Original 1st press OZ LP released in 1971 on the Pink Island Records label. cat: SIL-934457. Comes in a lightly textured gatefold sleeve. Comes with printed lyric inner bag which is in Excellent condition.
The group's only concept album (similar in some ways to the Pretty Things' S.F. Sorrow), built around the life story of John "Babbacombe" Lee, a Victorian-era condemned murderer. Lee's story, from his boyhood poverty to his time in the Royal Navy, his being invalided out and forced to work in the service of Miss Keyes, to her murder and his sentence of death, and the failure of the gallows three times, is told in song, and all but one of those songs are originals. The all-male Fairport seldom sang better, nor did the post-Thompson band ever play with more panache, and some of the songs are beautiful but a few are lugubrious, and as with most other concept albums, the fit between the songs and the larger subject ultimately isn't entirely comfortable for the listener.
Tracks : John's Reflection On His Boyhood, His Introduction To Miss Keyes And The Glen, His Restlessness, And His Struggles With His Family, Finally Successful, To Join The Navy. This Was The Happiest Period In His Life. All Looked Set Fair For A Career Until He Was Stricken With Sickness And Invalided Out Of His Chosen Niche In Life. Reluctantly And Unhappily He Turned To A Number Of Menial Occupations And Finally Returned To The Services Of Miss Keyes. Tragedy Now Strikes Hard. The World's Imagination Is Caught By The Brutal Senselessness Of The Apparent Criminal Who Slays His Kind Old Mistress/ John Was Hardly More Than A Bewildered Observer At His Own Trial, Not Being Allowed To Say More Than A Few Words. The Tides Of Fate Wash Him To The Condemned Cell Where He Waits Three Sad Weeks For His Last Night On Earth. When It Comes, He Cannot Sleep, But When He Does, A Strange, Prophetic Dream Comes To Him, And Helps Him To Bear The Strain Of His Next Day's Ordeal As Scaffold And Its Crew Try In Vain Three Times To Take His Life.
There are a few light spindle marks on labels. Record has some light scuff marks that cause some light crackles and is in Excellent condition. Lightly textured gatefold sleeve has a small sticker stain on front top right corner and a few light marks and is in Excellent condition.
Wrapping method: All records are sent in stiff cardboard mailers then wrapped in brown paper and sealed around edges with brown packaging tape. Records are taken out of sleeve to avoid seam splits and ring wear.
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