The Magical World of the Strands

[Davey]

Any of you heard this? A few years ago I finally got around to finding a copy of the Shack debut from the early 90s, Waterpistol, and loved it so much that I sent copies to a few people around here, and of course a song or two made it onto a comp or two along the way. Though recorded years earlier, it actually didn't get a release until 1995 due to many problems, not the least being a fire that destroyed the studio and master tapes.

But I guess after it finally got a release via the lost, and then later found, DAT backup, they got a private backer to fund a followup, and it is this one, officially by Michael Head Introducing the Strands and titled "The Magical World of the Strands". And it is a magical ride. I don't think you can buy it for anything near a reasonable price as it is long oop, and probably not many copies around, but some of you around here would probably love this, so I'll include a dropbox link if you'd like to sample. Search around and you can find some over the top, yet heartfelt hyperbole describing this one, but that aside, this is one very, very nice record that really deserves a more prominent place in pop music history, and of course a wider audience. Maybe not obvious on first listen, but give it a little time and it may just become one of your favorites too.

The later Shack records had some of this charm, but this is the one that can really transport you back to the days of Forever Changes and Village Green and Pink Moon (albeit minus the dated lyrics that occasionally mar the Love record)

Nick Southall review

download flac

BTW, Song of the Day sig link currently takes you to some Deserter's Songs Mercury Rev, and a live version of "Holes" (or will shortly). Nice song, but you probably already knew that.