Esoteric’s earlier Kevin Ayers box, All This Crazy Gift of Time, covered the years from 1969 to 1973 in a lavish ten-disc edition. Its companion, Where Do the Stars End, is a smaller six-CD clamshell set. After spending time with both, I have a confession: this later period may be my favourite Kevin Ayers era.
The set begins with The Confessions of Doctor Dream and Other Stories and Sweet Deceiver. It then moves through BBC sessions, Yes, We Have No Mananas – So Get Your Mananas Today, and live radio performances from 1976. The final CD pairs Rainbow Takeaway with That’s What You Get Babe. Singles and bonus recordings add to the story. The Recordings 1974-1980, 6CD Box Set
For me, The Confessions of Doctor Dream is the centre of gravity. I love the female vocals, the shape of the songs and the way the musicians respond to Kevin’s distinctive writing. Sweet Deceiver is close behind. Those are the two discs I keep returning to, and both remind me just how good Ayers was at surrounding himself with interesting players.
The guitar playing is a particular joy. Ollie Halsall brings energy and character to these recordings, while the wider cast includes Mike Oldfield, Elton John and Andy Summers, who played in Ayers’ live band before joining The Police. The Recordings 1974-1980, 6CD Box Set If you know Ayers chiefly through Joy of a Toy and his earlier albums, I think there is a great deal here to discover.
The BBC sessions and live performances are much more than extras to fill out the discs. They let the songs breathe in a different setting, and the 1976 performances contain some wonderful guitar work. They help this collection feel like a journey through the period rather than simply five studio albums gathered in a box.
By the time I reach Rainbow Takeaway and That’s What You Get Babe, my attention does begin to wander a little compared with those first two albums. Even so, there is still plenty to enjoy. Listening to the whole sequence, I find myself wondering whether Doctor Dream might have been a launch pad for a much wider audience. It certainly sounds like one to me.
The presentation is straightforward. Each CD has its own single sleeve, although the original rear artwork is not reproduced on those sleeves. The illustrated booklet makes up for that with period images, advertisements, musician credits and an informative essay. Most importantly, the remastering sounds excellent to my ears: these recordings have real presence and detail.
The earlier box was a larger and considerably more expensive proposition. This one offers a more accessible way in, with the live material and BBC recordings giving it something extra beyond the studio albums. Long-standing fans will want those performances, but I also think a curious listener could start here. Sample The Confessions of Doctor Dream and Sweet Deceiver first if you like, then come back for the whole story.
This is Kevin Ayers at his most engaging for me, and a set I am very pleased to have on the shelf.
ORDER KEVIN AYERS CD BOX SET HERE
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
