Bertie - Algy Lord Gray CD (Mega Blowout Sale)
SKU
SCD 014
“A gloriously mad, Kinks-influenced underground Edwardian progressive masterpiece. It’s as if Noel Coward, Hawkwind, The Incredible String Band, Neu, The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band and The Kinks were scrambled together in a disastrous Star Trek teleportation accident.
In 1970 the Berties took over a crumbling mansion in the wilds of Wales, made this LP, sent it to John Peel (whose letter of reply is reproduced on the sleeve), and never left. They remain in Wales to this day.
Bertie is a deranged subversive and witty concept album about a man’s descent into ruin. ‘Dragonfly Wings’ combines proto-motorik drumming (predating Neu) with Hawkwind and Incredible String Band influences. The surefire future hit ‘Would You Like a Brown Ale?’ is pure Ray Davies filtered through the demented minds of this ex-Etonian band of dissipated aristocratic youths mangling La Bamba into a Kinksian breakdown. ‘Would You Like To Score? says it like it is, without the wishy washy metaphors of the proletarian bands of the time—there is no ‘purple haze’ here, only, ‘where can we buy drugs’.
Far better than SF Sorrow, Tommy or Arthur, Bertie is a powerful argument for the return of a feudal system and a new British Empire. To reiterate, Bertie is the greatest LP ever made, and we wish to the gods we could press it on Shellac. Only two or three original LPs are known to exist, with fabulous hand sprayed covers. THE BEST LP IN THE WORLD. Originals valued at over £4,000.”
- LabelSeelie Court
- UPC5033281011712