line up 1 (1967-68)

- Michael English --

- Nigel Waymouth --

  line up 2 (1969)

NEW - Mike Batt -- piano, accordion

NEW - Michael Mayhew -- guitars

- Nigel Waymouth --  vocals 

  supporting musicians: (1969)

- Freddie Ballerini -- violin 

- The Rock'n Roll Women -- backing vocals 

- Tony T.S. McPhee (RIP) -- lead guitar 

- Eddie Tripp -- bass 

- Michael Ramsden (RIP 2004) -- vocals

- Andy Renton -- drums, percussion

- The Heavy Metal Kids --  percussion

- 3:AM (Andy Renton) 

- Dib Cochran & The Earwigs (Mickey Finn)

- Mickey Finn's T-Rex

- Lanzon & Husband (Barry Husband)

- Open Road (John Carr and Barry Husband)

- Reign (Andy Renton) 

- The Silkie (Mike Ramsden)

- T-Rex (Mickey Finn)

- Thursday's Children  (Barry Husband)

- Tyrannosaurus Rex  (Mickey Finn)

- Warm Sounds

Genre: bizarre

Rating: 1 star *

Title:  Western Flier

Company: Imperial

Catalog: LP 12430
Year: 1969

Country/State: London, England

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: promo stamp top right corner

Available: 1

Catalog ID: --

Price: $40.00

Folks seem to think everything '60s is a treasure.  Well, I suggest you give 1969's "Western Flier" a spin and let me know if you still subscribe to that opinion.

Their first album was largely unlistenable.  Produced by Mike Batt, who also co-wrote most of the material with members Michael Mayhew and Nigel Waymouth, their second collection was even worse.  Yeah, the album's image as cutting edge "art" apparently resonated with the "cool and happenin'" crowd, but to my ears, this was mostly a waste of vinyl.  It's one of the few album's I've heard where I'm at a loss to recall a single song with a pleasant memories.  In fact it's the really horrible performances that have stuck in my head.  Gawd knows there are enough aural train wrecks here.  

Two years after the release of "Featuring the Human Host and the Heavy Metal Kids"  Nigel Waymouth was back for another stab at the golden ring.  This time he brought along a host of friends, notably ex-The Sikie singer Mike Ramsden (talk about a change in musical direction), The Groundhogs guitarist Tony McPhee and future The Wombles drummer Andy Renton.  It's hard to know where to start with respect to this aural train wreck.  There was actually one decent song.  Sporting a recognizable melody, tasty slide guitar and a vocal were Ramsden didn't sound like he was going to stroke out, 'Blue Narcissus' was the track that had a shot at redemption.  Any other album and it would have been an also-ran performance.  Here it was the standout effort.  Not great, but at least listenable were 'The Wall' and 'You For Ophelia.'  Sure, the rest of it may have been artsy; experimental; challenging; groundbreaking ... pick your descriptor.  I just didn't find any of it worth more than a quick spin.

Nigel Waymouth's original cover art was clearly unsuitable for the American marketplace and was replaced with the original collection's rear panel - a non-descriptive picture of the trio and a medieval painting of three ladies playing music.

"Western Flier" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Telephone Budreaux (Michael Mayhew - Nigel Waymouth - Mike Batt) - 1:00 rating: no stars

What the world ...a one minute spoken word segment by some poor guy with a hopelessly heavy Cajun accent.  It sounded like a '30s stump speech pulled from the George Clooney film "O Brother, Where Art Thou."  Not a good start.

2.) Colinda (traditional arranged by Michael Mayhew - Nigel Waymouth - Mike Batt) - 2:57 rating: * star

Oh my, could it get any weirder?  Well yes, since 'Colinda' featured these guys croaking their way through a traditional Cajun tune ('Danse Colinda'). And if that wasn't strange enough, Liberty decided this would make a good single in France, Germany and the UK.  To quote the UK release label: "From the utterly fantastic, mind-expanding, earth-shattering, shortly to arrive Liberty album "The Western Flyer" known to the world as LBL/S 83212.  Surely to become the heavy event of 1969."

- 1969's 'Colinda' b/w 'The Wall' (Liberty catalog number LBF 15188)

3.) Chicken Run (Michael Mayhew - Nigel Waymouth - Mike Batt) - 5:53  rating: * star

Well, 'Chicken Run' at least approached a conventional melody. Unfortunately it was a complete mess.  Michael Ramsden's arch and strident vocals were painful.  The Rock'n Roll Women's backing vocals migrain inducing.  The lyrics ...  Lordy good thing you never tried to submit something like this in your high school English class.  Let the hellhounds put us out of our misery.

4.) Big Bo Peep (Michael Mayhew - Nigel Waymouth - Mike Batt) - 3:31   rating: * star

I guess this is what they thought a blues-rocker would sound like.  The Groundhogs' Tony T.S. McPhee provided the slinky lead guitar; Freddie Ballerini the squealing violin.

5.) Blue Narcissus (Michael Mayhew - Nigel Waymouth - Mike Batt) - 4:42 rating: **** stars

Well, I'll be darned.  Five songs into the album and there's finally a decent blues-flavored ballad.  There's a recognizable melody; Ramsden sounds decent and the multiple slide guitars are enjoyable. Not sure if it's true, but in addition to McPhee on slide guitar, the late Brian Jones supposedly provided harmonica and second slide guitar 

(side 2)
1.) Car-Car (Michael Mayhew - Nigel Waymouth - Mike Batt) - 2:10  rating: * star

Complete with automotive sound effects I've never figured out if 'Car-Car' was meant to be cute, goofy, or there was some deeper message that bypassed me.  No idea who the irritating female singer was, but her performance sounded like something a kindergarten music teacher.  Yeah the double entendre lyrics probably weren't appropriate for a kindergarten class.

2.) Milk Shake Knock (Michael Mayhew - Nigel Waymouth - Mike Batt) - 2:15   rating: * star

A return to what they thought was a Cajun tune, geez what was their record label thinking?  

3.) The Wall (Michael Mayhew - Nigel Waymouth - Mike Batt) - 4:47 rating: *** stars

'The Wall' deserved a pair of stars simply it sported a recognizable song structure and a true melody. Nice McPhee fuzz guitar solo and Batt's piano was at least in tune, though the lyrics were a complete mystery; Ramsden strained vocals underscored his worst features and the female choir added nothing.  The song also appeared as the "B" side to their 'Colinda' 45.

4.) You For Ophelia (Michael Mayhew - Nigel Waymouth - Mike Batt) - 5:02 rating: *** stars 

Powered by Batt's barrelhouse piano and Ramsden bellowing vocals, it came a bit late, but the ballad 'You For Ophelia' demonstrated these guys could churn out a normal, semi-commercial song.  

5.) Fare You Well (traditional) - 8:51 rating: ** stars

'Fare You Well ' was their second traditional reinterpretation.  The fade-in is odd, but then so is their stark, echo-filled arrangement.  What you get are a seemingly endless eight-pus minutes of Ramsden and an anonymous female exchanging barely-in-tune Joplin-styled moans.  McPhee adds slide guitar licks while the Rock'n Roll Women howl along in the background.  Wow, this one's painful - a good clear-out-the-party-at-the-end-of-the-night selection.  I think the original song was actually entitled 'Fare Ye Well.'