Review:'Unicorn' 'Shed No Tear: The Early Late Unicorn'
- Label: 'Think Like A Key Music'
- Genre: 'Folk'
- Release Date: '6.12.24.'- Catalogue No: 'TLAK 1184'
Our Rating:
These are the final recordings of Unicorn in a garden shed deep in the Surrey Hills in 1977 and 8 and also the earliest recordings, back when they were still called The Late between 1967 and 1969. The Shed recordings came after they had previously recorded at Air Studios, Britannia Row and Olympic with Dave Gilmour and Muff Winwood among the producers they worked with. Back when they were The Late some of the members toured as Billy J Kramers backing band.
While touring as Unicorn they played shows with among others Patti Smith at the Whiskey a Go Go, Lindisfarne and Linda Ronstadt. They were also among the first bands to record versions of Jimmy Webb's immortal ode to PF Sloan in 1971.
The double album opens with Open Sea a quite gentle plaintive country rocker, the Little Feat style twanging guitar and superlative playing will draw listeners in.
Don't Want To Go Home Alone is a plea for a little tenderness and affection, anything but having to deal with being on your ownsome, with sweet harmonies and seductive country tinged guitars, his intentions are crystal clear and straight forward.
Canada's A Long Way from a shed in England, he's pining for that girl that left to go over the ocean, he just wants her back, if the lap steel doesn't entice her to jump on a plane back to his arms what will.
Singing Your Praise almost feels like along lost Neil Young ballad, they make sure you know how special you are to them by singing your Praises and telling the world what impresses them about you.
Social Shirker lays out an early template for slow living, a life that begins at 26, they look at all the dancing raving and lovemaking they could be doing if they could be bothered to get off the sofa, they'd rather be lurking than jerking.
You Can Have A Dream really you can, you might even find yourself being social, they seem to be more of a band for introverts in love with twanging country guitars.
Get It Back they want normality to return, no more hanging out with Pink Floyd, just let them get back to a simpler time. The more I listen to this album the more they sound like they were recording a blueprint for what is now described as Americana.
Rainy Season a chilled laid back country rocker hoping to bring on the Rainy Season so they can stay in and disappear into themselves.
Open Books is super frail song in a Nick Drake way, for slow winter nights by the fire reading those Open Books.
Restless finally they have found a bit of energy and want to go out running about in the Surrey Hills once more they might get all the way to Martyr's Green if that organ solo can propel them up another hill.
Is That A Shame well is it, this woozy late night whisky soaked plea for those middle of the night feelings that might be A Shame, or they might just be the pleasures that you crave, when you've got the blues ,that he wants to seduce from you, with the aid of a harmonica and acoustic guitar plucks, let him know if you want him to shame you or not.
Stay Out Of MY Dreams don't give him nightmares of the woe of what you became, how can he break these chains, how can he get rid of you, he wants you out of his dreams, sad baleful midnight country blues.
Can't Stop Thinking About You is a change of pace, this is a slow reggae strum with some cool dubby drum effects, like Toots or Gregory Issacs through a home counties prism, the guitarist does a decent Andy Summers with Kevin Coyne adjacent playing.
The last song on the Shed Sessions is You Tell Too Many Lies with the title being sung like your totally resigned to being lied to on a daily basis, if you stay with the one he loves. The free love 70's are getting to him; All the betrayal and deceit have got them to come over all CSNY.
The Late's first song is Family Tree a very hippy rock tune, he has become that tree, he has that heart of oak, harmony backing vocals and psychedelic shifts masking his workingman's hands of a lumberjack, the lyrics are a masterclass in subtle innuendo.
Train Coming My Way he wants to go all The Who and get out of his head on a train, anywhere far from Woking or Surrey so he never has to see you again, bitter organ, love has broken his heart again, how will he ever go on, he's still trying to get the hang of the swinging 60's of the Byrds and Hollies.
Queen Of Hearts he wants to give her a piece of his mind, looks like it's over, she hasn't been around in a while, he wonders why being young and in love is just a brief encounter.
Working Man is a kitchen sink drama among harmonised vocals a chilled-out tune at odds with the lyrics, pastorally urbane folk music for the working man.
Doris is a very 60's confused love story, when you meet your first Doris, how she makes your day, taking you towards the morning light.
Going Back Home yep we've had our fun and I'm off home, you've had your fun but want more than she'll give you. Poor love is still getting to grips with how free love works with all the feelings he has.
The first of two bonus Unicorn songs is the Previously un-released Faint Is The Song more love gone awry, judgement day is coming for you, delivered in a Bob Dylan harmonica solo style.
The album closed with a live version of Weekend recorded on Magpie the children's teatime tv show, they sing about going round the bend with that girl, all the charms and the innuendo for the lovers' games they play, a gauzy sax solo adds to the lover man sentiments, perfect for the shows audience of kids from 5-18. I may have seen this when it went out and wonder what I would have made of it back then.
Find out more at https://www.thinklikeakey.com/format/1579386-shed-no-tear-the-early-late-unicorn https://thinklikeakey.bandcamp.com/album/shed-no-tear-the-early-late-unicorn
