Dormouse had previously been with a late sixties folk outfit, The Rejects, who also put out an ultra-rare privately-pressed album. He is supported by a range of backing musicians on this horrendously rare privately-pressed album, which was housed in a beautiful silk-screen sleeve. Four of the tracks - Portrait For Marianne, By The Way, October Morning and Apple Annie - were penned by Chris Cuddy, one of the supporting musicians and four others - Young Face, Sometimes You Ain't Got Nothing Boy, Believe Me and Small Man by another, M. Waddington. There are interesting interpretations of Dylan's Baby Blue and Bo Diddley's Who Do You Love, but the highlights of this superb album are the vocals of Reign Ghosts' Linda Squires on High Flying Bird and Leonard Cohen's Suzanne. A priority album for reissue.(taken from "Dreams, Fantasies And Nightmares")
Based on this review I was eager to find a copy of "Toad". Finally in 2002 it was re-issued as "The Toad Recordings" (Hallucination HCD 05) and as I have heard it... well, I was slightly disappointed. "Young Face" and "Who Do You Love" (which IS an interesting interpretation) done quite well and "Just To Hear The Bells" is great loner folk. But to be honest the whole thing is nothing more than a rather ordinary folk effort. Maybe I expected too much or maybe I was the wrong person who bought THIS record.
Tracklist:
- Baby Blue
- Young Face
- High Flying Bird
- Portrait For Marianne
- Just To Hear The Bells
- Sometimes You Ain't Got Nothin'
- By The Way
- I Need A Friend
- Suzanne
- Believe Me
- October Morning
- Small Man
- Who Do You Love?
- Apple Annie
Personnel:
J. W. Dormouse [aka Cris Cuddy] (vcls, gtr, hrmnca)
[additional musicians]
Lynda Squires (vcls)
Carol Delorme (vcls)
Richard Gullison (lead gtr)
Peter Cragg (lead gtr)
Marcus Waddington (vcls, gtr)
Don Tapscott (vcls, gtr, perc)
Dennis Delorme (vcls, gtr)
David McKay (bs)
Nick Corneal (bs)
Mike Clancy (bs)
Cris Cuddy (hrmnca)
Origin:
Petersborough (Ontario/Canada)
Discographie:
Albums:
1. Toad (Private Pressing T13) 1968
Get it here (Artwork included)
Listen to Just To Hear The Bells
