70s Albums: Balloon/Hothouse Smiles (Gate)

First-ever reissue of both 1973 Capitol albums by Mark Wirtz - the producer, arranger, and Ivor Novello winner behind A Teenage Opera - restored to their original US LP configurations and paired together for the first time. Balloon (February 1973), recorded at Apple Studios with engineer Geoff Emerick, introduced Wirtz as a singer, with lush orchestration and theatrical pop craft. Hothouse Smiles (August 1973), written after his move to Silver Lake, California, turns the same lavish production toward sharp, satirical vignettes of American life - hailed at the time as an attempt at an American Sgt. Pepper. Session players include Chris Spedding, Clem Cattini, Ray Cooper, Albert Lee, Jim Gordon, Larry Knechtel, Jim Horn, and Max Bennett. Bonus track: the non-LP B-side "Nothing To Do." Newly remastered by Prof. Stoned. Mini-LP gatefold packaging with printed inserts. Limited pressing.