Life Too, Has Surface Noise: The Complete Dandelion Records Singles Collection 1969-1972

They Say...

Review by Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

As the label co-run by the legendary British radio announcer John Peel (who handled the artistic side of things, with Clive Selwood taking care of the business end), Dandelion has enjoyed considerable prestige among collectors of late-'60s/early-'70s British progressive and folk-rock. That's particularly the case given that many of its releases have been very difficult to find since the company went out of business in the early '70s. This extremely well-packaged three-disc CD is bound to delight those collectors, as it gathers all 64 songs that appeared on Dandelion singles during the label's brief existence. Adding to its appeal, some of these tracks never appeared on album (or a previous CD), making them among the rarest Dandelion sides of all. Looked at a little more coldly, the musical quality of Dandelion's singles was certainly erratic, and even when admirable, often appealed to very specialized and acquired tastes. Certainly some of this stuff is rather humdrum period hard rock and blues-rock. While Dandelion's folk-rock had a higher batting average, few would put the genteel, wistful sounds of Bridget Saint John and Principal Edwards Magic Theatre in the top rung of British folk-rock of the era. There are also out-and-out eccentric efforts that verge on novelties -- like Bill Oddie's "On Ilkla Moor Baht'at"/"Harry Krishna" 45 -- and that, while a kick to hear once for their sheer outrageousness, certainly aren't the kinds of things even collectors put on very often. And while the cuts featuring young angst-folk-rocker Kevin Coyne (including tracks from his pre-solo career bands Clague and Siren) and the Coxhill/Bedford Duo (whose efforts are rather like an avant-garde jazz Bonzo Dog Band) have a higher level of artistry, certainly their material will be coveted mostly by cultists of oddball musicians, rather than the more general late-'60s/early-'70s rock collector. All those cautions noted, there are some interesting things here for aficionados of the obscure and unusual to investigate, though even the most enthusiastic of such listeners might find themselves skipping around. There's Medicine Head, whose folk-blues-rock could range from the peculiarly, compellingly lethargic and downbeat to the downright mundane; Principal Edwards Magic Theatre's quite pretty "Ballad (Of the Big Girl Now and a Mere Boy)" (one of the non-LP standouts in the box); the weird beyond belief (to Western ears, anyway) one-off release by the Japanese group the Yamasukis, whose "Yamasuki"/"Aieaoa" mixes samurai shouts with schoolgirl choral backup vocals and tribal psychedelic funk-rock; the Coxhill/Bedford Duo's genuinely amusing two-part "Pretty Little Girl," which takes the song from vaudeville to the most outside jazz; and the Gregorian prog rock of the Dutch band Supersister on "No Tree Will Grow." True, along the way you have to put up with some poorly dated stuff, like Stackwaddy's off-putting cock rock and wimpy singer/songwriter Clifford T. Ward. But as a testament to one man's idiosyncratic tastes, it's a pretty interesting trawl through the backwaters of the era's underground rock, even if you'd never put it on the same level as the best rock of the time (or even the best cult/underground rock of the time). Plus the 48-page booklet is superb, with a lengthy history of the label and its single releases, as well as bountiful rare photos and reproductions of Dandelion record sleeves, label art, press releases, and press clippings.