Simon Bartholomew: That's What I Call....

OK, Hendrix isn’t British, but it was Chas Chandler of The Animals (they of ‘House of the Rising Sun’) that plucked him from poverty in New York and brought him to London — and made the rest history. While in London, recording this LP, he heard the Coronation Street theme tune and turned it into the wonderful ‘Third Stone From The Sun’. That alone must justify this as a truly British LP!

The follow-up to The Early Tapes, made on the Isle of Wight while working at a carpet factory, Level 42’s second album sees a higher production level that still sounds great today. At the time, there was a Jazz Funk explosion in the UK and Level 42 were taking on those and other ‘Fusion’ influences, particularly from US bassist Stanley Clarke and his album Vulcan Princess. Mark King’s deft bass playing brought ‘slap bass’ into the pop idiom.

Bob Marley single-handedly brought reggae to the masses, and inspired many to start their own groups. Birmingham’s Steel Pulse spoke of the state of urban life, racism, society, and even philosophy. The intro to ‘Prediction’ gives us a magical Spanish guitar that leads to the bass that definitely warms the cockles. Play this loud! They’re still going strong, with a pulse of steel!

Before Syd Barrett, the band’s original frontman and primary songwriter, experimented a little too much with LSD, Pink Floyd made this unique musical psychedelic journey. From the pop of ‘See Emily Play’ to the proto-rock of ‘Interstellar Overdrive’, this LP became massively influential. It is crucially English in its references — from the simple pleasures of riding a bike to a midnight, cross-dressing, washing-line underwear thief. Yes really!

Beware. This is not the Genesis of latter years, but certainly it sees them in full confident musical stride, with Peter Gabriel and the boys producing some stunning musical passages, especially in ‘The Cinema Show’ and ‘Firth Of Fifth’ showcasing British Prog Rock at its finest.