Psych Britannia - Strange Daze

The album gets off to a flying start with the hard-rocking opening song "My White Bicycle", which was later covered by the British Hard Rock band Nazareth in the mid-1970's. "Colonel Brown" is a nice piece of English whimsy with an upbeat sound which bounds along joyfully. "Real Life Permanent Dream" is the most psychedelic-sounding song on the album, as the title implies, featuring a fast-paced Indian sitar which is very reminiscent of The Beatles "Revolver" period. "Shy Boy" is an enjoyable well-known song of the era with an uplifting beat. The song was later covered by the English band Kippington Lodge in 1969. "Revolution" is another psychedelic song very much in the style of The Beatles. It's a different song to the Beatles number but still has the same revolutionary fervour to it. "The Incredible Journey of Timothy Chase" continues in similar fashion with jangling psychedelic guitars and a sitar. The charmingly-titled "Auntie Mary's Dress Shop" is another Beatle-esque number which wears its English psychedelic colours with pride. Next up is an excellent cover version of "Strawberry Fields Forever" which is very true to the original Beatles version. "Three Jolly Little Dwarfs" is another uptempo number which romps along merrily in marvellous psychedelic style with the sound of the sitar very much at the forefront. "Now Your Time Has Come" is the longest song on the album at nearly five minutes long where Steve Howe is given free rein to demonstrate his early prowess with the electric guitar, playing some wonderfully acid guitar licks. The album concludes in true psychedelic style with "Hallucinations", an uplifting song featuring atmospheric in-and-out phasing, twinned with some masterly Steve Howe guitar riffs. It's the perfect album closer to a classic psychedelic album of its time.

"Tomorrow" is a very English-sounding psychedelic album of Proto-Prog which will appeal greatly to fans of the late-1960's Beatles era sound. The album will also be of interest to YES fans who'd like to hear guitar legend Steve Howe back in his early pre-YES-terdays.

After the Marvellously over-the-top spoken-word "Prologue", we're weaving a tangled web with "Spiderman". This is an all-out psychedelic sonic assault with the raspy-voiced singer sounding like he's badly in need of a throat lozenge. This raw and earthy blues-tinged psychedelia has a similar sound to some of Iron Butterfly's heavier numbers. The fun superhero lyrics deserve a mention too:- "His secret senses tell him what to do, Who's that punk - a man in red and blue? Spider-Man is going to prowl, Oh, look out, The web's behind you now!" ..... It's Marvel-lous music designed to set your spidery senses tingling, and it's kind of ironic that we're now listening to "Spiderman" on a website on the World Wide Web. The "Fantastic Four" are looming into view next, featuring a prominent flute at the forefront, which sounds like a psychedelic version of Jethro Tull. The "Fantastic Four" of the title are Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Girl, the Flaming Torch and the monstrous Thing. They represent a force for good in the world, battling a bevy of villains and evil-doers, in the manner of a typical "Governator" movie starring Arnold Schwarzeneggar. Hulking into view next comes the jolly green giant himself, the "Hulk". You wouldn't like him when he's angry, and he sounds mildly annoyed in this stirring Blues-Rock number, so watch out, because this song sounds mean and moody. This bluesy number is Jazzed-up by the sonorous sound of a sensational saxophonist who's really on a rollicking shirt-ripping roll here. We're entering the supervillain world of "Madame Masque" next, which turns out to be a bluesy romantic piano ballad that's very reminiscent of Chris Farlowe's "Handbags and Gladrags" (the theme from The Office). There's another supercharged burst of high and mighty Jazz-Rock for "Conan the Barbarian", which brings to mind the raw uncut power of blues legend Graham Bond. Beware the "Iron Man", because he's along next, although he's no relation to the Black Sabbath song of the same name. No, this is more of a Roaring Forties gale force blast of the saxophone in another Jazz- Rock spectacular.

Take cover! It's all storm and almighty thunder for the first song on Side Two: "Thor", which opens dramatically to the sound of a thunderous lightning bolt from the blue. The music is a loud and anthemic tribute to the mighty Norse God of War, "Thor", so be prepared for a cannonade of musical artillery fire and thunderous fireworks in this powerful blast of audio dynamite. Stalking stealthily into view next is the "Black Panther", but this is no silent creeping panther - this is a rousing and reverberant Jazz-Rock refrain on the rampage that jumps up and bites! Have no fear, because "The Man Without Fear" is here, fighting for what is right in another tale of derring-do. This song is a magical mixed bag of tricks, featuring a whole kaleidoscope of musical colours, alternating between uptempo bursts of fluty Jazz-Rock energy, blended together with some mellower bluesy passages. We're on the Magic Bus to California next, because gliding into view now on a gentle wave of beautifully- harmonious melody is the "Silver Surfer". It's a soft rippling wave of sensual sound and pleasure which reminds one of the laid-back psychedelia of the American band, It's a Beautiful Day. Icarus have perfectly encapsulated the sound of American west-coast 1960's rock with this amazing song. Every day is a beautiful day when you can listen to gorgeous rejuvenating music like this. It's back to basics next for "Things Thing", a good old-fashioned slice of unadulterated British Blues-Rock, and finally, flying in now to save the world at the last moment is "Captain America", a roaring storming two and a half minutes of rabble-rousing Rock & Roll.

"The Marvel World of Icarus" is a hard-hitting album of bluesy Jazz-Rock in the uncompromising style of the raspy-voiced Graham Bond. The album is a real Liquorice Allsorts box of contrasts though, featuring a good serving of storm and thunder songs, some raw and earthy blues numbers, and sprinkled with a pleasant confection of sweet and tender melodies. It's an album full of superheroes and super songs. All in all, there's something here for everyone.