Nice Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack CD - Import

Full title - The Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack. 2003 reissue of 1967 album (13-track edition) includes a bonus disc with 13 tracks, (Alternative Autumn 67 Versions) 'Flower King Of Flies', 'Bonnie K', 'Dawn', 'Tantalising Maggie', 'The Cry Of Eugene', 'The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack', 'Daddy Where Did I Come From' (Alternative Version), 'America/Second Amendment' (Alternative Stereo Version), (BBC Sessions 1967-68) 'Sombrero Sam', 'Get To You', 'The Diamond Hard Blue Apples Of The Moon', 'Bradenburger', & 'Little Arabella (& Sorcery)'. Slipcase. Castle.

The Nice: David O'List (vocals, guitar, flute, trumpet); Keith Emerson (vocals, keyboards); Lee Jackson (guitar, bass, percussion); Brian Davison (drums, percussion).
Includes liner notes by Roger Dopson.
THOUGHTS OF EMERLIST DAVJACK is the 1967 reissue by prog rockers The Nice, featuring "Flower King Of Flies," "The Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack," and "Rondo."
The 1998 Castle Communications reissue (ESM 647) of the only album by the progressive band as a quartet runs circles around every other version of this album on CD, including the material in the 1995 Charly Records box, which was pretty good. Otherwise, the music is a flawed but valiant effort at progressive-type art rock, a little too heavily influenced by spaced-out, druggy psychedelia and suffering severely from the lack of a real singer in the ranks of the band. Keith Emerson's organ and piano flourishes never sounded crisper, and Davy O'List's Hendrix-ish guitar is in sharp relief as well. Mostly, though, this record still suffers from the fact that the players had virtually no experience in a recording studio, and seem uncomfortable working without an audience in front of them. ~ Bruce Eder
An okay, but unambitious first album, heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix. Lacking discipline, but full of surprises. ~ Bruce Eder

Q (1/04, p.141) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[A] slice of cool, precise psychedelia coupled with outlandish keyboard trilling."
Q (Magazine) (p.117) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Mixing psychedelia with heavy rock, playful classical flourishes and some jazzy variations..."
Record Collector (magazine) (p.95) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "The tracks which really cut loose and offer a sample of the band's legendary live fireworks are the Hendrixy 'Bonnie K' and 'War & Peace,' with 'Flower King Of Flies' a must for fellow twitbeat freaks."