"Milkwood"

[RichardWarner]

Perhaps you've seen the Milkwood album cover (shot by Pete Turner). I've never seen the actual album anywhere...but while surfing mindlessly tonight, I ran across this item at http://www.forcedexposure.com/labels/akarma.italy.html:

UNDER MILKWOOD

Label:
AKARMA (ITALY)

Format:
CD

Price:
$15.00

Catalog #:
AK 095 CD

First legit issue of this good-to-pretty-good-to-almost-great underground rock album from 1970 (previously bootlegged as just "Milkwood" by the ever-doomed Fanny organization). Beautifully presented in one of Arkama's new LP-styled mini gatefold jackets. "Reissue of a fantastic Californian psych-based only released in 1969 as test pressing (was planned to be released on A&M label but never came out); it had this real 'west coast' guitarsound like Jefferson Airplane, Moby Grape, some folkrock passages ala Fairport Convention but also some exotic hippie atmospheres ala Traffic Sound; great alternate male/female vocals not unlike Balin/Slick but also crystal vocal passages ala Sandy Denny."

 

[LPJim]

I've got one of the limited edition Riverside-Fanny label LP versions of UNDER MILKWOOD, plus the Akarma CD. Each version has its own cover art and neither are the same as the Pete Turner design.
Possibly SP 4226 was not released because there was a conflict over the band name. Another group named Milkwood, with future members of the Cars, existed. I think they put out the album HOW'S THE WEATHER in the early '70s.
Also available from Akarma, in either LP or CD format, is SPIRITS AND WORM (A&M SP 4229). S&W has been issued twice previously on LP. The original A&M album is quite scarce because of limited release and prompt discontinuation. An original S&W sold on Ebay recently for apx. $680.00.
JB

 

[Mr Bill]

Here are the two covers of Under Milkwood, the A&M on the left -- though I'm not sure when or where A&M released it -- and the Akarma on the right.

--Mr Bill