREY "Absolute Grey"

TRACKS: Remorse/Candy Canes/Getting Me Down/Endeavour/ Sidewalk/Watching, Waiting/More Walnuts/Candy Canes/Tell Me When It's Over/Memory Of You/Elements.

ABSOLUTE GREY are vibrant and refreshing and kaleidoscoptic. They weave rich and hypnotic raga-like patterns with fuzzed bass and guitar while Beth's confident mantric vocals float gently by. They could be the missing stylistic link between Great Society, Joy Division and The Go-Betweens. The live side of this tape includes a firecracker version of Steve Wynn's "Tell Me When It's Over". From Rochester, NY, ABSOLUTE GREY soon formed a sound of their own. The bouncy rhythms are frequently fuzzy and phased and, when coloured by their sweet layers of guitar and voice, ABSOLUTE GREY can sweep you along like a warm summer breeze. Its sublime and subliminal, like stumbling over melted moonlight.

TAB 013

GREAT PLAINS "The Mark, Don & Mel EP"

TRACKS: The Way She Runs A Fever/When Do You Say Hello?/ Four Side In Three Shapes/It's Dying/Hamburger Boy/ Pretty Dictionary/The Night Won't Live To See The Day/Confetti/ Cave In/Cause Without The Rebel.

GREAT PLAINS were a quintet from Columbus, Ohio and include somebody called Mark (by coincidence), but I'm funked if I know where these Mark, Don and Mel guys come in! Actually it's all part of their whimwam, off-beatitude, just like the flashes of churning mid-sixties Farfisa and breezy prankster-pop hooks. Art without pretension, faultless musicianship, a whole stack of memorable tunes, quirky, strange and charming. Good wholesome rock and roll fun. "When Do You Say Hello?" captures the poppier side of the band but check out the moody and mysterious "It's Dying" for a taste of Balto-weird psychedelia. GREAT PLAINS drift at will between the avant gardening days of early Pere Ubu and dramatic stomping pop and it's an infectious blend that'll have you smiling out loud each time you discover a new delight buried in the mix. The teen-drama lyrics and the cheesy organ fills give them a healthy sixties pop feel but the band's attack is definitely 1980's, especially the aggressive lead vocal of Ron House. Ron also adds guitar while the Wyatt brothers, Matt and Mark, contribute guitar and keyboard respectively, and the rhythm section comprises Hank O'Hare (bass) and Robert Green (drums).

TAB 014

THE PALACE STEPPES "Trip Up!"

TRACKS: The Steppes Speak/Up The/Steppes/Better Day/You Did Me Wrong/Euphoria/The Dark Side/This Lime Tree Bower (My Prison)/Marcelle/Ballad Of Sir Michael/Hatching Out (I'm)/ Hey Joe/My Pillar Box Is Green/The Steppes Speak.

Originally released as an original '68 recording discovered in a friends basement in Exeter, THE PALACE STEPPES were in fact the brainchild of NICK HALLIWELL. A collection of folk-rock, ethereal ragas, delicate flower hymns, savage garage-punk and all things psychedelic. There are zillions of hidden delights to be discovered by wandering through THE PALACE STEPPES mynd gardens. "Up The Steppes" is a loosen-up instrumental; "Better Days" is a plaintive folk-rocker (reminiscent of '66 Love); "You Did Me Wrong" has backward (and forward) spidery guitars and more than a shade of Rocky's "Fire Engine" vocals; "Euphoria" is a delicate, dreamy folk-blues; "Dark Side" is The Shadows Of Knight number with a gentle Stones "Lady Jane" feel and tasty blues-guitar fills; "This Lime Tree Bower" is wonderfully bizarre, a Coleridge poem recited over backward drums, drones, feedback, atonal and raga guitars and throbbing bass. Totally off the wall; "Marcelle" is an obituary for the close spiritual companion of a Steppe, the pulsating bass, sad acoustic guitars and passionate vocals create an air of melancholy and "Ballad of Sir Michael" continues in a similar vein; we've already discussed "My Pillar Box Is Green", it's one of the eeriest psychedelic experiences ever recorded, as simple as that.

TAB 015

THE GIFT "The Gift"

TRACKS: It'll End In Tears/Symbols In The Jungle/Nothing Gets To Thee/Narrow Stories/A House Is Not A Motel/A Different Light/Kids Stuff/Six Weeks/Dull Days/Jenny/Cocktails In August/ Behind Bars/I Saw Blue/Complicity.

THE GIFT were formed in Exeter in 1981 by NICK HALLIWELL. These demos capture the essence of THE GIFT with Nick's irresistible hooks, Daz's distinctive (Revolver-esque) bubbling bass, the delicate folk-rock, the inspired cover version (in this case a ringing/stinging take of the Arthurly song) and lashing of superb Halliwell-guitar from the whispy, chiming and gossamer-winged "Jenny" to the psychedelic blitz of "Cocktails In August". The gem though is "Kids Stuff", a bittersweet love-song by Nick that belies his then 18 years. It opens with a beautiful acoustic guitar/calliope sequence that builds with thick electric chords, rumbling bass, lurching rhythms and impassioned vocals to a jagged blues-guitar finale.

TAB 016

NICK HALLIWELL "Orphans"

TRACKS: (It's Time To) Start Fighting Again/Only Perfume/At Home In The Middle Of Nowhere/It Always Was A Lie/ When Two Storms Meet/Sunday Mornings/Statue Of Alissa/Red Remnants/ Kid's Stuff/Geneva/House Of Swans/Cunara.

TAB 017

NICK HALLIWELL "Tender Hours"

TRACKS: She's A Tequila/Balance Of Arms/Remembering Passion/ Birthday Surprise/Veteran's Day/Clocks Go Forward/Sleep Around Midnight/One Hundred And Six/She Crawls From Mirrors/Love Amongst Children/Every Man A Confidence/Tender Hours.

NICK HALLIWELL: vocal, guitar, keyboards, waistcoats, fringe and shades (no eyes, just empty pits). What we have here is 24 songs based on acoustic guitar and eerie organ chords (far removed from THE GIFT), wrapped in a fragile aura of honesty, wistfulness and despair. It's not easy listening but it becomes strangely compelling with the hints of Tim Buckley, David Ackles, Nick Drake, Leonard Cohen, Jacques Brel and Tom Rapp. Repeated listenings submerge the darker edges and the pure beauty of songs like "Geneva" with its delicious hook, lilting female back-up and swooping accordion (courtesy of Nick's brother Jeremy) shine through. Thrill to the tortured Meltzeresque 12-string fills of "Balance Of Arms" and the atmospheric, fluttering flamenco-guitar of "Sunday Mornings".

TAB 018

MONTY THE MORON "Tales From The Second Attic"

TRACKS: Grandma/Grandma's Story Pt 1/The Boys/Lines In The Sky/Story Pt 2/The Old Man/Sausages/On Stomachs/Germsong/ Story Pt 3/Faces/Monsters/The Conclusion Fugue No. 1/A Radio Ginger Report Winter '68/It's The Double D Show/Really Wanna Know You/Grandfather Clock/Further Reports/Wizzened Gnome Interview/The Late Ginger Mewing/Brain Massage 2/The Circle Dance (Second Attic Theme)

Side 1 consists of three rock songs interwoven with Grandma's bizarre tale as Monty lays his weary head on the surrealistic pillow. "Grandma" sets the scene with some neat Gates Of Dawn organ moves and gentle electric picking, giving it a child-like innocence. "Lines In The Air" has an opening instrumental sequence straight out of "The Journey" from "Ogdens Nut Gone Flake" and then adds psychedelic guitars to the heady Floydian brew. "Germsong" is an acid-punker for trusty Farfisa and snarling fuzz-guitar about botulism, the lyrics being the epitome of bad taste. Side 2 is built around snippets from Radio Ginger. "Really Wanna Know You" is another karma duster mixing Syd with H. P. Lovecraft and Californian acid-folk guitar. "Grandfather Clock" is chillingly Englishe, the swelling organ aligning it with "Chapter 24". The final track "The Circle Dance" is the gem though, it's rich Spanish/Quicksilver guitar, Monty's mantric vocal and exotic flute give it a real Family Dog Tribal Stomp soundtrack feel.

TAB 019

THE MIXERS "Speed, Madness, Flying Saucers"

TRACKS: No One Loves You At All/Pictures Of You/Dear Sister/Big Store/The Greenroom/Whisper Soft/Strangest Play/ Bitter Sun/Closer.

THE MIXERS evolved out of the wonderful OCHRE 5 and comprised Daniel Vallely (bass/vocal), Grant Morrison (gtr/vocal) and Peter Haggerty (drums). THE MIXERS influences, which they mix effortlessly into a potent pop-rock crossover, mainly stem from 1965-67 Swinging Britain and a beat/mod/pop-art/ psychedelic syntheses. The band's attack comes from Grant's Who/Creation power chords and Daniels punchy '66 McCartney bass patterns. Their sound is refreshingly uncluttered (occasionally augmented by organ) and Grant's solos are always concise, valid and razor sharp, which adds to the pop-sensibility and hints at late 70's roots (especially the Buzzcocks). These ten tracks give the band ample room to display their eclectic talents from the guitar distortion and churning organ of "Closer" and the Donovanesque "Greenroom" to the Kinky-folksiness of "Bitter Sun". Not forgetting "Pictures Of You", a paen to Swinging London.

TAB 020

PAUL ROLAND "House Of Dark Shadows"

TRACKS: Blades Of Battenburg/Captain Blood/Puppet Master/ Madelaine/Green Glass Violins/Ghost Ships/Death Or Glory/ Burnt Orchids/Doctor Strange/Lon Chaney/Cairo/Flying Ace/The Cars That Ate New York

PAUL ROLAND is a master at creating moods and atmospheres to suit the subject matter of his songs and with his fascination for the gothic all you need to do is close your eyes and you're standing under a flicking Victorian gas-light as a horse drawn carriage disappears into the misty midnight....he can effortlessly conjure up visions of highwaymen hanging from wayside gibbets, blood stained swords and smoking muskets on a muddy battlefield or spin an eerie soundtrack for a bizarre Edwardian murder. Musically the tape is a real delight and features superb guest appearances by Robin Hitchcock and Knox (reason enough for investigation) but it's Mr Roland's wonderful keyboard and string arrangements that hold the key. "Burnt Orchids is a gorgeous blend of Left Banke and 1967 Zombies and "Madelaine" is equally sublime with its gently strummed acoustic, rich strings and Hitchcock's oh-so-tasteful backwards guitar. "Green Glass Violins" is yet another evocative Left Banke-like tune with its rippling harpsichord and gently lilting strings and "Ghost Ship" is a Marie Celeste voyage to equal the nautical feel of Procul Harum's great "Salty Dog" or "Wreck Of The Hesperus". Roland's vision of 'rock' is totally unique and on tracks like "Captain Blood" and "Death Or Glory" you'll find Knox's dark psychedelic guitar providing the twist with its sinister overtones to otherwise gentle melodies. His vocals are a neat blend of Syd/Peter Perrett/Hitchcock that just add to the gothic.