England’s Glory – England’s Glory (The Legendary Lost Album) (+ BONUS TRACK) (1973) CD

01. Devotion
02. The Wide Waterway
03. City Of Fun
04. First Time I Saw You
05. Broken Arrows
06. Bright Lights
07. It’s Been A Long Time
08. The Guest
09. Peter & The Pets
10. Showdown
11. Predictably Blonde
12. Weekend
13. Trouble In The World
14. Shattered Illusions (BONUS TRACK)

Credits

Backing Vocals – Mary Holland, Menna Clarke, Penny Kemp, Zena Kakoulli
Bass, Backing Vocals – Harry Kakoulli
Drums, Percussion – Jon Newey
Guitar [Lead] – David Clarke (2)
Liner Notes – Jon Newey, Pete Makowski
Piano, Organ [Farfisa] – Michael Kemp
Vocals, Guitar – Peter Perrett

Recorded back in 1973, England’s Glory contains the first musical works of the Only One’s front man Peter Perret and future Squeeze bassist Harry Kakoulli. The original version of “Peter & The Pets” is included as the roots of the Only Ones shines through this 13 track collection of what are regarded as some of Perret’s most important and striking compositions….

These songs were demos recorded by Peter Parrett’s pre-“Only Ones” band, “England’s Glory”, and not released until after the Only Ones’ success turned Parrett into a cult star and created a market for his earliest recordings. The band also features Harry Kakouli, who later became the bass player for Squeeze. The sound is a blatant rip off of Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, so much so that I’d bet if you played this for a Velvets fan and told him these were newly-discovered lost Velvets recordings, he’d never suspect that it’s really a different group altogether. The liner notes go to great lengths to say that in fact, Parrett was more influenced at the time by Dylan than Reed, but listening to this makes that claim hard to believe. Anyway, regardless of how deliberate the Velvets homage is, this is still pretty good music, and anyone who likes both the Only Ones and Lou Reed will probably like this….by… Eric R. Last…~

Several years before Peter Perrett came to prominence in the new wave band the Only Ones, he was doing his best to imitate Lou Reed in an outfit called England’s Glory. The group – dominated by Perrett’s vocals and songs and including future Squeeze bassist Harry Kakoulli – cut a bunch of demos in early 1973, but never got anywhere on record or as a performing act. In the late ‘80s, long after the Only Ones had disbanded, many of these demos finally saw the light of day on an archival reissue. ~ Richie Unterberger….~