KALEIDOSCOPE

KALEIDOSCOPE was a very popular band name to use in the 1960s. There was the American country rock band from Los Angeles, another harder rocker one from Puerto Rico, one from Switzerland and even another one from Thailand but the most famous of all the KALEIDOSCOPE bands was this London based act that started out as The Sidekicks in 1963 then two years later became The Key but once they scored a contract with Fontana Records changed their name to KALEIDOSCOPE and released two albums. Under this moniker the quartet of Peter Daltrey (vocals, keyboards), Eddy Pumer (guitar), Steve Clark (bass) and Danny Bridgman (drums) played together from 1967-1970 before changing the name once again to Fairfield Parlour and then I Luv Wight.

The band's debut TANGERINE DREAM was released in 1967 and followed the first single "Flight From Ashiya" which lamented about an impending plane crash thus showcasing the band's propensity for whimsical and unconventional lyrics accompanied by typical 60s psychedelic rock sounds. Despite emerging from England, KALEIDOSCOPE sounded more in tune with the California Haight-Ashbury scene. Ironically a much more famous band from Germany would adopt the name of the album and become one of the pioneers of electronic music but that's another story altogether!

This album of 11 tracks featured the earliest sounds of the psychedelic pop scene with jangly Byrds-like guitar work, catchy pop hooks in the vein of The Beatles or The Pretty Things and an overall beat and garage rock sound structure. Devoid of many psychedelic effects or even significant trippy keyboard / organ contributions the album doesn't sound as psychedelic as the cover leads us to believe. The opening "Kaleidoscope" ushers in the clear focus on pop hooks above all else. Sounding like a more refined version of The Monkees in many ways, the track features the hallmark vocal harmony effect that the 60s offered in abundance along with a busy piano and surf rock style of drumming along with the jangle guitar effects. The second track "Please Excuse My Face" shifts more to a Kingston Trio type of folk only with silly lyrics.

The tracks do display a bit of variety with "Dive Into Yesterday" propelling more into rock territory sounding a bit like something The Pretty Things would prefect on their masterpiece "SF Sorrow" so it's very likely KALEIDOSCOPE provided some inspiration in that band going the direction they did. "Mr Small, The Watch Repairer Man" adopts a clear influence from The Who's early albums however "Flight From Ashiya" takes on a darker and more menacing tone. Once again a precursor to The Pretty Things style. The other standouts are the track "A Lesson, Perhaps" which features only an acoustic classical guitar and spoken narrative whereas the closing "The Sky Children" showcases a more nuanced 8-minute dreamy epic tale that epitomizes the psychedelic rock style of the era.

While many tout TANGERINE DREAM as one of the quintessential psychedelic masterpieces of the era, i have to admit that i really don't get all the hype. Sure it's a nice pleasant album with memorable pop-infused hooks and decent performances. It's also a clear indicator of the psychedelic pop that would evolve in the next couple of years but at the same time it's a bit cliche and pales in comparison to what The Beatles and Pink Floyd were cranking out the same year. Even the works of Donovan, The Beach Boys, Procol Harum, The Left Banke and even The Monkees had crafted beautiful psychedelic albums by 1967. In the big scheme of things i find KALEIDOSCOPE's debut album TANGERINE DREAM to be somewhat down the list of my top 60s psych pop releases but it certainly has its following and is indeed a pleasant listening experience. Just don't expect to be blown away. This is no "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club" or even "The Piper Of Dawn's Gate."

3.5 rounded down

Kaleidoscope's "Tangerine Dream" invites listeners into a mesmerizing musical journey. The album blends psychedelic and folk influences, creating a captivating listening experience that shares the sound of various other bands of the time. The band's effective use of instrumentation, with vibrant guitar melodies, haunting vocals, and steady percussion, adds depth and texture to each track. The production quality is commendable when considering the time it was released, which enhances the overall experience. Kaleidoscope's songwriting showcases a thoughtful blend of introspection and whimsy, allowing listeners to get lost in their dreamlike world. While some tracks may be stronger than others, "Tangerine Dream" as a whole delivers a memorable and enchanting musical endeavor, making it a must-listen for fans of psychedelic music.

KALEIDOSCOPE (UK) are sometimes confused with the American band of the same name, which is probably not surprising, considering they're both psychedelic sixties bands. Kaleidoscope was obviously a popular name for a band in the late 1960's flower-power era, conjuring up images of radiant psychedelic rainbow colours. Intriguingly, the British Kaleidoscope released their first album "Tangerine Dream" (1967) the same year as the synthesiser band Tangerine Dream were formed in Germany. Kaleidoscope's second album "Faintly Blowing" followed in 1969 and they released their third album "Home from Home" under the name Fairfield Parlour in 1970. They recorded a fourth album together, "White-Faced Lady", but it was shelved and remained in storage until 1991, when it was released on an independent label under the original Kaleidoscope name. The 1998 CD re-issue of Kaleidoscope's debut "Tangerine Dream" added six bonus tracks to the original eleven songs on the album. Let's take a look through the Kaleidoscope view-finder now and examine the many colourful psychedelic facets of Tangerine Dream".

It's a jolly good opening to the album with the title track "Kaleidoscope", a jolly-sounding 2-minute burst of Sunshine-Pop that's positively bounding along with joyous optimism. It's a good all-round late-1960's Pop tune with a bright and sunny disposition, where all the birds are singing and the fluorescent flowers are blooming in the psychedelic garden of earthly delights. The curiously-titled "Please Excuse My Face" follows next. It's a gorgeous acoustic guitar arrangement where the lovelorn singer is in full romantic balladeer mode and pining away forlornly over his lost love. This beautiful ballad sounds as charmingly English as afternoon tea and crumpets whilst watching a game of cricket on the village green. Howzat! We're taking a psychedelic trip back in time now as we "Dive Into Yesterday", a song that's awash with colourful acid-tinged guitar vibes. It's a catchy tune that's very reminiscent of the Beatles at their most psychedelic, with influences from the West Coast sound of sunny California. This joyfully sunny music sounds as bright and bubbly as a glass of sparkling lemonade. And now we come to the curious tale of "Mr. Small, The Watch Repairer Man", the kind of cheerfully light-hearted Pop song that could only come from England in the late 1960's. It's a carefree and playful little number that doesn't take itself too seriously and it's representative of the Best of British Psychedelic Pop. We're travelling to distant foreign lands now with "Flight from Ashiya", only this appears to be a doomed flight as the constant refrain in this song is "Nobody Knows Where We Are" ..... Oh dear! It seems that despite the pleasant sunshine sound of this jangling and exotic Byrds-like psychedelia, the flight has gone down in the middle of nowhere. The dark mood continues with "The Murder Of Lewis Tollani", which closes Side One on a sombre note, although don't get too down-hearted because it's really a great Sunshine Pop song despite the solemn message in the lyrics.

The strangely-titled "(Further Reflections) In The Room Of Percussion" opens Side Two. It's a typically cheerful 1960's Pop tune but who knows what the song's about as the convoluted lyrics are like a riddle wrapped inside an enigma on a psychedelic acid trip. One thing's for sure, "In the Room of Percussion" is nothing to do with a drummer doing a sound-check in the recording studio. We're meeting the charming "Dear Nellie Goodrich" next, which turns out to be a short but sweet jingly- jangly sunshine burst of lovely English Pop music, featuring some delightful sugar-coated harmonising. This very agreeable tune is as sweet as a jar of honey. It's time to pack our bags now because we're off to the seaside for "Holidaymaker", a happy- go-lucky Pop song that's just as bright and sunny as the song title implies. Don't forget to pack the suntan lotion because this summer song is positively bursting with sunshine. We're in the King's court for "A Lesson Perhaps", although he's not a progressive Crimson King. No, this is a traditional Folky King in a quaint pastoral setting. This gentle melodic madrigal represents a charming acoustic spoken-word diversion in an album that's positively glowing and overflowing with radiantly cheerful Pop songs. And now we arrive at the magnificent highlight of the album, "The Sky Children", in a classic example of saving the best song till last. This marvellous closing song has instantly transformed what could have been a very good four-star album into a five-star masterpiece. It's eight minutes of pure unadulterated pleasure. The music is similar in style to the Byrds classic "Eight Miles High" - only better! The "Poptastic" lyrics are simply sensational. Take a look for yourselves:- "A million white flowers in a field in the sky, Seemed to spell out a greeting as the children flew by, A guard in a chariot of silver and gold, Gave the children all tickets, then the story he told, Of a time in the future that was sunshine and flowers, And the children grew sleepy in the sky's white towers, They dreamed of the story that the guard had displayed, They saw all the wonders, tiny minds were amazed, They saw candy forests and dragons that breathed fire, On all that was evil in the misty mire." ..... And that's just the first verse! There are six more incredible verses to come!! This beautiful music does indeed sound like "A million white flowers in a field in the sky." It's heavenly!

Travel back in time to the flower-power sounds of the late-1960's Summer of Love with this charmingly English album of glorious Sunshine Pop songs that's positively overflowing with cheerful exuberance and ebullient optimism. It's a Psychedelic Kaleidoscope of glowing rainbow colours wrapped inside a beautiful Tangerine Dream!

Magic Zoo and Electric Midnight Mist

Faintly Blowing, the second full-length LP from Kaleidoscope, released in 1969, is arguably the finest LP from the British Psychedelic era. Pussy, Pussy Plays and The Open Mind's self-titled LPs are classics, but not as transcendent as this release. One could say it's on par with the equally amazing Odessey and Oracle by The Zombies, no easy task.

There are many reasons for this, should one try to pinpoint just why this record is so good. The opener "Faintly Blowing" should have been a hit, catchy, psychedelic, powerful. Same with the majestic, poppy "Black Fjord". "Snapdragon", "Story From Tom Blitz", "Feathered Tiger" are all just as good as well, there's not a weak track on the LP. "(Love Song) For Annie" has an addicting heavy pounding guitar bombast, that at first seems very un-love- song-like, that is then is repeatedly offset against the acoustic guitar interludes that invest a quiet sincerity to the ode. The end of the song is almost post-punk rythmically. "If You So Wish" has a Beatle-esque melodic quality with the orchestration of the era's pop groups. A solemn, introspective and quiet number, "Bless The Executioner" is a song waiting to be covered by some hipster, indie-folk-rocker.

All throughout, Peter Daltrey's vocals are perfect for the ethereal, storybook fantasy feeling that pervades the songs. The instrumentation is clear and precise, not overwhelmingly psychedelic initially perhaps, as acoustic guitars are present through much of the LP, but just when you think it may stay within a traditional 60s pop format, it opens up into something much wilder ("Music"). Awash with overdrive and phase, ambient ringing clear guitar notes, crashing chords? the album is a milestone for the band, they unfortunately didn't have the financial success to keep it going. The cover art I might add, is an astounding and strange piece of British rock mastery. A third excellent album as Fairfield Parlour was issued, From Home To Home, and a fourth double LP, White Faced Lady, that was unreleased initially, then finally made it out in the 90s. They mastered a musical body of work that is romantic, fantastical, and adventurous? and that's a damn good thing.

Of the highest recommendation to fans of British Psychedelia. Their performance at the 2013 Austin Psych Fest was one of the highlights of the weekend.

Ok, this is proto-prog and it's 1967. The album is a collection of songs without a concept so going track by track is a natural thing to do.

"Kaleidoscope" sounds like the Byrds of Mr. Tambourine Man or Turn, Turn, Turn. I don't know if the guitar is a Rickenbaker but this is how this two minutes song sounds.

"Please Excuse My Face" is a bit more British and with a light psychedelic mood, but in the end it's just a two minutes song made of voice and guitar.

"Dive Into Yesterday" is the first song that's clearly psychedelic. Closer to the Beatles of Sgt Pepper than to Syd Barrett anyway.

"Mr Small The Watch Repairer Man" is on the same mood of the previous. A Barrett theme on a Beatles/Byrds base.

"Flight From Ashiya" is the first track almost floydian (this is the same year of The Piper at the gates of dawn). If they only had a Rick Wright....

"The Murder Of Lewis Tollani" makes me think to the WHO. Of course can make us think to a lot of bands as this album is very stuck into its age. However this is another light psychedelic track, like Arnold Layne was for PF.

"In the Room Of Percussion " is like early Caravan with Robertson at guitar.

"Dear Nellie Goodrich" is another kind of Byrds song.

"Holiday Maker" is opened by seashore/beach sounds and effectively is like the Beatles singing the Beach Boys. However it's a nice short song.

"A Lesson Perhaps" is made of speech over classical guitar. Interesting, the most experimental (the only let's say) track.

Finally a 8 minutes song: "The Sky Children". Very flower-power has a good melody and is different from the rest of the album. In my opinion the only track that's worth a listen.

It's nice thinking that this album can have inspired the band's name to Edgar Froese, but I don't believe so. It can be a documentayr value but there's a lot of stuff from the same era that's surely more interesting. A collector's item.

This is the album that started my long-term hate affair between myself and Kaleidoscope. 'Faintly Blowing' starts things off - and it's an an interminable opening track that seems to go on forever in it's four minute duration. It's so.... ordinary.

Kaleidoscope were clearly influenced by many contemporary psychedelic bands of their era. It's just a pity they didn't have an original idea in their heads.

Peter Daltrey isn't big enough to fill the boots of Syd Barrett or whoever else he's plagiarising and lacks any semblance of presence or gravitas. Basically 'Faintly Blowing' is an empty retread of their previous album and that ain't up to much either, but at least it's a damn sight better than this.

An album so dated and derivative, it has no function as a piece of entertainment. Jeez - and that's me only at track four out of eighteen! How am I going to get through this? That's it, I'm off for a bottle of wine...

At last it ends... although it doesn't so much end as collapse in a heap of its own ineptitude. Really dull with very little imagination. The highly effected vocal melodrama makes things even more painful and I find myself with furrowed brow, scowling at my evil computer wanting to punch it in the screen. Baah!

This one's got every cliché in the book from 1967. Very whimsical, light psychedelic music that's vocal heavy. Peter Daltrey's vocals are pretty good - and the double tracking of them reminds me a lot of Syd Barrett . Unlike 'Piper at the Gates of Dawn' - this is a far more straightforward album. Don't expect anything groundbreaking.

Quite frankly, once you get past the nice 1967 Edwardian sound that many bands had around this time, it's actually boring, mainly because all the tunes start to sound very similar. The songs are just too simple and the lyrics are hopeless. In saying that, there are two excellent tracks. 'Holiday Maker' is undoubtedly catchy and a definite step up from the preceding tracks. Unfortunately the next tunes 'A Lesson Perhaps & The Sky Children' made me lose the will to live. Instantly forgettable.

Thankfully the best is left till last with the great ' Jenny Artichoke'. I can never get this damn tune out of my head each time I hear it, but it doesn't make up for the ordinariness of what's gone before. Two stars is maybe a bit harsh on this album, but I'm becoming more critical with each review. I'm sure lots of late 60's psychedelia fans would like this. If you like the look of the front cover then that pretty much looks how it sounds.

Give me 'Piper' or 'Saucerful' any day.

A very, very, very twee album of quintessentially psychedelic pop-rock, Kaleidoscope's debut album is an enjoyably lightweight slice of English whimsy that was released slap bang in the middle of the late 1960's psychedelic revolution. Similar to the likes of Yes guitarist Steve Howe's former band Tomorrow and the earlier material of both The Move and The Small Faces, 'Tangerine Dream'(an album name coined a little earlier than the more famous German electronic pioneers) is very much an album of it's time. Psychedelic music was, albeit briefly, the popular new fad towards the end of the 1960's but was quickly overtaken by the beginning of the 1970's by both prog and various, more muscular forms of rock music. Indeed, by the time Yes, Genesis, King Crimson et al had got around to unleashing their innovative early-seventies output, Kaleidoscope's brand of fluffy psychedelia already seemed dated, and not even a name-change(to Fairfield Parlour) could help them escape their roots. However, despite a sadly-truncated career, Kaleidoscope are fondly remembered by conoisseurs of psychedelic pop - or popsike as some call it today - and 'Tangerine Dream' showcased a talented group who managed to combine catchy pop choruses with genuinely psychedelic effects, such as Eastern-tinged modalities, sitar-esque guitars and multi-layered vocal harmonies that gives the material a vibrant edge lacking in many other so-called psychedelic bands from the era. The stand-out tracks include 'Flight From Ashiya', which features some marijuane-soaked guitar tones and was issued as a single(albeit fairly unsuccessfully), and the album's lengthy, eight-minute-plus closer 'The Sky Children', which again features some beautifully- constructed guitar-led choruses(courtesy of lead-guitarist and the group's main composer Eddy Pumer) and a rousing multi-instrument finale. The in-between material is sometimes a bit too simplistic, relying as it does on the boyish vocals of lead-singer Peter Daltrey, but for those interested in the lighter side of psychedelia there is much to cherish. 'Tangerine Dream' does sound very dated, and when compared to the classic American band's of the era - the likes of Jefferson Airplane, The Doors and The Grateful Dead - it seems very lightweight. However, multiple listens reveal a confident band at work whose style has often been aped but rarely - for this genre of music at least - bettered. The actual prog elements are few and far between, but it doesn't stop 'Tangerine Dream' from being a slightly-guilty pleasure from a time far, far away when this kind of thing really did seem new and groundbreaking. STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2010

it is really very good, unfortunately the songs are very short, with the time, but it is a great album. Psychedelic progressive rock in all its splendor, near a 'piper at the gates of dawn' in mind. A Lesson is perhaps a little against-meaning, but the rest of the album is fine, psychedelic with go, this plane instruments and cats are really steeped in the magic that has unfortunately existed years 1967-1968 or the psychedelic reign in mairte absolute. The BBC version dates from 1968 but are no better. If we remove the Pink Floyd, the group has also drawn surement in The beatles a little like a time ... but has pushed the bottom side delusional wise.

This album has several virtues: the music is well-crafted and competently performed displaying an impressive variety of styles and atmospheres. It offers a pleasant listening and a prime example of the musical inventiveness that characterises the late 1960s and early 1970s. Undoubtedly, its comparative neglect is undeserved and should figure alongside the better known albums of the period. Yet, I cannot understand its designation as a work of progressive rock. No track provides the complex dynamics, cultural borrowings or anything else that defines the genre. I am reminded more of groups like The Move and other masters of psychedelic pop than anything truly Progressive. This is no criticism of the album: much psychedelic pop, like that on offer here, is highly original and well-played yet is distinct from anything identifiably progressive. If anything the first 'Kaleidoscope' album with its more overt psychedelic leanings, has greater claim to the progressive tag than the group's later offerings under their new moniker.