I have the original red vinyl pressing of this album, but prefer the Drop Out re-issue, it sounds brighter compared to a noticably duller pressing on the red vinyl version. Maybe because of coloured vinyl technology and pressing wasn't too hot in the 60's. I've heard of similar problems with Twink's 'Think Pink' which is why the pink vinyl was withdrawn. The sleeve on the original is better though!

Impetus for this release, in the vein of 'freedom, peace & love', is evidenced in the first track. "H-O-P-P- Why?". An anthemic and anarchic questioning rant at the imprisonment of "UFO" club operator and "IT" editor/contributor John 'Hoppy' Hopkins for drug-related offences. An album launched in a turbulent and eventful year that began with the "Human Be-In" at Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. A year that saw the emergence of the Abortion Act and a repeal of the Sexual Offences Act to legalize homosexuality. The Stones drug-busts and an airplay ban on "Let's Spend The Night Together". The underground movement getting it on with "Pink Floyd" at the Alley Pally with the "14-Hour Technicolour Dream". An illegal "Smoke-In" at Speaker's Corner. Protestations at the Vietnam Draft. The foundation of "Release" & the Yippie "Youth International Party". Pirate radio forced to close down, Brian Epstein dying and The Times adding weight to the drug culture debate with the leader ‘Who Breaks a Butterfly on a Wheel?’Like the music of the time, the medium of graphic art became an effective tool to voice the opinions of this youthful counter-culture. Evidenced in the 'Apple Shop' art by "The Fool", or the work of "OZ" magazine's Martin Sharp who also provided sleeve-art for "Disraeli Gears" & "Wheels Of Fire". This "Hapshash" album also made its mark in the cultural stew. Nigel Waymouth and Michael English (aka Hapshash & The Coloured Coat) quickly became a renowned duo in the world of psychedelic art in the UK, becoming leading exponents of the genre outside of America's West-Coast/Fillmore scene. Their early designs for the "Granny Takes A Trip" outlet, their "Technicolour Dream" posters, events at Hopkin's "UFO" club and 'alternative' magazine articles set many precedents. Their original "Osiris Visions" posters and artworks are now highly collectable. Four performers who made up this album's 'musical group' (aka '"The Heavy Metal Kids") were, effectively, the nucleus of the band "Art" - who would later be known as "Spooky Tooth"; Harrison, Ridley, Kellie & Grosvenor. The remainder (aka "The Human Host") includes 'Granny' tailor John Pearse, while others are possibly members of the ensemble gathered by Waymouth on his later solo "Western Flyer" follow-up album. Guy Stevens is present at the controls.The album is pretty much like English & Waymouth's 'Daubry-Weirdsly' artwork. You'll need to backcomb your barnet, don your best paisley shirt and velvet pants, adjust your Indian-silk neck cravat and pink-tinged spectacles, slip the vibrant red wax onto the turntable and settle down with a tin of 'wacky backy' as you let "Empires Of The Sun" take you to a land of tangerine dreams and friendly white rabbits.It's certainly not a work of musical art. Rather like an antithesis of the brilliant "Sergeant Pepper" from the same year, it simply rambles along with gongs, bells & chants in a well-intentioned way, like the backing track for a party at "Middle Earth" or "The Roundhouse"- although not as 'catchy' as "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by 'Iron Butterfly'. But, in my opinion and despite its flaws, this is one of the keystone albums which captures the period of the UK psychedelic movement. I would imagine a CD of it is a lot better than my original riot-scarred fuzzy-sounding novelty red vinyl. Although, as you may gather, my imagination plays tricks...