The End, Introspection (1969)

I'm a sucker for the slew of UK psychedelia released in the wake of Sgt. Pepper circa '67-'68, and The End's lone release, Introspection, is one of the better (and least recognized) albums of the genre.  It probably didn't help matters that, though recorded during the period, it was held up for a year before its 1969 release, when much of the music world had moved on. The album did get a bit of a boost through its association with Stones bassist Bill Wyman, who produced and contributed a couple writing credits.

Introspection is pretty straightforward British psychedelia, melodic and maybe mildly trippy but mostly lacking the sonic excesses that tend to date some of the others of its ilk.  Not surprisingly there are elements of Sgt. Pepper and the Stones' Satanic Majesties Request, though it leans more towards the Pretty Things' SF Sorrow with elements of the Zombies and early Bee Gees, with nice keyboard accents and gentle harmonies.

The opening track, "Dreamworld," is the obvious standout, a mildly lysergic and complex psychedelic nugget that holds up well alongside better-known tracks from the era.  A few others reach comparable heights, most notably the pretty "Under the Rainbow," the Pretty Things-reminiscent "Don't Take Me," the harder rocking "Introspection Pt. 1," and the cute dancehall harmonies of "She Said Yeah."  It closes out with some nifty Santa-esque jamming on "Introspection Pt. 2."  All in all, it may not be a truly essential album in the classic rock canon, but there's much to love if you enjoy the genre.

Here's an audio rip for "Dreamworld":
 ...and some amateur video for "Introspection Pt. 1"


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