Whimsy-Fanciful-Pop-Psych and Ever So British
C. G. Frank | Fox Cities, Wisconsin | 12/07/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I find it awfully hard to believe that I'm the first to review this album, but anyways..."We Are Ever So Clean" is a fantastic album, period. Blossom Toes during this period get a lot of comparisons to the Kinks, the Move--basically every British band that decided to delve into the world of Psych--but the Blossom Toes are completely their own thing. Yeah they sound Kinky in songs like "I'll Be Late For Tea", "I Will Bring You This And That"--they let loose on some rockin' power chords and the Kinks come to mind. And I guess many of the songs are sung in the quite ridiculous, (yet in my opinion, quite fantastic) overtly British, cockney-esque, manner that many relate with Mr. Ray Davies. Sure then, the comparisons are correct, but everybody was and still is ripping someone off even if they don't know it. Blossom Toes just manage to cover so much ground that the comparisons are inevitable.
I guess there is nothing ground-breaking here, but the music nonetheless is quite addictive. It may take a few listens to get into, but once it clicks you're screwed. I can't stop listening to the album as of right now. It's just a plain ol' fun album to listen to. Quite jangley throughout, light to heavy touches of psych, orchestration done just right, great British-fancy-boy sing-a-long vocals, and so on. Highlights include the rocking aforementioned two, the mind-blowing psych within "Look at Me I'm You", the quirky music-hallish "What On Earth", to the goofy Bonzo Dog Bandish "Intrepid Ballonist's...", and to the ever so sweet and seductive "Mister Watchmaker". A couple of clunkers along the way, but what album doesn't have those. The bonus tracks aren't that bad, "Collects Little Girls" stands out....while the supposed "Instrumental" tracks on my CD have vocals on them oddly enough....whatever.
Good stuff if you're looking for the pop-psych-whimsy of the 1960's.
"
A time capsule of the era!
Schenectady Scott | Schenectady, NY USA | 12/16/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This CD of the "Blossom Toes"is a time capsule for the era. Great production and remastering of all the recordings."
Track Listings (25) - Disc #1