''Nice Enough to Eat'' is a budget priced

sampler album A sampler or promotional compilation is a type of compilation album generally offered at a reduced price to showcase an artist or a selection of artists signed to a particular record label. The format became popular in the late 1960s as record labe ...

released by

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...

in 1969. Continuing the policy set by its predecessor ''

You Can All Join In ''You Can All Join In'' is a budget priced sampler album, released in the UK by Island Records in 1968. It was priced at 14 shillings and 6 pence (£0.72), and reached no. 18 on the UK Albums Chart that year. It was arguably instrumental in ...

'', the album presented tracks from the latest albums by established artists including

Free Free may refer to: Concept * Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything * Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism * Emancipate, to procur ...

Traffic Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic ...

, and Jethro Tull, and introduced tasters from newer signings to the label, notably

Nick Drake Nicholas Rodney Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974) was an English singer-songwriter known for his acoustic guitar-based songs. He did not find a wide audience during his lifetime, but his work gradually achieved wider notice and recognit ...

and

King Crimson King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...

. The inclusion of the Nick Drake track, " Time Has Told Me", has been credited with providing the first opportunity for many record buyers to hear Drake's music. It was priced as low as 14

shillings The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence or ...

and 6

pence A penny is a coin ( pennies) or a unit of currency (pl. pence) in various countries. Borrowed from the Carolingian denarius (hence its former abbreviation d.), it is usually the smallest denomination within a currency system. Presently, it is th ...

(£0.72), less than half of the standard album price at the time. The album is described at Allmusic.com as a "somewhat incoherent sampler of folk-rock, prog rock, and prog-tinged hard rock", but with a "stellar artist lineup". It was combined with ''

'' for a CD re-release in August 1992 entitled ''Nice Enough To Join In'' (

IMCD 150), but omitting tracks 1, 4 (side one) and 4 (side two).

Track listing

Side one

#"Cajun Woman" (

Thompson Thompson may refer to: People * Thompson (surname) * Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician Places Australia *Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality Bulgaria * Thompson, Bulgaria, a village in Sofia Province Canada * ...

) –

Fairport Convention Fairport Convention are an English folk rock band, formed in 1967 by guitarists Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol, bassist Ashley Hutchings and drummer Shaun Frater (with Frater replaced by Martin Lamble after their first gig.) They started o ...

– (from ''

Unhalfbricking ''Unhalfbricking'' is the third album by the British folk rock band Fairport Convention and their second album released in 1969. It is seen as a transitional album in their history and marked a further musical move away from American influences ...

'' (ILPS 9102)) - 2:41 #"At the Crossroads" ( Sahm) –

Mott the Hoople Mott the Hoople were an English rock band formed in Herefordshire. Originally known as the Doc Thomas Group, the group changed their name after signing with Island Records in 1969. The band released albums throughout the early 1970s but fail ...

– (from ''

'' (ILPS 9108)) - 5:28 #"Better By You, Better Than Me" (

Wright Wright is an occupational surname originating in England. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker (for example, a shipwright is ...

) –

Spooky Tooth Spooky Tooth were an English rock band originally formed in Carlisle in 1967. Principally active between 1967 and 1974, the band re-formed several times in later years. History Prior to Spooky Tooth, four of the band's five founding members h ...

– (from ''

Spooky Two ''Spooky Two'' is the second studio album by the English rock band Spooky Tooth. It was originally released in March 1969, on the label Island Records (licensed to A&M in the United States). Critical reception ''Spooky Two'' received mixed re ...

'' (ILPS 9098)) - 3:29 #"We Used To Know" (

Anderson Anderson or Andersson may refer to: Companies * Anderson (Carriage), a company that manufactured automobiles from 1907 to 1910 * Anderson Electric, an early 20th-century electric car * Anderson Greenwood, an industrial manufacturer * Anderson Ra ...

) - Jethro Tull – (from ''

Stand Up Stand Up may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Stand-up comedy, a comic style in which a comedian performs in front of a live audience Film * ''Stand Up'' (2007 film), a film featuring Modi Rosenfeld * ''Stand Up'' (2008 film), a Brit ...

'' (ILPS 9103)) - 3:58 #"Woman" (

Fraser Fraser may refer to: Places Antarctica * Fraser Point, South Orkney Islands Australia * Fraser, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb in the Canberra district of Belconnen * Division of Fraser (Australian Capital Territory), a former federal ele ...

Rodgers Rodgers is a patronymic surname of Old English origin derived from the Norman personal name "Roger", with the addition of the genitive suffix "-s" and meaning “son of Roger.” The intrusive “d” in Rodgers is either a Welsh or Scottish addi ...

) –

– (from ''

'' (ILPS 9104)) - 3:45 #"I Keep Singing That Same Old Song" (Gibson) – Heavy Jelly – Island 7" (b/w "Blue") (WIP 6049) - 8:19

Side two

#"Sing Me A Song That I Know" ( Abrahams) –

Blodwyn Pig Blodwyn Pig was a British blues rock musical ensemble, band, founded in 1968 by guitarist–vocalist–songwriter Mick Abrahams. Career Abrahams left Jethro Tull (band), Jethro Tull after their debut album, ''This Was'', was released, due to a ...

– (from ''

Ahead Rings Out ''Ahead Rings Out'' is the debut album by British blues-rock band Blodwyn Pig, released in 1969. The band had been formed in 1969 by Mick Abrahams, the former guitarist of Jethro Tull, and sales of ''Ahead Rings Out'' rivalled those of Jethro Tu ...

'' (ILPS 9101))- 3:04 #"(Roamin' Thro' The Gloamin' With) Forty Thousand Headmen" ( Winwood/ Capaldi) –

– (from ''

Best of Traffic ''Best of Traffic'' is a compilation album by the band Traffic, released in 1969. The U.S. LP version of the compilation had a different cover design and replaced "Smiling Phases" with "You Can All Join In". Track listing # " Paper Sun" (Steve ...

'') (ILPS 9112)) - 3:12 #"Time Has Told Me" (

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

) –

– (from ''

Five Leaves Left ''Five Leaves Left'' is the debut studio album by English folk musician Nick Drake. Recorded between 1968 and 1969, it was released in 1969 by Island Records. Recording ''Five Leaves Left'' was recorded between July 1968 and June 1969 at S ...

'' (ILPS 9105)) - 4:23 #"

21st Century Schizoid Man "21st Century Schizoid Man" is a song by the progressive rock band King Crimson from their 1969 debut album ''In the Court of the Crimson King''. Often regarded as the group's signature song, it has been described by sources such as Rolling Ston ...

" ( Fripp/

McDonald Macdonald, MacDonald or McDonald may refer to: Organisations * McDonald's, a chain of fast food restaurants * McDonald & Co., a former investment firm * MacDonald Motorsports, a NASCAR team * Macdonald Realty, a Canadian real estate brokerage f ...

Lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

/ Giles/ Sinfield)–

– (from ''

In the Court of the Crimson King ''In the Court of the Crimson King'' (subtitled ''An Observation by King Crimson'') is the debut studio album by English rock band King Crimson, released on 10 October 1969 by Island Records. The album is one of the earliest and most influentia ...

''Subtitled "''An Observation by King Crimson''" (ILPS 9111)) - 7:20 #"Gungamai" ( Rothfield/Shankar/Bhava) –

Quintessence Quintessence, or fifth essence, may refer to: Cosmology * Aether (classical element), in medieval cosmology and science, the fifth element that fills the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere * Quintessence (physics), a hypothetical form of da ...

– (from ''

In Blissful Company ''In Blissful Company'' is the first studio album by the English group Quintessence. Track listing Original LP ;Side one # "Giants" (Raja Ram, Shiva Shankar Jones, Stanley Barr) – 4:37 # "Manco Capac" (Raja Ram, Shambhu Babaji, Shiva Shankar ...

'' (ILPS 9110Q)) - 4:17 #"Strangely Strange But Oddly Normal" (Pawle) –

Dr. Strangely Strange Dr. Strangely Strange are an Irish experimental folk group, formed in Dublin in 1967 by Tim Booth (born 6 September 1943, County Kildare, Ireland), vocals and guitar, and Ivan Pawle (born 17 August 1943, England), bass and keyboards. Career Af ...

– (from ''Kip of the Serenes'' (ILPS 9106)) - 4:26

Cover

The cover was designed by Mike Sida, who had already provided the cover for ''Spooky Two'', and went on to produce several further classic

Island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

album covers including

's '' Fire and Water'' and

's ''

John Barleycorn Must Die ''John Barleycorn Must Die'' is the fourth studio album by English rock band Traffic, released in 1970 as Island ILPS 9116 in the United Kingdom, United Artists UAS 5504 in the United States, and as Polydor 2334 013 in Canada. It marked the ban ...

''. The front cover's simple motif of names of featured bands spelt out in alphabet sweets (in a combination of blue/biscuit colours alone) is subverted on the rear cover, where most of the letters have been dispersed and replaced by what seem to be brightly coloured tablets. The presence of (at least parts of) medicine capsules might make a suspicious observer suspect a reference to drugs.
The rear cover also features the track listing and thumbnail images of eight of the featured albums (1.1-4, 2.1, 2.3-4 & 2.6).

References

External links

The Original Mixed-Up Label: Island Records Sampler Albums
{{Authority control Sampler albums 1969 compilation albums Rock compilation albums Island Records compilation albums