THE ISLAND BOOK OF RECORDS 1971-72

As writer and former Island staffer Richard Williams states on the front cover of Neil Storey's latest masterpiece, 'No record label has ever had its history subjected to this sort of minutely detailed scrutiny'.

And by heck, how right he is!

In this book, now the third volume of Storey's exhaustive dive into the depth and breadth of Island Records, he once again delivers the goods, in large parcels here, small packages there, in the form of reminiscences of those who were there at the time, perhaps as a sound engineer, a manager, a fellow musician, an art director, publicist or former Island employee. Stories expressed over the course of several paragraphs, or simply pithy statements a sentence long. Each and every one tells of some wrinkle in the making of this record or that, bringing distinctly personal notes that collectively add up to our understanding of how and why things happened. Or, perhaps, did not.

All is gorgeously presented amidst a plethora of stunning graphics - photos of bands, musicians, LP sleeves, label shots, ads from venues, contemporary press cuttings ... as Neil ambles, lovingly, through Island's catalog, record by record.

These were the years when Island was really blossoming as a label, riding high on the successes of the previous few years with Free, Jethro Tull, Fairport Convention, and so on, and saw the likes of Roxy Music, Mountain, Uriah Heep and Emerson, Lake and Palmer come on board, and broaden the label's scope. The Sutherland Brothers, Claire Hamill and Nick Drake, Vinegar Joe, Procul Harum and The Incredible String Band, Sandy Denny, John Martin and Quintessence. Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks, Richard Thompson and the Soundtrack to Jimmy Cliff's great movie 'The Harder They Come' - we are really talking an eclectic mix here.

As with the previous volumes - and as, I am certain, with the ones to come - the book is 12 inches by 12 inches: LP size. And this one is a thick 'un! A fair bit thicker than the previous two which is, I suppose, an indication of the company's growth.

Island was the label just about every aspiring band wanted to sign with, and this book shows why. The company's artist-friendly atmosphere was obvious, but it was not just that. The artwork on the album sleeves was gorgeously edgy, be it a moody but artful black-and -white photo, the spinning colors of a mandala or a fantastical Roger Dean creation, and that edginess spilled through to the ads in the music press. Island did stuff that no other companies did, and did it in a manner that caught the eye and teased the mind. Check this ad for Nick Drake. His name isn't mentioned, nor the new album. Who is this? Hmmm - looks like he's on Island.

Nick Drake's records sold abysmally while he was alive, but the company never dropped him - they believed in his music. He committed suicide on November 24, 1974, after releasing just three albums. Today his songs and music have mythic status, justifying Island's belief in him.

If you have any interest at all in the music scene of the early seventies, this book is more than invaluable - it is the play-by-play scorecard of a company comprised of people who were there, who really cared about the music, about how it was presented, and about the musicians who created it.

'The Island Book Of Records 1971-72', written by Neil Storey, graphics by Jayne Gould. Published by Manchester University Press