For those not in the know, when your lead singer exits stage left, you’ve got two choices: find a replacement or reinvent yourself entirely. The Velvet Opera Mk II chose the latter path, and thank goodness they did.

After losing their Elmer in early ’69, the remaining members didn’t just change direction – they changed dimensions. Enter 12-string wizard Johnny Joyce (fresh from enchanting audiences with Beverley Kutner), joining Paul Brett, John Ford, and Richard Hudson on a journey from psychedelic freak-outs to folk-rock finesse.

Their sole album, Ride A Hustler’s Dream, isn’t just a record; it’s a snapshot of metamorphosis in action. From their mind-bending take on Statesboro Blues to the sitar-soaked Raga and Lime, this is what happens when talented musicians follow their muse down unexplored pathways.

Though their tale was brief (Ford and Hudson would soon craft chart success with The Strawbs), they left behind a fascinating chapter in British music’s evolution.

Think of it as the missing link between acid-rock ambition and folk-rock sophistication – and thank goodness someone kept the tapes rolling.

1. Ride A Hustler’s Dream
2. Statesboro Blues
3. Money By
4. Black Jack Davy
5. Raise The Light
6. Raga And Lime
7. Anna Dance Square
8. Depression
9. Don’t You Realise
10. Warm Day In July
11. Eleanor Rigby
12. Anna Dance Square (45rpm Mono Mix)
13. Don’t You Realise (45rpm Mono Mix)
14. She Keeps Giving Me These Feelings
15. There’s A Hole In My Pocket

These sonic sommeliers serving up indie vintages open their brilliant album on the velvety, Dylan-esque Ride A Hustler’s Dream, the organically-charged Statesboro Blues, and the guitar-fed Money By, and then we get the jaunty, harmonica-driven fare of Black Jack Davy, the Gospel-hued Raise The Light, the Eastern-tinged Raga And Lime and the joyful clap-along Anna Dance Square.

Up next is the melodically low slung Depression, the drum-led Don’t You Realise, and the initially child-read poem, which then blossoms into Warm Day In July, and they are in turn backed seamlessly by a quite stunningly opulent version of the Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby, before we are brought forth 45rpm Mono Mix’s of both Anna Dance Square and Don’t You Realise, the set coming to a close on the whispery She Keeps Giving Me These Feelings and an impassioned There’s A Hole In My Pocket.

Housed in a 350g cardboard digipak (as transformative as the band itself), this complete 1969 album is remastered by Prof. Stoned to sound fresher than a new 12-string.

It now includes four essential bonus tracks that complete the folk-rock transformation and comes with an 8-page booklet featuring Mike Stax’s deep dive into the band’s reinvention (from psych-pop to folk-rock glory).

Official Purchase Link