Mustard

Mustard is the second solo album by English musician Roy Wood, released in December 1975 by Jet Records. The album was recorded at De Lane Lea Studios and Phonogram Studios, although a dispute at one of the studios delayed the release of the album. Produced and entirely performed by Wood, who also designed the album artwork, Mustard was a departure from his previous solo album Boulders (1973), with a more ambitious approach and denser, more layered production, again mixing a number of musical styles. Annie Haslam and Phil Everly contributed guest vocals to the album, while Wood's influences on the record included the Andrew Sisters, the Beach Boys and Led Zeppelin. Upon release, the album was a commercial failure, failing to chart in the United Kingdom or United States, likewise the singles "Look Thru' the Eyes of the Fool" and "Any Old Time Will Do", reflecting Wood's declining popularity. However, contemporary reviews were generally positive, highlighting the album's ambitious sound. Retrospective reception has also been favourable, and today the album considered by some critics to be one of the highlights of Wood's career. Edsel Records re-released the album on CD in 1999 with numerous bonus tracks, followed in 2019 with a further CD release by Esoteric Recordings. Background and recording In 1973, Roy Wood released his debut solo album Boulders, on which he performed virtually every instrument, and achieved hits with his band Wizzard, including the UK number one singles "See My Baby Jive" and "Angel Fingers". He also released the eccentric, rock and roll-inspired Wizzard albums Wizzard Brew (1973) and Introducing Eddy and the Falcons (1974) in this period, reflecting Wood's drastic recording commitment which also led to the recording of Mustard. As he later explained in an interview promoting Mustard: "I have to do four albums a year plus singles, and I don't know many people who have to do so much work." In the run-up to the release of the album, Wood fulfilled a long-time desire when he began using the bagpipes in his work, including onstage where he tuned the drones in order to play Scottish marches, although he found the instruments difficult to maintain due to different temperatures affecting their pitch, and also punctured a set. Despite his difficulties, he used the bagpipes on the album.