Dreaming With Alice

2000年前後のリイシューを契機にサイケ・ファンの間で広く確固たる評価を獲得、今なおアシッド・フォーク/ドリーミー・サイケの大名盤として語り継がれる『DREAMING WITH ALICE』は、画家を志し放浪していたMARK FRYが19歳でイタリアのRCA傘下レーベルITに吹き込んだ72年のカルトなデビュー盤。オリジナルは1600ユーロを超えるとか。ナイーヴな少年ぽさを残しながら憂いを帯びた優しいウィスパリング・ヴォイスと、キラキラと鳴り響くギターのアルペジオを中心とした最小限のバッキング、浮遊するフルート、ポコポコしたパーカッションの響き、そしてエコー処理による残響音の美しさ。なによりも素晴らしいのは夢幻感に溢れたメロディと曲構成。曲間にテーマ曲の短い断片を入れているのも素晴らしく先進的で、DONOVANやINCREDIBLE STRING BANDをより酩酊させたようなファンタジックでフェアリーテイルな音世界にあっという間に浸れます。メロウでジェントル、アシッドでマジカルでピースフルでカラフルなイーリー・サイケデリック・フォーク傑作中の傑作です。

Mark Fry's obscure 1972 album was pleasing but derivative British acid folk, very much influenced by Donovan in its mood and vocals, though more unceasingly oriented toward acid-folk-rock than any of Donovan's efforts. In fact, it was a little behind the curve in 1972, sounding rather more like something that would have been recorded and issued a couple of years earlier. The gentle, haunting songs are breathily vocalized acoustic guitar tunes at their core, but lightly spiced with psychedelic echo, backwards tapes, flutes (one song is even called "Lute and Flute"), sitar, and extended raga-influenced passages. In fact, the final track is nothing but a backwards tape -- all two and a half minutes of it. Fry's singing is far more reticent than Donovan's, though not unattractive; at times it's a bit like hearing a further-out Al Stewart. As suitable as this music might be for dozing off to in a forest and the like, the songs -- broken up by several half-minute or so interludes, all consisting of verses from "Dreaming with Alice" itself -- aren't too substantial, functioning more as mood pieces than works that make a solid impact. ~ Richie Unterberger