As time moved on into the 1970s and The Incredible String Band faced both contractual and financial pressures, the group decided to continue with their musical mission out of necessity. All the members of the group had recently joined the Church of Scientology, which had affected the themes and nature of their own songs. Regardless, this album was a quick idea to get some much-needed funds organised for the group. Essentially a double album, it was recorded in 48 hours and released in late 1970. In any case, let’s take a listen to this double album and we shall hear if it is still up to scratch today.

El Wool Suite begins with some interesting Sitar by Mike Heron, which makes a drastic change to earlier music by The Incredible String Band. Nonetheless, it is beautiful and fantastic to listen to. This adds a somewhat Eastern Music flavour to the whole mix and sounds very, very good. Sure, this isn’t a Ravi Shankar recording, but it does fit The Incredible String Band very nicely. This continues on very nicely for some time and sounds marvellous. Soon enough, this drastically changes when entering into the next section with some pounding Eastern percussion to go along with the unique Sitar playing. In other words, absolutely joyous and brilliant to listen to. It sounds extremely pretty and lovely in its own way. This awesome music is for a fairly limited sort of listening audience, but just because that is the case, does not mean that it is outright bad, quite the contrary. The Sitar playing and percussion provide a gorgeous musical backdrop. Towards the middle, this all halts, leading into a flute-based section by the group with some organ in the background. This sounds solidly amazing and thorough. The Incredible String Band sounds really pretty, awesome and excellent throughout with their music. A magical and beautiful listening experience, this is a must hear for all fans of serious music. The flute playing by Robin Williamson is nothing but magical in this song, and he proves his genuine worth as an artist. Eventually, this section fades out, to re-emerge with a combination of sounds from the first two sections together that sound truly awesome. A great and sweet listening experience that makes perfect sense to the listener. A really solid and interesting piece of magical music, this never lacks excitement or interest throughout. A great, great listening experience, even for an instrumental. It does sound completely different than you’d expect. The Incredible String Band recorded some of the best music of this time, and you can clearly hear why when listening to this tune. It wraps up nicely at the end. Sweet.

The Juggler’s Song is a weird song from the start. It sounds awesome, with some Mandolin playing, acoustic guitars and weird singing. This tune only goes on for around three minutes, but it is a loveable and quirky song from the Hippie era that sounds awesome and cool. It’s likely a parody song but sounds ridiculously cheerful and good simultaneously. Proves that even these real Hippies had a great sense of humour in their own music. If you need a taste of quirkiness in your musical diet, look no further. A cool and weird tune with some female backing vocals that sound clear, clean and bright. The ending is weird.

Time is not Pink Floyd. Instead, it begins with some fingerpicked acoustic guitar and some awesome singing that is full of emotion, passion and sorrow. Nonetheless, this music sounds absolutely brilliant for what it is. A thoroughly enjoyable and listenable piece of music, this deep and meaningful listen incorporates unusual melodies and killer playing that sounds wonderfully good. Towards the middle are some great Mandolin parts, before this tune returns to the main section of music at hand. Nonetheless, a very incredibly pretty tune to listen to. All in all, a really cool and great listening experience that sounds pleasant, lovable and interesting. The acoustic guitars in an unusual tuning, Mandolin and vocals are really fantastic. A very lovely and pretty sounding piece of music, this is an awesome listening which speeds up a little towards the end, before concluding with some unusual percussion. Excellent.

Bad Sadie Lee begins with some upbeat and processed piano, before quickly launching into a gorgeous tune sung by Janet Shankman which sounds absolutely brilliant. The chorus is very unusual, loveable and wonderful listening. It also has some banjo being played in the background. Obviously, this is somewhat of a Country Music take on The Incredible String Band’s usual sort of music. Nonetheless, it sounds just as good as other songs by The Incredible String Band on this album. The solo section is really sweet, which is quickly followed by more verses throughout. A really supercharged and cool tune to listen to, this breaks down towards the end of the song, with glorious fiddle and singing. It quickly returns to the chorus present, before wrapping up very nicely. Quirky but fun listening.

Queen Of Love is a longer but pretty piece over eight minutes long. It starts off nicely with some pretty and lovely singing, along with layers of gorgeous instrumentation to match it. This sounds quite unlike anything else out there in the history of music, and it has an ethereal and magical quality to the music throughout. The instrumentation includes acoustic guitar, flute, violins and other tasty instruments throughout. A really pretty and wonderful tune, this sounds like a lovely slice of musical history from start to finish. Mandolin enters after some time, and this tune sounds unique and lovely. Singing about a medieval tale of the said Queen Of Love, The Incredible String Band were indeed, incredible. All in all, a really joyous listen. These guys were absolute professionals in their musical field, even sometime after their commercial peak. Nonetheless, the music sounds really lovely and very near perfect in its own way. The lyrics are also very Psychedelic sounding as well. This is an epic musical adventure that should bring a smile to your face. The music gets quite subtle in the second half with minimal instrumentation and beautiful singing throughout. If you need some of the best Psychedelic Folk Music out there, The Incredible String Band is for you. In the second half are some dramatic instrumentation and melodies being played, and this sounds joyous and terrific. The mixture of Western and Eastern singing and playing makes for a unique sound throughout. Nonetheless, this eight-minute-long epic sounds truly fantastic. It begins to wrap up towards the end with a large deal of vocal suspense and flute being played. This ends with some soft vocals and instrumentation to finish up. Excellent.

Partial Belated Overture is much shorter at less than three minutes long. It is a very unusual piece of music, with moody piano and fuzz-laden (probably a Gibson SG) guitar being played. This definitely sounds warped and different. A good listening experience nonetheless, despite its weirdness musically. All in all, this music sounds deep, meaningful and excellent. Near the middle, this all briefly stops, followed quickly by a different musical section that sounds absurdly weird. Still, there is very little wrong with it, even with its weirdness. A great listen all the same, although some may not enjoy the wacky combination of violin and fuzz-based guitar. It slowly fades out at the end. Cool.

Light In The Time Of Darkness / Glad To See You is a 10-minute-plus-long epic. It begins with some delicious piano and quickly builds up in terms of pace and intensity. This sounds very sweet and enjoyable. Soon enough, this all slows down quite nicely and sounds amazing. Some clear vocals from Mike Heron enter, and this gorgeous piece of music really comes alive. Singing about desiring to know someone well, this is an amazing-sounding piano ballad. A joyous, supercharged and lovely tune, it works very well for all its simplicity. The vocals float above it all, just sounding fresh and amazing to this day. The Incredible String Band deserve credit for this beautiful and pretty music present and nobody else could ever imitate them. This piano balladry continues on for quite some time, and the vocals re-enter at different points of the song. A really awesome piece of music from start to finish, although to be fair, it does require some patience to get through. Towards the middle are some drastic changes in the piano melody, before going more subtle and melodic. This slowly gets louder, and the vocals combine with the piano melody to sound excellent. An interesting ballad, and an original piece of music that sounds very different to the rest of The Incredible String Band’s music. This music keeps the original feel of Hippie Music going on into the 21st century, which is the purpose of such great music. In the second half, the piano melodies get more busy, so to speak, and sound different. The Incredible String Band were a wonderful set of musicians and this album proves that. As we gradually approach the end of this tune, this quickly launches into the second half of the tune, with chugging piano, bass guitar and vocals which sound really fantastic. A pleasant, lovely and enjoyable tune that never burns out or gets boring at all. This is a really awesome listening experience, although this is a little repetitive right at the end. It gradually wraps up with a lengthy fade out. Sweet.

Walking Along With You begins with some more piano and acoustic guitar, which sounds really nice and melodically sweet, but a tad on the odd side musically. Regardless, this eventually has Rose Simpson singing away very nicely, and the music is fresh, beautiful and colourful throughout. A solid and peaceful-sounding piece of joyous Folk Music, this is about walking along with one’s love. The piano melodies are really odd but catchy throughout here. Nonetheless, a really great and super excellent sounding piece of music, this still sounds really killer to this day. This is some of the most underrated music in the history of Pop/Rock culture, and if you listen to it, it is clear why that is the case. A really great listen, this has style and grace. It ends just before four minutes in total. Great music.

Hirem Pawnitof / Fairies Hornpipe is a traditional based village-sounding tune from the start, complete with fiddle, clanging acoustic guitar and some interesting percussion. This is a really nice tune to listen to. The singing throughout is a great piece of musical lyricism set to this village jig, and it sure sounds really clever and amazing throughout. The Incredible String Band created some of the finest music that you will ever hear, period. The lyrics are somewhat random and humourous at times, and no doubt that this is Syd Barrett territory musically on this song. A really awesome piece of music with some stop/start sections and magnificent playing throughout, this is an exciting and entertaining musical recording. Superbly cool, this is the equivalent of the sort of childhood stories such as Alice In Wonderland would promote, except it is set to decent music throughout. A really awesome and gorgeous tune, the fiddle has a solo section in the second half of this piece, and the quirky and unique take on a musical concept here is sweet and welcoming. This is also the sort of music that Punk Music lovers would loathe, and it is definitely easy to see why. Nonetheless, an excellent and enjoyable listening experience from start to finish. Definitely worth your ears and time. It ends with an uptempo acoustic guitar and then a fiddle to conclude. Nice.

Bridge Theme is as weird as it gets. It has some electric guitar chords, weird lead guitars and keyboard sounds that sound absurdly odd. Mind you, if you want to skip ahead, you can but it is not really necessary at this point in time musically. A really good listen if you like unusual-sounding music. This sounds bizarre and freaky and is likely the product of some drug-influenced creative musical sessions if you understand what that is. Still, this is a really good listen. It ends quickly.

Bridge Song begins with some acoustic guitar parts, Mandolin and some lovely female vocals throughout. Indeed, this is a sweet listen, and it complements the album very well. The playing and singing throughout is surprisingly solid, it sounds as though these guys have had a ton of practice as musicians and were naturally skilled at what they did. A really gorgeous tune to listen to, the mixture of male and female vocals makes this song a real winner. It is interesting enough to listen to without getting at all bored. The melodies throughout are certainly unusual. The acoustic guitars are sensationally good, and hold the song up very well. Very cool and awesome, The Incredible String Band do great justice for such a pretty and lovely tune from the outset. The mixture of male and female vocals is really sweet and excellent throughout. The music is tremendously interesting, and is a great time warp back to 1970 which sounds really delicious to one’s ears. Very, very good to listen to. In the second half is a pause in the music, followed by a vocal crescendo, before the acoustic guitars return nicely. A really delicious and awesome-sounding tune, The Incredible String Band certainly knew how to make amazing-sounding music. This was also likely, for the most part, requiring very few recording takes, which makes it sound even better. An excellent song, period. Towards the end, the singing and acoustic guitars get somewhat more intense and this music sounds absolutely enjoyable and magical as a result. Weird but wonderful, The Incredible String Band make their music worth hearing. It wraps up soon enough after eight minutes in length. Very good.

Astral Plane Theme is a direct reference to the theory (or actuality, depending on your viewpoint) of Astral Projection. It begins with some acoustic guitar playing and harmonics, which sound really excellent. This plays away very nicely on this piece, which also has some weird tuning on the acoustic guitar. If you are in need of some acoustic guitar-based inspiration, then this is a great place to start in a musical sense. This solo acoustic piece may not have vocals or supporting instrumentation, but it sounds pretty and divine all the same. A really pretty listen, even if there are discordant moments throughout. The music is super cool, just sounding absolutely different and enjoyable. The second half has some decent chops musically on the acoustic guitar, which sounds really great. An adventure through sound, this is exactly what one needs to hear if seeking out some Hippie acoustic music to enjoy. Nonetheless, a really pretty and sweet tune to listen to from start to finish. Less than five minutes of acoustic guitar glory.

Invocation begins with some strange instrumentation that sounds really unusual, alongside vocals present. This sounds just like a real Hippie chant sort of piece, which is really odd. A genuinely good listen regardless, this music is really amazing and eerily beautiful. Soon enough, some interesting melodies enter and this tune sounds rather weird as a result. A very loveable and enjoyable song nonetheless, this sounds like a weird LSD trip set to music. Nonetheless, this is a good listen although it is one of the weirdest and most unusual songs you will ever hear. This is an interesting listen from start to finish, and it sounds like a strange and almost satanic trippy listening experience. If you like out and out weird, then this is your song. It goes on for just under five minutes in length, and sounds completely freaky throughout. A good song, but probably not a great song.

Robot Blues begins with some fluttering piano and sounds great. The piano is matched by vocals and launches into a traditional styled Blues Music sort of number for The Incredible String Band. A really awesome listening experience, this music is a nice change from what you’d usually expect from The Incredible String Band. A really good and timeless listening experience, this music is a joy to listen to. The lyrics are really sexually oriented and weird, but that is understandably fine from the listener’s perspective as it adds a bit of humour to the music itself. An awesome tune to listen to, this is one of the more underrated pieces by The Incredible String Band. It gets very energetic and awesome to listen to towards the end, and wraps up nicely with a fantastic vocal, running for just four minutes in length. Sweet.

Puppet Song begins with some descending acoustic guitar playing and has some interesting singing and lyricism. This sounds a lot like Syd Barrett’s solo career work, probably intentionally so. Nonetheless, this is yet another classic tune by The Incredible String Band. For its simplicity, this music never loses its joyful nature and appeal throughout. A really cool sort of childlike story about the simple life, Salvador Dali (the surrealist artist) and meeting politicians, this is quite Psychedelic and warped in its own nature. Nonetheless, this is a real winner of a tune and it does sound powerful and simple in its own way. Nonetheless, an extremely good listening experience that has audible colour, great performances and a good musical flavour to it all. This is the sort of Folk Music that one can enjoy if they dislike Bob Dylan’s whining and unnatural singing (if you view it that way). The Incredible String Band really do sound accomplished and magical in their form of music on this album, and their earlier works as well. Nonetheless, a brilliant song and a great story for a piece of music over six minutes long. This sounds really incredibly good, and the music is beautiful and consistently gorgeous. Nonetheless, a powerful and excellent music statement that is definitely worth your time. A fantastic listen with some great high-octave singing to conclude with. Brilliant.

Cutting The Strings begins with a very Indian-sounding vocal which isn’t the greatest, followed by bongo-styled percussion and subtle acoustic guitar to match. Again, there is some pretty sitar work on this tune, along with other layers of pretty instrumentation. This is another very pretty and sweet tune, and the singing and playing are perfect for this song. The combination of lead male vocals by Robin Williamson and backing female vocals by Licorice McKechnie is really lovely and fantastic, with layers of Eastern-inspired instrumentation. For those who dig Indian Music or Indian culture, this is a more enjoyable point of the album for you. All in all, a really fantastic listening experience throughout, and this is a really good Hippie Music piece. In the second half is a false ending, just before the music resumes again. There is a Mandolin here, too. The Incredible String Band were indeed, incredible. It finishes with acoustic guitar harmonics. A great song from start to finish, even though today’s postmodern audience may not dig the simplicity and beauty of these songs.

I Know You begins with some dark and moody acoustic guitar, with some female vocals throughout. This is a strange-sounding piece by The Incredible String Band that sounds like it was inspired by some of Gustav Holst’s darker Classical Music pieces. This is likely about tripping on LSD, judging by the lyrics. Some whistling quickly enters this tune, and this is very dark sounding. Nonetheless, a good piece but sounds psychologically dark throughout this song. The vocals and lonely-sounding mood are a rarity in the history of music. Despite the darkness of this music, this is still a real winner of a song throughout. In any case, this ends after just three minutes. Great to hear.

Rainbow is the final song on this lengthy album and runs for over 15 minutes in length. It begins with some smooth and Jazzy piano, and flute and is a rather suspenseful listening experience. This sounds incredibly colourful and beautiful musically. Soon enough, some clear and excellent female vocals enter and this piece really gets going nicely. This goes through light and shade musically and just sounds really awesome as well to listen to. Soon enough, male vocals enter the background to accompany the piano part at hand. If you cannot enjoy The Incredible String Band, then you clearly are not a fan of 1960s-styled music. In any case, this music is marvellously and wonderfully well done, and lyrics about the weather in relation to romantic relationships, this is a real winner of a tune. The singing continues on and sounds really deep, musical and pleasant throughout. A great, pretty and grand tune, Mandolin eventually enters and sounds super sweet throughout. This gradually speeds up and sounds absolutely gorgeous and wonderful. This is followed by some violining on guitar and strings, which sounds pretty and unique. A really sweet listening experience, this is a gem from 1970 that cannot be overlooked or avoided. This sounds very pretty, detailed and unique for such a simple song. The piano playing is also very sharp and crisp. Towards the middle of this tune, the vocals return, along with some pretty-sounding organ playing. This lengthy piece of music gives a nod ahead to the spirit of Progressive Rock that would become mainstream in the 1970s. The singing about rainbows and love-based themes is a bit of an indicator that, indeed, this era was the dawning of the Age Of Aquarius. Nonetheless, this music still sounds as fresh and as purposeful as it did back in 1970. There is a false ending in the second half before the second half of this song gets going very nicely with powerful drumming, excellent piano work and some excellently sung vocals. Nonetheless, this music is one of the gems of the past that really shines brightly to this day. Repeated singing about the rainbow itself, the vocals are borderline screaming, which is unusual for The Incredible String Band. This section ends, followed by an organ solo part and some male vocals enter soon into it. This match of organ and vocals is very pretty and enjoyable to listen to at this point of the album. Soon enough, the vocals get very intense and a drum/percussion solo follows, very briefly. Another section follows with harpsichord, vocals and other bizarrely made sounds. This is a very strange sort of song, but it does the listener some great justice. The Incredible String Band deserves credit for creating some of the simplest and most beautiful music for many listeners across the world to enjoy. Nonetheless, a pretty and loveable tune, this does get a little repetitive towards the end of this tune, but there has been more repetitive music made before and since. Eventually, after 15 minutes, this gradually wraps up and falls apart at the end. A grand finish to a great album.

This is an underrated album, without a doubt or question. The Incredible String Band pulled off a musical moment that, although not even their best album, is a classic album to enjoy and to listen to this very day. Although this is a double album, one is ultimately rewarded by this lengthy listen. Particularly those who like the music of the late 1960s and early 1970s will really love hearing this album. Should you listen to this album? Yes, do give it a try, even if you are not a fan of Psychedelic Folk Music.

A very rewarding listen for a double album.

9/10