For all their powerful potential and mythology, involving the musicians’ conversion to Islam, MIGHTY BABY were destined to remain underground denizens, yet what the quintet laid down over the course of three years of existence is truly mesmeric. The band’s two albums mixed space rock with folk, Western and Eastern, and there were many other elements that can still keep the listener transfixed for a long time. And that’s what “At A Point Between Fate And Destiny” – a six-disc box set, scheduled for an October 25th issue – will undoubtedly do.
Subtitled “The Complete Recordings” and comprising 60 tracks, the collection features not only the aforementioned studio records – the ensemble’s self-titled debut from 1969 and its 1971 follow-up “A Jug Of Love” – but also demos, alternative version of the first LP which was preserved on an acetate, rehearsal tapes and concert material, including a 36-minute take on “A Blanket In My Muesli” which everyone considered lost. More so, there’s “Day Of The Soup”: the album the group worked on in 1970 only to abandon the project, even though they played it on-stage. Unfortunately, such a document – released in 2009 as “Live In The Attic” – didn’t make it to the box. Yet this would be the only gripу with regards to the otherwise essential set.
And here’s the detailed breakdown of its contents:
At A Point Between Fate and Destiny –
The Complete Recordings
CD 1 – Mighty Baby:
1. Egyptian Tomb
2. A Friend You Know But Never See
3. I’ve Been Down So Long
4. Same Way From The Sun
5. House Without Windows
6. Trials Of A City
7. I’m From The Country
8. At A Point Between Fate And Destiny
acetate version of the album:
9. I’ve Been Down So Long
10. Trials Of A City
11. House Without Windows
12. A Friend You Know But Never See
13. Messages
14. Ancient Traveller
15. Same Way From The Sun
CD 2 – A Jug Of Love:
1. Jug Of Love
2. The Happiest Man In The Carnival
3. Keep On Juggin’
4. Virgin Spring
5. Tasting The Life
6. Slipstreams
single:
7. Devil’s Whisper
8. Virgin Spring (alt. version)
1968 demos, later released as THE ACTION:
9. Only Dreaming
10. Dustbin Full Of Rubbish
11. An Understanding Love
12. My Favourite Day
13. A Saying For Today
CD 3 – A Jug Of Love Rehearsals, 1971:
1. Jug Of Love
2. The Happiest Man In The Carnival I
3. The Happest Man In The Carnival Ii
4. Virgin Spring I
5. Virgin Spring Ii
6. Tasting The Life
7. Lazy Days
Jam recorded during debut Keith Christmas album, 1969:
8. Christmas Jam
French/Dutch single, mono mixes:
9. Egyptian Tomb
10. I’m From The Country
CD 4 – Day Of The Soup –
abandoned 1970 album:
1. Winter Passes
2. Now You Don’t (Part 1)
3. Now You Don’t (Part 2)
4. Now You Don’t (Part 3)
5. Now You Don’t (Part 4)
Disco 2 TV Show, 1970:
6. Juggin’
Live at Lancaster University, 1970:
7. Now You See It
8. Stone Unhenged
9. Sweet Mandarin
CD 5 – Live At Malvern, 1971:
1. Egyptian Tomb
2. Trials Of A City
3. Keep On Juggin’
4. Woe Is Me
5. India
6. Goin’ Down To Mongoli
Live at Glastonbury, 1971:
7. Keep On Juggin’
CD 6 – Live At Glastonbury, 1971:
1. Virgin Spring
2. Goin’ Down To Mongoli
3. Woe Is Me
4. Lazy Days
5. A Blanket In My Muesli
6. Devil’s Whisper
