The Incredible String Band — Wee Tam and the Big Huge( 2015 reissue)

Over the last few years Uk based label BGO have been doing a stellar job in reissuing the back catalogue of The Incredible String Band- a late 60’s/ early 70’s band who brewed up a very distinctive & one-off blend of: psychedelic folk, world music, and genre mixing.  Here we have the next chapter in their reissue series, and it comes in the form of 1968’s Wee Tam and the Big Huge- which saw the band offering up a more concise & controlled selection of tracks that highlighted both the bands ability to write a good memorable tune, yet also create surprising & creative song craft.

The album originally appeared back in November 1968 as both a double album & two single albums. It arrived some seven months after the bands third album ‘The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter’- which is seen as their most important work and a prime example of 60’s hippy culture.  This reissue sees the album getting a digital remastering, and offered up in the form of a double CD release in a slip case covered jewel case.

The joint albums have a total running time of 68 minutes, and really the whole album offers up some of the bands most approachable, yet still very creative work. In all both albums feature a total of 18 tracks, and these see the band moving from the up-beat & joyous, onto the quirky & heady, through to the genre shift & inventive. ‘The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter’ is rightly seen as the bands greatest work; but it had it’s awkward, jarring & at times angular moments- but with Wee Tam and the Big Huge, the band planed these back, and offered up a selection of tracks that could be more easily taken in. Yet didn't lose the projects distinctive sound,  it's mixing  of musical genres, or the introduction of unusually instrumentation into their songs.

The reissue comes with a twenty page inlay booklet- this takes in a new six page article about  the album, full lyrics & art work from the original double vinyl album release.  All in all this is another great reissue from  BGO, and really a great way into the distinctive & one-off sonic world of The Incredible String Band.