One of the most engaging and consistently surprising British acid-folk LPs..a deceptively spare, but in reality, quite layered and intricate sonic landscape...Reference points in order of orbital distance would be Forest, COB and the Incredible String Band, though Moonkyte seems further from folk and deeper into damaged drug-experimentation than any of these contemporaries. The record finds its mojo in a big way with one of the great sitar headswirlers, 'Way Out Hermit'. Accompanied by droning bass and hissing cymbals, Dave Ambler's excellent sitar work builds a spidery moonlight staircase to the top of a mystical tor, while Dave Stansfield's zoned vocals weave skeins of mist around. Unfolding like a lotus petal, it's acid folk at its most inwardly focused and levitational, immaculate in both conception and execution....All-in-all, a thoroughly marvellous slice of early 70s acid-folk strangeness.
Continuing in the far out psychedelic side of folk is Moonkyte. And in fact, it's more psych than it is folk. And considering this, their lone album was endorsed by (and had original liner notes) by John Peel in 1971, who else do you really need to recommend it to you? Just consider this one inlcuded in the list of required listening for fans of late 60s early 70s acid-folk.
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This album, as whole, is pretty damn good, although not extraordinary. Yet, it contains extraordinary moments. It's actually much better that many of the more recent rare-folk 'discoveries' that I have heard. It is, undoubtedly, tripped out. It was recorded and released in 1971 and even caught the attention of John Peel, who penned the original liner notes...Count Me Out is no exercise in mediocrity. It is heavily steeped in the gloriously drugged psychedelic folk scene of the time, along with some mild doses of rock awareness. There are dreamy backing vocals, occasionally devilish beats and rollicking, almost swanky electric bass lines throughout...................www.indieworkshop.com (by Adam Richards)
.........Championed by legendary British DJ John Peel, who wrote the rather effusive liner notes, the band could easily have been called the Davids, having been formed by David Stansfield, who provided harmonium and vocals, Foster, who provided guitar and vocals and Ambler, who provided sitar, banjo, whistle and 'microdot mahyem'. ..............................This album is a rather pleasant diversion and a perfect way to mellow out on a lazy Sunday afternoon and can be recommended to fans of soft, British rock by the likes of Forest, Incredible String Band, Comus, Sun Also Rises and Clive's Original Band (COB).......................................(Jeff Penzak)
