Starry Eyed And Laughing - That Was Now and This is Then double CD (Aurora)

Incongruously chiming Byrdlike fringe through the polyester London pub rock scene, SE&L honed a gorgeous if familiar sound. This release comps their two hard-to-find CBS albums, plus bonus and alternate tracks from the band archives (including a lovely, topical take on Dylan's “Chimes of Freedom,” whence their name). The self-titled debut is trad and fine throughout, with a touch of country rock tempering Tony Poole's high-powered 12-string runs and haunting road-honed harmonies. On 1975's Thought Talk, producers Flo & Eddie give the band rope enough to explore a more progressive sound, with many songs running on towards the five-minute mark and beyond. That's not necessarily a bad thing: the late singles sound like Queen meets the Raspberries! -Kim Cooper

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