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***During their lifespan, The Incredible String Band contained several wives, children and pets, and were a five-piece when they disbanded in November 1974. Basically, everyone else acted as a supporting cast to the songwriting nucleus of Robin Williamson and Mike Heron. Liquid Acrobat As Regards The Air marks the halfway point, more or less, of the Incredible String Band. This 1971 release was their first for Island Records, following Joe Boyd (formerly Elektra UK's director of A&R) to the label. ISB had been riding the huge critical acclaim of their third album The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter and a string of beautiful releases in its wake (Wee Tam, The Big Huge, I Looked Up, and the ambitious, sprawling medieval road show U). In fact, The Incredible String Band were a quartet for this recording, adding Malcolm Le Maistre from the U touring group, and retaining ex-wife Licorice as an additional vocalist. The "Incredibles" (as fans may know them) mined the successful formula of past releases on Liquid Acrobat, a sprawling, epic, and fanciful collection of folk musics from around the world, complete with Williamson's soulful brogue or Heron's bluesy warmth. Somehow, the ISB managed to combine numerous styles and add their own magic to the brew in order to make the sound uniquely their own. Along with Fairport Convention, ISB continued to lead the merging of the lines between folk music and electric rock, and is in fine form here, especially on songs like "Talking of the End," "Worlds They Rise & Fall" and "Jigs," a wonderful interpretation of a triad of traditional folk dance tunes. Many consider Liquid Acrobat to be the final release in the golden era of this legendary band. |
