FIRE - Iron Mtn - KIPPINGTON LODGE - Lovers From The Sky - MEGACHURCH - Owl - SPIDER KITTEN
FIRE - UNDERGROUND AND OVERHEAD (CD 2007, recorded 1967-70)
I was stoked to see this one come in. For years now this CD has either been unavailable or selling at an exorbitant price on Amazon, so I nearly knocked over my beer when I saw it on Record Heaven for a reasonably priced 29 dollars. Expensive for sure, but not in the 100 dollar range like on amazon, and a good price for a rare and out of print CD from a label that no longer exists. It came out on the now sadly defunct Wooden Hill label as WHCD010 and it was one of their best releases ever. I held my breath as this was labelled as a 'special order' item and would be shipped when available. Well, I didn't have to wait long as it shipped about a week after placing the order and took a mere eight business days to arrive. That all said, this isn't the most amazing compilation you will ever hear. There's about five songs that are absolutely amazing, among the top examples of underground British psychedelia from the late 1960s one is likely to discover, but the remainder of the 20 songs just aren't as strong. Keep in mind, that 17 of the 20 tracks were demos that were never meant for large-scale public consumption. Fire was the creative outlet for talented songwriter and future Strawb Dave Lambert, whose material was strong enough to land an exclusive publishing contract with The Beatles' Apple Publishing. Paul McCartney (he of Beatvana fame) himself took a hands-on approach to the band's first single "Father's Name Is Dad b/w Treacle Toffee World", pulling it from stores to re-record a new 'punched-up' version which made little difference sales wise upon reissue. As is always the case with these compilations and re-issues of late 60s British psychedelic bands the disc features extensive liner notes, written with humor and whimsy by David Wells.
Highlights include "Father's Name Is Dad" and "Treacle Toffee World".
Rating 3/5
