Andwella's Dream ● Love and Poetry

Who is Andwella? Why is there no apostrophe used to describe her dream? Is the front cover of this album representative of what an acid trip might look like? Ok, enough with the questions. Let’s rock. And rock we shall, Andwella’s Dream turning in a steamy collection of late ‘60s psychedelic acid rock. Love and Poetry, first released in 1969 on CBS Records, represents the sole offering from this Irish-based trio (at some point the dream must have turned into a nightmare; the band eventually shortened its name to Andwella and released two additional records for the Dunhill label). The album, a combination of muscular hard rock and pop-oriented psychedelia, has very little to do with love or poetry. The self-explanatory “Cocaine” is a moody mid-tempo rocker that quickly morphs into a jazz-inspired romp, while the similarly constructed “Andwella” offers up a somber mix of electric guitar and Hammond organ. The remaining 11 tracks follow suit, each song veering between progressive-tinged rock and acoustic-flavored folk. By the way, it turns out I don’t own every record you’d never buy. I recently noticed an original mint copy of this album for sale on eBay. The highest bidder was offering $1,030.19, a number that may well represent the first ever record collector’s stimulus package.

Notes: The 2009 Sunbeam reissue reproduces several promotional items from the band’s 1969-1971 lifespan. These posters, billboards and advertisements use the apostrophe in Andwella’s Dream, which is different from what appears on the front cover. I’ve decided to use the corrected spelling.