The documentary film was released in July 1970 and was based on the members of The Incredible String Band. The film is broken down into two parts. Part one featured stage performances and interviews of the band with the intent of learning about the group's thought process and way of living. Part two involves the group with friends dressing up to create a short, 20-minute drama play called The Pirate and The Crystal Ball.
Now regarded as just another footnote from the acid-soaked folk-rock era - despite playing a major role in making said era even possible - the Incredible String Band (or ISB) were too goddamn weird for their own fanbase, never mind the mainstream. Despite this, a few of their albums made the charts in Britain, and they had a reasonably longer-than-expected run in general. Shortly after their peak this documentary was filmed - a real potluck of spaced-out interviews, live performances, and look-in at their communal lifestyle. But the real treat (or torture, depending on your point of view) is the second half of the show, which is a bizarre performance of something called "The Pirate and The Crystal Ball". On many levels it's blatantly amateur, but there's something very compelling about it that goes far beyond mere description, and just the pan-across shot of the 3 women as Fates alone is fascinating. Not everyone is going to like this but…those of us with open minds are definitely going to appreciate the 50 minutes of Anything Goes the ISB gave us here.
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