The Incredible String Band were one of the most influential acts of the 1960s yet remain very much of cult interest. They would sell-out the Albert Hall night after night with the Beatles and Rolling Stones in the audience and even Led Zeppelin IV shows the Plant and Page were following the instructions. And they played at Woodstock were were excluded from the film of the event. This is a new compilation designed to attract a new generation of listeners. As such it includes the more accessible material from these years, originally released on the Elektra label. Note that there is a companion CD that covers the years 1970 to 1974.

The Incredible String Band were an unusual mix of folk and psychedelia. They started as a folk trio and it is this line-up that recorded the first album, two tracks of which appear on this CD. October Song is a true ISB classic and sounds even fresher today than when Robin Williamson first sang it. Mike Heron's Tree is a track that also appeared in a new form on a later album. Clive Palmer left after the first album and, curiously, the compilation omits his songs, Empty Pocket Blues would have been the obvious choice. 

Now we have the core of the ISB, Heron and Williamson. They are the two musical magicians who conjured up some of the most beautiful sounds of the 1960s and some of the strangest. Building on the folky roots they added a whole series of different instruments and often whimsical lyrics to create a soundscape quite unlike anyone else. The second album, 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion, wins the prize for the best album title of the 1960s and includes a cover designed by The Fool (of Apple fame) that ranks with the great psychedelic record covers like Disraeli Gears and Odessey and Oracle. From this album there are two tracks and others could have easily been included. First Girl I Loved is a Williamson classic. Chinese White is a Mike Heron song and is a definite indication of things to come. What becomes clear by now is that Williamson and Heron have very different styles especially where vocals are concerned. To the new listener Mike is easier to listen to while Robin Williamson has a vocal style that sometimes requires a bit of time.

If 5000 Spirits was not the greatest ISB album it must be the follow-up, The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter. This is already been reviewed in detail. (Making Time December 1999). There are two tracks taken from this, Koeeoaddi There and A Very Cellular Song. Again these are split between Williamson and Heron songs. The latter song, in particular, is a classic that was even covered by Neil of TVs The Young Ones. It is an epic that describes the life of amoeba "slithering and squelching on." Its multi-layered instrumentation gives the song a series of different feels and is only marred by a few religious references.

The ISB then released a double album (available on two separate CDs in the UK and as a double set in the US nowadays) called Wee Tam & The Big Huge. Big Huge is not represented at all on this compilation but it is Wee Tam that has the most commercially sounding tracks and there are no less than four here. Of these, Air is a Heron song that features in the reformed ISB line-up in 2001 with the returned Clive Palmer taking the vocal lead. Puppies is also a Heron track. The other two are typical Williamson songs. Many people believe that this was the high-point of the band's career and high quality songs became more sporadic after this set. It has been argued frequently that the band's interest in scientology (but they're better now!) meant that they became very tolerant of each other, unable to provide the constructive criticism that is essential in creativity. Certainly the scientology did coincide with the start of the band's creative decline.

However, they were still able to produce the occasional gem. Heron's This Moment has also been revived with the relaunched ISB and is a set favourite. 

The only ISB album not available on CD (at the time of writing but due for eventual release in 2002) is U. This was not only music but a multimedia project involving dance and drama and was based around a stage show that included London's Roadhouse among its venues. In fact, the inside booklet for the compilation features U graphics. The final two tracks on the CD are both taken from U and this marks their first release on CD. Both of these songs are written by Robin Williamson. To a new listener these are probably the most inaccessible tracks but are hugely popular with String Band fans.

This compilation is an excellent introduction to one of the most influential bands of the 1960s. It is capable of producing arguments about which tracks to include although a double CD may have been too much. The obvious exclusions are Painting Box from 5000 Spirits and something by Clive Palmer. Aside from that, this is a set of songs that weave magical tapestries quite unlike anything else that was being made around the time and sounding unique even today. 

Essential Tracks:

• October Song

• First Girl I Loved

• This Moment

Track Listing:

1. October Song
2. The Tree
3. Chinese White
4. First Girl I Loved
5. Koeeoaddi There
6. A Very Cellular Song
7. Job's Tears
8. Puppies
9. The Half Remarkable Question
10. Air
11. Sleepers Awake
12. This Moment
13. Queen of Love
14. Invocation