Genre: rock
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title:  Strange Affair
Company: United Artists
Catalog: UAS-5591
Year: 1972
Country/State: London, England
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG+
Comments: minor ring and edge wear; original inner sleeve
Available: 1
Catalog ID: 5135
Price: $20.00

English pub rock's always been a personal favorite, as has the little known Help Yourself. Sure, judged by the cover photo they looked like a bunch of on-the-dole hippies, but with 1972's "Strange Affair" they turned in one of the genre's better offerings.

Recorded at Dave Edmund's Rockfield Studios with Anton Matthews and the band co-producing, the band's sophomore album came together amidst a string of personnel changes including the departures of original bass player Ken Whalley; his replacement Ernie Graham, and lead guitarist JoJo Glemser (the latter two left during the actual recording sessions). The fact the album was completed, let alone turned out so well amidst such trying circumstances spoke volumes for the dedication and professionalism of prime songwriter Malcolm Morley and the rest of the line up (bassist Paul Burton, drummer Dave Charles, and guitarist Richard Treece). Musically the album offered up a fairly conventional set of early-1970s rock, that might well escape one's notice the first couple of times around. That's unfortunate since the performances were uniformly impressive and Morley's material was frequently quite clever (okay I'll admit 'Movie Star' was pedestrian and lame). Highlights included the rocking title track, the pretty acoustic ballad 'Brown Lady' (with distinctive CS&N-styled harmonies), and the nine minute plus and mildly-psych-ish instrumental 'The All Electric Fur Trapper'. Certainly not the most original LP you'll ever hear, but still a good one to track down.

- The rollicking 'Strange Affair' was the kind of song that must have been a blast to hear in a small club. Slinky and rockin' at the same time, it was one of my favorite performances on the collection. for some reason I start humming it every time I eat at a diner. rating: *** stars
- A pretty acoustic guitar powered ballad, 'Brown Lady' sounded a bit like an early America song - the same kind of hyper-sensitivity and CSN-styled harmony vocals. rating: *** stars
- More America-styled soft-rock, 'Movie Star' at least had some interesting lyrics, served to underscore the band's nice harmony vocals, and ended with some excellent Graham and Glemser's guitar work. rating: *** stars
- Quite unlike anything else on the album, 'Deanna Call and Scotty' actually sounded like a totally different band. Very English-pop flavored, it almost had a pop-psych edge to it. rating: *** stars
- Opening up with some barrelhouse piano and a bluesy vibe, 'Heaven Road' didn't start out all that promising, but to its credit the song got better as it went along, ultimately finding a nice groove. 'Course, just as it was starting to cook, it faded out. Easy to see why United Artists tapped his one as the single. rating: *** stars
- Ernie Graham and JoJo Glemser's atmospheric guitars gave the instrumental 'The All Electric Fur Trapper' a cool, if slightly ominous feel. Not sure what the brief 'cat-barfing' sound effects were all about, but you quickly forgot about it when the fuzz guitar solos kicked in. The song hen slowed down, offering a nice platform for the mix of Malcolm Morley's keyboards and Graham and Glemser's guitars. Imagine Pink Floyd deciding to go for a slightly country-tinged feel and you'd be in the right aural neighborhood on this one. Even though the song was an instrumental, credited to Sean Tyler, the inner sleeve had an extended ''story" piece under the same title. rating: *** stars
- Showcasing Morley's keyboards, 'Many Ways of Meeting' was a pretty, but forgettable ballad. Side two's lone disappointment, this one just never went anywhere. rating: ** stars

United Artists also tapped the album for a single:

- 1972's 'Heaven Row' b/w 'Brown Lady' (United Artists catalog number 35355).

"Strange Affair" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Strange Affair (Malcolm Morley) - 3:31
2.) Brown Lady (Malcolm Morley) - 4:42
3.) Movie Star (Ernie Graham) - 5:45
4.) Deanna Call and Scotty (Malcolm Morley) - 3:45

(side 2)
1.) Heaven Road (Malcolm Morley - 4:15
2.) The All Electric Fur Trapper (instrumental) (Malcolm Morley - 9:31
3.) Many Ways of Meeting (Malcolm Morley - 3:53