Incredible String Band

Cant decide between "Little Cloud" and "First Girl I loved" from second album as my favorite.

Confess that I find a lot of the Mike Heron's tweer songs difficult to listen to - with Williamson the wtfness tends to compensate for the tweeness, though not all the time.

A reminder that RW can be pretty twee:

ducks on a pond
ducks on a pond
verrrrrry prrrrrretty
swimming 'round

for example

Heron wrote “Chinese White” from that album, which I don’t think is twee in the way you would call Hedgehog Song or Little Cloud twee if you were so inclined. Have long wondered what the story is with “Chinese White.”

xp always thought of Heron as the McCartney to Williamson's Lennon, in some ways

Chinese White is a pigment used in painting.

Heron wrote “Chinese White” from that album, which I don’t think is twee in the way you would call Hedgehog Song or Little Cloud twee if you were so inclined.

I'm specifically thinking of stuff like Hedgehog Song and Little Cloud or something like Cousin Caterpillar. Mind you, Williamson wrote Big Ted which isn't even a good tune.

"Little Cloud" was one of the tunes i put on a mix tape i made for him the week he was born,,, backed it up with the Femmes "I'm Free" cuz they both make me imagine skipping through a sunny flower-filled field.

I like Big Ted till the boogie woogie chorus part

their twee-est tune is "Puppies," surely

Not the ultimate dog song "God Dog"?

I love that song but prefer the Shirley & Dolly Collins version tbh

I definitely prefer Robin songs pound for pound but “Chinese white” might be the best thing either of them wrote. Where the f did that thing come from.

3 listens in, loving Hangman's Beautiful Daughter. In college there was an IT exercise to use vectors to draw a cassette with "Incredible String Band - Hangman's Beautiful Daughter" written on it. I didn't even know if they were a real band at the time.

Wish youtube had that interview of Billy Connolly complaining about people who don't like Incredible String Band. I know this could be pure blurb fluff talk but all the same I'm intrigued by Connolly saying that Heron's book changed the way he thought about music.

Are you talking about the recent book that Connolly wrote the foreword for?

It's called You Know What You Could Be.

Right. The video clip - the one from the documentary where he's talking about people in London wearing elaborate clothes who only came out for Incredible String Band shows? Because I feel like I've watched that clip on Youtube at least five times!

It's here I believe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il44CZU19YI

I was thinking of a show called Shrink Rap that he did with his wife interviewing him. He was talking about the biggest regret of his life being trying too hard to get into things and wishing he had accepted earlier that you cant understand all of the good things.

Just read this, maybe you've all heard this stuff but I found it interesting, including the observation about the sharp drop in their fame.
https://web.archive.org/web/20071023215030/http://cosmedia.freewinds.cx/media/articles/grn040197.html

Quite blown away by the best songs on Hangman's Beautiful Daughter. Enriched my past few weeks considerably. "A Very Cellular Song" is so moving and the atmosphere of the opening track is perfect.

"Here we go, slithering"

Always meant to listen to this band but didn't anticipate getting this wrapped up in them. Kind of a revelation.

One of the many things I like about "A Very Cellular Song" is one of the singers imitating some instrument (which I cant pin down) vocally. It works so much better than I'd think it would, because it's close but not freakishly accurate.

Don't hate me but Cellular is too long imo

One of the many things I like about "A Very Cellular Song" is one of the singers imitating some instrument (which I cant pin down) vocally. It works so much better than I'd think it would, because it's close but not freakishly accurate

Where does this happen? I don't remember this tbh.

There's a bit where Mike Heron sounds a bit like a kazoo, and possibly a Jew's harp.

Current release of the 1st 3 lps is together as a 2cd isn't it?
NOt sure how the sound compares to the Joe Boyd remasters on BGO since I haven't heard it.

Also never really progressed beyond Wee Tam & The Big Huge and the live set from 68.
NOt sure what I'm missing since that is about when they slid into Scientology.

When did they extract themselves from scientology?

They never did, while they existed. I'm not sure if Robin Williamson is still involved, I don't think so, but he certainly was for longer than any of the others - 30/40 years? He doesn't talk about it. Heron left in 80s/90s I think? Rose after she left the band. No-one knows where Likky is but she was definitely still involved before she disappeared.

It's interesting to listen to the later ISB albums (and pretty much every Robin Williamson album) and try to work out the Scientology references.

Really enjoying Wee Tam & The Big Huge. Beautiful album cover(s). Got mixed feelings about how on one song (chilly chilly chilly) they create an amazing atmosphere just to rip it to shreds with a kazoo, it's kind of hilarious.

I completely love wee tam and the big huge
Talk about a strong opener
Also ducks on a pond my god

I've never really paid Wee Tam and the Big Huge enough attention. I've only really listened to the first three lps. Must dig Wee Tam out again.

It belongs in the first 4 imo even though you can see the seeds of some of the dud moments of changing horses being planted

Every time this thread is revived, I hope it's someone announcing that Licorice is doing great and releasing a new solo album but would prefer not to return to the public eye.

My one complaint so far: Licorice sings an amazing part in the opener but barely sings (if it all) after that on the album. Come to think of it, she's underutilized on the previous two albums.

Don't know how far I'll go into their albums + solo albums but I think I'm won over enough to go further than most people. We'll see. I might just splash out on the next few albums. Definitely getting the first solo albums.

There’s a very good incantatory piece on a later robin album - “five denials on merlin’s grave”

Also his much much later ECM albums are very good

Changing Horses is not so far from Wee Tam and the Big Huge. I like "Mr. and Mrs." the most.

My one complaint so far: Licorice sings an amazing part in the opener but barely sings (if it all) after that on the album. Come to think of it, she's underutilized on the previous two albums.

She wasn't officially in band until the next album.

Job's Tears is the best. Only track on Changing Horses I really like is Creation, I think of it as Cellular Song pt 2, lots of great loopy Robin lyrics - "I would advise stilts for the quagmires"!

Love "White Bird" on "Changing Horses".

Yeah white bird and creation are both keepers

That's like half an hour! (I don't much like "Creation" though tbh)

Finished listening to Wee Tam & The Big Huge. Cant decide if I like it just as much as Hangman's Beautiful Daughter.

"Beyond The See" is one of those great little instrumentals that could be easily overlooked, the type of thing that you have a tantalizing memory of but cant recall the band who did it. There's so many of those that I don't think that great music is always that memorable. You can forget these brilliant things so easily because they seem so brief.

!!!!

Rose is writing (has written?) a memoir of her period with the band (1967-71) and has started sharing memories/insights on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/IsbRose

"On FB a photo of ISB on ice at Glen Row. That is the Lic. I want to remember, funny sometimes, always engimatic, loving in her own way, and strong with a strength I learned a lot from. Then she got cut off from her roots in the universe."

"The whole filming of Be Glad in a morass of Welsh mud and gloom was not the rural utopian commune experience. Not for any of us, despite funny tales of Big Ted."

"M & R as 'babe magnets.' With beautiful and interesting faces, sunny onstage personalities, colourful imaginations, musical ability, lyrical charm, fluid personae etc., between them they fitted in to all fantasies for all people"

"I remember Big Sur for sharing a dip in the warm springs at Esalen one evening with Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young and Joni Mitchell - imagine them singing in the bath together and that's it. Amazing"

Via Rose on Twitter, this link to a recent interview with Licorice's American ex-husband, where he details what happened to her.

https://youtu.be/ksMT5OFNhSI?t=1375

Thanks jay, I read/watched both of those things. Rose is awesome and what happened to licorice is incredibly depressing. I also had no idea miscavige’s dad was doing a Scientology expose series on youtube til now!

Ha yeah Jon I shoulda mentioned that about who the host was!

sad stuff — knew that she had disappeared into the desert, but didn't know about her breakdowns ... weird that her ex claims that the ISB was hugely responsible for scientology's spread in the UK ... is that accurate?