This Is the Magic Mixture (Remastered)

The Magic Mixture were one of dozens of psychedelic bands making the rounds of London's rock clubs in 1968, though they were the only ones who recorded an album for Saga Records, a cut-rate classical label who were making a brief foray into pop music. The group's first and only album, This Is the Magic Mixture, is prized by collectors for its rarity, but as music it's fun and interesting without being especially remarkable. The liner notes to Sunbeam Records' reissue of This Is the Magic Mixture reproduces a promotional flyer in which the band describes their music as "Cream-Hendrix Style," and while that formula isn't terribly far off, the comparisons don't quite flatter the Magic Mixture; lead guitarist Terry Thomas (later a member of Charlie) was a fine player, but he lacked Jimi's flash and vision, while the band couldn't muster the same sort of blues power that Cream generated on an off night. However, the group sounds admirably tight and well-focused, especially given the circumstances behind the recording of their sole album, which was essentially cut live in the studio in a single day. The songs are good if not great, especially the hard rock workout "You," the atmospheric "Moonbeams," and the trippy but propulsive "When I Was Young" (not the Animals hit, though not dissimilar). As castoffs of the British psychedelic era go, This Is the Magic Mixture is better than most and the album has its pearly moments, but those not already enamored of such things will probably find themselves immune to its charms. [Sunbeam's reissue features two early Magic Mixture demos featuring Simon Kirke on drums, as well as four recordings from the band's otherwise undocumented final chapter as Pleasant Street. The liner notes offer a detailed history of the Magic Mixture's rise and fall, and anyone with an interest in this group will never have to buy another reissue of their work once they own this definitive edition.]