Deep Feeling was a band that didn't last very long, but proved to be a way station for a number of notable British musicians, including
Dave Mason and
Jim Capaldi of
Traffic,
Luther Grosvenor of
Mott the Hoople and
Spooky Tooth, and Poli Palmer of
Family.
Deep Feeling were cutting their debut album in the fall of 1967 when, after five tracks had been completed,
Capaldi got an invitation from
Mason (who had already left the group, to be replaced by
Grosvenor) to join
Traffic, and the band soon fell apart.
Pretty Colours collects those five songs along with one song from a BBC Radio taping in 1966 (when the group was still known as the Hellions), a live performance from a club date, and four demos Palmer and
Gordon Jackson recorded not long after
Deep Feeling's breakup. In the liner notes,
Capaldi writes that "
Deep Feeling was definitely the forerunner of
Traffic," and it's not hard to spot the similarities; Palmer's use of flute and vibraphone in the group's arrangements gave their music a texture that was quite unusual for the day, and while the influence of the first wave of psychedelic rock is obvious in these songs, one can also hear faint echoes of what would become progressive rock along with traces of the waning days of British beat. Listening to
Pretty Colours, one gets the feeling that this group was just about to hit their stride when
Capaldi's departure pulled the plug on their future, and the fragments they left behind are fascinating but suggest their formula hadn't quite worked itself out when the five studio tracks were laid down. Ultimately,
Deep Feeling's lineup promises something more satisfying than
Pretty Colours delivers, but there are some great moments on this collection, and fans of these musicians will be grateful to finally hear this band's recorded legacy after decades in the vaults. ~ Mark Deming