Second Hand
Death May Be Your Santa Claus
After their excellent Polydor debut suffered from lack of promotion, Second Hand’s sophomore LP surfaced on Mushroom, the noncommercial label formed by Vic Keary, Mike Craig, and Neil Richmond, allowing for unfettered experimentation. With George Hart on bass, new frontman Rob Elliott and drummer Kieran O’Connor on vibraphones, Ken Elliott takes melodic command on Mellotron, piano and organ, the disc a freakily esoteric juggernaut. This lost masterwork here comes with rare bonus tracks ‘Dip It O…
Reality
Obscure prog rockers Second Hand began as the Next Collection, formed at a south London secondary school; engineer/manager Vic Keary scored them a contract with Polydor as the Moving Finger, but their legendary debut LP was credited to Second Hand, due to a rival Moving Finger. Channelling psych and spacey acid hues, there is blues-rock underpinning Bob Gibbons’ guitar and keyboardist Ken Elliott helps aim the sound towards deep space; this edition features rare tracks ‘James in the Basement’ an…
Reality
An acknowledged landmark of progressive acid rock, this 1968 classic combines top-notch songwriting with vicious guitar, swathes of mellotron and dense arrangements, to unique and unsettling effect. Sunbeam's long-awaited official reissue includes comprehensive liner notes, rare photographs and two bonus tracks, making it a must-have for lovers of true British psychedelia.