Album DescriptionKevin Ayers is one of UK rock's greatest contributors, both as a key member of Soft Machine as their original bassist/vocalist, and later as a collaborator with noted prog musicians Mike Oldfield and Steve Hillage. This is a collection of recently-discovered private demo recordings and out-takes straight from Kevin Ayers' personal archives -- a refreshing reminder of a musical innocence unique to the 1970s. Much more than nuggets from a golden era, these songs remain compellingly personal in their simplicity, and sit alongside sunny instrumentals featuring friends David Bedford, Mike Oldfield, Archie Leggett (1944-1997) and Robert Wyatt. Of special note is the 14-minute private demonstration for the "Doctor Dream"suite, a stunning "audio letter" synopsis with acoustic performances and wry commentary. Never has Kevin Ayers' voice and guitar been captured in such natural intimacy. These beautifully recorded reel-to-reel tapes are an indispensable portrait of an artist as a young man. Or to convey the response from manager Tim Shepard, "this is Kevin's Holy Grail!" What more can we say?