If you, the discerning record collector, has even a passing
interest in the posthumously named genre "acid folk", surely
the name Ed Askew is in your golden pantheon. Askew re-
corded the sublimely gorgeous LP Ask the Unicorn in 1968
for the legendary proto-DIY label ESP records, which has
now been recognized as a god-damn underground classic.
Armed only with a tiple (sort of a South American mandolin)
and his lilting neigh of a voice (and bearing superficial re-
semblances to labelmates Pearls Before Swine, and heady
UK acoustic folkers Incredible String Band), Askew spun
tales of doomed sisters, crashing universes, budding gay
love, and a serious fondness for roses on his rare, precious
and beautiful album.
