The creative surge that would crest with High Tide first began rising with the Answer, a group that enlivened the British scene in the mid-'60s. Unfortunately, the curtain unexpectedly fell on the Answer's promising career in 1967, when three-quarters of the band were booted back to the States by U.K. immigration officials, leaving behind British guitarist Tony Hill. Session work initially beckoned, as did a spell with Turquoise, before bassist Peter Pavli, drummer Roger Hadden, and future Hawkwind violinist Simon House boarded Hill's new musical vessel, High Tide. Tide may have been Hill's vision, but it was House who gave it a truly unique sound, even in a 1969 scene awash with the stylistic crosscurrents of folk, prog rock, psychedelia, and hard rock. Tide swept across all these genres, with Hill's bluesy riffs and explosive leads counterpointed by House's equally inspired violin solos. A publishing deal with the Beatles' Apple Corp was inked in 1969, a recording contract with Liberty/United Artist followed soon after, and Sea Shanties, Tide's debut album, arrived before year's end. A heady set; across six songs the band sailed off towards hard rock cliffs, entering Black Sabbath land for Futilist's Lament, reached the folk-flecked shores of Push, But Not Forgotten, blew into the poppier realms of Walking Down Their Outlook, then plundered Procol Harum territory on Missing Out before further pillaging the blues across Nowhere. None of these Shanties, however, fit the classical definition of progressive rock, yet so inspired are these musical excursions that labeling it hard rock barely does the album justice. A welcome return for one of the '60s' most mind-blowing albums. [This version contains bonus tracks.] ~ Jo-Ann Greene, Rovi

1		Futilist's Lament
2		Death Warmed Up
3		Pushed, But Not Forgotten
4		Walking Down Their Outlook
5		Missing Out
6		Nowhere
7		The Great Universal Protection Racket [Version 1]
8		Dilemma
9		Death Warmed Up (Demo)
10		Pushed, But Not Forgotten (Demo)
11		Time Gauges