Some recent interaction on Facebook made me think of Egg’s first and only single, 1969’s Seven Is A Jolly Good Time.
It’s not my favourite track by this fab group, from the hugely interesting Canterbury Scene era. But I do like it. As much for its subject/sentiment, as the music.
I have to thank my Goldsmith’s College pal Brennan Young for introducing me to this particular ‘beat combo’. Thanks, buddy!
I decided I’d poichase what I could of their catalogue. So I’ve ordered CDs of their self-titled 1970 debut, The Polite Force (‘71), The Civil Surface (‘74), and The Metronomical Society.
The latter, a 2007 release, is, according to burningshed.com ‘a collection of live and studio recordings made by the pioneering trio between 1969 and 1972. It features archive material unheard for nearly 40 years, including a sizeable segment of Egg’s last Roundhouse concert which demonstrates the group’s live power. Also included are superior versions of tracks from the band’s radio sessions, previously available only on poor-quality bootlegs.’
One immediately odd thing is that the cover of Metronomical Society pictures a quartet, when the band was – as far as I know – only ever a trio. Perhaps the booklet that comes with this CD will illuminate or clarify?