Unlikely reissue of an impossibly obscure Dutch acid-folk LP, a long-time personal favourite, recorded in one take, in the middle of nowhere, in 1970. Vlasman has a vocal style that often gets compared to early Bob Dylan, but with a more hyper, mind-blown delivery and a guitar style that is shot to pieces, with dosed, spidery shapes crawling semi-coherent over distant organ drones and F/X. Vlasman is joined by Frans Schoonen on organ, flute and harmonica and Leo van Vugt on chincha, tumba and tambourine. The album has a dislocated vibe, the feel of a single desperate shot into the void, and sure enough it was the only recording the band ever made together. The live in one-take feel gives the music an acid-punk edge, touching on aspects of Witthuser & Westrupp, Dom, Maitreya Kali and Siloah as well as the early Child Of Microtones sound. Indeed, it’s not hard to imagine this being a regular turntable favourite at the early Tower Recordings jams. Something about it feels just the right side of deranged, with pastoral arrangements regularly usurped by raggedy, over-enthusiastic guitar runs, or a tape of crowd noise or an instrumental that sounds like it is being broadcast from a satellite somewhere in space. Their unlikely cover of The Velvet Underground’s “Pale Blue Eyes” has to be heard. It sounds like Ed Askew might have performed it, with sudden scrabbles of guitar and that (somehow!) enormously affecting vocal. It’s one of my all-time favourite Velvets covers and a particularly early tribute at that. This is a very personal record, with an atmosphere of madness and loneliness that is really specific and odd. According to the liners, Ton spent the first 14 years of his life in a children’s home. Enquiries were made by the label in an attempt to trace his current whereabouts but it turns out that he passed away a few years ago. Very sad that he didn’t live long enough to see this unique album finally given the treatment it deserves. Highly recommended.