08042014 - The World of Oz "The World of Oz"

Someone tipped me about this British band who released one single album of sweet and folk-poppy brit-psychedelia in 1969. It's very pleasant, and fans of early Bee Gees, The Flowerpot Men and the likes should love this. There's also hints of T-Rex, Herman's Hermits, Donovan, Matchstick Men-era Status Quo and just about everything else from this era that you would listen to if you were from Birmingham, but perhaps dreamt of San Francisco. The tunes are very light and catchy, but elegant and sophisticated enough to remain interesting. And is it just me, or does singer Christopher Robin remind quite a bit of a male Marianne Faithfull, about a million cigarettes ago? Fun fact: Geoff Nicholls, who plays the organ on this record, went on to play keyboard for Black Sabbath, and appears on every single of their studio albums from "Heaven And Hell" to "Forbidden"!