The Peddlers & The London Philharmonic Orchestra - Suite London (1972) @ Flac

The peak of the group's ambitious aspirations was the album "Suite London". By that time, the pursuit of commercial success had faded into the background for the guys. The horizon was colored with the desire to stir up something monumental. Frontman Phillips got down to business energetically. With a little help from composer-arranger Peter Robinson, he composed 13 pieces that made up a suite in honor of the main city of Foggy Albion. Accustomed to the short song format, Roy did not think at all about conceptual bells and whistles. Therefore, the cementing basis for the damn dozen works flowing into each other was the imaginative atmosphere that The Peddlers embodied in the studio with the support of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

“This Strange Affair” is a bright moment of reflection, a sentimental evening stroll, dictating the rules of tone (that is, intonation). Further, the intrigue will unfold intricately, with the artistic depth of thoroughbred symphonic plans like “Sequence of Thought” or, for example, the final “A Year and a Day (Metamorphosis)”, proto-prog Hammond-driven squint (“Did She”), avant-garde -academic balancing act (“In Juxtaposition”), lyrical-dramatic revelations in a polyphonic wrapper (“Under London Lights”), a timbre-rich pseudo-pop monologue (“River Lives”), large-caliber orchestral jazz-rock (“I Have Seen”), a series mysterious instrumental funk exercises by Robinson ("Impressions – Movements 1, 2 & 3"), luxurious psychedelic soul collage ("A Year and a Day") and other entertaining details. The appendage in the form of six bonuses demonstrates the hit side of Roy's multifaceted talent Phillips (from fiery funk and R&B to outright pop with bawling women on the backs.) But this, frankly, is just a series of invigorating trifles in the shadow of the soulful magic of "Suite London" - a unique sound experiment... ~ ( soundvoyager.blogspot.com )

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 01. The Peddlers & London Philharmonic Orchestra - This Strange Affair 

 02. The Peddlers & London Philharmonic Orchestra - Raining In London 

 03. The Peddlers & London Philharmonic Orchestra - Sequence Of Thought 

 04. The Peddlers & London Philharmonic Orchestra - Did She 

 05. The Peddlers & London Philharmonic Orchestra - In Juxtaposition 

 06. The Peddlers & London Philharmonic Orchestra - Under London Lights 

 07. The Peddlers & London Philharmonic Orchestra - River Lives 

 08. The Peddlers & London Philharmonic Orchestra - I Have Seen 

 09. The Peddlers & London Philharmonic Orchestra - Impressions - Movements 1, 2 And 3 

 10. The Peddlers & London Philharmonic Orchestra - A Year And A Day 

 11. The Peddlers & London Philharmonic Orchestra - This Strange Affair - Reprise 

 12. The Peddlers & London Philharmonic Orchestra - This Is It 

 13. The Peddlers & London Philharmonic Orchestra - A Year And A Day - Metamorphosis 

 14. The Peddlers & London Philharmonic Orchestra - Manah 

 15. The Peddlers & London Philharmonic Orchestra - Have You Ever Been To Georgia 

 16. The Peddlers & London Philharmonic Orchestra - Back Alley Jane 

 17. The Peddlers & London Philharmonic Orchestra - Nothing Sacred 

 18. The Peddlers & London Philharmonic Orchestra - Sing Me An Old Song 

 19. The Peddlers & London Philharmonic Orchestra - It's So Easy 

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