V.A.
Strangely Strange But Oddly Normal - An Island Anthology 1967 - 1972 (2005)
Label:   
Length:  0:00
    Track Listing:
      CD 1:
      1.  
      		 ART - Supernatural Fairy Tales    3:38
      2.  
      		 TRAFFIC - Paper Sun    4:15
      3.  
      		 WYNDER K FROG - Harpsichord Shuffle    3:58
      4.  
      		 NIRVANA - Rainbow Chaser    2:37
      5.  
      		 TRAMLINE - Pearly Queen    
      6.  
      		 SPOOKY TOOTH - Sunshine Help Me    3:06
      7.  
      		 JOHN MARTYN - Dusty    3:03
      8.  
      		 FAIRPORT CONVENTION - Meet On The Ledge    2:53
      9.  
      		 JETHRO TULL - A Song For Jeffrey    3:21
      10.  
      		 CLOUDS - The Carpenter    3:29
      11.  
      		 HEAVY JELLY - I Keep Singing That Same Old Song    8:20
      12.  
      		 WHITE NOISE - Black Mass- (Electric Storm In Hell)    7:23
      13.  
      		 FREE - Over The Green Hills (Part 1)    0:49
      14.  
      		 FREE - Worry    3:28
      15.  
      		 QUINTESSENCE - Giants    4:38
      16.  
      		 AMAZING BLONDEL - Queen Of Scots    1:43
      17.  
      		 TRAFFIC - Feelin' Alright    4:22
      18.  
      		 BLODWYN PIG - Sing Me A Song That I Know So Well    3:04
      19.  
      		 FAIRPORT CONVENTION - A Sailor's Life    11:10
      CD 2:
      1.  
      		 JETHRO TULL - A New Day Yesterday    4:10
      2.  
      		 TRAFFIC - No Time To Live    5:22
      3.  
      		 NICK DRAKE - Three Hours    6:13
      4.  
      		 SPOOKY TOOTH - Lost In My Dream    5:07
      5.  
      		 JOHN & BEVERLEY MARTYN - Stormbringer    4:18
      6.  
      		 DR STRANGELY STRANGE - Strangely Strange But Oddly Normal    4:27
      7.  
      		 QUINTESSENCE - Notting Hill Gate    2:55
      8.  
      		 FOTHERINGAY - Banks Of The Nile    8:08
      9.  
      		 CAT STEVENS - Wild World    3:21
      10.  
      		 THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND - Painted Chariot    3:41
      11.  
      		 KING CRIMSON - Cat Food    4:54
      12.  
      		 KING CRIMSON - Groon    3:32
      13.  
      		 SANDY DENNY - The North Star Grassman And The Ravens    3:30
      14.  
      		 Here I Am And Others    11:16
      15.  
      		 AMAZING BLONDEL - The Siege Of Yaddlethorpe    2:32
      CD 3:
      1.  
      		 Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Knife Edge    5:08
      2.  
      		 Mott The Hoople - Thunderbuck Ram    4:51
      3.  
      		 Nick Drake - Northern Sky    3:46
      4.  
      		 Alan Bown Set - Thru The Night    4:17
      5.  
      		 Robin Williamson - Dark Dance    1:06
      6.  
      		 Spooky Tooth - I Am The Walrus    6:26
      7.  
      		 John Martyn - Glistening Glyndebourne    6:33
      8.  
      		 Free - Fire And Water    3:59
      9.  
      		 Blodwyn Pig - See My Way    5:07
      10.  
      		 Vinegar Joe - See The World (Through My Eyes)    6:20
      11.  
      		 Cat Stevens - Peace Train    4:13
      12.  
      		 Clouds - Watercolour Days    5:30
      13.  
      		 Traffic - Low Spark of High Heeled Boys    11:44
      14.  
      		 Heads, Hands and Feet - Song For Suzie    7:12
    Additional info: | top
      This 3 CD set is superb in every way. Thirty odd years ago I owned a double Island Sampler called "El Pea". I always regretted the fact that I no longer have a means of playing vinyl, but this box set has filled my need. It contains much of what was on El Pea and coming from Island, that most innovative of record labels, the music here is inventive and the true meaning of progressive becomes apparent. From a time when you had either singles or albums bands, most of the acts on this collection never ever had a hit recording. Most were big on the university circuit (oh those heady days). There are exceptions like Free, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Cat Stevens, Jethro Tull and Traffic, all of whom did enjoy singles chart successes. But what a joy to again hear the likes of early Mott the Hoople, Dr Strangely Strange, Quintessence and Heads, Hands and Feet. Stalwarts like King Crimson and Fairport Convention are also represented here as are the Incredible String Band and Spooky Tooth.

      The box set comes complete with a well written booklet and, a touch I especially like cosmetic though it is, the CD's themselves look like the old record label, an idea that seems to be growing to my delight.

      So I'm stuck in a time warp but who cares. When you have music of such quality I'm pleased to be a 50 something who still remembers "Sounds" and Radio One In Concert on a Saturday night fondly. The set covers Island acts from 1967 to 1972 and is a must for the discerning muci lover. Come back Chris Blackwell. We need you.1. Supernatural Fairy Tales - Art
      2. Paper Sun - Traffic
      3. Harpsichord Shuffle - Wynder K. Frog
      4. Rainbow Chaser - Nirvana
      5. Pearly Queen - Tramline
      6. Sunshine Help Me - Spooky Tooth
      7. Dusty - Martyn, John
      8. Meet On The Ledge - Fairport Convention
      9. Song For Jeffrey - Jethro Tull
      10. Carpenter - Clouds
      11. I Keep Singing That Same Song - Heavy Jelly
      12. Black Mass - White Noise
      13. Over The Green Hills - Free
      14. Worry - Free
      15. Giants - Quintessence
      16. Queen Of Scots - Amazing Blondel
      17. Feelin' Alright - Traffic
      18. Sing Me A Song That I Know So Well - Blodwyn Pig
      19. Sailors Life - Fairport Convention

      Disc: 2
      1. New Day Yesterday - Jethro Tull
      2. No Time To Live - Traffic
      3. Three Hours - Drake, Nick
      4. Lost In My Dream - Spooky Tooth
      5. Stormbringer - John & Beverley Martyn
      6. Strangely Strange But Oddly Normal - Dr. Strangely Strange
      7. Notting Hill Gate - Quintessence
      8. Banks Of the Nile - Fotheringay
      9. Wild World - Cat Stevens
      10. Painted Chariot - Incredible String Band
      11. Cat Food - King Crimson
      12. Groon - King Crimson
      13. Northstar Grassman And The Ravens - Sandy Denny
      14. Suite In C - McDonald & Giles
      15. Siege Of Yaddlethorpe - Amazing Blondel

      Disc: 3
      1. Knife Edge - Emerson Lake & Palmer
      2. Thunderbuck Ram - Mott The Hoople
      3. Northern Sky - Nick Drake
      4. Thru The Night - Alan Bown
      5. Dark Dance - Robin Williamson,
      6. I Am The Walrus - Spooky Tooth
      7. Glistening Glyndebourne - John Martyn
      8. Fire And Water - Free
      9. See My Way - Blodwyn Pig
      10. See The World (Through My Eyes) - Vinegar Joe
      11. Peace Train - Cat Stevens
      12. Watercolour Days - Clouds
      13. Low Spark Of The High Heeled Boys - Traffic
      14. Song For Suzie - Heads Hands & Feet
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