Formed in the late 60’s High Tide where a British band, which brewed up a rough ‘n’ ready at times heady mix of heavy psych rock. proto-metal,  & prog-rock. Here we have a three-CD boxset bringing together their first two albums- 1969 Sea Shanties, their 1970’s self-titled, and a demo/ studio session disc.

The boxset appears on Cherry Red’s prog/related sub-label Esoteric Recordings. Each of the CDs is presented in its own thick mini gatefold. The set features a thirty-six-page inlay booklet- taking in a new fifteen-page write-up about the band/ recordings featured here from Esoteric’s Mark Powell. Rare band pictures, press cuttings, poster art, etc.  The set is finished off with a replica small fold-out poster promoting the band's first album. With the whole thing being presented in a flip-side white box- taking in blue & black texts/ illustrations.  The label has done a wonderfully classy & definitive job on this set

The band formed in  Northampton initially running between  1969 and 1970.  It was a three-piece - bringing together Tony Hill (guitar and vocals), Simon House (violin and keyboards), Peter Pavli (bass guitar) and Roger Hadden (drums).  The band first appeared on record as the backing band for folk rocker Denny Gerrard’s Sinister Morning album. Going on to release seven studio albums in total: Sea Shanties (1969), High Tide (1970), Interesting Times (1986), Precious Cargo (1989) A Fierce Nature (1990), Ancient Gates (1990), The Reason of Success (1991).

So first out of the gate in the set we have 1969’s Sea Shanties- this was recorded around early June & July of that year- been released in October on Liberty Records. It’s a six-track affair, and it’s certainly a nicely raw, ragged and at points blown-out debut album.  We open with slugging ‘n’ wailing “Futilist’s Lament” which sits somewhere between jammed-out blues rock & heavy hard rock- with a very active use of often maniacally searing & sailing Volin. With the original first side playing out with “Pushed, But Not Forgotten” which starts off rather mellow & wonkily pastoral with clean guitar strums & wonder violin tones, and every so often it jarringly kicks into sudden distorted jam-outs.
The second side of the album moves from “Walking Down Their Outlook” which sounds like The Doors, if they went more lo-fi, and added in sudden dramatic proto-metal guitar chops here & there. With the album playing out with simmering & bounding “Nowhere” which kicks in with a ragged guitar/violin-led blues rock out- before shifting into sort of rough ‘n’ ready sing-song folk rock.  All in all a raw, but at points very ahead of it's times opening shot from the four-piece.

Next up we have the band's self-titled follow-up. This was recorded between April and May of 1970, going on to be released in October of that year. This was originally just a three-track album- though this reissue adds in a fourth track. From the off it's clear the production/ song craft is slightly less crude- with the band's sound elements more evenly blended. The original first side is taken up by “Blankman Cries Again” which sounds like if The Doors breed with a more rough Steppenwolf- with heavy folk rock edges. And “The Joke” which moved from cascading guitar & violin interplays, and more steady/mellow prog rock fare which rather brought to mind early King Crimson with sudden darts into strung out blues rock. The original second side was taken up by the epic nearing fourteen & a half minute “Saneonymous” which moves between violin-seared blues- rock jamming, onto building & bounding heavy prog rock climbs.  

The CD is topped off with another epic track in the form of “The Great Universal Protection Racket” which comes in just shy of the sixteen-minute mark- and is sort of a blend of bashing ‘n’ baying Avant rock, and heavy prog/ psych rock- with detours in blues/ rock jam outs- it’s ok, but you can see why it was not released- as it does feel a little too drawn out, with not enough happening in its runtime.

The third and final disc in the set is entitled Demos & Studio Sessions. It takes in eight tracks- these go to early less structured/ wondering versions of studio tracks, and three unreleased tracks taking in “Dilemma” which moves between sing-song prog rock & blunt blue rock workouts. The baying avant-jam rock of “Time Gauges”, and “Ice Age” which moves between pastoral and climbing psych rock. All in all a worthy bonus disc- with the versions of the album tracks being different enough, and the unreleased tracks being worthy/ interesting enough.

In finishing Esoteric have put a lot of time, care, and thought into this boxset. For those who have a penchant for heavy 70’s bands that blurred & blended proto-metal, heavy psych rock, and prog rock- this will be a revelation.