Lasting a mere fifteen months from 1971 to 1972, and issuing
only sixteen albums, North London’s Mushroom Records still managed to stir up a
minor cult following because of the alluringly pungent music label-founder Vic
Keary produced. It was an eclectic mix of raga (Pandit Kanwar Sain Trikha),
Indian folk (Nitai Dasgupta), psychedelic folk (Magic Carpet), lush
prog and early electronic music (Second Hand), jazz (Lol Coxhill), proto new age (Chillum), Irish folk
and folk rock (Callinan-Flynn, Jon Betmead), soft rock (Gordo, Ellis, &
Steele), and music for burning Edward Woodward alive to (The
Liverpool Fishermen; Heather, Adrian, & John). This music is extremely
eclectic yet hangs together because of its mutual archaic and exotic vibe and
Keary’s sympathetic, sometimes tremendously vibrant (Second Hand’s “Hangin’ on
an Eyelid”), production.
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