AIRBUS (UK) / TEST FLIGHT / CD

英国ソフトロックの人気グループであるWEST COAST CONSORTIUMがPYEを離れた後に発展したプロジェクトであるAIRBUS。本作はそのAIRBUSが1970-72年に残したデモを収録した蔵出し音源集で、いずれの曲も公式にリリースされるのは世界初。PYE時代を髣髴とさせるポップな楽曲が並び、サイケ色はさすがに後退しているものの英国ポップ好きには見逃せない内容となっています。10CCの初期2作やポール・マッカートニーの「RAM」に通じる手作り感溢れるプロダクションと人懐こいメロディ。25曲ものヴォリュームながら駄曲は無く、この人たちの実力の程が伺えます。

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・Long-lost early 1970s recordings by studio-only trio featuring former West Coast Consortium guitarist and songwriter Geoff Simpson

・Three tracks released in 2009 on Volume Three of the pop/psych series Psychedelic Schlemiels, otherwise all tracks are previously unissued

・Highly sophisticated British studio pop that's highly recommended to admirers of Badfinger, the first two 10cc albums, early solo McCartney, the Fading Yellow series etc


About this release

West Coast Consortium spinoff Airbus never played live or even released a record during their 1970-1972 lifespan, instead spending their entire subterranean existence holed up in their self-owned Whitechapel studio, writing and performing innumerable high quality demos and then attempting to place those songs with major label acts.

But, more by accident than design, they came to leave behind THE Great Lost Early '70s British Pop Album - a jaw-dropping collision of superb songs, dazzling vocal harmonies, intelligent lyrics and hook-laden melodies that occupy the same studio uberpop territory as the first two 10cc albums and even Paul McCartney's Ram. Here, then, is the strange, previously untold story of a band that didn't leave so much as a footprint in the musical sands, but recorded a greater number of three-minute pop nuggets than almost all of their contemporaries...

Track Listing

1.Back On The Street Again
2.This Time Tomorrow
3.Without A Second Word
4.Walking The Silver Hay
5.Living On Borrowed Time
6.Time On My Side
7.Susanna In The Summer
8.Alias Oliver Dream
9.I'm About To Lose My Mind
10.I Think I'll Stay
11.Do You Need A Someone In Your Life
12.Every Day Is Like Saturday
13.Send Susanna Home
14.Smokey Chimney Tops
15.Down On The Farm
16.Raincloud
17.The Sound Of Her Laughter
18.Hurry On Home To London
19.Rodeo
20.Anytime At All
21.It's Only Human
22.Once Upon A Wednesday
23.Kentucky Summer
24.Windmill Hill
25.Lonely River