DULCIMER - ..and I Turned as I Had.. (Mercury SR 61355) USA 1971 LP (Folk)
 | item is still factory sealed in New, untouched condition | gatefold | deletion hole in cover

There's a flood of UK folk-rock available, most of it largely unknown in the States. That said, like any commodity, much of it is over-hyped and not particularly impressive. Here's one of the exceptions.
Dulcimer consisted of Dave Eaves and Pete Hodges on vocals and guitar, and bassist Jem North. Finding a mentor in the form of producer/manager Larry Page (yes, the guy who was behind The Troggs), 1971 found the trio signed by the small UK Nepentha Records (Mercury acquiring American distribution rights). Produced by Page, the trio debuted with 1970's oddly titled "And I Turned As I Had As a Boy".

Best described as acoustic folk-rock, Hodge and Eaves-penned material such as "Pilgrim from the City", "Morman's Casket" and "Fruit of the Musical Tree" is full of pretty melodies and a weird series of mideaval and mythological lyrics (check out the bizarre "Ghost of the Wandering Minstrel Boy"). To give you some frame of reference, to our ears much of the set recalls early Al Stewart. Elsewhere, actor Richard Todd recites some hackneyed poetry on "Sonnett To the Fall" and "Caravan". Highlights include the pretty ballads "Glochester City" and "Starlight" (the latter featuring some nice electric bass from North). All told, the set's pleasant and never less than enjoyable, though nothing here is particularly original. Interestingly, the UK pressing, is far rarer and sought after than the US Mercury release. (The album was originally released with a gatefold sleeve.)
"And I Turned As I Had As a Boy"