Cartoone
View on Discogs
View on Wikipedia
Album Summary
Cartoone was a Scottish rock outfit that found themselves in a remarkable position for a debut — signed to Atlantic Records and produced by Jimmy Page, who was deep in the early swirl of Led Zeppelin's formation at the very same time. Recorded in 1968 and released in 1969, this self-titled debut came out with the kind of quiet dignity that only the truly overlooked can claim. The band, led by the songwriting instincts of Marcus Bicknell, laid down twelve tracks that sat somewhere between late-60s British psychedelia and soft rock balladry, with Page's production giving the whole affair a warm, slightly mysterious shimmer that felt lived-in and real.
Reception
- The album did not make a significant commercial impact upon its release, failing to chart in either the UK or the US despite the Atlantic Records backing and the Jimmy Page production pedigree.
- Critical reception at the time was largely indifferent, with the band struggling to break through in a marketplace already crowded with British acts chasing the same late-60s sound.
- In later decades, the album gained a cult following among collectors and psych-rock enthusiasts who recognized the quiet craftsmanship buried in tracks like 'Withering Wood' and 'Ice Cream Dreams.'
Significance
- The album stands as a fascinating historical artifact because it represents one of Jimmy Page's final production commitments before Led Zeppelin consumed his entire creative life — making it a quiet footnote in one of rock's most storied careers.
- Cartoone's blend of gentle psychedelia, folk-tinged melancholy, and soft rock sensibility captured a very specific moment in British music when the flower-power dream was beginning to soften and fade, giving the record a bittersweet cultural texture.
- Tracks like 'The Sadness Of Toby Jugg' and 'A Penny For The Sun' reflect a distinctly British literary romanticism that was threading its way through late-60s rock songwriting, marking the album as a genuine expression of that era's poetic ambitions.
Tracklist
-
A1 Knick Knack Man 100
3:50
-
A2 Withering Wood 140
2:24
-
A3 The Sadness Of Toby Jugg 127
2:39
-
A4 A Penny For The Sun 90
3:06
-
A5 I'll Stay 92
2:07
-
A6 Girl Of Yesterday 100
3:10
-
B1 I Can't Walk Back 95
2:52
-
B2 Let Me Reassure You 131
2:20
-
B3 Mr. Poor Man —
3:43
-
B4 Ice Cream Dreams 94
2:47
-
B5 Doing What Mamma Said 92
2:39
-
B6 See Me 110
2:05
Artist Details
Cartoone was a Scottish rock group that came together in Glasgow in the late 1960s, blending a psychedelic folk-rock sound that caught the ear of none other than Led Zeppelin, who took them on as an opening act during their first North American tour in 1969 — now that's a co-sign that means something, baby. The band released their self-titled debut album on Atlantic Records in 1969, a record that showcased their lush, string-laden arrangements and soulful harmonies, but despite the heavyweight exposure, they never quite broke through to mainstream success. Their place in rock history rests largely on that fateful connection to Led Zeppelin's early rise, making Cartoone a fascinating footnote in the story of one of rock's greatest chapters.
