Oldish Psych and Prog

genre: psych, beat

country: uk

quality : lossless (flac, cue, log, booklet scans)

time: ' " size: 283 mb

issue: 1999

Tapestry of Delights:

This group evolved out of The Mark Four, which featured Phillips, Pickett and Jones, with John Dalton on bass. The Mark Four recorded four singles, which are now very sought-after, primarily because they were the first recordings by this personnel. When Dalton departed to join The Kinks, Bob Garner joined from Tony Sheridan's Band as a replacement.

The group then changed their name to The Creation and had two minor UK hits with Making Time, which reached No 49 in July 1966 and Painter Man, a No 36 in November 1966. Both featured fine guitar work from Phillips who was the first musician to use a violin bow on his guitar.

Kenny Pickett now left the group for a while. Bob Garner took over on vocals and Kim Gardner (from The Birds) came in on bass.

The Creation made far more impact on the Continent, where two albums were issued, than in the UK. Both albums are good, containing many of their singles and other strong material such as Hey Joe, Nightmares and Can I Join Your Band?:

'Can I join your band

I'm a hippy guy

Always stoned

And eight miles high'

In 1968, Ronnie Wood (later of The Faces and Rolling Stones) replaced Phillips on guitar, although later that year the whole group disintegrated. Both of their Continental albums are extremely rare, particularly copies of We Are Paintermen. However, for the less affluent, there have been a number of compilations, and any of these will serve as a good introduction to the band.

The Creation were rather special and this explains collectors' interest in them. They were innovative and talented. Pickett's vocals were powerful, Phillips' guitar work was inventive and they composed some excellent songs. They were a theatrical live attraction, too, Pickett often sprayed aerosol paint onto a white screen and burnt it. It is surprising that the success they achieved on the Continent eluded them here - perhaps they spent too little time in the UK.

After they split, Kenny Pickett co-wrote Clive Dunn's 1970 No 1 Grandad! and was a roadie for Led Zeppelin. Gardner later became part of Ashton, Gardner and Dyke who had a 1971 hit with Resurrection Shuffle.

The Creation reformed in May 1987 and issued a single, A Spirit Of Love, backed by an update of their sixties hit, Making Time. They reformed again in the nineties (line-up Bob Garner, Eddie Phillips, Kenny Pickett and Jack Jones) issuing a live album, Lay The Ghost (Cohesion COCRE 1) 1993, which captures their excellent re-union gig at London's Mean Fiddler venue that year. The CD package comes in an LP-sized sleeve, with a pop-art poster and detailed liner notes by Kenny Pickett. The band also recorded a single Creation, in 1994 and started recording an album of new studio material in 1995. They've also did some further gigs and had a BBC Radio One session on 'The Mark Radcliffe Show'.

Sadly, Kenny Pickett, the band's much loved singer and principal songwriter died on 10th January, 1997.

1 Cool Jerk 2:18
2 Making Time 2:55
3 Through My Eyes 3:05
4 Like A Rolling Stone 2:57
5 Can I Join Your Band 2:14
6 Tom Tom 2:54
7 Try And Stop Me 2:25
8 If I Stay Too Long 3:21
9 Biff, Bang, Pow 2:33
10 Nightmares 3:11
11 Hey Joe 4:07
12 Painter Man 2:51

Bonus Tracks

13 How Does It Feel To Feel (US Version) 3:02
14 Sylvette 2:41
15 I Am The Walker 2:45
16 Ostrich Man 2:56
17 Sweet Helen 2:59
18 Life Is Just Beginning 3:21
19 For All That I Am 3:07
20 Midway Down 3:00

Special Bonus

21 Mark Four, The - Hurt Me If You Will 2:53
22 Mark Four, The - I'm Leaving 3:31
23 Mark Four, The - Work All Day (Sleep All Night) 2:56
24 Mark Four, The - Going Down Fast 2:35

BOB GARNER bs, vcls

JACK JONES drms

EDDIE PHLLIPS lead gtr

KENNY PICKETT vcl