SANDRA KERR AND JOHN FAULKNER

The music From bagpuss: Original Soundtrack Earth Recordings 6/10 rich retro-folk anthology from an analogue YtV classic Fondly remembered by 1960s and 1970s kids for magical handmade TV animation classics such as Ivor The Engine and Clangers, Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin arguably reached a sublime career-peak in 1974 with their junkshop-dwelling cloth cat Bagpuss. In typically eccentric style, the duo enlisted versatile folkies Sandra Kerr and John Faulkner as soundtrack composers, working closely with them to fill each episode with a rich acoustic patchwork of ballads and shanties, surreal wordplay and wistful poetry. Lovingly presented in limited-edition vinyl complete with bonus recordings of fluffed outtakes and studio chatter, this deluxe repackage also includes sleevenotes by Postgate’s son Daniel, Sarah Martin of Belle & Sebastian, comedian Stewart Lee and more. Lee draws parallels with folk horror and outsider art, remarking how this music triggers “Proustian moments of involuntary time travel”. Lovely stuff, but do these prototype alt.folk sketches really merit the full scholarly Basement Tapes treatment? There are certainly witty and macabre gems here, like “Old Woman Tossed Up In A Basket” or “The Bony King Of Nowhere”. But most of these 49 tracks are also pretty slight, with much repetition and filler. A charming novelty, sure, but not every rose-tinted childhood favourite from the pre-digital era qualifies as long-lost treasure. Extras: 4/10. Sleevenotes.