Chad Stuart & Jeremy Clyde - The Ark

Shimmery, glimmery follow-up to Of Cabbages & Kings

As part of the British Invasion Chad & Jeremy became major stars in America, while remaining virtual unknowns in their home country. This 1968 Gary Usher-produced album shows how far they had moved beyond the comparatively simple Yesterday’s Gone, as they worked within a studiobased world that drew on baroque pop and soft-pop styles, wrapping them in ambitious acoustic arrangements of guitars, sitars and woodwinds.

Unusually structured songs such as the title track are multi-sectioned, with tempo and feel shifts that are never less than interesting, but sometimes lack enough consistent melodic hooks to draw listeners in. It’s as if song fragments were floating around unfettered, each one potentially worthy of full development, but remaining elusive in the whole album structure. Though not for everyone, with its three bonus tracks, many 60s pop-psych fans will welcome this reissue.

Rev-Ola | CRREV 279

Reviewed by Kingsley Abbott
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