Friday, March 14, 2008

Jeremy Dormouse - Toad (1968)

Dormouse had previously been with a late sixties folk outfit, The Rejects, who also put out an ultra-rare privately-pressed album. He is supported by a range of backing musicians on this horrendously rare privately-pressed album, which was housed in a beautiful silk-screen sleeve. Four of the tracks - Portrait For Marianne, By The Way, October Morning and Apple Annie - were penned by Chris Cuddy, one of the supporting musicians and four others - Young Face, Sometimes You Ain't Got Nothing Boy, Believe Me and Small Man by another, M. Waddington. There are interesting interpretations of Dylan's Baby Blue and Bo Diddley's Who Do You Love, but the highlights of this superb album are the vocals of Reign Ghosts' Linda Squires on High Flying Bird and Leonard Cohen's Suzanne. A priority album for reissue.
(taken from "Dreams, Fantasies And Nightmares")

Based on this review I was eager to find a copy of "Toad". Finally in 2002 it was re-issued as "The Toad Recordings" (Hallucination HCD 05) and as I have heard it... well, I was slightly disappointed. "Young Face" and "Who Do You Love" (which IS an interesting interpretation) done quite well and "Just To Hear The Bells" is great loner folk. But to be honest the whole thing is nothing more than a rather ordinary folk effort. Maybe I expected too much or maybe I was the wrong person who bought THIS record.

Tracklist:
- Baby Blue
- Young Face
- High Flying Bird
- Portrait For Marianne
- Just To Hear The Bells
- Sometimes You Ain't Got Nothin'
- By The Way
- I Need A Friend
- Suzanne
- Believe Me
- October Morning
- Small Man
- Who Do You Love?
- Apple Annie

Personnel:
J. W. Dormouse [aka Cris Cuddy] (vcls, gtr, hrmnca)

[additional musicians]
Lynda Squires (vcls)
Carol Delorme (vcls)
Richard Gullison (lead gtr)
Peter Cragg (lead gtr)
Marcus Waddington (vcls, gtr)
Don Tapscott (vcls, gtr, perc)
Dennis Delorme (vcls, gtr)
David McKay (bs)
Nick Corneal (bs)
Mike Clancy (bs)
Cris Cuddy (hrmnca)

Origin:
Petersborough (Ontario/Canada)

Discographie:
Albums:
1. Toad (Private Pressing T13) 1968

Get it here (Artwork included)

Listen to Just To Hear The Bells

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

A very good folk album everyone can listen till the electric lemonade vol 1 post?.Perhaps this weekend Buffalo ?.

Buffalo Billycan said...

Sorry jeanbernard,

the record is still in the hands of a "friend" I haven't met since 3 years. It seems I should go in touch with him again to get this (and other records) back.

Anonymous said...

No problem Buffalo ,it's your "friend" and your album.Hope your friend is not the creator of"sixties pizza" concept;a chorizo pizza served on an original sixties album cover?.Of course the beer is served on an original sixties French EP cover.
Twighlight is also a very good cd with beautiful vocals.
Nice weekend.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this. Nice folk.

musio*52 said...

Thanks for putting together this very interesting blog, but special thanks for posting these rare Canadian albums. And the link to Patrimoine PQ blog has opened up another much appreciated avenue of discovery.
A request: the self-titled "James and The Good Brothers" which was the first recording by Canadian folk-country legends The Good Brothers (well, 2 of them). My brother had this album but its long gone and impossible to find, never reissued and likely never will be.

Anonymous said...

Thanx a lot!