PLASTIC PENNY Currency ORIGINAL freakbeat psych LP '69
$
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Description
This is a genuine ORIGINAL pressing of Plastic Penny’s SECOND album “Currencyâ€, from 1969 on the UK Page One label, in STEREO. After waxing poetic about Plastic Penny’s FIRST album (or half of it, anyway – see my other auctions for more details), I was really wondering which direction the boys would go on their sophomore effort. Lightweight pop, or crunching freakbeat? Their cover art continues the lame monetary puns – if only money DID grow on trees, kids, I wouldn’t be so consistently outbid on this site every day, and the band would’ve been able to afford a better graphic designer. But I’m happy to report that the Plastic Penny have gone the heavier direction on this one, and have come up with an even better, and more consistent, album the second time out. Sure, there’s still a struggle between pure pop and mod freakbeat, but instead of segregating each style to a separate album side, this time they’re (sort of) seamlessly integrated into the same songs. Take “Your Way to Tell Me Goâ€, for example, and a perfect example. It’s got all the ingredients of classic English freakbeat – rumbling Entwistle bass runs, pounding drums, slashing Creation/Who guitar attack – yet the clean production and even cleaner vocals give it an unexpectedly pop edge. But make no mistake, the band are clearly firing on all cylinders, and they attack this song, and others here, with all the energy and flair of ’67 Who, reminding you that this is still a freakbeat wolf in pop sheep’s clothing. Elsewhere, the band cranks out beautiful grand organ pop on “Turn to Meâ€, which reminds me a lot of Procol Harum’s “A Salty Dog†and is equally majestic, nearly as catchy. “Baby You’re Not to Blame†is probably the most immediately likeable song the band ever created, with a can’t-miss melody and a rhythm sorta similar to the Stones “Sympathy for the Devilâ€. The double-tracked stereo grunts aren’t real, though – just added filigree – but if you like clean-cut catchy pop like Honeybus, this is right up your alley. The band does make a few missteps – their cover of “Hound Dog†is misguided at best, not so much because they turn it into a slow chunky white boy blues workout, but moreso because the lead vocalist goes into that awful shrieking proto-metal vocal style that Ian Gillan would make famous a few years later, and let’s face it, “Hound Dog†is no “Highway Starâ€. And the closing 8-minute instrumental “Sour Suite†is just plain dull. But again, the band reach inside the magic hat and pull out yet another popsike masterpiece – this time it’s the killer op-art color wheel madness of “Give Me Moneyâ€. Sure, that sounds like a title the Rutles could’ve written, but musically, Plastic Penny NAILS the sound of vintage ’67 Who PERFECTLY – with great slashing guitar chords, knife-scraping guitar solos, and still more fuzzed-out guitar mayhem. In short, it’s got a lotta guitar. Think “Anywhere Anyhow Anywayâ€, mixed with a little “Silas Stingy†and “Happy Jackâ€, or anything off the “Sell Out†LP really. It’s another mod freakbeat masterpiece from this very underrated little band, whose reputation has probably suffered in the freakbeat circles because of their tendency to often go full-blown pop at times. And because Nigel Olsson would go on to release “Dancing Shoesâ€. But Plastic Penny clearly had some inspired moments – quite a few actually, and any fan of the Swinging London sound needs to hear BOTH their remarkable albums. And that’s MY two cents worth. Original 1969 STEREO pressing on the UK Page One label. Cover's in EXCELLENT shape with minor lamination crinkles and a small price sticker on the front. Vinyl plays real strong VG++. Winning bidder pays $4.50 for media mail shipping with tracking in the US, $8 air mail to Canada, $14 everywhere else. Paypal, Bidpay, cash, checks and money orders accepted. Please check out my other auctions for more vinyl obscurities, and I will combine shipping costs on multiple wins.
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