The genesis of Havenstreet goes back to 1969, when Phil Ridgway and Jeff Vinter played in The Gas, an experimental psychedelic band heavily influenced by Barrett-era Pink Floyd. The two friends started to write songs their own songs, ending up as a folk duo. With the offer to record some of their material at a friend's studio, they recruited more musical friends...so Havenstreet was born. The influences had expanded now to bands and artists such as Peter Hammill, Strawbs, Traffic, Procol Harum, Stackridge, Keith Tippett, Bert Jansch...In the early-mid 70s they recorded a couple of albums which circulated as private cassettes among friends and relatives. In 1977, Havenstreet released "The End Of The Line", a self-released album in a private edition of 250 copies. It was collection of very English songs with evocative, literate lyrics and a stunning progressive folk-rock sound. It featured one of the earliest known tributes to Syd Barrett on the song "When the madcap meets the world".
This expanded double set reissue of Havenstreet's sought after album includes:
*The original "The End of the Line" album from 1977.
*A new album called "Perspectives" which presents the best tracks from the privately pressed cassettes The Autumn Wind (1974) and Transition (1976) plus rehearsal recordings for The End of the Line (1975/1976) and previously unreleased recordings for the group's projected fourth album (1979), which was never completed. These amazing tracks range from electric acid-folk to Barrett-esque psych-pop, pastoral folk and Caravan styled prog-rock.
01 German Castles 02 When The Madcap Meets The World 03 Old Ways And Schooldays 04 Music In The Night 05 Suspended Animation 06 The HSB Song 07 Yesterday Was Summer 08 Rain 09 The Castle 10 Out Of The Fireglow 11 The Keeper Of The Tower 12 The Photograph
13 After Time
Disc 2
01 Aftermath 02 Falling Leaves In Autumn 03 Fat Old Engine 04 Family Laughter 05 Just An Illusion 06 Klok 07 Damascus 08 Grasshopper 09 Your Not Being there 10 The Ballroom Of Despair 11 Aftersong 12 Village Vespers