This finely curated heavyweight vinyl gatefold reissue is a timely reminder of a revered late sixties psychedelic infused rock album from when the idea of concept albums was in its infancy. Side 2’s five-part suite In Held Twas In I demonstrates such. This bold second PH long player release had the dubious feat of following universal smash hit A Whiter Shade Pale. Impressively, opening tune, Quite Rightly So, reveals Gary Brooker’s fine voice stretched out to his fullest range. The title song is a jaunty organ driven tune with (future guitar hero) Robin Trower’s keening lead guitar adding a touch of psych power.
In keeping with its era, the far-out titled Skip Softly My Moonbeams is a psychodrama of experimental musical exploration. Brooker’s down to earth rolling piano intro and soulful tracked vocals on Wish Me Well and Rambling On, being a musical curio of no little heaviness, is replete with a, then new technique, slight return. Then the oddly titled Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone) heralds in the trippy In Held Twas In I. Its spoken word oft repeated Dalai Lama parable introduction develops into the questing mystical music of its era. There are further spoken ruminations on the inner life and nonsensical musical passages like Twas Tea Time At The Circus continue to hold their charm.
Smartly produced by Denny Cordell, assisted by future Bowie collaborator/producer Tony Visconti, Shine On Brightly stands the test time as a charming artefact of this febrile period in popular music that produced The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper…The Pretty Things’ SF Sorrow etc. This new vinyl edition cut at Abbey Road Studios is released with the gatefold sleeve design of the September 1968 US release.
Review by Paul Davies
