Tinn Parrow & Co [Laurence Bond Miller] - 2025 - My Gymnasium Museum

(74:59; Cuneiform)

Although the above band name will be new to many, I am sure there are plenty who will instead recognise Laurence Bond Miller (Sproton Layer, The 4th World Quartet, Empool, Destroy All Monsters, Nonfiction, The Empty Set, Larynx Zillion’s Novelty Shop, The Mister Laurence Experience, Exploded View, Laurence Miller and The Love Maniacs, etc.). He comes from a very musical family as one of his brothers is Roger Clark Miller (Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, Dream Interpretations/Solo Electric Guitar Ensemble, The Anvil Orchestra, Mission of Burma, etc), while along with his identical twin Ben Miller (Destroy All Monsters, God Knows Who, Solo Multiphonic Guitar, Sensorium Saxophone Orchestra, etc) Laurence was on the Miller Twin’s ‘Early Compositions (1973-1976) which I have previously reviewed.

Both brothers have joined with Laurence on this album, which has a fairly large cast, but Laurence shows his multi-instrumentalist talents by contributing vocals, clarinets (Bb, alto, bass, contrabass), accordion, spinet piano, air organ, electric organ, synth keyboard (variety of patches), electric archtop guitar, electric Ebow guitar, wholetone four-stringed electric mosquito guitar, Theremin, bagpipe chanter, bass, drums, maracas.

22 songs, and it sounds as if this album is the best part of 60 years old as it is coming to us from the late Sixties, and the influences are easy to spot as their takes on “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!” and “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” do not sound out of place with the rest of the material, while anyone who plays homage to The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band will always be in my good books, and their version of “The Equestrian Statue” is bright and fun. I was quite surprised when this started playing as I had not looked all the way down the track listing and had already thought how much they were reminding me of The Bonzo’s with humour here and there being interjected into very strong psychedelia. Their take on “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” sounds as if the Bonzo’s had indeed reinterpreted it, as somehow it sounds both irreverent and sincere. These are the only covers on the album, with the rest of the material by Laurence (apart from one song co-written with his brothers) and it honestly feels as if we have been transported back in time.

It is one of those albums where it does take time to get inside as while it is easy to listen to, it is only when fully understanding where Laurence is coming from that it truly begins to make sense. I really wasn’t sure the first few times I listened to this, but it has undoubtedly grown on me and now I feel this is a real joy which deserves to be heard by a wide audience. 

Kev Rowland, October 2025

Links:
http://www.cuneiformrecords.com/