Here are some groups / tracks that had a clear ISB influence. Reviews are held very short. Links to web sites are added. Some of these listed had published a track on the "Winged we were" tribute album to ISB. (not updated since 2003)
* B.all Grew Grace : cover from "Womankind" (from "Winged we were" ISB tribute CD)
Beautiful track. No idea what else she did.
* B'eirth : cover from "Painting Box" (from "Winged we were" ISB tribute CD)
His style is familiar with Stonebreath, so a bit more Neo Folk.
* Caro, John & Tony : All on the same day (1972). The songs are fine, simple. According to Forced Exposure :
"Heavy laminated sleeve, limited 180 gramm pressing plus extra 4 track EP plus insert plus many coloured photos. We could not believe that we´ve found this band. This is our top UK record ever. And the band is still playing together. If you like Incredible String Band this one is for you. It even beats most ISB albums. Tony´s voice is amazing, the music and the compositions are just perfect. We´ve included many never seen before photos, a long band bio written by Tony and an extra 4 track EP (recorded 1968-1970) of songs which never made it onto the album incl. the title track 'All On The First Day'. If you hear the song 'There Are No Greater Heroes' you know what I mean. For me there are no greater heroes than this band."
* Clive's Original Band (COB) with Clive Palmer, who was at ISB only at the very
beginning. This group made two classics in a similar style. Traditional elements with lots of acid-folk and a few very melancholy songs makes the items unforgettable, and unmissable. The two items ( both *****) "Moyshe mcStiff and the Tartan Lancers of the Sacred Heart" and "Spirit of Love" are being reissued a few times on LP and CD.
About the first album : "For those of you that haven't explored the more esoteric fringes of the Incredible String Band/Witchseason/British folk-whatever axis, both of C.O.B.'s albums more than live up to their hype. C.O.B stands for Clive (Palmer's) Original Band; he had originally formed The Incredible String Band in 1965 with Robin Williamson, who were later joined by Mike Heron and recorded ISB's self-titled debut in 1966, signed to Elektra by Joe Boyd, who said at the time they were reputed to be a 'Scottish' bluegrass group. After the first ISB LP was released, Williamson split to Morocco to gather exotic instruments, and Clive went to Afghanistan for some other reason. Upon his return he hooked up with John Bidwell and the remarkable vocalist and player Mick Bennett. Moyshe McStiff... is their second album from '72, originally issued by Polydor UK. Whereas with ISB, for all of their greatness, there was occasionally a laboredness to their tunes, as well as a hint of smarminess in their attitude, C.O.B's songs radiate a sincerity and a simplicity that makes this record , like their debut, a stone classic. Less ornate, songs that sometimes sound like reels or shanty's, for all it's traditionalism this record speaks volumes about a sylvan, psychedelic world that I know I would love to inhabit. I should note that this reissue does contain two bonus tracks from what sounds like a later incarnation of the group (also released in 1972 as their only 7" single), only of use if 'Scottish reggae' gets you in the mood.." -- Billy Kiely
* Cloud Cuckoo : cover of "The Music of the Ages" (from "Winged we were" ISB tribute CD) is a beautiful track with heavenly female voices. No idea how their other work sounds like. Contact : J.H.Hathaway@mds.gmw.ac.uk
* Comus : The First Utterange (1970)***** is definitely the most weird ISB like item. Male vocals like Mark Bolan from Tyranosaurus Rex, incredibly violin parts and additional female vocals. Instrumental over the top weirdiness and beauty at the same time. One of my top 10 favourites of all times.
* The Famous Jug Band : Sunshine Possibilities (Wooded Hill Rec.1969) ****
According to Forced Exposure :
"The debut album from Liberty Records short-lived cult folk heroes, The Famous Jug Band, from 1969. Available for the first time on CD, the album is supplemented by two songs from their 2nd and final album, Chameleon from a year later. The band comprised Clive Palmer (C.O.B.) on his exit from the Incredible String Band, ace folk guitarist Pete Berryman, pure-voiced Jill Johnson on vocals and the unique jug
sound courtesy of Henry Bartlett. Their charming fresh sound brought two years of live popularity and two much appreciated albums, now highly collectable on vinyl. This reissue not only captures the spirit of the Cornish folk boom of thirty years ago, but also opens up the prospect of a great jug band revival."
* Current 93's "Earth Covers Earth"****' from 1982-1992 can be called 'the dark site of the hangman's beautiful daughter'. Beautiful really very melancholic literature songs from shadowland. Gothic/Neo Folk (They have some similar acoustic works). They called it themselves "the second Utterange" from Comus, but it's not so loaded music. Emotionally it digs deep into a darker territory. In that way they have the opposite atmosphere of ISB but then as another part of reality compared with them, with a certain sadness and hoplessness.
* Dr. Strangely Strange were like the follow ups of ISB. Exactly the same style at their first album, with a bit more organ and Christian inspired acid folk-rock on their second. Both albums are good. Compared to the LP reissue, the reissue on CD has a different 'cracked' version of a song, wrong tracking, and a part of the picture (the water under the boat contained fishes and much more) has been whipped out too. Ashame. They were good or ok, but may be not that alive and brooding as the original band.The third so called unreleased album is nothing but a new not so interesting folk item.
* Elly (Nieman) and Rikkert (Zuiderveld) 's album Parsival (NL)****' from the seventies sung in Dutch definitely had ISB influences. They even had a similar "Water Song"in Dutch on that album. The album is not so rare. Also "De Draad van Ariadna" had a bit influence from ISB. Other nice album is "Het Oinkbeest" (fairytale with music) and also still "Maarten en het Witte Paard" (with small fairytale with music). Later their albums were Katholic inspired and the psychedelic and ethnic elements disappeared completely. Their web site is at http://www.ellyenrikkert.nl/
* Fit & Limo. A german group which has inevitable influences from the ISB. "This Moment" is a mini-LP with tribute songs to ISB. Recommended.
The Lp's/CD's "Angel Gopher","Autre Monde","Feather and Dust" (only half of it),"Serpent unrolled" and "As above so below" and the latest CD from 2003 have all very recognisable ISB influences on it. Only the cd "That totally tore my head of" is a bit more alternative. The site projects Discolor and Fim Froil are different in style.
All cd's and LP's from Fit & Limo are recommended.
Extra Information in Dutch + covers, links you can find at my seperate
* Forest did make two albums. They have very clear a ISB influence, but they are a bit more acid folk-rock based. The influence is more noticeable on the recommended second album "Full circle". First album has more shorter songs. You can find the items on a Japanese, a Korean label and then both on one on BGO, but there you can't see the nice full pictures any more.
* Green Crown : with the cover "Three is a green crown"
They had some ISB influences. Their psychedelic acid folk style however is very unique.
* Musica Dispersa *** from 1971 (PDI) is a Spanish completely psych folk item full of
nice odd idiotry, with the help of Sisa. (Available at Acetato Records).
* Mormos first album, the acid prog folk album "Great Wall of China" (France,Spalax 1971) had definitely some ISB influences too. Their "Magic Spell" from 1972 was more
acid folk, with more clarinet and so on. Both are classics although I find "The Magic Spell" even more interesting. I think it is just a matter of taste.According to Forced Exposure : "In the early 70s, James Cuomo, Tobia Taylor and Sandy Spencer all came to Paris with a NY experimental theatre group's production of 'La Mama' and decided to stay on afterwards. All coming from musical backgrounds, they agreed on putting together a group. Great Wall Of China was their first album, released in 1971. It comprises of a wonderful progressive music which is a mix of folk, classical and traditional instruments and influences. A clever use of vocal arrangements and rhythms that we find here give the group a completely unique sound."
* Neil : "Hurdy Gurdy Mushroom Man" (1984) Hippie Neil from The BBC serie The Young Ones made a wonderfull 45' with on one site this ISB parody version (on the other site Traffic) Recommended. The full LP is not recommended.
* Pau Riba : "Jo,La Donya I el Gripau"** is demented psychedelic folk from Spain.
Beautiful cover. Other works from the man are really completely different.
* Riff & The Madhatters Garden Band Machine from Germany had some Gong, acid psych and some ISB influences. ISB was most clear at their "Cellular Fishes in an ocean of time" (who might had something from the atmosphere, completely without the guitar, of Steve Hillage's Fish Rising too)
* Sisa's first album "Orgia" (PDI, 1973,Spain) has similarities in oddity with Musica
Dispersa and Tea and Symphony and in that way also with ISB. His later albums are
nice too, but not so weird.
* The Spirits of Love : cover from "Spirit of Love" 3 min (from "Winged we were" ISB tribute CD). Nice track. No idea what else they did.
Contact : 38 Old Queen's Road, Sunderland MA 01375, USA
* Stonebreath : covered the song "Osiris" (at "Winged we were" ISB tribute CD)
They play an acoustic Gothic psychedelic neo-pagan folk.
* Sun Also Rises from 1970 (Scenesof) had many ISB similarities. A very pleasant acid-folk item and absolutely recommended. Page at label :
* Tea & Symphony : "An Asylum for the mentally Insane " is a completely weird ISB
inspired product. Recommended.
"Reissue of the debut album by this UK progressive/folk weirdo ensemble, originally issued by Harvest in 1969. They released a second final album for Harvest in 1970, Jo Saga, not currently on CD. Esoteric acid-folk tendencies alongside some more goofy elements. "There is a pandemonium of wilful, oblique and obscure tunes, all filled with a manic musical magic that will either appall or take you by storm. Improbable
instrumental combinations and unexpected barbed-wire dissonances are treated with excellent musical craftmanship. There is no sloppiness like Dr. Strangely Strange, nor any tendency to get mystical like The Incredible String Band. Instead the madness is musically and lyrically defined, which makes this album obligatory to anyone into this kind of style." --Vernon Joynson.
* The Ursula Tree : "Witches Hat" 4 min (from "Winged we were" ISB tribute CD)
Nice track. Can't make up how they will sound elsewhere.
* Various : Argokn.Fam. "Winged we were"-A tribute to the Incredible String Band-(2000)** Some really very nice tracks. But some items had other more musically cheaper American influences which I didn't like.
all links updated 2003-10-4
