David Wells’ Grapefruit’s usual stomping ground is the UK’s pop, folk-rock and psych scenes of the late sixties and early seventies, with the occasional excursion into American music. This triple box set switches the focus to Europe – from Finland to Spain, Switzerland to Iceland. On the first two discs this amounts largely to American and British influenced psychedelia, prog and hard rock. Quality is variable. A lot of the earlier stuff is derivative and forgettable, although there are exceptions. Swedish folk-pop act Oriental Sunshine’ gorgeous “Across Your Life” being one in particular. The third CD that covers the period 71-73 is where most of the gems lie, as the blatant Anglo-American influences are tossed aside. Here you have Faust, with the trippy repetition of “Rainy Day Sunshine Girl”, prog giants PFM, the singular space-heads Magma, Florian Fricke’s equally unique Popol Vuh, top Dutch acts Focus (“Sylvia”) and Golden Earring (the full six minute marvel “Radar Love”), but also some delicious obscurities such as the German-Italian Analogy, experimental Italian prog acts Banco del Mutuo Soccorso and Il Balletto di Bronzo, and the folky Icelandic group Svanfridur. In his sleeve notes, Wells bemoans the fact that the likes of Can and Neu fell foul of licencing issues, but to be honest, those are bands that are hardly lacking exposure anyway. A mixed bag, to be sure, but a worthwhile and, for the most part, interesting collection. CD 3 is actually pretty exceptional.

DISC ONE
Beginning To Fly

1. Q 65 – So High I’ve Been, So Down I Must Fall
2. The Ones – Lady Greengrass
3. Le Stelle Di Mario Schifano – Susan Song
4. Groep 1850 – Mother No- Head
5. Blues Section – Answer To Life
6. Dragonfly – Celestial Empire
7. Hurdy Gurdy – Tick Tock Man
8. Equipe 84 – Per Un Attimo Di Tempo
9. The Blackbirds – She
10. Tages – Halcyon Days
11. The Outsiders – Daddy Died On Saturday
12. Sandy Coast – Capital Punishment (Death By Hanging)
13. The Rippers – Night At The Lagoon
14. Ekseption – Sabre Dance
15. The Rattles – The Witch
16. Beefeaters – Now I Know
17. Alan Jack Civilization – What You’re Gonna Say
18. Brainbox – Dark Rose
19. Shocking Blue – Love Buzz
20. Gong – Change The World (aka Rational Anthem)
21. Tangerine Dream – Asche Zu Asche (Ashes To Ashes)
22. Ame Son – Je Veux Juste Dire

DISC TWO
Throwing Snowballs At The Sun

1. Supersister – She Was Naked
2. Oriental Sunshine – Across Your Life
3. Guru Guru – Next Time See You At The Dalai Lama
4. Pacific Sound – The Drug Just Told Me
5. Evolution – 21st Century Schizoid Man
6. Circus 2000 – I Am The Witch
7. Wigwam – Tombstone Valentine
8. Culpeper’s Orchard – Mountain Music Part One
9. Blue Beard – Losing You
10. Siloah – Krishna’s Golden Dope Shop
11. Cœur Magique – Mademoiselle Marie
12. Alice – Je Voudrais Habiter Le Soleil
13. Tasavallan Presidentti – Weather Brightly
14. Pan & Regaliz – I Can Fly
15. Osanna – L’Uomo
16. Brainticket – Watchin’ You
17. Le Orme – Era Inverno
18. Burnin Red Ivanhoe – All About All
19. Blast Furnace – Long Distance

DISC THREE
Speeding Into A New Sunrise

1. Inter-Groupie Psychotherapeutic Elastic Band – Floating
2. Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso – R.I.P. (Requiescant In Pace)
3. Focus – Sylvia
4. Aunt Mary – Rosalind
5. Necronomicon – In Memoriam
6. Il Balletto Di Bronzo – Primo Incontro
7. Faust – It’s A Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl
8. Analogy – Analogy
9. Day Of Phoenix – Zombie
10. Svanfriður – What’s Hidden There?
11. After Shave – Amsterdam In My Living Room
12. Popol Vuh – Abschied
13. Magma – Kobaia Ist De Hundin
14. P. F. M. (Premiata Forneria Marconi) – Celebration
15. Acqua Fragile – Education Story
16. Golden Earring – Radar Love