In my vinyl collection, I have many oddities, and without a doubt, Fresh's "Fresh Out of Borstal" is a weird album. Fresh was a trio consisting of Kevin Francis, Robert Gorman, and Roger Chantler, and in appearance seem to come out of a harsh British prison 'Borstal.' In actuality, Fresh is a concept put together by the great Simon Napier-Bell, who was the manager for Marc Bolan, The Yardbirds, Japan (the band), and Wham! This is not really a rock n' roll album, but more of a musical that never got produced. Not sure if this was meant to go beyond this album as a concept, but nevertheless, it is probably the first queer orientated pop/rock album released to the mass market.
The songs were written by Ray Singer, who produced early Japan, Clive Sarstedt and the mastero himself, Napier-Bell. Although the band is listed as a guitar/bass/drums trio, the fact there are a lot of instruments on the tracks, and at times, there is a Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed-era sound, mixed with the vibes of a musical such as "Hair." The whole album is enjoyable, but the one classic cut is "And The Boys Lazed On The Verandah." I remember hearing this song as a teenager and thinking only one word "Wow." For whatever odd reason, KMET in Los Angeles would play this song time-to-time. Still, there are great string arrangements that run through these songs, such as "You Made Me What I Am." It's a Skinhead look, but the music is not in that vain whatsoever, or even close to the early aesthetics of Slade. Quirky London West End theater (in theory) and something that would never be a great mass success. But for those who love the British eccentricity in the pop music world, this album goes well with the great Lionel Bart (aesthetically speaking of course).
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