Mark Fry – Dreaming With Alice (IT 1972)

This is a special album. An album to get totally immersed in, and that will make you… dream. Yes, the album title is very fitting. And I guess Alice is the little girl who’s pictured alongside Mark Fry on the very cozy cover sleeve. Mark Fry was only 19 years old when he recorded this album (partly in Rome, partly in London) in 1971, and the result was an album that has since become a cult classic of psych folk. I love everything about this album. In between the songs, you’ll hear this recurring melodic theme that is very hauting. A rather unusual way to construct an album, maybe, but I think it works very well here. The first real song is ‘The Witch’, and this is certainly a personal favourite of mine. This is strange, psychedelic folk rock – and yes, this album is actually pretty rocking in places too! ‘The Witch’ features lyrics like: ‘The witch is coming through my window, the winter snow upon her hair. The curtains move upon the wind, she’s coming right on up the stairs’. It might sound goofy, but the song also has this totally demented feel that I find very fascinating. It’s also a rock-oriented song that is catchy in its own strange way. ‘Mandolin Man’ is the other rock-oriented track on the album. I love the psychedelic guitar playing on this one! The rest of the album consists of highly dreamy, atmospheric songs like ‘Roses For Columbus’, ‘A Norman Soldier’ and ‘Lute and Flute’ (the latter is just as cozy as the title suggests). The album ends with some really weird vocals, played backwards in true satanic fashion. ‘Dreaming With Alice’ takes you on a journey that is at times strange, other times slightly sad and other times uplifting – one could even say spiritual. It’s probably not an album for every folk-fan out there, but it comes highly recomended for those who like original and atmospheric folk music with a psychedelic twist.