The Chemistry Set - 2025 - An Introduction To

(156:26; Fruits de Mer Records)

This 32-track double CD retrospective of this iconic duo contains two and a half hours of music from the band's Fruits de Mer back-catalogue (and a little bit more), with all tracks remastered. Any band who cite their influences as including The Beatles, Arthur Lee & Love, Jimi Hendrix, The Kinks and Pink Floyd (Syd era) will obviously always be incredibly interesting, and what makes this compilation really interesting is that Lake and McLean chose the tracks themselves, stating they were their own favourites, and understanding that while it meant some songs were missed out these were the ones which meant the most to them.

They formed the band in 1987, gaining fans in the likes of Factory Records boss Tony Wilson and the legendary John Peel (who used to regularly play their music on his shows). As well as their own psychedelic originals we get covers from the likes of Jimi Hendrix (possibly not one you would expect, “Love Or Confusion”), Traffic (“Dear Mr. Fantasy”) and Kaleidoscope (“Faintly Blowing”), but given their own material more than stands up against these classics it shows just how strong this album is. I must confess one of my favourites is “Lovely Cuppa Tea” which sounds like psychedelia mixed with classic Madness – if anything should have been a hit single it should have been this one (although given it is from 2017 the charts were by then mostly full of auto tuned pap). Sat here drinking my own “cup of Rosie” while listening to this seems wonderfully apt, and very British (however kiwi I feel).

One of the nice things about this collection is that Lake and McLean are both very strong songwriters and lead singers, and this has been compiled so that mostly we switch between the two instead of having lots of material by one or the other. They also not include the original version of  “The Witch”, but also the remix by Marc Swordfish which they state is their favourite ever remix and allows the listener to hear just how much difference there is between the two. Given the high acclaim in which they are held within the psychedelic scene their releases generally sell out almost as soon as they hit the streets, and this is no exception, so you will need to search quite diligently if you want a copy but if this genre is to your liking, then this is essential. 

Kev Rowland, August 2025

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/TheChemistrySetUK/
https://www.fruitsdemerrecords.com/