I picked this up in a second hand CD shop in Falmouth last year, as part of a 5CD box set (3 of which I already had!) It was Ayers' first album after leaving Harvest for Island records, possibly with a view to more mainstream success., which wasn't forthcoming.
First track, Day By Day, is an upbeat piece of Ayers optimism, a jolly start to put a smile on the face, followed swiftly by the cajun-style short ditty, See You Later, classic whimsy in just 28 seconds. Didn't Feel Lonely Till I Thought Of You is a full blooded Ayers classic, and so far, there's certainly a more commercail feel, as well as some fine guitar soloing from long time collaborator Ollie Halsall. After that, kick off your shoes, put your feet up by the fire, while Ayers serenades us about his lost love in Everybody's Sometime And Some People's All The Time Blues, with another guitar guest, Mike Oldfield providing a long and soothing run out. Just in case you think Kev's going all soft, we revisit the Soft Machine days in It Begins With A Blessing / Once I Awakened / But It Ends With A Curse, a reworking of Softs' Why Are We Sleeping, with Ayers' spoken vocals sounding sinister between the female chorus, which bookends some jazzy piano bits and the sparse central song. It's fantastic and hopelessly self indulgent. Ballbearing Blues ends the first half, with another short burst of glorious silliness.
Most of the second half is taken up with the grand opus from the title track, The Confessions Of Dr Dream. Part One opens with a repetitive, Reich-like acoustic guitar theme before the song begins, a dark and distant duet with Nico, settling into a more orthodox guitar bridge for Part Two. Part Three opens quietly, and feels fairly nondescript, almost trying to straddle the gap between Ayers' idiosyncratic oddness and his ability to write a commercial song, and it doesn't really satisfy either - there's a long noodling instrumental which continues into Part Four, with a distorted vocal over the Dr Dream theme. While it's an interesting listen, it suggests this extended format isn't really kind to Ayers' and it doesn't hold together as well. Two Goes Into Four, completes the album, a very short piece and a gentle farewell.
In a way, this album shows Ayers at his best and worst, the whimsy, humour and strong songwriting contrasting with the longer, darker less focused piece, but it's never dull, and certainly recommended
4* - mid seventies Kevin Ayers, with all the highs and lows, but never boring.
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