Chillum – Chillum (1971) (Japan SHM 2010)

Is there an exact limit between Psychedelia and Prog Rock?

After listening "SECOND HAND", the only answer possible is no and that's the main reason why Proto Prog was created as a link between the two genres. Outside Prog Rock's petite universe it would be easier to describe what these guys were doing and that's why you will find them in almost every Psychedelia site or catalogue something that is not wrong but neither truth, "SECOND HAND" is somewhere in the grey area between both genres. The story of this British band starts around 1965 when the keyboardist Ken Elliot formed a band named THE NEXT COLLECTION but in 1968 they signed with Polydor Records and the label suggested them to change their name that could lead to a confusion (maybe mistaken with any compilation) so they chose MOVING FINGERS but this name was already taken, so as joke in reference to their used instruments they went with SECOND HAND.

The band was formed by the already-mentioned Ken Elliot playing keys and singing, Kieran O'Connor on drums, Bobby Gibbons on lead guitar, Nick South playing bass and they invited Chris Williams to add flute, cello, violin and saxophone in their debut album "Reality". This first release is clearly more oriented towards late Psychedelia but very advanced for the genre, anybody can feel the characteristic early-Prog sound, hidden somewhere. Despite being an excellent album, it never reached a great popularity in the charts, and stayed an undeservedly obscure and underrated gem from the late 60's.

They had to wait almost three years to release another album, but this was too much for Bobby Gibbons and Nick South who left the band, being replaced by George Hart (bass, violin and backing vocals), Moggy Mead on guitar and they recruited Ken's brother Rob as a new lead vocalist and a frontman, seeing that Ken was too busy working with his new mellotron and organ. With this line-up they left Polydor Records and joined the new Mushroom Records label with whom they release their second album "Death May Be Your Santa Claus". Now, this album is really weird as it is described not as Psych, Prog, Rock but all of them at the same time. Dark, obscure, excellent arrangements, with a clear influence of Arthur Brown, it's definitely a tremendous advance in SECOND HAND'S career but at the same time was the beginning of the end.

After some members quit, the band changed their name to CHILLUM (who knows why?) and released an eponymous album, which is also included in the discography of SECOND HAND but they eventually split after its release. Ken Elliot and Kieran O'Connor joined later to form a new band named "SEVENTH WAVE" with less success.

If you are not a Psychedelic fan, avoid the band but if you like the genre and Proto Prog you'll probably like them.