CULPEPER’S Culpepers ORCHARD s/t LP Prog-Psych V RARE

	A$		200
	$		133

12” Album with gate-fold sleeve & booklet

CULPEPER’S ORCHARD  

…. self-titled 1st album …

1971 1st German Issue
Polydor label # SBP 237894 (?) ~ Stereo

CONDITION

VINYL : terrific / some light scuff marks here and the, mainly Side One, however it tracks along both sides superbly with no pops or skips / no lead in-out noise / an awesome crystal clear and crisp sound / shiny throughout and more than acceptable for this rarity / rated EX (EX+) ??

LABELS :- clean both sides. Lack of spindles marks suggests this lp has had minimal use

SLEEVE : front and backcovers are very good with some wear apparent around the edges. Unfortunately there is some damage to spine from crate rubbing (the only downside to this incredible album)

BOOKLET : immaculate and difficult to fault / 6 pages with drawings and lyrics

Description : A terrific original 1971 gatefold issue (with booklet) of this much sought after proto-prog album from Danish outfit Culpeper’s Orchard.

Culpeper’s Orchard is often hailed as one of the holy-grail guitar dominated albums that challenges preconceptions….and an amazing effort for a Danish album with English lyrics though admittedly the accents are so slight that not only do they not detract from the sound and most wouldn’t even pick up on it. The songwriting is very good, especially that of lead singer Cy Nicklin. The band plays with the energy and conviction typical of the late sixties, and they're willing to take a few chances without ever sounding contrived. If you are looking for the missing link between psychedelic and prog rock then this slots in nicely.

As rare as rocking horse poo this original LP rarely turns up and one for serious collectors only.

MORE NOTES :

The real appeal to Culpepers orchard is the outstanding guitar work.

Snarling, jangling, aggressive, heavy, imbued with both folk and psych sensibilities, the tapestry of this album is woven from the fretboards of Nicklin and Henriksen. They immediately render themselves with youthful abandon upon "Mountain Music Part 1," peeling off riff after ferocious riff. Side one is likewise filled to overflowing with fret-blazing aplenty. "Hey You People" and "Teaparty For An Orchard" form an imperfect but potent mini-suite, while parts of "Ode To Resistance" are as good as anything from the genre …topped off superbly by Michael Friis' flute playing. Henriksen and Nicklin cowrote the side The opener "Your Song And Mine" was co-penned by Henriksen and Nicklin providing an excellent example of how good two guitars can sound together, and comes off as a particular highlight amidst the other songs on the album.

The keyboards, also played by the multi-skilled Friis, are used well, mostly to provide depth and color to the musical palette. Henriksens's short acoustic tune "Blue Day's Morning" before "Mountain Music Part 2" closes this landmark release. It comes across as somewhat diverse, suggesting West Coast psych and possessing a fair amount of British-styled blues rock wailing before bringing back the ol' banjo as a bookend.

Despite its subjective minor flaws here and there, Culpeper's Orchard succeeds nicely as an ear-peeling 6-stringed extravaganza. Nicklin and Henriksen might not have been virtuosos, but the sheer exuberance and energy of their performance still sounds fresh and makes this album a keeper, if not exactly a stone-cold classic.

Tracklist:
1.  Banjocul — 0:46
2.  Mountain Music Part 1 — 6:26
3.  Hey You Paople — 1:29
4.  Teaparty for an Orchard — 6:09
5.  Ode to Resistance — 5:53
6.  Your Song & Mine — 5:34
7.  Gideon's Trap — 5:44
8.  Blue Day's Morning — 2:12
9.  Mountain Music Part 2 — 7:33

Personnel :

Cy Nicklin, lead vocals, rhythm & accoustic guitar, percussion; Niels Henriksen, lead guitar, piano, vocals, harpsicord; Michael Friis, bass, organ, flute, two finger piano, percussion; Rodger Barker, drums, percussion