I only found this little gem (above) a few days ago - there is so much coming out now by the magnificent 13th Floor Elevators it's getting hard to keep up. Box sets galore and mostly out of my price range but the lovely Albums Collection (1966-69 Charly Records) was more suited to my often light pocket. Digitally remastered albums: The Psychedelic Sounds Of..., Easter Everywhere, Live and Bull Of The Woods - it's hardly been off the CD player of late. All housed in a super box with splendid booklet it is amazing value at £12.99!
It brings back memories of when I started to get into this stuff back in about 1983. Actually, that's not entirely true as I didn't really see the genius of Roky Erickson and the band until some years later. It was certainly an article in the NME (December 1983) "Tales From The Drug Attic" by Julian Cope extolling the virtues of pyschedelia that really got me hooked. I was an Electric Prunes fan at the time - Copey was quite scathing of them in his article.
15 years old, at school, impressionable and a huge Teardrop Explodes fan anything that Copey was into was something certainly for me to investigate too. I still have the original article from the NME (link above) and the road I travelled after reading it is one I am still on today. My school pal Terry, who was a huge Bowie fan, understood a little I think but I certainly remember a new boy joining our clique - he asked me in a maths lesson who my favourite bands were - I replied "I'm really into Psych" - I laugh looking back, but not long after this Bam Caruso Records started up and they brought out some amazing releases. They must have been good as they also brought out the soundtrack to my favourite TV show at the time, The Prisoner, which was enjoying a re-run (its first I think since 1967/68) on CH4 in 1984. Phil Smee (Bam Caruso) and his Rubble series of psych gems really got me excited - I liked the cottage industry feel of Bam Caruso and also the smell of vinyl, inserts and heavy cardboard sleeves. The Remayns single was something so lovely, not only in sound, but also in looks - it was almost edible!
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