Reviews (page 4 of 8)
I didn't add a single song here from Spotify, yet I'd gladly listen again.
I feel very uncool saying this but.... I quite liked it. My favourite genre/era is probably psychedelic/60s so this isn't that far removed from stuff I listen to. And the other qualifier is I put almost no weight into lyrics so the stream-of-consciousness babble doesn't really bother me. It reminded me a bit of listening to Donovan, another Scottish psychedelic folk singer, but if you reconstructed his work by putting it into a blender. It's a bit all over the place but that's obviously the point. Some bits are really good and other parts are really testing. Favourite bit: a music-hall song about a Minotaur who 'can't dream well because of his horns'. Brilliant.
J'ai été très déçu par cet album, sa qualité était très loin de mes espérances. En effet, après une écoute qualifiée de cauchemardesque par mon camarade d'écoute robpécunière, je m'attendais à retrouver un véritable cataclysme musical. Il n'en fut rien, j'ai passé un moment tout a fait banal avec ces joueurs de flûte patentés. Une vraie déception.
Well fiddle dee dee! This is an album for me! Not really, but I really did enjoy the fancifulness of this one. Nothing I would listen to otherwise, but I felt like I was transported to an old renaissance festival on some of these. Not sure how this album made it on this list, but glad it's here.
Odd, in a wonderful way. Sounds like at least three different bands playing at the same time - sometimes many more! LSD infused folk music, with a bonus point for being Scottish.
Pretty weird but has its place. Reminds me of Ege
The birth of psych folk? I'm here for it. Fave: A Very Cellular Song, and maybe Mercy I Cry City
Just nice folk
Folk at it's most freakishly psychedelic, The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter sees The Incredible String Band beginning to assemble the pieces of what would be intriguing and enticing puzzle, taking the once barren soundscapes of a tired sound and dousing it in mythology and spiritualism. An important part of the story of what would become "freak folk" in the years to come. Favorites: Koeeoaddi There, The Minotaur's Song, A Very Cellular Song, Waltz of the New Moon, The Water Song, There is a Green Crown.
Probably good back in the day but seems outdated now (2022)
I was ready to write this off as an album that shouldn’t be included until I heard a lick popularized by the Grateful Dead. If you’re good enough to share source material and interests with the dead, you’re good enough for a patient listen from me. Very nice album. The conceptual songs are tedious but the melodies are pleasant and I’m always game for some sitar.
I actually listened to this a week ago, having seen it among the lowest rated albums on the list for a while and been curious. It feels like a precursor to Richard Dawson's weird explorations of medieval music. Not as good, but not terrible. It's definitely a difficult listen, akin to Trout Mask Replica, but challenging isn't the same as bad. It is nowhere near as good as Trout Mask Replica (which I have a lot of thoughts on whenever we get around to that album), but it doesn't deserve to be rated lower than Kid Rock. I wouldn't put it on the list at all, but there's at least 500 albums on here that I wouldn't put on the list. I'd call this album a 3, but it's also a litmus test. If you gave this album a 1 but Appetite for Destruction anything higher than a 2, we probably won't get along.
Very odd album, typical late 60s and Britain. Not bad but can definitely get annoying
This was fine. It was more weird than good.
Það tók mig viku að klára að hlusta á þessa plötu. Fer fram og til baka. Söngurinn stundum hvimleiður og falskur, svaka tilgerð á köflum og tilviljunarkennd lagauppbygging. - En samt heillandi hugmyndir og flutningur inn á milli. Má hlusta á.
The Incredible String Band are a new band for me, and The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter was all new music for me too. The musis matches the album cover, with som psychodelia mixed with an odd bit of folk. The jaw harp came in early enough to let me know I was going to hear something different. Some of the vocals relied on 'la la la's and 'ah ahaaaah uh ah-ah' kinds of arrangements that wore out their welcome. There were a couple of songs that were quite weird, but in an endearing way ("A Very Cellular Song", and "Mercy I Cry City"). I did not know how to deal with the weirdness of "The Minotaur's Song". I definitely did not like "Witches Hat". I don't think that I LIKE this album, but the album was enjoyable enough to make listening to the album as a whole worth that much time.
Amazingly trippy psych folk. It just scratches a certain inch on my brain. 3.5
This was… a lot
The Manson Family were definitely listening to this. Giving it an extra star for its presumed influence on psych and also the theatrical rock stylings of Led Zep et al
Eclectic mix of folk and various instruments. Syncopated rhythms. Not bad. Weird lyrics.
As much as I appreciate how experimental and influential this album is. For me it didn’t click. I enjoy all of the elements that make up this album, however they did not mesh together well. While some transitions were interesting, others were quite jarring. I appreciate the incorporation of a diverse set of instruments, however, it did come across as a bit amateurish.
This was cool. I clearly dig anything that involves tons of strings and this did it for me. Not one I’d go back to all the time, but decent.
Based on the makeup of the band and the unique folk sound that they have I should like this a lot more than I do but this album doesn't really hit me. I tried to give it a few listens and although I can really appreciate the musicianship and the complex writing I find that I can't connect with the songs on any emotional level. There were a few moments on side 2 that really impressed me. That instrument that sounds like a cartoon spring is annoying as hell though and made side 1 more challenging than it should have been. I would give this 2 and a 1/2 stars but the playing is quite good even if the vocals are not so I'll round this up to a 3.
Ganska swag i musikhörnan... vocals drar ner på det dock
The second "psychedelic folk" album in a row, a genre I didn't know existed until I got Devendra Banhart's album yesterday. In any case, I'm not sure what to make of this album. At first I thought it sounded like a Monty Python-like parody, but the further I got into it the more I started digging it. I can definitely see how influential it was on Led Zeppelin, and I even hear shades of Syd Barrett in some of these songs. I feel like I need to listen to this 3 or 4 more times to fairly judge it, but for now I'll give it 3 stars.
two tracks in: this is hilarious! were they *trying* to be funny, or did it just happen? four tracks in: nnooo....i don't think they were joking... eight tracks in: christ, how was there enough acid in the world back then to let them write this?? end of the album: jeebus, glad that's over. i assume, for the right audience, this was some kind of mind-blowing experience - for me, it just felt like listening to a caricature. i suspect this is one of those times when, not having been there for it, i just can't understand it in the context of its time.
I should imagine if this is your thing then this album is good… it’s a bit too medieval for me, but can appreciate it may be liked!
Psychedelic folk invariably leaves me wishing it were either more psychedelic and less folk or more folk and less psychedelic. Rarely a combination that works.
Weird. Twangy. Eh.
bem experimental, por vezes tem sons da natureza, é meio psicodélico, um pouco tribal em alguns momentos o álbum começa bem hipnótico, canto leve quase falado, instrumentos árabes. Muito gostoso de ouvir, me lembra lendas cantadas, bem folk. Tem palmas, muito folk! segunda música completamente diferente, piano, violão, coro de bar, parece canção de marinheiro as músicas são completamente cheias de camadas
Wilfully obtuse, I found it hard going.
Very unexpected, kind of folk-esque psychedelic but with heavy African and Asian influence. This probably would have worked better as an instrumental album, but overall very nice.
funky, not my groove
Odd album that I found myself surprised by how much I enjoyed some songs.
A cacophony of Renaissance music
I really like their music, in the background and more carefully at times
Ijl klinkende muziek, niet slecht.
Psychedelic Folk
Was expecting worst given that it’s one of the lower rated here, it wasn’t that bad, it’s kinda dull tho
"Ambiente de música é ambiente de droga, vcs caem fora de ambiente de música." Rogeirinho do Ingá.
Interesting collection of noises, Celctic and middle-east instruments.
Not my thing. Boring
Nice, but not for everyday listening.
Talented guys, just don’t feel like it held up. Giving them three stars though because I admire what they were trying to do here
3.5
Här var det psykadelisk hippie-musik för hela slanten. Ganska bra egentligen men blev slut i huvudet av de otroliga skeva lyricsen efter halva albumet. En kropp fullproppad med LSD hade nog gett en 5:a!
Nah mane
One would assume that the intended audience for this whole 1001 albums project isn’t high on fucking acid all day long, because who the fuck listens to this boring crap?
Extra point for technical competence but otherwise “psychedelic folk” is not something that I want, ever.
Fuck. 3 notes into this and I already don’t want to listen to it. I don’t know if it’s because it’s super shit (I’m inclined to believe that’s at least a factor) or because I’m about 8 days into straight 1 and 2 star records and I’m about over it. This pretty much blows. Like, it’s bad enough that it’s actually laughable. It sounds like something you’d hear at a renaissance fair. But not hired by the ren fair. Like if random people just showed up at the ren fair with a sitar (?) and a guitar and and some castanets and started jamming. It fucking sucks. I have at least laughed a couple of times; the humor is unintentional, but I did laugh. 4/10
White ppl shit
Three is a Green Crown encapsulates the frustration I have with this album, it's almost great but it's smothered in production choices that I wish I enjoyed more than I did.
New to me. An interesting album that I think would definitely grow on me over time, but on first listen I liked it rather than loved it.
For various reasons I listened to this in a bit of a stop / start way which probably didn’t do it justice. I will definitely revisit, interesting
Eh.
Odotukset olivat kovat tämän levyn suhteen, kun luin wikipedia artikkelin levystä. Petyin, biisit huonoja, eikä tilannetta pelastaneet edes soitto.
String Band? I like where this is going. "Psychedelic folk"? Alright, that's what I'm talking about! What else? "*More* experimental than previous albums." Hell yeah! I'm ready to declare this a wi--NOPE! No. Wrong. That's a damn mess. It's somewhere in the 1's for sure, but I will allow for the round up in recognition of the effort to get weird
A rare two for me. A parody of itself. I’m sorry, just because you put sitar in a song, doesn’t make you cool. I don’t mind the English folk genre, but come on. This is super cheesy and sounds like it was written in 10 minutes.
This falls squarely into the "not my thing" category. Experimental psychedelic music from the late '60s has never really been my lane, and this album does very little to change that. To its credit, it does improve with repeated listens. I gave it a few chances, and once the initial weirdness wears off, some of the ideas start to make more sense. The problem is that I have a hard time being completely impartial when it comes to this genre. The whimsical, freeform psychedelic folk approach just isn't something I enjoy.
Horrendous. It definitely has a place on this list because it's so... unconventional. But just dreadful to have to listen to.
Dud
Urrggh that was tough going. It's so bad and trippy and weird that it actually becomes funny.
What the hell? There’s not enough acid in the world to make this sound good.
Kind of has an identity crisis on what to sound like. Fold, gospel, soft rock; sure they are related but was hard to figure it out.
It really wanted to like this album. The vocals drug it down a point.
I didn’t really get into this one.
There were a few moments that were kinda great, so it is getting 2 stars, but I have never listened to an album that made me feel physically uncomfortable, like my skin was crawling and i had to repeatedly stop listening to it.
Will never listen to it again, but seems quite cool for what it is
schlimm
Erstaunlich scheiße
Too hippy folksy for my taste. The second point is for the weird
i don't use this term lightly so believe me when i say that this some hippy dippy bullshit really grating and directionless. does nothing and everything at the same time. couldn't even catch a vibe while listen, so failed in probably its main task
Nei, jeg er ikke interessert i å høre om kommende ridderturneringer i mitt område. Jeg prøver bare å så dette steinete jordet slik at jeg kan betale skatt til kongen.
Bonkers music only the 60’s. Floaty folksy whimsical scattergun.
Eclectic is a word for this. I like the acoustic instruments, but the singer is not the strongest. Liked Songs Added: The Minotaur's Song
Es wirkt wie ein ausuferndes Duselexperiment, das mehr Räucherstäbchen als Richtung besitzt. Die Incredible String Band taumelt hier zwischen Feenfolk, esoterischem Geflüster und endlosen, zerfaserten Songstrukturen. Einzelne Momente schimmern kurz auf, doch das Album verliert sich zu oft in skurrilen Ritualen ohne echten Kern.
It’s interesting but I would not listen again.
Aucune idée de comment interpréter ce que je viens d'écouter. wikipedia dit: "large impact on the psychedelic folk genre".. tu m'étonnes. J'ai eu l'impression plus d'une fois pendant l'écoute que le but de l'album était de faire essayer la drogue à ceux qui n'en avait pas les moyens. La variété d'instrument rend l'album super riche mais aussi incompréhensible/ dur à suivre (évidemment c'est pas juste la variété mais surtout la façon dont ils sont utilisés) donc je me suis juste laissé porter. Par moment ça me faisait penser aux délires de ringo starr quand il prenait des inspirations exotiques ça reste pas ouf mais au moins j'ai bien rigolé
Moyen sans être médiocre
Sometimes I wish I could skip to the next album and get ahead of the game.
Super weird music designed for the Renaissance Faire. I'm somewhere between a 2 and 3 but can't imagine going back to this after one listen.
This seems like it could be an origin point for one thread of prog. Unfortunately, it's the gratuitously weird and folky part I don't like very much. It's like Jethro Tull's Thick As a Brick meets the bad parts of early King Crimson meets a Monty Python song minus the humor. But, points for being totally bananas.
Album is good but overlong and the singers semi-orgasmic wailing in the second-to-last song hurts it.
Ahhh… drugs. Drugs and Jesus-y psychedelic folk. It was okay honestly. Two harsh and three generous. 2/5.
Ok
I think the amount of illicit drugs it would take for me to comprehend the greatness of this album would take me to the other side of mortality. (4.2) ★★
Psychedelic ren fair. I don't particularly like it. 2.5 stars
Next time some boomer tries to tell you music was better in their day, I think you can just spin this bad boy. Is it the worst thing I've ever heard? No, but it's pretty aimless and it feels like some guy with a sitar crashed a ren-fest. "A Very Cellular Song" was the highlight for me. 2.5 stars.
It’s a solid 2. Don’t need to listen again.
I guess this is where the ren faire woodland fairy sound in psychedelic music comes from? It wasn’t awful but it wasn’t good.
What in gods youth group gathering is this? It’s like if the band LOVE was a Christian experimental minstrel group. 3/10
Well, that was... Actually, I don't know what that was. It's left me feeling slightly bewildered. I know of the Incredible String Band, I know they're often cited as influential by bands I like, especially on the folky, proggy, side of things, but I've never connected with them myself. They sound like a spoof - if you told me this record was actually written by Eric Idle and Neil Innes, I would probably listen again and enjoy it. In places, brought to mind images of Graham Chapman clapping coconut shells together, and I'm pretty sure that's not what they were going for. Two stars for amusing me, albeit unintentionally.
The late great Paul 'Jacko' Jackson occasionally used the phrase "legend in his own lunchbox" (for all I know he may have coined the phrase) and this seems entirely apt for this lot. This is wonky whimsy which is at times endearing and at times incredibly irritating. I suspect Paul was a fan. I'm not.
Var på vej op fra start, men synes godt nok det udviklede sig i en grim retning. 1,8 bliver til 2
what the frick ????? 'A very cellular song' ?????? læg sitaren og lutten fra jer igen 1.8
Ved simpelthen næsten ikke hvad jeg skal sige eller mene. Der er gode momenter og noget af det er mærkeligt på den interessante måde, men damn der har været mange (hårde) stoffer involveret. Minotaur- sangen kommer tæt på at tage præmien for det mest fucked up jeg nogensinde har hørt
I'm not sure what was happening but this sounds like a parody of a folk psychedelia album.
Acid folk, psychedelic folk, the problem here is that this is a Scottish effort so this felt like the late stages of chamber music's evolution, to me. It didn't sit great with, it wasn't calling me, just fundamentally. Later on I got to feel the "world" or middle eastern influences, and that was interesting, but the building blocks still feel off to me. I can see its historic significance, I can see how it inspired other psychedelic rock acts later on. The 13 minute star track didn't feel evolved, it felt like a weird stitching together of different songs that are meant to work together, but it doesn't -feel- like a progressive composition. I gave it a few listens throughout the day and it's pretty clear I'm not gonna get it. 2.3/5
This is folk turned up to 11, with what can only be described as a Medieval & psychedelic twist. It borders on too extra, but the instrumentation choices make this somewhat worth listening to. Just one time, though.
This is why people hate 60s folk. I can imagine being at the Gaslight cringing at this blender of acoustic sounds.
I was anticipating some hippie bluegrass stuff but this was more olde English folk tunes. I didn't love it
I always liked to think that I would have been a hippie had I lived in the sixties. After listening to this album I am glad to be a nineties kid who grew up on Eurodance. I give the album two stars because I’ve learned about the interesting life of singer Licorice, who reminded me that amoebas indeed are very small. Also, Neil from The Young Ones was a fan. You can’t go against Neil.
I always appreciate when the 1001 albums list leads me to an older work and/or group that I haven't heard before, as it did here. But while I wanted to like the what now seems like naive earnestness of this album, it's mostly just kind of forgettably silly. This might have "had a large impact on the psychedelic folk genre," as its Wikipedia page claims, but what the hell even IS that genre?! Lyrically, I guess I hear hints of some of Led Zeppelin's nerdier tracks. Musically, I can hear elements that Jethro Tull would later rock up a bit. But nothing here is even fractionally as memorable as the works of those groups.
Ok so I saw this album was got SHIT on and I was very worried going into this album....... and its good???? Jesus yall are aggressive Sure its not everyone's cup of tea; its psychedelic, experimental, and just straight up weird at times. But like, these people obviously know how to make music. This album reminds me of Lucy in the sky with diamonds Dont get me wrong there is plenty I didnt care for in the album but ho ly shit guys yall act like this album stole your first born. Like the other guy said in the reviews, this album isn't even in the bottom 100 The minotaurs song A very Cellular song (this song is god damn gorgeous in between the tangy strings and flute parts)
never heard so many la la la la la's in my fucking life. What a goofy gringe shite album.
muy buena musica, pero algunas canciones se me hicieron repetitivas
I felt like this was something I should have been able to get into, but just couldn't
Moments I enjoyed, wouldnt say its psychedelic slop but its close. Something I have noticed is sometimes on the "bad" albums the song you finally enjoy is when you've gone through the entire thing and are now on another album. That happened here with "Hedgehog Song".
Some pretty tunes that scratch that psychedelic itch. A whole lotta stuff is being thrown at the wall. I found myself a little lost from time to time on what was happening (because it listens like a theatrical soundtrack). Sometimes I would be reawakened by fun bits or doze off for another 5 mins. I wont be returning, but I had a little fun. Lots of instruments and eastern influence. 2.5 stars
Bit more hey nonny folk, influential on psychedelic music I'm sure but I find this sort of thing a bit grating. This level of hippie feels very performative, I think if was just the musical style without all the whimsy I'd find it a bit more palatable. That's on me I suppose, doesn't make the music bad and I can appreciate it's pretty impressive for the time. But I wouldn't choose to listen to it. 2.5.
Considerably more bizarre than I expected from the album cover. Trippy, confusing, sometimes repetitive, sometimes surprising. Don't fancy listening again.
Initially thought this was some traditional folk type thing initially, but it's more than that. Really quite psychedelic in parts. But weird too. Not bad, but not something I'd c come back to. I bet they had some fun though 2.5
More interesting than enjoyable
This gave me a headache
Nah mate, bit boring and a bit weird.
Not for me
First thought... oh wow a side project of Nico (yes the one from the Velvet Underground) I haven't heard of! Second thought... oh wow, Monty Python made a great parody on Folk music! Third thought... damn it's neither... they MEAN this! I love me a bit of psychedelic music, but this album shows that being stoned is no guarantee for good music. It's not for lack of trying, they threw everything at it. Sitar, recorder, mouth harp, bouzouki, you name it. In the genre of bad bands, I think I may prefer The (also "incredible" in one sense of the word) Shaggs. This sounds too much like a kids' school play where they are told to sing "medieval". However - it is not completely without merit, so a one star it is not. The craziness alone adds at least one star. It may grow on me.
I understand now why they all abused substances back then
Colorful instrumentation and creative arrangements can't redeem songs that would need a prodigious amount of drugs to be enjoyable.
I didn't come here to listen to sea shanty nursery rhyme fable "songs"
I’m not sure why but I get the vibe that this was made specifically to be listened to by cults.
fine
Haven't heard of them. It's like somebody introduced Syd Barrett to George Harrison's sitar dealer. Interesting but not really a thing I'd listen to 2/5
2/5
I listened to this whilst grouting a patio on a bank holiday and it did not fit the bill. The ludicrousness of the lyrics overshadowed what seemed like some decent, but dated folk playing.
- after seeing the album art (the photo of the dozen or so people on it) and hearing the first few seconds of the first track, my immediate thought was "this is definitely love-cult music" - the sound effects, the Indian-sounding vocal ornamentations (google is telling me this is called gamaka), the trillion different world instruments, and the whimsical subject matter is such an interesting combination. I can't imagine an album like this getting a Grammy nomination today, and I almost don't believe that it earned one even when considering the time period in which it was made - I imagine this is what traveling bards or theatre troupe might sound like when moving from village to village in the 15th century, delighting little kids frolicking in the town square - apparently Robert Plant said this album influenced Led Zeppelin I, which is very interesting -- I can hear it a little, if you imagine a track like "Your Time Is Gonna Come" without the powerhouse of Bonham's drums bringing it fully into a rock focus - still, the mildly out-of-tune violin sliding around and popping in and out of the whopping 12 minutes of "A Very Cellular Song" is a little hard to sit through - on the one hand, I appreciate the vision -- they were going for combining all these different instruments with esoteric nature themes and ancient nursery rhyme-sounding lyrics to make a totally new creation, I think, but anyone playing this record purely for enjoyment seems impossible. who was this actually for, and what was the listening environment the artists intended for their audience? - these are not so much songs as they are musical rituals, it feels like -- there are periods of complete stops and starts, with half-sung, half-spoken words in the quieter parts before it picks up again with lyrics that multiple people join in for, and it all feels like the pacing and cadence of an ancient church service or act of worship (of nature, trees, fairies, idk) more than a coherent "song"
4/10 Sounds like I'm hallucinating a Beatles album. Some highlights throughout, but a good chunk of the album is erratic snippets of various obscure instruments, and very odd lyrics and vocals. Best track: Koeeoaddi There Will I revisit?: No
I think this is meant for a shroom trip through the forest
I don’t even think they know what they’re doing.
Weird and painful but kind of interesting 2 stars
The incredible dog on a string bamd more like. You can still smell the wood smoke, lentil stew and B.O. wafting through the decades. 2/5. Would have been 1/5 but for the whimsical idea of riding a giraffe backwards.
Very weird psychedelic folk album. I liked all the different sounds and instruments, but it’s not really for me.
genuinely feels like the instrumental is mocking my ears no matter a track; the most decent I think is the Waltz of the New Moon and Three is a Green Crown (and maybe Nightfall), but in general, the album feels satire.
I would usually add a star for originality and there definitely were original moments on this album but as a whole it was just too painful to listen to. I can't recommend it at all.
Quite a medieval-sounding album, but I am sure they had their own little fan base at some point. Overall, it feels like a theatre performance, but it's alright leaving everything run in the background.
2.5
not my music
It sounded like I was listening to music from a Renaissance Fair. I could see the connection to some of the early psychedelic music from the 60s, but overall it was pretty out there with some extra instruments just going crazy throughout. Maybe I need to listen to this while high to really understand it.
not bad by any means, nice bit of psychedelia
Weird vibes
I kept thinking "is this a joke?" while listening to this. 2 instead of 1 stars cause I appreciate the funky instruments
Folk coupled with Indian themed weirdness. Not for me, perhaps a curry house for some of it or a summer solstice event in an open field.
As if early Genesis met Jethro Tull. But it’s not as good as either
Random folky gibberish. Fine in places but not all that enjoyable / no desire to listen again. The last couple grated and I had to turn it off.
A blend of irish folk, minstrel music, and another 60s bands that discovered the sitar and really shouldn't have. That said, there was a lot of variety here and the album certainly wasn't boring. Would I listen to it again? Probably not. Will I remember it? For the rest of my goddamn life.
Favorite Track: A Very Cellular Song
Not the worst thing on this list just incredibly lame. Proof that not all hippies made good music. Favorite track: Koeeoaddi There 1.5/5
Overall it just felt a little too cheesy for my own personal taste. I could not finish listening to it.
The string band was not, in fact, incredible.
2/10 que pesadilla.
Fairytale folklore music. I appreciate what they're trying to do, but it's not something I'd listen to on my own. The diverse instrumentation is probably my favorite part of this album, like the sitar, for example, as well as the abundance of other strings and percussion, many of which you don't often hear. The style of singing is very free-flowing and resembles storytelling, but lacks rhythmic interest or coherence that would make it memorable. I guess I prefer listening to music that I can sing along to. There's clearly a lot of talent on display here. It's just not quite the thing for me. Strong four to a light five
I liked how playful it is and I wanted to get into it, but I found myself unable to enjoy it moment to moment. Probably mostly because of the main singer's voice. Maybe it deserves another listen but it didn't make me want to return
weird. The highlights were water sound effects and some silly lyrics. there’s a time and place for this and it’s not here and now for me.
Honestly, it started off strong. The first track had me thinking I'd enjoy this. It only got worse. Gets a 2 because some elements were ok.
bit boring
I’m sure it’s good and all but had to sack the horrible histories lyre tunes after a bit
This was interesting, but wouldn't listen again. Sounded like some random people just picking up instruments and having a stream of consciousness. Was difficult to finish, but I appreciate how it could influence later music. The Minetaur's Song did at least have some recognizable melodies though.
Standard-ish 60s folk/psychedelia. Lyrics of Minotaur Song are so bad they must be an attempt at parody, it's like Monty Python Argh what a drag.. A Very Cellular Song! Actually painful to listen to with multiple instruments seemingly doing their own thing. Best track - The Water Song 2 stars
Early 67 - Band stirs album and tastes. "Needs more Acid don't you agree? OK. Can you hand me the Acid Licorice? Thanks, whatever you do, don't slip on that banana peel and pour all the Acid into the album. There's enough Acid for every 1967 album in the UK in there! Can you even imagine? Oh my god, an album with that much Acid would be almost unlistenable so whatever you do, don't slip on that banana peel Licorice. Licorice? Licorice Nooooooo!!!!"
OK.
All that money spent on anti-drug PSA’s and they could have just handed someone this album and said “if you do acid you’ll end up liking - or maybe even making - music like this” and drug use as we know it could have been eliminated. I just want Rick James to walk into these people’s house, sorry yurts, and start stomping on their instruments and yelling “they shoulda never given you Scottish hippies sitars!”
fascinating but not particularly good
Very folksy
I’m just a hair’s breadth away from giving this a one. It’s so ridiculous as to feel inauthentic to me (although I truly think they believe in it fully). It isn’t so different from Piper at the Gates of Dawn and other experimental psychedelia from the time though. And so maybe it deserves some credit for that.
Songs about Minotaurs? No drums? What a bunch of nerds.
1.7
war nicht ganz so meins, aber auch nicht super schlecht
I kind of liked this!
Ehkä iteltä puuttuu semmoset tossuhousut ja tietty aate että tää jaksais rakennella pitemmälle tajuntaan. Nyt jäi vaisuksi
Meno aika hippi. Ei oikein päässy fiilikseen koskelantien ruuhkassa jumittaessa eli två points
Ollaan kyl taas kokeilevan keittiön äärellä. Soppa se on tämäkin ja tulihan se syötyä. Annetaan nyt kakkonen kun nauratti ihan.
I found it difficult to take this album seriously. As I listened, I kept expecting The Incredible String Band to bust out in a spirited rendition of Monty Python's "Sir Robin", as the clop-clopping of coconut shells ring out in the background. I considered the possibility that "The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter" is one of those occasions when something is soooooo bad it is actually good. But then I kept coming across lyrical gems like "He can't dream well because of his horns" -- perhaps someone had dropped a little too much acid in their youth. That said, if your natural bent is toward "goofy" and "whimsy", then this album might be for you.
Some good ideas without the talent to implement.
Fuck this shit. There may be elements to the music, or production that I don't comprehend, but this was irritating.
I legitimately do not understand what this album is doing on this list. Equally perplexing, I cannot, for some reason, rate it 1. The albums I've rated low previously were simply not my cup of tea but I don't know how this album could possibly be anyone's cup of anything.
4/10… psychedelic folk / *1968
Hey, you. You're finally awake. You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there.
Some bullshit a ren faire band would play and I’d throw my 20 dollar mead at them
Naming your own band “incredible” but then being awful is fun
Not for me. Felt like someone making fun of the 60's obsession with renn faire music. But, no...it's just too earnest.
'Your wish is not granted unless it's a fish'; 'He can't dream well b/c of his horns.' The only reason this is more palatable than Pentangle is b/c they're Scottish rather than English and that somehow, tho it's a cluttered mess of Brit-Isle-foppery, moments of genuine mysticism do shine thru. Not nearly enuf tho, and the quirkiness of these tracks deprive the record of what you could call spiritual/mythical experiences. Thing is, I'm not saying there's no folkloric tradition to celebrate from this part of the world. I just go to Astral Weeks for a dosage of that magic, not an album that tries too desperately to be an ancient landmark. I went to a summer camp called Shire Village, of all names, so I can relate to this album art. But I'm not a fucking wizard.
Favorite songs: Koeeoaddi There, Nightfall Compelling at times but frequently drifts into mystical noodling.
Het begin klonk wel leuk. Daarna vond ik het raar en irritant
A Very Cellular Song has a good first 5 minutes, but it’s too long at 13 minutes. Mercy I Cry City has a good chorus, but the lyrics are otherwise trite. Overall there’s a little too much sitar and 60’s psychedelic folk stuff happening to of much worth. A lot of contemporaries did it better.
Nowhere near as bad as some would claim, but still very uneven. There are some moments scattered throughout here that I really liked, but it's hampered by a lot of decisions that just drag the experience down.
this was coo coo crazy
I was expecting to like this one much more. Unfortunately it didn't touch me. The instrumentation is beautiful at times, the songs are interesting. But something didn't click. It wasn't a bad listen in any way, but nothing really stays with me after this first listen. So, it a 2.5
I really wanted to like this outing, as I read up before listening, folk, trad, Indian, sitar, but the voice on these tracks unfortunately I didn’t like, could been so much better, but I suppose in the 60s this was “wild”
I mean there is hippie 60s music and then there is this.
Often comes close to good, then dives right back into bullshit.
Favourite: Swift as the Wind
Overall Rating - 2.30/5 (4.60/10). Weird and vaguely unpleasant. Not much else to say.
Weird
This was not a good album at all, the vocals were fine but not anything special, the background music was kind of grating after a while, and really it was just a boring album 49/100
A very…interesting album
I'm not high enough for this.
Yeah, this is boring. I didn't need to listen to this.
The trouble with all these late-60s hippie albums is that it’s tough to distinguish between riding the bandwagon and genuine creativity that happens to align with what’s just become popular. In this case, you can’t possibly argue that this is anything new, especially for its time. Pink Floyd’s debut album mirrors this exactly in terms of instrumentation and composition – with the only major difference being melody (much folkier here). Unfortunately, the music is very sparse in terms of musical ideas. The melodies are wandering, failing to be catchy in the slightest, and musical motifs are (depending on the track) either completely absent or unmemorable enough that they may as well have been absent. It prompts the question: what is this group’s strategy for building an audience, for getting their music out there? Koeeoaddi There is a fun, if energetically inert, intro track. Sitar, reversed sitar, a clear melodic vocal, and boingy sproingy noises. Everything you need for good old-fashioned folk psychedelia. But the album is definitely wanting of percussion. Instead we get the bewildering The Minotaur’s Song, a sort of medieval tavern chant that still lacks a beat. The vocals are messy, frenzied, and not at all in tune. It even combines piano and jangly acoustic guitar to get a sound approaching that of a lute. I think, in 2026, only a very specific crowd would listen to this sort of music unironically. Perform it, sure. Any pub in the British Isles could sound like this with enough lager. But listen to it? Later, we get the similarly bizarre A Very Cellular Song, which introduces an accordion and harmonica to the mix. And, would you believe it, there’s percussion! (It’s hand-clapping.) It turns out the song title isn’t kidding: the song is heavily compartmentalised into four or five sections that are (musically) completely unrelated to one another. But this ain’t no Shine On You Crazy Diamond. The parts are so sharply separated, in fact, that there are moments of complete silence between them. And you start to wonder why it’s all lumped together under one song. (In the name of experimentation, right?) Boingy sproingage returns in part three of the song, along with some interesting flute lines, but otherwise there isn’t anything fresh here. The lyric “slithering and squelching” appears not once but twice in the same verse. Mercy I Cry City is easily the best song here. It's Dylanesque and pulls off that style pretty well. The acoustic guitar is played with enough gusto that it takes the place of percussion: it’s punchy, sweet, and to the point. The following song, Waltz of the New Moon, is also strong. 2/5 Key tracks: Mercy I Cry City, Waltz of the New Moon
A challenge. This album sounds like a burnout hobbit's drum circle. Like the other hobbits go about their merriment free of shame but look down on these people. What too much pipeweed does to a mf. I wanted to hate it. I TRIED to hate it. But I listened to the whole thing with unbreakable curiosity. I never liked it, but I couldn't stop it either. Weird stuff
Cult-adjacent family folk music is such a fun trip. Lyrics are based at times, absolutely insane most others. This would've been 3 stars, if it wasn't for the last handful of tracks. Anti-minotaur propaganda (and many inaccuracies) will not be tolerated.
I didn’t mind this.
It's really weird. Just odd. Some songs are listenable and some feel like a bad acid trip.
some moments sound like its nico singing literally
If garden gnomes recorded an album
Not my bag, but take it for what it is: campfire music. Wouldnt have the same effect sat watching TV at home or cooking an omelette I openly laughed out loud on Wind is The Swift which i dont think was the intent.
Whatever drugs they took recording it I feel like I needed to listen to it
The vocals become very grating after the 18th minute of cellular song and there is no respite following that. The wailing on swift as the wind sounds like he’s trying to wake up from the nightmare that is this album. First song is alright. They can thank me for the 2 stars.
Kind of like The Decemberists, but more like the kids from college who liked acid a little too much.
If you ever need a reason to not do drugs, here it is.
344/1089 - Another one of the low rated ones on the website. I think this one loosely inspired Geogaddi by Boards of Canada if I'm not mistaken, and I'm a huge fan of that album so I'm interested to check this one out: It's gimmicky and somewhat poorly executed but it's not horrible and too interesting to be a 1.
The Incredible Stringband The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter 2* I have a friend who loves these guys, he grew up listened to it as his mom was a hippie in her youth, everyone yelled at him when he'd out it one because it just brought everything to a stop If I still played D&D I would use this as background music and I can see hints of good in it but it's not something I will ever listen to again
it is what it is
vintage but not for me
At first, I didn't think anything of it, and then the same whiny folk music continued, and continued(this is the third consecutive day I've had an album with a song that's at least 13 minutes long), and it eventually turned into a nonsensical snooze fest. And even then, I don't think this should be ranked in the bottom ten albums in this generator. Favorite Track: "Three Is A Green Crown".
I felt like I was at the Renaissance Fair with this album...some of the songs were a bit monotone. It was okay but I didn't really like it.
Ehh, I could have done without this one.
This is not as bad as reviews claimed it to be. Not to say this is good--it's definitely not--but there's significantly worse albums on this list. Weird and not exactly pleasant to listen to, but at least somewhat interesting as most psychedelic music is. 2/5
There's actually some pretty cool stuff in here, you just have to listen through a few piles of crap to get to it.
This was tough to get through. Music was maybe a 3, but the voice and vocals are a zero. I am rating this a 2, and that is generous.
Not high enough for this one rn
If I had gone in blind, I would have thought this was a Monty Python’s Holy Grail on Broadway soundtrack. This album should only be listened to in a front row seat at Medieval Times with a Mutton leg in hand. Okay, it’s actually comical in parts. God dammit, it’s actually pretty funny to be honest. Oh shit, is this actually growing on me? The initial shock and hatred did eventually wear off, and I appreciated(?) this album a bit. Would I actually listen again? Almost certainly not. But it’s weird, and it stands out amongst the monotonous mix of post punk debut albums on this list.
I was deeply skeptical when this came up. Sadly, I was right to be. What on Middle Earth is this??? It is not deep or particularly interesting or particularly fun. I didn't hate some of the sitar and woodwind noodling on "Three is a Green Crown," and similar stretches, but it's not something I haven't heard before in Western music. This two years after Revolver came out! You're not special! Take this Two-Towers-ass crap out of here!
Worst, boring
It was fine.
Psychedelic hippie renaissance fair folk
I really wanted to like this, but it's a little exhausting at times. I didn't like the singer very much. My favourite was Witches Hat.
I can't quite bring myself to piut 1 on this. It was really not a great listen, but it didn't have any kind of ego for me, it was just like a weird failed experiment, the sort of thing that wouldn't get any attention today but is obviously somewhat representative of what was happening with music and entertainment at the time.
album che non fa per me, dopo due canzoni già mi ero annoiato
It feels like medieval court music. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy it and would not listen again
20/1089 альбомов цыганского табора сектантов хиппи под наркотиками но в этом припадке что-то есть, поэтому +1 но слушать тяжело очень
If you enjoy listening to dying cows, this album is for you. Voice pitch is all over the map. Throw in a few medieval flutes and pipes and you now have what makes up the Hangman's Beautiful Daughter.
Listened Before? N Weird, but interesting. I love the concepts here, but I'm not high enough for this. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Witches Hat
all a bit hurdy gurdy and oh nonny neigh for me!
I'm once again perplexed as to why everyone decided to dogpile on this one. It's a completely normal uninteresting album. Mediocre album like hundreds others on this list
Wat
4/10 Large swathes of this album are just horrible: amateurish guitar, terrible vocals, bloody sitar twanging for 7mins. There are odd glimpses of a tune, but mainly just No.
Went to a renaissance festival once - dudn't enjoy this any more than that.
I don’t think this bad so much as just dated. Very hippy, very dated. Some of the shit that passes grunge, metal or rap on this list isn’t any better but there’s a whole generation or two who’ll think it is, just because they heard it when they were a drunken teen off their face at their first adults-only party.
A little too hippie for me
A band of gypsies with a kazoo and a sitar. This is an odd one for the list. Not super into psycho-folk music I guess. Just a pack of Pikeys around the fire, singing tunes of yore about mythical beasts, kings and fantasy. Pretty good on the strings but not that Incredible. "A Very Cellular Song" was probably the most complex, structured song. I could give these Romanis a minute at a ren faire but for everyday listen, too much minstrel...1.69 stars.
The sad thing is that there are some cool original song ideas buried beneath the endless layers of needless instrumentation. But once the flute started, I was out.
Yeah it’s pretty meh, literally nothing else to say really
This was not good. I didn't hate it enough for 1* though.
No. I did not need to hear this album before I died. I could have lived a very happy and full life not knowing this album ever existed. It's not bad music, but it sounds like an album that you'd find at a Renaissance Faire. If I wanted to listen to RenFaire music I'd go to a RenFaire. My rating: 2/5 swords.
You can tell right away it’s from the 60s but not any 60s I want to revisit
Well this album is very different. Kinda sounds like they're trying to imitate Indian music, African music, and then a bunch of their own weird sound, the instruments are a wide variety, harpsichords, flutes, kazoos, bongos, sitar maybe? But it sounds like just a bunch of kids having fun making up weird random songs. lol Their voice is all over the place like a kid just play singing. I can't finish this album 2 stars.
10/6/25. Interesting listen. Not huge on this genre but can't deny the unique arrangements and songwriting on this. Also enjoyed some of the South Asian elements on one song.
Boring, predictable, repetitive and cliche. Apple Music says it's one of the "most...innovative and influential records of the late 60s," but to me it sounds like you're going to a renaissance fair, or playing a guitar, barefoot, on the street in San Francisco.
Jesus Christ.
Really beautiful songwriting, namely Cellular song and Waltz of the new moon. I was on board from the jump with the classical folky feel, it made me wish I had a pint of mead in front of a fire in some dingy tavern. At first I wasn't expecting this to be an album I'd revisit often but it built on the original concept super well, slowly stringing you along and upping the soulfulness with each track. The last two tracks really sealed it as a solid project, especially the vocals on Swift as the wind.
mm not really into it
One star added for total weirdness.
Hard to get through. The lyrics are complex and fun to interpret, but the way that man sings makes me think the bad thoughts.
Hmm.
This is #day399 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to a classic late '60s psychedelic folk rock. I've nothing else to add here except for "not great, not terrible," or whatever. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to, wow, #day400.
Was alright. Not incredible as advertised. The Alright String Band.
Heel Whimsical en Cottagecore vibes, wat leuk is, maar niet iets waar ik elke keer opnieuw naar zou luisteren. Sommige harmonies zijn wel echt heel leuk en bijzonder. Ik denk dat het in het theater of iets beter tot z'n recht zou komen, niet terwijl je ondertussen andere dingen doet. Witches Hat had leuke Harmonies, A Cellular Song bestaat echt uit te veel verschillende nummers + de dissonante instrumenten pakken me niet. Standout Nummers - Witches Hat - The Water Song - Swift As The Wind
Folky and religious.
This band needs to be cited for harpsichord abuse. Some of this was actually painful to hear. Astonishingly bad. 2 (and that's being generous)
What a WEIRD album. And not really in a good way. 1.5/5
Meh
Inicialmente adorei mas depois foi-se tornando muito cansativo. Gosto de psych folk aqui e ali e não assim num álbum muito marcado deste estilo.
Strange, kind of trippy.
This sounds like the soundtrack of The Wicker Man (1973) if it was pretty bad.
I'm glad I've heard it. And now I'm glad I probably don't need to hear it again. I'm not really certain how to react to this. I have enjoyed plenty of psychedelic music over the years, and I think the key to making it good is not relying on acid cliche all the time. The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter instead fires on all psychedelic cylinders all the time, and it's tiresome almost instantly. Blech. The music is interesting from time-to-time, as is the variety of instruments used.
I really wanted to like it, and it started out OK. But by the end, I was preeeeettttttyyyyy over it.
Interesting as an album reflecting a moment in time, but not something I would listen to again.
This album sounds ritualistic, not in a Native American tribal dance kind of way, but in a Jonestown we’re about to commit mass suicide kind of way.
(third song in) We're done here.
Are the children in the band? Cause guess what fellas. The 60s are over and you can only utilize child labour if you’re manufacturing useless products at slightly cheaper prices for mass consumption in North America. Unless it is for the the rampant mindless consumption by the dopamine starved rabble, I have to put a stop to this. Unless of course they’re just there for the album cover which is fine of course AHA. GOTCHA PAL. I don’t see a SAG-AFTRA membership on any one of these urchins. Come on kids. Into the Time Machine. The acid soaked beatniks can’t hurt you anymore. Now. Where were we? Ah yes. Listening to this album. Koeeoaddi There - We’re talkin’ made up words, sitars, and odd time signatures. We’re talkin’ psychedelic rock from the 60s. And to boot, it’s boring. Oh joy. The Minotaur’s Song - All I care about is WWF legend from the isle of Crete, Mantaur. Half man, half beast. This song was way more fun but I’m still left wanting a “Best of Mantaur” DVD. Witches Hat - Next week, a monkey is coming to stay. I mean that lyric alone is worth a thumbs up. A Very Cellular Song - The repetition is grating on me, but I wanted to say that this is the nicest song so far and when we stop repeating, we’re in the nicest part of the album. It is insane but somehow not insane enough. I’m bored with this. Mercy I Cry City - uhhh ok? Waltz of the New Moon - We have gone on too long here. I grow weary of the fake eccentricity. The Water Song - Perfect for an early adaptation of Tolkien. Maybe Silmarillion is finally due a film adaptation. Shoutout to film buff Gregg Turkington for that excellent idea. Book it, Hollywood. There is a Green Crown - is there? I wasn’t listening. I like the caterwauling near the middle of this but the extended Witcher soundtrack? Swift as the Wind - man uhh this thing just keeps going hey? Hey, the singing kind of jolted me out of my slumber. That’s really all one can ask. Nightfall - Let me sleep. Let me rest. Fade into the beyond where the night is eternal. You know when someone is rebelling so hard that it just gets kind of sad? Like it’s clear that their entire identity is rebellion. That’s how this feels. There are many elements of the hippie movement that are admirable and worth implementing in modern day society, but the more I read up on it, I see less creativity and more a desire to escape from society’s ills. People with the same mindset would be your terminally online crowd now. Anything to escape. This album was unable to capture much authenticity and felt like a group of well off kids who didn’t want to be told what to do. Hey Mom (Mum) I just want to hang out with my friends. I’m moving to California! Ugh. It wasn’t even particularly drugged out. I don’t hate this, but it wasn’t enough. Something is missing. It just feels inauthentic to me. This puppy is middle of the road and I’m friggin’ drivin ovah here. 2-2.5 HIGHLIGHTS: The Minotaur’s Song, Nightfall
Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band did it better
Back to back low rated albums. Id rather listen to lightning bolt again though. This was too weird and drug influenced for me. A comical amount of kazoo and harpsichord. I can imagine this was eye opening in the 60s, one of the first 8 track recordings making a more layerd sound, but more doesn't mean better. Will not listen again
Started off as kind of Jefferson Airplane/folky but went a little too faux-India for me.
it was good but I didn't like it, not even one song
Poor
Okay singing and instrumentation, but nothing more than that.
Cheesy. Acoustic singer songwriter tunes. Nothing spectacular.
Look, I'm not sure I was high enough to enjoy this album as it is seems to be one that definitely sounds better on some sort of mind-altering substance. There were enough songs that I liked enough to salvage the listening experience, but only enough to save this from a 1-star rating.
Wat in de steinerschool is me dees
Bizarre
This note affirms that I did, in fact, listen to this.
Flashes of NMH, pretty ass
First impression: What in the LOTR acid trip is this album? The more I listened to it, I could feel it growing on me but I'm not ready to move to a commune yet.
There was much kazoo
They’re trying very hard to make it different. But it didn’t work. Many times I thought he was out of tune…remove the vocal Melodie’s it’d probably be a 3?
There's no I in temocil, At least not where you'd think So together, let us make a choice, and for once we'll be in sync temocil, thought I didn't know you well Temocil, now I think we really tell Temocil! Temocil may decrease your sex drive Temocil! good job buddy thanks freind
not really my vibe. i do appreciate these albums / artists that helped to paved the way, but i won't say that this was the most enjoyable album for me. like... its just fine. i guess this could also be a three star middle of the road vote, but realistically i wouldn't ever go back to this and listen to it.
Not bad by any means but I found myself pretty bored listening to it. Fun to hear different styles from around the world but I won’t be coming back to this one.
This sounds like something from a Ren Fair. Meh.
I really liked it at the start, but it sounded worse to me in the end.
Live strings are awesome campfire songs lowkey not my style of music
I wanted to like this but it was just too silly
Gives me Over the Garden Wall vibes. Very wacky; psychedelic is indeed how I’d describe it. I think because it’s folk ant its core, it escapes the one star rating. A few highlights. But mostly discordant, which I don’t like.
Barely got through it! But I get the sentiment I think...? Favorite: Swift As The Wind
2/5
This is one of the strangest albums I've come across on this list because it's not good, but I also can't turn it off because what the heck is going to come next? I can't imagine who honestly enjoys this, but if you hate this I think something is wrong with you. It's just so weird and whimsical and strangely captivating.
Weird, but might be worth a register at another point in life. Medieval folky musical tone
There is some cool ancient or medieval folk, but most contemporary folk music is sedative to me. It is just so monotonous, often with no standout parts, which for me is boring. The only monotonous music I enjoy is either using this monotony to create a captivating atmosphere or is comprised of extremely fun rhythms that I’m not opposed to hearing over and over again. And folk does neither of that, so it just falls into the background and looses my attention (since there’s nothing to pay attention to). This album is not terrible but just boring.
Hmm. More UK folk. Just not my thing. I appreciate the melding of forms and traditions and tend to favour the Williamson songs (Waltz of the New Moon pops), but a great deal of this is like having a joke explained to you. That I found the history of SoTec’s creation and their mixing board manufacturing a more interesting history kinda says it all for me and the soon to be scientologists.
To a guy like me it's just a regular string band