Grapefruit
, an offshoot of
Cherry Red Records
dedicated solely to the glory of U.K. psychedelic sounds of all sorts, assembled the dizzying 66 tracks that make up
Love, Poetry and Revolution: A Journey Through the British Psychedelic and Underground Scenes 1966 to 1972
, a brilliantly curated compilation celebrating a golden age of far-out jams. While the title might appear to leave little to the imagination, the dense track listing actually tells an all-encompassing story, including tracks from more recognizable names such as
Hawkwind
,
Fat Mattress
Spencer Davis Group
, and pre-
T. Rex
project
John's Children
as well as hyper-obscure private-press artists such as
Forever Amber
and
Mark Fry
. The breadth of artists allows for detailed coverage of garage psych, proto-prog rock, acid folk, popsike, and all other manner of psychedelic and experimental hybrids happening in this extremely fertile era of British rock. ~ Fred Thomas