Jeremy Dormouse - The Toad Recordings (Reissue) (1967/2001)

Initially on Label: Void Records only 500 copy pressing. "Legendary Canadian folk/psych rarity from 1967-68. One of the hardest to find album collectibles there is. This recording also features a very young Lynda Squires (Reign Ghost) and many other Canadian folk notables of the day. Original cover art is here as well as liner notes . The master came from the band and sounds great, with male/female throughout. Standout cut for me is 'Believe Me', a folk gem of the day. This project is also related to the 'Rejects' LP, another lost Canadian rarity."

Reissue in 2001 by label Hallucination Records of extremely rare Canadian privately pressed 60's psych-folk artifact from 1967! PSYCHEDELIC FOLK, typical underground vibe. Featuring Lynda Squires (REIGN GHOST) and Cris Cuddy (Mr. Dormouse). This came from Bob Bryden's (CHRISTMAS) musical library and was specially remastered.

Dormouse (aka Cris Cuddy) 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'. Obscure folk LP with a transition sound from 60s coffee house into 70s downer/loner moves. Lost in time atmosphere and idiosyncratic singing and playing makes for a trip with a clear identity, yet the connection between the arrangements, vocal mannerisms and underlying tunes seems random and "for the hell of it", rather than conscious explorations. Some tracks work, others don't, and all over it's pretty inconsistent. Covers of Dylan, Cohen and Bo Diddley (!) come off more like insults than bold interpretations, while the Lynda Squires led take on "High Flying Bird" is pretty cool. Of the originals most is average contemporary folk, with a high-point in the only track not by Dormouse (Cris Cuddy) or Marcus Wattington, Don Tapscott's sublime 'Just To Hear The Bells'. The album is semi-acoustic with electric bass and occasional percussion. Oddly, the LP has a similar sound (minus the autoharp) and the precise same problems as the Folklords. The album was recorded in 1967, and precedes the Rejects LP sessions. The Hallucinations CD is titled 'The Toad Recordings' and shows traces of vinyl press noise and high-end distortion in a few spots.