Their 1970 album intended as a soundtrack to their theatrical stage show, this was subtitled A Surreal Parade in Song and Dance. Includes the epic 'Rainbow'. Never before on CD, this the amazing Elektra remastered edition.
"U" is something special, and almost accidental. Its structure, dictated by its title, seems almost unapparent in the music itself. Look closely at the cover: it represents a "Siddhartha" like journey from the purity of innocence, down into the temptation and turmoil of the physical world, returning to a high level of spirtuality. What is lost? Innocence, represented by the little ball at the top left, then left behind at the lower right. Easy enough. The wide-ranging breadth (and length) of U was a direct consequence of the equally ambitious stage show in which the songs were featured. Described at the time (in Melody Maker) by Robin Williamson as a "surreal parable in song and dance," it was neither a pageant, a play, dance, theater, nor pantomime, though there were elements of all of those. The four core Incredible String musicians of the time -- Williamson, Mike Heron, Rose Simpson, and Licorice McKechnie -- were augmented by Stone Monkey, who themselves were a hard-to-define performance group. Masterpiece