Galadriel was a five-piece Australian band from Sydney, named after a character in J.R.R. Tolkien’s „The Lord of the Rings“. The members had all previously played in various cover bands and made a name for themselves on the Sydney club scene. Motivated by a desire to play their own material, guitarist and singer Garry Adams and drummer Doug Bligh teamed up in 1969 with like-minded singer John Scholtens, lead guitarist Gary Lothian and bassist and flautist Mick Parker. The group soon developed a musical identity all of their own. Through numerous live performances in the capital’s thriving club and concert scene, and joint appearances with other leading progressive rock groups from Down Under such as Kahvas Jute, Blackfeather and Tamam Shud, they gained nationwide recognition.

In 1970, they followed up with recording sessions for a full album at United Sound Studios, produced by Tom Lubin. Two tracks from this were released as a single on the small label Du Monde. Following some negotiations, the major label Polydor exercised its option and released the self-titled debut album in May 1971, though exclusively in Australia and Germany. The attractively designed cover, with its colourful and varied imagery, perfectly reflects the album’s rich musical range, which spans from straightforward blues rock through flute-driven progressive folk and psychedelic elements to country rock.

Unfortunately, the album vanished without a trace, and the band split up as early as the beginning of 1972. Thanks to rock historian Ian McFarlane, this extremely rare and long-forgotten gem is now internationally known and has become one of the most sought-after collector’s items of 1970s Australian prog rock.