''Bananamour'' is the fourth studio album by Kevin Ayers and it featured some of his most accessible recordings, including "Shouting in a Bucket Blues" and his whimsical tribute to Syd Barrett, "Oh! Wot A Dream".
After ''Whatevershebringswesing'', Ayers assembled a new band anchored by drummer Eddie Sparrow and bassist Archie Legget and employed a more direct lyricism. The centrepiece of the album is "Decadence", his withering portrait of Nico:
"Watch her out there on display / Dancing in her sleepy way / While all her visions start to play / On the icicles of our decay / And all along the desert shore / She wanders further evermore / The only thing that's left to try / She says to live I have to die." The song was later covered by the Australian psychedelic rock band The Church (band), The Church on their 1999 album ''A Box of Birds''.
The album marked the end of Ayers' first Harvest Records series.
Track listing
All songs written by Kevin Ayers
Personnel
Musicians
* Kevin Ayers – guitar, vocals
* Archie Legget – Bass guitar, bass, harmony vocals, lead vocal (track 3)
* Eddie Sparrow – drums
Additional musicians
* Steve Hillage – lead guitar (track 2)
* Mike Ratledge – Organ (music), organ (track 4)
* Robert Wyatt – harmony vocal (track 8)
* David Bedford – orchestral arrangement (track 9)
* Howie Casey – tenor saxophone
* Dave Caswell – trumpet
* Tristan Fry – cymbal
* Lyle Jenkins – baritone saxophone
* Ronnie Price – piano
* Barry St. John, Liza Strike, Doris Troy – backing vocals
Technical
* Kevin Ayers – producer
* Andrew King – producer
* John Kurlander – engineer
* Bob Lawrie – cover art
* Richard Imrie – photography
Notes
References
* Original LP sleevenotes
1973 albums
Kevin Ayers albums
Harvest Records albums
Sire Records albums
Albums produced by Kevin Ayers
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