01	Dangerous Dave						04:18
	02	Van Allen's Best						02:50
	03	Runaway						04:58
	04	Grandad						03:25
	05	Wings Of Thunder						03:12
	06	World's Eye						07:36
	07	Don't Let It Get You						04:27
	08	Disraeli's Problem						04:16
	09	A Canterbury Tale						04:04

Bill Brufford drums
Rick Biddulph mandolin
Julian Cusack violin, keyboards
Barbara Gaskin vocals
Dave Mattacks drums
Dave Stewart keyboards
Steve Borrell bass
Martin Cockerham guitar
Alan Laing cello

1972/B & C Records



Spirogyra [UK]
Updated 3/12/03
Discography
St. Radigund's (72)
Old Boot Wine (72)
Bells, Boots and Shambles (73)
We Were A Happy Crew (99, Compilation)
Burn the Bridges (00)


Reviews
Early Britsh folk-prog in vein of Trees or Fairport Convention, known for being Barbara Gaskin's first band.
Spirogyra was an early 70's progressive / psychedelic folk band from Canterbury, based almost entirely on the unique talents of male vocalist/guitarist Martin Cockerham and female vocalist Barbara Gaskin.
The Spirogyra hard to define sound differs greatly from the famous Canterbury sound of Caravan, Soft Machine and the likes. It can be best described as a mixture of the medieval Steeleye Span folksy sound and the lunatic, hallucinated psychedelic atmosphere of early Pink Floyd. Trippy and magical, Spirogyra is almost entirely acoustic, enriched with screaming, sometime dissonant violin and a flute.

The two vocalists Cockerham and Gaskin, and their combined singing is what gives Spirogyra their unique and hard to define sound, Gaskin sings purely and straightforward ("Old Boot Wine", "Spiggly") while Cockerham supports her with a more spoken, out of tune style resembling Syd Barrett, sometimes taking the lead himself and giving the song an extra trippy feeling ("Cogwheels, Crutches and Cyanide", perhaps their best song, very wild and crazy).

Spirogyra released 3 albums during its short life span, generally maintaining a uniform style through all 3. The first LP (St. Radigund's) is a bit wilder and energetic, the second (Old Boot Wine) is calmer and melancholic and the third LP (Bells, Boots & Shambles) contains longer and more structure complex songs ("the Furthest Point", "In the Western World"), also combining cello and trumpet!

The third album is largely considered the best and suggested as an introduction to the group while the other 2 albums guarantee a listening delight as well. Some excellent song examples worth checking out are "Cogwheels, Crutches and Cyanide", "Magical Marry" and "The Future Won't be Long" (St. Radigund's), "Van Allen's Belt" and "A Canterbury Tale" (Old Boot Wine). Also available is Burn the Bridges, a compilation of early demo tapes. With a style similar to St. Radigund's, this compilation contains some excellent tunes ("Burn the Bridges", "I Hear You're Going Somewhere (Joe Really)", "Turn Again Lane"). -- Lior Arbel

From the Stewart/Gaskin web site:
HEALTH WARNING - We Were A Happy Crew (released in March 1999) is a Mooncrest Records (UK) Spirogyra compilation, featuring a selection of tracks from the band's three 1970's albums. Unfortunately, the CD was mastered by Mooncrest from dubious sources, and the resulting product is of poor sonic quality, with distortion and extraneous noises throughout.
At the insistence of Barbara Gaskin, the CD has now been properly mastered from the original master tapes, and anyone who owns the original faulty pressing may swap it for the re-mastered CD. (If in any doubt which version you own, check the opening 7 or 8 seconds of track 5 - if you hear a loud knocking sound like someone kicking a mike stand, you've got the original!) To get your replacement, contact:

Billy Masterson, Trojan Sales, Unit 25, Forest Business Park, South Access Road, Walthamstow, London E17 8BA. Tel: 0181 509 2099. Fax: 0181 520 0652.