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Bananamour by Kevin Ayers is one of those slightly whimsical records that I’ve had for years, but have only in the last few, come to appreciate fully. It’s part of the Canterbury scene, of course and features various members of Gong and Soft Machine. It was released in 1972 on the Harvest label, but it didn't chart.
‘It’s actually one of Kevin’s more accessible releases and contains the lyrically acidic take-down of Nico, who was floating around at the time."Watch her out there on display / Dancing in her sleepy way / While all her visions start to play / On the icicles of our decay / And all along the desert shore / She wanders further evermore / The only thing that's left to try / She says to live I have to die." which is pretty devastating. The best track for me is ‘Shouting In A Bucket Blues’ with Steve Hillage on guitar, who Ayers introduced to Gong.
The boy was a true hippy and as such seemed to sabotage any success he could have had by disappearing to somewhere warm where the wine was good as well as cheap. He was brought up in Mallorca, so the bucolic life came naturally. In the first half of the 70s he was quite active and by 1978 had released 8 albums. Always critically well-regarded, even so, no album charted.
He’d toured with Hendrix in 1968 but he wasn't built for the road and by all accounts preferred to live the dissolute life of a creative. Naturally, he fell into drugs and was a bit messed up in the 80s. He occasionally made records and garnered new, younger fans like Teenage Fanclub who recorded with him in Glasgow. He remained a whimsical, poetic man to the last and died aged 68 having lived a high old life for 4 decades.
He was incredibly talented as a songwriter, but like many creative people, couldn't be disciplined enough to be commercially successful and was prone to be a naughty boy.
The early work is his best and features young Mike Oldfield as well as long time collaborator ex Tempest and Patto man Ollie Halsall.
