Disc: 1
1. Future Won’t Be Long
2. Island
3. Magical Mary
4. Captain’s Log
5. At Home in the World
6. Cogwheels Crutches and Cyanide
7. Time Will Tell – Spirogyra, Cusack
8. We Were a Happy Crew
9. Love Is a Funny Thing
10. The Duke of Beaufoot
11. Dangerous Dave
12. Van Allen’s Belt
13. Runaway – Spirogyra, Borrill
14. Grandad
15. Wings of Thunder
16. World’s Eyes
Disc: 2
1. Don’t Let It Get You
2. Disraeli’s Problem – Spirogyra, Borrill
3. A Canterbury Tale
4. I Hear You’re Going Somewhere (Joe Really)
5. Counting the Cars
6. Window
7. Turn Again Lane
8. Melody Maker Man
9. The Furthest Point
10. Old Boot Wine
11. Parallel Lines Never Separate
12. Spiggly
13. An Everyday Consumption Song
14. The Sergeant Says
15. In the Western World: In the Western World/Jungle Lore/Coming Back
Editorial Reviews
This is a 2-disc retrospective that covers all 3 of Spirogyra’s albums remastered:
1971 – St. Radigunds
1972 – Old Boot Wine + unreleased material
1973 – Bells, Boots and Shambles
This is the first time that this extraordinary body of work has been re-compiled in this format. Unavailable for many years, this is the first time that Spirogya’s material has been re-issued. Annotated by David Wells, the booklet includes rare pics, memorabilia, and exclusive interviews. Castle. 2005.
Spirogyra biography
Although this group is hailing from Canterbury, they are not to be classified as such. Those musicians developed one of the better examples of prog-folk or folk-prog. The original line-up consisted of main writer Martin Cockerham as singer and guitarist, the beautiful and well known to progheads Barbara Gaskin on vocals, Steve Borrill on bass and Julian Cusack on violin. Although Dave Mattacks (of FAIRPORT CONVENTION fame) played drums on all three SPIROGYRA albums, he was never a member but a guest on the albums.
Customer Reviews
“Their first album, “St. Radiguns” was quite successful and very adventurous and can compared to COMUS’s First Utterances. Very moody, politically conscious songs full of great interplay (much like THE TREES) and with a great duo of voices in the COMUS or JEFFERSON AIRPLANE manner are the main assets of the highly recommended album. The follow-up “Old Boot Wine” however did not manage to succeed quite as well and Cusack appear only as a guest but they had a keyboardist instead. By the time of the third album “Bells, Boots and Shambles”, the band was down to just Cockerham and Gaskin with both ex-member Cusack and Borrill appearing as guest. This album was quite a return to form and there are some real epics full of cello for great melancholy moments. Sadly, this proved to be their last album. Barbara will go on with local bands as HATFIELD AND THE NORTH as one of the Northettes, than work with NATIONAL HEALTH and in the 80’s work with Bill Bruford and Dave Stewart.”
“Highly recommended and much more so than some other folk band (FOREST, HORSLIPS) especially regarding the prog contents.”
“This is a superb collection. If you like the Incredible String Band, Comus, or indeed psychedelic material like early Floyd, then you will love these rediscovered gems, another triumph for Sanctuary”.