Talking Of The End/Dear Old Battlefield/Cosmic Boy/Worlds They Rise & Fall/Evolution Rag/Painted Chariot/Adam & Eve/Red Hair/Her Till Here Is There/Tree/Jigs & Reels/Darling Belle
By the time of this release the highly inventive folk group The Incredible String Band were in decline, both commercially and artistically. Liquid Acrobat was their last to make any chart impact, but managed to register some recovery in creativity. (US:189 UK:46)
“This just sounds like a band hitting a creative brick wall and not really knowing how to get around it. There's some quality music here, but given how strong just about every album preceding this is, I can't say this is worth searching out.”
“This is clearly the first ISB where they sound less than inspired, but it’s frustrating more than it is a bad album because there are some great songs here. It’s clearly an attempt to contemporise their sound a little, but unfortunately they fall just a little short.”
“On material like the opener Talking Of The End Williamson seemed content to continue mining the group's quirky mix of folk and early world music influences. Perhaps not as intriguing as some of his earlier work, the set had it's moments including the semi-martial Dear Old Battlefield, while Adam & Eve incorporated one of the first reggae influences. In contrast, tracks like Painted Chariot and Worlds They Rise & Fall found Heron opting for a more conventional rock sound. Again, the results weren't perfect, but it's weird enough to warrant a couple of spins.”
“Liquid Acrobat is aptly titled, as it positively drips with drama, atmosphere, and musical daring-do. Some moments are beautiful, others border on grating, and some of the songs are really funny, but all of this comes together as one marvellous, trippy, fantastical tour-de-force.”
“I'm surprised this album isn't considered one of their classics; great pieces from all members and a massive group composition to wrap it all up. The music is superb, one of the last great ISB albums, ranging from delicate folk to full-out rock, culminating in the masterpiece Darling Belle.”
“Whimsical tracks alternate against soft but powerful ballads. A selection of traditional jigs is counterpoint to the bouncy, reggae-influenced Adam & Eve, and it's all tied together with a bigger dose of rock than anywhere else in their discography.”
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