Mcgough & Mcgear [Remastered & Expanded Edition]

McGough & McGear's sole album is a witty delight, notable for both its occasional cool tuneful pop-psychedelic rock songs and more frequent blends of music and whimsical Liverpudlian comedy/poetry. Of the song-oriented tracks, "So Much in Love" is groovy circa 1967-68 British harmony pop/rock with touches of heavy rock psychedelia, while the satirical "Ex-Art Student" (with Jimi Hendrix on guitar) combines sunny pop verses with an extended freaky psychedelic break. "Basement Flat," by contrast, is a funny take on a British pub-style sing-along, while McGough's poem "Summer with Monika" bears similarity to outings by the Bonzo Dog Band and Monty Python. The spoken bits are nicely embellished by eclectic folky and jazzy musical backups and background sound effects, and the sad piano ballad "Yellow Book" is indicative of their debts to British theatrical music traditions. ~ Richie Unterberger