|
| Cover design by Barbara Fry |
from UNCUT, May 2002
BARRY BOOTH
DIVERSIONS!
Castle Music ****
Cult classic from 1968 with lyrics written by future Monty Python stars Terry Jones and Michael Palin
A solo album from an otherwise anonymous artist (Booth spent toe bulk of hs career creating music for television), Diversions! is a surreal, quintessentially Englisn take on baroque orchestral pop. A musician on BBC2's Late Night Line Up, Booth met the up-and-coming partnership of Jones and Palin in 1967 and suggested a collaboration. Working independently of each other, the two writers provided lyrics for the 14 songs here.
A demo tape reached the ears of renowned Pye producer Tony Hatch, who immediately snapped up these tremulously cooed, skewed songs about balsa-wood kits, Post Office queues and suburban mediocrity. Despte a glowing reception on its release, Booth's reluctance to perform or to tour meant that the project soon disappeared into obucurty. Unbelievaby re-released here for the frst time ever, the album is a testament to the spirit of the Sixties - deeply felt, humorous and bizarre.
Paul Johnson
Buy the CD from
Amazon.co.uk