Sleeve notes for Belbury Poly’s 5th album suggest the soundtrack to a travelling salesman’s adventures with an acid-spiked ploughman’s lunch, somewhere in early seventies rural England.
Belbury Poly play like dispirited sixties psychedelic survivors, reluctantly meeting the demands of television or advertising commissions in the subsequent decade, redeeming their banal compositions with snatches of haunting folk melodies, crunchy hairy funk basslines and experimental electronics.
The overall effect is disorientating and brilliant, the past recreated in a nostalgic fug, stabs of sincerity slashing through superficial veils of irony.
The Belbury Tales are both satirical social critiques, and lost world laments.
(11/3/12)
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Brighton Argus
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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John Robins, Comedian
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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World Without End, Twitter
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com