second sign

• Format: Vinyl LP, archival album release, stereo
• Vinyl: 180-gram vinyl
• Edition: First-ever vinyl release of the band’s 1975 studio recordings
• Packaging: Includes an insert with extensive liner notes by Pete Sarfas of Audio Archives

Second Sign were a little-known British group active during the middle of the 1970s. Their surviving studio recordings combine progressive rock, heavy psychedelia and melodic folk rock, with Irene Menasche’s clear, expressive voice providing an effective contrast to the band’s raw guitars and forceful rhythm section.

The album opens with its longest and most ambitious composition, “Golden Age.” Extending beyond nine minutes, the track develops through carefully arranged vocal harmonies, Hammond organ, electric-guitar solos and dramatic changes of tempo. Its combination of melodic passages and heavier instrumental sections establishes the progressive character of the record.

“Feel The Night” and “Fleet Street” are shorter and more direct, balancing memorable vocal melodies with gritty guitar and an urgent underground-rock sound. “Vicious Cheeks” moves into heavier territory, with Francis Voignier’s electric guitar adding a sharp hard-rock edge to the arrangement.

The second side begins with the melodic “Don’t Take It For Granted,” followed by the atmospheric “Mad River.” Flute, restrained instrumentation and Menasche’s haunting vocal performance give the latter a pastoral quality that contrasts strongly with the album’s harder tracks.

“Grand Britannia” returns to concise progressive hard rock, while “Hard To Get Along With” closes the record with driving guitar, strong vocal interplay and an energetic rhythm. The variety of styles suggests a group searching for a distinctive identity while drawing on the progressive, psychedelic and folk-rock currents of its time.

Recorded at Escape Studios in Kent in 1975, the material remained unavailable on vinyl for more than four decades. This Sommor edition presents the complete eight-track collection on heavyweight vinyl and includes detailed historical liner notes by Pete Sarfas.

Track Listing

Side A

1. Golden Age – 9:12
2. Feel The Night – 2:51
3. Fleet Street – 2:02
4. Vicious Cheeks – 4:14

Side B

1. Don’t Take It For Granted – 4:18
2. Mad River – 4:46
3. Grand Britannia – 3:51
4. Hard To Get Along With – 4:21