Kevin Ayers and the Whole World "Shooting at the Moon" [CD]


Recorded: April-September 1970 at Abbey Road, London
Released: October 1970
Label: Harvest
Genre: Psychedelic/Avant-garde Rock

Personnel:

• Kevin Ayers / Guitar, bass, Vocals

The Whole World:
• David Bedford / Organ, Piano, Accordion, Marimbaphone, Guitar
• Lol Coxhill / Saxophone, Zoblophone
• Mike Oldfield / Bass, Guitar and vocal
• Mick Fincher / Drums, Percussion, Bottles & Ashtrays
• Bridget St. John / Vocals
• The Whole World Chorus / vocals

Track Listing:

1. "May I?" (Ayers) [4:01]
2. "Rheinhardt & Geraldine" (Ayers) / "Colores Para Delores" (Ayers) [5:41]
3. "Lunatics Lament" (Ayers) [4:53]
4. "Pisser Dans un Violon" (Ayers) [8:02]
5. "The Oyster and the Flying Fish" (Ayers) [2:37]
6. "Underwater" (Ayers) [3:54]
7. "Clarence in Wonderland" (Ayers) [2:06]
8. "Red Green and You Blue" (Ayers) [3:52]
9. "Shooting at the Moon" (Ayers) [5:53]
10. "Gemini Child" [3.16]
11. "Puis Je?" [3.41]
12. "Butterfly Dance" [3.45]
13. "Jolie Madame" [2.26]
14. "Hat" [5.27]

Where Bought: Amazon
Price: £4.93
Condition: Brand new
When: 04/07/09

Notes: This was the album that got me into Kevin Ayers' music. I bought it mainly because Mike Oldfield featured quite heavily on the album - this was the same reason I bought David Bedford's 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner', in fact, and as you can see from the personnel listing there's a further connection in that Bedford plays on the album.

'Shooting at the Moon' was criticised heavily for being erratic and disjointed; a strange condemnation in an era when experimentation and progressiveness was 'the in thing' in music. Personally, I was a bit weirded out when I first heard this album. It begins with a romantic, smooth-jazz song ('May I?'), then in the middle of "Rheinhardt & Geraldine" / "Colores Para Delores" there's a completely insane tape montage - you might think the album was sticking. 'Pisser Dans un Violon' and 'Underwater' are just bizarre, and smack-bang in the middle you have the childlike ballad 'The Oyster and the Flying Fish'. Thematically, this album is all over the place. It's down to the listener whether it's what they go for in an album. I personally love it. The music never lets you get bored.

This is an album full of highlights. Don't ask me to go through them or we'll be here for hours!