Billy Nicholls - "Would You Believe" 2 x Vinyl, Compilation, Limited Edition, 2007/1968 (Immediate)

I had the CD of the original album but recently purchased a reissued limited-edition double-set, with the extra songs being demos and stuff that didn't make it on the original release in 1968.  "Would You Believe" is incredible.  Imagine the Psychedelic sounds of The Small Faces meeting The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds," and that equals Billy Nicholls.  I don't have that much information on Nicholls, but I believe he is sort of like Speedy Keen of Thunderclap Newman, who was a pal of Pete Townshend and helped out in the studio here and there.   Billy did the same thing for The Who in the 70s and afterward.  This comes to mind perhaps Pete hires people more talented than him!

The Small Faces helped out with the production and arrangement for the song "Would You Believe," and it clearly has their sound, but Nicholls' talent doesn't disappear in the mix whatsoever.  This album is full of brilliant British musicians of its time, with great arrangements by John Paul Jones and Arthur Greenslade, who even worked with Serge Gainsbourg.  My favorite cut here is "Girl From New York," which is the perfect combination of power pop melody with heavy 60s guitar groove that is total Mod-tastic.  The album comes from the sensibility of British Mod-era music as it went into the late 60s.  This album is the perfect sound and example of what was happening at that time, especially in London.  Try to find the double-album set, with the demos attached, because they to are fantastic.  Perfect record. 

Marc Bolan - "Pictures of Purple People" Vinyl, LP, Album, Remastered, 2019 (Easy Action)

A fascinating album of demos by a young Marc Bolan that shows him off as being very influenced by Bob Dylan, and then quickly he turns his obsessions to American cars and girls.  A road map that leads to T Rex.  The great majority of the songs here are just Marc with acoustic guitar, and it is also interesting to see how he used his voice in the early stages of his career.  For the T Rex obsessive, and those who want to study how Dylan influenced many artists. 

The Associates - "Wild and Lonely" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1990 (Circa)

There is no such thing as a bad Associates or Billy Mackenzie record.  It doesn't really exist. Still, the early recordings with Alan Rankine are for sure the more artful era of The Associates.  Compare early Bryan Ferry with Eno Roxy Music, and later era of that band.  Both are still great, but very different. "Wild and Lonely" is basically Billy solo, even though he kept the band's name, it is a solo album.  It is also a brilliant pop album with a strong groove.  I think Billy was listening to Michael Jackson "Off the  Wall," in that he mixes the pop with the Rn'B in an organic manner that it seems effortless.  There is not a bad cut on the album, and why it wasn't successful either in the UK or in the U.S., is sort of an odd mystery, but more of a great disappointment.  

"Strasbourg Square" is a lush and beautiful ballad.  European to its soul, one would have hoped that Billy moved to Paris or even Berlin, but alas, a man of Scotland to the very end.  A great album.