Leviathan: The Legendary Lost Elektra Album (Jewel Case)

Sometime around the end of 1969, on one of my usual Saturday morning visits to Reddington's Rare Records in Birmingham, I bought a single on the Elektra label - “Flames” b/w “Just Forget Tomorrow” by a band called LEVIATHAN.Only over time did I find out that this was the 3rd single by the band; that they had recorded an LP for Elektra that had remained unreleased; and that they had previously been called “Mike Stuart Span”.A couple of excellent CDs have been released which together have made available all the Mike Stuart Span material. “Timespan” (Wooden Hill Records 1996) and “Children Of Tomorrow” (RPM/Grapefruit 2011) collate all the singles, acetates, demos and radio sessions that are available and these are well worth seeking out to hear the Span evolve into the psyche/rock band Leviathan.But of the Elektra material, all recorded in 1969, there was little sign other than the 3 singles which were attracting high prices amongst collectors due to a combination of their excellence and rarity……until 2012 when the unreleased album was re-mastered for a limited edition vinyl LP via Record Collector magazine.And now we have that Legendary Lost Elektra album in its entirety on CD, together with three bonus tracks in the form of the Flames/Just Forget Tomorrow single and the Australian mix of the first single “Remember The Times”.The album itself includes both the a- and b- sides of the first two Leviathan singles - Remember The Times/Second Production and The War Machine/Time - plus 5 other tracks….Through The Looking Glass, Blue Day, Flames (album version), World In My Head and Evil Woman. The excellent booklet is full of details and photos surrounding the lost album.This is a brilliant album full of psyche rock….combining great lyrics with amazing musicianship; it is an album of contrasts, of light and shade, from the all-out thrust of “Remember The Times” to the quieter introspection of “Time”, from the blues of “Blue Day” to the extended rock of “Evil Woman”.Those of us who have waited patiently since 1969 to have the album on CD will buy it in a heartbeat. But “Leviathan: The Legendary Lost Elektra Album” is highly recommended equally to collectors of the genre and to those for whom Leviathan slipped quietly by almost 50 years ago......No longer Lost, but deservedly Legendary.

For fans and collectors only

If you already have the CD {Mike Stuart Span - Children Of Tomorrow CRSE6021} only four or these songs will be entirely new to you ["The War Machine", "Through The Looking Glass", "Evil Woman" and "Just Forget Tomorrow"] but these alone would be worth the purchase. Because the group, Leviathan, ran on seamlessly from using their old name of Mike Stuart Span they also used many of the old tunes which had been extensively worked but updated them slightly. If you do have the earlier CD you will not be disappointed by the new presentation so buy this as well. If you are coming fresh to the group then get both. This is yet another band which bubbled under but should have been promoted as they were worthy of the big breakthrough.

I must admit to getting tired of too many recent "legendary lost album" releases from the '60s reflecting that they were not released at the time or quickly deleted after release and so remained in short supply until release on a CD many decades later with comprehensive liner notes on a specialist label raving about the music occurs.This offering is one such - a UK group signed to the legendary Elektra label, the only other UK group to achieve that being the very different musically Incredible String Band. The music is a reflection of its time - "War Machine" by its self explanatory title being an over extended song that many others up to Black Sabbath with "War Pigs" attempted in theme across this period, most with little success. The group had a few singles released which in energy and playing are easily the best tracks on the release. The rest are largely unmemorable.It is little surprise as a result that Jac Holzman the legendary owner of Elektra on hearing the master tapes asked the group to go back into the studios and re-record some titles, which given their lack of live gigs and money led to the group's break up. The feeling is also left that the group did not have the greatest management - having a London launch gig in Harrods store with apparently few attendees does not evidence that their best commercial interests were being looked after ?

Everything OK. Nice seller, my best recommendations!

Great missing 60s progressive rock album. Well worth a listen if you like 'progressive' music from that era.

First time on cd for Leviathan's 1969 9-track lost Elektra album, a rock/psych/prog masterpiece - now with 3 added bonus tracks.Grapefruit Records have done an excellent all round job with this release - great sound, with fine lavish 16-page very informative well illustrated booklet.

This package includes a lot of background information compiled to his usual standard by the excellent David Wells. It's a pity that the album is not particularly original and, to my ears, the musicianship is no better than was heard from many of the semi-pro bands who were around at the time. If you were a member of one of those, you might wonder how, on this showing, Leviathan got signed. Perhaps they were good live.