Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Something of a Curate's Egg But Still a Delight......, 19 April 2002
After the (almost) universal acclaim rightly accorded to "Wee Tam & the Big Huge" and "Changing Horses", the Incredibles came up with a curious but engaging collection of songs with this album, which despite its obvious faults holds a special place in the hearts of many fans.
It is in turns sprightly and lighthearted (Mike Heron's "Black Jack Davy", "The Letter" and the sublime "This Moment") and profoundly mysterious, scary even (Robin's "Pictures in a Mirror) and downright frustrating (the rather awkwardly constructed "When You Find Out Who You Are"). This last piece really is lovely in parts...a little editing was needed possibly to smooth out the chaotic bits. The album closes with the very light "Fair as You"; not the most memorable ISB performance, but a nice showcase for Rose and Likky's vocals. The album represents just one of the many transitional stages of the Incredible String Band; Scientology was the order of the day and everyone was trying out different ideas, communicating and being POSITIVE - just look at those grins on the wonderfully blurred cover shot - but you just get the feeling that a bit more active control by producer Joe Boyd might have resulted in a more accomplished whole. Still, a delightful album if only for Robins dark howls and yelps (deep in the hollow jail...sleeps Lord Randall)in "Pictures in a Mirror", and Mike's gleeful ad-libbing (oh my goodness, gosh and golly, no) in "This Moment" - and a must, of course, for all Stringheads.
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10 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Thin and Wobbly, 21 Jun 2002
Well, for me, this was where the cracks started to show... sure, the album has a few charming moments, such as 'The Letter', but with the exception of 'Black Jack Davey', the songs just aren't strong enough. Where's that Stringy magic? 'Pictures in a Mirror' has it's moments, it starts off fantastic, but degenerates rapidly into aimless plod. I've always been a big fan of Robin's songwriting, but he doesn't seem to know where he's going on this album. It's Mike's songs that shine here, and I would recommend it for that reason only.The Stringy family unit was beginning to crumble, paving the way for weak musical gatecrashers and ultimate demise... next stop: Malcolm Le Maistre (and the less said about that fellow, the better)!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
What's not to love?, 25 Feb 2009
Yep, I LOVE this album! Every twinkly inch of it. Every sparkly, shiny note. There's not a single track on it that's less than wonderful, from the breezy opener, 'Black Jack Davey,' Mike Heron's personal take on an old border ballad, through Mike's equally jaunty, 'The Letter,' written to cheer up an ISB fan, to Robin's awesome epic, 'Pictures in a Mirror,' a wild, wind-swept hymn of reincarnation, through Mike's lovely, 'This Moment,' with its pure-hearted lyric and delightfully giggly vocal interplay, Robin's glorious 'When You Find Out Who You Are,' with such great lines as "remember young man the time when your love-stick first rose free between your legs like a growing tree. Remember you walked with your lover like a gypsy and a gypsy queen, under the stars where the sight was seen, under the stars where the leaves were green," to the sweet closing track, 'Fair as You.' Best listened to if you just lie back, close your eyes and let the imagery and exotic sounds wash over you. Open your mind and let the pictures come. And, although the small size of the CD doesn't do it justice, I really love the cover too ...
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~ The Incredible String Band
~ The Incredible String Band
~ The Incredible String Band
~ The Incredible String Band
~ The Incredible String Band
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