Lost In Tyme Blog

Recorded in 1969 (when they were called Foehammer), two years before their sole LP "Under the Tree” (which can be found at Time Has Told Me), "Legend of the Dreamstones", shows the band in a more prog/psych direction. Electric guitar riffs and more rock instrumentation are the main differences - vocals are kind of "shy" and there are still trolls, rivermen and ladies as in "Under the Tree". Although "Legend..." saw the light of day in 2004-5, is now out-of-print and seems there are no plans of a reissue. I think that the main reason may be the low quality of the recordings (which could be called lousy - but this shouldn't stop the lovers of british hippy-folk of the 60s to listen to it).

Perhaps no way-obscure early-'70s British folk-rock band is as over-represented on CD as Shide & Acorn, who released just one album in the early '70s, which itself was a privately pressed LP given away to friends. Not only did that album get reissued on CD in the 1990s, but so did two other CDs of previously unreleased rehearsals and studio recordings, both recorded prior to the LP that did come out. Were Shide & Acorn worthy of such documentation? Not really, though they were OK. They played light folk-rock that fell on the more innocuous British side of the genre, with wistful pretty melodies, a mixture of male and female lead and harmony vocals, and some rose-colored minstrelsy. A few of their songs were good, especially the more somber ones with female lead vocals. But more often they were just ordinary, several layers below the whimsical, pretty British folk-rock pioneered by Donovan on the more pop end and the Incredible String Band on the folkier underground one. Originally called Foehammer, Shide & Acorn formed on the Isle of Wight, and made little impact beyond their small circle before splitting up in the early '70s.~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

OK, this may be for completists, but is, nevertheless, better than, at least, half of the recent neo-folk scene.