As I Am

Trading Places present a reissue of Chris Britton's As I Am, originally released in 1969. Recording a solo album in 1969 allowed Troggs guitarist Chris Britton to take a stab at greater artistic freedom, though the presence of a familiar set of suspects meant that the resultant LP, As I Am, didn't veer too far from The Troggs' standard blend of poppy psychedelia and garage rock, constructed with a particular English bent. Producer and keyboardist Colin Frechter shaped the group's Mixed Bag release (1968), and his wistful harpsichord on tracks like "If You Really Care" lend a baroque air to the proceedings, and both bassist Tony Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson were then working as The Troggs' rhythm section (after having been in band Plastic Penny), while Olsson and fellow drummer Roger Pope were part of Elton John's band, as was harmonica player Ian Duck. Yet, with Britton composing all of the songs except one (his version of Larry Weiss's oft-covered "Evil Woman," which had also been tackled by The Troggs), the material is surprisingly varied, with opener "Sit Down Beside Me" and tracks like "Fly With Me" are rocking grooves with bright brass, Latin-esque percussion and a bit of psychedelic phasing, while "No Sense In Hiding" is a slinky blues and "Sleep My Love" is pure dreamy psych. A rare and underappreciated gem that will appeal to all Troggs fans and lovers of British psychedelia more generally.

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