Bananamour is the fourth studio album by Kevin Ayers and it featured some of his most accessible recordings, including "Shouting in a Bucket Blues" and his whimsical tribute to Syd Barrett, "Oh! Wot A Dream".[1] After Whatevershebringswesing, Ayers assembled a new band anchored by drummer Eddie Sparrow and bassist Archie Legget and employed a more direct lyricism. The centrepiece of the album is "Decadence", his withering portrait of Nico:[1] "Watch her out there on display / Dancing in her sleepy way / While all her visions start to play / On the icicles of our decay / And all along the desert shore / She wanders further evermore / The only thing that's left to try / She says to live I have to die." The song was later covered by the Australian psychedelic rock band The Church on their 1999 album A Box of Birds.
| Bananamour | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 1973 | |||
| Recorded | September–October 1972 | |||
| Studio | Abbey Road Studios, London | |||
| Length | 35:48 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Kevin Ayers chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Bananamour | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
The album marked the end of Ayers' first Harvest Records series.
Track listing
editAll songs written by Kevin Ayers
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Don't Let It Get You Down (For Rachel)" | 3:58 |
| 2. | "Shouting in a Bucket Blues" | 3:44 |
| 3. | "When Your Parents Go to Sleep" | 5:46 |
| 4. | "Interview" | 4:44 |
| 5. | "Internotional Anthem" | 0:40 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Decadence" | 8:02 |
| 7. | "Oh! Wot A Dream" | 2:48 |
| 8. | "Hymn" | 4:34 |
| 9. | "Beware of the Dog" | 1:20 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Connie On a Rubber Band" | 2:56 |
| 11. | "Decadence" (Early Mix)" | 6:57 |
| 12. | "Take Me to Tahiti" | 3:37 |
| 13. | "Caribbean Moon" | 3:02 |
Personnel
editMusicians
edit- Kevin Ayers – guitar, vocals
- Archie Legget – bass, harmony vocals, lead vocal (track 3)
- Eddie Sparrow – drums
Additional musicians
edit- Steve Hillage – lead guitar (track 2)
- Mike Ratledge – organ (track 4)
- Robert Wyatt – harmony vocal (track 8)
- David Bedford – orchestral arrangement (track 9)
- Howie Casey – tenor saxophone
- Dave Caswell – trumpet
- Tristan Fry – cymbal
- Lyle Jenkins – baritone saxophone
- Ronnie Price – piano
- Barry St. John, Liza Strike, Doris Troy – backing vocals
Technical
edit- Kevin Ayers – producer
- Andrew King – producer
- John Kurlander – engineer
- Bob Lawrie – cover art
- Richard Imrie – photography
Notes
edit- ^ a b c Allmusic review
References
edit- Original LP sleevenotes
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