God Bless – TINY TIM**

Welcome To My Dream/Tiptoe Through The Tulips With Me/Livin’ In The Sunlight Lovin’ In The Moonlight/On The Old Front Porch/The Viper/Stay Down Here Where You Belong/Then I’d Be Satisfied With Life/Strawberry Tea/The Other Side/Ever Since You Told Me That You Love Me/Daddy Daddy What Is Heaven Like/The Coming Home Party/Fill Your Heart/I Got You Babe/This Is All I Ask

American novelty singer and ukulele player Tiny Tim enjoyed his only hit album with God Bless. Includes a revival of the 1929 song Tiptoe Through The Tulips With Me, a US No. 17 hit single. His idiosyncratic falsetto vocals are today likely to appeal only to a small minority. (US:7)

"Tiny Tim's debut is one of the strangest records of the 60s, although descending directly from the pure vaudevillian tradition, adding period country-folk, sweet psychedelia and Hollywood soundtrack movies - it is a magical, eccentric and genuine artefact, released in the stupendous year of 1968. Why strange? Because it's so difficult to show such genuine happiness and optimistic way-of-life like Tiny Tim did. And this type of thing always brought some tears to my eyes."

"This is the original first production by Tiny Tim after he was discovered and became a national personality in the 60s. It features many tunes from the 1920s, and earlier, and was extremely well produced and recorded considering the time period."

"There are good songs here, of course, some of his best, but jumping back and forth between ukulele-and-quavering-falsetto ditties and tunes with his normal voice and lush orchestration, not to mention acted-out skits in between, stop being eclectic and end up being just messy. The whole is less than the sum of its parts."

"A mixture of contemporary covers and renditions of early 20th century compositions, this album demonstrates Tim's varied musical tastes. It also shows off his skill as a performer, giving him plenty of opportunities to use both his trademark quivering falsetto and rumbling baritone."

"No one nowadays has the courage to sing in falsetto. This is the album that made him famous. It has some of the most happy music out there. Calling it a novelty is about the farthest thing from the truth possible. He was a joyful man who wanted to share that with his audience. He even thanks us at the end for joining in his dream."

Fever Tree – FEVER TREE***

Imitation Situation 1/Where Do You Go/San Francisco Girls (Return Of The Native)/Ninety-Nine & One Half/Man Who Paints The Pictures/Filigree & Shadow/The Sun Also Rises/Day Tripper-We Can Work It Out/Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing/Unlock My Door/Come With Me (Rainsong)

Self titled debut album from the Houston psychedelic rock group Fever Tree. Featuring the then fashionable fuzz guitar with orchestrated ballads and touches of classical influences. (US:156)

“The music of Fever Tree is difficult to describe, but features really heavy psychedelia mixed with proto-prog overblown to almost Wagnerian proportions, to which is added roaring organ, violent fuzz guitar, tender flute and romantic piano. The voice of Dennis Keller easily covered melancholic ballads and menacing dark chanting. The creative strength of the album is so great, that it survived overproducing.”

"Dennis Keller's lead vocals are fantastic and the songs hold up today. Though listed as psychedelic rock, the music is very wide ranging and mixed very well. Even if you have never heard of Fever Tree, this first release is well worth a listen.”

“This is a very underrated album (and group). With touches of classical influence here and there, the material on Fever Tree's self titled debut ranges from psych rock to orchestrated ballads.”

“The band were a vehicle for the producers, who composed and arranged the material and were obviously responsible for the superb and innovative production, which combines the best of psych with rich early prog rock sounds. Another key asset is the powerful and exciting vocalist.”

“Just when we're convinced that this is a rock band, Dennis Keller morphs into Neil Diamond on The Beatles and Buffalo Springfield covers. Not bad, but we're left with not knowing what to make of this group. Is it classical? Is it psych? Is it pop? The end result is that it is a little of all three, which makes it a lot of nothing.”

“The material found here is primarily orchestrated soft ballads and soul/pop. But there is enough outstanding psych stuff on the first side to salvage this album to a high degree. Outstanding, close to perfect Texan psychedelic rock in the vein of Vanilla Fudge, but more garage and less proto-prog.”

Dance To The Music - SLY & THE FAMILY STONE**

Dance To The Music/Higher/I Ain’t Got Nobody (For Real)/Dance To The Medley/Ride The Rhythm/Colour Me True/Are You Ready/Don’t Burn Baby/Never Will I Fall In Love Again

Dance To The Music was the follow up album from soul band Sly & The Family Stone. Despite the good showing of the US No. 8 and UK No. 7 title track single the album performed poorly. An early appearance of a funk song, with some elements of rap, flagged up the wrong turning that popular music would eventually take. (US:142)

“I don't know if Stone was afraid to stray from the formula the label wanted or if he was pressured to do so, but the album Dance To The Music ends up using the title track's chord progressions for half a dozen cuts, creating a pretty stunning lack of variance on the record. Making matters worse, some of the other material is so weak that you actually find yourself wishing it used the same chord progression as everything else.”

“I was disappointed at this album only because every song on here sounded too much like the title track.”

“Every track a stomping funk masterpiece. The unbelievably timeless, pounding, grooving, relentless, uplifting funk that is Dance To The Medley alone makes the album essential.”

“Dance To The Music pretty much takes the ideas that were present on A Whole New Thing and continues to develop them. This time around, the overall album is stronger, and shows The Family Stone settling into what would soon be known as their classic sound.”

“Dance to the medley? Dance to the schmedley, is how much this album can be described. Dance To The Music still has plenty of gems, all indicative of Sly's ever evolving musical mind.”

“The title song was a breakthrough, not just for the group, but for the world of popular music in general: it was an early example of a funk song, and it has some elements of rap (the percussion-and-voice part in particular). And then there is a lot of recycling: good as it is, the twelve-minute Dance To The Medley is pretty much a rewrite of Dance To The Music.”

Children Of The Future – THE STEVE MILLER BAND***

Children Of The Future/Pushed Me To It/You’ve Got The Power/In My First Mind/The Beauty Of Time Is That Its Snowing/Baby’s Callin’ Me Home/Steppin’ Stone/Roll With It/Junior Saw It Happen/Fanny Mae/Key To The Highway

Children Of The Future was the debut album from American progressive rocker Steve Miller. His earlier albums show more psychedelic influences than the more bluesy seventies releases. (US:134)

"Many of those who have discovered this band via their mid-70s and later releases are often surprised to discover that they had a somewhat underground reputation at the beginning of their career. On this debut album, we find a mix of soft, and somewhat harder material featuring subtle psych influences running more or less throughout the LP." ,p> "The Steve Miller Band started out doing stuff that sounds like a mix between psychedelic pop/rock and symphonic prog. Unfortunately, they weren't all that remarkable at this style. Not that anything Steve Miller was ever involved with blew me away, but at least some of their classic rock singles were fun. This is just sort of dull and meandering."

"Half of the album is classic blues-rock style - solid but without very much personal character. The rest is more searching - at times almost psychedlia. This is where the group is most interesting, and although Miller's songwriting has yet to reach his top level, the three opening numbers are actually quite good and successful."

"The whole album is excellent, though the 'song-cycle' of interwoven aural visions on the first side still shines brightly today as an important testament, and gorgeous musical contribution, to the psychedelic revolution of the time."

"In terms of stylistic direction, Children Of The Future is effectively split down the middle. The first side shows off a nearly flawless platter of psychedelic rock, a genre then still in its infancy with some well placed pop hooks keeping it all tethered down. The second side holds a more widely accessible blend of pop and R & B neatly sidestepping the massive head trip found on the first side."

"This recording is a great example of how late 1960s proto-progressive rock bands mixed disparate styles."

Bookends – SIMON & GARFUNKEL*****

Bookends Theme/Save The Life Of My Child/America/Overs/Voices Of Old People/Old Friends/Bookends Theme/Fakin’ It/Punky’s Dilemma/Mrs Robinson/A Hazy Shade Of Winter/At The Zoo

Bookends maintained the impeccably high standards of the world's greatest folk-rock duo. Includes the US No. 1, and UK No. 4, Mrs Robinson and US No. 14 At The Zoo. Have you lost count of the number of times you've had to skip the excruciating Voices Of Old People? (US:1 UK:1)

"There is certainly a creative genius on display within this record. The singing is a treat, while the music and lyrics are very compelling and universal in their appeal."

Experimental and often not representative of their work, but the duo's best album nevertheless. The songwriting is flawless, the album's flow is perfect and the experiments have aged very well. Paul Simon has done lots of great and innovative things as a solo artist, but this remains his finest achievement. In the CD age we can skip past the pointless Voices Of Old People."

"This album encapsulates the 60s so perfectly. The spirit of youth and the idealism of the counter-culture implicit in these tunes resonates strongly to this day, while the album can only be seen as one that must have been created in the late 1960s. In this way it is timeless, as well as a perfect reflection of the times of its creation."

"Many of the songs are hauntingly beautiful; every bit as much as they were when I was 17. If you have listened to this album, and it doesn't resonate with your soul in some way, I'd be truly surprised. An excellent album that has withstood the test of time, and is still fantastic."

"More and more fans have recognised Bookends as the defining Simon & Garfunkel album. Some of Simon's most humorous lyrics are here; check Fakin' It, Save The Life Of My Child or Punky's Dilemma, not to mention the all time classic Mrs. Robinson. All funny yet highly evocative stuff."

"The inventiveness of this album stands out for me. Folk music is taken to a new level, and there are even some strains of what would become progressive rock. I must add my voice to those who agree that Voices Of Old People is a total waste of time."

Birthday – THE ASSOCIATION****

Come On In/Rose Petals Incense & A Kitten/Like Always/Everything That Touches You/Toymaker/Barefoot Gentleman/Time For Livin’/Hear In Here/The Time It Is Today/The Bus Song/Birthday Morning

Birthday was the fourth album from melodic harmony group The Association. It is shameful that a group of such class and professionalism is not more widely appreciated these days. (US:23)

"An emotional, gentle and pretty album incorporating some light psych to the atmosphere. The harmonies are some of their finest on here, however it lacks some diversity, if only just a little."

"Coming off four gigantic hit singles, the band had carved a niche for themselves as one of a select number of groups capable of bridging the gap between the adult and youth markets, while succeeding wildly on both fronts. The music The Association make is such that both parents and their offspring can really get into it. Birthday is a stunning album because it provides a showcase for a wide variety of stylistic settings. The success rate is remarkably high even by their lofty standards."

"There's no question that Birthday is an exciting album. It contains literally thousands of melodic ideas woven into its tapestry, including strains of classical, jazz, folk, pop and rock. What really makes it such an accomplishment though is that these singers, their musical accompanists and their producer have the combined talent and the dedication to pull off such an ambitious musical statement. At its best, Birthday showcases The Association at the top of their game."

"Once again, this classy sextet deliver some of the best flower-power pop-rock ever made. These catchy, melodic songs are truly awesome, highlighted by the band's expert musical chemistry and vocal harmonies."

"What a great pop album it is. If flawless arrangements, great vocals and beautiful performances are what you seek, look no further - this will fulfil the longing that I see on young and old faces nowadays for well-crafted music."

"Birthday showcases The Association's unsurpassed harmonies, with songs which, for the most part, are reflective and personal. After listening to these songs, you will feel that The Association are possibly the most overlooked and underrated group of all time."

The Beat Of The Brass – HERB ALPERT & THE TIJUANA BRASS*****

Monday Monday/A Beautiful Friend/Cabaret/Panama/My Home Town/Talk To The Animals/Slick/She Touched Me/Thanks For The Memory/The Robin/This Guy’s In Love With You

The Beat Of The Brass chalked up the final creative outing from Alpert & The Brass, after which they would start to lose the plot musically. The vocal track This Guy's In Love With You was a US No. 1, and UK No. 3, hit single. (US:1 UK:4)

"Though this album still has great music, it presented the first signs that Herb Alpert was ready to move beyond The Tijuana Brass. First there was the solo singing. Then there was an hour long TV special. While I could tolerate This Guy's In Love With You, the TV show was a huge disappointment. Other TJB albums followed but I could sense the change here."

"This is a one of a kind sound and if I were stranded on a desert island with only a few albums, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass would be included in that collection. This is one of his best albums and the last great album in my opinion."

"This is an excellent example of the 'old' TJB type of playing - simple, bouncy, uplifting. The TJB have a style that is unique and I never tire of hearing them. I have been listening to this album since 1968, and I still pull it out every spring to listen to it again. Long live Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass."

"This one is a typical TJB formula album (covers of classics and pop tunes mixed in with originals), but the diversity is nice, and the tunes are all done well, The music on this album diverges somewhat from the TJB albums that came before it, but I think it's a welcome change. One such tune is Slick, which has been a favourite of mine for years. The slower tunes are nice too, good for de-stressing."

"The Beat Of The Brass is the soundtrack for The Tijuana Brass' second television special. It features Alpert's first number one hit as a vocalist, This Guy's In Love With You, written by Burt Bacharach. This is a very tight album, with excellent instrumentation. A wonderful album."