Esoteric/Cherry Red [Release date 30.7.21]
It’s more than a little unfair that the late singer-songwriter Colin Scot’s 1971 debut seems to be regarded more for the myriad of guest musicians than for Scot’s own undoubted talent. Reissued on CD for the first time in 15 years, it was originally released by United Artists and produced by John Anthony.
Scot (real name Colin Thistlethwaite) began his career playing the folk clubs. The opening three tracks here are stunning, with the country tinged ‘My Rain’ and the darker ‘Take Me Away’ finely demonstrating his ability as a songwriter. ‘Do The Dance Now, Davey’ is a haunting anti-war song which was written, along with two others here, by Martin Hall.
Scot also tackles songs by Davey Johnstone (the atmospheric ‘The Boatman’), Neil Innes (‘Lead Us’, which features a choir of singers), Mickey Newbury (the bluesy ‘Baby in My Lady’) and Harvey Andrews (the melodic but angry ‘Hey! Sandy’).
Of the other self-penned material, ‘Nite People’ is a real psych-y standout, and another stunner is the fiery ‘Long Time Gone’ which was surprisingly omitted from the original album. It’s here as a bonus track, alongside three alternate takes of album cuts.
The aforementioned musicians include Robert Fripp, Rick Wakeman, Jon Anderson, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Davey Johnstone and Linda Hoyle, as well as members of Van der Graaf Generator, Lindisfarne, Rare Bird and Brinsley Schwarz.
The accompanying booklet features extensive notes, including contributions from several musicians and friends, along with photos and original album artwork. “Lost classic” may be an overused term, but with this album it is more than justified – an early 70’s folk-rock gem from a very underrated artist. ****
Review by Jim Henderson
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