Search - Dr Strangely :: Heavy Petting (Dig)

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Kerry Leimer | Makawao, Hawaii United States | 08/28/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"One of the most unique and short-lived folk groups, Dr. Strangely Strange released two albums (1969 - 1970) and their difficult third album some thirty years later. While many people feel that their first album, "Kip of the Serenes" (which is still available on CD: do your best to find a copy!) is also their best, "Heavy Petting" has its charms.



"Heavy Petting" finds the Doctors in a more electric mood. Not strictly in a rock 'n roll sense, however. Many of the tunes here feature an electric guitar, but the instrument is fit into the music rather than being featured as the be-all and end-all focal point. The result is very like the accomplishment Fairport Convention realized with "Liege and Lief", the difference being that "Petting" is comprised of entirely original pieces. Each of the songs has a distinct character, some folk, some for rolling out the beer barrel. Others, like the very lovely and very melodic "Sign on my mind" is almost impossible to strictly classify and offers a calm, thoughtful and silky smooth instrumental passage that combines whistle with electric guitar and some of Dave Mattacks' most expert and restrained drumming.



The album doesn't manage to feature a stand-out piece like "Frosty Mornings" from "Kip of the Serenes", but everything here is pulled off with a good sense of humor and a fine ear for melody. It also happens to feature one of the first of Roger Dean's commercial designs, in a die-cut and fold finish that is one of the most genuinely odd album covers I've ever seen. If you like some of the more eccentric limits of the Incredible String Band, Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, The Amazing Blondel or others, Dr. Strangely Strange will give you just a bit more, but not just more of the same."

Almost as strange

Christopher J. Church | london | 04/30/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The follow-up album to the original Dr Strangely Strange 'Kip of the Serenes' is a little more electric but almost equally eccentric in the best possible way. Songs full of profundities and meaning that then tell you that if you found a meaning you were wrong, songs about people turning into wasps, songs that take you to paces no-one else goes (don't you love the 70s....).

Completely wonderful, been impossible to get hold of, badly needed to replace scatched vinyl.... Oh, and a astonishing four+ minutes guitar break by Gary Moore that fits perfectly...

"

Wild, weird, and eclectic British folk rock

Elliot Knapp | Seattle, Washington United States | 10/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Halfway through the first time I listened to Heavy Petting, I decided Dr. Strangely Strange sound a bit like a cross between The Incredible String Band and Fairport Convention. That is, inventive harmonized vocals in a thick brogue and a restless and wild pursuit of eclectic musical styles between and in songs liken them to the ISB, and their British folk roots and heavier rock bottom, featuring organ, electric guitar, bass and drums, make them a bit like Fairport Convention. By the time I finished listening, and especially, after listening many times, I've realized that these comparisons, though they do act as general references, utterly fail to capture the off-the-wall sensibilities, vibrancy, fun, and original spirit imbued in this album. Still, though, they shared a manager with the Incredible String Band (Joe Boyd) and really are similar in spirit, so if you like ISB, I definitely recommend these guys.



The other reviewer pointed in the right direction--the songs on this album are full of profundities, but never take themselves too seriously and always include a healthy dose of humor and whimsy. My favorites include the mandolin-accompanied tale "Ballad of the Wasps," the genre-defying groove of "Kilmanoyadd Stomp" (which ends with some kind of ragtime piano riff), the ghostly "Sign On My Mind," which features an all-out guitar break that outstrips any rocking the ISB ever dabbled in, "Gave My Love An Apple," which encapsulates the possibilities of the band's eclectic tastes with its inclusion of one verse of Brit-country "Tennessee Waltz" and some of the album's funniest lyrics ("she only said 'don't hit me on the hump' and beat me with her sponge"!?!), and last, the brooding and mysterious "Ashling."



Dr. Strangely Strange (but oddly normal, according to their first album notes) is pretty out-there, but if that's your thing, I think you might enjoy them as much as I have. The songs go all over the place, but they're always well-written and rocking, and as a whole the album is a highly enjoyable ride. As far as Repertoire's reissues go, this is one of the best obscure 70's albums, and one of the label's coolest packages, and that's saying a lot--the sides of the front cover fold out to reveal more of the picture (make sure to look at the color version, I don't know why there's a black and white one). If you're open-minded and adventurous (which you probably are, if you even found this album), you'll probably dig Heavy Petting. Enjoy!"