Search - Liverpool Scene :: Amazing Adventures of/Bread of the Night

Exuberance abounding!

William Timothy Lukeman | 03/19/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Before anything else, this collection is FUN! And it's clear in listening that the band members had a wonderful time creating the songs & setting Adrian Henri's poetry to musical backgrounds. Which doesn't make it any less serious, mind you -- but at that time, solemn & campy, ridiculous & poignant, could be woven together without a second thought. It was a time of experimentation, of trying anything that came to mind, of exploring new possibilities. Did every single one succeed? Of course not! But a great many did. And in this fine collection, we have a superb example of the spirit that was alive in that time.



Here we have the playful & ironic "Bat Poem," which juxtaposes the most absurd incarnation of the crimefighting hero with the real life horrors of Vietnam, along with the suggestion that such a simplistic comic book philosophy informed the worldview of Washington -- something we've seen repeated in Iraq today, alas. "Universes" is a loving tribute to the science-fiction writers who opened the band members' imaginations, and "I've Got Those Fleetwood Mac Chicken Shack John Mayall Can't Fail Blues" hilariously lampoons the English mania for blues at the time -- which often resulted in some fantastic music, all the same.



In pieces like "Love Story," "Palms," "See the Conkering Heroine Comes," and "Winter Poem," we get the lyric depth of Adrian Henri as a poet, as much influenced by the English Romantics as by the Beats, offering beautiful & emotionally resonant images & metaphors. These pieces should send the listener directly to a collected volume of Henri's poetry, where further riches await. And a copy of "The Mersey Poets," where Henri shares pages with his fellow poets Roger McGough & Brian Patten, is a must.



As the 1960s slip further into history & transmute into myth, what the general public usually gets is the same old handful of stereotypical images & songs. For those who want to get a real taste of what it felt like then, taken on the living pulse of the times, this collection is essential. Embrace the silliness & innocence which seems so verboten today, savor the dazzling imagery, and allow your mind to soar above the pre-digested pap that passes for imagination these days. Highly recommended for the adventurous in spirit!"

When Liverpool was filled with Beat Poets and magical moment

Janis Schacht | Bronx, NY United States | 03/29/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I became a fan of the Merseybeat poets in the late sixties.

Adrian Henri(R.I.P.), Roger McGough (The Scaffold) and Brian Patten were three of the best selling poets in England, pop poets in the spirit of Dylan Thomas reading their works aloud, combining it with lovely acoustic music and humour. I first saw

The Liverpool Scene perform in London in the summer of 1969 at the Marquee Club. I had one of the best times I can ever remember. They were funny, talented and totally unique. They stood alone in time and space unlike anything or anyone else.

Creative people writing wonderful poetry that echoed off the walls of the Cavern and the Liverpool arts community. Perhaps you had to be there to appreciate it. Perhaps you had to understand how much they loved the American beat poets to see their worth. But if a poet like Adrian Henri who had many, many

wonderful poems published that are NOT represented in this collection ("Love From Arthur Rainbow" a special favorite) could reach more people by courageously going out on a rock stage and reading his work and singing than more power to him. The first time The Liverpool Scene played New York was at Ungano's at a party for a famous groupie. Led Zeppelin were there dancing, Keith Moon and Legs Larry Smith (Bonzo Dog Band) were also there, it was a great night. Maybe it's these memories that make the doubled collection of these two albums so special. But it is also the quality of the minds that collaborated to record them.

Mike Hart's "Glider's and Parks" is a magical song. He also has material from his two solo albums released on obscure cd's worth searching for here and buying. I believe someone was selling the set for 25 cents.

So, if you remember these discs fondly, sure they may have aged a little, like a fine cheddar cheese. But don't write them off.

"

Swinging with the Liverpool Scene

Conan Carey | Palo Alto, CA | 05/23/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this album secondhand on vinyl when I was a teenager and cherished it. Yes some of the poetry is self-consciously "hip" and politically conscious, but so what -- if you like albums recorded by beatniks like The Fugs or Allen Ginsberg then you will love this album. And the first reviewer neglected to mention one more beautiful song, Gliders and Parks (Spiders and Larks) which is one of the most haunting songs of lost love I think I've ever heard. The songs that are good are very very good. No aficionado of hippie/beat culture can afford not to hear Percy Parslow's Hamster Farm or Burdock River Run. I always saw the Liverpool Scene as a poetry collective where some people were stronger than others, anyway."