Acid2

TAB 021

VARIOUS ARTISTS "Little Creepy, We Shine So Sleepy, So Whoopee!"

TRACKS: ENDORPHINS: The Beat Goes On/Atlantic City. FANS: Looking Glass World. THE EYES OF FATE: I've Been So Far Away. FIT AND LIMO: Sunday Morning. SLEEP CREATURE AND THE VAMPIRES FROM VENUS: Kicks. PAUL ROLAND Madelaine. SLEEP CREATURE AND THE VAMPIRES FROM VENUS: Action Woman. OCHRE 5: Girl On The M6. GREEN TELESCOPE: A Glimpse/Turnin' Out. TROPICANA FISHTANK: Umbrella Men. PAUL ROLAND: Captain Blood. THE MIXERS: Pictures Of You. AMOEBA PIE: Day On The Hill.

The ENDORPHINS kick start this compilation with the rhythmic, pulsing "The Beat Goes On" followed by the New York flavoured pop/psyche of "Atlantic City. They are swiftly followed by "Looking Glass World" from the FANS with it's spidery guitar parts and gothic (Bauhaus) influenced vocals. All these tracks are exclusive to this release. Other exclusives include FIT AND LIMO's cover of "Sunday Morning", the Velvet Underground classic, which is well suited to the fragile female vocals and the sparse accompaniment of guitar, bass and tambourine (and a wonderfully strange keyboard solo). OCHRE 5 contribute another of their perky/quirky British powerpop songs and GREEN TELESCOPE (later to become The Thanes) clock in with two garage beat toons; the Elevator's sounding "A Glimpse" and the farfisa powered, R 'n' B power beat of "Turnin' Out" complete with snarling vocals. SLEEP CREATURES AND THE VAMPIRES FROM VENUS (who later decided they didn't come from Venus after all, perhaps because that's where The Cleaners came from) give us faithful renditions two classic psych covers (coincidentally covered later by Naz Nomad & the Night- mares), "Kicks" and Action Woman", from their deleted Acid Tapes release "A Trip In Time" (making these two tracks exclusives as well). TROPICANA FISHTANK's "Umbrella Men" would later turn up on their "Gentlemen...Raise Your Eyebrows" release (TAB 057); PAUL ROLAND's two songs are from his "House Of Dark Shadows" tape (TAB 020) mentioned earlier; "I've Been So Far Away" by THE EYES OF FATE comes from their TAB 037 release; THE MIXERS song is from their "Speed, Madness, Flying Saucers" release (TAB 019) and AMOEBA PIE's "Day On The Hill" is lifted from TAB 029, "Sand Betwixt Two Tides".

TAB 022

VARIOUS ARTISTS "Advice From A Caterpillar"

TRACKS: KARMA: Small Fish. FIT AND LIMO: Dear Monster Tentacles. THE GIFT: I Saw Blue. AARDVARKS: She's At Large/Sweet Talk/Don't You Wanna Rave. THE EYES OF FATE: Desolation Angel. RING: Time For Tomorrow. MONTY THE MORON: Monty's Lament. ENDORPHINS: Warm Blooded Woman (live). RUBBER DOLPHINARIUM: You're Gonna Love Me Every Day/Filthy Rich/Wipe Out! (live) FIT AND LIMO: I Know A Land.

"Small Fish" by KARMA is a song which would later turn up in a different form on the JABBERWOCKIES tape (TAB 043). Here we have Alan Duffy's lyrics given the KARMA treatment with swirling keyboards and deep, Syd style vocals which melt into a funky bass-riff, pulse-beat drums and bizarre roaring noises like some giant monster feeding on sheep...!! A must for all Steven Wilson fans. FIT AND LIMO give us two more samples of their charming brand of fragile psychedelia. "I Know A Land" which has frail female vocals and a "Sunday Morning" Velvet's feel with some lovely backwards guitar and "Dear Monster Tentacles" (great title), with a child's vocal over ethereal keyboards, strange 'monster' noises and a lazy Neil Young style guitar break. All these songs are exclusive to this tape as are the three melodic pop songs by THE AARDVARKS, "Time For Tomorrow" by RINGS, "Warm Blooded Woman by ENDORPHINS and the three RUBBER DOLPHIN- ARIUM songs. THE EYES OF FATE song is from their self titled tape (TAB 037) and "Monty's Lament" by MONTY THE MORON is lifted from "Acorn Beer and Chestnut Wine" (TAB 008).

TAB 023

DIZZY SATELLITES "Dizzy Satellites"

TRACKS: Theme/Lucie's Comeback/Fat Freddy/I Will Hate My Life/Underwater Love/Acid Rain/You're Shit.

DIZZY SATELLITES were a five piece from Germany who had several releases including this seven song collection. Combining a rockabilly rhythm with some stunning guitar work - shades of surf instrumentals but with a sinister edge. They create a sound which is, perhaps because of it's Germanic nature, somehow unsettling despite it's good-time rock 'n' roll rhythms. "Theme" opens the tape, a short instrumental, and then it's into a collection of songs with a definite weird edge to them, underpinned with a hard rocking rhythm section. "Underwater Love" has some impressive underwater, echo-drenched psych guitar at the fade out and throughout the keyboards and special effects add a unique acid flavour to everything.

TAB 024

THE HOLLOWMEN "Poison For Profit"

TRACKS: Face The Truth/First Mistake/This Time Of Year/Rise And Fall/Need It Most/Egad!

THE HOLLOWMEN were Tom Armstrong (vocals/gtr/ tambourine), Joe Page (drms), Mike Sangster (gtr/vocals/piano) and Eric Svenson (bass) and came from Des Moines, Iowa. This collection of songs was recorded in March 1985 and while not as varied as their later live release, is a fine collection of American rock with thumping bass and drums, jangling guitar and individual vocals.

TAB 026

ABSOLUTE GREY "Live At CBGB's"

TRACKS: Gardens/Umbrella/Untitled/More Walnuts/A Joke/No Man's Land/Memory Of You/Willow/White Rabbit/Killing Birds.

Here we have ABSOLUTE GREY captured live at CBGB's in April 1985 and with only a few tracks repeated from their earlier release (TAB 012). It's a chance to hear their Dream Syndicate/Joy Division/Great Society flavoured music played in a live setting. Cool female vocals by Beth Brown over a rhythm of guitar , (Matt Kitchen), bass (Mitch Rasor) and drums, (Pat Thomas). ABSOLUTE GREY have Since had a number of albums released but this is where it all began with the sublime, hypnotic ABSOLUTE GREY.

TAB 027

MONTY THE MORON "Dr. Swastika Pumpanicle's Analysis"

TRACKS: Paradoxical Intention/Out Of The Frying Pan/Sewage Song/British Rail/Institutional Blues/Archetypal Fish Symbolism/ Slimy Green Frog Of The Moon/A Golden Tree/Pamela Lemon/ Song For A Solitary Lady/Love Is...Emphatically Insane.

Another helping of madcap Monty mayhem. The tape begins with maniacal laughing and screaming as Monty obviously falls off the edge of his mind and it's straight into another collection of bizarre and eccentric songs. From the soul searching blues of "Pamela Lemon" and "Song for a Solitary Lady" (with some lovely piano), through the Velvet Underground inspired "Sewage Song", (a raga-ish drone with a splendid understated guitar solo) to the rock flavoured "British Rail" with its B.R. style station announcement, a nice blues solo and lyrics on the (many) failings of British Rail.

TAB 028

CLEANERS FROM VENUS "Living With Victoria Grey"

TRACKS: Victoria Grey/Ilya Kuryakin Looked At Me/Clara Bow/Follow The Plough/Stay On/What's Going On (In Your Heart?/The Mercury Girl/Armistice Day/Pearl/Victoria Grey.

The second CLEANERS FROM VENUS tape on the label and it's even better than "Under Wartime Conditions" (TAB 001). Once again the songs are linked with Monty Pythonesque sketches with radio announcers and strange advertisements. Martin Newall creates an England that never was in his songs, but (as in "Illya Kuryakin Looked at Me) is aware that he is doing so. Jangling guitars which sparkle and shine, hooklines and melodies that will snare even the most jaded of imaginations and an Englishness which is refreshing and never laboured. This man should have been as famous as XTC. We have two versions of "Victoria Grey", (Martin's view on Thatcher's Britain), an acoustic love song for silent film star, "Clara Bow"; "Stay", with it's soul rhythms and the acapella "Pearl", amongst other gems.

TAB 029

AMOEBA PIE "Sand Betwixt Two Tides"

TRACKS: The Day On The Hill/Hell, Hull & Halifax/ Flowing/ A.R.I.T.H.M.A.T.I.C./A Freaky Song/Gypsy Joe/Camlann/Mandrake Mantra/Typical Tory/The Many Song/Nature's Song/Disaster At Sea/Leo The Lion/Forest Of Southampton/ Golden Tail/Rocket To Mars/O Long Haired Man From Greece/ Grin The Duck/Seeds/ Goodbye From The Pie.

AMOEBA PIE were a duo consisting of Paul Weatherhead and Michael L. B. West and with this tape we are introduced to their unique brand of anarchic, lysergic folk music. Acoustic guitars, penny whistles, mandolins, melodeons and a whole host of even more bizarre instruments combine in a collection of songs that will have your toes tapping and your mynd reeling. There are serious folk numbers like "Camlann" and "The Day On The Hill"; children's songs such as "Leo The Lion" (about a pacifist, vegetarian Lion) and "Grin The Duck", (the story of a male duck who discovers he's female when he lays an egg!); and amusing songs in the shape of "Disaster At Sea" and "Typical Tory". "Typical Tory" is also a biting attack at politicians. "Rocket To Mars" is a comment on the wisdom of collecting photographs and rocks from Mars while the Earth is polluted. AMOEBA PIE are kinda like a shambolic, folk inspired, mushroom driven Tyrannosaurus Rex.

TAB 030

VARIOUS ARTISTS "Seven Tiny Heads"

TRACKS: THE WALKING FLOORS: Somebody Told Me. TROPICANA FISHTANK: Mother Night. THE SNEETCHES: Only For A Moment. SLEEP CREATURE AND THE VAMPIRES: Looking Glass Eyes. ENDORPHINS: Surplus Sadness. THE INVISIBLE PARTY: Big Man's Daughter. THE JABBERWOCKIES: Nine Cats. THE WALKING FLOORS: There's Still Time To Go. THE EYES OF FATE: The Kids All Know. THE SNEETCHES: 54 Hours. THE DIZZY SATELLITES: Lucie's Comeback. THE BEVIS FROND: Song For The Sky. ABSOLUTE GREY: White Rabbit (live). THE EYES OF FATE: Violet.

Exclusive tracks include: "Somebody Told Me" and "There's Still Time to Go" by THE WALKING FLOORS; the fragile pop of "Only For A Moment" and "54 Hours" by THE SNEETCHES; the heavy psychedelia of SLEEP CREATURE AND THE VAMPIRES' "Looking Glass Eyes"; THE ENDORPHINS' "Surplus Sadness"; The Dream Syndicate flavoured "Big Man's Daughter" by THE INVISIBLE PARTY; THE BEVIS FROND'S instrumental guitar work-out "Song For The Sky" and "The Kids All Know" (a backwards psych weird-out) and "Violet" by THE EYES OF FATE. "Mother Night" by TROPICANA FISHTANK would eventually turn up on their own release (TAB 057), "White Rabbit" by ABSOLUTE GREY is from TAB 026, THE DIZZY SATELLITES' "Lucie's Comeback is from TAB 023 and THE JABBERWOCKIES track is from TAB 043.

TAB 031

THE TRYP "My Brain Collapsed"

TRACKS: Take The Tryp/I Dream In Black And White/The Shadows Of Night/Psychedelic Surfer/My Auntie Lives In Russia/ My Brain Collapsed/The Girl From Tomorrow/The Lizard Sheds Its Skin/Mangled Mind.

THE TRYP were from Calne, Wiltshire and featured 'Rustic Rod Goodway, Steve Lines and Paul Ricketts, who got together to record this tape of weird psychedelia especially for Acid Tapes (when Alan Duffy ran the label - it's a strange fact that this was the last tape Alan released...). The tape begins with weird chanting as strange noises and swirl in the background, then over a wall of backwards garage fuzz guitars the listener is encouraged to "Take The Tryp". "I Dream In Black And White" features guest musician Simon House on bass guitar. "The Shadows Of Night" has Rod doing his very best Jim Morrison and "Psychedelic Surfer" has spoken vocals over a garage-fuzz surfing beat. "My Brain Collapsed" features the demented screaming and ravings of one insane as his brain begin to melt and "The Lizard Sheds Its Skin" is a long poem over a moody and atmospheric psychedelic brew of out-of-tune guitars and weird sound effects. "The Girl From Tomorrow" which features the dual vocals of Rod and Paul, is a classic pop tune with psychedelic overtones. "Mangled Mind" shows what happens when the boys down in the swamp start drinking those potent potables.

TAB 036

THE JELLYMONSTERS "Two True Believers"

TRACKS: Catch Me/Because Of You/Plastic Patterns/Livin' On My Own/Jellymonsters/A Month Of Sundays/Sunny Daze/The Firing Line/Two True Believers/Memory Man/Life Is Funny/3 Blonde Myce/Weirdo.

Recorded at the same time as the above tape, this features Rod Goodway and Christine Cotter - with Steve Lines (bass) and Louise Allen (backing vocals) returning the favour. Also helping out are Adrian Shaw (bass) and Simon House (violin) and even Adrian's son Aaron (on piano). A collection of fuzz classics written for Christine Cotter's guitar style. The material included here is varied.. There are a couple of Rod's old classics "Livin' On My Own" and "Two True Believers"; the psychedelic rhythm and blues of "Plastic Patterns"; the R.E.M. flavoured "Memory Man"; Rod's tribute to Robert Crumb, the strangely psyched out "Weirdo" and the country- flavoured autobiographical "The Firing Line".

TAB 032

VARIOUS ARTISTS "The Toads Are Dancing"

TRACKS: WEIRD SUMMER: A Knight These Days/She's Got An Engine Down. THE HOLLOWMEN: This World. MONTY THE MORON: Invisible Girlfriend. THE PROWLERS: High Flyin' Baby. THE JELLYMONSTERS: Because Of You. STORM CLOUDS: The Darkest Hour. WEIRD SUMMER: The Willow Weeps. THE HOLLOWMEN: My Bell. THE EYES OF FATE: Killing A Doll. AMOEBA PIE: Through The Eyes Of The Weathered Clown. MAGIC MUSCLE: Hey Ma/I Can Travel Anywhere/Fly Brothers.

This was the first tape put out after taking over the label from Alan Duffy and, as you'd expect, it presents artists old and new. WEIRD SUMMER contribute three songs with catchy hooklines, rich melodies and jangling Byrdsian guitars. Music for driving on a hot summer's day. THE PROWLERS song is one that was seemingly overlooked by Alan Duffy; another slice of their powerful rhythm and blues. MONTY THE MORON presents a wacky reggae song (with pots and pans as percussion) which was taken from his extensive catalogue in the Acid Tape archives. All these tracks are exclusive to this tape. Of the MAGIC MUSCLE songs included here "I Can Travel Anywhere" and "Fly Brothers" later turned up on their "The Pipe The Roar And The Grid" album but "Hey Ma" isn't available anywhere else. THE JELLYMONSTERS and STORMCLOUDS songs are taken from their tapes discussed later (TABs 046 and 045 respectively) as are the contributions from AMOEBA PIE (TAB 034), THE HOLLOWMEN (TAB 033) and THE EYES OF FATE (TAB 037).

TAB 033

THE HOLLOWMEN "Live"

TRACKS: Personal Architecture/Seven/Web Of Time/Mirror/ Treeline/My Bell/Where Do You Live?/Smartbomb/Living Room Eyes/Leave/Counting/This World/First Mistake/Soft World/ EGAD!/ Just Like You/Map Of The Heavens.

This live tape was recorded in Des Moines, Iowa, the hometown of THE HOLLOWMEN. It features some songs from their earlier release "Poison For Profit (TAB 024) plus some new material. A collection of unpretentious, sincere and friendly psychedelic beat music with a healthy dash of punk thrown in. Swirling, exotic guitar lines weave and compliment unobtrusive melodies. A combined mixture of fragility, talent, enthusiasm and garage beat.

TAB 034

AMOEBA PIE "Trapped By Moths And Apple Corpses"

TRACKS: The Shape Of Things.../Through The Eyes Of The Weathered Clown/Get It On The Table Son/Old Troubadour/ Mouldy Little Chicken/Carrion Cocktail/Stoned Ramble In E Minor/All There Is/The Blues You Can Choose/Lullabye/Dancing With Desmond/You Can Fight/The Thistle And The Ox-oh/The Worm Song/Palwithnarrowboat/In The Reeds/The Cess Pit Waltz/No Salad!/Cold Night/Tailpiece.

Once again AMOEBA PIE return in the shape of Paul Weatherhead and Michael L. B. West and another tape of their anarchic, funny, lysergic brand of folk. "The Shape Of Things" starts the tape, with the winding of music boxes then it's into "Through The Eyes Of The Weathered Clown" which starts quietly with just voice and acoustic guitar but is soon joined by cardboard box percussion, mandolin, keyboards and penny whistle. "Old Troubadour" has some fine acoustic guitar picking" in an up-tempo folk ballad with texture added by the penny whistle. Just a quick glance at the instruments used on these songs - mandolin, melodeon, ocarina, electric and soprano bagpipe chanters, harmonica, guitars, and assorted percussion - tells you that you're in for a varied and interesting 45 minutes. AMOEBA PIE come across like The Pogues, if they were an English duo and fuelled by magic mushrooms instead of alcohol.

TAB 035

STORMCLOUDS "It's Raining Still"

TRACKS: Midnight Train/To Tuesday/Stormclouds/Preacher Man/When The Dream Fades/Darkness Weaves/The Darkest Hour/Deadman's Creek/Sunshine/Don't Push Me Around/ Rubberneck Chicken/Turn Away/Mangled Mind.

This is STORMCLOUDS' first ever release and on this recording the duo of Steve Lines (instruments) and Louise Allen (vocals) was helped out by Rod Goodway (guitars) and Christine Cotter (vocals). They have put together a collection of country songs, blues songs, rock songs, folk songs, psychedelic songs and more and they come across as brightly as a rainbow on a thundery day. The garage fuzz of "Don't Push Me Around (their Pandoras tribute) contrasting with the haunting simplicity of the Clay Allison like "The Darkest Hour" To off-set the haunting melancholic psychedelia of "When The Dream Fades" and "Darkness Weaves" there is the hillbilly banjo flavoured "Preacher Man", "Rubberneck Chicken" and "Mangled Mind". There's also the Gun Club inspired "Deadman's Creek", based on a true story, the sea shanty folk of "Stormclouds" and the sugar-sweet pop of "Sunshine".

TAB 037

THE EYES OF FATE "The Eyes Of Fate"

TRACKS: Killing A Doll/The Tumble/What Means Psychedelic?/ Don't Think Too Much/Desolation Angel/Great Invocation/My Blue Checker Shirt/The Birth Of William/All My Life/I've Been So Far Away.

THE EYES OF FATE have already appeared on a couple of compilations but here they are with their first full length album of individual 'acid' flavoured music, which has a hard punk edge to it. The strange lyrics and melodies and eerie, sometimes sinister music, produce a sound which is not unlike that of Nik Turner's Inner City Unit with trumpet instead of sax. THE EYES OF FATE are a duo comprising Repp and Limo who both contribute guitars, vocals, and bass, with help from guests.

TAB 040

J. P. SUNSHINE "J. P. Sunshine"

TRACKS: J. P. Sunshine/Hand In Hand/Hey Girl/Love Scene/Eyes Are Raining/This Side Up/Octopus/Nothing There But Your Hair/Dark Star/Swan Song/Rising Free/Dirt Blues.

From the swirling mysts of "swinging London" in the mid 60's comes this tyme capsule on unheralded pop gems. Wow! get out your beads and finger-cymbals, this is the genuine article. The original English flower-children. Musicians on this album include an amorphous cross-section of MAGIC MUSCLE and Wessex psychedelectricians Rustic Hinge and the Provincial Swimmers. A note for Hawkwind fans, this was bassist Adrian Shaw's first band. It also features 'Rustic' Rod Goodway on vocals. Genuine 60's acoustic flower music with hard edged lyrics hiding a darker side to this deceptively light and summery music. This has since been released on vinyl by Rod, with a slightly different track listing, but you heard it here first!