Crackers / The Foresters / The Youth / The Starlites / Roek's Family / Fluff / Others
Fairy Cakes For Tea (Fairytales Can Come True Volume 2)
Rare & Collectible Vinyl Records

Beautiful 2007 2LP gatefold compilation; UK import. "Like its predecessor, Fairytales Can Come True: UK Popsike from the Late '60s, Fairy Cakes for Tea lays on a bunch of rarities selected with an eye for what hasn't been reissued before, also mixing in some non-U.K. European acts among the mostly British tracks. Just one well-known artist (Peter & Gordon, represented by a 1968 single) is included, though the 1969 single by Crackers was actually done by the Merseys operating under a pseudonym, and Oliver Norman's 1968 single "People People" is a Cat Stevens song never released by the composer. It might be the natural consequence of diminishing returns the deeper the well drills, but it isn't as good as the previous volume, though it's OK. Your affection for this material -- even if you're a die-hard British '60s rock enthusiast -- is going to depend a great deal upon your enjoyment of, or tolerance for, songs with an upbeat lilt that often draw from rather fanciful imagery and lyrics that frequently straddle the line between the precious and pretentious. More pop than psychedelia, the arrangements -- often delicate and ornate, and always carefully planned -- are more impressive than the songs, which are a long way from the territory inhabited by the likes of Odessey and Oracle, the early Bee Gees, and other prime exponents of this general territory. It's not dull, and there's some variety, some acts showing lingering mod, Merseybeat, sunshine pop, and folk-rock influences. It's no accident, though, that the most memorable cuts are covers of songs previously given a high profile by American acts (Classics IV's "Spooky" and the Grass Roots' "Look Out Girl"), though Peter's "Values" stands out for its uncommonly moody melody, sounding a little like the Zombies might have if they'd held together until 1970." All Music Guide - Richie Unterberger.