Fruits de Mer Records turned 15 years old this year and it feels like a good time/excuse to launch a series of retrospectives, featuring artists who have supported the label consistently over the years, for some inexplicable reason.As we launched Fruits de Mer as a vinyl label back in 2008, just at the point when vinyl was declared dead and buried, what better time to launch a series of CDs as the compact disc is widely reported to be in terminal decline? That said, we are doing our best give the CDs a bit of vinyl feel.

This third release in the series focusses on The Bevis Frond, who have graced the grooves of FdM on various occasions since 2011, when Nick Saloman sent us ‘Creepin’ Around’, a cover of a Sky Saxon song. The new CD selects tracks from their various FdM releases over the years and ends in a flourish with three demos from Nick that are exclusive to this compilation.

In reality, The Bevis Frond, and of course Nick Saloman, need little introduction – on one hand, Nick is a brilliant songwriter and guitarist (described by Rolling Stone’s writer David Fricke as, “…a Hendrix devotee every bit as tough and contemporary as the serrated guitar chorales of Sonic Youth and Pixies”), on the other he has led The Bevis Frond for over 35 years, releasing around 30 albums along the way, many of them on his own Woronzow label, and his band has recently completed a UK tour (which included headlining at our own 19th Dream of Dr. Sardonicus Festival); Nick also happens to be a generous and genuinely nice bloke, who has followed his own path since the 80s and rightly built a fiercely loyal following in that time. Tracks on the CD…

01 Creepin' Around (2.52) (Sky Saxon) From ‘Keep Off The Grass’ compilation double LP, 2011
02 Glass Onion (2.44) (Lennon/McCartney) From ‘The White EP’ compilation double 7", 2012
03 I'm A Stone (4.49) (Saloman) From ‘The League Of Psychedelic Gentlemen’ compilation 7" EP, 2012
04 Not Quite Home (5.02) (Saloman) From ‘The Crabs Sell Out’ compilation CD, 2012
05 Hard, Hard Year (4:06) (Ransford) From ‘Re-Evolution, FdM Sings The Hollies’ LP, 2013
06 Night Sounds Loud (2:25) (Lugahn) From ‘7 and 7 is’ compilation 7" box-set, 2014
07 Sand (2:38) (Lubahn) From ‘7 and 7 is ‘ 7" box-set, 2014
08 China (23:48) (Ohlert / Lormann / Fabian) From ‘Sideways’ compilation LP, 2015
09 Nautilus (3:41) (Saloman) From ‘The Lucid Dreams Of Dr. Sardonius’ compilation CD, 2017
10 Stripped Of Emotion (4:08) (Saloman) From ‘Fronds Of The Fish’ 7" lathe-cut, 2017
11 I'm Here And It's There (2:51) (Saloman) From ‘We Are The Cellar Bar Restoration Society’ compilation LP. 2020
12 Condition Blue (4:32) (Saloman) From ‘Friends of the Fish III’ lathe-cut 7", 2023
13 Not Until I Feel It (4:39) (Saloman) From ‘Friends of the Fish III’ lathe-cut 7", 2023
14 I Killed You In My Dreams (2:34) (Saloman) previously unreleased demo, 2020
15 This Sinking Feeling (5:00) (Saloman) previously unreleased demo, 2020
16 It's Happening (2:53) (Saloman) previously unreleased demo, 2020

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