RICK PRICE Talking to Flowers RARE '71 LP ex-Move psych

$

48

VERY RARE original 1971 LP by ex-Move member Rick Price, "Talking to the Flowers" on the UK Gemini label.  A STUNNING lost popsike classic here, recorded in 1971 but believe me, this SOUNDS 1968 all the way.  Imagine if Rick's old band the Move had recorded an album of baroque pop psych inspired by the Left Banke and Zombies, and this is what you've got here.     Exquisite orchestrated UK popsike in the tradition of comps like Rubble and Fading Yellow - beautiful stuff - and unfortunately for Rick, housed in one of the all-time WORST album covers EVER in the history of music!  Now I figure the Gemini label wasn't a major player and may not have had the graphic design team of Hipgnosis on their side, but STILL...it looks like they gave a ten-year old a sheet of kitchen wallpaper and some large press-on type and told him to do a record cover.  It's that bad.  But fortunately, you can put the sleeve away and concentrate on the music, which aint bad at all.  "Butterfly" is one such popsike gem - and continuing in the grand tradition of songs mentioning butterflies, this is SUPERB floating drifty trippy wah wah psych pop with piano and super catchy melody.  This is easily in the same league as prime Hollies, Small Faces and all the major names you find throughout your Rubble box set.  "April is Here" has a groovy late Zombies "Odysey and Oracle" feel - lots of minor keys, moody organ, flute, cool acid guitar - it's a baroque pop lovers DREAM - as Rick goes all Left Banke and Procol Harum on us here.  "Please No More Sad Songs" harkens back to the Move a bit (and even the Idle Race, whose song it was originally anyway), especially their later, dramatic catchy ballads like "Beautiful Daughter" and "The Last Thing on My Mind".  This is pure orchestrated beauty - a big, dramatic ballad with swirling strings, flute, and the kind of echoed-out lilting vocal theatrics you'd expect from a Roy Wood.  Yes, Rick does manage to pull off a fairly good Roy Wood impersonation on this one, making this the closest he gets to his old band - it would have fit nicely on "Shazam" and really IS that good a song too!  "And Now", the final track (ironic title then, isn't it?) is pure delicate Fading Yellow style baroque popsike with strings, flute, xylophone and a real cool Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" feel to it as well.  A STUNNING album, full of lost popsike gems that you'll instantly put on your favorites list - this is the sound of a talented musician showing his appreciation for the best of British pop.  Now, if only we could hire Hipgnosis to do a redesign on that cover...  Original RARE as hens teeth UK pressing on the Gemini label, 1971.  Cover is in NEAR MINT shape - hard to find a single flaw on it and was kept with loving care by its original owner.  Vinyl looks new, plays with some very light surface noise, perhaps due to pressing, plays VG++ overall.  Winning bidder pays $3.00 media mail shipping in the US, $6 to Canada, $11 everywhere else.  Paypal, Bidpay, cash, checks and money orders accepted.