Incredible String Band: Classic Or Dud

I'm not sure my constitution can take another play of Hangman's though.

I'm only just getting into Hangman's and, a lot of the time, I have to fight through a lot of innate cynicism to really appreciate it. For someone of my generation / leanings there can be distancing signifiers (two or three years ago I couldn't have disassociated it from my rather sad uncle, though I've got past that phase of gut- instinct associations). You have to get yourself into a particular mood to like it and that means cutting through a lot of stuff that you or I might see as indulgent or pseudo-mystic. Once you've learned to live with that, though, it can work: at least it has for me.

Favourite moment currently: the flute on "The Water Song". I also like the this-is-how-strange-my-childhood-home-has-become stuff on "Koeeoaddi There", which I think sums up the feeling of a lot of British music at that time for better or worse (I say both, because that whole concept has a very high ratio of incredibly affecting moments on the one hand and crushing in-yer-face unsubtle MEANINGFULNESS on the other).

Not till he'd reached the vineyard rim, did he look down
On the gentle valley breathing in the sun
Seeing the eastern slope where she lived, he spoke her name.
In love beyond his years he saw the mist come down,
And knew there would be many mists,
he'd look through for this mountain star...

Ah if you'd seen me there hiding in the orchard,
Rejoicing in my warm salt tears.
Holding to my heart, the beauty of a sad song
Needing,
Needing you..."

-"Antoine"

Possibly better on record. But that night... they made Clearlake look good.

In fact, i heard half of it so far and i really really love it. I don't know why i didn't get this before.

If it was just folk rec it would have been merely OK (good melodies) I think but the arrangements are deranged but oddly beautiful, the singing and the lyrics really complement this well. it kept reminding me of when i watched the 'wicker man' you know...songs for a pagan sacrifice ritual.

anyway I'll go off now to listen to the second half.

it's the near-madness of the arrangements that make it so brilliant, you're right.

heard the whole thing now and its fabulous. now i must get their second alb.

the online zine perfect sound forever has just put this out (haven't read this yet but will).

http://www.furious.com/perfect/robinwilliamson.html

http://www.furious.com/perfect/isb.html

* Any other former-New Sonic Architecture customers on here? :)

J- yeah, I'll get it this week.

I think that Heron and Williamson's voices, particularly together, are some of the greatest in the past 40 years. Sing along w/"Maya" from The Big Huge, or "Mercy I Cry City" from Hangman, and you get a sense of it. It's like singing along w/"Ballad of Dorothy Parker" and realizing how great a singer Prince really is.

Geir likes ISB?

I'm imagining their tweeness outweighs their oft-times wayward melodies

The chapters on the ISB in Joe Boyd's recent book are pretty fascinating, detailing their weird descent into Scientology and how that basically ruined the band musically. Which is generally pretty accurate -- I haven't been able to get into much of their post Hangman's Daughter material, though there are probably a few good tunes throughout. And Mike Heron's first solo album is pretty sweet overall.

Anyway, for their pre-Scientology stuff -- totally classic. I can see why someone might be wary of their twee-ness, but when you fall for them you fall for them pretty hard. The weirdness melts away and the beauty of it all comes shining through. Hangman's Daughter is close to perfect for me --that last song, "Nightfall" is sublime. And "Cellular Song" is great, too. Oddly enough, I think that Euros Childs recent album has a 15-minute track that sounds like early 70s David Bowie covering "Cellular." It's kinda awesome.

Don't sleep on Wee Tam and The Big Huge!

"Wee Tam" is pre-Sc13nt0l0gy.

All of their albums have good things on them but go forth and source "Liquid Acrobat As Regards the Air", you have to ignore the occasional silly bits mind you

<3 Hard Rope and Silken Twine

The chapters on the ISB in Joe Boyd's recent book are pretty fascinating

White Bicycles! I just got done with that and absolutely loved it... snagged some mp3's of ISB because of it, but they have more or less left me cold. Not dismissing it altogether, though. In six months they'll probably be my favorite band.

yeah, it's a great book -- i only wish it was longer! anyway, give the ISB some time -- they aren't the kind of band that anyone falls in love with instantly. LIke if they're played back to back with other kinds of music, they just sound kind of meh. But their good albums are really a world unto themselves, and really worth the time, in my opinion.

Got Hangman's Beautiful Daughter the other day and after getting about halfway through I think that I'm just never going to like this.

I don't see why they get so much praise. It felt so...stupid. Just some hippie bullshit really. IMO

thx for your contribution

turn your quivering nerves in my direction

it's ok to not be into ISB ... but you're missing out!

We're all still here, no one has gone away

the extreme hippieness of the music wasn't a problem for me, the generally poor singing was

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_MtxTHiJUjkg/Rhg8ynGCfVI/AAAAAAAAAFI/MHhUOS4X78c/s320/Mike+Heron+FRONT.jpg

this album is pretty sweet.
some great jaw-dropping ("is that really the guy from ISB?") rock songs here.

some great jaw-dropping ("is that really the guy from ISB?") rock songs here.

totally. riff that kicks off "warm heart pastry" = http://i.pbase.com/o4/98/583898/1/64174001.gIW7Nt7s.headbang.gif

and thanks for the heads up on this one! hadn't heard of it before.

Warm Heart Pastry features The Who as Mike's backing band.

^^ learn something new everyday!

wow!

John Cale plays on it, too ...

it's a record that looks a little bit better on paper than it actually is. I like it, but it's not amazing or anything,

Yeah, I actually agree with you, Tyler. Not ever the first record I go for when I'm craving the Incredibles.
Not even the second or third. I should rock it again, though.

It's a totally fun record for the most part, but when I first heard about it (and all the guest stars) it sounded like it had the potential to be the awesomest record ever. Which it ain't. I sort of daydream about Cale producing a ISB record. Would've been sweet. Has anyone ever explored Heron's post-ISB records? Anything good there?

"Feast of Stephen" is great. I think Joe Boyd says in his memoir that it was recorded the same day as Nick Drake's "Fly" and something off Desertshore.

ha, what a weird scene. Hippie scientologists, German proto-goths, Welsh weirdos, manic depressive singer-songwriters, the Who ...

"White Bicycles" is a great, quick super fun read. High recommended.

Yeah, it's great -- made me very jealous of Joe Boyd's life in the 60s, though. Talk about being in the right places at the right times over and over again.

from muddy waters, rosetta tharpe & roland kirk to ISB, fairport, nick drake... pretty incredible.

Man I still need copies of Wee Tam and The Big Huge.

ha, just came to this thread to mention white bicycles which i just finished reading. Joe Boyd was @ ground zero for so much cool stuff. i have a copy of that first soft machine single that, i think, JB produced- it's the strangest sounding softs imaginable.

I'd hoped that he'd make it to the 80s b/c I wanted to hear about Fables of the Reconstruction, but no dice.

Really love everything about this Beat Club performance: the mandolin, the bass solo, the clothes and hairstyles, the way they're enjoying it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OYwvIfrX7Q&feature=youtu.be

I absolutely hated Hangman's upon first listening. Took me about a week before realizing a) you can't listen to them mobile b) you can't listen to them after having just listened to 4 fugazi albums c) you should be somewhat tired. I'm enjoying the hell out of them now.

True story: my mate at the time was broke and made me buy 5000 Spirits. We both hated it and he made me take it back. I exchanged it for a Velvet Underground Live album.

I later regretted this and bought a bunch of their albums. Acquired taste, though.

My favorite is Earthspan, which I can't find anywhere. But people might like "The Circle is Unbroken".

That's not on Earthspan?

I don't think I've heard anything post-Liquid Acrobat, which includes Earthspan. Gotta rectify that ASAP. "Maya" from The Big Huge is the greatest psychedelic folk song ever written. Williamson in particular was channeling some deep cosmic energy in that era

Adore “Maya”.

True story: Robin Williamson went to my school. When I was 8 or 9 he came and gave a talk and played a few ISB songs. I'd love to say it was incredible but at that age I could not have cared less who this ancient hippy guy boring us to tears was.