A$# 019 The Move | The Move

This 1968 self-titled album by The Move is a wonderful slice of British psychedelia. Many North American readers may not be familiar with the group, because they didn’t make that big a splash on this side of the Atlantic. But they were an important component of the Brummie music scene in Birmingham, and developed a nation-wide following. And of course the group sort of morphed into ELO after fellow Brummie Jeff Lynne joined, but that’s jumping ahead a few years in the story.

With the original line-up, the group featured the early eccentric song writing style and guitar work of Roy Wood, the powerful vocals and over-the-top antics of lead singer Carl Wayne, the powerful drumming of Bev Bevan, and solid work from guitarist Trevor Burton and bassist Ace Kefford.

The debut album featured the previously released single Flowers In The Rain (the very first song played on BBC Radio 1 when it debuted in September 1967) and another hit, the fiery Fire Brigade. But those aren’t the only cool songs. Yellow Rainbow and (Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree could be about acid trips (or maybe not). Kilroy Was Here is an ode to an unseen adversary. Walk Upon The Water may be an early rant against drinking and driving. Useless Information preludes the idea of info overload. There’s a beautiful, medieval feeling Mist On A Monday Morning, a cover of Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart (with questionable vocals from Bev), and the almost great Cherry Blossom Clinic (which would be revisited in, believe it or not, Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited, on the next album).

The whole album is a treat, and somehow archetypically evocative of 1960s England..

The remastered CD adds a whole whack of stuff, including two other singles (Night Of Fear and I Can Hear The Grass Grow) and their b-sides, plus some alt versions and stereo mixes, and the wonderful Vote For Me.

Track listing:
1. Yellow Rainbow
2. Kilroy Was Here
3. (Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree
4. Weekend
5. Walk Upon the Water
6. Flowers in the Rain
7. Hey Grandma
8. Useless Information
9. Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart
10. Girl Outside
11. Fire Brigade
12. Mist on a Monday Morning
13. Cherry Blossom Clinic
plus bonus tracks on remastered CD:
14. Night of Fear (a-side)
15. Disturbance (b-side)
16. I Can Hear the Grass Grow (a-side)
17. Wave Your Flag and Stop the Train (b-side)
18. Vote for Me (previously unreleased)
19. Disturbance (previously unreleased alt version)
20. Fire Brigade (previously unreleased alternate version)
21. Second Class (She's Too Good for You) (Roy Wood solo track)
22. Cherry Blossom Clinic (previously unreleased version)
23. (Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree (stereo version)
24. Weekend (stereo version)
25. Flowers in the Rain (stereo version)
26. Useless Information (stereo version)
27. Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart (stereo version)
28. Girl Outside(stereo version)
29. Walk Upon the Water (stereo version)