Liquid Acrobat As Regards The Air | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 1971 | |||
Recorded | August 1971 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Psychedelic folk, British folk rock | |||
Length | 48:29 | |||
Label | Island | |||
Producer | Stanley Schnier | |||
Incredible String Band chronology | ||||
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Liquid Acrobat as Regards the Air is the ninth album by the Incredible String Band. It features Mike Heron, Robin Williamson, Licorice McKechnie and Malcolm Le Maistre. The album was the band's first almost entirely electric recording; a new feature that was to define the change in the band's sound throughout their final period through 1974.[1]
This was also the first album without Rose Simpson who was going to become a sound engineer, but started a family instead. Gerry Conway, a drummer of Fairport Convention appears on the album.[2]
The most ambitious track is also its lengthiest. "Darling Belle", the track Williamson said "came to me in a dream", is composed of three-way vocals and spoken-word. Heron would vocalise and McKechnie would mimic his words with her high-pitch vocals. It tells the story of a woman from childhood to old age.[3][unreliable source?] "Tree" is a remake of the song "The Tree" from the band's first album.
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Robin Williamson except as noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Talking Of The End" | 5:30 | |
2. | "Dear Old Battlefield" | 3:05 | |
3. | "Cosmic Boy" | Mike Heron, Licorice McKechnie | 3:49 |
4. | "Worlds They Rise and Fall" | Heron | 3:23 |
5. | "Evolution Rag" | 4:42 | |
6. | "Painted Chariot" | Heron | 3:42 |
7. | "Adam and Eve" | 2:31 | |
8. | "Red Hair" | Heron | 2:05 |
9. | "Here Till Here is There" | 3:04 | |
10. | "Tree" | Heron | 2:58 |
11. | "Jigs: Eyes Like Leaves / Sunday Is My Wedding Day / Drops Of Whiskey / Grumbling Old Men" | Traditional, arr. Williamson | 2:41 |
12. | "Darling Belle" | 10:59 |
Personnel
[edit]- Mike Heron - lead vocals (4, 6, 8, 10); guitars (2, 4, 6, 8); bass guitar (4, 11, 12); sitar (1); organ (1, 5, 11); piano (3, 4, 8, 10, 12); harmonium (4, 8); electric piano (7); flute (9); backing vocals (1, 4, 7-8, 10, 12)
- Malcolm Le Maistre - harpsichord (1); percussion (1, 5); bass guitar (2); kazoo (5); whistle (5, 7, 11); mandolin (6, 11); tenor recorder (9); bouzouki (10); glockenspiel (12), harmonica (12), organ (12), clarinet (12); backing vocals (1, 5-7, 12)
- Licorice McKechnie - lead vocals (3, 9, 12); organ (1, 2, 6, 8); harmonium (1), percussion (1, 7, 10-11); bass guitar (5); kazoo (5); autoharp (11); bironne (11); backing vocals (1-3, 6, 7, 9-10, 12)
- Robin Williamson - lead vocals (1-2, 5, 7, 9, 12); oud (1), violin (1, 4), whistle (1), cymbal (1); guitars (2, 7, 12); cello (4, 8); oboe (4, 6, 12); mandolin (5 ,10); kazoo (5); bass guitar (6); percussion (7); bass recorder (9); fiddle (11); flute (12); banjo (12); string arrangements (12); backing vocals (2, 5, 6, 9-10, 12)
with:
- Gerry Conway, drums (2, 6, 7)
- Stan Lee, pedal steel guitar (1); bass guitar (7)
Charts
[edit]Chart | Entry date |
Peak position |
Weeks charted |
---|---|---|---|
UK Albums Chart[4] | 30 October 1971 | 46 | 1 |
The Billboard 200[5] | 19 February 1972 | 189 | 3 |
References
[edit]- ^ Andy Beta (4 March 2003). "Incredible String Band: Incredible String Band / Liquid Acrobat as Regards the Air Album Review | Pitchfork". M.pitchfork.com. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- ^ "Liquid Acrobat as Regards the Air - The Incredible String Band | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- ^ "Liquid Acrobat as Regards the Air by The Incredible String Band (Album, Psychedelic Folk): Reviews, Ratings, Credits, Song list". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- ^ Chart Archive - Incredible String Band(Link redirected to OCC website)
- ^ Whitburn, Joel; Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums, 1955-1996; p. 366. ISBN 0898201179