Folkjokeopus was the showcase for McGoohan’s Blues – one of Roy’s masterpiece epics.
The debut album had shown great versatility and ambition both in terms of lyric writing and music. Instead of a straightforward solo acoustic album, the like of which we were hearing at his early gigs at Cousins and the small clubs, we were treated to a range of styles from psychedelic phasing on China Girl to out and out heavy metal on Committed.
The second offering was even more adventurous. There were no holds barred. We had poetry reading and the first of Roy’s sprawling epics with Circle.
By the time we were moving to the third album things had progressed even further. Roy was not courting commercial success even though he had by now firmly established himself as a force on the Underground scene. In many ways he was still finding his way.
I see this as a major experimental phase with Roy trying out different things – many of which would become cul-de-sacs. He was not only influenced by the audacity of The Incredible String Band but was still in the thrall of Jack Kerouac and Beat poetry.
He’d signed to Liberty and they’d retained the producer Shel Talmy – both of which were to prove problematical.
Shel had been used to creating hit singles for the likes of the Kinks and Who.
Liberty thought Roy had commercial potential.
Roy was not interested in playing that game. For him it was all about the integrity of the music. The songs he was writing did not conform to the two and a half minute pop treatment. He was still trying out different instruments and style. He fell out with Shel so that the album was basically produced as first takes, live performances in the studio. Shel was struggling with how to turn McGoohan’s Blues and She’s The One into commercial projects and Roy would not compromise. Liberty were MIA. The battle of the recording sessions took its toll. The range of instruments and styles were Roy’s forages into giving full rein to his creative juices.
I remember Roy introducing McGoohan’s Blues at its first outing – the Prisoner being about the only decent thing on telly at the time and very much a product of its time. Compulsory viewing. Sitting there in the gloom of a small club hearing McGoohan’s Blues for the first time was an experience that sticks with me. I was blown away by the scope, depth, poetry and meaning coupled to that musical intensity. I had never heard anything as powerful. The only thing that comes near for me is Dylan’s It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) and Buffy St Marie’s ‘My Country It Is Of Thy People You’re Dying’ both of which were epics of intense emotional impact.
At this time McGoohan’s and She’s The One were the centre pieces of Roy’s live performances. Both delivered with passion and incredible power.
I’ve searched for a bootleg from this period (without success) because in my mind nothing subsequently came near to the power of those early days. Roy was on fire.
The anticipation for the album mounted. I could not wait to hear the recorded versions of the stuff we were hearing live. It was going to be monumental.
Roy, at this time, had a foot both sides of a divide. He was gaining in popularity with long queues outside his gigs, being discovered by the media and being heralded as an emerging star. Roy was busy sabotaging all that. He tended to alienate the media and viewed commercial success with suspicion. He was determined to do it his way or no way.
The album cover was designed by Roy and serendipity. He wanted the album to be a diamond not a standard square. Liberty made it a square and Roy entered into a lengthy battle to have his diamond. Even at the end it isn’t quite right – just a little off. He portrayed himself eyes shut with face whitened and his pet monkey on his shoulder – the jester. Was he taking himself seriously? Yes he was. He was throwing the fireworks into the court.
The back cover sat on his sitting room table for friends to scribble on.
The release was frustratingly delayed and delayed (because of that cover) until the anticipation was unbearable.
I finally got it home and excitedly plonked it on the record player. I was disappointed. I wanted McGoohan’s to be perfect. It wasn’t. Instead of enhancing the power of the track I thought that the production (Roy doing 1 take in the studio with the addition of genius musicians like Nicky Hopkins) did not quite capture the passion of those electrifying live performances. But that was probably just me and the unrealistic expectations.
For me that album was a watershed and the transition to a brilliant set of albums.
I still play it regularly and love it – but I can’t help wondering what it might have sounded like with Pete Jenner at the helm and Harvest as the label.
That’s me with my original copy. It hasn’t changed. I haven’t changed too much inside.
