Both Sides Of The Coin

2014 deluxe cd version of this releases… reissue of this totally unknown new england teenage folk private press from 1971. originally released by the artist herself as a demo only blank cover edition of 100 copies. just out of high school and hoping somebody might pay attention, the lp slipped though the cracks, the chapter closed, and life moved forward on a different course… but the album left behind stands as a true female loner folk gem, of which there aren't many at all… just ellie's humbly intimate vocals & her harp-like self taught finger-picked guitar playing, plus some lovely pastoral flute by a friend on a handful of tracks. the sounds are straight from the tuned-in melancholy teenage mind, reeling from the mind expansion of the 60s, but also the excesses. deeply reflective, poetic & searching lyrics of love / nature / peace playing out in real time against stark reality / longing / loss, and balanced at the very edge of the void. the aching innocence of youth tempered by a biting contempt for all things false… in the liner notes ellie mentions only practicing under a blanket, and there's a up-close, lo-fi, almost voyeuristic realism / fragility here that's quite special. a complex & personal trip that takes some time & attention to fully unfold. once it does, it will be no surprise that ellie went on to build geodesic domes & become a professional midwife, as that same unique spirit is already deeply embedded here… a really wonderful album we're happy to help finally reach some receptive ears… the original had no cover art, so we've kept the packaging suitably stark : packaged in a metallic silver offset printed deep blue art paper cover, with paste-on photo art & booklet insert containing more photos, ellie's original notes from last years vinyl reissue, as well as updated & expanded notes. edition of 500 copies.