I began listening to the Incredible String Band in June 2024. The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter is generally very well reviewed, so when deciding to listen to this band, I coaxed myself into listening to the group's first three albums instead of a single compilation. What a mistake! What a waste of time! This band sucks.
The Incredible String Band (1966): B-
The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion (1967): C+
The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter (1968): C
The Incredible String Band (1966):
Scotland had a surprisingly large folk circuit in the 1960s that mixed folk traditions from the homeland and from the United States. The Incredible String Band were certainly one of the more high profile and released their flimsy debut in 1966 with their original lineup of Clive Palmer, Robin Williamson, and Mike Heron. While ultimately settling upon a well-meant and authentic revivalist sound, the trio's multi-instrumental talents can lead to some questionable arrangements with flutes, kazoos, violins, and tin whistles. Rarely producing anything worthwhile with that approach, this group instead shines with simple arrangements to catchy original or traditional songs like on "October Song," "Schaeffer's Jig," "Dandelion Blues," "How Happy I Am," and the unfortunately named instrumental near the end of the track-list. But a lack of unity in the band--several of the tracks are solo cuts and only three songs feature all three musicians--leads to an erratic array of quality as well as the quick breakup of the original trio when Palmer left the group after this album's release. But even with a shakeup in personnel, a group so thoroughly dedicated to playing traditional music this far into the 1960s will surely remain steadfast on the folk highway even as psychedelia sweeps Britain in the upcoming year... right? B-
The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion (1967):
In spite of the stupid album title and the hodgepodge of international instruments at this band's hands, the ISB stay fairly close to the music they performed last year all things considered. Not that staying close to home is doing this group any favors. Plus, psychedelic cliches (however subtle or well done they are) will always make inoffensive and mildly talented singers sound majorly pretentious. C+
The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter (1968):
The original discriminating buffalo man should retire to his labyrinth under the sea and never make music again. The other guy (however non-aquatic he may be) should too. C
