Love And Poetry, CBS UK, 1969. £750+
Belfast freakbeat trio The Method (who at one point featured Gary Moore), relocated to London in 1968, when they became Andwellas Dream. Their quest for a record deal paid off as they were soon snapped up by CBS. Love And Poetry is a great, overlooked psychedelic rock album, which has become a firm favourite with collectors over the years. Housed in a spectacularly colourful sleeve, it contains some truly great eclectic moments, aided by hard-hitting guitar and punchy production.
Songwriter, guitarist, organist, pianist and vocalist Dave Lewis wrote all the material for Love And Poetry before he turned 18. Lewis was certainly a musician who deserved greater recognition. He shines all the way through this record with some inventive twin lead playing, harmonies, and contrasting tones.
Opening with the pastoral acoustic intro to The Days Grew Longer For Love, the song builds from a folky refrain into a fantastic acid guitar crescendo. It’s followed by their debut single Sunday, with its pile-driving rhythm, aggressive vocals and Hendrix stylings.
Elements of the songwriting have a certain familiarity. For instance, the chilled groove of Cocaine has a Zombies’ She’s Not There feel, and the Midday Sun chorus sounds like The Beatles’ Don’t Let Me Down. The organ brings to mind Procol Harum and The Nice, notably during the freakout. It’s a pity Love And Poetry didn’t fare better as there’s much to recommend it, even if it wasn’t as cohesive as it could have been.
