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LP
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QMECLEC 2858LP
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"An original member of Soft Machine, Kevin Ayers embarked on a solo career following a US tour with the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1968. He was one of the first signings to EMI's Progressive imprint Harvest and recorded his debut album in the summer of 1969 at Abbey Road studios. Joy Of A Toy is a classic of psychedelic and progressive rock, featuring contributions from his former Soft Machine band mates, David Bedford and such wonderful songs as 'The Lady Rachel,' 'Stop This Train (Again Doing It),' 'Girl on a Swing,' and 'All This Crazy Gift of Time.' This official gatefold LP vinyl edition fully restores the original LP artwork, has been remastered from the original Harvest master tapes and has been cut at Abbey Road."
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ECLECLP 2858LP
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"An original member of Soft Machine, Kevin Ayers embarked on a solo career following a US tour with the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1968. He was one of the first signings to EMI's Progressive imprint Harvest and recorded his debut album in the summer of 1969 at Abbey Road studios. Joy Of A Toy is a classic of psychedelic and progressive rock, featuring contributions from his former Soft Machine band mates, David Bedford, and such wonderful songs as 'The Lady Rachel,' 'Stop This Train (Again Doing It),' 'Girl on a Swing,' and 'All This Crazy Gift of Time.' This official gatefold LP vinyl edition fully restores the original LP artwork, has been remastered from the original Harvest master tapes and has been cut at Abbey Road."
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NK 202203LP
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Of the several Kevin Ayers BBC collections that have been assembled, this is the most interesting, focusing as it does on the most interesting phase of his solo career. Taken from four sessions (three of them from 1970), it has a good cross section of some of the better songs from his early career, including "Lady Rachel", " Whatevershebringswesing", and a revamp of his Soft Machine numbers "We Did It Again" and "Why Are We Sleeping?". About half of this is pretty uncommon material: the verging-on-tipsy "Derby Day" and "You Say You Like My Hat" don't seem to have shown up on any studio releases (though the latter appears on a recording of a 1972 show, Banana Follies), "Gemini Child" only showed up as an outtake on the Odd Ditties collection, and "Butterfly Dance" was a 1970 single. Furthermore, there's a cover of "Falling in Love Again", the pop standard whose languor lends itself well to Ayers' low, crooning voice, and "Queen Thing", which is nothing more than a brief satire of "Wild Thing". You get to hear a few different lineups of musicians as well, with the Whole World (including Mike Oldfield) backing him on two of the 1970 sessions and the Soft Machine plus David Beford and Lol Coxhill playing on the earliest 1970 session. By contrast, the 1972 session has a nice skeletal feel, for the most part drumless, with low-key reverbed guitar and harmonica.
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LP
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MRSSS 515LP
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Kevin Ayers' third album is a captivating amalgam of the pastoral, psychedelic pop of his debut, Joy of a Toy and the avant-garde dalliances present on his second LP, Shooting at the Moon. Whatevershebringswesing is another instance of Ayers' brilliant eclecticism, where there is room for an orchestral suite, music hall atmosphere, a country number, progressive moments and his characteristic psychedelic pop. For many, the result is the most complete album in his discography. Collaborators on the recording include Robert Wyatt, Mike Oldfield and Didier Malherbe from Gong. Housed in a gatefold sleeve; on 180 gram vinyl.
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CD
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WATER 189CD
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2021 restock. "Recorded with his road band the Whole World that featured Mike Oldfield on guitar, keysman David Bedford and Lol Coxhill on sax (who had been added to tour in support of Ayer's first solo LP Joy Of A Toy), this 1970 second solo album is a unique pop record hiding behind a prog rock mask. Produced by Peter Jenner, best known for his work with Roy Harper, Shooting At The Moon is quite easily one of Ayers' best albums containing his most appealing songwriting. Original artwork. New detailed liner notes."
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CD
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WATER 190CD
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2021 restock. "Melancholic with a tendency towards ballads, this 1973 third album from Ayers is nonetheless the most accessible of his early work. Featuring the core musicians of guitarist Mike Oldfield, keyboardist David Bedford and drummer Robert Wyatt, the LP is a solid, consistent, and focused outing, which continues to be at the top of Ayer's solo work. Original artwork. New detailed liner notes."
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