Mick Stevens See The Morning/No Savage Word CD

The albums the collectors' label Shadoks reissues are hit or miss, but this two-fer by the U.K. singer/songwriter Mick Stevens has definitely more pluses than minuses -- for fans of obscure '70s folk-rock and psychedelic rock, that is. As D.I.Y. as it could get back then, these two albums were home-recorded and originally pressed by the specialty company Deroy, which could make runs as small as ten LPs at a time. Released (so to speak) in 1972, See the Morning is the pick of the two. Featuring only Stevens on vocals, guitars (acoustic and electric), and tambourine, it offers 40 minutes of vibrant, genuine, and raw folk songs. Stevens' lyrics are not particularly original or brilliant, but his heart is in the right place and he sings with passion. His harmony singing is less precise, but he stumbles upon some very nice arrangements. "Smile Again" and "Beech Tree" really have their own character. "Catherine" is strongly reminiscent of Anthony Phillips' songwriting (circa The Geese & the Ghost and Wise After the Event), while "The Wheel" evokes Linda Perhacs' vocal arrangements. But the highlights of this first opus are "Burning" and "Salotan Cinonrever," the latter featuring some multi-tracking miracles for the time. Disc two is devoted to the 1975 LP No Savage Word. Here, by attempting to develop a fuller sound, Stevens loses part of his charm. The bassist, drummer, and second guitarist add little to the music. In fact, their lack of tightness tends to make the amateurishness of the songs more flagrant. There are still a few good songs, namely "Sometimes," "Some Kind of Unholiness," and the closing "Across the Miles," and some strong guitar playing (a cover of Davy Graham's "Angie"). One finds moments in both albums that seem to foretell the American post-folk/neo-folk current of the early 2000s, with hints of the aesthetics that Califone and Christian Kiefer would develop. ~ François Couture

Personnel: Mick Stevens (vocals, acoustic guitar, acoustic 12-string guitar, electric guitar, Spanish guitar, banjo, bouzouki, harmonica, tambourine); Warne Livesey (electric guitar, 12-string guitar, glockenspiel); Mick Ransome (drums); Des Brewer (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Warne Livesey.