Reviews

"Dim"

Here's a popular, light number from the album, as it was featured on Beat Club appearances. Main ingredients to the song are the great banjo-pickin', and the call/response of vocals and harmonica. Chapman sings in his gentler style for this bluesy-jugband tune.

"Dim" - BBC TV "How Late It Is", 1969

Different vocals over the studio recording. And some hot banjo-picking. I know Charlie can play banjo, but the playing on this song was just too good. This must be the same as the black and white video clip listed on the bootleg page. Family as pop-stars! What a novel concept! Dig Roger's trousers!

"Scene Through The Eye Of A Lens" - Debut 45-Liberty LBF 15031, September 1967

Finally, the moment I have waited for! The precious "lost" single that was the first release of Family. "Scene..." b/w "Gypsy Woman." The first thing I discovered was the play on words: scene vs. seen. How trippy! Charlie's signature guitar style is pegged in this first tune, which opens with a gentle 12-string arpeggio. Soprano sax plays a short riff that permeates most of the song, and the melody and bent notes take on an Arabic feel. Finger cymbals add to this effect, and Chapman's easy voice comes in. Kinda high pitched and unique but you can't detect the danger that lied within! The psychedelic imagery of the lyrics are pretty neat. Sign-o-the-times. Violin comes in to thicken up the second verse.

Then the break: pumping bass and guitar chords, and a chorus of effects-laden background voices. Everything drops out so the horn riff stands alone, and the drums pound back in. Charlie takes a solo with quasi-eastern scales, and the whole wall of sound fades out.

Thanks To Pilgrim X!