Byzantium - Halfway Dreaming: Anthology 1969-1975 (CD)

UK five CD set. Evolving from the line-up that had recorded the highly-regarded Ora LP in 1969, Byzantium recorded two early Seventies albums - Byzantium and Seasons Changing, both featuring future Ian Dury MD Chaz Jankel - for the A&M label. After leaving A&M, the band self-financed the 1974 Live/Studio album in an effort to attract new representation before splitting the following year. Although they received relatively little attention from the music industry at the time, Byzantium's progressive rock-based combination of musical eclecticism, strong harmonies and timeless song writing have belatedly attracted an audience, with collectors now paying significant sums to acquire original vinyl pressings of their recordings. Assembled with the help and approval of the band, Halfway Dreaming: Anthology 1969-75 is the first-ever Byzantium compilation. It includes all three albums that were released at the time, together with a further set of 1974/75-era live material, various studio out-takes and, as a considerable bonus, an extended version of the Ora album. Housed in a stylish clamshell box, this essential 5-CD package features a lavish 32-page booklet containing a new 4000 word essay on the band and numerous previously unpublished photos. It's the definitive document of a band who fell through the cracks at the time but have subsequently come to be regarded by many as an integral part of the early Seventies British underground scene.