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Soldering the ‘mental’ on to ‘multi-instru’, post-Bonzo Dog Band Roger Ruskin Spear was bursting with mad-scientist creativity. Not that he could place it; in spite of popularity with The Who, Kinks and Beatles he remained a commercial wild card.

Then his old label United Artists relented and two albums were let loose. 1972’s Electric Shocks is Bonzos revisited with a crew encompassing Thunderclap Newman, the Flamin’ Groovies and BJ Cole in a winsome mix of roaring 20s ragtime, eccentric doo-wop and some Fairportsish folk rock (mixed with My Pink Half Of The Drainpipe). Most interesting is his version of Living Doll – lovingly pilfered by alt.com pioneers The Young Ones for their anarchic charity hit of 1986.

Unusual, from ’73, is affectionately tended by Pete Townshend, and even starts with what sounds like the Laughing Gnome covering Pinball Wizard. The numbers are gentle and Jollity Farm-flavoured, returning to familiar clothing-based tropes typified on the Bonzos track Shirt (Trouble With My Trousers). On My Goodness How Spear swaps clarinet, trumpet and tuba fetish for spacey synths and almost invents acid house in the process.

Ear-bleeding rock bludgeoning this isn’t; if you don’t find the title I Love To Bumpity Bump (On A Bumpy Road With You) amusing, turn back now. Otherwise it’s a house-trained ⁶⁄₁₀ for both and Bonios all round.

Jo is a journalist, podcaster, event host and music industry lecturer with 23 years in music magazines since joining Kerrang! as office manager in 1999. But before that Jo had 10 years as a London-based gig promoter and DJ, also working in various vintage record shops and for the UK arm of the Sub Pop label as a warehouse and press assistant. Jo's had tea with Robert Fripp, touched Ian Anderson's favourite flute (!), asked Suzi Quatro what one wears under a leather catsuit, and invented several ridiculous editorial ideas such as the regular celebrity cooking column for Prog, Supper's Ready. After being Deputy Editor for Prog for five years and Managing Editor of Classic Rock for three, Jo is now Associate Editor of Prog, where she's been since its inception in 2009, and a regular contributor to Classic Rock. She continues to spread the experimental and psychedelic music-based word amid unsuspecting students at BIMM Institute London, hoping to inspire the next gen of rock, metal, prog and indie creators and appreciators.