expansions of life

The starting point for Sweet-guitarist Andy Scott, The Elastic Band emerged from the ashes of mid-'60s Welsh soul revue the Silverstone Set to make a couple of highly-regarded 1968 mod pop/blue-eyed soul singles for Decca. But a year on the underground gig circuit, supporting the likes of Hendrix and Pink Floyd, impacted significantly on the band's musical direction. When they returned to the studio in the summer of 1969, it was to cut 'Expansions On Life', a dazzling 50-minute collection of late psychedelic/early progressive rock moves which suggested that the new-look Elastic Band could be genuine contenders. Inexplicably, though, Decca delayed its release until March 1970, by which time the band had fallen apart, lead singer Ted Yeadon having left in December 1969 to replace Steve Ellis in the Love Affair. As a result, Decca barely promoted the album, which duly sank without trace. Now this fine reissue makes this underrated set available again on vinyl.