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AARON (VA)<br />
"Music By Aaron" 1974 (Eastern ERS 539) [500p]<br />
PAUL ABELL (CA)<br />
This LP may show up on dealer lists with a pretty big<br />
price tag and a "psych" label attached. Let me warn<br />
you that the psych content is pretty low, although<br />
the set's impressive on at least a couple of counts.<br />
It sounds remarkably professional and well produced<br />
for such a young band, with a fidelity that matches<br />
lots of big ticket productions. The album's also<br />
surprisingly diverse. The opening track sounds like<br />
the Marshall Tucker Band, while the mid-tempo rocker<br />
"Lovin' Woman" sports nice jazzy keyboard and guitar<br />
moves. The appealing harmony work on the ballad "Like<br />
the Season" could have made it a good single.<br />
Personal favorites - the bluesy rocker "You're Coming<br />
Down" (it's too bad this song is split between side 1<br />
and 2) and the should've-been-a-hit "Dreamin'" [SB]<br />
"Rivers Of The Heart" 1981 (Arcana) [insert]<br />
ABBREV'S (SC)<br />
Soft cosmic psych with oboe, flute, cello, etc. The<br />
label is from Santa Monica. [RM]<br />
"Here Come The Abbrev's" 1966 (American Division 3074)<br />
Garage cover band with one original ("True fine<br />
lovin'"). Good guitar/ Farfisa-led group. No fuzz,<br />
but they were more into the gritty Stones sound than<br />
the typical frat-soul-beach beat groups. The track<br />
that appears on "Tobacco A-Go-Go vol 2" is from this<br />
LP, not from a (non-existing) 45 as the liner notes<br />
incorrectly claim. [RM]
RON ABERNETHY ( )<br />
"Solo" 1975 (Avanti)<br />
ACES COMBO ( )<br />
Mix of cosmic loner folk and some tracks with<br />
electric rock setting.<br />
"Introducing" 1966 (Justice 134)<br />
"Introducing" 199 (CD Collectables 0605)<br />
No surprises on this Justice LP; Carolina beach music<br />
standards, surf instros, couple of lame top 40 covers<br />
done 2 years too late. No traces of any Brit<br />
Invasion. Musical skills below average from the very<br />
young band; sloppy drummer and crude vocals give a<br />
certain basement edge to the proceedings, as does the<br />
muddy recording. Would you pay $350 for an LP where<br />
an instro version of "Secret agent man" is the<br />
hippest thing? Hearing a 14-year old kid trying to<br />
sound like Ray Charles is worth something though.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Justice's typical bare bones production work didn't<br />
exactly hide the group's musical limitations, but the<br />
ragged tempos and blown notes somehow served to<br />
highlight the album's low tech charm. The same is<br />
true with the strained vocals, which were<br />
occasionally borderline painful (check out their<br />
cover of 'Laugh It Off'). Those overlooked charms<br />
were only underscored when you consider that these<br />
guys were only 14 and 15 years old when they recorded<br />
the album. Admittedly, musically you're unlikely to<br />
find anything here that will drastically change your<br />
life, but there is something quite charming about the<br />
band's enthusiasm and drive. Every time I read the<br />
liner notes I have to laugh and wonder how a record<br />
company could misspell the word rhythm. As an added<br />
bonus, they managed to mis-title two of the cover<br />
songs. [SB]<br />
A CID SYMPHONY (Berkeley, CA)<br />
"A Cid Symphony" 1967 (no label) [3 LPs; colored vinyl; 3 inner<br />
sleeves + 2 cvr slicks; outer plastic bag; 1000p]<br />
"A Cid Symphony" 1999 (CD Gear Fab gf-135) [2 CDs; +3 tracks]<br />
"A Cid Symphony" 2000 (Akarma, Italy) [3LP box set; poster;<br />
inserts; +bonus tracks]<br />
The artists' name are actually Fischbach & Ewing,<br />
while the LP is often listed as "Acid Symphony". The<br />
music is stoned acoustic counterculture brainstorms<br />
with an Eastern vibe. More bluesy/folky beatnik angle<br />
than psychedelia, so beware of the usual dealer<br />
hyperbole. Interesting period piece in any event,<br />
pre-dating the hippie era in its vibe. Engineered by<br />
Denise Kaufman of the Ace Of Cups, who handled the<br />
publishing via her Thermal Flash Music company (this<br />
is not the label). The records are on green, orange,<br />
and purple vinyl with matching inner sleeves. [PL]<br />
~~~
We'll be real clear and tell you this ain't rock and<br />
roll. What you get are six sides of acoustic<br />
instrumentals that blend Eastern and Western<br />
instruments (dulcimer, guitar, sarod, sitar) and<br />
cultural genres (country, blues, flamenco, jazz,<br />
folk-psych and raga). There's nothing terribly wrong<br />
with the results, which have a certain quiet dignity<br />
and are occasionally quite impressive given they<br />
sound like improvisational pieces. Anyone who enjoys<br />
material such as "Magic Carpet" or post-Mighty Baby<br />
"Habibiya" will almost certainly find this collection<br />
engaging. That said, trying to sit through all three<br />
LPs in a single session can be a trying experience.<br />
[SB]<br />
V.A "ACME SAUSAGE CO" (Canada)<br />
"Acme Sausage Co" 1972 (no label) [gatefold]<br />
ADAMKOSKY (OH)<br />
Hippie folk comp with one side acoustic and one side<br />
electric. Mostly obscure acts like Manna, Bob<br />
Edwards, Joe Hall, Paul Hann, Richard Peddicord, and<br />
also includes a track by Brent Titcomb which is<br />
pretty decent. Best part about this LP is the glossy<br />
gatefold cover with superb psychedelic artwork.<br />
"In Your Eye" 1973 (Coronet no #)<br />
Singer/songwriter with folk and blues influences,<br />
often hyped as "acid folk".<br />
DOUGLAS ADAMS see Light Rain<br />
AERON – PALTEREON (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"The Far Memory of the Elves" 1979 (Eldar Productions)<br />
AESOP'S FABLES ( )<br />
Strange little album that could have been marketed as<br />
anything from prog to new wave. The call themselves<br />
the “trans rock elven band” and the lyrics form a<br />
concept album about an otherworld of some sort. All<br />
of the songs have mixed male and female vocals. The<br />
band had a second LP "Girl with the golden eyes" in<br />
1982. [AM]<br />
"In Due Time" 1969 (Cadet Concept 323) [wlp & printed promo<br />
exist]<br />
Falling somewhere in the musical spectrum between The<br />
Young Rascals and Blood, Sweat and Tears, the shortlived<br />
and little known Aesop's Fables deserved a
etter fate. "In Due Time" teamed them with producer<br />
Bob Gallo. Sporting two capable vocalists in Sonny<br />
Bottari and John Scaduto, the collection aptly<br />
demonstrated the octet's enjoyable blend of blue-eyed<br />
soul ("Lift Up Your Hearts", "What Is Soul", and the<br />
Rascals clone "What Is Love") and more experimental<br />
horn based outings ("Everybody's Talking", "Look Out"<br />
and "In the Morning"). Elsewhere, the group's lounge<br />
lizard cover of The Supremes' "I'm Gonna Make You<br />
Love Me" proved less impressive. Dock the collection<br />
half a star for having one of the year's ugliest<br />
covers. The band released a second LP "Pickin' Up The<br />
Pieces" that was only released in Australia and<br />
Canada (Mandala 001), possibly as a Bob Gallo tax<br />
scam. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> A New Place To Live<br />
AESSENCE (Detroit, MI)<br />
"Aessence" 1985 (Freezer) [insert; 300#d]<br />
Hippie folk and singer/songwriter sounds with<br />
artistic ambitions and a slightly refined air, but<br />
like so many others in the genre damaged by<br />
unconvincing vocals. The Joseph Pusey LP is a more<br />
successful exploration of a similar trajectory. John<br />
Sase is the name of the artist, and the LP features a<br />
wide variety of instruments. Recorded in 1975, which<br />
is why it is included here.<br />
AFTER ALL (Tallahassee, FL)<br />
"After All" 1969 (Athena 6006)<br />
"After All" 2000 (CD Gear Fab 161)<br />
"After All" 2000 (Gear Fab/Comet, Europe)<br />
Overlooked but pretty good moody late 60s<br />
organ/guitar psychrock with a Doors influence, has an<br />
unusual creeping menace a la Freeborne that gives it<br />
an original feel. Strong vocalist successfully walks<br />
the thin line between melodrama and sinister honesty<br />
while the band comes through impressive, esp the<br />
drummer. Worth checking out for psych fans. Recorded<br />
in Nashville. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
A couple of brief reviews I'd seen tagged this as<br />
progressive. While there may be a touch of<br />
progressive influences on some of the longer numbers,<br />
the more obviously influences are Jim Morrison and<br />
the Doors. That may be an equally deadly comparison<br />
for some of you, but in this case it's meant as a<br />
complement. The first side features two extended<br />
pieces, both of which sport attractive melodies and<br />
strange ominous atmospherics. I can picture these<br />
guys recording in some haunted Southern mansion.<br />
Picture 'Riders On the Storm' with David Clayton<br />
Thomas handling the vocals and you'll be in the right<br />
mindset. The second side features a series of five<br />
shorter keyboard driven tracks. While the lyrics are<br />
occasionally over-the-top and material such as 'And I<br />
Will Follow' occasionally borders on MOR, these guys<br />
repeatedly surprise on all fronts. Kick ass drummer,
while both vocalists are excellent and songs like<br />
'Let It Fly' (with nice guitar) underscore their rock<br />
credentials. [SB]<br />
AFTERGLOW (Chico, CA)<br />
"Afterglow" 1968 (MTA 5010)<br />
"Afterglow" 1995 (CD Sundazed 6074) [+4 bonus tracks]<br />
"Afterglow" 2001 (Beat Rocket 127) [+4 bonus tracks]<br />
AFTON (VA)<br />
Above average low budget garage/pop album on cool and<br />
obscure label. It has a nice mix of moody garage/folk<br />
punkers, sunshine pop and the twisted freakout<br />
"Suzy's Gone" which was supposedly named<br />
"Psychedelic" on the master reels. Not a killer<br />
album, but real good and a definitive keeper - and<br />
plus points for not including any covers. Two OK<br />
tracks have been comp'd. [MM]<br />
"First Day of Summer" 1975 (Lark 2288)<br />
AGAPE (Azusa, CA)<br />
Rural stoner guitar rock.<br />
"Gospel Hard Rock" 1971 (Mark 2170) [live band pic on back<br />
cover]<br />
"Gospel Hard Rock" 1971 (Mark 2170) [four individual photos on<br />
back cover]<br />
"Gospel Hard Rock" 198 (Hablabel Italy)<br />
"Gospel Hard Rock" 1996 (CD Agape 001) [+2 tracks]<br />
A well-known item even 20 years ago, though now it's<br />
been surpassed by many recent discoveries in its<br />
genre, which is Christian psych/hard rock with a<br />
Hendrix/Blue Cheer vibe. Suffers from a rather stiff<br />
sound and lyrics that are upfront/preachy the wrong<br />
way, but has a couple of good tracks, and an<br />
appealing spoken apocalyptic section on the closer.<br />
Still, the Exkursions is a better LP in a similar<br />
style. [PL]<br />
"Victims of Tradition" 1973 (Renrut agape-101) [500p]<br />
"Victims of Tradition" 1996 (CD Agape 002) [+bonus track]<br />
Less famous second LP is clearly superior in my ears,<br />
band shows improvement on every level, relaxing the<br />
preachy mood while still retaining the jammy Hendrix<br />
guitar-psych vibe. Arrangements are remarkably<br />
elaborate and like many Christian albums it sounds<br />
like an "expensive" production all over. Prog and<br />
jazz moves dilute the impact somewhat but the best<br />
tracks such as "King Of Kings" are exceptionally<br />
good. The CD reissue has great presence and clarity<br />
which contributes to the classy feel. [PL]<br />
~~~
The followup has a great cover of the band playing<br />
live in a graveyard and is much less strident. The<br />
band has a more mature, even progressive, sound on<br />
this one with jazzy runs balancing the fuzz attacks<br />
and hardrock vocals. Inspirational verse: 'Man is a<br />
mental giant and yet an ethical infant'. This was<br />
also issued on 8-track tape with bonus tracks. [RM]<br />
"The Problem is Sin" 1973 (8-track private) [no vinyl release]<br />
"Live and Unreleased" 1996 (CD Hidden Vision)<br />
AGAPE (Canada)<br />
8-track only live recording from CA college gig in<br />
1973 captures the band in just the right jammy<br />
guitarpsych mood you hoped for. Extended excursions<br />
on tracks from their studio LPs, plus a title track<br />
unique to this release; all of it certain to please<br />
any fan of westcoast Jesus psych-rock with a dose of<br />
Hendrix and keyboard prog/jazzrock. Raw recording<br />
with in-yer-face sound and an enthusiastic crowd.<br />
Retitled CD reissue adds 5 bonus tracks which are a<br />
lot less interesting. The tracks have been shuffled<br />
around, so a CD program is recommended for the<br />
genuine Agape live trip. Transfer from 8-track left<br />
some audio dropouts in the music. A must for genre<br />
fans. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Rapid Richard Group<br />
"Le Troisieme Seuil" 1972 (no label)<br />
Doomy progressive with sinister organ and scary<br />
vocals. Gothic sound like the Italian group Jacula.<br />
AGE OF REASON (DC/VA)<br />
"Age Of Reason" 1969 (Georgetowne no #)<br />
Bad post-acid soul/FM rock LP with a number of poorly<br />
chosen covers and an operatic, "soulful" vocalist.<br />
Musically competent with Hammond organ upfront but<br />
still pretty dismal and a good example of the nasty<br />
downturn music took as the original psych era faded<br />
away. No relation to the NY group who had a good 45.<br />
[PL]<br />
AGGREGATION (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Mind Odyssey" 1969 (LHI S 12008) [gatefold]<br />
"Mind Odyssey" 199 (Thorns Europe)
EDEN AHBEZ (CA)<br />
AINA (HI)<br />
Unusual and atmospheric early artrock/psych item<br />
based on an acid trip amusement park concept from<br />
classically trained band who held a residency at<br />
Disneyland! Presence of sax has annoyed some but it's<br />
tasteful and adds to the mysterioso vibe, as do the<br />
slightly crooneresque vocals and hints of sacred<br />
classical music. This LP could be seen as a precursor<br />
to those extraordinary 1970s private press artefacts,<br />
and reveals its classiness and coherence over time.<br />
1920s Charleston-style track may turn some off, the<br />
rest is great. Worth investigating for anyone -<br />
better than Hunger, as an example. The LP was also<br />
released on cassette by Ampex. [PL]<br />
see full-length review<br />
"Eden's Island" 1960 (Del-Fi DFLP 1211) [mono]<br />
"Eden's Island" 1960 (Del-Fi DFST 1211) [stereo]<br />
"Eden's Island" 1998 (CD Del-Fi) [stereo; +2 tracks]<br />
"Eden's Island" 2003 (Munster, Spain) [stereo]<br />
Excellent and historically significant milestone in<br />
the merger of the west coast spiritual and pop<br />
cultures. Ahbez is most famous for writing "Nature<br />
Boy" which was a massive hit for Nat King Cole (and<br />
much later covered by Gandalf), but in recent years<br />
fans of exotica and psychedelia have fallen for this<br />
album in a big way. 12 terrific songs full of dreamy<br />
desert island moods, balances perfectly the starryeyed<br />
50s quest for exotic locales with a deeper felt<br />
search for inner calm and belonging. Despite the 1960<br />
date, Eden looks like a total hippie on the front<br />
cover. A must. There is also an interesting Eden<br />
Ahbez-related LP from the early 1950s; Herb Jeffries'<br />
"The singing prophet" (Olympic OLP-12001). [PL]<br />
"Lead Me to the Garden" 1980 (Kumanu km-1001) [gatefold]<br />
While this album has a distinctive 1970s vibe, forget<br />
all the dealer hype you read about acid folk, psych,<br />
etc influences. Some tracks showcased a clear<br />
religious agenda, though thankfully most of the<br />
material avoided a hard sell approach for a more<br />
subtle approach. Other tracks occasionally recalled<br />
something like Seals & Crofts, or perhaps America<br />
might have recorded had they abandoned the mainland<br />
for a life in the islands. With the exception of a<br />
couple of social and political statements, notably
A J (NV)<br />
the atypical rocker "Nuclear Power", "Many<br />
Roads" (which sported some cheesy synthesizers) and<br />
"America Be One Man" it was all quite pretty and<br />
quite forgettable. [SB]<br />
"Last Song First Side" 1973 (Black Walnut 3001)<br />
Unusual blend of styles on this obscure private<br />
press, mixing a desert western vibe with UK-style<br />
prog moves in the form of unpredictable song<br />
structures, numerous tempo shifts and crude jazzrock<br />
ambitions. Can't say it´s entirely successful, though<br />
it does produce a distinct and original feel. Main<br />
drawback is a lack of strong guitarleads, relying<br />
instead on plenty of frantic rhythm guitar and a bass<br />
laid on top in the mix. The mellow tracks work best,<br />
with pleasant vocal harmonies and a Mu-like feel at<br />
times. [PL]<br />
ALAN FRANKLIN EXPLOSION see Franklin, Alan<br />
JIM ALAN (Madison, WI)<br />
"Tales of the Songsmith" 1982 (Circle Sanctuary)<br />
Pagan mystic folk in similar style to Gwydion. The<br />
guy co-founded a magickal society which still exists.<br />
ALBATROSS (Salem, VA)<br />
"Rockin' the Sky" 1975 (Dominion 1023)<br />
ALBATROSS (IL)<br />
Southern hardrock with beautiful fantasy landscape<br />
cover.<br />
"Albatross" 1976 (Anvil 1001)<br />
Extended numbers such as 'Cannot be Found' and<br />
'Humpback Whales' make it pretty clear these guys<br />
worshipped at the altar of Yes. As the owner of more<br />
than my share of Yes albums, I'll admit that isn't<br />
necessarily a bad thing, but then its probably not<br />
the smartest concept with which to pursue a musical<br />
career. Okay, enough of the negativity. All five of<br />
the tracks, including the 14 minutes plus epic 'Four<br />
Horsemen of the Apocalypse' are worth hearing.<br />
Novak's voice will be an acquired taste for some<br />
folks, but his delivery fits the material well. Lead<br />
guitarist Roe is quite impressive, but most of the<br />
spotlight is on keyboardist Dahlgren who effortlessly<br />
manages to span the gauntlet from tasteful
synthesizer passages ('Devil's Strumpet'), to Keith<br />
Emerson-styled wall organ overload. Certainly better<br />
than other Yes-wannabees like the dreaded Starcastle,<br />
but not quite as good as Cathedral. [SB]<br />
ALBRECHT & ROLEY (MI)<br />
"Albrecht & Roley" 1975 (Airborn)<br />
ALEITHIA (KY)<br />
Mainly acoustic folk/folkrock with vocal harmonies,<br />
some electric leads, Christian vibes here and there.<br />
They had a second LP, "Gentle Flowing Feeling" in<br />
1977.<br />
"Aleithia" 1975 (Airborn 750460)<br />
Christian rural folkrock with female vocals, organ,<br />
12-string. Nice flow, with some electric guitar<br />
parts. [RM]<br />
A LETTER HOME (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"A Letter Home" 1975 (Blap lrs-rt-6152)<br />
Moody basement rock with Andy Sommers (pre-Police)<br />
and Pat Taylor (x-Ashes). Low-fi lost charms communal<br />
sounds. This is an LRS vanity job like Frolk Haven<br />
and may have played a part in the ultimate formation<br />
of the Police. [RM]<br />
ALEXANDER'S TIMELESS BLOOZBAND (San Diego, CA)<br />
"Alexander's Timeless Bloozband" 1967 (Smack 1001)<br />
ALI-BABA REVUE ( )<br />
The Smack album is pretty crude. It’s recorded live<br />
(though there’s no audience sounds) and has a sleazy<br />
blues vibe that’s kind of appealing even though the<br />
music is only OK. There are a few standards,<br />
including “Killing Floor” and a jazzy instrumental<br />
take on “My Favorite Things.” There’s one great rock<br />
song, “Sloppy Drunk,” that has a Pretty Things-like<br />
vocal and some terrific, wild, loud lead guitar.<br />
Otherwise it’s of value mostly because of the sound,<br />
not the actual music. Their 2nd LP on UNI (1968) is a<br />
lot less interesting. [AM]<br />
"Let It All Hang Out" 196 (Boss BLP 1129)<br />
Local lounge/beat obscurity, described as "lame".
ALIEN CITY (Seattle, WA)<br />
"Alien City" 1979 (Dog Star dsp-1945) [lyric insert; 500p]<br />
"Alien City" is definitely different. Having listened<br />
to the album a dozen times, I'll readily admit I'm<br />
still confused by the story. While the concept was<br />
certainly unique, Turnbow didn't have much of a<br />
voice. On the other hand, exemplified by tracks such<br />
as "Information Overload", "Older Men" and the<br />
instrumental "Suffer", had a knack for crafting<br />
surprisingly catchy material. A couple of brief<br />
reviews compare the effort to mid-career Bowie.<br />
That's not a bad comparison - think "Ziggy Stardust"<br />
era glam and you'll have a feel for much of the<br />
project. 'Alien City was composed over a period of<br />
five years. It is a song cycle of epic proportions<br />
centered around the Incarnation of Celestial Visitors<br />
to this planet'. Jon reportedly spent some time in an<br />
asylum after recording this LP. [SB]<br />
ALIEN NATION see Larry & Myra<br />
ALKANA (San Bernardino, CA)<br />
"Welcome to My Paradise" 1978 (Baby Bird no #) [lyric insert]<br />
This sought-after hard rock rarity was released in 1978,<br />
but sounds like an early 80s record. It has the kind of<br />
high vocals and streamlined lead guitar that would soon<br />
take over the mainstream hard rock world. The majority of<br />
this album is pretty standard macho flashy guitar stuff,<br />
better than most of its kind but nothing special unless<br />
you're a genre fan. What makes the album special is the<br />
11-minute “The Tower,” an epic that incorporates<br />
everything that’s good about the genre: melodic guitar<br />
leads, a stunning chorus, a smooth shift from mellow to<br />
heavy after a few minutes of the song. It's a classic,<br />
and the rest of the album gains appeal by association<br />
with it. Pretty album cover, too. Danny Alkana was<br />
formerly with Cock Robin, a local band that at times<br />
featured Misunderstood legend Glenn Ross Campbell. He<br />
later had some success on the classical-inspired metal<br />
guitar circuit. [AM]<br />
CHAD ALLAN & THE EXPRESSIONS (Winnipeg, Canada)<br />
"Shakin' All Over" 1965 (Quality 1756, Canada)<br />
"Shakin' All Over" 1965 (Scepter 533, US)<br />
"Hey Ho What You Do To Me" 1965 (Quality 1764, Canada)<br />
Pre-Guess Who garage beat with a strong British<br />
Invasion sound. The group was originally named Chad<br />
Allan and the Reflections but changed their name due<br />
to the American group. Chad (Alan Kobel) left the<br />
group after the 45 release of "Shakin' All Over" to<br />
attend college and was replaced by Burton Cummings.
ALL IN ONE ( )<br />
Randy Bachman was also a member. These LPs are<br />
sometimes referred to as hot collector's items, but<br />
interest seems to be on the wane. [RM]<br />
"All In One" 196 (KPS 9360)<br />
Late 1960s low-key nocturnal folk/folkrock with<br />
excellent female vocal harmonies, stand-up bass,<br />
occasional congas and understated drumming. Partly in<br />
a late folk-boom Simon & Garfunkel type mood, but<br />
also with appealing CA psych moves on tracks like<br />
"Errant In A Time" and the great "Days Of My Life",<br />
which has moody modal chords and atmospheric bells.<br />
Not a hippie scene, more like serious young ladies<br />
contemplating the world from a college dorm room. Too<br />
square for true greatness but worth checking out for<br />
folk and/or femme vox fans. Seldom seen item, with<br />
non-descript orange front cover and band pic on the<br />
back. [PL]<br />
ALL NATURAL BAND see Frankie Carr<br />
ALL-NITERS (OH)<br />
"Recorded Live at the Barn" 1966 (Erie 001)<br />
ALL OF THUS (NY)<br />
Garage beat dancehall sound with saxophone. Recorded<br />
live in Sandusky, Ohio.<br />
"All Of Thus" 1968 (Century 27916)<br />
"All Of Thus" 1994 (Rockadelic 11.5) [500p; altered sleeve]<br />
Obscure local garage LP few had heard of until it<br />
appeared on the Rockadelic reissue. A good one too,<br />
one of my personal faves in this bag, with a punkedup<br />
Zombies sound, dreamy teenage vocals and a<br />
fractional acid edge to some lyrics. Less than half<br />
is cover versions, which is unusual for the era. A<br />
few slow cuts drag on, the rest is solid pre-hippie<br />
60s music. The reissue has ultracool sleeve design<br />
(altered from original). [PL]<br />
ALL RIGHT FAMILY BAND (HI/CA)<br />
"Music is Love" 1980 (A.F.B.)
Forgettable late-stage hippie barrock except for the<br />
enjoyable "Starry Ride" which features Sky Saxon; I<br />
believe this is the only track on the LP he's on.<br />
[PL]<br />
ALL SAVED FREAK BAND (Kent State University, OH)<br />
"My Poor Generation" 1973 (Rock the World nr-7825) [bible and<br />
table are clearly visible on front cover]<br />
"My Poor Generation" 1976 (Rock the World nr-7825) [cropped photo<br />
on front cover]<br />
"My Poor Generation" 2000 (CD Hidden Vision AC-26)<br />
Debut LP from famous band on the Jesus Rock circuit, with<br />
a mixed bag of excellent psych-flavored 1970s rock and<br />
less successful tangents of gospel and country.<br />
"For Christians, Elves, And Lovers" 1976 (Rock the World afsb-<br />
1001)<br />
"For Christians, Elves, And Lovers" 200 (CD Hidden Vision)<br />
Somewhat unexpected move from the X-ian mainstream<br />
rockers as they go on a British folk/folkrock bender<br />
here, complete with sparse guitar arrangements, some<br />
tasteful chamber music orchestration, and female vocal<br />
harmonies. This is surely due to the JRR Tolkien<br />
influence that enters about half of the song lyrics and<br />
make for an interesting marriage with the typical Jesus<br />
Rock moves on the other half. Unfortunately they can't<br />
keep from inserting a couple of tracks in the unappealing<br />
country-gospelrock style familiar from their other LPs,<br />
still the folkrock stuff is impressive enough to make<br />
this worth checking out. [PL]<br />
"Brainwashed" 1976 (Rock the World nr-5974) [lyric inner]<br />
This is a tough band to figure out. With substantial<br />
resources and obvious talent on hand they were able<br />
to deliver some of the best Christian 70s rock by<br />
anyone anywhere, but just as often they would go into<br />
unsuccessful tangents of countryrock, goodtimey<br />
sounds and roots rock. At best their music is<br />
stunningly powerful (check out "Ode to Glenn<br />
Schwartz" on Brainwashed), with a dark, creeping<br />
psychrock menace achieved via songwriting and<br />
guitar/organ arrangements that spell big league all<br />
the way. Their other main asset are the<br />
testimonies/sermons, which are truly freaky and quite<br />
confrontational. The folkrockers are fairly agreeable<br />
on strength of the female vocals, while the male<br />
vocalists are more uneven. Both the first and third<br />
LP follow this pattern, with the third one being<br />
perhaps the stronger on balance. Apart from the<br />
incredibly strange testimonies the ASFB have a<br />
mainstream, upmarket 70s sound which has little in<br />
common with the basement westcoast style of bands<br />
like Kristyl or Wilson McKinley, or the raw heavy<br />
psych of Fraction. There is a CD with ASFB ex-member
Mike Berkey which contains folky stuff recorded 1973-<br />
1980 (Hidden Vision, 2002). [PL]<br />
"Sower" 1980 (War Again)<br />
"Brainwashed/ Sower" 2000 (CD Hidden Vision ac-27/28) [2-on-1]<br />
Man, these guys were just so good! Wailing away one<br />
minute - folk mood, jazz lightness the next. Seems<br />
impossible on paper, but with ASFB it works. All<br />
tracks are standouts. Maturity in sound and lyric.<br />
Many changes in tempo and very effective use of<br />
keyboards. Full of smoking guitar from Glenn<br />
Schwartz, wonderful use of solo violin, co-ed vocals.<br />
‘Beautiful Morning’ is pretty psychy with that organ<br />
outro. And a soulified killerized cover of ‘Old<br />
Rugged Cross’. All their albums are treasures with<br />
layers of interest both musically and lyrically. Dig<br />
deep. Bizarre liner notes describing prophesies to<br />
mate horses. The band has one track from "Sower" on<br />
the excellent "Holy Fuzz" compilation. [Bob Felberg]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Lynn Haney<br />
ALL THAT THE NAME IMPLIES ( )<br />
"Side 1" 1968 (ESP-Disk/ Oro 4) [lyric insert; bumper<br />
sticker]<br />
Hippie communal folk. There's also a non-LP 45 track.<br />
TANDYN ALMER (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"New Songs Of" 196 (Davon demo 2257) [no sleeve]<br />
Songwriter's demo LP with unknown performers,<br />
showcasing recent compositions by mysterious<br />
Boettcher associate Almer, who wrote "Along comes<br />
Mary" for the Association, among other things.<br />
Includes "Menagerie of man", "Face down in the mud",<br />
"Sunset Strip soliloquy", "Alice Designs" and other<br />
promising titles. The latter was recorded by Pac NW<br />
band Mr Lucky & the Gamblers in early 1967, which may<br />
indicate a 1966 date for this demo album.<br />
ALPHA CENTAURI (Canada)<br />
"Alpha Centauri" 1977 (Salt 003)<br />
ALSHIA (WI)<br />
Hard prog-rock dedicated to Tommy Bolin, described as<br />
"lame" by one critic.<br />
"Alshia" 1980 (no label)<br />
This is another 80s private press hyped as "psych" by
deceptive or deluded dealers. Alshia are better than<br />
Child's Art, but don't let anyone mislead you as to<br />
the style, which sounds like low-budget version of<br />
1980 FM radio fare. They were obviously kings of<br />
their small local scene, but were left to release<br />
their album on their own because everyone beyond<br />
their loyal fans saw them for the average act they<br />
were. Slow tempos and tons of really nice acoustic<br />
guitar (even on the quasi-heavy songs) make them more<br />
distinctive than your typical AOR or hard rock band.<br />
Nonetheless, the songwriting is average and the<br />
singing is very weak, especially when they try to<br />
harmonize. The highlights of the album are<br />
instrumental, and, indeed, the instrumental that<br />
closes the album is easily the best song. A female<br />
singer is wasted, given only one lead vocal, but<br />
she's not much better than the guy anyway. Lyrics<br />
occasionally reach toward Christian and meaning-oflife<br />
themes, but are mostly banal. This album was<br />
recorded and mixed in two days, and sounds like it.<br />
It's not a terrible album, but not an especially good<br />
one, and not psychedelic or even "prog" at all.<br />
Mostly it's illustrative of the desire of rare record<br />
dealers to keep finding new product to hype. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Here are some comments we received from Alshia band<br />
leader Paul Barlament, with reference to the review<br />
above: "I agree with much of your assessment of the<br />
album. It does sound like it was recorded in two<br />
days, although I think Andy Watermann did an<br />
admirable job with the time allotted and limited<br />
budget, as well as the relative inexperience of the<br />
musicians. It was actually Andy's idea to feature the<br />
acoustic guitar throughout much of the album, which<br />
did give it a rather distinctive sound. The Jefferson<br />
Airplane/Starship comparisons I've seen are<br />
interesting. There was a significant age difference<br />
between the bass player (Greg) and the rest of the<br />
band. Greg took up the bass after seeing the Airplane<br />
in concert and being floored by Jack Casady. I was 16<br />
when I saw Jefferson Starship in support of Red<br />
Octopus, which is the only Starship album I owned. I<br />
would never consider anything they did in the same<br />
league as Volunteers or Surrealistic Pillow. My<br />
influences on guitar were Jerry Garcia from the Dead<br />
and Pink Floyd's David Gilmour. Jim, who played<br />
acoustic guitar on the album, was influenced a lot by<br />
the Dead's Bob Weir. In summary, I would say the<br />
sound we were going for was a kind of<br />
Dead/Floyd/Airplane fusion. The album doesn't quite<br />
capture that, though it does have its moments. On our<br />
best nights, we were a pretty good jam band."<br />
ALTER EGO & FRIENDS (MI)<br />
"Obsessional Schizophrenia" 1972 (C Schneider)<br />
Vanity release from mental patient (real one) at<br />
Mercywood Hospital. The "friends" are probably<br />
alternate personalities of the guy, one Charles<br />
Schneider. He plays piano and sings, with material<br />
ranging from 1920s schlagers to the Rolling Stones,<br />
with some Thelonius Monk inbetween. Not blatantly<br />
crazy but with a creeping weirdness. Nice cover shows<br />
Schneider posing in the old nuthouse garden.
V.A "ALTOONA '68" (Altoona, PA)<br />
"Altoona '68" 1968 (Empire)<br />
Local sampler with some neat garage/folkrock<br />
originals by bands like the Young Lords, Society's<br />
Children and Showmen, weighed down by a couple of<br />
lame blue-eyed soul numbers. Covers include Doors,<br />
Cream and an obscure track from the first Human Beinz<br />
LP. All bands are unknowns. "Graduate" by Day After<br />
is an excellent, weird moody acid tune that sounds<br />
like a 1970s private press LP track, and has been<br />
reissued on a couple of modern comps. Although one of<br />
the better local PA samplers, it's still mainly a<br />
concern for completists. [PL]<br />
AMBROSE (Cooksville, TN)<br />
"Bust Your Nose" 1978 (ARC 3661)<br />
AMBUSH ( )<br />
This is southern rock that's heavier than the usual.<br />
The production is very thin, but the guitar playing<br />
is quite good and the genre's trademark, dual lead<br />
guitars, is in evidence throughout. The long solo on<br />
the last song is great, definitely the highlight of a<br />
decent but not consistently good album. The real<br />
issue here is whether or not you'll like the throaty<br />
Molly Hatchet-style vocal growl. I hate it, and it<br />
ruins the album for me, but if you're OK with that<br />
type of thing this is a pretty good genre piece. [AM]<br />
"Ambush" 1981 (no label)<br />
PAT AMENT ( )<br />
Hard rock/AOR, highly rated by some. There are at<br />
least 5 different private releases called Ambush from<br />
the hard rock/metal era, so make sure you get the<br />
right one. This has a white cover with the band name<br />
in black on the front cover.<br />
"Songs by" 1971 (Signet)<br />
Relaxed electric folkrock. [RM]<br />
AMERICA IS HARD TO FIND ( )<br />
"America Is Hard To Find" 1970 (Multi-Trax zb-176)<br />
Half anti-war spoken word poems by radical priest<br />
Daniel Berrigan, half Christian freak anti-war<br />
psychedelic rock mass. The mass is great fun for its<br />
ludicrous excess and tripped-out bohemian jamming.
Berrigan's history as an activist is rather<br />
remarkable and worth checking out. In 1972 Berrigan<br />
published some of these poems in a book with the same<br />
title. [RM]<br />
AMERICAN BLUES (Dallas, TX)<br />
"Is Here" 1968 (Karma 1001)<br />
"Is Here" 198 (Karma) [bootleg, says 'repro' on back cover]<br />
"Is Here" 198 (Microdot AB-1)<br />
"Is Here"/"Do their thing" 199 (CD Afterglow UK) [2-in-1]<br />
"Is Here" 2000 (10" Akarma, Italy)<br />
"Is Here" 2000 (CD Akarma, Italy)<br />
Pretty good Texas bluesy psych, well-known due to the<br />
ZZ Top connection. Opens with three psych killers but<br />
becomes more average as it progresses. Still, an OK<br />
item and worth checking out, at least in the reissued<br />
format. [PL]<br />
"Do Their Thing" 1969 (Uni 73044)<br />
"Do Their Thing" 1987 (See For Miles see-99, UK)<br />
"Is Here"/"Do Their Thing" 199 (CD Afterglow, UK) [2-in-1]<br />
Released by MCA's Uni subsidiary, 1969's "The<br />
American Blues Do Their Thing" was a major<br />
improvement over their debut. Self-produced, the<br />
collection found the band opting for a major change<br />
in direction. Written by the Hills, material such as<br />
the lead-off "You Were So Close To Me", "Captain<br />
Fire" and "Just Plain Jane" found the band attempting<br />
to capitalize on San Francisco-styled psychedelics.<br />
Elsewhere, the collection found the group mining a<br />
more conventional rock format; "Wonder Man" and<br />
"Shady" reflecting a distinctive Cream-influence,<br />
while the blazing "Comin' Back Home" (complete with<br />
Beard and Rocky Hill meltdown solos) offered up a<br />
nice Hendrix imitation. Sure, it was largely<br />
derivative, but that didn't lessen the enjoyment<br />
factor. [SB]<br />
AMERICAN BLUES EXCHANGE (Hartford, CT)<br />
"Blueprints" 1969 (Tayl 1) [1000p]<br />
"Blueprints" 1985 (Heyoka 204, UK)<br />
"Blueprints" 199 (CD Flash 55, Italy)<br />
"Blueprints" 1998 (CD Gear Fab 120) [+3 bonus tracks]<br />
"Blueprints" 1999 (Void 16) [blue vinyl; insert; 500p]<br />
"Blueprints" 2000 (Akarma 136/2, Italy) [3-sided set w/ bonus<br />
tracks; gatefold]<br />
"Blueprints" 200 (CD Akarma) [+3 tracks]<br />
Another one that's been known many years on the<br />
obscure LP circuit, though essentially a local white<br />
bluesrock LP and not the psych/hard rock winner some<br />
may claim. Has some decent numbers and a welcome<br />
moody, non-macho approach but all over not really
that interesting. The band came from Trinity College<br />
and mostly played college parties in the area. 'Tayl'<br />
was their friend, Nancy Taylor, who paid for the<br />
pressing. [PL]<br />
AMERICAN PEDDLERS (TX)<br />
"Once Upon a Rock" 1977 (AmPed ap-1003)<br />
Southern rock. Eric Johnson (Mariani, Electromagnets)<br />
guests on one track. [RM]<br />
AMERICAN STANDARD (NY)<br />
AMIGO ( )<br />
"American Standard" 1970 (no label) [2 LPs; gatefold]<br />
College project. Inept psych and spoken word. [RM]<br />
"Stepping Stones" 1977 (Vee-Jay International)<br />
AMROD'S BRAND (NY)<br />
Here’s a sleeper of an album, a late 70s release on a<br />
lost old label by a band that once backed up El<br />
Chicano and wrote for Malo and Santana. Between the<br />
odd, nondescript album cover and the band’s Latin<br />
rock past (as detailed in the liner notes), you’d<br />
never guess that this is actually a mix of San<br />
Francisco-styled guitar rock and Los Angeles-styled<br />
folk-rock/rural rock with excellent harmonies and<br />
sharp instrumentation. At times it slightly resembles<br />
Tripsichord. As the notes point out, these guys could<br />
really play, and there’s plenty of hot lead guitar<br />
here. The closing “The Clown” is the key song, a<br />
dreamy ballad with harpsichord and evocative vocals<br />
that builds to a stunning closing battle of fuzz<br />
guitars. The songwriting here isn’t always up to the<br />
level of performance, but there’s plenty to like on<br />
this cool record. [AM]<br />
"Live On The Playground" 1971 (BT Puppy 1024)<br />
AMULET (IN)<br />
Obscure one on noted label, pretty cool eccentric<br />
folk with a freaky guy in overalls on the cover.<br />
"Amulet" 1980 (Shadow 00084)<br />
"Amulet" 199 (Off the Beaten Path) [300p]<br />
"Amulet" 1995 (Shadow) [paste-on cover; blank back]) Amulet<br />
"Amulet" 2000 (CD Monster mcd-003)
Indiana hardrock with outstanding rhythm guitar.<br />
V.A "ANAHEIM HIGH SCHOOL" (Anaheim, CA)<br />
"The Original Rock'N Popsenanny" 1970 (Band 'n Vocal) [2 LPs]<br />
Mostly horrible vocal numbers but the last side<br />
features a psychy rock group.<br />
ANAL MAGIC & REV DWIGHT FRIZZELL (KS)<br />
"Beyond The Black Crack" 1976 (Cavern Custom 6104 12) [200p;<br />
booklet]<br />
"Beyond The Black Crack" 1998 (CD Paradigm, UK) [+bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
Avantgarde freakout LP of some notoriety and a truly<br />
disgusting album cover.<br />
V.A "A NEW HI: DALLAS 71" (Dallas, TX)<br />
"A New Hi: Dallas 71 - Part 1" 1971 (Tempo 2) [poster]<br />
Local sampler famous for the two excellent psychrock<br />
tracks by the Mint reissued on Endless Journey, as<br />
well as two tracks by Cast Of Thousands, featuring a<br />
teenage Stevie Ray Vaughan.<br />
A NEW PLACE TO LIVE (Canada)<br />
"A New Place To Live" 1972 (Mandala 14003)<br />
This interesting pop album with a complex storyline<br />
and a few psychy and prog moments is as notable for<br />
the mysterious figure behind it as it is for the<br />
music on the LP. It's a Bob Gallo (aka "Robert John<br />
Gallo") project. Gallo pops up on a massive amount of<br />
records almost always associated with tax scam labels<br />
and oddball releases, starting in the mid 60's when<br />
he produced the strange beat LP "You Know Who Group"<br />
with no mention of any band members whatsoever. "A<br />
New Place to Live" was released on the Mandala Label,<br />
which was owned by Gallo. Other releases on this<br />
label include the very rare LP "Canada - What's So<br />
Bad About Feeling Good" which was only released in<br />
Australia, probably as a tax write off, and the<br />
second LP ("Pickin' Up The Pieces") by Aesop's<br />
Fables, which was released in Canada and Australia.<br />
The label also put out two solo LP's by Robert John<br />
Gallo: "Painted Poetry" and "Compositions." Gallo
later released various other solo projects including<br />
two LPs on the Guinness Label as Robert John and one<br />
on Guinness as Snowball. Some songs appear on more<br />
than one of his albums, though not always with the<br />
same names. All of these albums are pretty good,<br />
especially the Guinness release entitled "A Place To<br />
Live." He should not be confused with the Robert John<br />
who had a 70s hit with "Sad Eyes," though that Robert<br />
John has an equally long and complex musical history.<br />
[AM]<br />
V.A "ANGELS FROM HELL" (CA)<br />
"Angels From Hell" 1968 (Tower 5128)<br />
-- original soundtrack<br />
ANIMATED EGG (CA)<br />
Includes rare tracks by Peanut Butter Conspiracy and<br />
Lollipop Shoppe, among others.<br />
"Animated Egg" 1967 (Somerset 32700) [mono]<br />
"Animated Egg" 1967 (Alshire 5104) [stereo]<br />
Exploito organ and fuzz psych, and folkrock instros.<br />
One of the best studio hack expressions, wildness<br />
from budgetland. LA session pro Jerry Cole has<br />
recently confirmed that the original tracks were laid<br />
down during sessions for the Id "Inner Sounds" LP on<br />
RCA in 1966, then later sold to Alshire. A European<br />
pressing exists on the Europa label. These tracks,<br />
and others from the same sessions, appear on several<br />
LPs credited to different artists including: "Young<br />
Sound '68"; 101 Strings - "Astro-Sounds"; Bebe Bardon<br />
& 101 Strings - "The Sounds of Love"; Black Diamonds<br />
- "A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix"; Haircut & the<br />
Impossibles - "Call it Soul"; Generation Gap - "Up,<br />
Up an Away", and the jawdropping, Modern Sounds -<br />
"Famous Songs of Hank Williams". Undoubtedly, that's<br />
just the tip of the iceberg for these clowns. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> 101 Strings; Id; Black Diamonds<br />
ANONYMOUS (Indianapolis, IN)<br />
"Inside the Shadow" 1976 (A Major Label 1002) [blue/white cvr,<br />
black/white label; booklet; 500p]<br />
"Inside the Shadow" 1981 (A Major Label 1002) [2nd press w/<br />
altered cvr in black/white, red/white label; no booklet]<br />
"Inside the Shadow" 1996 (OR 015) [insert; 375 #d]<br />
"Inside the Shadow / J Rider" 2000 (CD Aether/OR 0009) [2-on-<br />
1]<br />
"Inside the Shadow" 2001 (Akarma, Italy) [no insert]<br />
Fabulous guitar-driven 60s-inspired folkrock and<br />
westcoast, firmly placed on my personal 1970s top 10<br />
list. Comparable to Third Estate or Relatively Clean<br />
Rivers but deeper and earthier in a San Francisco<br />
sense, balances perfectly the album-oriented approach<br />
of the mid-70s with the magic and drive of the late<br />
60s westcoast sound. Marvellous blend of male/female
vocals, strong songwriting with roots in the Beatles<br />
& Buffalo Springfield, and some extraordinary guitar<br />
passages. One of the big ones to me. Actually post-<br />
Sir Winston & the Commons, if you can belive that.<br />
All reissues are vinyl-sourced as the original master<br />
tapes are lost; furthermore the Aether/OR CD reissue<br />
accidentally used an unfinished master complete with<br />
vinyl pops and surface noise. The Akarma reissue<br />
sounds very good, but omits the insert and distorts<br />
the original sleeve color somewhat. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
There are very few albums where a 60s Beatlesinfluenced<br />
songwriting sensibility moves seamlessly<br />
into the 1970s without sounding overly derivative or<br />
awkward. Zerfas and Michael Angelo are the only<br />
others that are in the same league as this amazing<br />
album, which, in terms of songwriting and execution<br />
is as good as anything released in the 70s by anyone.<br />
It suffers a tad from low budget production, but<br />
everything else about it is spotless, from the great<br />
male and female vocals to the intelligent and<br />
surprisingly complex songs, to the shimmering jangly<br />
guitars, to the stunning drumming on the closing jam.<br />
Had the world still been embracing great<br />
straightforward rock bands with pop sensibilities,<br />
Anonymous would have ruled the world, along with more<br />
well-known bands like Big Star and the Raspberries.<br />
[AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
~~~<br />
see -> J Rider; Good Soil<br />
ANOTHER WORLD PRODUCTION (WI)<br />
"The End of the Age" 1980 (no label, no #)<br />
X-ian prog guitar rock with Tolkien-inspired cover.<br />
Nice varied lp with melancholy downer strums, proggy<br />
hardrock with xian concerns, and winsome melodies<br />
with symphonic elements. [RM]<br />
ANTHEM (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Anthem" 1978 (no label) [1-sided test press]<br />
Folkrock. Flowing westcoast sound with female vocals.<br />
Similar to the British group, Trees. [RM]<br />
ANTHONY AND SCOTT (Ann Arbor, MI)<br />
"Anthony and Scott" 1977 (Midwest MCR 1300) [500p]<br />
Weird mid-70s duo somewhere between folk-rock and<br />
post-Badfinger pop. Nice harmonies and an occasional<br />
dark lyric (the downer folk song 'Late Night Losers<br />
Dreams' is definitely the highlight of the album) add<br />
interest to a quirky but so-so collection of songs.<br />
Sparse arrangements make the vocals stand out front<br />
and keep the songs from sounding like power pop.
Dealers hype this one as an acid folk masterpiece<br />
because of the totally ridiculous (and great) lyrics<br />
to "Pink Octopus", the second-best song here. An<br />
enjoyable album for the right listener, and some of<br />
the lyrics are way off the wall, but don't be misled,<br />
as this is not psychedelic in any way. [AM]<br />
ANT TRIP CEREMONY (Oberlin College, OH)<br />
"24 Hours" 1968 (CRC 2129) [black vinyl; thick cover; 300p]<br />
-- the original has 'CRC-2129A STEREO' etched in the dead wax<br />
"24 Hours" 1983 (C.R.C.) [close counterfeit; vinyl is bluish<br />
under bright light]<br />
"24 Hours" 198 (C.R.C.) [counterfeit; thin cover, thin vinyl]<br />
"24 Hours" 198 (Resurrection)<br />
"24 Hours" 1995 (Psychedelic Archive, UK) [paste-on cover;<br />
300p]<br />
"24 Hours" 1995 (CD Anthology, Italy)<br />
"24 Hours" 1999 (CD Collectables)<br />
ANVIL see Boa<br />
Odd late-night psychy folkrock that sounds like it<br />
was recorded at 4 AM by a bunch of guys on their way<br />
down from an acid trip - still turned on, but tired<br />
and reflective. Instruments ramble on each in its own<br />
time frame (perhaps more jazzy than sloppy),<br />
supporting anemic, almost apathetic vocals sometimes<br />
fed through weird filters. A few covers, some Deadtype<br />
instros, but mostly early spooky hippie<br />
folkrock. Not a real fave of mine but still an<br />
interesting LP, and sleeve too - note the hookahs.<br />
[PL]<br />
A PASSING FANCY (Canada)<br />
"A Passing Fancy" 1968 (Boo 6801)<br />
"A Passing Fancy" 1988 (Breeder, Austria)<br />
"A Passing Fancy" 199 (CD Afterglow, UK)<br />
"A Passing Fancy" 2002 (CD Pacemaker)<br />
Decent garage/pop-psych from Toronto notable mostly<br />
for an amazing psychedelic sleeve. Has more of a top<br />
40/swinging London sound than American garage/psych,<br />
a common feature of Canadian LPs from '67-'68. A
couple of good punky tracks including a Music Machine<br />
cover but all in all too lighweight and a<br />
disappointment in my ears. The Pacemaker CD is a<br />
master tapes re, but mastered far too slow, enough to<br />
render it virtually unlistenable. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
The album compiled tracks from four earlier singles,<br />
along with four new tracks. As a compilation the<br />
album's quite diverse with the band showcasing an<br />
almost chameleon-like adaptability. Tracks such as<br />
the slashing "I'm Losing Tonight" and "People In Me"<br />
are first-rate garage rock. The title track, the<br />
annoyingly catchy "I Believe In Sunshine" and<br />
"Island" showcase a top-40 pop feel, while "You're<br />
Going Out of My Mind" and "Spread Out" find the band<br />
immersed in wild psychedelics. Frequently diversity<br />
equates to lack of focus, but in this case it simply<br />
makes a great album even better. In fact, the only<br />
real disappointment is the bland and tame ballad<br />
"Sounds Silly". [SB]<br />
APHAZIA see Yankee Dog<br />
APOSTLES (Andover, MA)<br />
"On Crusade" 1965 (MG 79909/10)<br />
Northeast prep rock r&b raveups, dual guitar, horns.<br />
"An Hour Of Prayer" 1965 (Sound Rec 1245)<br />
Preprock band from the same school (Phillips Academy)<br />
as the Rising Storm and the Ha'Pennys. "An hour..."<br />
supplies one track to a Garage Punk Unknowns. Haven't<br />
heard these though it seems to be all covers. Great<br />
primitive sleeve designs.<br />
V.A "A POT OF FLOWERS" (CA)<br />
"A Pot Of Flowers" 1967 (Mainstream s-6100)<br />
Highly rated sampler of local talents, some of who<br />
would go on to bigger things. Excellent tracks by<br />
Euphoria (the non-LP 45) and Harbinger Complex are<br />
among the highlights. Wild Flower and the Other Side<br />
are also featured. [PL]
~~~<br />
This sampler is a more consistent listen than most<br />
Mainstream albums, compiling a number of light psychstyled<br />
pop songs. The four bands have a surprising<br />
stylistic consistency, and while nothing on this<br />
album reaches the heights of the best songs on, say,<br />
the Bohemian Vendetta or Growing Concern albums,<br />
overall this is one of the most enjoyable Mainstream<br />
LPs. [AM]<br />
JON APPLETON (CA/NY)<br />
"Appleton Syntonic Menagerie" 1969 (Flying Dutchman fds-103)<br />
"Human Music" 1970 (Flying Dutchman)<br />
Avant garde electronics. The 2nd LP was a<br />
collaboration with noted jazz musician Don Cherry.<br />
There was also a 1974 LP on Folkways with some<br />
overlap with the earlier LPs. Jon Appleton had<br />
several more releases that fall outside the scope of<br />
the Archives.<br />
APPLETREE THEATRE ( )<br />
"Playback" 1968 (Verve Forecast ft-3042) [mono]<br />
"Playback" 1968 (Verve Forecast fts-3042) [stereo]<br />
Somehow, this popsike concept album found its way<br />
into the late 70s book "Rock Critics' Choice: The Top<br />
200 Albums." It's the brainchild of John and Terry<br />
Boylan, and is a concept album mixing spoken words,<br />
song-stories and songs. It's a much more enjoyable<br />
listen than most similar records (i e: Family Tree)<br />
because the songs themselves are so strong. It's<br />
grade-A sunshine pop with occasional psychedelic<br />
arrangements, dipping occasionally into hard-edged<br />
soul and music-hall. Jaded Beach Boys or Sagittarius<br />
should like it. John Boylan later formed Hamilton<br />
Streetcar, on whose interesting but less successful<br />
concept album he would re-record a few of these<br />
songs. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Terry Boylan; Hamilton Streetcar<br />
AQUINOS (Hannibal, MO)<br />
"Aquinos" 1967 (IT 2318)<br />
"More Adventures with the Aquinos" 1968 (Saint Thomas 100)<br />
ARCESIA (RI/CA)<br />
Instrumental prep rock surf covers by seminarians at<br />
the Saint Thomas Seminary!
"Reachin'" 1968 (Alpha 103) [blank back]<br />
"Reachin'" 1997 (Little Indians 9, Germany) [altered sleeve;<br />
400p]<br />
ARCUS (NJ)<br />
Insane loungepsych blowout by a middleaged crooner<br />
who dropped acid in the 1960s and decided to make a<br />
psychedelic (well, sort of) LP with mindboggling<br />
results. For a professional vocalist he sings<br />
remarkably bad, though this doesn't stop him from<br />
filling every line with overwraught passion. The<br />
music varies between orchestrated extravaganzas and<br />
more rockin sounds including some fuzz - the songs<br />
aren't half-bad actually and the lyrics appropriately<br />
OTT, though it takes several plays to get past his<br />
voice. Imagine Del Shannon's "Charles Westover" LP<br />
with Father Yod on vocals and you're halfway there.<br />
Recently a 45 on Alpha with a non-LP track has been<br />
found. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Johnny Arcesi was a 1940s big band singer in the<br />
northeast. In his 50s, he moved to Los Angeles,<br />
discovered LSD and recorded this otherworldly acid<br />
lounge real people LP with Doorsy organ and his<br />
sincere crooning way out front. A must for real<br />
people aficianados, everyone else duck and cover your<br />
ears! [RM]<br />
"Launching No 1" 1973 (HNP) [paste-on cover]<br />
ARDEN HOUSE ( )<br />
Bluesy club rock and Santana groove guitar organ<br />
jamming. [RM]<br />
"Coming Home" 1977 (Dellwood)<br />
Dellwood is a subsidiary of the famous tax scam label<br />
Guinness (or vice versa), and this is one of the<br />
better releases on either label. Side one is<br />
mainstream 1970s rock with a little bit of<br />
synthesizer. Side two veers into more complex prog<br />
territory. "Streakin'" is an embarrassing novelty<br />
period piece, but otherwise this is quite good and<br />
the two long songs at the end (one of which,<br />
"Somewhere Beyond The Sun," was clearly recorded a<br />
few years before the rest of the album) are<br />
excellent. In true indifferent tax scam label<br />
fashion, side one runs 11:20 while side two runs<br />
21:08. The big surprise here is that this band is<br />
actually Jasper Wrath, as is Zoldar & Clark (whose<br />
album on Dellwood is similar to this, but<br />
significantly better.) [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Jasper Wrath; Zoldar & Clark<br />
ARICA (New York City, NY)<br />
"Arica" 1972 (Woo Soo a-1001) [2 LPs; gatefold; brown cover)
ARK (SC)<br />
"Arica" 1972 (Audition a-1001) [2 LPs; gatefold; magenta-pink<br />
cover)<br />
Mystic trance with tablas, acoustic guitar, piano,<br />
and creepy voices. On the Woo Soo releases sides 1-3<br />
are meditative instro trance sounds, side 4 is free<br />
jazz. On the Audition version all four sides are<br />
meditative instro trance sounds. The WooSoo version<br />
appears to be first and is rarer. The side-long free<br />
jazz track is titled "Water: Reception of the<br />
Buddha"! [RM]<br />
"Heaven" 1973 (Just Sunshine jss-1) [gatefold] [1?]<br />
"Voyages" 1978 (no label 810-70) [100p]<br />
"Voyages" 1994 (Fanny 070194, Belgium) [paste-on cover; 500#d]<br />
A pretty good Christian effort in a mellow late-60s<br />
westcoasty psychrock style despite the vintage.<br />
Consistent throughout, with a relaxed and reflective<br />
late-night mood that makes it seem unexceptional at<br />
first, then it creeps upon you. Not a killer, but<br />
appealing enough to check out. Often compared to the<br />
Doors, but I honestly don't hear much of that. The<br />
very small press size figure comes from a band<br />
member. [PL]<br />
ARKANGEL (Houston, TX)<br />
"Warrior" 1980 (Joyeuse Garde jgr-001) [gatefold; insert]<br />
ARKAY IV (Erie, PA)<br />
Recorded in Oklahoma, heavy guitar and synth-led<br />
Christian prog with a medeival edge and tons of<br />
different instruments. Produced by Jimmy Hotz. Ex-<br />
Redemption, after a relocation from San Antonio.<br />
Kemper Crabb later went on to a solo career with more<br />
recordings.<br />
"For Internal Use Only" 1968 (Marion 22595) [100p; insert]<br />
"The Mod Sound Of" 1988 (Cicadelic 1003)<br />
"Battle Of The Bands" 199 (CD Collectables 0519) [parts of<br />
orig LP +bonus; 2-on-1]<br />
1966-style beat-garage with frat, folkrock and some<br />
Brill Building pop moves, more competent and prosounding<br />
than the genre average. Originals all the<br />
way, though their songwriting isn't that impressive.<br />
Some good tracks but not really top of the heap. An<br />
original copy with cover and insert sold for almost<br />
$5000 in 2001. The CD re is shared with the PA
ARMPIT (CA)<br />
Outcasts, whose half actually is superior. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Melodic garage beat. Clean teen dance-o-rama fun with<br />
ringing surf-styled leads, fuzz, pounding drums,<br />
Hammond organ, and warm vocals. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Weigaltown Elemental Band<br />
"The Armpit Album" 197 (Monroe PU 101)<br />
"Thursday Afternoon at Bob's House" 1977 (Monroe PU 102)<br />
"Burned Out" 197 (Monroe PU 103)<br />
"Bizarro Album 104" 197 (Monroe PU 104)<br />
It's hard to believe that these albums actually<br />
exist, but they do. As you can guess from the band's<br />
name and the records' catalogue numbers, this is<br />
drugged out and deliberately offensive goofy comedy.<br />
I mixes spoken word sections with sound effects and<br />
"songs." The music is basically funny voices backed<br />
with solo guitars, probably done in one take.<br />
Apparently the material on these records was recorded<br />
over a span of several years, dating back to 1971,<br />
and assembled and "mastered" quickly for the LP<br />
releases. The liner notes and cover photos are all<br />
pretty funny (and twisted: one actually has a photo<br />
of a hard porn magazine in the back cover collage.)<br />
Anyone could have done this, but these guys actually<br />
had the balls to release four albums of it (though<br />
they didn't use their real names.) Some of the more<br />
amusing liner note bits are one that says the<br />
material within is "tedium," and another calling them<br />
"The world's most popular foursome." Wild Man Fischer<br />
appears on two songs on "Burned Out", which makes<br />
that the most valuable of the four albums, though all<br />
are quite rare. [AM]<br />
ARROGANCE (Greensboro, NC)<br />
"Give Us A Break" 1974 (Sugarbush 103)<br />
"Give Us A Break" 200 (CD Dixon Archival 003)<br />
The first Arrogance album works against their rock<br />
strength, with a full drum set on only one song. The<br />
rest feature bongos, which don't mix especially well<br />
with the mostly acoustic folk/county sound they<br />
develop here. The best songs just beg for electric<br />
guitars and powerful drums, and fall flat without<br />
them. Overall, the songs are decent and the vocals<br />
appealing, but this feels like a collection of demos<br />
and is just a shell of what they were capable of. On<br />
the 1976 album "Rumours", they would remake one of<br />
these songs, showing just how good it could be with a<br />
rock arrangement. The next album, "Prolepsis", with a<br />
full band, a higher recording budget, a less<br />
backwoods sound and a major leap in songwriting<br />
quality, is miles and miles better than this. [AM]
"Prolepsis" 1975 (Sugarbush 112)<br />
"Prolepsis" 200 (CD Dixon Archival 004)<br />
ARROW (PA)<br />
Arrogance were called "North Carolina's Beatles", not<br />
because of their sound, but because even into the mid<br />
1970s they were the only regional band popular enough<br />
to draw large crowds while playing original material.<br />
There's no doubt that by the time they made this,<br />
their second album, they had achieved an amazing<br />
level of professionalism and confidence, and<br />
"Prolepsis" certainly compares well with any major<br />
label album of the period. Their sound is that of<br />
mainstream America in 1975, a blend of rural rock,<br />
guitar pop and folk-rock, equal parts vocal harmonies<br />
and dynamic lead singing. While it has none of the<br />
heavy or freaky aspects of the Greer album, it's an<br />
even better LP. The album is full of terrific songs,<br />
exciting moments, sharp instrumentation and<br />
thoughtful arrangements. Side one is practically<br />
perfect, side two merely great. Anyone who was in NC<br />
at the time will tell you these guys were the best,<br />
and hearing this album, it's easy to imagine that<br />
they could have been hugely successful if the stars<br />
were aligned the right way. Bass player Don Dixon<br />
would eventually achieve that commercial success as a<br />
producer and occasional performer, but he never did<br />
anything better or more inspired than this. Arrogance<br />
would release a few major label albums of which the<br />
1976 album "Rumours", on Vanguard, is the best, just<br />
a level below "Prolepsis". The band also recorded<br />
tracks for a prospective LP called "Night Of Dreams"<br />
in 1970 that never came out; some of the tracks<br />
appear on the subsequent 1972 LP by Michael Greer.<br />
There was a non-LP 45 by Arrogance from 1970 which<br />
has been comp'd and has a tough rock sound that's<br />
unlike any of their other work. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Greer<br />
"Coming Attractions" 1977 (JAMA)<br />
ART (Alaska)<br />
Melodic xian rock. Rumbling electric guitar, subdued<br />
drumming, with the vocals way out front. The singing<br />
is really special on this LP, high and clear akin to<br />
Robert Plant crossed with All of Thus! The primitive<br />
'recorded in a tunnel' production only adds to the<br />
creepy moodiness. The record does have a notable xian<br />
component but the songs are more about being 'down<br />
and out' than evangelizing, so downer fans should go<br />
nuts. Highlights: 'Reach Out' with gurgling, ringing<br />
wha-wha and the creepy lostness of 'Drum Fever'. [RM]<br />
"Art Is Whatever You Can Get Away With" 1972 (Oosik)<br />
Zappa/Fugs-like stoned goof basement folk, a live<br />
performance by Rudy Palmtree and his Exotic Fruits.
ARTHUR (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Dreams and Images" 1968 (L.H.I. 12000) [mono]<br />
"Dreams and Images" 1968 (L.H.I s-12000) [stereo]<br />
"Dreams and Images"/"Love is the Revolution" 2002 (CD Papa's<br />
Choice) [2-on-1]<br />
Remarkably successful chamber-music folkpsych trip,<br />
blows most of the similar L A producer-pop LPs away.<br />
Wistful, dreamy, nostalgic - you name it. Reason it<br />
works so well is that every song is a completely<br />
realized idea, and that all songs stay within the<br />
clearly defined boundaries of the album. Beautiful<br />
woodwind arrangements, strong songwriting, and the<br />
right type of lyte-psych vocals. Takes a cue from<br />
Donovan, but explores a branch of its own. To my ears<br />
clearly superior to his Nocturne LP. Main objection<br />
is that the playtime is so damn short. Released in<br />
March 1968; note that the Kitchen Cinq LP has an<br />
almost identical catalog #. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Quiet and beautiful folk/psych singer/songwriter LP<br />
produced and released by Lee Hazelwood. This is high<br />
quality stuff - trippy and melancholic with purely<br />
acoustic instrumentation spiced up here and there by<br />
the odd leslie fx etc. There's no drums whatsoever on<br />
the album, which makes it quiet in an almost Linda<br />
Perhacs way. Much better than his second album. [MM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Arthur Lee Harper<br />
ARTHUR [on Two:Dot & RD Records] see -> Arthur Gee<br />
ARTIFICIAL HORIZONS (GA)<br />
"Artificial Horizons" 1974 (Horizons hs-01)<br />
ART OF LOVIN' (MA)<br />
Electronic prog with synth, dulcimer, flute,<br />
echoplex. Sometimes listed credited to Tom Behrens.<br />
"Art Of Lovin'" 1968 (Mainstream 6113)<br />
"Art Of Lovin' / Velvet Night" 200 (CD Hipschaft) [2-on-1]<br />
Light Airplane-meets-Mamas&Papas hippie-pop/rock LP,<br />
a genre which seems to contain an infinite number of<br />
mostly so-so's. Similar to Neighb'rhoood Childr'n or<br />
Yankee Dollar though more faceless than both.<br />
Songwriting is unexciting and the standard Graceclone<br />
occasionally operatic. Some good guitar and a<br />
strange ethnic folk art sleeve I dig. There was also<br />
a non-LP 45 on Mainstream. [PL]<br />
BILL ARTZ & HIS RHYTHM KINGS ( )
"Variety Time" 1965 (Justice 101)<br />
DAVE ARVEDON (MA)<br />
First LP on famous Southern garage label. Eastcoast<br />
club band with early 60s dancehall sound. Of interest<br />
mainly to folks running the label. [RM]<br />
"Best of Dave Arvedon" 1971 (Wrecked 81474) [200p]<br />
"In Search of the Most Unforgettable..." 1996 (CD Arf Arf aa-<br />
053/54) [2 CDs]<br />
Crazed garage basement goof with low-rent humor and<br />
songwriting rivalling the Shaggs. CD Includes all his<br />
recorded material plus a bunch of unreleased tracks.<br />
[RM]<br />
V.A "A SEA FOR YOURSELF" (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"A Sea For Yourself" 197 (Rural) [2LPs; 1st pressing;<br />
gatefold with color paste-ons]<br />
"A Sea For Yourself" 197 (Rural) [2LPs; 2nd pressing; b & w<br />
gatefold]<br />
ASHBURY (AZ)<br />
Two-LP soundtrack from the 1970s surf underground is<br />
all over the place, but pretty interesting.<br />
Highlights are some spacy instrumentals from the<br />
Dragon Brothers and some surprisingly solid songs<br />
from Rockin Foo, whose LP on Hobbit is usually poorly<br />
rated. Has been compared to the Farm "Innermost<br />
Limits" LP which features some of the same guys<br />
including the Dragon brothers. An Australian pressing<br />
with a laminated sleeve exists. The Farm entry<br />
contains details on the Dragons and related<br />
musicians. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Farm<br />
"Endless Skies" 1983 (private)<br />
Hardrock ripper with a progressive edge. Issued with<br />
a gorgeous fantasy cover. [RM]<br />
BILLY ASHE (Salado, TX)<br />
"You-In-You" 1974 (Frigate) [300#d; plain cover; booklet]
Basement folk live from his living room. Issued in<br />
plain cover with handwritten title. Comes with 19pp<br />
of mimeographed lyrics and weird drawings!<br />
ASHES (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Featuring Pat Taylor" 1971 (Vault 125)<br />
Apparently the group, which played most of its live<br />
shows in 1966 or so, reunited to record this album in<br />
1968, with Pat Taylor in place of original vocalist<br />
Barbara Robison. It has some similarities to related<br />
outfit Peanut Butter Conspiracy, but mostly it’s<br />
closer to 70s soft rock than 60s folk rock. As such,<br />
it’s very nice, though. Taylor’s vocals are crystal<br />
clear, similar to Susan Jacks of the Poppy Family.<br />
Haunting harmonies shape the best songs, most notably<br />
“Return Home.” A few songs sung by the guys are less<br />
interesting. In line with the confused time warps<br />
around this band, the LP wasn't actually released<br />
until 1971. The Ashes also appear with four 45 tracks<br />
in unique stereo mixes on the "West Coast Love-In"<br />
sampler from 1967 (Vault). [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> A Letter Home<br />
ASHLEIGH BRILLIANT (San Francisco, CA)<br />
ASIA (SD)<br />
"In the Haight-Ashbury" 1967 (Dorash 1001)<br />
Hippie druggy street poet. Documentary of a<br />
'happening' spoken and sung to hippies in Golden Gate<br />
Park so you know it's the real deal.<br />
"Asia" 1978 (no label, no #)<br />
"Armed To The Teeth" 1980 (no label)<br />
ED ASKEW ( )<br />
Early 70s-influenced progressive guitar and<br />
mellotron rock in a Purple/Captain Beyondschool<br />
from band formerly known as White<br />
Wing; no relation to the more famous band,<br />
naturally.<br />
"Ed Askew" 1968 (ESP Disk 1092) [reverse-negative cover of a<br />
riot scene)<br />
"Ed Askew" 199 (CD ESP 1092, Germany) [art cover]<br />
"Ed Askew" 200 (CD) [+bonus track]<br />
This is a unique acid folk item, even by ESP<br />
standards. Askew plays the tiple, an acoustic
instrument in the same world as mandolin, dulcimer<br />
and autoharp. The effect isn’t a whole lot different<br />
from guitar-and-voice, but it’s just exotic enough to<br />
have curiosity value. The instrument takes a lot of<br />
energy to play, and the effort gives Askew a strained<br />
vocal style that actually gives his music an<br />
appealing edge. The songs are odd enough (and good<br />
enough) to keep the listener’s interest despite the<br />
sparse arrangements. The lyrics are quirky and<br />
occasionally mystical, but quite effective and<br />
affecting. Askew has a bizarre sense of romanticism<br />
that fits his street poet mentality. Supposedly some<br />
of these lyrics address his homosexuality, making him<br />
way ahead of his time. He does so, though, in such<br />
abstractions that the words can be interpreted in<br />
other ways. Like all purely solo albums, after 43<br />
minutes there’s a saminess to this, but this really<br />
is one of the best albums of its type, and is<br />
recommended highly to fans of loner folk and oddball<br />
singer-songwriters. there is apparently also a<br />
reissue retitled "Ask the unicorn" in an altered<br />
cover. [AM]<br />
THE ASTRAL PROJECTION (NY)<br />
"The Astral Scene" 1968 (Metromedia 1005) [wlp exists]<br />
"The Astral Scene" 2000 (Gear Fab)<br />
"The Astral Scene" 2001 (CD Gear Fab 153)<br />
ASYLUM (VA)<br />
"The Astral Scene" is an oddity falling somewhere<br />
between Curt Boetcher-styled sunshine pop,<br />
Association-styled top-40 and Animated Egg styled<br />
exploito. Thematically tracks such as 'The Sunshine<br />
Seekers' and 'Plant Your Seeds' were highly<br />
orchestrated tying together as a full-fledged concept<br />
piece. If you waded through the extensive back panel<br />
liner notes, the plot line had something to do with<br />
the concept of escaping the physical body to<br />
experience spiritual embodiment. In spite of the<br />
goofy titles and lyrics (' Today, I saw The Sunrise')<br />
and the fact the arrangements were full of rather<br />
spacey instrumentation, virtually all of the songs<br />
were quite commercial. It's easy to imagine stuff<br />
like 'Overture The Airways Of Imagination' or 'The<br />
Happening People' having been adopted for some sort<br />
of 1960s television theme song. Note: this is<br />
sometimes listed with the band name and LP title<br />
reversed. [SB]<br />
"First and Last" 1973 (no label nr-3217)<br />
"First and Last" 2005 (World In Sound rfr-20, Germany)<br />
[insert]<br />
On the back cover of this Military Academy rarity is<br />
a list of the band's influences which seems OK until<br />
the names Carole King and Roberta Flack jump out at<br />
ya. Further proof is in the grooves, where several<br />
tracks are female singer/songwriter laments with<br />
piano, well-written, well-sung and well-played and<br />
therefore completely misplaced on what is elsewise a
typical local 70s rural melodic rocker. Also, there<br />
is only 1 guitar solo on the whole LP, and even that<br />
one is brief. I sort of liked this as an artefact and<br />
some nice westcoast grooves & it would have been cool<br />
on a CD-R with a cover scan, but I have to question<br />
whether it was worthy of a reissue, even though it is<br />
a very nice reissue job (as usual) from World In<br />
Sound. WIS spent a whole lot more $$$ on reproducing<br />
and texturing the generic cover than the band once<br />
did! [PL]<br />
ATLANTICS (Detroit, MI)<br />
"Live at the Nite-Lite" 1971 (Hashish)<br />
ATLANTIS (MN)<br />
Lounge wah-wah rock with female vocals.<br />
"Atlantis" 1972 (Tektra)<br />
Lounge blues rock with horns and fuzz. Good version<br />
of 'Down by the River'.<br />
ATLANTIS PHILHARMONIC (OH)<br />
"Atlantis Philharmonic" 1974 (Dharma)<br />
While we've seen the album show up on various psych<br />
lists, musically the collection's best described as<br />
progressive. For better or worse, propelled by Joe<br />
DiFazio's synthesizers, original material such as<br />
"Atlantis" and "Fly the Light" bore more than a<br />
passing resemblance to ELP. To be honest, anyone into<br />
mid-'70s progressive bands was likely to be familiar<br />
with DiFazio's blend of AOR moves (the Styx-meets-ELP<br />
"Death Man"), Yes-styled keyboards (watch out Rick<br />
Wakeman) and occasional classically-inspired<br />
interludes ("Woodsmen"). Those comments weren't<br />
intended to slam the LP. Taken as a package, it makes<br />
for a fairly impressive debut. Even more so when you<br />
consider it was recorded independently and with<br />
minimal financial resources. Besides, we'd rather<br />
hear this than "Tarkus" any day. Certainly worth a<br />
spin if you can find it for a reasonable price. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
Top-notch private press prog record that works<br />
because it has the usual prog elements (mellotron,<br />
organ, snyth, heavy guitar licks, sci-fi/mythological<br />
lyrics) but is more geared towards songwriting than<br />
wanky soloing. The songs are long but don't branch
off into a million different directions; this is very<br />
well-conceived and not "difficult" to listen to. They<br />
(I should say "he," as the band is basically a duoone<br />
guy plays drums and another does everything else)<br />
probably couldn't have done a bunch of showoffy solos<br />
even if they wanted to, and the music ends up being<br />
very high on hooks, and, of course, drama. The 8 ½<br />
minute closing song is especially intense. The only<br />
problem here is the mediocre vocals. He's not<br />
pretentious or macho; he just plain can't sing very<br />
well. With a real singer this would have been a<br />
masterpiece. As it is, this is still one of the very<br />
best in the genre. [AM]<br />
ATTENTION SPAN (Richmond, IN)<br />
"Crucible" 1975 (no label)<br />
AUGUST (PA or NJ)<br />
Actually a various artists assembly from Earlham<br />
College with amateur folk, bluesy rural moves, and<br />
some fuzz rock.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Sequoiah Stream<br />
"August" 1968 (Nise Sound 31)<br />
"August" 2001 (Shadoks, Germany) [450#d]<br />
UK-influenced late beat sounds with an introspective<br />
New England-type mood for most part, has a couple of<br />
goofy music hall-type numbers but also one deep<br />
killer and a dedicated feel about it. A Christian<br />
group though they hide it well, breaks through only<br />
on one track. Another cut has pantsy effeminate<br />
vocals raising the question of what the hell is going<br />
on. OK teen-sound LP with several originals and some<br />
oddball cover choices, but unexciting and<br />
unbelievably overpriced in relation to its limited<br />
musical merits. Funny sleeve design. [PL]<br />
AUTOSALVAGE (New York City, NY)<br />
"Autosalvage" 1968 (RCA LSP 3940) [stereo]<br />
"Autosalvage" 1968 (RCA LPM 3940) [mono]<br />
"Autosalvage" 1988 (Edsel 286, UK)<br />
"Autosalvage" 199 (RCA) [bootleg]
"Autosalvage" 199 (CD RCA) [bootleg]<br />
AUTUMN PEOPLE (AZ)<br />
Frank Zappa discovered this unique band, whose<br />
unusual arrangements and experimental songs make this<br />
a memorable LP that rewards multiple listens. The<br />
metallic guitar tone and odd song structures may<br />
throw a listener at first, but in the long run are<br />
what makes this record so compelling. It’s<br />
“progressive” in the best sense of the word. The<br />
bootleg RCA CD has been reported as having inferior<br />
sound and a screwed-up track list. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Bear<br />
"Autumn People" 1976 (Soundtech so-3020) [gatefold]<br />
"Autumn People" 2003 (CD Radioactive 030, UK)<br />
AVENGERS VI (CA)<br />
Didn't like this much at first but must admit its<br />
basement charm and rough edges makes the AOR progrock<br />
aspects easier to swallow. Skillful guitar/keyboard<br />
interplay on songs that go through a lot of changes<br />
but usually retain a sun-baked Southwest feel, like<br />
cruising in mid-70s Arizona with the radio tuned to a<br />
local battle of the bands broadcast. Vocals are<br />
amateurish and enthusiastic while the FM rock guitars<br />
and thick keyboard layers make for a Marcus-House Of<br />
Trax sound at times. Occasionally truly atmospheric<br />
local prog-rock that is never too self-indulgent.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is hyped as prog, but it’s not complex or adept<br />
enough to earn that tag. It’s mainstream AOR-ish 70s<br />
hard rock, not bad, but cheap sounding, with<br />
uninteresting vocals and with too many 80s-style<br />
synthesizers. A few songs rise above: “See It<br />
Through” sounds like it could have been an FM radio<br />
hit and has clever backing vocals and solid guitar<br />
hooks. They try to repeat the same formula on a<br />
number of other songs, less successfully. Not bad,<br />
but despite a few silly sound effects, not exactly<br />
the kind of thing Acid Archives readers crave. [AM]<br />
"Real Cool Hits" 1965 (Mark 56 no#)<br />
AWAKENING ( )<br />
Surf beat LP issued as a promotional tie-in for Good<br />
Humor Ice Cream similar to how Flat Earth Society's<br />
'Waleeco' was sold. Some outstanding tracks for genre<br />
fans.<br />
"God Come Down" 197 (Christos cs-1001)<br />
Half oversung and half moody deep Christian folky<br />
group. A couple of heavier tracks including a great<br />
one with distorted electric guitar. Nice homemade
project vibe going on here, introspective latenite<br />
winner. The sleeve offers no clues on their identity<br />
or origins. [RM]<br />
AZITIS (Sacramento, CA)<br />
"Help" 1971 (Elco 5555) [500p]<br />
"Help" 1996 (no label, Austria) [bootleg; 300#d; altered<br />
cover]<br />
"Help" 199 (CD Synton, Europe)<br />
"Help" 2001 (CD Orchard 8532)<br />
AZTECS ( )<br />
A highly rated title in the Christian psychrock bag,<br />
mellow and reflective which is the way these LPs<br />
should sound. An organ-based post-1960s sound with<br />
moody vocals and quality song writing, consistent all<br />
through. "The prophet" is a personal fave, but the<br />
across-the-board strength is what makes this LP stand<br />
out. They also had a non-LP 45 as Help, but changed<br />
their name due to the band on Decca. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
One of the very best Xian records. This album reveals<br />
hidden depths with each listen. The dreamy, laid-back<br />
vibe will appeal to psych fans, but at first hides<br />
the abundance of melodic ideas. After a few listens<br />
you'll be drawn in by the excellent vocals,<br />
consistent sound and thoughtful (not preachy) lyrics.<br />
It's often quite dark, but the groove isn't<br />
depressive. The organ/guitar-based sound isn't<br />
exactly original but the overall feel is unique.<br />
[AM]<br />
"Live At The Ad-Lib Club In London" 1964 (World Artists wam-<br />
2001)<br />
AZURITE (CA)<br />
Beat covers, not terribly good but plenty of<br />
adrenaline! Cover has a shameless Beatles tie-in<br />
showing them promoting the club. [RM]<br />
"Azurite" 1979 (private) [500p]<br />
Collectable late 70s hard rock rarity (the cover<br />
specifies only 500 copies pressed) contains a lot of<br />
acoustic guitar and some really moody passages, which<br />
shows they were going for more than just headbanging.<br />
Unfortunately, a really annoying lead guitar sound<br />
(and solos that go nowhere) pretty much undermine<br />
even the good moments on this album. A few boogie<br />
rockers are especially bad. The lyrics are typically<br />
dumb, which is not unexpected for this genre. They<br />
take themselves really seriously; it would have been<br />
nice if they lightened up a little. [AM]
Acid Archives Main Page
BABY see Sidetrack<br />
BABYLON (St Petersburg, FL)<br />
"Babylon" 1977 (Mehum 4641)<br />
"Babylon" 199 (CD Synphonic)<br />
BACHS (Chicago, IL)<br />
Genesis-style progressive rock with lots of keyboard<br />
and long tracks, rated highly by genre fans. Oddly<br />
housed in a cover that looks like a punk/skinhead LP;<br />
this design was transformed into a space alien on the<br />
CD reissue.<br />
"Out Of The Bachs" 1968 (Roto no #) [500p]<br />
"Out Of The Bachs" 1992 (Del Val 007) [350p]<br />
"Out Of The Bachs" 199 (Flash 43, Italy)<br />
"Out Of The Bachs" 1997 (CD Flash 43, Italy)<br />
"Out Of The Bachs" 2004 (CD Gear Fab) [+bonus track]<br />
One of the most legendary US garage-era LPs. Strong<br />
all through, in a crude garage folkrock style with<br />
some psychy edges and no covers, which is unusual.<br />
The band emits a rather unique, timeless vibe, with a<br />
middle third that is particularly impressive. Takes<br />
time to get into, but ultimately one of the truly big<br />
pieces among 1960s private pressings. Unfortunately,<br />
none of the reissues reflect the presence and punch<br />
of the original. The Del-Val reissue and the<br />
subsequent bootlegs of it are all mastered 1.5%-2.0%<br />
too slow. The legit Gear Fab reissue is the correct<br />
speed but has clearly inferior sound and digital<br />
skips. You need to hear an original (or a CD-R<br />
thereof) to understand the full magnitude of the<br />
Bachs experience. According to a band member, 500<br />
copies were pressed. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Chicago jangle guitar downer garage psych with<br />
gorgeous aching vocals. Masterful guitar work<br />
covering the spectrum from Beau Brummels chiming to<br />
anarchic Litter runs. Haunting poetic originals full
BACK POCKET (CA)<br />
of lost love and broken dreams - even moving into<br />
stream of consciousness territory on 'Minister to a<br />
Mind Diseased' and 'Tables of Grass Fields'. The<br />
closer, 'I'm a Little Boy', is an otherworldly dark<br />
feedback monster. Literally every track is a winner!<br />
Recorded in a butcher's shop by this high school<br />
group late 1967 and released January 1968. This group<br />
had a maturity and presence way beyond their years.<br />
For me, it comes down to this and the Litter's<br />
"Distortions" for best US garage LP. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
In the world of private press, original song, garage<br />
psych The Bachs is one of the 2 or 3 best. Along with<br />
"All Of Thus", this LP is a great example of the<br />
transition from garage rock to psych that happened<br />
all across suburban America in `66-'67. The LP was<br />
recorded in a Butcher Shop on a cheap tape machine so<br />
the sound isn't quite up to major label quality, but<br />
the LP has a charm that truly captures the teen angst<br />
and emotion that so many of these type of LP's lack.<br />
In the scheme of things, if any LP is worth four<br />
figures, it's this one. [RH]<br />
"Have A Nice Day" 1971 (Allied Records AL-1971) [sticker]<br />
Los Angeles-area obscurity with a Dead-like rural<br />
sound.<br />
BACKSTREET BOOGIE BAND (AZ)<br />
"Southbound Freight" 1981 (Platt & Klum)<br />
Dual guitar hard rock with a Southern vibe, has been<br />
compared to Wabash Resurrection.<br />
BAD AXE (Riverside, CA)<br />
"Bad Axe" 1976 (Earth Breeze)<br />
"Bad Axe" 2004 (Hexamon 002) [500p; poster; insert]<br />
Teenage hardrock pointing towards metal with little<br />
or no residues of the stoner era to be found. Solid<br />
guitar-work as you would expect, with doubletracked<br />
axe-men battling it out Ritchie Blackmore-style. The<br />
band works the best during the instrumental temposhifts<br />
when the ace drummer kicks in the overdrive<br />
and they really take off into headbanger heaven.<br />
Unfortunately the songwriting is unexceptional, and<br />
the vocalist seems lacking in selfconfidence. Lyrics<br />
are mostly of the bonehead variety, and putting this<br />
all together you come up with an LP that early metalguitar<br />
fans will love, while those looking for a bit<br />
more needn't bother. Some nice use of phasing and<br />
some prog moves here and there. It appears the LP was<br />
pressed for demo purposes only in a tiny run. There<br />
is also a 45 from 1977 with a PS on the Progrezzive<br />
label. [PL]
BADGE & CO (KS)<br />
"Badge and Company" 1977 (Wilmarco lps-1) [1000p]<br />
"Badge and Company" 2000 (no label, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
Bluesy power trio with ZZ Top sound. The counterfeit<br />
has a whitish label, while the original label is more<br />
beige; otherwise they're very close.<br />
V.A "BADGER A-GO-GO" (WI)<br />
"Badger A-go-go" 196 (Night Owl KTV-3)<br />
KALI BAHLU (CA)<br />
15 teen-beat tracks from local WI bands housed inside<br />
a silly sleeve. Bands include Dave Kennedy &<br />
Ambassadors, the Mule Skinners, Jerry & Continentals,<br />
Grapes Of Wrath, and others. The psych-flavored<br />
"Salem Witch Trial" by Kiriae Crucible is probably<br />
the highpoint.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Mendelbaum<br />
"Cosmic Rememberance" 1967 (World Pacific wps-21875)<br />
[gatefold]<br />
ISABEL BAKER ( )<br />
Eastern meditation exploito with sitar and jarring female<br />
narration.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Lite Storm<br />
"I Like God's Style" 196 (Romco HF-101)<br />
Side One starts out with the title track and is far<br />
out there, Christian Garage Rock-A-Billy with vocals<br />
straight from the depths of Hell. Imagine the<br />
illegitimate daughter of Hasil Adkins and Mrs. Miller<br />
and you have an idea of what this sounds like. The<br />
second cut "The Gaderian" is PSYCHO-delic with
Isabel's rockin' guitar ever present. All of Side One<br />
is Real People Heaven that will appeal to everyone<br />
from Billy Miller to Jimmy Swaggart. Side two kinda<br />
sucks. [RH]<br />
GARY BALDWIN & MASS MURDER ( )<br />
"If I Only Could Play Piano" 1979 (Airhole 00001) [100p]<br />
Described as primitive DIY freakouts with one side<br />
being garage rock and the other hippie folk trance,<br />
plus 10 minutes of silence! The band is listed as<br />
Wombat Suicide on the label.<br />
V.A "BALTIMORE'S TEEN-BEAT A GO GO" (MD)<br />
"Baltimore's Teen-Beat A Go Go" 1966 (Dome sr-4007) [2000p]<br />
"Baltimore's Teen-Beat A Go Go" 1997 (Get Hip) [500p]<br />
"Baltimore's Teen-Beat A Go Go" 1997 (CD Get Hip 5009)<br />
BANCHEE (Eastcoast)<br />
Only recently discovered comp of local Battle Of The<br />
Bands winners and runners-up that's an eye-opener for<br />
those blase with 60s samplers. A generous 16 tracks<br />
from unknown groups with great names. It's a<br />
consistent '65-66 ride through frat, dumb sax<br />
instros, beat, punk ballads, Stonesy garage and some<br />
all-out primitive '66 garage, such as the championed<br />
Bobby J & the Generations track. All originals with a<br />
New England-type sound, and for a Maryland comp it's<br />
surprisingly (and thankfully) light on soul-oriented<br />
material. As is often the case with these samplers<br />
many bands have a similar sound. Side two is solid<br />
from start to finish. Despite its scarcity, the press<br />
size has been reported as not less than 2000 copies,<br />
with two sleeve variants; the earlier version has no<br />
label info at the bottom of the back cover. [PL]<br />
"Banchee" 1969 (Atlantic sd-8240) [lyric insert; wlp exists]<br />
"Banchee / Thinkin'" 199 (CD Lizard, Europe) [2-on-1]<br />
Solid late 60s hard rock album with a definite pop<br />
influence (as many great melodies as there are long<br />
guitar solos). Vintage 1969 sound with lots of<br />
different effects on the guitars. There are three<br />
songwriters, but they’re all equally good, and the<br />
mix of writers lends variety. Ends with a terrific 9minute<br />
blow out. Side two is completely solid. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Like much late-'60s product the debut displays some<br />
psych influences (the leadoff, mid tempo number "The<br />
Night Is Calling" has a distinctively trippy feel),<br />
but the predominant sound is heavy, guitar-powered<br />
rock. With all four members contributing material,<br />
original numbers such as "Beautifully Day" (sic), the<br />
fuzz guitar-propelled "Evolmia", "I Just Don't Know"<br />
and the extended "Tom's Island" offered up a series<br />
of high energy guitar powered rockers that were both<br />
tuneful and structurally interesting. That said, the
album was surprisingly diverse. "Train of Life"<br />
sounding like Mike Nesmith after a week of speed,<br />
"Hands of a Clock" had a pseudo-jazzy feel, while the<br />
Latin-tinged "As Me Thinks" recalled early Santana.<br />
Overlooking the pompous back cover liner notes, it's<br />
a great if hard to find debut. [SB]<br />
"Thinkin'" 1971 (Polydor 244066)<br />
"Banchee / Thinkin'" 199 (CD Lizard, Europe) [2-on-1]<br />
Released two years after their debut, "Thinkin'"<br />
found the band aiming for an even tougher rock sound.<br />
Unlike the debut which was a largely democratic<br />
project, this time around singer/rhythm DeJesus was<br />
responsible for the majority of the material. Kicked<br />
along by squealing lead guitar, Latin percussion and<br />
their "group" lead vocals, songs such as the blazing<br />
opener "John Doe", "Willya" and the title track made<br />
for hard rock that was still tuneful and commercial.<br />
At least to our ears the results recall Santana at<br />
their most rocking. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
Second album has a fantastic psychedelic sleeve. The<br />
sound is much less poppy this time around, in favor<br />
of Latin rhythms and relentless screaming lead<br />
guitars. The solos are overlong, unfocused, and all<br />
sound the same, making this weaker than the debut,<br />
but the new style is pretty powerful until the songs<br />
start blending together. Quite a bit rarer than the<br />
first album. [AM]<br />
BANDOLERO (Puerto Rico)<br />
"Bandolero" 1970 (Eclipse erc-5-m37925)<br />
"Bandolero" 199 (Eclipse) [bootleg]<br />
"Bandolero" 199 (CD Que Diablos)<br />
The record was pressed in Florida for export to<br />
Puerto Rico. A mix of basement fuzzed hardrock and<br />
jazzy funk Santana moves. Moody church organ and<br />
driving fuzz. Disjointed rhythms on many tracks with<br />
weird tempo changes within songs. The vocals, mostly<br />
in English, are obnoxiously bad. The closer, 'Truth<br />
and Understanding', gets a nice anthemic tension<br />
going only to dissolve into a formless funk jam. A<br />
pretty weak effort, really. [RM]<br />
BARBARA [aka Barbie] (NJ)<br />
"Journey to Jesus" 1971 (Bond 101)<br />
The first album by Barbie Sipple (credited simply to<br />
'Barbie') is pure folk, unlike the more varied folkrock<br />
of the second. It's pretty good, as her<br />
songwriting is catchy and heartfelt. Her singing has<br />
a little too much of the Joan Baez-style vibrato,<br />
though, and isn't as appealing as on SINGS FOR LIFE.<br />
A backing chorus of children on a few songs is<br />
probably intended to be joyous, but comes off as<br />
creepy. Neat album cover could be mistaken for<br />
something Satanic if you didn't know better. The<br />
album came with a lyric/chord booklet. [AM]
"Sings For Life" 1973 (Lazarus Records)<br />
BARBARA & ERNIE ( )<br />
This obscure Christian folk-rock record is dedicated<br />
to the “National Youth Pro-Life Coalition.” Barbara<br />
has a beautiful and commanding voice and there are a<br />
bunch of really good songs here. She’s comparable to,<br />
but more mature than, Marj Snyder and Linda Rich. The<br />
highlight is “Hold On,” with an eerie loner folk vibe<br />
helped along by a great bassline and snaky acoustic<br />
lead guitar. Unfortunately this album includes two<br />
songs sung to and with a chorus of children. They’re<br />
not as hard to take, however, as “Song Of The<br />
Unborn,” which comes complete with a heartbeat and<br />
narration from the point of view of a fetus. It’s<br />
sincere beyond belief, and she plays the dirty trick<br />
of surrounding the propaganda with a truly haunting<br />
melody and arrangement. It hardly gets more surreal<br />
than turning to side two after this song and<br />
immediately finding Barbara joking with a gaggle of<br />
brainwashed young Christians-in-training. Did I<br />
mention that she can really sing? Her version of “He<br />
Ain’t Heavy” would be better than the Hollies’ if it<br />
weren’t for her inept drummer. I dig the picture of<br />
her with a Bert (from Sesame Street) puppet on the<br />
back cover. It can be framed and put on your mantle<br />
next to the famous picture of Osama Bin Laden and<br />
Bert. Oh, and isn’t it wrong for a “pro-lifer” to<br />
sing “I’m so happy I could die?” [AM]<br />
"Prelude To" 1971 (Cotillion sd-9044)<br />
This is a really odd album, beginning with the cover<br />
photo, which shows a tall, sexy black woman and a<br />
short fat stoned-looking hippie (somewhat<br />
reminiscient of Bunky & Jake if Jake went off the<br />
deep end.) The music is a mix of soul, rock and<br />
dreamy folk. Some of it is truly excellent, and the<br />
styles mix surprisingly well. "Listen To Your Heart"<br />
is a classic, the kind of thing that blows away most<br />
"Hippie Goddess" type psych/folk. This is an album<br />
that's too weird for soul fans, too R&B for folk fans<br />
and too 70s for psych fans. In short, it's unique.<br />
And it's wonderful. [AM]<br />
BARBARA THE GREY WITCH (CA)<br />
"Barbara the Grey Witch" 196 (DEA 1d-1001) [gatefold]<br />
BARBARIANS (MA)<br />
Classic with chants, rituals, and sexpot Barb giving<br />
you the straight dope on 60s grrrl power! "A<br />
fascinating trip through the world of modern<br />
witchcraft".<br />
"Are You a Boy or a Girl?" 1966 (Laurie 2033) [mono]<br />
"Are You a Boy or a Girl?" 1966 (Laurie 2033) [stereo]<br />
"Barbarians" 1979 (Rhino 1008) [LP + "Moulty"]
"Barbarians" 1981 (Line 6.24351, Germany)<br />
"Are You a Boy or a Girl?" 199 (CD One Way)<br />
"Are You a Boy or a Girl?" 199 (CD Sundazed)<br />
Perhaps due to the majority of the LP being popular<br />
covers, to our ears the album was a mild<br />
disappointment. Understanding that mid-'60s marketing<br />
demanded a band include covers in their repetoire,<br />
there wasn't anything terribly wrong with their work<br />
(save a really lame "House of the Rising Sun and a<br />
rote remake of "Mr. Tambourine Man"). Elsewhere,<br />
largely written by producer Morris, tracks such as<br />
"What the New Breed Say" and "Take It, or Leave It"<br />
were stronger, benefiting from Moulty's raw vocals<br />
and the band's considerable energy. Curiously, in<br />
spite of all of the resulting publicity, including<br />
numerous appearances on ABC's "Shindig" television<br />
program, the parent set failed to chart. The band's<br />
pre-LP 45 is often considered the best thing they<br />
did. [SB]<br />
BARDS (Moses Lake, WA)<br />
"Bards" 1980 (Piccadilly 3419)<br />
"The Moses Lake Recordings" 2002 (Gear Fab 183)<br />
"The Moses Lake Recordings" 2002 (CD Gear Fab 183)<br />
The Piccadilly LP is garagy pop containing singles<br />
and unreleased tracks recorded through 1969. The<br />
album was released without the band's knowledge. The<br />
Gear Fab title reissues an unreleased 1968 LP,<br />
produced by Curt Boettcher and Keith Olsen and is<br />
more adventurous with some experimental psych<br />
leanings. [RM]<br />
BARONS (San Antonio, TX)<br />
"Barons" 1970 (Solar 101)<br />
"By Request" 1972 (Solar)<br />
Melodic lounge rock and pop soul. "By Request" has a<br />
decent cover of Buffalo Springfield's 'Mr. Soul',<br />
otherwise this band is pretty forgettable. [RM]<br />
BAROQUES (Milwaukee, WI)<br />
"The Baroques" 1967 (Chess 1516) [mono]<br />
"The Baroques" 1967 (Chess 1516) [stereo]<br />
"The Baroques" 198 (Chess, Greece) [bootleg; +2 tracks]<br />
Milwaukee's finest 1960s band had a taste of the bigtime<br />
with this good early (recorded March 1967) psych<br />
LP but never really made it. A unique dark<br />
intellectual vibe and odd moody vocals give them a<br />
distinct identity coupled with some monster fuzz<br />
tracks I hope everyone's familiar with by now. The LP
admittedly has some weaker spots but is all over<br />
essential and still easier to find than many lesser<br />
trips. As far as I can tell, this is the very first<br />
psych LP from the entire Midwest. The stereo mix is<br />
considered to be superior. Their privately released<br />
non-LP 45 is superb. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Good early US psych album with one foot still firmly<br />
planted in the garage. Nice mix of serious<br />
introspective moodiness and druggy fun. The<br />
psychedelic air-raid fuzz rave-up in "Iowa, A Girl's<br />
Name" never fails to deliver. The mono mix is<br />
somewhat muddy and lacks the dynamics and clarity of<br />
the stereo mix. The 80's boot sounds OK and includes<br />
their rare non-LP 45 as a bonus. [MM]<br />
"The Baroques Are In" 1989 (Baroque 9005)<br />
"Purple Day" 1996 (CD Distortions)<br />
The Baroque release is unreleased material of varying<br />
quality. Most or all of this is also on the CD<br />
release, which includes most of the Chess LP as well<br />
and is recommended.<br />
BARRACUDAS (Highland Springs, VA)<br />
"A Plane View Of" 1967 (Justice 143)<br />
"A Plane View Of" 1995 (CD Collectables 0606)<br />
Opens on excellent beat/garage note with strong<br />
original followed by tough Stones cover, rest of the<br />
LP is similar with mainly Brit Invasion numbers done<br />
in an agreeable manner, even has Beatles and Byrds<br />
covers plus a fuzz rave-up take on "I'm a man" that<br />
has been comped. Only the awful closing "Shotgun"<br />
drags the LP down, rest is fine by local US mid-60s<br />
LP standards with cool teen vocals, nice undistorted<br />
rhythm guitar and occasional sax. I've seen this cut<br />
down in more than one place but it sounds pretty good<br />
to me, along with the Tempos the most "normal" (as in<br />
1965-66) sounding of all Justice albums. Released in<br />
early 1967, the album went on to sell more than 700<br />
copies locally. The band cut a good psych 45 in 1969.<br />
[PL]<br />
YANK BARRY (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"Diary Of Mr Gray" 197 (McConnell Records Ltd. 2-001) [2 LP<br />
box-set; inserts; bonus 7"]<br />
An odd release by a somewhat infamous charlatan whose<br />
story may remind one of an upscale Palmer Rockey. A<br />
"Yank Barry" search produces stories about Federal<br />
scams and imprisonment, friendship with Muhammad Ali,<br />
claims to writing "Louie, Louie," of Vietnam<br />
activism, of being a CEO and creator of a large<br />
corporation, etc. The opening track here, "Mr Gray",<br />
is the same song as on the Stone Circus album (on<br />
Mainstream) but this very similar version is credited<br />
to... you guessed it, Yank Barry. The packaging of<br />
this release is stunning: a faux brown leather<br />
box that opens like a book with gold leaf printing
with black & white photos on the inside. The contents<br />
consist of various inserts (pictures, sheet music,<br />
notes, cards, lyrics), a one-sided 7-inch 78 labeled<br />
as "Introduction To The Diary Of Mr. Gray" and two<br />
full length albums -- one is in stereo with lyrics<br />
(Acts 1 & 2), the other the instrumental version<br />
(Acts 3 & 4) in quadraphonic. Musically, it's pop<br />
psych with heavy orchestration. I find it interesting<br />
with two or three memorable tracks. Sort of a glitzy,<br />
poor man's version of the Sidetrack album. Yank Barry<br />
was only the vocalist on this work, which was<br />
masterminded by ex-Stone Circus member Larry Cohen<br />
aka Jonathan Caine, and the material was released<br />
again, now credited to Stone Circus, in 2001 ("Diary<br />
Of Mr Gray", Mcconnell, Canada). [JSB]<br />
AL BASIM see Revival<br />
BASKERVILLE HOUNDS (Cleveland, OH)<br />
"Featuring Space Rock Part 2" 1967 (Dot dlp-3823) [mono]<br />
"Featuring Space Rock Part 2" 1967 (Dot dlp-25823) [stereo]<br />
Recorded to capitalize on a minor 45 hit, this<br />
collection offered up a then-typical mix of popular<br />
covers and originals. While all five member were<br />
credited as singers, the absence of a distinctive<br />
vocalist was a major distraction. Similarly, covers<br />
such as The Beatles "Penny Lane" and Neil Diamond's'<br />
"I'm a Believer" weren't particularly impressive. On<br />
the other hand, original numbers such as the fuzz<br />
guitar-propelled "Sad Eyed Lady", "Please Say" and<br />
the title track instrumental were all worth hearing.<br />
Hardly one of rock's "pretty boy" combos (the liner<br />
notes described Rossi as having a "comic<br />
appearance"), the doubled breasted brown suits sure<br />
didn't help their appearance - they looked like an<br />
exhausted burial party. [SB]<br />
JOHN BASSETTE [with DAYBREAK] (OH)<br />
"John Who" 1978 (private)<br />
JON BATSON (DC)<br />
Messed-up real people folk. Bassette, a black folkie,<br />
guy had several more local LPs, all of which are<br />
reasonably interesting, but this is the strangest and<br />
most enjoyable.<br />
"Just Can't Lose" 1970 (Rising) [plain stamped cover]<br />
East coast loner protest deep folk from<br />
Scientologist, still active today.<br />
"BATTLE FOR THE MIND" see Willard Cantelon
V.A "BATTLE OF THE BANDS" (HI)<br />
"Battle Of The Bands" 1964 (Star SRM-101)<br />
Hawaiian rarity which is more frat/surf than garage<br />
punk, as the release year may suggest. One track by<br />
the Duplex has been reissued on Pebbles.<br />
V.A "BATTLE OF THE BANDS" (Westchester, NY)<br />
"Battle Of The Bands, Vol 1" 1967 (Ren-vell 317)<br />
Obscure New York City BOTB artefact with an unusually<br />
professional sound for the genre and a gritty urban<br />
vibe. Fairly unique as it does not contain one single<br />
Brit Invasion cover, but an equal mix of<br />
Byrds/Raiders/Spoonful and r'n'b/soul. The most<br />
famous track is the brilliant "High on a cloud" by<br />
the Traits which has appeared on a couple of comps,<br />
but the Henchmen are just as good with the fuzzdriven<br />
garage ace "Say", and the LP as a whole is<br />
above average. The Mystics had a non-LP 45 on Ren-<br />
Vell. [PL]<br />
V.A "BATTLE OF THE BANDS" (Lawrence, MA) (1)<br />
"Battle Of The Bands Recorded Almost Live" 1967 (Onyx 80689)<br />
"1966 Battle Of The Bands Recorded Almost Live" 198 (Star<br />
Rhythm)<br />
BOTB testimony on the same label as Lazy Smoke. Kind<br />
of short with only nine tracks and a couple of odd<br />
choices alongside the usual covers. No originals,<br />
lowkey and sorta samey in sound, not all that<br />
exciting. Re-recorded after the actual contest with<br />
applause dubbed in. This was reissued in its entirety<br />
in the 1980s, this reissue is sometimes peddled as an<br />
"original". Some people have questioned the existence<br />
of an original 1967 release altogether, but it did<br />
come out and differs slightly from the repro, which<br />
has '1966' added to the front cover design and a<br />
different label color. [PL]<br />
V.A "BATTLE OF THE BANDS" (MA) (2)<br />
"Battle Of The Bands" 1967 (Normandy 30867) [2 LPs]<br />
Sub-title is "Live at the 1967 National Finals, in<br />
Ridge Arena, Braintree, Mass". Over 11,000 bands all<br />
over the country competed in this contest! There is<br />
supposedly also a loose third LP that was only given<br />
to band members.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Tony's Tigers<br />
PAUL WAYNE BEACH ( )
"On Down the Road" 1977 (Aesthetic Artist) [100p]<br />
One-man band moody rural acoustic loner.<br />
BEAD GAME (Cambridge, MA)<br />
"Welcome" 1970 (Avco Embassy ave-33009)<br />
"Baptism" 1996 (American Sound as-1004) [1000#d]<br />
Featuring all original material, tracks such as<br />
'Punchin Judy' and the fuzz guitar propelled 'Wax<br />
Circus' showcase an engaging mix of hard rock with<br />
occasional jazz touches. That may not sound<br />
particularly original or appealing, but their<br />
performances were actually quite attractive. Jim<br />
Hodder had a voice that was well suited to the<br />
group's attack (anyone into early Steely Dan will<br />
instantly recognize him). Highlights include the<br />
rocking 'Amos & Andy' and 'Mora'. For fanatics,<br />
there's a non-LP single 'Sweet Medusa'. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
Lots of excellent guitar here, and the jazz influence<br />
separates it from the rest of the Bosstown scene.<br />
Collectable value has risen greatly in recent years,<br />
usually a sign that a major label album has stood the<br />
test of time well. There's a professional sheen that<br />
makes the Steely Dan connection unsurprising, but<br />
that's not to say that this sounds like something<br />
you'd hear on 70s AM radio. Distinctive and strong.<br />
The "Baptism" material was recorded in 1970 and<br />
predates the Avco LP. The band also had two excellent<br />
tracks on the soundtrack "People Next Door" (1970,<br />
Avco Embassy 11002). [AM]<br />
BEAR MOUNTAIN BAND (Wickenburg, AZ)<br />
"One More Day" 1975 (Predator) [1000p]<br />
Local mountain air rocker with psychy westcoast<br />
flashes on the excellent title track and elsewhere.<br />
Shifts between wellwritten, more melodic numbers and<br />
a rootsier rural rock vibe, with a couple of extended<br />
jams showing good playing and a nice atmosphere all<br />
around. One of the better in the hippie/barrock<br />
crossover zone - superior to Travelers Aid to these<br />
ears. Not everyone is impressed with this album,<br />
though. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Trashy 70s not-quite-hard-rock private press with an<br />
appealingly stupid sleazy vibe (one song is called<br />
"Crotch Crickets," another "tihsllub"). Excellent<br />
opening song has a nice flowing dreamy feel to it,<br />
but the promise of the album ends there abruptly, as<br />
the rest is pedestrian and dull. One can picture<br />
these guys going over pretty well at a biker rally or<br />
in a truckers' bar, but there's a difference between<br />
sleaze and real menace, and this lacks the dangerous<br />
edge of, say, the Burnt River Band. [AM]
BEAT OF THE EARTH (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Beat Of The Earth" 1967 (Radish as-0001) [500p]<br />
"Beat Of The Earth" 199 (Radish, Europe) [60p; bootleg;<br />
plain white labels]<br />
"Beat Of The Earth" 2004 (CD Radioactive, UK)<br />
The sleeve says "If you're looking for psychedelic<br />
music, do not buy this album unless you're looking<br />
for psychedelic music", a fair summing up of this<br />
demented cerebral acid-vibe journey. One of the big<br />
discoveries of the late 1980s and it certainly is<br />
one trancey organ/guitar tribal surfpsych jam trip<br />
stretched over two full sides. Warning: this is too<br />
far out for many, though I certainly dig it - close<br />
to the heart of the LSD experience, even while the<br />
main creative force behind it was opposed to drugs.<br />
Essential. Phil Pearlman was the main creative force<br />
behind the band, and went on to several related<br />
projects. [PL]<br />
"Electronic Hole" 1970 (Radish as-0002)<br />
"Electronic Hole" 2004 (CD Radish)<br />
The most recent discovery in the amazing Phil Pearlman<br />
back catalog is this late 1960s drone psych extravaganza.<br />
Shorter tracks with clear song structures yet threatening<br />
to dissolve into atonal chaos at any moment. Hard to<br />
compare to anything else, but Velvet Underground and<br />
Zappa influences can be detected, alongside typical<br />
westcoast psychedelia with sitars and backwards tapes.<br />
Vibe is a bit like Mad River or 50 Foot Hose, true freak<br />
sounds from a freaky era, except more garagey. Some<br />
melodic moves clearly point towards Relatively Clean<br />
Rivers, although six years and another complete<br />
metamorphosis lie inbetween. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Relatively Clean Rivers; Joyride<br />
"Our Standard Three-minute Tune" 1994 (Radish 0001½) [500p;<br />
gatefold]<br />
The main Beat guy Phil Pearlman issued this previously<br />
unreleased recording in a 60s style FOC. Many avoided it<br />
due to the exceedingly high price but it was actually<br />
worth it for anyone with an ear for true 60s underground<br />
psych sounds. A variation on the same basic track as the<br />
first LP, maybe not as coherent but with clearer vocals
and some devastating Mystic Tide-style acid guitar. So on<br />
balance almost as awesome as the first one. The liner<br />
notes refer to a 1967 live gig but the actual recording<br />
is studio, from the first LP sessions. [PL]<br />
BEAUREGARD AJAX (Oxnard, CA)<br />
"Deaf Priscilla" 2005 (Shadoks no #, Germany) [350p]<br />
"Deaf Priscilla" 2006 (CD Shadoks, Germany) [+bonus tracks]<br />
Terrific unreleased album recorded for Del-Fi in 1968<br />
by unknown quintet; melodic Beatle-psych with<br />
advanced songwriting, some tough fuzz edges and an<br />
impressive range of moods and moves. Like Fredric<br />
with heavier guitars, or what the HMS Bounty LP would<br />
have sounded like if it had been a true killer. A<br />
must for any fan of classic 60s-style psychedelia.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Showcasing drugged vocals, lots of fuzz guitar, great<br />
melodies and some interesting lyrics, material such<br />
as "Loneliness Is a Sometime Thing", "Is Tomorrow<br />
Thursday" and "Blue Violins" features all of the<br />
ingredients that should make this a sought after set<br />
among psych collectors. Elsewhere while I'm always<br />
reluctant to compare something to The Beatles (since<br />
most of the time such comparison fall flat), tracks<br />
such as 'I Will Be Looking Away' and the title track<br />
actually recall something out of the Fab Fours'<br />
"Revolver" catalog. Mind you the set's certainly not<br />
perfect. The poppish "Happy Brontosaurus" and the<br />
ballad "Take You Faraway" are both pretty lame and<br />
forgettable. Gawd only knows what condition the<br />
source tapes were in but be aware that sonically this<br />
release isn't exactly state-of-the-art. [SB]<br />
BEAUREGARDE (Portland, OR)<br />
"Beauregarde" 1971 (F-Empire no #)<br />
"Beauregarde" 198 (F-Empire) [bootleg]<br />
"Beauregarde" 200 (CD Zeno) [actually a CD-R]<br />
"Beauregarde" 2004 (Jackpot)<br />
The interest in this LP seems to build on the<br />
appearance of guitarist Greg Sage (later of the<br />
Wipers) rather than its musical merits, which aren't<br />
too impressive in my ears. Has a laidback, bluesbased<br />
sound with melodramatic vocals, organ and some good<br />
guitar licks. Beauregarde was a local wrestler and<br />
looks real neanderthal on the sleeve. There was also<br />
a pre-LP 45 with two album tracks on the NWI label.<br />
The label for the original is sometimes incorrectly<br />
listed as "Sound Productions". The Jackpot CD is a<br />
legit re from masters. [PL]<br />
BOBBY BEAUSOLEIL & THE FREEDOM ORCHESTRA (CA)
"Lucifer Rising" 1980 (Lethal 8031, Canada) [1000p]<br />
"Lucifer Rising" 2004 (CD Arcanum/White Dog 0001) [2CDs]<br />
JOE BECK (PA/NY)<br />
Soundtrack to legendary magick Kenneth Anger film,<br />
originally pressed in Canada only. Beausoleil had<br />
been linked to the 1969 Manson murders and recorded<br />
this while in a federal prison in the 1970s. The<br />
music is atmospheric instrumental space-rock with<br />
guitars and electronics and a strong ritual and<br />
visual quality, impressive in a way that recalls the<br />
better German 1970s cosmic psych albums. The 2 CD set<br />
has some terrific bonus material and is recommended.<br />
There are earlier vinyl reissues of "Lucifer Rising"<br />
not listed here.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Orkustra<br />
"Nature Boy" 1971 (Verve Forecast 3081)<br />
"Nature Boy" 2002 (Breeder Backtrack, Europe)<br />
Jazz guy goes rock here with impressive results. The<br />
album starts with a wonderful heavy version of the<br />
title tune, with tons of wah-wah soaked guitar. The<br />
rest of the album offers plenty more wild lead<br />
guitar, though none quite as sublime as on this<br />
initial song. Fans of this kind of Hendrix-inspired<br />
playing could do much worse; I think this is more<br />
interesting and satisfying than better-known genre<br />
artists like The Road, Peter Kaukonen and John<br />
Ussery. If you’re not a fan of the style, you may<br />
still find it a worthwhile album, as the arrangements<br />
vary, with a few solid ballads (one heavily acoustic)<br />
and some tasteful horns on a couple of tracks. 45<br />
minutes is probably a bit too much, and the<br />
songwriting is only average, but this works because<br />
Beck is such a great guitarist and because his music<br />
isn’t beholden to any particular hard rock style.<br />
[AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> John Berberian<br />
JACK BEDIENT & THE CHESSMEN (Wenatchee, WA)<br />
"Where Did She Go" 1967 (Satori 1001)<br />
Obscure local album by Northwest frat/lounge/pop band
of the tuxedo dancehall variety. Seemingly patterned<br />
on the Raiders' "Here they come" with half crooner<br />
ballads & half teen rockers. The charming Orbisonstyle<br />
smoothies are a bit cheesier than the Raiders'<br />
but the garage fuzz tracks (I counted 3½) are good<br />
with a fat rocking NW sound and neato teen vocals.<br />
Bizarre closing Dylan cover. One track has been<br />
comp'd. [PL]<br />
"In Concert At Harold's" 1969 (Chessmen)<br />
Their LPs are typically a mix of supper club pop with<br />
dramatic arrangements and the occasional garagy<br />
guitar raver. "In Concert" has grade-Z covers of<br />
Creedence, "Light My Fire", "Purple Haze" and more,<br />
as the band moved into the FM rock era. Earlier LPs<br />
include "Two Sides Of" (Trophy 101, 1964); "Songs You<br />
Requested" (Chessmen no #, 1965); "Live At<br />
Harvey's" (Fantasy mono & stereo, 1965); "Jack<br />
Bedient" (Executive, 1966?). [RM]<br />
V.A "BEE-JAY SAMPLERS" (Winter Park, FL)<br />
"12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands" 1966 (Tener 154)<br />
First LP in this series of demo LPs, all of which<br />
featured local bands available for live bookings.<br />
Includes the Starfires, Swinging Temptations, Wrong<br />
Numbers, Nation Rocking Shadows, and others. The<br />
label was based in Winter Park, but the bands came<br />
from a bigger area.<br />
"Bee Jay Demo vol 2" 1967 (Tener 1014)<br />
This second LP from the the BJ Booking Agency<br />
contains a generous 21 tracks. High points include<br />
originals by Willie & the Adolescents, New Generation<br />
and Hard To Believe, while Bad Pages, Consolidation<br />
and State Of Mind deliver excellent covers. The sound<br />
is pre-psychedelic with an equal mix of Brit Inv,<br />
r'n'b & contemporary US groups - classic garage in<br />
other words. Teenage vocals and sloppy drummers<br />
across the board. Hard to beat as a local garage<br />
testament, though it'll hardly change anyone's life.<br />
The tracks by Beau Jests and Hard To Believe have<br />
been comp'd. [PL]<br />
"Bee Jay Video Soundtrack" 1968 (Tener 1014) [1-sided textured<br />
color cover]<br />
-- same catalog # but different contents from above<br />
Includes Rovin' Flames, Wrong Numbers, Ron & the<br />
Starfires, the Enticers, and others. More soul moves<br />
on this sampler.
"Bee Jay Sampler" 1970 (Tener 1055)<br />
The 1970 LP includes We The People (two weak tracks<br />
in their blue-eyed soul style), the Barons,<br />
Soultenders, Missing Links, and others. Covers of<br />
Neil Young, Chicago TA, soul, and more. This should<br />
not be confused with the two very rare Bee-Jay EPs<br />
from the late 60s with the same title; Tener 1038 and<br />
1039, or Tener 1070 below. See Jeff Lemlich's FLA<br />
discography "Savage Lost" for details. There is also<br />
a recently discovered third EP, Tener 1040.<br />
"Do It Up Right! 1971 (Tener 1067)<br />
The Brewed, East Coast Supply, Oxford Blue and 12<br />
other bands. These later Bee Jay samplers are less<br />
attractive and feature horn-rock, soul and covers of<br />
Simon & Garfunkel, Creedence, etc typical of the era.<br />
"Bee Jay Sampler" 197 (Tener 1070)<br />
As several others in the series, this album has no<br />
actual title. East Coast Supply do reasonable<br />
basement hardrock with "Love machine". Other bands<br />
include Raintree County, Wooden Spoon, Brewed, plus<br />
something listed as "Moog Synthesizer Show".<br />
"Bee Jay Does It Again" 197 (Tener 1081)<br />
The Brewed, In The Beginning, East Coast Supply, and<br />
15 other tracks.<br />
"Gettin' It On Again" 1973 (Tener)<br />
Features Wysper, Skydancing, The Brewed, Ricky &<br />
Tightrope, East Coast Supply, and others.<br />
WILLIAM C BEELEY (TX)<br />
"Gallivantin'" 1972 (North Park 101) [1000p]<br />
Lost folk very Dylanesque sounding. Warm and lyrical.<br />
IRIS BELL ADVENTURE ( )<br />
"Iris Bell Adventure" 1969 (Rubaiyat)<br />
Live jazzy hippie blues trio recorded in Ann Arbor.
RICH BELL (HI)<br />
"Rising Son" 1980 (Money Maker s-7780) [orange vinyl]<br />
Guitar rock with a gorgeous fantasy cover.<br />
BENT WIND (Toronto, Canada)<br />
"Sussex" 1970 (Trend t-1015) [300p]<br />
"Sussex" 1984 (Heyoka 201, UK)<br />
"Sussex" 1992 (Del Val 007) [+2 tracks; 350p]<br />
"Sussex" 199 (Acme, UK) [altered b/w paste-on sleeve; +1<br />
track; lyric insert]<br />
"Sussex" 199 (CD Kissing Spell, UK) [+2 tracks; altered<br />
sleeve]<br />
"Sussex" 199 (CD Green Tree) [+5 tracks]<br />
"The Lost Ryerson Tapes" 2005 (CD Psychedome) [+6 tracks]<br />
BEO WULF ( )<br />
"Sussex" is one of the original Holy Grails of the LP<br />
collector scene and a wellknown artefact due to a<br />
number of reissues. The most expensive of all<br />
Canadian rarities with a $5000+ price tag. The music<br />
is heavy underground psychrock with a killer basement<br />
sound and some awesome tracks like "Riverside",<br />
"Hate" and "The lions". Not the greatest LP ever to<br />
me, but definitely essential. According to the band,<br />
only 300 copies were pressed, while the non-LP 45 was<br />
pressed in 500. Modern recordings include "The Fourth<br />
Line Is" (1989) and "Shadows On The Wall" (1996). The<br />
Psychedome CD is a complete reissue of the original<br />
LP in strong sound, plus 4 excellent live tracks from<br />
1970, and the two 45 tracks. There is also a bonus CD<br />
with modern recordings featuring main guy Marty Roth.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
A little overhyped, but still a worthwhile album. The<br />
overall sound is a neat cross between garage rock and<br />
heavy psych. It has a real basement (as in “that’s<br />
where they buried the bodies”) vibe, with tons of<br />
fuzz guitar and reverb, desperate vocals, and often<br />
disturbing lyrics. The highlights are the album’s two<br />
grisliest songs, “Riverside” and “Hate.” While the<br />
other songs aren’t quite at that level, there aren’t<br />
any real duds either. It sounds like it was recorded<br />
far earlier than the usually accepted 1969 or 1970<br />
release date. The CD reissue contains a strong B-side<br />
and also some surprisingly good 90s recordings. [AM]<br />
"Too Late To Turn Back Now" 1972 (Crown CST-632)
Unlike most exploitation Crown releases this is a<br />
real band, with some excellent tracks such as "The<br />
movement".<br />
JOHN BERBERIAN [& ROCK EAST ENSEMBLE] (New York City, NY)<br />
"Middle Eastern Rock" 1969 (Verve Forecast fts-3073) [wlp<br />
exists]<br />
"Middle Eastern Rock" 1999 (Verve Forecast) [bootleg; textured<br />
sleeve]<br />
"Middle Eastern Rock" 2003 (CD Acid Symposium 006, Italy)<br />
This is Berberian's key album for 1960s psych fans, a<br />
tremendous East-West amalgamation with both the oud<br />
and Joe Beck's fuzz given plenty of space. It's hard<br />
to imagine this trip being done better; strongly<br />
recommended to fans of Orient Express and the US<br />
Kaleidoscope. Berberian is an oud master of Armenian<br />
descent. Prior to this cross-over LP he did several<br />
LPs that are more traditional ethnic-folky, as<br />
follows: "Expressions East" (Mainstream 6023, 1967),<br />
"Oud Artistry" (Mainstream 6047, 1967), and "Music Of<br />
The Middle East" (Roulette, 1968). "Ode To An Oud" is<br />
a 2LP repackage of the two Mainstream LPs from 1974.<br />
Some of these albums have been reissued in recent<br />
years. Another Verve LP features Berberian's playing<br />
as a backdrop to poetry readings by DJ Rosko ("Music<br />
and Gibran", 1968). [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Joe Beck<br />
"Mid Eastern Odyssey" 1971 (Olympia olp-1001)<br />
"Mid Eastern Odyssey" 200 (CD Olympia)<br />
"Echoes of Armenia" 1972 (Olympia olp-1002)<br />
ERIC BERGMAN (NY)<br />
Berberian continued to record and release albums<br />
through the 1970s, via his own private Olympia label.<br />
These albums are harder to find than his 60s works,<br />
and while they are not "rock" genre-wise they attract<br />
some collectors. Another LP on Olympia is "The Dance<br />
Album".<br />
"Modern Phonography" 1978 (Patron Saint ps-1) [gatefold;<br />
insert; 100p]<br />
Lost basement folk and folkrock sound from leader of<br />
Patron Saints, with slide guitar and some acoustic<br />
solo tracks. There is also a second LP from 1982,<br />
"Sending Out Signals".<br />
FATHER PATRICK BERKEREY ( )<br />
"Prayers For a Noonday Church" 1969 (Glasgow 1500)
Intense xian recitations with rock backing by Spur.<br />
Even the priests were flipped out way back when!<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Rite of Exorcism<br />
BERMUDA TRIANGLE (Long Island, NY)<br />
"Bermuda Triangle" 1977 (Winter Solstice 3338)<br />
Ambitious late hippie folkpsych LP with lounge<br />
aspects, transcendental female vocals and elaborate<br />
keyboard arrangements/production, not bad at all for<br />
those into eclectic 1970s sounds. Unexpected covers<br />
of Aerosmith and Circus Maximus are a plus while the<br />
Moody Blues track could have been left off. Fine<br />
originals. Would make a neat double bill with Jade<br />
Stone & Luv. The second LP has been described as a<br />
less effective dreamy keyboard rock effort. Ex-Roger<br />
& Wendy. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Truly bizarre folk-psych album that's more enjoyable<br />
than a lot of "better" records. Two of the first<br />
three songs are weird loungy covers of "Nights In<br />
White Satin" and Aerosmith's "Dream On," neither of<br />
which sound like anything else on the album. For<br />
surprise value alone, "Dream On" works the better of<br />
the two, since the Moody Blues tune was dangerously<br />
close to lounge to begin with. Most of the other<br />
songs are full of fiddle-style violin and autoharp,<br />
the latter of which is often treated with phasing,<br />
flanging and other effects. It feels like the songs<br />
are at a normal speed but the backing tracks are sped<br />
up. Some of the melodies are pretty speedy too.<br />
Spastic, cymbal-heavy drumming adds another layer of<br />
intrigue. One song sounds like a twisted take on<br />
funk, another like a hoedown. Both the male and<br />
female vocals are agreeable and work well in the<br />
context of these strange songs. The closing<br />
"Wind" (the Circus Maximus song) is another total<br />
departure, again not resembling anything else on the<br />
album, and sounding uncannily like a Linda Perhacs<br />
outtake. This album is kind of a shock on first<br />
listen, because at least to these jaded ears it's not<br />
often I discover something so original and bizarre.<br />
[AM]<br />
"Bermuda Triangle" 1983 (Sterling Sound) [two 12" acetates]<br />
[?]<br />
"Bermudas II" 1984 (Tribecket tr-0999)<br />
This may be the same material as on the Sterling<br />
Sound acetates. [RM]
BOB BERRY (San José, CA)<br />
"Heavy Berry" 197 (no label) [100p]<br />
JOHN BERRY (GA)<br />
BEST (NJ)<br />
Demo album with good westcoasty guitar/organ psych<br />
rock. Berry was formerly with San José band 4th St<br />
Exit, released an AOR solo LP in 1976, and rose to<br />
prominence (as Robert Berry) in the 1980s when<br />
working with various big name prog/AOR bands. The<br />
covers were individually hand silk screened and<br />
sealed with a gold sticker.<br />
"In the Night Time" 1981 (Clear Sky)<br />
Rural loner folk.<br />
"More Of The Best" 1967 (RPC n-69852) [no sleeve]<br />
"The Gents/The Best" 1996 (no label) [split LP; partial<br />
reissue]<br />
Very obscure sleeveless garage era LP on the infamous<br />
RPC custom label; music is typical local '66 teenbeat<br />
with a bit more "punk" edge than usual. Several<br />
strong originals in the classic moptop style, fake<br />
British accents and a boomy lo-fi gymnasium sound<br />
adds to the overall charm. Nothing for purveyors of<br />
"acid fuzz" like the Litter or Nightshadow, but among<br />
local Northeast '66-67 LPs this isn't bad at all;<br />
like what Rasputin & the Monks would have sounded<br />
like if they hadn't been such losers. Three Stones<br />
and a funny misinterpreted Kinks number round out the<br />
set. Half this LP was reissued along with the Gents,<br />
but the reissue actually excludes some of the best<br />
tracks from the original. One track is included on<br />
the Oil Stains vol 2 comp. [PL]<br />
V.A "THE BEST OF FRANK'S BANDSTAND" (Canada)<br />
"Do You Wanna Dance - The Best Of Frank's Bandstand" 1965 (Arc<br />
669)<br />
Compilation related to CBC TV show aired from<br />
different Canadian cities. Bands on this comp include<br />
the Offbeats, the Raindrops and the Brunswick<br />
Playboys. Contents are teen-beat/pop.<br />
V.A "THE BEST OF THE GREATEST" (Canada)<br />
"The Best of the Greatest" 1969 (Birchmount bm-535)<br />
Features the 49th Parallel (excellent tracks), Guess<br />
Who, Beaumarks. The same label also released
"Strictly Canadian".<br />
V.A "THE BEST OF THE HIDEOUTS" (Detroit, MI)<br />
"Best of the Hideouts" 1966 (Hideout hlp-1002) [1000p]<br />
"Best of the Hideouts" 199 (Hideout) [bootleg]<br />
A rare sort of companion piece to the "Friday At The<br />
Cage-A-go-go" LP with several enjoyable tracks by<br />
local folkrock/garage wizards like the 4 Of Us, Suzi<br />
Quatro's Pleasure Seekers and the Underdogs, most of<br />
which also came out on 45s. A couple of numbers have<br />
been comp'd as well. An equal mix of folkrock, moody<br />
garage and soul covers. The Underdogs are perhaps the<br />
stars of the show with some classy tunes. All over<br />
not quite as good as "Friday At The Cage" but an<br />
appealing snapshot of a legendary scene nevertheless.<br />
Nice sleeve with band photos. The 1990s bootleg may<br />
have been a counterfeit attempt; it's an old-style<br />
cardboard sleeve with paste-on slicks and exact label<br />
repros. The sleeve photo repros have some wear<br />
residue from the original copy used, and there is no<br />
title on the spine. The true original has<br />
'XCTV121245-1A' in the dead wax. [PL]<br />
V.A "THE BEST OF TWIST-A-RAMA USA" (NY)<br />
"The Best Of Twist-A-Rama USA" 1965 (TAR 1000)<br />
"The Best Of Twist-A-Rama USA" 2003 (Norton 275) [altered<br />
cover; +2 tracks]<br />
"The Best Of Twist-A-Rama USA" 2003 (CD Norton 275) [+2<br />
tracks]<br />
BETTY (CA)<br />
Local sampler of 14 Mohawk Valley teen bands put out<br />
by the "Twist-a-rama" TV show. Crude mix of instros,<br />
frat and "the new sound from England". Unlike most<br />
similar albums, this one seems to be group originals<br />
all through, even though some of them are quite<br />
derivative. Bands include Andy & the Classics, the<br />
Originals, the brilliantly named Merseyside 5, while<br />
the King Beats provide a moment of brooding folk<br />
reflection. The original cover shows a bunch of<br />
famous artists, none of which are to be found on the<br />
actual record, naturally. The pressing is notoriously<br />
poor.<br />
"Handful" 1971 (Thin Man afp-703) [200p]<br />
"Handful" 2001 (Shadoks 019, Germany)<br />
Unpretentious get down-boogie barrock/rural rock with<br />
strong guitar leads throughout that lifts it above<br />
the usual trucker tattoo six-pack rockers. Not bad,<br />
though for hardcore 1970s fans mostly. Terrible,<br />
clichéd sleeve unfortunately. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is a grungy bar band with some sleaze appeal,<br />
but it’s hardly a monster hard rock album. The<br />
rhythms are boogie and the spirit is beer-belly. Some<br />
of the lead guitars are suitably fuzzy, and a few
BEYOND (TX)<br />
songs have a heavy edge to them, but this is pretty<br />
mainstream and pretty weak. Lots of roundhouse piano<br />
underneath the drunken singing. Pick hit: “Just For<br />
Fun,” a “Foxy Lady” ripoff that’s the raunchiest<br />
thing here. The lead guitar is simple, but plentiful<br />
throughout. The title track is as sexist as the album<br />
cover. No surprise. [AM]<br />
"Music And... Beyond" 1979 (Tuhlotte Sound)<br />
Cosmic hard rock with lots of spacy guitar effects.<br />
This is pretty cool stuff for the most part, with<br />
energetic hard rockers and adventurous guitar<br />
playing. A few songs are perhaps a bit too proggy for<br />
some, but they’re full of ideas. “Dirge Overature” is<br />
an 11 and a half-minute instrumental with jazzy<br />
moments, an unusual time signature, classicalinfluenced<br />
interludes, nimble bass playing, long<br />
guitar solos and closing two-minute vibe solo! “It’s<br />
Over” is packed with wacky stops and starts.<br />
Throughout, the experimentation level is creatively<br />
high. The lyrics leave something to be desired, and<br />
the singing isn’t much better (something they must<br />
have known, as more than half of the album is<br />
instrumental) but for overall feel and mood it works<br />
well. More enjoyable and unpretentious than, say,<br />
Jimmy Hotz. [AM]<br />
V.A "BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS" (CA)<br />
"Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls" 1970 (20th Century Fox<br />
10311)<br />
"Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls" 199 (CD) [bootleg; unrelated<br />
bonus tracks]<br />
"Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls" 2002 (CD Soundtrack Classics)<br />
[+bonus tracks]<br />
One of many excellent soundtracks from 1967-70, even<br />
more enjoyable if you've seen Russ Meyer's totally<br />
great film. This has some non-LP (and so-so)<br />
Strawberry Alarmclock tracks, some studio instro<br />
fillers, and six brilliant hippie chick AM blowouts<br />
by the Carrie Nations which is what makes the LP.<br />
Powerful girl vocals (although not by Lynn Carey, who<br />
is heard in the movie), great material and lots of<br />
fun all through, the perfect remedy after someone's<br />
forced you to listen to Janis Joplin. Beautiful<br />
sleeve too. Apparently the recent CD re also includes<br />
the real soundtrack versions with Lynn Carey. [PL]<br />
BEZALEL & THE SABRAS (New York City, NY)<br />
"Folk Rock Israeli Style" 1966 (Tikva t-128)
"Bezalel and the Sabras" 1966 (Tikva t-134)<br />
"Jerusalem Of Gold" 1967 (Tikva t-122)<br />
Jewish garage band featuring melodic guitar folk<br />
instros and reverb rockers, some fuzz. One track from<br />
the "Jerusalem" LP (released as by the Sabras only)<br />
appears on the "Riot City" compilation.<br />
B F TRIKE (Evansville, IN)<br />
"B F Trike" 1988 (Rockadelic 1.5)<br />
"B F Trike" 1995 (CD Rockadelic no #)<br />
Post-Hickory Wind demo LP recorded in 1971 for RCA.<br />
Rated highly by some, though not really top-level in<br />
my opinion, with a commercialized FM rock sound and<br />
dull fuzz riffs. I find this less original and<br />
atmospheric than Hickory Wind. First LP on the<br />
Rockadelic label, this caused quite a stir upon<br />
release. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
The more mainstream hard rock sound may make this<br />
less interesting than Hickory Wind to some, and it<br />
certainly lacks the variety and just plain weird vibe<br />
of that album. Nonetheless, this is a more<br />
accomplished set of songs, straightforward fuzzy hard<br />
rock that hits far more than it misses. To my ears,<br />
this is an excellent example of the genre as it<br />
transitioned from the 60s to the 70s. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Hickory Wind<br />
BHAGAVAN DAS (Laguna Beach, CA)<br />
"Ah" 1972 (Bhagavan Das rd-1) [2LPs; gatefold; book]<br />
"Ah" 2002 (CD Dharmaware) [+bonus CD-Rom]<br />
Neither psych nor folk but spiritual Indian trance<br />
chanting; recommended mainly to those with a special<br />
interest in this 70s cosmic community scene, which<br />
also involved Ram Dass/Richard Alpert (who wrote the<br />
liner notes). Bhagavan Das, then a young ex-surfer<br />
guy from Laguna Beach, is today known as "the Jimi<br />
Hendrix of kirtan". In addition to this release,<br />
there is a 1978 single-LP pressing which appears to<br />
be disc 2 & 3 from the double set. [PL]<br />
"Swaha" 1974 (no label) [2LPs; gatefold; book]<br />
"Swaha" 200 (CD Dharmaware)<br />
The rarer second LP is credited to Bhagavan Das and<br />
Amazing Grace and more Western-oriented with some
communal hippie folk and blues vibes, not bad at all.<br />
About 2/3rds is traditional Indian chanting while two<br />
moody, trancey Blind Willie Johnson covers should<br />
appeal to anyone, and there's also a downer<br />
singer/songwriter tune. Partly recorded live at<br />
Winterland. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
BIG BROTHER [feat Ernie Joseph] (Santa Barbara, CA)<br />
"Confusion" 1970 (All American 5718)<br />
"Confusion" 1989 (All American) [bootleg]<br />
"Confusion" 1998 (Akarma 013, Italy)<br />
"Confusion" came as a major change in direction to<br />
anyone familiar with Ernie Orosco/Joseph's earlier<br />
pop/lite-psych moves with Giant Crab et al. Material<br />
such as "Heart Full of Rain", "L.L.A. (Lubricated<br />
Love Affair)" and the bluesy "Heavy Load" offered up<br />
a set of Hendrix-styled guitar pyrotechnics.<br />
Elsewhere, the heavily phased "E.S.P." (a strange<br />
reworking of The Pretty Thing's "L.S.D.") was<br />
actually a rehash of Giant Crab's final single. Given<br />
the abundance of guitar rockers, at least to our<br />
ears, the standout track was the atypical ballad<br />
"Wake Up In the Morning". Sweet and sincere, its a<br />
beautiful effort. Sure, it ain't the most original LP<br />
you'll hear this year and parts of the percussion<br />
heavy closing suite "Gravus Delictum" drag, but the<br />
performances were enthusiastic, and it's an album we<br />
play on a regular basis. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
Mostly first rate hardrocker with a mix of blistering<br />
fuzz raveups and bluesy melodic tracks. Ernie<br />
Joseph's lead guitar and soaring vocals are exemplary<br />
throughout. The lengthy closer is a bohemian<br />
embarrassment however, unless you live for drum<br />
solos. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Indescribably Delicious<br />
"South East Tour" 1998 (Akarma 036, Italy)<br />
Supposedly "South East Tour" was originally released<br />
in 1971 under All American catalog number AA-5773-<br />
LPD. The title and packaging give you the impression<br />
this is a live set, but that's not really the story.<br />
Half of the ten tracks are pulled from Joseph's<br />
earlier band - A Giant Crab Comes Forth. The other<br />
five selections are billed as previously unreleased<br />
efforts, but tracks such as "Keeping the Faith" and<br />
"How Many Times" don't sound like concert recordings<br />
to our ears. In terms of quality, the new stuff<br />
varies from ponderous boogie ("Satisfied Woman") to<br />
mildly entertaining ("Truthfulness"). Giant Crab<br />
tracks such as the fuzz guitar propelled "Hotline<br />
Conversation" and the blue-eyed soul-ish "Save Me<br />
(Save Me)" provide the highlights. [SB]<br />
"An All American Emperor" 1999 (Akarma 042, Italy)<br />
To be honest "An All American Emperor" came as<br />
somewhat of a surprise to me. Judging by the cover I
was expecting to hear a set of guitar powered rockers<br />
similar to Joseph's Big Brother catalog. Instead<br />
material such as 'You Let Me Live', 'I Guess I Never<br />
Knew You' and 'I Can't Help Being Yours' features a<br />
much lighter and top-40 oriented commercial sound.<br />
Offering fair warning to all potential buyers,<br />
heavily orchestrated tracks such as 'Cleo' and<br />
'Welcome To the World' have more in common with Mark<br />
Lindsay (perhaps even Gary Lewis) than a rock band.<br />
That's not meant as a criticism since stuff like<br />
'Mary Jane' and 'What Became of Yesterday's Hero'<br />
stands as first rate pop. If I'd bought this knowing<br />
it was a pop album I probably would have given it an<br />
added star. Just don't buy this expecting to hear<br />
hard rock or something psychedelic. The material<br />
comes from a circa 1968 pre-Big Brother acetate. [SB]<br />
V.A "BIG HITS OF MID-AMERICA" (MN)<br />
"Big Hits Of Mid-America, vol 1" 1965 (Soma mg-1245 / Garrett<br />
201)<br />
"Big Hits Of Mid-America, vol 2" 1966 (Soma mg-1246)<br />
Samplers of Minnesota bands with local hits and flops<br />
emanating from the wellknown Amos label nexus.<br />
Contains healthy doses of the swinging frat and teenbeat<br />
for which the region has become famous. Vol 1<br />
has Gregory Dee & the Avanties, Underbeats, Accents.<br />
Vol 2 has Castaways, Gestures, High Spirits,<br />
CHancellors. Canadian pressings on the Apex label<br />
exist. See also the "Top Teen Bands" series.<br />
BIG LOST RAINBOW (CT)<br />
"Big Lost Rainbow" 1973 (no label 6364) [white/black label;<br />
two inserts]<br />
"Big Lost Rainbow" 1973 (no label 6364) [blue/silver label;<br />
two inserts]<br />
"Big Lost Rainbow" 1998 (CD Gear Fab gf-118) [+4 tracks;<br />
black cover]<br />
"Big Lost Rainbow" 1998 (Gear Fab gf-118) [black cover]<br />
"Big Lost Rainbow" 2000 (Akarma, Italy) [insert; black cover]<br />
Pastoral singer/songwriter LP with an archetypal<br />
sound for the style. Many people seem to hate this,<br />
but revisiting it now I can't really see what all the<br />
fuss is about. There's nothing "psychedelic" or "acid<br />
folk" about it for sure, but taken for what it is I<br />
find it reasonably enjoyable. Drawing on CSN roots<br />
(without the "Y") with some James Taylor and maybe<br />
Cat Stevens on top, the main Big Lost Rainbow guy<br />
Ridley Pearson delivers a string of well-written and<br />
skillfully arranged songs with unassuming, somewhat<br />
weak vocals, light rock backing and frequent use of<br />
piano. Lyrics deal with hippie concerns, but the<br />
music is mainly in a sophisticated s/sw direction.<br />
The extended "Sail" goes all the way out into jazzy<br />
violin/flute/piano improv, which isn't bad but still<br />
one of the weaker aspects to the LP. Side 2 lays on a<br />
sombre, reflective mood with a typical post-60s feel,<br />
which combined with good use of flute makes for an<br />
agreeable period sound. Well worth checking out for
fans of things like Wilcox-Sullivan-Wilcox and<br />
Greenwood, Curlee & Thompson, never mind the bullshit<br />
"psych" hype you may see on it. The original pressing<br />
is somewhat noisy and comes in two variants, both<br />
have a silkscreened front cover and paste-on back.<br />
One cover is black and one is white. The total press<br />
size is probably upwards 1500. Pearson went on to<br />
fame as a novelist. [PL]<br />
BIG TOWN BOYS (Toronto, Canada)<br />
BIKE (IN)<br />
"Big Town Boys" 1966 (Capitol t-6168) [mono; gatefold]<br />
"Big Town Boys" 1966 (Capitol st-6168) [stereo; gatefold]<br />
Teenbeat & pop from popular band in the famous<br />
Capitol 6000 series.<br />
"Bike" 1978 (no label 34160)<br />
DON BIKOFF ( )<br />
Hardrock with Don Pierle. Don is Ray Pierle's brother<br />
(McKay, Rhythm of the Highway) but did not play in<br />
the Pierle Brothers Band.<br />
"Celestial Explosion" 1968 (Keyboard k711-s)<br />
New York City label. Instrumental guitar tracks with<br />
a cosmic edge.<br />
BILL HOLT'S DREAMIES see Dreamies<br />
BILLY (Minneapolis, MN)<br />
"Persephone" 1972 (Orion s80-462-2823s) [promo exists]<br />
Laid-back druggy folk from Billy Hallquist. This LP<br />
is typically listed as Persephone Billy. "Persephone"<br />
is one of the songs and promo copies make it clear<br />
the artist is "Billy". About 2000 copies were<br />
pressed, according to the man himself. There's also a<br />
second LP, "Travelling". Ex-Thundertree.<br />
EDWIN BIRDSONG (Philadelphia, PA)<br />
"Supernatural" 1973 (Polydor 5057)<br />
"Supernatural" 200 (Polydor)<br />
"Supernatural" 200 (CD Polydor)<br />
Guitar/keyboard driven soul/funk/rock hybrid LP with<br />
some great moments. The playing becomes a bit too
accomplished and almost jazz-rocky at times though<br />
and it's the groove that suffers from it. Also the<br />
guitarist can't seem to calm down and go with the<br />
groove, he plays about twice as much and half as<br />
soulful and funky as Eddie Hazel or Hendrix. It's a<br />
pretty good album, but the "rock" element takes over<br />
too much and it's not near as good as the '75 one.<br />
[MM]<br />
"Dance Of Survival" 1975 (Bam-boo GR 004) [gold foil<br />
gatefold]<br />
"Dance Of Survival" 1975 (Bam-boo GR 004) [silver foil<br />
gatefold]<br />
"Dance Of Survival" 200 (Bam-boo)<br />
Spacy keyboard driven psychedelic funk, housed in a<br />
great looking sleeve. The guitars on this album are<br />
strictly clean sounding rhythm ones, the leads are<br />
handled by Edwin himself on freaky sounding moog etc<br />
fed through analog filters that gives those wonderful<br />
"whooshy" sounds. I'm usually no big fan of keyboard<br />
driven songs, let alone albums, but here it works<br />
surprisingly well. Good songs, great grooves, weird<br />
lyrics and a warm'n'spacy sounds makes this into one<br />
of the best and most original afro american<br />
funk/psych albums of the 1970's. [MM]<br />
BIRDWATCHERS (Tampa, FL)<br />
"The Birdwatchers" 1980 (Florida Rock 4001) [1000p]<br />
This popular, long-running Florida band didn't have<br />
any albums released in the 1960s, but a whole bunch<br />
of 45s under their own name and in various related<br />
outfits. The retrospective 1980 LP collects many of<br />
their recordings, although there's more out there.<br />
"Mary Mary" is an alternate, previously unreleased<br />
version, while "Turn Around Girl" is listed on the<br />
cover but missing from the vinyl. The LP is seldom<br />
seen today, and oddly no other samplers of the band<br />
exist. A band member joined Magic of "Enclosed" fame<br />
in the late 1960s.<br />
BIRMINGHAM SUNDAY (NV)<br />
"A Message From" 1968 (All American 5718)<br />
"A Message From" 1999 (Akarma, Italy)<br />
Super-rare LP on this infamous label, has been hyped<br />
as a "psych monster" but is more of a typical LA<br />
vocal harmony lytepsych artefact. Past this initial<br />
let-down the album still has things going for it that<br />
makes it worth checking out. There's 3-4 tracks in a<br />
Growing Concern-alike style that fits the band<br />
perfectly; mid-tempo minor chord folk-tinged tunes<br />
such as the great "Wondering What To Feel". The rich<br />
vocal harmonies work both ways, on the strong tracks<br />
they provide a powerful feel, while the weaker tracks<br />
sound bland and exploitative. There's some fuzz<br />
leads, unexpected use of saxophone, delightfully<br />
silly "drug" lyrics, and an overall feel of a vocal
RANDY BISHOP ( )<br />
harmony group who tried injecting a "freak" factor<br />
into their music as the times were a-changing. On the<br />
westcoast scale it lands somewhere between Mamas &<br />
the Papas and Yankee Dollar. [PL]<br />
"Sing A Soft Song" 197 (Liquid Stereo 1) [100p]<br />
Demo press of pro-sounding, somewhat eccentric<br />
singer/songwriter material with lounge aspects.<br />
Recorded in Vancouver. It's the same Randy Bishop who<br />
was in the Wackers, etc.<br />
BILL BISSETT & THE MANDAN MASSACRE (Vancouver, Canada)<br />
"Awake in the Red Desert" 1968 (See/Hear #3 ST 55580) [500p;<br />
insert]<br />
"Awake in the Red Desert" 2001 (CD Gear Fab gf-169)<br />
Wild avant garde ensemble with electronics, caveman<br />
percussion, ranting vocals and a freaky psychedelic<br />
stew over what is essentially an audio book<br />
recording. The LP was issued in conjunction with a<br />
book of the same title published by Talon Books.<br />
Bissett went on to enduring fame as a poet and<br />
painter. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> "See/Hear"<br />
BIT A SWEET (Long Island, NY)<br />
"Hypnotic 1" 1968 (ABC s-640)<br />
DAVE BIXBY ( )<br />
This popsike album gets points for early willingness to<br />
experiment, and it includes some very primitive<br />
electronics. The opening track starts out sounding like<br />
mediocre orchestrated AM pop, but then moves into an<br />
unexpected and cool sitar interlude. The rest of the<br />
album follows suit, with most songs being both bad and<br />
good. For example, the second song, “2066,” mixes a pop<br />
melody that would make Herman’s Hermits proud with some<br />
somewhat random synthesizer or theremin and sci-fi<br />
lyrics. If they’d never heard "Sgt Pepper", they would<br />
have been a second-rate Association wannabe. As it is<br />
they’re a second-rate Head Shop or Aggregation wannabe.<br />
Fans of Beatles covers might get a kick out of their<br />
version of “If I Needed Someone,” which dispenses with<br />
the song’s best asset, the jangly guitars. This may seem<br />
like a negative review, but this album is actually pretty<br />
fun and has some catchy songs. That said, as this kind of<br />
thing goes, there are dozens of better albums. The mix of<br />
guitar pop, soft rock, trendy psychedelia and occasional<br />
soul brings to mind the Sundowners. A long orchestrated<br />
instrumental has the feeling of not being done by the<br />
band at all, a la the Chocolate Watchband. Pick hit: the<br />
dreamy “With You”. [AM]
"Ode To Quetzalcoatl" 197 (D-24 700320)<br />
BLAC DOG (LA)<br />
Highly rated by the few who have heard it, this<br />
tormented religious loner/downer folk LP has to rank<br />
as one of the ultimate incarnations of the genre. The<br />
opening "Drug Song" sets the tone perfectly as a<br />
supremely world-weary, echo-laden guy laments on how<br />
he screwed himself up with dope; "I'm no longer a<br />
person, I can't even feel". The resolution is (of<br />
course) Christ, who is serenaded in the following<br />
tracks, although the despairing, suicidal mood is<br />
strangely unchanged. Salvation or none, it seems most<br />
things are still a mess for Bixby. Numbers such as<br />
"Mother" and the Grudzien-level "666" confirm such<br />
suspicions. Musically it's a wellwritten lo-fi<br />
recording of steelstringed acoustic and a single<br />
voice, much like Christopher Montgomery, but<br />
undoubtedly more tortured and intense. Frantic guitar<br />
strumming is used to tighten up the tension in an<br />
effective way a la Perry Leopold, while more lyrical<br />
moods are supported by swift fingerpicking. The<br />
vocals are amateurish and somewhat uneven, and in<br />
fact work best when most charged with emotion. The<br />
organic correspondence between lyrics, playing and<br />
arrangements is impressive and makes the LP seem more<br />
alive and artistically aware than most in this often<br />
disappointing genre. Must be heard by any fringe fan.<br />
[PL]<br />
"Backwoods Boogie" 1978 (Crazy Horse 2001)<br />
Swamp fuzz rock, harmonica. Heavy southern rock<br />
boogie sound.<br />
TERRY BLACK (Vancouver, Canada)<br />
"The Black Plague" 1966 (Arc 5001)<br />
"The Black Plague" 2005 (CD Unidisc 2313)<br />
BLACKBIRD ( )<br />
Canadian teenybopper who moved to LA to collaborate<br />
with Sloan-Barri. The LP is often referred to as a<br />
collectable, but is mainly teenbeat with some<br />
tentative garage moves. This is the same guy who<br />
would make the Terence: "An Eye For An Ear" album.<br />
"Blackbird" 1974 (Vinnick Studios var-122)<br />
Moody acoustic folkrock with hippie vibe.
JOHNNY BLACKBURN & MARY LAUREN (TN)<br />
"Echoes of Love's Reality" 1981 (Wind's Eye Music jb-5463)<br />
[booklet]<br />
Despite the 80s recording and release date, this<br />
album has a wonderful mid-70s acid folk vibe. The two<br />
voices blend together beautifully, and the occasional<br />
fuzz guitars give the music an appealing floating<br />
quality. It's dreamy and occasionally meandering,<br />
kind of like a lazy day at the park. The only obvious<br />
80s nod is the use of string synthesizers. Unlike 80s<br />
rarities like Alshia or Child's Art this one just<br />
plain sounds good. The neat arrangements include<br />
oboe, a unlikely but wholly effective instrument for<br />
this type of music. There's not a lot of melodic<br />
variety; it's a long album that maybe could have been<br />
trimmed a bit, but that's a minor complaint. This is<br />
a good one. Most copies are missing the large<br />
booklet, which may have been sold separately from the<br />
album (it was not included inside sealed copies).<br />
[AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Most would probably agree that this is one of the<br />
very best psych-style LPs from the 1980s. Not retro<br />
at all but (like Bobb Trimble) a piece of the late<br />
1960s preserved from time's rust. Male/female vocals<br />
lament and serenade "the quest for knowledge of love<br />
and beauty" in an appealing soundscape, with lyrical<br />
guitar leads throughout, good use of mellotron,<br />
occasional tablas, flute and bells. The recording has<br />
a definite 1981 sound but (again like Bobb) this<br />
somehow becomes an advantage. The vocal blend is<br />
superb and may recall Anonymous and Bermuda Triangle,<br />
while the wistful mood and beautiful melodies is a<br />
bit like British band Ithaca or the melodic sides of<br />
Seventh Dawn. Moments such as "Beautiful Dreamer" go<br />
truly deep and there's not a questionable song on it.<br />
Obviously superior to "collectable" 1970s hippie<br />
couple albums like Susan & Richard Thomas, this is<br />
recommended to anyone open for a folkpsych trip<br />
inside the melancholy and bliss of romance; starryeyed<br />
as a Valentine Day card written on LSD. [PL]<br />
BLACKBURN & SNOW see S F O Music Box<br />
BLACK DIAMONDS ( )<br />
"A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix" 1971 (Alshire s-5220)<br />
This is a repackaging of the Animated Egg album. It's<br />
exactly the same songs, but in a different order and<br />
with new titles that evoke Hendrix songs (i.e. "Hazy<br />
Color," "Experienced You"). B-movie trash psych with<br />
fuzz, reverb, and cheesy go-go organ.<br />
Related/overlapping LPs also include Purple Fox and<br />
Jeff Cooper & Stoned Wings, none of which seem to<br />
have had US pressings. A Spanish pressing exists.<br />
J D BLACKFOOT (Columbus, OH)
"The Ultimate Prophecy" 1971 (Mercury sr-61288) [wlp; photo;<br />
insert]<br />
"The Ultimate Prophecy" 1971 (Mercury sr-61288) [insert]<br />
"The Ultimate Prophecy" 199 (Mercury)<br />
"The Ultimate Prophecy" 199 (CD Tokala)<br />
Remember those "hip" clothes you wore when you were a<br />
young teen, that now, years later in retrospect, made<br />
you look like a complete dork? And how you used to<br />
try to acheive some sort of "oneupmanship" over your<br />
buddies by "discovering" that great unknown or<br />
obscure LP or artist that was really cool??. I bet<br />
that J.D. Blackfoot's "Ultimate Prophesy" was one of<br />
those "cool" LP's for alot of people back in the day.<br />
It was given FM radio play in isolated markets across<br />
the midwest, including heavy play in St. Louis.<br />
Unfortunately, some 30 years later, it's exposed as a<br />
shallow attempt at rural prog rock. Now I must admit<br />
that 15-20 years ago I thought this album was the<br />
shit, one of the best. So I may have entered this<br />
with high expectations... maybe too high. "One Time<br />
Woman" is a mediocre mid-west bar rocker with a dumb,<br />
tiresome chorus. The next cut "Angel" was/is still my<br />
fave on the LP. Sounds like a stoned Pure Prairie<br />
League/Ozark Mtn. Daredevils meets Arthur Lee &<br />
Love... brilliant!! By the third and fourth cuts I<br />
began to realize just how one dimensional the guitar<br />
playing was, not bad, just boring. "Good Day<br />
Extending Company" features more than a few of J.D.'s<br />
patented shouts of "Ugh!!" or somesuch... decent use<br />
of echoed vocals and effects... one of the better<br />
cuts on the LP. "I've Never Seen You" has a<br />
countrified/Byrdsy flavor and sounds like what I<br />
always hoped the "Spur" LP sounded like. "The<br />
Ultimate Prohesy" begins a 5 cut "song cycle" that<br />
describes the process of birth and death as if<br />
narrated by an American Indian with a profound olde<br />
english accent... HUH!!!??? (plenty of hath's, doth's<br />
and thou's). Lots of time changes, acoustic and<br />
electric dispersed pretty evenly, and I am a sucker<br />
for J.D.'s vocals when run through various effects.<br />
But overall it's GOOFY!!! Almost a parody of itself.<br />
I can certainly understand why I was once a fan of<br />
this LP, and why many folks, upon first listens will<br />
dig it as well. But like those red, white and blue<br />
bellbottoms and the t-shirt with Nixon/Agnew tap<br />
dancing across the front of it that I wore in the 7th<br />
grade, this LP just doesn't hold up in 2002. And by<br />
the time I got through side two I swore that if I<br />
heard him yell "Ugh" just one more time I was gonna<br />
send Mr. Blackfoot some Ex-Lax. [RH]<br />
~~~<br />
This album was once a collectors' darling, now a<br />
collectors' joke. As is usually the case, the truth<br />
is somewhere in the middle, and while the rantings<br />
and ravings on side two are laughable, they're never<br />
dull, and the songs rock with a manic intensity (the<br />
drumming is truly insane) that makes it easy to see<br />
how this became an underground classic on St Louis<br />
radio. One side of the craziness is enough, and in<br />
the long run it's the solid rural rock on side one<br />
that will stick with you. "Angel," in particular, is<br />
gorgeous, but their melodic sense is strong<br />
throughout. No, this isn't a masterpiece, but it's an<br />
album I enjoy every time I listen to it. J D<br />
Blackfoot would release two more LPs on Fantasy, and<br />
a local 2LP live set in 1982. The band continued on
BLACKHORSE (TX)<br />
as Osiris after he left the group. A UK pressing<br />
exists with a different cover. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see another full-length review<br />
"Blackhorse" 1979 (DSDA 1)<br />
"Blackhorse" 1993 (Limited Edition, Italy)<br />
Southern style hardrock trio on Dallas label.<br />
BLACK MERDA aka MER-DA (MS; Detroit, MI).<br />
"Black Merda" 1970 (Chess lps-1551)<br />
"Black Merda" 199 (reissue) [altered cover]<br />
Early psych/funk mix that has a great sound and lots<br />
of cool (acoustic and electric) guitar. Songwriting<br />
isn’t as strong as the overall vibe, though, and the<br />
vocals are lousy. A few instrumentals would seem to<br />
remedy that problem, but they’re among the least<br />
interesting songs on the album. Interesting but<br />
frustrating. This album achieved notoriety when the<br />
song "Cnythy-Ruth" was included on the outstanding<br />
funk/psych compilation Chains And Black Exhaust. [AM]<br />
"Long Burn The Fire" 1972 (Janus) [as Mer-Da]<br />
This second album is, for some reason, credited to<br />
“Mer-Da.” The overall vibe is similar to the debut<br />
but the production is smoother, which unfortunately<br />
dulls the effect of the guitars. The songwriting is<br />
better this time around, but the harmonies are the<br />
most out-of-tune you’ll ever hear, so flat that<br />
you’ll think they’ve invented a new style of singing.<br />
If you can get past the singing the lyrics are quite<br />
interesting, with a post-"There's A Riot Goin' On"<br />
depressive feel. [AM]<br />
BLACK ORCHIDS (Charleston, WV)<br />
"AWOL" 1972 (Black Orchid) [no cover; 200p]<br />
Hard psych two-sided instrumental jam.<br />
BLACK VELVET (Las Vegas, NV)<br />
"Black Spirit" 1973 (Krio 01052)<br />
Lounge rock funky realness.<br />
BLACK VOY ALLEY (El Paso, TX)
"Black Voy Alley" 1972 (Black Voy Alley Records BVA 82172)<br />
BLACKWELL (TX)<br />
Obscure 70s cover band doing several Three Dog Night<br />
numbers, mixed with Deep Purple, Traffic, Blue Oyster<br />
Cult.<br />
"Blackwell" 1970 (Astro 9010)<br />
Psychy bluesy rock.<br />
HAL BLAINE (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Psychedelic Percussion" 1967 (Dunhill d-50019) [mono]<br />
"Psychedelic Percussion" 1967 (Dunhill ds-50019) [stereo]<br />
BLAZERS (GA)<br />
Famous L.A. session drummer dons the studio psych hat<br />
and gets real. Spaced-out drum rock with Paul Beaver<br />
(Beaver & Krause) contributing electronics!<br />
"On Fire" 1967 (Perfection Sound Studios 5022/23)<br />
Obscure Southern teen-band club LP.<br />
BLESSED END (Philadelphia, PA)<br />
"Movin' On" 1971 (TNS J248) [1000p]<br />
"Movin' On" 1992 (TNS, Austria) [bootleg]<br />
"Movin' On" 1998 (CD Gear Fab 112) [+1 track]<br />
"Movin' On" 2000 (Akarma 118, Italy) [+1 track]<br />
Have to state right away that I don't like this LP,<br />
I've heard it many times but always found it<br />
mediocre. It's biker psych-rock with Doorsy vocals<br />
and "heavy" outlaw moods, but the songs are<br />
simplistic and boring and the sound unfulfilled and<br />
claustrophobic. A depressing LP to my ears, some<br />
people love it though. The original pressing is<br />
apparently noisy. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Among the few folks who've actually heard this, the<br />
album comes off as either a wonderful slice of Doorsstyled<br />
rock, or utter and complete derivative crap.<br />
For some reason, moderation doesn't seem to exist<br />
with regard to this set. So where do we stand? Well,<br />
we'll cast our lot with the former group. While the<br />
Doors influence is unarguable, most of the ten<br />
originals are actually pretty good. While the<br />
vocalist occasionally overdoes the Jim Morrison vibe,<br />
overall he's a pretty impressive performer, kicking<br />
considerable energy into tracks such as the lead off<br />
rocker "Nighttime Rider", "Someplace To Hide" and the<br />
title track. At the other end of the spectrum, the<br />
set occasionally bogs down amidst the band's penchant
for doom and gloom lyrics, and the band simply can't<br />
match Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger in terms of<br />
compositional skills or instrumental prowess. [SB]<br />
ARTHUR BLESSIT (Hollywood, CA)<br />
"Soul Session at 'His Place'" 1970 (Creative Sound css-1530)<br />
Self-proclaimed 'Minister to Sunset Strip'. 'His<br />
Place' was an all-night nightclub where Blessit<br />
preached his psychedelic take on the gospels. Hippie<br />
street preacher wierdness. On "Soul Session", one<br />
side is Blessit's goofball sermon and the other<br />
features a bizarre play and garagy jamming by exaddicts,<br />
The Eternal Rush! [RM]<br />
FREDDY BLIFFERT (WI)<br />
"You'll Like Bliffert" 197 (no label 1) [insert]<br />
BLIND OWL (Canada)<br />
Stoner folk blues and singer/songwriter. Bliffert was<br />
in 1960s band Freddy & the Freeloaders.<br />
"Blind Owl" 1973 (KC 1010)<br />
1970s folk from little-known act.<br />
BLIND RAVAGE (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"Blind Ravage" 1972 (Crescent Street cs-1874)<br />
BLISS (AZ)<br />
Rhythmic guitar and organ hardrock with growling<br />
vocals.<br />
"Bliss" 1969 (Canyon 7707)<br />
"Bliss" 2002 (Void 023)<br />
One of our favorite recent discoveries, "Bliss" was<br />
released by the L.A.-based Canyon Records. Musically<br />
the LP offered up a mix of originals (all three<br />
members contributing material), and blues covers.<br />
Based on the cover which shows a chalice and a young,<br />
angry looking priest, our initial expectations were<br />
that this might be a Christian-rock LP. Those<br />
thoughts were reinforced by the opener "Ride the Ship<br />
of Fool" which blended a nice melody with sweet<br />
harmonies and a pseudo-religious lyric and "Cry for<br />
Love". While those characteristics are enough to send<br />
a large segment of the population running for cover,<br />
in this case the results aren't half bad. The
eligious sentiments are kept in check throughout and<br />
are wrapped in a series of tasty rockers. With<br />
powerhouse drumming and strong fuzz guitar (check out<br />
"Visions" and their cover of Joe Tex's "I Want To be<br />
Free"), this is simply a great LP! [SB]<br />
BLITZ (Cleveland, OH)<br />
"Oga Erutuf" 1975 (no label)<br />
BLOODY MARY ( )<br />
This hard rock band performed in makeup that was<br />
similar to, but more tribal than, Kiss, making them a<br />
real product of their time. There is one truly putrid<br />
song here, “Don’t Wanna Be Bussed,” which couples an<br />
annoying speak-sing vocal with a horrid attempt at<br />
social commentary. Bands this dumb shouldn’t make<br />
attempts to be meaningful; they dare to insult some<br />
girl’s intelligence in one lyric, while elsewhere<br />
they think that the song title “Holden Me Down” is<br />
spelled correctly. An obvious explanation for their<br />
lack of brainpower can be found in the massive<br />
amounts of references to a stoner lifestyle. That<br />
said, considering the gimmick and the low IQ, other<br />
than that one song, the music on this album is very<br />
good, a pleasant surprise. It’s melodic, hooky, even<br />
tasteful hard rock. A few songs verge on good power<br />
pop and none of them are bogged down by slow paces or<br />
tedious soloing. The dreamy, spacy “Mr. Natural” is<br />
fantastic. So, as long as you skip track two on side<br />
one and don’t pay too much attention to the words,<br />
this is recommended. [AM]<br />
"Bloody Mary" 1974 (Family Productions fps-2707)<br />
BILL BLUE ( )<br />
Oddly, this LP has almost no credits, and the listing<br />
of "John Bradley" as an engineer has many speculating<br />
that the ex-Sir Lord Baltimore drummer/ singer is in<br />
this band. If so, he's certainly lost that je ne sais<br />
quoi that made him so amazing, because the vocals<br />
here are strident without being exciting. The band<br />
plays guitar/organ heavy rock that's relatively<br />
undistinguished, though the closing song on side one<br />
is pretty great. This album has an odd not-quitefunky<br />
hard rock sound that's hard to describe, but<br />
it's likely that a listener will either immediately<br />
like it or immediately hate it. Yet another bizarre<br />
album on the Family label. [AM]<br />
"Indian Summer Blues" 1975 (Feather)<br />
"Street Preacher" 1975 (Feather 7001)<br />
Acoustic folk blues with slide guitar and occasional<br />
piano, second LP has full rock setting.
BLUEBIRD (Seattle, WA)<br />
"Country Boy Blues" 1980 (Piccadilly 3382)<br />
Early 1970s recordings rural folkrock sound with<br />
harmony vocals. The band recorded a still unreleased<br />
LP in 1972, including a live version of "Cantaloupe<br />
Island", also famously covered by Seattle colleagues<br />
Daily Flash.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Grand Theft<br />
BLUEBYRD (Bernidji, MN)<br />
"Bluebyrd" 1975 (no label)<br />
Introspective folk trio with psych leanings. Acoustic<br />
guitar, flute, hand drums.<br />
BLUE JOHN see Thrower Spillane & McFarland<br />
BLUE LIGHT (HI)<br />
"Reflections Of The Inner" 197 (BLPC)<br />
Obscure progessive folk from Hawaii.<br />
BLUE MAX (Amherst, Canada)<br />
"Limited Edition" 1976 (Solar 2011) [1000p]<br />
"Limited Edition" 2003 (CD Gear Fab 203)<br />
BLUE MONEY BAND ( )<br />
Local Nova Scotia teenage hard-rock with band<br />
originals all through.<br />
"No Money Down" 1977 (Money Master)<br />
"Do Your Duty!" 1979 (Money Master 1273-2) [blue vinyl]<br />
Mix of blues, hardrock, and psych with stinging<br />
leads. Ex-Woolies guys.<br />
BLUE MOUNTAIN EAGLE (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Blue Mountain Eagle" 1970 (Atco 33324)<br />
As far as music per $ value goes this is one of the<br />
best scores out there. A 2nd-tier supergroup of<br />
sorts, these guys put together an LP of ballsy psych-
hard rock transition tunes that ranks with any<br />
private press. Fat production with dual guitar leads,<br />
awesome bass runs (by Randy Fuller!) and tight<br />
ensemble singing. Occasional X-ian concerns in the<br />
lyrics and it does have an Agape/All Saved Freak Band<br />
feel. The sound is a consistently balanced mix of<br />
westcoast rock, British hard rock and early Southern<br />
rock; it would have fit well on the Nasco label. To<br />
nitpick some, the male ensemble singing creates a<br />
somewhat detached feel and the production is too<br />
slick in places, but if on a private label and with a<br />
female vocalist this would have been a $500 LP. Great<br />
opening track gives a good idea of the album's sound.<br />
Judging by the catalog number the LP was released in<br />
the Spring 1970. A French pressing exists, and there<br />
is also a non-LP 45 track.<br />
BLUE RIDGE (Long Island, NY)<br />
"Blue Ridge" 1974 (no label r-2025) [100p]<br />
Rural x-ian rock sound with a loose amateur feel.<br />
Several of the tracks have heavy guitar breaks worthy<br />
of Joshua. The vocals are charmingly bad and some of<br />
the lyrics are downright strange like on the trippy<br />
"My Love's Alright" and the amazing anti-abortion<br />
ditty "Unborn Baby". Not a great LP but an<br />
interesting obscurity. The drummer, John Hauser, went<br />
on to play on the Danny & Lynda LP. According to the<br />
band, as few as 100 copies were pressed. [RM]<br />
BLUES CLIMAX see Alan Franklin (Explosion)<br />
BLUES IMAGE (Tampa, FL)<br />
"Something to Say" 1977 (Illusion cm-2006)<br />
"Leavin' My Troubles Behind" 1977 (Illusion cm-2007)<br />
"Ride Captain Ride" 1977 (Illusion cm-2008)<br />
"Can't You Believe in Forever" 1978 (Illusion)<br />
"Clean Love" 1978 (Illusion)<br />
BLUES SPECTRUM (PA)<br />
Bluesy guitar rock featuring Mike Pinera (Iron<br />
Butterfly, Thee Image) on his own tax-scam label. The<br />
band had an earlier hit on Atco with "Ride Captain<br />
Ride". The Illusion LPs are rather difficult to find,<br />
although musically they are a bit too much in the<br />
mainstream roadhouse bag to attract significant<br />
collectors attention. Hopney and Charmer members<br />
provide the backing. The band's earlier wellknown LPs<br />
on Atco are not listed here. [RM]
"We Were the Blues Spectrum" 1969 (no label db-8970)<br />
BLUES TRAIN ( )<br />
High school group. Rough, garagy blues jams with<br />
horns and fuzz. One of the border pieces from garage<br />
into stoner rock.<br />
"Blues/Train" 1969 (Condor 2465)<br />
"Blues/Train" 200 (CD Gear Fab 158)<br />
"Blues/Train" 200 (Gear Fab/Comet 406, Italy)<br />
Jammy blues-rock with possible Johnny Kitchen (Crazy<br />
People, Victims Of Chance, etc) involvement.<br />
BLUES UNION (Houston, TX)<br />
"Blues Union" 1980 (Lunar 2)<br />
Blues rock and Texas shuffle with wailing guitar<br />
courtesy Michael Heyman, early 1970s sound. A 45 was<br />
also released.<br />
BLUE THINGS (Hays, KS)<br />
"Blue Things" 1966 (RCA LPM 3603) [mono]<br />
"Blue Things" 1966 (RCA LSP 3603) [stereo]<br />
"Blue Things" 2002 (RCA) [bootleg]<br />
If you know them from the good psych 45s, beware as<br />
this is for the most part unexceptional Beau Brummels<br />
style folkrock. Admittedly has some good tracks but<br />
is a far cry from their best efforts to my ears. Nice<br />
sleeve design though. An exact vinyl repro now<br />
exists, and all tracks are also available on the<br />
Cicadelic 3-LP set, also issued on CD by<br />
Collectables. The third volume in the series features<br />
their excellent psych-oriented material from 1967.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Due to inclusion in Ritchie Unterberger’s "Unknown<br />
Legends" book, they’ve gotten quite a bit of<br />
attention. A series of CD reissues have mixed up the<br />
album, single and unreleased tracks in a rather<br />
haphazard manner, which in my opinion detracts from<br />
all of them. The actual album is a very enjoyable<br />
folk-rock record with great vocals and a bit of a<br />
rocking garage edge here and there. Most of the<br />
melodies are stolen from somewhere (a “You’ve Got To<br />
Hide Your Love Away” rip is the most blatant), which<br />
keeps this from being completely top shelf, but the<br />
album isn’t packed with filler like most relics of<br />
its time. It has aged surprisingly well. The post-LP<br />
psychedelic singles, which are completely different<br />
from the album, similarly have a great sound to them<br />
but are a tad short on ideas. The same backwards<br />
guitar sound runs through all of them and one of them<br />
steals the Monkees’ “Last Train To Clarksville”<br />
melody. [AM]
BOA (MI)<br />
"Wrong Road" 1971 (Snakefield 001) [circa 500p]<br />
"Wrong Road" 199 (Snakefield) [bootleg]<br />
"Wrong Road" 1998 (CD Gear Fab 113) [+2 tracks]<br />
"Wrong Road" 1998 (Gear Fab 113) [+2 tracks]<br />
This cool early hardrock item has every bit as much<br />
garage attitude as the best '66 LPs. An enjoyable<br />
energizer with wild stories about murder and<br />
infidelity in a raunchy basement guitar/organ<br />
setting. Crappy press and one of the least<br />
professional band photos ever on the sleeve. A minor<br />
classic within the field. A 10" acetate recorded as<br />
Anvil in 1970 has also been found. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This late garage album has a rough sound, cheesy<br />
organ, simple hooks, and lyrics about the singer<br />
murdering his girlfriend. I like the cymbal-happy<br />
drummer and the fact that the bass is way too high in<br />
the mix. I can’t say the same about over-loud backing<br />
vocals, though. Overall, this is a decent garagebordering-on-hard-rock<br />
album where the cheap<br />
production works both for it and against it. The<br />
songs and playing are decent; the energy level is<br />
high, the singer is appealing. The closing song rocks<br />
particularly hard. The only problem is that the “oh<br />
oh” vocals in the last couple of minutes are horribly<br />
out of tune, ending things on a sour note. That issue<br />
aside, most of you will enjoy this quite a bit. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Here's some more Boa details, from ex-band member Ted<br />
Burris: "The first time we went to the recording<br />
studio (and made the acetate) was in 1970. It was<br />
Anvil's first attempt at recording. The guy that<br />
recorded us was a cerebral palsey victim and worked<br />
the controls with the back of his knuckles. The next<br />
time we got together we did it ourself in a<br />
Tupperware warehouse owned by Brian the keyboardists'<br />
dad. It was all done live, so if we made a mistake we<br />
had to start over."<br />
BOA CONSTRICTOR & A NATURAL VINE (Baltimore, MD)<br />
BOAZ (WI)<br />
"Boa Constrictor and a Natural Vine" 1968 (Vanguard Apostolic<br />
vsd-6511) [promo exists]<br />
Dark bluesy underground folk. Primitive strummed<br />
guitar sound with moody sax and downer lyrical<br />
concerns. Like down and out country blues 78s<br />
filtered through a hippie seeker's prism. The LP was<br />
also released in Canada & UK. [RM]
"Three of a Kind" 1978 (Blue Moon)<br />
Heavy guitar trio bluesy swamp rock mixed with rural<br />
Deadish sound.<br />
BOBBY'S BLUES BAND ( )<br />
"Gold Dust" 1978 (Royal Rose)<br />
Inept real people guitar rock and keys with backwards<br />
parts and long wayward jams that sound like its the<br />
first time they've ever played together. "My love is<br />
like an island in the sun" brings in weird caribbean<br />
atmospheres for a memorable experience, approaching<br />
some of the sleepier Grateful Dead clone bands from a<br />
novel angle. [RM]<br />
BOHEMIAN VENDETTA (Long Island, NY)<br />
"Bohemian Vendetta" 1968 (Mainstream 56106) [mono]<br />
"Bohemian Vendetta" 1968 (Mainstream S-6106) [stereo]<br />
"Bohemian Vendetta" 1997 (Mainstream) [bootleg]<br />
"Bohemian Vendetta" 199 (CD Mainstream) [bootleg]<br />
"Bohemian Vendetta" 1998 (Distortions) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"Bohemian Vendetta" 199 (CD Distortions) [+bonus tracks]<br />
Interest in this has surged recently and quite<br />
rightly too, as this is one of the best acid-punk LPs<br />
ever. Clearly inspired by "Electric Comicbook"-era<br />
Blues Magoos, these Long Island kids definitely had a<br />
problem with both drugs and their attitude! Their<br />
originals are excellent Vox organ/fuzz teen garage<br />
psych and the covers pretty demented as well. The<br />
cough syrup highschool play vibe of "Deaf, Dumb &<br />
Blind" must be heard to be believed. Not a perfect<br />
album, but the highs are higher than on almost any<br />
other LP of this kind. Possibly the best on the<br />
label, at least if you prefer the 60s teen-garage<br />
approach over hippie longhairs. A Canadian pressing<br />
exists. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Easily one of the best on the label with lots of<br />
classy psychpunk originals and a truly unique vibe<br />
all through it. These guys must've been left pretty<br />
much on their own in the studio, probably accompanied<br />
by large amounts of weed and cheap beer! You can<br />
almost hear the degeneration taking place, from the<br />
almost straight punky performance of "Riddles &<br />
Fairytales" to the utterly demented "Satisfaction".<br />
They even manage to re-write "Gloria" into "(She<br />
Always Gives Me) Pleasure" and give it way dirtyer<br />
lyrics. The whole album must be heard to be believed<br />
- a truly unique LP, especially for a major label!
BOLD (MA)<br />
One of the few genuine US garage/acid punk LP's from<br />
the 60's no doubt. The pre-LP 45 ("Enough" / "Half<br />
The Time" on United Artists) is also an essential<br />
killer. [MM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Dust Bowl Clementine; Faine Jade<br />
"The Bold" 1969 (ABC s-705)<br />
"Lullaby Opus 4" 2003 (CD Misty Lane 067, Italy) [album +6<br />
tracks]<br />
Overlooked psych-era album from band with famous<br />
garage 45s; the LP is an appealing mix of floating<br />
dreamy Northeast organ psych a la Freeborne and early<br />
rural rock, has some really good psych tracks and is<br />
worth checking out. Three wellknown covers lessen the<br />
impact but not enough so to ruin the LP. Vinylsourced<br />
CD reissue has the band's garage-era 45s as<br />
bonus. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This Bosstown album probably failed to attract<br />
attention because it came a few years after the hype.<br />
Looking at the cover and seeing three familiar cover<br />
versions, you’d expect something unremarkable, but<br />
this is a real find, an original, highly creative<br />
album that stands with the best from the city. Lots<br />
of cool organ, interesting experiments (including a<br />
shimmering guitar instrumental that anticipates<br />
ambient music), jazzworthy chops, hooks that sneak up<br />
on you. Should appeal equally to psych and prog fans.<br />
Even the cover versions are great. Despite being on a<br />
major label, this rarely shows up for sale. [AM]<br />
BOLDER DAMN (Fort Lauderdale, FL)<br />
"Mourning" 1971 (Hit 5061) [500p]<br />
"Mourning" 1991 (Rockadelic) [altered cvr; insert; 300p]<br />
"Mourning" 1997 (CD Rockadelic)<br />
"Mourning" 2001 (Void 21)<br />
Underground teenage hardrock LP in the typical early<br />
70s bag with realistic lyrics about Vietnam. Strained<br />
pseudo-macho vocals may be seen as drawback, though<br />
probably appear charming to others. Often compared to<br />
Black Sabbath which is a fair analogy, though this<br />
has a more rural sound. Also shows some other<br />
ambitions on the long track on side 2. A classic<br />
among local hardrockers. As often, ridiculously low<br />
estimates of the pressing size have been in<br />
circulation, while the band has reported a more<br />
normal run of 500 copies. The vinyl reissue has<br />
altered track order. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This band's popularity was almost entirely due to<br />
their Alice Cooper-inspired stage show, something<br />
that obviously is missing from the LP. The result is<br />
that whatever excitement they generated just isn't<br />
apparent to the listener, and the result is an<br />
enthusiastic but not particularly distinguished hard<br />
rock album. [AM]
BONDSMEN ( )<br />
"Bondsmen" 1966 (Austin)<br />
BONNEVILLES (NC)<br />
Quite obscure teenbeat LP.<br />
"Bringing It Home" 1967 (Justice 146)<br />
"Bringing It Home" 1967 (CD Collectables 0623)<br />
Perhaps the archetypal Justice LP, even has a ballsy<br />
statement declaring the death of the "Liverpool<br />
Sound" and the "Tottenham Sound", and the coming<br />
victory of the blue-eyed frat-soul Justice sound. The<br />
lame-ass Billboard R'n'B 100 covers and uninspired<br />
playing found on the actual record stand in stark<br />
contrast to this bravado. Usual fare for the label,<br />
the hippest things being an incorrectly interpreted<br />
"96 tears" and a closing instro. Organ upfront,<br />
sloppy drummer, harmony vocals with lyric mistakes<br />
left intact; everything you can ask for. Band are 6<br />
shorthaired dorks, 2 with glasses. [PL]<br />
BONNIWELL MUSIC MACHINE see Music Machine<br />
T S BONNIWELL (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
BOOT (FL)<br />
"Close" 1969 (Capitol st-277) [green label]<br />
Dark crooner LP from Music Machine main guy. Held in<br />
low regard by MM fans but in fact well worth checking<br />
out for fringe/downer lounge LP fans. Bleak and<br />
introspective interiors from the acid hangover era:<br />
"Candles at noon, still shining/Poetry cold,<br />
unrhyming." [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Music Machine<br />
"Boot" 1972 (Agape lp-2601)<br />
This hard rock album by some down home Southern guys<br />
has an amusing album cover and some excellent music.<br />
Side one has four winners : they’re hooky, the guitar<br />
playing is hot, the rhythm section is tight and the<br />
singing is very good. There are no keyboards on this<br />
album, but the guitars provide plenty of variety,<br />
with slide guitar, lots of wah-wah, acoustic to add<br />
color, and two nice side-ending washes of feedback.<br />
The sound is hard without being heavy; the tempos are<br />
upbeat, the vibe is bar band rock and roll. Side two<br />
adds a hint of a rural edge (after all, these guys<br />
are Southerners), and while it’s not quite as<br />
consistent as side one, it’s strong enough to make
this album a definite keeper. It’s comparable to, as<br />
professional sounding, and better than, major label<br />
bands like Jukin’ Bone and Stray Dog, etc… The label<br />
is “Agape,” but there are no Christian lyrics, as far<br />
as I can tell. [AM]<br />
"Turn the Other Cheek" 1977 (Guiness gns-36002)<br />
This shows typical second album “growth,” moving from<br />
the first album’s straight hard rock into melodic<br />
guitar rock, bluesy southern rock and a side-long<br />
suite with prog leanings. Mostly it’s quite good and<br />
the guitar playing continues to be effective and<br />
varied. The great opening song “It’s All Comin’ Down”<br />
beats the best songs from the first album. Too bad<br />
about the five minute drum solo near the end of side<br />
one. It’s full of trippy sound effects, but it’s<br />
still a drum solo. Otherwise, this is recommended<br />
just a tad less strongly than their self-titled<br />
album. As is usually the case with tax scam label<br />
releases, it has not been determined when this music<br />
was recorded, but it’s unlikely that the distance<br />
between the two albums really is five years. [AM]<br />
BOOTH, DAVIS & LOWE (AZ)<br />
"Prototype" 1978 (Titicaca)<br />
BOREALIS (Canada)<br />
Heavy progressive guitar rock with synth and<br />
glockenspiel(!). Excepting the chunky, finger-flying<br />
fusion guitar, not terribly memorable. [RM]<br />
"Sons Of The Sea" 1972 (Audat 477-9025/6)<br />
"Sons Of The Sea" 199 (Audat, Germany) [bootleg]<br />
"Sons Of The Sea" 200 (Void 23) [500p]<br />
"Sons Of The Sea / Professor Fuddle's" 2005 (CD Beatball, South<br />
Korea) [2-on-1]<br />
Obscure and not that exciting bluesy organ-led<br />
psychrock from Canada, similar to side 2 on Jarvis St<br />
Revue. Two or three standout tracks like "Tomorrow<br />
morning" while the rest is sort of average. The<br />
reissue might be worth checking out. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is heavier than most Canadian keyboard-led rock<br />
of its time, but not a whole lot more memorable. It<br />
sounds pretty good on first listen but once you get<br />
used to the songs you realize there's not much there.<br />
[AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Professor Fuddle's
BORN AGAIN (CA)<br />
BORUK ( )<br />
"Born Again Pagan" 2002 (Rockadelic 42) [600p]<br />
"Born Again Pagan" 2005 (CD Shadoks 073, Germany)<br />
Previously unreleased 1970-71 tapes from Marin County<br />
band who flirted with success in L A. Cool,<br />
convincing early Southern rock exposé with<br />
inspiration coming from the Faces and heroin-era<br />
Stones rather than Memphis, I would think. Strong<br />
songwriting and solid grooves with standard rock<br />
setting plus piano and appropriate bourbon-soaked<br />
vocals. It's All Meat at their rootsiest is one point<br />
of reference. Nice gatefold cover with a big pic of<br />
Pat Boone (don't ask), my only gripe being the<br />
compressed and tinny soundscape on some tracks. A<br />
neat trip for those who dare think outside the<br />
garage/psych box. [PL]<br />
"Blackhole Boogie" 196 (no label bg-0606)<br />
Beat poetry and sampling (Beatles, Stones, etc)<br />
collage. Has a strong sexual component. 25 tracks!<br />
V.A "BOSS DANCE HITS" (HI)<br />
"Boss Dance Hits" 1966 (Teen 1001)<br />
Hawaii sampler of local surf and frat. Side 1 is<br />
Telstars, side 2 is Mopptops, Casuals Of Waikiki, and<br />
more.<br />
BOULDER BROTHERS ( )<br />
"A Period Of Time" 1975 (Sheepeater 000-1)<br />
BOUNTY (CA)<br />
Obscure rural/countryrock with nice double exposure<br />
front cover.<br />
"Bounty" 1981 (Harts 755)<br />
Synth-led progressive. Including ARP Odyssey, Solana<br />
string ensemble, Steinway piano, guitar, bass, drums.<br />
BOW STREET RUNNERS (Fayetteville, NC)
"Bow Street Runners" 1970 (BT Puppy 1026)<br />
"Bow Street Runners" 1995 (T.U.T, Austria) [300#d; bootleg;<br />
altered sleeve]<br />
"Bow Street Runners" 1996 (Sundazed 5029) [green vinyl]<br />
"Bow Street Runners" 1996 (CD Sundazed 6112)<br />
A legendary LP, for long rated as the rarest psych LP<br />
on a "real" record label. Unfortunately some tracks<br />
are in a blues/jugband style I doubt anyone will<br />
enjoy. Side 1 is good with a youthful 1967-68 classic<br />
psych sound, while side 2 is clearly weaker.<br />
"Electric star" is sheer perfection with its female<br />
vocals, spaced-out lyrics and wild fuzz breaks, while<br />
"Another face" is drowsy pot-psych with an amusing<br />
one-note "solo". These two are the standout tracks,<br />
with the opening "Watch" a strong organ/guitar<br />
garage-psycher also worth hearing. That's about where<br />
the good stuff ends to my ears, and like the New<br />
Tweedy Bros it's a case of the legend overshadowing<br />
the actual music, once you sit down and actually<br />
listen to the album. Beware of the Austrian bootleg,<br />
which has a lame new sleeve. An original 1971 Mexican<br />
pressing on Panamusic/Sol exists, with altered cover<br />
design. [PL]<br />
KENT HARRISON BOYLES (MD)<br />
"Kent Harrison Boyles" 1973 (no label)<br />
Local obscurity described as 1970s basement<br />
folkrock/singer-songwriter with UK pop angles.<br />
J LELAND BRADDOCK (MS)<br />
"Evil Is On My Mind" 1975 (Live Bears no #)<br />
This occasionally shows up on dealer lists as a rare<br />
psych effort. The rare part is probably true since<br />
less than 500 copies were reportedly pressed. In<br />
contrast, the psych label is pretty far off target as<br />
his format is fairly straightforward blues. Backing<br />
himself on acoustic guitar and harmonica, nothing<br />
here is particularly original, though to my ears he<br />
occasionally bares a resemblance to a bluesy (if<br />
bizarre) cross between Joe South, Leon Redbone and<br />
some 80 year old blues guy ('The New Willie Brown'<br />
and 'Diamond Ring'). Another big drawback is the fact<br />
that much of the material has the same kind of sound.<br />
A guy strumming an acoustic guitar and playing<br />
harmonica has certain aural limitations and those are<br />
clear on Braddock's set of acoustic, mid-tempo<br />
numbers. It's simply hard to tell where something<br />
like 'Hometown Blues' ends and 'Lucy's Debut' starts.
Bottom line is this one didn't do much for me, but<br />
might find some interest in 'real people' devotees.<br />
Sides 1 and 2 are reversed between the liner notes<br />
and the actual playing sequence. [SB]<br />
"That Second Mile" 1976 (Live Bears)<br />
DON BRADY & THE LAST EARTHBOUND BAND ( )<br />
"Mostly Live" 1977 (Lizard)<br />
VICTOR BRADY (NY)<br />
Wasted rural jams.<br />
"Brown Rain" 1970 (Polydor) [wlp exists]<br />
"Brown Rain" 2005 (CD Syn-Ton, Austria)<br />
JOHN BRAHENY ( )<br />
You'll never hear another album like this one --<br />
seriously heavy rock with the lead instrument being<br />
steel drums. Brady's band is really hot, and for a<br />
song or two this unlikely combination of sounds is<br />
exhilarating. A full listen to the LP, though, shows<br />
that it doesn't really work; it clashes and seems<br />
more like a novelty than a truly good idea,<br />
especially on a few long jams. Recommended to the<br />
brave among you. [AM]<br />
"Some Kind of Change" 1968 (Pete s-104) [gatefold]<br />
Braheny is remembered mostly as the writer of the<br />
Stone Poneys’ “December Dream,” but his talent ran<br />
much deeper than that, and this is a great album<br />
worthy of rediscovery. About half of the songs are<br />
excellent laid-back rural folk-rockers, including<br />
“December Dream” and the sublime “Grey Day.” The rest<br />
of the album is experimental, highlighted by the<br />
electronics on the title track and the long free-form<br />
instrumental that closes side two. Though marred by a<br />
six-minute track mixed below a monologue from an LA<br />
tour bus driver (mildly interesting on first listen,<br />
highly irritating thereafter), this album is near the<br />
top of the psychedelic singer-songwriter heap. [AM]<br />
BRAIN POLICE (San Diego, CA)<br />
"Brain Police" 1968 (K.B. Artists wr-4767) [no sleeve;<br />
insert]<br />
"Brain Police" 1997 (Rockadelic 26) [diecut sleeve; insert;<br />
600p]<br />
"Brain Police" 2000 (Akarma 174, Italy) [altered gatefold<br />
sleeve]<br />
"Brain Police" 2000 (CD Akarma 174, Italy)<br />
"Brain Police" 2000 (CD Shadoks 8, Germany) [+bonus tracks]
Nicely done reissue of little-known (at the time)<br />
demo LP. Energetic organ/guitar psych-rock with a<br />
Brit/top 40 influence, pretty solid but slightly<br />
overrated to my ears; songwriting is good but not<br />
exceptional and loud simplistic drumming is a minus.<br />
Basically the vibe of a solid club band having<br />
rounded up enough originals to get with the new and<br />
more creative times. 50 copies of the Rockadelic<br />
release came on green vinyl. Reissued again to meet<br />
popular demand, this 2nd press is less ambitious in<br />
the packaging. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Demo LP from San Diego '68, with lotsa variation from<br />
folkpsych/pop and west coast/Moby Grape influences,<br />
to full-on fuzz blasters. It might sound a bit dull<br />
at first, but grows with repeated listening. One of<br />
the better Rockadelic reissues in my opinion. [MM]<br />
BRAMANTE & CROSS ( )<br />
BRAT ( )<br />
"When The Music's On" 1972 (private)<br />
Male & female duo doing hippie folkrock with basic<br />
band setting in homemade sleeve.<br />
"Brat" 1973 (no label r-2826) [1-sided; no cover; 150p]<br />
Guitar rock, includes covers of "The Nazz are Blue"<br />
and "The Kids are Alright".<br />
BRAZDA BROTHERS (Canada)<br />
"Brazda Brothers" 1972 (Dominion 93077) [5000p]<br />
"Brazda Brothers" 2001 (Void 29)<br />
"Brazda Brothers" 2002 (CD Hallucinations)<br />
Appealing rural hippie folkrock with short, succinct<br />
tunes and a Neil Young vibe. Songwriting is good, and<br />
the vocals relaxed and soulful. The setting is<br />
acoustic guitars, drums and occasional keyboard,<br />
while one atypical rocker has raw fuzz-leads. Good LP<br />
with atmosphere, though they don't look too hip on<br />
the cover. Well worth examining for genre fans, while<br />
others may think it unexceptional. One of the better<br />
in the style from Canada, a lot stronger than the the<br />
Folklords or Jeremy Dormouse. Despite its relative<br />
rarity, a band member reports the press size as no<br />
less than 5000 copies. There was also a non-LP 45.<br />
[PL]<br />
J D BRENNAN & GOLD FEVER (Boston, MA)
BREW ( )<br />
Brennan's work falls outside the Archives timeframe<br />
but should appeal to some readers, at least those of<br />
an Incredibly Strange persuasion. Six LPs from 1984-<br />
1990 have been logged, done in pressings of 200<br />
copies on his own Scyne label. The music has been<br />
described as "amazing 50 year-old 'real people'<br />
rocker who manages to sneak in a powerful psychedelic<br />
edge to his echoed rockabilly twist."<br />
~~~<br />
see -> J D Brennan (in the Attic)<br />
"A Very Strange Brew" 1969 (ABC 672)<br />
BRIDGE (Canada)<br />
This is a pretty solid garage rock effort. Though no<br />
one song really stands out and it's not especially<br />
original, it's enjoyable straight through. Pre-Impala<br />
Syndrome. [AM]<br />
"Bridge" 1971 (Vintage Records)<br />
Bridge answer the question, for anyone who wishes to<br />
know, what happened to the Canadian band David after<br />
their lone record on Sound Canada in the late 60s.<br />
Guitarist Francis Webster, bassist John Webster, and<br />
drummer Tony Lecallion from David make up Bridge who<br />
recorded this ultra obscure and rare record at the<br />
same Sound Canada studios in 1971. Next to each song<br />
is a brief description of the musical genre of each<br />
ranging from "Ego Trip" to "Country" to "jazz<br />
shuffle." What this album is differs drastically from<br />
what you'd expect from David. The best way to<br />
describe Bridge's album would be "Sweetheart Of The<br />
Rodeo" on tons of acid! There is no fuzz guitar, but<br />
a clean westcoast shimmering tone on all tracks,<br />
bizarre vocal effects on the tripped out "It's My<br />
Life" and plenty of weirdness present for the whole<br />
album. The tracks that are labeled "Country" all have<br />
a strange bent to them despite being early back-tothe-roots<br />
country rock influenced by Graham Parsons<br />
and "real" country artists like Hank Williams. The<br />
long "Ego Trip" version of Little Richard's "You're<br />
My Girl" is great fun and the only good version I've<br />
heard of one of his songs. There is something here<br />
very enjoyable for anyone looking for a bizarre<br />
twisted record of fun music, especially "Brand New<br />
Day" with echoes of Spirit and a bit of Freeborne.<br />
Very rare and a good one. - Ben Blake Mitchner<br />
THE BRIDGE (Greensboro, NC)<br />
"Just For You" 1971 (Crescent City Studios 1226)<br />
"Hallelujah" 1972 (Crescent City Studios 1241)<br />
"Unto The Lord" 1973 (Custom PRP 44552)
"Best of the Bridge" 2001 (CD Hidden Vision)<br />
BRIDGES ( )<br />
Christian melodic folkrockers rated highly by some.<br />
The CD is a selection of tracks from all three LPs.<br />
"Tradewinds" 1978 (no label)<br />
Communal hippie folk.<br />
BRIGADE (Portland, OR)<br />
"Last Laugh" 1970 (Band 'n' Vocal 1066) [inner sleeve; 100p]<br />
"Last Laugh" 1991 (Del-Val 003) [insert; 350p]<br />
"Last Laugh" 2000 (Shadoks 11, Germany) [insert]<br />
"Last Laugh" 200 (CD Shadoks 11, Germany)<br />
The charm of the amateur comes rolling off this<br />
record in waves. The recording quality is marginal,<br />
but the playing fits that like a glove. The vocals<br />
have a strident character that floors me whenever I<br />
hear this and the way the organ dominates the sound,<br />
the way the bass and drums struggle to hold things<br />
together, the harmonies on "Desert Song (You're Not<br />
Alone)", the almost jazzy quality the guitar takes on<br />
the killer opener track "Change In Me", the monster<br />
that opens the second side ("Self-Made God"), the way<br />
the band just shoots for moves they have no chance of<br />
pulling off... These guys must have fallen into a<br />
glacier in 1966 and were defrosted moments before the<br />
LP was recorded. Where most European, Latin American<br />
and Asian rarities are professional-grade rock<br />
records that never found the market to sell in<br />
numbers so we'd all be familiar with them thirty<br />
years down the line, the best of the lost & obscure<br />
American records are those that, like this one, are<br />
performed by young people more earnest than capable.<br />
It's that enthusiasm the pours from the speakers when<br />
I play this and that "charm of the amateur" collects<br />
in puddles on the music room floor. Highly<br />
recommended. [SD]<br />
~~~<br />
Moody organ-led garage by high school seniors with<br />
proggy tendencies in the compositions and lyrics.<br />
Really annoying warbling vocals and meandering songs.<br />
Of interest mainly for the organ textures and "Self<br />
Made God", which has some bite and the trippy<br />
reverse-negative cover. A good example of a band<br />
reaching way beyond their grasp and crashing to the<br />
earth in a disfigured heap. Some sealed originals<br />
actually contained the wrong record, a bonus I'd say!<br />
The atypically small press size has been reported by<br />
the band. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
This album has the same low-budget reverby charm as
Mystery Meat or the Bachs, though the music is<br />
somewhat more complex than those garage bands. The<br />
songs are longer, the solos more extended, the organ<br />
jazzier and much more prominent than the guitar.<br />
Despite the more ambitious music, there’s a definite<br />
ragged feel here, from the straining vocals to the<br />
occasionally sloppy rhythms to the guitars, which<br />
don’t always sound in tune. There are some really<br />
good songs here, and the overall feel of a garage<br />
band that’s desperately trying to be something more<br />
has its charm. Other reviews of this album appear to<br />
be either really positive or really negative. I think<br />
the true value of this album falls somewhere in<br />
between. It’s likeable, has its moments, and grows on<br />
you, but isn’t the very best in the genre. My<br />
favorites on the album: the dirge-like “Desert Song,”<br />
which has lots of eerie organ, the subtly powerful<br />
“Self-Made God” and the catchy title track. [AM]<br />
BRIGG (Danville, PA)<br />
"Brigg" 1973 (Susquehanna 301) [1000p]<br />
"Brigg" 1988 (Hablabel 1002)<br />
"Brigg" 199 (CD Mind's Eye)<br />
Been I while since I heard this though it didn't make<br />
much impact on me, sorta standard rural hippie<br />
folkprog that's OK listenable but not much more.<br />
Never heard anyone being too excited about it either.<br />
"Hey Mister" is a catchy track. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Dreamy stoned psych recorded for a high school winter<br />
term project. Brigg was conceived by Rob Morse and<br />
Jeff Willoughby. Rusty Foulke was added on and Hybrid<br />
Ice Company (including Willoughby and Foulke) played<br />
on three tracks to fill out the album. The back cover<br />
photos of Rob Morse and Rusty Foulke were<br />
inadvertently switched. Hybrid Ice reappeared with a<br />
local indie hit AOR LP in the early 1980s. [RM]<br />
GEORGE BRIGMAN [& SPLIT] (Baltimore, MD)<br />
"Jungle Rot" 1975 (Solid 001) [1000p]<br />
"Jungle Rot" 199 (Solid) [bootleg]<br />
"Jungle Rot" 200 (CD Synton, Austria)<br />
"Jungle Rot" 2005 (CD Radioactive, UK)<br />
"Jungle Rot" 2005 (Anopheles 009)<br />
"Jungle Rot" 2005 (CD Bona Fide) [+3 tracks]<br />
"I Can Hear The Ants Dancin'" 1994 (OR 004) [paste-on; white<br />
label; 225#d]<br />
"I Can Hear The Ants Dancin'" 1994 (OR 004) [printed cover;<br />
stock label; 1000p]<br />
"I Can Hear The Ants Dancin'" 2005 (CD Bona Fide) [+10 tracks]<br />
Local Maryland legend that's been popular almost<br />
since day one with collectors due to his<br />
uncompromising underground attack. He has an amazing<br />
voice full of snarl and venom plus layers of murky<br />
fuzz and phasing in the background. The overall feel<br />
of "Jungle Rot" is like looking out at a 70s ghetto<br />
street full of garbage and car wrecks from the window<br />
of a basement crash pad. Stylistically interesting as
it contains elements of both psych, hardrock and<br />
1970s punk/DIY, and has garnered fans in all three<br />
fields. The recording has a crude demo sound which<br />
isn't entirely to its advantage, and it could be<br />
argued that the music would have been even more<br />
effective with a more stringent drummer. Nevertheless<br />
this is an important document of 1970s inner city<br />
despair. Lyrics hit the same renegade vibes as the<br />
music, even on the softer songs. Among Brigman's<br />
other releases are a 45 from 1977 and a 5-track EP<br />
for Bona Fide in 1985. The "Ants" material was<br />
recorded in 1976 and originally released on cassetteonly<br />
in 1982 (300 copies). [PL]<br />
BRIMSTONE (Youngstown, OH)<br />
"Paper Winged Dreams" 1973 (Peppermint Productions PP-1022)<br />
[color cover]<br />
"Paper Winged Dreams" 198 (Peppermint Productions, Europe)<br />
[bootleg; b&w cover]<br />
"Paper Winged Dreams" 199 (CD no label)<br />
"Paper Winged Dreams" 199 (CD Camellia)<br />
Rather irresistable melodic prog/artrock LP with a<br />
light, airy feel throughout. The band belongs at the<br />
dreamy Moody Blues/Camel end of the prog spectrum,<br />
with flawless vocal harmonies, long classicalinspired<br />
keyboard excursions and plenty of nonaggressive<br />
guitar interplay. Side one is shorter<br />
structured song with a highpoint in the opening "Dead<br />
sleep at night" which is almost Beatleish in its<br />
directness and appeal. Side 2 is a sidelong suite in<br />
five movements and mainly instrumental, and fairly<br />
successful at that. The album's emotional range isn't<br />
terribly wide and the band skirts daringly along the<br />
edge of blandness, but the end result is superbly<br />
realized and charming in its harmonious mood. This is<br />
one of the least pretentious local prog LPs, and also<br />
one of the least preaching Christian albums around,<br />
and what might have been a dog turns out to be<br />
something of a surprise winner. There is also a non-<br />
LP 45. [PL]<br />
BRITISH MODBEATS (Saint Catherine, Canada)<br />
"Mod Is... the British Modbeats" 1967 (Red Leaf 1002)<br />
"Mod Is... the British Modbeats" 1998 (CD Flash, Italy)<br />
The album compiles the band's four earlier singles,<br />
along with three previously unreleased tracks. Other<br />
reviewers have said the same thing, but in light of<br />
the stunning cover photo (those are some pretty<br />
friggin' amazing bell bottoms), the band's set of<br />
popular covers is somewhat disappointing. There's
nothing particularly wrong with any of the material,<br />
but tracks such as 'Whatcha Gonna Do About It', ' The<br />
Price of Love' and 'No More Love' sound surprisingly<br />
tame and even bland, seldom rising above the level of<br />
competent bar band fodder. Best of the lot are the up<br />
tempo 'Somebody Help Me' and The Pretty Things cover<br />
'L.S.D.'. Interestingly, Loveman's vocals sound like<br />
he suffered from a lisp. [SB]<br />
BRITISH NORTH AMERICAN ACT (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"In The Beginning" 1969 (Now rss-6700)<br />
"In The Beginning" 1987 (Antar 7, UK)<br />
"In The Beginning" 199 (CD Afterglow UK)<br />
"In The Beginning" 2004 (Akarma, Italy)<br />
One of many pop-psych LPs from Canada, most of which<br />
are only so-so. I kinda like this, there are flashes<br />
of real talent and a solid consistency throughout,<br />
with the typical London/LA '67 mix, good vocals and<br />
excellent use of organ. "Don't run away" is perhaps<br />
the best track and has been reissued on Echoes In<br />
Time. Neat sleeve design. The LP is surprisingly<br />
expensive. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This album sounds earlier than it is; it's closer to<br />
British Invasion pop, or at least mid-60s Paul Revere<br />
& The Raiders-type garage rock, than to late-60s<br />
rock. The band's name is quite appropriate. It's a<br />
nice little pop album, unpretentious but confident,<br />
with consistently good songwriting and singing. Some<br />
of it is in a fine dreamy folk-rock mode with lots of<br />
reverb and echo and a strong backdrop of organ and<br />
choral backing vocals. Very nice. [AM]<br />
JAIME BROCKETT (Boston, MA)<br />
"Remember the Wind and the Rain" 1968 (Oracle ors-701)<br />
"Remember the Wind and the Rain" 1969 (Capitol ST 678)<br />
"Remember the Wind and the Rain" 2005 (CD Collector's Choice)<br />
BROKEN BOW (WI)<br />
Rural folk drifter with a notable, long story-song<br />
"Legend of the USS Titanic". The Capitol pressing is<br />
easy to find. Brockett had a second LP "2" on Capitol<br />
and a third LP in 1977.<br />
"Arrival" 1980 (Couderay)<br />
Good drifting folkrock. [RM]<br />
BROKEN BOW & IDABELL (Shreveport, LA)<br />
"This Album Is Different" 1976 (Broken Bow & Idabell no#)<br />
[gatefold; lyric sheet; sticker]<br />
Psych fans and dealers seem to hate this album,
partially because when discovered it was immediately<br />
given an outrageous multi-hundred dollar price tag<br />
and inaccurate descriptions by several dealers. I may<br />
be in the minority, but I completely enjoy it. The<br />
back cover describes it as “one garage, one album,<br />
two fools, three years,” and it clearly is a labor of<br />
love. These two guys lovingly put together sixteen<br />
elaborately arranged songs on a 16-track machine.<br />
They pulled out all of the stops—some songs have<br />
horns, chorales, pedal steel, synth, etc, giving<br />
variety to a number of 70s melodic (not hard rocking)<br />
pop/rock styles. A strong sense of comedy is apparent<br />
throughout, which may be what put some people off<br />
(the album is most easily compared to Northern Front,<br />
though this is much better, or R. Stevie Moore,<br />
though this is nowhere near as good). Despite the<br />
oddness, the music itself is straightforward and of<br />
its time, with only a few dreamy ballads and one<br />
backwards bit to attract psych fans, and a tad bit of<br />
snyth to attract prog fans (i.e. it’s no surprise<br />
that both types of collectors reacted negatively to<br />
it.) The songs are well-written and tightly<br />
performed, though, and you have to give credit to a<br />
band that can pull off a calypso song with a country<br />
middle section. If the above descriptions haven’t yet<br />
sent you fleeing, I recommend it despite the<br />
naysayers. For a private press, this has very<br />
professional packaging. [AM]<br />
BRONIN HOGMAN BAND (Manchester, NH)<br />
"Bronin Hogman Band" 1976 (Gamut) [insert]<br />
Mainstream 70s prog with mild heavy moves. Very<br />
professional and competent for what it is, but I<br />
can't see it appealing to psych fans the way, say,<br />
Homer or Chirco sometimes do. Heartfelt lyrics,<br />
complex songs, and a large number of band members<br />
(with liner notes that detail exactly how and why<br />
this band was constructed) show that a lot of thought<br />
and effort went into this record. Of course, that was<br />
probably also the case with Styx and Kansas, who had<br />
equally annoying singers but a lot more hooks. Still,<br />
there's enough going on here to open new doors with<br />
multiple listens and I recommend it to serious fans<br />
of the style. [AM]<br />
TERRY BROOKS & STRANGE (Orlando, FL)<br />
"Translucent World" 1973 (Outer Galaxie 1000) [poster]<br />
"Translucent World" 1984 (Psycho 34, UK)<br />
First LP by legendary (in some quarters) Ohio/Florida<br />
drug prophet determined to conquer the world with<br />
endless space rock guitar attacks. The 11-minute<br />
"Ruler of the universe" is as notorious as "Dead man"<br />
and I have to admit I enjoy it quite a bit, the<br />
echoplex solo is unbelievable. The rest of the LP is<br />
a mix of hard fuzz Hendrix workouts and dreamier<br />
psych stuff. Operatic hardrock vocals and a crude<br />
recording may be off-putting for some, but to fans of<br />
local 1970s guitarpsych this is mandatory. [PL]<br />
~~~
Brooks' first album (actually credited to "Strange")<br />
is one of a kind, a completely insane space rock<br />
guitarfest that will leave you dumbfounded. Brooks<br />
has one of the most annoying guitar styles on earth,<br />
playing endless solos that have no melody or<br />
direction at all, just a ton of ridiculously fast<br />
picking. On this album, though, he comes up with a<br />
truly memorable side one, with "Jimi" (a tribute to<br />
you know who), on which his singing style is as<br />
unhinged as his playing, and "Ruler Of the Universe,"<br />
which trades the speed for echoplex, which has never<br />
been used with such abandon and lack of taste. It<br />
sure makes me wish more people would dispense with<br />
any common notion of "songs" and milk the noise<br />
factor for all it's worth as Brooks does. Brooks<br />
comes off like a guy who just discovered a<br />
synthesizer and wants to show all of his friends the<br />
very weirdest sounds he can make. Side two pales in<br />
comparison, but this album is a must own for fans of<br />
extreme rock insanity. [AM]<br />
"Raw Power" 1976 (Outer Galaxie 1001)<br />
"Raw Power" 1976 (Psycho 21 UK)<br />
They don't make them like this any more. If you want<br />
to contort your face into a penile-fixated frenzy of<br />
fret picking at the speed of light then step this<br />
way. The phasing on "Are you my friend" is so extreme<br />
and raw it sounds right out of the basement. This is<br />
the best moment to me, but "To the far side of time"<br />
and "Raw Power" are equally extreme in their own<br />
ridiculously fast space rock way. I've not played the<br />
backwards passages forwards, so mark me down. "Life<br />
Jam" is a bit of an endurance test, but has some<br />
moments, probably needs a huge GM reefer to fully<br />
appreciate its meaning. The thesis that 'they' were<br />
putting something in the water in mid-70s Florida<br />
just gets stronger and stronger. Intriguingly, Terry<br />
thanks a very long list of people on the cover. [RI]<br />
"To Earth With Love" 1980 (Star People spr-0005)<br />
This is the easiest Brooks album to find, and probably<br />
his most mainstream effort. What that means is that it<br />
isn't full of echoplex and sound effects, not that it<br />
would ever sound anything but bizarre on the radio.<br />
Though the songs are reasonably brief, they're full of<br />
Brooks' trademark fast-picking lead guitar style. The<br />
album's most memorable song, "It's A Beautiful Day,"<br />
starts out a gentle ballad with wimpy lyrics and<br />
deteriorates into endless soloing. It's funny, and<br />
compelling in its own weird way. Brooks may be more<br />
convincing when he's not trying to write "normal" songs<br />
(which have derivative chord progressions and mindless<br />
lyrics) but this album has an odd charm, and his squeaky<br />
high voice subverts any AOR aspirations he may have had.<br />
Most people actually rate this as Brooks' best album,<br />
which is arguable. I'd suggest that straight hard rock<br />
fans start here, while people with more adventurous taste<br />
start with "Translucent World". The LP was pressed on<br />
various colors of translucent vinyl as well as on black<br />
vinyl. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Brooks' later work is listed in -> The Attic
BROTHERHOOD (OH)<br />
"Stavia" 1972 (Rite BH 501)<br />
"Stavia" 1995 (no label, France) [300p; +2 tracks]<br />
Obscure mellow hippie rock with organ and flute,<br />
similar to Borealis soundwise, plus some Santana<br />
moves. Listenable OK but hardly the stuff private<br />
press heads crave. The original was issued through<br />
the Rite recording plant, famous for dozens of great<br />
60s punk 45s. Oddly, two tracks on the reissue<br />
actually are lifted from the UK "Psychedelic Salvage<br />
Co" comp and have nothing to do with the Brotherhood.<br />
Can anyone explain this? [PL]<br />
BROTHERHOOD OF PEACE (NC)<br />
"Cuttin' Loose" 1975 (Avanti 12003)<br />
Brotherhood Of Peace, despite the hippie name, are a<br />
straightforward mainstream 70s rock band. The album<br />
has a couple of hard rockers that will appeal to fans<br />
of bands like Magi or Sweet Toothe, but for the most<br />
part it's straightforward rock without distorted<br />
guitars. It does have a crude production style that<br />
might appeal to fans of garage rock. For the genre,<br />
it's not bad, but not great. Don Dixon produced. It's<br />
one of his earliest and most primitive productions.<br />
Greer fans won't find nearly as much songwriting<br />
talent or creativity on display here, but it's still<br />
a reasonably enjoyable album. [AM]<br />
BROTHERS & ONE (New Waterford, Canada)<br />
"Brothers & One" 1970 (Audat 477 9038)<br />
BOBBY BROWN (CA)<br />
Little-known item on same label as Borealis,<br />
longhaired sextet with sax playing funky basement<br />
psych/rock.<br />
"Enlightening Beam of Axonda" 1972 (Destiny 4002) [booklet]<br />
"Enlightening Beam of Axonda" 197 (Destiny 4002) [re-press]<br />
"Enlightening Beam of Axonda" 2004 (CD Akarma, Italy)<br />
As you probably guessed from the title, "The<br />
Enlightening Beam of Axonda" is pretty spacey, but in<br />
a surprisingly laidback and agreeable fashion. Brown<br />
had a nice voice (technically I think he'd be called<br />
a basso-profundo), that lent itself well to<br />
atmospheric tracks such as "I Must Be Born", "My<br />
Hawaiian Home" and "Mama Knows Boys a Rambler".<br />
Brown's liner notes claimed he had a six octave<br />
range. Lyrically Brown's hippy-dippy lyrics were<br />
pretty hysterical. Complete with between-the-songs<br />
narratives, the album almost qualifies as a concept<br />
piece with a plotline apparently having to do with<br />
Brown's search for fulfillment, though I'm not quite
sure how the space aliens and space travel fit into<br />
the storyline. That said, be warned that nothing here<br />
exactly rocks. Most of the ten tracks are quite<br />
melodic, tough in a new age kind of way. In fact,<br />
stuff such as "Tiny Wind of Shanol" and "Axonda"<br />
would be right at home playing as background music in<br />
something like the Nature Store. There are a couple<br />
of exceptions. "Mamba Che Chay" was pretty<br />
experimental and did little for our ears, while<br />
"Preparation Dimension of Heaven" sounded like a bad<br />
lounge act effort. Still, the set's goofy enough to<br />
be intriguing. Later pressings lack the booklet and<br />
have ordering info on back cover; the price differs<br />
between the re-pressings. Brown's later LPs<br />
"Live" (Destiny, 1978) and "Prayers Of A One Man<br />
Band" (Destiny, 1982) are less interesting than<br />
"Axonda". [SB]<br />
BROWN COUNTY BAND (IN)<br />
"Brown County Band" 1980 (Programme Audio Gold) [1000p]<br />
An extremely obscure private LP that's been adopted<br />
by the Swiss collector mafia who favor music that<br />
straddles the fence between Americana and<br />
psychedelia. A traditional bluegrass band that moved<br />
into more progressive directions for their first<br />
album, adding drums and electric bass to standard<br />
bluegrass instrumentation and vocal harmonies. The<br />
best moments veer into Modlin-Scott territory ("Far,<br />
Far Away" "Brown Paper Bag Rag") but the banjo<br />
dominates almost all tracks and all feet are squarely<br />
in the zone of contemporary bluegrass. What a handful<br />
of collectors hear here will likely evade most<br />
listeners. The band returned to traditional bluegrass<br />
and changed their name to Pine Mountain (after a song<br />
on this record) after this album, eventually<br />
disbanding in 1989. [SD]<br />
CHARLES BROWNING (DC)<br />
"A Choirboy's Lament" 1976 (SRI)<br />
1970s folk with percussion, bass and female vocal<br />
harmonies and a surprise appearance by Emmylou<br />
Harris. Cover versions of Joan Baez and "Codine",<br />
rest is originals.<br />
BRUNSWICK PLAYBOYS (New Brunswick, Canada)<br />
"Looking In" 1965 (Excellent esp-109)<br />
Pop beat with covers and originals. Cover shows the<br />
band sitting on a gigantic 45 floating in space.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Best Of Frank's Bandstand<br />
BRUTE FORCE (Los Angeles, CA)
"Extemperaneous" 1971 (B.T. Puppy btps-1015)<br />
"Extemperaneous" 2004 (Rev-Ola, UK) [+bonus tracks]<br />
He's most well known for his "I Brute Force" album on<br />
Columbia, a novelty item that still has some fans. A<br />
few years later he was slated to put out a single on<br />
Apple, but it never happened and the resulting album<br />
ended up in that neverland of limited edition (tax<br />
scam?) B.T. Puppy rarities. It's a messed-up live in<br />
studio recording with the notorious 'Fuh King,'<br />
dollops of unwanted political commentary and x-rated<br />
lyrics. Pretty terrible record from any perspective<br />
but virtually impossible to find, hence the value.<br />
What were the Tokens thinking? [RM/AM]<br />
DAVE BRYAN (Columbus, OH)<br />
"Synthesis" 1978 (private) [insert; poster]<br />
Eclectic bag of tricks including psych moves, doomy<br />
rock, some synth, a few tracks with female vocals.<br />
Great psychy sleeve with a landscape tinted crimson.<br />
BUBBLE PUPPY (Houston, TX)<br />
"Gathering Of Promises" 1969 (IA 10) [wlp exists]<br />
"Gathering Of Promises" 1978 (IA 10) [reissue; board-printed]<br />
"Gathering Of Promises" 1993 (CD Collectables 0558)<br />
"Gathering Of Promises" 199 (CD Eva b-41, France)<br />
"Gathering Of Promises" 199 (Get Back 537)<br />
BUCCANEER (IN)<br />
I.A:s second big act along with the Elevators, the<br />
Puppy enjoyed respectworthy chart success with their<br />
distinct high-energy AM hippierock sound and also had<br />
some good non-LP 45s. The LP is far from the deep<br />
acid psych of "Easter Everywhere" or Golden Dawn but<br />
still enjoyable; this type of freshfaced guitar sound<br />
was uncommon to the era. The original had cover<br />
slicks with a gold sticker on the shrink promoting<br />
"Hot Smoke and Sassafrass". As for all IA albums, the<br />
reissues are vinyl-sourced as the mixdown masters are<br />
lost. The IA box set reissue is close to the orig but<br />
has a matrix # that begins with 'Ach 7P V45...'. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Demian; Ring of Power; Sirius<br />
"Buccaneer" 1980 (Blunderbuss) [demo; brown cover; gatefold;<br />
sticker; lyrics inner]<br />
-- inferior demo mix with one less song than the final<br />
commercially distributed black cover version<br />
"Buccaneer" 1980 (Blunderbuss) [black cover; gatefold;<br />
treasure map, lyrics inner, 2 bonus 45s]<br />
Indiana progressive hardrock pirate concept.<br />
Apparently the whole thing was performed on stage in<br />
Indy. Ex-Primevil.
BUCCANEERS ( )<br />
"In Duane's Pirate Cavern" 1965 (Custom Recorded lp-101)<br />
Early fratrock sound, very weak.<br />
ROY BUCHANAN & THE SNAKESTRETCHERS (AR / DC)<br />
"Buch and the Snakestretchers: One of Three" 1971 (Bioya Sound<br />
mm-519)<br />
"Roy Buchanan" 1972 (Polydor) [remix]<br />
"Buch and the Snakestretchers" 1992 (Adelphi 75192)<br />
"Buch and the Snakestretchers" 200 (CD Genes)<br />
Garagy blues rock on the Bioya Sound LP, which was<br />
issued in a plain cover enclosed in a brown burlap<br />
bag. The Polydor release is a retitled 2nd press with<br />
different mix and song order. Prior to this he<br />
recorded with David Denver with whom he did two<br />
obscure country-oriented LPs in 1969 and 1970. Roy<br />
went on to record extensively for major labels.<br />
DEL BUCKINGHAM (West Alexandria, OH)<br />
"No Gimmicks" 1974 (no label)<br />
Odd melodic rock with occasional acid guitar.<br />
BUCKINGHAMS (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Kind of a Drag" 1967 (USA 107) [1st version with 'I'm a<br />
man']<br />
-- the rare "I'm a Man" version must be played to verify as the<br />
song is not listed. It extends across two bands in the vinyl!<br />
Only mono copies of this variation are known to exist.<br />
"Kind of a Drag" 1967 (USA 107) [mono; 2nd version without<br />
'I'm a man']<br />
"Kind of a Drag" 1967 (USA 107) [stereo; 2nd version without<br />
'I'm a man']<br />
"Kind of a Drag" 200 (CD Sundazed 6126) [+2 tracks]<br />
First rare version of the LP includes extended "I'm a<br />
man" raveup. The LP is actually pretty good garage<br />
pop even without "I'm a Man". The band's other<br />
(unexciting) releases fall outside the scope of our<br />
archives.<br />
RUSTY BUDDE BAND (TX)<br />
"Main Man Stan" 1980 (FX 1000) [1000p]<br />
Jacksonville, Florida label. Heavy bluesy rock with<br />
fuzz. Proceeds from sales of the record were devoted<br />
to the 'care and therapy' of Rusty's friend, Stan<br />
Smith, in a Florida rehabilitation center.
BULBOUS CREATION ( )<br />
"You Won't Remember Dying" 1994 (Rockadelic 13) [300p]<br />
BULL (Richmond, VA)<br />
BUMP (MI)<br />
1970 recordings of great jammy downer hardrock/psych<br />
with an intense atmosphere, far-out vocals and only<br />
one weak cut. Lyrics deal with smack, 'Nam, satanism<br />
and more; a merciless snapshot of the post-flower<br />
power era. In my opinion among the very best of all<br />
the Cavern Sound Studios stuff (Stoned Circus,<br />
Crank/Thump Theatre, Phantasia, Trizo 50) that has<br />
appeared. The reissue has the usual Rockadelic sleeve<br />
obsession with heroin and death, which is well<br />
matched by the sounds inside. The label was unable to<br />
locate the band which explains the lack of info. [PL]<br />
"It's A Rock'n'Roll World" 1979 (Wheels Records)<br />
Southern rock and hardrock with macho vocals and<br />
guitar action. The band leader later made an LP as<br />
the Ray Pittman Band ("Getcha Some", 1981) which has<br />
been raising some interest.<br />
"Bump" 1970 (Pioneer prsd-2150) [5000p]<br />
"Bump" 199 (Pioneer) [bootleg]<br />
"Bump" 2000 (CD Gear Fab gf-142) [+2 tracks]<br />
"Bump" 2000 (Akarma, Italy)<br />
"Bump" 200 (CD Mind's Eye)<br />
Surprisingly good LP in the post-Fudge guitar/Hammond<br />
psychrock style. Vocals are appealing with a slightly<br />
quirky folk edge unlike the usual macho bombast, and<br />
there is a good sense of melody throughout. Apart<br />
from the shorter UK-influenced tunes there are two<br />
extended trip-outs, the doomy "Spider's Eyes" with<br />
excellent use of swirling organ and fuzz, and the<br />
closing epic "Lifelines" which goes through many<br />
moods and changes, including art-rock classical as<br />
well as cerebral soundscapes a la Mandrake Memorial.<br />
Reminsiscent of certain "heavy" Mainstream albums<br />
such as Tangerine Zoo, but clearly better, and<br />
predating the less successful Whalefeathers LP as<br />
well. For fans of this style Bump must rank as one of<br />
the top scores, and its skillful avoidance of the<br />
usual traps makes it enjoyable for others as well.<br />
There was also a good non-LP 45. Both the Gear Fab<br />
and Akarma reissues suffer from inferior sound<br />
processing. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Melodic swirling organ fuzz psych with a bit of a<br />
Swinging London sound at times. Beautiful vocals like<br />
New Tweedy Brothers. Meat mix of delicate melodicism<br />
on "State of Affairs", ringing guitar and shimmering<br />
church organ on "From My Slot", and the mysterious<br />
trippiness of "Spider's Eyes". There's even some<br />
heavy cavern fuzz moments. [RM]
WILBURN BURCHETTE (IA)<br />
"Occult Concert" 1971 (Amos 7014)<br />
"Opens The Seven Gates Of Transcendental Consciousness" 1972<br />
(Ebos 6d-0001) [with booklet]<br />
"Guitar Grimoire" 1973 (Burchette Brothers bb-001)<br />
Laid-back Middle Eastern-flavored guitar trance<br />
instrumentals with occult concerns. New agey sound<br />
but he uses homemade instruments and gets some really<br />
exotic sounds going. The "Seven Gates" LP has a cool<br />
cover and booklet, while "Guitar Grimoire" is<br />
musically interesting with an orchestra of<br />
synthesized instruments blended on together on sidelong<br />
tracks 'Yin' and 'Yang'. Burchette would<br />
continue to record and release records on his own<br />
Burchette Brothers label, such as "Psychic Meditation<br />
Music" (1974), "Music Of The Godhead" (1975),<br />
"Transcendental Music" (1976), and "Mind<br />
Storm" (1977). [RM]<br />
BUREMAN & O'ROURKE (Independence, MO)<br />
"Strawberry Pickins" 1974 (Pearce 42550)<br />
Country-rock and folk, one side rocking and the other<br />
folk/bluegrass.<br />
ABNER BURNETT & THE BURNOUTS (Odessa, TX)<br />
"Crash and Burn" 1975 (Worpt) [500p]<br />
"Old McDonald" 1979 (Worpt)<br />
First LP is freaky DIY basement rock, second is more<br />
folky acoustic with some cover versions. A CD sampler<br />
exists with these early recordings from Abner ("1975-<br />
79", Worpt, 1997), although it's apparently a poor<br />
mastering job.<br />
BURNT RIVER BAND (Cleveland, OH)<br />
"Live at the Carlton - Harley Davidson Annual Swap Meet<br />
1981" (Wild Turkey 1000)<br />
Ultimate sleaze biker artifact, complete with naked<br />
pictures of biker groupies on the back cover, a "fuck<br />
you" song and completely offensive racial and<br />
homophobic epithets in the song lyrics and liner<br />
notes. Musically it's average boogie rock<br />
(predictable cover versions include "Going Down"),<br />
not very heavy but with plenty of jammy lead guitar.<br />
I wouldn't want to mistakenly knock down one of these<br />
guys' bikes in the parking lot. More "interesting"<br />
than "good," but far more disturbing than Coven's<br />
"Witchcraft" or Manson's album if you ask me. [AM]
BURNT SUITE (East Hartford, CT)<br />
"Burnt Suite" 1972 (BJW css-9)<br />
"Burnt Suite" 199 (no label) [bootleg; 300#d]<br />
This is pretty bland, and suffers from the usual weak<br />
vocals. The cheap production buries the rhythm<br />
section and puts the mostly jangly lead guitars way<br />
up front. A few songs are in a lame country style,<br />
though a few have a mild hard rock sound. Some of the<br />
songs are pretty good (“Lightning” has a tough sound<br />
and some nice backwards guitar, and “Got Time” has a<br />
sly, memorable overlapped melody), but even those<br />
fall a bit flat in the execution and suffer badly<br />
from the vocals. There’s a weird sluggishness to this<br />
album. Oddly, many of the songs fade out when they<br />
don’t appear to be finished. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Strangely subdued and understated LP that will go<br />
right past you unless you pay close attention. It's a<br />
genreless early 1970s sound which could be called<br />
rustic folkrock for want of a better term, with some<br />
heavy/hard aspirations on a few tracks. Everything<br />
about this album is withdrawn like a turtle under its<br />
shell, with low-key, humble vocals, an unusual lack<br />
of strong instrumental leads, and a very basic<br />
guitar-band setting, like a 60s garage group. At<br />
times a Creme Soda-like 60s throwback sound will<br />
emerge, or some bars of frantic rhythm guitar (mixed<br />
very high), and then it's back to the mumbled, almost<br />
embarrassed style. A couple of tracks show melodic<br />
promise, and there are some unexpected lounge moves.<br />
A weird experience, if nothing else. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> "Sunny Spring Fever"<br />
JERRY BUSCH (Cleveland, OH)<br />
"The Demo Tapes" 1976 (Midwife) [inner]<br />
"The Demo Tapes" 200 (CD Midwife)<br />
BUSHES (IL)<br />
Local prog-rock/AOR with dual guitars and light<br />
soulful vocals a la Rush, recorded and released for<br />
demo purposes only, although some tracks got regional<br />
airplay. About 2/3rds guitar rockers, mixed with some<br />
ballads. Very much a local refraction of what was<br />
going on nationally at the time. Busch followed this<br />
with "City Boy" (1980), appeared on the "Pride Of<br />
Cleveland" sampler (1981) and is still active. [PL]<br />
"Assorted Shrubbery" 1968 (Growth 200-08)<br />
Disappointing soul-rock/early FM rock LP with a<br />
Vanilla Fudge influence; despite occasional dealer<br />
hype no traces of psychedelia can be detected. I have<br />
a hard time seeing anyone enjoying this and put it on<br />
the same tape as Age Of Reason, for burial in the<br />
"never-play" drawer. With Ron Stokert (Three Dog<br />
Night). [PL]
BUSTIN' LOOSE (Spirit Lake, ID)<br />
"Bustin' Loose" 1981 (Cisco)<br />
BUTCH (CA)<br />
Rural rock, very countrified but has good heavy lead<br />
guitar.<br />
"The Bitch of Rock and Roll" 1977 (Sundial)<br />
BUTTERFINGERS ( )<br />
Eastcoast hardrock with a primitive vibe.<br />
"Butterfingers" 1970 (Pot 457) [plain cover; inner]<br />
"Butterfingers" 1998 (Little Indians, Germany) [400#d]<br />
"Butterfingers" 2001 (CD Shadoks, Germany)<br />
Hilarious hard rock nonsense with soul-heavy vocals<br />
(no one knows for sure if these guys are black or<br />
white) and some over-the-top psych effects. They<br />
definitely spent more time screwing around with sound<br />
effects than they did writing these songs. Bad, in<br />
fact very bad, but not boring. The best moment is<br />
when he sings about feeling like an elephant trying<br />
to stand on top of a football. They'd get high points<br />
in any stoopid metaphor contest. The original came in<br />
a plain white cover and had an innersleeve with<br />
handwritten lyrics; the label was beautiful<br />
gold/yellow very different from the Shadoks release.<br />
All songs are BMI and there is no mention of 'demo'<br />
or 'test press' anywhere. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Cartoonish hard rock comes to mind with<br />
Butterfingers. Whoever he was, the lead singer had a<br />
decent voice, though he also exhibited an irritating<br />
habit of trying to sound overly soulful and<br />
continually injected needless 'whoops', 'screeches'<br />
and other sound effects into the mix. We've seen at<br />
least one review that says he sounds like a female<br />
Janis Joplin. To us a more apt comparison is a cross<br />
between Randy Bachman and Tony Joe White. Musically<br />
the set bounces around between conventional hard rock<br />
("Has the Buggerman Got You" and "5 O'clock Trip"),<br />
more commercial pop sounds ("Key" and the oddball MOR<br />
ballad "In the Shade of the Night") and some pseudoblue<br />
eyed soul moves ("Look Out Now"). There's quite<br />
a bit of fuzz guitar throughout (the instrumental<br />
"High Walkin'" is actually quite nice) and the set<br />
(particularly the second side which sports three<br />
longer titles), boasts a certain stoned vibe that<br />
will probably appeal to some folks. "I Feel Like An<br />
Elephant" is worth hearing for the dumb lyrics, while<br />
the closing number "Bootleg" boasts some super cheesy<br />
studio production effects. Nothing great, but we've<br />
heard far worse. [SB]
Acid Archives Main Page
MICHAEL CACY (TX)<br />
"Gathering" 1972 (no label)<br />
Pretty good rural hippie rock with a slightly druggy<br />
vibe in the Grateful Dead vein, housed in an<br />
impressive thick cover depicting a snake.<br />
CAIN (Minneapolis, MN)<br />
CAL (NY)<br />
"A Pound Of Flesh" 1975 (ASI 204)<br />
This record is known mostly for its cover, which as<br />
of the 1975 release was possibly the most disgusting<br />
in rock history (how times would soon change!). The<br />
music is nowhere near as wild, but is definitely<br />
noteworthy. They obviously had FM radio aspirations<br />
but other than the high-pitched vocals their sound is<br />
decidedly uncommercial, and that’s a good thing. The<br />
guitars have a shimmering, metallic sound to them,<br />
and the massed muted guitars on the ballad “Katy”<br />
really hit all of the right spots. A few songs are<br />
unmemorable, but as mid-70s hard rock goes, this is<br />
good stuff. For what it’s worth, this album also has<br />
one of the funniest masturbation songs this side of<br />
Skyhooks' “Smut”. There is also a second LP from<br />
1977, "Stinger" (ASI 214). [AM]<br />
"Rock and Roll - Homegrown" 1980 (no label)<br />
Despite the 1980 release date, this upstate NY album<br />
feels like vintage 70s stoner music. It's mostly mild<br />
hard rock with some psych and prog moves. It features<br />
some effective moog, decent guitar playing, and good<br />
songs with idiotic lyrics. The album's highlight is<br />
probably "Courageous Cat" (based on the children's<br />
cartoon of the same name), which is slower and<br />
moodier than most of the album. The album's lowlight<br />
is definitely "Party Party," as bad an attempt at a<br />
rock anthem as you will ever hear and possibly the<br />
worst song on any album I own. Otherwise, the lack of<br />
brains on this album is perversely appealing. [AM]<br />
CALLAHAN & NAZ (Albany, NY)
"Callahan & Naz" 1981 (no label)<br />
EDDIE CALLAHAN (CA)<br />
Early 80s private press album from Albany, NY really<br />
has the feel of the era. It's a mix of mainstream<br />
rock and hard rock with female vocals. Jackie<br />
Callahan has a pleasant voice and unlike basically<br />
everyone else in the genre has no Joplin pretentions.<br />
A few songs really rock out. It's a short album<br />
without a whole lot of melodic variety, but is very<br />
enjoyable anyway. They also released two albums as<br />
"Nazjazz." These albums are unexceptional mellow jazz<br />
rock and probably won't interest fans of Callahan &<br />
Naz. [AM]<br />
"False Ego" 1976 (Ocean)<br />
BOBBY CALLENDER ( )<br />
This wonderful album has been described as “loner rock,”<br />
an interesting distinction since so many of these<br />
thoughtful, quirky songwriters make folk records that,<br />
um, don’t rock. Within about two minutes of the first<br />
song, I was eternally hooked. It starts abruptly, almost<br />
in the middle of a conversation with Eddie, acoustic<br />
guitar in hand, asking some of life’s bigger questions to<br />
an unnamed echoed respondent. After a few verses, the<br />
rhythm section comes in, followed by the most perfectly<br />
realized batch of synthesizer noises you’ll ever hear.<br />
The songs ends in waves of sound effects and at this<br />
point you’ll already be ready to proclaim Eddie a genius.<br />
The good news is that most of the album keeps pace, with<br />
gorgeous pop (“Just Across The Line”), power pop with<br />
backwards guitar (“Don’t You Know”), stunning acid rock<br />
(“Paper Rain”) with a Stranglers-type synth break, and<br />
all sorts of surprises. This album has a timeless<br />
quality, like the very best pop, and only the talk box on<br />
one song places it firmly in 1975/1976. Otherwise it<br />
could just as likely have been from 1970 or 1979, and in<br />
fact has a bit of a new wave feel to it. It’s not exactly<br />
“psych” or “power pop,” and genre fans might not be sure<br />
what to make of it, but it’s just plain too good for<br />
classification. Even a music hall ditty with comic snyth<br />
bleats and a funky rock song with a talk box manage to<br />
work. Callahan is a Hare Krishna, which explains the<br />
mystical questioning of many of the lyrics. He’s also a<br />
bit of a chameleon, sounding like three or four different<br />
singers over the course of the album (which, along with<br />
the unusual arrangements, makes this album fresh and<br />
unpredictable in ways few pop albums are.) The last three<br />
songs are a bit of a let down, as they’re merely good. If<br />
they had been as good as the rest for the album, it would<br />
be an eternal masterpiece. As it is, it’s still one of<br />
the finest and most distinctive private press albums I’ve<br />
ever heard. Great album cover, too (despite being a cheap<br />
paste-on), and an even better label design. [AM]<br />
"Bobby Callender" 196 (Music Factory mfrs-20) [2LPs; no<br />
cover]<br />
Presumably issued to promote "Rainbow", this set
includes recordings and conversation between Bobby<br />
and producer, Tom Wilson.<br />
"Rainbow" 1968 (MGM se-4557) [lyric insert; ylp exists]<br />
"Rainbow" 2000 (Akarma, Italy) [2LPs; gatefold]<br />
This is highly pretentious pseudo-poetry with sitars.<br />
The lyrics are certainly not uninteresting, but<br />
they're not exactly high art either. He's obsessed<br />
with sex, for what that's worth. The music creates a<br />
nice mood but is pretty monotonous over 40 minutes.<br />
The Akarma reissue has three sides of music. [AM]<br />
"The Way (First Book of Experiences)" 1971 (Mirtha saab-932)<br />
[2LPs; gatefold]<br />
"The Way (First Book of Experiences)" 2000 (CD Akarma, Italy)<br />
Black artist doing sorta trashy middle-Eastern<br />
influenced sounds including fuzz, sitar, and<br />
chanting.<br />
"Le Musée De L'Impressionnisme" 1975 (Philips 6318 043,<br />
Holland)<br />
Bobby Callender's third and best LP, released only in<br />
Holland and credited to Robert Callender, is a<br />
tribute to Impressionism. All the songs tell the<br />
history of the movement and sing the praises of its<br />
key practitioners: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Claude<br />
Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, and so forth.<br />
It's an art history lesson done as psychedelic soul!<br />
Callender delivers a funky mid-70's psychedelic soul<br />
sound, with several tracks that would perfectly suit<br />
the dance floor. The lyrics are intricate, sung in<br />
his soulful, haunted voice, and there's lots of<br />
flute, exotic percussion, mystical vibe and<br />
strangeness.<br />
TIM CALLANDER (Minneapolis, NN)<br />
"Future" 1979 (no label)<br />
CAMBRIDGE (PA)<br />
Obscure private press with a spacey Progressive Rock<br />
sound, a bit earlier in style than the release year<br />
indicates.<br />
"Share A Song" 1977 (Green Dolphin 6024)<br />
Absolute cream of the crop for private press rural<br />
rock. The vocal harmonies are in the best CSN<br />
tradition and the sharp instrumentation is more<br />
Allman Brothers than Grateful Dead. Unexpected<br />
honkytonk piano and raga-style guitar solos add to<br />
the fun. The best two songs are in the middle of side<br />
two. “Cowboy On The Trail” is the closest thing to a<br />
pop song here, with an irresistible melody and tight<br />
harmonies, and “Faithless Lady” has a great guitar
CAMERON (FL)<br />
hook and long, exciting jam in the middle. The only<br />
criticisms are that occasionally they force harmonies<br />
when one voice might have worked better, and two<br />
ballads to end side one may be one too many.<br />
Nonetheless, this is a great album. Note to obsessive<br />
collectors: virtually every known copy of this album<br />
has ringwear on the front cover. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Regarded by many as the best local countryrocker from<br />
anywhere, this album has a lot going for it including<br />
strong songwriting, tight playing and an overall<br />
friendly mood guaranteed to break the ice at your<br />
next barbecue. The style has been perceptively<br />
defined as "East Coast Dead/New Riders", which means<br />
an upbeat and snappy vibe like a clear day in June,<br />
with little of the dreamy westcoast feel or weepy<br />
Nashville style. In my ears not really rural rock but<br />
more of country pop with steel guitar and honky tonk<br />
piano, and none the worse for it with plenty of<br />
character and creativity. Opening title track is<br />
sheer perfection and a solid groove is maintained<br />
throughout with a few extended jam passages and<br />
surprising use of keyboard among the succinct 3minute<br />
creations. This LP is the one to beat in the<br />
style, and would have made the band famous if on a<br />
major label. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Some comments on the LP from ex-member Dan Vogan:<br />
"...the album was recorded in 1977 and the band had<br />
been together about 1 and a half years. We played all<br />
over the US and decided from the beginning to do all<br />
original music.This put us at an advantage to cover<br />
bands and catapulted us to a higher level of venues.I<br />
have always been inspired by the group POCO.Cambridge<br />
would practice and jam 6-8 hours per day and took<br />
great pride in our long jams.A song on the album<br />
"highs and lows" was actually a 12 minute song that<br />
had to be edited to what it is today.If you listen<br />
near the end of the song you can detect the edit<br />
during a drum lick on the tomtoms". Vogan is today<br />
continuing in the same music tradition with Deuble &<br />
Vogan.<br />
"Cameron" 1975 (Home Groan)<br />
This Florida bar band was popular enough locally that<br />
they made this record just for their fans. The liner<br />
notes say that the songs are demos, but they sound<br />
complete. Their style is good-time rock and roll with<br />
a few twists. There are a few ballads and some weak<br />
boogie, but about half of the songs rock pretty well<br />
and have some nice guitar playing. The<br />
instrumentation is diverse, with one band member who<br />
plays sax, flute and synth. This isn’t a great album,<br />
but much of it is worthwhile. The dreamy ballad<br />
“Mystery Wind” and the opening “Illusions,” which has<br />
a nice, sly buildup, are both excellent. [AM]<br />
"Keep On Movin'" 1976 (Home Groan 002)<br />
Lane Cameron, presumably the guy the band was named<br />
after, is no longer a member of the band here, but<br />
the album cover gives no clue why. I’ll assume that
DICK CAMPBELL (WI)<br />
the Joe Cocker-like singing on one of the first<br />
album’s long slow songs was by him. Just to further<br />
the illusion that he never existed, the song is redone<br />
on this album in a shorter, less gruffly sung<br />
version. Elsewhere this has the same uneven mix of<br />
styles as the first album. The title track has some<br />
sizzling slide guitar and is even better than the<br />
opening song on the debut. Unfortunately the slide is<br />
used sparingly thereafter, and its brief return on<br />
one of the ballads makes the listener wish there was<br />
a lot more of it. It’s an up and down album with some<br />
low spots, but at least one song that makes me glad<br />
the record exists. Hilarious album cover; you’ve got<br />
to hand it to any band who seems to be having so much<br />
fun. [AM]<br />
"Sings Where It's At" 1965 (Mercury) [mono; black label]<br />
"Sings Where It's At" 1965 (Mercury sr-61060) [stereo; gold<br />
label]<br />
Campbell has been dismissed by most as a Dylan<br />
wannabe, and he is, right down to the instrumental<br />
backing from the Butterfield Blues Band, who sound<br />
exactly like they did on "Highway 61 Revisited". They<br />
steal a guitar riff from “Like A Rolling Stone” and<br />
use it on every single song! Trust me, folks, the<br />
Rutles are nowhere near as entertaining as this great<br />
album, an absolute lost treasure of the early days of<br />
folk-rock. The songs are simple and repetitive, but<br />
completely catchy, not a dud in the bunch. There’s a<br />
little bit of fuzz guitar, and a much poppier sound<br />
(with “nicer” vocals) than Dylan's. Adding to the fun<br />
are the arrogant liner notes (most of which paint his<br />
girlfriend as intellectually inferior to D.C., as he<br />
calls himself), and a semi-serious song in which he<br />
proclaims himself the “Don Juan of the Western<br />
World.” None of it seems like a put-on to me, and<br />
Campbell’s just literate enough to pull off his “I<br />
know everything, I’m smarter than you, I have a way<br />
with words and you don’t” routine. The Butterfield<br />
Blues Band provides the backing, predating their<br />
debut LP and perhaps their first appearance on vinyl.<br />
[AM]<br />
EL CAMPO JADES (El Campo, TX)<br />
"13th Song" 1967 (Golden Eagle 101)<br />
Rather weak teen-beat and R&B/soul covers. "Good Guys<br />
Don't Wear White", "Ain't too proud to beg", "Mr.<br />
Pitiful", etc. One or two originals. The album title<br />
refers to a bonus "mystery" track, which turns out to<br />
be a cover of "Roadrunner".<br />
CANADA see "A New Place To Live"<br />
CANADIAN BEADLES (Sarnia, Canada)
"Three Faces North" 1964 (Tide 2005)<br />
CANARIES (Spain)<br />
Merseybeat and frat from Canadian trio looking like<br />
teddy-boys. Although often presented as a Beatle<br />
take-off, there's not a single Fab Four number<br />
present. The LP is surprisingly expensive.<br />
"Flying High With The Canaries" 1970 (BT Puppy BTPS 1007)<br />
"Flying High With The Canaries" 198 (Cocodrilo, Spain)<br />
CANNABIS (MA/RI)<br />
Canary Islands group recorded and released in the US,<br />
which is why it's included here. Late beat with no<br />
garage or psych traces. A couple of good tracks.<br />
"Joint Effort" 1972 (Amphion Seahorse)<br />
"Joint Effort" 1998 (CD Gear Fab 114)<br />
"Joint Effort" 199 (Gear Fab)<br />
Disappointing LP for anyone expecting psych as this<br />
is fairly mainstreamish hippie 1970s rural<br />
rock/folkrock in the popular CSNY/America school,<br />
reminiscent of RJ Fox/Oasis at times. Pro-sounding<br />
but unexciting. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
In spite of the band name and marketing hype, "Joint<br />
Effort" was hardly the psych masterpiece that one<br />
would have hoped for. Instead tracks such as 'Take It<br />
Easy', 'You Don't Get a Ride for Free' and 'It's Only<br />
Rock 'n Stock' showcased a mixture of bar rock boogie<br />
and Dead-styled jams. The vocals are pretty good and<br />
the rest of the band quite accomplished musicians,<br />
but with the possible exceptions of the atypical<br />
pretty ballads 'See You In the Morning' and 'Smiles'<br />
the Byrds-styled jangler 'Once Again' the ensemble<br />
never really caught fire. Gawd only knows why the<br />
Gear Fab label decided to reissue the album. [SB]<br />
FRANCES CANNON (The Singing Psychic) (Dallas, TX)<br />
"Music From Cannonville (A Brand New Sound)" 198 (no label)<br />
Lunatic woman who was hit by a lumber truck and<br />
'acquired' psychic powers. She claims to have found<br />
thousands of lost children with her special powers<br />
including several hundred in a cave in Alaska! She<br />
lives in her own messed up fantasy world a la Lucia<br />
Pamela and sings nutty songs about aliens and the<br />
like. The first LP has a stripped down folky acoustic
guitar and vocal sound. There is a second LP, "The<br />
Singing Psychic" from 1987, credited to Frances<br />
Cannon & the Extraterrestials, which is electric with<br />
more production and is psychedelic in a nightmarish,<br />
lost soul fashion. [RM]<br />
WILLARD CANTELON ( )<br />
"LSD - Battle for the Mind" 1966 (Supreme m-113)<br />
"LSD - Battle for the Mind / Instant Insanity Drugs" 2002 (CD)<br />
[2-on-1]<br />
Spoken word ties LSD in with spirituality in oldschool<br />
paranoia propaganda. Drop some acid, laugh and<br />
learn about the 'dark and terrifying national<br />
menace'. Early, well-known title for spoken word drug<br />
LPs, with outstanding front cover art.<br />
see full presentation<br />
CANTERBURY MUSIC FESTIVAL (NY)<br />
"Rain & Shine" 1968 (B T Puppy 1018)<br />
"Rain & Shine" 2002 (CD Air Mail Recordings, Japan)<br />
"Rain & Shine" 2003 (CD Rev-Ola, UK)<br />
"Rain & Shine" 2004 (CD Beatball 005, Korea)<br />
"Rain & Shine" 2004 (Merry Go Round/Beatball 006, Korea)<br />
Apparently a quartet, this group was signed by The<br />
Tokens' short-lived B.T. Puppy label. Musically the<br />
set's kind of hard to describe. Imagine The<br />
Association singing with a distinctive British lilt<br />
and you'll be in the right ballpark. Much of the set<br />
consists of sensitive ballads. While there isn't<br />
anything wrong with material such as "First Spring<br />
Rain", "Sunny Days" and "Why Does Everybody Run To<br />
Home", these tracks don't offer up anything<br />
particularly original or memorable. Far better were<br />
up-tempo numbers such as "Sharin" and<br />
"Angelina" (both which would have made dandy top-10<br />
singles), the fuzz guitar propelled "Super Duper<br />
Trooper" and the Sgt Pepper-inspired slice of lite<br />
psych "Mr. Snail". Certainly not the year's most<br />
original effort, it was still far better than<br />
anything label mates The Tokens or The Happenings<br />
ever did. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
Beatles-influenced pop that for the most part falls<br />
into the realm of sunshine pop, though with a few<br />
excursions into psychedelia. B.T. Puppy released the<br />
LP at this point in an inexplicable pressing run of<br />
150 copies. About half the songs are written by band<br />
members, with several written by the Tokens foursome.<br />
Legendary label mate Brute Force is credited with 2<br />
songs, though Brute says one of those is not his.<br />
Musically, the first song, “First Spring Rain” (the<br />
45 release) establishes the mood of most of the songs<br />
on the LP with its fragile upper register harmonies<br />
and light orchestration. “Super Duper Trooper” is the<br />
closest they get to psychedelia, and sounds very much<br />
like a "Revolver" outtake. “Mr. Snail” could be<br />
mistaken for UK freakbeat, complete with a backwards<br />
flute riffing throughout and lyrics & melody
eminiscent of some of the Syd’s lighter “Piper”<br />
ditties. The one non-label related song is an<br />
exploito instrumental cover of “Son of a Preacherman”<br />
with a distorted electric sitar taking the melody<br />
line over occasional wah-wah rhythms. Clocking in at<br />
just over 25 minutes, a very short, but sweet LP.<br />
[MA]<br />
V.A "CANTON HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTS" see "Sunny Spring Fever"<br />
CAPSTAN PLAYERS (Milton Academy, MA)<br />
"Capstan Players of Milton Academy" 1967 (Transradio tr-990)<br />
[no sleeve]<br />
Garage covers from prep-rock band, including Remains<br />
and Standells numbers.<br />
C.A. QUINTET (Minneapolis, MN)<br />
"Trip Thru Hell" 1969 (Candy Floss 7764)<br />
"Trip Thru Hell" 1983 (Psycho 12, UK) [back cvr altered]<br />
-- due to a mishap in mastering, this re has one channel<br />
missing and sounds completely different from the original<br />
"Trip Thru Hell" 1993 (CD Eva, France)<br />
-- copied from the Psycho re, which means that one channel is<br />
again missing<br />
"Trip Thru Hell" 1995 (Sundazed 5037) [2LPs; +14 tracks]<br />
"Trip Thru Hell" 1995 (CD Sundazed 11021) [+12 tracks]<br />
Ah yes, the "Trip", an LP so packed with talent and<br />
originality it alone justifies the existence of the<br />
underground collector circuit. You can pick just<br />
about any major 60s LP and this will blow it away on<br />
all counts. I assume most people reading this already<br />
knows Ken Erwin's conceptual acid psych monster,<br />
which sounds like nothing else done before and hardly<br />
since; a strongly cinematic exploration into weird<br />
and often unpleasant mental spaces, using only<br />
standard rock instruments -- and a surprising trumpet<br />
-- to get there. The legendary Psycho "channeling"<br />
screwup was rectified with the nice (though vinylsourced)<br />
Sundazed re's, but it should be pointed out<br />
that none of the reissues show the original back<br />
cover design. The band also appeared on the rare<br />
"Money Music" compilation. [PL]<br />
see full-length review<br />
"Live 1971" 1984 (no label) [500p]<br />
First the good news. Given the primitive conditions<br />
under which this album was recorded, the sound is<br />
surprisingly good. According to Ken Erwin's liner<br />
notes, 'This recording was made simply by laying down<br />
two microphones on the floor in front of the group.<br />
They just happened to be in the best location for the<br />
circumstances.' Now the bad news. Capturing the band<br />
at what was to be their final performance at Lake<br />
Pepin High School, "C.A. Quintet Live 1971" sounds
like a band drawing its last creative gasps which was<br />
pretty much the situation. 'Bayou Jam' is a needless<br />
side-long mixture of popular rock hits including<br />
snippets of CCR's 'Down On the Bayou' and The Stones'<br />
'Satisfaction'. It's listenable, but nothing you<br />
couldn't hear on any Friday evening at your local<br />
brewpub. Best thing I can say about it is that the 14<br />
minutes go by quickly (okay the drum solo slows<br />
everything down for a couple of minutes). The Ken<br />
Erwin original 'Country Boy' is actually pretty good,<br />
though the country-rock sound is a little bit<br />
unexpected. Judging by this track these guys weren't<br />
bad in a live setting. The extended cover of Spirit's<br />
'Fresh Garbage' also has it's moments - notably for<br />
giving guitarist Tom Pohling a chance to stretch out.<br />
Certainly not essential, but I've heard far<br />
worse. [SB]<br />
CARDBOARD VILLAGE (Boston, MA)<br />
"Sea of Change" 1969 (Cardboard Village Records CVST 4)<br />
[lyrics insert]<br />
Trio with acoustic cosmic folk concept LP about the<br />
ocean. Guitars, congas, flutes.<br />
CARDINALI BROTHERS (CA)<br />
"More Than Luck" 1971 (Windi wlps-1008)<br />
Rural hippie folkrock in the early 1970s Dead style,<br />
on the same label as Merkin and Creation Of Sunlight.<br />
CARGO (Toronto, Canada)<br />
"Front Side, Back Side" 1969 (Trend 1006)<br />
Dreamy, jazzy psych rock that's not particularly<br />
well-known by collectors. It has a spaced out feel<br />
that should appeal to some, though the songs aren't<br />
especially memorable and a few long instrumentals are<br />
pretty dull. Unusual arrangements include woodwinds.<br />
The drumming is heavy on atmospheric cymbals, the<br />
songs are mostly at slow tempos and the vocals are<br />
heavily reverbed. The low budget production<br />
(sometimes the backing vocals are louder than the<br />
lead vocals) makes this sound quite different from<br />
their next album. Has a nice feel and a few good<br />
moments but certainly isn't worth its current $500+<br />
tag. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
For some reason there exists a bunch of obscure<br />
Canadian LPs with a similar sound, a late-night jazzy<br />
psychrock mood like the loungier side of the Doors,<br />
usually with keyboards upfront and understated guitar<br />
picking. This is a typical expression of that sound,<br />
with flute instead of organ, moody yet expressive<br />
vocals, and long tracks that seem to find their path
as they go along. Recorded live in parts or wholly,<br />
which adds to the organic basement feel -- one track<br />
actually has lounge ambience with people chatting and<br />
ordering drinks louder than the music! Songwriting<br />
isn't elaborate, yet the persistent mood and refusal<br />
to compromise makes for a memorable experience, with<br />
a couple of snakey instrumental excursions developing<br />
into hypnotic 3 AM Canadian Rye hallucinations.<br />
Comparable to Papa Bear's, while south of the border<br />
Ant Trip Ceremony and Feather Da Gamba spring to<br />
mind. [PL]<br />
"Simple Things" 1970 (Ringside 104)<br />
FRANKIE CARR (MA)<br />
The second Cargo album is much more produced than the<br />
first, and it works in its favor, emphasizing the<br />
inherent heaviness of their sound, strengthening the<br />
sound of the guitar and organ. Still, too much of<br />
this record is given over to jammy instrumentals of<br />
little originality, which really drags it down. A<br />
couple of the actual songs are quite good, though,<br />
with “Geordy,” a terrific moody slow-burner, being<br />
the best. There’s also a bizarre song about how happy<br />
they are for their friend who fell out of a window to<br />
his death. [AM]<br />
"Frankie Carr" 1976 (Tiger Lily)<br />
Collectors know about the really good Tiger Lily<br />
albums, and tend to forget that most records on the<br />
label are like this one: poorly produced recordings<br />
(demos?) of undistinguished music. This is a very,<br />
very, very poor man's variation on the John Scoggins<br />
album, if Scoggins had tried to jump on the various<br />
commercial bandwagons of the mid 70s (some songs have<br />
a disco-like rhythm to them.) In other words,<br />
Scoggins is timeless, this is dated. A couple of<br />
songs have some nice jangly guitar and memorable<br />
melodies, but mostly this is weak and forgettable.<br />
[AM]<br />
"Frankie Carr's All Natural Band" 1977 (Tribute 1001)<br />
Poorly done pre-Tea Company 1960s recordings by the<br />
Naturals, released as a tax-scam in the late 1970s. A<br />
couple of tracks have been described as garagey,<br />
others folkrocky.<br />
CORKY CARROLL & FRIENDS (CA)<br />
"Laid Back" 197 (Rural rr-001)<br />
Corky is a world-renowned surfer. Hippie folk jamming<br />
by a variety of artists who were all friends.<br />
Produced by Corky and Dennis Dragon.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Farm
JIMMY CARTER & DALLAS COUNTY GREEN ( )<br />
"Summer Brings The Sunshine" 1973 (BOC 2002)<br />
Obscure album on Missouri label which has garnered<br />
fans among the psych in-crowd, described as<br />
outdoors/rural rock with an appealing quiet vibe.<br />
There is a retrospective CD with Carter's material,<br />
"Set Me Free", which has a few tracks from this LP.<br />
DAN CASAMAJOR (Chico, CA)<br />
"My Family" 197 (Eskay WA 1054)<br />
CASCADES (CA)<br />
CASE ( )<br />
Little-known folk/folkrock with a vibrant 60s feel,<br />
mixes acoustic and electric tracks.<br />
"What Goes on Inside" 1968 (Cascades ad-6280)<br />
Vocal group legends. This private press LP will<br />
appeal to flower psych collectors, much more so than<br />
their Valiant or Uni LPs. Ben Benay arranged and this<br />
one has a cool flower pop hippie love edge and a nice<br />
trippy art cover. [RM]<br />
"Taking Time" 197 (private)<br />
Custom press in same generic sleeve as Birmingham<br />
Sunday, described as westcoast-sounding.<br />
CASHMAN-VAQUERO BAND ( )<br />
"In Memory of Berry Oakley" 1979 (Walnut West)<br />
Most references describe the album as being Allman<br />
Brothers-styled Southern rock. That's not quite<br />
right. I certainly hear Allman-influences,<br />
particularly in some of the Cashman-Sadus guitar<br />
interplay, but the set's far more diverse than that.<br />
With the exception of a mildly-jazzy cover of John<br />
Mayall's 'California', the set boasts original<br />
material that finds the band taking stabs at<br />
conventional boogie ('Down In the Belly'), countryrock<br />
(the pretty ballad 'Driving Me Crazy') lite-jazz<br />
('View from a Mountain Peak') and even Santana-styled<br />
Latin rock ('Security'). Cashman and Sadus share<br />
vocal duties and they both have pretty good voices.
CASUALS (CA)<br />
Judging by the liner notes Sadus apparently died<br />
while the album was being made, but between his work<br />
and that of guest guitarist Robert John Guziejka (who<br />
contributed a couple of songs and played with Cashman<br />
and Oakley in their garage band days), there are<br />
quite a few tasty lead guitars scattered throughout<br />
the set including some Duane Allman-styled runs on<br />
'Good Days' and some jazzy scatting on 'There's No<br />
Tellin'. Curiously, at least to my ears the<br />
biographical tribute title track is the least<br />
impressive effort. There's also a pre-LP 45 on the<br />
small Bridgeville label. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
Here's some more info on the band and LP, from main<br />
guy Cashman himself: "Bob Guziejka (ga-j-ka)<br />
(guitar), Ron Sadus (drums), Berry Oakley (guitar),<br />
and Jerry Kokus (bass) had a band together (The<br />
Vibratones). I didn't play in that band, but Bob, Ron<br />
[then on bass] and myself playing drums had a trio<br />
called "Satish-chada" from 1968 to 1971. I moved to<br />
California in 1971 and Ron and Bob came out in<br />
February of 1972. We went into Wally Heiders Studio<br />
in LA and did a few recording sessions. The only<br />
tunes that sounded good were 'Good Days', 'Drivin Me<br />
Crazy' and 'Security.' Ron and Bob went back to<br />
Chicago and those tapes sat in the can until 1975. I<br />
met James Vincent in San Francisco where I was<br />
working as a street artist in 1975. We got together<br />
and rehearsed some of my tunes in Marin. In April<br />
1975 we went into Wally Heiders with the other<br />
musicians and recorded [what was to become] side 2 of<br />
the album live. The lead guitar on 'California' and<br />
'Down In the Belly were later overdubed by Joel<br />
Manchak in Chicago. The lead guitar on 'Security',<br />
the twin leads on 'Good Days' and all of the leads on<br />
side 2 were by Vincent. 'Vaquero' or cowboy is the<br />
name I picked after we put out the 45, because James<br />
Vincent got signed to Caribou Records and I couldn't<br />
use his name. I decided on Vaquero because I had<br />
worked on a cattle ranch and [had done] some bareback<br />
bronco riding in Utah. As for the album title track,<br />
Ron Sadus the bassist wrote the instrumental tune and<br />
I added the lyrics. The instrumental tune has a<br />
beautiful twin guitar solo throughout the tune. When<br />
we did it in the studio, I had completely rearranged<br />
the tune and that was the last time I performed that<br />
tune. The 45 had just a slight difference in the<br />
final mix. Sadly, Sadus passed away in July 1978. He<br />
was 30 years old. The album was released in 1979."<br />
"Absolutely 100% Live" 1981 (private) [#d; insert]<br />
CATALINA (CA)<br />
Jammy blues-rock with fuzz leads, recorded in San<br />
Francisco.<br />
"Live from the Chi Chi Club" 1970 (Avalon)<br />
Bluesy sleazy club rockers, cover versions all
through.<br />
CATHEDRAL (PA)<br />
"Sing Me a Song" 1974 (Sky Piece)<br />
Melodic rock with rural AOR moves.<br />
CATHEDRAL (Long Island, NY)<br />
"Stained Glass Stories" 1978 (Delta drc-1002) [insert]<br />
"Stained Glass Stories" 1989 (Delta) [bootleg]<br />
"Stained Glass Stories" 1991 (CD Syn-Phonic)<br />
Complex progressive with guitar and keys, including<br />
loads of mellotron. Superb playing with a strong King<br />
Crimson and Yes influence. Well-liked in spite of the<br />
arch vocals. Guitarist Rudy Perrone later made a<br />
private solo LP that may be worth searching out for<br />
Cathedral fans ("Oceans Of Art", 1981). [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
This is obviously very well played and conceived<br />
progressive rock, but to someone who's not especially<br />
inclined toward the genre, I find it a bit tedious,<br />
lacking the hooks of bands like Atlantis Philharmonic<br />
or Zoldar & Clark, and without the more outrageous<br />
experimentation of bands like Yezda Urfa or<br />
Polyphony. Like another well-liked prog album of the<br />
era, Brimstone's "Paper Winged Dreams," this is<br />
recommended more to genre fans than to the average<br />
Archives reader. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Odyssey<br />
CATHERINE'S HORSE (Taft School, Watertown, CT)<br />
"Catherine's Horse" 1969 (Jay-Put 5001) [no cover; 500p]<br />
Obscure, sleeve-less late 60s garage-bluesrock LP a<br />
la American Blues Exchange; may not appeal to<br />
everyone but I find it rather charming. No macho<br />
vocals or Clapton guitar showoffs, just local teens<br />
finding comfort in the nocturnal honkie blooz as<br />
represented by the Blues Project and Paul<br />
Butterfield, both of which are covered along with an<br />
unexpected "Rocket 88". Also one of the few LPs I<br />
know of with a clear influence from the first<br />
Grateful Dead LP, especially the Dead-derived take on<br />
"Good morning little schoolgirl". The downer tracks<br />
work the best; somehow these guys win me over. Not<br />
recommended for fans of the Ten Years After-type
guitar-hero "blues". The LP was recorded as a school<br />
project (a study of the blues) in New York City<br />
during Spring Break 1969, and all band members were<br />
Taft students. "Sun goin' down" is a band original.<br />
[PL]<br />
JOANNA CAZDEN (Seattle, WA)<br />
"The Greatest Illusion" 1973 (Sister Sun) [insert]<br />
Little-known female singer/songwriter with psych and<br />
Eastern moves and an unusual cerebral edge. Mainly<br />
piano and a serious feel like Carole King on acid,<br />
title track is a high point with trip-praising<br />
lyrics. More comments will follow. Cazden's second LP<br />
"Hatching" is reportedly similar but not as good.<br />
CEDAR CREEK SOCIETY (Odessa, TX)<br />
"Cedar Creek Society" 1971 (no label)<br />
Melodic folk/rock with violin and occasional<br />
orchestration.<br />
CELLUTRON & THE INVISIBLE (Northfield, VT)<br />
"Reflecting on the First Watch, We Uncover Treasure Buried for<br />
the Blind" 1978 (Green Mountain gms-4015)<br />
CENTER LINE ( )<br />
Spacy experimental sound effects from Robert Greely,<br />
featuring machine noise, some poetry and guitar.<br />
Sometimes compared to Intersystems.<br />
"Sayin' It... Together" 196 (Vanco 1008)<br />
CENTURIONS ( )<br />
Late 1960s Northwest rural lounge rock on the same<br />
label as Easy Chair. Memorable for a 'so bad it's<br />
good', nearly side-long, Beatles' medley.<br />
"Louie Louie" 1965 (private) [10" 1-sided LP; no cover]<br />
Hot guitar frat rock with surfy leads. This is<br />
probably a different band from the surf group.<br />
CEPHAS (Pittsburgh, PA)<br />
"Teen Challenge Presents Cephas with Jeff Cogswell" 197 (No<br />
Label 32217/8)
CEYLEIB PEOPLE (CA)<br />
Circa '73 Pittsburgh moody xian garage folk sponsored<br />
by the christian youth group "Teen Challenge".<br />
Acoustic and electric guitars, bass, farfisa organ,<br />
drums, teen femme backing vocals. Several originals<br />
but perhaps most notable for the nearly nine minute<br />
version of "Jesus Is Just Alright" with a long organ<br />
and guitar jam. Rite pressing. [RM]<br />
"Tanyet" 1968 (Vault 117) [mono]<br />
"Tanyet" 1968 (Vault 117) [stereo]<br />
"Tanyet" 199 (Vault) [bootleg]<br />
"Tanyet" 1993 (CD Drop Out, UK) [2-on-1]<br />
DON CHAFEY ( )<br />
Eastern psych instrumentals featuring Ry Cooder and<br />
other luminaries from the LA studio mafia. Has a good<br />
reputation and goes beyond the cash-in exploitation<br />
sounds one might expect. Very short playtime though.<br />
Great psych sleeve. There is an original German<br />
pressing with completely different cover art. They<br />
also made a good non-LP 45. The CD has both the mono<br />
and reprocessed stereo versions of the entire LP.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Studio group with Ben Benay, Larry Knechtel, Ry<br />
Cooter (=Cooder). East meets west instrumentals<br />
guitars, sitar, tabla, violin. Very short but a good<br />
one for Saddhu Brand fans. Exploito cash in but with<br />
this much talent it's a monster! Very trippy Rick<br />
Griffin cover art. The boot has a thin, board printed<br />
cover unlike originals. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Friar Tuck and his Psychedelic Guitar<br />
"Blue Iron Crown" 197 (private)<br />
Late 70s/early 70s local release of freaky folk/blues<br />
with pagan elements.<br />
CHAIND (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Live at the Topanga Corral" 1972 (no label) [2LPs]<br />
Westcoast blues rock sound that has been compared to<br />
Canned Heat, with lengthy guitar excursions. Band<br />
member Peter Klimes made a private press solo LP in<br />
1974 in a more rural direction.
CHAKRA (Redondo Beach, CA)<br />
"Chakra" 1979 (Brother Studio bs-15) [lyric insert]<br />
CHALIS ( )<br />
Driving guitar keys progressive rock with great<br />
vocals like Rush.<br />
"One Small Chance" 1975 (Ellen Abbey 25389) [gatefold]<br />
Symphonic progressive.<br />
CHALLENGER'S (Puerto Rico)<br />
"Challenger's" 1968 (Mariel lps-104, Puerto Rico) [gatefold]<br />
DAVID CHALMERS (CA)<br />
Swirling organ, some fuzz, English vocals. Mix of<br />
folkrock, bluesy garage, and Latin moves. With some<br />
7-Up cola commercials thrown in to pay the bills.<br />
"Primeval Road" 1976 (Same Old Label 64109) [gatefold]<br />
"Primeval Road" 1976 (River srr-1000) [some tracks replaced;<br />
gatefold]<br />
Chalmers is known as a hot guitarist, but his first<br />
album is a refreshing departure from the “guitar<br />
hero” mold. His vocals are soft and appealing, the<br />
songs are subtle, the guitar playing is terrific (but<br />
tasteful and subdued), and the arrangements include<br />
plenty of acoustic guitar and piano. At times this is<br />
more like a folk-rock or singer songwriter album than<br />
a heavy guitar record. The often moody songwriting is<br />
as strong as the performances. Highly recommended.<br />
The first version of the album starts with two hot<br />
guitar rockers that are missing from the second<br />
edition, making the softer songs on side two a bit of<br />
a surprise. The second edition replaces these two<br />
songs with a gorgeous, dreamy ballad that’s probably<br />
his best song of all. Since this song comes first,<br />
this edition of the album has a completely different<br />
feel than the first. If "Primeval Road" is ever<br />
released on CD, hopefully all songs from both<br />
versions will be included. [AM]<br />
"Looking For Water" 1977 (River srr-1001) [inner sleeve]<br />
Chalmers’ second album feels like it was released<br />
before he was ready for a full LP. Its 8 songs total<br />
just under half an hour, and half of them are filler:<br />
two covers and two remakes of earlier songs. The<br />
album is heavier and funkier than "Primeval Road",<br />
with a weird mix of styles including a quasi-disco<br />
song (intended sarcastically?) and one great dreamy
allad that evokes the first album. Somewhat<br />
disappointing, but it has its moments, and the<br />
excellent guitar playing is more to the forefront<br />
this time. [AM]<br />
"All Night Long" 1977 (River Records) [no cover; 100p]<br />
The rare third Chalmers album is the kind of<br />
discovery collectors dream of, with a pressing of 100<br />
copies, none actually sold commercially. It was<br />
produced only for demonstration purposes and as such<br />
actual album covers were never pressed. The music<br />
within shows Chalmers in a mellow, introspective<br />
mood. It's similar to side two of "Primeval Road";<br />
there's not a heavy song here. The listener might<br />
keep waiting for a hot guitar solo to come and be<br />
disappointed that they just aren't there (the last<br />
song, especially, seems designed to end in a flourish<br />
of lead guitar, but does not). The quality and mood<br />
of the album almost make up for it, though, as this<br />
album is quite good. It's deep and melodic album that<br />
showcases tasteful guitar playing, sharp songwriting,<br />
mysterious lyrics, some dreamy arrangements, and<br />
excellent singing. It's a bit bland here and there,<br />
which makes it a less successful album than "Primeval<br />
Road", but it's still a worthwhile LP. Records were<br />
distributed in shrinkwrapped cardboard boxes,<br />
including cover slicks and lyric sheets and<br />
promotional stickers that optimistically read<br />
“includes hit single Zig Zag”. [AM]<br />
LES CHAMPIGNONS (Quebec, Canada)<br />
"Premiere Capsule" 1972 (GG 1)<br />
"Premiere Capsule" 2004 (CD Radioactive 089, UK)<br />
Bluesy prog and psych fuzz jammer with trippy dayglo<br />
mushroom cover. Highlight: 11+ minute "Le Chateau<br />
Hante" (The Haunted House) - great twisted Halloween<br />
music. [RM]<br />
CHANGES (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Fire Of Life" 1996 (CD Storm/Ctulhu)<br />
"Fire Of Life" 2002 (Hau Ruck!, Austria) [750p]<br />
"Fire Of Life" 2002 (CD Hau Ruck!, Austria)<br />
Previously unreleased 1969-1974 recordings from<br />
occult folk duo with ties to the infamous Process<br />
Church. The music is acoustic folk with arch, deadserious<br />
vocals and apocalyptic lyrics. As often with<br />
spiritual folk albums, the dedication works to its<br />
advantage, but is best enjoyed in small doses or a<br />
mind-numbing effect will follow from the uniformity<br />
of mood and monotonous songwriting. Nice spooky feel,<br />
like the Incredible String Band on belladonna. [PL]<br />
CHAPARRALS (Glen Rock, PA)<br />
"Times To Remember" 1968 (DB 21768)
Stereotyped slice of garage rock, propelled more by<br />
sheer enthusiasm than talent. Blown notes, rough<br />
tempos and strained vocals ("Stag-O-Lee"), abound.<br />
That said, to our ears the LPs interesting on two<br />
counts. The album's surprisingly accomplished given<br />
the lowtech production and the band's relative youth.<br />
The other surprise is the band's musical repertoire.<br />
Sure, cover bands weren't exactly rare in the mid-<br />
60s', but these guys concentrated on soul covers. Not<br />
what you'd expect from a Pennsylvania-based outfit.<br />
They also had great tastes, taking on material by<br />
George Clinton, Eddie Floyd and Otis Redding. In case<br />
anyone's interested, there are two originals. The<br />
leadoff soul instrumental and the closer doomy<br />
"Empty", which was written by former member Kent<br />
Rehrbach and is unlike anything else on the LP. [SB]<br />
CHAPIN BROTHERS (NY)<br />
"Chapin Music!" 1966 (Rock-Land rr-66) [mono; gatefold]<br />
"Chapin Music!" 1966 (Rock-Land rr-66) [stereo; gatefold]<br />
Charming basement folkrock in a definite nonpsychedelic<br />
style, sounds like a bunch of Kingston<br />
Trio fans discovering the alluring sounds of the<br />
Grassroots. Recording and performances reek of<br />
amateur enthusiasm, which makes the back cover's<br />
predictions of the coming victory of square US<br />
folkrock in general and "Chapin Music" in particular<br />
seem an outrageous pipe dream. The album clocks in at<br />
an overlong 40 minutes and would have benefitted from<br />
2-3 tracks being removed, especially those that go in<br />
a crooner pop direction. Mostly originals, with the<br />
best stuff holding a middle ground between the NE<br />
prep rockers and the Holy Ghost Reception Committee<br />
#9. Worth hearing as an artefact, but ultimately a<br />
little too bloodless and squeaky clean for my tastes,<br />
although the third track has a nice Ylvisakerish<br />
sarcasm to it. Harry Chapin later became famous, sort<br />
of. [PL]<br />
CHAPLIN HARNESS (Camden, NJ)<br />
"Chaplin Harness" 1970 (M.O.D Sounds 8069) [plain sleeve;<br />
insert]<br />
"Chaplin Harness" 2004 (Void 34) [new sleeve; bonus track;<br />
600p]<br />
CHARIOT ( )<br />
Local demo LP of jammy guitar/organ hippie-rock with<br />
some prog moves, unknown to exist until the Void<br />
reissue appeared. Supposedly only 50 copies pressed.<br />
"Chariot" 1969 (National General 2003) [promos exist]<br />
Heavy psych-rock typical of the era, with Cream<br />
influence.
CHARISMA (FL)<br />
"Charisma Is Raptured" 197 (Rite 29556)<br />
Charisma’s two LPs are probably the most low-budget<br />
rock recordings I’ve ever heard. It appears on this<br />
one that the master tape even dragged for a second on<br />
the first song when the record was being pressed! But<br />
the cheapness of the recording cannot mask the<br />
enthusiasm and strong songwriting of this teenage<br />
Florida band. Liner notes describe the sound as<br />
“Afro-jazz, pure folk, country, acid rock, and<br />
ballad”. Well I don’t know if there’s anything on<br />
here I’d call “Afro-jazz” or “acid rock”, but what I<br />
do hear I like: lots of piano-based rock (recalling<br />
early Elton John) and folky cuts, with lead vocals<br />
shared by James Dudley (composer of 9 of the 11<br />
songs) and Marijean McCarty, whose beautifully<br />
expressive voice brings me close to tears. Overall<br />
the folkrock sound predominates, but the rocky<br />
moments are there (“screaming crashing dissonance”<br />
the liner says) foreshadowing the group’s second<br />
release. [KS]<br />
"Last Days" 197 (Rite 32700)<br />
Wait a minute. I do believe you could classify this<br />
as... yes... here comes the "p" word... progressive!<br />
Well, OK, maybe more like garage rock with some prog<br />
influences. Whatever you call it it's miles above<br />
their debut. Charges off from the start with the 10minute<br />
groovin' jam feast 'Down At The<br />
Crossroads' (not the Cream/Clapton cover) with<br />
guitar, piano, organ, and flute all getting their<br />
turn at lead, not to mention a lengthy drum solo at<br />
the end. 'Last Days' is a creative mysterious<br />
apocalyptic piece, percussion heavy with time changes<br />
and psychy guitar. 'Jesus The Messiah' is rather<br />
dramatic and includes a cool prog mid-section that<br />
has flashes of the sacred Vindication LP. A couple<br />
bluesy cuts: the upbeat 'Nowhere Blues' with slide<br />
guitar and piano and the moodier 'Blue Woman'. A few<br />
nice piano-led ballads in the neighborhood of the<br />
first lp. Real low-tech sound again, especially that<br />
organ - but it's far from irritating, more often<br />
giving the set a wonderful homegrown basement charm.<br />
Every track strong. One of my faves. Both these<br />
albums are bigtime rarities. Nice bellbottoms fellas!<br />
[KS]<br />
ROBERT CHARLEBOIS (Quebec, Canada)<br />
"Charlebois/Forestier" 1969 (Gamma 120)<br />
This is considered to be the most significant French-<br />
Canadian album of the psychedelic era. Charlebois, a<br />
big star in the province, shocked Quebec by following<br />
up a few mellow folk albums with this wildly<br />
experimental effort, going places he never went<br />
before and never would again. Listening all these<br />
years later, it doesn’t sound particularly freaky, or<br />
even all that “rock,” due to the formal sound of the
French language, Charlebois’ loungy voice, and his<br />
theatrical bent. With bits of novelty, and more horns<br />
and organ than fuzz guitar, it sounds more like<br />
vaudeville-meets-swinging-London than psychedelia.<br />
That said, it’s pretty great. Louise Forestier duets<br />
with him on side one, and her various oohs, aahs,<br />
shrieks and crazed asides (this album created as much<br />
of a stir for her muttering of “Christ” on the hit<br />
song “Lindberg” as it did for the style of music) add<br />
quite a bit to the overall atmosphere. This album<br />
sure isn’t heavy, but the Forestier scream and<br />
resulting frantic sax solo on “California,” or the<br />
lunatic ravings of Charlebois on the 7-minute<br />
“Engagement” pack just as much of a much as any wild<br />
guitar solo could. This album is always inventive and<br />
surprising, and while it certainly won’t shock a<br />
modern listener, it’s sure to entertain. [AM]<br />
CHARLEE (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"Charlee" 1972 (RCA Victor 4809) [orange label; textured<br />
cover]<br />
"Charlee" 1972 (RCA Victor 4809) [brown label]<br />
"Charlee" 1976 (Mind Dust mdm-1001, US) [altered 'cartoon'<br />
cover]<br />
Killer hard rock dominated by guitar wizard Walter<br />
Rossi. The vocals are only OK, but this album rocks<br />
with a vengeance. It’s powerful, hooky, and full of<br />
surprises. Rossi gets some great noises out of his<br />
guitar, culminating in the awesome “Wheel of Fortune<br />
Turning.” Most Hendrix worshipers are at best obvious<br />
copies and at worst unimaginative imitators without a<br />
zillionth of Hendrix’s talent. Rossi is one of the<br />
few to use Hendrix as a springboard for his own<br />
original ideas. Easily one of the best of its kind.<br />
The Mind Dust version was issued with a sticker on<br />
the shrink reading "Charlee featuring Walter Rossi",<br />
and was also released on 8-track with a non-LP track.<br />
[AM]<br />
CHARLIE NOTHING (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"The Psychedelic Saxophone of Charlie Nothing" 1967 (Takoma c-<br />
1015)<br />
"Inside Outside" 1969 (no label)<br />
CHARMER (FL)<br />
Hollywood bohemian. Freaky sax noise on the<br />
"Psychedelic Saxophone..." LP. Instro flute and bongo<br />
jamming on "Inside Outside". There was also an EP<br />
titled "We Are You", and a 45 with a picture sleeve<br />
called "X-tra Hot Selections". [RM]<br />
"Your Presence Requested" 1977 (Jazz Forum cm-1068)<br />
"Your Presence Requested" 1977 (Illusion 1070)
"Your Presence Requested" 199 (no label) [bootleg]<br />
An unrelated Charmer recorded at least two LPs for<br />
the Rapides label out of Alexandria, Louisiana. Jazz<br />
Forum is a Hollywood, Florida label likely connected<br />
with the tax-loss Illusion label.<br />
CHUBBY CHECKER (Philadelphia, PA)<br />
"New Revelation" 1981 (51 West)<br />
Recently brought to light obscurity in the king<br />
twister's back catalog, circa 1970 recordings mostly<br />
in a hard Hendrixy guitar funk/psych style, useful<br />
for samples or just to marvel at its strangeness. No<br />
whiffs of twist to be found in neither the garagey<br />
fuzz-funk-ploitation backing nor Chubby's raw vocals.<br />
The lyrics are far out too, and contain several<br />
references to the moon landing. There's also a heavy<br />
ballad called "Goodbye Victoria". The album was only<br />
belatedly released by a budget/scam label in the US,<br />
but given more contemporary releases in Europe: as<br />
"Chubby Checker" in Spain (Ariola, 1971) and France<br />
(MFP, 1976); as "Chequered" (London, 1971) in the UK;<br />
as "Slow Twistin'" (MFP, 1976) in Belgium. The<br />
Spanish (and other?) issue contains two tracks not on<br />
the US version. Read all about it in Ugly Things #23,<br />
where it was first introduced. Chubby himself has<br />
declined comment on this particular work.<br />
CHECK-MATES, INC (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Live At Harvey's - Too Much" 1965 (Ikon IER S 121/122) [2LPs;<br />
gatefold]<br />
CHECKMATES ( )<br />
Recorded live at Harvey's Resort Hotel & Casino in<br />
Nevada (where Jack Bedient also recorded). A racially<br />
integrated club act that was originally formed by<br />
soldiers serving in the US Army. Typical mix of frat,<br />
r'n'b and soul: "Louie Louie", "Kansas City", "Turn<br />
On Your Lovelight", "Hang On Sloopy", etc. The album<br />
was a custom job by the Ikon label in Sacramento,<br />
home of a number of legendary garage 45s, and was a<br />
stereo pressing that was unplayable on mono equipment<br />
due a technical screw-up! The band went on to have<br />
success as Checkmates Ltd, and later hooked up with<br />
Phil Spector.<br />
"Meet the Checkmates" 1967 (Justice 149)<br />
"Meet the Checkmates" 1996 (CD Collectables 0617)<br />
Generic chesspiece sleeve actually gives the band<br />
name as "Checkmate". One of the worst Justices with<br />
3-man horn section & dorkylooking semi-pro band<br />
running through standards that are unhip even by the<br />
genre average. The fact that the band is fairly adept<br />
is actually a drawback in this context. Don't let
anyone tell you this is garage; even calling it<br />
"rock'n'roll" is a bit of a stretch. Best track is a<br />
slightly mysterioso sounding "Gypsy woman". One group<br />
original. [PL]<br />
V.A "THE CHEETAH - WHERE IT'S AT" (NY)<br />
"The Cheetah - Where It's At" 1967 (Audio Fidelity AFLP 2168)<br />
[mono]<br />
"The Cheetah - Where It's At" 1967 (Audio Fidelity AFSD 6168)<br />
[stereo]<br />
CHELSEA (NY)<br />
Exploito teenbeat and soul from the Esquires,<br />
Thunderfrog Ensemble, and Mike St Shaw & the<br />
Prophets. Covers all through, lots of Stones, some<br />
James Brown, Young Rascals etc. The LP is sometimes<br />
hyped, but not a rarity. Also out on reel-to-reel.<br />
"Chelsea" 1972 (Decca dl-75262)<br />
-- also released in Australia<br />
CHENANIAH (MN)<br />
This album has become collectable mostly because it<br />
contains a pre-Kiss Peter “Cris”. Some of it is<br />
uninteresting boogie rock, and at least one song<br />
(“Hard Rock Music,” which prints bizarre fake lyrics<br />
on the back cover, probably to disguise the real<br />
song’s stupidity) is truly atrocious. A few songs<br />
rock convincingly, though, and a few others are great<br />
orchestrated dreamy psych. Despite the variety of<br />
styles, the odd production creates a thematic<br />
consistency. All of the rhythm guitars are acoustic,<br />
and the leads are trebly and often ear-piercing,<br />
moreso because the rest of the instruments form a<br />
wall of sound. On the good songs the overall effect<br />
is pretty powerful, but on the weaker ones it’s just<br />
strange. The “hard rock” songs, lacking electric<br />
rhythm guitars, rely on lots of lead guitar, loud<br />
drums and crazed vocals, not really to the music’s<br />
advantage. This is a spotty album, but it’s weird and<br />
distinctive and has its moments. [AM]<br />
"Chenaniah" 1977 (no label 7071-n-11) [1000p]<br />
Little-known Christian 1970s melodic folkrock at the<br />
commercial westcoast end of the spectrum, comparable<br />
to Harvest Flight. Opens with excellent psych-vibe<br />
track, rest is a little too much feel-good hippiedippy<br />
for my tastes. Nice arrangements with guitar<br />
tapestries and smooth CSN/America vocal harmonies,<br />
some countryrock moves, listenable OK with a relaxed,<br />
non-preaching attitude, although the lead singer is<br />
sort of dorky. A few lowkey folk tracks with acoustic<br />
guitar and strings project an appealing Tim Hardin<br />
feel. [PL]
CHICKEN AND THE EGG ( )<br />
"Word of Mouth" 1974 (Gramex g-101) [paste-on cover]<br />
Mix of hippie funk and rural rock weirdness. Pressed<br />
by GRT in Nashville. Issued in a plain cover with a<br />
paste-on front listing the band name and title. A<br />
paste-on back labeled 'Reference Data' lists the<br />
songtitles and credits.<br />
CHILDREN (San Antonio, TX)<br />
"Rebirth" 1968 (Cinema 1) [gatefold; gold title sticker on<br />
cover]<br />
"Rebirth" 1968 (Atco sd-33-271) [remix; mono wlp]<br />
"Rebirth" 1968 (Atco sd-33-271) [remix; stereo]<br />
"Rebirth" 2003 (CD Gear Fab GF 187) [+16 bonus tracks]<br />
This co-ed soft psych album (produced by Lelan<br />
Rogers) is one of those records that seems like it’s<br />
going to be great, but falls a bit short. Even on the<br />
songs that “rock,” it’s all very twee, with flutes,<br />
harpsichords, falsetto backing vocals, wimpy vocals<br />
from the guy (as usual, they should have let the<br />
woman sing all of the songs), and occasional garish<br />
orchestration. The arrangements are certainly<br />
creative and elaborate, though word has it that the<br />
original mix is more colourful than the more commonly<br />
available version. “Sitting on a Flower,” which<br />
sports unexpected chord changes and punchier guitar<br />
than the rest of the album, and the long, drony<br />
“Pictorial” are probably the best songs. Mono stock<br />
copies may not exist. The band had an excellent non-<br />
LP 45 in a different style from the LP and were<br />
related to legendary garage bands the Mind's Eye,<br />
Argyles and Stoics. The Gear Fab reissue has a ton of<br />
interesting bonus tracks from their various<br />
incarnations before and after this album. [AM]<br />
CHILDREN OF ONE (NY)<br />
"Children of One" 1969 (Real r-101)<br />
CHILD'S ART (CT)<br />
Eastern acoustic trance psych eastern sounds with<br />
femme vocals.<br />
"Un-Cut" 1982 (Gold)<br />
This one has been hyped by dealers as one of the<br />
truly great 80s psych albums, but I have no idea what<br />
they were thinking. It has a horrible-sounding 80s<br />
production style with way too much snare drum and<br />
acoustic guitar reverb, and ugly squealy lead guitar.<br />
The end result is somewhere between heavy metal and<br />
new wave. Anyone who says this sounds like the 60s is<br />
either lying through their teeth or out of their
mind. The male vocals are macho and unappealing and<br />
the occasional female vocals too tentative to work in<br />
this context. A few songs show some promise, but even<br />
those are ruined by the messy sound and overambitious<br />
song structures. This has become<br />
collectable, but even the worst of the Paisley<br />
Underground bands run circles around it. [AM]<br />
CHIRCO (Westchester, NY)<br />
"The Visitation" 1972 (Crested Butte cb-701) [booklet; lyric<br />
inner; wlp exists]<br />
"The Visitation" 1999 (Gear Fab gf-130)<br />
"The Visitation" 2000 (Akarma, Italy) [insert]<br />
CHI-RHO (IL)<br />
Interesting and ambitious album, though more prog<br />
than psych. A really great, crisp guitar sound<br />
compensates for the fact that this occasionally<br />
sounds somewhat like Styx. What Homer is to guitar<br />
rock, this is to keyboard rock. Barry Tashian of the<br />
Remains produced and contributed one of the better<br />
songs. Some of the songs are arranged into suites,<br />
and flow together nicely, just falling short of the<br />
kind of pretense that could sink something like this.<br />
[AM]<br />
~~~<br />
While we've seen the LP advertised as a high priced<br />
psych outing, it ain't! There are splashes of fuzz<br />
guitar and occasional progressive moves, but<br />
propelled by vocalist Anvil Roth's AOR-styled pipes<br />
and delivery, these guys probably have more in common<br />
with 1970s hard rockers. The label and the overall<br />
Western motif left us with the impression this shortlived<br />
early-'70s outfit was from Colorado, but it was<br />
recorded in New York and Connecticut. Sonically the<br />
album's surprisingly impressive and offers up a nice<br />
mix of 1970s hard rock and Styx-styled progressive<br />
moods. Several tracks sport a vague new age-styled<br />
spiritualistic message, but have interesting<br />
arrangements and a couple actually rock out. To our<br />
ears, highlights are the opener "Sound of the Cross"<br />
and "Golden Image". [SB]<br />
"Chi-Rho" 1972 (Aslan 0100)<br />
Christian obscurity with horns and deep vibe, like<br />
the missing link between Khazad Doom and the more<br />
spiritual tracks on Search Party. Brass arrangements<br />
are in a classical/liturgical style that fits the LP<br />
well, and the male/female vocals have the right eerie<br />
sacred feel. Not really a "rock" sound, yet with<br />
obvious influences from contemporary folk and<br />
psychedelia. Lack of guitar leads and the overall<br />
weirdness makes this an aquired taste, but I found it<br />
rather interesting. All originals except for oddball<br />
version of "Jesus Is Just Alright". The LP was<br />
recorded in Illinois as an 'outreach of Jud Youth<br />
Ministries'. The front cover has a gold negative<br />
photo of the band. The back has a black and white<br />
photo of the band walking down train tracks looking
very hippie. [PL]<br />
CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND (San José, CA)<br />
"No Way Out" 1967 (Tower t-5096) [mono; tan label]<br />
"No Way Out" 1967 (Tower st-5096) [stereo; tan label]<br />
"No Way Out" 1994 (CD Sundazed) [inserts; +3 tracks]<br />
"No Way Out" 199 (Big Beat wik-118) [+8 tracks]<br />
"The Inner Mystique" 1968 (Tower t-5105) [mono; tan label]<br />
"The Inner Mystique" 1968 (Tower st-5105) [stereo; tan<br />
label]<br />
"The Inner Mystique" 198 (Tower) [bootleg]<br />
"The Inner Mystique" 1981 (Raven 1001, Australia)<br />
"The Inner Mystique" 198 (Eva, France) [+2 tracks]<br />
"The Inner Mystique" 1994 (CD Sundazed 6024) [+4 tracks]<br />
"One Step Beyond" 1969 (Tower st-5153) [wlp exists]<br />
"One Step Beyond" 198 (Tower) [bootleg]<br />
"One Step Beyond" 1994 (CD Sundazed 6025) [+4 tracks]<br />
"The Inner Mystique/One Step Beyond" 199 (CD Big Beat wikd-<br />
111) [2-on-1]<br />
Legendary teen-punks with ace Jagger clone on vocals<br />
and an archetypal garage look and vibe. "No Way<br />
Out" (also released in Canada and Germany) is garagy<br />
fuzz with a mix of covers and great originals. "The<br />
Inner Mystique" retains some of the r'n'b and garage<br />
and adds a quite different yet appealing dreamy<br />
lounge-psych element via studio tracks such as "Dark<br />
side of the mushroom". "One Step Beyond", the weakest<br />
of the lot, has a more coherent group sound in a<br />
flowing late 1960s westcoast rural sound. Originals<br />
of this LP have 'printed in U.S.A.' clearly legible<br />
at the bottom of the back cover. Many of the tracks<br />
on the first two LPs were recorded by session<br />
musicians. They're nevertheless essential, although<br />
the band is best understood as a 45 outfit. They also<br />
have two killer non-LP tracks on the Tower soundtrack<br />
"Riot on Sunset Strip" (1967, Tower t-5065 mono, st-<br />
5065 stereo) and a track on the sampler<br />
"Underground" (1969, Tower st-5168). There's plenty<br />
of retrospective samplers from the 1980s onwards, in<br />
case anyone still needs an introduction to this<br />
seminal band at this late stage. [PL]<br />
CHOSEN ONES (Topeka, KS)<br />
"Chosen Ones" 1966 (Audio House AH267) [1-sided]<br />
Young band with horn section doing typical<br />
wedding/high school dance material, and not exactly<br />
tearing the roof off at that. Members were apparently<br />
selected via audition which accounts for a reasonable<br />
(but not overwhelming) musical proficiency, the most<br />
interesting attribute being female vocalist Angel who<br />
sings quite well in a sophisticated style and<br />
breathes good atmosphere into "As Tears Go By". The<br />
other 5 tracks are typical soul/r'n'b covers of the<br />
era, with a solid groove on "Turn On Your Love Light"<br />
and a nervous "Harlem Shuffle" highpoints. The guitar
is barely present. This inoffensive album probably<br />
succeeded in getting the band plenty of local gigs,<br />
but is far removed from what today is considered<br />
"garage" or "60s teenbeat". 1-sided album with 6<br />
tracks. The band also had a local non-LP 45. [PL]<br />
CHRIS, CHRIS & LEE ( )<br />
"Chris, Chris, and Lee" 1970 (C C & L)<br />
CHRISTBEARER (NC)<br />
Delicate folk/folkrock covers and some originals.<br />
"Thank you" has nice vocal harmony arrangements and<br />
an upbeat flow, like the Chapin Bros 4 years down the<br />
line.<br />
"Songs And Friends" 1977 (Christbearer CR-1001)<br />
Like Majesty and Uncle John’s Band, Christbearer is<br />
one of a few groups headed up by Chris Hughes in the<br />
‘70s. They also happen to be the heaviest of the<br />
bunch. Psych enthusiasts will immediately want to<br />
take note of ‘Look’ and ‘Into The Light’, both of<br />
which rock slowly with some of the loudest droning<br />
fuzz guitar on record – enough that "Songs And<br />
Friends" could easily earn a modest “monster”<br />
status. On the softer end of the spectrum is<br />
‘Twilight’, a mesmerizing acoustic ballad with dreamy<br />
background synthesizer. A number of the remaining<br />
songs appeared on the Majesty album in the acoustic<br />
duo format but are re-interpreted here as spirited<br />
electric pop/folk, some of the best I’ve heard.<br />
Light horn accompaniment on a couple of these blends<br />
in perfectly. Several folkrock tunes as well - airy<br />
and jangly on ‘Fly’, bluegrassy with banjo on ‘Come<br />
To The Banquet’. Members include Chris Hughes, Kay<br />
Woodard, Jimmy Rea, Jeff White and Lee Carpenter.<br />
Great album! Custom press from Durham, NC. [KS]<br />
CHRISTIAN ASTRONAUTS (Fremont, OH)<br />
"Beyond The Blue" 1971 (Gospel Empire no #)<br />
"Beyond The Blue" 2004 (CD Companion) [CD-R]<br />
Christian family outer space concept act, "naive folk<br />
art" in great cover with homemade sound fx and offkey<br />
vocals. One for the incredibly strange fringe,<br />
needless to say. Some copies come with a promo photo.<br />
CHRISTIAN YOGA CHURCH (Virginia City, NV)
"Turn On!! Music for the Hip at Heart" 1967 (Memorare ess101)<br />
A 50-minute tribal spiritual organ/percussion<br />
improvisation with occasional sanskrit chanting, as<br />
much a product of the beatnik seeker era as a<br />
precursor of 1970s communal tripouts. Not really a<br />
"rock" record, more a unique early psychedelic fringe<br />
artefact along the lines of Alan Watts' legendary<br />
"This is IT", less intense, more eerie, and just as<br />
interesting. An unplugged version of Beat Of The<br />
Earth also springs to mind. One of my personal<br />
favorites in the off-the-beaten-path category. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This record was connected to the Himalayan Academy<br />
Research Center in San Francisco (what an amazing 60s<br />
town!!) and the label address was a P.O. Box at the<br />
Los Angeles airport. It's definintely in the 'real<br />
people' zone, basically an acoustic no-fi hippie<br />
freakout. Musical improvisations with church organ,<br />
some sitar, chanting, flutes, and even a kazoo. Fans<br />
of trancy Krautrock excess might go for this. There<br />
are no track listings on the LP. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
CHRISTMAS (Oshawa, Canada)<br />
"Christmas" 1969 (Paragon 18)<br />
"Christmas" 198 (Paragon) [reissue; altered sleeve]<br />
-- the reissue has a b&W cover<br />
"Christmas" 2005 (CD Pacemaker 043)<br />
Their first LP has an intense westcoast sound similar<br />
to the second, although less evolved. One side is a<br />
long Bay Area-inspired (esp "Spare Chaynge")<br />
instrumental, other side is more conventional. Worth<br />
checking out.<br />
"Heritage" 1970 (Daffodil 16002) [gatefold; insert]<br />
"Heritage" 1970 (no label, Europe) [bootleg; no gatefold or<br />
insert]<br />
"Heritage" 1993 (CD Lazer's Edge)<br />
The most relevant of theirs for my purposes, a really<br />
good intense westcoasty trip with a distinct sound<br />
all through. You can hear that these guys knew what<br />
they were doing, especially ex-Reign Ghost whiz kid<br />
guitarist Bob Bryden. Moving towards prog in the<br />
advanced chord progressions and restless flow of<br />
ideas, not terribly varied in mood yet its<br />
inventiveness and energy makes for an impressive<br />
consistency. Around this time the band also appeared<br />
on a sampler "Proven Blooms" (Daffodil) with a track<br />
unavailable elsewhere. [PL]<br />
"Lies To Live By" 1974 (Daffodil 10047) [gatefold; insert]<br />
-- released as by Spirit Of Christmas<br />
"Lies To Live By" 198 (Daffodil, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
"Lies To Live By" 199 (CD Lazer's Edge)<br />
Warm flowing prog psych rocker. Superb vocals and<br />
playing. Chaotic guitar runs, surging rhythms. [RM]
"Live ´71" 1989 (Remember The Alamo) [300#d; booklet]<br />
"Live ´71" 199 (CD Unidisc AGEK 2168)<br />
Legit release of rare live show from 1971, with some<br />
45 only tracks added. First released as cassette.<br />
CHRISTOPHER (Houston, TX / Los Angeles, CA)<br />
see interview<br />
"Christopher" 1970 (Metromedia 1024) [wlp]<br />
"Christopher" 1970 (Metromedia 1024) [black stock label]<br />
"Christopher" 1989 (Amos, Italy) [bootleg]<br />
"Christopher" 199 (CD Buy Or Die)<br />
"Christopher" 1998 (CD Gear Fab 108)<br />
"Christopher" 199 (Akarma 408, Italy)<br />
One of the better LPs in the popular subgenre of<br />
proto-heavy westcoast hippierock, Airplane and Cream<br />
being the obvious influences. Classy stuff, solid and<br />
uncompromising and with lots of strange lyrics. A<br />
mean looking trio too, from the crashpad sleeve photo<br />
looks like they hung out more with bikers than flower<br />
children! Originally a Texas band known as United<br />
Gas, they also had connections to Josefus. Anyone who<br />
digs "Crown Of Creation" will love this. Stock copies<br />
are considerably rarer. An Italian original pressing<br />
exists. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
A decidedly mixed experience. Clever and thoughtful<br />
songwriting and an excellent drummer wage war with<br />
lots of inconsequential lead guitar and vocals that<br />
often veer towards the macho (and sound just as bad<br />
in this not-quite-hard rock as they would in heavy<br />
blues rock.) As annoying as the lead singer can be,<br />
the predictable harmonies are much worse, creating an<br />
odd and uncomfortable combination: too wimpy and too<br />
he-man at the same time. This album definitely works<br />
better when the lyrical subject is “Magic Cycles” (a<br />
leisurely, formless song that keeps threatening to<br />
break out into rock and roll, but thankfully does<br />
not) than when it’s “Beautiful Lady,” which wastes a<br />
nice bass part and sounds like an FM radio reject.<br />
Many of the arrangements are cool; on “Wilbur Lite”<br />
you can ignore the boring lead guitar and enjoy the<br />
chunks of feedback from the rhythm guitar. The pace<br />
is always slow; a blast of energy would have added<br />
something to the record, but other than the drummer<br />
they don’t seem like they could have done it.<br />
Besides, Christopher are more successful when they’re<br />
just sitting back and feeling it than when they’re<br />
trying really hard. Any attempt to rock out here (as<br />
in the song “Disaster”) is quickly snuffed by a<br />
mellow middle eight or more lead guitar that doesn’t<br />
go anywhere. They do a better job of creating a<br />
menacing atmosphere with the grisly Biblical-themed<br />
lyrics to “Lies.” Others like this album much more<br />
than I do; if you’re amenable to this vocal style you
probably will too. [AM]<br />
CHRISTOPHER (Columbia, SC)<br />
"What'cha Gonna Do?" 1969 (Chris-Tee 12411) [circa 1000p]<br />
"What'cha Gonna Do?" 1990 (Animus Ochlus/Rockadelic 102) [b &<br />
w cover; altered track order; 350#d]<br />
"What'cha Gonna Do?" 199 (Atlas, Europe) [b & w cover]<br />
"What'cha Gonna Do?" 1999 (CD Scenesof 1003)<br />
"What'cha Gonna Do?" 2004 (Lion 101)<br />
CHRYSALIS (NY)<br />
I’ll have to admit that I can’t figure out what<br />
people see in this one. The first song has a<br />
beautiful fuzz guitar sound, but that’s the first and<br />
last highlight here. The vocals are really weak, and<br />
the songs forgettable. The long jam that ends side<br />
one is absolutely endless, one of the dullest I’ve<br />
ever heard. The upbeat songs on the album still feel<br />
soft, as if the energy vibe was low during the<br />
recording session. The LP was released in August<br />
1969. Of the reissues, the Lion has been reported as<br />
being best soundwise, while the Atlas repro may be a<br />
boot of the Rockadelic release, as none of these<br />
reproduce the orange monochrome of the original<br />
sleeve. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Most of the songs on this South Carolina band’s LP<br />
are great. They’re played with considerable vitality<br />
and with cool lyrics about the key concerns in life,<br />
such as drugs, death and the passage of time. The<br />
highlight has to be “Holiday” with fuzzed up guitar<br />
and lots of snarling about their trip being “like a<br />
book, a real good book, it’s nice but not quite<br />
true”. “The Great Clock” and “Death Song” are superb<br />
tracks with weary, wasted vocals lamenting the<br />
passage of time. The title track clocking in at over<br />
12 minutes is not the highlight (and it starts the<br />
CD). However, it’s good enough not to mar the whole<br />
experience. The original LP usually sells for way<br />
into four figures. [RI]<br />
"Definition" 1968 (MGM e-4547) [mono; ylp]<br />
"Definition" 1968 (MGM e-4547) [mono]<br />
"Definition" 1968 (MGM e-4547) [stereo]<br />
"Definition" 1993 (MGM)<br />
"Definition" 2005 (CD Revola 094, UK) [+8 tracks]<br />
One-shot masterpiece from genius songwriter Spider<br />
Barbour. His songs show remarkable lyrical and<br />
musical depth. Acoustic rock (not quite folk-rock)<br />
songs dominate, but the album is full of surprises,<br />
from searing fuzz guitar to the whacked-out fantasy<br />
“Dr. Root’s Garden” that closes the album. There are<br />
spots of jazz, prog (way before its time) and music<br />
hall, all of which can ruin psychedelic records, but
CHURLS (Canada)<br />
work incredibly well here because they’re part of<br />
Barbour’s vision, not just attempts to be trendy.<br />
Favorite lyric: “God is a ring of smoke, wrapped<br />
around my finger, a wasp without a stinger, buzzing<br />
in my ear." Other lyrics veer towards the<br />
psychological and emotional with equally memorable<br />
results. Barbour’s voice is soothing and appealing.<br />
Nancy Nairn is used sparingly but effectively (two<br />
and a half songs) as the other lead vocalist. Her<br />
unhinged performance on “April Grove” adds to the<br />
appeal and strangeness of the album but is effective<br />
precisely because it’s not overused. Some other songs<br />
are stunningly beautiful and tragic. One of the alltime<br />
greats. [AM]<br />
"Churls" 1969 (A&M SP 4169) [wlp exists]<br />
Canadian band merges the garage band sound of the<br />
Ugly Ducklings and the Haunted with a more up-to-date<br />
hard rock vibe. There are too many songs, and most of<br />
the lead guitar work doesn’t go anywhere, but there’s<br />
also a youthful energy and solid vocal style that<br />
wins out in the end. The trippy “Time Piece” blows<br />
away everything else on the album but there are lots<br />
of pleasures that reveal themselves with multiple<br />
listens. They also released a second album on A&M,<br />
"Send Me No Flowers," which is less collectable and<br />
more mainstream in sound (though still pretty good.)<br />
[AM]<br />
CINCINNATI JOE & MAD LYDIA (Cincinnati, OH)<br />
"Cincinnati Joe & Mad Lydia" 197 (River Witch 001)<br />
[gatefold]<br />
An obscure item in the fringe sub-category of local<br />
lounge-rock bands with a stage musical "Hair"<br />
influence. Cincy Joe is a Sly Stone look-a-like who<br />
delivers some mediocre funk-rock tracks that are<br />
clearly lacking in groove. Mad Lydia is a selfappointed<br />
Cincinnati witch and some of her tracks is<br />
what makes the LP, with a rather irresistable<br />
backwater perspective on the American dream, as heard<br />
on "Jesus is our color man" and most of all "Plastic<br />
Rose", a heartfelt tribute to salt-of-the-earth women<br />
that becomes effective simply because of its slighly<br />
misguided and amateurish feel. Other enjoyable tracks<br />
include Lydia's witch testimony "900 years" (the<br />
psychiest track) and the hometown tribute "Cincinnati<br />
Soul". Glitzy period production details like female<br />
backing vocals, electric piano and flute help put you<br />
right in a half-empty Holiday Inn in Ohio 1973. A
CIRCUIT RIDER (CT)<br />
meaningless collage of live-recorded "Hair" songs<br />
close the LP on a confusing note. Only about half the<br />
album works, yet clearly a must for genre fans (like<br />
me) and probably a complete mystery to others. Nice,<br />
ambitious packaging adds to the vibe. There were also<br />
non-LP 45s by both of them on the same label. [PL]<br />
"Circuit Rider" 1980 (C.R 666)<br />
"Circuit Rider" 199 (no label, Germany) [bootleg; inferior<br />
sleeve job]<br />
I initially wrote this off as yet another Blessed End<br />
but further plays revealed more interesting aspects.<br />
Still sort of goofy in places but has some truly<br />
freaky biker/Cpt Beefheart late night explorations.<br />
The tracks where they break out of their<br />
swampy/bluesy mood are the best, such as "Limousine<br />
Ride" and "Chinese", which project visions of a biker<br />
high on PCP driving over a cliff at 100 MPH, laughing<br />
and screaming all the way. Songwriting is essentially<br />
non-existent, and the same riffs and rhythms are used<br />
throughout, which creates a sameyness that will grate<br />
if you're not in the mood. The "Billy The Kid" song<br />
is a goofy macho lowpoint not unlike Blessed End, and<br />
all over this is an LP likely to appeal to some while<br />
others may be puzzled. A late Doors influence can be<br />
detected. Several sources claim that it was recorded<br />
in 1971, but not released until 1980. [PL]<br />
CIRCUS (Cleveland, OH)<br />
"Circus" 1973 (Metromedia LPS 7401)<br />
Circus were one of those bands who were huge stars<br />
locally but never made it anywhere else. In Cleveland<br />
they were even more popular than the Raspberries and<br />
this album's "Stop Wait Listen" still gets local<br />
airplay. They were a hard rock band with major<br />
Badfinger-styled power pop leanings and minor prog<br />
leanings. There are at least three killer songs here,<br />
though the album as a whole tries to do too many<br />
things and doesn't fully work, especially on the<br />
longer songs. The recorded a number of songs after<br />
this LP, but couldn't find another label. Members of<br />
the band would form a number of other bands,<br />
including American Noise. [AM]<br />
CIRCUS (Stevens Point, WI)<br />
"Circus" 1974 (Hemisphere ks-6679)<br />
"Circus" 2000 (Gear Fab gf-162) [+2 tracks]<br />
CIRKUS ( )<br />
Jammy keys and heavy, distorted leads rockers<br />
including a 12-minute track, produced by Corky<br />
Siegel.
"Cirkus" 197 (private)<br />
CITY BLUES (CA)<br />
CLAP (CA)<br />
Early 70s garagy sound soul rock high energy covers<br />
with mixed vocals. "Get Ready", "Spill the Wine",<br />
"River Deep Mountain High".<br />
"Blues For Lawrence Street" 1967 (Nouveau nr-5001)<br />
Fullerton, California label. Lo-fi garage blues by<br />
16-18 year olds. Raw dual guitar, harmonica lo-fi<br />
action. Originals on side 1, covers on side 2<br />
highlighted by a ten minute "Smokestack Lightning".<br />
[RM]<br />
"Have You Reached Yet?" 1972 (Nova-Sol 1001) [175p]<br />
"Have You Reached Yet?" 1990 (Phaze II) [bootleg]<br />
"Have You Reached Yet?" 2005 (CD Skyf Sol)<br />
Appealing exercise in cool by lost-in-time pool party<br />
rockers. Genuine teenage punk that sounds more '66<br />
(or '64 even when the sax player honks away) than '72<br />
with snotty Jagger vocals, basic garage tracks and a<br />
real attitude. Recommended to fans of local Stonesinspired<br />
rockers, whose unglamorous lifestyle is<br />
clearly audible in the grooves. Originals all<br />
through, and not bad ones at that. I like this at<br />
lot, a good one to play when fed up with psychedelic<br />
pipe dreams. [PL]<br />
TODD CLARK GROUP (Butler, PA)<br />
"We're Not Safe" 1979 (World Theatre TC-102) [300p]<br />
"Nova Psychedelia" 2005 (CD Anopheles 010) [2CDs; bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
Todd Clark's second and somewhat more well-known LP<br />
after the Eyes delivers similar suburban sci-fi<br />
stoner visions, with a less progressive and more<br />
garagey feel, including a (good) cover of the<br />
Raiders' "Hungry". The recording has a basement sound<br />
which is probably to its advantage, and the vocals<br />
are less idiosynchratic, with a definite influence<br />
from snotty "punk" stylings. All over a step towards<br />
a more contemporary underground rock sound, which<br />
probably explains the attention it has caught over<br />
the years, with an intense, sometimes chaotic sound.<br />
"X-ray X-tasy" sounds like a 1979 classic with a<br />
catchy chorus and demented glamrock postures, while<br />
making "I had too much to dream" sound like a Todd<br />
Clark composition is a remarkable feat. This early<br />
Prunes cover is a blast and suggests a more<br />
productive path than the "Nuggets" cover bands of the<br />
1980s. The album closes with an ambitious 14-minute<br />
suite that looks back to the conceptual strangeness<br />
of the debut, but still fits with the more in-yerface<br />
nature of "We're not face". The band had a 2nd
LINDA CLARKE ( )<br />
LP "Into the vision" in 1984 with dissonant sci-fi<br />
sounds. The CD was released as by Todd Tamanend Clark<br />
and contains both the 1979 and 1984 albums. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Eyes<br />
"Yes, Indeed! 1976 (Tiger Lily 14035)<br />
CLAUDE & SHERRY ( )<br />
CLAW (IL)<br />
Another mysterious album on Tiger Lily. Folkrock and<br />
soul, a bit in a Carole King vein with full backing<br />
band.<br />
"Claude & Sherry" 1976 (Tiger Lily 14057)<br />
Here’s one of the weirdest Tiger Lily albums of all.<br />
Who are these people? What in the world was their<br />
audience? This duo plays 50s-style roots rock, slick<br />
AM pop, ballads, soul, and UK-sounding folk with<br />
equal energy. At first this sounds like a big mess,<br />
and I was ready to file it after two listens. But I<br />
gave it another chance, and sure enough it grew on me<br />
and I really enjoy this record. Sherry has a<br />
beautiful voice, equally suited for the ballads and<br />
the folk, and Claude is funny and high-spirited. Most<br />
of the songs on this short album are quite catchy.<br />
The ungodly mix of styles makes it obvious why they<br />
were doomed to obscurity, but this album was an oddly<br />
pleasant surprise for me. Nice obscure cover art,<br />
too. [AM]<br />
"Diggin' In" 1978 (GDS 2051)<br />
Crude hardrock boogie. Back cover notes "Play this<br />
Ass Kicker Loud!", in case you were in doubt. Ex-<br />
Eighth Day, who had two songs on the much earlier<br />
"Psychedelic Six Pack of Sound" comp.<br />
DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS (Toronto, Canada)<br />
"And The Shays A-go-go" 1966 (Roman 101)<br />
"Sings It Like It Is" 1966 (Roman 102)<br />
These early LPs from the future Blood Sweat & Tears<br />
vocalist are both moderately desirable teenbeat/r'n'b<br />
rarities.<br />
The first LP was "reissued" with overdubbed horns by<br />
Decca in the 1970s, beware!<br />
CLEARING (Newton, MA)
"Who Is In My Temple" 197 (Unitarian Universalist)<br />
"Clearing" 1973 (Aberdeen Acme 6673) [insert]<br />
Little-known 70s folk with female vocals and mix of<br />
covers and originals.<br />
CLEFS OF LAVENDER HILL (FL)<br />
CLICK KIDS (OR)<br />
This popular Florida 1960s band had a number of 45s<br />
and a taste of success, but it appears that their<br />
rumored demo/acetate album never reached beyond the<br />
tape stage. Several of their 45s can be found on the<br />
"Everywhere Interferences" compilation.<br />
"Jesus Is A Soul Man" 196 (CLS 001)<br />
BILL CLINT (CA)<br />
Christian teen quartet playing amateurish DIY Jesus<br />
pop, somewhat legendary among incredibly strange<br />
fans.<br />
"The Crying Of A Generation" 1975 (Joint Artists 332)<br />
[gatefold; poster insert]<br />
Rural folk weeper with an unnerving tortured feel<br />
like Bobb Trimble. Vocally, he resembles John Denver,<br />
with some oversinging thrown in for good measure. The<br />
highlights are: "Angels Don't Need Friends", an<br />
amazing downer track where he breaks down crying, and<br />
"Babe Is It Easy" which continues the crying theme<br />
and adds running water and a music box to the mix.<br />
There's also some creepy sounding xylophone in<br />
places. There are two cover variants. On one the<br />
opening for the record faces the spine, on the other<br />
it is at the outside edge. The insert reads: "I'm no<br />
longer afraid to admit I'm an insane animal"! [RM]<br />
CLOSELY WATCHED TRAINS (RI)<br />
"Closely Watched Trains" 1975 (Follie's Bazaar nr-5666-1)<br />
[blank back; insert]<br />
Northeast communal group. Low-key rural folk with<br />
backporch progressive jamming.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Follie's Bazaar<br />
V.A "CMU SENIOR BANQUET" (PA)<br />
"Another Carnegie Mellon University First!" 1969 (AIP)
Collegians. Bagpipe group on one side and a basement<br />
folkrock group on the flipside.<br />
STEVIE COCHRAN (Long Island, NY)<br />
"No Need to Worry" 1983 (no label) [plain black cover w/ info<br />
sheet; 100p]<br />
RON CODEN (MI)<br />
Hardrock cruncher like Truth and Janey, demo-only<br />
release.<br />
"Live at the Raven Gallery" 1968 (Hideout 1003)<br />
Folk LP recorded live, on noted local label.<br />
DAVID ALLEN COE (Akron, OH / Nashville, TN)<br />
"Requiem for a Harlequin" 1973 (SSS International)<br />
"Requiem for a Harlequin" 200 (CD SSS)<br />
JOE COHEN ( )<br />
If it isn't a law then it should be: sooner or later,<br />
everybody makes a psychedelic record. This sequel to<br />
his 1968 debut LP, "Penitentiary Blues," sounds like<br />
a cross of "Rubber Room" era Porter Wagoner and the<br />
more experimental tracks on Peter Grudzien's "The<br />
Unicorn." Not so much a collection of songs as it is<br />
an album-length poem about an "asphalt jungle"<br />
populated by junkies, thieves, whores and misfits<br />
with a musical bed that runs from blues rock to<br />
psychedelic soul to jazz to avant-garde. Utterly<br />
unlike anything else this king of the racist red-neck<br />
outlaw bikers has ever done, and, while Coe's debut<br />
is a rare and expensive LP, "Requiem" is next to<br />
impossible to find and sells for mid-three figures<br />
whenever a copy surfaces. In the first five hits of a<br />
web search for information three different release<br />
dates are offered, 1969, 1971 and 1973. This is an<br />
amazing and unique record. The rest of Coe's vast<br />
output falls outside the scope of the Archives. [SD]<br />
"Pages" 1975 (Friendship Music) [photo & letter inserts]<br />
MIKE COHEN ( )<br />
Rural hippie folk with two electric wah-wah tracks.<br />
Possibly the same guy who had an LP out in 1982,<br />
"Writings on my wall".<br />
"Mike Cohen" 1973 (Diadelphous Stamens) [insert]
Basement folk from guy with lots of hair.<br />
COLD SUN (Austin, TX) see interview<br />
"Cold Sun" 1973 (Sonobeat acetate) [only 1 copy made]<br />
"Dark Shadows" 1990 (Rockadelic 2) [insert; photo; 300#d]<br />
"Dark Shadows" 199 (Atlea, Europe) [bootleg; no inserts]<br />
Incredible 1960s-vibe teen guitar-psych featuring<br />
autoharp wizard Bill Miller, later of Roky's Aliens.<br />
Best Rockadelic LP ever, and in my opinion the best<br />
Texas LP after "Easter Everywhere" and "Power Plant".<br />
The recordings were made in Austin 1970-71, the<br />
acetate was pressed by a band member years later just<br />
to be able to listen to the music. The Rockadelic<br />
release was mastered from the original Sonobeat<br />
tapes, not from the acetate which only features about<br />
2/3rds of the band's material. Two completely<br />
different inserts exist for the Rockadelic release,<br />
150 copies had one credited to Mike Ritchey, 150<br />
copies had one credited to Arthur Bloch. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Austin band with an obvious 'Elevators influence<br />
recorded this amazing psychedelic demo LP in '70.<br />
There's no hints of prog or hard rock on this beast<br />
though, just 100% psychedelia. Truly inspired<br />
original and uncompromising stuff, it actually sounds<br />
like the logical next step after Easter Everywhere<br />
and Bull Of The Woods - great Texas desert psych!<br />
Most songs are long and winding, full of echoey fuzz,<br />
Roky-inspired vocals, autoharp and some harmonica. It<br />
never gets into boring hippie jams though. It's more<br />
like entering a state of mind than listening to a<br />
regular album. The lyrics are also some of the best<br />
I've ever heard, managing to be totally<br />
strange/psychedelic without getting the least<br />
pretentious. Not only the best Rockadelic release,<br />
but possibly one of the best and most important psych<br />
reissues ever. Roky's first backing band, Bleibalien,<br />
were essentially made up of members from Cold Sun.<br />
Fantastic LP! [MM]<br />
STUD COLE (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Stud Cole" 1973 (Pacific Atlantic Tribune PAT 1123)<br />
"Burn Baby Burn" 2002 (CD Norton Records) [LP +4 bonus tracks]<br />
"Stud Cole" 2004 (Loopden) [exact reissue; insert]<br />
One of the more notable discoveries of the third<br />
millennium, this previously unknown demo LP has a<br />
unique sound not easily described. Tag-lines such as<br />
"Elvis backed by '66 Yardbirds" go in the right<br />
direction but don't fully capture it, as Stud (real<br />
name Patrick Tirone) is a lot weirder than Elvis ever<br />
was, and the backup band sounds more like '68<br />
exploito-psych than the Yardbirds. "Hasil Adkins<br />
backed by the 31 Flavors" may be closer to the actual<br />
sounds inside the non-descript sleeve. Some tracks<br />
have a strange karaoke-like soundscape, with Cole's<br />
vocals upfront and perfect in sound, while the music<br />
is way in the back, compressed and muffled. On a few<br />
occasions the vocals or a guitar solo come in ½ a<br />
beat too early or too late, creating a weird Shaggs-
"COLLAGE '75" (NJ)<br />
like effect seldom found on record. Cole's vocals are<br />
in an obvious 1950s mode, while some of the lyrics<br />
come from an Ed Wood Jr type universe, and all this<br />
with a generic Hendrix-fuzz support. This LP and its<br />
unparalleled mix of styles may be too esoteric a trip<br />
for many 50s/60s fans, while those who enjoy the<br />
incredibly strange aspects of the Haze or Charlie<br />
Tweddle need to check it out. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Totally enjoyable album that is the perfect mix of<br />
60s garage and 50s hipness. The weird out-of-timesynch<br />
vocals and muffled backdrops add to the overall<br />
effect, which is something of a cheesy exploitation<br />
horror movie for Las Vegas denizens. Along with the<br />
much less outrageous Dane Sturgeon, this is the apex<br />
of 50s-into-60s insanity. Stud really can sing, too.<br />
Utterly wonderful. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Here's some new Stud Cole info, supplied by original<br />
LP discoverer Scott Bubrig: "As expected, Stud Cole<br />
lived in a nocturnal world of stripper girlfriends,<br />
endless cocktails and dreams of becoming a successful<br />
recording artist. I was told he was very popular with<br />
the ladies and always had one by his side. I know<br />
most Stud Cole fans always wondered if he had a band<br />
or if he recorded the record alone with little or no<br />
assistance. Well, he had lots of help which is good<br />
because I was told Stud was a horrible guitar player.<br />
The bass player I'm in contact with already had a<br />
local band that Stud convienced into helping him<br />
record his album. For the record, Stud had six other<br />
musicians working with him (lead guitar, rhythm<br />
guitar, drums, bass, keyboards and a percussionist)."<br />
"Collage '75" 1975 (BCC-1975) [gatefold]<br />
College project album from Brookdale Community<br />
College, including the usual mix of styles.<br />
Instrumental psychedelic rock, poetry, funk, hippie<br />
folk, bluegrass and an awkward soul-searching singersongwriter.<br />
"Bands" include North Star, To Be<br />
Continued, Eric Marcusson, Maryann Sabanskas,<br />
Watchful Waiting, and more.<br />
COLLECTIVE STAR (New York City, NY)<br />
"Music Of The Mantric Wave, vol 2" 1974 (Unanimous<br />
Anonimous UNAN 999)<br />
Manhattan guru and his astral soul-mate deliver<br />
slick, sophisticated new age meditation sounds with a<br />
production value that exceeds the yearly income of<br />
many a rural hippie homestead. Although it could be<br />
described as "cosmic folk", the vibe is closer to<br />
that of 70s space-jazz such as Alice Coltrane, with<br />
urban jazzy trumpet and flute ornaments and a suave<br />
nightclub vibe. I can imagine these people offering<br />
tantric self-realization classes for confused NYC<br />
rich people, and it certainly is a change of climate<br />
from the typical rural commune sounds. The
instrumental passages have a trancey drone flow and<br />
makes good use of dramatic chord and key changes, but<br />
it's difficult to reconcile the worldly, inner city<br />
feel of the music with any type of spiritual<br />
excursions. There is not much of actual singing, more<br />
like chanting and mantra-style instruction. The whole<br />
thing has a staged feel, making the listener a<br />
spectator rather than a participant. "God Of Beauty"<br />
brings in a raga sound and is perhaps the most<br />
psychedelic of the four lengthy tracks on offer here.<br />
This is not an expensive LP, after hearing it you<br />
will realize why. No "Vol 1" has ever been found.<br />
[PL]<br />
"Garuda" 1975 (Unanimous Anonimous UNAN 1001)<br />
The second LP moves in an unwanted downtown direction<br />
that brings in slick 1970s studio funk by adept but<br />
ill-fitting session musicians, with congas, sax and<br />
flute for that special studio hack latin groove. The<br />
amateur vocals of Mr Star and his chick urging for<br />
your spiritual breakthrough makes for an uneasy mix<br />
with this backdrop, to put it mildly. "Cosmic Boogie"<br />
is a useful example of how not to do your new age<br />
music, unless you're aiming for the Incredibly<br />
Strange bag. Things do get more cosmic psychedelic on<br />
side 2 with two extended kraut-style floaters with<br />
eerie femme voices and a sound fx-processed jew's<br />
harp on the first, and raga and kirtan moves on the<br />
second. If you want to know just how weird things<br />
were in NYC in 1975 I guess this is as good a street<br />
map as any, but I wouldn't want to listen to it too<br />
often. [PL]<br />
COLLECTIVE TOOLS (NY)<br />
"Collective Tools" 197 (Silver Crest Custom nt-5272) [insert;<br />
blank back]<br />
Circa 1970 upstate New York collaboration on a NYC<br />
label. Features the groups Eon, Silverwood, and other<br />
musicians from a drug rehabilitation clinic. Moody<br />
basement folkrock and fuzz sounds. On the surface<br />
this is a terrible record, but amateur fans will go<br />
nuts over the loose playing, warbling female vocals,<br />
no-fi production, and downer vibe throughout. Similar<br />
to "Tool Shed" and the Earlham College comps but<br />
murkier. Highlights: the murky take on "40 & 20<br />
Years" (sic), the thud fuzz instro "Clear Silver",<br />
and the mournful "Sail to Maine" which is about<br />
scoring cocaine. Real people with real damage. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
This mix of rock, folk and jazz is a lot more<br />
interesting when you discover the background behind<br />
it. Knowing that it was made by people in a drug<br />
rehabilitation clinic/mental hospital, it just plain
creeps me out, starting with the mournful trumpet and<br />
out of tune harmonica on the opening instrumental,<br />
moving through the chilling “Sail To Maine” (in which<br />
the singer seems to have the attitude that she can’t<br />
beat drugs so she’ll just snort cocaine until she<br />
dies) and some really stark loner folk. About half of<br />
the songs are covers. “Two of Us” is especially<br />
chilling, with the heavily echoed vocals and abrupt<br />
ending making my own mind turn this hopeful song into<br />
something completely different, where the “home” they<br />
seek is the clinic... or death. I’m probably reading<br />
too much into it, but given the feel of the rest of<br />
this album I might be on the right track. Despite the<br />
basement production and a certain kind of sloppiness,<br />
most of this is reasonably well played and sung. The<br />
ones that aren’t (i.e: “Get Together”) have a weird<br />
urgency that’s compelling. Every song here sounds<br />
like a last gasp. Very interesting stuff. [AM]<br />
V.A "THE COLLEGIATE SOUND 1968" ( )<br />
"The Collegiate Sound 1968" 1968 (Allen Associates GCS-120)<br />
Highlights from a collegiate folk concert featuring<br />
groups from 10 northeastern colleges. Most do choral<br />
versions of pop and folk songs (with some acoustic<br />
guitar accompaniment), including the well-known<br />
Vassar G-Stringers, who perform “Get Together”. By<br />
far, the standout is the group from Smith College who<br />
go by the name of Maggie’s Farm performing what is<br />
presumably a late 50s or early 60s song called<br />
“Stubborn Woman” which has been transported forward<br />
to the 60s garage. This is totally primitive electric<br />
sound with drums bashing away, a crude guitar solo<br />
and retro-50s singing & harmonies. By the way, did I<br />
mention this was an all-female quartet? If this had<br />
been a private label single, the garage fiends would<br />
all be going “Denise Who?” [MA]<br />
V.A "COLORADO FOLK" (CO)<br />
"Colorado Folk, vol 1" 1973 (Biscuit City Enterprises)<br />
First volume has folk and singer/songwriters,<br />
including one good sitar-tablas track "Legend of the<br />
Washeen". Second volume from 1974 is similar but more<br />
bluegrass-oriented, and features a track by<br />
Tumbleweed artist Pete McCabe.<br />
COLOURS (Lubbock, TX)<br />
"Colours" 1969 (Century 36550)<br />
Folk and melodic rock covers Dylan, Stills, etc. Has<br />
a bizarre, uncredited track where the engineer fools<br />
around with backwards looping for about two minutes!<br />
The front cover has a beautiful green acid splatter<br />
design, the back is black and white with band photos<br />
and song titles. [RM]
COLUMBUS CIRCLE (CT)<br />
"On Saint John's Eve" 1976 (Pharoah)<br />
Collegians doing avant-garde jazzy progressive<br />
weirdness with a side-long track.<br />
COLWELL-WINFIELD & FRIENDS (Boston, MA)<br />
"Live Bust" 1971 (Za-Zoo 1)<br />
"Live Bust" 2004 (Akarma 272, Italy)<br />
"Live Bust" 2004 (CD Akarma 272, Italy) [+3 tracks]<br />
Progressive bluesrock recorded live at the Phoenix<br />
Coffee House. The band had an earlier major label LP<br />
in the same style ("Cold Wind Blues", Verve Forecast,<br />
1968).<br />
COMMON PEOPLE (Baldwin Park, CA)<br />
"Of, By, For The Common People" 1969 (Capitol st-266) [green<br />
label]<br />
"Of, By, For The Common People" 198 (Mr G, Canada) [bootleg]<br />
"Of, By, For The Common People" 2000 (CD Ascension 022,<br />
Australia)<br />
"Of, By, For The Common People" 2003 (CD Radioactive, UK)<br />
An interesting piece with an unusual edge for a major<br />
label LP, uses a farout singer and some amazing<br />
string arrangements to create a pretty unique sound.<br />
Good album, particularly side one which is killer all<br />
the way, while it sounds like they ran out of money<br />
over on side 2 with a demo-feel club sound. The<br />
terrible vaudeville track must be skipped at each<br />
play, unfortunately. An original Canadian pressing<br />
exists. The 1980s boot used a worn sleeve and should<br />
be avoided. This used to be a "mystery" band but<br />
their origins have finally been cleared up via two<br />
pre-LP 45s on the private CA Flodavieur label, and<br />
reportedly excellent 45s at that. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This has become one of the more well-known major<br />
label psych items, and deservedly so. Some listeners<br />
wish that the awesome orchestration of the first<br />
three songs ran throughout the album (alas, the<br />
budget ran out quickly), but I think that the<br />
resulting mix of garagy rock, soul and folk makes for<br />
a more interesting album. The gruff singer comes as a<br />
shock when you first hear this, but once it all<br />
clicks you can't imagine these songs sung by anyone<br />
else. The "Funeral" song that opens side two is a<br />
complete piece of garbage, an unfunny novelty song<br />
thrown in to earn the producer extra royalties. It<br />
very nearly ruins the (already short) album, but on<br />
LP at least it's easy to skip. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
COMMUNICATION 1 (MI)
"Communication 1" 1971 (Grotesque GS 101)<br />
COMPANION (TN)<br />
Acoustic downer folk duo Rob Carr & Bill Kahl with<br />
flute and wind chimes, mostly instrumental with some<br />
vocal tracks; described as "psychedelic John Fahey".<br />
"Reap the Lost Dreamers" 1974 (RAV) [insert]<br />
"Reap the Lost Dreamers" 2003 (Gear Fab)<br />
COMPANION (CA)<br />
The title is appropriate here, because this is<br />
definitely dreamy, ethereal music. It’s American, but<br />
the closest comparison I can come up with is Ithaca,<br />
(or, at their most melodic moments, the Alan Parsons<br />
Project.) The album oddly begins with a cover, a<br />
version of “Blackbird” that omits the familiar guitar<br />
parts and places the emphasis on the vocals. It’s a<br />
good lead-in to what follows. The vocals are soft and<br />
sensitive, the many keyboards layered like clouds,<br />
and the songs slow and carefully constructed. Spacy<br />
sound effects here and there work well with the<br />
memorable melodies. A few songs are a bit heavier,<br />
with some fuzz guitar, others have some Eno-like<br />
electronics. The songs on side two are a bit less<br />
inspired and drag a little, but it still all sounds<br />
very nice. A distinctive album. By the way, this is a<br />
Christian record, but you’ll never know it unless you<br />
pay very close attention. [AM]<br />
"On The Line" 1977 (Sleepy Eye)<br />
COMPANION (CA)<br />
Rural 1970s rock from Bay Area band; presumbaly no<br />
relation to the guys below.<br />
"Mr Head Live" 1980 (Akashic)<br />
"Mr Head Live" 2005 (CD Syn-Ton, Austria)<br />
Dead/Allman Bros-style guitar jammers.<br />
BURT COMPTON & STEVE MELE (FL)<br />
"Rock n Roll Genius" 1977 (Wizard 1303) [500p]<br />
This one is a guilty pleasure. The first couple of<br />
songs are pretty heavy with an ahead-of-its-time-butstill-annoying<br />
squealy guitar sound (this is a year<br />
before the first Van Halen album opened the<br />
floodgates so that it would soon be the only guitar<br />
sound on FM radio). After that, though, the music is<br />
more mainstream, but quite appealing, radio pop/rock.<br />
They can’t sing too well, and they aren’t so<br />
original, but they have a sense of humor (one song is
CONAN (CA)<br />
about how in the music business helps them earn<br />
“literally hundreds of dollars a year”) and the songs<br />
are catchy. There’s a surprisingly faithful cover of<br />
“Open My Eyes” and two showoffy instrumentals that<br />
are short enough to work. I like it, but don’t expect<br />
most of the people reading this review to agree.<br />
Supposedly there are only 500 copies, but it seems to<br />
show up for sale pretty often. [AM]<br />
"Tell 'Ol Anita" 1973 (Earthchilde ercd-101)<br />
The artist is Conan R.H. Dunham. Conan is a horrible<br />
singer but writes interesting, moody introspective<br />
tunes. Mostly folky offbeat singer-songwriter sound<br />
but three good heavier tunes with seedy fuzz and<br />
synth. Sacramento label. [RM]<br />
CONCERN (Las Vegas, NM)<br />
"America, Where Are You?" 1973 (no label clp-813)<br />
Credited to Concern, this recording takes the best<br />
half of Guitar Ensemble's "The You-N-You" (the Bob<br />
Rivas tracks) and adds some cool new topical ones by<br />
Eloy Montoya with electric guitar and moody organ<br />
moves. Rarer than either of the Guitar Ensemble LPs.<br />
CONCRETE RUBBER BAND (Alden, KS)<br />
"Risen Savior" 1974 (American Artists Custom aas-1164-lp)<br />
"Risen Savior" 200 (CD Hidden Vision)<br />
"Risen Savior" 2004 (CD Radioactive 0108, UK)<br />
Amazing murky basement lo-fi headtrip from the<br />
furthest depths of the Christian underground. While<br />
the lyrics are typical for the genre, the music is as<br />
un-holy as anything I've heard; droning psychedelic<br />
DIY excursions with a strong ritual undercurrent, as<br />
though recorded by some primitive society who<br />
practice REAL Christianity, which is not angelic<br />
choirs and cleancut folkies. Untrained male/female<br />
vocals half-sing liturgical Jesus movement praise and<br />
occasional damnation, while arhythmic drums, halting<br />
harpischord and spooky organ provide the backdrop.<br />
The real star of the show is Duncan Long's<br />
synthesizer, which ranges from piercing and oddly<br />
melancholic 3-D soundscapes to mindbending moog<br />
glissandos. The roots of the music is folk and blues,<br />
somewhere, but it really transcends genres. This is<br />
what Stone Harbour might have sounded like if they'd<br />
dropped enough acid to actually meet Jesus in person,<br />
and returned to their cavern studio on an even<br />
smaller budget. "Wicked" which opens side 2 is the<br />
peak for me, with an (accidental?) oscillator effect<br />
that sounds like a bat flapping its wings around your<br />
head, coupled with eerie, ominous vocals and music<br />
that sounds like 50 Foot Hose pleading for Thorazine.
CONDELLO (AZ/CA)<br />
The last couple tracks are somewhat more<br />
straightforward and almost garagey in style. Only<br />
album of its kind in the world. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
There isn’t anything else like this one, which mixes<br />
cheesy ballads, heavy guitar workouts, and freaky<br />
synth-heavy space rock. The production is so awful<br />
that you can barely hear the vocals or rhythm<br />
section, though, which masks the amateurishness<br />
somewhat but renders even the good songs (“Wicked”<br />
being my hit pick) something of a chore to sit<br />
through. I’d recommend this more to real people fans<br />
than to psych or xian fans, though it’s unusual<br />
enough and so musically outrageous that it should<br />
give pretty much any listener a kick for a listen or<br />
two. The LP was recorded in a band member's living<br />
room via bouncing tracks on a 2-track, and the simple<br />
artwork was due to the band not being able to afford<br />
a generic custom sleeve. Most copies were given away<br />
after they failed to sell out. [AM]<br />
"Condello: Phase 1" 1968 (Scepter srm-542) [mono]<br />
"Condello: Phase 1" 1968 (Scepter sps-542) [stereo]<br />
C1 C2 see Mad Dog<br />
This fascinating album moves from sparkling pop to<br />
near heavy metal, almost like a compilation album by<br />
one man. Condello is an interesting figure, being<br />
connected to diverse figures like Lynn Castle and<br />
Warren S. Richardson, so it’s not surprising that his<br />
album runs the gamut. The popsike songs near the<br />
beginning of the album are the strongest tracks, but<br />
all of it is interesting and worthwhile. A neat<br />
artifact of a time when such diverse styles of music<br />
sat nicely side by side on radio, and here, on LP.<br />
Condello also released a number of 45s and EPs<br />
including the "Soggy Cereal" track of Pebbles fame.<br />
[AM]<br />
LARRY CONKLIN & JOCHEN BLUM (Seattle, WA)<br />
"Jackdaw" 1980 (no label 11233)<br />
Little-known local album of haunting UK-style folk<br />
with 12-string and violin.<br />
V.A "CONNECTICUT'S GREATEST HITS" (CT)
"Connecticut's Greatest Hits" Conn 1966 (Co-Op 101)<br />
Bands include the Van Dykes, Chosen Few, Majenics.<br />
Some acts are doo wop/vocal groups.<br />
CONSCIOUS EFFORT BAND ( )<br />
"Conscious Effort Band" 1981 (no label) [gatefold]<br />
Basement folkrock.<br />
CONSTELLATION (Chattanooga, TN)<br />
"Constellation" 1978 (Pyramid 1590)<br />
CONTENTS ARE (IA)<br />
"Constellation" is a pretty amazing effort; even more<br />
so given that creative mainstay Punkin Crye wasn't<br />
even old enough to legally play in a nightclub. In<br />
addition to handling lead vocals (he sure didn't<br />
sound like a 14 year old) and lead guitar, Crye wrote<br />
or co-wrote all nine tracks. Exemplified by tracks<br />
such as the blazing opener "8 O Clock Monday",<br />
"There's Talk" and "Sell Out" the trio's take-noprisoners<br />
brand of hard rock certainly won't appeal<br />
to everyone, but at least to out ears the LP's got<br />
more hooks and heart than a truck load of Slayer<br />
releases. Among the highlights were the sweet and<br />
atypical ballad "Little Things" and the chugging<br />
rocker "Always Be the Same". The album did little<br />
commercially and Crye relocated to L.A. where he<br />
enjoyed minor success playing in a number of local<br />
metal bands. Unfortunately, Crye also picked up a<br />
nasty drug habit. By the time he was in his early 20s<br />
he'd returned to Tennessee where he ended up<br />
homeless, living on the streets of Chattanooga. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
The biggest clue as to the age of the songwriter here<br />
comes from the lyrics, which obviously refelect a<br />
horny teenager (or even pre-teen) view of dating.<br />
This album has a nice hard rock sheen, driven by a<br />
metallic but clean rhythm guitar sound. The<br />
performances are strong, the energy level high and<br />
the songs engagingly brief. It lacks riffs, though,<br />
and has a surprisingly sparse amount of lead guitar.<br />
They sound like a band with a lot of promise, but<br />
this album never really takes off. [AM]<br />
"Through You" 1967 (Rok) [100p; blank back cover]<br />
Previously unknown LP from beat/folkrock/psych band,<br />
only sold at shows. The band was still at highschool<br />
when they cut this LP, which is remarkably advanced<br />
for the time and place. Only a few copies are known<br />
to exist.<br />
V.A "CONTEXT '70" (Long Island, NY)
"Context '70" 1970 (no label MP 4-1)<br />
COOKIN' MAMA (CA)<br />
Very obscure DIY high school project LP of which only<br />
a few copies are known to exist. High points include<br />
two long fuzz/organ instrumental freakouts, a girl<br />
garage band, and some folk moves. Jug-band stuff,<br />
bizarre poetry and crude classical round out the set.<br />
There's also a funny spoken introduction proclaiming<br />
it to come courtesy of "WTHC" radio. Interesting LP<br />
with plenty of 1970 NYC zeitgeist and a high freak<br />
value, though schizophrenic and local to the max. The<br />
college project "Tool Shed" album is somewhat similar<br />
and perhaps provides more good music than this<br />
one. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Here is the ultimate in the realm of reality known as<br />
the 60s/70s stoned high school student project LP.<br />
Hailing from the Island of Long, these suburban<br />
stonees definitely pulled some wool over the eyes of<br />
the faculty. Beginning with a mock broadcast from<br />
radio station WTHC (!), the drug references flow<br />
through a pastiche of psych, folk, jugband, some<br />
"classical music is great stoned" (courtesy of Igor<br />
Stravinsky), and a few truly bent poems including the<br />
Shakespearean ode to McDonald's, "Cheeseburger<br />
Lament" from Omlette. Highlights are Adam's Rib, a<br />
girl garage band performing a great pop-psych/punker<br />
"Hide Your Love"; the proto-roots sound of The<br />
Amalgamated Pickle Plant and Home Brew Distillery<br />
(whose repertoire includes David Peel's Happy<br />
Mother's Day) and most uniquely, one Emmanuel Angel.<br />
Angel performs 2 lengthy instrumentals on which he<br />
plays everything - guitar, keys, bass, drums - and<br />
quite well. The sounds are berzerk progressive<br />
psychedelia via early Zappa/Mothers filtered through<br />
distorted, fuzzed, speeded up guitars and organs.<br />
Finally, the last track is titled The End and lasts 1<br />
second. The LP is housed in an incredible pink and<br />
black psychedelic cover. There are plenty of pics of<br />
our student stonees on the front. The back is a great<br />
abstract design. [MA]<br />
"New Day" 197 (Rock Bottom cfs-3007)<br />
"Cookin' Mama" 1980 (Piccadilly 3376) [boot reissue]<br />
website version:<br />
This is a pretty original and exciting West Coast<br />
rock album, very hard to classify. It's too<br />
structurally complex to be blues and rocks way too<br />
hard to be rural rock. It's got horns, but they're<br />
integrated into the overall sound in a way that makes<br />
this no horn band. There are some similarities to the<br />
Screaming Gypsy Bandits, though this band doesn't<br />
cover as much stylistic ground and are more<br />
consistently good. The guitar playing on this record<br />
is powerful, and is what takes this way beyond the
ealm of most commune-type albums. This isn't<br />
literally a commune, but the band has about a dozen<br />
members, the songs have chorus vocals, and they're<br />
definitely hippies. Sherry Foxx, from Oasis and R. J.<br />
Fox, is in this band and top billed (which leads to<br />
record dealers inaccurately hyping this as a female<br />
vocal album), but actually only sings lead on most of<br />
one song (she sings the verses). That's a shame,<br />
because though the chorus vocals are fine, the guys<br />
who sing lead don't have half the personality or<br />
excitement as Sherry. It's a blown opportunity,<br />
because albums that rock this hard, have no cover<br />
versions, and have female lead vocals are rare as<br />
hen's teeth. If she had sung all of the songs this<br />
would be something special indeed. As it is, it's<br />
still a pretty cool album, recommended to people like<br />
myself who wish that most of the jammy west coast<br />
bands had more upbeat energy. Steve Miller is listed<br />
as one of the album's three producers, by the way,<br />
and it's quite impressive how many instruments and<br />
voices are in the mix without sounding messy. For<br />
some reason the liner notes say "no thanks to the<br />
Illnois Highway Department". Two original pressings<br />
exist with different label designs. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
book version:<br />
This is a pretty original and exciting West Coast<br />
rock album, very hard to classify. It's too<br />
structurally complex to be blues and rocks way too<br />
hard to be rural rock (the guitar is very exciting.)<br />
There are horns, but they're integrated into the<br />
overall sound in a way that makes this no horn band.<br />
They're something of a hippie commune, as the band<br />
has about a dozen members and the songs have chorus<br />
vocals. Sherry Foxx, from Oasis and R. J. Fox, is in<br />
this band and top billed (which leads to record<br />
dealers inaccurately hyping this as a female vocal<br />
album), but actually only sings lead on part of one<br />
song. That's a shame, because though the chorus<br />
vocals are fine, albums that rock this hard, have no<br />
cover versions, and have hot female lead vocals are<br />
rare as hen's teeth. Steve Miller is listed as one of<br />
the album's three producers, by the way, and it's<br />
quite impressive how many instruments and voices are<br />
in the mix without sounding messy. For some reason<br />
the liner notes say "no thanks to the Illnois Highway<br />
Department". Two original pressings exist with<br />
different label designs. [AM]<br />
V.A "COOL AID BENEFIT" (Vancouver, Canada)<br />
"The Cool Aid Benefit Album, volume 1" 1970 (Arthfor 4001)<br />
Local psych and rock groups including tracks by Hydro<br />
Electric Streetcar, Mock Duck, Papa Bear's Medicine<br />
Show, Spring, Route 9 and Black Snake. The Papa<br />
Bear's track also appears on their rare LP, while the<br />
Mock Duck track is on the Gear Fab reissue. Vancouver<br />
Cool Aid provided legal assistance and other aid for<br />
wayfaring hippies in the late 60s. Mike Harcourt,<br />
future British Columbia premier, was one of their<br />
lawyers. [RM]
BILL COOLEY & ALAN MUNSON (Santa Barbara, CA)<br />
"In Debt" 1972 (Studio West 2874)<br />
PAT COPALELLO (IL)<br />
Much of this album is gentle folk, with a sound<br />
similar to the early Chuck & Mary Perrin albums, if<br />
they didn’t have female vocals. Japanese collectors<br />
crave it for those songs, though psych collectors<br />
will be more interested in “Sightly Sue,” which has<br />
bizarre use of guitar vibrato, and “I Need a Change”<br />
and “Where Is The Change,” which have a bit of mild<br />
fuzz guitar (the latter has maybe the shortest and<br />
most unlikely wah wah break ever.) A few other songs<br />
have some jazzy lead guitar and complex chord<br />
progressions. Overall, somewhere between stark hippie<br />
folk and folky singer/songwriter. Loner folk fans may<br />
enjoy it, as a couple of songs are pretty dark in<br />
tone. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
"There are nine original songs on the "In Debt"<br />
album. The music style is predominately psych rock,<br />
but also includes songs which have both a folk rock<br />
and a bluesy acoustic feel. Instruments on the album<br />
include electric and acoustic guitars, electric and<br />
acoustic bass (guitarone), drums and other percussion<br />
instruments. Effects used in the Psych rock songs<br />
include guitar solos with distortion/wah-wah, and<br />
some soaring echoed vocals. The album has strong lead<br />
vocals and background harmonies (with many stacked<br />
vocal harmony parts on the title cut). The production<br />
objective was to record an album with Pop-rock<br />
arrangement sensibilities applied to Psych music and<br />
experimental sounds." (description supplied by Alan<br />
Munson)<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Alan Munson<br />
"Daybreak" 1977 (Kerygma 1001)<br />
Nice Christian singer-songwriter with a very varied<br />
style range. Ranges from folk (including a Dylanesque<br />
talking blues) and country-influenced rock to heavy<br />
fuzz rock and progressive AOR. All quite excellent.<br />
[MA]<br />
RUTH COPELAND (UK / Detroit, MI)<br />
"Self Portrait" 1969 (Invictus)<br />
"Gimme Shelter: Invictus Sessions" 200 (CD Castle, UK) [2-on-<br />
1]<br />
Copeland produced the first Parliament album and<br />
wrote a few of its songs. As to her own album, what<br />
can you say about a record that starts with a spokenword<br />
religious manifesto and ends by combining an<br />
opera aria with an acid rock guitar solo by Eddie<br />
Hazel? In between are all sorts of goodies. Listen to<br />
Copeland screech horribly without conviction on the<br />
hard rocking “I Got A Thing For You Daddy.” Drop your
jaw in awe as you hear her cry on the children’s tune<br />
“Music Box.” Feel her pain as she reveals the pits of<br />
masochistic self loathing on “No Commitment.” This<br />
album has all this and much, much more! It goes in so<br />
many directions, and Copeland’s sincerity is so<br />
painful, that all the listener can do is scratch<br />
his/her head and thank goodness Ruth got a chance to<br />
put it on plastic. Totally ridiculous, and totally<br />
compelling!! As proof that she could be as good as<br />
she could be crazy, her version of “Silent Boatman,”<br />
which she wrote, is even better than Parliament’s.<br />
The CD reissue sadly omits the opera song. [AM]<br />
"I Am What I Am" 1971 (Invictus snmas-9802) [gatefold]<br />
"Gimme Shelter: Invictus Sessions" 200 (CD Castle, UK) [2-on-<br />
1]<br />
COPS LTD (WA)<br />
For her second album, Copeland went for a more<br />
straight hard rock/soul feel. Her singing is powerful<br />
but uncontrolled, and despite the comparative<br />
“normalcy” there are moments as bizarre as those on<br />
the debut. Sample lyric: “Hare Krishna/right on<br />
baby/straight ahead/far freakin’ out”. Two Rolling<br />
Stones covers give her a chance to exercise her<br />
lungs. The whole album really rocks, but the opening<br />
“Medal” is probably the highlight. A unique and<br />
bizarre figure in rock history, whose histrionics and<br />
sexual appeal (the gatefold cover has the best bellybutton<br />
photo of any rock album, ever) seem to have<br />
disguised the fact that she was a true pioneer as a<br />
female producer. [AM]<br />
"Play Old, New" 1975 (Tell International)<br />
Weirdo fringe LP of some notoriety as it was featured<br />
in one of the "Incredibly Strange Music" books; this<br />
is real live cops playing covers from the 1950s-<br />
1970s, incl "Knocking On Heaven's Door" and "Memphis<br />
Train". Cover pics are priceless. For freak<br />
collectors mainly.<br />
FRANK CORBIN (Austin, TX)<br />
"One Fell Swoop" 1976 (Prelude NS 10022)<br />
Obscure local album from guy who apparently was dying<br />
of cancer, which gives a chilly edge to the front<br />
cover drawing of a hooded executioner holding a<br />
guitar! Being Corbin's testament of sorts it's odd<br />
that it opens with an instrumental track that is the<br />
only thing he didn't write himself. The rest is<br />
fairly appealing melodic mainstream rock with a 1970s<br />
nightclub vibe I like. A couple of tracks have good<br />
female vocals that give it a loungey westcoast edge<br />
not unlike Titus Oates or T-Kail. Pro-sounding<br />
throughout with a bit of sophistication in jazzy<br />
piano embellishments, and suave guitar leads.<br />
Corbin's singer/songwriter aspirations drag it down<br />
but the overall moody vibe and a superb back cover
photo of the gang hanging out in true 1970s style<br />
makes for a neat break inbetween this psych monster<br />
and that psych monster. [PL]<br />
CORILLIONS (Springfield, MO)<br />
"Songs Of Divine Inspiration" 1977 (Corillions no #)<br />
"Double Album" 1981 (Corillions no #) [2 LPs]<br />
Basically the work of the seriously disturbed Marlin<br />
Wallace, the Corillions LPs feature adept yet strange<br />
singer/songwriter music based on Wallace's unusual<br />
experiences of being tortured by communists with<br />
invisible rays, as well as thoughts on the yeti,<br />
jungle women, space travel, dinosaurs, and more. The<br />
liner notes describe his background and the overall<br />
threat of communist conspiracies in greater detail<br />
than is really wanted. The 2-LP set is a classic of<br />
the mid-period fringe/incredibly strange domain and<br />
mandatory for genre fans, while the debut LP is<br />
strange in its own way, with religious-spiritual<br />
material. Various names are credited as performers on<br />
the LP, but it appears that they're all actually<br />
Wallace using pseudonyms, along with one Mildred<br />
Morris. Supposedly only 100 copies were pressed of<br />
the albums; there was also some 45s.<br />
CORPORATION (Milwaukee, WI)<br />
"Corporation" 1969 (Capitol st-175) [rainbow label]<br />
-- also released in England and France<br />
"Corporation" 1995 (CD Repertoire)<br />
Bluesy fuzz rock. Their two Age of Aquarius LPs ("Get<br />
On Our Swing; "Hassles In My Mind) are forgettable<br />
but the earlier and superior Capitol LP features a<br />
fine extended jam to John Coltrane's "India". [RM]<br />
CORPUS (Corpus Christi, TX)<br />
"Creation A Child" 1972 (Acorn 1001) [banded tracks]<br />
"Creation A Child" 197 (Acorn 1001) [2nd press; green/pink<br />
label; unbanded]<br />
"Creation A Child" 1986 (Breeder RPR 007-3C-567, Austria)<br />
[bootleg]<br />
"Creation A Child" 199 (CD Flash 45, Italy) [digipak]<br />
"Creation A Child" 2000 (Akarma 113, Italy)<br />
"Creation A Child" 2000 (CD Akarma 113, Italy)<br />
Underrated, partly outstanding ballsy 1970s rock<br />
album in the Texas style, which means good<br />
production, strong vocals, and solid playing all<br />
around. Some of it is rootsy blues-rock which wins<br />
out on pure class and power, but the highlights are<br />
undoubtedly two psych-flavored epics that could<br />
easily slide onto the Garrett Lund or D R Hooker LPs;<br />
the nocturnal, moodily jazz-tinged "Mythical dream"<br />
and the even better "Joy", whose combination of<br />
soaring vocals and superbly controlled feedback licks
will have any fan of 70s private press sounds flip<br />
out. About 2/3ds of the LP is truly great,<br />
unfortunately the band starts running out of gas on a<br />
couple of less inspired and pedestrian bar-rockers.<br />
The LP is given additional appeal by realistic lyrics<br />
about relationships and fatherhood, planned and<br />
unplanned, that retain a male perspective without<br />
degenerating into macho clichés. I bet these guys<br />
were local heroes among kids cruising around Corpus,<br />
and in another time and place they would have hit the<br />
big time. Despite reservations, impressive and a must<br />
hear for 1970s rock fans, while undoubtedly too much<br />
of "classic rock" for 1960s guys. A marvy cosmic yet<br />
primitive sleeve adds bonus points. [PL]<br />
CORVAIRS (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"Corvairs" 1964 (Olympia 106)<br />
Obscure teenbeat with frat, instros and r'n'b. This<br />
is their second LP.<br />
COSMIC DEBRIS (Oklahoma City, OK)<br />
"Cosmic Debris" 1980 (Non Compos Mentis 3-7K)<br />
"While You're Asleep" 1983 (Non Compos Mentis 4-6K)<br />
The debut is spacey avant/prog/psych with acid<br />
guitar, moog and flute, mid-1970s sound. The followup<br />
is not nearly as adventurous. Despite the locale and<br />
similarity in name, the band had no connection to<br />
Debris.<br />
COSMIC MICHAEL (New York City, NY)<br />
"Cosmic Michael" 1969 (Bliss no #) [paste-on cover; poster]<br />
The first LP perhaps looks greater than it sounds,<br />
but is still an appealing item for its compounded<br />
freak value. One of the least "cosmic"-sounding<br />
cosmic LPs around, with a loose urban soundcheck vibe<br />
using equal parts Vox organ, piano and crude guitar,<br />
on top of which Michael semi-improvs lyrics to a<br />
steady basement boogie beat. Not downer folk or such,<br />
but a 60s DIY r'n'r feel rare for Real People albums.<br />
Top attraction is Cosmic Michael's "Theme" which<br />
describes in third person the acid-induced<br />
transformations he's undergone: "some kind of<br />
chemical change is going on in poor Michael's<br />
brain..." set to a rockin' garage fuzz beat. Has a
female bluesy Joplin clone on one track, the extended<br />
"Mother Earth", which could have sucked but wins on<br />
rawness and realness. Unusual LP that falls between<br />
any genres you can think up; he would have made an<br />
excellent double bill with Bob Edmund. The poster is<br />
a larger version of the paste-on xeroxed front sheet.<br />
The LA album is considered inferior by most. A rare<br />
45 featuring a track from each LP also exists. [PL]<br />
"After A While" 1970 (Bliss) [wraparound cover slick]<br />
The followup is stoned acoustic folk psych and was<br />
done in Los Angeles. It's not as jawdropping as the<br />
debut but "Woodstock Nation" is hilarious.<br />
COSMIC SOUND OF GANDHARVA (a k a Gandharva) (CA)<br />
"Energy" 1977 (Saddhu)<br />
"The Money Box" 1978 (Saddhu 522 516)<br />
Cosmic trance/meditation folk. "Energy" is not bad<br />
for the genre; a moody echoey soundscape and slightly<br />
eerie vibe rather than starry-eyed peace & love<br />
ramblings. Acoustic guitars, deep vocals, semiimprovised<br />
jammy songs with some crude sound<br />
experiments; imagine the Acid Symphony guys 10 years<br />
down the line. Brief spoken bit featuring a phonysounding<br />
Indian guru. "The Money Box" has one side of<br />
spoken word with background music, and one side of<br />
trancey folkpsych songs with acoustic guitars and<br />
tablas. Short playtime. [PL]<br />
COSMIC TRAVELLERS (Los Angeles, CA / Oahu, HI)<br />
"Live At The Spring Crater" 1972 (Vulcan ct-00004) [poster;<br />
1000p]<br />
"Live At The Spring Crater" 2002 (Dodo, Italy) [poster]<br />
-- the poster is 18"x24" and features 24 black and white live<br />
shots<br />
"Live At The Spring Crater" 2004 (CD Dodo, Italy)
Top-level guitar blowout in the form of a Hawaii live<br />
recording featuring 4 great musicians, ex-Raider<br />
Drake Levin among them. Long, intense jams on a mix<br />
of covers and originals, the total impression being a<br />
fine blend of vintage Quicksilver and Sly & the<br />
Family Stone. Essential to any fan of west coast acid<br />
rock jam bands. Great cover, and a cool poster that's<br />
included with the classy (bootleg) reissue. The band<br />
was formed for this concert while Drake Levin and<br />
Joel Christie were vacationing in Hawaii. The<br />
festival was a big deal with several bands (incl<br />
Little Feat) and an estimated crowd of 55.000. The<br />
recording and release of the LP wasn't pre-planned<br />
but happened as a consequence of the band's terrific<br />
performance. Christie was formerly with Orange<br />
Colored Sky and together with Levin plays on Lee<br />
Michaels' 6th LP, while Dale Loyola play on the Hook<br />
LP. I've been unable to document any other recordings<br />
of the superb lead guitarist Jimmy McGhee. [PL]<br />
COUNTRY WEATHER (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Country Weather" 1969 (no label, no #) [no cover; 1-sided;<br />
50p]<br />
"Country Weather" 2005 (RD Records 015, Switzerland) [2LPs;<br />
booklet; bonus tracks]<br />
A much anticipated reissue of some historical<br />
importance featuring this mythical Bay Area band.<br />
Side 1 is studio recordings from a later (1971) phase<br />
in the band's career, leaning more towards rural CA<br />
early 70s rock than westcoast psych, pretty good and<br />
with brilliant sound. Side 2 is the original 1-sided<br />
demo LP from which the whole CW legend sprang, much<br />
better in sound than the old Italian "California Acid<br />
Folk" bootleg (which omits 1 track). Dominated by two<br />
extended psych/jam tracks with lots of originality<br />
and atmosphere, this remains a great 20-minute album,<br />
with a '67-68 Bay Area vibe and even a Yardbirds<br />
cover. Side 3 of the reissue is a live recording from<br />
Walnut Creek 1970 in terrific sound, which will send<br />
you back to "Happy Trails" in its jam mood and<br />
audience participation. Hits the prerequisite SF<br />
Ballroom vibe where the improvisation is organic, not<br />
some lame showoff. Couple of long jams on covers &<br />
originals. Side 4 is more from the same show(s), and<br />
continues in the same excellent acidrock style,<br />
although I personally don't go for the bass & drum<br />
solos on the closing "Wake me shake me". So: 1 OK<br />
side studio, 1 great side studio, and 1.5 good side<br />
live. All in superb sound. The historical importance<br />
of this Country Weather release shouldn't outshine<br />
its musical merits, but given the Rolls Royce<br />
pricetag I think some people should wait for a CD<br />
version (if there is one), while diehard westcoast<br />
fans will want to get the 2LP set. This is the first<br />
but hardly the final word on the band -- there's<br />
still plenty of unreleased material out there,<br />
including 3-4 tracks (such as "Confusion") that are<br />
superior to what this RD set delivers. Around the<br />
time of these recordings the band also backed up<br />
Terry Dolan on his excellent, unreleased Terry & The<br />
Pirates recordings from 1970, and Greg Douglass went<br />
on to play with several noteworthy Bay Area outfits.<br />
[PL]
COUNTS FOUR (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"Counts Four" 1965 (London eb-87)<br />
COUNTS ( )<br />
Obscure teenbeat album in goofy cover showing the<br />
members as "counts". Geared towards non-Invasion<br />
dance hits such as The Monkey, The Swim, The Watusi,<br />
and so forth.<br />
"Introducing!" 1965 (Reliable 12048)<br />
Teen-beat and blue-eyed soul in generic-looking<br />
cover.<br />
BILLY R COUVSON (S F Bay Area, CA)<br />
"Bongo Sensational Soul" 1977 (private)<br />
COVEN (IN)<br />
There’s nothing else like this one, a mixture of<br />
bongos, vibes and Billy’s incoherent ranting, all<br />
bathed in deep reverb. It’s not really soul, or jazz,<br />
or anything recognizable (or even classifiable as<br />
“music”). It is, however, a blast. You’d think that<br />
something so simple would get boring over the course<br />
of entire album, and it kind of does, yet Billy is so<br />
far out and the beat so hypnotic that it mostly<br />
works. Once in a while he starts blowing a harmonica<br />
or laughing hysterically for no obvious reason.<br />
Mostly he just sounds like he’s talking to himself.<br />
If you make it through the first six songs you’re<br />
rewarded with a completely different arrangement on<br />
the seventh and eighth: heavily echoed piano, about<br />
four thousand unidentifiable percussion instruments<br />
(or whatever he found in his kitchen), and something<br />
actually resembling melodies. This album is a “real<br />
people” classic! Billy has recently resurfaced and<br />
has recorded a number of new albums, so his madness<br />
can spread to a new generation. [AM]<br />
"Witchcraft" 1969 (Mercury sr-61239) [gatefold]<br />
"Witchcraft" 2003 (CD Hardrock Yankees)<br />
"Witchcraft" 2006 (CD Akarma, Italy)<br />
This is the same band who had the hit "One Tin<br />
Soldier" from the "Billy Jack" movie. They claim that
at the time of this first album they were<br />
legitimately interested in Satanism. Whether it's<br />
real or not, I defy you not to laugh at the scream of<br />
"kiss the goat" during the black mass that takes up<br />
most of side two. This isn't especially musically<br />
interesting; it's collectable because it's an oddity<br />
and for the creepy picture of a topless Jinx Dawson<br />
on the inner sleeve. An unfortunately timed Esquire<br />
magazine cover photo of Charles Manson holding the<br />
album cover in his hands assured that the label would<br />
bury it without hype. Coven did release two more<br />
albums, though neither of them are of interest to<br />
collectors. [AM]<br />
COXON'S ARMY (Richmond, VA)<br />
"Live From Sam Miller's Exchange Cafe" 1972 (Trace) [black<br />
label with orange picture of Phil Coxon]<br />
"Live From Sam Miller's Exchange Cafe" 1972 (Trace) [purple<br />
label with no picture]<br />
COYOTE (MD)<br />
Funny bad lounge rock barband featuring a teenaged<br />
Pat Benatar. The album is taken from a soundtrack to<br />
a one hour television special produced by WCVE-TV and<br />
Sam Miller Exchange Cafe. Ten member group (nine guys<br />
and Pat) with four on horns. The purple label version<br />
was only sold at the club and only a handful are<br />
known to exist. [RM]<br />
"Coyote" 1973 (Chariot CH-500)<br />
COYOTE ( )<br />
Silly mid-1970s hard rock album that wastes almost<br />
seven minutes on a goof of a song called “Horney<br />
Coyote” and also includes an ode to a “Flat Chested<br />
Woman.” Even the straight hard rockers here include<br />
lyrics like “I think he’s a turd.” This would all be<br />
well and good if the novelty songs were funnier, or<br />
if they rocked, but they’re as lame musically as they<br />
are lyrically. There are also a few throwaways<br />
(including an organ-heavy instrumental). All of the<br />
above is just side one. It’s hard to imagine why<br />
anyone ever would turn the record over, but<br />
surprisingly there are some decent hard rock songs on<br />
side two. The rhythm section is solid, and the<br />
keyboardist is quite good too. The style’s a bit<br />
prog/AOR, though, and the album ends with a terrible<br />
attempt at a soul ballad. You’ve been warned. The<br />
album cover is pretty twisted, by the way. [AM]<br />
"Cast Off Your Old Tired Ethics" 1975 (Old Dog no #)<br />
Biker hardrock from bearded quintet, "Peter Gunn<br />
Theme" is an unexpected cover among the band<br />
originals. Housed in appropriate primitive cartoon<br />
cover. No relation to the Coyote on Chariot.
CRACK ( )<br />
"Day Of Doom" 1976 (Tiger Lily tl-14048)<br />
"Day Of Doom" 2004 (CD Radioactive 083, UK)<br />
CRAFTSMEN (OH)<br />
Classy mid-1970s melodic prog sounds from<br />
multiinstrumentalist duo with a completely<br />
professional, urban sound like many Tiger Lilys.<br />
Opening track is a pretty lame rootsy bar-rocker,<br />
after which it gets more adventurous. Good guitarleads<br />
throughout, prog-rock keyboard, some flutes and<br />
agreeable non-operatic vocals. Reminiscent of<br />
Thunderpussy at times, which is meant as a<br />
compliment. "Andrea" is a weird swamp-rock twilight<br />
zone excursion with burbly synth sounds, while the<br />
title track has some psych vibes. Side 1 rocks hard,<br />
while side 2 gets more introspective and spooky.<br />
Lyrics hint at Christian concerns, as also suggested<br />
by the title. The 1970s gasoline rationing is taken<br />
as a sign of the impending "day of doom". Very<br />
clearly from the post-psychedelic era, yet strong<br />
enough to be worth checking out for open-minded heads<br />
and 70s prog fans in particular. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This Tiger Lily album actually has credits, so it’s<br />
presumable that this really was at one point intended<br />
for a regular release. It’s mainstream 70s rock and<br />
hard rock with an occasional prog edge. It has plenty<br />
of keyboards and a significant amount of flute, but<br />
also some hot lead guitar. It’s nothing especially<br />
unusual or innovative, but it’s quite good. The<br />
playing is solid, and the arrangements are creative<br />
(dig the crazy piano playing on “Early Riser” and the<br />
weird synth section in “Evil And Cruel.”) The<br />
occasional Christian lyrics are more interesting than<br />
the usual…there’s a definite sense of urgency here<br />
that works in Crack’s favor. A couple of songs border<br />
on cheesy (“Earth” is somewhere between MOR and jazzrock),<br />
but this is a very cool mid-70s artifact. Just<br />
to prove this is, indeed, a tax scam record, the<br />
closing instrumental sounds unfinished. [AM]<br />
"What Can We Say?" 1966 (Zap 3009) [100p]<br />
MIKE CRAIG (AZ)<br />
Mix of fratrock and Beach Boys covers. The cover is<br />
an oversized mailing envelope with band photo, song<br />
listings, and bio.<br />
"Daughter Of The Moon" 197 (MM Records)
CRASH COFFIN (OH)<br />
Circa 1974 obscure private pressing in a downer folk<br />
vein with a slight hippie troubadour vibe.<br />
"Crash Coffin" 1974 (Mus-I-Col cc-69) [plain cover w/ label<br />
logo]<br />
This wellknown LP has a couple of great moody psych<br />
tracks with excellent vocals like "Alone together"<br />
and "God loves the loser", but also some less<br />
appealing stuff and is a rather inconsistent<br />
backwoods trip all over. "Amazon women" is a pretty<br />
funny 1950s b-movie throwback. Many sleeves come with<br />
artistic embellishments by Crash himself. Contrary to<br />
popular belief there were no "original covers"<br />
destroyed in a mythical fire, but simply a case of<br />
real sleeves being too expensive to print. A 1980s<br />
followup (Cuyahoga, 1984) is reportedly more in a<br />
hippie jugband style. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is true oddball loner stuff. The mix of styles<br />
is unlikely to make anyone enjoy this from start to<br />
finish, but there are some great moments<br />
nevertheless. A few songs are straight ahead rock and<br />
roll, one is a completely offensive anti-feminism<br />
song (“Mama, get back in the kitchen”), three are<br />
goofy novelties with kazoos, a few others are cool<br />
folky psych tunes, and “Alone Together” is an<br />
absolute semi-heavy psych monster. Most copies of<br />
this are in hand-decorated covers, but some have a<br />
plain white cover with a Mus-I-Col label (after a<br />
while, Coffin got tired of decorating!). [AM]<br />
CRAZY PEOPLE (Canada)<br />
"Bedlam" 1969 (Condor 2457)<br />
"Bedlam" 200 (CD Gear Fab 156)<br />
"Bedlam" 200 (Gear Fab/Comet 404, Italy)<br />
Late 60s freaky psych-rock of some notoriety, with<br />
Johnny Kitchen. The music is partly reminiscent,<br />
perhaps even overlapping, with Wildman Fischer's<br />
debut LP on Bizarre, but the story remains obscure.<br />
Shortly after this Kitchen was involved with the<br />
folk/protest-oriented Trio Of Time (Condor 2460).<br />
CREATION OF SUNLIGHT (Long Beach, CA)
"Creation Of Sunlight" 1968 (Windi 1001)<br />
-- a Brazilian pressing from the mid-1970s exists<br />
"Creation Of Sunlight" 199 (Windi, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
"Creation Of Sunlight" 1997 (CD Mystic)<br />
"Creation Of Sunlight" 2002 (Void US)<br />
"Creation Of Sunlight" 2005 (CD Lion)<br />
Despite the reissues many are still unfamiliar with<br />
this Sunset Strip-style psych wonderama, so full of<br />
60s summer charm you'll play it over and over.<br />
Strawberry Alarmclock's first two LPs are the obvious<br />
reference for these guys and they pull it off with<br />
equal talent and class, hardly a dull moment as<br />
"midnight travels to Mulholland Drive" are projected<br />
with swinging Hammond/guitar interplay and upbeat<br />
vocal harmonies. To me, one of the most essential 60s<br />
rarities. Original's on the same label as Merkin.<br />
They also did a non-LP 45 as Sunlight's Seven, as<br />
well as an acetate for the LP. According to the legal<br />
re on Void the band's name was actually just<br />
"Sunlight" but it will be time before this gets<br />
around; furthermore a 45 taken from the LP clearly<br />
lists the band as Creation Of Sunlight. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
The perfect summer album. With harmonies to die for,<br />
colorful arrangements that highlight great organ and<br />
guitar playing, and, most of all, an album full of<br />
hit-worthy songs, this is an all-time classic. Like<br />
the similar SAC, at times the oh-so-happy sound veers<br />
towards the cheesy, but never quite pushes it too<br />
far. Instantly memorable, but also with a lot of<br />
depth. Every song is a winner. In a better world they<br />
would have been superstars. [AM]<br />
CREME SODA (Milwaukee, WI)<br />
"Tricky Zingers" 1975 (Trinity CST 11) [group pic cover]<br />
"Tricky Zingers" 1977 (Trinity CST 12) [2nd press; paste on<br />
'titles' cover]<br />
-- this later pressing in a new sleeve has fewer tracks,<br />
removing "Numero Uno" from side 1<br />
"Tricky Zingers" 198 (no label, Austria) [bootleg; 385#]<br />
"Tricky Zingers" 199 (Trinity, Italy) [bootleg; gold vinyl]<br />
-- several tracks on this boot reissue suffer from surface<br />
noise, there's also dropouts in the opening track<br />
"Tricky Zingers" 1993 (CD Cosmic Mind, Italy)<br />
An impressive and unfairly overlooked LP. Despite the<br />
vintage this has a strong 1966/67-sound, I'm in<br />
particular reminded of 2nd-tier Sunset Strip bands<br />
like Fenwyck or Fifo-era West Coast Pop Art. Strong<br />
folkrock/early psych songs with hooks and<br />
originality, while a lo-fi recording adds some garage<br />
ambience. Two experimental tracks with drone effects<br />
and backwards guitars are perhaps the highpoint,<br />
while a couple rootsy r'n'r numbers are a bit<br />
misplaced. Two tracks from the LP appear on Endless<br />
Journey vol 2. Member Billy Tanon made an LP in 1982<br />
("Free man's rainbow", Trinity). [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
1975, not a year you might associate with<br />
psychedelia, overblown ELP "synth-workouts", maybe.<br />
Then up popped Creme Soda in Milwaukee. Their songs<br />
perfectly combine pop harmonies with a harder sound,<br />
every track is good. "Tonight", "Keep it Heavy" and
"Roses All Around" are moving and brilliant. "Numero<br />
Uno" features a "debate" between kind man and nasty<br />
man which makes for an interesting, menacing song.<br />
Billy Tanon was arrested for broadcasting to the<br />
world from the fifth storey ledge of a building that<br />
"Creme Soda is more than just soda pop". So you know<br />
it must be good, nearly 30 years on their efforts<br />
still stand up. The LP sports one of the best "local"<br />
sleeves, with the band looking beyond cool sitting on<br />
the sidewalk. Dig Jim Wilson's sideburns and Ron<br />
Juntunens hard-nut stare. Style wise these guys give<br />
Zerfas and Rayne a run for their money. [RI]<br />
~~~<br />
Despite the fact that everyone seems to like it, this<br />
great latter day psych album has yet to get its due.<br />
They could do pretty much anything, from ballads to<br />
melodic soft rock to crazed rockabilly to wasted<br />
psychedelia with Iggy-like vocals. A few songs here<br />
tread in truly untested waters. Flat production dulls<br />
the impact a little, but this a major album worthy of<br />
a high-quality reissue. This is another band that<br />
lends credence to the theory that the very best<br />
psychedelia was made in the 70s. [AM]<br />
CRISTAL WEBB (Baltimore, MD)<br />
"Misty Morning" 1973 (no label)<br />
CROMAGNON (CT)<br />
Recently discovered obscurity with dreamy<br />
folk/folkrock.<br />
"Cromagnon" 1969 (ESP Disk 2001) [color cover]<br />
"Cromagnon" 1969 (ESP Disk 2001) [b&w cover]<br />
"Cromagnon" 199 (Get Back)<br />
"Cromagnon" 199 (CD ZYZ)<br />
"Cromagnon" 199 (CD Caliber, Holland)<br />
An aural stew of experimental vocal sounds (tribal<br />
chanting, eerie whispering, animal-like screeching,<br />
monster sounding growls, ghostly howls, outright<br />
screaming, violent puking sounds, etc), various<br />
effects (over-dubbed sound bites played backwards,<br />
old sirens, common household sounds, manipulated<br />
electronics, field recordings) and the occasional use<br />
of a conventional instrument (spooky bagpipes,<br />
frantic rhythm guitar, scratchy fiddle) that are all<br />
meshed and held together with various forms of<br />
primitive percussion. A couple tracks have no rhythm<br />
instruments and are simply gravity defying acts of<br />
freeform music. Surprisingly, after being subjected<br />
to over 30 minutes of unintelligible voices,<br />
Cromagnon finally reap the benefits of evolution and<br />
use coherent words from the English language on the<br />
final two songs on the album. Cromagnon is ominous<br />
and experimental tribal music for the bad acid trip.<br />
An acquired taste that most will have trouble<br />
swallowing. [JSB]<br />
CROME SYRCUS (Seattle, WA)
"The Love Cycle" 1968 (Command rs-925-sd) [gatefold]<br />
This appears to be another mainstream pop band who<br />
got caught up in the psychedelic craze, resulting in<br />
a far out album cover and a side-long epic. The<br />
soulful vocal style and slow tempos make this hardly<br />
something I expect most psych fans to like. The epic<br />
has its moments, but like all side-long tracks from<br />
so-so bands it could have put all of those moments<br />
into one solid single. Not an especially interesting<br />
album. [AM]<br />
CROSSCURRENT COMMUNITY (Toronto, Canada)<br />
"Let The Cosmos Ring!" 1970 (Avant Garde AVS 131)<br />
CROSSCUT SAW (FL)<br />
Interesting experiment here as Presbyterian ministry<br />
from Toronto seeks to discuss spiritual questions<br />
with people from a variety of backgrounds (including<br />
non-Christians) through the medium of music. The end<br />
result is sort of a musical equivalent of a rap<br />
session, with lyrics that reveal a search for meaning<br />
yet also express the Christian response. Don’t let<br />
the word “community” scare you off – this isn’t a big<br />
massive choral production or anything. There are<br />
eleven people listed in the instrumental credits,<br />
plus another five providing the vocals. The Avant<br />
Garde label certainly lives up to its name on this<br />
release with not only rock and folk styles, but also<br />
jazz, psychedelia, and bizarre poetry readings (check<br />
out the hip ‘The Wart Where It Was’). Horns are used<br />
effectively in parts, though thankfully they’re<br />
usually playing second billing to the organ and<br />
electric guitar. Psychedelic guitar noodling<br />
intermingles with spacey washes of organ on the<br />
album’s centerpiece: the thirteen-minute ‘Genesis’,<br />
an avant-garde ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’-influenced<br />
composition structured around three cosmic spoken<br />
passages identified as Fluctuations 1, 2 and 3 (note<br />
how they work in the melodies from ‘Jesus Loves Me’<br />
and ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’). [RM]<br />
"Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know" 197 (Surprise 0001)<br />
"Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know" 2005 (CD Akarma 133, Italy)<br />
CROSSRODE (SC)<br />
Blues-rock and boogie with lots of guitar and<br />
harmonica, like the Groundhogs and Johnny Winter. The<br />
release year has been given as 1975, but looks to be<br />
a bit later from the sleeve design.<br />
"Crossrode" 1980 (Strawberry Jamm lp-801)<br />
Rural Southern hardrock with dual leads.
CRUCIBLE (Richmond, IN)<br />
"Shaggy Joe" 1971 (Earlham Crucible)<br />
"Crucible Two" 1972 (Earlham Crucible)<br />
V.A "CRY 3"<br />
Local coffeehouse folk various artist-assembly from<br />
the same college scene that spawned "Attention Span",<br />
"Sequoiah Stream", and the Hoi Polloi LP. Solo and<br />
band performances, some UK trad folk, etc. The second<br />
LP is the more interesting and features Charlie<br />
Bleak, one of the main guys behind Hoi Polloi.<br />
"Cry 3" 1975 (Clearlight cl-102) [envelope format cover]<br />
Soundtrack to a x-ian multimedia presentation with a<br />
variety of musicians participating including Mike<br />
Johnson (Exkursions). Features a couple fine spacy<br />
instrumentals with synth and covers of Stephen Stills<br />
and Cliff Richard songs. Decent but not too<br />
memorable. [RM]<br />
CRYSTAL CIRCUS (Santa Barbara, CA)<br />
"Crystal Circus" 1968 (All American test press) [no cover]<br />
"In Relation To Our Times" 199 (Akarma 134, Italy)<br />
"In Relation To Our Times" 199 (CD Akarma 134, Italy)<br />
Yet another obscure LP in the ridiculously entangled<br />
web that surrounds the All-American label. This band<br />
features Greg Mumford who sang on "Incense &<br />
Peppermints" and unsurprisingly aims for a total SAC<br />
sound on several tracks, while others move in a<br />
generic late 1960s psychrock domain. Good news is<br />
that it's pretty good; songwriting, vocal and playing<br />
all deliver and while not up to SAC levels it<br />
surpasses all the other All-American albums. Band<br />
also had an official 45 release as "Strawberry SAC".<br />
[PL]<br />
CRYSTAL HAZE (Decatur, IL)<br />
"Crystal Haze" 1977 (no label erk-5207) [plain cover with info<br />
sheet; 100p]<br />
Guitar/keys hardrock with terrific wailing leads and<br />
weak vocals. Mostly rages but some delicate westcoast<br />
moments in there as well. [RM]<br />
CRYSTAL IMAGE (Lodi, CA)<br />
"Crystal Image" 1974 (Dream lrs-rt-6070) [insert]
"II - Rock and Roll" 1975 (Dream)<br />
"II - Rock and Roll" 2001 (CD Red Lounge Records)<br />
This is the second and most well-known of this band’s<br />
three albums, all on their own Dream label. They also<br />
released 25 singles between 1968 and 1982! Crystal<br />
Image was the quintessential small town bar band. The<br />
music ranges from boogie to mild hard rock to funky<br />
rock to countrified rockabilly; they have both male<br />
and female singers, and songs are about roadies,<br />
hoping to be a star, and about desperately trying to<br />
get radio play. The feel is of a band who played<br />
covers for years and years and had enough local<br />
popularity to occasionally slip a few originals into<br />
their shows. The songwriting is so-so, and often kind<br />
of silly (lots of references to “dropping drawers”),<br />
and the production is crude, but the band has the<br />
kind of professionalism that comes with years and<br />
years of playing oldies. The funkified bass player is<br />
especially good, though his overenthusiastic playing<br />
doesn’t always fit in that well. I can’t honestly say<br />
that this is good, but it has a certain kind of<br />
nostalgic appeal (and historical value) to people<br />
like me who often went to see bands like this in the<br />
70s and early 80s. As is often the case, the songs<br />
with the female singer are highlights; she doesn’t<br />
have much style but her voice is pretty sexy. The CD<br />
contains, as bonus tracks, half of their first album,<br />
which is similar in style and quality to the second.<br />
[AM]<br />
~~~<br />
If you look beyond bonehead descriptions of this as<br />
"Airplane style psych" and take it for what it is,<br />
Crystal Image's second LP is a rather enjoyable<br />
showcase for a local 70s smalltown bar-band with<br />
above average aspirations. The band is supremely<br />
tight, which can't help but impress, and a couple of<br />
tracks with mixed male/female vocals and serious<br />
lyrics are quite respectworthy. Other facets to their<br />
output is more of a predictable 70s bar mentality and<br />
less enjoyable, but made passable by the performances<br />
and excellent recording. If nothing else, the LP<br />
works as a yard stick for the style, and may appeal<br />
to those who like Titus Oates and T-Kail, although<br />
this is a more humble affair. Being stuck in a Lodi<br />
isn't all bad, apparently. [PL]<br />
"Sure Feelin' Loose" 1976 (Dream)<br />
More barband guitar rock with rural edge and female<br />
vocals.<br />
V.A "CTV'S AFTER FOUR" (Canada)<br />
"CTV's After Four" 1968 (Yorkville yvm 33003)<br />
CYCLE (Canada)<br />
Sampler of bands who played on the TV show, including<br />
Ugly Ducklings (non-LP track), Big Town Boys, Terry<br />
Black, and others.
"Cycle" 1970 (Tamarac 1003)<br />
"Cycle" 199 (Tamarac) [bootleg]<br />
Yet one more UK-influenced Canadian poppsycher, a bit<br />
later in sound than the others but still in a<br />
Swinging London mood, comparable to '68-era Small<br />
Faces, the Herd etc. Strong vocals and a tight band,<br />
though parts may be too loungey/top 40:ish. The<br />
extended "God" track has a good fuzz riff and<br />
interesting lyrics. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Canadian popsike band fall into the same boat as the<br />
Sundowners. They seem to either be a studio<br />
concoction or a band whose natural instincts were<br />
torn into several directions by their record company.<br />
So you start with a fuzz-guitar pop tune, end with a<br />
killer semi-heavy psych track called “God,” and in<br />
between is a bunch of soulful mainstream pop that’s<br />
nowhere near as interesting. There are a few more<br />
nice guitar moments and some catchy tunes, but most<br />
of it is disposable. Somehow, it feels like the<br />
mediocre stuff is what these guys were really all<br />
about and the fuzz guitar and trippy finale are<br />
producer-inspired experiments. Horn-laden B-side of<br />
the “God” single seems to confirm this theory. Either<br />
way, it’s not a great album but if you just listen to<br />
the first and last songs and sleep through the middle<br />
you’ll think it is. The 45 version of “God” is<br />
heavily shortened. [AM]<br />
"Magic Music" 1973 (Tamarac)<br />
Obscure 2nd LP with lots of keyboard and some heavier<br />
aspirations.<br />
CYKLE (Lumberton, NC)<br />
"Cykle" 1969 (Label 59-261) [500p]<br />
"Cykle" 1988 (Label, Austria) [bootleg; 385p]<br />
"Cykle" 1994 (CD Flashback, Austria)<br />
"Cykle" 1997 (CD Gear Fab 106) [+7 tracks]<br />
"Cykle" 199 (Gear Fab 203) [+bonus tracks]<br />
Opinions divide on this, some think it an absolute<br />
monster while others (like me) are less impressed.<br />
Sure, there are 2-3 awesome fuzz garage tracks here,
some of which have been comp'd, but like Mystic Siva<br />
there's also a fair share of slow numbers and pop<br />
tunes that seem to go nowhere. High point is the<br />
incredible "Lesson to learn", a work of sheer garagepsych<br />
perfection, with great acid lyrics to boot.<br />
Drummer/band leader Jimmy Sossamon is about 3 times<br />
as good as any other band member, with amazing fills<br />
and grooves that contrast with the rather primitive<br />
songwriting. The "production" is unusually clear for<br />
a garage band and makes liberal use of stereo<br />
separation, which isn't always to the Cykle's<br />
advantage as it reveals the less developed aspects of<br />
their artistry and vocals. Cool cheesy sleeve. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Local teen garage album that sounds/looks more like<br />
'67 than '69, so don't let the release date scare<br />
you. Maybe the band had been going for a coupla years<br />
before finally deciding to make an LP so some of the<br />
songs might've been written as early as '67? Liberal<br />
doses of fuzz, vox organ and snotty Sky Saxon vocals<br />
in the punkpsych tracks makes for great listening.<br />
The slower tracks are moody, but don't quite match<br />
the quality of the punkers. On side two the quality<br />
drops somewhat and the ending 7:26 track gets a bit<br />
tedious, to say the least. About 50% of the LP<br />
delivers all the way and the rest is definitely<br />
weaker. All originals though, which is a plus. One of<br />
the better-sounding Gear Fab reissues. [MM]<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
DADDY WARBUCKS ( )<br />
"Daddy Warbucks I" 1976 (Tiger Lily)<br />
This typically obscure Tiger Lily LP has something<br />
most do not: accurate credits. Members of this band<br />
were previously in Goodthunder and would later form<br />
the melodic hard rock/AOR bands L.A. Jets and 1994.<br />
Daddy Warbucks are cut from the same cloth, but with<br />
some added prog moves (despite short songs.) This<br />
album is chock full of wonderfully used synthesizer<br />
and has its share of tricky rhythms/time signatures.<br />
It also has a bunch of catchy tunes. Check out the<br />
frantic bass playing on "Blue Eyes" or the atonal<br />
synth on "There's a time" and you can see that these<br />
guys had serious pop smarts. In fact, if it wasn't<br />
for the typically early 70s bluesy male vocals, this<br />
would be a grade-A power pop album. As it is, it's a<br />
grade-A mainstream rock album. In a similar fashion<br />
to the first two Cars albums, it shows that<br />
synthesizers need not be used only to make<br />
"synthesizer music," but can be beautifully<br />
integrated into a rock band as lead and rhythm<br />
instruments. It's a bit mainstream for psych fans,<br />
but if Crack and Steve Drake can be highly sought<br />
after by collectors, it stands to reason that this<br />
equally (maybe more?) rare album should be too. Note:<br />
A song from the Goodthunder album is remade here with<br />
a new title and new lyrics. In usual hilarious tax<br />
scam fashion, the back cover lists a song that's not<br />
on the album and the total time is a scant 21 minutes<br />
and 53 seconds, not a second of which is wasted. [AM]<br />
DAILY FLASH (Seattle, WA)<br />
"I Flash Daily" 1984 (Psycho 32, UK)<br />
"I Flash Daily" 199 (CD Flash 60, Italy) [bootleg; +2 tracks]<br />
DAISY CHAIN (CA)<br />
The only album release from a historically<br />
significant and occasionally brilliant folkrock/psych<br />
outfit that travelled up and down the west coast in<br />
1966-67. Contains their 45 tracks, a couple of<br />
unreleased studio tracks, and two stunning live<br />
numbers on side 2 including the ahead-of-its-time<br />
acidrock magnum opus "Cantaloupe Island". A must for<br />
any fan of early psych. A recent CD boot titled "SF<br />
Odds & Ends" contains more tracks from this Seattle<br />
concert. [PL]
"Straight Or Lame" 1967 (United International lpm-13001) [mono<br />
cover, mono record]<br />
"Straight Or Lame" 1967 (United International lpm-13001) [mono<br />
cover, stereo record]<br />
"Straight Or Lame" 200 (CD Sundazed 6200) [mono mix]<br />
Somewhat legendary all-girl lyte-psych/top 40 album;<br />
its status perhaps due more to its unique nature than<br />
the perceived quality. The sound is typical So Cal<br />
sunshine product with harmony vocals, cheesy organ<br />
and occasional brass, reminiscent of Birmingham<br />
Sunday in parts. At best it approaches vintage<br />
Strawberry Alarmclock in its mix of easy listening<br />
and dreamy psych; the track "Zzotto" is an excellent<br />
example of this. The LP has some weaker moments of<br />
fake soul and bouncy pop but enough winners (I<br />
counted four) to be worth checking out for pretty<br />
much anyone. Reportedly 500 covers were made. All<br />
covers say "mono", but mono discs are considerably<br />
rarer. The stereo discs are binaural 'fake stereo'<br />
and rather badly done. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is one of the holy grails of femme psych,<br />
terribly rare and with a fantastic sleeve design.<br />
About half of the album is quite trippy, with great<br />
use of swirling organ and just a bit of garagy<br />
sloppiness. The other half is commercial pop, with<br />
occasional horns. The mainstream songs are pretty<br />
good, though clearly this album would have been more<br />
fun if all of it was in the style of "Zzotto" and<br />
"Love Them All." Not the masterpiece insane<br />
collectors of female psych would hope for, but a<br />
worthwhile album with a few killer songs. [AM]<br />
DA KINGFISH BAND ( )<br />
"Tennessee Feelin'" 1975 (JJ Sound Records)<br />
RAY DALAN (Canada)<br />
A four piece band (keyboards, guitar, bass & drums)<br />
unleash a strange concoction of countrified rock.<br />
"For Mature People" 1974 (Sky)<br />
DALLAS (TX)<br />
Acoustic, introspective folk.<br />
"Casualty of Love" 1979 (Shimmer Bros. 97-15)<br />
Nice acidic folk with originals and Byrds and Neil
Young covers.<br />
KAREN DALTON (NY)<br />
"It's So Hard to Tell" 1969 (Capitol ST-271)<br />
Unique, magical downer folk album that stands<br />
stranded in time (sounds like it could have been<br />
recorded in 1948, or 1998.) On these starkly recorded<br />
folk songs, Dalton sounds just like Billie Holiday,<br />
with the same power and resonance. She wasn't a<br />
writer, which is probably why she's a cult figure and<br />
not a household name. Even so, her singing style and<br />
obvious conviction makes this a completely coherent<br />
listening experience. Two of the songs are by her<br />
pal, Fred Neil, and his sad lyric about watching<br />
hotel lights blinking on and off is a perfect<br />
encapsulation of the feel of this album. The CD<br />
contains extended liner notes about her mostly<br />
unhappy life; all of it makes perfect sense when you<br />
hear the music. This is quickly approaching<br />
labelmates like Gandalf and Euphoria in<br />
collectability value, and in many ways is a better<br />
album. [AM]<br />
"In My Own Time" 1972 (Just Sunshine/Paramount pas-6008)<br />
DON DALY (TX)<br />
Dalton's second album was a disappointment to fans of<br />
the first. It lacks the same coherence and conviction<br />
of the Capitol LP, and the more rock-oriented<br />
arrangements don't suit her particularly well. Even<br />
so, she still has a voice like nobody else in the<br />
genre and this is intermittently fascinating. [AM]<br />
"Matilda" 1971 (Matilda's Child 710 820)<br />
DAMASCUS ROAD ( )<br />
Busker folk with 2-chord songs and loud vocals.<br />
Acoustic guitar, bongos. "Sodomy With a Carrot" is a<br />
memorable title.<br />
"Damascus Road" 1973 (Icthus)<br />
DAMASCUS ROAD (GA)<br />
Acoustic rural rock with some heavy garagy moments.<br />
"I Am The Light" 1982 (Damascus grp-1105) [500p]<br />
No sugar on this cool custom Skynyrd-type hard rock<br />
ripper from Georgia trio. If you like zippy loud<br />
slide guitar you’ll not be disappointed as they pound
through titles like ‘Outer Darkness’ and ‘Hell’.<br />
Good production, no keyboards, an occasional flash of<br />
Byrdsy guitar. Southern rock saw a handful of<br />
releases on Christian labels; unfortunately most just<br />
weren’t quite there or blew it by tossing in token<br />
fluffola ballads - but these guys are the real McCoy.<br />
[KS]<br />
DAMIN EIH, A.L.K & BROTHER CLARK (Minneapolis, MN)<br />
"Never Mind" 1973 (Demelot 7310) [orange/white back cover;<br />
lyric insert; 500p]<br />
"Never Mind" 199 (Demelot) [bootleg; thin cover with b&W<br />
back]<br />
"Never Mind" 2003 (Orange Double Dome) [300#d]<br />
One of those elaborate Midwestern headtrips that will<br />
send you into an aural space you didn't even know<br />
existed, like CA Quintet or side 1 of Yezda Urfa. The<br />
longer suites are particularly impressive, while the<br />
shorter tunes less so. A unique mix of multilayered<br />
acoustic guitars, treated vocals and extensive use of<br />
cymbals creates a piercing yet enjoyable high<br />
frequency soundscape that demands your attention,<br />
while some moog and fuzz bass round out the bottom.<br />
Someone spent a lot of money on this one and I would<br />
deem it largely successful, with parts that are truly<br />
spellbinding, even though the "message" remains<br />
obscure. Pretentious and rather Euro-proggish in its<br />
sensibility, yet playful and exotic enough to appeal<br />
to more adventurous psych fans. The band's<br />
ridiculously unwieldy moniker and the lack of a high<br />
profile reissue keeps this one buried. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
One of a kind album from a truly warped, unique<br />
sensibility. It's a tough to describe mix of acoustic<br />
guitars, pop melodies, folk, prog, and just plain<br />
weirdness. Often brilliant (i.e. the truly classic<br />
"Thundermice") but just as often impenetrable. Those<br />
who "get it" seem to instantly place this in their<br />
personal all-time top tens. I can't say I'm one of<br />
those privileged ones, but on every listen I do<br />
discover something new and enjoy bits and pieces of<br />
it. The album is constructed to feel like one<br />
continuous whole rather than a collection of songs,<br />
which actually makes it harder to enjoy-other than<br />
"Thundermice" the individual songs don't really<br />
distinguish themselves. It reminds me of the better<br />
Gong albums, where you wade through a couple of<br />
minutes of forgettable jamming, and hit a great 20<br />
seconds or so, thinking "wow... if they just<br />
developed that into a complete song rather than<br />
noodling around so much this would be an amazing<br />
record." The problem, though, is that they really<br />
don't have enough focus or fully-formed ideas to do<br />
so even if they wanted to, and my instinct is that<br />
Eih (whoever he really is) has the same problem. The<br />
good moments make you want to forgive the dull spots,<br />
thinking they're over your head, but I suspect<br />
they're just Eih rambling rather than Eih in the<br />
midst of inspiration. Of course, those chosen few who<br />
"get it" would certainly say I'm wrong about this.<br />
[AM]
DAMON (CA)<br />
"Song Of A Gypsy" 1969 (Ankh 968) [textured gatefold, blank<br />
back]<br />
"Song Of A Gypsy" 1969 (Ankh 968) [single sleeve]<br />
"Song Of A Gypsy" 1993 (Fanny, Belgium) [single sleeve; 400#d]<br />
"Song Of A Gypsy" 1994 (CD no label)<br />
"Song Of A Gypsy" 1994 (CD Afterglow 13, UK)<br />
"Song Of A Gypsy" 1998 (CD Daily Bread)<br />
"Song Of A Gypsy" 2000 (3 Little Indians, Germany) [gatefold;<br />
bonus EP; insert]<br />
"Song Of A Gypsy" 2004 (Guerssen, Spain) [gatefold; bonus EP]<br />
DAMON (ND)<br />
One of the classics of the field, not without<br />
detractors but a great and special experience in my<br />
ears. Sometimes described as folk or folkpsych it is<br />
in fact tranced out gypsy Arabian acid fuzz crooner<br />
psych with deep mysterious vocals, an amazing<br />
soundscape and excellent songwriting. The tracks may<br />
at first seem too similar, and several plays are<br />
suggested before making your call. Unique, though<br />
Darius is a distant relative. The inner gatefold<br />
design was used for the single sleeve front and back.<br />
Of the reissues, most are vinyl-sourced bootlegs; the<br />
Daily Bread CD was done by Damon himself from taoes,<br />
and the Guerssen album is legit. He had several 45s<br />
including one great non-LP 45 track, and a<br />
surprisingly good comeback album in 1999 with sound<br />
and vibe close to 1969 LP, recommended to any Damon<br />
fan ("Gypsy Eyes", CD Daily Bread). [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Mystic eastern sound fuzz psych with prominent<br />
rhythms and haunting vocals. You can dance to the<br />
beast! Hipster crooning vocals in Darius territory<br />
put to mystical lyrics which, for the most part, are<br />
about sex. Surgical fuzz leads and trippy effects<br />
throughout. One of the few eastern trippers with a<br />
backbeat. Similar to the British monster, Sam Gopal.<br />
The single sleeve version is somewhat more common.<br />
The front and back cover match the insides of the<br />
gatefold design.[RM]<br />
~~~<br />
Eastern/gypsy inspired psych with lots of finger<br />
cymbals, fuzz guitar and sincere crooner vocals. All<br />
the songs are in the same key though, and almost the<br />
same pace as well. Individually almost every song<br />
sounds like a winner, but it doesn't really work as<br />
an album for me as it quite frankly gets downright<br />
boring with the lack of variety. [MM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Atlee, Highway Robbery<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review
"Feeling Alone" 197 (Witherspoon 30522)<br />
DANIEL (IN)<br />
This Damon was a DJ in North Dakota who was kind<br />
enough to record his deep thoughts for posterity in<br />
the early 70s. The record is a strange mix of hip<br />
spoken word and loner folk. The music is mostly<br />
acoustic and deeply personal with lost soul lyrics. A<br />
couple of tracks have fuzz guitar as well. [RM]<br />
"Phoenix" 1978 (no label)<br />
"Phoenix" 2002 (CD World In Sound, Germany) [+2 tracks]<br />
Obscure 1970s singles bar macho rock LP by pompous<br />
classically trained cellist who recorded this en<br />
route to Hollywood, where he proceeded to make<br />
softcore movies. Much of this borders on<br />
unlistenable, the soulful "Debra" and a nightmarish<br />
calypso track in particular. Interest in this is<br />
based on two extraordinary psychish tracks where all<br />
his confused ambitions unexpectedy fall into place -<br />
these must be heard. He's a good cello player, too<br />
bad he wanted to be a rock star. Recorded in AZ and<br />
NY. [PL]<br />
DANNY & LYNDA see First Revelation<br />
D'ARCY (Canada)<br />
"Back At The Beginning" 1972 (Polydor/Absolu 33001)<br />
Canadian obscurity in a nice color sleeve, poppy soft<br />
rock and CSN-type folkrock.<br />
DARIUS (Cleveland, OH / Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Darius" 1968 (Chartmaker 1102)<br />
"Darius" 1986 (Breeder 565, Austria)<br />
"Darius" 199 (CD Flashback 009, UK)<br />
"Darius" 2000 (World In Sound 010, Germany) [500p; +3 tracks]<br />
"Darius" 2000 (CD World In Sound 1001, Germany) [+3 tracks]<br />
A desert island LP for some guys I know and a<br />
splendid time for just about everyone else, this<br />
emotional LA folkrock/psych/r'n'b blowout rips<br />
throughout with ten strong tracks. Heavy macho<br />
postures mix with transcendental folk-psych and you<br />
can tell by the sleeve photo this guy already was a<br />
star in his own head. Unfortunately few agreed back<br />
then. Uncredited backing by session pros also in<br />
label-mates Goldenrod. The unreleased material that<br />
appeared in 2002 ("Darius II", World In Sound 11) was<br />
more in a soul/nightclub direction, with a few good<br />
tracks. Some copies of the LP came with a bio insert.<br />
There was also a non-LP 45. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Darius sounds something like Tommy James with a<br />
messiah complex. These are basically pop songs, but
they're great ones, and more importantly are chock<br />
full of drama and elaborate arrangements. He easily<br />
could have crossed the line to parody, but he holds<br />
it all together, and the results are powerful and<br />
compelling. A great one. [AM]<br />
DARK SHADOWS see Cold Sun<br />
DARKSTAR (Toronto, Canada)<br />
"Into The Heartland" 1978 (Ariel)<br />
This hardrock/AOR trio had a series of subsequent<br />
LPs, but this debut LP is the one collectors seek and<br />
reportedly has a less mainstream sound with some<br />
psych and prog moves. There is another unrelated<br />
Darkstar from Canada, who cut a selftitled AOR LP in<br />
the early 1980s.<br />
DAVID (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Another Day, Another Lifetime" 1968 (VMC v-124) [mono; also<br />
exists as mono promo]<br />
"Another Day, Another Lifetime" 1968 (VMC vs-124) [stereo]<br />
"Another Day, Another Lifetime" 1993 (CD Eva b-34, France)<br />
"Another Day, Another Lifetime" 1995 (CD Flashback, UK)<br />
"Another Day, Another Lifetime" 2001 (CD Jamie/Guyden)<br />
"Another Day, Another Lifetime" 2005 (VMC/Scorpio)<br />
DAVID (Canada)<br />
If you can handle some lavish L A easy listening type<br />
horn and string arrangements then this LP is well<br />
worth checking out. Uplifting flowerpsych sounds with<br />
great production value and strong songwriting that's<br />
often compared to Strawberry Alarmclock. They had<br />
some good 45s as well. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Even with the horrible remix of the 2001 CD reissue<br />
(it was mixed by someone who'd never even heard the<br />
original LP), the brilliance of this album shines<br />
through. It's gotten plenty of praise elsewhere, all<br />
of which is deserved. To put it simply, these guys<br />
had not only a genuis ear for melody, but were able<br />
to perfectly match the right experiment to the right<br />
song. There are more ideas here than on ten other<br />
albums. Even all of the horns and strings work.<br />
Practially a how-to of American popsike. [AM]<br />
"David" 1969 (Sound Canada)<br />
"David" 2000 (CD Gear Fab 163)<br />
"David" 2000 (Gear Fab/Comet, Italy)<br />
Obscure Canadian late 60s top 40/psych LP with female<br />
vocals and a fairly professional sound. An even mix<br />
of UK & US influences, the worst part being a "Hey<br />
Jude" cover while a couple of Neighb'rhood<br />
Childr'n/Birmingham Sunday-style gems can be found on<br />
side 2. Listenable. [PL]
~~~<br />
see -> Bridge<br />
MOSSY DAVIDSON (Alaska)<br />
"North Wind Calling" 1977 (Northwoods MD 101) [2 LPs]<br />
JEFF DAVIS (TX)<br />
Mellow rural femme hippie folk LP with Alaskan<br />
themes, samey in sound but highly rated by some genre<br />
fans. Acoustic guitar, flute, piano, steel guitar.<br />
"Dear Jeff" 1977 (Tap 0030)<br />
Mostly acoustic Christian folk on Houston label,<br />
originals all through, some use of female harmonies<br />
and environmental sounds.<br />
DAVY & THE BADMEN (Lawrenceville, NJ)<br />
"Wanted!" 1963 (Gothic wa-63054)<br />
Primitive instro rock covers leaning into garage r&b,<br />
one of the earliest eastcoast LPs in this direction,<br />
from prep kids at Lawrenceville School.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Toads<br />
TIM DAWE (San Diego, CA)<br />
"Penrod" 1969 (Straight STS-1058) [wlp exists]<br />
"Penrod" 2004 (CD Radioactive 0095, UK)<br />
I had a great time listening to this album, even<br />
though it's not necessarily an outstanding piece in<br />
my ears. It's a bit of a paradox, with a terrific,<br />
lively sound thanks in no small part to<br />
arranger/producer Jerry Yester, and no matter where<br />
it goes it grabs your attention. However, it does go<br />
in two or three directions too many, and while almost<br />
every track sounds either good or great on its own,<br />
there is a weakening at the centre which begs the<br />
question exactly what Tim Dawe (who is not the same<br />
person as Jerry Penrod) was trying to do. There are<br />
moves into goofy Kingston Trio folkpop, raga<br />
psychedelia (the great "Sometimes alone"), UKinfluenced<br />
artrock and, on more than one occasion,<br />
schlocky showbiz balladry with Neil Diamond<br />
overtones. This LP may have been intended as an<br />
eclectic, egocentric Tim Buckley type showpiece for<br />
Straight, but to me sounds more like Rex Holman on a<br />
$20.000 budget. Of course, Rex Holman is great and
DAWSON (KY)<br />
"Penrod" is undeniably entertaining, but I'd say that<br />
at least half its greatness lies in the excellent<br />
studio embellishments it was awarded, which holds<br />
together an album that threatens to dissipate into<br />
directionless zeitgeist. Special mention must be made<br />
of Chris Kebeck's brilliant guitar leads; possibly a<br />
more famous player under pseudonym. The LP was<br />
assigned a Warner Bros catalog # (WS 1841), but this<br />
appears never to have come out. Dawe released two<br />
obscure LPs in 1976 and 1978. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is a rarity: a singer/songwriter album that's<br />
"rock" and not "folk." Often Dawe strives for a dark,<br />
grungy feel, most successfully on the album's<br />
centerpiece "Junkie John". Elsewhere some clever<br />
organ and guitar arrangements give the songs solid<br />
rock strength. Side one is great straight through, in<br />
my opinion as good as any obscurity in the genre.<br />
Side two isn't bad, but not quite at the same level.<br />
Highly recommended, especially to fans of weird<br />
singer-songwriter characters (i.e. the Rex Holmans,<br />
Bill Jerpes and John Brahenys of the world.) [AM]<br />
"Can You Feel It" 1975 (Bridges)<br />
JOHN DAY (NC)<br />
Side one is mainstream 70s AOR-style rock at its<br />
best: great tunes, nicely constructed arrangements<br />
that build in intensity, solid harmonies, melodic<br />
lead guitar. The title track would have been a huge<br />
hit if on a major label. A bit of silly talkbox<br />
guitar goes by harmlessly at the end of the side, and<br />
there's a brief backwards bit on side two that<br />
confirms their willingness to experiment a bit. The<br />
lyrics on side two, though, cover every lame 70s<br />
cliche. Respectively: horny rocker, hardworking (and<br />
horny) roadie, hardworking rocker whose life was<br />
saved by rock and roll, and prog geek mythological<br />
fantasy. The music on this side is reasonably good,<br />
especially the Sweet-like chorus of the roadie song<br />
and most of the prog song, but overall it's nowhere<br />
near the level of side one. Still, half of a great<br />
album. Cool album cover with shiny metallic silver<br />
(similar to the gold on the Cambridge album cover,<br />
and like the Cambridge album this is extremely prone<br />
to ring wear). [AM]<br />
"John Day" 197 (no label 4123N12)<br />
Pastoral folkrock with full band including congas,<br />
mellotron, steel guitar, harmonica, housed in nice<br />
appropriate artwork.<br />
DAY BLINDNESS (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Day Blindness" 1969 (Studio 10 101) [promo; plain cover;<br />
insert]<br />
-- promotional copies were issued in a plain white cover with
usiness card attached and an insert promoting the label's acts<br />
"Day Blindness" 1969 (Studio 10 101)<br />
"Day Blindness" 198 (Studio 10) [bootleg]<br />
"Day Blindness" 1997 (CD Flash, UK)<br />
"Day Blindness" 2005 (Studio 10/Scorpio)<br />
Unexciting teen psych-rock with an obvious Doors<br />
influence similar to those many 1969-70 Canadian LPs.<br />
Parts are so lame that it sounds almost like a Doors<br />
parody album, the deadpan sub-Lizard King vocals in<br />
particular. Lead guitarist has a nice garage fuzz<br />
sound but doesn't show much creativity, despite<br />
plenty of "jams" with equally cool-sounding and<br />
equally clueless Vox organ guy. "Heavy" lyrics about<br />
"squares" add entertainment / embarrassment factor.<br />
Songwriting doesn't account for much, and while they<br />
do achieve a nice cheese epic doom vibe on the last<br />
track, Ultimate Spinach did these dumb teen dope<br />
sounds much better. [PL]<br />
DAYBREAK (Pearl River, NY)<br />
"Daybreak" 1971 (RPC az-97731) [400p]<br />
Obscure LP with two raw basement psych winners, also<br />
a "Down By The River" cover, a Steppenwolf medley,<br />
and more. Haven't heard the whole LP, but those two<br />
originals seem to be the highpoints.<br />
DAYBREAK (Richmond Hill, NY)<br />
"A Celebration Of The Individual" 1974 (Dome 51374) [two<br />
posters; lyric insert]<br />
This high school project album is typically<br />
amateurish rock, folk, soul and even jazz, with the<br />
drummer and lead guitarist both being way<br />
overenthusiastic and the many lead singers (both male<br />
and female) ranging from terrible to adequate to<br />
charming. Give them credit for trying awfully hard.<br />
The gospel-styled chorus that backs the guy on<br />
“Proclamation 1” steals the show from him.<br />
“Loneliness” moves from stark folk into a pseudo<br />
jazz/flamenco guitar solo that must be heard to be<br />
believed. “Black Child Speaks To God” has a flute-sax<br />
duel that’s equally entertaining. There are so many<br />
styles here that if weren’t for the consistent<br />
sloppiness, out of tune guitars and piano, and absurd<br />
fast guitar runs, it would sound like a various<br />
artists’ album. Some of the lyrics are funny, but I<br />
can’t tell if it’s intentional or not. One of the<br />
singers sounds awfully old for a high school kid; I<br />
wonder if the music teacher is responsible for the<br />
terrible piano-and-voice ballad “I Strive To Make You<br />
Happy.” These high school records have a certain<br />
perverse charm, and since this is one of the very few<br />
not to have any cover versions, it’s probably a good<br />
one with which to satisfy your curiosity. [AM]<br />
D-DRIFTERS 5 (Canada)
"Sing And Play Beatles Songs" 1965 (V-Records 3025)<br />
Beatles songs plus a couple of other Invasion numbers<br />
sung in Ukranian by a Canadian band. Lord knows why.<br />
Label is the same that had Neil Young's legendary 45<br />
with the Squires.<br />
MICHAEL DEACON (Omaha, NE)<br />
"Runnin' In The Meadow" 1975 (Mustard Seed S80-1008)<br />
"When You Know It's Home" 1977 (Mustard Seed S80-1512)<br />
Folky singer/songwriter obscurities.<br />
HARRY DEAL & THE GALAXIES (Charlotte, NC)<br />
"I Feel Good All Over" 1966 (Lotus 6-7116)<br />
Mostly frat circuit soul rock, covers "My Girl",<br />
"Midnight Hour". Similar sound to Jack Bedient and<br />
the Chessmen but with a beach beat influence. Two<br />
cover variations exist, one red and one black. [RM]<br />
"United" 1968 (Eclipse)<br />
DEAN BROTHERS (NY)<br />
All originals this time straddling the frat and<br />
garage beat sounds. Harry Deal later ran his own<br />
studio, which recorded the May Street Tops among<br />
others.<br />
"As They Are" 1976 (Pilgrim DB1002)<br />
This is a private press, but has a professional sound<br />
and easily could be mistaken for a major label singer<br />
songwriter album. The obvious influence is Elton<br />
John, though there Are a few country-influenced songs<br />
that give away their rural roots. About half of the<br />
album is quite good, with some nice acoustic ballads<br />
and a terrific long song about wanting to live on<br />
Mars. Not a killer album by any means, but enjoyable<br />
for genre fans and a nice semi-rarity you can still<br />
pick up cheap. [AM]<br />
DEBRIS (Chickasha, OK)<br />
"Static Disposal" 1976 (Pig 0000)<br />
"Static Disposal" 1999 (CD Anopheles 004) [+10 tracks]<br />
"Static Disposal" 1999 (Anopheles 006) [1000p; +1 track]<br />
Freaky yet accessible mid-70s psych/avant-punk<br />
crossover album from a most unlikely spot on the map;<br />
talent, originality and good clean fun present
throughout. I'm not too hip on this era & style but<br />
enjoyed it just the same. The band has no relation to<br />
fellow Okies Cosmic Debris. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Great '76 proto-punk private press, kinda similar to<br />
Cleveland scene of the same time. Basement trippy and<br />
freaky with obvious Beefhart and Stooges influences,<br />
it also includes a more unexpected Hawkwind vibe due<br />
to the quite massive use of electronic sound fx,<br />
echos, tape loops and such, to a great druggy effect.<br />
Not really your typical psych LP but definitely<br />
rewarding after a few spins, especially if you're<br />
into early Pere Ubu, Electric Eels and such. Maybe<br />
experimental, but never arty, this is a great LP.<br />
When you wake up in your living room at 04.00 in the<br />
morning, totally confused because someone obviously<br />
spiked your cough syrup with acid, this might be the<br />
perfect soundtrack. [MM]<br />
DECADENCE (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Savagery and Grace" 1980 (Daystar dslp-8001) [1000p; bonus<br />
45; booklet]<br />
Basement hard guitar progressive with female vocal.<br />
Only 500 of the 1000 copies came with the bonus 45<br />
and booklet. The band had a couple of 45s also, one<br />
under the earlier name Doublecross, and released a<br />
second LP "Je Ne Sais Quoi" in 1982. CD reissues<br />
supposedly exist, but we have no details.<br />
DECEMBER'S CHILDREN (Cleveland, OH)<br />
"December's Children" 1969 (Mainstream s-6128) [wlp exists]<br />
Another interesting Mainstream release. Like many of<br />
the albums on the label, this has both male and<br />
female vocals, and a mix of Airplane-light<br />
psychedelia and heavier bluesy rock. The guitar<br />
playing throughout is creative. The album starts<br />
slowly but improves as it goes along, closing with<br />
what are probably the two strongest songs. Nothing<br />
phenomenal, but worthy of investigation. [AM]<br />
THE DEEP (New York City, NY)<br />
"Psychedelic Moods" 1966 (Cameo Parkway p-7051) [mono]<br />
"Psychedelic Moods" 1966 (Cameo Parkway sp-7051) [stereo]<br />
"Psychedelic Moods" 1989 (Cicadelic) [remix]<br />
"Psychedelic Moods" 1993 (CD Collectables 0521) [remix]<br />
"Psychedelic Moods" 199 (Thorns, Europe) [remix]<br />
"Psychedelic Moods" 2004 (CD Radioactive 074, UK)
"Psychedelic Moods" 2004 (Radioactive 071, UK)<br />
Something of a psych head's dream, this LP dates from<br />
August 1966 when conceptual acid albums was still<br />
uncharted territory. Consequently Rusty Evans and his<br />
NYC ex-folkie pals managed to create an LP that<br />
sounds fresh and unique even 40 years on. The 12<br />
tracks are essentially a series of musical trip<br />
reports covering the whole emotional spectrum from<br />
chaos and euphoria to introspection and melancholy<br />
with an intense, challenging atmosphere. The three<br />
tracks that have been comp'd give you an idea of the<br />
LP's full lysergic madness. Due to the bad remix<br />
originals used to be mandatory for this one, but<br />
finally the original trip became available via the<br />
exact Radioactive bootleg. Stereo copies are<br />
preferrable in my opinion, although the mono is<br />
enjoyable too, with a garage edge. An original<br />
Canadian pressing with Quality labels exists.<br />
Collectables' "Psychedelic Moods" series (vol 2-5)<br />
has some session outtakes and an interview with<br />
Rusty; vol 2 is an excellent garage psych sampler<br />
featuring Hydro Pyro which was a Deep-related<br />
project. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This groundbreaking album is widely misunderstood. It<br />
may have originally been intended as an exploitation<br />
record, but all these years later it sounds like the<br />
best NUGGETS-era garage album ever. Rusty Evans'<br />
songs are great, spanning snotty garage, melodic pop<br />
and thoughtful experimentation. Regardless of the<br />
reason, he sure was inspired when making this album,<br />
and while maybe the purposely awkward phrasing on<br />
"Psychedelic Moon" comes off as a gag, it's a<br />
fascinating one. Beyond that, it's hard to find any<br />
fault with killer songs like "Turned On," "Trip #76,"<br />
"It's All A Part Of Me" and "On Off Off On." While<br />
the Shadows of Knight and Blues Magoos and everyone<br />
else were packing their albums with filler, here's a<br />
1966 record full of creative, diverse originals. This<br />
is the kind of great record that could only have<br />
happened before the genre had any established<br />
"rules." Evans' creativity shines bright. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Killer LP from '66 ranging from punk psych, folk<br />
psych to true madness, it sounds like a missing link<br />
between the beatnik/prankster era and full on<br />
psychedelia. Just one year later this album would<br />
probably have been impossible to release on a major<br />
label - I don't think the A&R's at Cameo had a clue<br />
to what this was about at all! Titles like "Trip<br />
#76", "Turned On", "Color Dreams" and "Crystal Nite"<br />
should give a hint. It may look like an exploitation<br />
album, but it's much more than that. The songwriting<br />
is inspired and the recording/instrumentation is full<br />
of spontaniety and variation. It sounds like they had<br />
a blast recording this album. Lots of it actually<br />
sounds like it was recorded in early mornings, after<br />
nights of tripping, and it's full of all sortsa sound<br />
fx in the mix! The stereo mix is widely panned and<br />
reveals some mad soundscapes - one of the more<br />
successful examples of early stereo. The mono mix on<br />
the other hand has more punch in the bottom end, and<br />
sounds more "garagey" over all. Some songs are<br />
totally different in mono and stereo. [MM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Freak Scene; "Fifth Pipe Dream"; Marcus
DEERFIELD (Houston, TX)<br />
"Nil Desperandum" 1971 (Flat Rock frs-1) [envelope; letter]<br />
"Nil Desperandum" 199 (Flat Rock) [bootleg]<br />
"Nil Desperandum" 2000 (CD Gear Fab 148)<br />
This is a solid LP. It's somewhere between acoustic<br />
west coast rock and late-period Beatles (esp George<br />
Harrison). The songwriting is strong and reasonably<br />
ambitious, including a well-realized Kak-like suite<br />
on part of side two. The album has a fresh, summery<br />
feel to it. Originals (pressed on thick vinyl, in<br />
thick covers) come with a clever insert, an envelope<br />
that has some of the song lyrics written into letter<br />
form. The bass player of this band was in 1960s<br />
Austin band Bryan's Blokes, whose members would<br />
occasionally fill in for absent 13th Floor Elevators<br />
members on live gigs. [AM]<br />
"Live" 199 (Flat Rock) [#d]<br />
1972 live recordings in Houston with four songs not<br />
on the LP.<br />
JAMIE DEFRATES (Jacksonville, FL)<br />
"Pegasus in Flight" 1976 (Sweet Appaloosa jd-123) [3000p]<br />
The first Defrates’ album is just guitar and voice,<br />
but quite accomplished singer-songwriter fare, with<br />
the opening “Illinois Central“ being the highlight.<br />
The tone is serious throughout and the songs are<br />
relatively long, so after a while fuller arrangements<br />
would have been welcome, but this is a solid album in<br />
the style. Just don’t expect “acid folk". Defrates’<br />
acoustic guitar playing is excellent throughout. One<br />
song has a repeated lyric about “Fruit of the mother<br />
and semen spray” that paints a pretty vivid picture,<br />
for better or worse. Defrates has been active in the<br />
Florida music scene for many years and has won<br />
numerous awards for composition (he has done scores<br />
and soundtracks, in addition to his own career as a<br />
singer/songwriter. He also has a number of impressive<br />
credits as a producer. He has several further<br />
recordings that fall outside of the scope of this<br />
book, but will be of interest to fans of these two<br />
albums. [AM]<br />
"Son of Dust" 1978 (Sweet Appaloosa jd-333) [3000p;<br />
gatefold]
DEL-PHONICS ( )<br />
The second Defrates’ album is a much more elaborate<br />
production, something that could be characterized as<br />
progressive folk. There are synthesizers, a solid<br />
rhythm section, flutes, and the guitars are laced<br />
with effects. The opening “Ride” is a stunner, with<br />
soaring falsetto vocals and a powerful arrangement.<br />
There are a couple of short instrumental interludes,<br />
and overall this has the feel of a loose concept<br />
album. As with the previous album, the lyrics are<br />
personal and evocative (and occasionally religious.)<br />
As the album moves along there are some songs with<br />
sparser arrangements, and while it continues at the<br />
same level of quality as the first album, it doesn’t<br />
again match the same level of musical passion and<br />
complexity of “Ride.” Nonetheless, this is quite<br />
worthwhile. [AM]<br />
"Del-Phonics" 196 (Edgewood Recordings Studio no #) [1sided]<br />
DEMIAN (TX/CA)<br />
Recently discovered circa 1966 one-sided demo LP from<br />
Edgewood Studios in Washington DC, featuring an<br />
unknown teenbeat/garage band with organ. Five tracks<br />
including an excellent Zombies-style original and an<br />
inspired frat/medley called "Farmer Louie". Cover is<br />
plain except for the band name.<br />
"Demian" 1971 (ABC 718) [gatefold; wlp exists]<br />
-- a Japanese pressing exists with a different cover<br />
"Demian" 199 (CD TRC, Germany)<br />
This album ranks up there with Jericho; it's a wholly<br />
successful transformation from psychedelia to hard<br />
rock. The obvious hard rock tendencies they showed as<br />
Bubble Puppy are tightened and sharpened, and the<br />
group harmony vocals are dropped. There's an<br />
unnecessary remake of a Bubble Puppy song, but<br />
there's not much else to quibble about. There are<br />
enough tempo and rhythm variations to keep the<br />
formula from getting dull. [AM]<br />
DEMIAN (East Moline, IL)<br />
"Rock Star Farm" 1974 (Starburst arc-33-01) [insert]<br />
DENNIS THE FOX (WA)<br />
A non-Texas group that recorded their LP in Austin,<br />
also into heavy guitar rock. [RM]<br />
"Mother Trucker" 1975 (Musart 801)<br />
Priceless loungerock extravaganza like if Jade Stone<br />
& Luv had John Ylvisaker on vocals. Lengthy review is
DESERT ESKIMO ( )<br />
being prepared.<br />
"Desert Eskimo" 1982 (North Star)<br />
California label. Aggressive 70s sound power trio,<br />
good LP.<br />
BOB DESPER (Portland, OR)<br />
"New Sounds" 1974 (Rose City Sound)<br />
The Pacific Northwest is a dark, dank place, with a<br />
suicide rate higher than Keith Richards on a four day<br />
binge. Even their most articulate native son, Kurt<br />
Cobain, drowned in the sea of despair and offed<br />
himself. And what's the cause of this environmental<br />
depression??? It may be the constant grey skies and<br />
rain, it may be the extremely high runaway and<br />
homeless rate or it just may very well be the music<br />
of Bob Desper. Bob recorded his "New Sounds" LP in<br />
one take at the local Rose City Sound studios. Just<br />
him, his acoustic guitar and an amazing insight to<br />
the dark side of the human psyche. So dark in fact,<br />
that only a blind man can see it. Bob is that man,<br />
and on this LP he taps into a place that very few<br />
people have visited. His voice is quiet with an edge<br />
sharper than a Ginzu knife. His lyrics reflect a<br />
lonely man who recognizes the shortcomings of human<br />
kind. This LP gives me goosebumps each and every time<br />
I play it. Side one starts off with "Darkness Is Like<br />
A Shadow". A spooky, echoey tune where Bob introduces<br />
a topic that becomes a re-occurring theme throughout<br />
the entire LP, the fact that people with eyesight are<br />
blind to the things that are truly important in life.<br />
"It's Too Late" and "Lonely Man" follow and continue<br />
the introspective soul search, all accompanied by<br />
Bob's extraordinary guitar playing. The fourth and<br />
last cut on side one is "To A Friend Of Mine". This<br />
is where I usually start thinking about going into<br />
the bathroom and slitting my wrist with a razor blade<br />
just to prove to Bob that I could begin to understand<br />
what true suffering is. This 15+ minute journey is,<br />
in my opinion, the most flawless chunk of<br />
downer/loner folk music ever recorded. Side two is<br />
good, but pales in comparison to it's flip side.<br />
Songs are "Let It Shine For You", "Don't You Cry For<br />
Me", "Liberty" and "Time Is Almost Over". [RH]<br />
DETROIT (Detroit, MI)<br />
"Detroit" 1979 (no label)<br />
This youthful hard rock album isn't great but has its
charms. Among them are high energy songs (all but the<br />
ballads are fast), amusing use of talkbox and<br />
electronics, and spastic bass and lead guitar<br />
playing. Certainly there's more enthusiasm than<br />
talent here, but it's fun nonetheless. The snotty<br />
vocals are clearly inspired by another Motown hard<br />
rocker, Alice Cooper, but lack his sense of theater<br />
and irony. Eventually they become annoying,<br />
especially on the otherwise enjoyable ballads. Side<br />
one has five medium length songs, side two three long<br />
songs, including the two ballads, which respectively<br />
have nice reverbed lead guitar and crazy dual leads.<br />
Often this album is reported as having a lot of<br />
synthesizer, but actually it's only a small amount on<br />
two songs. [AM]<br />
EDDY DETROIT (Phoenix, AZ)<br />
"Immortal God's" 1982 (Pan)<br />
"Immortal God's" 2005 (CD Majora)<br />
Real-people two-chord voodoo folk craziness of some<br />
notoriety, with nasal vocals, percussion, fiddle and<br />
more. The songs deal with Vampires, Beelzebub, the<br />
god Pazuzo, and Mephisto Cigars. The cover shows a<br />
horseback Eddy holding his own head in his hand. He<br />
released more albums during the 1980s, such as<br />
"Philosopher's Journey" (1987).<br />
DEVIL'S ANVIL (New York City, NY)<br />
"Hard Rock From The Middle East" 1967 (Columbia cl-2664)<br />
[mono]<br />
"Hard Rock From The Middle East" 1967 (Columbia cl-9464)<br />
[stereo]<br />
"Hard Rock From The Middle East" 199 (Fantazia, Europe)<br />
"Hard Rock From The Middle East / Psychedelic Psoul" 199 (CD<br />
Collectables) [2-on-1]<br />
Early Middle-Eastern trip from Columbia's NYC office<br />
(just like Freak Scene, from around the same time).<br />
This mixes reasonably authentic ethnic sounds with<br />
"rock" moves, and is less exploitative and more<br />
genuine than one might expect. A couple of mid-tempo<br />
Arabian excursions get truly trancey, while the<br />
ballads suffer from over-length and foreign language<br />
vocals. The mix of prominent bass and piercing string<br />
instruments is familiar from the Freak Scene album,<br />
and like that LP this is a partly successful<br />
exploration that should have been given more thought<br />
and time. Worth checking out, though clearly inferior<br />
to John Berberian on Verve. [PL]<br />
see full-length review<br />
DIALOGUE (Philadelphia, PA)<br />
"Dialogue" 1972 (no label dm-68425) [orange cover; lyric<br />
insert]<br />
"Dialogue" 1974 (Cold Studio) [white cover; lyric insert; no
address on back cover]<br />
"Dialogue" 1974 (Cold Studio) [white cover; lyric insert;<br />
address on back cover]<br />
DICK WATSON 5 (NJ)<br />
Obscure, pretty impressive local studio-pop LP in the<br />
early 1970s post-Beatles style; songwriting as good<br />
as any major act, solid vocal harmonies, charming<br />
California Sunshine pop arrangements with extensive<br />
use of keyboards. One really bad track, rest of the<br />
LP is enjoyable to anyone with an ear for a clever<br />
McCartney/Boettcher/Emitt Rhodes excursion;<br />
comparisons to Left Banke have also been made.<br />
Although the original "no label" pressing is<br />
supposedly rarer, most copies sold seem to be that<br />
version. Recorded in Alabama. There was also a non-LP<br />
45. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Peculiar 1970s pop album that is a product of its<br />
time but really doesn’t sound like anything else. In<br />
other hands these songs would have a quasi-McCartney<br />
feel but there’s a dreamy, dark aura that would never<br />
have made it on 70s radio. Takes a while to sink in;<br />
the songs are thoughtful and moody but not especially<br />
catchy. Wall of sound may have more to do with low<br />
budget production than intent. One goofy song with<br />
fake children’s vocals spoils the mood, but this is<br />
an interesting record nevertheless. [AM]<br />
"Baker Street" 1966 (United Int'l 1001)<br />
Haven't heard the entire LP which is very rare,<br />
however a pretty interesting folk-garage track has<br />
appeared on a comp where the group was mistakenly<br />
placed in Kentucky. They also had a 45 and were<br />
supposedly regulars at a local Jersey TV show. The LP<br />
is based on a Sherlock Holmes theme. The LP title has<br />
also been listed as "The World Of Dick Watson". After<br />
seeing the Fugs play live in NYC, two members left<br />
this band and started ESP legends the Godz. [PL]<br />
LES DIFFERENTS (Chambly, Canada)
"Differents" 1967 (Disque Monde 65001)<br />
"Soyons Differents" 2005 (CD Disques Mérite 22.962)<br />
The seldom seen Les Differents LP is usually rated as<br />
one of the best French-Canadian 60s LPs, and it's<br />
easy to see why. The band shows a Stones-inspired<br />
"punk" edge on most tracks, with several uptempo<br />
garage/r'n'b originals using fuzz riffs and a snotty<br />
attitude. The opening 3-chord snot-fest of "Je ne<br />
veux plus" sets the tone perfectly. The mid-tempo<br />
tracks work well too, although the language barrier<br />
may be more noticable for non-French speakers here,<br />
at least on the 6-minute "Je partirai". Good, soulful<br />
vocals and effective, minimalist guitar band<br />
arrangements give the music a timeless quality which<br />
impresses. The super-cool sleeve provides the final<br />
clue -- these guys were the Chocolate Watchband of<br />
Quebec. The CD reissue contains the whole LP with the<br />
running order changed. [PL]<br />
DIMENSIONS (Chicago, IL)<br />
"From All Dimensions" 1966 (no label 1666)<br />
"From All Dimensions" 1983 (Eva 12018, France) [altered cover]<br />
"From All Dimensions" 1999 (CD Collectables)<br />
Celebrated Chicago frat-garage LP that's also one of<br />
the real rarities of the local mid-1960s LP scene.<br />
For those who find the North-East preprock LPs too<br />
lowkey this is the remedy - a solid party mood<br />
similar to the Raider's best albums with some Stones<br />
thrown in. The tape splice in "Mary Lou" derives from<br />
the original LP, apparently. A solid dose of mid-60s<br />
fun, all covers naturally. [PL]<br />
DIMITROFF, BURGESS & FRIENDS (Canada)<br />
"Dimitroff, Burgess & Friends" 1970 (no label)<br />
Basement covers and a freakout track.<br />
V.A "DIRECT FROM THE RAINBOW BALLROOM" (Edmonton, Canada)
"Direct From The Rainbow Ballroom" 196 (Pace Records RS-101)<br />
DIRT ROAD (AZ)<br />
Obscure teenbeat LP featuring local Edmonton groups<br />
circa 1967, produced by one Ray Schwartz. Bands<br />
include the Lords, It's Us Inc, Southbound Freeway.<br />
"A Sunny Days Dream" 1977 (Compassion Records)<br />
Local obscurity on Phoenix label, described as good<br />
70s psych-rock with only one weak track.<br />
V.A "DIRTY FEET" (CA)<br />
"Dirty Feet" 1965 (Fink 1007) [booklet]<br />
Soundtrack to an underground surf film. The music is<br />
primarily folk, however, with singers Tim Morgon,<br />
Vicki Arthur, and some eastern style instro<br />
wanderings as well. Phil Pearlman of Beat Of The<br />
Earth was involved with the crew behind this, but<br />
does not appear on the actual LP, which was released<br />
on the same label as his first 45.<br />
DIRTY JOHN'S HOT DOG STAND (MA)<br />
"Return From The Dead" 1970 (Flying Dutchman/Amsterdam AMS<br />
12004) [gatefold]<br />
DISCIPLE ( )<br />
Heavy fuzz rock, some horns. "Growing old" is the<br />
psychiest track. Due to a pressing flaw many copies<br />
are virtually unplayable on side 2. Ex-Ill Wind.
"Come and See Us As We Are!" 1971 (Avco Embassy ave-33015)<br />
DIXIE DREGS (GA)<br />
Fun co-ed rock band who for once don’t sound west<br />
coast at all. The cover versions on the album are the<br />
first clue that they’re more into the Beatles and<br />
Motown than the Airplane, and the power-pop styled<br />
shouts of “hey” and punky guitar riffs confirm that<br />
these are not necessarily hippies. The dreamy, catchy<br />
title song shows up in a few incarnations (once<br />
backwards) and frames the album nicely. A few duds<br />
are scattered about, and the soul cover doesn’t work<br />
really well, but an upbeat energetic take on “Got To<br />
Get You Into My Life” will grow on you and two or<br />
three of their own tunes will stick in your head for<br />
days. An underrated album, probably ignored by<br />
collectors because of the lame drawing on the album<br />
cover and the lack of freak appeal. [AM]<br />
"The Great Spectacular Dixie Dregs" 1975 (no label) [500p]<br />
This one is more of a wild, garagy raveup than their<br />
later, more commercial releases.<br />
DIXIE PEACH (Dayton, OH)<br />
"Dixie Peach" 1975 (Raintree SP-827)<br />
Allman Brothers influenced rockers with searing dual<br />
leads. Despite the name the band came from Ohio and<br />
had roots in 1960s garage band the Pictorian<br />
Skiffuls.<br />
V.A "D M A FANTASTIC FIVE" (Detroit, MI)<br />
"D M A Fantastic Five" 1976 (DMA)<br />
Booking sampler of five heavy rock groups, including<br />
Badge. [RM]<br />
MICHAEL DOBBINS (ID)<br />
"Music For The Seeker" 197 (no label)<br />
Amazingly pompous acoustic folk with overblown<br />
Ceasar's Palace-style vocals. The guy presents his<br />
Eastern (Eckankar) philosohopy in the most
uncompromising manner, with several references to the<br />
"Sugmad" whatever that is. Not really a "seeker"<br />
hippie LP, more like Charlton Heston narrating the<br />
Rig-Veda. I like this, though it's certainly not for<br />
everyone. Custom press in generic sleeve. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Lost monotonic religous seeker folk with sincere<br />
crooning in Dino Valenti / Arcesia territory.<br />
Unfortunately, the music is uniformly boring aside<br />
from the mystic trip "Two Keys". [RM]<br />
DOC ROCKIT (Spokane, WA)<br />
"Doc Rockit" 1979 (P.S. ps-0002) [750p; two covers exist]<br />
Raging hardrock with superb metallic guitar. The band<br />
had another LP in the late 1980s, titled "Azugi"<br />
which is more mainstream hardrock. 450 copies had the<br />
silver cover, while 300 copies had the white cover.<br />
DOCTOR FEELGOOD (MA)<br />
"Something to Take up Time" 1971 (Number One)<br />
"Something to Take up Time" 2005 (CD Synton, Austria)<br />
DOHTERS (NY)<br />
Jazzy rock. Heavy saxophone, guitar, flute. No<br />
relation to Piano Red's group. Three members came<br />
from Teddy & the Pandas. [RM]<br />
"Dohters" 197 (no label MSTRS-1) [no cover]<br />
Female choral group from upstate New York female prep<br />
school. “Sing around the campfire” real people<br />
quality duets of Byrds, Cat Stevens, Neil Young and<br />
more. They are accompanied by either piano or<br />
acoustic guitar. The highlight is their haunting<br />
cover of "Wooden Ships" with a very spooky organ.<br />
This would fit well on a future Hippie Goddesses<br />
compilation (and will). I would call this the most<br />
garage sounding female high school/college folk group<br />
LP I’ve heard. Two known copies; neither with a<br />
cover. [MA]<br />
"Dohters '70" 1970 (RPC AZ 60871) [no cover] 1]<br />
This one features more contemporary covers ("Coming<br />
Into L.A", "Morning Dew", "Helplessly Hoping", "White<br />
Bird"). Straighter choral versions with acoustic<br />
guitar accompaniment. Still charming, but lacks the<br />
real people edge of the other LP. Again no cover.<br />
This only known copy came in a blank textured gold<br />
cover with “Dohters ‘70" hand written on it; not sure<br />
if this was done by whoever did the pressing or the<br />
owner of the copy (there is a girl’s name in the<br />
upper corner - could be one of the group - the<br />
lettering is much different than on the title). [MA]
DO IT NOW FOUNDATION (Los Angeles, CA / Tempe, AZ)<br />
"First Vibration" 1969 (Do It Now)<br />
Amphetamine-themed antidrug LP with songs donated to<br />
the organization. Includes "The Dancer" by Things To<br />
Come, the non-LP "Long Road" by (the LA) Genesis, and<br />
famous bands up to and including the Beatles. This is<br />
all music, no spoken word. Two cover variations<br />
exist; one with a big "Speed Kills" logo. The<br />
organization went on to release more LPs, tons of<br />
pamphlets, and is still around today.<br />
"Do It Now - A Realistic Drug Education Album" 1972 (Do It<br />
Now) [2 LPs; blank gatefold w/ sticker; insert]<br />
Educational production in radio show format partly<br />
based on the mass market release above, including<br />
several of the same songs such as the excellent non-<br />
LP Genesis track. The commentary is pretty cool too.<br />
It's not one of those fire & brimstone anti-drug<br />
records, but rather an attempt to relate on a cool<br />
level to their intended school-age audience. The<br />
insert contains all the vital info. There is also a<br />
single LP mass market release called "Do It Now" from<br />
the same era featuring again some of the same songs,<br />
plus Neil Diamond and others. This should not be<br />
confused with the rare 2LP set. [MA]<br />
JEREMEY DORMOUSE see Jeremy Dormouse (under "J")<br />
DOUG & DONNA ( )<br />
"Abide In Me" 197 (DD-1001)<br />
DOUGLAS FIR ( )<br />
Mid-1970s Christian folk obscurity.<br />
"Hard Heartsingin'" 1970 (Quad qus-5002) [wlp exists]<br />
"Hard Heartsingin'" 2000 (CD Gear Fab 149)<br />
"Hard Heartsingin'" 2000 (Akarma, Italy)<br />
Recorded in Portland, Oregon. Mystic folkrock and<br />
bluesy, roots sounds. A bit Doorsy at times with the<br />
moody vocal and organ backing.<br />
"DOWN A DIFFERENT ROAD" (Long Beach, CA)<br />
"Down A Different Road" 197 (Living Sound)<br />
Early 1970s project LP with one side choral work from<br />
the Long Beach State A Capella Choir, the other<br />
freaky vocal and electronic experiments with an eerie
vibe. Rated as one of the more worthwhile school<br />
project LPs by some.<br />
DOWN FROM NOTHING (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Down From Nothing" 1971 (no label 23309-01)<br />
DRAGONFLY (CO/CA)<br />
Jazzy prog/psych with sax.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Pound<br />
"Dragonfly" 1970 (Megaphone 1202) [gatefold]<br />
-- a gold title sticker was attached to the shrink wrap<br />
"Dragonfly" 1992 (CD Eva b-27, France)<br />
"Dragonfly" 2004 (CD Gear Fab 208)<br />
Well-loved heavy psych album is worthy of the hype,<br />
for the most part. No one song stands out and blows<br />
you away, but it’s solid throughout, and the<br />
occasional trippy effect adds to the fun. It includes<br />
a Who ripoff even more obvious than that on the<br />
Morgen album, but stealing from the classics is what<br />
hard rock is all about, right? [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
"Dragonfly" offered up an excellent set of fuzz<br />
guitar-propelled psych/hard rock. Strong melodies and<br />
searing vocals made original material such as 'Blue<br />
Monday', 'Enjoy Yourself' and 'I Feel It' well worth<br />
hearing. Personal favorites were the fuzz and<br />
backward guitar drenched 'Crazy Woman' and the<br />
extended closing number 'Miles Away'. The set wasn't<br />
perfect; several numbers on the flip side found the<br />
band occasionally incorporating C&W elements into the<br />
mix, but overall the collection was nothing short<br />
than great. [SB]<br />
DRAGONWYCK (Cleveland, OH)<br />
"Dragonwyck" (1st LP) 1970 (Pama no #) [85p: no cover]<br />
"Dragonwyck" (1st LP) 1990 (Rockadelic 4) [400 #d; sides<br />
reversed]<br />
"Dragonwyck" (1st LP) 1996 (CD Rockadelic)<br />
"Dragonwyck" 2004 (World In Sound RFR 023, Germany) [+10" w/ 5<br />
tracks; poster]<br />
"Dragonwyck" 2004 (CD World In Sound 023, Germany) [+5 tracks]<br />
Demo only LP of intense Doorsy hard psych/rock that's<br />
become somewhat legendary over the years. The LP<br />
retains some of the appealing cheesiness of the<br />
style, yet is charged with enough presence and fire<br />
to transform itself into a winner before your eyes,<br />
with recurring feedback leads its strongest asset.<br />
One of the best of all the countless "Morrison Hotel"<br />
excursions around. The wide appeal and small press<br />
has made it one of Rockadelic's more famous releases,<br />
although their CD version has poor sound and is not<br />
recommended. The tape-sourced WIS reissue reinstates<br />
the original running order and adds 5 tracks from a
1968 studio session which yielded the band's pre-LP<br />
45 (released as by Sunrise), but the 1970 material<br />
seems to lose a bit of the trebly garage intensity of<br />
the Rockadelic LP. The band was also known as Speed,<br />
Flying Turns and Fun at various stages in their<br />
career. There was another 45, "The music" on the<br />
Peckar label, and a later one "Lovin' The Boys" as<br />
part of the "Fun" project. [PL]<br />
"Dragonwyck" (2nd LP) 1973 (Cleveland Recording Company no #)<br />
[acetate]<br />
"Dragonwyck" (2nd LP) 1995 (Fantasia, Europe)<br />
"Chapter II" 2006 (CD World In Sound, Germany)<br />
"Chapter II" 2006 (World In Sound, Germany) [+ 7"]<br />
Pretentious proggy album that works surprisingly<br />
well. Professional recording job and relatively<br />
mainstream arrangements makes it sound like they<br />
could have easily gotten a major label contract.<br />
Grows on you and has plenty of cool moog action.<br />
Their songwriting and performance instincts are good.<br />
Albums like this usually have lots of highs and lots<br />
of lows; there are very few dull spots here. [AM]<br />
"Fun" 1976 (acetate)<br />
Contrary to popular belief, the band name was still<br />
Dragonwyck at the time of this acetate, while "Fun"<br />
was the project name and album working title. The<br />
band did adopt the name Fun later on. After the<br />
impressive prog-rock of their 2nd album, this shows<br />
the band retaining some of the prog aspects while<br />
bringing in AOR and glam elements, as well as a<br />
humorous Zappa-inspired twist, which undermines the<br />
impact of the music. The end result is confused and<br />
confusing, and it seems this ambitious band were<br />
unsure of their direction at this point. The<br />
recording quality is clearly inferior to the prolevel<br />
sound of the 1973 acetate. Even at this late<br />
stage, the late 60s "Music" track was still part of<br />
their repertoire. The band eventually became<br />
Moonlight Drive, a Doors cover band with at least one<br />
release. The "Fun" acetate copy I've heard had some<br />
skips. [PL]<br />
STEVE DRAKE BAND (Long Island, NY)<br />
"Cold Sweat" 1976 (Odyssey)<br />
"Nature Intended" 1976 (Tiger Lily tl-14054)<br />
Unbelievable "karaoke rock" with Long Island wizard<br />
dubbing his own vocals onto existing, official<br />
recordings by various obscure and famous<br />
rock/hardrock bands, mostly from UK import albums.<br />
The story behind this is unbelievable, and since<br />
"Drake" had good taste when selecting his karaoke<br />
targets, the records are quite enjoyable too. "Cold<br />
Sweat" has the excellent "Earthworm" (Stackridge) as<br />
well as Bebop Deluxe and Orpheus numbers, to name a<br />
few. Apart from the "karaoke" concept, several tracks<br />
have been fiddled with in terms of speed, edits,<br />
fadeouts, etc. The Tiger Lily album has some Babe
DRAMA (Canada)<br />
Ruth tracks along with more Bebop Deluxe, and it<br />
appears that Drake (or whoever put it out) here<br />
didn't even bother to dub on new vocals, but simply<br />
taped the tracks from the original sources. Pretty<br />
enjoyable collections of 1970s rock even without the<br />
bizarre background, but bear in mind what you're<br />
listening to before getting too impressed with<br />
Drake's "talent".<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Steve Kaczorowski<br />
"Loneliness" 1979 (Psycho)<br />
DREAM (MI)<br />
This synth record straddles the line between 70s<br />
Kraftwerk-styled experimentation and 80s new wave<br />
synth pop. Side two is entirely instrumental. Both<br />
sides are pretty good, with some compelling moods and<br />
catchy riffs. Mysterious album cover gives no<br />
information of any consequence at all. Ex-VIIth<br />
Temple. [AM]<br />
"Living in a Dream" 1979 (Dreamusic Ltd. 5354) [lyrics insert;<br />
300p]<br />
DREAMIES (DE)<br />
Light mystic proggy folk floater. Delicate 12-string,<br />
piano, flute, baroque shadings.<br />
"Auralgraphic Entertainment" 1974 (Stone Theatre 68481)<br />
[insert]<br />
"Auralgraphic Entertainment" 199 (Stone Theatre, Europe)<br />
[bootleg; blue vinyl]<br />
"Auralgraphic Entertainment" 2000 (Gear Fab gf-206)<br />
"Auralgraphic Entertainment" 2000 (CD Gear Fab gf-146)<br />
Headphone tripout concept LP with two extended<br />
Lennonesque folk tracks upon which has been imposed<br />
all kinds of electronics, tape loops of old radio<br />
broadcasts (JFK, Ali, and more), moogs and stereo<br />
effects. Elaborate sorta stoned college artefact,<br />
interesting for its freak value and pretty clever;<br />
could be seen as an analog precursor to the ambient<br />
artists of the 1990s. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This experiment was intended to redefine people's<br />
notions of "pop music." Bill Holt, just past the age
of 30, quit his job and devoted an entire year of his<br />
life to this ambitious musical collage, which at more<br />
than 50 minutes is alternately fascinating and<br />
tedious. There's no question that even the most<br />
random-sounding bits and pieces here were planned<br />
very carefully and put together painstakingly. There<br />
are only three real "songs," which are surrounded by<br />
and interrupted by spoken news clips and sound<br />
effects. The lack of drums dulls the impact of these<br />
songs, which are otherwise excellent Beatles-inspired<br />
soft-rock. Headphones help; this is not background<br />
music and for full effect each album side needs to be<br />
listened to without interruption. The long series of<br />
Moog bleeps and blips on side two can be really<br />
hypnotic if you're in the right frame of mind. Like<br />
Kraftwerk, Holt had an understanding of how<br />
repetition can be used to alter your concept of what<br />
music is. Fans of the Church of the Subgenius should<br />
love it. This is one of those albums that you won't<br />
listen to often but will really experience in a new<br />
way every time you do. Its success is arguable, but<br />
its uniqueness is unquestionable. [AM]<br />
JOHN DRENDALL, B A THROWER & FRIENDS (MI)<br />
"Papa Never Let Me Sing The Blues" 1972 (Deacon no #) [500p]<br />
DRNWYN (Salem, OH)<br />
This is an extremely accomplished private press<br />
album. They play acoustic and electric blues-rock,<br />
psych/funk jams, snappy acoustic folk, honky-tonk,<br />
and moody near space-rock, all with great success.<br />
The guitar playing is excellent, the vocals worldweary<br />
and evocative, and the arrangements clever<br />
(listen to the way the organ swoops in and out of<br />
“Old Man Gibbs,” for instance). A solid album, very<br />
worthy of reissue. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Thrower Spillane McFarland<br />
"Gypsies In The Mist" 1978 (Wilderland 31778) [insert; 800p]<br />
Ambitious but rather disappointing hippie folkrock<br />
LP, has an appealing garage sound like Gandalf The<br />
Grey, but vocals suck in the bad 1970s street<br />
troubador melodrama style, and the basic vibe is that<br />
of overreaching without the necessary real people<br />
charm. Some neat arrangements and guitar leads,<br />
fairly consistent but unlikely to be anyone's<br />
favorite LP. Sounds more NYC/Village than Ohio. [PL]<br />
D R S & FRIENDS (WI)
"From Me to You" 1977 (Safari sa-77001)<br />
Eastern sounds hippie folk with sitar, tabla,<br />
dounbek, woodwinds. Long flowing tracks. D.R.S. was<br />
led by Dennis R. Schultz.<br />
"DRUGS: INSIGHTS & ILLUSIONS" ( )<br />
"Drugs: Insights & Illusions" 1971 (Scholastic Records FS<br />
12010)<br />
One of the more entertaining spoken word drug<br />
education LPs, with several hilarious segments such<br />
as "Reaching Out To A Glue Sniffer". Heads, doctors<br />
and judges speak out on the terrible drug menace<br />
sweeping across the nation. A corresponding book<br />
exists.<br />
DRUIDS OF STONEHENDGE (NY/LA)<br />
"Creation" 1968 (UNI 3004) [mono]<br />
"Creation" 1968 (UNI 73004) [stereo] [promo labels exist]<br />
"Creation" 199 (UNI) [bootleg]<br />
"Creation" 199 (CD Synton, Europe)<br />
DRYEWATER (CA)<br />
The originals on this album are terrific, mixing<br />
garage-punk, folk-rock and some raga rock with punky<br />
Jagger-influenced vocals in a powerful Ugly<br />
Ducklings, Shadows Of Knight, Chocolate Watchband,<br />
etc, fashion. “Earthless” is an especially effective<br />
blend of the above-mentioned styles. Unfortunately<br />
the album contains four familiar cover versions that,<br />
while they allow the singer to really belt it out,<br />
interrupt the flow of the album. Even so, this is one<br />
of the best albums in the late garage style, and<br />
highly recommended to fans of the bands mentioned<br />
above, and also bands like the Jellybean Bandits and<br />
Lollipop Shoppe. Also released in Canada, both mono<br />
and stereo. [AM]<br />
"Southpaw" 1974 (JTB 122) [1000p]<br />
"Southpaw" 1974 (JTB 122) [no cover]<br />
"Southpaw" 1996 (Void 04) [lyrics insert; photo; 350#d]<br />
There are many evocations of cold, bleak landscapes<br />
in this 1974 rural rock LP that is a cut above the<br />
rest and reveals something new with every listen. The<br />
playing is frantic and wonderfully emotive, in parts<br />
it is utterly brilliant. The band mash together drums
DRY ICE (MA)<br />
and guitars in a dense soundscape with alternately<br />
delicate and strident vocals flowing over the<br />
surface. ‘Winterground’ starts a strong downer theme<br />
that runs through the whole LP. They sound like<br />
Hickory Wind grown up, grown wiser, after having<br />
taken some hard knocks. They have transformed a back<br />
porch sound into something much bleaker and darker.<br />
The first side is full of powerful hard rock riffs<br />
with subtle country influences. The second is slower<br />
and more reflective. They have a unique sound that I<br />
would guess is borne out of rural small town<br />
ambitions to ‘make it big’. It’s a formula for<br />
success because they avoid the clichés of ‘normal’<br />
rock and tell us something about their own lives<br />
worth hearing. [RI]<br />
~~~<br />
Appealing local hardrock in the melodic style, mixing<br />
CA roots/rural influences a la Zini with a tight<br />
British mainstream hardrock sound like Fuzzy Duck and<br />
vintage Deep Purple. Very skillful band with fluent<br />
fuzz and good use of keyboard, but Dryewater's<br />
strongest asset lie in the vocals which are way above<br />
average, full of soulful teenage smalltown dreams not<br />
unlike similar LPs like Felt and Top Drawer in<br />
particular. Good songwriting with hooks and riffs;<br />
borders on UK prog bombast at a few turns but comes<br />
out unscathed. Recommended to pretty much anyone into<br />
local early 70s rock sounds. Fewer covers than<br />
records were pressed, and many copies were destroyed<br />
by the band when they failed to sell out. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
"Southpaw" is a highly professional sounding hard<br />
rock album: tight rhythm section, solid heavy guitar<br />
playing, excellent backing vocals, strong lead<br />
vocals. There are echoes of well-known bands,<br />
including Cream and Led Zeppelin, but the pieces come<br />
together in a way that makes it more than just a<br />
genre piece. The songwriting is varied and clever.<br />
The trebly guitar patterns, poppy choruses, brief<br />
song lengths and speedy tempos show that they’re not<br />
beholden to any idea of what hard rock should or<br />
shouldn’t be. Keyboards are used sparingly, but to<br />
nice effect, and there’s a refreshing limit to the<br />
soloing here. Satisfying throughout, with the<br />
possible exception of “Thunder,” which has<br />
pretentious vocals, and constant and annoying phased<br />
lead guitar runs. Like great albums should, it ends<br />
with its most powerful song. A great one. [AM]<br />
"Mary’s Meth Dream" 2005 (American Sound) [300p]<br />
This archival release collects everything this lost<br />
Boston-area band ever did. There wasn’t really enough<br />
to fill a whole LP, so there are three versions of<br />
one song, two versions of two others, and a few<br />
uninteresting cover versions. Scrap the filler,<br />
though, and this would make a very nice side of an<br />
LP. The overall sound is very British, akin to some<br />
of the better popsike bands of the era. Fans of<br />
Kaliedoscope, July, etc... should like this quite a<br />
bit. Lots of sound effects, wah wah, fuzz, spacy<br />
vocals, and phasing here. The thrice-included “Mary<br />
Is Alone” is a real killer, and the other originals<br />
aren’t too far behind. Some of the best tracks
DRYWATER ( )<br />
appeared earlier on the New England Teen Scene<br />
Unreleased CD from Arf Arf. [AM]<br />
"Backbone of the Nation" 1973 (R.P.C.) [lyric sheet]<br />
Primitive crude inept garage rock with a solid 70s<br />
sound. Highlights are "Airplane Rider" and the title<br />
track. Though not everyone rates this highly, it is<br />
exactly the sound a lot of private press fans crave,<br />
and is a personal favorite. Somewhat reminiscient of<br />
the excellent JC & The B's LP. [Mike Krafcik]<br />
DU-CATS (Port-Aux-Basques, Canada)<br />
DUCK (NY)<br />
"Du-Cats" 1965 (RCA pc-1018) [mono]<br />
Teenbeat with instros and several Stones covers from<br />
band looking square in crewcuts and plaid jackets.<br />
"Duck #1" 1968 (no label) [500p]<br />
THE DUO ( )<br />
Three tracks, two are spoken word beatnik poetry with<br />
jazzy background music, one is a good blues jam. One<br />
of those "Why does this exist? What were they<br />
thinking?" specimens. Credited to "Jerry & Mike".<br />
[RM]<br />
"The Duo" 1967 (Saxon) [10-inch]<br />
Primitive electric folk rock guitar and organ, mixed<br />
vocals. They are actually a trio!<br />
RICHIE DUVALL & DOG TRUCK (CA)<br />
"Richie Duvall and Dog Truck" 197 (United Sound usr-5825)<br />
DYNAMICS ( )<br />
Early 1970s (?) hippie jazz and rock underground<br />
oddness.<br />
"Dynamics" 1966 (Quintet 2004)<br />
Obscure beat/blue-eyed soul on North Carolina label.
Acid Archives Main Page
EARLYWINE (CA)<br />
"The Long Journey Home" 1977 (Award)<br />
Rural rock guitar jams.<br />
EARTHEN VESSEL (Lansing, MI)<br />
"Hard Rock" 1972 (NRS 2587-slp)<br />
-- the label lists the title as 'Life Everlasting'<br />
"Hard Rock" 1999 (CD Gear Fab 127)<br />
"Hard Rock" 1999 (Akarma 098, Italy) [insert]<br />
It’s hard to figure why this album is so sought after<br />
by collectors. It’s inept Christian rock with<br />
unappealing, soulless vocals and a rhythm section<br />
that can’t keep time. The only thing it has going for<br />
it is the over the top lead guitar, which is really,<br />
really heavy. Maybe guitar fans can tune out<br />
everything else and focus on the fuzz, because I<br />
can’t imagine any other way to enjoy this mess. A 45<br />
with a pic sleeve also exists featuring two cuts from<br />
the album. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> U.S. Apple Corps<br />
EARTHEN VESSEL (Lafayette, CA)<br />
"'72 Tour LP" 1972 (Century 40970)<br />
"Earthen Vessel" 1973 (Century 41978)<br />
EARTH FREE (NY)<br />
X-ian hippie folk with mixed vocals. Back cover of<br />
the debut LP has photos of them in monks robes. No<br />
relation to the "Hard Rock" group.<br />
"Conjerti, Morreale & Dibley" 1972 (Sundance no #)<br />
Recently discovered Christian hippie 1970s folkrock<br />
LP with a nice, loose vibe. Sound is typical for the
EARTHRISE (NJ)<br />
style, rooted in a melodic CSNY sensibility,<br />
recalling Stills' melancholic moves in particular. I<br />
also catch an Eastcoasty "Big Pink" vibe here and<br />
there. Opening track is deceptively soft and poppy,<br />
after which the LP gradually increases its depth,<br />
ending up with some truly great numbers that rate<br />
alongside the best of the genre. Overall this is less<br />
SF jammy than Wilson McKinley or Last Call Of Shiloh,<br />
yet it clearly has a more personal, earthy vibe than<br />
things such as Harvest Flight or Chenaniah. Vocals<br />
are not remarkable but fit the overall reflective<br />
mood well, while the band plays loose (sometimes very<br />
loose) and laidback, with a bass unusually high in<br />
the mix for added groove. Comparisons made to Kansas<br />
City Jammers are useful, if you imagine this LP as<br />
the dark mirror image of the upbeat KCJ. There was<br />
also a 45 from the band. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This obscure folkie private press seems to have<br />
escaped notice for thirty years or so. The reason is<br />
probably that it took that long for psych dealers to<br />
get desperate enough to “discover” mainstream westcoast<br />
acoustic folk and folk-rock with lousy singing.<br />
This album has a few long, solo acoustic pieces, and<br />
some slightly more ambitious rural folk-rock tunes.<br />
The solo songs border on the tedious, but have some<br />
emotional depth to them. The full-band songs, by<br />
relying on harmonies, actually expose the band’s<br />
weaknesses more. The “dit dit dit” backing vocals on<br />
“I Lost My Love” are beyond absurd. A few songs have<br />
a powerful sadness to them, and the weak singing<br />
actually contributes to it, as with Neil young's<br />
shaky voice. This album definitely has its fans, but<br />
I can't recommend it. [AM]<br />
"Earthrise" 1977 (Arcedem)<br />
Progressive trio. Dynamic synths, solid drumming,<br />
effects. Nice complex jazzy quality and the few vocal<br />
interludes are suitably soaring. Excellent LP. Press<br />
size has been reported as 400 copies. [RM]<br />
EASTER ISLAND (Louisville, KY)<br />
"Easter Island" 1979 (Baal 999) ['gold eye' cover]<br />
"Easter Island" 1979 (Baal 999) ['silver eye' cover]<br />
"Easter Island" 1997 (Void vlp-05) [altered cover; lyric<br />
inner; photo; 350#d]<br />
Complex heavy progressive rock like Yes. Mellotron,<br />
organ, guitar. A total of 300 records were pressed.<br />
Early demo copies came in the 'gold eye' cover.<br />
EASTFIELD MEADOWS ( )<br />
"Eastfield Meadows" 1968 (VMC 133)<br />
The predominant sound is harmony-rich country-rock ala<br />
Gram Parsons era Byrds. "Travelin' Salesman" and
"Cowboy Song" actually sound a little like something<br />
Michael Nesmith might have penned for The Monkees.<br />
Less typical, "Only Girl" and "Silent Noght" sport<br />
more of a rock/psych-oriented sound, while "Young<br />
Love" sounds like a Buffalo Springfield effort and<br />
the ballad "Helpless Is a Feeling" recalls The<br />
Association. [SB]<br />
V.A "EAST SIDE REVUE" (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"East Side Revue, vol 1" 1969 (Rampart) [splash vinyl]<br />
"East Side Revue, vol 2" 1969 (Rampart) [splash vinyl;<br />
poster]<br />
"East Side Revue" 1969 (Rampart 3303, 2LPs) [2LPs]<br />
Mostly East LA Chicano bands on these classic comps.<br />
First volume is mainly pre-Invasion r'n'b, and<br />
includes Cannibal & Headhunters, Premiers, Ronnie &<br />
Pomona Casuals, Ambertones, Romancers, and others.<br />
The second volume is more garage/teenbeat incl Thee<br />
Midniters, the Premiers fuzz classic "Get On This<br />
Plane", Romancers, Ambertones, Sunday Funnies, East<br />
Side Kids and more.<br />
V.A "EAST VILLAGE OTHER" (New York City, NY)<br />
"East Village Other" 1966 (ESP 1034)<br />
"East Village Other" 199 (CD ESP-Disk 1034)<br />
"East Village Other" 199 (Get Back, Italy)<br />
Aural montage with music and spoken word tracks<br />
dubbed over a broadcast of Luci Johnson's (the<br />
president's daughter) wedding. With Fugs, Velvet<br />
Underground, Ginsberg, Warhol. [RM]<br />
EASY CHAIR (Seattle, WA)<br />
"Easy Chair" 1968 (Vanco 1004) [1-sided; photo; handbill]<br />
Hallowed 1-sided westcoast LP with Jeff Simmons<br />
(Mothers of Invention); mature post-flower power<br />
psych sounds that are every bit as good as the legend<br />
would have you believe. Opens with 9-minute epic<br />
psychrocker that sounds quite a bit like D R Hooker,<br />
then a shorter track with dual fuzz/wah-wah raga<br />
interplay, and finally another extended moody<br />
tripout. Comparable to Bob Smith and Wizards From<br />
Kansas as a transition piece from the great ballroom<br />
60s sound into the equally great epic early 70s big<br />
ego-psych style of D R Hooker, Garrett Lund, etc.<br />
Strong, understated vocals and some of the best use<br />
of piano around gives a 1970s flavor, while the<br />
guitars and overall feel is moody 60s acidelia.<br />
Recorded as early as April 1968. Each copy came with<br />
one of four different promo photos. Press size<br />
reports differ. In a combination of status, rarity<br />
and quality this is probably the heaviest title out<br />
there that has never been reissued. Lord knows why.
[PL]<br />
EASY STEAM (Duluth, MN)<br />
"To Be Alive" 1976 (Conglomerated) [red or blue peacock cover;<br />
lyric insert; photo]<br />
"To Be Alive" 1976 (Conglomerated) [paste-on or blank cover]<br />
Rather dull melodic jazzy progressive. A total of 600<br />
records were pressed, but the silk screen machine<br />
used for the cover design (alternately done in red or<br />
blue) broke before all covers were completed. The<br />
rest came in a paste-on cover approximating the silk<br />
screened original, or were sold without the cover at<br />
all.<br />
STEVE EATON (Boise, ID)<br />
"Hey Mr. Dreamer" 1974 (Capitol ST-11245)<br />
"Steve Eaton" 1979 (Mountain Bluebird SE 46753)<br />
EBBANFLO (Kent, WA)<br />
Eaton was previously in the horn band Fat Chance and<br />
wrote songs that were covered by better known artists<br />
(including Art Garfunkel and Glen Campbell). His solo<br />
LPs are in a folk/country singer-songwriter vein, and<br />
the Capitol album is every bit as hard to find as the<br />
privately pressed second album. He continues to<br />
perform and has several subsequent releases.<br />
"Spectre Of Paradise" 1980 (Harmonic Tremor Records)<br />
Though this co-ed folk duo's album was released in<br />
1980, the back cover lists dates next to each song,<br />
and those dates range from 1969 to 1979. There's no<br />
way of knowing if the dates refer to the year the<br />
songs were written or the year they were recorded,<br />
but the sparse arrangements (acoustic guitar, some<br />
congas, some flute) and unfettered production<br />
certainly don't scream out "1980." They also have a<br />
very 70s hippie aura to them. The album is heartfelt<br />
and energetic, but there's nothing to separate it<br />
from a hundred other albums of its type, and it<br />
really could have used some kind of edge (and the<br />
flute, which I find annoying, isn't that edge.) The<br />
title track is by far the highlight of the album, a<br />
jazzy folk-rock tune that has the album’s only drum<br />
track, and is the only song with a remotely dark mood<br />
to it. Susan Smith's vocals are quite nice. Overall,<br />
this is well-meaning but not distinctive, only<br />
recommended if you're truly in love with the style.<br />
[AM]<br />
ECHOES AND A DREAM ( )
"Echoes and a Dream" 1973 (no label)<br />
ECLIPSE (IN)<br />
1970s folk/psych.<br />
"Eclipse" 1983 (Sweetwood 1010)<br />
ECLIPSE (MA)<br />
Biker power trio.<br />
"Eclipse" 1983 (Third Avenue) [1000p]<br />
Heavy guitar rock.<br />
BOB EDMUND (New York City, NY)<br />
"I See No Colors" 1970 (Rabo) [500p]<br />
EDSELS ( )<br />
Bob is backed by the organ-led group Byrth. Rhythmic<br />
folk aggression. Dylanesque vocal, churchy organ,<br />
jangle strumming, and a strong anti-war component. A<br />
good record with the vocals and rhythmic organ<br />
playing being the highlights. [RM]<br />
"At Last" 1965 (no label co-1761)<br />
Garage/teen-beat.<br />
808 RIDGE (Allegheny, PA)<br />
"808 Ridge" 1969 (Gateway aip-1119)<br />
"'71" 1971 (CH Records 01195)<br />
Garagy folk psychy school project recorded in a local<br />
coffeehouse by students of the Community College of<br />
Allegheny County. The debut is rated as one of the
ELDERBERRY JAK (WV)<br />
best in the "genre" by some, with several strong<br />
tracks. Their second album is more into hippie<br />
commune backporch folk rock.<br />
"Long Overdue" 1970 (Electric Fox ef-lp-555)<br />
"Eldeberry Jak" 1977 (Forrest)<br />
"Long Overdue" 2002 (Comet/Gear Fab, Italy)<br />
"Long Overdue" 2002 (CD Gear Fab)<br />
ELDERS (OH)<br />
This band was the early 70s pride of West Virginia,<br />
that rare rock band in backporch country heaven. They<br />
position themselves as something of a band of all<br />
trades, as if their status as the area’s only ace<br />
rock band compelled them to master every possible<br />
rock style in order to attract wider audiences. So,<br />
this album includes stark acoustic ballads, organheavy<br />
hard rock with occasional Led Zeppelin-inspired<br />
vocals, breezy westcoast folk-rock with CSN-style<br />
harmonies, etc. They can sure play and do each of<br />
these types of music very well, but it’s a bit<br />
brainless and faceless, making this a solid but not<br />
exceptional album. My pick hit is “Mr. Sun,” which<br />
combines a bunch of styles: folk-rock, straight-out<br />
rock, ballad, guitar pop. For some reason, the tax<br />
scam company Album World bootlegged this album (they<br />
probably mastered it from vinyl) and released it on<br />
the fake “Forrest Records” label about seven years<br />
later with informative liner notes. This re-release<br />
spelled the band’s name wrong (“Eldeberry Jak”),<br />
presumably so that the band wouldn’t instantly find<br />
out about it? [AM]<br />
"Looking For the Answer" 1971 (Audio Fidelity)<br />
Christian flower psych, soul and bluesy moves. Also<br />
released in Italy and Israel. Formerly garage band<br />
Jerry & the Others who appear on the WONE<br />
compilation.<br />
ELECTRAS (St. Paul's School, Concord, NH)<br />
"Electras" 1962 (Electra elt-201)<br />
Instro guitar raveups and surf covers. No relation to<br />
the Minnesota group. A custom pressing by RCA. This<br />
band featured 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry<br />
on bass!<br />
ELECTRIC TOILET (Memphis, TN)<br />
"In The Hands Of Karma" 1968 (Nasco 9004)<br />
"In The Hands Of Karma" 1983 (Psycho 8, UK)<br />
"In The Hands Of Karma" 1996 (CD Golden Classics)<br />
"In The Hands Of Karma" 200 (Akarma, Italy)<br />
"In The Hands Of Karma" 200 (CD Akarma, Italy)
Mixed bag with four OK songs and two killers. "Within<br />
Your State Of Mind" is a long brooding psych number<br />
with fantastic swirling organ, an absolute classic.<br />
The almost gospel-like "Goodbye My Darling" is great<br />
too despite the last three minutes of it being<br />
basically the same thing over and over. They're from<br />
the south, and though "Mississippi Hippy" laments<br />
their location, the lesser songs here are in a rural<br />
rock/bar band style that doesn't seem unlikely at<br />
all. [AM]<br />
ELECTROMAGNETS (Austin, TX)<br />
"Electromagnets" 1975 (E.C.M. sd-1001) [green front cover;<br />
1000p]<br />
"Electromagnets" 1975 (E.C.M. sd-1001) [red front cover;<br />
3000p]<br />
"Electromagnets" 199 (CD, Italy) [bootleg]<br />
"Electromagnets" 1998 (CD, Rhino) [+2 tracks]<br />
Jazzy guitar rock with Eric Johnson. Heavier than<br />
most bands of this ilk, with a strong Return to<br />
Forever influence.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> American Peddlers; Mariani<br />
THE ELECTRONIC HOLE see Beat Of The Earth<br />
ELEPHANT PATCH (NC)<br />
"Elephant Patch" 1979 (JTO)<br />
Unusual-sounding LP with female vocals.<br />
ELIZABETH (Philadelphia, PA)<br />
"Elizabeth" 1968 (Vanguard 6501) [gold label]<br />
"Elizabeth" 199 (no label, Holland) [bootleg]<br />
"Elizabeth" 2001 (CD Akarma/Vanguard 6501, Italy)<br />
"Elizabeth" 2001 (Akarma/Vanguard 6501, Italy)<br />
Enjoyable trip through East Coast psych reminiscent<br />
of the 2nd Fallen Angels LP, not quite as outstanding<br />
with a couple of weak cuts, but mostly classy<br />
songwriting and execution; get this if you dig the<br />
melodic-neurotic NY/PA psych sound at all. Still<br />
unknown to many. Great psychy collage sleeve. Also<br />
released in Germany and Canada. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Strong major label effort which ranges from folkpsych<br />
to heavier stuff. Nice mix of styles,<br />
surprising feedback on one song, good songwriting. If<br />
it were a private press it would be worth a bundle.<br />
One of many interesting acts on Vanguard in the late
PETER ELIZALDE (CA)<br />
60s/early 70s. Has been reissued but originals aren't<br />
very hard to find. [AM]<br />
"Winter Playground Mystery" 1982 (no label)<br />
Elizalde is to Todd Rundgren what the Leopards are to<br />
the Kinks: an absolute dead-on soundalike of the<br />
artist's classic period, and with songwriting more<br />
interesting and inspired than the artist's thencurrent<br />
work. Unlike, say, the Rutles, there's no<br />
hint of parody. It's either a heartfelt tribute or an<br />
unbelievable natural resemblance in both voice and<br />
songwriting style. Mostly this album is pretty<br />
mellow, eschewing Rundgren's hard rock and electronic<br />
leanings in favor of songs that would sound at home<br />
on side one of "Something/Anything" or on "Hermit Of<br />
Mink Hollow." There are two exceptions, though:<br />
"Passion Play," an unpleasantly spiteful fast song<br />
that sounds completely musically and vocally<br />
different from the rest of the album, and the 7minute<br />
"Day Dreamer," which has an exciting<br />
synthesizer/heavy lead guitar duel that brings the<br />
album to a memorable close. A couple of songs in the<br />
middle of the album are so-so, but at least half of<br />
this album is excellent. Anti-80s collector types<br />
will like the old-fashioned production style. Fool<br />
your friends: play the album's best song, "Winter<br />
Reflexions," to them and tell them it's a lost 1972<br />
Todd demo. It's more convincing than the stuff on<br />
side one of Rundgren's "Faithful." By the way, either<br />
this album has a vague lyrical concept to it or<br />
Elizalde just loves to write about winter. [AM]<br />
ELLIE POP (Detroit, MI)<br />
"Ellie Pop" 1968 (Mainstream s-6115)<br />
Simply said, Ellie Pop's self-titled 1968 album<br />
stands as a lost mid-'60s pop classic. Whoever these<br />
guys were, they definitely had a thing for Anglo-pop,<br />
tracks such as "Some Time Ago" and "Caught In the<br />
Rain" literally dripping Beatles influences. To many<br />
folks that's probably the kiss of death. Normally<br />
they'd be right, but not in this case. Exemplified by<br />
material such as "Seven North Frederick", "Seems I've<br />
Changed" and "Watcha Gonna Do" (love the "yeah, yeah,<br />
yeahs"), the Dunns avoided the usual clichés, turning<br />
in a wonderful set that was catchy and commercial,<br />
but retained an innovative edge that made ever<br />
selection worth hearing. One word of warning; while<br />
the set's occasionally been billed as psychedelic, in<br />
spite of isolated distorted guitars and a few oddball<br />
time signatures, to our ears it's simply too<br />
mainstream to be considered anything other than pop.<br />
[SB]<br />
~~~<br />
This album doesn’t get as much attention as most of<br />
the Mainstream releases because it’s a straight post-<br />
Beatles pop album lacking the heavy, psychedelic, and<br />
folk-rock aspects of the better-known albums on the<br />
label. That’s too bad, because it’s actually one of
the label’s best: a solid, unpretentious effort with<br />
excellent singing and catchy songs. The only problem<br />
is that there’s no one song that really stands out<br />
above the others; nothing sounds like it could have<br />
been a hit, but all of it is good. [AM]<br />
STEVE ELLIOT (New York City, NY)<br />
"Steve Elliot" 1969 (no label SE 1000) [handpainted cover]<br />
Folk/singer songwriter with session musicians<br />
backing. Acoustic guitar, piano, flute, sincere<br />
seeker lyrics. A CD-R "reissue" exists.<br />
ELLIOTT, WALTER & BENNETT (Houston, TX)<br />
"Zeta Reticuli" 1977 (Jam 106)<br />
Subtitled “a science fiction love story,” this<br />
concept album is a true labor of love. No doubt these<br />
guys thought they’d produced a masterpiece. If you<br />
can imagine a synth-heavy prog album with country<br />
crooner vocals, spoken sections and several really<br />
cheesy ballads, you might have an idea what to expect<br />
here. Even so, I doubt anyone could be prepared for<br />
just how weird the clash of styles can be. By the<br />
time an operatic female vocal appears on side two you<br />
won’t be surprised by anything. When they remember to<br />
rock (basically the first song on each side), this is<br />
pretty interesting, but by the end it’s so cheesy and<br />
humorless that it’s almost unlistenable. Comparisons<br />
are hard to make, but it sounds to me like low-rent<br />
backwoods Alan Parsons, if he’d hired cowboys instead<br />
of the Hollies to sing for him. A real headscratcher.<br />
[AM]<br />
STEVE ELLIS & THE STARFIRES (Pipestone, MN)<br />
"Steve Ellis's Songbook" 1967 (IGL 105)<br />
"Steve Ellis's Songbook" 1994 (CD Arf Arf) [bonus tracks]<br />
"Steve Ellis's Songbook" 1994 (Get Hip 5003) [+4 tracks]<br />
Legendary Midwest folkrock LP originally done as a<br />
tribute to bandleader Ellis who died in a motorcycle<br />
accident in 1967. Consists of eight good (but not<br />
outstanding) basement Love/Nightcrawlers style<br />
folkrockers interspersed with interviews with band<br />
members which not only shows Ellis to be a real cool<br />
guy and talent but also gives full technical data of<br />
his souped up 1938 DeSoto. An interesting and unusual<br />
snapshot of a time and place, but far from the<br />
masterpiece it's sometimes described as. The band<br />
also had a track on a local comp from the era. [PL]<br />
ELLISON (Quebec, Canada)<br />
"Ellison" 1970 (Supreme 2900)<br />
"Ellison" 199 (vinyl, France) [300p; insert]<br />
"Ellison" 1999 (World In Sound 003, Germany) [gatefold]
"Ellison" 199 (CD)<br />
French-Canadian Doorsy hardrock with psych leftovers.<br />
Those into the style swear bigtime by it but there's<br />
too many slow cuts for my tastes. Most original<br />
copies have press defects. [PL]<br />
EMBERS (Raleigh, NC)<br />
"The Embers Roll Eleven" 1965 (JCP Recording 2006)<br />
Fratrock beach beat r&b stompers with guitar, organ,<br />
sax. The first LP is the one of interest to garage<br />
collectors, the later ones head more in a lounge<br />
direction. Despite being a white beach music combo,<br />
some of the band's 45s are sold as "Northern Soul".<br />
[RM]<br />
"Just For the Birds" 1966 (JCP Recording 2009)<br />
"Burn You a New One" 1967 (EEE 1069)<br />
Released by the Raleigh, North Carolina-based EEE<br />
label, 1967's "Burn You a New One" is likely to<br />
appeal to anyone with a fetish for stuff on the<br />
Justice label. Musically this wasn't a major change<br />
in direction from the band's first two collections.<br />
Like the earlier albums, this one offered up a set of<br />
popular pop and soul covers. What was truly<br />
interesting was how four of the nerdiest white guys<br />
you've ever seen (check out the back cover photos),<br />
could turn in such impressive performances. Sure,<br />
covers such as Get Ready', 'Groovin', 'Wish You<br />
Didn't Have To Go' didn't offer anything to improve<br />
on the originals. Still, vocalist Jackie Hamilton<br />
Gore displayed a truly amazing chameleon-like talent<br />
and the rest of the band turned in stellar backing.<br />
The results make for a wonderful set of 1960s beach<br />
music. In addition to sporting a classic album title,<br />
I've always loved the throwaway album cover design.<br />
The Embers have several subsequent albums and,<br />
amazingly, are still performing. [SB]<br />
EMERALD CITY (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"Waiting For The Dawn" 1976 (Hippopotamus hlp 97202)<br />
"Waiting For The Dawn" 1996 (Hippopotamus, US) [bootleg]<br />
Canadian hardrock with keyboard and guitar, opinions
EMERALD WEB (CA/FL)<br />
differ on its merits.<br />
"Dragon Wings And Wizard Tales" 1979 (Stargate 4230) [lyric<br />
insert]<br />
TIM EMERY (KY)<br />
New agey folk electronica opera from male/female duo<br />
with Tolkien based fantasy theme. Synth, flute, and<br />
hippie femme vocals. The couple had several later LPs<br />
and achieved some success composing soundtracks.<br />
"Alias Red Garrett" 1979 (Ros Sound 130) [1000p]<br />
EMMANUEL (Canada)<br />
Hardrock power trio guitar showcase. Half heavy and<br />
Hendrixy, half bluesy and rural outlaw.<br />
"You Color My Life" 1976 (EM)<br />
Christian folk rock with rural songs and some pop-ish<br />
and soft rock moves and mixed male/female vox. Not<br />
terribly memorable.<br />
EMMAUS ROAD BAND (NJ)<br />
"This Could Be The Beginning" 197 (Trutone tr-520573)<br />
I gave this a lukewarm review at first but it has<br />
grown on me a bit; the ferocious guitar-leads and<br />
upmarket production make for a powerful sound,<br />
although I still prefer the west coast-inspired X-ian<br />
style of Kristyl or Wilson McKinley over this<br />
mainstream mid-1970s Southern rock/AOR trip. Prosounding<br />
female nightclub vocalist is a bit misplaced<br />
but adds to the classy vibe. Long title track is<br />
great. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
It’s pretty strange hearing such blatant Christian<br />
lyrics over what is essentially 70s redneck rock. The<br />
opening “Gospel” has guitar fills that come straight<br />
from the catalogue of any competent but unimaginative<br />
cover band of the time, but just when you start to<br />
think it’s lame the closing guitar solo goes into<br />
territory (and volume levels) that you aren’t<br />
expecting. The rest of the album follows suit,<br />
sneaking up on you only when you really pay
attention. This isn’t usually a subtle style of<br />
music, but the songwriting here is sly and tasteful,<br />
and the two long songs at the end are powerful and<br />
deep, almost reaching classic status. A couple of<br />
songs are out of place, though: a so-so country<br />
rocker and a schlocky ballad. They’re not awful, but<br />
they do interrupt the guitar-heavy mood that builds<br />
impressively throughout the rest of the album. A<br />
female vocalist on a few songs sounds nothing like<br />
the stereotypically “pretty” Xian folk singer, but<br />
more of a cross between a soul singer and an angry<br />
torch singer. Odd, but effective. The album closes<br />
with a brief version of “Jesus Loves Me,” sung by a<br />
child. It definitely wipes away the intensity of mood<br />
left by the two epics that precede it. Ack. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Maranatha<br />
EMORY ALMANAC see So It Goes<br />
EMPORIUM (IA)<br />
"I'm So Glad" 1970 (Peace no #)<br />
ENERGY PAK ( )<br />
Clean teen mixed vocal jangle guitar Christian<br />
collegians turning the corner and getting 'real' with<br />
rock covers. Highlights are a great 6 minute trippy<br />
"Jesus Jesus/ Trails of Your Mind", an insane go-go<br />
rumbling "I'm So Glad", and a really bizarre<br />
doubletime "For What It's Worth". Great fun, high<br />
'real people' quotient, warp ten strumming, and<br />
stunning acid cover design. [RM]<br />
"The Answer" 1968 (Sound Associates)<br />
GEORGE ENGLER ( )<br />
Grand Rapids, Michigan label. Mixed gender Christian<br />
folkrock teens. Nice psychedelic collage cover.<br />
"The Inside of the Outside or the Outside of the Inside" 1965<br />
(Serenus sep-2010)<br />
ENGLISHMEN ( )<br />
Representation of avant and electronic sounds<br />
encountered on an outer space voyage! Creepy sounds<br />
and tape effects like a sci-fi movie soundtrack. A<br />
CD-R "reissue" exists.<br />
"Summer Is Here" 1967 (Justice 155)<br />
"Summer Is Here" 1995 (CD Collectables col-0609)<br />
If you believe everything you read, this is one of<br />
the "best" Justice albums. In the real world it's the
same lame standards, surf, frat and beach music with<br />
weak vocals and a sleepy 1962 mood, making the band's<br />
hip name seem a mystery -- unless the Shadows is your<br />
idea of Brit Invasion. Title track original could be<br />
seen as a whiney New England type ballad if you're in<br />
a generous mood, but the only really appealing aspect<br />
of this LP is a superb drummer who is given plenty of<br />
space on "Penetration" and the band's "Theme".<br />
Hippest things are covers of "96 tears" and "Catch<br />
the wind", both done in an incorrect manner which<br />
suggests the band played from sheet music and never<br />
actually had heard the tunes. Stunning low-point is<br />
an instro "Girl from Ipanema". [PL]<br />
V.A "EPITAPH FOR A LEGEND" (TX)<br />
"Epitaph For A Legend" 1980 (International Artists 13) [2LPs;<br />
5000p]<br />
"Epitaph For A Legend" 198 (Decal UK) [2 LPs]<br />
"Epitaph For A Legend" 199 (CD Collectables) [2CD]<br />
"Epitaph For A Legend" 200 (Get Back, Italy) [2 LPs]<br />
CARL ERDMANN ( )<br />
Compilation of 1960s odds and ends from the IA<br />
vaults, plenty of unreleased tracks with a few<br />
winners and some garbage. Some obscure teen/garage<br />
acts plus disappointing rarites from the Lost & Found<br />
and Red Krayola. Also has one side of blues including<br />
spoken word bits with Lightnin' Hopkins (originally<br />
intended for the IA 1968 Lightnin' LP), and about 1<br />
sides worth of Elevators-related material, some of<br />
which is unique to this release. The original plans<br />
for the 2 LP set were very ambitious, but as the IA<br />
revival didn't catch the full momentum Lelan Rogers<br />
hoped for, the end result is pretty stripped down.<br />
The album is sometimes referred to as "rare", but the<br />
press size tells you it isn't. This was the last<br />
release from the revived IA label, after which Lelan<br />
sold the rights to Charly Records in England. The<br />
Decal reissue replaces two Spades tracks with two<br />
Elevators 45 tracks. On the Collectables CD the<br />
Spades tracks are back, but the mastering is bizarre,<br />
with some unexpected jumps in volume and occasionally<br />
poor sound. [PL]<br />
"Bizarrophytes" 1980 (no label)<br />
WENDY ERDMAN ( )<br />
Excellent later day hippie gets lost in eastern Acid<br />
Symphony trip. Instro guitars, sitar, kalimba, tabla,<br />
percussion, sax, even some flute. [RM]<br />
"Erdman" 1970 (Audio Fidelity)<br />
This surprisingly scarce album is oddly appealing.<br />
Erdman has a warbly, classical-styled voice that’s<br />
pretty strange in the context of the folk-rock and<br />
piano-based soft rock on this record. Somehow it<br />
works, though, and these deceptively simple songs
ERIC (OH)<br />
grow on the listener. In her own way, she’s as out<br />
there as Essra Mohawk or Sally Eaton. Recommended<br />
more to fans of quirky singer-songwriters than to<br />
fans of folk-rock. Ex-Monkee Peter Tork played bass<br />
on most of this album. [AM]<br />
"Eric" 1970 (CEI 11047)<br />
MARK ERIC ( )<br />
Mostly soft folk psych with a couple of songs that<br />
get a bit on the heavy side with fuzzed out passages.<br />
"A Midsummer's Day Dream" 196 (Revue 7210)<br />
"A Midsummer's Day Dream" 200 (CD Revola 18, UK) [+bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
Inaccurately hyped as psych, this is basically a<br />
Beach Boys imitation, which still makes it appealing<br />
to collectors. It’s comparable to Billy Nicholls, as<br />
Mark Eric has a very similar voice, but it lacks the<br />
songwriting talent and diversity of arrangements of<br />
the Nicholls album. Some of the album too soft and<br />
sweet to work, but about half of it is quite good,<br />
peaking on “Night of the Lions,” which proves even<br />
wimps can have a healthy sex drive. [AM]<br />
RIN ERIC (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Soundtrack To The Movie In Your Mind" 197 (no label)<br />
[booklet]<br />
Mighty obscure fringe/loner folk LP. According to Rin<br />
Eric himself, only 50 copies were pressed.<br />
ERICA [Pomerance] (Canada)<br />
"You Used to Think" 1968 (ESP Disk 1099)<br />
"You Used to Think" 199 (ESP Disk)<br />
"You Used to Think" 199 (CD ESP 1099, Germany)<br />
"You Used to Think" 199 (CD ZYX)<br />
Housed in an album cover that's shocking today, never<br />
mind for its time, this fits in perfectly with all of<br />
the other weirdness on ESP. It's as unmusical as the<br />
Godz, and as confrontational as the Fugs. It's not<br />
exactly all that listenable, though, but it's a<br />
pretty amazing period piece. Erica and most of her<br />
band dropped acid after the three short songs on side<br />
one, and it's worth noting that even those songs,
while having some "structure" and sense of melody,<br />
are as messed up as the long, meandering<br />
improvisations that follow. I'll be straightforward<br />
here -- I find this to be a self-indulgent mess that<br />
has freakshow appeal, but it's awfully hard to listen<br />
to. Admittedly, it is full of inspired moments. Erica<br />
starts singing in French half way through "The<br />
Slippery Morning" for no apparent reason. The<br />
competing vocals on the title track are effective,<br />
whether she can "sing" in the traditional sense or<br />
not. The album's most accessible song (OK-that's<br />
stretching it a little, you won't be hearing it on<br />
mainstream radio any time soon), "The French<br />
Revolution," is pretty great (and groundbreaking-one<br />
of the first uses of the f-word in a rock setting.)<br />
And when you can keep your attention long enough to<br />
pick up the lyrics, they're pretty amusing, and<br />
occasionally ingenious. The whispered/spoken moments<br />
and falsetto intro to "Anything Goes" have an<br />
appealing beat-poet feel to them. All that is well<br />
and good, but the monotonous "drumming" on "We Came<br />
Via" is headache-inducing, and on the long songs the<br />
memorable moments are spread awfully thin between the<br />
dull spots. Trevor Koehler, of Insect Trust, plays<br />
some sax here and seems as comfortable screwing<br />
around as he does playing it straight on the Trust's<br />
much more well-conceived albums. [AM]<br />
ERIC & THE NORSEMEN (Manhattan, KS)<br />
ERIK ( )<br />
"Live" 1966 (Audio House)<br />
Garage/teen-beat from popular club band formed at<br />
Kansas State University. The LP contains overdubbed<br />
crowd noise that the band was dissatisfied with.<br />
There are no originals except for a brief "Norsemen<br />
Theme". The band also had a local 45 and some<br />
unreleased recordings.<br />
"Look Where I Am" 1968 (Vanguard vsd-79267)<br />
"Look Where I Am" 2004 (CD Radioactive 0061, UK)<br />
Most of this album is decent folky hippie stuff, but<br />
side one ends with a killer fuzz guitar downer tune<br />
that blows away everything else. The rest of the<br />
songs sound pretty samey except for one jaunty<br />
British-styled folker. Neat colorful album cover. Not<br />
a great album, but decent, and another cool Vanguard<br />
obscurity. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Obscure one on the label and not bad, with a psychy<br />
Eastcoast folkrock sound, sort of like where Jake<br />
Holmes might have gone after his debut LP. The guy's<br />
crooner nightclub moves and ambitious arrangements<br />
recall Darius, although a slightly flat voice and the<br />
two-chord "drone" songwriting fall short of such<br />
promise. Instrumentation includes bells, muted<br />
trumpets, flutes and strings over flowing basement<br />
folkrock. The LP could be hyped as "great" but<br />
ultimately the vocals and lack of strong melodies<br />
keep it from true greatness. Still, the middle third
is strong with a couple of killer psych tracks with<br />
fuzz and backwards bits, and as a period piece with a<br />
distinct sound worth checking out. Nice crude psychy<br />
cover art. Who was this guy? [PL]<br />
ESCORTS (Richmond, VA)<br />
"Bring Down the House" 1966 (TEO lp-5000) [mono]<br />
"Bring Down the House" 1966 (TEO lps-5000) [stereo]<br />
Judging by the LP, The Escorts were your typical mid-<br />
'60s frat band. Produced by guitarist Colleran,<br />
"Bring Down the House" consists of a dozen popular<br />
rock and soul covers (Beatles, Otis Redding, Stones,<br />
Them, etc.) with a couple of lesser known tracks<br />
thrown in. Lead singer Faber won't exactly knock you<br />
over (check out his out of tune performance on<br />
"You're Going To Lose That Girl" - understandable<br />
given the band didn't have any feedback speakers),<br />
nor will you be awed by the rest of the band's<br />
technical merit, though they do bring an admirable<br />
sense of enthusiasm to their performances and<br />
Colleran turns in several nice performances (he<br />
nail's Roger McGuinn's 12 string performance on their<br />
cover of Drylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man"). Highlights<br />
included a nice "These Arms of Mine" and an<br />
enthusiastic "Turn On Your Love Light". In spite of<br />
the fact it was recorded live with extremely<br />
primitive equipment (four microphones recorded<br />
straight on to a two track tape), the sound's<br />
surprisingly crisp. At least to our ears, musically<br />
the set compares favorably to better known frat acts<br />
such as The Ace's Combo, The Englishmen, The Invaders<br />
or any group signed to Justice Records. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
With a massive thank you to singer/lead guitarist<br />
Nick Colleran for all of the wonderful information,<br />
here's a quick bio on the band. As a 16 year old<br />
attending Richmond's Douglas Southall Freeman High<br />
School, Colleran formed the band in 1961. The<br />
original line up included bassist Bob Buhrman,<br />
Colleran on guitar, sax player Buzz Montsinger and<br />
singer Sam Owen. The call of college saw Buhrman<br />
replaced by Richard Parrish, with Tom Hill taking<br />
over for Montsinger. The line up was eventually<br />
rounded out by drummer Richard Eastman. In spite of<br />
the band's relative youth, they became fixtures on<br />
the Richmond music scene, playing school dances,<br />
proms and local beer joints. The band continued to<br />
perform through college, although in 1964 Owen and a<br />
date were killed when the car they were driving was<br />
crushed by a 15 year old engaged in a drag race.
Singer Jimmie Faber was subsequently brought in as a<br />
replacement. When the Army draft claimed drummer<br />
Eastman, Sandy DeWitt was added to the line up.<br />
Perhaps reflecting the fact Colleran was taking<br />
accounting courses at the University of Virginia, the<br />
band proved themselves business trendsetters. Having<br />
formed their own label - TEO Records (The Escorts<br />
Operation), a 21 year old Colleran borrowed $1,200<br />
from a local bank. Having long promoted their own<br />
events, the funds were used to rent Richmond's Mosque<br />
Ballroom, where the LP was recorded on June 24, 1966.<br />
Giving new meaning to the word independent, the band<br />
rented and set up the recording equipment, sold their<br />
own tickets, ran the show's concession stand,<br />
designed and prepared the album cover art work<br />
(Hill's father took the cover photo), wrote the liner<br />
notes (Colleran's father set the hot type for the<br />
back cover), hired the recording engineer, and<br />
arranged for mastering, pressing and final assembly.<br />
ESPERANZA ENCANTADA (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Esperanza Encantada" 1970 (Certron 7016)<br />
ESTES BROTHERS (OH)<br />
Young Hispanic vocal group doing mixed English and<br />
Spanish language material, about half covers of the<br />
Beatles, Stones, and Tim Hardin. The rest is<br />
originals with crystal clear teenage female vocals.<br />
Highly rated by some. The trio is backed by a pick-up<br />
band who provide some fuzz on "Gimme shelter" among<br />
the folkrockers.<br />
"Transitions" 1971 (Edcom 7101)<br />
"Transitions" 1995 (Rockadelic 17) [300p; altered sleeve;<br />
bonus track]<br />
"Transitions" 2002 (CD World In Sound 1013, Germany) [+bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
Solid underground stoner blowout which is the way you<br />
wish all hardrock LPs were, relentless guitar jamming<br />
with a loud basement sound, punky vocals and a<br />
druggy/wasted attitude, only a few weak moments. Not<br />
slick or overpowering, but the sound of local nocounts<br />
letting it rip with no thought of the<br />
consequences. Strip-joint piano adds an unusual<br />
touch. They also had a pre-LP 45 with PS. The<br />
original sleeve was a generic/custom ocean image,<br />
which is reinstated for the CD reissue. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
The Estes Brothers sound pretty much like the stoned<br />
kids next door, for better and for worse. They have<br />
average chops and are sloppy with them, which means<br />
the guitar solos are too long and the drummer does<br />
too many rolls. The grooves aren't bad, though, and<br />
this has a kind of earthy appeal. The vocals are<br />
hardly professional but don't have any of the usual
annoying hard rock tendencies either. The album loses<br />
steam toward the end; they have a likeable sound but<br />
didn't have too many ideas. I think this album is<br />
overrated by collectors, but can see why people like<br />
it. It's a refreshing alternative to the pretense and<br />
posturing of so many other hard rock albums. The<br />
World In Sound CD has a ton of mostly worthwhile<br />
bonus tracks, including their best song, the non-LP<br />
45 "Tomorrow's Sunlight" (also on the Rockadelic LP).<br />
GENE ESTRIBOU & JEAN-PAUL PICKENS (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Intensifications" 1966 (Scorpio MIA #CL-1)<br />
"Intensifications" 2004 (CD Locust)<br />
Split LP of guitar/banjo avant/improv instrumental<br />
folk with the guys getting one side each to strut<br />
their stuff. Pretty interesting experience with trad<br />
material reshaped beyond recognition, long tracks<br />
with plenty of raga moves and an intense live<br />
atmosphere. Can't really decide who wins this unusual<br />
battle of the bands, very solid playing that has been<br />
compared to Sandy Bull. A historically significant<br />
artefact from the early S F scene, and a must for<br />
genre fans. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Acoustic acidic edgy folk and banjo psych. Homemade<br />
meandering quality similar to Acid Symphony. Gene<br />
Estribou recorded the first Grateful Dead single that<br />
came out on Scorpio. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Serpent Power<br />
ETERNAL SAVINGS & TRUST COMPANY (Acton, MA)<br />
"Wind and Spirit" 1972 (Amphion Modern)<br />
ETERNITY ( )<br />
Christian folk with mixed vocals, using electric<br />
instruments and flute, percussion, harmonica.<br />
"Eternity" 1981 (Band of Gold 004)<br />
Dual lead hardrock with early 1970s sound.<br />
ETERNITY'S CHILDREN (Biloxi, MS)<br />
"Eternity's Children" 1968 (Tower t-5123) [mono]<br />
"Eternity's Children" 1968 (Tower st-5123) [stereo]<br />
"Eternity's Children" 1999 (CD Revola 062) [+bonus tracks]<br />
The Curt Boettcher-produced first Eternity’s Children<br />
album is orchestrated pop that’s even more far<br />
removed from rock and roll that the Sagittarius<br />
albums. Like a lot of the records Boettcher was<br />
involved with, this is hardly a coherent band effort<br />
or an honestly presented record, with a number of<br />
inaccurate songwriting credits and with two songs not
even actually performed by the Eternity’s Children.<br />
The mixed vocals recall lightweights like Spanky &<br />
Our Gang. Occasional there are some surprising<br />
moments (i.e. the fuzz guitar and rave up at the end<br />
of “Lifetime Day”) but this is cloying and lacks<br />
soul. A few catchy songs win out nevertheless. One<br />
song that’s played as a straight ballad with a lead<br />
vocal from the woman (as opposed to the harmony leads<br />
elsewhere) is a standout. The LP was also released in<br />
Canada by Capitol. The Revola CD contains both LPs<br />
and some additional material. [AM]<br />
"Timeless" 1968 (Capitol 6302, Canada)<br />
"Timeless" 2005 (CD Revola) [+bonus tracks]<br />
The second album, sans Boettcher, was definitely a<br />
coherent band effort. Since the US release was<br />
scrapped (Tower #5144 was allocated but never used)<br />
and the small Canadian release went unnoticed, it’s<br />
become one of the rarest and most sought-after major<br />
label records of the era. It’s still a zero in the<br />
soul area, but is a more consistent listen and a more<br />
inspired work than the first album. Lots of catchy<br />
songs here. No fuzz guitar, though. There is also a<br />
Gear Fab CD from 2004, "The Lost Sessions". [AM]<br />
JEFF EUBANK (Kansas City, MO)<br />
"A Street Called Straight" 1983 (Dorothea Records)<br />
EUCLID (ME)<br />
This singer-songwriter LP was discovered by<br />
collectors some twenty years after its release.<br />
Eubank was a bit later on the Kansas City scene than<br />
Michael Angelo and the great late-70s power pop bands<br />
that gave the city its reputation as a 70s pop haven.<br />
Rare record dealers will probably try to compare him<br />
to Michael Angelo anyway, because that's what they do<br />
every time they have a scarce singer-songwriter album<br />
that they don't know how to sell. This is better than<br />
most that fall into that bag, but it’s not<br />
particularly unusual; it’s folky in feel with about<br />
half of the songs being just voice and guitars (which<br />
are electric as often as they’re acoustic.) The album<br />
cover and some of the lyrics evoke outer space, and a<br />
couple of songs are very spacy in feel with echoed<br />
flutes, sound effects, martian voices, drony<br />
soundscapes and otherworldly falsetto vocals.<br />
“Kamikaze Pilot,” in particular, is excellent, the<br />
kind of song that would really turn heads if it was<br />
on a compliation. Eubank is a strong singer and the<br />
album is well-produced, but the solo songs drag and<br />
you’ll wish he went freaky more often or tried to<br />
rock out once or twice. For the most part, side two<br />
is better than side one, so stick with it despite the<br />
dull spots. If you’re a fan of mellow dreamy folk and<br />
folk-rock you’ll certainly like at least half of this<br />
album. It’s a shame, though, that there aren’t more<br />
hooks here and that the arrangements aren’t all as<br />
effective as on “Kamikazi Pilot.” [AM]<br />
"Heavy Equipment" 1970 (Flying Dutchman ams-12005) [wlp
exists]<br />
EUPHORIA (CA)<br />
Well-regarded psych/hard rock transition LP and<br />
undoubtedly one of the better LPs in that often<br />
disappointing genre. Obvious influences from the UK<br />
mod scene, covers two tracks from that era with<br />
fairly good results. Tight, pro-sounding affair with<br />
the token macho vocals a minus and a good modernsounding<br />
drummer a plus. Not 100% up my alley, but<br />
respectworthy. Ralph Mazzola of Lazy Smoke plays<br />
guitar, while other members came from the Ones and<br />
the Cobras, making this a New England "supergroup" of<br />
sorts. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
It's understandable why this has become one of the<br />
most collectable hard rock albums of the period. A<br />
couple of ace songs on side one veer from the<br />
straightforward heavy sound towards a moodier psych<br />
sound, and the rest rock hard and true without<br />
succumbing to boring guitar solos or bluesy<br />
posturing. Great rhythm section--the bass playing on<br />
their cover of "Gimme Some Loving" is powerful and<br />
chill-inducing. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Lazy Smoke<br />
"A Gift From Euphoria" 1969 (Capitol 363) [green label]<br />
"A Gift From Euphoria" 1996 (CD See For Miles, UK)<br />
"A Gift From Euphoria" 2004 (CD Rev-Ola, UK)<br />
"A Gift From Euphoria" 2005 (Capitol/Scorpio)<br />
This ridiculously rare album begs the question: why<br />
was Capitol squandering such huge production budgets<br />
to create records that no one would ever hear? I<br />
suppose it wasn't the world's easiest marketing job.<br />
Who would expect the public to latch on to an album<br />
that alternates heavily orchestrated dream-state<br />
music with country rock with fuzz-guitar freakouts,<br />
not to mention lyrics that are equal parts<br />
spirituality and suicide? There's nothing else quite<br />
like this. The orchestration is as heavy as on the<br />
Food and Common People albums, but sounds completely<br />
different. The country songs sound "authentic," but<br />
also don't really sound like any other country or<br />
country-rock artist. The fuzz-guitar blowouts manage<br />
not to sound "heavy." The piano playing is equal<br />
parts Paul McCartney and honkytonk. The highly<br />
disturbing lyrics could either signal the apocalypse<br />
or treat suicide as a joke, and either way it's<br />
riveting. (By the way, most reviews of this album<br />
mention lyrics about drugs, but unless I'm totally<br />
misinterpreting something, I don't see them.) This is<br />
one instance where two madmen threw everything they<br />
had against the wall, and it pretty much all stuck.<br />
At its best this is the kind of record that will<br />
remind you why you got into psychedelic music in the<br />
first place-there's so much originality, so much<br />
willingness to experiment, and so many ideas here<br />
that whether it all works or not it's bound to be a<br />
completely fascinating listen. They also had a non-LP<br />
45, a few tracks on "A Pot Of Flowers" and some<br />
unreleased stuff recorded during their spell in<br />
Houston, all of it ranging from good to great. [AM]
~~~<br />
see -> A Pot Of Flowers; Bernie Schwarz<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
EUPHORIA (Milwaukee, WI)<br />
"Lost in Trance" 197 (Rainbow 1003) [blank back; group photo<br />
insert]<br />
"Lost in Trance" 199 (Rainbow) [bootleg; b & w cover]<br />
"Lost in Trance" 200 (CD Mason)<br />
Obscure biker guitar psych with long tracks and acid<br />
lyrics, I was impressed with this at first but<br />
further plays revealed it to be a bit sterile in a UK<br />
prog sense, all the right local underground psych<br />
moves but no real warmth or personality. Still it's<br />
listenable throughout and has some great guitar<br />
passages. This has the same generic rainbow cover as<br />
Skydog's LP. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
I find this LP a frustrating listen. The guitar is<br />
meaty with lots of effects and there is some good<br />
heavy pounding drumming. However, it’s all let down<br />
by the vocalist who insists on some very silly vocal<br />
intonations. Pronouncing words in a ponderous,<br />
affected way does not add any gravity to them. What’s<br />
especially annoying is that the lyrics are good and<br />
meaningful enough not to need this bizarre treatment.<br />
The high sung vocal parts would have had me tossing<br />
this in the bin when I was a youngster, now I just<br />
shift uneasily wondering if I’ve descended too far<br />
into the world of prog. ‘Just for a Moment’ is the<br />
stand out track for me, it could have been<br />
‘Brotherhood’, but then singing United Nations as<br />
Natoooons just blew it! [RI]<br />
EVERPRESENT FULLNESS (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Everpresent Fullness" 1970 (White Whale ww-7132) [promos<br />
exist]<br />
"Fine And Dandy" 2004 (CD Rev-Ola, UK)<br />
Released 4-5 years after the material was recorded,<br />
several tracks such as the instrumental "Yeah!" come<br />
off as little more than demos. Featuring a mix of<br />
originals and cover material, the album's pop-rock<br />
sound recalled a cross between The Lovin' Spoonful<br />
and The Turtles (checkout their cover of John<br />
Sebastian's "Wild About My Lovin"). The lead singer<br />
had an engaging voice and tracks such as "You're So<br />
Fine" and "Leavin' California" offered up radiofriendly<br />
top-40 melodies. The set was also<br />
interesting for including an early Warren Zevon cover<br />
("The Way She Is"). Less impressive was the band's<br />
penchant for quirky numbers; the vaudeville-styled<br />
"Fine and Dandy" and the C & W-ish "My Girl Back<br />
Home". All-in-all not half bad, particularly if you<br />
can pick it up for a couple of bucks. The LP is<br />
sometimes referred to as "rare" but actually sells<br />
pretty cheap. The remixed Rev-Ola CD contains all<br />
tracks from the LP except one, plus other material.<br />
[SB]
~~~<br />
see -> The Moon; Rocket Science; Thorinshield<br />
EVERYDAY PEOPLE (SC)<br />
"Born Too Soon" 1976 (United Music World)<br />
Mixed bag of sounds including one killer track,<br />
"Stepping out of the darkness" with acid leads and<br />
messed up vocals. There were at least two other<br />
unrelated bands with this name.<br />
V.A "THE EXIT" (New Haven, CT)<br />
"The Exit" 1969 (XPL)<br />
Sampler from New Haven club with folk and blues<br />
locals. Same label as D R Hooker. Notable for two<br />
garage psych tracks by Better Daze. Lead guitarist<br />
for Better Daze played with Nova Local. Sticker on<br />
front cover promotes Tony Mason who made a semiinteresting<br />
bluesy folk LP a few years later.<br />
EXKURSIONS (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Exkursions" 1971 (no label)<br />
"Exkursions" 199 (Hidden Vision)<br />
"Exkursions" 200 (CD Hidden Vision)<br />
Pretty irresistable Christian bluesy guitarpsych<br />
exkursion featuring the prolific Mike Johnson in his<br />
younger days as a bible-carrying Hendrix epigon. Has<br />
to be one of the coolest x-ian LPs of all time, with<br />
a confident powertrio groove, laidback Jimi-style<br />
vocals, and several truly great tracks like "Third<br />
Eye". Despite being a private press originals aren't<br />
difficult to find. Two tracks can be found on the<br />
"Holy Fuzz" compilation if you want a sample. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
If you weren’t paying attention, you wouldn’t notice<br />
that this is a Christian album, which is a good sign.<br />
Mike Johnson is a truly talented guitarist and a few<br />
songs here have a fuzz sound to die for. The<br />
songwriting doesn’t match the performances, and there<br />
are a few bluesy/hard rock clichés, but for the most<br />
part this is solid hard rock and one of the best in<br />
the Christian realm. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> "Cry 3"; Mike Johnson<br />
EXPANDING CIRCLE (GA)<br />
"Conscious" 1980 (no label 75251) [500p]
Cosmic folk with piano, 12-string guitar and vocal<br />
harmonies, housed in weird brain cover.<br />
EXPEDITION (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"Live" 1971 (Cegep 1652)<br />
EX-TA-C'S ( )<br />
Seedy hard fuzz blues rock with English vocals. [RM]<br />
"X-Ta-C's" 1966 (no label)<br />
Primitive teenbeat/garage.<br />
EYES (Cleveland, OH)<br />
"Stroke a Horse's Navel" 1977 (Eyes 710206)<br />
EYES (Butler, PA)<br />
This album is often mistakenly listed as "rural<br />
rock," when in fact it's light power pop in an Emmit<br />
Rhodes/Paul McCartney vein. There are lots of<br />
keyboards, especially piano, and very little guitar.<br />
It's unlikely to appeal to too many psych fans, but<br />
it's quite good for those who like pop. The harmonies<br />
are weak, but the melodies are strong and the songs<br />
are zippy. They grow on you. It's a mysterious<br />
record--the credits (including songwriting credits)<br />
don't mention any band members' name, though they do<br />
list a producer and recording studio. I wonder if the<br />
two Ohio bands named Eyes were aware of each other?<br />
[AM]<br />
~~~<br />
I've seen this one hyped on high priced dealer lists<br />
as a psych masterpiece, a Beatlesque triumph, and as<br />
a slice of mind-warping hard rock. You probably won't<br />
be surprised to learn that it isn't any of the<br />
above. Musically this is slightly under-produced<br />
power-pop that will probably appeal to folks who like<br />
other mid-1970s Cleveland-based outfits like The<br />
Choir and Eric Carmen and the Raspberries. Originals<br />
such as 'Mornings' and 'Oh, To Be a Child Again'<br />
boast nice top-40 melodies that with a little bit of<br />
clean-up could've been massive radio hits. That<br />
comparison isn't 100% accurate since tracks like<br />
'Probate Me Baby', 'Yesterdays' and 'Such Is Life'<br />
are more rock-ish than what you'll find on the<br />
formers releases. I'll also tell you that it took a<br />
couple of spins for this to click with me. The first<br />
couple of times I played the album I focused on the<br />
set's shortcomings (notably the lead singer's<br />
occasionally quivering voice and the less than<br />
perfect production), but by the third spin the<br />
album's low-tech charms caught my ear making this one<br />
of the few albums I've bothered to put on CDR. [SB]
EYES ( )<br />
"New Gods: Aardvark Through Zymurgy" 1977 (World Theatre TC-<br />
1/2) [photo insert; 200p]<br />
"Nova Psychedelia" 2005 (CD Anopheles 010) [2CDs; bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
Rather amazing teenage suburban prog/proto-punk<br />
science fiction concept epic with a garage psych feel<br />
in the fuzz leads and Vox organ, while moogs and<br />
oscillators galore add a mid-70s Ohio avantgarde<br />
layer. The listening experience is difficult to<br />
describe as the LP deflates any "good/bad"<br />
dichotomies and comes across as an irresistable piece<br />
of zeitgeist, straight out of home-made drugs, bad<br />
sci-fi TV re-runs and hazardous bedroom science<br />
projects. Musically quite competent with solid<br />
playing and inventive prog hardrock arrangements, yet<br />
Todd-O:s half-sung deadpan teen vocal style spells<br />
"incredibly strange" across the board. You haven't<br />
truly lived until you've heard morose recitations<br />
such as "My eyes blazing like a death ray/When the<br />
new gods unite in me/I shall conquer the universe".<br />
With a regular vocalist this would have been a<br />
completely different but not necessarily better LP.<br />
What is it all about? Not sure but it involves a new<br />
evolution of the human brain, somehow. Do not miss.<br />
Todd Clark has hung around the psych scene for many<br />
years and made several more recordings. The Anopheles<br />
CD was released as by Todd Tamanend Clark and<br />
contains the entire Eyes album. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Todd Clark Group<br />
"We're In It Together" 1978 (Quiet Canyon) [lyric inner]<br />
EZEKIEL (WA)<br />
Melodic hardrock AOR with Jeff Cannata (Arc Angel,<br />
Jasper Wrath) and James Christian (House of Lords).<br />
Searing guitar work and great vocals up there with<br />
Alpha Centauri.<br />
"Inspired At The Cross" 1977 (Cross 75-101) [plain white<br />
cover; insert]<br />
Christian 1970s rock and hard rock.
Acid Archives Main Page
FACEDANCERS ( )<br />
"Facedancers" 1972 (Paramount pas-6039)<br />
FACTS OF LIFE (TX)<br />
Early crossover album headed in a prog direction but<br />
before the ground rules for that genre had been<br />
established. Some uninteresting solos, but mostly<br />
creatively designed songs that show thoughtful<br />
experimentalism. The lead singer claims that he hits<br />
the highest note ever recorded by a man on a rock<br />
record, and it’s hard to dispute that claim. Indeed,<br />
the girly-sounding vocals work well in this context.<br />
A few songs are pretty creepy, with one called<br />
“Nightmare” being a stand-out. Interesting album that<br />
rewards a few close listens. [AM]<br />
"Facts Of Life" 1970 (Sevens International 1038)<br />
Mostly garage and AOR covers with great original "All<br />
Strung Out". The front cover is a black and purple<br />
negative image of a Drive In Theater. The album is<br />
exceedingly rare and hard to put an accurate value<br />
on.<br />
FAINE JADE (Long Island, NY)<br />
"Introspection" 1968 (RSVP 8002)<br />
"Introspection" 1983 (Psycho 13, UK)<br />
"Introspection" 198 (RSVP) [bootleg; b & w labels]<br />
"Introspection" 1996 (CD Sandiland)<br />
"Introspection" 1996 (CD Big Beat wikd-141, UK)<br />
Well-known and well regarded Eastcoast psycher,<br />
recorded with acidpunk legends Bohemian Vendetta as<br />
backup band. Although not exceptional and somewhat<br />
derivative, this is an enjoyable trip through UKinfluenced<br />
1967 landscapes with the Long Island<br />
garage roots showing now and then. "People games<br />
play" is a highpoint to me, with a genuine tribal<br />
psych feel and above-average acid lyricism. There is<br />
also an outstanding non-LP 45 that has been comp'd<br />
many times. Faine made a comeback recording in the<br />
1980s. There is a sampler of unreleased tracks "It<br />
Ain't True" (Distortions, 1992). [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Jade sounds and even looks British, and this wellproduced<br />
LP could easily pass for a UK major label<br />
popsike album of the era. It’s all very groovy and<br />
mod and full of sound effects, trippy arrangements<br />
and eastern-flavored lead guitar; the far out album<br />
cover prepares you perfectly for what’s within. The<br />
songwriting, which spans pop, folk-rock, minor-key
FAIRCHILD (MN)<br />
ballads and garage rock, is reasonably good, but this<br />
strikes me as one of those albums that people love<br />
more for how cool it sounds than for the actual<br />
content. Oddly, despite the attention paid to the<br />
musical arrangements, there’s a scarcity of backing<br />
vocals. The few there are noticeably improve their<br />
songs. In the album’s favor, there are no dud songs<br />
(though some may not be so thrilled about the freaky<br />
instrumental at the end), so it’s a continually<br />
enjoyable listen. Better than most in the genre, but<br />
not top of the heap. [AM]<br />
"Fairchild" 1978 (Flight FR 1706)<br />
FALLEN ANGELS (DC)<br />
Flashy progressive rock in Yes style.<br />
"It's a Long Way Down" 1968 (Roulette sr-42011) [gatefold]<br />
-- also released in Germany<br />
"Roulette Masters, part 2" 1995 (CD Collectables vol-5446)<br />
-- reissue of the second LP<br />
"It's a Long Way Down" 2004 (Roulette sr-42011)<br />
TYLER FAMULARO (WI)<br />
One of the ultimate examples of the East Coast psych<br />
sound; moody, intricate, with a peculiar intensity. A<br />
long time favorite of late 60s collectors and no<br />
wonder as it has the makings of a masterpiece. Hard<br />
to pinpoint really, but some parts are like a highbrow<br />
Common People, others like a folkrock Mandrake<br />
Memorial. Arrangements and songwriting are most<br />
impressive, with "A Horn Playing On My Thin Wall"<br />
being a personal favorite. Often compared to the<br />
equally rare Morning Dew LP but this is deeper and<br />
more original. The Sgt Pepper of DC, though of course<br />
much better! [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
From the depths of despair and angst comes this<br />
masterpiece, a howling wail of pain and discomfort<br />
that sounds like nothing else. Somewhere in here are<br />
elements of loner folk, Beach Boys-style pop and<br />
psychedelia, but all are used in a unique way that<br />
makes this as personal an album as I know, despite<br />
being recorded by a “group”. Great songwriting and<br />
solid performances throughout. By the time the upbeat<br />
pop of the title song appears (it’s the second to<br />
last song) it just drips with irony. A truly great<br />
album that justifies the high price tag. Very hard to<br />
find for a major label release. The band's common<br />
first LP (also on Roulette) is poppier and less<br />
interesting, with a good track in "Room at the top".<br />
[AM]<br />
"Down Deep" 1975 (Audiofex ax-7081) [plain cover; red label]<br />
"Down Deep" 1976 (Audiofex ax-7081) [plain cover; yellow<br />
label]
Probably the best of those mid-70s “Advance reviewer<br />
copy” albums that were sold through ads in Rolling<br />
Stone. Mostly a solid power pop album with minor hard<br />
rock moves, a bit of wah-wah. Nice vocals. One ballad<br />
with a lot of moog veers in the direction of<br />
cheesiness, but still works reasonably well. Like<br />
most of the albums in this series, "Down Deep" is<br />
very short —- about 25 minutes. This Audiofex LP and<br />
others on the label were issued in plain, disco-style<br />
covers (labels exposed) and stamped "Advance Reviewer<br />
Copy -- Confidential". [AM]<br />
MERRELL FANKHAUSER (Los Angeles, CA / Maui, HI)<br />
"Things" 1968 (Shamley 701)<br />
"Things" 1985 (Time Stood Still 2, UK)<br />
"Things" 1997 (CD Afterglow 015, UK)<br />
"Things" 1997 (CD Sundazed 6094) [+3 tracks]<br />
Fankhauser fans will naturally go on at great length<br />
about the qualities of this LP (released as by<br />
Merrell Fankhause & HMS Bounty) but to others it may<br />
seem no more than a decent flowerpsych LP with strong<br />
UK influences. A couple of really good tracks like<br />
the sitar trip of "Ashiya" and fuzz-psych of "Driving<br />
Sideways", but also a bit of the mid-60s pop stuff I<br />
found hard to dig on the earlier Fapardokly album.<br />
Hardly the stuff of legend, but a good one for genre<br />
fans. [PL]<br />
"Merrell Fankhauser" 1976 (Maui 101) [lyric inner]<br />
"Maui" 1997 (CD Xotic Mind, Sweden) [album +7 tracks]<br />
A k a "The Maui Album", this has some great melodic<br />
psych and some weaker pop. Not quite on level with<br />
the MU albums. The CD contains several bonus tracks,<br />
at least one of which is a psych killer. Modern<br />
recordings, some of which are considered to be quite<br />
good, include "Dr. Fankhauser" (1986, Full Blast/<br />
Line, Germany); "Message to the Universe" (198?, One<br />
Big Guitar); "Flying to Machu Picchu" (1992, CD<br />
Legend, France); "Further On Up the Road" (CD/2LP<br />
200?, Akarma, Italy). [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Fapardokly; Mu<br />
FANTASTIC DEE-JAYS (McKeesport, PA)<br />
"Fantastic Dee-Jays" 1966 (Stone 4003)<br />
"Fantastic Dee-Jays" 1984 (Eva 12028, France)<br />
-- the spine lists the title as 'Fight Fire'<br />
"30th Anniversary" 1996 (CD Millenia) [altered sleeve]<br />
"30th Anniversary" 1996 (Millenia) [altered sleeve]<br />
Above-average local beat-garage LP by Pittsburgh<br />
maniacs who later transformed into the Swamp Rats.<br />
Two killer tracks (also out on 45) have been comp'd<br />
on Hipsville vol 1 but there's some other good stuff
FANTUZZI (NY)<br />
too, though more beat than garage. Some tracks have a<br />
lo-fi dawn of man feel, such as "Apache". They had<br />
several 45s as well. The old boot reissue has some<br />
sleeve wear from the copy that was used. [PL]<br />
"An Open Heart" 1978 (Akashic)<br />
FAPARDOKLY (CA)<br />
Eastern mystical swami sounds with sitar, flute,<br />
female backing vocals and percussion.<br />
"Fapardokly" 1967 (UIP 2250) [1000p]<br />
"Fapardokly" 1983 (Psycho 05, UK) [300#d; altered cover]<br />
"Fapardokly" 198 (5 Hours Back, UK)<br />
"Fapardokly" 1995 (CD Sundazed sc-6059) [+3 tracks]<br />
A legendary LP, both for its (supposed) rarity and<br />
the appearance of future Mu-wizard Merrell<br />
Fankhauser. This is mid-60s pop/folkrock rather than<br />
the psych dealers might it hype it for; the hazy<br />
"Gone To Pot" excluded. Pretty classy stuff with<br />
traces of the Byrds and Beatles but also obvious<br />
remnants of an earlier, pre-Invasion pop era of Buddy<br />
Holly and the Everly Brothers. Merrell's talent is on<br />
clear display even at this early stage, with each<br />
track being a finely tuned and completely realized<br />
pop song. Fave tracks include the dreamy opener<br />
"Lila" and the inspiredly weird "Mr Clock". Quite<br />
enjoyable all through as long as you don't expect<br />
Lemurian hippie psych magic. A retrospective Merrell<br />
& the Exiles LP titled "The Early Years 1964-67"<br />
exists on the American Sound label with the same<br />
lineup as the Fapardokly LP and collects earlier<br />
tracks. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This early Fankhauser album feels like two eras of<br />
recordings stuck together on one album (and<br />
apparently is a mix of recordings from a few<br />
different years). There are great moments from both<br />
the pop/folk-rock songs and the more experimental<br />
psychedelic tunes, but not enough to make this worth<br />
the $300 price tag it commands (even after a box was<br />
unearthed in the 80s). “Super Market” is the best<br />
song, a sparkling folk-rock tune with surprisingly<br />
effective horns. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Merrell Fankhauser; MU<br />
FAR CRY (Boston, MA)<br />
"Far Cry" 1968 (Vanguard Apostolic vsd-6510)
"Far Cry" 2000 (Comet/Vanguard, Italy)<br />
"Far Cry" 2000 (CD Akarma/Vanguard, Italy)<br />
GLENN FARIA (KY)<br />
A true mess of an album, psychedelic jazz freakout<br />
that must be the strangest thing released on the<br />
Vanguard label. The singer is utterly unhinged and<br />
unable to carry a tune. He makes Fred Cole of the<br />
Lollipop Shoppe and the guy from the Hampton Grease<br />
Band sound mellow and in control. The long songs are<br />
boring, even the moody slow one. Some people like<br />
this but it’s more remarkable for its weirdness than<br />
for the quality of the music, which I find<br />
unlistenable. Recommended to people who like the<br />
Erica Pomerance album but wish the songs were more<br />
well-played. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Geez, ever heard the phrase something is "an acquired<br />
taste"? Well, it's certainly an applicable<br />
description for the Boston-based Far Cry. An early<br />
entry to the horn-rock sweepstakes, this seven piece<br />
outfit was signed by the short-lived New York-based<br />
Vanguard Apostolic Records, and the band's selftitled<br />
debut teamed them with producer Daniel Weiss.<br />
Imagine Blood, Sweat and Tears locked into a closet<br />
with Captain Beefheart and Quicksilver Messenger<br />
Service's John Cipollina... Largely original (the<br />
lone exception being a cover of Riley King's 'Sweet<br />
Little Angel'), the album featured a strange blend of<br />
jazz, fusion and psychedelic rock moves. While it may<br />
not have sounded particularly promising, the<br />
combination of styles was actually intriguing.<br />
Whiting's bizarre and wild voice (on tracks such as<br />
'Shapes' and 'Hellhound' it sounded as if he were<br />
about to suffer a terminal stoke), Martin's free form<br />
sax (sometime it sounded as if he were reading the<br />
charts for a different song) and Lenart's fluid<br />
guitar (check out the introduction to 'Earthlight')<br />
made for an album we play on a regular basis. [SB]<br />
"Glenn Faria" 197 (Tiger Lily 14058)<br />
"Glenn Faria" 2002 (CD World In Sound 1007, Germany) [+7<br />
bonus tracks]<br />
Wellwritten rootsy folk/blues recorded in the early<br />
1970s and performed in an agreeable manner. Best<br />
tracks have a Perry Leopold quality, and it's<br />
perfectly listenable all through. He speaks of<br />
learning from "older musicians", and for a white guy<br />
his gritty down home sound is unusually convincing.<br />
Good voice too - strange he never got a real<br />
recording contract. Worth checking out, though it's<br />
not psychedelic in any way. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Faria’s album, credited to “Glen Faria,” is one of<br />
the most valuable Tiger Lily releases, and unlike<br />
many on the label appears to have been a complete<br />
album intended for actual release (probably on<br />
Roulette). It took a good five years from completion<br />
of the recording to the release of the record (and<br />
more than thirty before a legitimate release.) One of<br />
the quirks about a label like Tiger Lily is that it<br />
creates a situation where major label-quality<br />
recordings end up on records that as rare as any
FARM (IL)<br />
private press. In other words, this is no “real<br />
people” recording. Faria’s album is a highly<br />
professional mix of and electric rock and acoustic<br />
folk/blues. On a couple of songs he adopts a macho<br />
growl that doesn’t appeal to me, and the album is<br />
somewhat sluggish at times, but otherwise it is very<br />
good. It has a cool mellow sound, thoughtful songs<br />
and some nice understated lead guitar. Recommended to<br />
singer-songwriter fans. The CD includes seven okay<br />
demo-sounding bonus tracks, six of which are acoustic<br />
recordings that the CD claims are from 1964 but sound<br />
much later than that. Interestingly, the one song<br />
that would be re-recorded for the album is much<br />
faster in the original version. The other bonus track<br />
has the exact same melody as Bob Seger’s well-known<br />
“Turn The Page,” but the CD claims it was recorded in<br />
1969, which is before the Seger song was released.<br />
[AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Headstone Circus<br />
"Farm" 1970 (Crusade Enterprises 465) [500p]<br />
"Farm" 1995 (Crusade Enterprises, Austria) [bootleg; gatefold;<br />
300p]<br />
"Farm" 2000 (Akarma, Italy) [10"; brown vinyl]<br />
Seen some excited ramblings on this but was<br />
disappointed upon hearing it as it's straight boogie<br />
for most part, has about two decent tracks in a<br />
westcoast style while the rest sucks. Maybe I'm<br />
missing something here but I can't recommend it to<br />
anyone. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Featuring largely original material, the set's fairly<br />
varied. The opening instrumental "Jungle Song" and<br />
"Sunshine In My Window" are both strong guitarpropelled<br />
numbers that sound heavily influenced by<br />
both The Allman Brothers and Santana. Elsewhere,<br />
'Cottonfield Woman' was a nice slice of blues-rock,<br />
while as you'd probably expect from the title "Let<br />
the Boy Boogie" and a cover of "Statesboro Blues"<br />
were okay slices of boogie. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Gene Hood<br />
FARM (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"The Innermost Limits of Pure Fun" 1976 (Series 2) [swirl<br />
label]<br />
"The Innermost Limits of Pure Fun" 1976 (Dendra) [red label;
plain cover with title sticker]<br />
"The Innermost Limits of Pure Fun" 1976 (Series 2) [red label;<br />
plain cover with "Farm" stamped]<br />
Soundtrack to great obscure surf flick, mostly<br />
instrumental jams in a psychy 1970s surf style. One<br />
track has been comp'd. Also released in Australia in<br />
a laminated sleeve (Rebel label), and the movie does<br />
include Australian footage. Apart from the many surf<br />
soundtracks the Dragon brothers were involved in a<br />
ski movie called "Winter Equinox".<br />
~~~<br />
Here's some info on the band collected by Mike<br />
Cooper: "The lead guitarist Denny Aaberg was a keen<br />
surfer and well known surf writer from Pacific<br />
Palisades ("Big Wednesday" was based on Denny<br />
Aaberg's surfing youth, with Bill Pritchard who is<br />
also in this soundtrack band), while others in the<br />
band have been Beach Boys-connected in the 1980s-90s.<br />
Ernie Knapp briefly played bass with the Beach Boys<br />
before getting thrown out, while Dennis Dragon did<br />
sound work for them. The Dragon brothers hailed from<br />
Hollywood and Doug and Dennis (drums and organ on<br />
this soundtrack) were brothers to Daryl Dragon of<br />
"Captain and Tenille" (Daryl was a<br />
friend/collaborator of Dennis Wilson), and Daryl is<br />
an additional musician on this soundtrack, which was<br />
one of 30 produced by Dennis and Daryl in Dennis's<br />
Malibu bedroom. Movie producer George Greenough is a<br />
surfing legend for his many films with cameras "onboard"<br />
and his surf philosophy. He financed the<br />
making of "Pure Fun" entirely from the proceeds of<br />
his fishing business, and resides in Australia<br />
today".<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Corky Carroll and Friends; A Sea For Yourself<br />
FARM BAND a k a TENNESSEE FARM BAND; STEPHEN & THE FARM BAND (TN)<br />
"Farm Band" 1972 (Mantra 777) [2LPs; gatefold; lyric<br />
innersleeves; poster]<br />
"Farm Band" 2004 (Akarma 287, Italy) [2LPs; gatefold; poster]<br />
"Up In Your Thing" 1973 (Farm fe-1776)<br />
Religious communal group with westcoast jammy sound,<br />
led by noted hippie activist/philosopher Stephen<br />
Gaskin. The debut double is usually considered the<br />
best. The 1973 LP is credited to Stephen and the Farm<br />
Band. Later LPs include "On the Rim of the Nashville<br />
Basin" (Farm 1001, 1976; reissued by Akarma) and<br />
"Communion" (Farm 1013, 1977), credited to Tennessee<br />
Farm Band. They also recorded as Nuclear Regulatory<br />
Commission (1970s; Official 1180).<br />
J.W. FARQUHAR (Philadelphia, PA)<br />
"The Formal Female" 197 (no label)<br />
Early 1970s fringe art-avant/psych obscurity, highly<br />
rated by the few who have heard it.
FAT (western MA)<br />
FATE (ME)<br />
"Fat" 1970 (RCA lsp-4368)<br />
"Fat" 2005 (CD Radioactive 138, UK)<br />
"Fat" 2005 (RCA Victor) [bootleg?]<br />
Somewhere between the Bosstown psychedelic sound and<br />
a more mainstream 70s rock sound, these guys put<br />
together a pretty solid album. The pick hit is the<br />
very catchy “Shape I’m In,” but all of it is<br />
worthwhile. The last song has a painfully out of key<br />
or out of tune harmonica (I can’t believe nobody in<br />
the recording studio noticed!), which closes the<br />
album off on an appealing, if unsettling, freaky<br />
vibe. A Canadian pressing exists. There is also a<br />
more mainstream-sounding 2nd LP released by the band<br />
themselves, "Footlose" (Dream Merchant, 1976). [AM]<br />
"Fate" 1969 (no label, no #) [test pressing]<br />
"Sgt Death" 1999 (Rockadelic 37) [insert; booklet; marble pink<br />
vinyl]<br />
"Sgt Death" 2001 (CD Shadoks 017)<br />
One of the few 1960s-era titles in the Rockadelic<br />
catalog, this piece of zeitgeist plays like a<br />
completely finalized album that could, and probably<br />
should, have come out back then. Archetypal ambitious<br />
mainstream psych with a New England slant a la St<br />
Steven while extensive use of keyboards recalls the<br />
1st Mandrake Memorial; the all-bases-covered approach<br />
could appeal to fans of Food as well. Vocals are a<br />
bit too Morrisonesque/operatic, while the production<br />
and arrangements are impressive. Not a bad LP but<br />
spread a bit too thin for my tastes; the sarcastic<br />
anti-Vietnam title track is what makes it stand out.<br />
Die-cut sleeve design makes the reissue look like a<br />
local heavy metal LP. Band (or main guy) recorded a<br />
rare garage 45 as Euphoria's ID prior to this. Here<br />
is a description of the original album: "a no info<br />
test pressing, other than the words FATE SIDE 1 and<br />
FATE Side 2 written on it. Side one dead wax says "6<br />
25 68 a 1", side 2 dead wax "2 1 69 b 1". The reissue<br />
rearranges the track order and has a somewhat<br />
different (less compressed) sound than the original<br />
disc. [PL]<br />
FATHER YOD & THE SPIRIT OF '76 see YA HO WHA 13<br />
FAUN (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Faun" 1969 (Gregar gg-70000) [wlp exists]<br />
DIDI FAVREAU (NY)<br />
Odd mix of pop psych and swing band sounds. Ex-<br />
Frumious Bandersnatch.
FAXX (AK)<br />
"Rebirth of Wonder" 1968 (RSVP es-8004)<br />
Jazzy trippy femme folk with some avant jazz moves<br />
somewhat in Erica Pomerance camp. Same label as Faine<br />
Jade.<br />
"Faxx" 1977 (Faxx no#) [500p]<br />
Hard rock.<br />
FBC BAND (Fort Wayne, IN)<br />
"Worth a Fortune" 1982 (no label, no#)<br />
FEAR ITSELF (CA)<br />
Heavy progressive rock guitar/keys with high pitched<br />
vocals and a mid-1970s sound. Side 2 was recorded<br />
live. The album title is of course wishful thinking.<br />
[RM]<br />
"Fear Itself" 1969 (Dot 25942)<br />
Overlooked Big Brother/Janis-style psychrock LP with<br />
wailing femme vocals, crude guitarleads and two very<br />
good acid freakout tracks the main attraction.<br />
Attains some genuine intensity and the band<br />
definitely was more at home among freaks than<br />
teenyboppers. Three unimaginative blues/soul covers<br />
keeps this from being a classic. A French pressing<br />
with a different sleeve exists. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is Ellen McIlwaine's first recording, and one of<br />
the very few female-led rock bands of the time.<br />
McIlwaine would soon make her name as a bluesy folk<br />
artist who plays a mean slide guitar, but here she<br />
tried to get heavy. Supposedly Led Zeppelin ripped<br />
off "In My Time Of Dying" from this record. The<br />
band's name refers to McIlwaine's feeling of being a<br />
woman in the male-dominated rock business, and<br />
admittedly there are moments where a certain kind of<br />
uncertainty shows through here. The album has some<br />
excellent moments and a nice tough sound, but feels<br />
like it was recorded before they were entirely ready.<br />
Nonetheless, it's quite listenable and a solid album<br />
that rivals the male heavy psych records of the era.<br />
[AM]<br />
FEATHER DA GAMBA (LA)<br />
"Like It or Get Bent" 1971 (D.G 7743)<br />
"Like It or Get Bent" 2000 (Void)<br />
Lo-fi basement swamprock obscurity covering an<br />
eclectic field of Ant Trip Ceremony late-night<br />
jazzrock, quirky jugband moves, murky Stone Harbour
FEDERAL DUCK ( )<br />
rock with funny lyrics - doesn't appear to be<br />
entirely serious, but hard to tell the jokes from the<br />
seriousness. Organ and what sounds like a clarinet<br />
(?) upfront, lack of strong guitarleads may<br />
disappoint some. Plenty of atmosphere, closing track<br />
in particular is good. Not a great LP, but a cool<br />
trip for an open mind. [PL]<br />
"Federal Duck" 1968 (Musicor mm-2162) [wlp exists]<br />
"Federal Duck" 2004 (CD Radioactive, UK)<br />
Underrated album whose silly cover gives no clue to<br />
the moody, late-night sounds inside. Comparable to a<br />
more structured Freeborne, with a mild jazz<br />
influence, great bass playing and a dark vibe. A few<br />
upbeat songs break the mold (one sounds just like the<br />
Holy Modal Rounders), but this is consistently good,<br />
much better than a lot of albums with ten times the<br />
price tag. [AM]<br />
FELLOWSHIP CHRISTIAN CHURCH ( )<br />
FELT (AL)<br />
"Man Of Sorrow" 197 (no label)<br />
Moody xian folk psych. Acoustic and electric guitar,<br />
piano, some synth. Nice lost downerdom in the<br />
biographical 'lost musician finds God' title track<br />
and the downright weird "The Prostitute" which brings<br />
to mind Peter Grudzien's "Redemption". Pretty female<br />
vocal on "Rose of Sharon". [RM]<br />
"Felt" 1971 (Nasco 9006)<br />
"Felt" 2000 (CD Akarma 127, Italy) [digipak]<br />
"Felt" 2000 (Akarma 127, Italy)<br />
Strong Southern psychrock LP that's probably the best<br />
thing on the label. Excellent teenage vocals and a<br />
wide-ranging spectrum of influences including late<br />
Beatle-psych, mellow west coast-jamming and early<br />
1970s hardrock, held together by a tight band who<br />
obviously put a lot of effort into this album.<br />
Strange that this took so long to get reissued,<br />
although the bizarre cover may have contributed. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Solid album that goes from Beatlesque pop to bluesy<br />
hard rock, this one gets everything right. The tenminute<br />
song that starts side two has an awesome riff<br />
and maintains a fantastic level of intensity. Sounds<br />
awfully mature for the work of a supposedly 17-yearold<br />
singer/songwriter. A really good one. The album<br />
was mastered a little off-center, and the Akarma<br />
reissue was mastered from the vinyl. The last song on
oth orig and re has an annoying wavery sound to it.<br />
A reissue from the master tapes would be very<br />
welcome. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
This album is unexpectedly diverse and impressive.<br />
The opener 'Look At the Sun' served as an atypical,<br />
but gorgeous ballad. It sounds kind of strange but<br />
the song actually benefits from Jackson's somewhat<br />
quivery vocal performances. Couple with some great<br />
lead guitar at the end of the track, it's also the<br />
most commercial song on the album. Sporting an antidrug<br />
lyric 'Now She's Gone' starts out with a pseudojazzy<br />
flavor complete with scat segments before<br />
mutating into a bluesy segment and then going back<br />
into jazz mode. It probably doesn't sound very<br />
promising on paper, but somehow these guys make it<br />
one of the album's most entertaining pieces.<br />
Musically 'Weepin' Mama Blues' is a pretty standard<br />
keyboard and guitar propelled blues workout that<br />
sports some killer drum work and a lead guitar and<br />
scat vocal combination that won't quit. It may also<br />
have Jackson's best vocal performance. He sure<br />
doesn't sound like a 17 year old on this one.<br />
Clocking in at over ten minutes and going through<br />
numerous time changes, "The Change" is an<br />
entertaining mix of progressive and hard rock moves.<br />
As for the two other tracks; "World" was a decent<br />
hard rock number that's knocked down a notch by<br />
Jackson's strained falsetto vocal (though part of the<br />
problem may explained by a pressing defect that saw<br />
the album mastered slightly off center). The final<br />
selection "Destination" was simply bland. All in all<br />
a real surprise with great songs, great performances<br />
and surprisingly clean and sophisticated production<br />
work. [SB]<br />
FEMININE COMPLEX (Nashville, TN)<br />
"Livin' Love" 1969 (Athena 6001)<br />
"Livin' Love" 2000 (Teenbeat TB-196)<br />
"Livin' Love" 2001 (CD Gear Fab) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"Livin' Love" 2001 (Gear Fab)<br />
"Livin' Love" 2004 (CD Rev-Ola, UK) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"Livin' Love" 2004 (CD Beatball 13, South Korea) [+bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
Legendary femme psych album that, like the Daisy<br />
Chain album, mixes horn-led pop with some much more<br />
interesting experimental songs. It opens and closes<br />
with screaming fuzz guitar blowouts, and nothing in<br />
between (except maybe the catchy pop tune "I Won't<br />
Run") is anywhere near as good. Would have made a<br />
great single or EP. For years it was questioned<br />
whether they really existed but the reissue confirms<br />
that they were an actual band, though session<br />
musicians helped with the album. The reissue CD has<br />
tons of bonus tracks of dubious value, making the<br />
album seem endless. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Nashville's little known The Feminine Complex have to<br />
be seen as groundbreakers (albeit some twenty years<br />
ahead of popular tastes). As an all girl, selfcontained<br />
band, simply having had the talent, skills<br />
and fortitude to record an album in the late-'60s<br />
stands as an amazing accomplishment. The fact the set<br />
is as good as it is, makes it all the more
impressive. "Livin' Love" was a strange effort.<br />
Largely penned by Mindy Dalton, musically the set<br />
offered up a weird mix of raw rockers and<br />
surprisingly tame MOR ballads. On one hand, fuzz and<br />
feedback propelled rockers such as the leadoff<br />
stomper "Hide and Seek", the feedback paced "It's",<br />
"Time Slips By" and the soulful, horn-propelled "Run<br />
That Thru Your Mind" were apparently a true<br />
reflection of the band's live act. At the other end<br />
of the spectrum, backed by studio musicians and<br />
elaborated arrangements, "Now I Need You", "Are You<br />
Lonesome Like Me" and "I Won't Run" reflected<br />
Kilpatrick and Powell's desire to give the band a<br />
more polished and commercial sound. With the latter<br />
material recalling the Petula Clark school of top-40<br />
success (check out "Forgetting"), guess which numbers<br />
were more impressive? Ironically, by the time the<br />
record was released, falling victim to parental<br />
pressure to complete school, Napiers, Stephens and<br />
Williams had all quit the band. That probably<br />
explains why Dalton and Griffith were the only two<br />
band members shown on the back cover. [SB]<br />
HANS FENGER & LANGLEY SCHOOLS CHORUS (Langley, Canada)<br />
"Hans Fenger & Glenwood Region Group" 1976 (no label)<br />
"Hans Fenger & Wix-Brown Elementary School" 1977 (no label EPN<br />
7259)<br />
"Langley Schools Music Project - Innocence & Despair" 2001 (Bar<br />
None) [2LPs; gatefold]<br />
"Langley Schools Music Project - Innocence & Despair" 2001 (CD<br />
Bar None)<br />
The title of the reissue (a compilation from the two<br />
albums) is perfect, as these high school recordings<br />
beautifully portray the exuberance and innocence of<br />
an age when everyone loved to sing. The stark and<br />
heavily reverbed production, combined with the huge<br />
wall of voices, give the songs a certain kind of<br />
eerie sound that would be awfully hard to duplicate.<br />
This is the kind of album that some people will<br />
absolutely fall in love with. An objective opinion,<br />
though, is that it’s really cool for a couple of<br />
songs but doesn’t really need to be a whole album.<br />
Klaatu’s “Calling Occupants” is an inspired song<br />
choice. The highlight, though, is undoubtedly<br />
“Desperado”, with a heart-wrenching solo vocal from<br />
one young girl. It makes me think that an entire<br />
album like this, but with children singing the lead<br />
vocals rather than in chorus form, would be<br />
spellbinding. Of the original LPs, the first one<br />
includes things like "Space Oddity" and "Band On The<br />
Run", while the second has "Venus & Mars", "In my<br />
room", etc. Only a few hundred copies were pressed of<br />
each. [AM]<br />
FENNER, LELAND & O'BRIEN (Hamilton, NY)
"Peace In Our Time" 1969 (RPC AZ 41771/41772) [laminated<br />
cover; 50p; insert]<br />
"Fenner, Leland & O'Brien" 2003 (CD Wild Places) [2-on-1 re w/<br />
2nd LP]<br />
Superrare debut LP only known to exist in a handful<br />
of copies. More of a demo vibe than the 2nd, with<br />
flubbed lines left intact and a DIY attitude. Opens<br />
with a great but atypical 10-minute fuzz/organ<br />
folkrock excursion, while rest of the LP is lowkey<br />
and intimate hippie folk. Excellent unpretentious<br />
vocals reminiscent of the guy in Shadrack Chameleon,<br />
while lyrics address 'Nam concerns and other<br />
counterculture themes of the era, plus some<br />
introspective laments. Has a NYC college dorm vibe<br />
similar to Patron Saints, although the band was from<br />
upstate (Colgate University). A solid trip for genre<br />
fans, holds up well to the sequel. Generic tree<br />
foliage/sunlight sleeve. [PL]<br />
"Somewhere, Someday, Somehow" 1970 (RPC AZM 70402) [250p]<br />
"Somewhere, Someday, Somehow" 2000 (Wild Places) [altered<br />
sleeve]<br />
"Fenner, Leland & O'Brien" 2003 (CD Wild Places) [2-on-1 re w/<br />
1st LP]<br />
-- 3 tracks from the original LP are omitted on the reissues<br />
Obscure hippie folkrock/singer-songwriter LP on the<br />
mythical RPC custom label, discovered and reissued<br />
only recently. A good one too, with a CSN&Y influence<br />
typical of the genre, consistent and with quality<br />
songwriting. Some tracks utilize an electric setting<br />
+ organ, others are more lowkey acoustic. I'm<br />
reminded of Timmothy and Brigg here and there, even<br />
has some Patron Saints vibes. Admirably relaxed and<br />
unpretentious vocals recall some of the more famous<br />
UK rural hippiefolk rarities. Worth checking out.<br />
Generic sky/clouds sleeve. [PL]<br />
FERRON (Vancouver, Canada)<br />
"Ferron" 1977 (Lucy Records no #)<br />
"Backed Up" 1978 (Lucy Records)<br />
FIELDS (CA)<br />
Lesbian singer/songwriter with a long career; her<br />
first two albums contain downer folk moves with<br />
earthy vocals. Several tracks from these two privates<br />
were re-recorded for her first commercial release,<br />
"Testimony" in 1980.<br />
"Fields" 1969 (Uni 73050) [unipak]
MIKE FIEMS (AZ)<br />
"Fields" is kind of an oddity; especially for a<br />
record label that's best known for a more poporiented<br />
catalog. The album's overall feel is very<br />
blues-rockish. A number of reviews we've seen draw<br />
comparisons to Cream. In this case the comparison<br />
isn't bad, with tracks such as the leadoff rocker<br />
'Elysian Fields', 'Take You Home' and 'Jump On It'<br />
baring more than a passing resemblance to Clapton and<br />
company. Exemplified by tracks such as 'Bide My<br />
Time', the performances are quite raw. Personal<br />
favorite - the bizarre, sidelong 'Love Is the Word'.<br />
With backing from Motown singer Brenda Holloway, the<br />
song offers up a weird blend of rock, psych and soul<br />
influences. Stretched out over nearly 20 minutes, it<br />
has to be heard to be believed. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
Decent hard rock effort by a band with a Cream<br />
fixation (but thankfully no drum solos). Lots of lead<br />
guitar on the normal length songs on side one. Side<br />
two is one 20-minute song that has a lot of creative<br />
ideas and builds in intensity. It's much better than<br />
most side-long songs of the era and is an actual<br />
composition, not just an excuse for jamming. Overall,<br />
a good but not great album that is interesting enough<br />
to be recommended to fans of the style. [AM]<br />
"I Would Dream" 1974 (Vermillion V-1974W)<br />
Little-known singer/songwriter produced by Ray Vernon<br />
for his label. Fiems collaborated with Vernon on<br />
another production around the same time.<br />
15:60:75 a k a NUMBERS BAND (Kent, OH)<br />
"Jimmy Bell's Still In Town" 1976 (Water Brothers no #)<br />
"Jimmy Bell's Still In Town" 2005 (CD Hearpen Records 112)<br />
This is a cool, unique record. The standard Grateful<br />
Dead-meets-Velvet-Underground description isn't<br />
accurate at all, if you ask me. These guys peppered<br />
their soulful rock with jazzy jamming and a streetpoet<br />
style of vocalizing to create a distinctive<br />
sound. Lots of saxophones, but plenty of guitar too.<br />
The long songs are well-thought out and the live<br />
recording is very crisp and clear. They project<br />
coolness throughout. They're legends in Cleveland and<br />
some think they were one of the best live bands ever.<br />
It's likely that this live LP is better than anything<br />
they could have done in the studio, and later records<br />
don't come close to it. Other LPs include "2" from<br />
1982 and "Among The Wandering" from 1987, both on the<br />
Water Brothers label. They also recorded a cassetteonly<br />
live show, "Blues" (1991, Reedurban). [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Amazing droning urban 1970s guitar/sax underground<br />
rock outside of any known genre, with the tightest<br />
groove section since Bubble Puppy. A melting pot of<br />
inner city sounds grabbing you by the throat and<br />
shaking you down until you've forked over the $$$<br />
needed to keep the Numbers Band party going with<br />
cocaine, women and Sly Stone records all night. Blows
FIFTH FLIGHT ( )<br />
95% of all "psychedelic" LPs off the map. [PL]<br />
"Into Smoke Tree Village" 1970 (Century 39398)<br />
Unexceptional lounge rock covers with fuzz and organ,<br />
including heavy version of Neil Young's "Sugar<br />
Mountain". Beautiful generic mill wheel cover.<br />
V.A "FIFTH PIPE DREAM" (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Fifth Pipe Dream" 1968 (SF Sound 11680) [1st issue with b/w<br />
cover; gatefold; sticker inserts]<br />
"Fifth Pipe Dream" 1968 (SF Sound 11680) [2nd issue with color<br />
cover; gatefold; sticker inserts]<br />
"Fifth Pipe Dream" 198 (SF Sound) [bootleg; color cover; no<br />
gatefold]<br />
While many obscure San Francisco LPs are<br />
disappointing, here's one that delivers in full.<br />
Tripsichord and It's A Beautiful Day turn in some of<br />
their best tracks ever and the obscurer acts are<br />
great too, particularly Indian Puddin & Pipe who<br />
contribute heavily to the aura surrounding this comp<br />
with "Hashish" and "Water or Wine" (both comp'd).<br />
Black Swan are also featured. This was an attempt<br />
from notorious scoundrel Matthew Katz to cash in on<br />
the S F scene and as far as music goes, he succeeded.<br />
Produced by Rusty Evans of The Deep under his real<br />
name. Most tracks were recorded in 1967. The band<br />
logo stickers are quite rare and may have been promo<br />
only. [PL]<br />
FIFTY FOOT HOSE (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Cauldron" 1967 (Limelight 86062) [lyric inner sleeve; ylp<br />
exists]<br />
"Cauldron" 1995 (CD Weasel Disc) [+3 tracks]<br />
"Cauldron" 1996 (CD Big Beat wikd-158) [+bonus tracks]<br />
An old cutout bin staple and underrated for many<br />
years, has been revaluated and is now seen as a<br />
pinnacle for the true acid sound. Fillmore-style<br />
guitar jams mix with garage electronics and strong<br />
songwriting to create a truly unique and essential<br />
experience. The epic "Fantasies" is as good an<br />
approximation of an LSD trip as you'll ever find. I<br />
rate this among my personal top 20 60s major label<br />
LPs. Something of a mystery group as they didn't play<br />
live much, even in their native San Francisco. An<br />
original UK pressing on Mercury exists. Opinions on
their early 45 and unreleased pre-"Cauldron" material<br />
(issued as "Ingredients", Del-Val 1997) differ,<br />
personally I found it a bit too arty and<br />
unpsychedelic. There is also a "Live and unreleased"<br />
CD on the Jaspac label featuring 1995 recordings.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Fantastic electronic album that really pulls out all<br />
the stops. It’s experimental, but not at the expense<br />
of great songs. The obvious comparison is the United<br />
States of America, and this album is better in some<br />
ways, weaker in others. Most notably, the United<br />
States of America succeeded in integrating their<br />
sound effects, synthesizer noise and other<br />
electronics directly into their compositions in<br />
logical ways, while here much of the noise and<br />
electronics sounds random. They’re still fun and<br />
exciting, but don’t have the same power as the more<br />
carefully thought out U.S.A. arrangements. The result<br />
is that the best songs here don’t match the best of<br />
U.S.A. On the other hand, unlike that album’s three<br />
or four weak songs, there aren’t any duds here. Nancy<br />
Blossom isn’t half the singer Dorothy Moskowitz is,<br />
but she also takes more risks, with the eerie, freaky<br />
title track being a wholly successful example. The CD<br />
adds the earlier “Bad Trip” single, which has to be<br />
the most abrasive and free-from song to have been<br />
recorded in 1966. It’s not exactly “good,” and is<br />
more enjoyable when heard separately from the album<br />
as a whole, but it shows this ahead-of-their-time<br />
band’s willingness to try just about anything without<br />
letting “good taste” get in the way. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Leland<br />
FILET OF SOUL (Thorp, WI)<br />
"Freedom" 1970 (Moniquid 4857)<br />
"Freedom" was different from a lot of era albums in<br />
that it showcased a largely original set of material.<br />
Largely penned by member Mike Peace, the album<br />
showcased an interesting mix of blue-eyed soul<br />
("Treat Her Right"), top-40 pop ("Here's Where I Get<br />
Off") and tougher rock material ("Come To Me"). As<br />
lead singer Peace had a great voice that was more<br />
than capable of handling the band's diverse<br />
repertoire. It was all performed with the kind of<br />
naive enthusiasm that more than compensated for<br />
whatever performance short comings the band had and<br />
for the somewhat low-fi sound and production.<br />
Interestingly virtually every one of the twelve songs<br />
had commercial potential, but these guys were at<br />
their best when playing straight ahead rock - the<br />
wah-wah guitar propelled title track, "Big City USA",<br />
the fuzz-driven "Standin At the Wrong Machine" and<br />
the raging garage screamer "Steppin Into You Fire".<br />
There was also a nice cover of the Zombies' "Tell Her<br />
No". Certainly not the most original album you've<br />
ever heard, but thoroughly charming and one that I<br />
continually spin. The b & w cover is due to a color<br />
sleeve being beyond the band's means, after<br />
purchasing the rights to the album from Chess, who<br />
chose not to release it. [SB]
FINCHLEY BOYS (Champaign, IL)<br />
"Everlasting Tributes" 1972 (Golden Throat 200-19) [1000p;<br />
some copies w/ sticker]<br />
"Everlasting Tributes" 1983 (Golden Throat)<br />
"Practice Sessions" 1984 (Eva ev-102, France) [altered sleeve;<br />
bonus tracks]<br />
"Everlasting Tributes" 1993 (CD Eva b-28, France) [+3 tracks]<br />
"Everlasting Tributes" 2004 (CD World Psychedelia, Korea)<br />
PETE FINE (NY/AZ)<br />
Wasted bluesy album that has its moments, especially<br />
“It All Ends.” This is best when they veer from their<br />
bluesy base, but overall it’s a pretty solid heavy<br />
rock album. The material was recorded in 1968-69 but<br />
not released until 1972. Contrary to popular belief,<br />
there was no 'indistinguishable repress' by the band<br />
in the 1980s. The numerous copies that turned up then<br />
was due to someone connected to the band buying the<br />
remaining 500 copies that were held by the<br />
manufacturer. All these copies are originals, with or<br />
without the sticker. The 1983 reissue has a '1983'<br />
copyright on the label and a slightly thinner sleeve.<br />
The Eva CD reissue stupidly changes the running order<br />
and inserts mostly mediocre bonus tracks in between<br />
the songs from the album proper. If you listen to it<br />
in this context, you’ll really underestimate the<br />
quality of the original LP. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Don Thompson<br />
"On a Day of Crystalline Thought" 1974 (no label 4374) [100p;<br />
insert]<br />
"On a Day of Crystalline Thought" 2001 (Shadoks, Germany)<br />
[insert; 450#d]<br />
"On a Day of Crystalline Thought" 200 (CD Shadoks, Germany)<br />
Post-Flow fullblown acid orchestrations, closest<br />
thing to a hippie symphony you can find. Covers a<br />
track from the Flow LP though you'll hardly recognize<br />
it in this context. Don't know how he could afford it<br />
all, and stranger still it actually works - the total<br />
effect is like walking around in a summery national<br />
park on acid. Only LP in this direction I've heard,<br />
interesting and worthwhile. The reissue has somewhat<br />
inferior sound to the original. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Massive production full of strings and classical<br />
themes. Must have cost a fortune for a record Fine<br />
knew would never make him back his investment. If<br />
you’re in the right mood it sounds like a<br />
masterpiece, but really it’s overblown and tries way<br />
too hard. Clearly Fine is a unique voice with a lot<br />
of ideas, though this album feels kind of like the<br />
Damin Eih album, in that it’s too personal and quirky<br />
for more than a few bits and pieces to work unless<br />
you’re on Fine’s wavelength. A couple of songs from<br />
the Flow’s album are re-done here in a completely<br />
unrecognizeable form. [AM]<br />
"Northstar" 2004 (Shadoks, Germany)
Previously unreleased 1976 recordings with female<br />
vocals, reportedly not very exciting.<br />
FINGLETOAD, STRANGE & SIHO (IL)<br />
"Fingletoad & Strange" 1969 (IRC acetate) [plain white sleeve;<br />
inserts and photos]<br />
Recently discovered acetate from Chicago area guys<br />
which lead to the find of the great "Mazzola" LP<br />
detailed below. This first album is enjoyable with a<br />
demo-like feel; most tracks are in an introspective<br />
rural folkrock style, reminiscent both of westcoast<br />
and British bands of the era. Use of flute and a<br />
loose, moody vibe recalls Traffic, while other parts<br />
show a Flying Burrito Bros embryonic countryrock<br />
influence. Extended last track on side 1 is great<br />
while the rest is either listenable or good. Reissued<br />
as disc 2 of "Mazzola" on Shadoks, below. [PL]<br />
"Mazzola" 1970 (Zut 1147) [plain cover with band photo<br />
attached]<br />
"Mazzola" 2004 (Shadoks 055, Germany) [2LPs; 350#d; lyric<br />
insert]<br />
Unlike the debut album this was properly released<br />
although in such a limited pressing that it was<br />
unknown to exist until recently. The moody<br />
westcoast/early rural rock moves from the 1969 effort<br />
are explored further and given a full "rock" sound on<br />
this superior album. New band member "Siho"<br />
contributes some of the best tracks, like the<br />
brilliant opener "Marshland". The influence from<br />
"Everybody Knows"-era Neil Young is obvious and like<br />
similar albums (Shadrack Chameleon springs to mind)<br />
the derivation is successful. Recorded more or less<br />
live in the studio the sound is appealingly warm and<br />
organic, with talent on display across the board. The<br />
band temporarily breaks out of the rural CA mood on<br />
"Screaming Spiders" which has some remarkable acid<br />
guitarwork. Not all tracks are equally great although<br />
the band shows a lot of class in letting the three<br />
(by my count) killers run on, while some less<br />
remarkable countryrockers are kept short and sweet.<br />
All over one of Shadoks' best reissue picks by my<br />
ears, not a killer all through but with moments of<br />
outstanding greatness and a whole that works fine.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
The 2004 re-release of this previously unknown album<br />
was met with hype that's impossible to live up to.<br />
But if you don't expect it to be one of the top few<br />
psych albums ever, you're sure to find it worthwhile.<br />
They have a very interesting mix of influences, with<br />
a Beatlesque bit here (especially the McCartney-style<br />
bass playing), a CSN-style harmony there, some San<br />
Francisco style guitar here and some jazz there. Most<br />
of this is mellow and languid, with "Marshland" being<br />
particularly beautiful and dreamy. One pure country<br />
song falls a bit flat, but otherwise it's all very<br />
good or better. The absolute highlight is "Screaming<br />
Spiders," with stunning walls of feedback-heavy<br />
guitar. The songwriting has depth and this album gets<br />
better with multiple listens. The cheap production<br />
will appeal to some of you, but I think it detracts
from the quality of the music. [AM]<br />
FIRE & ICE, LTD (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"The Happening" 1966 (Capitol t-2577) [mono]<br />
"The Happening" 1966 (Capitol st-2577) [stereo]<br />
FIRE & SNOW ( )<br />
All bases covered on this early psych & soul<br />
exploitation. This band included noted musician John<br />
Greek, known for "City Jungle" by the Beautiful Daze<br />
as well as session work that included Lollipop<br />
Shoppe, the Seeds' "Wind blows your hair", the "LSD"<br />
album on Capitol, a classic garage 45 by the Puddin'<br />
Heads, and more.<br />
"Reflections of a New World Order" 1969 (Baha'I Publishing<br />
Trust CBF 2009)<br />
FIREBIRDS ( )<br />
Not exactly Jesus music since it was recorded by the<br />
Baha'i Publishing Trust, but in terms of concepts and<br />
enthusiasm for the cause it actually fits in the same<br />
category. A compilation featuring 16 tracks with<br />
material from eight artists. Most of the performers<br />
are allotted two songs, though Phil Lucas is credited<br />
with four selections. The material is largely<br />
acoustic folk with religious oriented themes running<br />
through it, though such themes are more apparent in<br />
some selections than others. I'm assuming all of the<br />
performers were/are members of the Baha'i faith. Most<br />
of the tracks are at least mildly entertaining in a<br />
weird, dated kind of way. Probably because they<br />
reflect an Eastern influence, tracks like<br />
'Baha'u'llah' and 'Baha'u'llah, The Nightingale' are<br />
the most interesting efforts (Mighty Baby fans might<br />
find those tracks worth hearing). To my ears the<br />
standout track is Chris Ruhe's 'Blues for Jere'. A<br />
rather personal narrative of his trek to preach the<br />
Baha'i faith in Honduras, it's funny and touching at<br />
the same time. Best voice probably goes to Joany<br />
Lincoln, though her crystal clear voice is wasted on<br />
two rather bland tracks. [SB]<br />
"Light My Fire" 1968 (Crown cst 589)<br />
"Light My Fire" 2002 (CD Radioactive 003, UK)<br />
This is as cool as exploito gets. Other than the<br />
opening instrumental version of the title song, it's<br />
pure grungy hard rock with heavy guitar, spastic<br />
drums and pained vocals. It's one of the best heavy<br />
albums of the 60s and sounds like nothing else. That<br />
is, it sounds like nothing else except the 31 Flavors<br />
album, since that's the same band from the same<br />
recording sessions (and actually includes two songs<br />
that are mistakenly listed on this album's front<br />
cover.) Great album cover, too. A 4-track format<br />
version on Flair exists with no band name credited<br />
and additional tracks, presumably the 31 Flavors
FIRE ESCAPE (CA)<br />
material. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Underground Electrics<br />
"Psychotic Reaction" 1967 (GNP Crescendo 2034) [mono]<br />
"Psychotic Reaction" 1967 (GNP Crescendo 2034) [stereo; wlp<br />
exists]<br />
"Psychotic Reaction" 198 (GNP Crescendo 2034) [reissue;<br />
orange label]<br />
"Psychotic Reaction / Raw & Alive" 1991 (CD Demon, UK) [2-on-<br />
1]<br />
Some great snotty fuzz exploito. Cover says group is<br />
from San Francisco area but this is a Hollywood<br />
studio project with arrangements credited to Michael<br />
Lloyd. Half cover tunes including two Seeds tracks,<br />
one Music Machine and one Count V. Thee Midniters<br />
cover "Love Special Delivery" is pretty cool.<br />
Produced by Hank Levine. A Canadian pressing exists.<br />
[RM]<br />
FIRST CHIPS (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Clay Pidgeon vol 1" 1972 (Clay Pidgeon SFCV1)<br />
"Clay Pidgeon vol 1" 199 (Clay Pidgeon) [bootleg]<br />
Raunchy guitar rock wasted jamming. Not really a<br />
group but a collection of Vyto Baleska's recordings<br />
made at Clay Pigeon Sound Unlimited and at Crown<br />
Studios. One track dates back to 1964. Vyto produced<br />
and is backed by a variety of musicians on these<br />
tracks. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Vyto B<br />
FIRST FRIDAY (Notre Dame school, South Bend, IN)<br />
"First Friday" 1970 (Webster's Last Word S 2895) [500p]<br />
FIRST LITE (NJ)<br />
Recorded September 1969 at Golden Voice in Illinois<br />
and released by Chuck Perrin's local Indiana label,<br />
this was the work of Notre Dame's other recording act<br />
(apart from the Shaggs), and is a mix of heavy blues<br />
rock and rural folk.<br />
"A New College Experience" 1982 (Nexusonics)<br />
Strange LP with eclectic mix of electronics, straight<br />
singer/songwriter, jazzy instros and one track with a<br />
psychedelic feeling. Titles include "The wabe",<br />
"Galaxy", "The beckoning". Odd, non-descript color<br />
cover photo looks like someone cut a postcard in half<br />
and blew it up in size. An album for the bold and the<br />
bored.
FIRST REVELATION (Long Island, NY)<br />
"Gospel" 1972 (Revelation dl-4045)<br />
Credited to Danny & Lynda, this is a X-ian rock<br />
husband and wife team with drummer John Hauser (Blue<br />
Ridge). Half the LP is relatively normal soft rock<br />
praise and hymn material but on the remainder Danny<br />
goes into freakout distorted rubber band wah-wah<br />
riffs that are bizarre and heavy. The hard-rocking<br />
numbers include "Show Me One Place", "Keeper Of My<br />
Soul" and "Sing It Out". [RM]<br />
"This Side of Eternity" 1973 (Revelation d-5051) [first<br />
version]<br />
"This Side of Eternity" 1973 (Revelation d-5051) [second<br />
version; different recordings]<br />
What’s cool about the Danny & Lynda/First Revelation<br />
albums is that Danny is a hot guitarist in about ten<br />
different styles, with or without distortion and<br />
effects, slow, fast, country, 1950s style rock<br />
ballads, hard rock, bluegrass, you name it. He’s just<br />
fantastic, and he’s equally adept at the banjo. Lynda<br />
has one of the stronger voices in the genre—capable<br />
of real power. Unfortunately, like a lot of Christian<br />
singers she’s very precise and not very passionate.<br />
The few times she almost busts loose it’s obvious she<br />
could have been really great, as cool as Danny, if<br />
she lost a few inhibitions. This album offers a<br />
little of everything, for better or worse. (I could<br />
have done without “Jesus Loves Me,” for example.) “As<br />
Long As you Listen,” among others, rocks convincingly<br />
and the guitar gets pretty far out. An unexpected<br />
highlight is the world’s only banjo/moog duet, an<br />
instrumental version of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,”<br />
of all things. My kids, 1 and 5 when they heard it,<br />
danced like crazy to the song and asked me to play it<br />
again. Not the most consistent album in the world,<br />
but that’s part of its charm. It’s worth it for the<br />
good parts, and there’s nothing else really like<br />
Danny & Lynda. The re-recorded second version with<br />
new drummer Bob Argirio is superior. The copies from<br />
the band find were this version. [AM]<br />
"Upon This Rock" 1975 (Revelation d-6736)<br />
Danny and Lynda are back and a bit more convential
(read: solemn) but there are still some fine moments<br />
of Danny's flash guitar and Lynda's moog on "Upon<br />
This Rock", which has a more pastoral edge.<br />
"First Revelation Of Danny And Lynda" 1999 (World In Sound<br />
rfr-001, Europe) [500#d]<br />
A useful sampler of material from their career,<br />
focusing on the harder guitar stuff. Hidden Vision<br />
has released a CD featuring two live recordings from<br />
1975 ("Alive in New York", 2005).<br />
FIRST VIBRATION see Do It Now Foundation<br />
ERNIE FISCHBACH & CHARLES EWING see A Cid Symphony<br />
DAVID FISHEL (PA)<br />
"Food For Thought" 1976 (Kats Eye CS 8106)<br />
KEVIN FISHER (CA)<br />
Eccentric lost folk.<br />
"First of Fisher" 1977 (P. Pan p-101) [75p]<br />
-- issued in a black and white silkscreened cover with blank<br />
back. The band members' autographs are around the border.<br />
JEF FISK (MI)<br />
Clearly a home grown vanity project. Technically the<br />
album has a fairly primitive sound, but in musical<br />
terms it's all over the spectrum. The acoustic ballad<br />
"Lullabye" has a heavy classical feel (Pentangle came<br />
to mind the first time we heard it), while "Flying"<br />
sports a 1950s' vocal group feel and the hornpropelled<br />
"Pirate's Song" recalls a post-David<br />
Clayton Thomas Blood, Sweat & Tears. The second side<br />
sports some mundane progressive moves in the form of<br />
"Indian Dance" and "In Search". Again it's fairly<br />
raw, but not without it's low-keyed charms, including<br />
the pretty ballad "A House for Wendy". [SB]<br />
"It's All Rootbeer" 1974 (Bird Productions BP-61851)<br />
Rare loner folk LP from Michigan. It has some great<br />
humorous songs with titles such as "Travellin'<br />
Pancakes", "Peanutbutter Buddy", "Blue Jean Day" and<br />
"Lawnmower Boy", with gruff vocals and great offbeat<br />
lyrics to match. Fisk also had a rare duo LP with one<br />
Tom Shader which was a numbered pressing of 100<br />
copies. This solo LP isn't numbered, but one can<br />
figure it to be about as rare. Comes in great<br />
homemade looking cover with great handmade drawings<br />
of Fisk and a very crude label logo. [MA]
ED FISSINGER (MN)<br />
"Light Years Away" 1978 (no label)<br />
"Lunar Blues" 1983 (no label)<br />
"Lunar Blues" is loner folkrock with flute and 12string.<br />
Some downer fuzz psych moves as well. Sounds<br />
ten years earlier. These albums were recorded with<br />
local musicians including ex-Podipto members.<br />
Fissinger has released a CD sampler of tracks from<br />
the two albums, titled "Fishbowl", as well as a selftitled<br />
CD of recent recordings. [RM]<br />
FIVE EMPREES (Benton Harbor, MI)<br />
"Five Emprees" 1965 (Freeport 3001) [mono and stereo exist]<br />
"Little Miss Sad" 1966 (Freeport 4001) [mono and stereo<br />
exist]<br />
"Little Miss Sad" 2004 (CD Arf Arf) [+bonus tracks]<br />
FIVE KINETICS ( )<br />
Clearly recorded in a rush, this album offered up a<br />
mixture of popular pop and soul hits, including a<br />
cover of Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions' "Mama<br />
Didn't Know". While there wasn't anything<br />
particularly original to be found here the<br />
performances were surprisingly engaging and<br />
enthusiastic. Don Cook had a surprisingly versatile<br />
voice that was capable of handling the band's diverse<br />
repetoire. Moreover, in spite of their youth and<br />
clean cut all-American looks, on tracks such as<br />
"Georgianna" and "Johnny B. Goode" the band played<br />
with an enjoyable garage edge. As is frequently the<br />
case, the best track here was the lone original,<br />
"Why". There were also a couple of non-LP 45s on<br />
Freeport and Smash. "Little Miss Sad" is a repackage<br />
of the debut LP to exploit their near hit. [SB]<br />
"The Snow Children" 1967 (RPC 81262)<br />
Garage covers, nothing special for the most part<br />
excepting a 3.5-minute cover of "You're Gonna Miss<br />
Me" with a jawdropping manic distortion solo for<br />
about a minute and a half! The band may have been<br />
from Michigan. [RM]<br />
FLAMIN' GROOVIES (San Francisco, CA)<br />
“Sneakers” 1968 (Snazz r-2371) [10"]
"Sneakers" 1975 (Skydog mlpfgg-003, France) [10"]<br />
"Sneakers" 199 (Munster, Spain) [10"; poster; 3 handbills]<br />
"Supersneakers" 199 (CD Sundazed sc-6077) [+10 tracks]<br />
Notable for being the first really well-known selfreleased<br />
album, this 10-incher is also the Groovies<br />
album most likely to appeal to psych fans, with<br />
plenty of fuzz guitar. They’d get better, but this is<br />
still an enjoyable artifact with a few really good<br />
songs. Later Groovies albums are outside of the scope<br />
of this book. "Supersneakers" is a reissue of<br />
"Sneakers" plus ten live tracks from 1968 at the<br />
Matrix in San Francisco. [AM]<br />
FLAT EARTH SOCIETY (Lynn, MA)<br />
"Waleeco" 1968 (Fleetwood 3027)<br />
"Waleeco" 1983 (Psycho 17, UK)<br />
"Waleeco / Space Kids" 1993 (CD Arf Arf 042) [2-on-1]<br />
Well-known local moody teen psych LP, originally sold<br />
as a marketing device for candy bars! There's three<br />
tracks with an outstanding flowing melodic westcoast<br />
feel and acid guitar runs, also some downer<br />
introspections, and a few longer instrumental<br />
passages which show obvious ambitions. The only nonoriginal<br />
is a unique deconstruction of "Midnight<br />
Hour". "Portrait of grey" goes on a couple of minutes<br />
too long, while "Satori" is an unexpectedly<br />
atmospheric "peak time" instro with sitars and<br />
backwards masking. Way cool transition item from the<br />
MA prep/garage scene into the Freeborne/Ill Wind<br />
Bosstown psych era, better than most. Stellar sleeve<br />
too. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This album is most remembered for being sold as a<br />
candy bar wrapper offer. It’s hard to imagine what a<br />
ten-year old candy-holic would have thought of this,<br />
because while it has a pop sense, some of it is<br />
pretty freaky. A couple of instrumentals are<br />
particularly far out, though the rest of the album<br />
shows that they could write and perform tight songs<br />
too. A good album, one of the better Bosstown<br />
artifacts. "Space Kids" on the Arf Arf CD is 'a space<br />
opera' by another Boston area band, The Lost. [AM]<br />
FLOATING BRIDGE (Seattle, WA)<br />
"Floating Bridge" 1969 (Vault vs-124)<br />
This hard rock album has a few really killer tunes<br />
mixed in with pedestrian heavy blues and two long<br />
instrumentals (both are covers of well-known 60s<br />
songs, where the chord progressions are used as a<br />
basis for jamming. Different idea, but the jams are<br />
only OK). Overall it's a really patchy album but is<br />
recommended to hard rock fans for the good songs. The<br />
UK version apparently has two songs that are not on<br />
the US version and vice versa. The Japanese press has<br />
the same songs as the US press and is on blood-red<br />
vinyl. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
A standard mix of originals and popular covers, but
FLOOD (NY)<br />
FLOSS ( )<br />
FLOW (NY)<br />
the results sported a distinctively heavy, Hendrixinspired<br />
sound. Propelled by Gossan's likeable voice<br />
and Dangel and Johansen's twin leads extended guitar<br />
rave-ups like "Crackpot" and their Byrds/Stones<br />
instrumental medley should strike a chord with the<br />
two hard rock fans out there reading this. Elsewhere<br />
another "Hey Jude" cover wouldn't have sounded like<br />
the year's most imaginative move, but these guys<br />
managed to pull it off. Envision the song redone as<br />
an instrumental with a heavy edge that would have<br />
sounded good on an early Allman Brothers album... In<br />
fact the only real disappointment is the routine<br />
bluesy closer "Gonna' Lay Down 'n Die". Much better<br />
than the standard references would have you think,<br />
and surprisingly hard to find in decent shape. [SB]<br />
"The Rise Of Flood" 1972 (Maple m-6005)<br />
"The Rise Of Flood" 1995 (no label, UK) [altered sleeve;<br />
300#d]<br />
Came with the typical dealer hype when reissued but<br />
is a disappointment along the lines of Farm above.<br />
Local mid-70s sort of barrock/basement AOR vibes with<br />
(God forbid) honkie funk moves. Pretty stiff and flat<br />
soundscape a la the first Agape as well - only<br />
redeeming factor is a passable consistency. Don't<br />
waste your money on this one. [PL]<br />
"Cruisin'" 1976 (Silver Crest Custom) [100p]<br />
New York area high school basement covers. Garagy<br />
guitar primitive versions of songs by Bob Dylan,<br />
Rolling Stones, Beatles etc. Lo-fi recording.<br />
Described as dull and inept by some. The small press<br />
size has been reported by the band.<br />
"Greatest Hits" 1972 (no label) [1-sided version]<br />
"Greatest Hits" 1972 (no label) [2-sided version]<br />
"Greatest Hits" 199 (no label, Europe) [bootleg; 1-sided<br />
version]<br />
"Greatest Hits" 199 (Shadoks, Germany) [2-sided; poster;<br />
bonus 45; 450#d]<br />
"Greatest Hits" 2003 (CD Shadoks 050, Germany) [+3 tracks]<br />
Interesting, unusual LP that stands as a missing link<br />
between the late 60s hard psych era and the mid-1970s<br />
"first wave" Eastcoast punk bands like Television.<br />
Plenty of intense inner city vibes which make the<br />
occasional acid hippie digressions seem out of<br />
context. Loud, in yer face soundscape is great, and
FLUID OUNCES (GA)<br />
the playing packs a lot of punch -- just dig that<br />
bass player. Some or all of it recorded live in the<br />
studio, it seems. With a bit more consistency on side<br />
2 this would have been a major classic. As few as 100<br />
copies may have been pressed of the original. Shadoks<br />
re has a bonus 45 which is pretty disappointing. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Fool your friends by playing them this album and Pete<br />
Fine’s solo album and telling them it’s the same<br />
artist... they’ll never believe you. This album is<br />
heavy, full of chunky guitars. It has some powerful<br />
moments and an appealing rough sound. A few much<br />
quieter, more delicate songs manage to somehow fit in<br />
just fine. Like Fine’s solo album, it’s been a bit<br />
overhyped by collectors, but it’s definitely worth<br />
hearing. All original copies that came in plain<br />
covers read "1-sided" on the back, even though some<br />
discs have music on both sides. Some copies were<br />
issued with the paste-on 'amp' cover. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Pete Fine<br />
"Picked Green" 1972 (Atteiram)<br />
FLY BY NIGHT ( )<br />
Obscure private press from local band with soul and<br />
rock covers. Some dealers have tried to hype it with<br />
little success.<br />
"Zoo Road" 1980 (Maniac) [lyrics insert]<br />
Hardrock/AOR.<br />
FLYING DOGS OF JUPITER (NJ)<br />
"American Dream" 1975 (Jovian jr-1213-sd)<br />
FLYWHEEL ( )<br />
Grateful Dead sound rural rock.<br />
"Flywheel" 1977 (Central Sound) [500p]<br />
Really bad AOR/prog with horribly dumb love songs and<br />
a wimpy vibe. Dealers try really hard to sell this<br />
one, because it is rare, but don't trust anyone who<br />
calls it "hard rock," "psychedelic" or anything<br />
resembling competent. [AM]
FOLEY AND KAVANAUGH (AZ)<br />
"Ways to Get Through" 1973 (Merlin mk-37-167) [2LPs;<br />
gatefold]<br />
2 LP set of the never-ending kind; songs upon songs<br />
with the same "sincere" 60s folk vibe, half-assed<br />
songwriting and light guitar arrangements. What makes<br />
it hard to swallow are the vocals, of which one is<br />
unexceptional and the other a poor man's Art<br />
Garfunkel that becomes pretty unbearable and only<br />
occasionally matches the lyrical content. There is a<br />
distinct lack of connection between the lyrical<br />
topics, the accompanying melodies, and the<br />
presentation that gives the whole thing a phony feel,<br />
sometimes with an unintentional comic effect as on<br />
the grade A turkey "Peas, carrots and cabbages". With<br />
80+ minutes of playtime there will of course be some<br />
good tracks, although wading through 4 sides of bad<br />
Simon & Garfunkel to get there is hardly worth the<br />
effort. Apparently a Christian outfit, although I<br />
didn't catch much of it, except in a slight<br />
liturgical feel. This is the kind of album that gives<br />
hippiefolk a bad name. [PL]<br />
FOLKLORDS (Toronto, Canada)<br />
"Release the Sunshine" 1969 (Allied 11)<br />
"Release the Sunshine" 2000 (Void 14)<br />
"Release the Sunshine" 2003 (CD Folklords) [+2 tracks]<br />
"Release the Sunshine" 2005 (CD Pacemaker 047)<br />
Disappointing hippie folk LP with a garage sound a la<br />
Gandalf the Grey and the presence of an autoharp the<br />
redeeming factors. Opens OK with Donovan and Brazda<br />
Bros moves but becomes progressively predictable and<br />
uninspired until it's pretty unbearable towards the<br />
end. Bad, deadpan male vocals, sloppy drumming and<br />
clichéd songwriting all help define mediocrity. Not<br />
many people seem to like this. Nice cover though.<br />
There was also a non-LP 45, "Forty Second River" on<br />
the C.O.B (!) label. [PL]<br />
FOLKSWINGERS (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Raga Rock" 1966 (World Pacific wp-1846) [mono]<br />
"Raga Rock" 1966 (World Pacific wp-1846) [stereo]<br />
This is an early exploitation cash-in, instrumental<br />
versions of hits of the day, all performed with<br />
Indian instrumentation in a rock context. Many of<br />
them (i.e. “Norwegian Wood,” “Paint It Black,” “Eight<br />
Miles High”) had sitars, tablas and/or Easternsounding<br />
melodies in their original versions, so the<br />
choice of songs is pretty logical. This isn’t exactly<br />
“authentic,” and in a few cases there are very few<br />
Indian instruments at all, but rather fuzz guitars<br />
that have a sitar-like sound. One original is tacked<br />
on to the end of the album. This is reasonably well<br />
done, and if the description appeals to you, you’ll<br />
find it a fun record. The "band" had more LPs. [AM]
FOLLIE'S BAZAAR (RI)<br />
"Follie's Bazaar" 1977 (no label 4257)<br />
First LP from RIU college project is a mixed bag with<br />
hippie-folk, boogie and bluegrass. The cover shows a<br />
drawing of a castle. Some of these guys were formerly<br />
with Right Of Little Rest and there's also a<br />
connection to Closely Watched Trains.<br />
"Follie's Bazaar" 1978 (no label 45284)<br />
This appears to be untitled, like the debut, but has<br />
different contents and comes in a cover that shows a<br />
photo of a VW bus. This is progressive folkrock with<br />
some jazzy horn moves. There is at least one more LP,<br />
"No 10" from 1980.<br />
FOLLY'S POOL (Fresno, CA)<br />
"Folly's Pool" 1977 (Century 44675)<br />
This is an unusual album, kind of to prog what The<br />
Third Estate is to psych, with the same combination<br />
of acoustic guitars and wide-open low-budget<br />
production sound. It’s highly ambitious despite<br />
obvious recording limitations. It’s also extremely<br />
varied, going from California-style 70s rural rock to<br />
long folk songs with jig beats to flute-heavy prog<br />
epics. The creative approach to an otherwise<br />
mainstream style is intriguing, though the sound is<br />
really smooth, with harmonies that occasionally make<br />
me long for the good taste, restraint and passion of<br />
the Eagles and Seals & Croft. The sharp acoustic<br />
guitar sound doesn’t exactly mix well with the<br />
showoffy electric leads either. There seems to be a<br />
good deal of talent here to go along with the<br />
creative ideas, but ultimately it sounds like the<br />
slickest possible major label recording (but without<br />
a major label budget.) I find much of it irritating,<br />
but I think that if the basic sound of it doesn’t<br />
turn you off, with deep listens you’ll find a lot<br />
more to like here than I do. In fact, this is the<br />
kind of unique record that may become an absolute<br />
favorite to the right person. The way they turn “Jig<br />
in A” from an old fashioned folk tune into a prog<br />
epic and back is unlike anything else I’ve heard.<br />
Also noteable: the last song is based around the<br />
interesting lyric “we’re waiting on a mountain to<br />
die.” [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
These guys tried hard to eat their cake and have it<br />
too, as they mix Eagles-style 1970s westcoast with<br />
musically advanced UK guitar-prog and hope that<br />
noone's going to complain. Few people probably will,<br />
as they do both styles in a surprisingly adept way<br />
for a vanity label band, with nice country-flavored<br />
melodies and strong vocal harmonies on the LA cowboy<br />
stuff, and adventurous and technically impressive<br />
guitar arrangements on the prog moves. Possibly<br />
originating from Jethro Tull, the end result recalls<br />
another Tull-influenced band, Denmark's great<br />
Culpeper's Orchard, although Folly's Pool don't quite
each that level of consistency and inspiration.<br />
Third Estate is another possible reference, although<br />
the dreamy psych x-factor magic of that LP isn't<br />
really to be found here. Still, I enjoy this LP quite<br />
a bit, and as a merger of two seemingly opposite<br />
musical styles it's a rare experience. [PL]<br />
FOLLOWERS OF THE WAY (MA)<br />
"Followers Of The Way" 1973 (Sadbird SLP-2513)<br />
Christian folkies, originally from MA but later based<br />
in Des Moines, IA. This first LP is basically<br />
straightforward Catholic folk/singer-songwriter with<br />
a sincere 60s folkboom vibe and Joan Baez school<br />
high-pitched female vocals, sometimes mixed with a<br />
male singer. Instrumentation includes piano, acoustic<br />
guitar tapestries, and a fullblown church organ<br />
instrumental. May appeal to some, but too Sunday<br />
School squeaky clean for me. "Community Lives"<br />
reflects a 1970s missionary zeal, "The humble way"<br />
has a nice psychy Simon & Garfunkel feel, while<br />
"Creator Blues" is not very successful. [PL]<br />
"Blessed Weakness" 1975 (NFCLC)<br />
The second LP from the sextet is more ambitious.<br />
Female vocals with acoustic and 12-string guitar,<br />
flute, recorder, piano, and hand percussion. Band<br />
originals all through. Recorded in St Louis.<br />
ROBERT LESTER FOLSOM (GA)<br />
"Music And Dreams" 1976 (Abacus)<br />
FOOD (Chicago, IL)<br />
Obscure album in a mid-70s pop/singer-songwriter<br />
direction with full band and some psych seasoning.<br />
"Forever is a Dream" 1969 (Capitol st-304) [green label]<br />
"Forever is a Dream" 2000 (CD Ascension, Australia)<br />
"Forever is a Dream" 2003 (Breeder, Austria)<br />
"Forever is a Dream" 2005 (Capitol/Scorpio)<br />
Overlooked and fairly impressive major label studiopsych<br />
LP in the Sgt Pepper tradition, comparable to J<br />
K & Co, the psych angles of Rainy Daze, and the 2nd<br />
Mandrake Memorial. Some ripping fuzz reveals the<br />
release date as 1969 rather than 1967. One of several<br />
good Capitol psych LPs, although a little too<br />
zeitgeist derivative for my ears. Vocalist Steve<br />
White later did an obscure Christian 45 as Vision.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Mysterious, wondrous masterpiece that most collectors<br />
dismiss as the little brother to the other Capitol<br />
monsters (Gandalf and Common People) when it’s<br />
actually the best of the three. Intensely emotional<br />
and dramatic; these guys had a vision and multiple
FOOTCH KAPOOT ( )<br />
listens begin to reveal its depth. String-laden<br />
ballads hold hands with fleeting blasts of power<br />
chords. Bits and pieces that seem to have no purpose<br />
blend together to create a surprisingly coherent<br />
whole. It’s hard to know if they even intended this<br />
to be a “concept album,” but it’s definitely a case<br />
of the whole being more then the sum of the pieces,<br />
good as the pieces are. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
"Good Clean Fun" 1978 (Cornball nr-9348)<br />
"Good Clean Fun" 2005 (CD Radioactive 111, UK)<br />
Ridiculously hyped dull rock with some progressive<br />
leanings. Nashville label. [RM]<br />
FORD THEATRE (Milford, MA)<br />
"Trilogy For The Masses" 1968 (ABC s-658) [gatefold]<br />
"Trilogy For The Masses" 200 (CD Black Rose 173, Germany)<br />
Trippy guitar and organ on this debut LP which is<br />
pretty solid and has seen some interest. The followup<br />
"Time Changes" (1969, ABC s-681) is common and rather<br />
weak. [RM]<br />
LOUISE FORESTIER (Quebec, Canada)<br />
"L.F." 1969 (Canadian Gamma 121)<br />
FORMULA ( )<br />
Forestier followed up her work on the<br />
Charlebois/Forestier album with this solo album,<br />
which is even wilder (and, due to the topless<br />
picture of her in the cover collage, just as<br />
controversial.) The first song sounds like Edith<br />
Piaf, but is instantly wiped out by a wash of<br />
backwards instruments, heavy fuzz guitar, frantic<br />
bass and squawking organ. She sounds like she can’t<br />
keep up with the instruments and the effect is wild,<br />
indeed. She does seem more comfortable afterwards,<br />
as the songs mellow a bit to jazzy pop/rock and<br />
spooky ballads. This album is definitely wilder in a<br />
rock sense than the Charlebois album. The sense of<br />
“anything goes” is appealing, though this album<br />
doesn’t quite have the same creativity or<br />
consistency as that superior work. Forestier’s<br />
tendency to get overdramatic makes it seem that no<br />
matter how much she wants to experiment she’ll never<br />
be 100% suited to a rock setting. Still, it’s<br />
recommended, and doesn’t sound like any other US or<br />
Canadian psych-era album. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Robert Charlebois
"Formula" 197 (no label) [blank back cover]<br />
Very obscure early 1970s westcoast style rock with<br />
covers of Neil Young, Traffic etc; the highlight has<br />
been reported as the band original, "Berkeley Woman".<br />
Band member David Riordan released a major label LP<br />
in 1973.<br />
FORT MUDGE MEMORIAL DUMP (Boston, MA)<br />
"Fort Mudge Memorial Dump" 1970 (Mercury 61256) [wlp exists]<br />
Johnny-come-lately Airplane epigon with an impressive<br />
full & tight sound and versatile musicians enjoying<br />
the freer reins of 1970 while performing 1967-type<br />
material. Vocalist chick very much in a Grace mode<br />
sets things rolling nicely but is inexplicably<br />
scuffed aside by less impressive tunes & male singers<br />
as the LP progresses. Still enjoyable with good<br />
guitar and a real band presence like most MA hippie<br />
outfits; Ill Wind's promising kid brother perhaps.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
So-so Bosstown album that suffers from a lot of<br />
clichés of the genre, including a drum solo, boring<br />
bluesy numbers and the world’s most pretentious and<br />
annoying male vocalist. The female vocalist is good,<br />
though, and a few of the songs she sings are pretty<br />
strong. Too bad there aren’t enough of them to make<br />
up for the dreck that surrounds them. Not at all<br />
original; this album lends credence to the “Bosstown<br />
just wants to be San Francisco but can’t hold a<br />
candle to it” theory. [AM]<br />
FORTUNE TELLER (Baltimore, MD)<br />
"Inner-City Scream" 1978 (R.M.T. Studios 4956)<br />
Raw 70s garage rock with a rough urban edge as hinted<br />
by the title; obvious influence from late 60s Stones<br />
but with the macho posturing replaced by a bleak blue<br />
collar outlook that gives it a realistic presence,<br />
not unlike the rootsier tracks on Rayne. Minimalist<br />
and concise, devoid of any hippie dreams, very<br />
appealing in its honesty. Imagine the guys in Clap<br />
after a week of hard factory shifts, or Boa's older<br />
Viet Vet brothers. Killer 60s garage-psych moves on<br />
"Looking Glass World" is a highpoint with fuzz-lead<br />
and bass runs straight out of "Psychedelic Disaster<br />
Whirl"; a couple of tracks show a more sensitive<br />
melodic side that works well too. A mysterious "1968"<br />
date on the sleeve and label had people thinking the<br />
LP was from the late 60s, an indication of its<br />
timeless nature. May appeal to fans of 70s punk/DIY.<br />
Originals all through I think. Judging from this and<br />
the George Brigman LP, Baltimore was a pretty heavy<br />
place in the late 1970s. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This album exists in a time warp. It’s from the midst<br />
of the first punk era, but sounds genuinely 60s<br />
garage the way no neo-garage band ever did. The fuzz<br />
guitars are everpresent, and the songs are pure<br />
garage pop and garage rock, rocking hard without ever
sounding remotely “hard rock.” The sound is as cheap<br />
as can be, which only accentuates the coolness of the<br />
fuzz. Despite some awkward singing, there are a lot<br />
of catchy melodies here, and I can imagine that<br />
Baltimorians who discovered “Nuggets” in the late 70s<br />
went nuts over this band. A few songs flirt with<br />
rural rock, but basically it’s teen-sounding angst,<br />
just as cool as their punk peers. [AM]<br />
49TH PARALLEL (Calgary, Canada)<br />
"49th Parallel" 1969 (Venture 7001)<br />
"49th Parallel" 1969 (Maverick MAS 7001, US)<br />
"49th Parallel" 199 (no label, Italy)<br />
"49th Parallel" 1997 (CD Flashback, UK) [album + bonus tracks]<br />
"49th Parallel" 2005 (CD Pacemaker 019) [album + 9 bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
FORUM (WA)<br />
The mix of 60s pop sounds and garagy rock works well<br />
here, and there are surprising production fillips<br />
(i.e. the acoustic guitar licks on the opening “Now<br />
That I’m A Man.”) A few songs flirt with soul with<br />
reasonable success, while others have some noisy fuzz<br />
guitar. I think this is much better and more<br />
ambitious than a lot of US Monkees-style pop albums<br />
(i.e. Lewis & Clarke Expedition), but it’s probably<br />
not unusual enough to explain the hefty price tag.<br />
The Canadian and US pressings seem to be about<br />
equally rare. The Pacemaker CD includes some<br />
excellent non-LP tracks as bonus. [AM]<br />
"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Our Tree" 1971 (Vanco)<br />
Early 70s organ fuzz barband AOR jams with covers of<br />
"Southern Man", "Evil ways" etc. Same label as Easy<br />
Chair.<br />
FOUL DOGS (Concord, NH)<br />
"No 1" 1966 (Rhythm Sound ga-481)<br />
"No 1" 1985 (Resurrection CX 1296)<br />
One of those rare New England prep-rock (St Paul's<br />
School) LPs, this has a great sleeve but musically<br />
little to distinguish it. Punkier than the Half Tribe<br />
or the Ha'Pennys, more professional than Rasputin &<br />
the Monks (then again, what isn't?), closest relative<br />
is probably the Other Half from CT. Several Stones<br />
covers as always, with goofy "manly" Eric Burdon<br />
vocals plus two good originals. Will satisfy those<br />
familiar with the style, others should proceed with<br />
caution. [PL]
FOUR OF US (CO)<br />
"Illusions Of Hope" 1972 (RPC AZ 66401)<br />
4TH CEKCION (TX)<br />
Live recording of vocal harmony folk-group, in the<br />
same generic sleeve as the second Fenner, Leland &<br />
O'Brien.<br />
"4th Cekcion" 1970 (Solar 110)<br />
Loungy barband rock in a cool, primitive cover.<br />
4TH MOVEMENT (Burlington, VT)<br />
"4th Movement" 1980 (Tryangle)<br />
"Totally" 1982 (Tryangle 10018)<br />
Christian black power trio, with throwback to bluesy<br />
funky Hendrix - Funkadelic style riffs. Has been<br />
hyped but none too impressive to these ears.<br />
FOWLE, FOSTER & BRIGGS (MI)<br />
"Across the Horizon" 1981 (Michigan Nickel Company)<br />
Mix of southern rock and progressive sound with good<br />
guitar. Same generic cover as the rare Asylum LP.<br />
JOHN FOWLER & HARPOON (CA)<br />
"Live" 1980 (Lightworks 0002) [10"]<br />
Heavy Christian bluesy rock featuring dual leads and<br />
harmonica.<br />
FOXX (Granite Falls, NC)<br />
“Sirens Serenade” 1979 (World Records) [inserts]<br />
Hardrock. Reportedly only about 100 copies pressed.<br />
FRACTION (Los Angeles, CA)
"Moonblood" 1971 (Angelus 5005) [die-cut plastic window cover;<br />
inner sleeve; 2 inserts; 1000p]<br />
"Moonblood" 1987 (no label, Austria) [385p; altered sleeve]<br />
"Moonblood" 1993 (CD Flashback, Italy)<br />
"Moonblood" 1995 (Angelus) [window cover]<br />
"Moonblood" 1995 (Cryptrock) [window cover; 500p]<br />
"Moonblood" 199 (CD, Italy)<br />
"Moonblood" 200 (CD Rockaway 01231) [+3 tracks]<br />
"Moonblood" 2004 (CD Radioactive 054, UK)<br />
"Moonblood" 2004 (Radioactive 054, UK)<br />
The underground heavy psych monster to conquer them<br />
all! A bunch of Christians on an Old Testament style<br />
crusade armed with long intense tracks, dual fuzz/wah<br />
wah guitars and the grungiest vocalist imaginable.<br />
There is a strong late-period Doors influence that<br />
extends to direct quotes from "L'America", yet the<br />
emotional charge and completely different band<br />
setting turns this into an advantage, somehow. The<br />
holy song trinity that make up tracks 2, 3 & 4 is<br />
among the most powerful music ever laid down. Many<br />
rate this as the best local LP anywhere, though as<br />
originals currently sell for $2500 you might wanna<br />
try a reissue. Various bullshit figures on the<br />
miniscule press size are in circulation, but the<br />
guitarist has reported 1000 copies being made. The CD<br />
bonus tracks are only OK -- in order to realize just<br />
how great the album is, you shouldn't play those<br />
along with the album proper. The Rockaway CD is the<br />
only legit reissue, and it should be pointed out that<br />
none of the reissues capture the sound of the<br />
original, which is a hi-fi recording with much<br />
presence and clarity. The mid-90s vinyl bootlegs on<br />
'Angelus' and Cryptrock reproduce the expensive "LA<br />
Woman"-style gimmick window cover, and may be worth<br />
searching out. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
I would be very hard pressed to name a better private<br />
psychedelic LP than "Moonblood". Like the CA Quintet<br />
album this is that very rare thing, a concept album<br />
that works. Where the CA Quintet floods our minds<br />
with images of the various hells we create on earth,<br />
Fraction seize on the heaven we fail to create. I<br />
always feel my spine tingle when listening to this<br />
album, it never fails to astonish me. The vocalist<br />
Jim Beach sounds like he is undergoing agonized<br />
conflicts of faith, a righteous man, growling,<br />
snarling and finally screaming at a world where<br />
seekers after truth are downtrodden. The guitars are<br />
so overloaded with effects that they sound like a<br />
storm raging on the surface of another world. The<br />
drums have fantastic range, at times very delicate,<br />
at other times, pounding with raw energy. Every band<br />
member gives it all they have and all the songs were<br />
recorded as ‘one takes’. This really works as they<br />
sound very fresh and alive, like the band is playing<br />
right next to you. There is nothing righteous or<br />
preachy on the LP. You can feel the inner turmoil
oiling over. The themes are broadly Christian, but<br />
with a very strong pagan element incorporated. The<br />
Son will come to birth and free Mother Earth. I find<br />
the lyrics deeply moving, spiritually uplifting and<br />
filled with apocalyptic vision: “Come out of her/<br />
Come out of her/Embrace the Sons quiet warmth ever<br />
upward”. On the final track ‘This Bird (Sky High)’<br />
Jim Beach is screaming the lyrics: “No clown on the<br />
ground/Tries to put me down/Since I found the Lord”<br />
Without the lyric sheet you could only guess at what<br />
he is saying, which only added to the mystery. ‘Eye<br />
of the Hurricane’ is amazing. Mind-bending lyrics<br />
spat and shouted over a haze of fuzz and wah-wah, it<br />
builds and builds to an impossible intensity, you<br />
wonder where else the vocal chords can go, the<br />
fingers of the guitar players must have been wrecked.<br />
The hazy image of the band on the front of the 1986<br />
Austrian boot (which was the first reissue) showed a<br />
band that looked beyond cool, crazy shaggy burns,<br />
shades and leathers. They stare down at you like some<br />
crazed pack of angry bikers about to ink over your<br />
tattooes. “Extend your thumbs and burn the darkness<br />
out of her” -- indeed, Brother, indeed. [RI]<br />
FRAGILE (Camden, NJ)<br />
"This Side Up" 1968 (Rubia't) [stamped front cover]<br />
Folk from the local Dulcimer Coffeehouse.<br />
FRAMEWORK (San Diego, CA)<br />
"Skeleton" 2000 (Rockadelic 32) [2LPs; inserts]<br />
"Skeleton" 200 (CD) [2CDs]<br />
Glossy 2LP set uncovering the story and 1968-69<br />
studio/live recordings of an obscure San Diego<br />
outfit. Touted as "the second Brain Police" by<br />
hopeful dealers, the connection between the bands was<br />
marginal and this won't gain as many fans, I think.<br />
The informative but longwinded liner notes refer to<br />
the band as a power trio and Hendrixy, but in<br />
actuality this is a pretty low-key, latenight bluesy<br />
club affair for most part. Some tracks have an Ant<br />
Trip Ceremony ambience, others are a bit like the<br />
Metromedia Christopher - you get the idea. Despite<br />
the generous space given the total impression is<br />
"ambition but no direction" for me. Their rare 45 is<br />
included and one of the highlights. The packaging is<br />
unusual and appealing but maybe this one should have<br />
remained a standard format single LP. [PL]<br />
FRANCISCO (Santa Barbara, CA)<br />
"Cosmic Beam Experience" 1976 (Cosmic Beam Records CBE-001)<br />
[1000p]<br />
"Cosmic Beam Experience" 2005 (CD Radioactive 112, UK)<br />
Based on the title and cover art, I was expecting to<br />
hear a collection of instantly forgettable new age<br />
dribble. Well, I was only partially correct. The
TERRY FRANK (WI)<br />
album starts out with a killer piece of pop - with<br />
it's catchy chorus and uplifting lyrics 'Heal<br />
Yourself' would have made a dandy top-40 single. The<br />
flip side opener 'Love Sweet Love' is almost as good.<br />
Spread across two extended sections (at least part of<br />
it recorded in L.A.'s St. Paul's cathedral), the<br />
title track is much more in keeping with my original<br />
expectations. Musically the mix of sound effects<br />
(waves, rain, thunder), electronics, acoustic sounds<br />
and choral segments is mildly entertaining. Imagine a<br />
mix between 1990s industrial noise and a band of<br />
stoned hippies deciding to take a tape recorder along<br />
as they enjoy a day at the beach and you'll get a<br />
feel for how weird it is. I'll at least admit that I<br />
like it more than say, Atlantis Philharmonic. By the<br />
same token you're not going to get up an' dance your<br />
ass off to any of this. The album also attracted some<br />
attention when composer Hans Zimmer sampled some of<br />
it for his work on the soundtrack to Terrence<br />
Mallick's film "The Thin Red Line". [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
If someone had played this for me unseen, I would<br />
have guessed on a late 1980s release date. It opens<br />
with a strong, conventional rock song which is a dead<br />
ringer for the tribal "world-beat" sound that Peter<br />
Gabriel and others popularized in the 80s. The rest<br />
of the LP is electronica and ambient, mostly spooky<br />
and cerebral stuff without the lame new age angles.<br />
Parts sound like the "Apocalypse Now" soundtrack, but<br />
mostly I'm reminded of the more serious 1990s ambient<br />
artists, like David Toop. This music is currently out<br />
of fashion, and it's too bad Francisco missed the<br />
boat back around 1990, because I believe he really<br />
could have seen a bit of retro-rediscovery buzz at<br />
the time. [PL]<br />
"Loaded To Fire" 1981 (no label)<br />
"Loaded To Fire" 2005 (CD Synton, Austria)<br />
1970s style heavy guitar LP.<br />
ALAN FRANKLIN EXPLOSION (Orlando, FL)<br />
"Climax" 197 (Horne)<br />
"Blues Climax" 1970 (Horne 888)<br />
"Blues Climax" 1983 (Psycho 18, UK)<br />
The wellknown Horne 888 LP is a bluesy garage clubsound<br />
blowout with desperate vocals and a sidelong<br />
jammer. Despite the early reissue it's hardly the<br />
stuff collector dreams are made of, but a nice local<br />
basement testament anyway. A cool primitive sleeve<br />
adds some points. "Climax" may be a demo press<br />
variation of "Blues Climax", and comes housed in a<br />
black cover bearing only the LP title on the front.<br />
It reportedly contains alternate, even rawer versions<br />
of tracks also on "Blues Climax". An acetate has also<br />
been found, having some overlap with the Horne 888<br />
LP, and may simply be the "Climax" demo in yet<br />
another format.
"Alan Roy Franklin" 197 (Underground OVL 88-2) [no sleeve]<br />
This obscure, sleeveless LP released under the name<br />
Alan Roy Franklin has been described as a whacked out<br />
heavy guitar effort with "boogie" moves. The label<br />
notes a pressing defect on one side, which apparently<br />
makes Franklin's vocals sound even weirder. There is<br />
also a 1979 LP on Aladdin ("Come home baby"),<br />
credited to Alan Franklin, which is more refined<br />
electric blues rock housed in an ugly sleeve, and not<br />
very interesting. None of Franklin's LPs feature a<br />
real band, it's just him plus local session<br />
musicians. [PL]<br />
FRANKLIN & HAYES ( )<br />
"Autumn To May" 1969 (no label)<br />
Mixed vocals loner folk/folkrock obscurity, rated<br />
highly by some, others are less impressed. Some Peter<br />
Paul & Mary numbers, Simon & Garfunkel, etc.<br />
FRASER & DEBOLT (Canada)<br />
"Fraser & Debolt With Ian Guenther" 1970 (Columbia C 30381)<br />
This remarkable album has left an imprint on many.<br />
It's hard to find another record that is so<br />
unanimously treasured by the rare people who have<br />
heard it, and has had such a huge influence on so<br />
many while being heard by so few. The reason is the<br />
same reason the record sold squat: it's full of<br />
gorgeous ragged edges and inspired imperfections.<br />
It's human and heartfelt with no pretense or gloss.<br />
We're talking out-of-tune violin licks, intentionally<br />
dissonant chord progressions, backing vocals that are<br />
out of time and out of sync, and a general loose<br />
feeling in which every experiment seems to have been<br />
dreamt up on the spur of the moment (though it's more<br />
likely that they picked and chose wisely after years<br />
of trial and error.) On all but one song (which adds<br />
sax and piano) the musical backing is merely two<br />
acoustic guitars and violin, often arranged with a<br />
punk-like simplicity. Yet every song sounds full and<br />
rich, each is different from the others, and the<br />
unique approach to dual vocals fills the songs with<br />
left turns, sublime beauty, and moments that will<br />
make the most jaded listener smile. It's been called<br />
"art-folk," which is as good a description as any.<br />
It's also rock and roll without electricity or drums,<br />
and acid folk without any of the daze or confusion.<br />
More than anything else, this is a style of singing<br />
that usually drives me nuts, a type of instrumental<br />
arrangement that usually leaves me wanting, and the<br />
type of duo for which I usually wish one or the other<br />
would just shut up and let the other sing, yet it's<br />
done so well that none of those thoughts ever cross
my mind. Brilliant. A US pressing also exists. Their<br />
second LP, "With Pleasure" (Columbia, 1973) is<br />
inferior. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
V.A "FREAKOUT USA" (CA)<br />
"Freakout USA" 1967 (Sidewalk t-5901)<br />
Good comp with various LA styles from fuzz punk to<br />
jangly folkrock. Bands include Aftermath, Mom's Boys,<br />
Hands Of Time, Glass Family (with great fuzz-punker<br />
"I'm losing it") and others. [RM]<br />
FREAK SCENE (New York City, NY)<br />
"Psychedelic Psoul" 1967 (Columbia cl-2656) [mono]<br />
"Psychedelic Psoul" 1967 (Columbia cs-9456) [stereo]<br />
"Psychedelic Psoul" 1996 (Head 2896, Germany)<br />
"Hard Rock From the Middle East / Psychedelic Psoul" 199 (CD<br />
Collectables) [2-on-1]<br />
"Psychedelic Psoul" 200 (CD Headlite, Germany)<br />
"Psychedelic Psoul" 2005 (Columbia)<br />
Rusty Evans' second classic after the Deep LP and<br />
pretty similar in style; industry-approved<br />
acidpunk/acidpsych with sound effects and weird<br />
lyrics. Adds a student counterculture dimension for<br />
further cheesiness and illumination. Underrated for<br />
long, but most people I know enjoy this LP quite a<br />
bit. My take is that almost all tracks have good<br />
basic ideas but often aren't adequately developed,<br />
and that some tunes go on too long. Nevertheless I<br />
prefer this over a whole bunch of turgid late 1960s<br />
heavy guitar LPs that sell for three times as much<br />
money. "Serious" progressive rock fans may not enjoy.<br />
Mandatory to any 60s-oriented psych collection. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Some like this as much as the Deep's album, but I<br />
think it's much more of a mixed bag, without the<br />
pioneering spirit and inspired songwriting that makes<br />
the Deep so special. Both albums are "exploitation<br />
records," but only this one feels that way.<br />
Nonetheless, there are some cool, unique songs here<br />
and it's worth wading through the failed experiments<br />
to find them. [AM]<br />
FREAKY BILLY (Hollywood, CA)<br />
"Loose" 1969 (Nocturne nrs-906)<br />
This is obviously the work of studio hacks, as there<br />
are no musician credits. It’s pretty tame by biker<br />
standards, moderate blues rock with some soul moves.<br />
The lead guitarist, who makes liberal use of wah-wah<br />
and other effects (but no fuzz), is quite good. He’s<br />
the best thing about the album. The songs on side two<br />
are a bit more interesting than the fifteen minute<br />
“motorcycle cantata” that comprises side one, but all<br />
of it ends up being pretty forgettable. The album
FRED (PA)<br />
cover (especially the collage on the back) is cool,<br />
though. Released as by Freaky Billy, The Wheelie<br />
King. [AM]<br />
"Fred" 2001 (World In Sound 007, Germany)<br />
"Fred" 2002 (CD World In Sound 1003, Germany)<br />
Unreleased early 1970s recordings from band who cut a<br />
cool psych 45, "A love song". The LP has been<br />
reported as being mainly in a progressive style.<br />
There are two more retrospective releases, "Notes On<br />
A Picnic" (CD World In Sound 1016) and "Live At The<br />
Bitter End, 1974" (CD World In Sound 1020).<br />
FREDRIC (Grand Rapids, MI)<br />
"Phases & Faces" 1968 (Forte 80461)<br />
"Phases & Faces" 1993 (Medium) [bootleg; 1 track omitted]<br />
"Phases & Faces" 1996 (CD Arf Arf 061) [+5 tracks]<br />
"Phases & Faces" 200 (Medium, Germany) [laminated sleeve]<br />
Top notch pop album from the future David Geddes.<br />
This is a truly solid record, full of interesting and<br />
well-conceived songs, a nice mix of styles, and a few<br />
production moments that place it firmly into the<br />
psychedelic era. That may just be a product of its<br />
time (the liner notes to the CD confirm that the song<br />
"Old Fashioned Guy" is wholly sincere), but however<br />
the influence got to them, it's welcome. Comparable<br />
to the David's album in songwriting and production<br />
quality, though the sound is quite different. The CD<br />
reissue contains good bonus material, although one<br />
bonus track listed on the sleeve is not on the actual<br />
CD. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
We've seen various reference works describe 1968's<br />
"Phases and Faces" as flowery pop, leaving the<br />
impression these guys might be little more than<br />
Association clones. Having listened to the LP a dozen<br />
times, that's not exactly an apt description. With<br />
all five members contributing material, the set's<br />
actually quite diverse, much of it exhibiting a weird<br />
pseudo-English feel. While tracks such as "The Girl I<br />
Love" and "All About Judi" are rather commercial pop,<br />
the opener "Federal Reserve Bank Blues" and "Morning<br />
Sunshine" sport distinctive psyche influences.<br />
Elsewhere, "Taggin'" and "My Yellow Tree" offered up<br />
great slice of fuzz guitar-propelled garage rock.<br />
Strong melodies, some great harmonies ("Born In<br />
Fire") and surprisingly impressive production<br />
(particularly for a small label), make for an<br />
impressive package. [SB]
FREEBORNE (Boston, MA)<br />
"Peak Impressions" 1969 (Monitor 607) [wlp exists]<br />
"Peak Impressions" 199 (CD Aftermath 014, UK)<br />
"Peak Impressions" 199 (CD Arf Arf) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"Peak Impressions" 199 (Fantasia, Europe) [altered sleeve]<br />
FREE DESIGN ( )<br />
Good subtle organ-led studio-psych with serious<br />
ambitions, similar to Mandrake Memorial's "Puzzle"<br />
but more low-key and spooky. Takes time to get into<br />
and not entirely successful, but worth checking out<br />
for any fan of classic psychedelia. An original<br />
German pressing exists. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
The most unusual of the Bosstown groups. Jazzy freeform<br />
experimentation and really far out arrangements<br />
make this album truly one of a kind. No song stays in<br />
any one direction for any length of time; they had so<br />
many ideas they didn’t seem to know how to cram them<br />
all in. Side one is fantastic from start to finish.<br />
Side two’s experiments aren’t quite as interesting,<br />
but still this is a great and unique album<br />
recommended to all. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
"There Is A Song" 1972 (Ambrotype 1016)<br />
"There Is A Song" 2005 (Lita 015, UK)<br />
"There Is A Song" 2005 (CD Lita 015, UK)<br />
NAT FREEDLAND (CA)<br />
The last Free Design album was self-produced and<br />
released on this small Rochester, NY label, and thus<br />
is significantly more valuable than the ones on<br />
Project 3. It has a similar airy soft rock sound with<br />
the usual bubbly harmonies. This contains more selfpenned<br />
material than their other, less obscure<br />
albums, which fall outside the scope of our archives.<br />
"The Occult Explosion" 1973 (United Artists) [2LPs; gatefold;<br />
booklet]<br />
Thee occult documentary! Probing dialogue about UFOs,<br />
psychic powers, witchcraft, ESP, yoga(!), Indian<br />
magic, satanism, etc. With an all-star cast including<br />
Anton La Vey, Louise Huebner, Alan Watts. Freedland<br />
published a book of the same name. UK band Black<br />
Widow provide two songs, rest is spoken word. [RM]<br />
FREEDOM EXPRESS (PA)<br />
"Brings Fresh Air" 1975 (Fresh Start RD 1)<br />
Deadish loose bluesy jams, mix of acoustic and fuzz,<br />
even some biker snarls.
FREEDOM HIGHWAY (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Made In '68" 2000 (RD Records 9, Switzerland)<br />
"Made In '68" 2000 (CD RD Records 9, Switzerland) [+3 bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
Retrospective release of Bay Area band who played the<br />
ballrooms and festivals back then but never had any<br />
records out. This material dates from a slightly<br />
later area than their best stuff, as heard on a few<br />
live tapes, and goes in a rural/roots rock direction.<br />
Beautiful packaging. [PL]<br />
FREEDOM NORTH (Canada)<br />
"Freedom North" 1970 (Aquarius 501)<br />
FREE ENTERPRIZE ( )<br />
This scarce Canadian LP is a good one in the late 60s<br />
co-ed sweepstakes. They may try to cover too much<br />
ground, mixing in some horn-heavy soft pop and<br />
country rock with a bunch of nice fuzz-guitar-laden<br />
rock songs. The album starts out wimpy, but soon<br />
enough a few songs really rock in a late garage<br />
style. The long "Lonely Man" is very strong, and "Dr.<br />
Tom" is even better, a should-have-been-hit with<br />
awesome fuzz guitar and evocative singing. (It was<br />
released as a single in the US and UK, under the<br />
band's new name "Freedom of Choice," and with a non-<br />
LP B-side. That was this band's only release outside<br />
of their native Canada.) Both the male and female<br />
vocals on the album are quite good. While a few songs<br />
end up being disappointingly out of place, even those<br />
kind of grow on you after a while, and a few have<br />
neat surprises (i.e. "Hey Carmen," which starts as<br />
pure country and ends in a wash of fuzz guitar.) All<br />
in all, pretty cool. [AM]<br />
"The Eye Of The Beholder" 197 (no label)<br />
FREE FLIGHT ( )<br />
Very obscure downer folkrock duo with introspective<br />
vibes, housed in primitive homemade cover.<br />
"Night Hawk" 1976 (Pepperhead)<br />
FREEMAN SOUND (OH)<br />
A bit seedy rural Deadish guitar rock.<br />
"Heavy Trip" 2005 (World In Sound rfr 25, Germany) [+bonus 7"]<br />
"Heavy Trip" 2005 (CD World In Sound 1028, Germany)<br />
Unreleased recordings from obscure Ohio band with<br />
1970 45 on the same label as Morly Grey. Much of this
FREEPORT (OH)<br />
is actually modern recordings, nevertheless about<br />
half of it is enjoyable sinister psychrock with a<br />
late Doors vibe.<br />
"Freeport" 1970 (Mainstream s-6130) [wlp exists]<br />
Mix of soft pop, bluesy garage psych, and heavy rock.<br />
Organ, fuzz. One of the weaker albums on the label.<br />
FREE REIGN (Louisville, KY)<br />
"Live" 1973 (Rondo 119)<br />
"Antonymous" 197 (Bridges)<br />
FREE SPIRITS ( )<br />
Southern sound rural rock/ roadhouse covers with<br />
horns like First Friday. The live LP is exceptionally<br />
rare but not anything to write home about musically.<br />
[RM]<br />
"Free Spirits" 1967 (ABC 693) [mono]<br />
"Free Spirits" 1967 (ABC s-693) [stereo]<br />
FREEWAYS ( )<br />
Larry Coryell led this group, which made jazz rock<br />
before such a thing existed. It's hardly a fusion<br />
album; it's a garagey rock album with short, tight<br />
songs that just happen to have jazzy instruments and<br />
chord progressions. It's a unique and experimental<br />
record that makes the listener wonder why the two<br />
musical styles weren't combined in such a fashion<br />
again. In a way, it's an oddity, but in another way<br />
it's as groundbreaking as the Deep's album. The<br />
recording was apparently rushed and sloppy, and the<br />
songwriting is up and down, so the album is by no<br />
means a masterpiece, but it is an interesting and<br />
enjoyable listen with some excellent moments.<br />
Coryell's LPs on Vanguard and Flying Dutchman are<br />
also of interest to guitar-rock fans. [AM]<br />
"Last Roundup" 1965 (private)<br />
FREE WILL ( )<br />
Prep rock with horns.<br />
"Free Will" 1977 (Guiness gns-36041)<br />
This is one of the most interesting albums on<br />
Guinness. It's not great all the way through, but the<br />
good stuff on it is probably the best music to be
eleased on the label. Side one comprises an intense<br />
Yardbirds cover, some really hot boogie rock and a<br />
few jazzy pop/rock songs that sound like what the<br />
Zombies may have been in the 70s if they added a sax<br />
player and great lead guitarist. Best of all is the<br />
first song on side two, "Are You Gone?," 7:39 of<br />
heavy riff rock, jam packed with fantastic lead<br />
guitar patterns and powerful drumming. So far, a<br />
truly great album. Too bad the next song is a ten<br />
minute Chuck Berry medley. It's unusual, to be sure,<br />
and something of a tour de force, as they turn his<br />
songs into just about every rock genre you can<br />
imagine, but it's basically a novelty that becomes<br />
annoying with multiple listens. The album ends with a<br />
sax-heavy jazz instrumental that's almost as<br />
unexpected as the disco song on the T. Kail album.<br />
There really isn't anything you can compare this<br />
weird album to. As good as it is, it sounds like an<br />
unfinished rough mix. It occasionally seems like they<br />
hadn't finished all of the overdubbing, and here and<br />
there certain instruments are mixed too loud or too<br />
soft. Unlike a lot of Guinness records, the back<br />
cover does list full band credits. [AM]<br />
FREEZE BAND (Phoenix, AZ)<br />
"Freeze Band" 1978 (no label)<br />
Eclectic dual guitar progressive jammers running the<br />
gamut from rural, to Southern, to jazz and funk. THe<br />
band also had a track on the local "Arizona Dream"<br />
compilation.<br />
FREIGHT TRAIN (Philadelphia, PA)<br />
"Just the Beginning" 1971 (Fly by Nite fbn-1001)<br />
FRENCH LICK (CA)<br />
Heavy blues rockers doing classic blues covers<br />
similar to Chicken Shack. Songs by Jimmy Reed, T-Bone<br />
Walker, Sonny Boy Williamson (II), Willie Dixon. [RM]<br />
"Glider" 1976 (Fric Frac) [blank back; insert]<br />
"Glider" is a smorgasbord of 70s prog and AOR<br />
clichés, but they're assembled in a rather likeable<br />
way, as is the case with, say, Oz Knozz, though this<br />
isn't nearly as heavy. There are plenty of synths<br />
here, high male vocals, tempo shifts, and funky<br />
rhythms. Each side ends with a lengthy three-part<br />
suite. There's also an acoustic ballad, some obvious<br />
Yes influences, and a ridiculous synth instrumental<br />
that brings to mind 70s moog novelties like<br />
"Popcorn." All of it is very well-played and sung;<br />
they have a good youthful spirit and enough ideas for<br />
two albums. Not all of the experiments work, and the<br />
instrumental suite on side one falls a little flat,<br />
but if you’re inclined to like this kind of album<br />
it’s recommended. I don’t expect it to convert<br />
skeptics, though. Pick hit: “Talk About Love,” which
has backwards drum bits and a haunting hook/melody<br />
line. Some copies of this album came with the cover<br />
already pasted on while others came in a white sleeve<br />
with front and back cover both included as inserts.<br />
[AM]<br />
FRESH AIR (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"A Breath Of" 1970 (Amaret st-5005)<br />
"A Breath Of" 2004 (CD Radioactive 076, UK)<br />
Obscure band on MGM subsidiary caught in transition<br />
from west coast psych to west coast rock with<br />
keyboard/guitar mix. Not rated that highly but I<br />
think it's pretty solid, with 2-3 great psychy tracks<br />
and a "heavy" cover of "For What It's Worth". Should<br />
appeal to fans of the '69-70 style of Sugar Creek or<br />
Wizards From Kansas. Pro-sounding affair with nice<br />
use of organ throughout. The band was originally<br />
called California Grassfield and competed locally in<br />
Ventura County with psych legends Children Of the<br />
Mushroom. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Standard semi-heavy rock with prominent organ, a<br />
soulful singer, and a pretty mainstream sound. If<br />
this album wasn’t so rare, no one would notice it.<br />
It’s not bad for what it is, but not particularly<br />
distinctive either. The LP was also released in<br />
Australia. [AM]<br />
FRESH BLUEBERRY PANCAKE (Pittsburgh, PA)<br />
"Heavy" 1970 (no label, no #) [no sleeve; stickers; 50p]<br />
"Heavy" 2001 (Shadoks 022, Germany) [new sleeve; 450#d]<br />
"Heavy" 200 (CD Shadoks, Germany)<br />
Local hardrock/guitar-psych jammer in the typical<br />
post-acid OH/PA bag, with a bluesy feel and a few<br />
lyrical jazzy elements. The sound is echoey and<br />
somewhat chaotic a la Brigade minus the organ. Should<br />
appeal to genre fans, although the vibrato vocalist<br />
may be a turnoff for some. Even after several plays<br />
the album sounds rather flat to me with no obvious<br />
depth or personality, but it's consistent and has a<br />
raw feel. The opening "Hassles" gives a good taste of<br />
the entire LP, and is probably the best thing on it<br />
if you want a sample. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Bluesy heavy psych rock. Mix of ferocious fuzz<br />
sustain and ringing, flowing leads. Incredible<br />
quavering vocals like Perry Farrell. World weary<br />
songs, a couple jazzy psych tracks, and a xian<br />
element sneaks in. The monstrous "Hassles" brings to<br />
mind Phantasia's "Transparent Face"! [RM]<br />
FRIAR TUCK & HIS PSYCHEDELIC GUITAR (CA)<br />
"Friar Tuck and his Psychedelic Guitar" 1967 (Mercury mg-<br />
21111) [mono]<br />
"Friar Tuck and his Psychedelic Guitar" 1967 (Mercury mg-<br />
61111) [stereo]
Studio psych exploito with half covers, featuring<br />
Mike Deasy and Ben Benay, produced by Curt Boettcher.<br />
Highly rated by genre fans. According to some there's<br />
actually some overlap in the music tracks with the<br />
Goldenrod LP. [RM]<br />
V.A "FRIDAY AT THE CAGE A-GO-GO" (Detroit, MI)<br />
"Friday At The Cage-A-Go-Go" 1965 (Westchester 1005)<br />
"Friday At The Cage-A-Go-Go" 1988 (Hide The Sausage) [new<br />
sleeve]<br />
A rare local LP that was first issued as above, but<br />
as the Cage-A-Go-Go went out of business the<br />
remaining copies were retitled "Long Hot Summer". One<br />
of the better local comps, this has some cool<br />
R'n'B/dance covers by the Lourds and the Individuals<br />
as well as four great folkrock originals by the<br />
Fugitives and the Oxford Five. Enjoyable stuff,<br />
despite a new cheesy psych sleeve the reissue is<br />
worth checking out. Very short playtime, though. Some<br />
tracks have been comp'd. [PL]<br />
RUTHANN FRIEDMAN ( )<br />
"Constant Companion" 1969 (Reprise rs-6363) [wlp exists]<br />
FRIENDS ( )<br />
Superb moody femme folk psych with fragile singing<br />
and delicate acoustic guitar playing. stark and deep<br />
meditations on lost love, topsy-turvy moons, ringing<br />
bells. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
Loner folk album with just voice and acoustic guitar<br />
throughout. She's got an unusual vision and writes<br />
some strong songs here, but it's hard to listen to<br />
this without wishing some of the songs had more<br />
elaborate arrangements. Worth it for fans of the<br />
genre, especially since there are so few women who<br />
made albums like this. Friedmann also did the music<br />
for a biker movie called "The Peacekillers". [AM]<br />
"Time For a Crossing" 1977 (R.P.C.) [insert]<br />
Basement folk on vanity label.<br />
FRIENDSOUND (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Joyride" 1969 (RCA LSP-4114)<br />
"Joyride" 200 (Joyride 01-1, Europe)<br />
"Joyride" 200 (RCA)<br />
Anyone expecting to hear something in the Paul Revere
or Brotherhood vein is going to be in for one major<br />
shock! Self-produced, 1969's Friendsound makes<br />
absolutely no attempt to go down the commercial road<br />
and to our ears may deserve to be noted as one of the<br />
first real "jam" albums. It's also one of those rare<br />
instances where the liner notes are dead-on: "We<br />
rounded up all our musician friends in the area and<br />
headed for a recording studio to have a musical freefor-all."<br />
That pretty much says it all. Exemplified<br />
by material such as the title track and "Childhood's<br />
End", the six extended numbers were largely<br />
instrumental in nature. Credited as group<br />
compositions, songs such as "Childsong" and "Empire<br />
of Light" are full of studio experimentation,<br />
including backward tapes, sound effects and acidinfluenced<br />
ramblings. Some of it's mildly<br />
interesting; some of it simply a bunch of guys too<br />
stoned for their own good. Luckily Raiders members<br />
Levin, Smith and Volk were too grounded in top-40 pop<br />
to totally abandon such concepts as rhythm and<br />
melody, but it's pretty clear late night parting<br />
imbued them with a lot more freedom and creative<br />
latitude than your typical Paul Revere & the Raiders<br />
session. Not for the faint of heart, or top-40<br />
junkies, but worth checking out for the more<br />
adventuresome of you out there. This band featured<br />
one Ron Collins, reportedly of Beat Of The Earth, on<br />
organ. The LP is sometimes listed with band name and<br />
LP title reversed. British and Australian pressings<br />
exist. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Cosmic Travellers<br />
JOHNNY FRIGO QUARTET (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Afro-American Jazz Dance" 196 (Orion lp-115)<br />
The one to have by this group. Black group bohemian<br />
jazz meets rock with long tracks and no horns. Loads<br />
of fuzz and wah wah churning over the bongos, bass,<br />
and drums underbelly though you'd never know it from<br />
the world music looking cover. [RM]<br />
FROGGIE BEAVER (Omaha, NE)<br />
"From the Pond" 1972 (Froggie Beaver dsi-7301)<br />
"From the Pond" 1999 (CD Gear Fab gf-132) [+5 tracks]<br />
"From the Pond" 2000 (Akarma, Italy) [+bonus 45]<br />
These guys have a keyboard/guitar sound as shimmering<br />
and peaceful as the pond on the album cover. There<br />
isn’t a lot of variety here, but the sound is very<br />
appealing, the vocals are solid, and the mood set by<br />
the album is strong. A grower. The nine-minute “Away<br />
From Home,” with some great melodic lead guitar, is<br />
particularly good. Most reviews call this a prog<br />
album, but it’s farther from Yes and ELP than it is<br />
from, say, a less experimental version of Spirit.<br />
[AM]<br />
FROGS (Valley Stream, NY)
"For Everybody" 1976 (Lily Pad lp-68) [insert]<br />
Self-produced and released on their own Lily Pad<br />
imprint, "Frogs for Everybody" was a rather low-keyed<br />
and surprisingly charming set. To be perfectly honest<br />
anyone expecting to hear Mr. Flood, Part 2 was<br />
probably disappointed by the collection. On the other<br />
hand, almost all of the dozen songs were quite<br />
tuneful and commercial, though widely diverse in<br />
musical styles. With Toscano responsible for most of<br />
the material, the opener 'For Everybody' offered up a<br />
nifty slice of folk-rock. 'Drivin' On' mixed a rock<br />
base with some great jazzy leads from Prezioso. '<br />
Floatin'' and 'Crashin'' were pretty if unoriginal<br />
acoustic ballads. Personal favorites included the<br />
goofy 'Been So Long' and the bar rocker 'Shakey Dave<br />
McCoy'. My only real complaints are the absence of<br />
one true killer track and the fact that my copy of<br />
the album has a somewhat flat, thin and tinny sound.<br />
[SB]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Mr Flood's Party<br />
FROLK HAVEN (Berkeley, CA)<br />
"At The Apex Of High" 1972 (LRS 6032) [blank back; two<br />
inserts; circa 500p]<br />
"At The Apex Of High" 1995 (LRS) [bootleg]<br />
I've seen some inaccurate descriptions of this<br />
("Yahowa-style psych" etc) but it is art school<br />
experimental music with atonalities, free-form<br />
rhythms, and more. Parts are too much like amateur<br />
avant jazz, others are inspired and trancey; could be<br />
compared to the most farout aspects of the first<br />
Velvet U or vintage Krautrock. Mostly instrumental<br />
with some bent vocals. From Berkeley, where the<br />
freaks are in majority. Note: this is not psych, much<br />
of it isn't even rock. Features Stuart Copeland,<br />
later of the very un-psychedelic and non-freaky<br />
Police. Some copies had one of the inserts pasted to<br />
the back cover. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
One has to assume the reason this 1972 set continues<br />
to attract attention has to do with the fact the line<br />
up included a young, pre-Police Stuart Copeland, or a<br />
lot of folks just enjoy hearing minimally talented<br />
California kids thrash their way through 30 minutes<br />
of vinyl. First off, let us warn you, we've seen<br />
various sales list advertise the LP as psych. It<br />
ain't! While it's hard to provide an accurate<br />
description of the album, just imagine hearing<br />
guitar, clarinet and drums in a free fashioned jam<br />
and you'll get a feel for much of the album.<br />
Exemplified by "Idiomatic Interlude" and "Zonation of<br />
Galactic Cosmoidal Entities" (the latter recalling<br />
something out of Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music"),<br />
most of the seven tracks are experimental
instrumentals, full of oddball sound effects, but<br />
lacking much in the way of melody or rhythm. While<br />
the instrumentals were challenging, the LP included<br />
several vocal performances (we use the term loosely).<br />
None of the principals had much of a voice; a fact<br />
that wasn't hidden when they joined together in a<br />
sing-song effort to power their way through material.<br />
At least to our ears, the overall effect is of three<br />
art college kids with too much time and money on<br />
their hands. [SB]<br />
FROM BRITAIN WITH BEAT ( )<br />
"From Britain with Beat" 1966 (Modern Sound 544)<br />
Southern fake Merseybeat studio cash-in covers. One<br />
of the best in the style, so obnoxiously bad its fun!<br />
FRONT PAGE REVIEW see Saint Steven<br />
FRUMIOUS BANDERSNATCH (Berkeley, CA)<br />
FRUNK ( )<br />
"A Young Man's Song" 1999 (CD Big Beat, UK)<br />
"Golden Songs of Libra" 2002 (Get Back) [purple vinyl]<br />
Legendary Bay Area outfit that should need no<br />
introduction. The rare EP is the only thing they<br />
released during their original era, but both<br />
retrospective releases contain brilliant unreleased<br />
material; perhaps the "Libra" album most of all.<br />
There's also several live tapes in existence, so more<br />
may be to come.<br />
"If At First..." 197 (RPC Z69821)<br />
A real people masterpeice, this is a candidate for<br />
the weirdest release on the legendary vanity label.<br />
Five possibly stoned and/or drunk young women hang<br />
out in someone’s den with a TEAC reel-to-reel and<br />
sing their favorites. At first, it sounds like a very<br />
poor recording with their accompaniment mixed way too<br />
low in the background. However, as they are singing<br />
“El Condor Pasa” and you can hear Paul Simon singing<br />
with them, you realize their “accompaniment” for each<br />
song is the original recording itself. Thus, you hear<br />
them singing along with Karen Carpenter on “Close To<br />
You”, Maureen McGovern on “Morning After”, etc. They<br />
are often not very well in synch and even more<br />
frequently, you can hear the original singer<br />
“soloing”. It comes in a very primitive cover with<br />
11" x 11" slicks paste on front and back. The labels<br />
are tan, which was the color used toward the end of<br />
RPC’s production in the late 70s & early 80s. [MA]<br />
FUGITIVES (Detroit, MI)
"At Dave's Hideout" 1965 (Hideout 1001)<br />
Great local mid-60s r'n'r from Detroit legends with<br />
several Kingsmen covers and some swell originals. The<br />
LP captures perfectly the exciting but brief post-<br />
Invasion, pre-garage era, when bands would freely mix<br />
frat, instros, soul and "the new sound from England",<br />
and getting kudos for it. Recorded in the Quackenbush<br />
parents' basement in 1965, the tapes were played back<br />
at Dave Leone's Hideout club, where applause and<br />
teenage ambience were ingeniously recorded on the<br />
second track. It's interesting to note that "Louie<br />
Louie" is met with greater crowd enthusiasm than "A<br />
Hard Days Night". There's also a couple of originals,<br />
including alternate versions of scene staples like<br />
"Friday at the Hideout" and "You're Gonna Be Mine".<br />
One of the best local '64-65 LPs around, to my ears.<br />
According to Hideout owner Dave Leone, 300 copies<br />
were pressed, although a 500 and 1000 press have also<br />
been mentioned. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> SRC<br />
FUGITIVES (Richmond, VA)<br />
"On The Run With The Fugitives" 1967 (Justice 141)<br />
"On The Run With The Fugitives" 1996 (CD Collectables col 0613)<br />
Title track is classic garage (comped on Hipsville<br />
vol 2) with crude fuzz and untrained teen vocals.<br />
Rest is more of a club/frat affair with energetic<br />
sax-lead takes on things like "Lovelight" and<br />
"Tossing and turning", plus some echoey ballads for<br />
that special last dance. Superb take on "Bo Diddley<br />
is a gunslinger" is a high-point. Very much a 1963<br />
Otis Day & the Knights trip with no Brit Invasion<br />
audible, but within the genre this is fun and with<br />
plenty of atmosphere. Excellent drummer, neat organ<br />
and good raw vocals, best party LP on Justice along<br />
with the Knights 5 + 1. Unusually punchy recording<br />
too -- not bad for a bunch of white teens from<br />
Richmond. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
The Fugitives easily fit in the top-5 Justice LPs in<br />
terms of talent and enthusiasm. It isn't radically<br />
different from most of the Justice catalog, including<br />
a soundscape as if it had been recorded at the bottom<br />
of a toilet. That said, this set has two things going<br />
for it. First, overlooking a couple of the lame top-<br />
40 covers (a painfully out of tune "Until" and yet<br />
another needless cover of "Ebb Tide"), the band plays<br />
with considerable enthusiasm which usually makes up<br />
for their limited technical skills. Blown notes and<br />
off-key vocals abound, but on material such as "Turn<br />
On Your Love Light" and "Bo Diddley" it just sounds<br />
like these guys were having fun. The other winning
FULL MOON (PA)<br />
factor is the album's high self-penned content. Four<br />
of the album's twelve selections are originals, with<br />
the roaring fuzz-propelled title track (which was<br />
apparently intended as a never-to-be-released<br />
single), and "Kidding Around" standing out among the<br />
most impressive performances. A worthy addition to<br />
any garage rock collection. [SB]<br />
"Full Moon" 1980 (Montagne) [lyric insert; 1000p]<br />
"Full Moon" 1996 (Monster)<br />
"State of the Artist" 2000 (CD Monster) [+5 tracks]<br />
FUN see Dragonwyck<br />
Obscure private press 1980 hard rock album that<br />
really delivers. Occasional pig-squeal guitar and<br />
histrionic vocals place it firmly in the 80s, but<br />
this is one of the very best of its kind. These guys<br />
obviously spent tons of time perfecting their dualguitar<br />
hooks and solos, and all seven of these songs<br />
are full of great guitar work and memorable riffs,<br />
with the harmony guitar parts comparable to the best<br />
work of Boston or Thin Lizzy. Better than Tailgunner,<br />
Winterhawk, Sorcery, or any other latter-day hard<br />
rock rarity you can think of. The retitled CD reissue<br />
has a number of good bonus tracks that show they<br />
might have developed in some very interesting ways<br />
had they stuck around. [AM]<br />
FURNITURE STORE see Northern Front<br />
FYTER (AR)<br />
"Fyter" 1978 (FMP) [500p]<br />
Hardrock with dual leads.<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
GABLES (MA)<br />
"Snake Dance" 1966 (Fleetwood gab-1)<br />
Garage beat teens.<br />
GABRIEL GLADSTAR (Bellingham, WA)<br />
"Garden Song" 1973 (Flying Guitar no #, Canada) [color art<br />
cover]<br />
"Garden Song" 1981 (Flying Guitar no #) [reissue; b & w photo<br />
cover]<br />
GALAXY (FL)<br />
Mostly acoustic flowing cosmic folk. The album was<br />
recorded at Haveaniceday Studios in Seattle and<br />
received some local airplay.<br />
"Day Without Sun" 1976 (Sky Queen 1677)<br />
"Day Without Sun" 1989 (Sky Queen, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
"Day Without Sun" 1997 (CD Flash, Italy)<br />
"Day Without Sun" 1999 (Akarma 008, Italy) [+2 tracks]<br />
"Day Without Sun" 1999 (CD Akarma 008, Italy) [digipak; +2<br />
tracks]<br />
Pretty late in the game but rooted firmly in the late<br />
1960s sound, with female vocals and hippierock moves<br />
mixed with heavy riffing and spacerock ambitions. Has<br />
some pretty good tracks, the reissues might be worth<br />
checking out. The 1989 counterfeit is close, but can<br />
be recognized via the fine print on the back cover<br />
which is blurry, and the cover is of thinner stock<br />
than originals; furthermore in the dead wax the<br />
figure '7' is written the European way, i e crossed.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
1970s spacerock rarity by a heavily female band (the<br />
keyboardist is named “Space Mama Geiger"!) It’s the<br />
only album I know to have a drum solo by a woman...<br />
but it’s still a drum solo. The songs are long and<br />
somewhat tedious, but there are some neat ideas here<br />
and overall it’s a pretty enjoyable record for<br />
something so uneven. The band recorded two later<br />
unreleased LPs in 1976 and 1984, which are reissued<br />
in the Akarma set "Very 1st Stone" (LP and CD,<br />
Italy). These LPs are more in a traditional blues<br />
rock style and are less interesting.[AM]<br />
BOB [ROBERT] GALLO see A New Place To Live
JAMES GALYON ( )<br />
"James Galyon" 197 (no label) [test pressing; no song titles;<br />
300p]<br />
GAMES (CA)<br />
Loungy singer-songwriter with cheesy synths. Ex-<br />
Mason.<br />
"Stargazer" 1977 (Cascade Court DAT-LP211)<br />
Melodic synth progressive pop with delicate female<br />
vocals. Too pop for some on the love songs but the<br />
synth textures, sweet vocals, and lively production<br />
are quite distinctive for a local LP. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
Take this review in context, because there may be<br />
nobody who likes this album as much as I do, and it's<br />
possible that this album could send a pure psych fan<br />
off of a bridge. But... for what it is, this is an<br />
amazingly accomplished record. It's possible to<br />
describe it as the world's only disco/prog merger, as<br />
it has dance beats, keyboard textures and high female<br />
vocals that could only have come from 1976/1977, but<br />
also long complex songs with elaborate structures and<br />
clever synth playing. Fans of Abba (or early<br />
Cardigans, for that matter) will love the vocals and<br />
the melodies. The unusual jazzy chords and sweet<br />
vocals definitely have the same feel as the first few<br />
Cardigans albums, but the long songs, keyboard-heavy<br />
arrangements (there are no guitars on this album) and<br />
occasional rhythms straight out of Broadway put this<br />
somewhere else entirely. Disco that you can do a<br />
chorus line dance to? Every song has an infectious<br />
melody, yet at the same time the songs are<br />
complicated and unusual enough to reveal new depths<br />
multiple listens. The vocals are lovely (even the<br />
cheesy backing vocals), but show real strength when<br />
necessary, and it's clear that tons of time was put<br />
into perfecting these songs. Lead singer Colleen<br />
Fitzpatrick is very, very talented. Every vocal<br />
nuance is perfectly suited to the songs. For a<br />
private press, this is very well produced, too. Your<br />
friends will make fun of you for playing this, but<br />
collectors should be brave, no? [AM]<br />
GANDALF (Greenwood Lake, NY)<br />
"Gandalf" 1968 (Capitol st-121) [rainbow label]<br />
"Gandalf" 198 (Amos, Europe)<br />
"Gandalf" 1991 (CD See For Miles see-326, UK)<br />
"Gandalf" 199 (Fantazia am-121, Europe)<br />
"Gandalf" 200 (Capitol/Scorpio)<br />
"Gandalf" 2002 (CD Sundazed 6152)<br />
"Gandalf" 2003 (EMI-Capitol 121) [blue vinyl]<br />
"Gandalf" 2003 (Radioactive 15, UK) [picture disc; 500p]<br />
Moody melodic studio psych classic which most 60s<br />
fans dig. Predominantly covers and some seemingly odd<br />
choices at that, looking back to 1940s-50s easy
listening on things like the opening "Golden<br />
earrings" and Eden Ahbez' "Nature boy". The Gandalf<br />
guys run these songs through their own sophisticated<br />
baroque organ/guitar machinery with compelling<br />
results, bringing out a rare reflective mood from<br />
this meeting. Still, the band original "Can you<br />
travel in the dark alone" is clearly the best cut,<br />
and the album is in a sense a victim of its own<br />
cleverness, since you can only squeeze so much head<br />
action from old crooner hits. Some unreleased tracks<br />
exist that have not yet been made available. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Clearly a case of sound/mood over material (there are<br />
only two originals here), this album has achieved<br />
true classic status over the years. It's not actually<br />
a rare LP, but every collector wants one, and as with<br />
Morgen or Linda Perhacs the quality and uniqueness<br />
has allowed the value to stay high despite a copy<br />
being offered on eBay virtually every week. There<br />
really isn't anything else that has a comparable<br />
feel. From the spooky vocals to the heavy reverb and<br />
phasing to the unusual use of strings, this is just<br />
plain otherworldly. Essential to any comprehensive<br />
psych collection and easy to obtain as it has been<br />
reissued several times. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
GANDALF THE GREY (New York City, NY)<br />
"The Grey Wizard Am I" 1972 (GWR 007)<br />
"The Grey Wizard Am I" 1986 (Heyoka hey-207, UK)<br />
"The Grey Wizard Am I" 2003 (Gear Fab 208) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"The Grey Wizard Am I" 2003 (CD Gear Fab 202) [+bonus tracks]<br />
Fashioning himself after a Tolkien figure (with a<br />
cape and hat no less), this NYC wizard cut a rare DIY<br />
folkrock trip that's been known for decades on the<br />
private press scene. I love the title track and a<br />
couple of other hobbit-oriented numbers, while some<br />
of his neighborhood observations sound less<br />
interesting and more typical Village product in my<br />
ears. Nice basement sound is a plus in this context.<br />
Opinions diverge a bit on this one, but the reissue<br />
is worth checking out. He made a rare pre-LP 45 under<br />
his real name (Chris Wilson) and even a comeback 45<br />
in the 1990s. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Some people love this, but to these ears it’s an<br />
amateurish, monotonous, poorly played folk rock<br />
record. Knowledge of Tolkien will help the listener<br />
to enjoy the lyrics. Otherwise all of the songs sound<br />
the same. Recent reissues include some bonus tracks<br />
in the same vein, making it an even more tedious<br />
listen. This gets points for having been discovered<br />
really early in the collecting world: it was wellknown<br />
back in the early 80s. [AM]
GANDHARVA see Cosmic Sound Of Gandharva<br />
GANIMIAN & HIS ORIENTAL MUSIC ( )<br />
"Come With Me To The Casbah" 1959 (Atco 33-107)<br />
JULIANA GARZA ( )<br />
Rather amazing late 1950s forerunner of the Orient<br />
Express and John Berberian east-west amalgamations.<br />
Very good LP with superb Middle-Eastern belly-dance<br />
vibe, not dry or academic but as real as a hazy party<br />
night of spicy food and liquor at the local kebab<br />
parlour. Personal fave falls out of most psychedelic<br />
timeframes yet belongs in here with flying colors.<br />
Guy also had some 45s under various names, and<br />
probably more album releases. One track pops up in a<br />
cover version on the great John Berberian LP on Verve<br />
10 years later. [PL]<br />
"Communion Muse" 1973 (NALR 31607)<br />
This one was recommended to me by some trustworthy<br />
parties but I was initially put off by Sister<br />
Juliana's vocals, which are lacking both in terms of<br />
hitting the right notes and staying with the beat.<br />
Repeated plays reduced this stigma and brought the<br />
album's qualities more into light, such as a charming<br />
basement folkrock sound with harmonica, flute, organ<br />
and even some light wah-wah guitar. Songwriting isn't<br />
bad at all and fittingly goes in a John Ylvisaker<br />
direction, with a definite leftover 1960s folk-boom<br />
vibe, and even some psychy minor chord moves. The<br />
lyrics seem to be a mix of trad psalms, prayers, and<br />
self-penned meditations. Sister J is joined by a male<br />
singer on the best track who sings a lot better than<br />
she does, which makes for an odd effect. All over<br />
worth checking out for fans of local 1970s sounds<br />
with some unusual aspects. Possibly recorded in<br />
Cincinnati. A few copies came with a booklet. Sister<br />
Juliana did a Catholic folk LP in 1967 on the Audio<br />
Recording label. [PL]<br />
GATES OF DAWN (Alberta, Canada)<br />
"Keep On Truckin'" 197 (Vocal)<br />
Rural rock barband with a healthy share of fuzzed<br />
rock covers from the late 1960s, like "Jumpin' Jack<br />
Flash" and "Magic Carpet Ride".
GATES OF FREEDOM ( )<br />
"A Religious Rock Service" 196 (Covenant)<br />
Jewish x-ian rock service with garage teen backing<br />
group. Sitar on one track, haunting melodies, femme<br />
choir, and overblown vocals in the Ylvisaker<br />
tradition. Likely to appeal to 'real people' fans.<br />
[RM]<br />
V.A "GATHERING AT THE DEPOT" (Minneapolis, MN)<br />
"Gathering At The Depot" 1970 (Beta s80-47-1414s)<br />
Local bands recorded live, with unique tracks from<br />
the Litter, Thundertree, Danny's Reasons, and others.<br />
V.A "GATHERING!" (Madison, WI)<br />
"Gathering" 1969 (Coliseum lp-711-dm)<br />
Local bands including Wizzard, I D E C, Danny & the<br />
Aces, Parabolic Rush and Myrckwode.<br />
GATORS (Nashville, TN)<br />
"In Concert" 1965 (Bulletin 27981)<br />
Obscure teenbeat LP from band featuring Dan Folger on<br />
keyboards, who later became a successful songwriter.<br />
Line-up includes piano and sax and the sound is<br />
mainly non-Brit Invasion, with instros, frat, pop and<br />
soul covers; not terribly exciting. Front cover is a<br />
cool live shot of the band.<br />
GATSBY (Philadelphia, PA)<br />
"Life Goes On" 1977 (Maxfield) [insert]<br />
Basement hardrock and loungy progressive covers.<br />
Dedicated to the Moody Blues.<br />
ARTHUR GEE (Toronto, Canada / CA / Denver, CO)<br />
"The End Is The Beginning" 1969 (Two:Dot) [1-sided]<br />
"In Search Of Arthur" 2004 (RD Records 13, Switzerland)<br />
[+bonus tracks; insert]<br />
Ron describes this better than I can, see below. The<br />
last track is a killer deep guilt-trip on level with<br />
Perry Leopold, re-done in a less effective way on the<br />
Tumbleweed LP. Arthur Gee was originally from Canada<br />
but spent some time in Colorado and in California<br />
where this 1-sided demo LP was recorded for a small
label in Ojai. After this he returned to Colorado<br />
where he put together the Arthur Gee Band. The<br />
Canadian link is obvious from the Canada BMI<br />
registration on the label. This 1-sided demo contains<br />
a track with the exact same (unusual) title as a<br />
number on the Fraser & Debolt LP from Canada, but<br />
oddly it is a completely different tune. Bonus tracks<br />
on the reissue include unreleased material and a pre-<br />
LP 45 he made in Canada. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Dark, damaged acoustic strum folk in Perry Leopold<br />
style but a bit stronger vocally. Missed notes,<br />
stream of consciousness lyricism, and obsessions with<br />
mystic and biblical imagery. Saddened reports on the<br />
lost state of the planet. A great loner mini-LP,<br />
although you really can feel too much. The label was<br />
a contract service in Ojai, California. Unlike his<br />
later LPs, this (as well as the reissue) was credited<br />
only to "Arthur". The label has no title but the<br />
sleeve shows the album title "The End Is The<br />
Beginning". Some copies came with promo photos. [RM]<br />
"Dawn Of Time" 197 (Marcus 2502) [no cover]<br />
Recently discovered demo LP that seems to date from<br />
between the Two:Dot demo and Arthur getting signed<br />
with Tumbleweed. Several track titles overlap with<br />
both the preceding and subsequent LPs, but since the<br />
production credit (Marcus Demerst) differs from<br />
these, it may be alternate mixes or alternate<br />
versions altogether. This LP has 10 tracks.<br />
"Arthur Gee" 1971 (Tumbleweed TWS 101) [gatefold; booklet]<br />
GENERATIONS (NC)<br />
Gee's real debut LP is also the first release on the<br />
Tumbleweed label, and a fine start for both. Upscale,<br />
intricate production typical of the label with<br />
Arthur's atmospheric voice given an appropriate<br />
context that involves a full folkrock setting plus<br />
bells, violin, even jew's harp. Opens on a strong<br />
psych vibe, then goes through various chameleon<br />
tricks including outlaw country, Tim Hardin folk, and<br />
some obvious Dylan "Blonde On Blonde" moves. It's all<br />
quite appealing and held together by the expensive,<br />
elaborate arrangements. The LP has obvious 60s<br />
remnants and is less singer/songwriter than most<br />
Tumbleweeds. Two tracks from the Two:Dot demo LP<br />
appear in more elaborate versions, although I prefer<br />
the sparser 1969 sound of "Meditations". Easy to find<br />
and well worth checking out. Gee's second LP for<br />
Tumbleweed ("City Cowboy", 1972) is inferior in a<br />
countryrock direction. [PL]<br />
"Meet the Generations Combo" 1967 (Justice 158)<br />
"Meet the Generations Combo" 1994 (CD Collectables 0614)<br />
The last of the label's rock'n'roll/r'n'b releases<br />
does suggest a sort of development for the<br />
Justice/Southeast scene, but needless to say it's not<br />
in the right direction. Nope, this is a mission<br />
statement from 7 white Durham teenagers that Las<br />
Vegas lounge-soul is the way to go, with fake ID
crooner vocals and seducto assembly hall sax up the<br />
wazoo. The limited funds and lack of reality checks<br />
puts a Twilight Zone spin on things, like seeing<br />
expensive stock footage inserted into an Ed Wood Jr<br />
movie; there's glitzy female harmony vocals but the<br />
drummer can't keep time! Eerie psych version of<br />
"Don't let the sun catch you crying" is a high-point,<br />
and the organist likes to do Procol Harum "acid" runs<br />
on his keyboard, even on James Brown tunes. There's<br />
also an apathetic, pedestrian "Walk away Renee", and<br />
an uptempo track where the entire rhythm section<br />
falls apart. What a mess, like the Checkmates on<br />
cough syrup. Closest of all Justice releases to<br />
Incredibly Strange domains, this needs to be heard at<br />
least once. The Collectables CD reissue displays tape<br />
damage at a few spots, this may or may not derive<br />
from the original album. [PL]<br />
GENESIS (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"In The Beginning" 1968 (Mercury sr-61175) [textured cover;<br />
red label; gold label promos exist]<br />
"In The Beginning" 197 (Mercury sr-61175) [2nd press; nontextured<br />
cover; skyline label]<br />
"In The Beginning" 2001 (CD Black Rose BR 137)<br />
GENTLE SOUL (CA)<br />
Most of this album is pretty typical post Jefferson<br />
Airplane co-ed psych/folk-rock, better than most but<br />
not exactly stunning. But they really shine on the<br />
16-minute blowout on side two, which follows up a few<br />
haunting verses with a long guitar solo that's<br />
exactly the opposite of what you'd expect: it's<br />
carefully constructed, like a set of short guitar<br />
solos and repeated hooks strung together rather than<br />
one long jam. Not a note of it appears to be<br />
improvised. It's not at all complicated, but that<br />
means that no time is wasted showing off, and it ends<br />
up being one of the best long solos you'll hear. The<br />
rest of the album pretty much pales in comparison,<br />
but for the one song alone it's worth owning. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Do It Now Foundation<br />
"Gentle Soul" 1969 (Epic bn-26374)<br />
"Gentle Soul" 2003 (CD Sundazed 11123) [+9 bonus tracks]<br />
"Gentle Soul" 2004 (Epic 26374) [legit reissue]<br />
Light drifting psych rock produced by Terry Melcher.<br />
With Ry Cooder, Van Dyke Parks, Bill Plummer, Mike<br />
Deasy, Larry Knechtel, and other session pros helping<br />
out. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
Nice, pleasant folk duo featuring noted songwriter<br />
Pamela Polland. Some slide guitar from Ry Cooder on<br />
one track and some dreamy moments help make it a<br />
little more appealing to adventurous listeners than<br />
many others of its ilk. It probably would have<br />
benefited from drums, though, and it’s hardly in the<br />
league of, say, the two Kathy Smith albums with which<br />
Polland was closely connected. [AM]
GENTS (CT)<br />
"We Gotta Get Outa This Place" 1966 (RPC 70481) [mono]<br />
"We Gotta Get Outa This Place" 1966 (RPC 70481) [stereo]<br />
"We Gotta Get Outa This Place / The Best" 199 (no label)<br />
[partial reissue]<br />
GEOFFREY (MD/NY)<br />
Connecticut Coast Guard Academy students who paid for<br />
this vanity LP and sold it at gigs. 12 tracks in<br />
total, mostly Brit Invasions covers with a few<br />
instros. Great version of "Don't let the sun catch<br />
you crying" is a highpoint, but mostly it's very<br />
familiar ground for Eastcoast teenbeat LPs. The<br />
partial reissue is on a split LP, with other side by<br />
the Best (see entry) and uses the Gents front cover.<br />
"Geoffrey" 1972 (Concert Arts CA 7506) [gatefold; 500p]<br />
"Geoffrey" 1996 (Psychedelic Archives 1004, UK) [no gatefold;<br />
295p; insert]<br />
SIDNEY GEORGE ( )<br />
I've done my best to get into this but it's still soso<br />
singer/songwriter stuff rather than the<br />
"mindblowing" "acid folk" dealers hype it for.<br />
Consistent and wellwritten but no real depth or<br />
freakiness. Has that UK troubador vocal style that<br />
ruins so many local 1970s LPs. Neat sleeve photo of<br />
the weird-looking guy. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Similar musically to Perry Leopold but not as dark.<br />
Sensitive guy acoustic folk psych with flowery<br />
lyrics. Different textures and changing tempos within<br />
songs. His vocals are quite beautiful and delicate<br />
but all-in-all this is a good record to sleep<br />
through. [RM]<br />
"Sidney George" 1976 (no label)<br />
Lo-fi mid 1970s rock with a sleazy real-people feel,<br />
some flute and wah-wah guitar.<br />
WINSTON GEORGE (London, Canada)<br />
"Any Direction" 1970 (Ergo 7001-S)
"City Wilderness" 1976 (Ergo 7602-S)<br />
GEORGE EDWARDS ( )<br />
First LP is highly rated basement folkrock/singersongwriter<br />
with organ and a moody Dylanesque feel.<br />
The recording is pretty primitive. The second LP is<br />
more conventional with bluesy moves, a bit like<br />
Philip Lewin. Privately made reissues on CD-R exist.<br />
"38:38" 1977 (no label) [blank cover]<br />
Seldom seen melancholic basement folkrock with 60s<br />
psych overtones, nice echoey fidelity, spooky<br />
mellotron. A track such as "Wintertime" is similar to<br />
Kath in sound and atmosphere, while the obvious<br />
hippie remnants and nice melodic feel on other tracks<br />
recalls a nocturnal Michaelangelo. This is the work<br />
of a band rather than a single guy, which is why it's<br />
listed under "G". From LA or Detroit, I'm told.<br />
GEORGIA PROPHETS (GA)<br />
"Fever" 1971 ('Custom 8')<br />
Local hippie bar-rock groove band, with an unusual<br />
mix of funk and soft westcoast moves. Half is covers<br />
including a memorable "Down by the River", while the<br />
originals aren't very exciting. The LP's mix of<br />
styles has seen it offered as both "garage", "psych"<br />
and "Northern Soul". You have been warned. Supposedly<br />
less than 200 copies pressed.<br />
JOHN GILBERT / MEADE RIVER (KY)<br />
"John Gilbert/Meade River" 1972 (AV)<br />
Posthumous tribute LP to 17-year old Gilbert who died<br />
in a car crash; crude home recordings of basement<br />
guitar-rock with plenty of atmosphere and a couple of<br />
killer tracks. Side 1 is unaccompanied instro guitar<br />
workouts; side 2 is partly full band psych-rock,<br />
partly sparse basement folk. Not for everyone, but<br />
for purveyors of the most buried local sounds, this<br />
is one of the big ones, with an unusual context on<br />
top. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Moody psych and folkrock. The LP is a memorial to<br />
John Gilbert put out by his parents. Some tracks are<br />
John's solo recordings and some feature his group,<br />
Meade River. Great amateur live-in-living-room
ambiance, the tracks range from garage folk to fuzz<br />
blues with raging guitar heading into Alvin Lee<br />
territory at times. The second side has some<br />
wonderful acoustic tracks with basement vocals and<br />
downer lyrics. If you ever wondered what acoustic<br />
guitar shards sound like, check out the revelatory<br />
"Travelin' Free". No-fi beast that conjures up<br />
memories of lost hours clanging away in friends'<br />
garages before reality held her sway. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
RICHIE GILBERT ENSEMBLE (CA)<br />
"Richie Gilbert Ensemble" 1978 (Chestnut)<br />
Soft rural folkrock with mixed vocals and off-key<br />
Dylan moves on Gilbert's part. A couple of good<br />
tracks with femme vocals. The recordings seem to date<br />
from an earlier era than the release year.<br />
GINGER (Minneapolis, MN)<br />
"Ginger With Bob Edwards" 1973 (Cheap Swank no #) [no cover; 2<br />
inserts; 100p]<br />
Obscure Minneapolis album released as a posthumous<br />
tribute to vocalist Bob Edwards, who is featured on<br />
side 1 of the LP, which is live recorded 1970-71<br />
barrock with westcoast moves and Hammond upfront, a<br />
bit like side 1 on Soup or a lo-fi Short Cross/Sweet<br />
Toothe. Side 2 is more interesting and features 1972-<br />
73 studio recordings of the band without Edwards and<br />
is a more esoteric rural rock/singer songwriter trip<br />
with a Band/Hickory Wind vibe. Main attraction is an<br />
unexpected acid sound collage straight out of 1967,<br />
apart from that this is an average local early 1970s<br />
artefact, although some people rate it highly. The<br />
record was not issued with a cover. Some covers were<br />
made up recently by a dealer, utilizing the inserts<br />
and a concert flyer for the design.[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Except for tragedy, we would never have had this most<br />
essential human real people experience. Lead singer<br />
tragically dies in a car wreck and group reforms with<br />
his twin brother on vocals/lyrics. Side one is crude<br />
bar band rock recorded live, never intended for<br />
release. The magic is on side two with unbelievable<br />
emotion and tortured lyrics. "He'll Talk To You" says<br />
that if you don't think of him he will talk to you,<br />
and on "The Early Morning Rehash," he does! That song<br />
is a truly strange and eerie psych masterpiece. A<br />
glimpse into humanity [Mike Krafcik]
GLORY (Houston, TX)<br />
"Glory: A Meat Music Sampler" 1969 (Texas Revolution cfs-2531)<br />
"Glory: A Meat Music Sampler" 199 (Texas Revolution, Europe)<br />
[bootleg]<br />
"Glory: A Meat Music Sampler" 2000 (Akarma 114, Italy)<br />
"Glory: A Meat Music Sampler" 2000 (CD Akarma, Italy)<br />
This has caught some attention of late but should be<br />
considered an aquired taste only. The basic feel is<br />
of late-night spontaneous blues-based studio jams<br />
revolving around main guy Linden Hudson who sings,<br />
plays percussion and also coordinated the session,<br />
which was partly recorded at Andrus Studios of<br />
"Easter Everywhere" fame. A rootsy Southern all-night<br />
bar feel evolves with a certain appeal, but the<br />
tracks are really hit and miss affairs, for example<br />
the vocal riffs on "Wish ta heck" are so annoying I<br />
can barely listen to it. Despite trying hard Hudson<br />
isn't good enough a vocalist to make it memorable,<br />
though jazzy wee hours keyboard improvs add the right<br />
touch. There isn't much songwriting to talk of, more<br />
like excursions from basic mood riffs. Any attempts<br />
to sell this as a "guitar killer" should be<br />
considered dishonest hype. With a strong female<br />
vocalist such as Lisa Kindred this would have worked<br />
better, but still remained a marginal item. Not sure<br />
why this was reissued, really. [PL]<br />
GLORY (San Diego, CA)<br />
"On the Air" 2002 (Rockadelic 40)<br />
GLORY ROAD (AZ)<br />
Personal fave among the Rockadelics of the new<br />
millennium; a no-frills teenage hardrock blast cut<br />
live afterhours at a radio station in San Diego in<br />
June 1970. No traces of flower power whatsoever as<br />
the remarkably tight band blows through their Ya-Ya's<br />
era Stones/Led Zep club set of ½ covers and ½ great<br />
originals. Vocalist is right on, lead guitarist won't<br />
quit, but the real show is the stunning interplay<br />
between the rhythm guy and the drummer. Perfect loud<br />
soundscape with 100% presence, the whole thing<br />
recalls Oda and the rootsier side of the Estes Bros.<br />
Cover is disappointing - bring back the old skulls<br />
and needles! A future meat & potatoes hard rock<br />
classic... this is not psych. The band recorded<br />
several 45s and more material may be released. In the<br />
1980s they resurfaced as popular combo the Beat<br />
Farmers. [PL]<br />
"Exit" 1977 (Hand In Hand HHGR-1000)<br />
GOD UNLIMITED ( )<br />
Christian proggy melodic rock.
"Ride On" 1970 (GIA 123)<br />
Wellknown Jesus music vocal harmony folkrock group<br />
led by Tom Belt with several releases, this one<br />
usually rated as their best. Contains a long song<br />
with lots of lead guitar and some spooky folky songs<br />
as well. The self-titled debut from the late 1960s<br />
(Century 34122) supposedly also has its moments. None<br />
of these LPs are expensive.<br />
GOLD (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Gold" 1996 (Rockadelic RRLP-20) [600p]<br />
Yet another Rockadelic discovery, "Gold" is one of<br />
those projects that takes a little effort to get<br />
into. Apparently recorded and shelved in 1969, the<br />
set has a distinctive late 1960s West Coast feel to<br />
it. It's certainly not the most ground breaking LP<br />
you'll ever buy, but is kind of interesting for the<br />
decent male/female singers and it's mix of musical<br />
styles. bouncing between rather conventional hard<br />
rock (the crazed opener "No Parking" and "Summer<br />
Dresses"), Latin-rock influences (the instrumental<br />
"Conquistadore"), and an occasional soul touch thrown<br />
in. [SB]<br />
"Mission Rock" 2002 (CD World In Sound 1014, Germany)<br />
This 1971 live set has been described as<br />
disappointing, but does include two rare Country Joe<br />
tunes, as he was collaborating with the band at the<br />
time.<br />
"San Francisco Origins 1970" 2003 (World In Sound RFR 019,<br />
Germany) [+bonus 7"; poster]<br />
"San Francisco Origins 1970" 2003 (CD World In Sound 1018,<br />
Germany) [+bonus tracks]<br />
The LP has a 1970 live set from Fillmore West with<br />
raw version of their 45 track "No parking", plus the<br />
flipside from the 45. The CD adds the Rockadelic LP<br />
material (see above). Gold's unreleased material are<br />
good examples of the Bay Area sound of the early 70s,<br />
with Santana and horn-rock moves creeping in and<br />
psychedelia creeping out. There's even more live<br />
stuff in the vaults, including a pretty good tape<br />
from a live radio broadcast circa 1971.<br />
GOLDEN DAWN (Austin, TX)<br />
"Power Plant" 1968 (International Artists 4) [wlp exists]
"Power Plant" 1978 (International Artists 4) [IA box-set<br />
reissue]<br />
"Power Plant" 198 (International Artists) [bootleg]<br />
"Power Plant" 1988 (Charly lik-24, UK)<br />
"Power Plant" 1992 (CD Eva b-26, France)<br />
"Power Plant" 199 (Get Back, Europe)<br />
One of my (and many people's) personal top 20 1960s<br />
LPs. Killer garage-folkrock-psych sounds with Tommy<br />
Hall-inspired lyrics and great melancholic vocals.<br />
The emotional range is remarkable for such an early<br />
album, going from the snotty acidpunk of "Evolution"<br />
over the classic psych of "My time" into the brooding<br />
introspection of "Reaching out to you". "This Way<br />
Please" is one of the ultimate acid introspections of<br />
all time. Add to that a killer cannabis/shroom dayglo<br />
sleeve and you've got a major classic on your hands.<br />
Almost everyone loves this, essential to any decent<br />
psych collection. The LP was recorded July 1967 but<br />
not released until the turn of the year in order for<br />
IA to focus on the 13th Floor Elevators' "Easter<br />
Everywhere". Originals have cover slicks and "IAS 4<br />
Side 1 IA" in the dead wax on side 1, while the boxset<br />
reissue is boardprinted and has a matrix # that<br />
begins "Ach...". The mid-1980s reissue is close but<br />
has less bright front cover colors than the original.<br />
There are probably more reissues & bootlegs. "George<br />
Kinney's post-Golden Dawn band Headstone saw a<br />
retrospective CD release of circa 1970 material in<br />
2002 (Splash 2, UK). [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Most people rate this as second best IA album after<br />
"Easter Everywhere", and I'd agree. The Elevators<br />
comparisons are warranted, especially in the vocals,<br />
but most of the album has a really garagy feel. They<br />
seem more youthful and energetic than the Elevators -<br />
- "Fire Engine" and "Earthquake" are the Elevators<br />
songs that have a similar feel to Golden Dawn. Good<br />
variety of songs, with just enough effects and trippy<br />
moments to keep it interesting. Lots of hooks... if<br />
stuff like "Pushin Too Hard" and "Psychotic Reaction"<br />
could have been hits, these should have been too. The<br />
Get Back vinyl reissue has poor sound and even a<br />
couple of dropouts. None of the reissues including<br />
the legal 1978 one are from master tapes, as these<br />
were lost in the early 1970s. [AM]<br />
GOLDEN DRAGON (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Golden Dragon" 1981 (no label) [handmade cover]<br />
Heavy fuzz psych rock with riffing Hendrix sound.<br />
There is also a 12" single from 1983 with paste-on<br />
covers in different designs, the song is "Too Late"<br />
in an entirely different version from the LP. There<br />
is also a 45 (again with varying sleeve designs) with<br />
"Highway Child" in the same version as the LP, but<br />
with a non-LP B-side. However, some copies of the 45<br />
are 1-sided with only "Highway Child".<br />
GOLDENROD (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Goldenrod" 1970 (Chartmaker csg-1101)
"Goldenrod" 198 (Heyoka 205, UK)<br />
"Goldenrod" 199 (CD World In Sound, Germany) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"Goldenrod" 2000 (World In Sound 011, Germany)<br />
GOLDEN THROAT (HI)<br />
A one-off congregation of LA session heavyweights who<br />
also perform on Darius' classic LP, this is long<br />
heavy psych instrumentals in an acid context.<br />
Opinions differ on this, I think it's pretty<br />
interesting & trippy. Has a great sleeve too. [PL]<br />
"Golden Throat" 197 (Trim tlp-1981)<br />
Early 1970s jammy folk, organ, mixed vocals.<br />
GOLDTONES (Riverside, CA)<br />
"Live At The Teenbeat Club In Las Vegas" 1965 (La Brea 8011)<br />
[mono]<br />
"Live At The Teenbeat Club In Las Vegas" 1965 (La Brea 8011)<br />
[stereo]<br />
GOLGOTHA (NJ)<br />
Club rock r & b pounders including "Gloria" and good<br />
moody original "I'll love her". With Randy Seol (pre-<br />
Strawberry Alarm Clock). An earlier incarnation of<br />
the band featured Glenn Ross Campbell (Misunderstood)<br />
and made a very good surf 45 in 1963.<br />
"Old Seeds Bootleg" 1973 (no label) [paste-on cover; 200p]<br />
GOLIATH (IN)<br />
Westcoast sound rural guitar rock that has been<br />
compared to a mellow Little Feat. This is a remake of<br />
an unissued LP recorded for Jubilee. The small press<br />
size has been reported by the band.<br />
"Hot Rock & Thunder" 1972 (Bridges bg-2704)<br />
GOOD CHEER (IN)<br />
Progressive hardrock effort with standard rock<br />
setting plus moog. This album was quite plentiful and<br />
sold cheap for several years, but the price is<br />
finally rising again. Virtually all known copies have<br />
a minor edge warp. Same label as the much rarer album<br />
by Dawson.<br />
"Good Cheer" 1972 (ORS 1007)<br />
Basement rural rock with covers and some psych moves.<br />
Organ-led sound is somewhat similar to Hickory Wind.
GOOD DOG BANNED (CA)<br />
"Good Dog Banned" 197 (no label dm-1001) [paste-on cover;<br />
500p]<br />
"Good Dog Banned" 2002 (CD Gear Fab 125)<br />
GOOD SOIL (IN)<br />
A rural rock obscurity that covers every Marin County<br />
cliché in the book to the point of sounding almost<br />
like a parody of the genre. "Smokestacks" is a nice<br />
hippie folkrocker with ringing guitars, but the rest<br />
ranges from mediocre to outright infuriating in its<br />
weedsmoking easygoingness. The key to this genre is<br />
songwriting, vocal harmonies and guitar arrangements,<br />
and these guys underperform in all three. Featuring<br />
an ex-Sons Of Champlin member, some tracks sport<br />
Sons-style sax and could be seen as an anti-urban<br />
variation on that band. Obviously derived from 1970<br />
Dead, but disappointing even to genre fans. Worst<br />
track features a dialogue between a band member and a<br />
tree (!). Not all rare albums are good. [PL]<br />
"Good Soil" 197 (Barn Recording Studio)<br />
Mainstream Christian folkrock with Marsha Rollings of<br />
Anonymous on vocals.<br />
GOODY TWO SHOES (Canada)<br />
"Come Together" 1969 (Allied/Paragon 237)<br />
JON GORDON ( )<br />
Rural and rustic bayou rock with guitar moves, mix of<br />
originals and covers like "Come together". Two<br />
members were formerly with A Passing Fancy, and there<br />
is a version of "I'm losing tonight" on this LP.<br />
“Jon Gordon” 1976 (Tiger Lily 14008)<br />
There’s quite a bit of variety here: folk rock with<br />
12-string guitars, guitar-heavy blues rock, rural<br />
rock, mild prog, old-style rock and roll and even a<br />
violin hoedown. Gordon has a decent pop sense and<br />
there are several catchy songs here, as well as some<br />
nice guitar hooks and solos. At least two songs steal<br />
blatantly from the Beatles. Amusingly, the album’s<br />
one ballad is a love song to his television. This<br />
certainly isn’t an unusual or freaky record in any<br />
way, but as mainstream 70s rock goes it’s pretty<br />
enjoyable. In typical Tiger Lily fashion, the cover<br />
and label omit mention of one song, and there are a<br />
few obvious mastering glitches. Unlike a lot of tax<br />
scam records, though, it has a substantial running<br />
time. [AM]
GRACED LIGHTNING (IL)<br />
"Side" 1975 (no label GL-1) [1-sided album; paste-on cover;<br />
inserts]<br />
Three tracks of instrumental heavy guitar progressive<br />
with Gary Gand. Recorded at Golden Voice Studios.<br />
GRADUATES (Memphis, TN)<br />
"Graduates" 197 (Renegade 1003)<br />
GRAFFITI (DC/NY)<br />
Semi-competent early 70s lounge rockers. Mostly<br />
covers including "Let It Be", "Hey Jude", "Thank You<br />
For Letting Me Be Myself Again" (good one), and a<br />
lightning rendition of "Come and Get It".<br />
"Graffiti" 1969 (ABC s-663) [gatefold]<br />
This is a very good major label psych album that’s<br />
hard to define. It has a few semi-heavy moments, some<br />
fuzz guitar, soulful vibe, lots of effects, and<br />
occasionally crazed singing. The songwriting and<br />
playing are solid all around, and the album opens and<br />
closes with very strong songs. Worthy of close<br />
listens—there’s a lot going on inside this one. Some<br />
copies of this album are incorrectly mastered, with<br />
one song repeated and another missing. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Interesting and somewhat underrated late 1960s<br />
psych/artrock transition piece, one of several<br />
respectable ABC albums from the era. Each song is<br />
jampacked with ideas and sounds, a sizable amount of<br />
$$$ must have gone into this. The overall style is<br />
reminiscent of the more highbrow Bosstown trips (like<br />
Freeborne) with a bit of UK Moody Blues/Procol<br />
Harum/"Abbey Road" classical and jazz ambitions. The<br />
second track has all the pieces fall into place<br />
including lyrical fuzz leads, while the band<br />
elsewhere often fall victim to an inability to get<br />
their ideas sorted. Bringing in Association/Boettcher<br />
highpitched vocal harmonies doesn't work that well,<br />
while several instrumental passages are so elaborate<br />
that the songwriting goes AWOL. This is an album<br />
where each of the elements is appealing by itself but<br />
when put together the puzzle seems a bit contrived<br />
and due to its overly complex nature, impersonal.<br />
Still worth checking out at the current low price,<br />
just like label-mates Ill Wind and Bold. The band<br />
also had a non-LP 45. [PL]<br />
GRANDEURS (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"The Grandeurs" 196 (JH-1001) [no sleeve?]<br />
Obscure teenbeat/club LP, possibly issued without<br />
sleeve. Covers of "Wooly Bully" plus various Brit<br />
Invasion, soul and frat numbers.
GRANDMA'S ROCKERS (IA)<br />
"Homemade Apple Pie & Yankee Ingenuity" 1967 (Fredlo 6727)<br />
"Homemade Apple Pie & Yankee Ingenuity" 1993 (Del-Val 009)<br />
[350p]<br />
Some were disappointed with this addition to the Del-<br />
Val reissue roster and while it ain't no DR Hooker, I<br />
think it's pretty enjoyable. A local garage LP on the<br />
famous Fredlo label with mostly '67 top 40 covers all<br />
done in a convincing manner plus one monster fuzz<br />
original, "Blue peppers". One of the better local<br />
teen-beat cover LPs but not much for those who want<br />
psych. Silly name & title, great sleeve. According to<br />
the band, about 300 copies were pressed. [PL]<br />
GRAND THEFT (Mercer Island, WA)<br />
"Grand Theft" 1972 (no label GT-1) [no cover]<br />
"It's Eating Me Alive" 198 (Hablabel, Italy) [new sleeve]<br />
"Hiking Into Eternity" 1996 (CD Epilogue ep-1004) [+6 bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
This LP sounds like a gang of crazed teenagers<br />
causing audio-induced subsidence in the<br />
neighbourhood. If you enjoy instruments being sledge<br />
hammered to within an inch of their lives to the<br />
sound of top quality high pitched screaming vocals<br />
(and let’s face it, who doesn’t), this might be the<br />
ticket. The sound is so extreme it will make you grin<br />
and finally fall around laughing. Any LP with a<br />
10’12” track about buying a burger, fries and a<br />
milkshake is well worth having, in my world anyway.<br />
Just marvel at the deepest lyric from “Closer to<br />
Herfy’s”: “Went driving by the lake...lookin’ for a<br />
milkshake”. Better than “Stairway to Heaven”,<br />
certainly more relevant. If ponderous, meaningless<br />
guitar based rock is your thing, then you may feel<br />
the finger of mother fun poking rather hard at your<br />
ribs. “Scream/It’s eating me alive” introduces side 1<br />
with patent super-screaming and wasted,<br />
reverberating, guitar riffs. “Log Rhythms/Meat<br />
Midgets” chugs along with a cool, almost punk vibe.<br />
Faux mystic chanting on Ohms with lyrics like “they<br />
used to put strychnine in that stuff, we had a<br />
reeeaaal good time” cannot fail to make you laugh out<br />
loud. As we all know (now) it was ‘just a joke’, and<br />
a very funny one it is too. The sheer commitment to<br />
making something so extreme ends up producing a genre<br />
classic. The folkrock group Bluebird made it to make<br />
fun of Grand Funk. The original plain sleeve is<br />
stamped "Made in Canada". Both reissues are retitled,<br />
for some reason. [RI]<br />
GRANICUS (Cleveland, OH)
"Granicus" 1973 (RCA apl-0321)<br />
"Granicus" 1997 (CD Free, Europe)<br />
GRANMAX (MO)<br />
Far out 1970s hard rock album by some American<br />
Indians who just hated Ohio, and maybe everything<br />
else as well. They're not very fond of their own<br />
record, feeling that the major label production<br />
stripped them of their energy. Though much of it is<br />
sloppy and chaotic, some is unexpectedly smooth as<br />
well. It's hard to imagine just how heavy they think<br />
it should have been, though, because it has some<br />
excruciating moments as it is. The singer is really<br />
crazed, screeching at a high level that could hurt<br />
the ears of Led Zeppelin and Leafhound fans. Hell, it<br />
could even go too far for Rush or Pavlov's Dog fans.<br />
The songs ramble to good and bad effect. The 11minute<br />
"Prayer" is incredibly powerful despite<br />
(because of?) being very repetitive, but the long<br />
songs on side two aren't nearly as interesting. A<br />
stupid song insulting their home city of Cleveland<br />
assured that they blew their only chance to sell any<br />
records anywhere. The album's "ballad" is an<br />
instrumental with lots of mellotron. Some think this<br />
is a lost classic, and during moments of the first<br />
side, maybe it is. But not much else here hits the<br />
mark the way "Prayer" does, and the band's own<br />
assessment of the album as promising and unique, but<br />
heavily flawed, is on the mark. [AM]<br />
"A Ninth Alive" 1976 (Pacific 1001)<br />
"A Ninth Alive" 1976 (Panama prs-1001) [white vinyl]<br />
"Kiss Heaven Goodbye" 1978 (Panama 1023)<br />
Fans say that the addition of Nick Christopher is<br />
what made this such a leap forward from their less<br />
interesting (and much easier to find) first album.<br />
The band sure gels here, but Christopher's warbly,<br />
nasal voice is an acquired taste. I defy anybody to<br />
listen to him screeching "I am the prince" without<br />
chuckling. Maybe that's the point, though, and<br />
there's no denying the musical power of this record.<br />
It's hooky, full of energy and speed, the songs are<br />
concise and the band is tight. The tone is varied by<br />
excellent use of acoustic and slide guitars and<br />
tasteful phasing. Once you get used to the voice<br />
you'll find plenty of melody too. Highly recommended<br />
to fans of 70s semi-metal hard rock. [AM]<br />
GRAPES OF RATHE (PA)<br />
"Glory" 1969 (Tarus)<br />
A mixed bag of sounds that mixes dreamy psych with<br />
bad top 40 and horns. Has a good reputation but is<br />
actually a fairly weak album with no real identity<br />
and some nonsense. Full review once I get around to<br />
playing it again.
GRAVITY ADJUSTERS EXPANSION BAND (Fairfax, CA)<br />
"One" 1973 (Nocturne nrs-302)<br />
Spacy experimental cosmic trance. Communal trip of<br />
homemade instruments, sound generators and<br />
percussion.<br />
GREAT AMERICAN DREAM ( )<br />
"Home And Free" 1975 (Audifex) [blank, stamped cover]<br />
This is another one of those "Advance reviewer copy"<br />
releases that were sold via ads in Rolling Stone.<br />
This time the fake label is "Audifex." Side one is<br />
mostly soulful 70s rock, and is pretty good. The band<br />
is tight and there's some cool lead guitar (played<br />
through Leslie speakers.) The album's best song is<br />
the proggy "You Can Fly," which has excellent<br />
harpsichord/flute interplay. Side two, unfortunately,<br />
only continues the style for one song. The others are<br />
two blues tunes and a rock/soul ballad, none of which<br />
are very interesting. Like a lot of the records in<br />
this series, it's quite short: 9 songs, 26 minutes.<br />
The production is raw and demo-like. [AM]<br />
GREAT LOOSE BAND & OK CHORALE (CA)<br />
"Stone Crow" 1976 (Blue Bong no #) [150p]<br />
The "Stone Crow" album was a musical play recorded<br />
live around 1975 at he University of California in<br />
Irvine. The original recording has narrative between<br />
all of the tracks telling their story of seeking the<br />
ultimate THC induced high. The leader of the band,<br />
guitar player Brook Meggs, had a strong tie to<br />
Capitol Records through his dad, Brown Meggs, a high<br />
level excutive famous for signing the Beatles to<br />
Capitol for state side distribution. According to<br />
Brook, the album was a custom Capitol press of 150<br />
copies. Unfortantly, the recording was too long for a<br />
single album so all of the spoken parts between all<br />
the tracks were edited. Without the narrative, the<br />
album is still very long- winded which is why all the<br />
songs run into each other without any dead space<br />
between the tracks. Musically, it's an enjoyable<br />
record and unlike most other albums that deal with<br />
the same subject matter, this one has a low "goof<br />
factor." Being that it's a live recording by<br />
musicians that obviously already found the ultimate<br />
high backstage before the show, they truly live up to<br />
their name and have a good time sharing their buzz on<br />
stage. [JSB]<br />
GREATRIX FREEDOM BAND (Canada)<br />
"Better Days Ahead" 1970 (Paragon 294)<br />
Rock trio doing Creedence, Janis Joplin covers plus<br />
originals, on the same label as Christmas.
GREEK FOUNTAINS (LA)<br />
"Take Requests" 1967 (Montel Michelle 110)<br />
GREEN (Dallas, TX)<br />
Popular local garage/teen-beat band with several good<br />
non-LP 45s. This LP, released as by the Greek<br />
Fountain River Front Band, was made when the band was<br />
essentially history already, and is a disappointingly<br />
stiff affair and not the frat garage blowout you<br />
might hope for. An all-covers lineup mixes jugband<br />
folkrock, blue-eyed soul and two Beatles covers for<br />
bad effect. The band sounds uninspired, the drummer<br />
sucks (strange for a club act), and the recording is<br />
flat and unexciting. I have to rate this one of the<br />
least interesting albums from the era that I've<br />
heard; comparable to the weakest Justice label titles<br />
and several notches below something like the first<br />
Spiffys LP. "For No One" is the highpoint, mainly<br />
because it's such a great song that not even these<br />
guys could screw it up. A 45 was released from the<br />
LP. [PL]<br />
"Green" 1969 (Atco SD 33-282)<br />
"Green" 2003 (CD)<br />
Psych fans hate horns, which is the only possible<br />
reason that this ace album has been ignored for so<br />
long. The horns here aren't your typical soulful<br />
saxes, trumpets and trombones, but a large variety of<br />
instruments, used to add color and mood. There's no<br />
bombast at all. Strong songs have the ante upped by<br />
the unusual arrangements and a variety of cool<br />
production tricks. A few songs on side two cover the<br />
same ground as better ones on side one, but the<br />
majority of this record is terrific. Their 2nd LP<br />
("To Help Somebody", 1971) is considered much<br />
inferior. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Obscure title receiving some interest of late, and<br />
deservedly so. An easily accessible late beat/psych<br />
LP that nevertheless has a lot of odd angles going<br />
for it that keep surprising you. The overall style is<br />
late 1960s McCartney/Odyssey & Oracle pop channeled<br />
through the high-IQ east coast psych sensibility that<br />
produced albums such as the second Fallen Angels and<br />
Elizabeth. Use of horns is remarkably good and an<br />
asset to the album, as are the moody teen vocals. You<br />
can tell the release date by some raw guitars and the<br />
inventive rhythm section playing, but a charming<br />
Anglo '67-68 vibe is retained throughout. It's too<br />
early to be retro and comes off more like a testament<br />
to the tight grip the Beatles maintained on many<br />
musicians across the US, even as they were falling
apart. "Sgt Pepper" is explicitly mentioned in the<br />
lyrics, which combined with four bars of Dick Dale at<br />
the end of the fuzz-laden title track indicates the<br />
fun and artistically conscious nature of this LP.<br />
Judging by the catalog number the LP was released in<br />
the Spring 1969. The band came out of the North Texas<br />
State University in Denton. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
GREENWOOD, CURLEE & THOMPSON (St Paul, MN)<br />
"One Time, One Place" 1972 (no label gc-72105) [insert]<br />
GREER (NC)<br />
Local communal hippiefolk artefact with a couple of<br />
really good psychy tracks and the rest passable<br />
singer/songwriter sounds. In general the guitar-based<br />
songs are good, while I think the piano tracks drag<br />
the album down. On level with the similar-sounding<br />
Big Lost Rainbow, although most people seem to rate<br />
this LP higher than I do. My favorite track has the<br />
entire commune joining in on a mix of 1970s "aware"<br />
lyrics with raga acoustic and flute, like a<br />
politically correct Manson Family. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Cool counterculture artifact from well-meaning<br />
hippies who spent two years perfecting their craft.<br />
Most collectors lament that there's too much piano<br />
here but even the overlong ballads are good. This is<br />
a great album. The intelligent lyrics are foulmouthed<br />
in a wholly appealing way, and the mellow<br />
music is very well-played. Nice little guitar parts<br />
come when you least expect them, giving energy to the<br />
quieter songs, and the vocals are confident and laidback.<br />
[AM]<br />
"Between Two Worlds" 1973 (Sugarbush sbs-109)<br />
Obscure artefact out of a local scene that produced<br />
cult music for a 15-year period; this is a powerful<br />
trip in a song-oriented 1970s British rock/hardrock<br />
style, with psych moves on the two long epics. Plenty<br />
of raw guitar, some piano and synth, heartfelt<br />
vocals, all wrapped in a consistent package that
displays talent and self-confidence. May be too much<br />
of a 70s mainstream sound for some, and indeed it<br />
would have deserved to come out on a major label.<br />
Should appeal to fans of Felt on Nasco. According to<br />
an article in Kicks #1, some of the songs had been<br />
recorded for a 1971 LP by related band Arrogance that<br />
never came out. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is one of those albums that gets hyped as<br />
"psych" or "prog" when in reality it's mainstream AMstyled<br />
1970s rock, made more collectable by rarity<br />
and pedigree. As such, though, this is very good.<br />
It's heavy when necessary, melodic when necessary,<br />
and has a crude enough production sound to appeal to<br />
those who would never listen to, say, a BTO album.<br />
The opening song could pass for heavy power pop,<br />
which should please fans of new wave-era NC rock.<br />
This is not as good as Arrogance's outstanding<br />
"Prolepsis," but due to the longer songs and less<br />
professional sound, it may be preferred by readers of<br />
this book. [AM]<br />
SPARKY GRINSTEAD (Oakland, CA)<br />
"Won Out" 1978 (Sparlene Records)<br />
Here’s a charming little pop album, 25 minutes of<br />
peppy melodies, acoustic guitars, simple<br />
arrangements, and lyrics about gurls. The best song<br />
by miles and miles is the opening “Fall On Me,” which<br />
has a lovely melody and some really cute-sounding<br />
fuzz guitar. It’s a triumph of low-budget recording,<br />
and by comparison makes early Shoes or the Toms sound<br />
like they were recorded at Abbey Road. The rest of<br />
the album isn’t as fantastic, but it’s fun straight<br />
through and Sparky has a really nice voice. The CD<br />
reissue doesn’t list the memorable “Big Ass” (he’s<br />
attracted to them), but includes it as a surprise<br />
bonus track. I wonder what his svelte girlfriend<br />
(pictured on the back cover) thought about that one.<br />
This is certainly not an album for psych or even folk<br />
collectors, but it’s recommended to pop fans and also<br />
fans of “real people” who can actually sing and<br />
write. [AM]<br />
GRODECK WHIPPERJENNY (OH)<br />
"Grodeck Whipperjenny" 1970 (People ps-3000)<br />
-- a Canadian pressing exists<br />
"Grodeck Whipperjenny" 199 (People, Austria) [bootleg]<br />
"Grodeck Whipperjenny" 2003 (CD Radioactive 0017, UK)<br />
I've returned to this LP for a second look as<br />
opinions differ so much on it. It certainly doesn't<br />
sound like the Airplane much, but I do find it a bit<br />
tough to swallow. The playing and arrangements are
mostly fine, but the vocals mess it up a bit, both in<br />
terms of sound and mixing. It's almost as if the LP<br />
had been recorded with another set of vocals in mind,<br />
or that the overdubs were made in a rather hurried<br />
manner. The opening track may in fact have been<br />
intended as an instrumental. In any event, the<br />
unusual, almost Eartha Kittish femme vox don't blend<br />
well with the adept psych-funk-rock fuzz/keyboard<br />
groove tunes, and on several occasions they fall out<br />
of step with the beat. Added reverb and echo effects<br />
make the awkward soundscape seem worse than it had to<br />
be. About half the LP is still very good, with a peak<br />
in the long track on side 2 where everything falls<br />
into place for a few minutes. The CD reissue has good<br />
sound and is worth checking out, due to the LP's<br />
esoteric nature and the individual responses it<br />
triggers. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Utterly unique album that has aged extremely well. It<br />
was released on James Brown's label, and is awfully<br />
funky, but it also has ideas from all different<br />
musical worlds. Great playing abounds, and the<br />
strange female singer, who isn't feminine in any way<br />
whatsoever, has an understated power. A long jam on<br />
side two suffers from a few blues/jazz/hard rock<br />
clichés, but otherwise this is wholly original and<br />
impossible to describe. I can't for the life of me<br />
understand why everyone lumps this one in with the<br />
Airplane-soundalike bands, as there's absolutely zero<br />
resemblance to West Coast rock. There is also a<br />
"second" LP credited to James Brown, with<br />
instrumental groove funk-rock ("Sho' is Funky Down<br />
Here", King 1971). [AM]<br />
THE GROOP (Los Angeles, CA / Vancouver, Canada)<br />
“The Groop” 1970 (Bell 6038)<br />
The Groop had a single release and also a song on the<br />
“Midnight Cowboy” soundtrack, but for some reason<br />
their album’s release was cancelled. Though there was<br />
no actual release and cutouts never appeared,<br />
mysteriously a few sealed copies surfaced, all in the<br />
same spot, in a record store in the early 90s.<br />
Apparently no other copies have yet to be found,<br />
making this possibly the rarest of all major label<br />
releases. It’s quite good too, a top rate harmony<br />
soft rock album, with a nimble rhythm section, co-ed<br />
vocals and horns. It’s a bit funkier/more soulful<br />
than similar examples of the genre like Roger Nichols<br />
and the Free Design. Like a lot of west coast bands,<br />
the Mamas and Papas were an obvious influence. [AM]<br />
RICK GROSSMAN (Northbrook, IL)<br />
"Hot Romance" 1978 (Thunderbolt)<br />
This labor of love private press is as bad as the<br />
cover photo would lead you to imagine. It feels like<br />
the work of a horny 12-year-old, but Grossman’s chest<br />
hair proves it’s the work of a horny adult (or overly<br />
mature teenager?) He’s a truly terrible singer,<br />
unable to hold any of the three notes in his range,
and projecting absolutely zero personality. When his<br />
vocals are backed by equally inept instrumentation<br />
(shooting for mellow jazz rock or music-hall styled<br />
pop), it is enjoyably comic. This is most true on the<br />
songs where the “congos” are way up in the mix for<br />
added faux-romantic effect. Sax and vibes give an<br />
indication that he got a few cues from porno movies.<br />
As bad as this record is, Grossman has a reasonably<br />
developed pop sense, and the upbeat songs have a<br />
contagious energy. “Mellow Heaven Clout, in<br />
particular,” is really catchy, especially the echoed<br />
handclaps. The ballads, however, are deadly. This<br />
isn’t nearly at the level of prime real people<br />
artists like Kit Ream or Kenneth Higney, and in the<br />
long run two sides are a bit much. For a song or two,<br />
though, it’s a kick. Best lyric: “Up all night, ya,<br />
we roll in the sack/just the kind of place she’d like<br />
to do you at.” [AM]<br />
GROUND ZERO (Wheaton, IL)<br />
"Ground Zero" 1979 (Retread)<br />
GROUNDSTAR (CA)<br />
This gets hyped by dealers as a hard rock album, but<br />
don’t go expecting anything heavy or fuzz-happy. It’s<br />
actually hard power pop, decently played and sung,<br />
but not especially inspired or creative. There’s also<br />
an acoustic Latin-flavored song, a couple of weak<br />
funky rockers and, towards the end, a complete<br />
abandonment of harmonies and melody. There’s some<br />
cool lead guitar here and there, but this isn’t<br />
anything special. The closest comparison in the<br />
private press world is the album by Roundhouse,<br />
though that is better than this. [AM]<br />
"Forced Landing" 1980 (Stellar sr-2549)<br />
"Forced Landing" 1980 (Stellar) [2nd press; altered cover]<br />
GROWING CONCERN ( )<br />
By 1980 AOR was all over the airwaves, but within the<br />
genre this is a bit of an oddity and is rather<br />
special. Bits of hard rock, prog, space rock mix with<br />
a pure pop sensibility, and the powerful heliumvoiced<br />
woman and poppy-sounding man are much more<br />
appealing than the eunuch-like wailers who ruled the<br />
genre in the 80s. The songs are reasonably short and<br />
the rockers are fast. The kind of pomp and arrogance<br />
that gave the genre a bad name are nowhere to be<br />
found here. This doesn’t resemble heavy metal at all,<br />
even on the power ballads. The album has been<br />
compared to Styx and Yes in their poppier moments,<br />
but this is much more (pardon the pun, given the<br />
album title and cover) down-to-earth. This ranks just<br />
a notch below Marianus for me as top of the heap<br />
early 80s AOR private press fun. The second pressing<br />
altered the cover art a bit, changed the song order,<br />
and re-named a few of the songs. [AM]
"Growing Concern" 1968 (Mainstream 56108) [mono; wlp exists]<br />
"Growing Concern" 1968 (Mainstream s-6108) [stereo]<br />
"Growing Concern" 199 (Mainstream) [bootleg]<br />
"Growing Concern" 1996 (CD Golden Classics Rebirth)<br />
"Growing Concern" 2004 (CD Radioactive 069, UK)<br />
One of many bands rooted in the melodic sides of<br />
early Airplane and Mamas & the Papas, this mystery<br />
group brings a crystal clear vocal sound and more<br />
reverb than Dick Dale ever dreamed of to create a<br />
cathedral type sound which has blown many minds.<br />
Several cover versions but mostly good ones, such as<br />
the outstanding opening Hollies interpretation, and<br />
their own tracks are enjoyable too. Not a total<br />
classic, but a winner on charm and impressive<br />
surface; one of my Mainstream label faves along with<br />
Bohemian Vendetta and Orient Express. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Most people consider this top of the Mainstream heap,<br />
and for the length of side one they're close.<br />
Beautiful, haunting instrumentation (great use of<br />
harpsichord) and an excellent set of songs makes for<br />
very pleasant listening. The male singer has a voice<br />
that gets cloyingly sweet though, moreso with each<br />
listen, and by the end of the album it gets downright<br />
irritating. Side two also suffers from the<br />
unnecessary inclusion of some very common cover<br />
tunes, and on the whole this is only half of a great<br />
album. [AM]<br />
PETER GRUDZIEN (New York City, NY)<br />
"Album No.1 (in two sides): The Unicorn" 1974 (P.G 101) [500p]<br />
"The Unicorn" 1995 (CD Parallel World cd-2) [+6 bonus tracks]<br />
If you want to go as far out as it gets, this<br />
underground cult album from a gay hillbilly NYC<br />
visionary provides a map. One of the more remarkable<br />
LPs I've heard, or to quote its original advocate<br />
Paul Major's classic description: "Johnny Cash and<br />
Gandalf the Grey drop acid and meet under the altar<br />
to discuss religion while perfoming weird sex acts."<br />
One track is like stumbling into a Salvation Army<br />
meeting while tripping, another is a 9-minute lament<br />
with incredible lyrics. There's ripped off choral<br />
music, basement electronics, lots of bluegrass, and<br />
more. The primitive recording and occasionally<br />
unfinished arrangements should not obscure the fact
GRYPHON (MI)<br />
that "The Unicorn" is an artistically aware statement<br />
from a unique artist, inhabiting a unique world --<br />
the van Gogh of 1970s folk. Grudzien has plenty of<br />
more recordings waiting to be reissued, and has<br />
achieved a cult fame in recent years including TV<br />
features. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Eccentric country psych with bluegrass picking,<br />
religious imagery, and gay concerns. very special<br />
'real person'. Home studio compilation with tons of<br />
claustrophobic sounds in the thick, Trimblesque mix.<br />
Some of the material dates back to 1956! A dreamy<br />
psych aura hovers over the essentially country<br />
playing which tends to stagger rhythmically. Amazing<br />
songs about hard-luck gay romance and hallucinatory<br />
religious visions with an upfront sincerity that's<br />
breathtaking. The vocals are something else too,<br />
spoken-sung in a nasal baritone. This is a very<br />
special work of art that's almost too complex and<br />
otherworldly to grace mere vinyl. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
This one of a kind blatantly gay psychedelic country<br />
album deserves pretty much all of the praise it gets<br />
in collectors circles. There’s nothing even remotely<br />
like it, and it works not because of the “real<br />
people” appeal, but because Grudzien is a fantastic<br />
songwriter with a bunch of great ideas and a wholly<br />
distinct personality. It’s insulting to speak of him<br />
in the same breath as the many talentless “incredibly<br />
strange music” folk he’s usually lumped in with.<br />
Truly great stuff that stands the test of time. Even<br />
the 90s bonus tracks (with drum machines) on the CD<br />
reissue are great. Everyone needs to own this. [AM]<br />
"Gryphon" 1975 (no label nr-12487)<br />
GUILD (Seattle, WA)<br />
Dual-lead hardrock and prog with melodic moves.<br />
"Susurrus" 1978 (KM 2381) [500p]<br />
First LP by introspective folkrock duo, Renee and<br />
Daryl Redeker, with mixed vocals, rock setting, 12string<br />
guitar and some synth. Mostly originals but<br />
also a "cover" of John Cage's "Silence", which scores<br />
points in the humor department.<br />
"Musik" 1980 (no label)<br />
Second LP is similar in style with short songs, some<br />
fuzz breaks, and lyrics concerning mental illness.<br />
GUITAR ENSEMBLE (Las Vegas, NM)
"Have Faith" 1970 (no label)<br />
Charming Christian strum folk teens, harmony vocals.<br />
Seven acoustic guitarists, two bassists, two<br />
"rhythm"(!), and godsend Mary Kay Johnsen on organ<br />
and vocals. This first LP is more in the folkrock<br />
direction with less of Mary Kay's vocals and a<br />
somewhat more primitive feel.<br />
"The You-N-You" 1971 (no label lps-812)<br />
The followup is a special latenite beast that sneaks<br />
up on you with its aching sincerity and visionary<br />
lyrics, the creepy ones by Bob Rivas. This manages to<br />
be clean cut and way lost simultaneously... like an<br />
acoustic New Dawn with better vocals! Inspirational<br />
verse: "It is you seeing others as you would have<br />
them see you. It is you seeing you in others. It is<br />
others seeing you in them." [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
Despite that everyone who hears it seem to like it,<br />
this is still one of the most underrated local LPs<br />
around. Enjoyable all through in its introspective<br />
light-folkrock moodiness, with superb peaks in tracks<br />
like "The Answer" and "Lamb of God". Back cover<br />
photos of the band in very goofy school yearbook type<br />
photos adds to the appeal. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Concern<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
"GUITAR PICKS & ROACH CLIPS" ( )<br />
"Guitar Picks and Roach Clips" 1973 (Stoneybrook) [2 LPs]<br />
Mostly instrumental jams in a psych/prog style. This<br />
is a various artists LP featuring Gordon Alexander,<br />
Bob Jameson, Road Apples among others, and also<br />
Alicia May who did "Skinnydipping In The Flowers".<br />
The album is a movie soundtrack for an obscure<br />
animated feature which briefly played theatres.<br />
SANDY GURLEY & THE SAN FRANCISCO BRIDGE (CA)<br />
"Sandy Gurley and the San Francisco Bridge" 1968 (Tower st-<br />
5135)<br />
Gurley has a great voice and though most songs have<br />
horns, there are a couple with wild fuzz guitar too.<br />
Kind of a mixed bag, but enjoyable. Oddly, the<br />
version of "Can't Buy Me Love" is exactly the same<br />
backing track as that by Neighb'rhood Childr'n, just
MARGO GURYAN (MA)<br />
with Gurley as lead singer. Produced by Larry<br />
Goldberg & Leo Kulka (Afterglow, Maze, Mesmerizing<br />
Eye...) [AM]<br />
"Take A Picture" 1968 (Bell 6022)<br />
"Take A Picture" 2000 (Siesta, Spain) [altered sleeve]<br />
"Take A Picture" 2001 (CD Franklin Castle/Oglio) [+bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
Guryan is one of the few female songwriters to claim<br />
a heavy "Pet Sounds" influence, and while this<br />
doesn't touch, say, Billy Nicholls, it's a lot better<br />
than, say, Marc Eric. Psych fans dig it for the<br />
closing "Love," which has a freakout section, but<br />
pretty much all of the album is easy to like. The<br />
songwriting is complex and thoughtful, and while it<br />
lacks the inspiration of the classic that inspired<br />
it, it's one of the better soft rock albums of its<br />
time, and blows away stuff like Wendy & Bonnie or<br />
Lily & Maria. Unreleased material has appeared on CD<br />
in recent years, such as "25 Demos" (Franklin<br />
Castle). [AM]<br />
GWYDION (Oakland, CA)<br />
"Songs For The Old Religion" 1975 (Nemeton 101) [insert]<br />
"Songs For The Old Religion" 1995 (Psychedelic Archives, UK)<br />
[insert]<br />
This is an LP that sounds pretty good under special<br />
circumstances, but the other 364 days of the year it<br />
sounds like what it is, namely a piece of mediocre,<br />
derivative Northern California pagan hippiefolk. The<br />
style is Brit-trad:ish with mostly selfpenned<br />
material and female vocals on a few tracks, which<br />
incidentally also are the best. The lack of<br />
originality and a dull, non-dynamic recording makes<br />
this hard to enjoy, except as an odd artefact from a<br />
poorly documented scene. The most appealing aspect is<br />
the cover, with Gwydion doing his best to convince us<br />
that he is a Glastonbury/Stonehendge druid - even has<br />
the costume act down, although a big spliff in his<br />
hand blurs the impression. Gwydion's story is still<br />
somewhat mysterious, and there is a strange tribute<br />
website done by his lady disciples which paints him<br />
as a man of Father Yod-like stature, unlike the Pig &<br />
Whistle talent contest reject this LP radiates. The<br />
second LP ("The Faerie Shaman", 1981) is inferior.<br />
Gwydion passed away shortly after, thus fulfilling a<br />
premonition of premature death that he had in England<br />
a few years earlier. [PL]
GYE WHIZ see Dave Lamb & Gye Whiz<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
ROSEMARY HADDAD (Tabor, NJ)<br />
"Coming Hohm" 1975 (Hohm ll-136)<br />
DAVE HALFORD ( )<br />
Hohm commune cool psychy watercolor cover, the music<br />
is flowing female vocal eastern religion meets hippie<br />
socially concious commune folk with acoustic backing<br />
guitars, flute, percussion, sax. Nice latenite<br />
sounds. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
One of the best hippie commune albums. Rosemary even<br />
includes a photo of her guru on the back cover.<br />
Rather than being new agey dullness like, say, The<br />
Oneness Space, this music is strong folk-rock with<br />
Rosemary's lovely voice to the forefront. She seems<br />
truly at peace with her lifestyle; the album has a<br />
comforting vibe to it. Some of the songs are only OK,<br />
but the album ends with a bang. The last two songs<br />
are the fantastic "Kitchen Floor Song," full of<br />
purposely funny pseudo-psychology and chaotic backing<br />
vocals, and the utterly gorgeous reprise of the title<br />
song. [AM]<br />
"Tulesburg" 1973 (no label) [100p]<br />
"Second LP" 197 (no label) [100p]<br />
"Tulesburg" is amateurish DIY folkrock with an<br />
undercurrent of drug themes, as on "Ride on your<br />
horse". The actual title and contents of the second<br />
LP are unknown. From Oregon or California.<br />
HALF TRIBE (Reading, PA)<br />
"Only Startin'" 1965 (Frank Webber Productions FW-1) [500p]<br />
"Only Startin'" 1985 (Resurrection CX 1386) [bootleg]<br />
One of the original North-East preprock artefacts,<br />
though more in an Astronauts-inspired surf/frat-bag<br />
than the usual Stones clones. The extremely
BRUCE HAMANA (AZ)<br />
moody/low-key approach adds a mysterious dimension<br />
that I enjoy. Some psych fans rate this LP very<br />
highly. All covers but one, with a cool sleeve photo<br />
a bonus. Some guys went on to the somewhat punkier<br />
Other Half combo. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Other Half<br />
"Hamana" 1974 (Canyon c-7111) [inner sleeve]<br />
"Hamana" 2006 (CD World In Sound 1029) [+2 bonus tracks;<br />
booklet]<br />
"Hamana" 2006 (World In Sound)<br />
Although it took a long time to get reissued, it's<br />
easy to see the debut "Hamana"'s appeal, but it also<br />
has a few problems. A couple of weak Nashville-style<br />
country numbers drag the middle third of the album<br />
down, and there's a few weaker moments on side 2 as<br />
well. Apart from these it is a very appealing and<br />
atmospheric rural rock/westcoast excursion, the usual<br />
Neil Young, CSNY and even Eagles influences on clear<br />
display. The band (actually Bruce Hamana himself) is<br />
good with an organic garage edge here and there, and<br />
Hamana adds a DIY feel when his soulful vocals fall<br />
out of synch with the backing; possibly the tunes<br />
were all written on acoustic guitar and the studio<br />
arrangements were done rather fast. The overall<br />
acoustic/electric mix is very tasty a la Relatively<br />
Clean Rivers, the songwriting is strong and full of<br />
hooks, and there's some snakey SF guitar excursions<br />
although it is essentially a song-oriented album. Too<br />
bad the playtime is pretty short, else this could<br />
have been transformed into a killer simply by<br />
removing two of the weaker tracks. In any event it is<br />
worth hearing for pretty much anyone into local early<br />
70s melodic rock sounds. Bruce Hamana is a Hopi<br />
Indian, and reportedly later became chief of his<br />
tribe. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
No album gets the feel of drunken reservation life<br />
down quite like this one. A few pure country songs<br />
are duds, but the rest of the album is good<br />
folk/rural/roots rock with hard-living, heartfelt<br />
vocals from Hamana. The rhythm section is a bit<br />
sloppy (and the bass is mixed too loud), which is<br />
either distracting or charming, depending on your<br />
point of view. The lyrics, which aim to proselytize,<br />
are a little awkward and obvious in some places, but<br />
since it's authentic (the album was originally<br />
intended to be sold on reservations), it's<br />
forgivable. Interestingly, he blames his "maker" for<br />
his personality faults. The first two songs are the<br />
strongest ones. A much later (and much less<br />
enjoyable) second album by Hamana goes further in the<br />
country direction, almost to the point of parody
("Indian Dream", Mother Earth 49-7). [AM]<br />
LYNN HANEY (Cleveland, OH)<br />
"Rebirth" 1972 (Tribute fr-2395-sm)<br />
Early 70s Christian folk beat flower vibes from ASFB<br />
vocalist, with Glenn Schwartz guesting on one track,<br />
also some use of harpischord and flute.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> All Saved Freak Band<br />
HANG MANN 5 (Norfolk, VA)<br />
"Sounds Of The Sixties" 1967 (Century fv-23815)<br />
Typical Mid-Atlantic seaboard teen club band of<br />
mostly soul covers and a couple of white-boy tunes,<br />
including Young Rascals, Dylan ("Like a rolling<br />
stone") and Animals. Tuxedo-clad 5-piece group with<br />
organ, released on celebrated custom label. The cover<br />
and the label actually credit the band as 'Hang 5<br />
Mann'.<br />
HA'PENNYS (Andover, MA)<br />
"Love Is Not The Same" 1966 (Fersch 1110)<br />
"Love Is Not The Same" 1985 (Resurrection CX 1331)<br />
The band that preceded the Rising Storm as school<br />
rock group at Phillips Andover. These guys took a<br />
more lowkey approach to their LP, which is mostly<br />
British Invasion covers fed through a basement<br />
folkrock sound with some rave-up aspirations. I like<br />
it, especially the whiney title cut original, but as<br />
usual with prep rock/local teen-beat LPs you should<br />
be aware that it sounds nothing like the Litter or<br />
Nightshadow. Great sleeve design. [PL]<br />
HAPPY DRAGON BAND (MI)<br />
"Happy Dragon Band" 1978 (Fiddlers Music Company 811015-1157)<br />
[200p]<br />
"Happy Dragon Band" 199 (Fiddlers Music Company) [bootleg]<br />
"Happy Dragon Band" 2004 (CD Radioactive, UK)<br />
Surprising about-face from the Phantom "Divine<br />
Comedy" guys, this avant-flavored basement late 1970s<br />
trip mixes synth-led proto-new wave songs with social
HARBINGER ( )<br />
commentary lyrics and a sense of a lot of things<br />
being possible. Vocal effects are in an abundance<br />
while several moogs seem to play off against each<br />
other, yet the whole thing is tight and controlled<br />
enough never to degenerate into freeform chaos.<br />
Strange "Eraserhead"-like moods creep into your skull<br />
as eerie vocals serenade a fucked-up world much like<br />
sardonic space aliens might. The band achieves an<br />
impressive effect by playing big, moody chord<br />
sequences and harmonies on crude analog synths, which<br />
enhances the experience of alienation and<br />
telescopation. Some 70s glam-pop and raw guitar riffs<br />
can also be picked up among the electronics and drum<br />
machines. Very clearly a product of its era<br />
(including some tentative reggae backbeats), I find<br />
this an enjoyable LP and for all its weird, angular<br />
sounds, a lot less challenging than much of the lame<br />
"rock" stuff that was being released at the time.<br />
Psychedelic in its use of contradictory and unusual<br />
moods, but even more likely to appeal to fans of<br />
1970s synth-punk/avant in the Ohio/Eastcoast style.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This bizarre freaky rock album is as different from<br />
the Phantom album as Relatively Clean Rivers is from<br />
Beat of the Earth. It mixes several 70s styles and<br />
buries them under sound effects, synthesizers and<br />
weird vocal arrangements. There are a few electronic<br />
instrumentals, some lyrics that are as obtuse as the<br />
arrangements, and some very faint nods to the<br />
disco/funk trends of the time. Despite an occasional<br />
"Dark Side Of The Moon" influence, they are more<br />
psych than prog or space rock, and at times they have<br />
the same feel as some early new wave synth bands<br />
(i.e. the Units, Assassin Of Silence.) It takes a<br />
number of listens to grasp the actual songs because<br />
they're so disjointed and because the melodies are<br />
somewhat hidden behind the walls of noise. Once the<br />
songs finally sink through, it's almost a surprise to<br />
discover that they're very good, and the electronics<br />
enhance them rather than mask their weaknesses. Like<br />
the U.S.A album, even the most insane synth noises<br />
here have been well integrated into the flow of the<br />
songs and don't sound random at all. This is my idea<br />
of a synth album! [AM]<br />
"Second Coming" 197 (AE 100)<br />
Excellent acoustic lost folk psych with 12-string<br />
that sounds like a sitar at times, harmony vocals. A<br />
strange little beast full of murky strum darkness,<br />
cosmic imagery, and rich vocals. Hard to know what<br />
this group was aiming for with an equal mix of cosmic<br />
and biblical references. Musically, this has more in<br />
common with Leopoldian despair than any Jesus Music<br />
counterparts. They even appropriate the melodies to<br />
Bowie's "Space Oddity" and the Beatles' "You Can't<br />
See Me"! File under: Tripping For Jesus. ...'the<br />
psychedelic sounds of the dirty circus grounds'. [RM]<br />
HARDIN & RUSSELL ( )
"Ring Of Bone" 1976 (no label) [insert]<br />
Male/female duo with countryrock/bluegrass setting<br />
including banjo and fiddle and weird, dark lyrics.<br />
HARD KNOX (East Haven, CT)<br />
"Roughcut" 1981 (RC 1001)<br />
Self-released hardrock/AOR mini-LP in primitive<br />
cover. There was also a pre-LP 7".<br />
JACK HARDY (New York City, NY)<br />
"The Mirror Of My Madness" 1976 (no label) [plain cover]<br />
Well-known 70's/80's Greenwich Village folk scene<br />
mainstay. The LP has a few great whacked out songs,<br />
the Dylanesque “Murder” being a crack-up fave ('you<br />
know he wasn't out there just to dig some clams").<br />
Fellow scenesters The Roches are featured on some<br />
backing vocals. His 2nd LP, this was a homemade<br />
private press that came in a plain white cover with<br />
name and album title hand-written in pencil (the few<br />
known copies are all like that). [MA]<br />
RAY HARLOWE & GYP FOX (MN)<br />
"First Rays" 1978 (Waterwheel wr-711)<br />
JEFF HARMON (CA)<br />
Enjoyable local stoned hippie barrock Dead groover<br />
with peak in druggy epic "Getting Keyed". True psych<br />
vibes from "the bar at the end of the world" to quote<br />
one of the album's original advocates. Excellent<br />
musical value in relation to the low going rate. The<br />
weather always keep changing... [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
One of those albums that’s known almost exlusively in<br />
collector’s circles. Despite the 1978 recording date,<br />
this is wasted late 60s/early 70s-style guitar rock<br />
in a West Coast bag. The guitar playing is pretty<br />
good and the songs have hooks buried here and there.<br />
An album that makes you feel like you’ve wandered<br />
into a swamp by mistake, but the water is warm and<br />
comfortable. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Ghostdance<br />
"To The Core" 1979 (Avocado) [plain stamped cover; insert]<br />
Very obscure LP recorded in Lakeside CA, described as<br />
"odd basement McCartney vibe, with some spacey<br />
keyboards and Christian/seeker overtones."<br />
ARTHUR LEE HARPER (Los Angeles, CA)
"Love Is The Revolution" 1969 (Nocturne 905)<br />
"Love Is The Revolution" 1998 (Synton 9806)<br />
"Dreams & Images / Love is the Revolution" 2002 (CD Papa's<br />
Choice) [2-on-1]<br />
SHAUN HARRIS (CA)<br />
I'm a bit puzzled by all the raves I've seen on this<br />
singer/songwriter artefact -- I've heard it many<br />
times but never found much. A couple of good psychy<br />
tracks with gypsy violin and odd production tricks in<br />
the background but also lots of wimpy James Taylor<br />
laments; I can think of about a hundred LPs that blow<br />
this away. Still, some reliable people rate it<br />
highly. As few as 250 copies were reportedly pressed.<br />
This is the same Arthur that had a Donovanish LP on<br />
the LHI label, which I prefer over this. There is<br />
also a retrospective album "Memories" (RD Records 11,<br />
Switzerland 2003) with modern, or at least updated<br />
recordings, according to the comments I've seen.<br />
Arthur Lee Harper passed away right around the time<br />
of the 2003 LP release. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Recorded with his backup band 'The Second Coming'.<br />
Bent flower power love tunes and war concerns. Much<br />
better than his earlier 'Arthur' LP with more of a<br />
beat (bass upfront) and gorgeous melodies throughout.<br />
Mix of acoustic and subdued electric guitar, violin.<br />
Superb delicate vocals worth of Donovan or Don<br />
Thompson. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Arthur (LHI)<br />
"Shaun Harris" 1973 (Capitol st-11168) [red label]<br />
"Shaun Harris" 2005 (CD Revola/Cherry Red 127, UK)<br />
Ex-WCPAEB member Harris goes all out for 70s pop<br />
stardom here, failing miserably because no matter how<br />
smooth the melodies and vocals, he’s just too<br />
freakin’ weird. At first you’ll think these are just<br />
dumb love songs, but soon you’ll notice that half of<br />
them are about suicide and self-loathing, and those<br />
stupid melodies will start to grow on you. A guilty<br />
pleasure, and proof that talent will defeat any<br />
attempt to sell out. Harris also released a number of<br />
non-LP 45s during this era. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Produced in association with Michael Lloyd, to be<br />
perfectly honest, the first time we played this one<br />
the pop orchestration had us double checking to<br />
ensure we hadn't put a Lobo album on by mistake.<br />
Luckily we were willing to give this one another spin<br />
and, as is so often the case, it turns out our<br />
initial impressions were largely off base.<br />
Admittedly, anyone expecting WCPAEB-styled psych is<br />
probably going to be disappointed by this set. Harris<br />
originals such as "Empty Without Her", "I'll Cry Out"<br />
and "Underachiever" were considerably more poporiented<br />
than his earlier catalog, but the top-40<br />
sheen was punctuated by some of the year's darkest<br />
and self-abusive lyrics. Tracks such as
BOB HARRISON ( )<br />
"Underachiever", "Color of Your Eyes", "Today's a<br />
Day" and the glistening ballad "Love Has Gone Away"<br />
showcased a young man with more than his share of<br />
personal demons. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band<br />
"Yellow Moon" 1975 (Bobco)<br />
HARVEST FLIGHT (CA)<br />
Sort of the garage reverb take on the lost Elvis<br />
impersonator angle. A couple of jumpsuit big ballads<br />
but mostly atomic age rockabilly throwback moves with<br />
deep thoughts. J.D. Brennan meets Stud Cole? Housed<br />
in a terrific cover. His nickname is "Li'L Elvis".<br />
[RM]<br />
"One Way" 1971 (Destiny D-3303) [inner sleeve; individual<br />
photos on back]<br />
"One Way" 1972 (Destiny D-3303) [inner sleeve; group photo on<br />
back]<br />
"One Way" 200 (CD Dodo, Italy)<br />
Very pro-sounding 1970s Christian hippie folkrock LP<br />
with a slicker sound than universally loved Jesus<br />
rock monsters like Kristyl et al. Impressive vocal<br />
harmonies manage to convey a wide range of emotions<br />
within the realm of an elaborate production. Other<br />
notable features include typical 70s keyboard<br />
wizardry, some good guitar, and intricate Third<br />
Estate-style arrangements that occasionally stray<br />
into the overambitious. Includes a cover of "One in<br />
spirit", rest is group originals. May be too much of<br />
a mainstream studio Steely Dan trip for some, but<br />
apart from one atypical country track I think it's<br />
pretty good. Release year seems to be 1971 but it<br />
actually sounds more like 1975-76 to me. Apart from<br />
the back cover difference, the original press has a<br />
different font on the front cover logo, and the label<br />
logo in the left corner instead of the right. [PL]<br />
HARVEST OF DREAMS see Bobb Trimble<br />
HAUNTED (Chateauguy, Canada)<br />
"Haunted" 1967 (Transworld 6701) [mono]<br />
--<br />
"Haunted" 1984 (Psycho 9, UK) [altered sleeve]<br />
"Haunted" 1995 (CD Beat, UK) [+6 bonus tracks]<br />
Inconsistent Canuck rarity with some good tracks,
some covers, and blatant ripoffs of "Season Of The<br />
Witch" and "Security". "1-2-5" is a different version<br />
from 45. The printers failed to use the color yellow,<br />
and as a result both yellow and green are missing on<br />
the cover print on all original Haunted albums. Apart<br />
from the LP the band cut several 45s, some under<br />
pseudonym, and have been fully covered via<br />
retrospective releases on Voxx (LP and CD). No stereo<br />
pressing exists.<br />
HAYMARKET RIOT (Berkeley, CA)<br />
"Live '67" 199 (RD Records 7, Switzerland) [gatefold]<br />
First ever release of live recording from this<br />
somewhat legendary Bay Area underground band,<br />
recorded at the F.U.C.K centre in late 1967. Crude<br />
teen garage jams with some extended numbers.<br />
Essential to any vintage S F aficionado.<br />
HAYMARKET SQUARE (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Magic Lantern" 1968 (Chaparral CRM-201)<br />
"Magic Lantern" 1987 (Osmose, Europe)<br />
"Magic Lantern" 1996 (Sacred Temple 2001, UK) [400p]<br />
"Magic Lantern" 1996 (CD LSD 007)<br />
"Magic Lantern" 2001 (Gear Fab/Comet GF-176) [gatefold]<br />
"Magic Lantern" 2001 (CD Gear Fab GF-176)<br />
BILL HAYMES ( )<br />
More famous for its rarity than musical quality, this<br />
is yet another Airplane meets Cream hippierock<br />
workout. Unlike most similar groups these guys<br />
couldn't really play much, which gives their jams an<br />
odd garage edge, and may sound tedious. The reissue<br />
may be worth checking out, but don't expect another<br />
Wizards From Kansas. A ten minute track has been<br />
reissued on "Psychedelic Patchwork" if you want a<br />
sample. According to the band, as few as 80 copies<br />
were pressed. Great sleeve, so the reissues might be<br />
worthwhile. Beware though: the Osmose issue has a<br />
skip in the first track from the vinyl transfer. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Crude hard rock with decent female vocals and<br />
ridiculously overlong songs. Long jams are dull<br />
enough when played by Cream or Blind Faith, but when<br />
the band has no skills to speak of they're even<br />
worse. A few songs show promise, if only they'd been<br />
held to three minutes. Another high-priced rarity<br />
that leaves me scratching my head. Perhaps it appeals<br />
to jaded collectors who prefer a bargain basement<br />
rough production and performance style to anything<br />
that evidences any talent. [AM]<br />
"I Shall Be Released" 197 (Resist bh-101)<br />
Houston label. Early 1970s solo guitar folkie peace,<br />
love, and protest. Half covers. Haymes also had a<br />
second LP on Resist, titled "USA", and a recent CD
elease as well. [RM]<br />
V.A "HAZLETON '68" (Hazleton, PA)<br />
"Hazleton '68" 1968 (Empire 868-577)<br />
Teen garage cover bands. About half pop with some<br />
nice primitive garage psych tracks. Highlights: the<br />
Lost Dimensions' worst ever "Purple Haze", the<br />
Pedestrians pedestrian fuzz-o-rama "Sunshine Of Your<br />
Love", and the Boston T's "Hold On I'm Coming". Also<br />
covers of Critters, Doors, Young Rascals. [RM]<br />
ROY HEAD & THE TRAITS (San Marcos, TX)<br />
"Roy Head & the Traits" 1965 (TNT 101)<br />
Local pre-Invasion sounds from wellknown r'n'r & pop<br />
performer, released to cash in on his rise to fame<br />
with the "Treat her right" 45; this track is not<br />
included, instead we are treated to Head's 1959-61<br />
recordings, some of which have been "updated" with<br />
mid-1960s stylings such as tambourines. An oddball<br />
release of interest mostly to Texas completists.<br />
HEAD OVER HEELS (MI)<br />
"Head Over Heels" 1971 (Capitol ST-797)<br />
Another surprisingly rare Capitol release; this is<br />
first-rate power trio hard rock. The ballad "Right<br />
Away" will rip your guts out. Two songs recorded live<br />
succumb to annoying blues-rock clichés, but otherwise<br />
this album is hot, and has an appealing variety for<br />
an album of its type. The strident vocals work<br />
perfectly in this context. Better than just about any<br />
of the 70s hard rock bands who actually sold a few<br />
records. Too bad the song "In My Woman" didn't take<br />
advantage of the obvious opportunity for doubleentendre.<br />
Both green and red 'target' labels are<br />
considered originals as the LP was released right at<br />
the design switch. [AM]<br />
HEAD SHOP (New York City, NY)<br />
"Head Shop" 1969 (Epic BN 26476) [yellow label]<br />
"Head Shop" 199 (Epic) [bootleg; dark label]<br />
"Head Shop" 1998 (CD Synton DR9856)<br />
"Head Shop" 2004 (CD World In Sound 1024) [+7 bonus tracks]<br />
"Head Shop" 200 (Epic BN 26476) [legit re?]<br />
Average late-60s psych album, full of sound effects,<br />
fuzz guitar and creative arrangements, but without<br />
the songs to elevate it to keeper status. A couple of<br />
Beatles covers are particularly ill-advised. The<br />
heavier songs are probably the highlights. Good but<br />
not great. The LP was apparently masterminded by<br />
Milan, a k a The Leather Boy. An original Dutch<br />
pressing exists. [AM]
HEADS OF OUR TIME (Toronto, Canada)<br />
"The Subtle Art of Self-Destruction" 1970 (Goodgroove GS-7001)<br />
[foil cover]<br />
This LP offered up a mix of original material and<br />
contemporary pop and soul hits done in an exploito<br />
fashion that you'll either love, or curse. Musically<br />
the album could serve as a primer for studio psych<br />
effects - it's all here including waves of fuzz<br />
guitar, sitar, backwards tapes, channel panning, tons<br />
of sound effects and hysterical over-the-top belly<br />
button gazing insight such as that found on<br />
"W.O.R.D.S" ("a burning desire for a woman with a<br />
blank look on her face, who will assist you in the<br />
subtle art of self destruction"). These guys just<br />
didn't waste a single trick in pulling the album<br />
together. Highlights included the blazing opening<br />
instrumental "Airhead" and the weirdest cover of<br />
"Wichita Lineman" you'll ever hear. Less impressive,<br />
but still worth hearing were a couple of the covers,<br />
including a lame 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy', a heavied-up<br />
"With a Little Help from My Friends" and one of the<br />
stranger Hendrix covers I've ever heard "Crosstown<br />
Traffic". Sure it may not have been great art, but<br />
the LP was a load of fun! [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
Cool exploito-rock with stereo tricks, sound effects,<br />
fuzz guitar, groovy organ, phasing, cosmic spoken<br />
word bits, and backwards instruments. It mixes soul<br />
and rock covers with far out instrumentals. The cover<br />
versions have plenty of horns, and the oddest thing<br />
here is probably the soul take on “Crosstown<br />
Traffic”. It’s hard to think that the jazzy/soulful<br />
stuff will appeal to the same people as the guitar<br />
freakouts, but sometimes the two styles mix on the<br />
same songs, creating a rather odd effect. If you’re<br />
an exploito fan you’re sure to get a kick out of<br />
this. As with most exploito, it’s well played and<br />
sung. It’s cool, but there aren’t as many thrills<br />
here as on, say, the first Aorta album. The silver<br />
album cover is neat. A US pressing on Audio Fidelity<br />
exists, credited to Jay Jackson & Heads of Our Time.<br />
[AM]<br />
HEADSTONE (Columbus, OH)<br />
"Still Looking" 1974 (Starr slp-1056)<br />
"Still Looking" 1988 (Starr) [bootleg]<br />
-- this is a very close counterfeit. The color of the carton<br />
inside the cover is clear gray on the original and more<br />
brownish on the reissue. The label of the original is slightly<br />
clearer and has visible circular lines.<br />
"Still Looking" 1997 (CD Anthology, Italy)<br />
The opening seven minute title track is a killer<br />
journey through local underground guitar psych, and<br />
there's plenty more good stuff aboard including some<br />
more lyrical moves. Underrated LP, solid all through,<br />
better than many $1000 LPs. Great generic sleeve of<br />
eagle "still looking". The band also had three non-LP<br />
45s which are pretty good. [PL]<br />
~~~
Ohio was full of obscure hard rock bands in the 70s,<br />
and it’s surprising how many of their self-released<br />
albums have stood the test of time. Despite<br />
relatively simple songs, this album has real power.<br />
The long title track is the highlight, but the rest<br />
of the album comes close to the standard. The songs<br />
carry on a bit too long, but the solid guitar/organ<br />
sound is backed up by an energetic rhythm section and<br />
the overall feel of this album is strong, and gets<br />
better with repeated listens. They don’t seem like<br />
they were particularly talented, but they made the<br />
most of what they had. [AM]<br />
HEADSTONE CIRCUS (DC)<br />
"Headstone Circus" 2004 (Shadoks 061, Germany) [350#d]<br />
Unreleased 1968-70 tapes from band featuring Glenn<br />
Faria, in a CSNY/Buffalo Springfield style. No<br />
relation to any other Headstone Circus.<br />
HEARD (Lawrence, KS)<br />
"Heard" 1967 (Audio House acetate) [1-sided 10" acetate]<br />
Drawing members from two local high-school bands,<br />
this 1-sided album offers four tracks and a total of<br />
11 minutes to get into the Heard trip. The band is a<br />
lot more energetic than the Chosen Ones, with an<br />
obvious ambition to create a true soul groove rather<br />
than just sanitizing Memphis numbers for the wedding<br />
crowd. Vocalist -- none other than future Nashville<br />
music biz mogul Garth Fundis -- sounds like he would<br />
fit better in a snotty garage band but gives it an<br />
enthusiastic shot anyway. Apart from charming,<br />
energetic opener "I Dig Girls" the tracks are played<br />
unusually slow which combined with a confident<br />
drummer makes it sound almost late 60s in execution.<br />
Did I mention there's a full horn section? Sound is<br />
reminiscent of some of the more bizarre Justice label<br />
teen acts, with a strong recording and a nice live<br />
feel to their advantage. Not garage nor psych nor<br />
beat, this is a Midwest horn band doing Billboard<br />
r'n'b 100 covers. Vocalist and bass player later<br />
joined the Upside Dawne. [PL]<br />
GERALD HEARD (England / Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Explorations vol 2 - Survival, Growth & Rebirth" 1961 (World<br />
Pacific 1413) [3LP box set]<br />
Heard is one of the Founding Fathers of psychedelia
through his work on LSD during the 1950s/early 1960s,<br />
often in collaboration with his friend Aldous Huxley.<br />
He was also an eminent lecturer, philosopher and<br />
author, and his writings cover many fields apart from<br />
the psychedelic experience. From an acid perspective<br />
the 1961 box set is the most interesting as the third<br />
disc contains the world's first LSD trip guide,<br />
inspired by the Tibetan Book Of The Dead and later<br />
blatantly copied by Tim Leary for his "Psychedelic<br />
Experience" book and record. This disc contains some<br />
spooky organ music and classical vocalizing, while<br />
the rest of his recordings are all spoken word. As<br />
the trip is peaking towards the end Heard chants out<br />
cosmic wisdom in a way that is quite psychedelic.<br />
Recommended and likely to become as desirable as<br />
Aldous Huxley's recordings over time. There are two<br />
different versions of disc #3, which is the key<br />
"psychedelic" one. Presumably Heard was dissatisfied<br />
with the first version and went to the trouble of rerecording<br />
it (with some minor changes) and having a<br />
new run pressed of only disc #3, which was then<br />
inserted into the existing box sets. Therefore many<br />
copies found contain 4 discs, including both versions<br />
of disc #3. The re-recorded version can be identified<br />
with a "-2" extension to the matrix number. Heard's<br />
earlier, non-psychedelic album releases include<br />
"Explorations" (Pacifica, 1957), "Reflections" (World<br />
Pacific, 1959) and "Indications" 1959 (World Pacific,<br />
1959). [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see full presentation<br />
HEARTS & FLOWERS (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Now is the Time" 1967 (Capitol t-2762) [mono]<br />
"Now is the Time" 1967 (Capitol st-2762) [stereo]<br />
"Now is the Time" 1986 (Bam Caruso, UK)<br />
Excellent early country-rock album with terrific<br />
harmonies. The album relies too heavily on covers,<br />
but is really a very solid record, being very well<br />
played and having a distinctive feel. [AM]<br />
"Of Horses, Kids, and Forgotten Women" 1968 (Capitol st-2868)<br />
"Of Horses, Kids, and Forgotten Women" 1986 (Bam Caruso, UK)<br />
"Now is the Time / Of Horses, Kids, and Forgotten Women" 199<br />
(CD Edsel, UK) [2-on-1; bonus tracks]<br />
HEATHER BLACK (TX)<br />
The second Hearts & Flowers is similar to the first,<br />
but more produced, and benefits from having one truly<br />
wonderful dreamy psych song that isn't "country" at<br />
all, but somehow still fits in well with the rest.<br />
Both albums are recommended to fans of country rock<br />
or rural folk rock. CD samplers of the band's output<br />
have also been released by Collector's Choice and<br />
Rev-Ola. [AM]<br />
"Heather Black" 1970 (American Playboy 1001) [2LPs; promoonly;<br />
different cover]<br />
"Heather Black" 1970 (American Playboy 1001) [2LPs; gatefold;<br />
photo]
HEAVEN (NE)<br />
Live barband melodic rural guitar jams with organ.<br />
Roots covers of 1950s & 60s staples mostly, some weak<br />
ballads. Produced by Huey Meaux. The rare promo<br />
variant has a cover with a drawing of a fat man,<br />
while the regular version shows a cover design with<br />
lots of illegible scribblings. There is also an easy<br />
to find single LP on the Double Bayou label, also<br />
self-titled and possibly a condensed version of the<br />
2LP set. The band included Gaylan Ladd who did some<br />
garage recordings in the 1960s.<br />
"Heaven" 1970 (W.W. 8701) [insert]<br />
HEAVEN & EARTH (IL)<br />
Guitar and keyboard-led bluesy horn rock jammer. Very<br />
much in the garage, even some fuzz in spots.<br />
"Refuge" 1973 (Ovation 1428) [wlp exists]<br />
Great female hippie folk-rock duo with some nice<br />
psych touches. Echoplexed flute on one song, a dreamy<br />
wavey vocal mix on another give the album some oomph.<br />
The two voices sound great together, and this album<br />
was put together with great care. A few songs in the<br />
middle of the album don't quite match up with the<br />
rest, but the LP begins and ends with very strong<br />
songs (side one ends strong as well). One of the best<br />
female psych albums, this is a quadrophonic release<br />
from the industry's brief flirtation with that<br />
format. Great album cover too. Most (all?) copies<br />
seem to be wlp:s. They also did a non-LP Christmas<br />
single that sounds much more country than folk. [AM]<br />
HEAVY BALLOON (New York City, NY)<br />
"32.000 Pound" 1969 (Elephant V Ltd evs-104) [wlp exists]<br />
HEAVY CRUISER (CA)<br />
Exploito heavy rock/blues with songs like "Lead<br />
Zeppalin" and "Owed to Sgt. Pepper". "Barnyard Blues"<br />
is a pretty good original with a stoned biker vibe.<br />
"Heavy Cruiser" 1972 (Family fps-2706)<br />
"Heavy Cruiser" 1976 (Tiger Lily) [remix; altered cover]<br />
This is the same situation as the Velvert Turner<br />
album -- the "real" Heavy Cruiser album was on the<br />
Family label, and Morris Levy somehow got acccess to<br />
the master tapes and released a variation on it on<br />
Tiger Lily. Heavy Cruiser is a Neil Merryweather<br />
project, basically Mama Lion without Lynn Carey's<br />
vocals (though she did co-write a few songs.) It's<br />
70s hard rock that isn't especially good or bad but<br />
is weird enough to be worth a listen or two. As with<br />
all Merryweather projects it contains a couple of
HEAVYFEATHER (TN)<br />
terrible, pointless cover versions. Canadian and<br />
Spanish (on Philips) pressings exist. [AM]<br />
"Soft, Hard, and Heavy" 1972 (Ace of Hearts 0226) [wlp<br />
exists]<br />
HEITKOTTER ( )<br />
Here's a review from a knowledgable source: "Truly<br />
awful harmony vocal loungy pop with cheesy lyrics and<br />
occasional string orchestra backing. Only winner here<br />
is the last track on Side 1 " Can You help" which is<br />
a short 2 minute fuzz rocker. There is also a 5<br />
minute track on side 2 which is decent with plenty of<br />
swirling organ and dreamy vibes but ends in a bad<br />
drum and bass solo. Judging by their outfits (bright<br />
smiles, ties, leather jackets and matching sideburns)<br />
they appear to be a Nashville lounge outfit releasing<br />
this LP to showcase their many "talents" (soft, hard<br />
and heavy) in hope of securing as many gigs as<br />
possible at the local Holiday Inns. I'd stay clear of<br />
this LP". It's a noisy pressing.<br />
"Heitkotter" 1971 (Ego)<br />
HELENE & MARC ( )<br />
Intense real people/fringe LP popular among psych<br />
mafiosos, a 3-man band with guitar, bass and drums<br />
led by Steven David Heitkotter, presumably recorded<br />
inside the mental institution where the guy has been<br />
for decades. Track titles include "Hangin' All<br />
Night", "Quaker, Dog Got Away" and the 14-minute "Fly<br />
Over The Moon". The vibe is intense and feverish like<br />
a nightmare, unique LP that lives up to its<br />
reputation. This may have been a test press only and<br />
comes in a blank cover, except for the handwritten<br />
title. He was also in a garage band in the 1960s that<br />
released a few 45s. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is a truly disturbing record... so far out-there<br />
it goes beyond what could be classified as "genius".<br />
At times all three musicians sound like they are<br />
playing different songs and somehow you're able to<br />
groove along on three different levels. This is not<br />
for everyone, but if you've been down every "psych"<br />
road out there and enjoyed each and every one of<br />
them, Heitkotter might be for you. I can see 20-25<br />
people thinking this is the greatest LP ever recorded<br />
and everyone else thinking it was a piece of trash.<br />
[RH]<br />
"The Beginning" 1971 (Veritable)<br />
Downer folk with mixed vocals and unsettling suicidal<br />
vibe on Helene's tracks. Cover artwork has amateur<br />
drawing of the couple with gigantic eyes and freaky<br />
long necks. More comments will follow. [PL]
HELGESON SCRANTON (OR)<br />
"Black Bootleg" 1971 (Rex RL 5071) [1-sided; plain cover]<br />
Obscure one-sided custom pressing of local hippie<br />
folk; a mono recording housed in a white cover with<br />
handwritten title.<br />
HELLERS (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Creative Freakout" 1967 (no label) [10"]<br />
Extraordinary exercise in zany 60s cool of the kind<br />
that is almost forgotten today, projecting images of<br />
hip guys driving sports cars, reading Marshall<br />
McLuhan, and sipping dry martinis -- preferrably all<br />
at the same time. It's a showcase for the Heller-<br />
Ferguson ad firm, presenting a long string of their<br />
(often brilliant) radio ads tied together in a<br />
hilarious concept about a suave ad man strolling<br />
around among hippies and folkies on the westcoast.<br />
LSD parties, civil rights, square protesters & groovy<br />
Sunset Strip chicks all flash by while narrator<br />
"Johnny Spots" manages to turn it into inspired<br />
tongue-in-cheek jokes related to the tough<br />
advertising business. Incidentally one of the ad<br />
voices sounds exactly like John Rydgren. Various<br />
songs are parodied to great effect, "What have they<br />
done to the rain" becomes "What have they done to my<br />
line" (i e: his ad copy is distorted by manager and<br />
client), etc. The whole thing is very modern in its<br />
mindset and obviously done with a lot of work put<br />
into it. The sheer talent on display has an<br />
invigorating effect that may cause you to see ad<br />
people in a new light, and in any event is a reminder<br />
of just how cool the pre-hippie 1960s were. [PL]<br />
"City Songs" 1967 (no label) [10"]<br />
"Brief Bouncers" 1967 (no label) [10"]<br />
All three 10-inchers above were released as a 3-disc<br />
set in an elaborate foldout cover, but it appears<br />
that at least "Creative Freakout" also came out as a<br />
standalone item. The other two have been described as<br />
being similar in style. There's more releases under<br />
the Hellers name, including a 45 for a client in<br />
Vancouver, BC.<br />
"Singers, Talkers, Players, Swingers and Doers" 196 (ABC<br />
Command rs-934-sd) [gatefold]<br />
"Singers, Talkers, Players, Swingers and Doers" 2002 (no label)<br />
This more wellknown Hellers LP on a real record label<br />
is appealing too, but feels more dated than "Creative<br />
Freakout". Partly an early moog LP, partly a<br />
McLuhanesque collage of "now" sounds with softpsych<br />
songs, soundbites, gags and parodies. The vibe is a<br />
bit weird and subdued, and not everything hits home,<br />
with a few 3-minute jokes terminating in halfassed<br />
punchlines. There is a recurring space exploration<br />
theme typical for the era. Housed in an eye-popping
HELP (CA)<br />
color cover it's a fun artefact from the era. [PL]<br />
"Help" 1970 (Decca dl-75257)<br />
"Help / Second Coming" (CD Free Records, Europe) [2-on-1]<br />
Help's first album hasn't attracted as much attention<br />
as their collector-friendly second, but it's by far<br />
the superior record. It's a solid mix of rural rock,<br />
folk rock and pop, and rocks really hard despite<br />
there not being any distortion on the guitars. There<br />
appear to be no instrumental overdubs, just a trio of<br />
guitar, bass and drums, yet the excellent<br />
musicianship (especially the rock-solid rhythm<br />
section) makes the sound full and rich. Side one is<br />
full of energy, melodic songwriting, and excellent<br />
vocals, and is solid all the way through. Side two is<br />
somewhat less inspired, but still pretty good, and<br />
the album is definitely recommended. [AM]<br />
"Second Coming" 1971 (Decca dl-75304)<br />
"Help / Second Coming" (CD Free Records, Europe) [2-on-1]<br />
This much heavier second album is the one that most<br />
collectors know, due to lots of fuzz and wah wah on<br />
the guitars. The sparse trio format is the same as on<br />
the first album, except that the clean guitar is<br />
replaced by distortion and effects. Strangely enough,<br />
that makes the sound less full than on the debut. It<br />
admittedly sounds pretty cool, but after a few<br />
listens it becomes apparent that the songwriting is<br />
actually pretty weak, with only two or three songs at<br />
a high standard. Worth listening to for those songs,<br />
but overall a patchy record. [AM]<br />
HENDRICKSON ROAD HOUSE ( )<br />
"Hendrickson Road House" 197 (Two:Dot hrh-81-670)<br />
Mega-rare light psych item is one of the few in the<br />
genre in which the creative force is a woman, Sue<br />
Akins. This isn't really much like all of the<br />
Airplane-wannabe bands, either; Hendrickson Road<br />
House has a distinctive sound with mildly jazzy<br />
arrangements, subtle lead guitar, a tad of autoharp,<br />
smooth vocals and a definite late-night feel. The<br />
guitar playing has a bit of a West Coast influence,<br />
though it's not the least bit heavy. The closest<br />
comparison would be the Serpent Power songs with Tina<br />
Meltzer on lead vocals. One jazzy instrumental with a<br />
lot of sax manages not to sound out of place.<br />
Otherwise Akins sings all of the songs, and the album<br />
has a coherence not often felt in the genre. Not a<br />
masterpiece, but quite good, and the lack of a
MARK HENLEY (MN)<br />
reissue is truly puzzling given its quality and<br />
rarity. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Remarkable femme-vox folkrock/psych that must rank as<br />
one of the best local LPs not yet reissued. Draws on<br />
1960s Bay Area vibes but adds a jazzy nightclub<br />
sophistication that places it in a slightly later<br />
area. Femme vocals are superb whether solo or in<br />
tandem (possibly doubletracked), soaring in full<br />
control over a sparse backing with classical inspired<br />
acoustic guitar. The best tracks have a folkrock<br />
setting yet retains an intimate nocturnal feel. Apart<br />
from a superior variation on Serpent Power (as Aaron<br />
suggests above) I am reminded of These Trails, though<br />
this is less rural exotica and more of an urban<br />
afterhours scene. Tracks such as "Tomorrow your<br />
sorrow" and the opening "Forget about you" are likely<br />
to blow anyone's mind. An atypical saxophone medley<br />
towards the end breaks the mood on what is otherwise<br />
a very well-crafted and consistent album that would<br />
have fit better on Elektra or Vanguard than an<br />
obscure contracting service in rural CA. Two:Dot had<br />
a couple of other interesting releases, including the<br />
rare Arthur. [PL]<br />
"Riversong" 1976 (Sanskrit SR 0763)<br />
"Riversong" 2005 (CD Small Town, UK)<br />
Mellow acoustic hippie folk with a variety of<br />
stringed instruments, credit shared with one Michael<br />
Johnson. Henley and Johnson also collaborated on<br />
Johnson's "Aint Dis Da Life" (Sanskrit, 1977).<br />
HENRY TREE (Cleveland, OH)<br />
"Electric Holy Man" 1969 (Mainstream s-6129) [wlp exists]<br />
This is one of the “lesser” Mainstream psych albums,<br />
though it’s more interesting than you might expect.<br />
It’s a pure power trio with no overdubs (not even<br />
backing vocals), but the song structures are complex<br />
enough to make up for the simple arrangements. They<br />
mix rural rock ,blues, jazz, acoustic ballads and<br />
some Xian lyrics, and it’s rather an odd result. At<br />
its best it’s quite challenging. “Mr. Fear,” in<br />
particular, has a lovely melody and is an evocative<br />
work. All of side one is pretty good, actually,<br />
though some fast noodly guitar leads are a bit<br />
bothersome. The long songs meander, recalling Nucleus<br />
(also on Mainstream), but it’s much better: the worst<br />
bits sound much more like failed experiments than<br />
stoned indifference. Side two is quite a bit less<br />
interesting than side one, though, and this ends up<br />
being half of a promising album. [AM]<br />
HENSKE & YESTER (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Farewell Aldebaran" 1969 (Straight sts-1052) [wlp exists]<br />
"Farewell Aldebaran" 2005 (CD Radioactive)
HENTCHMEN ( )<br />
I am less impressed than most by the "Aldebaran"<br />
title track, but numbers such as "Lullaby" and "Three<br />
Ravens" have an appealing icy acid-folk edge. Hard to<br />
understand all the brouhaha around this album,<br />
though. Both Jerry Yester and Judy Henske had long<br />
careers with several noteworthy aspects, none of<br />
which fit into this archive. The LP is sometimes<br />
listed as by 'Yester & Henske'; a 2nd pressing on<br />
Reprise (RS 6388) has been listed but appears never<br />
to have come out. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Noted folksinger Judy Henske (originally from<br />
Wisconsin) and her husband, Jerry Yester. There's<br />
three great and radically different songs on<br />
"Farewell Aldebaran": the hard fuzz "Snowblind"; the<br />
medeival stomper "Raider"; and the keys and effects<br />
on the title track are riveting. The remainder is<br />
pretentious mixed duo folk with pretty playing,<br />
ludicrous hipster lyrics, orchestral backing, and a<br />
dreamy carnival organ sound. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
This album's inclusion in Ritchie Unterberger's first<br />
book sent collectors scurrying everywhere, trying to<br />
dig up lost copies. Too bad he hadn't written about<br />
some of those lame psych albums that no dealer can<br />
get rid of instead; that would have caused a laugh or<br />
two. While this album's reputation has become a<br />
little overstated in the wake of the book, it still<br />
stands up as one of the better and most creative<br />
folk/psych albums of the period. Henske made the<br />
transition from her earlier career as a comedian/folk<br />
singer/torch singer to a rock singer with no problem<br />
at all. She has an amazing talent, and her throatripping<br />
vocal on the opening "Snowblind" is an eyeopener.<br />
That particular singing style is not<br />
revisited, but from bubblegummy pop to morbid dirge<br />
to psychedelic hoedown to wicked social commentary to<br />
electronic freakout this album really shows what can<br />
happen when willingness to experiment is high and<br />
talent is ripe. A few songs in the middle don't<br />
really live up to the rest, which is what keeps this<br />
from being an eternal masterpiece, but still it's<br />
close. Henske and Yester's next collaboration, as<br />
"Rosebud," sadly shows little of the inspiration of<br />
this album. [AM]<br />
"Hentchmen" 1966 (Sanders no #) [no sleeve]<br />
Teenbeat demo LP from NYC recording studio.<br />
HERE COMES EVERYBODY (OK)<br />
"Here Comes Everybody" 1974 (Cab 101)<br />
Westcoast sound stoner barband with side-long "L'<br />
Opera: Johnny Got His Raygun", in handmade cover.<br />
HERMON KNIGHTS see Knights
DANNY HERNANDEZ & THE ONES (MI)<br />
"Back Home at the Brewery" 1972 (Spirit 52003)<br />
Funky jams in Sly & the Family Stone style. The cover<br />
notes all proceeds will be donated to a marijuana<br />
legalization fund. No doubt that plan went up in<br />
smoke.<br />
JAMES HERSCH & TIM MILLER (MN)<br />
"Butterman's Ball" 1975 (no label) [300p]<br />
Folk/folkrock with mellotron, recorded in 1974 in Jon<br />
Burrell's studio in Brooklyn Park and mastered at<br />
Sound 80 in Minneapolis. James Hersch released a solo<br />
LP in 1980, "Audition" (Whitewater).<br />
CAROLYN HESTER COALITION (TX/NY)<br />
"Carolyn Hester Coalition" 1969 (Metromedia md-1001) [wlp<br />
exists]<br />
First LP is fine westcoast style hippie fuzz<br />
folkrock/pop with Hester singing in a decidedly nonfolky<br />
acid bubblegum style, a few tracks such as the<br />
great "East Virginia" excepted. Solid all through,<br />
should appeal to any fan of Neighb'rhood Child'n,<br />
Birmingham Sunday, Daisy Chain and similar semi-light<br />
trips. For whatever reason, both CHC albums sport<br />
some of the ugliest covers of the era. Carolyn Hester<br />
recorded extensively as a pure folkie from the early<br />
1960s on. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Traditional folkie moves confidently into folk-rock,<br />
complete with fuzz guitars and Buddha references. The<br />
opening “Magic, Man” is well-known due to its<br />
inclusion on the Hippie Goddesses compilation, but<br />
there are plenty of other treats in store here as<br />
well. The more standard folk songs are as good as the<br />
psychy ones, especially if Hester’s clear, girly<br />
voice is your cup of tea. Housed in one of the<br />
absolute ugliest album covers ever, despite (or, in<br />
part, due to?) Carolyn’s brave display of cleavage.<br />
[AM]<br />
"Magazine" 1970 (Metromedia md-1022) [wlp exists]<br />
Hester’s second venture into folk-rock is equally as<br />
good as the first, if not better. How far you go with<br />
these albums depends on how you feel about her voice,<br />
but if you like her this is definitely recommended.
MARK HEYES (CA)<br />
Nice folk rock sounds abound here, with just a little<br />
bit of fuzz guitar to keep things interesting. A<br />
cover of “Dock of The Bay” is pointless, but the two<br />
other covers, “St. James Infirmary” and “Swing Low<br />
Sweet Chariot” are made quite interesting by the<br />
addition of topical political lyrics. Another cool<br />
record and another terrible album cover! [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
"Magazine" is a bit harder to find than the CHC<br />
debut, and perhaps due to this usually written off<br />
blindly as "not as good". Actual hi-fi encounter with<br />
it suggests otherwise, as this is highly enjoyable in<br />
a style similar to the first; a small step or two<br />
towards moody folkier sounds all over and a little<br />
less Sunset Strip bubblegumish - some may consider<br />
this an improvement. Setting is unchanged with a<br />
stripped down teen guitar/organ sound supporting<br />
Hester's candy acid vocals. There are a handful of<br />
covers including the album's one dud, a useless take<br />
on "Dock Of The Bay", while the acid fuzz rework of<br />
"St James Infirmary" with modernized political lyrics<br />
is very good. Personal faves include opening psycher<br />
"Rise Like The Phoenix" and the superb introspective<br />
folkpsych of "Just Follow Me", while "Calico Sky"<br />
should appeal to fans of soft femme vocal pop. [PL]<br />
"Words and Music of Mark Heyes" 197 (Good Sounds jat-101)<br />
PAUL HIBBETS (GA)<br />
Early 1970s teen organ blues rock produced by John<br />
Tartaglia. Hal Blaine, Joe Osborne, and Larry<br />
Knechtel help the 17-year old Heyes out, presumably<br />
out of the Heyes Sr pocket. Housed in spooky cover<br />
photo of Heyes staring blankly into space.<br />
"Childhood Dream" 1974 (Ascension)<br />
HICKORY WIND (IN)<br />
Good dreamy Christian psychrock with fuzz and<br />
keyboards backing from the band Ascension, has been<br />
compared to Azitis and Joe Peace. Nice double<br />
exposure color cover.<br />
"Hickory Wind" 197 (Gigantic 1104) [black and white cover;<br />
100p]<br />
"Hickory Wind" 1996 (Gigantic/T.U.T, Austria) [bootleg; purple<br />
cover; 300p]<br />
"Hickory Wind" 1999 (Void 11)<br />
"Hickory Wind" 200 (CD Beatball 06, Korea) [+4 bonus tracks]
GARY HIGGINS (CT)<br />
Rural rocker with lots of rootsy Band-type numbers<br />
and country-influences; as you guess pretty far from<br />
the usual psych/guitarrock. Quite unusual LP that can<br />
sound vastly different depending on the listener's<br />
mood, although at the end of side 2 I usually<br />
conclude that it's an enjoyable and wellstructured<br />
piece. Vocals are a bit flat and the playing often<br />
unexciting, but somehow this contributes to the<br />
album's earthy, realistic feel, like strolling into<br />
an Indiana bar one afternoon and finding a band on<br />
stage rehearsing. One track has fuzzed rock<br />
aspirations and there are a couple of good slow<br />
numbers with organ as well. The closing ballad is a<br />
personal favorite. Moves in the same Americana roots<br />
and bar-rock regions as Riley and Traveler's Aid but<br />
is stronger all over, with an appealing smalltown<br />
charm and grower qualities. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
The most well known song here is garagy fuzz screamer<br />
that's hopelessly out of place among a batch of<br />
country-influenced rock songs. About half of them are<br />
pretty cheesy and weak (the nadir being a song about<br />
begging a police officer not to give the singer a<br />
speeding ticket), but a few of them have an eerie<br />
out-of-place-and-time quality that's quite effective.<br />
"Father Come With Me" is the highlight, with spooky<br />
organ and heavily echoed vocals. The album-closer<br />
"Judy" is lovely folk-rock, as out of place on this<br />
record as the one fuzz rocker. I think this is only<br />
half good, even if you're intrigued by the thought of<br />
a basement recording of a stoned country crooner, but<br />
the good half is unique and memorable. The Void<br />
reissue has been described as inferior in sound. The<br />
Korean CD has bonus tracks by B F Trike. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> B.F. Trike; Lee Hyatt<br />
"Red Hash" 1973 (Nufusmoon 3673) [lyric insert; 2500p]<br />
"Red Hash" 199 (CD Flashback, UK)<br />
"Red Hash" 2005 (CD Drag City 295)<br />
Highly enjoyable smalltown hippie folk/folkrock with<br />
a professional sound, good vocals and songs full of<br />
hooks and strong melodies. A dreamy melancholy<br />
dominates, but the sharp arrangements and elaborate<br />
production keeps it from ever drifting off. Lyrics<br />
deal with dope and being in prison, which is a true<br />
story & probably what kept him off major labels.<br />
Higgins received a severe 2-year-9-month sentence for<br />
possession of weed, but had time to record this album<br />
shortly before going to jail. "Red Hash" is a<br />
nickname he aquired when being in custody. Underrated<br />
LP is a personal fave and better than almost all the<br />
overpriced items in this genre. To illustrate<br />
Higgins' qualities I'm picking two different fave<br />
tracks than Aaron does below; "Stable the Spuds" and<br />
the closing "Looking for June". Do not miss this.<br />
Some copies came with promo sheets with newspaper
clippings about Higgins' trial. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
To these ears this is one of the best loner folk<br />
albums. Apparently recorded before Gary went to<br />
prison, which gives it an extra edge. Higgins is a<br />
great songwriter, and has an appealing soft-but-gruff<br />
vocal style. The lyrics reach into some pretty<br />
unusual places, and the melodies and hooks are full<br />
of unexpected left turns. He even uses moog to nice<br />
effect here and there. Pick hits are the beautiful<br />
“It Didn’t Take Too Long” and the pissed off “Down On<br />
The Farm.” [AM]<br />
HIGH MOUNTAIN BAND ( )<br />
"Music From Mountains, Rivers And Oceans" 197 (no label 45640)<br />
Eastern influenced trance folk.<br />
HIGH TREASON (Philadelphia, PA)<br />
"High Treason" 1971 (Abbott ABS 1209) [gatefold with plastic<br />
window and rolling papers]<br />
"High Treason" 2002 (CD Gear Fab gf-165)<br />
"High Treason" 2002 (Akarma, Italy)<br />
Somewhat bizarre concept of a loungy nightclub jazz<br />
band tackling the mid-era Airplane sound and coming<br />
off a lot different than they had intended, I would<br />
think. Lady vocalist makes up for her lack of Grace<br />
by yelling at the top of her lungs, while cocktail<br />
organist and supperclub guitarist "jam" on long<br />
tracks, including an unsuccessful Dylan cover. Didn't<br />
like this much though others may find some appealing<br />
angles on it. Several of the musicians also played<br />
with Perry Leopold. [PL]<br />
HIGHWAY (Mankato, MN)<br />
"Highway" 1975 (no label 854) [500p]<br />
"Highway" 1996 (no label) [bootleg; paste-on cvr; 300#d]<br />
"Highway" 200 (CD no label) [+4 tracks]<br />
One of the better finds of the 1990s to my ears,<br />
guitar-driven rural rock/west coast trio similar to<br />
the harder sides of Homer or the melodic sides of<br />
Morly Grey. Opens with two killer tracks and a good<br />
2/3 of the LP is excellent, some instrumental<br />
passages veer too much towards jazzrock for me<br />
though. The LP was recorded in Iowa and remained<br />
unknown among psych fans until the 1990s. Some<br />
original copies included promotional handbills. The<br />
CD reissue is from master tapes. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Unusual power trio album that's one of the best of<br />
its kind. It's hard but not heavy; there's not a<br />
single distorted guitar to be heard. What you get<br />
instead are intricate, complex riffs and hooks aplenty<br />
in which speed and agility take precedence<br />
over pure noise. The drums and bass compensate by<br />
being loud and frantic. At times it appears that
they're overreaching their grasp, but the feeling of<br />
them teetering over the edge of a cliff is actually<br />
kind of exhilarating. The two instrumentals are<br />
especially hot. The production, on the other hand, is<br />
thin and trebly. It's arguable that a more<br />
professional job could have given them a richer and<br />
less chaotic sound, but it's equally likely that the<br />
individual performances would have had less impact.<br />
As it is, the rumbling drums on "Just To Be With<br />
You," for example, sound something like a landslide.<br />
That's mostly a good thing. As usual with this kind<br />
of band, lyrics are not their strong point, but the<br />
vocals are quite agreeable, not macho or obnoxious at<br />
all. It simply appears that these guys were doing<br />
their own thing without caring whether they fit into<br />
any genre or if they appealed to the kids. Great<br />
album. The folks who reissued the album pressed more<br />
LPs than covers, so occasionally it turns up in a<br />
plain white cover or with just a non-pasted-on front<br />
cover. [AM]<br />
HIGHWAY ROBBERY (CA)<br />
"For Love and Money" 1972 (RCA lsp-4735)<br />
HIGHWIND (KY)<br />
Great early 70s hard rock. Two soft pop songs sneak<br />
their way onto the album, and somehow sound fantastic<br />
next to the noisy guitars and in-your-face vocal<br />
style of the rest. Funny lyrics, out of control slide<br />
guitar and high speed put this miles ahead of your<br />
average hard rock album. A keeper. Michael Stevens<br />
was previously in Boston Tea Party. Atlee Yeager also<br />
played with Atlee and Damon. [AM]<br />
"Highwind" 1980 (Forum FR 1001)<br />
KENNETH HIGNEY (NJ)<br />
Pomprock/AOR with keyboard/guitar.<br />
"Attic Demonstration" 1976 (Kebrutney 516)<br />
"Attic Demonstration" 197 (Kebrutney 516) [2nd press]<br />
New Jersey open wounds real person basement psych<br />
damage strums with buzzfuzz bursts. Mix of Spencian<br />
floaters and warped rhythm ravers. At times sounds<br />
like 1/2 Japanese doing Cale-era Modern Lovers<br />
outtakes. Way lost no-fi monsterdom. The repress used<br />
left over covers and labels. There's a sticker on the<br />
cover and the label, over the address, listing a
Lyndhurst, New Jersey address. The first press shows<br />
a Bayonne, New Jersey address on cover and label.<br />
[RM]<br />
~~~<br />
Many years after this album had become a cult<br />
classic, Higney came clean and admitted that the<br />
sloppy performances and off-rhythm singing weren't<br />
his natural sensibility, but actual mistakes. Since<br />
he had recorded the songs to shop them to other<br />
artists, not to showcase himself as a performer, he<br />
wasn't too concerned with the quality. That said,<br />
there's still no question that something is bizarre<br />
and "off" with his world view. This is one "real<br />
people" album that really is enjoyable, because he<br />
has just enough songwriting talent to make the songs<br />
listenable, and there are enough quirks and goofy<br />
moments to push it one step further into its own<br />
unique realm. Occasionally this music seems like<br />
ahead-of-its-time proto-punk. There's definitely no<br />
shortage of energy here. Lots of people love this<br />
album, and for good reason. [AM]<br />
HI HOPES (Anaheim, CA)<br />
"Ability" 1970 (Band 'n' Vocal bvrs-1200)<br />
"Hi Hopes" 1971 (Activity ar-696) [booklet]<br />
BILL HILL ( )<br />
The band is Hi Hopes (from Hope School) but some<br />
releases are credited to High Hopes. Basement rock<br />
from adult students at the school which cares for the<br />
'trainable mentally retarded'. The first LP is a<br />
legend in Shaggs' territory with four CCR covers and<br />
"Wipeout" taken to their minimalist extremes. Their<br />
later LPs ("Play Along, Sing Along", 1975 and "To You<br />
With Joy", 1978) have less interesting songs.<br />
"Free Advice" 1983 (no label) [insert; 200p]<br />
HILLARY BLAZE (AZ)<br />
Burnout paranoid hippie new wave psych with a couple<br />
of worthwhile tracks like "In Control". The small<br />
press size has been reported by Hill himself. Some<br />
unreleased stuff from 1985 appeared in 1996 on the<br />
Swiss RD label ("Maps & Signs").<br />
~~~<br />
Inventive metallic guitar mystic rocker with quirky<br />
bouncing rhythm new wave keys. Great multi-textured<br />
leads and effects, industrial leanings. [RM]<br />
"Exposure" 1977 (30th Century Fox)<br />
Distinctive and strange hard rock/space rock. Two<br />
cover variations exist. The first pressing is b & w<br />
and the second has the word "Exposure" in orange.
V.A "HILL COUNTRY FAITH FESTIVAL '74" (TX)<br />
"Hill Country Faith Festival '74" 1974 (ACR-KNO-BEL 33-7427)<br />
HILLOW HAMMIT (DC)<br />
Moody x-ian folk with good pre-LP Redemption track.<br />
Also has Trinity, Cliff Lockear, Glory Bound,<br />
Children of Faith. Lo-fi recording and noisy press.<br />
"Hammer" 1969 (House of the Fox hof-lp-2) [mono wlp]<br />
"Hammer" 1969 (House of the Fox hof-lp-2) [stereo]<br />
"Hammer" 1978 (L & BJ)<br />
Excellent hard guitar rock produced by Lelan Rogers<br />
of IA/Elevators fame. Recorded at Sounds of Memphis<br />
Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. Stock mono pressings<br />
may not exist; it also appears that many or all<br />
'mono' promos actually play stereo. The band name<br />
incorrectly listed as 'Hillow Hammet' the House Of<br />
Fox version. The 1978 release corrects the spelling,<br />
while the cover is different and has incorrect song<br />
listings. One track has been replaced. The sound has<br />
been reported as inferior to the 1969 pressing.<br />
V.A "HILLSIDE '66" (Columbus, OH)<br />
"Hillside '66" 1966 (Hillside 18036) [no cover]<br />
Not less than five tracks from this local<br />
teenbeat/garage sampler have found their way onto<br />
various comps, so maybe someone will reissue it in<br />
its entirety some dat. Cover versions all through I<br />
think, though with enough dumb teenage charm to make
for acceptable listening. Bands include the Possums,<br />
Grim Reapers, King's English, Eggs, Deadlys, and<br />
more. The LP has also been listed as 'Hillside Album'<br />
and 'Hillside Sampler'. There is a later "Hillside<br />
'67" EP with four bands doing one track each.<br />
HILLTONES see Universal Ignorants<br />
HILSS & LABLANC ( )<br />
"A Time Lost" 1974 (AR 3939)<br />
Private press of melodic 1970s folkrock in the same<br />
generic sun-dial sleeve as Emmaus Road Band. Rock<br />
setting with organ plus piano and flute; the main duo<br />
has a couple of guys helping out. Originals all<br />
through.<br />
HITCH-HIKERS (Portage, IN)<br />
"Thank You For Your Love" 196 (H-H Records HHMR 113)<br />
Obscure mid-60s teenbeat from goofy-looking guys with<br />
older vibe. One even has a moustache. Plenty of group<br />
originals with mix of rockers and ballads, plus cover<br />
of "Stormy Monday" and a track called "Five to<br />
one" (!). The band also had two 45s out.<br />
H M S BOUNTY see Merrell Fankhauser<br />
HOI' POLLOI (Richmond, IN) see interview<br />
"Hoi' Polloi" 1972 (Custom Fidelity CFS 2899) [insert; blank<br />
back cover; 500p]<br />
Recently discovered melodic rock/s-sw/psych delight<br />
from students at Earlham College. Excellent<br />
songwriting, dreamy vocals and skillful arrangements<br />
combine to make for a trip with wide appeal, in<br />
contrast to the crude packaging. Somewhat similar to<br />
the Dialogue LP from PA, but really needs to be heard<br />
on its own merits. Side 1 is great from start to<br />
finish. Band member Charlie Bleak later had a minor<br />
hit and cut a solo LP for Pickwick in 1976. [PL]<br />
~~~
Here's proof that great finds are still out there<br />
awaiting us. This is a truly excellent early 70s rock<br />
and roll album. Collectors may miss out on records<br />
like this because they lack any heaviness or fuzz<br />
guitar (though there are a few trippy sound effects<br />
here and there), but if you're looking for great<br />
songwriting, creative arrangements, reasonably<br />
complex chord progressions and solid performances<br />
this sure fits the bill. For a home production made<br />
by college students it sounds remarkably self-assured<br />
and rich. The keyboard-based soft-rock sound can be<br />
most closely compared to Dialogue, but this album is<br />
significantly better. Obvious (and admitted)<br />
influences are McCartney and LOW SPARK-era Traffic,<br />
with a bit of jazz and even flamenco thrown in<br />
unobtrusively. The occasional horn is used in a truly<br />
likeable way. The album starts very strong, and the<br />
best song, the moody "Old Bootstrap" comes early, but<br />
even the slightly lesser second side has plenty to<br />
offer. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Crucible<br />
JON HOLBROOK EXPERIENCE ( )<br />
"Miserable You" 1976 (Tiger Lily 14046)<br />
Bluesy guitar rock amateur moves. Covers of Young<br />
Rascals, Steven Stills, James Gang, and Dick Dale.<br />
RANDY HOLDEN (Los Angeles/San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Population II" 1970 (Hobbit 5002) [green label]<br />
"Population II" 1982 (Line 5211, Germany)<br />
"Population II" 198 (Hobbit, Europe) [counterfeit]<br />
"Population II" 2005 (Hobbit/Scorpio) [signed & #d]<br />
Holden could have/should have been a major guitar<br />
hero, but it was not to be. His decision to highlight<br />
his playing by creating the world's first power duo<br />
(the drummer played the bass part on pedals with his<br />
feet) doomed this album to deadly slow tempos, though<br />
his fans don't seem to mind. Power and volume are<br />
here in abundance; no one played louder than Holden,<br />
and no one made better use of a whammy bar. Still,<br />
these are not really songs, but vehicles for his<br />
soloing, which could have benefited from a few<br />
faster, more energetic moments. This is an enjoyable<br />
album, but it's not the step forward hoped for by<br />
fans of his two great songs on the third Blue Cheer<br />
album. A great case of "what could have been". Most<br />
or all originals seem to be cut-outs. Original A-side<br />
matrix # is '6-137-I-D Stereo / B 1'. The cover for<br />
the bootleg has a cutout hole visible in the photo<br />
reproduction. The retrospective CD sampler "Early<br />
Works" (Captain Trips, Japan 1997) contains surf &<br />
garage tracks from 1964-66 with Randy's previous<br />
bands "Fender IV" and "Sons of Adam" [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
"Population II" is simply a hard rock guitar lovers<br />
dream. The album's essentially a one man show with<br />
Holden producing, writing all of the material,<br />
handling lead vocals, as well playing most of the
instruments - former Kak percussionist Chris Lockheed<br />
handles drums. The emphasis is on guitar and anyone<br />
looking for musical subtlety need not bother.<br />
Exemplified by tracks such as the opener "Guitar<br />
Song" (perfect for this album), "Between Time" and<br />
"Blue My Mind" the predominant sound is heavy blues,<br />
albeit propelled by an almost endless stream of<br />
monster Holden guitar solos. Elsewhere the album<br />
includes a remake of "Fruit and Iceburgs" (sic) which<br />
was one of three Holden contributions to The Cheer's<br />
"New! Improved!" album. This molten version (divided<br />
into two distinct parts) kills the original. In the<br />
interest of being perfectly honest we'll also point<br />
out nothing here is particularly melodic. The rhythm<br />
section's kind of clunky. Holden's not exactly the<br />
greatest singer you'll ever hear and spread across<br />
the entire album the constant onslaught of mind<br />
melting wailing leads starts to blur together. That<br />
said, it's still a killer album and it's easy to see<br />
why there's such demand for it. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Kak; Other Half<br />
HOLDING PATTERN (CT)<br />
"Holding Pattern" 1981 (Savy) [mini-LP]<br />
"Majestic" 1991 (CD Art Sublime) [album + bonus tracks]<br />
Mostly instrumental progressive mini-LP with 4 tracks<br />
inside a weird cover of a giant hand grabbing a 747.<br />
Similar to Yes with guitar, mellotron, moog, etc.<br />
HOLLIN'S FERRY (Baltimore, MD)<br />
"Hollin's Ferry" 1977 (Port City)<br />
HOLLINS & STARR ( )<br />
70s power pop album that isn't top of the heap, but<br />
perfectly enjoyable for fans of the genre, especially<br />
those who like Badfinger's softer side. Several<br />
songwriters all on the same wavelength give the album<br />
an appealing consistency, but it could have used a<br />
few rough edges and more uptempo songs. Released in<br />
1977, but probably recorded a bit before that, as,<br />
unlike other 1977 power pop albums, it shows no<br />
influence whatsoever from the world of punk. [AM]<br />
"Sidewalks Talking" 1970 (Ovation ov-1407) [wlp exists]<br />
REX HOLMAN ( )<br />
Unique blend of folk, jazz and soft rock with a<br />
lovely dreamy, drifting vibe. Lots of flute, too much<br />
for people who aren’t huge fans of the instrument,<br />
but still this is a really interesting and<br />
experimental album. A guest female vocalist adds<br />
lovely harmonies to the album’s best song. Same label<br />
as Heaven & Earth. [AM]
"Here In The Land Of Victory" 1970 (Pentagram 1001)<br />
[gatefold]<br />
"Here In The Land Of Victory" 2005 (CD Synton, Austria)<br />
Undiscovered gem for Eastern Donovan '67 folkpsych<br />
with acid-flavored cheese and dramatic vocals, like<br />
an whole album's worth of Bill Plummer's "Journey to<br />
the East", or Pat Kilroy and Mark Fry discussing the<br />
Rubaiyat while eating dawamesk on a magic carpet<br />
circling Las Vegas. Strong songs, trancey tabla flow,<br />
deep lyrics. The cover artwork has inspired some to<br />
interpret this as a recovering alchoholic acid<br />
project, which if nothing else adds another<br />
interesting dimension to the experience. Can still be<br />
found relatively cheap but destined to climb the<br />
price ladder eventually. Holman was a prolific TV<br />
actor and also had some movie parts, including "Star<br />
Trek, part V" in the 1980s. He must have been upwards<br />
40 when he made this LP, making the LP an affordable<br />
-- and more listenable -- kid brother to Arcesia.<br />
Pentagram was a Jubilee subsidiary. A Canadian<br />
pressing also exists. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is an utterly fantastic folk-psych oddity. You<br />
know you're in for something special as soon as you<br />
see the back cover photo of a cross-legged<br />
(meditating?) Holman in a park, ignoring a nearby<br />
passed out drunken bum. There isn't an ounce of humor<br />
on this record, but Holman's vibrato-heavy voice<br />
(think Gordon Lightfoot with a head full of<br />
mysticism) suits the depth and mystery of the songs.<br />
There are moments of blues (especially the despairing<br />
"Red Is The Apple"), but mostly it's Eastern-flavored<br />
folk. Instrumentation includes some nice sitar and<br />
tabla, trance-like flute, and sparing but demented<br />
lead electric guitars. The songs themselves aren't<br />
really that strange, but Rex's delivery, the<br />
intensity of the arrangements and a few oddball chord<br />
progressions make them unique and special. The lyrics<br />
create poems that a hack like Jim Morrison could only<br />
dream of. And there's not one dud song on the album.<br />
[AM]<br />
JAKE HOLMES (New York City, NY)<br />
"The Above Ground Sound Of" 1967 (Tower t-5079) [mono]<br />
"The Above Ground Sound Of" 1967 (Tower st-5079) [stereo]<br />
"The Above Ground Sound Of" 2003 (Radioactive 049, UK)<br />
"The Above Ground Sound Of" 2003 (CD Radioactive 049, UK)<br />
"The Above Ground Sound Of" 2004 (CD It's About Music) [+bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
Currently in vogue typical 60s folk-freak transition<br />
LPs from guy famous for writing "Dazed & Confused".<br />
The first one (with "Dazed") is pretty good NYC<br />
folk/folkrock with fuzz and world-weary vocals, while<br />
the second LP fails to live up to its lofty<br />
pretensions in my opinion. It does however contain<br />
the acid killer "Leaves Never Break", which has been<br />
comp'd. His third LP on Polydor has been reported as
weak country-rock. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
The first album as a whole, of course, is<br />
overshadowed by its inclusion of "Dazed And<br />
Confused," which truly is a brilliant psychotic<br />
folkpsych song. "Lonely" is even more frantic, and<br />
both will have you in disbelief that such intensity<br />
can be reached without drums. For 1967, it's pretty<br />
mindblowing stuff, and later folk/psych would sound<br />
nothing like it. The rest of the album ranges from<br />
jazzy to maudlin, none nearly as unusual as these two<br />
songs. All of it has something to offer in the way of<br />
a catchy melody or sharp lyric, though, and while it<br />
may be a disappointment that the intensity dies down<br />
after the first song on each side, there's plenty to<br />
like throughout. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
"Letter To Katherine December" 1968 (Tower st-5127) [stereo]<br />
"Letter To Katherine December" 2004 (Radioactive 104, UK)<br />
"Letter To Katherine December" 2004 (CD Radioactive 104, UK)<br />
"Letter To Katherine December" 2004 (CD It's About Music)<br />
[+bonus tracks]<br />
A lot of people don't like Holmes' second album, but<br />
as a whole, I find it even more interesting than the<br />
first. The addition of drums and a fuller overall<br />
production sound allows him to go in a lot of<br />
directions, and while they're not all successful,<br />
they're never less than fascinating. "High School<br />
Hero" is the song all of us who were picked on in<br />
10th grade wish we could write, except that I'm not<br />
sure the rest of us would have the same kind of<br />
whacked out stream-of-consciousness Holmes shows<br />
here. His jazzy tendencies show up more than on the<br />
first album, and that may put a few people off, but<br />
his sensibility is so peculiar that every failed<br />
experiment on the album seems to somehow make sense.<br />
Side two begins with "Leaves Never Break," the most<br />
disturbed song in his repertoire, and one of the alltime<br />
great folk/psych songs. Flawed, but unique, and<br />
it grows on you. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
HOLY GHOST RECEPTION COMMITTEE #9 (New York City, NY)<br />
"Songs For Liturgical Worship" 1968 (Paulist Press p-04425)<br />
[lyric inner]<br />
"Songs For Liturgical Worship" 200 (Void 26) [insert; 500p]<br />
"Collected Works" 2001 (CD Void/Hallucinations 03) [2-on-1]<br />
Some of the reviews we've seen label this as<br />
throwaway pop, while others describe it as a lost<br />
psych classic. Well, we'll try to set you straight by<br />
telling you it's neither. The album featured 12<br />
original numbers, though roughly half of the tracks<br />
were apparently written by non-band member fellow<br />
class members. Though some listeners might be<br />
bothered by the set's overt religious orientation, to<br />
our ears one of the biggest surprises stems from how<br />
progressive selections such as "Day After Day" and<br />
"Pray" are. Sure, there's lots of mention of God, but<br />
for the most part the sentiments are subtle, rather
than in-your-face. Musically the collection's also<br />
surprisingly impressive. Given all four members were<br />
still in their teens, they play with considerable<br />
confidence - the addition of a "guest percussionist"<br />
certainly helped. On tracks such as "Hand On Your<br />
Shoulder", "Step Into the Wind" and "That Day", the<br />
band's affection for Byrds-styled folk rock is quite<br />
apparent. Among our favorites, the rocking "The Magic<br />
Ice Cube", "There's a Voice Inside" and "Pray" which<br />
sports a nice social commentary lyric and psych-ish<br />
feel to it. Sure the results aren't perfect (witness<br />
the out of tune vocals on "The Resurrection"), but<br />
the set's sense of innocence and raw sound are quite<br />
appealing. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
This is one of the very few “Xian” bands to have a<br />
true early garage feel, and it’s a nice alternative<br />
to all of the zillion folky and heavy Xian albums.<br />
It’s a little bit sloppy, and the songwriting is only<br />
OK, but it has a pure heartfelt vibe that works.<br />
Enjoyable but slight. The Void CD contains both LPs.<br />
[AM]<br />
"The Torchbearers" 1969 (Paulist Press p-04426)<br />
"The Torchbearers" 199 (Void 02) [lyric insert; 500#d]<br />
HOME AGAIN ( )<br />
Regis High School x-ian folk psych trio with a<br />
charming lost sound. The first LP is soft folk but<br />
"The Torchbearers" is especially memorable with a<br />
great mix of sounds - rhythmic Byrdsy ringing guitar<br />
and delightfully nasal vocals out front. "Them's a<br />
Comin'" is a great soulful take on segregation, "Hey<br />
Lord" is a rhythm punker worthy of Out of Darkness,<br />
"Magnificat '70" dives into the tripped downer zone,<br />
and "Jesus H. Clown" is just plain wierd. The Void LP<br />
reissue has an inferior sleeve job. [RM]<br />
"Home Again" 1973 (Balloon BS-501)<br />
Seldom seen local LP, a mix of Hootch-style wah-wah<br />
jams with crude hippie folk and garage exploito<br />
vibes.<br />
HOMER (San Antonio, TX)<br />
"Grown In U.S.A" 1970 (URA 101)<br />
"Grown In U.S.A" 1986 (Breeder 568, Austria)<br />
"Grown In U.S.A" 199 (CD) [+2 bonus tracks]<br />
"Grown In U.S.A" 200 (Akarma 210, Italy) [+2 bonus tracks]<br />
"Grown In U.S.A" 200 (CD Akarma 210, Italy) [+2 bonus tracks]<br />
Westcoasty Texas classic with some early rural rock<br />
leanings, as heard on a track like "Dawson's Creek".<br />
Despite the awesome dual guitar work on the best<br />
tracks, this isn't really a guitar-driven LP but more<br />
of a strongly played melodic hippierock delight in<br />
the vein of Kak or Mother Tuckers. Several excellent<br />
tracks, good vocals and no duds or misplaced ideas.<br />
The group also had some very good non-LP 45 cuts.<br />
[PL]
~~~<br />
This Texas rarity comes from a bunch of places<br />
(mellotron-heavy prog, mainstream AM rock) that could<br />
have made it a piece of crap, but somehow it's great.<br />
Chalk one up for great songwriting, tastefully brief<br />
songs and the kind of eerie underground vibe that<br />
permeates private press records. It's AOR for psych<br />
heads! The first CD reissue has digital skips. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Stardust; Ultra<br />
HOMESTEAD & WOLFE (Cupertino, CA)<br />
"Our Times" 1975 (Topo HB-100)<br />
"Our Times" 2004 (CD Anopheles 008) [+6 tracks]<br />
HONEYBEE RIDGE (IL)<br />
Despite being recorded at Gold Star in LA and<br />
featuring heavy session names such as Hal Blaine and<br />
Al Casey, this irresistable femme-vox melodic<br />
folkrock/psych delight has remained mysteriously<br />
unknown for 30 years. You'll be hard pressed to find<br />
faults with its mix of various late 1960s California<br />
styles, ranging from lyte Neighb'rhood Child'n top 40<br />
psych over Carolyn Hester Coalition/Yankee Dollar<br />
folk moves into all-out westcoast acidrock a la Ill<br />
Wind. The songwriting and arrangements are excellent<br />
throughout and come courtesy mainly of the remarkably<br />
talented JoAnn Avery, although the entire group<br />
contributes most skillfully. The blend of the female<br />
vocalists works well in a manner similar to Mamas &<br />
the Papas, and indeed the album as a whole plays like<br />
something out of one of John Philips' more inspired<br />
daydreams. The release year of 1975 seems almost<br />
impossible, although traces of a more sombre 1970s<br />
mood can be found in the "Soldier Blue"-inspired<br />
Indian (and Vietnam) massacre lament of "See The<br />
Children Die", and the Nashville-flavored "Rhythm of<br />
the wind". I also have to throw in a word for the<br />
super-catchy "King Of The Mountain" which is the<br />
musical equivalent of a giant smiley face and will<br />
send you right back to 1974 and upbeat children TV<br />
shows of the era. In general the psychiest stuff such<br />
as the twofisted punch of "Your Freedom's In<br />
Question" and "I Am Cain" is the best, but the<br />
lightest and tradiest moves are agreeable too. "The<br />
beat of the drum" is perhaps the ultimate marriage of<br />
the band's all strengths into one superb piece of<br />
music, including hard raga leads straight out of<br />
1968. Any psych fan not enjoying this album needs to<br />
come up with a creative explanation why. [PL]<br />
"Honeybee Ridge" 1979 (Beaver Creek Revolution) [2 inserts]<br />
Communal hippie folk and stoned country with full<br />
setting plus accordion and piano. "What's Gonna<br />
Happen To All Us Old Hippies" is a telling song<br />
title.<br />
HONEY, LTD. (Detroit, MI)
“Honey, Ltd.” 1968 (LHI 12002)<br />
GENE HOOD (IL)<br />
Though the band remembers Lee Hazelwood at one point<br />
telling them the album was pressed, in boxes, and<br />
ready to be distributed, to this day less than a<br />
handful of copies have ever been located, and this<br />
album goes on the very shortest list of rarest major<br />
label releases, along with “The Groop” and The<br />
Tokens’ “Intercourse.” The album itself doesn’t have<br />
the appearance of something intended for actual<br />
release, as it is in mono and has only 8 songs<br />
(totalling barely over 20 minutes.) Nonetheless, it’s<br />
excellent, as good a girl group record as I’ve heard,<br />
one that has enough of a rock edge to appeal to fans<br />
of garage rock and light psych. They later changed<br />
their name to Eve, and released a less interesting<br />
but much easier to find album for the label.<br />
Hazelwood, notoriously silent and difficult, has<br />
never shed any light on the reason for this album’s<br />
rarity. [AM]<br />
"Out of the Clouds" 1980 (OSR)<br />
D R HOOKER (CT)<br />
Ethereal progressive folk with synths. With two<br />
members of Farm (on Crusade).<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Farm<br />
"The Truth" 1972 (On/XPL 1029) [lyric insert]<br />
"The Truth" 1993 (Del Val) [lyric insert; 350p]<br />
"The Truth" 1997 (Xotic Mind, Sweden) [lyric insert]<br />
"The Truth" 1997 (CD Xotic Mind, Sweden) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"Armageddon" 1979 (On) [insert; cover slicks; 500p]<br />
"Armageddon" 198 (Hadan, Europe) [bootleg; boardprinted]<br />
"The Truth" is one of the big private press classics,<br />
reissued enough times that most people should know it<br />
by now. Covers all the bases in an impressive manner,<br />
the songwriting, his awesome voice, the elaborate<br />
psych-rock soundscape, even the lyrics are excellent.<br />
The thematic range is truly mind-boggling, going from<br />
ambivalent drug songs into pastoral hymns and ending<br />
up in fullblown Jesus praise. A good LP to play for<br />
your non-collector friends, although it's not without<br />
detractors among mainstream psych heads, who probably<br />
can't handle the ego-mania and lounge moves that are<br />
part of what makes these 70s albums so great.<br />
Recorded in 1974 but not released until '79,<br />
"Armageddon" retains much of the greatness with some<br />
minor UK progrock moves added, but not enough so to<br />
damage the trip. There was also a cassette-only<br />
release ("Rain On The Moon") from the 1980s which<br />
again contains some good tracks. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Heavily hyped 70s private press album that mostly<br />
lives up to its lofty reputation. Hooker’s singing is<br />
a little to the lounge side of center, and here and
HOOTCH (WI)<br />
there it comes off as either overly sincere or not<br />
melodic enough (the ballads hardly qualify as rock at<br />
all). Still, he has an appealing warmth that works<br />
especially well on the heavier songs. The synthesizer<br />
effects on “The Sea” get the album off to a<br />
rollicking start, and much of the rest live up to<br />
that high standard. If the softer songs are your cup<br />
of tea, this album will be an all-time favorite. If<br />
not, it’s still a must-own for the rest. The Xotic<br />
Mind CD reissue contains all tracks except one from<br />
his proggier second album, which is also quite good.<br />
[AM]<br />
"Hootch" 1974 (Pro-Gress 4844) [blank back cvr; 500p]<br />
"Hootch" 1994 (Rollocks, Belgium) [400p]<br />
Obscure high school-project westcoasty heroin vibe<br />
guitar jams, mostly instrumental with two good vocal<br />
cuts; the rest is laidback snakey Garcia-type<br />
workouts with a slightly eerie vibe. One of the<br />
better LPs in this bag, recommended to those into<br />
non-heavy early 70s psych. "Arabian Style" is a<br />
personal fave. Primitive purple silkscreened sleeve.<br />
[PL]<br />
HOOVER HIGH STAGE BAND (San Diego, CA)<br />
"Gets It On" 1970 (Century 38672)<br />
HOPE (LaCrosse, WI)<br />
High school band doing stoned covers of Led Zep and<br />
more.<br />
"Hope" 1972 (A&M sp-4329) [unipak; wlp exists]<br />
The most absurdly hyped 'psych' record in recent<br />
years. Dull rural Christian guitar rock with<br />
harmonies, violin, some fuzz. Too poppy and straight<br />
on the rockers and too rural for Jesus Music fans.<br />
Add on the glossy production and this should put most<br />
everyone to sleep. The LP was also released in Canada<br />
and Japan. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
We bought this at a yard sale, slapped it on the<br />
turntable and thought it was one of the dullest LPs<br />
we'd heard in a long time. It ended up in a pile of<br />
stuff that was destined for Goodwill. Fast forward a<br />
couple of years and we start seeing the album pop up<br />
on several high priced sales lists. Produced by Jack
HOPI KLANSMEN (NM)<br />
Richardson (of Guess Who fame), the quintet's selftitled<br />
debut is hard to get a handle on, but little<br />
of the material is remarkable. Clearly interested in<br />
making a grand statement, material such as "Where Do<br />
You Want To Go", "One Man" and "Find Him" boasts a<br />
Christian agenda. Unfortunately, for the most part<br />
the band just couldn't deliver the goods. Exemplified<br />
by material such as Croegart's "Deliverance", weak<br />
vocals, inane lyrics and hackneyed arrangements<br />
combined to make the album professional, but<br />
plodding. Hard to imagine saying this, but give us<br />
the Moody Blues any day. [SB]<br />
"Hopi Klansmen" 1965 (Indian Arts Of The Americas R3003)<br />
Native American teen band doing typical '65 pre-<br />
Invasion mix of instros and frat/50s. The sleeve<br />
shows an Albuquerque address. Apparently the band had<br />
at least one more album.<br />
HOPKINS & BRADLEY ( )<br />
"Hopkins & Bradley" 1973 (H & B 7310) [plain sleeve]<br />
HOPNEY (FL)<br />
Folk psych duo downer action with echoed vocal and<br />
moody Beatlesque ballads.<br />
"Ends And Means" 197 (Illusion cm-1032)<br />
"Perils Of Love" 197 (Illusion cm-1033)<br />
"Cosmic Rockout" 1977 (Illusion cm-1034)<br />
"Cosmic Rockout" 2001 (CD Dodo 513, Italy)<br />
The first two LPs contain only cover versions, while<br />
"Cosmic Rockout" is a blues psych rocker with strong<br />
guitar and bent vocals. Produced by Mike Pinera<br />
(Blues Image), who released all three LPs on his<br />
mysterious Illusion label. Patrick Hopney was<br />
originally from New York.
HORIZON (FL)<br />
"Horizon" 1978 (Sweet Spirit SS1608)<br />
HORSES (CA)<br />
Christian mellow rock reported as unexciting, but<br />
housed in a great cover of a hooded figure on horse<br />
slaying a dragon.<br />
"Horses" 1969 (White Whale WW 7121)<br />
"Horses" 2003 (CD Gear Fab 201)<br />
"Horses" 2004 (CD Revola 041, UK) [+bonus tracks]<br />
HORTON ( )<br />
Westcoast psych-rock that features pre-Miami Vice<br />
actor Don Johnson in a Carter/Gilbert-mastered bid<br />
for teen-idol success. The other band members later<br />
turned up in Dead-related outfit Kingfish, and<br />
reportedly have no fond memories of their spell with<br />
Johnson. The LP has been compared to label-mates the<br />
Rockets, and is worth checking out. The LP also came<br />
out on 8-track, and an Australian vinyl pressing<br />
exists.<br />
"Dance Hall for Midgets" 1976 (Horton BH 1000)<br />
Messed up hard blues psych from obscure trio, with<br />
demented vocals similar to George Brigman or Circuit<br />
Rider. Cool cover of stoner guy in a giant eye.<br />
HOSANNA (Green Bay, WI)<br />
"Hosanna... In the Morning" 1974 (Diversified Media 740607)<br />
Mix of rural xian rock and dreamy introspection. Some<br />
heavy fuzz moves a la Rainbow Promise.<br />
HOT DOG (Memphis, TN)<br />
"Hot Dog" 1977 (Guinness)<br />
Hot Dog is the same band who released an LP and<br />
single on the Ardent label as the Hot Dogs. They have<br />
connections to Terry Manning and Big Star. The Ardent<br />
recordings were moody 70s rock with powerpop<br />
tendencies. This time around they're less poppy, rock<br />
quite a bit harder and use more straightforward<br />
arrangements. It's a solid but unexceptional<br />
rock/hard rock album, not especially heavy and with<br />
rather pedestrian lyrics. The singing and rhythm<br />
section are excellent throughout, which elevates some<br />
of the more mundane songs. The best song is "You<br />
Can't Live," which has a strong guitar hook and<br />
powerful, driving organ. This is one of the toughest
HOT FLASH ( )<br />
Guinness albums to find. [AM]<br />
"First Attack!" 1977 (Rockwell RW876101)<br />
HOT POOP (CA)<br />
Progressive obscurity comparable to Lift, Fairchild<br />
or Zoldar & Clark. Long tracks with complex<br />
arrangements and keyboard, flute, heavy guitar<br />
interplay and some dreamy passages. Highly rated by<br />
some genre fans.<br />
"Does Their Own Stuff" 1971 (Hot Poop hps-3072) [lyric insert;<br />
500p]<br />
JIMMY HOTZ (OK)<br />
Like Cain’s "A Pound Of Flesh", this album is more<br />
famous for the cover than for the music within. The<br />
front shows the band in a barn, with three of them<br />
shooting up, one passed out (or dead), and another<br />
taking a dump. On the back cover they’re all nude,<br />
except that the woman has a dick and the guys don’t.<br />
Unsurprisingly, the lyrics are equally ridiculous,<br />
mostly about sex and cars. Collectors should know<br />
that other than some noisy fuzz guitar, there’s<br />
nothing psychedelic about this. The music is more<br />
like a combination of surf and roots rock played by<br />
people who just learned their instruments last month.<br />
A ridiculous falsetto vocal on a couple of songs<br />
sends it into novelty territory. As sloppy and inept<br />
as this is, it’s still pretty listenable, and<br />
definitely gets points for grossness. It’s hard to<br />
imagine that in 1971 or 1972 this album could have<br />
been made at all. Sealed copies still show up today,<br />
but since the band themselves hoarded them and sold<br />
them to rare record dealers, the claim that there are<br />
only 500 copies could be true. [AM]<br />
"Beyond the Crystal Sea" 1980 (Vision vl-777) [gatefold]<br />
Hotz is a producer and electronics wiz, kind of the<br />
Christian version of Tom Scholz. The list of people<br />
he's worked with (or who have used his gadgetry) is<br />
pretty impressive. His own album is considered my<br />
many the pinnacle of Christian Prog, and<br />
unsurprisingly his techological knowhow is to the<br />
fore throughout. To be honest, I think it's a lot<br />
more impressive than listenable. The songwriting<br />
isn't the primary focus, but rather a vehicle for a<br />
slick production style that, unlike most of the late<br />
70s and early 80s recordings reviewed here, sounds<br />
completely of its time. Also, his vocal style is<br />
really pretentious in a Brit-prog-wannabe way.
Amusing cosmic fantasy cover art typical of the<br />
genre. Jimmy also produced Arkangel. [AM]<br />
LES HOU-LOPS (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"Off" 1967 (Apex 1591)<br />
"Les Hou-Lops, vol 1" 1998 (Merite 22-918)<br />
A popular beat combo from Quebec comparable to the<br />
Easybeats, this is their only album with vocals in<br />
English. They released five albums in total 1964-<br />
1968, but are generally considered inferior to the<br />
top French-Canadian bands of the era. The Merite<br />
reissue combines "Off" with the preceding LP, "C'est<br />
Chip".<br />
H P LOVECRAFT (Chicago, IL)<br />
"H P Lovecraft" 1967 (Philips phm-200-252) [mono; wlp monos<br />
exist]<br />
"H P Lovecraft" 1967 (Philips phm-600-252) [stereo]<br />
"This Is H P Lovecraft" 1972 (Philips 6336, UK) [altered<br />
cover]<br />
"II" 1968 (Philips phs-600-279) [gatefold]<br />
"II" 2003 (Radioactive 018, UK) [gatefold]<br />
"At the Mountains of Madness" 1988 (Edsel, UK) [2-on-1; bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
"This is H.P. Lovecraft" 1997 (CD Britonic 00010, UK) [2-on-1]<br />
"H P Lovecraft I + II" 200 (CD Collectors Choice) [2-on-1]<br />
While quite wellknown among psych fans, HP<br />
Lovecraft's importance and qualities still remain<br />
misunderstood. To begin with, their truly great LP<br />
wasn't the debut, which is occasionally brilliant (as<br />
on the classic "White ship") but patchy and<br />
unfocused, but the eternally underrated "II"; a deep<br />
pot-psych trip of the highest order. The band's<br />
unique, dreamy European moods are superbly caught on<br />
"Moebius Trip" and "Spin Spin Spin", and David<br />
Michaels' classically trained vocals gives them a<br />
rare edge. A more celebrated psych LP such as Wizards<br />
From Kansas clearly owe a lot to HP Lovecraft, who<br />
along with the Baroques were the first Midwest band<br />
to adapt the new westcoast style. Respect. The debut<br />
LP was released in September 1967 (a UK pressing also<br />
exists), the follow-up 12 months later. There was<br />
also an inferior third LP in 1969 ("Valley Of The<br />
Moon", Reprise), and a reunion LP for Mercury in<br />
1975. [PL]<br />
"Live - May 11, 1968" 1991 (Sundazed 5004)<br />
"Live - May 11, 1968" 1991 (CD Sundazed sc-11008)<br />
I've seen this retrospective live release praised in<br />
many places, but have to say that apart from the<br />
extremely good recording quality it's a mixed<br />
experience. One of the things that worked so well on<br />
their studio LPs, namely the blend between the two<br />
vastly different vocalists, here threatens to<br />
dissolve the music into schizophrenia. The voices
HUCKLE (Canada)<br />
aren't well-synched and seem to be competing rather<br />
than harmonizing. Musically it's solid with an<br />
energetic and tight sound from musicians not afraid<br />
to challenge the Fillmore bands on their own<br />
hometurf; the rhythm section is terrific. Opening<br />
instrumental jam is adventurous and impressive,<br />
although the band tends to favor organ over guitar as<br />
lead instrument. The material is drawn mainly from<br />
their first LP, including several mid-60s folk covers<br />
that were beginning to sound dated at this point. "At<br />
The Mountains Of Madness" from the 2nd LP is a<br />
highpoint, and "White Ship" works surprisingly well<br />
live. All over it sounds like what it is, a second<br />
tier SF Ballroom act along the lines of Crome Syrcus<br />
or Initial Shock having a pretty good night. The<br />
infamous tension inside the band may be what keeps<br />
them from delivering the appealing, ahead-of-theirtimes<br />
vibes from their LPs in full. [PL]<br />
"Upon A Once Time" 1974 (Homespun FO 2128)<br />
"Wild Blue Yonder" 1976 (no label)<br />
The second LP has been described as cosmic psych,<br />
with Sky Sulamyth on guitar.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Sodbusters<br />
LOUISE HUEBNER (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Seduction Through Witchcraft" 1969 (Warner Bros ws-1819) [wlp<br />
exists]<br />
"Seduction Through Witchcraft" 1996 (CD Infinite Zero)<br />
Sexy witch incantations and rituals with background<br />
sounds, like Barbara the Grey Witch. Huebner is the<br />
officially appointed Witch of Los Angeles.<br />
HUMAN BEINZ (Youngstown, OH)<br />
"Nobody But Me" 1967 (Gateway glp-3012)<br />
"Nobody But Me" 199 (Get Back, Italy)<br />
Credited to 'Human Beinz/Mammals' with two thirds of<br />
the tracks by the Mammals, including the title track<br />
which of course was a big hit for the Human Beinz;<br />
unfortunately Capitol owned the rights to that<br />
version. Gateway owned the rights to some of the<br />
(cool) pre-hit Beinz material and put this scam<br />
together to cash in from unsuspecting buyers. The LP<br />
is sometimes hyped as rare, which it isn't.<br />
"Nobody But Me" 1968 (Capitol st-2906)<br />
"Nobody But Me" 199 (CD See For Miles, UK)<br />
"Nobody But Me" 1993 (CD Collectables col 0547)<br />
Produced by one "Lex De Azevedo" (who also<br />
contributed four songs), "Nobody But Me" found the
and finally making it to the big time via a contract<br />
with Capitol. Musically the set was diverse and<br />
pretty good. While their cover of "Foxy Lady" wasn't<br />
anything special, elsewhere "The Shaman", "Turn On<br />
Your Love Light" and "Dance On Through" were all<br />
strong garage rockers. Blessed with a suitably taunt<br />
and raw voice, Belley proved well suited for the<br />
material, while the rest of the members displayed<br />
more competence than expected from your average club<br />
band. Elsewhere "Flower Grave" and the bizarro "It's<br />
Fun To Be Clean" were interesting in that they found<br />
the band taking tentative steps towards a more<br />
psychedelic-oriented sound. With the aid of Capitol's<br />
substantial promotional department the parent album<br />
eventually hit #65. The LP was also released in Japan<br />
on red wax. [SB]<br />
"In Japan" 1968 (Capitol 8737, Japan) [gatefold; obi]<br />
"In Japan" 199 (CD Cosmic Mind, Italy) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"In Japan" 199 (CD) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"In Japan" 199 (H.B.)<br />
Rare Japan-only release from the famous "Nobody But<br />
Me" guys, this shows them to be a tight, impressive<br />
club act with a tough fuzz edge as shown by killer<br />
takes on "Foxy Lady" and their own "Gotta keep on<br />
pushing". Some remnants from a pre-psychedelic<br />
dancehall sound make for an odd mix with the hard '68<br />
material. Well worth hearing - they were the real<br />
thing. Another Japan-only LP release from the band<br />
was "The Golden Album" on Capitol 8596 from circa<br />
1968. [PL]<br />
"Evolutions" 1969 (Capitol st-2926)<br />
"Evolutions" 1987 (Decal, UK)<br />
Absolutely one of the best albums from a Nuggets-type<br />
band. People remember them for "Nobody But Me," but<br />
on this second album they wrote their own songs and<br />
showed all sorts of growth. Great pop, garage and<br />
proto-hard rock, including an absolute monster<br />
instrumental blowout at the end. If it wasn't for two<br />
utterly dull minutes where they destroy a piano with<br />
an axe, this one would be killer from start to<br />
finish. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Impressive late 1960s beat that shows the band<br />
further refining their characteristic mix of acoustic<br />
guitars, fuzz, subtle orchestrations and Beatlesstyle<br />
songs. Nothing here is quite as brilliant as<br />
"Flower Grave" on the debut, but all over it's<br />
clearly a stronger LP, delivering in all the key<br />
areas including some above average lyrics. Hendrixy<br />
hardrock aspirations creep into a few songs but the<br />
end result is closer to power-pop than anything else.<br />
The piano destruction is surprisingly effective<br />
because it's so graphic -- no cheapo sound fx library<br />
snips here, the Human Beinz smash a piano to pieces<br />
and you can hear it! Appealing title from a band who<br />
certainly deserve to be remembered for more than just<br />
a hit 45. [PL]<br />
HUMANIST ADVENT CONCEPT (Canada)
"Invasion" 1979 (Reveal rc-77-2)<br />
"Supra Surge" 1980 (Reveal rc-77-3)<br />
HUMAN ZOO (CA)<br />
Heavy space freeform psych/prog from communal heads,<br />
with fuzz and atmospheric keyboard. Not for everyone,<br />
and not expensive.<br />
"Human Zoo" 1971 (Accent 5055)<br />
K C HUMPHREY ( )<br />
Mixed bag of era sounds with the occasional fuzz,<br />
rare but disappointing LP on legendary label.<br />
"For A Smile" 1975 (MSS-1106)<br />
Loner/troubador folk and folkrock LP with mandolin,<br />
keyboards and effects, housed in a typial period<br />
front cover DIY pencil drawing of a young man sitting<br />
under a tree playing guitar for his girlfriend.<br />
HUNGER! (Portland, OR)<br />
"Hunger!" 1969 (All American) [test pressing]<br />
"The Lost Album" 199 (Void 08) [500#d]<br />
"The Lost Album / Strictly From" 199 (Akarma ak-045, Italy)<br />
[2 LP box-set]<br />
"The Lost Album / Strictly From" 199 (CD Akarma, Italy)<br />
The "Lost Albums" is an earlier version of the<br />
"Strictly From" LP that was discovered in the 1990s.<br />
Although more guitar-oriented and possibly superior<br />
to the Public label release it's still not really a<br />
killer in my book as the basic problems (inability to<br />
jam, so-so songwriting) are the same, no matter what<br />
the tiresome hype tried to convince you. As far as I<br />
can tell, the takes are all the same but they are<br />
unedited, which means far lengthier instrumental<br />
excursions on several tracks. As an example there is<br />
a 2-minute section in the middle of "Workshop" that<br />
was cut out from the Public label release; however it<br />
is just mechanical riffing that couldn't be mistaken<br />
for true acid-rock jamming. Various stories exist on<br />
the origins of this variation, none of which seems<br />
entirely correct. My personal theory is that the<br />
band/label simply were dissatisfied with the original<br />
(acetate) mix, and edited the LP down into the<br />
official version, accidentally losing a few guitar<br />
leads in the process. The oft-mentioned appearance of<br />
Ed King on this LP is dubious, at least King himself<br />
had no recollection of it and did not recognize<br />
Hunger when hearing the music recently. The Akarma CD<br />
omits a few tracks from the test press due to<br />
playtime limitations; the vinyl box-set contains all<br />
the music. [PL]<br />
"Strictly From Hunger" 1969 (Public 1006)
"Strictly From Hunger" 1983 (Psycho 14, UK) [altered sleeve]<br />
"Strictly From Hunger" 1993 (CD Afterglow, UK)<br />
"Strictly From Hunger" 199 (CD Belgium)<br />
"The Lost Album / Strictly From Hunger" 199 (Akarma ak-045,<br />
Italy) [2 LP box-set]<br />
"The Lost Album / Strictly From Hunger" 199 (CD Akarma, Italy)<br />
A longtime legend of the scene though I have to say<br />
it's a bit too patchy to be a real biggie in my ears.<br />
Starts off like it could be the greatest LP ever but<br />
loses its vision somewhere during the third track and<br />
never regains it. Apart from the two opening psych<br />
classics songwriting is mediocre, and the rhythm<br />
section is lamentably unable (bassist) or unwilling<br />
(drummer) to follow the druggie jam paths gloriously<br />
laid out by organ & lead guitar, making the end<br />
product halfhearted. The reissues might be worth<br />
checking out so you can decide for yourself. The<br />
group had a couple of 45s as well. An interesting<br />
aspect is that the 8-track version of the Public<br />
label LP features yet another mix of the album. [PL]<br />
HUSTLERS (Columbus, OH)<br />
"Their Finest Album" 1965 (Caronet 850C-9455)<br />
HUSTLERS ( )<br />
Collegians doing loungey covers of the Beatles<br />
(several), r'n'b standards, and ballads. Standard<br />
rock setting with no horns.<br />
"Hustlers" 196 (Voice 8965) [no sleeve]<br />
Teenbeat obscurity on Florida label.<br />
ALDOUS HUXLEY (UK / Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Human Potentialities, vol 1" 1969 (Gifford Associates A-<br />
101)<br />
The first volume in a projected series dealing with<br />
"the human situation", issued posthumously by Laura<br />
Huxley. In this 1962 live recording of a lecture<br />
Huxley considers man's potentialities for rationality<br />
and creativity, and makes some interesting<br />
observations and suggestions concerning education.<br />
Unlike vol 2 below, this contains no reference to<br />
psychedelic drugs and is mainly for Huxley fans, but<br />
then again, who isn't one?<br />
"Visionary Experience, vol 2" 1969 (Gifford Associates A-102)<br />
"Visionary Experience" 197 (All-Disc LHA 23768)<br />
Huxley is in great form on this 1962 lecture before a<br />
Los Alamos scientist crowd, speaking of the visionary<br />
experience and how it relates to the history of art<br />
and religion. Substantial time is spent on<br />
psychedelic drugs, covering something like half of<br />
side 1, and this is the best audio document of
Huxley's thoughts on LSD and mescaline around. The<br />
non-hallucinogen talk is equally interesting and<br />
thought-provoking, and the mood is upbeat and<br />
progressive in a typical early 60s manner. The<br />
recording isn't perfect, but who cares? Terrific.<br />
[PL]<br />
"Sum and Substance" 197 (Modern Learning Aids 5602)<br />
A "dialogue on contemporary values" from a TV show of<br />
the same title<br />
"Speaking Personally" 1973 (Caedmon 74-750212) [2LPs]<br />
"Speaking Personally" 2003 (CD Artifacts ARTSW001) [+bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
HYDE (Canada)<br />
One of the founding fathers of psychedelia left a<br />
handful of LP recordings behind. The posthumous<br />
Caedmon 2LP set features a 1961 London interview<br />
including a great 6-minute section towards the end<br />
where Huxley praises LSD and mescaline, among other<br />
things -- a good place to score samples. The LP was<br />
released by Lansdowne in the UK. Contrary to what you<br />
may read, the interview was not conducted by Alan<br />
Watts. Huxley's other LPs and recordings (not listed<br />
here) deal with literature and philosophy. [PL]<br />
"Hyde" 1969 (Quality sv-1832)<br />
This derivative folkrock LP is sometimes inaccurately<br />
described as the "second Rockadrome album". Hyde was<br />
a solo artist who recorded in the same studio as the<br />
Rockadrome album, using Rockadrome members as back-up<br />
band. There was no creative input from Rockadrome on<br />
the Hyde LP.<br />
HYE STARS (Chicago, IL)<br />
"'70-'74" 1974 (no label)<br />
Obscure primitive fuzzed bar-rock with Led Zep,<br />
Beatles and Chicago covers done by Armenian guys,<br />
also some band originals.<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
FRANK IANNI (Cleveland, OH)<br />
"No Moon Night" 1977 (Night Wax)<br />
ICE (Chicago, IL)<br />
This album is a rare private press, but has the look<br />
of a major label LP, with the album and artist title<br />
on the spine, and some copies have a punch hole,<br />
implying some sort of nationwide distribution. Ianni<br />
is bascially a 70s pop songwriter with a decent<br />
songwriting sense but not a whole lot of inspiration.<br />
These songs are pleasant but not especially<br />
memorable. Even a power pop nut like myself finds<br />
this pretty bland. There's not much here for the<br />
psych or prog fan either; the arrangements are<br />
tasteful but completely conventional. For some reason<br />
this album has been mistakenly described in various<br />
catalogues as "soul," "new age," and "Beatlesque<br />
pop." It certainly isn't the first two, and it's too<br />
complimentary to describe it as the third. [AM]<br />
"Melting Your Mind" 1972 (Bonny 20446)<br />
The title of this album is not even remotely<br />
accurate. There are no psychedelic sound effects,<br />
blazing hard rock, or any other kind of mind-melting<br />
madness here. It's merely lameass folky, bluesy and<br />
countrified rock, badly produced, performed and<br />
conceived. The occasional female vocals are kinda<br />
sultry at times, I suppose, but really this is the<br />
kind of thing that makes you understand why all of<br />
these private press artists had no choice but to<br />
release their records themselves. If this record is<br />
valuable, then start raiding the thrift shops now,<br />
because absolutely any rare record will sell for $200<br />
some day. At least it has a fun generic album cover.<br />
[AM]<br />
ID (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"The Inner Sounds Of The Id" 1967 (RCA lpm-3805) [mono]<br />
"The Inner Sounds Of The Id" 1967 (RCA lsp-3805) [stereo]<br />
"The Inner Sounds Of The Id" 199 (Fantazia, Italy)<br />
"The Inner Sounds Of The Id" 2005 (CD World In Sound 1026,<br />
Germany) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"The Inner Sounds Of The Id" 2005 (World In Sound 1026,
ID (TX)<br />
Germany, 2LPs) [+bonus tracks]<br />
Mysteriously ignored album that would have been<br />
groundbreaking if anyone paid attention. The eastern<br />
influences and long experimental album closer were<br />
unlike just about anything else in 1967, and while<br />
they’re not wholly successful, this album is<br />
interesting at worst, compelling (the crazed “Boil<br />
The Kettle Mother”, one of the greatest garage<br />
rockers ever) at best. The Id project was recorded as<br />
early as mid-1966 and consisted of studio pro:s also<br />
connected to the infamous Custom label exploitation<br />
sweatshop; some of the Id backing tracks appear on<br />
the Projection Company's "Give Me Some<br />
Loving" (Custom CS-1113) as well as the wellknown<br />
Animated Egg and 101 Strings LPs. Appropriately, the<br />
bonus tracks on the WIS reissue are from the<br />
Projection Company album. [AM]<br />
"Where Are We Going?" 1976 (Aura 1000)<br />
"Where Are We Going?" 199 (Aura)<br />
"Where Are We Going?" 199 (CD Flash 53, Italy)<br />
IGUANA (MD)<br />
Fronted by multi-instrumentalists David and Gary<br />
Oickle, this Id survived long enough to record one<br />
blazing slice of spacey, meltdown guitar. Recorded in<br />
New York, the LP is largely instrumental and clearly<br />
intended as a concept piece, with "Sunrise (A New<br />
Deal)" and "Solar Wind" both having a wild sci-fi<br />
flavor to them. While the plotline's wasted on us,<br />
the front cover mushroom cloud and back cover UFO<br />
probably have something to do with the story. Neither<br />
band member were much in the way of singing, probably<br />
helping to explain why the emphasis is clearly on<br />
Gary's roaring, feedback guitar. The latter part of<br />
"(Part One) Where Are We Going" briefly recalled the<br />
theme from "Dr. Who". It makes for one of those great<br />
"headphone" listening experiences. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
If you want to make the case that the live Terry<br />
Brooks album is the wankiest guitar album ever, your<br />
only argument is that it's a double album and this<br />
one is just 44 minutes. "Where Are We Going" is 44<br />
full minutes of a guitarist picking as fast as he<br />
possibly can with no attempt whatsoever at melody or<br />
finesse. Back the guitar with mellotron, play loud<br />
enough to create some feedback, put the guitar<br />
through a phase shifter, and voila, you have<br />
spacerock for those stoned enough not to notice that<br />
for three quarters of an hour basically nothing<br />
happens and nothing changes. Somewhere in here are a<br />
couple of minutes of singing, and there are three<br />
songs listed, but really you'd be just as well served<br />
by taking ten seconds of the Mariani album, backing<br />
it with a mellotron, phasing the guitar and making a<br />
tape loop of it (or putting it on an 8-track tape.)<br />
Recommended to fans of "Metal Machine Music". [AM]<br />
“Winds of Alamar” 1975 (Quadratrack A101) [quad sound]
I.H.S. BAND ( )<br />
Professional sounding album released on the band’s<br />
own label in quadraphonic (starts with a voice saying<br />
“front left, front right, back left, back right.”)<br />
It’s a progressive version of the kind of west coastflavored<br />
laid back rock that was popular at the time,<br />
with lovely crisp acoustic guitars, CSN-styled<br />
harmonies and intricately arranged songs. Despite the<br />
use of backwards instruments, violins and pedal steel<br />
guitars, the arrangements are thoughtful but not<br />
challenging. The songs are pleasant, but only the<br />
last two have any bite to them, and only one song on<br />
the album even attempts to rock out. You’ll come out<br />
of a listen feeling better about the album than you<br />
should, since the best songs are at the end. It’s<br />
good but not great. It should appeal to the same<br />
people who like, say, Folly’s Pool. In 1977, they<br />
were signed to a major label (UA) and the album was<br />
released with an inferior cover, two additional<br />
songs, and minus the quadraphonic sound. The UA<br />
version of the album comes a lot cheaper than this<br />
one. [AM]<br />
"The Answer" 1980 (Forrest Green fgs-102)<br />
ILIAN (CA)<br />
Crude xian rural rock sound with some heavy guitar on<br />
a couple tracks.<br />
"Love Me Crazy" 1977 (Kitty AW #14051)<br />
ILLUSION (HI)<br />
This is probably the best of all of the Album World<br />
releases. In usual tax scam fashion, the cover has an<br />
incorrect song listing that promises two songs more<br />
than there really are, there's a weird mix of styles<br />
that almost sounds like more than one band, and the<br />
album is quite brief. The basic sound is late 70s<br />
mainstream rock with some quirks and an occasional<br />
jazzy edge. It's mellow but not wimpy. Melodic stuff<br />
like "Hey Denise" and "Tell Me" are highlights, but<br />
the more experimental stuff is cool too. The spacy<br />
fuzz guitar on the title track, for example, is weird<br />
and exciting. An acoustic song and a couple of<br />
instrumentals sound like demos but are still pretty<br />
good. As is usual with this kind of thing it's<br />
erratic, but for the most part this album is very<br />
worthwhile. [AM]<br />
"Illusion" 1974 (Sinergia 7654) [insert]<br />
Soft rock with a couple good anti-war tracks like<br />
"Not Yet" (with loud fuzz break) and a stunning<br />
reverse-negative cover. Same label as These Trails,<br />
but not at all on the same level.
ILL WIND (Boston, MA)<br />
"Flashes" 1968 (ABC 641) [mono; wlp]<br />
"Flashes" 1968 (ABC s-641) [stereo]<br />
"Flashes" 199 (Flash)<br />
"Flashes" 199 (CD Afterglow aft-012) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"Flashes" 2001 (Akarma AK 162) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"Flashes" 2001 (CD Akarma AK 162) [+bonus tracks]<br />
Westcoasty hippiepsycher that has to rank as one of<br />
the best Airplane epigons from anywhere. The group<br />
played the club circuit before making the LP, giving<br />
them a solid rocking backbone most of their<br />
comptetion lacks - great fluid guitar jams. The<br />
opening track is a wasted jugband tune, but after<br />
that they kick in with a 4-minute guitar solo. Mostly<br />
female vocals and an appealing live feel, a simple<br />
yet attractive sound with effective chord<br />
progressions. One track takes on a "heavy" Kantner<br />
feel, there's also some early rural rock moves and a<br />
Music Emporium style spinechiller. One of the best<br />
from Bosstown, with spaced out poetry typical of the<br />
area, while the musical style is essentially<br />
Californian. One of my favorite versions of "High<br />
Flying Bird" too. The rare promo-only mono mix has a<br />
notably clearer sound with better instrument<br />
isolation and rivals the stereo mix on the more<br />
folkrocky tracks, while the heavier numbers come off<br />
less well. The mono version of "Hung up chick" has a<br />
Mystic Siva-style mixing error where the wrong<br />
channel (rhythm instead of lead guitar) is raised for<br />
the duration of the solo! Furthermore, there are two<br />
different stereo pressings of this LP, one with a<br />
'drop-out' moment of silence during "High Flying<br />
Bird" and one without. Visually, if the edge of the<br />
vinyl has ridges cut into it, the pressing does not<br />
have the drop-out. ABC didn't display much care in<br />
their handling of this fine band. The reissues have<br />
some worthwhile bonus cuts. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Here's yet another cool Bosstown album from an<br />
Airplane-wannabe band. The first song on the album is<br />
a terrible cheesy country-rocker, but it picks up<br />
from there, and pretty much everything else is<br />
worthwhile. Some freaky moments and creative<br />
songwriting make up for somewhat inept performances.<br />
The female singer is appealing (when by herself), and<br />
her dreamy ballad "Dark World" is the album's<br />
highlight. The warped "L.A.P.D." is also extremely<br />
cool in a screwed-up Ultimate Spinach vein. Side two<br />
begins with yet another version of "High Flying<br />
Bird," and while it would have been better to hear<br />
something that hadn't already been done by 100<br />
similar bands, some manic vocals at the end give it a<br />
unique energy. The production of "Flashes" is weirdly<br />
stark, sounding almost like a CD-era mixing job. The<br />
lead vocals appear to be entirely without reverb; it<br />
feels like it was recorded in a small room without<br />
insulation. No other 60s album sounds like this one.<br />
Like the Linda Perhacs album, it's a notoriously poor<br />
press. Even "mint" copies play with surface noise, as<br />
do the boot reissues. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Dirty John's Hot Dog Stand<br />
V.A "I LOVE YOU GORGO" (El Paso, TX)
"I Love You Gorgo" 196 (Suemi 1090) [100p; wlp exists]<br />
"I Love You Gorgo" 199 (no label, Austria) [300p]<br />
ILTAR (PA)<br />
Atmospheric late 60s El Paso comp that's clearly<br />
better than the average local sampler. Three groups<br />
are featured with four tracks each; Intruders who are<br />
late beat, Lode Star who are west coasty garagepsych,<br />
and my personal faves Truth, who do bent folkpsych<br />
like the Patron Saints. Originals throughout and all<br />
three groups are obvious talents. Lodestar later<br />
evolved into Swift Rain who recorded for Hi. Classy<br />
reissue. [PL]<br />
"Iltar" 1977 (Tiwa 777)<br />
IMAGINE (Tampa, FL)<br />
Stoned progressive/jazz-rock a k a "new fusion".<br />
Fuzz, sitar, flute, sax.<br />
"Images, Clear Skies, and Rainbows" 1980 (Light Horse)<br />
"Images, Clear Skies, and Rainbows" 2001 (Akarma 160, Italy)<br />
[+bonus tracks]<br />
"Images, Clear Skies, and Rainbows" 2001 (CD Akarma 160,<br />
Italy) [+bonus tracks]<br />
Melodic guitar prog, produced by David Peel,<br />
featuring ex-members of Peel's band. Same generic<br />
cover as Euphoria's "Lost in Trance". There is also a<br />
second LP, “Playin’ Around” 1981 (Light Horse) which<br />
is similar to the first album, and has a John Lennon<br />
tribute.<br />
IMMIGRANTS (NJ/NY/KS)<br />
"Immigrants '66" 1966 (Starburst SRA 9837)<br />
"Immigrants '66" 199 (Starburst) [bootleg]<br />
"Immigrants '66" 200 (CD Starburst)<br />
One of the more obscure local garage LPs, recorded in<br />
Kansas by a group of NY/NJ college boys. Has a cool<br />
sleeve like most albums in the genre and some pretty<br />
decent sounds inside; two cool beat-garage originals<br />
and some unusual covers (like the Beatles' "Run for<br />
your life") all fed through a whiney New England type<br />
sound. The recording is lo-fi and not exactly<br />
dynamic. It ain't the Sonics but it sure beats the<br />
Rolling Stones! The band also had a 45. [PL]
IMPALA SYNDROME (Venezuela / Chicago, IL)<br />
"Impala Syndrome" 1969 (Parallax p-4002)<br />
IMPECCABLE (TX)<br />
They were an excellent garage beat group previously,<br />
Los Impalas. Fuzz beat flower psych infectious<br />
tripper with both heavy and flower moves. Great<br />
guitar throughout and amazing acid cover. The LP was<br />
also released in Spain, Venezuela and Brazil. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
Musically diverse, the band managed to successfully<br />
dip their collective toes into a number of genres.<br />
"Love Grows a Flower" stood as a pretty Associationstyled<br />
flower power ballad. "New Love Time"<br />
demonstrated they could handle blue-eyed soul (with a<br />
nice Latin touch). The closing number "Run (Don't<br />
Look Behind)" sported a then-trendy Eastern-flavored<br />
aura. More impressive to our ears were fuzz guitar<br />
propelled rockers "Too Much Time" and "Let Them Try".<br />
Seriously, there isn't a bad track here, though it<br />
barely clocks in at 30 minutes. [SB]<br />
"Live on the Rox" 1979 (G.B.C. no #)<br />
Hardrock with strong Van Halen and Judas Priest<br />
influence. Cover is primitive with just the title and<br />
a small drawing of an Impeccable fan declaring that<br />
disco sucks.<br />
INDESCRIBABLY DELICIOUS (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Indescribably Delicious" 1969 (All American AA-5743) [test<br />
pressing; no cover]<br />
"Indescribably Delicious" 1994 (Fanny, Belgium) [paste-on<br />
cover; 500p]<br />
"Indescribably Delicious" 1999 (Akarma 046, Italy)<br />
"Indescribably Delicious" 1999 (CD Akarma 046, Italy)<br />
INDEX (Detroit, MI)<br />
Legendary but to my ears musically disappointing<br />
artefact from the infinitely complex All-American<br />
label web. Only three tracks on the album feature the<br />
real I.D band, the rest was some studio demos<br />
featuring one member of the band, plus some SACrelated<br />
guys. The whole story can be found on the<br />
internet. The music is a mixed late 60s bag with<br />
mellotron, but suffers from soulrock moves and<br />
unconvincing vocals, much like later-day SAC. [PL]<br />
"Index" 1967 (DC Records no #) [black sleeve w/ photo; black<br />
label; mono]<br />
"Index" 1983 (Voxx 200.023) [altered sleeve]
One of the major legends of the private press<br />
collector scene, known already in the early 1980s<br />
when Greg Shaw reissued it in "Paisley Underground"<br />
type re-packaging and kept it in print for many<br />
years. The lo-fi sound, amateur vocals and smokethick<br />
atmosphere have an instantaneous jaw-dropping<br />
effect, and it's a good one to play for "square"<br />
friends. Incredible primitive surf-garage-psych with<br />
off-key teenage vocals and an unreal soundscape;<br />
imagine Dick Dale jamming with 1966 Velvet<br />
Underground in an airplane hangar after a night of<br />
booze & quaaludes. Great band originals share the<br />
stage with unparalleled Byrds deconstructions, while<br />
some of the feedback and drone passages are bordering<br />
on avant noise. A true missing link item bridging the<br />
early and late 60s sounds. Beware of the "Index<br />
Anthology vol 1" CD as it omits most of the best<br />
tracks (the covers) from this. The band formed at the<br />
University of Detroit and recorded in Grosse Point,<br />
Michigan. [PL]<br />
"Index" [2nd LP] 1968 (DC Records no #) [black sleeve W/<br />
drawing of heads; red label; stereo]<br />
"Index" [2nd LP] 1991 (Sears) [altered sleeve]<br />
"Index Anthology 1967-68" 1997 (CD Top Jimmy)<br />
Obscure isn't the word for this very rare 2nd LP<br />
(again self-titled) which few people knew existed<br />
before the reissue appeared. Only three or four<br />
original copies have been found. It contains basement<br />
surf-folkrock-psych sounds similar to their classic<br />
1st LP, but also some uninspired blues and Bee Gees<br />
covers. The super-atmospheric basement sound of the<br />
debut is gone due to normal recording facilities now<br />
being used. All over not the mindblower the above is<br />
but a pretty insteresting artefact anyhow, with a<br />
couple of great tracks on side 2. Some copies came<br />
without sleeve, others have been found inside the<br />
sleeve for the first LP. Both their LPs are well into<br />
the four figure realm. The 'Sears' bootleg has a<br />
reverse negative of the original front cover. The CD<br />
contains the 2nd LP plus selection of tracks from 1st<br />
LP. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Just Us<br />
INFINITE COMPANIONS (OH)<br />
"Sanity Rests In The Ability To Fly" 1972 (no label 30102)<br />
[insert]<br />
INN CROWD (LA)<br />
Obscure spacey folk/prog led by Glenn Saiges, with<br />
keyboard and sax.<br />
"Live At The Belmont" 1968 (Continental 100 484)<br />
Local club act with Hammond organ and covers of<br />
Buffalo Springfield, Beatles, etc.
INNERVISIONS ( )<br />
"Beginnings End" 1977 (private)<br />
INNOVATION (Canada)<br />
Seedy femme-vox lounge-rock with appeal for genre<br />
fans, in a psychy cover.<br />
"Innovation" 1970 (Birchmount 577)<br />
INSIDE OUT (IA)<br />
Dorky-looking guys & gals folk quartet.<br />
"Bringing It All Back" 1968 (Fredlo 6834)<br />
This little known garage/club LP on the famous<br />
Midwest label has to be one of the very last local<br />
Top 40 cover band albums in the whole USA, at least 6<br />
months after Granma's Rockers and the final Justice<br />
releases. Sound and vibe is all 1966 with teen<br />
vocals, nice Vox organ and jangling guitar, which<br />
makes for an interesting marriage with '68 covers<br />
such as Blue Cheer's take on "Summertime blues" and<br />
"Jumping Jack flash" (both have good fuzz). Band is<br />
solid and enthusiastic and still have several '65-66<br />
numbers on their set list despite the late date.<br />
Version of "Pictures of matchstick men" is charming.<br />
No group originals. [PL]<br />
INSTINCTS (Wallingford, CT)<br />
"The Loving Sandwich" 1967 (The Choate School tcs-3952) [split<br />
LP]<br />
A prep-rock LP from the Choate school with the<br />
Instincts on one side and the (forgettable) Maiyeros<br />
school chorus on the other. Two Instincts tracks have<br />
been comp'd, one of which amazingly is a Savages<br />
cover. Standard New England garage covers of "Hold on<br />
I'm comin'", "Gimme some lovin'", "Don't look back"<br />
etc, with jangly guitar and organ, in a great<br />
primitive psych sleeve. [PL]
INTERNATIONAL SUBMARINE BAND (NY/CA)<br />
"Safe At Home" 1968 (LHI s-12001) [multi-colored label]<br />
"Safe At Home" 198 (LHI) [bootleg w/ fake wlp design]<br />
"Safe At Home" 1991 (CD Magnum CDSD 071)<br />
"Safe At Home" 2000 (Sundazed LP 5112) [+bonus track]<br />
"Safe At Home" deserved immediate notice as one of<br />
the first true country-rock outings. Offering up a<br />
mixture of covers and original material (penned by<br />
Gram Parsons), tracks such as "I Must Be Somebody<br />
Else You've Known", "Folsom Prison Blues" and "I<br />
Still Miss Someone" left no doubts as to the the<br />
band's country roots and interests. That shouldn't<br />
scare anyone off, since the combination of Parsons'<br />
melancholy voice and a rhythm section with one foot<br />
firmly in the rock camp, made for a thoroughly<br />
entertaining effort. Parsons-penned originals such as<br />
"Blue Eyes" (first song we're aware of to make<br />
reference to getting stoned) and "Luxury Liner" were<br />
genre standards. While the album generated a buzz<br />
among critics and with musicians themselves, it was<br />
simply too odd for mainstream radio - too rock for<br />
country audiences and too country for rock audiences.<br />
Sales proved non-existent. The band also had a very<br />
good non-LP track, "Sum up broke". Watch out for the<br />
1980s white label bootleg; legitimate promo<br />
copies had stock labels and were stamped.<br />
[SB]<br />
INTERSYSTEMS (Toronto, Canada)<br />
"Number One" 1967 (Allied 1)<br />
"Number One" 2001 (Cortical 25) [+bonus 45; gatefold; comic<br />
book; 500p]<br />
The debut LP from these noted avantgarde freaks is<br />
basically a spoken word album with sound effects. A<br />
narrator who sounds like a college student parodying<br />
JFK rants and rambles poetry and surreal short<br />
stories while primitive synth and oscillator noises<br />
pass through the soundscape. There is not much<br />
"music" per se, but it has a certain psychedelic<br />
feel. The connection between the words and the sound<br />
fx isn't consistent, and it seems that both elements<br />
were at least partly improvised. The last track gets<br />
into some interesting eerie "ambient" moods, while<br />
the mannered, one-note narration is a drawback over<br />
the full duration of the LP. A testament of the<br />
freaky arty 60s with happenings, music concrete and<br />
"why not?" aesthetics, but ultimately I guess you had<br />
to be there. Respectworthy, but for genre fanatics<br />
mainly, and a somewhat inauspicious start for the<br />
label that would later bring us Plastic Cloud and<br />
Reign Ghost. [PL]<br />
"Peachy" 1968 (Allied 2)<br />
"Peachy" 199 (CD Streamline 1010, Germany)<br />
More comments will come on this second LP, sometimes<br />
referred to as "#2".<br />
"Free Psychedelic Poster Inside" 1968 (private) [poster]
"Free Psychedelic Poster Inside" 1994 (CD Streamline 1007,<br />
Germany)<br />
This privately released LP is a clear improvement on<br />
the debut, both in terms of narration and overall<br />
artistic coherence. Originally created as a<br />
soundtrack for an art installation in Montreal 1968.<br />
More comments will follow. The band leader would<br />
later form Syrinx, who cut two LPs of progressive<br />
electronics on the True North label in the early<br />
1970s.<br />
TOM INTONDI (New York City, NY)<br />
"City Dancer" 1976 (no label TI-1)<br />
Greenwich Village folk scene mainstay. Pleasant tenor<br />
voice; mixed folk bag, at times jazzy, often minor<br />
key downer vibe. The lyrics have a slightly nonsequiterous<br />
feeling to them. Credits are given to<br />
fellow Village scensters Jack Hardy (inspiration &<br />
song) and Terre Roche (drawing - I presume referring<br />
to the paste-on cover picture). I'm not sure if this<br />
is the actual LP release or a test pressing. There is<br />
no mention of the album title anywhere. The record<br />
has blank white labels. The cover has only the<br />
picture pasted on the front. There is an insert with<br />
credits and the lyrics of the title track. [MA]<br />
JACK INTVELD (Irondale, MN)<br />
"I'll Sing of Life" 1978 (Art 9048) [insert; 200p]<br />
INVADERS ( )<br />
Yes-influenced basement progressive from high school<br />
kid multi-instrumentalist.<br />
"Golden Hits" 1965 (RPC 1272)<br />
Local teen-beat with sax on famous custom label.<br />
INVADERS (Richmond, VA)<br />
"On The Right Track" 1967 (Justice 157)<br />
"On The Right Track" 1994 (CD Collectables 0608)<br />
Opens with OK beat original with tough fuzz break,
INVADERS (Bermuda)<br />
then immediately starts sucking with brassy soul and<br />
beach music covers. Vocals are really weak and the<br />
band isn't terribly tight either, in spite of<br />
ambitious arrangements. You need a strong stomach to<br />
sit through the off-key horn takes on various Memphis<br />
standards that make up the bulk of the album. Bizarre<br />
interpretation of "Summertime" with the melody wrong<br />
and a tortured harmonica solo is worth hearing for<br />
its oddness, but apart from the passable opener this<br />
LP's only redeeming factor is a neat Farfisa organ<br />
sound. Don't be fooled by the cool cover, this is a<br />
real stinker. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Pretty standard garage/frat party faire. Backed by<br />
horns, the focus was on popular pop and soul covers<br />
such as "Midnight Hour", "Double Shot" and "Shotgun".<br />
At least one reviewer's deemed the album<br />
unlistenable, but to our ears their ragged, haphazard<br />
performances are a big part of the charm. Check out<br />
their lumbering cover of "Summertime" and the moreenthusiasm-than-talent<br />
cover of "Knock On Wood".<br />
Personal favorite is Steve Pollock's what's-the-nextnote<br />
guitar solo on "Hold On". That said, the set's<br />
highlights came from the pair of band originals "Have<br />
You Ever" and "Just for Kicks". [SB]<br />
"Spacing Out" 1970 (Duane 1101)<br />
"Spacing Out" 1997 (no label, Europe) [500#d]<br />
Rare instrumental jazzy funky rock groove with brass,<br />
on the same NJ label as the Savages. Highly rated in<br />
some circles.<br />
INVICTAS (Andover, MA)<br />
"The Invictas" 1962 (no label MBOP 5817)<br />
Early prep-rock album, and the first known rock LP<br />
from the Phillips Academy in Andover (Rising Storm,<br />
Ha'Pennys, etc) and thus of some historical<br />
importance. The music is pre-Beatle, pre-surf<br />
instrumentals straight out of Ventures and Johnny &<br />
the Hurricanes-land, with a classic guitar-band<br />
covering "Wild weekend", "Sleepwalk", "Bullwhip rock"<br />
and so forth. Occasional use of sax and piano while<br />
one track has vocals, a version of "Hully Gully". Not<br />
bad at all for the era with a solid band who must<br />
have played quite a bit live judging by their<br />
confident interplay. Highpoints include a dynamic<br />
"Walk don't run" and a minimalist "Apache". One track<br />
may be a band original. Some fake crowd noise added<br />
here and there for live ambience. An RCA custom<br />
pressing. [PL]<br />
INVICTAS (Rochester, NY)
"A-Go-Go" 1965 (Sahara 101)<br />
"A-Go-Go" 1983 (Eva 12016, France)<br />
Local bigwigs from upstate N Y who enjoyed some chart<br />
success with "The Hump". More frat/dance than garage,<br />
enjoyable for those who dig the Dimensions and<br />
similar. Great snotty vocals and an energetic sound,<br />
with a number of fine originals. Along with the<br />
Tormentors one of Eva's rarer reissues. A rare case<br />
of bearded garage rock. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Standard mix of popular covers and originals<br />
performed with considerable enthusiasm, if with a<br />
decidedly low-tech sound, the collection's actually a<br />
blast to listen to. The lead singer wasn't anything<br />
to write home about in the way of range and<br />
occasionally recalled a dog yelping in pain ("The<br />
Hook"). Still, there was something attractive about<br />
the way these guys blew their way through popular<br />
covers such as "Hang On Sloopy", "Land of a 1000<br />
Dances" and "Satisfaction". The five originals<br />
weren't particularly impressive (the closer "Do It"<br />
being the best), though "The Hump" was apparently a<br />
large regional hit (liner notes: "the biggest selling<br />
record in the New York state area, exceeding sales of<br />
those English Mop Tops, The Beatles"). It won't<br />
change your life, but makes for a great party LP.<br />
[SB]<br />
IOTA (El Paso, TX / Memphis, TN)<br />
"Iota" 2002 (Rockadelic 46)<br />
"Iota" 2003 (CD Shadoks 042, Germany)<br />
I.O.U (MI)<br />
1969-72 recordings from El Paso band who moved to<br />
Memphis mid-career. Their best track "Within these<br />
precincts" is also available on the "Growing Slowly<br />
Insane" comp. Rest is competent but to my ears mostly<br />
unexceptional fuzz/Hammond club hardrock with funk<br />
moves, highpoints being covers of two tracks off the<br />
earlier "I Love You Gorgo" sampler which was released<br />
by the same management team that handled Iota. All<br />
four 45 sides by Iota are included. Packaging is nice<br />
though the fantasy front sleeve gives off a very<br />
different vibe from the sounds inside. [PL]<br />
"I.O.U." 1977 (no label)<br />
Hard guitar rock.<br />
V.A "IOWA EAR MUSIC" (IA)<br />
"Iowa Ear Music" 1976 (Corn Pride 28155)<br />
Compilation of Iowa State University 1967-76<br />
avantgarde Cage/Tudor style aural experiments with<br />
members of Tree. A CD-R "reissue" exists.
IRON LUNG (IL)<br />
"High Bail" 1975 (KDR 1063)<br />
"High Bail" 1994 (Casket, Belgium) [400#d]<br />
Hilarious teenage suburban loser blues, like a 1970s<br />
equivalent of those whiney New England 60s groups.<br />
Great sleeve of them in jail and lyrics like "I've<br />
been thinking/About my drinking" lets you know this<br />
ain't no rocket scientists. Can't really recommend<br />
it, though it's fun to listen to once in a while.<br />
Warning: this is pretty lame basement stuff rather<br />
than the hard guitar blues some might hope for. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Rhythm fuzz rocker with warm bluesy and xian vibes.<br />
Some good world weary crying for help from above<br />
songs. The slower bluesy tracks are sabotaged by some<br />
hideous vocals but there's fine playing throughout<br />
this record. [RM]<br />
IT'S ALL MEAT (Toronto, Canada)<br />
"It's All Meat" 1970 (Columbia 374)<br />
"It's All Meat" 199 (no label, Italy)<br />
"It's All Meat" 199 (CD Fingerprints)<br />
"It's All Meat" 2001 (Void)<br />
"It's All Meat" 2001 (CD Void) [+bonus tracks]<br />
Stones-influenced hard rock with psych remnants, has<br />
a great immediacy to it thanks to a typical classy<br />
Columbia recording. Dynamic band with lots of ripping<br />
fuzz; only problem for me is a sometimes operatic<br />
singer a la British LPs like Open Mind and Ghost. If<br />
you have no problems with that this will rank as one<br />
of the best albums in the style. "Crying into the<br />
deep lake" is an epic Doorsy psych trip, "Sunday<br />
love" is somewhat similar with raga leads, while the<br />
rest of the album is more hard rocking. The early<br />
bootleg re's have cover wear residue from the<br />
originals that were used. The band also had a non-LP<br />
45 track. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
In that uniquely Canadian way (think Ugly Ducklings,<br />
Churls), these guys manage to seamlessly make the<br />
leap from 60s garage to a sort of Stones-influenced<br />
late 60s rock sound and do so in a truly exciting,<br />
powerful way. A couple of drawn out psych monsters<br />
are surrounded by cool hard rock, making this one of<br />
the best of many great albums from up north. [AM]<br />
V.A "IT'S A REVOLUTION MOTHER" ( )<br />
"It's A Revolution Mother" 196 (KW Records 001)
Fake soundtrack for probably non-existing movie,<br />
contains hip "now" collage of biker and freak<br />
counterculture snips, plus Steppenwolf-type music by<br />
a band called Mandarin Gate. The Aliens biker gang is<br />
featured. Nice cover with the right AIP 1-sheet look.<br />
IVORY (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Ivory" 1968 (Tetragrammaton t-104)<br />
"Ivory" 2002 (CD Gear Fab 182)<br />
Another good co-ed Airplane-influenced band. Decent<br />
fuzz guitar on most songs, though a few ballads are<br />
highlights (“Losin’ Hold” is the best song here).<br />
This isn’t as experimental or as varied as, say, Ill<br />
Wind, but the songwriting is quite good and the sound<br />
very appealing. If you’re a fan of stuff like Yankee<br />
Dollar, Art of Lovin, Genesis, etc… you’re sure to<br />
like this. [AM]<br />
IXT ADUX (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Brainstorm" 1982 (Madame X) [insert]<br />
In some ways, this private press album is pretty<br />
impressive. The songs are quite complex and the<br />
guitar playing throughout is challenging and<br />
unpredictable. In typical amateur prog fashion,<br />
though, the instrumentation is often usurped by the<br />
lousy vocals and melodies (this is a case where the<br />
"singer" doesn't really even try to sing, hoping that<br />
weirdness will work.) There's enough of interest here<br />
to keep prog fans satisfied, most likely, but it<br />
sounds much more like some promising experimentation<br />
than an actual set of real songs. It's to prog what<br />
Zenith Effluveum is to psych. Unlike most prog, this<br />
is entirely guitar-based. It has the same kinds of<br />
odd song structures, time shifts and speed shifts as<br />
traditional prog, but without the keyboards. [AM]<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
J A BLUEZY (Detroit, MI)<br />
"J.A. Bluezy at the Delta Lady" 1980 (ERK)<br />
JACKAL (Canada)<br />
Live heavy blues rock trio with earlier vibe and<br />
stinging metallic guitar sound. The recording was<br />
direct miked, so there's barely any audience sound.<br />
"Awake" 1973 (Periwinkle 7309)<br />
"Awake" 199 (Periwinkle) [bootleg]<br />
"Awake" 199 (CD Lazer's Edge)<br />
"Awake" 199 (CD Labyrinth)<br />
In my ears rather unexceptional 1970s mainstream<br />
AOR/progrock popular among collectors on that scene.<br />
Definite post-acid sounds and not garagey or freaky<br />
enough to arouse my interest, the teen Jaggeresque<br />
vocals being the strongest asset. [PL]<br />
JACKPINE SAVAGE (NY)<br />
"Together" 1971 (Dimension-5 151)<br />
MIKE JACKSON ( )<br />
Freaky kiddie psych LP with electronic effects,<br />
narration and treated vocals. Fuzz and swirling organ<br />
on some tracks. Actually Bruce Haack.<br />
"Alive" 1975 (Yi Yi)<br />
BOB JACOBS ( )<br />
X-ian progressive psych with good guitar.<br />
"Ray Bradbury's Dark Carnival" 1969 (Tower ST-5172) [insert]<br />
The spoken intro to this album gives you an idea what<br />
you're in for: the works of Ray Bradbury<br />
(specifically, the short stories from his collection<br />
"The October Country") turned into music, sort of in<br />
the same fashion as Paul Klee's art and the album by<br />
the National Gallery. Some of this is soft AM pop,<br />
but there are some baroque pop songs with occasional<br />
fuzz guitar and plenty of creepy moments. The most<br />
memorable song is "The Jar", in which Jacobs recites
the poem in a weird poetic speak/sing style over a<br />
series of eerie and intense sound effects. Jacobs'<br />
singing is a bit overwrought throughout, though it's<br />
not entirely out of place. Bradbury's work is intense<br />
and imaginative enough to make for a lot of<br />
interesting lyrics. This is an unusual album that<br />
won't appeal to everyone, but it's pretty cool and<br />
will really be enjoyed by the right listener.<br />
Bradbury wrote the liner notes for the album. [AM]<br />
JACOB'S REUNION (VT)<br />
"Jacob's Reunion" 1975 (Chelsea House chr-2001) [500p]<br />
Nice rural folk by Vermont hippies, very well<br />
conceived, performed and recorded. It's an intriguing<br />
mix of styles, from British-type folk to a variety of<br />
old American musical genres (not just folk but blues<br />
and vocal jazz.) The mix of all things Americana<br />
evoke the Insect Trust and the laid back vocal style<br />
and violin sound a bit like Fraser & Debolt, but<br />
Jacob's Reunion is nowhere near as strange as either<br />
of those artists (and, admittedly, not as exciting.)<br />
It probably won't appeal to strict psych fans, but<br />
it's a good album, with the highlights being the two<br />
long, dreamy, almost eerie side-closers. Mix of male<br />
and female vocals. No full drum set, but there are<br />
quite a few instruments and arrangement ideas. The<br />
album is about 48 minutes, yet is diverse enough not<br />
to feel overlong. [AM]<br />
JADE (Cincinnati, OH)<br />
"Faces Of Jade" 1970 (General American 11311)<br />
This came to me with an "underrated?" tag attached,<br />
and I'm inclined to agree. It's late 60s Britpsych/pop<br />
of the McCartney/Roy Wood variety<br />
transplanted to 1970s Cincinnati, serving up plenty<br />
of innovation, fun and a fair amount of label $$$ on<br />
hand. Opens with dreamy psych mini-epic that recalls<br />
the 2nd Fallen Angels album, the rest holds a middle<br />
ground between London'68 and the clever pop that Ohio<br />
would become famous for, leaving the listener to<br />
decide if this is a late 60s lytepsych LP or in fact<br />
an Anglo-retro 70s trip. Lots of piano, "Penny Lane"<br />
fanfares, high-pitched teen harmonies and unexpected<br />
studio tricks including a high-point which has vocals<br />
sung backwards then replayed forwards for an eerie<br />
"Twin Peaks"-style effect. A couple of tracks are too<br />
poppy for me, but a worthwhile experience all over;<br />
should appeal to fans of Lazy Smoke in addition to<br />
the pointers already suggested. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This starts out with a long dreamy ballad and<br />
includes a cool backwards experiment (the music<br />
played backwards while the singer uses stilted,<br />
strange phrasing in order to keep up, an idea that<br />
would be used more popularly by the Stone Roses<br />
twenty years later.) Otherwise, though, it's<br />
basically a Beatles-inspired pop album. It's not<br />
unusual at all, but it's very good, one of the best<br />
in the style. It's highly recommended to fans of
JADE (OK)<br />
bands like Grapefruit, Ellie Pop, Sleepy Hollow, etc.<br />
Some pressings are missing the song "My Honey," which<br />
is the oddball song on the album anyway (and a<br />
complete steal of the Beatles "Honey Pie").<br />
Strangely, even copies without the song have a<br />
sticker that says "includes the hit 'My Honey.'" [AM]<br />
"Crossfire" 1980 (Gem Stone 102)<br />
JADES (Dallas, TX)<br />
Rural rock/hard rock with a 1970s sound, half harder<br />
sounds with searing dual leads, and half more mellow<br />
with light AOR moves. Good songwriting. "Sister<br />
Sawbuck" is usually cited as the best track.<br />
"So Tough" 1964 (Ching)<br />
Pre-invasion greaser rock from Dallas teens whose<br />
legacy has been poorly taken care of, despite leaving<br />
two albums behind. This isn't exceptional but<br />
enjoyable for what it is, and may in fact surpass the<br />
second LP.<br />
"Live At Disc A Go Go" 1965 (Jarrett 21517)<br />
Live recording of local club band, classic r'n'b &<br />
Brit Invasion covers like you'd expect. Excellent<br />
drummer, nice ringing undistorted rhythm guitar and<br />
an enthusiastic live feel, reminiscent of the TC<br />
Atlantic album, although a couple of non-rock<br />
selections like a nightmarish "Hello Dolly" lower the<br />
batting average. "House of the rising sun" is in an<br />
unusual arrangement and with different lyrics, sounds<br />
like they picked it up from outside the regular<br />
sources. Last track provides background music for the<br />
go-go girls to demonstrate the Monkey, the Swim etc<br />
for the crowd, and is thus wasted on vinyl, unless<br />
you have a strong visual imagination. A reasonably<br />
entertaining half-hour for teen-beat completists.<br />
[PL]<br />
JADE STONE & LUV (Austin, TX / Nashville, TN)<br />
"Mosaics, Pieces Of Stone" 1977 (Jade 4351) [circa 1500p; some<br />
copies w/ poster]<br />
Interest in this is on the rise and rightly too,<br />
cause this is one cool ultra-1970s artefact by a<br />
couple decked out in full period regalia including a
JAIM ( )<br />
JAKE (WI)<br />
handlebar moustache (Jade Stone), hot pants (Luv),<br />
and a psychedelic VW bus. The music is notoriously<br />
hard to describe, but projects scenes of all-night<br />
cruising through Edge City in a stolen Cadillac,<br />
downing reds with cheap sparkling wine that you refer<br />
to as "champagne", with the 8-track blasting<br />
"Mosaics" at full volume. Neon sign singles bars,<br />
pool halls and re-opened nightclubs flash by while<br />
Jade Stone sings like the rock star he hopes soon to<br />
be. Not metropolitan hip, but dreams of stardom and<br />
glamour from the American underbelly, two renegade<br />
souls zooming down the highway between Austin and<br />
Nashville. Well-produced, with some fantastic tracks<br />
like "Man", featuring great keyboard and fuzz<br />
interplay, and soulful-loungey vocals. "Trailer-park<br />
music" someone called it. Major personal fave, but<br />
hardly for everyone, and the cover shot alone will<br />
scare a lot of potential buyers off. The poster<br />
(which is great) has only been found in a handful of<br />
copies and is worth almost as much as the album<br />
itself. Most copies have a promo sticker on the front<br />
cover. They also had some non-LP 45 tracks. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Like Darius (to whom his voice has been compared),<br />
Jade Stone wanted to be a big star! It was obviously<br />
not to be, and the world is left with this unique<br />
album, which is a mixture of 60s hippie, 70s country<br />
and timeless lounge rock, jacked up by inspired<br />
songwriting, Jade's overwhelming personality and<br />
tremendous arrangements. The closing "Reality" is<br />
packed with killer wah-wah guitar, and that should<br />
hook most of you, but the rest of the album, while<br />
mellower, is terrific too. Jade really has a flair<br />
for the dramatic, and comes off sounding quite<br />
important indeed. Songs like "Waiting For The Rain"<br />
have an elegant power. Luv doesn't sing lead, but she<br />
adds to the album cover's goofball appeal. [AM]<br />
"Prophecy Fulfilled" 1969 (Ethereal 1001)<br />
Moody orchestrated pop duo with harpischord, may<br />
appeal to Gentle Soul fans.<br />
"Dedication" 1973 (Banana 5179) [500p; insert]<br />
Melodic rural rock from locally popular Midwest band<br />
housed in goofy dog cover. Opens with a heartfelt<br />
Graham Nash type lament to a dead dog which seems to<br />
be seriously intended. The rest makes more sense,<br />
with a professional sound, competent songwriting and<br />
good harmony vocals. The band were apparently big<br />
Beatles fans but it sounds more 1970s westcoast than<br />
anything else. Recurring countryrock moves work OK<br />
but are occasionally too squishy, while the stronger<br />
tracks go in a harder guitar-oriented direction, with
STEVE JAM ( )<br />
Bay Area and progrock aspects on things such as the<br />
droning "Can tell" and the dramatic "May Day". The<br />
album has a mature, self-confident feel that<br />
compensates for the familiarity of the style. The LP<br />
was pressed privately and sold out immediately to<br />
fans at their shows. Previously they released two 45s<br />
as "SELTAEB" - (read it backwards). There was also a<br />
45 released from the 1973 album. Banana was a<br />
subsidiary to the wellknown regional Cuca label. The<br />
band also had a lesser second LP in 1983. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
If you think the picture of the dog on the front<br />
cover is odd, wait until you hear the opening and<br />
closing odes to him! Those lyrics are weird, but for<br />
the most part this is nothing a collector would<br />
normally care about. Some countrified rock and<br />
ordinary ballads share space with mildly heavy westcoast<br />
sounding excursions and mainstream 70s rock.<br />
Overall, it's competent but unexceptional with the<br />
usual imperfect vocals, the kind of LP that would be<br />
ignored if it were on a major label. The best songs<br />
(which are basically the heavier and longer ones) are<br />
more "promising" than they are "successful", with the<br />
exception of one great song, "Can Tell". This is one<br />
more in the trend of recent "discoveries" of<br />
mainstream albums that had been ignored by collectors<br />
for years because there's nothing unusual or<br />
exceptional about them. [AM]<br />
"Songs Of A Songwriter" 1975 (no label) [200p]<br />
GRAHAM JAMES (NE)<br />
Demo LP from melodic 1970s rock/prog multiinstrumentalist<br />
with full rock setting, some<br />
percussion and lots of keyboard.<br />
"What is Me?" 197 (Rene 1141)<br />
JAY JAMES ( )<br />
70s hippie folk with a couple of interesting tracks.<br />
"Good Times & Bad Times" 1976 (Tiger Lily)<br />
MICHAEL JAMES (MN)<br />
Obscure one on Morris Levy's infamous tax-loss label,<br />
has been described as "rural loser roots honky tonk<br />
country rock with the usual quirky blandness the<br />
label seemed to pick up on".
"Runaway World" 1978 (no label het-1857) [1000p]<br />
Oddball pro-sounding local late 1970s artefact that<br />
is not easily described; recurring spoken Guatemala<br />
theme will have you puzzled, as may the mix of downer<br />
ballads, generic studio fill instrumentals and moody<br />
fuzz psychrock with an occasional D R Hooker or<br />
Marcus slant. Good vocals, the guitars may be too<br />
metal for some, but the echo-fx "Sleepers" psych trip<br />
and a closing atmospheric acid lullaby about death<br />
should appeal to anyone. Album opens poorly, then<br />
becomes increasingly appealing, worth checking out<br />
for open-minded heads. A lot of time and some $$$<br />
obviously went into this one. Cool 50s flying saucer<br />
cover. James had a cassette-only release in 1985 and<br />
is still around playing and releasing music. [PL]<br />
JAMESON (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Color Him In" 1967 (Verve v-5015) [mono; ylp exists]<br />
"Color Him In" 1967 (Verve v6-5015) [stereo]<br />
JAMRA (CA)<br />
The first “real” album by the guy who masqueraded as<br />
Chris Lucey. This album is way more commercial than<br />
the Lucey album, with female harmonies and poppy<br />
melodies, but it’s actually equally as good, and<br />
actually pretty weird when you get past the more<br />
mainstream sound. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Chris Lucey<br />
"The Second Coming" 1972 (Stygian)<br />
Satanic cult. Doomy organ, spooky effects, and creepy<br />
invocations by Jamra. Recorded live at Audio Genesis<br />
Studios. [RM]<br />
JAN & DEAN (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Save For A Rainy Day" 1967 (J&D 101) [mono]<br />
"Save For A Rainy Day" 199 (CD Sundazed)<br />
Private press obscurity from surf/hot rod kings, put<br />
together by Dean Torrence and session pros while Jan<br />
was in a coma after his car crash. All tracks deal<br />
with rain, making this one of the odder concept LPs<br />
around. Mostly covers. A solid LA '67 top forty pop<br />
LP a la the lighter sides of Strawberry Alarmclock. I<br />
like it. CD has lots of remixed bonus tracks which is<br />
good as the original has a pretty muddy sound.
JAN & LORRAINE ( )<br />
Needless to say, Jan & Dean released tons of records<br />
that fall outside the scope of these archives. [PL]<br />
"Gypsy People" 1969 (ABC s-691) [gatefold]<br />
JANDEK / UNITS (TX)<br />
This is about as good a 60s femme psych album as<br />
you'll find. It's wholly original and unlike a lot of<br />
singer/songwriter types of the era, the women with<br />
their names on the album cover had considerable<br />
creative input. The duo wrote seven of the ten songs,<br />
and the other three were written for them. They play<br />
all of the guitars on the album, and also some<br />
keyboards, and are credited with "ensemble<br />
arrangements." It's a reasonable cross between<br />
British folk-rock and American psychedelia (with a<br />
strong Indian influence), and is the most interesting<br />
and successful album by a folk-psych duo, male or<br />
female. It also rocks with conviction, and while it<br />
does contain two off-the-wall experiments it doesn't<br />
lose its focus. More importantly, unlike virtually<br />
every late 60s/early 70s album by women, there's not<br />
a song here with a bland or simplified arrangement.<br />
In other words, there's no song or arrangement that<br />
seems to have been thrust upon them by a sales-happy<br />
label or producer. They never opt for the easy way<br />
out, erring on the side of daring rather than on the<br />
side of omission. Even the two orchestrated ballads<br />
avoid the traps of mainstream pop, as the strings<br />
create an eerie atmosphere not far off from the<br />
sitars and effects elsewhere. The women's voices are<br />
high and a little thin when apart, but rich and<br />
evocative together, even when one or the other hits<br />
an unlikely note here or there. They're full of<br />
substance. Throughout there's an exciting "anything<br />
goes" feel that makes the album more than the sum of<br />
its excellent parts. The band covers Spikedrivers and<br />
Perth County Conspiracy tunes and appears to have had<br />
a Michigan/Canadian connection to Richard Keelan who<br />
was a member of both those bands. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
"Ready For The House" 1978 (Corwood)<br />
"Ready For The House" 198 (Corwood) [insert]<br />
Notorius "cult" artist of the outsider/fringe type<br />
whose two dozen albums are popular topics for<br />
discussion. Most of it falls outside the scope of the<br />
Archives on ground of not being psychedelic in any<br />
way, so this rare debut LP will work as a proxy for
J-ANN-C TRIO (MO)<br />
the rest. It's just the guy's voice and amateur<br />
picking on an electric guitar; a loner late-night<br />
mood persists, and the lyrics are unusual and fairly<br />
interesting. Supposedly 8 different tracks, but it's<br />
really like one and the same throughout, and more<br />
like a spoken word record with incidental music than<br />
actual songs. May be worthwhile for hardcore<br />
downer/loner folk enthusiasts, while others can<br />
settle for a few attentive needle drops to decide<br />
upon its merits. This LP was released as by the<br />
Units. The 2nd press has an insert that refers to<br />
later Jandek albums. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
If this is the first artist you've looked up, you're<br />
reading the wrong book. Obviously opinions vary about<br />
the enjoyability (not to mention the purpose) of<br />
Jandek's music. While I've always believed that he's<br />
way more intersting to read about than to listen to,<br />
unquestionably his music makes more sense over his<br />
entire ouvre than on just one record. That said, of<br />
the many Jandek albums I've heard this is undoubtably<br />
the most boring, just the same bloody out of tune<br />
chord strummed the same way for forty minutes. Later<br />
albums would throw in a bit of variety, all of which<br />
sounds way more compelling in context than out of it<br />
(i.e. after half an hour of one chord, a song with<br />
four sounds like the most melodic thing you've ever<br />
heard). This album doesn't even have that, and you<br />
will never get this 40 minutes of your life back.<br />
[AM]<br />
"At The Tantara" 196 (Burdland 3300)<br />
Square-looking mid-1960s trio with female bass-player<br />
doing r'n'b, surf and more, popular title among<br />
Incredibly Strange aficionados.<br />
JARVIS ST REVUE (Thunder Bay, Canada)<br />
"Mr Oil Man" 1970 (Columbia ES 90020) [gatefold]<br />
"Mr Oil Man" 198 (no label, Italy) [bootleg; 340p; insert]<br />
"Mr Oil Man" 199 (CD)<br />
"Mr Oil Man" 2000 (Void 12) [gatefold; +bonus 7"]<br />
"Mr Oil Man" 200 (CD Pacemaker 033) [+bonus tracks]<br />
Pretty good psychrock sounds from a bunch of Thunder<br />
Bay pothead environmentalists. Ecological concerns<br />
mix with relaxed hippie reflections in a style<br />
similar to the Borealis LP, though the heavy acid<br />
guitar excursions and spooky whispered vocals on the<br />
13-minute title track is what makes this trip<br />
worthwhile. The sleeve shows Christ holding up an<br />
earth globe covered in toxic slime - these guys<br />
weren't joking. The band had 2 non-LP 45s. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Give them points for ambition. The 13-minute title<br />
track is rife with wacky singing, strange<br />
arrangements, sound effects and wonderful fuzz bass,<br />
and the environmental lyrical theme rings loud and<br />
clear throughout the album. The mellower, moodier<br />
songs are as successful as the heavy, fuzzy ones. A
few blues/boogie rockers threaten to be kind of<br />
pedestrian, but rise above, mostly due to nice drifty<br />
fuzz guitar that buzzes in your ear. This is a<br />
distinctive and innovative album, of similar quality<br />
to other excellent Canadian major label rarities like<br />
It's All Meat and the Rabble. The CD reissue contains<br />
an early single (much poppier than the album), and<br />
six tracks that were intended to be part of their<br />
never-completed second album. This second album<br />
dispenses with the fuzz and finds them in an upbeat<br />
rural rock and singer-songwriter acoustic pop/rock<br />
mode. It's also pretty good, but due to the style<br />
would certainly have been a disappointment to fans of<br />
"Mr. Oil Man." [AM]<br />
JARVO RUNGA (Chatham, NJ)<br />
"Jarvo Runga" 1972 (no label) [100p; info sheet]<br />
JASPER WRATH (CT)<br />
Local basement rock with DIY vibe and Neil Young and<br />
Creedence influences in there somewhere, wrapped up<br />
in a stripped down urban Eastcoast sound. The<br />
unpolished vocals and no-frills directness are<br />
reminiscent of Odyssey, but this is not a hardrock LP<br />
but more like a bunch of auto mechanics playing bars<br />
in their spare time and ending up with an album. The<br />
drummer has an unusual homemade style where each song<br />
is given a particular drum arrangement to which he<br />
then sticks no matter what. Some non-heavy guitar<br />
jams but mostly song-oriented with originals all<br />
through, I think. May appeal to fans of Neutral<br />
Spirits and Fortune Teller, which means that I like<br />
it. Apparently recorded on LSD, though if true this<br />
must rank as one of the least acid-sounding acid LPs<br />
around. Short demo LP with some 22 minutes<br />
playtime. There is a handwritten band name on the<br />
front cover and an info sheet taped on the back.<br />
Other cover variations may exist. According to the<br />
band, most copies were given to labels in an attempt<br />
to get signed. Only a couple of copies are known<br />
outside the members. [PL]<br />
"Jasper Wrath" 1971 (Sunflower snf-5003) [insert; wlp<br />
exists]<br />
"Jasper Wrath" 2005 (Sunflower/Scorpio)<br />
"Anthology 1969-76" 1996 (CD Oxford Circus 001) [2CDs; book]<br />
The 1971 LP is an intriguing psych/prog crossover<br />
item should appeal to just about everyone. It has<br />
excellent songs, lots of fuzz guitar, soaring<br />
harmonies, hooks and loud drums, and for the prog<br />
fans a few flutes and a long pretentious fantasy epic<br />
to close things off. Cool album cover too. "Look To<br />
The Sunrise" was a near-hit, and in some places is<br />
listed as a bubblegum (!) song. It's not, but it is<br />
awfully catchy. Ten years later members of the band<br />
would front successful AOR bands, though the most<br />
intriguing chapter of their career (the Arden House<br />
and Zoldar & Clark albums) almost disappeared without<br />
trace in the mid-70s. The anthology finally gave a
ABNER JAY (GA)<br />
legitimate release to some songs from both of those<br />
records, as well as many unreleased live and studio<br />
tracks. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Brit-influenced melodic artrock with psych remnants.<br />
Skillfully produced and arranged with a classy major<br />
label feel; lots of ideas going in different<br />
directions as is typical for the style and era.<br />
Songwriting is fine with hooks and memorable moments,<br />
vocals are OK (but not great) in the Moody Blues<br />
style, often sung ensemble, and there's atmospheric<br />
piano and good fuzz throughout. So what's the<br />
problem? Well, there is an abundance of flute that<br />
casts a dork spell on things (much like Westfauster),<br />
and the pompous UK artrock spectre means a lot of<br />
emphasis on the surface and too little on personal<br />
expression. A more tangible psych feel would have<br />
helped, and that is precisely what we get on the<br />
superb "Odyssey" with its dreamy Strawberry<br />
Alarmclock afternoon tripout textures. The album as a<br />
whole is impressive and enjoyable but unlikely to be<br />
anyone's desert island pick. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Eyes; Arden House; Zoldar & Clark<br />
"Abner Jay Sings & Plays Stephen Foster" 197 (Plantation<br />
Records 5628)<br />
"True Story of Dixie" 197 (Brandie 1002)<br />
"Swaunee Water and Cocaine Blues" 197 (Brandie 1001)<br />
"Swaunee Water" and "Terrible Comedy" are rated as<br />
Abner's best LPs by most aficionados.<br />
"Terrible Comedy Blues" 197 (Poison Apple 3420)<br />
The word “terrible” isn’t a comment on the comedy or<br />
the music, but a word he uses over and over in all of<br />
his jokes, most of which seem to have been stolen<br />
from Redd Foxx. They take up maybe 20% of this album,<br />
the rest of which is his usual one-man-band electric<br />
blues. Even if some of the jokes are corny, this is<br />
very enjoyable, as are all of his albums. Jay’s voice<br />
is warm and real, and I find him way more<br />
entertaining than just about any of those heavy blues<br />
rockers with wanky lead guitar players and macho<br />
singers. My dream double bill would be Hasil Adkins<br />
and Abner Jay! Terrrrrrrrr-ible!!! [AM]<br />
"The Backbone of America is a Mule and Cotton" 1976 (Brandie<br />
122161) [Abner with guitar cover]<br />
"The Backbone of America is a Mule and Cotton" 197 (Brandie<br />
122161) [Abner lying down cover]<br />
If this one doesn't fit under the weird/real people<br />
category, then nothing in my collection does. That<br />
poses a number of problems, including trying to<br />
describe an album as plain strange as "The Backbone<br />
Of America Is A Mule And Cotton". This isn't rock,<br />
progressive, or psychedelic, rather a very strange
mixture of blues, country, Gospel minstrel and freakout.<br />
Starting to see how odd this album is? Next,<br />
making Leon Redbone sound like a young choir boy,<br />
Jay's voice is definitely an acquired taste. All<br />
hyperbole aside, this is one of those albums that can<br />
clear a party out in record time. Released on his own<br />
Memphis-based Brandie Records, the LP is a little<br />
different than most of his other releases in that it<br />
largely forgoes original material (the rambling title<br />
track being the lone exception). Call this Jay's<br />
covers album in that it finds him taking on a series<br />
of classic American songs like 'Way Down Upon the<br />
Swanee River and 'Amazing Grace'. Propelled by his<br />
deep growl and electrified banjo, the results are<br />
definitely strange in that Jay slows every one of<br />
these songs down to a funeral pace that will either<br />
drive you crazy, or make want to check the results<br />
out time after time. It's not clear which "Backbone"<br />
cover came first. The first variation is subtitled<br />
"This is Real Show Nough Bicentennial Music", so 1976<br />
is an educated guess for the release year. [SB]<br />
"One Man Band" 2003 (CD Subliminal Sounds, Sweden)<br />
Abner Jay is a blues artist, regarded by some as the<br />
last in the line of original Southern minstrel<br />
performers. However, many of his most ardent fans<br />
seem to be of an esoteric mind-set, which is why he<br />
belongs in these Archives. I've only heard the recent<br />
"One Man Band" sampler CD, which is remarkable and<br />
recommended. You've never heard Georgia blues this<br />
way before, mixing hilarious spoken rants with high<br />
intensity one-man-band numbers and lyrics that deal<br />
with 'modern' topics (hippies, LSD, Vietnam) as seen<br />
through the eyes of an original Dixie bluesman. Jay<br />
is a strong vocalist and performer, and some numbers<br />
achieve a startling intensity, after which you're<br />
thrown into burlesque jokes like an X-rated WC<br />
Fields. As pure and invigorating as the Swaunee river<br />
water, an essential piece in the Americana puzzle.<br />
There is a brochure that came with some of the<br />
records with additional information. In addition,<br />
there are a couple of early 45s, probably from the<br />
1960s. [PL]<br />
J B & THE PLAYBOYS (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"J B & the Playboys" 1966 (RCA 1086)<br />
J C & THE B's (PA)<br />
Pre-Freedom North beat. The band also cut a 1-sided<br />
LP of Coca-Cola jingles for the Hallmark label.<br />
"1st and 10" 1975 (Essay sa-325) [paste-on front; blank back;<br />
200p]<br />
Mixed bag of 1970s sounds ranging from pop to soulful rock.<br />
J D BLACKFOOT see J D Blackfoot
JELLY BEAN BANDITS (Newburgh, NY)<br />
"Jelly Bean Bandits" 1968 (Mainstream 56103) [mono]<br />
"Jelly Bean Bandits" 1968 (Mainstream s-6103) [stereo]<br />
"Jelly Bean Bandits" 199 (CD)<br />
"Jelly Bean Bandits" 2003 (CD Bandits)<br />
JEREMIAH ( )<br />
Teen dorks' (just look at them on the cover) album is<br />
about half good fuzzpsych and half Young Rascals type<br />
Eastcoast teen-beat, all over one of the more<br />
enjoyable Mainstreams. Given another 6 months they<br />
probably could have made a really good LP, but such<br />
quality control was not part of the Mainstream<br />
agenda. The priceless "heavy" gluesniffer epic about<br />
a "Caterpillar's eye" must be heard to be believed,<br />
and there's good fuzz drive on "Generation". Fun and<br />
dumb, worth checking out. There is also a<br />
retrospective CD from a 1967 live show titled "Mirror<br />
Music", and a CD of newly recorded material titled<br />
"Time and Again" that contains 5 unreleased bonus<br />
tracks from the original era. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Upstate NY group with great garage punk sound. One of<br />
the best on the label. Fun bouncing church organ,<br />
wailing fuzz from the cavern Mystic Siva sounds,<br />
trippy dippy lyrics, and snotty vocals like a<br />
grittier Music Machine. The occasional studio cheese<br />
moves only add to the Nuggets punk psych sing-along<br />
style. Inspirational verse: "The bandits love your<br />
mind and what remains of society is manure.". The LP<br />
was also released in Canada, and in France (Vogue)<br />
with a slightly altered sleeve. [RM]<br />
"Blowing Your Mind" 1977 (Wong 14068)<br />
This is Johnny Kitchen doing messed-up lounge-go-go<br />
fuzz 10 years too late.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Tarots; Victims of Chance<br />
JEREMY DORMOUSE (Ontario, Canada)<br />
"Toad" 1968 (no label t-13)<br />
"Toad" 2001 (CD Hallucinations/Void)<br />
"Toad" 2003 (Void 31)<br />
Obscure folk LP with a transition sound from 60s<br />
coffee house into 70s downer/loner moves. Lost in<br />
time atmosphere and idiosynchratic singing and<br />
playing makes for a trip with a clear identity, yet
the connection between the arrangements, vocal<br />
mannerisms and underlying tunes seems random and "for<br />
the hell of it", rather than conscious explorations.<br />
Some tracks work, others don't, and all over it's<br />
pretty inconsistent. Covers of Dylan, Cohen and Bo<br />
Diddley (!) come off more like insults than bold<br />
interpretations, while the Lynda Squires led take on<br />
"High Flying Bird" is pretty cool. Of the originals<br />
most is average contemporary folk, with a high-point<br />
in the only track not by "Dormouse" (Cris Cuddy) or<br />
Marcus Wattington, Don Tapscott's sublime "Just To<br />
Hear The Bells". The album is semi-acoustic with<br />
electric bass and occasional percussion. Oddly, the<br />
LP has a similar sound (minus the autoharp) and the<br />
precise same problems as the Folklords. The album was<br />
recorded in 1967, and precedes the Rejects LP<br />
sessions. The Hallucinations CD is titled 'The Toad<br />
Recordings' and shows traces of vinyl press noise and<br />
high-end distortion in a few spots. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Reign Ghost; Rejects<br />
BILL JERPE (Utica, NY)<br />
"Bill Jerpe" 1970 (Shortwheel sw-100) [insert]<br />
Jerpe’s only album is an odd duck in the<br />
singer/songwriter world. Unlike most of the genre, it<br />
is clearly rock rather than folk. Nonetheless,<br />
despite electric arrangements, the production<br />
(heavily reverbed vocals mixed so high that the<br />
instruments sound almost muffled) keeps these songs<br />
from reaching their full rock potential. Jerpe is<br />
obviously influenced by Dylan (The voice is Dylan<br />
circa "Nashville Skyline"), but I could see this<br />
album appealing to Velvet Underground or Bowie fans<br />
(it doesn’t sound like either of them, but has a<br />
certain underground vibe.) The songs aren’t exactly<br />
hooky, but have enough weird moments with pianos,<br />
slide guitars and falsetto vocals to make them<br />
memorable. Despite the low budget production, this<br />
music is quite colorful. Add all of this to the<br />
mildly eerie cover photos/art and this album is as<br />
distinctive as anything in the genre. The songwriting<br />
is decent to very good, and this neat record will<br />
appeal to a wide variety of quirky tastes. Jerpe had<br />
some earlier 45s with his last name spelled "Hjerpe".<br />
[AM]<br />
JESSE J & THE BANDITS (Minneapolis, MN)<br />
"'65 Top Teen Hits" 1965 (Re-Car 2001)<br />
Garage frat sound typical of the region. They also<br />
backed Wolfman Jack on his local LP.<br />
JESTERS (Kansas City, KS)<br />
"Jesters" 1966 (Audio House ah-466) [no cover]<br />
Garage/teen-beat covers on this demo LP with instros,
Kingsmen and Beau Brummels tunes.<br />
JESUS GENERATION (TX)<br />
"A Thief In The Night" 197 (Gospel World 467)<br />
WILL JIMA ( )<br />
Primitive oddball folkrock from young Jesus movement<br />
band doing originals and Beatles covers, including<br />
"Yesterday" with the title word changed to "Calvary".<br />
Not for everyone.<br />
"The UFO Message" 1974 (Jima AE-1974)<br />
"Revelation 666" 1975 (Jima AMD-1975)<br />
Very whacked spoken word; the guy was transformed<br />
into an evangelist by Aliens who told him the secret<br />
meaning of the Bible, but apparently Will didn't take<br />
notes and seems to have gotten a mite confused along<br />
the way. Lots of stuff about the importance of the<br />
number "3" and "11". The record sounds as if the<br />
engineer who mixed it had Will on 1 track and this<br />
weird dark spooky synth on the other, and as he did<br />
the mix he was reading a book or something and every<br />
once in a while he'd bump the synth WAY up high in<br />
the mix at totally random moments. [SD]<br />
J K & CO (Las Vegas, NV)<br />
"Suddenly One Summer" 1969 (White Whale wws-7117) [promos<br />
exist]<br />
"Suddenly One Summer" 2001 (CD Beat Rocket 126)<br />
"Suddenly One Summer" 2001 (Beat Rocket 126)<br />
"Suddenly One Summer" 2001 (Akarma 2015, Italy) [10"]<br />
On first listen, this sounds like a masterpiece, but<br />
after you get used to it you’ll probably notice a few<br />
blah songs in the middle. Still, this is a cool moody<br />
pop/psych album that aims to be the Beatles at their<br />
most down and out. A consistent lyrical theme about<br />
addiction is kind of surprising considering that the<br />
album is said to be the work of a teenager.<br />
Backwards guitar, sound effects and bleak-sounding<br />
acoustic guitar are all used to good effect. The<br />
Akarma reissue is on a 10” LP, though this isn’t an<br />
especially short album. The LP was recorded in<br />
Vancouver BC with members of Mother Tuckers helping<br />
out.[AM]
JO JA BAND (GA)<br />
"Cold Winds" 1977 (Rag Doll)<br />
RENE JOHN (MI)<br />
Rural Allman Bros-style rock/hardrock.<br />
"On The Road To My Cathedral" 1975 (no label M1001)<br />
There are less than five known copies of Rene John's<br />
"On the Road to My Cathedral," a 100-press holy grail<br />
for collectors of Michigan rarities. The record<br />
certainly looks promising, a classic home-made 70s<br />
loner folk vibe all over it, and one of the really<br />
great LP titles in the genre. Musically the quickest<br />
reference point is a mid-period Neil Young LP with Ed<br />
Sanders on vocals. And, while that may sound<br />
promising, go make a list of the first hundred things<br />
that makes Ed Sanders interesting and then check it<br />
to see if "vocalist" is on there. The Neil Young<br />
reference is also really stretched. John's writing<br />
has a few flashes along the way that grab your<br />
attention -- 3rd song on side one, the solo acoustic<br />
"Material Disease" has some promise -- but the back<br />
up band sure isn't Crazy Horse and Rene isn't Neil by<br />
any stretch of anyone's imagination. If it's possible<br />
to break free of the gravitational pull of the "ultra<br />
rare private press LP" radiation coming off the<br />
record in waves and listen as if it were just another<br />
record, "On the Road..." comes off like a C grade<br />
local LP, not at all horrible, but thoroughly<br />
undistinguished and one I doubt I'll pull out to<br />
listen to again. [SD]<br />
JOHN BUNYAN'S PROGRESSIVE PILGRIM'S (CA)<br />
"Apricot Brand and Albatross" 1969 (Alshire S-5154)<br />
Apparently aimed to cash in on British "rock" sounds<br />
of the era, the cover claims the set was recorded in<br />
London. A doubtful claim. In all likelihood 1969's<br />
"Apricot Brandy and Albatross" was recorded by<br />
anonymous, cash starved studio musicians - perhaps<br />
the same group responsible for the label's earlier<br />
rock exploitation releases. Like the earlier albums,<br />
the set offered up a mixture of popular hits and<br />
similarly-styled originals. An all instrumental<br />
collection, the covers weren't half bad, though the<br />
rote performances really didn't add much to tracks<br />
such as Fleetwood Mac's "Albatross" or The Who's<br />
"Summertime Blues". Originals such as the freak out<br />
"Mozart's Dilemma", "Spaced Out" and "Winter Draws<br />
On" were full of fuzz guitar solos and screaming<br />
organs, making them surprisingly good for what were<br />
clearly throwaway efforts. All told one of the better<br />
exploitation LPs out there... [SB]<br />
JOHNNY & THE HURRICANES (Toledo, OH)<br />
"Live At The Star Club" 1965 (Atila alp-1030)
DEBB JOHNSON (MN)<br />
Monster early garage sound as they move from their<br />
teen dance roots to ferocious guitar rockers. It is a<br />
studio LP with applause overdubbed. Their previous<br />
LPs are of an earlier dance rock style. All except<br />
one of the original members were gone at the time of<br />
this LP. One track can be found on the "Ho-Dad<br />
Hootenanny" compilation. [RM]<br />
"Debb Johnson" 197 (Monolith MMS 7025)<br />
MIKE JOHNSON (IL)<br />
Basically an all white jazz/rock group with four<br />
members named Johnson. Has about three great cuts<br />
providing you're not hornophobic. Not a rare LP.<br />
"Happy And Alive" 197 (Freedom Light ns-2036)<br />
Credited to "Mike & Karen", this is the rarest known<br />
LP from ex-Exkursions main guy Mike Johnson. Eclectic<br />
rock with folk, rural and jazz inflections, with both<br />
acoustic and electric guitars. The highlight is the<br />
psych track "City!" with its fast and furious rhythm<br />
and ripping fuzz guitar leads climaxing in a multitracked<br />
jam. There is also the rather strange ditty<br />
"I'm High", with slurred vocals that make it sound<br />
like he really was high, although it's actually Jesus<br />
praise. Johnson has recorded many albums over the<br />
years, including "Lord Doctor" (Freedom Light, 1972),<br />
"The Last Battle" (Creative Sound, 1972), "Gentle<br />
Spirit" (Newpax, 1974), "The Velvet Prince" (Freedom<br />
Light, 1973) and more. [MA]<br />
JOINT EFFORT (Canada)<br />
"Final Effort" 1974 (Little Records 101) [insert]<br />
"Final Effort" 2005 (CD Radioactive, UK)<br />
JOINT EFFORT (MI)<br />
Obscure rural rock LP which opens with two trad<br />
bluegrass numbers, then goes into unexceptional<br />
westcoast country-rock with a mix of covers like<br />
"Tequila Sunrise" and band originals. "Winter" is the<br />
highpoint of the album, with a good riff, fine vocal<br />
harmonies and an SF Bay Area feel. The last third of<br />
the LP has them breaking out their "rock" gear and<br />
sounds almost like a different band, with crude<br />
rootsy fuzz-rock including a basement take on "Horse<br />
with no name". The LP is a lo-fi live recording done<br />
as a farewell present to whatever fans they had,<br />
housed in a nice Escher-style sleeve drawing. Despite<br />
enthusiastic dealer hype, a lack of creativity and<br />
the uninspired playing makes this one a concern for<br />
rural genre fans and Canadian completists only. [PL]<br />
"Two-sided Country... Blues" 1971 (Home Made 11034)
"Two-sided Country... Blues" 2002 (CD World In Sound 1094,<br />
Germany) [+4 bonus tracks]<br />
Not to be confused with any other Joint Effort, this<br />
is a rare acoustic hippiefolk LP featuring two guys.<br />
Sympathetic and enjoyable, a Dylan spectre on some<br />
songs and vocals are a drawback, though others are<br />
dark and trancey; counterculture lyrics on drugs and<br />
more. Not bad. Some later recordings have been<br />
released on LP as by the Jones Family band (WIS 015),<br />
these have been reported as less impressive. [PL]<br />
JOINT EFFORT see Cannabis<br />
JOKERS ( )<br />
"Jokers" 196 (no label) [no cover; 1-sided]<br />
Demo LP of garage covers.<br />
JOKER'S MEMORY (Canada)<br />
"Joker's Memory" 1976 (Marc Studios 11843) [paste-on; 1-sided;<br />
100p]<br />
Genesis style melodic keyboard prog with basement<br />
sound and arch vocals.<br />
MICHAEL JON (Canada)<br />
"Michael Jon" 197 (Trend T1009)<br />
Obscure one on the same label as Bent Wind and Cargo;<br />
Tim Buckleyish folkrock with Hammond and piano and<br />
cover of "Season of the witch", plus originals.<br />
Reportedly only 200 copies pressed.<br />
JON & JODI (Dover, DE)<br />
"Two Sides Of Jon & Jodi" 1971 (Del-Ray Records)<br />
This lovely and unusual folk record is a small<br />
treasure. Jon & Jodi were two undeniably sweet kids<br />
from Delaware who charmed some local businessperson<br />
enough to finance this record. The best songs, like<br />
the opening "Ladybug," are haunting ballads, with a<br />
dreamy production sound and forlorn harmonies; they<br />
really have beautiful voices. A few songs have a bit<br />
of a country/bluegrass edge (with banjo, steel guitar<br />
and "dobrow"), but even on these the vocals have the<br />
loner folk feel to them. The upbeat songs don't quite<br />
match the moodier ones, but there really aren't any<br />
duds here. Most albums that sound like this are<br />
Christian, but this is not, despite their innocence<br />
(from the liner notes: "In this freaked out world,<br />
Jon & Jodi seem almost unreal. For example, neither<br />
smokes, drinks, uses drugs or marijuana. They do have
one minor vice, they chew gum!") All songs on this<br />
album are originals. [AM]<br />
JONATHAN & CHARLES (VA)<br />
"Another Week to Go" 1968 (InterVarsity lps-02498)<br />
"Another Week to Go" 2004 (CD Gear Fab 210)<br />
British-American duo on Simon & Garfunkel or Chad &<br />
Jeremy wave-length. Chiming guitar/organ fragile<br />
Christian folkrock with slight psych moves and<br />
beautiful vocals. On some copies, the song "Why" was<br />
replaced by "Colors and Shades". Also released in<br />
England by the Herald label.<br />
DEL JONES' POSITIVE VIBES (Philadelphia, PA)<br />
"Court is Closed" 1973 (Hikeka) [first 'psych' mix; group<br />
photo cover]<br />
"Court is Closed" 1973 (Hikeka) [second 'soul' mix; Africa map<br />
cover]<br />
"Court is Closed" 1999 (Loopden 2P-001) ['psych' mix; insert]<br />
The first version of this album (sans the overdubbed<br />
horns of the second pressing) is a great document of<br />
true inner city grit. While the anger is surprisingly<br />
subdued, these guys obviously know the down and dirty<br />
life of which they sing. Despite all of the lyrics<br />
about drugs and being put down by the man, there’s an<br />
essentially positive message here. A few of the songs<br />
stretch out into long jams that build in intensity<br />
and really stand up well to multiple listens. There’s<br />
a lack of real “singing” here, with most of the<br />
stories being told in a kind of matter-of-fact singspeak,<br />
and the few times real melodies break out make<br />
you wish there were more. Nonetheless, this is a<br />
killer LP: powerful, memorable, uncompromising and<br />
full of life, and it doesn’t sound like any soul/funk<br />
album you’ve heard. If "Maggot Brain" is "Superfly",<br />
this is "Sweet Sweetback's Badasssss Song". [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Extraordinary eyewitness report from the Philly<br />
ghettoes surprisingly packaged in a non-aggressive<br />
funk/jam rock grooooooove that surpasses pretty much<br />
everything else in the genre, especially the opening<br />
title track with a westcoast jazzrock feel that just<br />
kills. Supported by the best housing project funk<br />
band anywhere Del Jones raps about the terrifying<br />
state of America '73, while the flipside deals<br />
directly with heroin use and how to get out of it.<br />
One of the top funkrock LPs ever, blows most of your<br />
starry-eyed white-boy psych LPs away. Del Jones is<br />
still active in the African-American cause as evident<br />
from the insert he penned for the honkie reissue.<br />
"You've got to liquidate your assets". [PL]<br />
GEORGE M JONES (Dallas, TX)<br />
"George M. Jones" 196 (OA no#)<br />
"Contrasts" 1972 (Gambit gam-12-001)
Noted songwriter. Dylanesque folk with studio psych<br />
fills on the debut, a cool record in the Del Shannon<br />
"Charles Westover" style. "Contrasts", released on a<br />
Nashville label, is reportedly good as well, in a<br />
singer/songwriter direction. [RM]<br />
JOSEFUS (Houston, TX)<br />
"Dead Man" 1970 (Hookah 330) [3000p]<br />
"Dead Man" 1983 (Eva 12010, France)<br />
"Dead Man" 199 (Texman tex-1001, Germany)<br />
"Dead Man" 199 (CD Sundazed) [+bonus]<br />
"Dead Man" 199 (Akarma, Italy)<br />
“Dead Man” is a professional sounding outlaw hard<br />
rock album, a bit ahead of its time. The rhythm<br />
section is solid and the songs have lots of energy.<br />
The singer strains for all he’s worth but it sounds<br />
pretty genuine. A cover of “Gimme Shelter” is a waste<br />
of 4 minutes, and the 18-minute title song has the<br />
expected boring spots. Otherwise, though, this is a<br />
good one. The vibe is similar to Jamul, though it<br />
sounds a bit more youthful. A brief rip from “I Want<br />
You (She’s So Heavy)” in one song is a cool surprise.<br />
The Sundazed CD contains the early version of the<br />
album, which is similar in quality. It’s definitely<br />
of interest to fans because it includes four songs<br />
not on “Dead Man". This early album version was also<br />
released as a stand-alone LP on the Epilogue label in<br />
the 1990s, title "Get Off My Case". The original<br />
Hookah LP is a classic rarity but actually sold<br />
several thousand copies locally. [AM]<br />
"Josefus" 1970 (Mainstream s-6127) [wlp exists]<br />
"Josefus" 198 (Mainstream) [bootleg; white label]<br />
"Josefus / Dead Man" 200 (CD Alcinous, Russia) [2-on-1; +2<br />
tracks]<br />
JOSEPH ( )<br />
Recorded in Miami's Criteria Studios, the follow-up<br />
teamed the band with Mainstream producer Bob Shad.<br />
Originally interested in re-recording their debut,<br />
Shad instead insisted on new material, sending the<br />
band into a frantic creative spasm. Exemplified by<br />
material such as "Bald Peach" and "America" musically<br />
the set wasn't much different from the debut. Once<br />
again Bailey remained a marginal singer who had<br />
consistent trouble staying in tune ("Feelin' Good").<br />
Making up for that, Mitchell was a wonderful lead<br />
guitarist, turning in several exceptional<br />
performances (check out his leads on "I'm Gettin'<br />
On"). Unfortunately, the overall results were mixed;<br />
much of the set coming off as sonically flat and<br />
creatively uninspired; "Sefus Blues" was simply<br />
dreadful. The bootleg reissue of the promo has a thin<br />
cover and no spine printing. [SB]<br />
"Stoned Age Man" 1970 (Scepter sps-574) [wlp exists]<br />
The cover drawing of a cave man is completely apt.<br />
Joseph sings like he’s about to hit you in the head
with a club. His gruff, gravely voice is completely<br />
perfect for songs with titles like “I Ain’t Fattenin’<br />
No More Frogs For Snakes” and “Cold Biscuits and Fish<br />
Heads.” The backing is solid bluesy organ and guitar,<br />
with a few surprising moments here, like “Mojo Gumbo”<br />
speeding up at the end. While a bit of Howlin’<br />
Wolf/Captain Beefheart shows through here and there,<br />
he’s really one step behind those guys on the<br />
evolutionary chart. His lead guitar playing is<br />
equally as crude as his vocals. This is a short<br />
album, with 9 songs in 29 minutes, and not a second<br />
is wasted, except maybe for the cover of “House of<br />
The Rising Sun.” Really cool! [AM]<br />
ERNIE JOSEPH see Big Brother<br />
RON JOSEPH & LOJO MUSIC (New York City, NY)<br />
"Rainbow Rings" 1975 (R.P.C.) [insert]<br />
JOSHUA ( )<br />
X-ian folk and singer/songwriter with piano, on noted<br />
custom label. The songs were recorded in churches.<br />
"God Spoke... And Said 'Lead My People'" 1973 (Impact r-3228)<br />
[black label]<br />
"God Spoke... And Said 'Lead My People'" 197 (Impact r-3228)<br />
[red label]<br />
Surprisingly good Christian psychrock with strong<br />
vocals and blistering guitar, consistent throughout<br />
and still unknown to most. Utilizes the "California"<br />
sound popular among x-ian bands across the US, with a<br />
bit of Brit hardrock influence as well, esp from the<br />
Who. Perfect CSN/America-style vocal harmonies may<br />
annoy some though I don't mind. Not deep like Search<br />
Party but enjoyable, a lot better than Earthen Vessel<br />
as an example. The band was from the Southwest, while<br />
the label was based in Tennessee. The LP was also<br />
released on the British Key label (self-titled), on<br />
Impact in New Zealand, and in Canada. [PL]<br />
JOSHUA (Sacramento, CA)<br />
"Opens Your Mind" 2004 (Rockadelic 50) [insert]<br />
An early 70s band of local longhairs who flirted with<br />
the SF ballroom scene and have some of those vibes<br />
entering their sound. The basic style is jammy rural
CA hardrock with a bit of an r'n'b groove and vibe.<br />
The LP opens strongly with a track that sounds like<br />
it could have gotten some airplay, succeeded by the<br />
excellent title track. A couple lesser tracks follow,<br />
before the side closes in strong fashion. Side 2 is<br />
similar and the band has a distinct sound and<br />
identity obviously born out of plenty of regional<br />
live gigs. While the songwriting isn't overwhelming<br />
there's still a fair sprinkling of hooks, and the<br />
playing is raw and enthusiastic throughout. Edgy<br />
vocalist and the gritty blue collar sound may recall<br />
Fresh Blueberry Pancake, although this is somewhat<br />
looser. Last track opens with an anti-war speech and<br />
has some ferocious guitar excursions. It should be<br />
noted that although the sound is good it's not a<br />
perfect hi-fi recording with lots of high-end and<br />
less bottom. For me the most memorable aspect of<br />
Joshua are the above-average lyrics which avoid the<br />
usual cars & chicks clichés and deal with reality<br />
issues such as the Vietnam draft and doing time for<br />
drug possession. This in combination with the honest,<br />
straightforward face the band presents makes for a<br />
genuine local 1970 feel that is appealing. The album<br />
fits in well with Rockadelic's earlier Northern<br />
CA/Pacific NW releases, slightly better than Sleepy<br />
John but not as good as Stone Garden. Nice gatefold<br />
cover with a spooky Rick Griffin type drawing on the<br />
front and info/photos inside. [PL]<br />
"JOSIE'S CASTLE" ( )<br />
"Josie’s Castle" 1972 (Mascott)<br />
This is a soundtrack for a movie which was originally<br />
titled "The Grass Is Always Greener," and in fact the<br />
album cover has the new title pasted on a sticker<br />
over the old one on both the front and back covers.<br />
The original title makes plenty of sense, given the<br />
pot plant on the front cover and the drug themes in<br />
the movie. The music is basically soft rock with<br />
horns, very mainstream in a "groovy" way. About half<br />
of the songs are instrumentals and have some decent<br />
wah-wah guitar and a few sound effects. For fans of<br />
the softest soft psych. Not especially good but<br />
interesting, and a rare LP. [AM]<br />
"JOURNEY OF PERSEPHONE" (Newtown, PA)<br />
"Journey Of Persephone" 1973 (private) [insert]<br />
Obscure high school play LP from the George boarding<br />
school (Quaker), a concept album based on the Greek<br />
myth with off-key female vocals and amateur musicians<br />
playing folk and some crude hippie-rock jams with a<br />
high entertainment factor, should interest genre<br />
fans.<br />
JOVE (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Sweeter Song" 1974 (Pax Records J777)
"Into The Shrine" 1977 (Aleph Records No#) [1000#d; white<br />
vinyl]<br />
JOYFUL NOISE (IL)<br />
Poet turns singer/songwriter and covers a lot of<br />
stylistic ground. Jove dabbles in folk & folk rock,<br />
country, rock-n-roll, pop but most of all, it's<br />
middle of the road singer/songwriter fluff usually<br />
with just piano or acoustic guitar accompaniment.<br />
Jove does manage to create some material that's<br />
pleasantly appealing when he breaks from the<br />
singer/songwriter mode and gets the backing band more<br />
involved. A decent wordsmith, but I can't recall any<br />
lyrics that were truly memorable or even slightly<br />
stimulating. Of the two albums, "Sweeter Song" is the<br />
better one. "Into The Shrine" has a couple good<br />
tracks, but "Sweeter Song" has by far Jove's better<br />
and more unusual material. Songs like a nice grooving<br />
rural rocker ("Thief"), hard garage rock with<br />
restrained fuzz guitar ("What's So Special") and some<br />
honky-tonk country tracks ("Circus" and "The Judge").<br />
With both albums having disturbing front cover art<br />
(Jove as a Centaur with bow and arrow on the first<br />
album, and as a haunting figurine that was pieced<br />
together from non-matching parts on the second<br />
album), rear cover slicks full of mystical<br />
symbols/cryptic notations and trumped up liner notes,<br />
you would anticipate music that's strange &<br />
intriguing folk psych but instead, you get mostly<br />
sobering material by a singer/songwriter. According<br />
to the liner notes and credits, Jove traveled a lot<br />
and some tracks on these albums were recorded outside<br />
of the States implying Jove might be a foreigner.<br />
However, a majority of the recordings took place in<br />
Los Angeles and both records were printed in the USA.<br />
[JSB]<br />
"Nativity" 1975 (no label LPS 20038) [insert]<br />
Christian 1970s melodic rock, not terribly<br />
interesting despite the hype you may see. Two cover<br />
variations exist.<br />
"No Room In The Middle" 1976 (Christ Is The Answer)<br />
JOYFUL NOISE (FL)<br />
The rare second LP is similar to the first,<br />
mainstream 1970s melodic rock with a gospel feel,<br />
full band setting including Hammond and guitar leads.<br />
Basically a poor man's All Saved Freak Band,<br />
suffering from weak male vocals and a distinct lack<br />
of edge. One track has operatic female vocals, while<br />
the title track and "Lay down your life" are<br />
agreeable hippie-rock excursions. Slightly better<br />
than the debut, but we're still miles away from the<br />
likes of Kristyl or "Spirit Of Elijah". Stunning full<br />
color cover depicts the difference between the<br />
Christian and the secular world. There is also a<br />
collection of 1977 recordings titled "Songs For<br />
Soldiers" in a mellow westcoast/MOR style and with<br />
better vocals. [PL]
"Electric Gospel" 197 (Noise tc-1155) [500p]<br />
Oddball mix of styles on this Christian obscurity,<br />
one of many in the genre that strives to show how the<br />
devil's music can be used for something good.<br />
Southern accent preacher man vocalizes over a musical<br />
landscape ranging from 50s popabilly through typical<br />
Jesus folkrock into tentative 70s funk moves. While<br />
unusual this didn't really strike me as weird as<br />
reputation has it, simply because the gospel root of<br />
the title makes a lot of musical tangents possible.<br />
Still, the use of incongruous wah-wah guitar<br />
throughout casts a strange shadow across the ten<br />
tracks. Lyrics are feel-good salvation stories and<br />
musings upon the Savior. Would make a good double<br />
bill with Juliana Garza. Earlier LPs from this<br />
particular Joyful Noise include "The Sounds<br />
Of" (Classic, 197?) and "The Greatest Day" (Noise,<br />
197?), both of which are less out-there variations on<br />
the trip above. [PL]<br />
JOYRIDE see Friendsound<br />
JR & HIS SOULETTES (Oklahoma City, OK)<br />
"Psychodelic Sounds" 1971 (no label)<br />
"Psychodelic Sounds" 199 (no label)<br />
"Psychodelic Sounds" 199 (CD no label)<br />
Black pre-teen group led by Harold Moore Jr, age 10,<br />
who is songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist for the<br />
group. His sisters Vinita Marie, age 9, plays bass<br />
and organ, Denise Marshall, age 7, plays drums, and<br />
Jacquelin Carol, age 6, plays Waw-Waw organ (!) and<br />
sings. Amazing real people funky psych with non-stop<br />
wah-wah guitar throughout and most tracks have rhythm<br />
(Waw-Waw) and lead organ. Approaches that cheesy<br />
Sunset Strip b-movie exploito psych sound but this is<br />
the real thing. When they sing, this beast approaches<br />
Shaggs' territory. Great tunes like "Momma, Love<br />
Tequila", "Waw-Waw Rock", and "Rock 'n Roll Santa".<br />
The incredible cover shows three shots of them in<br />
action including one with Jr in a failed split<br />
playing licks behind his head! Approximately 500<br />
copies were pressed but most were destroyed from<br />
being shrink wrapped on a meat packing machine. [RM]<br />
J RIDER (Indianapolis, IN)
"No Longer Anonymous" 1996 (OR 016)<br />
"Anonymous / No Longer Anonymous" 2000 (CD Aether-OR 0009) [2on-1]<br />
"No Longer Anonymous" 2002 (Akarma 176, Italy)<br />
J TEAL BAND (SC)<br />
Great post-Anonymous 1977 tracks from Midwest genius<br />
Ron Matelic's vault, the best stuff is guitar-driven<br />
westcoast folkrock as good as the awesome Anonymous<br />
with a similar sound and male/female vocal mix as on<br />
"Inside The Shadow", main difference being a more<br />
professional recording. Much more interesting than<br />
the average unreleased LP. Matelic recorded a new<br />
round of (unreleased) demos in the 1990s, again of an<br />
outstanding quality. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This set of demos, intended to draw major label<br />
interest, is slightly slicker-sounding than the<br />
Anonymous album, but essentially more of the same,<br />
with continued excellent songwriting. It's not really<br />
a full album, lasting about 30 minutes and including<br />
a remake of an earlier song, but it's still a mustown.<br />
It's not in the same league as "Inside The<br />
Shadow," but what is? It's good enough not to be a<br />
let-down, which is saying a lot. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Anonymous<br />
"Cooks" 1977 (Mother Cleo mcp-lp-7721)<br />
Hot Southern guitar-rock album that blows away<br />
everything else in the genre. It’s not “rural rock”<br />
at all. There’s a tad of funk influence, but<br />
certainly no country. The vocals are snotty and<br />
nasal, which actually gives the music a dangerous<br />
edge more genuine than the usual throaty he-man<br />
voices that go with this kind of thing. Lots of great<br />
lead guitar and a real backwoods sleazy vibe. You get<br />
the impression these guys’ days are numbered, and<br />
they play with that kind of urgency. In the meantime,<br />
you wouldn’t want them getting anywhere near your<br />
sister, but you’d be honored to let them borrow your<br />
guitar. [AM]<br />
JUICY GROOVE (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"First Taste" 1978 (no label) [picture disc; 550p]<br />
Various LA 60s drug survivors assembled by Rainbow<br />
Michael Neal for a pro-sounding 70s hippierock<br />
excursion that includes three Sky Saxon numbers,<br />
among other things. Nice picture disc design. Not a
JULIUS VICTOR ( )<br />
rare LP. Much of the same gang turned up on the<br />
Rainbow Red Oxidizer LP (Bomp/Quark, 1980) which is<br />
more modern in style. [PL]<br />
"From the Nest" 1970 (AJP) [gatefold]<br />
"From the Nest" 2001 (CD Dodo 517)<br />
This organ-rich heavy rock album has the sound<br />
collectors like, but is pretty average without any<br />
one song standing out. The lyrics try hard to be deep<br />
and don't really pull it off. It's more "heavy" than<br />
"hard," and has a few powerful moments. Recommended<br />
only to genre fans. [AM]<br />
JUNGLE (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Jungle" 1969 (no label 3027) [no cover]<br />
"Jungle" 1997 (Little Indians 8, Germany) [760#d]<br />
"Jungle" 1998 (CD Little Indians 8, Germany)<br />
JUPITER (CA)<br />
This and Victoria were reissued simultaneously, using<br />
some of the most overblown hype ever. The packaging<br />
is beautiful, but the music is mostly loungy (in the<br />
wrong sense) psychrock/AOR with offkey vocals and<br />
unimpressive songwriting. Two good tracks in a Bob<br />
Smith/DR Hooker direction close the sides but the<br />
rest of the LP is pretty weak in my ears. Others are<br />
more enthusiastic. Originals are ultrarare, possibly<br />
a demo press only. 400 copies of the reissue came in<br />
a blue velvet embossed cover, 260 in a black<br />
variation on the same design. Other cover variations<br />
exist. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Overly serious singing mixes with a slightly heavy<br />
guitar-and-organ base and some bizarre frantic<br />
drumming to make this a completely unique listen.<br />
It’s certainly not the masterpiece some have claimed,<br />
but it grew on me. The weird-ass drumming style may<br />
be inept, but somehow it fits in this context, and a<br />
few hooks sneak up on you. The songs are very long<br />
and meander a bit, but they’re not exactly boring. A<br />
strange one that’s gotten more attention than it<br />
deserves, but if you don’t get your hopes up too high<br />
you might enjoy it. [AM]<br />
"Multiple Choice" 1980 (Jupiter j-1005)<br />
JUST US (MN)<br />
Power trio with a garagy sound and some more mellow<br />
folkrock moments.<br />
"Just A Thought" 1978 (no label 80 1526) [insert]<br />
I was undecided at first on this one, but after
JUST US (MI)<br />
several plays I concluded that it sucks. Basically<br />
it's an example of the late 70s jazzy westcoast<br />
sound, when the last hippie psych remnants had been<br />
replaced with unfortunate funky Steely Dan studio<br />
moves and even more unfortunate caribbean rhythms and<br />
feel-good vibes. Castanets and steel drums are just<br />
around the corner, no doubt. The sound is<br />
professional with overlays of acoustic and electric<br />
guitar-picking, amateurish but passable vocals and<br />
some nice harmonies. That's the good news. The rest<br />
is all bad news, including a halting mock-Jamaican<br />
rhythm employed on almost every track, a dull<br />
whitebread "blues" excursion, and a painful disco<br />
flirtation with terrible lyrics. The LP was recorded<br />
in LA but pressed in Minnesota, and it really sounds<br />
like some Midwest nerds trying to get David Geffen's<br />
attention. The Windwords LP from Ohio is a much more<br />
successful exploration of this style. Don't let the<br />
nice cover fool you; unless you're a fan of bloodless<br />
LA '78 cocktail sounds this is the pits. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This folky band has jazz ambitions, instantly<br />
apparent by the acoustic guitar gymnastics on the<br />
first song. It's pretty well-played and sung<br />
throughout but is awfully precise... you know, no<br />
soul. They definitely have the feel of a college<br />
coffee-house band who think they're pushing the<br />
envelope by combining so many disparate styles. It<br />
works OK for a song or two (the title track is pretty<br />
enjoyable, and a catchy one with an "mmm" chorus near<br />
the end is pretty neat), but wears thin quickly,<br />
especially as they start trying on styles as if they<br />
were hats. Admittedly, they're much more talented<br />
than a lot of the other acoustic-heavy bands listed<br />
here in the Archives, but their album isn't really<br />
any more listenable. I'm not going to go out on a<br />
limb and say I'd rather listen to something as<br />
amateurish as, say, Virgin Insanity, but I suspect<br />
that most of you would go right out there on that<br />
limb. The disco and old-time rock/blues songs are the<br />
last straw for me. The lyrics are terrible, by the<br />
way. Sample: "anticipation eyes, you need a shot of<br />
visene." [AM]<br />
"The U.S.A. From the Air" 1969 (Valord 2630)<br />
"Index Anthology II" 1997 (CD Top Jimmy) [2 CDs]<br />
Melodic rock covers with garage execution. With Jim<br />
Valice and John Ford of Index. The CD reissue was<br />
credited to Index and has 28 tracks including 1969<br />
sessions and the entire Just Us LP.<br />
JUVENILES (Norman, OK)<br />
"Bo Diddley" 1980 (Piccadilly 3371)<br />
Frat rock organ & garagy guitar 1960s tracks<br />
originally recorded for Jerden, recycled in the same<br />
series as Magic Fern, P H Factor etc, although less<br />
desirable than these. The title track is a classic,
super-raw version.<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
STEVE KACZOROWSKI (NY)<br />
"What Time Are You?" 1970 (UA Records 20842)<br />
Recently discovered obscurity on private Long Island<br />
label, pro-sounding guitar/organ psychy rock mixed<br />
with introspective moments. The story on this album<br />
and its possible connections to certain "name"<br />
musicians is very weird and currently being unfolded,<br />
but most of the tracks consist of Kaczorowski adding<br />
his own vocals to existing LP recordings by<br />
mainstream rock bands, such as Stackridge! While this<br />
gives a very high reading on the Incredibly Strange<br />
scale, the LP could also be enjoyed as an obscure<br />
piece of post-psychedelic rock. Kaczorowski would<br />
explore his "karaoke rock" scheme further on the two<br />
Steve Drake albums. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Steve Drake<br />
KAK (Sacramento, CA)<br />
"Kak" 1969 (Epic 26429)<br />
"Kak" 1987 (Dino, Italy)<br />
"Kak" 199 (CD Israphon, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
"Kak" 199 (CD Epic)<br />
"Kak" 1998 (Epic, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
"Kak-Ola" 1999 (CD Big Beat 187, UK) [LP+bonus tracks]<br />
Much loved mountain air hippie psychrock classic,<br />
though I remember being disappointed when first<br />
hearing it due to the rootsy Moby Grape-type rockers<br />
on side 1. The album has major grower qualities<br />
however and tends to sound better with each passing<br />
year, plus the two extended psych killers on side 2<br />
deliver instantly. Still not among the top<br />
westcoasters for me, though I'm sure a lot of people<br />
disagree. The Big Beat CD includes the Gary Yoder<br />
non-LP 45 and the rare pre-LP version of "Rain". [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Wonderful heavy guitar bluesy psych rocker. warm<br />
vocals, chugging rhythms, and gritty, inventive leads<br />
throughout. The slower tracks have a murky darkness<br />
to them that's quite arresting. One of the classic<br />
westcoast guitar LPs. Gary Yoder also played with
Blue Cheer and Randy Holden. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
A true classic, a great guitar rock album that mixes<br />
a lot of different styles successfully. My favorite<br />
track, “Electric Sailor,” has a chorus that could<br />
actually pass for 70s punk rock, but elsewhere the<br />
West Coast late 60s feel is strong. Supposedly its<br />
rarity is due to cutout copies being destroyed,<br />
rather than sent to stores. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
I'll readily admit that "Kak" took a little while to<br />
warm up to. The first couple of times the set's<br />
musical diversity kind of put me off. That said, by<br />
the third spin I was converted. The musical diversity<br />
I originally found disconcerting is actually<br />
endearing. In fact this is one of those albums that's<br />
fun to play 'spot-the-influence' with. My ears hear<br />
lots of Moby Grape including the country-influenced<br />
'I've Got the Time', a bit of The Seeds ('Electric<br />
Sailor') and even a little Donovan (the acoustic<br />
ballad 'Flowing By'). Yoder may not have been the<br />
most accomplished singer, but was never less than<br />
professional and had an almost chameleon ability to<br />
handle the band's different styles. Propelled by<br />
Patten and Yoder's dual guitars, tracks such as the<br />
blazing 'Hyco 97658', 'Everything's Changing' and<br />
'Lemonade Kid' are simply first rate West Coast psych<br />
charms. Personal favorites are the extended<br />
'Trieulogy' and 'Disbelievin'. [SB]<br />
MAITREYA KALI see Maitreya Kali<br />
KALLABASH CORP (Greensboro, NC)<br />
"Kallabash Corp." 1970 (uncle Bill kb-3114)<br />
KAMMERZELL (OK)<br />
Drifting bluesy guitar rock with organ and a comic<br />
edge. Gorgeous psychy cover but the music is<br />
mediocre. Recorded at Mega Sound Studios in Bailey,<br />
North Carolina. [RM]<br />
"Hot For Your Love" 1979 (Artco-Alpha)<br />
KAN-DELS ( )<br />
Barband guitar rock with supposed Marble Phrogg<br />
connection. The band also cut a demo 8-track which<br />
precedes the album.<br />
"Our Most Requested Songs" 1965 (Capatone 1001)<br />
Obscure teenbeat in the pre-Invasion style. Crewcut<br />
action on fratrock staples such as "Shout", "Ooh poo<br />
pah doo", "Green onions", etc.<br />
KANSAS CITY JAMMERS (Columbus, OH) see interview
"Got Good If You Get It" 1972 (no label, no#)<br />
Highly enjoyable CSNY/Dead-style westcoasty mix of<br />
uptempo folkrockers and more introspective numbers; a<br />
couple of bluesy rock moments with raw guitar leads<br />
point in another direction but all over definitely<br />
worth checking out and underrated at this point, with<br />
a classy late Beatle feel. The band cut a couple of<br />
non-LP 45s and also had connections to local<br />
colleagues Owen-B. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Accomplished folk-rock and blues-rock from Ohio<br />
college students. A few dreamy songs will appeal to<br />
collectors, but the strong vocals and songwriting<br />
throughout make this a solid, enjoyable listen for<br />
all. [AM]<br />
KAPLAN BROTHERS (IL)<br />
"Universal Sounds" 1969 (Kap)<br />
The debut from the kings of lounge-rock predates the<br />
other two by several years and is from a completely<br />
different era, yet quite enjoyable and in fact "their<br />
best" according to one specialist within the field.<br />
Although only two (not three) brothers at this point,<br />
the whistling and congas are already in place. The<br />
very humorous back cover photos promise a wide range<br />
of sounds for Midwest Holiday Inn crowds, including<br />
"Continental" (posing with bowler hat and cane) and<br />
"Rock'n'Roll" (smoking a joint). A couple of swell<br />
Kaplan originals alongside typical lounge covers of<br />
Tom Jones, Bobby Hebb, etc. "A taste of honey" with<br />
"acid" guitar is an unexpected delight. Mandatory for<br />
genre fans, incomprehensible to others, and perhaps<br />
not their "best" to me. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Released on their own Kap Records, "The Universal<br />
Sounds of the Kaplan Brothers" is the first of their<br />
highly sought after albums. Musically it offers up a<br />
mix of originals, popular MOR hits and the truly<br />
bizarre (c'mon, can you imagine the crowd bopping<br />
along to 'Hava Nagilia'?). Backed by bassist Jeff<br />
Czech and guitarist Scott Klynas, the album starts<br />
out with a bang. The self-penned instrumental<br />
'Running Scared' sounds like the brothers had been<br />
listening to a lot of Enrico Morricones spaghetti<br />
western soundtracks while stoned out of their minds<br />
(love the whistling segment). Their popular covers<br />
are equally fascinating. Bobby Hebb's 'Sunny' makes a<br />
congas propelled appearance that is as wrong spirited<br />
as you can get. Their dark and pained cover of 'A<br />
Taste of Honey' is equally wrong-headed though it<br />
sports some killer fuzz guitar (courtesy of Klynas).<br />
Elsewhere 'Malaguena Solorosa' offers up a bizarre<br />
mixture of Spanish and Balkan influences, while Jimmy<br />
Webb's 'Gentle On My Mind' is reworked to give it a<br />
lounge edge that has to be heard to be believed.<br />
These guys must have been a blast to hear live<br />
(particular after a couple of beers). [SB]
"Kaplan Brothers" 197 (Kap no #)<br />
The second LP from circa 1975 shows the three Bros in<br />
a regular lounge-band mood, yet being who they are<br />
this is still pretty damn entertaining. Unusual<br />
arrangements with the trademark spaghetti western<br />
whistling and LOTS of congas carry you through a mix<br />
of crooner standards such as "More Today Than<br />
Yesterday" and classic rock, including three Beatles<br />
covers in drastic rearrangements that are not to be<br />
taken lightly. What they do with "Because" cannot be<br />
explained in words. The family's Russian-Jewish<br />
heritage is on display here just as on "Nightbird",<br />
with an extensive interpretation of "Hava nagila" and<br />
odd slavic flourishes. Two originals, one of which is<br />
terrible and the other is an earlier version of<br />
"Happy" which is pretty close to the "Nightbird"<br />
version. Sleeve design and liner notes are excellent,<br />
and indicate that the LP was manufactured mainly to<br />
sell in conjunction with lounge performances.<br />
Mandatory for incredibly strange and 70s loungeband<br />
fans. Two different pressings exist, one with a<br />
yellow label, the other with a red label. There is<br />
also an obscure variation called "Electric Three Man<br />
Hebrew Band" in a plain white title sleeve, with<br />
'Eleanor Rigby' misspelled as 'Rugby'. A 45 was<br />
released from the LP. "Fun is the only way to go when<br />
you're with the Brothers". [PL]<br />
"Nightbird" 1978 (Quinton no #)<br />
The ultimate loungerock extravaganza sounds as good<br />
today as it did back in the late 1980s when word<br />
first got around on it. A self-proclaimed "Electric<br />
symphony" that mixes Ennio Morricone with King<br />
Crimson as recorded by a Holiday Inn/Bar Mitzvah band<br />
from outer space. Crooner vocals soar on top of<br />
overly elaborate keyboard arrangements as the music<br />
abruptly throws you from one intense mood into<br />
another in true psychedelic fashion. No ideas are<br />
discarded as the meaning of life unfolds in glitzy Zgrade<br />
fashion -- if there's a bad, cheesy move to be<br />
made, they'll go for it. These guys probably thought<br />
they'd made the greatest LP of all time and in a way<br />
I guess it is - even regular folks with no interest<br />
in this scene are blown away by the Kaplans'<br />
unsurpassed pretense and lack of reality checks. Must<br />
be heard to be believed, preferrably on acid. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
"Nightbird" is a real people classic. Low rent genius<br />
schmaltz kings with proggy ballad supperclub Holiday<br />
Inn moves and Arcesiaesque vocal stylings. These guys
ALAN KAPROW (NY)<br />
were the real thing for lounge lizard prog. This<br />
kitchen sink symphony with Grudzienesque cut-andpaste<br />
production is apparently a concept LP but<br />
you'll never figure it out sober. Tinkling piano,<br />
synth washes, flutes. Highlight: King Crimson's<br />
"Epitaph" segued into a rewrite of the Cascades'<br />
"Rhythm of the Rain"! Lots of sounds most of which<br />
have no business being there like the sound<br />
generators. [RM]<br />
"How To Make A Happening" 1966 (Mass Art Inc.) [gimmick<br />
cover]<br />
Spoken word pre-hippie NYC art aesthetics and<br />
philosophy in the form of an 11-step instruction on<br />
how to stage a happening. Kaprow was the leader of<br />
the 'Paths of Action' movement and influential in the<br />
evolution of "happenings" in the early 1960s. Side 2<br />
adds some poetry to the instructions. An important<br />
piece of 60s crossover culture, but today mainly for<br />
those with special interest in the era or modern art<br />
history. "A happening is a gang with a high". [PL]<br />
KASPER (St Louis, MO)<br />
KATH (MD)<br />
"Hammered" 1976 (Lark Ellen)<br />
Bluesy rural rock with good slide guitar.<br />
"Kath" 1975 (no label) [60p; gatefold]<br />
"Kath" 2005 (Rockadelic 51) [+bonus tracks; no gatefold; 500p]<br />
Obscure and quite impressive melodic basement<br />
garage/psych excursion with a lo-fi atmosphere that<br />
would have most purveyors flip out, hits the Ampex<br />
two-track echo & tinny drum sound dead on. The sound<br />
is a bit "Canadian" to me, with a few French language<br />
snips and a typical Maple Leaf sound with lots of<br />
keyboard and reverbed vocals, not unlike the best<br />
tracks on Rockadrome. As it turns out the band was<br />
actually from Maryland, though leader Val Rogolino<br />
was part-French. In any event, it's mostly originals<br />
with a few covers including a fuzzed-out cough syrup<br />
take on "Norwegian Wood" that could be the best<br />
version ever. The selfpenned material is good, with a<br />
60s teenbeat sensibility rather than heavy/hard rock.<br />
At times the vibe is almost like Mystery Meat or<br />
Index, and that's not something you run across every<br />
day. At the same time there are obvious hints that<br />
this dates from a later era, and it was in fact<br />
recorded over a period of several months in 1974.<br />
Good fuzz throughout, charming amateur vocals, and a<br />
late-night rehearsal space ambience. "It doesn't<br />
mean" is a highpoint for me. There are also brief<br />
snips of aural experiments for the right $15<br />
avantgarde touch. "Kath" appears to be a reference to
the main guy's girlfriend. The band also had a non-LP<br />
EP from 1978 under the name Badge, with a more<br />
polished version of "It doesn't mean", and a 45<br />
around the same time. The Rockadelic removes one<br />
track from the original, and adds a couple new ones.<br />
[PL]<br />
KEATNIKS (Labrador, Canada)<br />
"Keatniks" 1965 (Melbourne 4011)<br />
TODD KELLEY ( )<br />
Obscure teen-beat from guys with really short hair,<br />
pre-Invasion cover versions mostly.<br />
"Todd Kelley" 1969 (ESP/ORO-6)<br />
RICH KENDALL (WI)<br />
This moody folk LP is one of the more obscure titles<br />
in the ESP catalog, highly rated by some.<br />
"Food For Thought" 1974 (Unknown Records)<br />
Mid 1970s rural folkrock LP from guys with Jake<br />
connection via one band member. More of a band effort<br />
than "loner", with some nice electric leads.<br />
DAVE KENNEDY & THE AMBASSADORS (LaCrosse, WI)<br />
"Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" 1965 (Coulee clp 1001)<br />
Farewell LP from popular local band going into army<br />
service, mostly pre-Invasion frat and instros, a<br />
couple of Beatles numbers.<br />
KENNELMUS (Phoenix, AZ)<br />
"Kennelmus" 1971 (Phoenix Internat'l 42171) [promo]<br />
This previously undocumented promo variant on the LP<br />
came in a homemade, primitive sleeve. Some or all<br />
promo copies also came with a 45 and insert. Only 1<br />
copy of this variant has been found, which provenance<br />
has been confirmed by a Kennelmus member. The disc is<br />
identical to the standard run.<br />
"Folkstone Prism" 1971 (Phoenix Internat'l 42171) [1000p]<br />
"Folkstone Prism" 1994 (Rockadelic 15) [300#d]
"Folkstone Prism" 1999 (CD Sundazed sc-6129)<br />
Weird desert group with mysterious guitar psych Ennio<br />
Morricone & middle eastern instrumentals on side 1,<br />
backed with equally odd vocal folkrock/garage stuff<br />
on the flip. Play this and something strange enters<br />
the room that you'll enjoy having around after a<br />
while. Hard to describe accurately, and certainly one<br />
of the more unusual albums to be reissued by<br />
Sundazed. The LP was pressed in two runs of 500 each<br />
with a minor label design difference, the "ring"<br />
imprint is close to the spindle hole on the first<br />
run, and close to the dead wax on the second run.<br />
Both runs are considered originals. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
One of that handful of truly unique psych albums. On<br />
side one they’re an all-instrumental freaked out surf<br />
band, and a fantastic one. Side two adds vocals,<br />
which are perfunctory song/speak, and thus these<br />
songs aren’t as interesting. They were way ahead of<br />
their time, before the surf/skate punkers of the<br />
early 80s, and before the sing/speak avant garde 70s<br />
bands like MX-80 Sound and Debris. Cool stuff,<br />
absolutely worth owning. [AM]<br />
"Beyond Folkstone Prism" 1995 (RD Records 1, Switzerland)<br />
[insert; 400p]<br />
Unreleased material from 1969-74, I found this<br />
disappointing and a far cry from the 1971 LP,<br />
although others may enjoy it. It does contain the 45only<br />
version of "Black Sunshine" with vocals, and<br />
this is a psych killer that must be heard. More<br />
unreleased material exists that has yet to appear.<br />
[PL]<br />
KENNY & THE KAMMOTIONS (Texarkana, TX)<br />
"In Motion" 1970 (Candy 1023)<br />
"In Motion" 200 (Candy) [bootleg]<br />
Post-garage bar-rock covers, mostly, plus a couple of<br />
band originals. The band had several 45s including a<br />
couple of really good ones.<br />
KENNY & THE KASUALS (Dallas, TX)<br />
"Impact - Live at the Studio Club" 1967 (Mark 5000) [500p]<br />
"Impact - Live at the Studio Club" 1977 (Mark 5000) [insert]<br />
"Impact - Live at the Studio Club" 199 (CD Flash 26, Italy)<br />
Legendary fake live LP famous among all sorts of<br />
collectors and pulling in $500 even back in the
1970s. Cover versions only, about ½ British Invasion<br />
and ½ US 1950s/frat. The performances are tight and<br />
rocking with no weaknesses and the sound is great and<br />
raw, though the cocktail crowd noise is as silly as<br />
the Elevators "Live". Very good period LP, up there<br />
with the Raiders' "Here they come", the Dimensions<br />
and the Hideout Fugitives. A couple of tracks also<br />
appeared on Kasuals 45s. Their non-LP 45s are<br />
excellent garage/teenbeat and have been collected on<br />
two 1980s comps by Eva Records in France. Oddly, no<br />
Kasuals comps have been made since then. Note: sealed<br />
copies of the 1977 repress are sometimes offered as<br />
originals; however the original run was never sealed.<br />
Early pressings of the reissue contain no 'Doug<br />
Hanners' credit; later pressings have this credit and<br />
an insert promoting "Teen Dreams". [PL]<br />
"Teen Dreams" 1977 (Mark 6000) [200p; red vinyl; handbill]<br />
KENTAURUS (WI)<br />
Supposedly from an "unreleased second LP" but in fact<br />
a sampler of scattered 1966-67 material. Very good<br />
beat, garage and proto-psych and to my ears even more<br />
interesting than the live LP. Originals all through,<br />
local hit "Journey to tyme" among them. Most or all<br />
copies are autographed by Kenny. The reformed Kasuals<br />
cut two LPs and an EP in the late 1970s/early 1980s.<br />
[PL]<br />
"Kentaurus" 1981 (Wakefield)<br />
Hard rock/AOR with freaky vocals that has been hyped<br />
as metal and prog, but is neither.<br />
KEN KESEY & THE MERRY PRANKSTERS (La Honda, CA) see website<br />
"The Acid Test" 1966 (Sound City Production 27690)<br />
"The Acid Test" 1982 (Psycho 4 UK) [300p]<br />
"Acid Test, vol 1" 1999 (CD King Mob, UK) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"The Acid Test" 2005 (CD UK)<br />
Legendary documentation of the 1965-66 Bay Area Acid<br />
Test scene "from 14 hours of the actual<br />
trip" (recorded in a studio). Shows the other side of<br />
acid culture which is fun, unpredictable and<br />
avantgarde as opposed to the Leary camp's solemn<br />
religious/ psychological approach. Lots of amazing<br />
mind games and word play with Kesey and Ken Babbs in<br />
good form, ad libbed poetry, fractured harmonica<br />
solos, tape loops and the Grateful Dead lurking in<br />
the background. Released in March 1966, just as the<br />
Pranksters were splitting for Mexico. An essential<br />
piece, though even the vinyl reissue is hard to find<br />
nowadays. There was also a super-rare promo 45 pulled
from the 1966 LP, along with a promo poster. The King<br />
Mob CD contains an entire album's worth of killer<br />
material related to the hilarious Berkeley Vietnam<br />
rally prank from the Fall 1965. [PL]<br />
"The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" 1986 (Fan-Club)<br />
"Acid Test, vol 2" 1999 (CD-R, no label) [self-released CD-R]<br />
KEVIN & CLARE ( )<br />
Both the LP and the CD-R contain edited highlights<br />
from the S F State Acid Test in October 1966.<br />
Excellent trip stuff with mostly Kesey monologues<br />
plus some cool music, both pre-recorded and<br />
improvised. Wavy Gravy and Jerry Garcia are also in<br />
there somewhere. The CD-R contains a significantly<br />
longer edit, while the LP has snips from a 1980<br />
interview with Kesey and Garcia. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> "LSD" (Capitol)<br />
"All The Roads" 1975 (no label)<br />
Mid-1970s moody hippie folkrock duo with male/female<br />
vocals.<br />
KEYMEN (Las Cruces, NM)<br />
"Live" 1968 (Goldust lps-153)<br />
"Surf Party A Go-Go" 1996 (CD Collectables 0685) [part of LP<br />
+bonus tracks]<br />
Dancehall organ, fuzz, r&b stompers. Despite the late<br />
date, a pre-Invasion sound in the Kingsmen raucous<br />
club style.<br />
KHAZAD DOOM (Morton Grove, IL)<br />
"Level 6½" 1969 (LPL 892) [two inserts; 180p]<br />
"Level 6½" 198 (LPL) [bootleg; b & w cover]<br />
"Encore" 1995 (CD 95) [book; autographed; 600#d]<br />
Among the truly expensive albums few are as<br />
controversial as this. Hard to say why as it sounds<br />
no different to me than dozens of other LPs from the<br />
era, but maybe the ill-fitting "prog" label and<br />
Tolkien-inspired band name has attracted listeners<br />
unprepared for Khazad Doom's amateur artrock. They<br />
sound like a somewhat loungey, semi-professional<br />
teenage band who got inspired by certain late 60s<br />
British acts to create something out of their reach.
KICKIN' (NE)<br />
A song cycle with a vague theme related to "hunters"<br />
recurs, and the music is made more "complex" by<br />
unnecessary breaks and bridges. The band members'<br />
skill varies, which contributes to the<br />
basement/school project feel in both charming and<br />
annoying ways. The opening track contains pretty much<br />
all the elements of the LP, and could be used as a<br />
testing ground. There is a long suite on side 2 that<br />
isn't very successful and weighs down the album,<br />
while the following "Narcissus" is perhaps the best<br />
track, showcasing the band's number one strength, the<br />
vocal harmonies. Otherwise, there's lots of organ<br />
excursions, some fuzz interplay, and a clueless<br />
youthful feel. Had it been successful, it might have<br />
sounded like the Aggregation, but instead it's more<br />
akin to Day Blindness or the more boneheaded Bosstown<br />
bands. Serious prog fans should approach with<br />
caution, or not at all. The very small press size has<br />
been confirmed by the band. The "Encore" CD is a<br />
reissue of the LP plus 8 tracks; it appears that some<br />
parts of the original LP actually aren't included.<br />
[PL]<br />
"Starbound Lady" 1978 (Class Rock 10205) [blue vinyl]<br />
Regional AOR/prog-rock band in a Styx direction, led<br />
by the Fritz twins. The band gigged in Canada with<br />
some success. The album is a "limited edition".<br />
KICKLAND & JOHNSON (Omaha, NE)<br />
"Clay County" 1974 (Effenar 1000) [inner]<br />
KID CASHMERE ( )<br />
Hippie folkrock/s-sw in a James Taylor bag with nasal<br />
vocals, rock setting plus harmonica and piano. J<br />
Clemetson is given credit on the sleeve, and wrote<br />
several of the songs. Not psychedelic in any way. Ed<br />
Johnson did a solo LP in 1977, "Homespun", with the<br />
same guys helping out.<br />
"Kid Cashmere" 1977 (Guiness GNS36081)<br />
KID DYNAMITE ( )<br />
Bluesy fuzz and P-funk on tax-loss label. Possibly<br />
recorded several years earlier.<br />
"Kid Dynamite" 1976 (Flightstream 101)<br />
The same band that had a major label release on the<br />
Cream label. This is superior in a strong guitarcharged<br />
blues/boogie hardrock vein.
PAT KILROY (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Light Of Day" 1966 (Elektra EKL 311) [mono; gold label]<br />
"Light Of Day" 1966 (Elektra EKS 7311) [stereo; gold label]<br />
Extraordinary and historically important bohemian<br />
folk/raga LP with a timeless freak quality. About<br />
half is swampy folk-blues that sounds like a coffeehouse<br />
version of early Captain Beefheart, the other<br />
half is stunning Eastern trance/drone folkpsychedelia<br />
years ahead of its time. Excellent use is<br />
made of various minor instruments that include jew's<br />
harp and bells, while Kilroy's voice goes from moody<br />
introspection into all-out howling, whether due to<br />
bad moonshine or potent peyote is hard to tell. A<br />
raw, improvised feeling typical of westcoast avantfolk<br />
is retained throughout, even as the lyrics and<br />
arrangements indicate that a lot of work went into<br />
it. Side 1 is somewhat more conventional, while side<br />
2 zooms into hallucinatory acid folk domains on<br />
things like "Vibrations" and the title track. A<br />
couple of numbers sound remarkably like what Kilroy's<br />
Elektra colleagues Incredible String Band would<br />
become famous for in 1967-68, but this LP predates<br />
them by at least a year... challenging at times, with<br />
some tracks not quite successful, but still a must.<br />
Kilroy was member of early SF folk-avant group New<br />
Age (seen in the movie "The Love-Ins"), and sadly<br />
passed away as early as 1967. A UK pressing in a US<br />
sleeve exists. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
On the front cover of "Light of Day", Kilroy looks a<br />
bit like a cowboy, but a look at the back will inform<br />
potential buyers that we're not in Hank Williams<br />
territory. The album begins with a song called "Magic<br />
Carpet," ends with one called "Star Dance" and also<br />
includes the titles "The Pipes Of Pan" and<br />
"Vibrations". The liner notes reference Hebrides'<br />
Islanders' chants, "Moods of Spanish gypsies," "the<br />
magnetic pulsations of African hypnotic drums," music<br />
of India, dances of the Middle East, the writings of<br />
Hesse, Huxley, George Gurdjieff, and, most<br />
importantly, the Sufi Message. In the year before the<br />
summer of love, he ends the notes with the single<br />
word "peace". It's no surprise, then, that the music<br />
tests previously uncharted waters, and as with an<br />
equally unique 1966 album, "Psychedelic Moods of the<br />
Deep", it goes places where no one would go again.<br />
The Deep's album invented psychedelic music without<br />
any noticeable influences, but went unnoticed when<br />
the genre exploded via well-known artists. Kilroy<br />
invented acid folk, though, unlike the Deep, he<br />
didn't do so intentionally. The difference is a<br />
significant one because there's no artifice or sense<br />
of exploitation in Kilroy's music. (This isn't a<br />
knock on the Deep's album, which I think is even<br />
better than this, even if it's not 100% "genuine").<br />
Regardless, nobody heard this album either, and the<br />
wave of psychedelic folk-rock and singer-songwriter<br />
types who followed would come from completely<br />
different mindsets. Admittedly, "Light Of Day" is<br />
mostly more experimental than it is "good", with<br />
fragmented songwriting, rough singing and awkward<br />
rhythms, but it has moments of true inspiration and<br />
is a completely original work, something you all<br />
should hear. [AM]<br />
~~~
KING ( )<br />
see full-length review<br />
"King" 1980 (no label)<br />
DENNY KING ( )<br />
Since the only people who ever describe this are<br />
dealers trying to sell it, we feel obligated to give<br />
you the truth about this turkey: The female singer,<br />
who is great, is only on one song, which is heads and<br />
tails the highlight of the album. Side two is<br />
entirely instrumental, and basically jazz-rock of a<br />
not particularly creative or accomplished variety.<br />
Side one sounds more new wave than "psych," which<br />
would be fine if it was particularly good, but it<br />
isn't. It isn't heavy, at all. It's not even<br />
especially weird other than that the various styles<br />
are an odd mix. The mysterious album cover, lack of<br />
credits or information, and the fact that every<br />
single copy seems to have ended up in the hands of<br />
psych dealers have added to its mystique over time,<br />
but don't shell out the $50-$100 it will cost you<br />
without listening to it first. [AM]<br />
"Evil Wind Is Blowing" 1972 (Specialty Records)<br />
"Evil Wind Is Blowing" 2005 (CD Synton, Austria)<br />
KINGDOM (CA)<br />
From Little Richard's label, here's a 1972 blues-rock<br />
album whose liner notes inform you that "you'll soon<br />
know why they call that place the high desert!"<br />
King's vocals are in a Beefheart-out-of-Howlin' Wolf<br />
mode, with Beefheart's high squeals and some very<br />
deep grunts and laughter. This is a very funny<br />
record, whether King is growling nonsensical<br />
gibberish on "Bottle Blues," proclaiming that he does<br />
"Lucille" better than Little Richard, or working the<br />
double meaning of "Boogie Man." Along with Beefheart,<br />
King makes me absolutely certain that this is the<br />
most apt vocal style for this type of music. Listen<br />
to King and realize that all those hard rock guys<br />
just don't have a clue. The album features cool<br />
harmonica and really hot slide guitar (courtesy of<br />
ex-Beefheart sideman Alex St. Claire.) The rhythm<br />
section is stellar too: check out the awesome bass<br />
line on "Sunday Driver". My pick hit is "Desert<br />
Sand," which starts with a lovely tapped-fretboard<br />
riff, has a wah-wah/slide guitar battle for a solo,<br />
and just plain feels like its title in a windstorm.<br />
You'll probably read about a hundred blues-rock<br />
albums here in the Archives. Most of them are full of<br />
fuzz guitar, freaky lyrics and psychedelic production<br />
tricks, but trust me, not a one of them is as good as<br />
this. [AM]<br />
"Kingdom" 1970 (Specialty lp-2135)<br />
"Kingdom" 1999 (Akarma 031, Italy)<br />
"Kingdom" 2000 (CD Akarma, Italy)
KINGYO ( )<br />
Obscure hard rock album with heavy guitar and organ.<br />
It’s a cool item just because it’s on Little<br />
Richard’s label, but after several listens none of<br />
the songs have stuck with me. It’s a well-played but<br />
essentially generic heavy rock album that wouldn’t be<br />
such a hot collector’s item if it wasn’t so scarce.<br />
[AM]<br />
"Simplicity" 197 (Radnor 2002)<br />
Native American a k a Tony Wright, folkrock with<br />
bluesy moves, raw vocals and some orchestration. Same<br />
label as Lumbee.<br />
KITCHEN CINQ (Amarillo, TX)<br />
"Everything But" 1967 (L.H.I. 12000) [mono]<br />
"Everything But" 1967 (L.H.I. 12000) [stereo]<br />
This album has a really nice teen-style garage-pop<br />
charm, with enthusiastic playing and good harmonies.<br />
The guitars are jangly, not fuzzy. They weren’t<br />
songwriters, unfortunately, so while the album is<br />
enjoyable from start to finish it’s also somewhat<br />
disposable. They get extra points for turning<br />
“Codine” into “Needles And Pins.” [AM]<br />
TAYLOR KITCHINGS (MS)<br />
"Clean Break" 1972 (Union)<br />
KLANSMANN (KS)<br />
Mix of Dylanesque folkrock and classical inspired<br />
folk-prog, with a melancholic mood and good lyrics.<br />
"Klansmann" 1968 (Audio House 269) [no cover]<br />
CAROL KLEYN (CA)<br />
One of many obscure pressings from the Kansas-based<br />
Audio House custom plant, this is amateurish teenbeat<br />
with covers of Young Rascals, "Hey Joe", Gerry & the<br />
Pacemakers etc. Apparently the label photo shown in<br />
one of the Collector Dreams books is not of the<br />
original label, but a recent facsimile.<br />
"Love Has Made Me Stronger" 1976 (Lyra no #)<br />
Bobby Brown's girlfriend is equally as musically<br />
bizarre as him. Side one of this album is just harp<br />
and voice, and her warbly melodies blend with the<br />
instrument to make for some truly unique voicings.<br />
Her high voice can occasionally grate, but it suits<br />
her odd sensibility and romantic vision (she's a true
dreamer.) Side two of the album is just piano (or<br />
electric piano) and voice. The songs are as good as<br />
those on side one, but after almost forty minutes<br />
you're left wishing she'd hired a rhythm section.<br />
Unique but not wholly successful. [AM]<br />
"Takin' The Time" 1980 (Turtledove no #)<br />
Most people have a strong preference of one Kleyn<br />
album over the other, and strangely enough they seem<br />
to be equally split about which one. To be honest, I<br />
think it's a wash. This second (and rarer) album<br />
benefits from more instrumentation, with drums, bass,<br />
and electric guitar on most songs. There's still<br />
plenty of harp, though, and when a few sparse songs<br />
show up on side two they feel really good in this<br />
context. The songs, on the other hand, aren't much<br />
different from those on the first album. Same horny<br />
hippie romanticism, same jarring vocal trills and<br />
bird imitations. She's unique, and this is pretty<br />
cool music if you're in the right frame of mind, but<br />
just a few songs by her would probably be enough to<br />
satisfy the average listener. What fails to excite in<br />
the context of her own album might be a standout on a<br />
compilation. [AM]<br />
CURTIS KNIGHT (KS/NY)<br />
"Down In The Village" 1970 (Paramount)<br />
The oddball album in Knight’s extensive discography<br />
is this heavy effort, featuring plenty-of Hendrixlike<br />
lead guitar. The ten-minute “Give You Plenty<br />
Lovin” is a room-clearer, as his repetitive screaming<br />
and the endless guitar noise goes way beyond the<br />
bounds of good taste. Some of you will really love<br />
it, obviously. Elsewhere it’s a solid set of soul and<br />
rock, given an edge by the heavy guitar playing and<br />
Knight’s street vibe. A worthwhile album. [AM]<br />
KNIGHTS a k a HERMON KNIGHTS (Northfield, MA)<br />
"Off Campus" 1965 (CO 1269)<br />
"Across the Board" 1966 (Ace Recording Studio mg-200854)<br />
"Knights '67" 1967 (Ace Recording Studio mg-201302/3)<br />
"Hermon Knights" 1968 (Ace Recording Studio co-2323)<br />
Guitar, organ, horns prep cover band from the Mount<br />
Hermon school with mix of folk, pop, jazz, and the<br />
occasional raver. "Knights '67" is probably their<br />
strongest garage LP, though none are exceptional.<br />
Earlier LPs include "On The Road" (Ace, 1962) which<br />
is very weak with big band covers and instros,
KNIGHTS 5 + 1 ( )<br />
"Expressions" (Ace, 1964) and "Cold Days - Hot<br />
Knights" (Ace, 1963). An annual album would be<br />
recorded each Spring, with the earliest known Knights<br />
LP dating back to 1958. The Cole brothers later<br />
turned up in Quill who had a pretty wellknown progrock<br />
LP on Cotillion. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Silent Cheer; Together<br />
"On The Move" 1967 (Justice 156)<br />
"On The Move" 1996 (CD Collectables 0604)<br />
Racially integrated Eastcoast club band unique to the<br />
label and era, and also one of the more wideappealing<br />
titles on the Justice roster. Singer and<br />
sax man are black, rest are honkie kids, although the<br />
bass player is so good he sounds black. Vocalist is<br />
thankfully in the cool Cooke/Gaye school rather than<br />
a Pickett/Redding screamer, and the sax-man's loungy<br />
digressions sets a mellow nightclub tone to the<br />
affair, especially on a number of stylish<br />
instrumental originals. The vocal cover selections<br />
are a little too obvious but the wee hours approach<br />
makes a lot of the Memphis standards different and<br />
appealing. If I was throwing a wedding party this is<br />
the Justice band I'd book. [PL]<br />
KOALA (New York City, NY)<br />
"Koala" 1969 (Capitol skao-176) [unipak cover; rainbow<br />
label]<br />
KOPPERFIELD (MI)<br />
In a weird marketing gimmick, these guys were given<br />
an Australian name and pretended to be Aussie<br />
immigrants. It didn’t work, as the album bombed and<br />
now takes its place among those very rare Capitol<br />
albums we all drool over. A few songs here have some<br />
really out of control fuzz guitar, and the vocalist<br />
is strident in a Fred Cole kind of way. For the good<br />
songs, it’s as exciting as hell and it’s not<br />
surprising that this is a highly-sought-after album,<br />
but the sound is pretty headache-including over the<br />
long haul, especially when the songwriting<br />
inspiration begins to wear thin halfway through each<br />
side. Take the two side-openers, though, and you’d<br />
have one whale of a killer garage/psych hard rock 45.<br />
[AM]<br />
"Tales Untold" 1974 (Kopperdisc 5014-n5) [lyrics insert]<br />
"Tales Untold" 198 (Kopperdisc, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
"Tales Untold" 199 (CD, Europe)<br />
"Tales Untold" 2001 (Gear Fab gf-164) [2 LPs; +9 tracks]
"Tales Untold" 2001 (CD Gear Fab gf-164) [+9 tracks]<br />
This heavy album with progressive moves is expertly<br />
played and reasonably well produced, though it<br />
suffers a bit from inconsistent vocals and too many<br />
organ solos. It occasionally veers into 70s<br />
mainstream AOR territory (vocals from the Uriah Heep<br />
school, though not worthy of a passing grade.) It<br />
rocks hard enough and the songs are fast enough to<br />
give it points for energy. "Nothing Left To Give,"<br />
with a propulsive rhythm and a strong vocal line, is<br />
probably the best song, though some of the more<br />
ambitious arrangements (i.e. the slower, keyboardheavy<br />
title track) are also appealing. Side two is<br />
more experimental than side one. You can certainly do<br />
much worse in the genre, but don't buy this if you're<br />
looking for anything especially original or wellsung.<br />
The Gear Fab reissue contains a complete<br />
unreleased second album, which has stronger chops,<br />
heavier songs, and a more confident sound. It also<br />
experiments more with synthesizers and funky rhythms.<br />
For the most part, it's a bit better than the<br />
original album, but a terrible boogie song, titled<br />
"Gonna Get Stoned," really hurts. [AM]<br />
LOUIE KOTVA (Champaign, IL)<br />
"It Used To Be Not Everybody Was A Lighthouse" 1970 (Prism)<br />
[lyric inner sleeve]<br />
Loner folk private press that falls into the "count<br />
the number of known copies on one hand" level of<br />
rarity. Illinois loner folkie with a few songs with<br />
psych moves. Comes in a textured cover and includes a<br />
homemade "custom" inner sleeve with paste-on lyric<br />
sheets on front and back. [MA]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Red Herring Fall Folk Festival<br />
KREED (Fairbault, MN)<br />
"This Is Kreed!" 1971 (Vision Of Sound 71-56)<br />
Rare basement excursion from St James military school<br />
band in the lower teens, famous for how strange some<br />
of them look on the sleeve. Has piano rather than<br />
guitars upfront which is a pity as this otherwise has<br />
all the right moves; voice-change vocals, basic<br />
garage tunes and lyrics about girls and the<br />
environment (?!). All originals except an extended<br />
cover of "In a gadda da vida" which is a pretty<br />
faithful rendering with piano solos replacing the<br />
organ. All over an interesting local piece in a '66<br />
bag despite the vintage. [PL]<br />
KRISTYL (Louisville, KY)
"Kristyl" 1975 (no label #4569) [200p]<br />
"Kristyl" 1986 (Hype 1, UK)<br />
"Kristyl" 199 (CD Titanic, Germany)<br />
Highly regarded local Christian 1970s melodic guitarrock<br />
with an open late-1960s westcoast vibe, dual<br />
guitars and great organic playing/vocals all around.<br />
They have a very distinct sound which makes the<br />
tracks seem similar at first, but it opens up after<br />
some plays and remains that way. The best tracks such<br />
as "Deceptions of the mind" and "Valley of life" are<br />
truly monumental. Personal fave, one of the big ones<br />
in the style. Great sleeve design - note the drummers<br />
t-shirt. Originals were pressed on very thin vinyl,<br />
so most copies have slight bowl warps. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Timeless pinnacle of teenage, rural, Christian<br />
psychedelia. The consensus seems to be that this is a<br />
1975 recording, but dealers always (accurately)<br />
describe it as sounding much earlier. The psychedelic<br />
playing on ‘Deceptions of the Mind’ often contrasts<br />
with the anti-drugs/sex lyrics: “Alcohol and sex<br />
unclean, copping drugs all over the scene/What is it<br />
that we need, Lord it’s love and it’s for free”.<br />
Kentucky can’t have been an easy place to strike a<br />
deal to have this recorded, so maybe they felt they<br />
needed to put an anti-drugs message in here and<br />
there. The music is consistently wonderful, side 1 in<br />
particular, with side 2 ending with the beautiful<br />
‘Morning Glory’. The dual guitars are laden with<br />
effects and full of interesting twists and turns. The<br />
singing is honest and clear. Not as crazed as<br />
Fraction, but in the same league of expressive,<br />
sincere musicianship. A beautiful, naïve feeling<br />
pervades the whole LP, like they believed anything<br />
could happen, the world could change as a result of<br />
their sounds. For me, they were right. Why is the<br />
drummer wearing a shirt with a hash leaf on it,<br />
perhaps it says “hash free zone” underneath? The<br />
sleeve art is also top-ten, being a monochrome<br />
crudely drawn snake encircling the earth. [RI]<br />
KRYSTALS (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"Krystals" 1971 (Fourmost 8943)<br />
KUDZU BAND (GA)<br />
Late beat/pop with keyboard-led covers of Hollies,<br />
Simon & Garfunkel, Chicago, and some originals. The<br />
release date has been listed elsewhere as 1968, which<br />
is obviously incorrect from the track list.<br />
"Chitlin' Circuit" 1976 (De Vine)
Guitar-driven Southern rock with a ZZ Top influence,<br />
has a cover of "Back Door Man".<br />
FRED KUHN & LIGHT (Long Island, NY)<br />
"A Song Of Gods Gone Mad" 1980 (Daystar 0001)<br />
Here’s a 1980 folk album that is more weird than<br />
good. It’s not exactly satanic, but definitely pagan<br />
and strange. It includes a bass-and-vocals-only<br />
version of David Crosby’s “Triad” which makes an<br />
already creepy song even creepier. Some songs have<br />
pretty wild moog and others have twisted lyrics, but<br />
overall the musical sound is actually quite tame.<br />
It’s interesting when someone with this kind of<br />
sensibility heads towards folk rather than heavy<br />
metal, and this album is definitely a curiosity. It’s<br />
not really that good, though, as little moments (a<br />
phrase here or there, some synthesizer noise) stick<br />
in my memory more than do any of the songs as a<br />
whole. Nicodemus fans might appreciate it. [AM]<br />
ROBB KUNKEL (Denver, CO)<br />
"Abyss" 1973 (Tumbleweed TWS 111)<br />
Obscure but surprisingly good LP on a Rocky Mountain<br />
independent that rode high on corporate money for a<br />
few years. It's one of the best, perhaps the best, on<br />
the label, and opens with two terrific dreamy<br />
westcoast psych tracks that alone makes this worth<br />
getting. The rest is an eclectic bag of melodic rock<br />
and singer/songwriter, with two weaker (but short)<br />
rootsy tracks, and the rest quite enjoyable. Heavy<br />
session names are all over this LP, which displays<br />
the typical Tumbleweed combination of a stoned, loose<br />
vibe and a classy production. When staff member<br />
Kunkel's album was released the label's money was<br />
running out, and it may have been pressed in as few<br />
as 500 copies. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Having listened to this album a dozen times it's<br />
still hard to slap it with a label. Much of it has a<br />
laidback acoustic feel to it, but the songs are often<br />
punctuated by Howard Robert's jazzy lead guitar<br />
and/or Kunkel's percussive keyboards. 'Whispermuse'<br />
is a perfect example. For the first couple of moments<br />
in flows along as a pretty acoustic ballad before<br />
Kunkel and Roberts kick in at the tale end. In<br />
contrast, the title track and 'Turn of the<br />
Century' (the latter being the standout effort) are<br />
fairly conventional (and enjoyable) rock numbers.<br />
Full of pretty melodies and some nice harmony vocals,<br />
I can see why it's becoming somewhat of a sought<br />
after collectable. The only real missteps are a<br />
couple of country-flavored throwaways including the<br />
forgettable "Country Blues". [SB]<br />
see full-length review<br />
KURT & NOAH (Canada)
"There Are Things" 1970 (Astra 1000) [inner]<br />
KUSUDO & WORTH ( )<br />
A quintet despite the name, doing gentle folk with<br />
acoustic and electric guitars and harmony vocals.<br />
Some tracks have female vocals. The group had a<br />
couple of 45s including a minor hit.<br />
"Of Sun & Rain" 1969 (Custom Fidelity 1881/82) [200p]<br />
This is about as good as stark acoustic folk gets,<br />
with evocative songs, beautiful and versatile<br />
singing, unexpected acoustic raveups, and the<br />
addition of some eerie slide guitar on one song. The<br />
two voices work very well together and around each<br />
other. "I Would Like To Hear Your Story" is really<br />
intense, sort of like the side-openers of the first<br />
Jake Holmes album. Very highly recommended, and way<br />
overdue for a reissue. [AM]<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
LACEWING (Kent, OH)<br />
"Lacewing" 1970 (Mainstream s-6132)<br />
LADY CHASER ( )<br />
One of Mainstream's later-day releases, still mainly<br />
in the typical westcoast Airplane/Mamas & Papas/Big<br />
Brother bag but with hints of 70s things to come.<br />
Starts off strongly with femme-vox folkrock and psych<br />
and maintains a reasonably good level, with fuzz<br />
leads and minor prog ambitions on side 2, while side<br />
1 has more of a CA'68 sound. Use of piano and heavy<br />
drum licks betray a "Volunteers" influence, while the<br />
atmospheric instrumental passage during "The Storm"<br />
may be the most original thing on board. It took me a<br />
long while to figure out why it sounded so familiar,<br />
but to my ears the overall sound is quite similar to<br />
the British Julian Jay Savarin album, although less<br />
coherent in its structure. About 2/3rds is excellent<br />
femme-vox hippie-rock, with impact lessened by a<br />
couple of uninspired tracks and a drum solo at the<br />
close. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
In terms of collectability, this is a second-tier<br />
Mainstream album, but the opening “Paradox” is<br />
possibly the best song by any band on the label. It’s<br />
just a gorgeous folk-rock creation with sparkling<br />
male/female harmonies and a bright, summery feel to<br />
it. The rest of the album can’t possibly reach that<br />
standard, but other than a typically dull drum solo<br />
(at the very end—you can just turn off the record<br />
early), this is a nice album, and some surprisingly<br />
heavy bits enter into the mix. The female singer is<br />
very appealing. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
In an earlier incarnation this band was known as the<br />
Measles and featured Joe Walsh on guitar. The band<br />
was briefly called Lacewing around the time of the<br />
Mainstream album, which (like other OH bands on<br />
Mainstream such as Freeport and December's Children)<br />
was recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami. Vocalist<br />
Mary Sterpka was later drafted by Walsh to sing backup<br />
vocals on the James Gang hit "Midnight Man". Info<br />
courtesy of George Gell.<br />
"Lady Chaser" 1981 (private)<br />
Here’s an otherwise interesting private press album<br />
that’s completely done in by horrible vocals.<br />
Musically, it’s a mix of rural rock, jazzy soft rock,
LAFAUCI (LA)<br />
and mellow bluesy rock, quite interesting and wellplayed.<br />
They tend to be lumped in with late-70s post-<br />
Dead artists like Walnut Band and Mad Fables, but<br />
this is really its own animal. If the singing were<br />
even remotely bearable, I’d recommend it. The fantasy<br />
cover promises a prog album, which this most<br />
definitely is not. Sometimes this album is listed as<br />
being by “Michael Barash.” It’s not entirely clear if<br />
Lady Chaser is the album name or the band’s name.<br />
[AM]<br />
"Lafauci" 1978 (Uncle Meat)<br />
LAKOTA ( )<br />
This is a pretty solid southern rock/hard rock album.<br />
It's got that Molly Hatchet style of singing and the<br />
ubiquitous dual lead guitars, lots of hooks, some<br />
tasteful moog, concise, tight songs. A couple of<br />
ballads are weak, but otherwise if you like this<br />
style of music this is a good one. Short album, less<br />
than half an hour. [AM]<br />
"Lakota" 1979 (JSR Records 1506)<br />
Rural/southern rock sound by Native American band on<br />
New Jersey label, highly rated by some.<br />
DAVE LAMB & GYE WHIZ ( )<br />
"I'll Be Alright" 1971 (SYMA ad-1000)<br />
"I'll Be Alright" 2000 (Fanny, Belgium)<br />
Obscure basement hippie folkrock affair. Sound is<br />
somewhat reminiscent of quirky rural UK folkprog LPs<br />
like Gygafo or Candida Pax, especially the<br />
enthusiastic amateur vocals. Primitive 1970s folkrock<br />
setting with occasional keyboards, spirited<br />
atmosphere and coffeehouse folk remnants. I've heard<br />
some negative comments on it and while not too bad in<br />
my ears, it's hard to single out any particular<br />
appealing aspect to this LP. "Shine on me" is perhaps<br />
the most interesting track, with a fragmented,<br />
confused rural folk sound that may recall A-Austr.<br />
One of those private pressings where the rarity is<br />
more significant than the musical quality. [PL]<br />
PAUL LAMONT (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Psychedelia" 1969 (Golden State)<br />
Improvisational avant hippie piano noodling, two<br />
side-long excursions that Lamont encourages you to<br />
play loud for best effect.
LANDSLIDE (NY)<br />
"Two-sided Fantasy" 1972 (Capitol 11006) [green label]<br />
"Two-sided Fantasy" 2002 (Akarma 238, Italy)<br />
"Two-sided Fantasy" 2002 (CD Akarma 238, Italy)<br />
Appealing mosaic of various early 70s styles,<br />
delivered with a confident smooth groove that had me<br />
believe this was a black band which appears not to be<br />
the case. Sounds more rural/west coast than NY to me.<br />
Traces of Dead, Santana, Airplane plus some<br />
harder/bluesier aspects, still with an original vibe<br />
and even some Christian lyrics. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Here’s another Capitol rarity, and it’s a really good<br />
one. It’s a dual guitar hard rock album with tons of<br />
great hooks and some unique arrangements (“Creepy<br />
Feeling” has a chord progression that lives up to the<br />
title, the final song has an intense set of buildups,<br />
and many songs appear to have two drummers.) Equally<br />
good songwriting on the ballads and heavy songs, and<br />
subtle and creative guitar playing make this one of<br />
the best 1970s albums in the genre. Weird creepy<br />
album cover too. [AM]<br />
ROBBIE LANE & THE DISCIPLES (Toronto, Canada)<br />
"It's Happening" 1966 (Capitol T 6182)<br />
Teen-beat from popular band with several 45 releases<br />
and a CBC TV slot. The sound is more pop than garage.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> "Meet The Lively Ones"<br />
TONY LANE & THE FABULOUS SPADES ( )<br />
"Introducing" 1966 (Justice 133)<br />
"Introducing" 1996 (CD Collectables)<br />
Good opening Them cover sets the tone for a fatter<br />
and rockier club trip than most LPs on the label. Use<br />
of organ, sax and Tony's tambourine creates a<br />
contemporary mid-60s sound, and the big guy's vocals<br />
aren't bad at all, making even the token ballads<br />
acceptable, while a couple of energetic frat covers<br />
garner bonus points. "Long Tall Sally" with awesome<br />
bass runs is a highpoint, as is a fuzz-lead "See See<br />
Rider" which I'd rate as one of the best versions<br />
ever. Rated highly by Justice aficionado Jeff Jarema,<br />
this LP's main drawback is the lack of group<br />
originals. [PL]<br />
LANGLEY SCHOOLS PROJECT see Hans Fenger<br />
LARRY & MYRA (MA)<br />
"Alien Nation" 1970 (Eat the Day ls-101)
Male/female acoustic folk with pretty voices but<br />
forgettable songs. This is one of those albums that<br />
sounds really nice on first listen, but just fades<br />
away after that. Organ, flute, cello, guitars.<br />
Sometimes hyped as rare, but actually easy to find.<br />
[AM]<br />
BOB LARSON (McCook, NE)<br />
"Speaks Out On Rock Music" 1969 (Cornerstone CRS 4014)<br />
Well-known Christian radio show host doing an early<br />
anti-rock music sermon, except the message is<br />
strangely deflated by Bob pulling out an electric<br />
guitar and playing wah-wah solos by Cream, Iron<br />
Butterfly, and more. Popular title among fringe<br />
collectors. It was originally sold to Christians on<br />
reel-to-reel tape. Larson had a number of other<br />
albums that would not be of interest to readers of<br />
this book. He also wrote the remarkably paranoid<br />
"Larson's Book of Rock."<br />
LAST CALL OF SHILOH (Sandpoint, ID)<br />
"Last Call Of Shiloh" 1970 (Last Call src-5136) [500p]<br />
Christian westcoasty psych/folkrock with several<br />
tracks in the classic mold that fans of the genre<br />
love, similar to Wilson Mckinley, Steve Powell etc;<br />
ringing guitars, loose vocal harmonies and jammy Bay<br />
Area moods - just dig that bass player. Has 2-3 truly<br />
great tracks on level with Tripsichord with mix of<br />
male/female vocals, a few others are more spiritual<br />
in style. Only about half the original pressing came<br />
with covers; it appears that repro paste-on covers<br />
also exist. The original cover is flimsy and slightly<br />
oversized. Still no reissue, which is strange. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Deep Christian rock with inventive playing and a<br />
laid-back garage seeker vibe like the darker side of<br />
Jefferson Airplane or the third Velvet Underground<br />
LP. Soulful pretty vocals with female backup and<br />
searching westcoast leads. Highlights: "Marriage<br />
Supper of the Lamb" with soaring vocals and garagy<br />
guitar, the delicate melancholy of "New Jerusalem",<br />
and "Message of the Gospel" with its intriguing murky<br />
rhythm. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
Here's an album that's desperately in need of a<br />
reissue. It's an early Christian rock record, which,<br />
like Wilson McKinley, is basically a record of its<br />
time with Christian lyrics rather than something that<br />
has true roots in any Christian musical tradition.<br />
Much of it is lovely folk-rock, and there are a few
very, very beautiful songs. The vocals are dreamy<br />
and, dare I say, heavenly. It's not as consistent as,<br />
say, Azitis or "Spirit of Elijah," but the best songs<br />
here are the pinnacle of this genre. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Living Sacrifice Band<br />
LAST DAYS (on Rite) see Charisma<br />
LAST DAYS (TX)<br />
"Last Days" 1975 (Crusade Studios 487) [lyric insert]<br />
Here’s a sleeper of a Christian folk record. The<br />
lyrics are often cringe-inducing (how many times do<br />
we need to hear the graphic details of the<br />
crucifixion?), but there are some terrific songs here<br />
and lovely male and female vocals. Best of all, at<br />
the very end of side one, after nothing but guitar<br />
and voice for four and a half songs, some searing,<br />
punky, fuzz guitar comes out of nowhere. It turns the<br />
song “His Love Is Real” into a surreal and very<br />
exciting masterpiece of the highest order. Some more<br />
heavy guitar pops up in a few places on side two, and<br />
the album ends with a really soulful song that’s also<br />
surprising and wonderful. This album works mostly in<br />
bits and pieces, but at times it’s transcendent. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
I was initially put off by the female vocals on this<br />
LP which seem detached and impersonal, mostly in a<br />
highpitched Joan Baez style. However, as the album<br />
progresses weird little twists begin creeping up to<br />
the surface. The male vocalist has a light<br />
androgynous tone which makes for a strange vibe on<br />
his tracks, as do some unexpected raw guitarleads<br />
that almost seem tacked on by someone else. The music<br />
is mainly straightforward Christian 70s folk with a<br />
humble, honest vibe that occasionally goes into true<br />
intimacy. Additional instrumentation includes piano,<br />
flute and light drumming here and there. On "Only His<br />
Few" they rock out in a delightfully fumbling way,<br />
and suddenly sound like Wilson McKinley for a minute<br />
or two before we're back in the awestruck Christian<br />
serenades. One track seems to rip off the 60s cheese<br />
garage classic "Shape of things to come". Hmm... odd<br />
one, with some definite surprises up the sleeve, like<br />
if the first Sons Of Thunder LP had been a 1970s<br />
album. [PL]<br />
V.A "LATITUDES 1973-74" (Blue Bell, PA)<br />
"Latitudes 1973-74" 1974 (private)<br />
Students from Montgomery Community County College of<br />
interest for some strong tracks by the prog group<br />
Puddleduck. Also features several more "bands" in<br />
various styles, guitar-rock from Tubular Chamber<br />
Ensemble, electric folk rock from an unnamed band,<br />
stoned hippy/Dead folkrock from a band called “Y”,<br />
trad folk from the Amber Ramblers, folk from Shack<br />
People, a brief jazz piece, and a closing<br />
electric/acoustic folk psych track.
LATTER RAIN (KY)<br />
"Latter Rain" 1976 (New Life 610203) [500p]<br />
Christian rock with churning organ, wah-wah, and<br />
powerful vocals. Half the LP is smoking hardrockers<br />
and the remaining mid-tempo tracks take on a more<br />
progressive turn with the organ out front. Good LP.<br />
[RM]<br />
~~~<br />
Most of this is pretty standard bluesy 70s Christian<br />
rock, with vocals that don’t quite hit the harmonies<br />
and a drummer and organist who try to overreach their<br />
bounds. A few songs have some rather heavy guitar<br />
with wah wah, which is surely what attracted psych<br />
collectors to the album, but basically this is not a<br />
hard rock album. The singer desperately tries to show<br />
a little soul, but he just doesn’t have it. This is<br />
the kind of album that may seem kind of daring within<br />
the Xian context, but once you give it a few close<br />
listens you’ll realize it doesn’t do anything a ton<br />
of other bluesy rock albums do, and most of those do<br />
it better. [AM]<br />
ANTON LAVEY see "The Satanic Mass"<br />
LAZY DAY (Sioux City, IA)<br />
"Straight 'Atcha" 1973 (Magic) [insert]<br />
LAZY SMOKE (MA)<br />
Midwest bluesy rural piano/guitar rustic jamming.<br />
Laid-back Allman Brothers moves. The band later<br />
became Bonesteel and kept going for many years. [RM]<br />
"A Corridor Of Faces" 1969 (Onyx 6903) [paste-on cover;<br />
100p]<br />
"A Corridor Of Faces" 1986 (Heyoka 206, UK) [altered cover]<br />
"A Corridor Of Faces" 1993 (Onyx) [altered cover; 500#d;<br />
autographed; booklet; bonus 45]<br />
"A Corridor Of Faces" 1993 (CD Afterglow 003, UK) [bootleg]<br />
"A Corridor Of Faces" 1997 (CD Arf Arf 065) [+12 bonus tracks]<br />
Have to confess I've never understood all the<br />
brouhaha around this LP, what with several reissues<br />
and heavy dealer hype whenever offered. The final<br />
word is yours, but to me it sounds like decent Britstyle<br />
beat-psych with a major Beatles fixation<br />
including Lennonesque vocals and low budget George<br />
Martin production tricks. The songwriting is OK but
not great, and it's hard to catch a glimpse of any<br />
true originality behind the anglo facade. While<br />
charming and appealing in a 2nd-tier way, I've given<br />
this album many chances to reveal itself in a bigger<br />
way since the late 1980s, and have to file it among<br />
items that I simply do not "get". [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Drifting melodic Beatlesque psych. like if "Rubber<br />
Soul" had all the "Sgt. Pepper's..." studio tricks<br />
and Lennon handled all the vocals. Backwards guitar,<br />
floating vocals, churchy organ, and haunting lyrics<br />
about romance and regret. The original cover was a<br />
paste-on xerox of the intended cover photo and liner<br />
notes. The two surviving members released an album of<br />
newly recorded acidic folk in 1996 on the Pondicherry<br />
label, titled "Pictures In The Smoke". [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
World-renowned as the great Beatlesque psychedelic<br />
album, but definitely overrated to these ears. The<br />
singer is considered by some to be a dead ringer for<br />
Lennon, but he lacks Lennon’s edge. There’s something<br />
sweet, almost corny, about the vocal tone that may<br />
resemble the Lennon of "Double Fantasy", but<br />
certainly not Lennon from the 60s. The album is<br />
pleasant and a few songs are excellent, but overall<br />
it’s hardly worthy of the awe it seems to inspire in<br />
some people. I’d certainly recommend Anonymous, or<br />
Kaleidoscope, or Los Walkers, or even Badfinger,<br />
first. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Euclid<br />
TIMOTHY LEARY (MA) see presentation<br />
"The Psychedelic Experience" 1966 (Broadside brx 601) [1st<br />
press; thick leathery sleeve; Broadside matrix #; booklet]<br />
"The Psychedelic Experience" 1966 (Broadside brx 601)<br />
[remastered 2nd press; thinner sleeve; Folkways matrix #;<br />
booklet]<br />
"The Psychedelic Experience" 1966 (Broadside/Folkways brx 601)<br />
[3rd press; Folkways label; Broadside sleeve; booklet]<br />
"The Psychedelic Experience / L.S.D (Pixie)" 2002 (CD<br />
Expansion, UK) [2-on-1]<br />
Leary's first LP was released around September 1966<br />
but may have been recorded much earlier. It features<br />
him and co-author Ralph Metzner reading from the<br />
"Psychedelic Experience" book from 1964. Richard<br />
Alpert is credited on the sleeve but may not appear<br />
on the actual recording. The recording is a bit lo-fi<br />
and is a working albeit somewhat dull introduction to<br />
the phantasmagorical world of acid. The booklet is<br />
necessary for the trip. [PL]
"Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out" 1966 (ESP 1027)<br />
This has the same title as the more common Mercury LP<br />
but completely different contents. This is Leary's<br />
rarest LP and also one of his best; entertaining,<br />
confrontational and timeless despite its heavy<br />
zeitgeist facade. This was made just as Uncle Tim had<br />
coined his famous slogan and was preparing to leave<br />
the academic-scientific track and target the youth of<br />
Middle America with his lysergic spiel. An<br />
extraordinary piece of counterculture history. [PL]<br />
"LSD" 1966 (Pixie 1069)<br />
"The Psychedelic Experience / L.S.D (Pixie)" 2002 (CD<br />
Expansion, UK) [2-on-1]<br />
Leary's third LP to be released in a short timeframe,<br />
this has a dry and somewhat bitter press conference<br />
vibe, the great man's fatigue with square paranoia<br />
and law persecution is not hard to detect. Fabulous<br />
cover and still a good introduction. The title is<br />
sometimes listed as 'Timothy Leary, Ph.D'. An odd 8track<br />
bootleg of this album from the late 1960s<br />
exists, with only the legend "LSD" and a collage<br />
artwork with Jim Morrison etc. [PL]<br />
"Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out" 1967 (Mercury mg-21131) [mono;<br />
wlp exists]<br />
"Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out" 1967 (Mercury sr-61131)<br />
[stereo]<br />
"Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out" 199 (Performance, Germany)<br />
"Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out" 199 (CD Performance, Germany)<br />
Same title but completely different contents from the<br />
rare ESP album above. Probably Leary's best LP, and<br />
one of the top spoken word albums ever made. An echoladen<br />
and highly inspired Leary guides Ralph Metzner<br />
through a rather eventful acid journey, with bad trip<br />
aspects and a spellbinding exploration of cellular<br />
memory the highpoints. There's also sound fx and lots<br />
of incidental music in a psychy drone East Indian<br />
style that's pretty cool. The movie for which this LP<br />
is a soundtrack opened for a few pre-screenings in<br />
mid-1967, but was never released theatrically and<br />
remains unseen. Also released in New Zealand. A 45<br />
was released from the LP. [PL]<br />
"You Can Be Anyone This Time Around" 1970 (Douglas 1)<br />
[gatefold; inner sleeve]<br />
"You Can Be Anyone This Time Around" 199 (CD Rykodisc)<br />
"You Can Be Anyone This Time Around" 199 (CD Ufo, UK)<br />
"You Can Be Anyone This Time Around" 200 (Get Back, Italy)<br />
[gatefold]<br />
After 3 years during which the mainstream psychedelic<br />
explosion he helped fuel exploded and fell apart,<br />
Leary returned with this fun and charming LP, a part<br />
of his gubernatorial campaign in California (Ronald<br />
Reagan won). Supposedly featuring Hendrix and Steven<br />
Stills, but the music is bland studio fill and of<br />
little interest compared to Leary's raps about<br />
legalization of marijuana, rebirth, and the central<br />
nervous system, the latter being a particularly<br />
inspired exegesis that points towards his 1970s-1980s<br />
work. Great Mouse packaging. A Canadian pressing
exists. Leary also recorded an amazing European<br />
psychrock LP, "Seven Up", with Ash Ra Temple while a<br />
fugitive after his prison escape. [PL]<br />
"The Joyful Wisdom" 1977 (Joy) [7 volume set]<br />
This is a series of seven long playing record albums<br />
in white sleeves without jackets. Produced by George<br />
A. Koopman for WKGB, San Diego, each record features<br />
an interview with Leary as well as other segments<br />
(news, commercials, dramatizations) written or<br />
performed by him. Other participants include Grace<br />
Slick, Lindsay Wagner and Cheech & Chong.<br />
Approximately 100 copies of each record were<br />
distributed for promotional purposes to about 30<br />
radio stations. No commercial release.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> "LSD" (Capitol)<br />
LEATHERCOATED MINDS (OK / CA)<br />
"Leathercoated Minds" 1967 (Viva v-6003) [mono]<br />
"Leathercoated Minds" 1967 (Viva v-36003) [stereo]<br />
"Leathercoated Minds" 2001 (CD Acid Symposium 001)<br />
Ah. Early Jean Jaques (aka J.J.) Cale and a classic<br />
slice of exploito rock. Released on Amos "Snuff"<br />
Garrett's newly formed Viva Records, 1967's "A Trip<br />
Down the Sunset Strip" was billed as a concept piece<br />
- "In this album, we are trying to paint sound<br />
pictures of the Strip - the voices you hear above<br />
each recording are the actual voices of the Strip's<br />
inhabitants. The traffic noises are real - recorded<br />
on location. The songs contained in the album are<br />
'What's happening' - most of them got their start in<br />
the Hollywood area and later became national hits".<br />
While the covers were largely rote in nature, Cale<br />
and the Tillisons turned in some nice vocal<br />
performances. The one exception was Cale's rather<br />
ragged vocal performance on Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine<br />
Man". Cale also distinguished himself via his guitar<br />
work. Among the highlights, while clearly added to<br />
the LP as filler material, were Cale's four original<br />
instrumentals. Anyone hearing "Sunset and Clark",<br />
"Non-Stop" or "Pot Luck" will instantly know why Eric<br />
Clapton subsequently elected to record Cale's "After<br />
Midnight". Personal favorite; the rollicking "Eight<br />
Miles High" cover. Killer guitars throughout. The LP<br />
was released in the UK by Fontana. [SB]<br />
LEAVES (Los Angeles, CA)
"Hey Joe" 1966 (Surrey lps-3005) [mono; plain white cover with<br />
promo sticker]<br />
"Hey Joe" 1966 (Surrey/Mira lps-3005) [mono wlp; Surrey label;<br />
Mira cover]<br />
"Hey Joe" 1966 (Mira lp-3005) [mono]<br />
"Hey Joe" 1966 (Mira lps-3005) [stereo]<br />
"Hey Joe" 198 (Mira) [bootleg]<br />
The debut LP from the fathers of "Hey Joe" is OK but<br />
an obvious rush/filler job typical of the era. Apart<br />
from the classic title track hit there's 2-3<br />
worthwhile tracks like "Dr Stone" and "Too many<br />
people"; the rest is 2nd tier beat & folkrock<br />
comparable to the weaker aspects of the Blue Things<br />
album. The band formed at San Fernando Valley State<br />
College in Northridge. Also released in France, and<br />
in Italy with an altered cover. [PL]<br />
"All The Good That's Happening" 1967 (Capitol t-2638) [mono]<br />
"All The Good That's Happening" 1967 (Capitol st-2638)<br />
[stereo]<br />
"All The Good That's Happening" 2005 (Capitol)<br />
The second LP is often referred to as being superior<br />
and more significant, and shows the band hinting at a<br />
Buffalo Springfield type development. In all fairness<br />
this isn't terribly impressive either but it does<br />
have a more mature sound and some interesting tracks<br />
like "Twilight Sanctuary". A combination of their two<br />
albums would have been pretty enjoyable. There is a<br />
green vinyl retrospective LP from 1982 titled "1966"<br />
on the Panda label, including unreleased and live<br />
tracks. Other retrospective releases and reissues<br />
exist but won't be listed as the band is a borderline<br />
inclusion. [PL]<br />
V.A "LEBANON COMMUNITY THEATER" (Lebanon, PA)
"Lebanon Community Theater" 1973 (no label 7300101)<br />
Local obscurity with covers of Doobie Bros, Crazy<br />
Horse, Chuck Berry, some originals too. Bands include<br />
Mourning Son and the Ashley Reflection. Some copies<br />
came without sleeve.<br />
LECTRIC MUSIC REVOLUTION (Guelph, Canada)<br />
"Lectric Music Revolution" 1971 (Marathon ALS 331) [yellow<br />
label]<br />
"Lectric Music Revolution" 1971 (Marathon ALS 331) [red/white<br />
label]<br />
"Lectric Music Revolution" 1996 (Marathon) [bootleg]<br />
"Lectric Music Revolution / Sex: The End Of My Life" 1997 (CD<br />
Hipschaft) [2-on-1]<br />
Moody late beat and folkrock with an occasional dark<br />
psych/lounge feel, from older guys who look<br />
ridiculous in "hip" mod gear on the sleeve, and don't<br />
sound entirely comfortable with the music they're<br />
playing. The LP has a number of great, understated<br />
downer trips that are reminiscent of New Dawn and<br />
Mississippi, plus a few lighter pop/top 40 tracks<br />
that have been put down but don't sound that bad to<br />
me. "Tanya Canya" on side 2 is a spine-chilling<br />
classic, and the album as a complete package hits an<br />
unusual spot which makes it memorable; burnt-out c &<br />
w musicians trying to catch the 60s train 4 years too<br />
late? Some rate this very highly and the reissue's<br />
worth checking out. [PL]<br />
TERRY LEE (Pittsburgh, PA)<br />
"Magic Music" 1971 (Stone)<br />
Terry Lee was a Pennsylvania DJ who also produced the<br />
Fantastic Dee-Jays. Apparently a vanity project,<br />
"Magic Music" is surprisingly enjoyable. Produced by<br />
Richard Strang, musically the set's one major mess,<br />
offering up a hodgepodge of music, sound effects,<br />
spoken words segments and radio news snippets. The<br />
surprise is that the music part of the LP's<br />
surprisingly good. Propelled by Lee's nice voice, the<br />
set offers up a mix of garage rock originals ("It's
TROY LEE (CA)<br />
Not Easy" and the second half of "Kennedy Nitemare")<br />
with a couple of uncredited covers thrown in as<br />
filler ("Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'"). Elsewhere, you<br />
have to admire the completely tasteless cover - Lee<br />
apparently relieving himself in a junked toilet. [SB]<br />
"Life Goes On" 1979 (Globe Export)<br />
LEGEND (CO/CA)<br />
Local obscurity with appealing melodic psych/new wave<br />
sounds on the title track, otherwise of no special<br />
merit.<br />
"Legend" 1968 (Megaphone 101) [mono]<br />
"Legend" 1968 (Megaphone s-101) [stereo]<br />
LEGEND (CT)<br />
Offering up a mixture of originals and popular covers<br />
(Bob Dylan, The Troggs, The Who), musically the set<br />
wasn't particularly original. With the band credited<br />
with half the material, tracks such as 'The Sky That<br />
Is Blue', 'Zepplin's Good Friday' and 'Yesterday's<br />
Child' showcased a tasty blend of tight, Beatlesque<br />
harmonies and surprisingly commercial melodies. It<br />
wasn't perfect with the band occasionally drifting<br />
too close to Mamas & Papas-styled MOR ('Gigi'). Far<br />
more impressive were the band's stabs at a harder<br />
rock sound, including the fuzz guitar and feedback<br />
propelled 'Where Oh Where Is Mother' and their voxpowered<br />
cover of Dylan's 'Baby Blue'; always liked<br />
the song's sitar fadeout. All told, the results<br />
weren't half bad; an album I pull out from time to<br />
time. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
The non-LP 45 track "Portrait Of Youth" is an<br />
excellent track, other than that I'm not a great fan<br />
of this outfit. The LP has covers of the Who, Troggs,<br />
Dylan and more. The band had an earlier local 45 as<br />
the Obvious on the Cheetah label. The band is often<br />
linked to Dragonfly, but we've been unable to find<br />
any obvious connection except the "Portrait" track<br />
and the label. [PL]<br />
"From The Fjords" 1979 (Empire 11186) [insert]<br />
"From The Fjords" 199 (no label) [paste-on cover; 500#d]<br />
LEGEND (OH)<br />
Progressive hardrock medieval concept. Of interest<br />
primarily for its rarity, even though as many as 1000<br />
copies reportedly were pressed. There was also a rare<br />
pre-LP 45 done as Judge, and a post-LP 45 with PS,<br />
done as Mercenary.<br />
"In Their Own Time" 1979 (no label 1199)
JANE LEICHHARDT ( )<br />
Obscure hardrock LP in the same generic "eagle" cover<br />
as Headstone from Ohio.<br />
"A Woman Like Me" 1968 (Metromedia 1011) [wlp exists]<br />
Quite scarce and rather good album on this alwaysinteresting<br />
label. Folk-rock that's not wimpy or<br />
mystical. She's definitely a hippie, but more along<br />
the lines of Elyse Weinberg than, say, Judy Collins.<br />
There's nothing really psychedelic or experimental<br />
here, and the generic-looking cover probably kept too<br />
many collectors from checking it out. Still, it's<br />
reasonably consistent and the singing and style are<br />
quite appealing. [AM]<br />
LELAND (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Leland" 1976 (no label r-2954) [paste-on photo cover;<br />
inserts]<br />
"This Is My World" 1978 (Contempt r-2954)<br />
Leland is a freaky looking Asian dude who wears<br />
tights, a cape and black nail polish. This album was<br />
recorded in 1975, but it sure sounds like formative<br />
“new wave” to me. That’s a compliment, as Leland’s<br />
music has the same wild spirit and anything goes<br />
attitude of the earliest DIY punk records. I’d<br />
imagine White Boy fans liking it, for example. Most<br />
of these songs have some crazy lead guitar, and the<br />
album cover proclaims the music “hard rock,” so it’s<br />
not surprising that psych and garage collectors like<br />
it. There’s also a synth-heavy ballad with whispered<br />
vocals, and a song where the tempo shifts wildly and<br />
Leland starts unexpectedly singing falsetto. A few<br />
other songs have a cool low-fi garagy feel to them.<br />
Leland plays everything but the drums, though I think<br />
hiring a bass player might have been a good idea.<br />
When he sings it sounds like his throat is bleeding.<br />
All in all, very cool. This is more like an EP than<br />
an album, by the way, as the 6 songs clock in at 24<br />
minutes. The first press is said to have an extra<br />
song from an early single, though I can’t imagine why<br />
they’d make the (retitled) second pressing so short<br />
if another song was available. The LP was engineered<br />
by David Blossom (Fifty Foot Hose). [AM]<br />
"Live At Mabuhay Gardens, S.F." 1979 (Contempt r-2965)<br />
Here's one for people who thought the recording<br />
quality on "This Is My World" wasn't cheap-sounding<br />
enough. It's a mono live album with cavernous echo,<br />
barely intelligible vocals and "Sears special"sounding<br />
guitars that play spastically long after the<br />
songs should be over. Terry Brooks fans might like<br />
it. Since it's live with no overdubs, it lacks the<br />
extra texture of the first album's keyboards. I like<br />
"This Is My World" a lot, but this one is too antimelodic<br />
and sonically sludgy for me to take. My<br />
favorite "song" is the last one, where Leland plays<br />
random noise on his guitar, the drummer bangs
uncontrollably between guitar bits, and one of the<br />
producers asks Leland why he insists on turning his<br />
guitar up so loud. This is even shorter than "This Is<br />
My World," a mere 16 minutes, about a third of which<br />
is guitar noodling. [AM]<br />
D LEMIEUX & JEAN PETERS (IL)<br />
"Hey Jesus Christ, Welcome To This World" 1971 (Wright)<br />
[booklet]<br />
LEND A HAND (FL)<br />
Unbelievable homemade variation on Jesus Christ<br />
Superstar (different songs, similar concept);<br />
"misguided" is only the beginning. Sounds like a<br />
recovering addict project, crude in every aspect. A<br />
must for incredibly strange fans -- don't miss the<br />
"Inn-keeper"'s forceful performance. [PL]<br />
"Lend A Hand" 197 (Lenihan LR101)<br />
Lowkey Christian folk/softrock with female vocals,<br />
piano and flute, plus some contemporary secular<br />
covers. Housed in the same generic ocean sunset<br />
sleeve as Asylum and Quoth The Raven.<br />
GEORGIE 'PORGIE' LEONARD (RI)<br />
"One Man Band" 1971 (Cheep ch-001)<br />
"One Man Band" 1999 (American Sound 1006) [bonus 45; 500p]<br />
Also known as Georgie Porgie of local 1960s folk-punk<br />
45 fame, this finds the guy five years and several<br />
jugs of Romilar later. Essentially a so-so<br />
singer/songwriter LP somewhere between Geoffrey and<br />
Arthur Lee Harper though possibly weaker than both.<br />
Starved on worthwhile finds some dealers hyped this<br />
in the 1990s, but apart from the great closing psych<br />
spooker "The lake" (which exists in a different pre-<br />
LP 45 version), it's pretty bad and embarrassing in<br />
my ears. A reissue on the Belgian Fanny label was<br />
advertised but hasn't been seen. Half the reissue<br />
pressing came with the 'girls' cover, and half in<br />
another cover design. [PL]<br />
LEOPARDS (Kansas City, KS)<br />
"Kansas City Slickers" 1977 (Moon mlp-300)<br />
The Leopards are to the "Village Green"-era Kinks<br />
what the Rutles are to the Beatles, except that<br />
they're pure tribute with no sense of mockery. This<br />
album is a blast for Kinks fans, but it's also very<br />
nice for fans of 60s pop, as there are great melodies<br />
and clever ideas sprinkled throughout. They also<br />
released a few excellent non-LP singles. They were<br />
around during the Kansas City power pop scene in the<br />
late 70s and one has to wonder if Michael Angelo was
connected to them or any of the other bands in the<br />
area. Promo copies include a printed folder with<br />
press clippings. [AM]<br />
PERRY LEOPOLD (Philadelphia, PA)<br />
"Experiment In Metaphysics" 1970 (WS 1) [300p]<br />
"Experiment In Metaphysics" 1995 (Psychedelic Archives, UK)<br />
[275p; altered cover; insert]<br />
"Experiment In Metaphysics" 1998 (CD Gear Fab gf-122) [+3<br />
tracks]<br />
Legendary LP of twisted folkpsych/singer-songwriter<br />
crossover, like a Tim Hardin from hell. He has a<br />
great beatnik voice and plays acoustic guitar like<br />
noone before or since, the instrumental tracks are<br />
more psychedelic than ten layers of Sgt Pepper tape<br />
loops. The vocal stuff's even better, relating<br />
Perry's unique wisdom and outcast experiences. Some<br />
tracks go deep in a DR Hooker manner and all over<br />
this is an essential LP in my ears. Recorded in a<br />
basement studio beneath a Philly shoe store. The<br />
original came in a plain copper cover with small<br />
title sticker; not all copies have the sticker. The<br />
vinyl reissue has an insert with a photo of Perry<br />
with Bruce Springsteen! Good unreleased stuff from<br />
1973 was issued in 2000 ("Christian Lucifer", Gear<br />
Fab/Comet). [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Damaged solo coffeehouse folk. The "Metaphysics" LP<br />
is a dark folk classic. Aggressive, dark strumming<br />
with biblical, metaphysical concerns, and just plain<br />
lostness. Delicate high tenor vocals and torturous<br />
acoustic picking, even on the slower cuts. Depressing<br />
claustrophobic imagery and world weariness. The<br />
playing tends to wander, changing tempo and<br />
progressions but always retaining a sense of<br />
schizophrenic foreboding to match his vocals. "Cold<br />
in Philadelphia", a tale of living on the street,<br />
puts you right there with him. The last two songs,<br />
"When You're Gone" and "The U.S.S. Commercial",<br />
really puts it all together - good tunes to check out<br />
to. A thoroughly haunted recording. "Christian<br />
Lucifer", originally unreleased, continues his<br />
harrowing themes with an increasing concentration on<br />
religious imagery. He also recorded a less effective<br />
EP in the late 70s. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> High Treason<br />
CLAIRE LEPAGE & COMPAGNIE (Quebec, Canada)<br />
"Claire Lepage & Compagnie" 1970 (Trans-Canada)<br />
Bluesy guitar psych with female vocals and a Beatles<br />
cover. She has a whole bunch of albums, but this is<br />
the one of interest to readers of this book.
LESLIE BROTHERS (MI)<br />
"Wanted" 196 (Cupid)<br />
Two hillbilly hipster brothers from Kentucky end up<br />
in Michigan and recorded this record. Try to imagine<br />
if Stud Cole had two younger inbreeded cousins that<br />
were inspired by Chuck Berry instead of Elvis and you<br />
get a good idea what this album sounds like. By the<br />
way, it's rarer than all the other big ones (Index,<br />
Mystic Siva, etc) from Michigan. The only other known<br />
copy is trashed and without a cover. I suspect it's<br />
from the late sixties and it's great! [JSB]<br />
LET'S SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER (Canada)<br />
"Let's Spend The Night Together" 1967 (Arc 728)<br />
Canadian exploitation with six Rolling Stones covers,<br />
plus some Yardbirds, Small Faces, Troggs etc.<br />
"A LETTER HOME" see A Letter Home<br />
MARK LEVINE (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Pilgrim's Progress" 1968 (Hogfat hlp-1)<br />
This album has the look and feel of one of the<br />
Columbia albums of its time. It’s long (50 minutes),<br />
has babbling liner notes from the artist, and Levine<br />
the singer-songwriter is backed by an absolutely ace<br />
group of musicians, including Ry Cooder and Mike<br />
Deasy. Dylan comparisons are inevitable: Levine<br />
doesn’t have much of a voice but his singing projects<br />
plenty of personality and humor, and his lyrics are<br />
complex in both personal and abstract ways. The music<br />
is folk-rock with a bluesy edge (courtesy of Cooder’s<br />
guitars.) Half the time it sounds like Levine was<br />
trying to make the greatest album ever, and the other<br />
half it just sounds like he’s having fun with his<br />
buddies, and the record is appealing on both levels.<br />
The lyrics are often obscene, and are frank and<br />
explicit about sex and drugs. This must have been<br />
quite shocking at the time and gives the album a real<br />
underground hippie feel. The opening and closing<br />
songs (two sides of the same coin, lyrically) are the<br />
most instantly likeable, but there’s a lot of depth<br />
here. This isn’t background music; you’ll want to pay<br />
attention to the lyrics. This is one of the most<br />
enjoyable and fascinating singer songwriter albums of<br />
the era. [AM]<br />
LE 25IEME REGIMENT see 25th Regiment<br />
PAUL LEVINSON (NY)
"Twice Upon A Rhyme" 1972 (Happysad 3000)<br />
Enjoyable but still fairly unknown LP of 1968-69<br />
Buckley/Hardin-style folkrock with stoned psych vibe<br />
throughout, lots of warmth and personality and<br />
idiosynchratic vocals. Full rock setting with<br />
feedback guitars, organ and druggy sound effects,<br />
creating a flowing “Blonde on blonde”-like feel with<br />
many layers and unpredictable moves. Upbeat 1960s<br />
vibe, rather than the usual 1970s downers. Highpoints<br />
include weird, dreamy tracks such as "Forever Friday"<br />
and "The Lama Will Be Late This Year" (my personal<br />
anthem). [PL]<br />
PHILIP LEWIN (Toronto, Canada)<br />
"Am I Really Here All Alone?" 1975 (Gargoyle no#) [paste-on<br />
cover; 300p]<br />
Appealing DIY hippie-folk LP with mostly acoustic<br />
guitar, electric lead picking on top, and Lewin's<br />
vocals. Relaxed and organic with an almost improvised<br />
feel; I can imagine him as the Tim Hardin of some<br />
local 70s coffeehouse scene. Not really a "downer"<br />
album, although a couple tracks (one with piano)<br />
reach into darker corners with a late-night blues<br />
feel. Lewin's voice isn't strong but he uses it well<br />
and creates an intimate presence that keeps your<br />
attention throughout. As on many Canadian LPs there<br />
is also a certain British feel which may recall Tony,<br />
Caro & John, Red Television and similar efforts. The<br />
album's main weakness may be the lack of a<br />
"signature" song to stand out among the 11 tracks.<br />
Packaging is great, a monochrome wraparound sheet<br />
with an excellent psychedelic drawing of Lewin,<br />
making this look like an old TMQ bootleg. Worth<br />
checking out for both genre fans and those interested<br />
in Canadian private press releases. Lewin's second LP<br />
("Diamond Love & Other Realities", Gargoyle 1976)<br />
comes with professional packaging and a full folkrock<br />
sound with flowing keyboard, jazzy moves and some<br />
female vocals, but is less successful as a whole.<br />
JEFF LIBERMAN (Flossmoor, IL)<br />
"Jeffrey Liberman" 1975 (Librah 1545)<br />
"Jeffrey Liberman" 199 (Librah, Europe) [bootleg]
The debut LP which apart from being reissued also<br />
supplied one track to a comp you might wanna check<br />
out before diving into his stuff. Mixes heavy<br />
feedback blowouts with mellow loungy bits. An<br />
acquired taste as they say, though guitarheads<br />
probably can dig it. [PL]<br />
"Solitude Within" 1975 (Librah JL 6969)<br />
"Solitude Within" 199 (Librah, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
I wasn't real sure what to expect from this one since<br />
folks seem to love it, or hate it. With that in mind<br />
I'm happy to report that I fall into the pro-Jeff<br />
Liberman camp. While 1975's "Solitude Within" may not<br />
be the most original effort in my collection,<br />
Liberman showed himself to be an excellent and<br />
extremely versatile guitarist who was equally at home<br />
on hard rock ("Rock or Roll Me"), jazz-rock, blues<br />
('The Same Old Blues') and even a little out-and-out<br />
experimentation (the instrumental "Myopic Euphoria").<br />
While the focus was clearly on Liberman's guitar<br />
chops, exemplified by tracks like the leadoff rocker<br />
"I Can't Change" and "Life Is Just a Show" he had one<br />
of those gravely voices that was surprisingly well<br />
suited to a wide array of genres. Imagine Robin<br />
Trower (another reviewer used Alvin Lee as a<br />
comparison), but with a voice and less of a Hendrix<br />
fixation and you'd be in the right aural<br />
neighborhood. While psych and rock fans might not be<br />
enthused by Liberman's jazz-rock excursions, I<br />
actually found stuff like the instrumental Santanaesque<br />
title track and "'Springtime"' to be a nice<br />
change of pace. [SB]<br />
"Synergy" 1978 (Librah) [insert]<br />
"Synergy" 199 (Librah, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
"Then And Now" 199 (CD Second Battle sb-034, Germany) [2CD]<br />
-- collects the three Librah LPs on 2 CDs.<br />
LIFER (Bloomington, IN)<br />
"Lifer" 1980 (Ribbon Rail)<br />
Hardrock obscurity with a slight prog touch.<br />
LIFT (New Orleans, LA)<br />
"Caverns Of Your Brain" 1977 (Guiness gns-36021)<br />
"Caverns Of Your Brain" 199 (Guiness, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
"The Moment Of Hearing" 199 (CD Synphonic) [+bonus tracks]<br />
This is the most collectable rock (as opposed to<br />
funk) album on the Guinness label, and it's easy to<br />
see why, as it's one of the most accomplished<br />
American prog albums you'll hear. There's a definite<br />
Yes influence in the heavy bass playing, melodic<br />
vocals and use of keyboards, but also a youthful<br />
charm and refreshing lack of fantasy lyrical content.<br />
The last song gets awfully repetitive at the end<br />
(which makes me wonder if Guinness just used the<br />
master tape and didn't fade the song out soon
LIGHTNIN' (MI)<br />
enough), but otherwise these four long songs are<br />
engaging and surprising throughout. Several years<br />
later the band found out that "Caverns" (recorded<br />
1974) had been released behind their backs, and they<br />
decided to release the album on CD. This reissue<br />
includes a whole album's worth of songs they recorded<br />
a few years later with a female vocalist. This is one<br />
of the rarest albums on Guinness, reportedly a<br />
pressing of 500. [AM]<br />
"Lightnin'" 1975 (Jojacq) [blank back cover]<br />
Hardrock with funk and prog moves. Same songs on both<br />
sides. There is also a John Sinclair-produced 1973<br />
acetate with 5 tracks from a MI band called Lightnin'<br />
which is better than this, with typical Detroit rock<br />
sounds. It's unclear if it's the same band.<br />
[WHITE] LIGHTNING (Minneapolis, MN)<br />
"Lightning" 1970 (P.I.P. 6807) [wlp exists]<br />
"Lightning" 1996 (CD Anthology 38.11, Italy)<br />
Hard fuzz trio/quintet featuring the blazing leads of<br />
Zippy Caplan (ex-Litter). The band was less garagy<br />
and more pounding hardrock than the Litter. White<br />
Lightning was a slang term for LSD at the time (and<br />
bootleg whiskey prior to that). In this pre-LP power<br />
trio format the band cut a classic hard guitar-psych<br />
45, "William", released as by White Light on the<br />
local Hexagon label and picked up by Atco for<br />
national distribution. The group then added two new<br />
members and shortened their name to Lightning. They<br />
continued in the hardrock mode but now with dual<br />
leads. "Lightning" is an excellent effort, just<br />
missing the certain magic they possessed as a power<br />
trio. Recorded at Sound 80 in Minneapolis. Early runs<br />
mention Jimi Hendrix on the label; later runs do not.<br />
Posthumous releases with enjoyable pre-LP material<br />
include "Under The Screaming Double Eagle" and "The<br />
Lost Studio Album/1969", both on the American Sound<br />
label, combined to one CD on Arf Arf. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Litter<br />
LIGHT RAIN (Larkspur, CA)<br />
"Light Rain" 1977 (Magi 004)<br />
Douglas Adams' debut LP was released under his name,<br />
while the "Light Rain" title became his band name for<br />
subsequent albums. Rather appealing mid-1970s hippie<br />
folkrock/s-sw sounds with a rich instrumentation and<br />
lots of ethnic moves; especially into<br />
Mediterranean/Arabian domains. I detect an influence<br />
from "Desire"-era Dylan, which combines with a<br />
typical guitarbased period sound (incl some fuzz<br />
leads) a la David Sinclair on side 1, while side 2
gradually lays on an Eastern feel with flamenco<br />
guitars and arabian violin, making the last 10-12<br />
minutes quite psychedelic in feel. Hardly outstanding<br />
but enjoyable all through for fans of 1970s folkrock.<br />
Light Rain's subsequent work is instrumental Middle-<br />
Eastern bellydance excursions with a westernized<br />
feel, superb performances and high production value.<br />
These include "Dream Dancer" (1978), "Dream<br />
Suite" (1979) and "Valentine To Eden" (1983), all<br />
reissued on CD. Several years earlier, Adams and his<br />
brother were in El Paso band Wailing Wall (see<br />
entry). [PL]<br />
LILY & MARIA (New York City, NY)<br />
"Lily & Maria" 1968 (Columbia CS 9707)<br />
"Lily & Maria" 2005 (Columbia)<br />
I picked up a copy of the LP given I'd seen various<br />
references describing it as being "moody psych" and<br />
"acid folk". Chalk that description up to dealer<br />
hype. So if it ain't psych, what is it? Imagine a<br />
female Simon and Garfunkel. Now eliminate some of the<br />
songwriting talent; delete some of the vocal<br />
abilities; eradicate most of that pair's limited<br />
sense of humor and for good measure add on a mix of<br />
cloying lyrics and nauseating arrangements. Yup,<br />
that'll give you a pretty good picture of the<br />
results. Basically it's hard to decide what worse,<br />
the duo's lame stabs at making big and sensitive<br />
statements ('Subway Thoughts' and 'Ismene - Jasime'),<br />
or Neuman's little girl lost voice. To my ears the<br />
woman can't come within a mile of hitting a song's<br />
melody. Given the album vanished without a trace,<br />
most folks (or at least the few that heard this),<br />
apparently agreed. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
This duo became of interest to collectors when a song<br />
from this album appeared on the "Hippie Goddesses"<br />
compilation. Housed behind a photo of the two, heads<br />
together, naked to the shoulders, marvellous blue<br />
eyes shining, the album is sensual and intimate, and<br />
the voices blend in an appealing way. Most of the<br />
songs are long; they drift. That's good and bad; at<br />
its best the songs are passionate and delicate, but<br />
at worst they're aimless and over-serious. It's<br />
unique; I think it's a more interesting record than,<br />
say, Wendy & Bonnie, but I also think it'll just<br />
float right by a listener who isn't inclined the<br />
right way. [AM]<br />
LINCOLN ST EXIT (Albuquerque, NM)<br />
"Drive It" 1970 (Mainstream 6126) [rarer wlp exists]<br />
"Drive It" 198 (Mainstream, Europe) [bootleg; thin cover &<br />
vinyl, matrix# scratched out]
"Drive It" 199 (CD TRC, Germany) [+2 tracks]<br />
Along with Growing Concern and Bohemian Vendetta,<br />
this is at the top of the Mainstream totem pole (in<br />
terms of price), and it almost lives up to the hype.<br />
Excellent teen hard rock from Native Americans who<br />
are wise beyond their years, as good as almost any<br />
other bluesy hard rock album from its time. Maybe the<br />
best of the many excellent Mainstream album covers,<br />
too. The band had a killer pre-LP garage/psych 45,<br />
and also a retrospective EP on the Psychout label<br />
with a great unreleased psych epic track. A German<br />
pressing on London exists. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Xit<br />
JAMES CALHOUN LINDSAY BAND ( )<br />
"Kinky Mersey" 1976 (Tiger Lily tl-14043)<br />
Lord knows why this album was ever recorded. It's<br />
covers of mostly British Invasion songs (including<br />
four Beatles tunes), basically done with no effort to<br />
distinguish them from the originals. It sounds like a<br />
demo for a cover band trying to get gigs on the<br />
oldies circuit. In fact, this was most certainly<br />
demos rather than completed songs, as the songs end<br />
sloppily, there appear to be no overdubs, and in some<br />
places you can hear the singer giving cues to the<br />
band. Side two is even less "complete" than side one<br />
and sounds like it was recorded accidentally without<br />
the band's knowledge. The only song that tries for<br />
something different is a long, boring, obviously<br />
improvised hard rock take on "Why Don't We Do It In<br />
The Road." It's a song that could make for an<br />
interesting cover version some day, but this isn't<br />
it. Only the most fanatic Tiger Lily collector should<br />
dare touch this stinker. In true tax scam fashion,<br />
there are no musician credits, and some of the<br />
songwriting credits and song titles are incorrect.<br />
James Cahoon Lindsay was previously a member of<br />
Goodthunder, and later would be a member of L.A.<br />
Jets. Both bands also included members of another<br />
(and much better) Tiger Lily band, Daddy Warbucks.<br />
[AM]<br />
LINKS (Las Vegas, NV)<br />
"Presenting the Links" 1967 (Link lp-501)<br />
"Once Again and Again" 1967 (Link lp-503)<br />
LIONHART (TX)<br />
Funny bad lounge rock cover band with lots of<br />
accordion that's been criminally hyped as "garage"<br />
and "folkrock" by deaf record dealers in the past.<br />
[RM]<br />
"Lionhart" 1977 (Hutch) [1st press; plain cover]<br />
"Lionhart" 1977 (Hutch) [2nd press; printed red cover]
Crunching guitar hardrockers. There is a also a 45<br />
release.<br />
LISTEN (Oklahoma City, OK)<br />
"Listen" 1973 (Treehouse S-12-432)<br />
Seldom seen Christian hippie folk trio which is above<br />
average, about half the tracks being strong.<br />
LISTENING (Boston, MA)<br />
"Listening" 1968 (Vanguard vsd-6504) [wlp exists]<br />
"Listening" 2000 (Vanguard/Akarma 050, Italy)<br />
"Listening" 2000 (CD Vanguard/Akarma 050, Italy)<br />
Good but overrated Bosstown hard rock/psych album.<br />
They try to do a lot, integrating jazz and blues<br />
touches into the music. Some of the songs don’t<br />
really make it, and they seem kind of self-conscious<br />
at times (i.e. the Dylan-esque moan of “so stoned” at<br />
the end of the otherwise great “Stoned Is”.) This one<br />
hasn’t really aged all that well, probably because<br />
they were trying too hard, but there are still some<br />
hot moments and some excellent musicianship on<br />
display here. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Between 1966 & 1968 you could easily have divided the<br />
U.S. into five distinct geographic areas with each<br />
one having it's own stereotypical, localized style of<br />
rock music. The Midwest had horns, possibly as a<br />
result of it's rich history of High School Football<br />
and it's accompanying Marching Bands. The West Coast<br />
had laid back, flowing guitar sounds, the results of<br />
both the "Hippie"(drugs) and "Surf" lifestyles. The<br />
Southwest(primarily Texas) had a punky, bad-ass<br />
garage edge as a result of being... ummm... Texans.<br />
The Southeast was influenced by it's native R&B and<br />
the Justice label documents the results. And the<br />
Northeast had blue-eyed soul, street smarts and the<br />
legendary Hammond B-3 Organ. The Vanilla Fudge is the<br />
band that can get credit/blame for leading a whole<br />
barrage of organ dominated bands that played the<br />
clubs of the Tri-State Area (NY, NJ, Conn, Pa,<br />
Mass... yeah, I know there's five of `em). Most of<br />
these bands did simplistic cover versions of R&B and<br />
AM Rock hits, slowed down to barbiturate speed, with<br />
this giant, living, breathing, pulsating organ<br />
pulling the tune along like a tugboat. As stated<br />
above, these characterizations are stereotypes, with<br />
there being a considerable number of exceptions,<br />
exceptions that usually produced the more interesting<br />
music. Listening is one of these exceptions. Their<br />
one and only LP, released on the Vanguard label in<br />
1968 is certainly rooted in the Northeast stereotype.<br />
Keyboardist Michael Tschudin uses what appears to be
classical and jazz influences to both expand and<br />
explore the genre, without ever sounding pretentious.<br />
(And continued to do so well into the 70's... more on<br />
that later) The LP opens with the awesome "You're Not<br />
There", a tune of matured teen angst that rather than<br />
beg "Baby, please come back!", realizes it's way to<br />
late and comes to terms with it. ("~You just stare,<br />
Baby, you're not there~"). Great ripping guitar and<br />
an organ that crescendos at all the right times.<br />
Amazingly, this tune was covered by the NY band<br />
Odyssey on their obscure private press as a result of<br />
the band's management having heard the Listening<br />
version and thinking it could "be a hit". "Laugh At<br />
The Stars" has a very psychedelic Left Banke vibe<br />
with once again, great guitar leads that are subtle<br />
and in all the right places. The third cut "9/8 Song"<br />
is where we might lose a few folks as the piano is<br />
rolled out and used generously. Imagine The Wizards<br />
From Kansas jamming with Dave Brubeck. It works for<br />
me, it won't for everyone. Next up is the highlight<br />
of the LP and one of my all-time personal faves<br />
"Stoned Is". This is the herb smokers answer to Lou<br />
Reed's "Heroin". It captures such a mellow, stoned<br />
vibe that a mere listen may produce a contact high.<br />
Features a sound that's described in the liner notes<br />
as "Organ Wash" (This song was covered by Tschudin's<br />
later band "Cynara" on Capitol in the early 70's) It<br />
closes with the exclamation point of vocalist/drummer<br />
Ernie Kamanis moaning "SoooooooooStoooooonnneeddd".<br />
The LP is worth the price of admission for this tune<br />
alone, and I don't say that about too many albums.<br />
"Forget It, Man" and "I Can Teach You" are more<br />
progressive in nature and upbeat which is not the<br />
band's forte, but certainly tolerable. "So Happy"<br />
sounds like a Boyce & Hart Monkees tune, catchy but<br />
shallow. "Cuando" is a throwaway instrumental with a<br />
Latin vibe. "Baby, Where Are You" is the highlight of<br />
Side Two. A blues based tune that again has a Lou<br />
Reed vocal vibe and a stoned Young Rascals meet Sam<br />
Gopal musical vibe. The closer is "See You Again" and<br />
it has a trashy Lincoln St. Exit guitar sound, the<br />
hardest rocker on the LP and the tune where 16 year<br />
old guitarist Peter Malick gets to show off his<br />
chops. In my opinion this LP is the best of the more<br />
obscure Vanguard efforts. If keyboards aren't your<br />
thing, you'll think a little less of it. If you dig<br />
the Odyssey LP or Stark Naked on RCA this is your<br />
Holy Grail. [RH]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Cynara<br />
LITE STORM (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Warning" 1973 (Beverly Hills 1135)<br />
Hollywood breezy hippies with Kali Bahlu, one OK<br />
track has been comp'd.<br />
"God Is Love" 1973 (Beverly Hills 1136)<br />
"God Is Truth" 1974 (Sai Sound Sumitee)<br />
Obscure second and third LPs are more Eastern-mystic<br />
and spiritual as the band disappeared into the guru
mist (as represented by Sai Baba, pictured on both<br />
album sleeves). Mixed male/female vocals, indian<br />
instruments. Later albums were released as by One.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> One<br />
LITTER (Minneapolis, MN)<br />
"Distortions" 1967 (Warick wm-671) [2000p]<br />
"Distortions" 1981 (no label, UK) [bootleg]<br />
"Distortions" 198 (Eva 12038, France)<br />
"Distortions / $100 Fine" 1990 (CD Eva b-04) [2-on-1]<br />
"Distortions" 1990 (K-Tel 835-1) [+2 tracks; 500p]<br />
"Distortions" 1990 (CD K-Tel 835-2) [+2 tracks]<br />
"Distortions" 1995 (CD Taxim tx-2003, Germany)<br />
"Distortions" 1999 (CD Arf! Arf! aa-077) [+9 tracks]<br />
"Distortions" 1999 (Get Hip ghas-5020)<br />
One of the major local LP legends which had people<br />
mortgaging their houses even back in the late 1970s.<br />
Zippy Caplan is one great fuzz guitarist and there<br />
are some brilliant originals here, but also several<br />
unnecessary UK '65-66 covers which sort of irritate<br />
me. Insane version of "I'm a man" is a classic, and<br />
the sheer perfection of "Action woman" even more so,<br />
but both these tracks were released on 45. So by<br />
today's standards this LP doesn't really deliver all<br />
the way in my ears, though I'm sure a lot of people<br />
out there disagree. [PL]<br />
"$100 Fine" 1968 (Hexagon 681) [1000p]<br />
"$100 Fine" 198 (Hexagon, Europe) [bootleg; fuzzy photo and<br />
fine printing]<br />
"Distortions / $100 Fine" 1990 (CD Eva b-04) [2-on-1]<br />
"$100 Fine" 1991 (K-Tel) [+1 track]<br />
"$100 Fine" 1991 (CD K-Tel) [+1 track]<br />
"$100 Fine" 1993 (CD Era 10002)<br />
"$100 Fine" 1995 (CD Taxim tx-2004, Germany)<br />
"$100 Fine" 1999 (CD Arf! Arf! aa-078) [+19 tracks]<br />
"$100 Fine" 1999 (Get Hip ghas-5017)<br />
Supposedly an acid fuzz kingpin LP from their "psych"<br />
phase, though several people I know agree it isn't<br />
really all that great. This may seem like sacrilege<br />
but you got to remember that this LP got its'<br />
reputation back in the early 80s when most of today's<br />
monsters hadn't been discovered and reissued yet. So<br />
compared to some LPs I could name (like Morgen) it is<br />
a slight disappointment. The band's major label third<br />
LP ("Emerge", Probe 1969) is in the heavy guitar rock<br />
camp and nowhere near the quality of the first two,<br />
but still better than most. Other Litter releases<br />
include "Rare Tracks" on the French Eva label from<br />
1983, which was a sampler of related (and nonrelated)<br />
tracks by White Lightning, the Electras and<br />
the Litter. "Live At Mirage" (CD on Arf! Arf! 079,<br />
1998) and "Re-Emerge" (CD on Arf! Arf! 080, 1998)<br />
both feature modern recordings. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Lightning<br />
LITTLE CEASAR & THE CONSULS (Toronto, Canada)
"Little Ceasar & The Consuls" 1966 (Red Leaf 1001)<br />
Teen-beat LP from band with goofy Roman soldier<br />
image, on the same label as the British Modbeats.<br />
Covers of "Sloopy", "Dancing in the street", "Shout",<br />
"Just like Romeo & Juliet", etc. Frat/club band<br />
throwback, more than garage. They had a national #1<br />
hit in 1965.<br />
LITTLE HOWLIN' WOLF (IL)<br />
"The Guardian" 1982 (Solidarity)<br />
"The Cool Truth" 1985 (Solidarity)<br />
Mainly late 1970s recordings of freaky fringe<br />
blues/rock/anything sounds from DIY Polish guy who<br />
played Chicago street corners and clubs, has garnered<br />
many fans over the years. The name isn't too farfetched,<br />
he really does sound like a slightly smaller<br />
(even at 6 ft 9) variation on the old blues legend at<br />
times. Comparisons have been made to both Albert<br />
Ayler and Abner Jay, take your pick. The guy<br />
supposedly did more than 30 45s, from which the two<br />
albums were assembled. The Heresee label has released<br />
some retrospective CDs. This artist (James Pobiega)<br />
shouldn't be confused with another Little Howlin'<br />
Wolf, a black guy named Jesse Sanders.<br />
LITTLE PHIL & THE NIGHTSHADOWS see Nightshadow<br />
V.A "LIVE AT THE BLOOD & BONES" (CT)<br />
"Live At The Blood & Bones" 1972 (no label) [100p]<br />
Acoustic folk blues with basement charms. Record has<br />
a purple tint under light.<br />
V.A "LIVE AT THE FUNNY FARM" (HI)<br />
"Live At The Funny Farm" 1966 (Scene 200) [gatefold]<br />
Local Hawaiian club sampler with lots of r'n'b and<br />
soul covers and a wild party mood, not bad. Bands<br />
include Spirits, Undertakers, Val Richards V,<br />
Casuals. "Rosalyn" by the Undertakers has been<br />
comp'd.<br />
V.A "LIVE FROM THE GROOVEYARD" (Vancouver, Canada)
"Live From The Grooveyard" 1967 (New Syndrome 1004) [2LPs]<br />
Local beat and soul ravers on this rare double set,<br />
with the Stages, Shockers, Shantelles, Epics, Stags,<br />
Soul Unlimited, Nocturnals, Night Train Revue. Much<br />
of the material is soul/r'n'b, but there's also<br />
covers of the Beatles and the Byrds. Hardly any<br />
(none?) band originals across the 28 tracks. It's a<br />
fake live recording.<br />
LIVING SACRIFICE BAND (ID/NJ)<br />
"Living Sacrifice" 197 (Living Sacrifice ls-770816) [approx<br />
200p]<br />
"Beauty for Ashes" 1979 (Praise Jesus ears-36) [black & white<br />
cover]<br />
"Beauty for Ashes" 1979 (Praise Jesus ears-36) ['flower girl'<br />
cover]<br />
"A Call to Brokeness" 1981 (Shekinah shm-3019)<br />
SAM LLOYD (Canada)<br />
Mix of acoustic Christian folk and rock with extended<br />
tracks and male/female vocals. The band moved to New<br />
Jersey and recorded as The Living Sacrifice Band on<br />
the latter two LPs. "A Call to Brokenness" is<br />
outstanding with heavy guitar and Jethro Tull<br />
sounding long tracks. Ex-Last Call of Shiloh. [RM]<br />
"Sam Lloyd" 1972 (Chart On 2001)<br />
LOAD (Columbus, OH)<br />
Basement downer folk with some fuzz.<br />
"Praise the Load" 1976 (Owl Intermedia st-2557)<br />
"Praise the Load" 1996 (CD Lazer's Edge)<br />
I've seen some references that leave the impression<br />
these guys had psych leanings. Bullshit! Musically<br />
the album offered up a conventional mix of rockadapted<br />
classical pieces (Bach's "Brandenburg #3" and<br />
Rossini's "The William Tell Overture") and more<br />
conventional rock numbers ("Flyaway" and "Dave's 'A'<br />
Song"). Imagine something out of the early King<br />
Crimson or ELP catalogs and you'll be much closer to<br />
the mark, though material such as the Spanishinfluenced<br />
"Fandango" and "The Betrayal" were nowhere<br />
as pompous as the ELP. Having listened to the set a<br />
couple of dozen times, you'll be left with two<br />
standing impressions. First, Hessler and the Smiths<br />
may not have been the most talented writers but they<br />
were exceptionally talented musicians. Secondly,<br />
you're struck by the fact the album was clearly<br />
lovingly made -- you'll be hard pressed to find a<br />
private pressing with such good sonic qualities. An<br />
unreleased 1977 LP appeared in the 1990s ("Load Have
Mercy", Lazer's Edge). [SB]<br />
LOADING ZONE (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"One For All" 1970 (Umbrella us-101)<br />
Bluesy soul rock with horns and the vocals of Linda<br />
Tillery. The band had an earlier self-titled major<br />
label LP which is easy to find (RCA, 1968). Neither<br />
album is very good, the Umbrella LP is mainly<br />
collected as a rarity.<br />
LOADSTONE (Las Vegas, NV)<br />
"Loadstone" 1969 (Barnaby 21235004)<br />
"Loadstone" 2004 (Barnaby 35004)<br />
LOCKSLEY HALL (WA)<br />
Features a side-long track, "Flower Pot", with wild<br />
effects and found sounds. This is actually Bobby<br />
Darin's backing group, and features a horn section.<br />
"Locksley Hall" 1996 (OR 013) [500p]<br />
While a lot of co-ed groups of the era sound rather<br />
generic, Locksley Hall manages to escape identity in<br />
a slightly different way. This album plays almost<br />
like a sampler of West Coast music. On various songs<br />
they sound like Country Joe & The Fish, Jefferson<br />
Airplane, The Charlatans, Big Brother & The Holding<br />
Company, and the Association. Despite the crudeness<br />
of the recordings there’s a definite sense of<br />
professionalism here. They’re more appealing as a<br />
hard rock band than a soft rock band, but the only<br />
real dud here is the good timey song that ends side<br />
one. Both the male and female vocals are quite good,<br />
though as is often the case they sound much better<br />
apart than together. There is some excellent guitar<br />
playing here and a few very solid songs, most notably<br />
a long rocker on side one. The mix of styles is a bit<br />
disconcerting, but overall, this is much better than<br />
a lot of genre albums that did end up getting major<br />
label releases at the time. The LP was recorded in<br />
Seattle for Epic in the late 1960s but not released<br />
at the time. [AM]<br />
LODESTAR (Springfield, OH)<br />
"Lodestar" 1978 (no label)<br />
LODESTONE ( )<br />
Hardrock with wailing leads. Good one. No relation to<br />
the El Paso band on "I Love You Gorgo". A Rite<br />
pressing, for those who track that plant.
"Mainstreet" 1974 (LD 101)<br />
LODESTONE (CA)<br />
Rural bar rock sound with harmony vocals.<br />
"Lodestone" 1981 (Lodestone 7268) [textured cover]<br />
LOGOS (KS)<br />
Hardrock with metallic edge. Good guitar.<br />
"Firesides And Guitars" 1974 (Audio House 113 L74) [300p]<br />
Midwest aching folkrock with Vietnam era social<br />
concerns. Beautiful vocals and sparse guitar backing,<br />
similar sound and quality to Shadrack. [RM]<br />
LOLLIPOP SHOPPE (Las Vegas, NV / Portland, OR)<br />
"Just Colour" 1968 (UNI 73019)<br />
"Just Colour" 199 (Edsel, UK) [+2 bonus tracks]<br />
Despite "You must be a witch" of Pebbles fame this LP<br />
is a bit overlooked. I think it's one of the craziest<br />
major label LPs around and along with SAC the best on<br />
the label. Fred Cole's vocals are so far out you<br />
wonder how they ever got a contract plus tracks like<br />
the awesome "Underground railroad" blows even private<br />
press stuff away. Perhaps more eccentric than truly<br />
good, but should be checked out. Lord Tim Hudson<br />
tried a Seeds-style hype with them but it never<br />
really clicked. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> "Angels From Hell"<br />
JACK LONDON & THE SPARROWS (Canada)<br />
"Jack London & the Sparrows" 1965 (Capitol t-6115) [mono]<br />
TOM LONERGAN (NY)<br />
This debut LP from future Steppenwolf bigwigs is rare<br />
and goes in a typical mid-60s Brit<br />
Invasion/Merseybeat style. Unlike most Canadian<br />
albums from the era, this has several band originals.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> "Meet The Lively Ones"<br />
"And Buddy Kelly, Donna Nylans & John Kroner" 197 (Paja's no
#)<br />
Rare rural folkrock and blues in the typical early<br />
1970s private press style, with electric guitar<br />
leads, flute, some female vocals.<br />
LONG HOT SUMMER see Friday At The Cage A Go Go<br />
LONG TIME COMIN' (IN)<br />
"Long Time Comin'" 1974 (no label)<br />
LOOSELY TIGHT (AZ)<br />
Local rural rock with steel guitar and jammy feel.<br />
"Fightin' Society" 1981 (Star Struck Records TDS 020559)<br />
LORD SITAR ( )<br />
Local hardrock/metal led by Dino Livingston. The band<br />
later became Icon.<br />
"Lord Sitar" 1968 (Capitol st-3916) [rainbow label]<br />
LOS PERDIDOS (NJ)<br />
Session musicians featuring Big Jim Sullivan on<br />
sitar. Fun lounge instro rock with lead sitar, organ,<br />
and some bumblebee fuzz. Covers of the hip songs of<br />
the day including three Beatles' covers. [RM]<br />
"Los Perdidos" 1963 (LP 101)<br />
Obscure pre-garage LP of surf, frat and instros,<br />
included here as it's usually bought by garage LP<br />
collectors. One band original, "Race riot". Cool<br />
monochrome sleeve of the well-groomed band playing<br />
around in a doghouse.<br />
LOST & FOUND (Houston, TX)<br />
"Everybody's Here" 1967 (International Artists 3) [cover<br />
slicks]<br />
"Everybody's Here" 1978 (International Artists 3) [box-set<br />
reissue; boardprinted]<br />
"Everybody's Here" 1979 (International Artists 3) [wraparound<br />
slick]<br />
"Everybody's Here" 199 (Decal, UK)
"Everybody's Here" 1993 (CD Collectables col-0552)<br />
"Everybody's Here" 199 (CD Eva b-42, France) [+bonus tracks]<br />
One of the more famous I.A LPs but to me none of the<br />
best, has moves similar to the Elevators and Golden<br />
Dawn but no real artistic vision -- more like the<br />
local hipsters strutting their '66 fuzz discoteque<br />
act. A couple of good tracks but also some throwaway<br />
duds. Great sleeve though. The band was previously<br />
known as the Misfits but had to change their name<br />
after being involved in one of the earliest local TX<br />
drug busts of a rock'n'roll band. This, like some of<br />
the other lesser IA albums, sells for as much money<br />
today as it did back in the late 1970s! The band's<br />
finest moment was the non-LP IA 45; they also had<br />
some unreleased material on "Epitaph For A Legend".<br />
The 1978 reissue can be identified via the matrix<br />
number, which begins 'Ach...'. The 1979 bootleg has<br />
're-1' in the dead wax. There are probably more<br />
reissues than those; all reissues are vinyl-sourced<br />
as the tapes are lost. [PL]<br />
V.A "THE LOUISVILLE SCENE" (Louisville, KY)<br />
"The Louisville Scene" 1967 (Rod'N Custom 3001)<br />
Rare local Battle Of The Bands LP including 12<br />
showbands, soul and beat groups who were winners of<br />
the Rod and Custom Car Show Battle. Bands include the<br />
two solid garage tracks from the Rondells and<br />
Malibus, plus the Pas-Tels, Romers, J.C. and the<br />
Humans, Patriots, Sixpence, Centaurs, Vibratones and<br />
more. The cover shows local DJs driving cartoon hot<br />
rods.<br />
LOVE EXCHANGE (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Love Exchange" 1968 (Tower t-5115) [mono]<br />
"Love Exchange" 1968 (Tower st-5115) [stereo]<br />
"Love Exchange" 200 (CD Sundazed 6113) [+bonus tracks]<br />
Poppy folkrock with organ, acid leads, mixed vocals.<br />
A bit in the cheesy exploito bag.<br />
LOVE IS A HEART-ON (New York City, NY)<br />
"Love Is A Heart-On" 1970 (Heavy hs-111) [lyric insert]<br />
Silly and not especially funny obscene rock nowhere<br />
near as amusing as the "Let My People Come"<br />
soundtrack, the Hot Poop album, or even Chinga<br />
Chavin's "Country Porn." Some of this is pretty<br />
heavy, and there's a bunch of fuzz guitar on display,<br />
but this barely has value as a curiosity. I've yet to<br />
meet anyone who played it more than once. The LP was<br />
sold by mail-order ads in the back of Rolling Stone<br />
magazine. Due to a large find, the value has dropped<br />
considerably on this LP. [AM]
LOVE MACHINE ( )<br />
"Electronic Music To Blow Your Mind By" 1968 (Design SDLP-<br />
282)<br />
"Electronic Music To Blow Your Mind By" 2001 (Design)<br />
COLLEEN LOVETT (CA)<br />
Exploitation instro "psych" with lots of sound fx and<br />
fuzz, rated highly by some genre fans. A Canadian<br />
mono pressing exists.<br />
"Birds With Broken Wings" 1974 (ERA) [gatefold]<br />
Somewhat legendary femme soft-rock with Ms Lovett<br />
baring her soul and heart in a way that becomes<br />
almost obscene in its naked honesty. She seems a<br />
little too adept at playing the "victim" for my<br />
tastes although it certainly makes for odd listening.<br />
Some disturbed male record collectors may listen to<br />
this in the wrong way, which is just as scary as<br />
Colleen's comparisons of herself to a sandpiper with<br />
broken wings. Featured on the notorious "Hippie<br />
Goddesses" comp. [PL]<br />
LOVING SANDWICH see Instincts<br />
GORDON LOWE & LAUREL WARD (Canada)<br />
"Prisms" 196 (Yorkville)<br />
L.R.Y. ( )<br />
Late 1960s downer folk featuring guitar and bass and<br />
female backing vocals, on the same label as Ugly<br />
Ducklings.<br />
"The L R Y Record" 1968 (Congress of the Crow)<br />
Liberal Religious Youth was a nationwide youth group<br />
affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist<br />
Association. This is technically a compilation in the<br />
Christian teen folk style, recorded at the<br />
continental conference at St John's College. The<br />
label was in DeKalb, Illinois. [RM]<br />
"L.S.D" ( ) see presentation
"LSD" 1966 (Capitol TAO-2574) [mono; gatefold]<br />
"LSD" 1966 (Capitol TAO-2574) [stereo; gatefold]<br />
Extraordinary documentary on the new drug craze<br />
sweeping the nation, one of the best and most<br />
entertaining spoken word LPs of the era. Narration<br />
(by an uncredited Dick Clark) is superbly eloquent<br />
and manages to portray the whole acid wave as a game<br />
for con-men and loonies, without ever saying so<br />
openly. Allen Ginsberg, Laura Huxley and Ken Kesey<br />
get to see only their most bizarre sides exposed,<br />
while Tim Leary fares better doing his usual ritual<br />
spiel. There's interviews with dozens of teenage<br />
heads, and an unforgettable peak is reached with an<br />
actual trip recording of "Brian", a hipster acid head<br />
who unfortunately happens to have his first bad LSD<br />
experience while being recorded (with concealed<br />
microphones). The "Brian" recording is authenticsounding<br />
and either very funny or pretty scary,<br />
depending on how hard-core you are. A highly<br />
sophisticated anti-drug LP, and the artwork and<br />
photos are equally outstanding. All material<br />
(including the Leary and Kesey/Prankster snips) is<br />
unique to this LP. Judging from promo ads, the LP was<br />
released as early as August 1966. [PL]<br />
"LSD - Exclusive Open End Interview" 1966 (Capitol PRO 4153)<br />
[promo only; single sleeve; b & w cover]<br />
TED LUCAS (MI)<br />
This rare promo variant on the "LSD" documentary LP<br />
is of special interest as it has almost a whole<br />
side's worth of unique material. The "open-end<br />
interview" features the unnervingly warbling voice of<br />
wellknown anti-LSD spokesman Dr Sidney Cohen, with<br />
gaps of silence in between his responses so that any<br />
local radio DJ could pretend that Cohen was right<br />
there to answer his questions. Needless to say,<br />
listening to this in a lysergic state will produce an<br />
amazing, ghostly effect certain to drive<br />
inexperienced travellers up the wall. Side 2 features<br />
excerpts from the above-mentioned "LSD" LP and seems<br />
to contain only material found on the official<br />
release. There also exists a 3-side acetate set from<br />
the production of these LPs, but the exact contents<br />
of these are unknown; possibly they cover all the<br />
unique material from the two releases above. [PL]<br />
"Ted Lucas" 1976 (Om 5374) [insert]<br />
Burnout downer folk from ex-Spikedrivers guy who must<br />
have gone through a lot to end up with this world-
TOM LUCAS (NY)<br />
weary escapist testimony. High points include a very<br />
good raga-folk workout recorded live, while "It's So<br />
Nice To Be Stoned" manages to be both funny and<br />
scary. Should appeal to downer/loner folk fans,<br />
although a far cry from the spellbinding 1960s<br />
folkrockpsych of the Spikedrivers. Some copies come<br />
with a bonus 45. Housed in a beautiful Mouse Studios<br />
cover that features the abstract bird logo made<br />
famous by AOR band Journey shortly after this LP.<br />
Lucas passed away in the 1990s. He also appeared on a<br />
local MI sampler of folk artists from around the same<br />
time, titled "The Detroit Folk Scene vol 1" (CLS<br />
Archive Records). [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
One side of this album consists of solo voice-andguitar<br />
loner folk, some of which is very good. The<br />
other side is made up of Eastern-themed guitar<br />
improvisations which aren’t bad, but kind of overstay<br />
their welcome. Not really what a Spike-Drivers fan<br />
would hope for, but a reasonably interesting album if<br />
you don’t set your hopes too high. The album cover<br />
would soon be stolen and used by Journey. It’s pretty<br />
weird to think that a stoner folk album would start a<br />
major mainstream prog rock trend, but since you can<br />
trace Journey back to Frumious Bandersnatch,<br />
everything eventually integrates. [AM]<br />
"Red Letter Day" 1975 (New Fate lp-01-500) [lyric insert;<br />
500p]<br />
"Red Letter Day" 2004 (CD Radioactive 075, UK)<br />
Great 1970s rock/folk-rock album. Lucas is vocally a<br />
Neil Young clone, which suits his low-key songs well.<br />
The songs are tight and well-crafted, and sparing but<br />
clever use of synthesizer and fuzz guitar adds<br />
interest. Most reviewers describe this album as<br />
“weird,” but it really isn’t. It’s more “clever” than<br />
“strange.” It definitely feels of its time, but also<br />
feels like he was just a little too smart or a little<br />
too indifferent to ever appeal to a mainstream<br />
audience. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Professional sounding, fully realized mid-1970s<br />
classic rock (in the good sense) with equal nods to<br />
early 70s Neil Young and the Rolling Stones from the<br />
same era, sporting Nick Hopkins-style piano, a rich,<br />
lively studio sound and even some female backing<br />
vocals. Lucas can't really decide if he wants to be<br />
Neil or Jagger on the vocals, which gives an odd<br />
tension to songs already charged with emotion.<br />
Heartfelt lyrics cover a wide range of topics, and on<br />
a track such as "They're coming" Lucas is not far<br />
from the level of his heroes, while the downer ballad<br />
"Days numbered" hits home well. Although derivative<br />
and ultimately 2nd tier, it's hard to find faults<br />
with this album, which would have fit much better on<br />
a major label with some promotional push behind it.<br />
The mainstream nature of this may be off-putting for<br />
psych and hardrock collectors, but anyone who grew up<br />
listening to the Big Guys of Rock is likely to be<br />
charmed and impressed by "Red Letter Day". [PL]
CHRIS LUCEY (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Songs Of Protest And Anti-Protest" 1966 (Surrey ss-1027)<br />
[mono]<br />
"Songs Of Protest And Anti-Protest" 1966 (Surrey ss-1027)<br />
[stereo]<br />
I seem to be alone in thinking this an unexceptional<br />
pop/easy listening LP with folk moves, but apart from<br />
a couple of memorable tracks -- typically the<br />
dreamier ballads -- I don't find much of interest in<br />
it, and some of it strikes me as outright poor. In<br />
any event, whatever quality it has is overshadowed by<br />
the remarkable background story. LA artist Chris<br />
Ducey (of Chris & Craig with Craig Smith, aka<br />
Maitreya Kali) had recorded an album's worth for the<br />
Surrey label. Ducey being under contract elsewhere<br />
wasn't allowed to release it, leaving Surrey with<br />
album artwork and related material already completed.<br />
In an unprecedented move it was then decided that a<br />
new LP should be recorded, using the exact same<br />
songtitles as Ducey's, although the new tunes were<br />
completely different. This challenging task fell upon<br />
Bobby Jameson, who delivered what is now known as the<br />
"Chris Lucey" LP; the last name (and sleeve artwork)<br />
changed from Ducey to Lucey for the same contractual<br />
reasons. Interestingly a Canadian pressing exists<br />
with the "Ducey" name intact, but still with<br />
Jameson's music! In England a more accurate release<br />
credited Bobby Jameson, and retitled the LP "One Too<br />
Many Mornings" (Joy). Chris Ducey's original<br />
recordings remain unheard to this day. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Considering that Bobby Jameson was given ten titles<br />
and asked to fill in the songs, and that the whole<br />
thing was essentially a throwaway quickie, this is a<br />
really good early folk rock album. A stark production<br />
sound gives it some depth and has helped it to age<br />
well. The constant comparisons to early Love aren’t<br />
really on target other than that both were ahead of<br />
their time as far as the way they rocked up a basic<br />
folk sound. That is Brian Jones flipping the bird on<br />
the front cover, by the way. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Jameson<br />
LUCIFER (Rochester, NY)<br />
"Lucifer" 1970 (Gallo 2869)<br />
"Lucifer" 2001 (Void 25)<br />
"Lucifer" 2001 (Akarma 044, Italy)<br />
"Lucifer" 2001 (CD Akarma 044, Italy)<br />
Heavy rock pounder with vocal harmonies. Sometimes<br />
compared to Grand Funk Railroad but actually more of
LUMBEE (PA)<br />
a typical Eastcoast post-Fudge outing.<br />
"Overdose" 1970 (Radnor r-2003) [with drug game]<br />
"Overdose" 2001 (CD Gear Fab gf-166)<br />
Heavy drug rock with fuzz and some vocal. Pretty weak<br />
but the drug game is cool, and represents at least<br />
half the value.<br />
GARRETT LUND (San Bernardino, CA)<br />
"Almost Grown" 1975 (no label 5113) [gatefold; insert; demo<br />
press w/ 'planet' label design]<br />
"Almost Grown" 1976 (Terra Fertilis) [2000p; gatefold; insert;<br />
white label]<br />
"Almost Grown" 2000 (World In Sound rfr-006, Germany)<br />
[gatefold; insert]<br />
"Almost Grown" 2003 (CD World In Sound wis-1006, Germany) [+5<br />
bonus tracks]<br />
Rare westcoast guitar-rocker with a late psych vibe<br />
and some fantastic tracks on level with DR Hooker and<br />
Zerfas. "The only turnaround" and "Silver sails" are<br />
good yardsticks for epic 1970s psych-rock. There are<br />
a couple of (to me) weaker tracks as well, but above<br />
average on balance, and rated very highly by some. A<br />
couple of tracks feature ex-Misunderstood legend<br />
Glenn Ross Campbell on steel guitar. There was also a<br />
pre-LP 45 with an alternate version of 'Country<br />
Livin' on the Tralfamadore label. "Lund" was formerly<br />
in garage bands the Caretakers and Trane. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Progressive hardrock with tightly controlled playing<br />
and strong songs. Stunning, trembling high vocals,<br />
westcoast flowing leads and nice dynamics with a<br />
surging quality to much of the playing. Like a<br />
heavier Bobb Trimble. "Stop the World" is amazing,<br />
managing to be both an alienation anthem and a love<br />
song. The closer is likely the best cover of "(It's<br />
All Over Now) Baby Blue" you will ever hear. [RM]<br />
LES LUTINS (St Hyacinthe, Canada)<br />
"Les Lutins" 1966 (Carrousel crs 5401)<br />
The debut album from this popular Quebec band opens<br />
on a deceptively beat-oriented note, similar to<br />
Eurobeat bands such as the Mascots or Boots. Midtempo<br />
tunes led by heartfelt teen vocals (in French) and
somewhat crude acoustic/electric guitar arrangements<br />
paint them as yet another 2nd-tier "Rubber Soul"<br />
outfit. However, after this so-so opening the band<br />
begins to show both balls and chops with the dynamite<br />
maraccas & fuzz-led Stones-influenced rocker "Je<br />
Cherche", a dead ringer for the US garage punk sound,<br />
except for the French lyrics. The energy and snot<br />
factor remains high via "Pretty Girl" with powerful<br />
fuzz leads running through and soaring vocals,<br />
followed by the wild Diddley r'n'b of "Laissez-Nous<br />
Vivre", again lit up by raw guitar-work and ace teenpunk<br />
singing. After this impressive middle third, the<br />
last part of the album mixes the Stonesy '66 rock<br />
with the poppier styling of the first tracks, and<br />
while not bad the energy seems to fizzle out a bit.<br />
Overall an above average pre-psych LP from a talented<br />
band still searching for their identity, damaged<br />
slightly by a clumsy track sequencing. [PL]<br />
"En Orbite (vol 2)" 1968 (Carrousel crs 5402)<br />
"Laissez Nous Vivre" 1999 (CD Disques Merite) [2-on-1; bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
Lead off by the amusing but somewhat goofy "Monsieur<br />
Le Robot", the second Lutins LP successfully mixes a<br />
ballsy garage edge with a Swinging London, Whoinfluenced<br />
mod sound on many tracks. "Petit Joe" has<br />
a nice garage edge with atonal fuzz leads and is one<br />
of the best numbers on board; "Girl" (sung in French,<br />
despite the title) also provides an ace US 1966-style<br />
rocker, with loftier ambitions creeping in towards<br />
the end. As with most French-Canadian bands, the<br />
vocals are strong in a snotty teenage way, while the<br />
lead guitarist & rhythm section often go into Whotype<br />
rave-ups that highlight a track such as the<br />
dynamite "Les Yeux Fermes". This could have been one<br />
hell of a good album, but unfortunately the band<br />
inserts several lighter, half-jokey tunes into the<br />
pop art fuzz dynamics, which makes for an awkward<br />
mix, especially as whatever humor there is goes over<br />
the head on non-French listeners. Impressive<br />
musicianship and a strong band identity still manages<br />
to keep "En Orbite" together as a coherent, almostgreat<br />
work, with a first half that is truly<br />
impressive. The CD contains both albums with the<br />
running order completely messed-up, plus the band's<br />
debut 45. [PL]<br />
LYD (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"LYD" 1970 (Sunwest Recording acetate) [1-sided]<br />
"LYD" 1992 (Fanny, Belgium) [400p]<br />
"LYD" 199 (CD Thorns, Europe)<br />
"LYD" 2000 (Akarma 2013, Italy) [10"]<br />
"LYD" 2000 (CD Akarma 913, Italy)<br />
LYONHILL (NE)<br />
Originally recorded in 1970, unreleased one sided<br />
acetate. Some great garage guitar psych with intense<br />
basement atmosphere, long fuzz excursions, and wasted<br />
junkie lyrics, well worth checking out. [PL]
"Lyonhill" 1977 (no label)<br />
Excellent mainstream rock/folk-rock private press<br />
album that sounds SoCal, though they’re from<br />
Nebraska. The album starts with a great moody folkrocker<br />
with some hot violin, and goes on to show a<br />
surprising amount of diversity. There are shimmering<br />
acoustic guitars, and absolutely spot-on harmonies.<br />
This is the rare band where the male and female<br />
singers sound perfect together. Highlights include a<br />
bluegrass song with honkytonk piano that would make<br />
the Dillards proud and some tasteful and effective<br />
synthesizer. The songs are basically short and tight.<br />
One song where the female singer takes on the<br />
personality of a man is awkward, and a dumb cocaine<br />
joke is a glaring reminder that the album is from the<br />
mid-1970s, but otherwise this is a terrific record by<br />
a multifaceted band. [AM]<br />
JOHN LYONS & THE BLUE DIAMONDS (PA)<br />
"Light In The Lowlands" 1979 (TNT Records BD 5805)<br />
This is a unique blend of bluegrass and post Dylan<br />
singer/songwriter music and it’s great. The sparse<br />
instrumentation (banjo and guitar on some songs, two<br />
guitars and an occasional hint of bass on others)<br />
effectively frames a batch of intelligent, wellwritten<br />
story-songs. A few of the songs are long in<br />
the best Dylan tradition, without repetition, and<br />
with stories that sustain the songs’ length. It’s all<br />
deceptively simple and pure. The songs are about<br />
mountains, freight yards and coal mines, about<br />
Mississippi and West Virginia, but there’s nothing<br />
backwoods about this music at all. The lyrics about<br />
hobos and drifters feel less contrived than the<br />
similar tales on the Modlin & Scott album, and Lyons’<br />
voice is world-weary and evocative. As you may guess,<br />
not your usual private press folk album, this is<br />
really something special. [AM]<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
MACARTHUR (Saginaw, MI)<br />
"MacArthur" 197 (R.P.C. 58932) [200p; inserts]<br />
"The Black Forest" 198 (R.P.C., Germany) [bootleg] [300p]<br />
Adventurous sweeping synth prog with guitar bursts<br />
featuring Ben MacArthur, very spacy with long tracks<br />
and echoed vocals. The LP was issued in a plain cover<br />
with 'MacArthur' sticker pasted on, and was only sold<br />
at shows. The small press size has been confirmed by<br />
the band. The reissue is re-titled.<br />
"MacArthur II" 1982 (Bay Music) [1000p; lyric sheet]<br />
This progressive album (with material from 1977-82)<br />
is adventurous but ultimately too derivative and<br />
uninspired to win out. It opens with an instrumental<br />
that resembles the first song on the Third Estate<br />
album, then moves to space rock and classically based<br />
rock. It commences with an acoustic<br />
guitar/piano/synth instrumental that marks them as<br />
obsessive ELP wannabes. This is technically wellplayed,<br />
though the synth use is surprisingly<br />
unimaginative for a band who use the instrument so<br />
heavily. The production is smarmingly AOR; the lead<br />
guitar and drums are really annoying in a purely 80s<br />
way. As is often the case with do-it-all indie prog<br />
artists like this (the much superior Atlantis<br />
Philharmonic comes to mind), the singing completely<br />
lacks personality. Most of the rhythm guitars here<br />
are acoustic; there's a definite attempt to create<br />
textures through a variety of instruments, but it's<br />
undermined by the way Ben Macarthur thinks speedy<br />
playing (on both guitar and keyboards) is both<br />
impressive *and* compelling listening. It's the<br />
first, but not the second. Without ideas, technical<br />
prowess is worthless. [AM]<br />
DOUG MACARTHUR (Canada)<br />
"Letters From The Coast" 197 (no label)<br />
"Letters From The Coast" 1976 (Rut) [2nd press]<br />
MACHINGBYRD ( )<br />
Fragile folkpsych with sitar on one track. It seems<br />
the guy had another LP as well.<br />
"The Road to Forbidden Ecstasy" 1980 (Arro Mountian Records<br />
10001)
Folk and folkrock with psych moves, acoustic and<br />
electric guitars, some synth embellishments.<br />
MACKS CREEK BAND (MO)<br />
"Macks Creek Band" 1980 (MCB)<br />
Midwestern 1970s-style rock with a Southern feel.<br />
MAD DOG (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Mad Dog" 1969 (no label) [no sleeve; test press]<br />
"C1 C2" 2000 (Shadoks 031, Germany)<br />
"Dawn Of The Seventh Sun" 2003 (RD 12, Switzerland) [insert]<br />
Here's another fine mess from the private press zone.<br />
After releasing the "Chocolate Moose" LP members of<br />
the Zoo moved on to the Mad Dog project, which was<br />
recorded at a Hollywood Studio in 1969. A few test<br />
pressings were made, but nothing else came from this.<br />
Thirty years later one of the test pressings turns<br />
up, with no details available, and is reissued as "C1<br />
C2" as this matrix # was the only info contained on<br />
the record. A few years on, RD decides to reissue the<br />
Mad Dog test press, and in the process discovers that<br />
this is identical to what had come out as "C1 C2" on<br />
Shadoks. The main difference is that the RD release<br />
is legit and master tape-sourced and has the original<br />
sides reversed. To add to the confusion, the band was<br />
also known as Joyful Noise at one point. The actual<br />
music is good late 60s Bay Area-style guitar<br />
psych/rock, like a Fillmore support band. Three of<br />
the songs were used in the low-budget biker flick<br />
"The Black Angels". [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Zoo<br />
MAD DOG (Bay City, MI)<br />
"617" 1977 (Fish Head fh-7701)<br />
This is a weird minimalist hard rock album. The cover<br />
is a b/w drawing of an outer space scene with a bunch<br />
of headless naked female bodies, and the record is<br />
just as stark and mysterious. Though the cover says<br />
the songs were recorded between 1974 and 1976 the<br />
music has an early punk rock feel with thick<br />
distortion on the rhythm guitars and no apparent<br />
instrumental overdubs. The drumming is frantic but<br />
the songs are of medium speed. This is a curiosity<br />
because it's completely bleak, it sounds like nothing<br />
else and appears to have no specific influences, with<br />
one unfortunate exception. The ghost of Michigan's<br />
past rears its ugly head with the annoying throaty<br />
vocal style, a dead ringer for the Frost's Don<br />
Hartman, who made his presence known on the horrible<br />
live side of Rock And Roll Music. In any case, if it<br />
wasn't for all of the singer's growling, this would<br />
be pretty interesting stuff. As it is, it's supremely<br />
annoying. [AM]
MAD FABLES (NJ/NY)<br />
"Get Off!" 1977 (Magic 520440) [blank back cover]<br />
MADHOUSE ( )<br />
Eastcoast loose stoner outlaw jams in Grateful Dead<br />
style, housed in weird cartoon cover. Most of the<br />
album was recorded in Bloomfield, NJ in a three day<br />
session.<br />
"Serve 'Em" 1972 (Today tlp-1010)<br />
Here's a cool soul/funk LP for people who are tired<br />
of their P-Funk albums. There's a strong Sly Stone<br />
influence here, but also a bit of Funkadelic-style<br />
lead guitar, a very heavy political message, and, on<br />
one song, rhythms that sound like Tago Mago/Ege<br />
Bamyasi-era Can. This isn't as heavy or "rock" as,<br />
say, Purple Image, but it will appeal to psych fans,<br />
especially on the two long jams, both of which are<br />
quite dark (one is about an overdose, the other about<br />
the apocalypse) and have a lot of free form<br />
instrumentation. Spacious arrangements highlight some<br />
excellent bass playing. A very good album, a sleeper<br />
in the genre. Today was a subsidiary of New York<br />
label Perception. The cartoon cover shows President<br />
Nixon serving the group tea. [AM]<br />
MADRIGAL (New York City, NY)<br />
"Madrigal" 197 (Spyder 136)<br />
If anything here in the Archives fits the term<br />
"underground," it's this. Supposedly only about 50<br />
copies were made and when one of the band members was<br />
found he was rude and refused to talk about his album<br />
or disclose the whereabouts of his bandmate. The<br />
record itself is a basement-sounding recording by two<br />
guys with no help from anyone else, and only a tiny<br />
bit of overdubbing. One guy plays guitar, one plays<br />
theremin, both sing, one of them runs a drum machine.<br />
The vocals are heavily reverbed. About half of the<br />
songs are random improvisations (including a 12minute<br />
mess called "Stoned Freakout") with unhinged<br />
screaming, feedback-laden guitar and other various<br />
noises. The other half are pop songs, basically done<br />
with just voice, guitar and drum machine. Some of<br />
these songs are quite good, and as awful as fake<br />
drums can be, something about this primitive machine<br />
only adds to the lonely DIY feeling here, making<br />
these guys sort of a cross between Suicide, Moolah<br />
and Index. The vocals are very good. "Ballad," which<br />
is so quiet that you can barely hear the singing, is<br />
especially eerie. The closing instrumental is really<br />
lame, like the instrumentals on the North County Rock<br />
Association album. Obviously, much of this album is<br />
boring and/or annoying, but some of it is pretty<br />
memorable too. More importantly, it's one of those<br />
albums that sounds absolutely like nothing else,<br />
which always means that someone out there will fall
in love with it. Considering the rarity and $1000<br />
price tag, hopefully it will be reissued so that one<br />
person won't go broke trying to find it. [AM]<br />
MAD RIVER (Yellow Springs, OH / Berkeley, CA)<br />
"Mad River" 1968 (Capitol st-2985) [rainbow label]<br />
"Mad River" 198 (Capitol) [bootleg]<br />
"Mad River" 198 (Capitol 038-85-882, Germany) [altered<br />
sleeve]<br />
"Mad River" 1985 (Edsel ed-140, UK) [inner sleeve]<br />
"Mad River" 199 (CD Edsel 651, UK)<br />
"Mad River / Paradise Bar & Grill" 2001 (CD Collector's Choice<br />
1722) [2-on-1]<br />
"Paradise Bar and Grill" 1969 (Capitol st-185) [green label]<br />
"Paradise Bar and Grill" 198 (Capitol) [bootleg]<br />
"Paradise Bar and Grill" 1986 (Edsel ed-188, UK)<br />
"Mad River / Paradise Bar & Grill" 2001 (CD Collector's Choice<br />
1722) [2-on-1]<br />
MAG-AMPLITUDE (OK)<br />
The debut is fine westcoast guitar psych, while<br />
"Paradise Bar and Grill" moves more into an acoustic<br />
rural hippie direction. The debut LP recordings were<br />
accidentally sped up during the original mastering<br />
phase, which means that most releases including the<br />
1968 original actually play at inaccurate speed. The<br />
recent 2-on-1 CD reissue corrects this, but many<br />
people still prefer the "speed" version. They<br />
previously recorded a wonderful EP (1967, Wee) with<br />
the standout "Wind Chimes". The EP was bootlegged in<br />
the 1980s and comped on the CD "The Berkeley<br />
Eps..." (Big Beat, UK 1995). [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
Extraordinary band whose greatness has yet to be<br />
fully recognized. Unlike many I prefer the debut LP<br />
and its enticing mix of unique vocals, complex moods<br />
and angular sounds, as pure psychedelia as anything<br />
ever made in the Bay Area. "Paradise" is enjoyable<br />
and just as unusual but to me it seems somewhat<br />
disjointed in its mix of rural folkrock, bombastic<br />
psychrock, spoken poetry, and more. Of course, the<br />
1967 EP may be even better than their LPs. The band<br />
formed at Antioch College in Ohio and recorded some<br />
demo tapes before leaving for the west coast; these<br />
are partly excellent and have not yet been released.<br />
[PL]<br />
"Mag-Amplitude" 1983 (no label MA-1983-01)<br />
Strange and primitive LP that has been described as<br />
"the Higney of Heavy Rock".<br />
MAGI (IN) see article/interview<br />
"Win Or Lose" 1976 (no label 6102) [1000p]<br />
"Win Or Lose" 1987 (Breeder 560, Austria)<br />
"Win Or Lose" 199 (CD Flash 51, Italy)<br />
"Win Or Lose" 2005 (CD Radioactive, UK)
MAGIC ( )<br />
Tough hardrock from popular "Michiana" region band<br />
with good songs, an admirably tight rhythm section<br />
and pretty good vocals. Despite what you may read,<br />
there is nothing psychedelic about this; a typical<br />
mid-70s Midwestern sound with Aerosmith and Kiss<br />
influences. A few guitar jams, one ballad, else more<br />
of a concise urban sound with hints of AOR and<br />
glamrock, but don't let that scare you. In the right<br />
place and time these guys could have been major. One<br />
song is about running out of weed. Recorded at Uncle<br />
Dirty's in Michigan. Expensive but still slightly<br />
underrated LP, to which the unfortunate front cover<br />
photo may have contributed. There was also a non-LP<br />
45 track in the same style, and some good unreleased<br />
material exists. The band moved to LA in 1978 in an<br />
attempt to make it big, but soon fell apart. Bass<br />
player Tom Stevens later turned up in 1980s legends<br />
the Long Ryders. [PL]<br />
"Magic" 1966 (no label 147606)<br />
MAGIC (MI)<br />
No relation to the "Enclosed" band, this is teenbeat<br />
with organ.<br />
"Enclosed" 1969 (Armadillo 8031)<br />
"Enclosed" 1986 (Hype 02, UK)<br />
"Enclosed" 199 (CD Flash 44, Italy) [digipak]<br />
"Enclosed" 199 (Gear Fab gf-204)<br />
"Enclosed" 1998 (CD Gear Fab gf-116) [+8 tracks]<br />
"Enclosed" is mainstreamish hippierock sounds with a<br />
westcoast groove and soul/funk moves, reminiscent of<br />
a mellow Hendrix and the later-day Bay Area bands --<br />
when it's good, it's on level with Kak, but<br />
personally I find the blue-eyed soul Sons Of<br />
Champlin-type material tough to swallow. The 12minute<br />
Kak/QMS guitarjammer "Play" has plenty of<br />
admirers and rightly so, but overall I'm not as<br />
impressed with this LP as others seem to be. Check it<br />
out and decide for yourself. Recorded in Florida,<br />
where the band was joined by a member of popular band<br />
the Birdwatchers. CD has plenty of bonus tracks for<br />
all you soulrock fans out there. Their second LP on<br />
Rare Earth is generally considered much inferior.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it album, with one<br />
side of soulful rock songs and one that’s simply an<br />
extended guitar solo with bits and pieces of songs<br />
appearing at odd moments. Side one is OK, but the<br />
long solo is what makes this album essential. The way<br />
it’s structured into what isn’t exactly a song gives<br />
it a certain kind of intrigue and depth, and the<br />
playing is diverse and fascinating... certainly one<br />
of the best long guitar solos anywhere. The CD adds a<br />
bunch of more mainstream bonus tracks that aren’t<br />
very good, marring the listening experience to those<br />
who only know it by that reissue. [AM]
MAGIC BUBBLE (Canada)<br />
"Magic Bubble" 1970 (Columbia 90038)<br />
This album's exceptionally diverse, including stabs<br />
at pop, hard rock, blues moves and even what sounds<br />
like an attempt at a calypso rhythm. That diversity<br />
is simultaneously a strength and a weakness. Rita<br />
Rondell has an okay, if less than overwhelming,<br />
voice. While she has a bluesy voice that occasionally<br />
recalls Maggie Bell, exemplified by tracks such as<br />
"I'm Alive" and the ballad "If I Should Ever Love<br />
Again" she's largely relegated to handling the<br />
group's more pop oriented material. Her best<br />
performance happens to be her toughest vocal - "Cry<br />
Cry". That leaves brother Frank to handle the more<br />
rock-oriented tracks such as "Whiskey Fire",<br />
"Changes" and "Circles (Lonely Wind)". Occasionally<br />
sounding like a more rock inclined David Clayton<br />
Thomas, his performances provide the set's<br />
highlights, including one bizarre bluesy cover of<br />
George Gershwin's "Summertime". Elsewhere, there's<br />
only one real duet between the siblings; the funny<br />
"Me & Mr. Hohner". Nice product, though you might<br />
think once or twice before shelling out the big bucks<br />
for an original copy. The album didn't see an<br />
American release. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
This is yet another co-ed West-coast styled group<br />
with organ, some fuzz guitar and a bluesy feel. And<br />
yet again the half of the songs with the male singer<br />
are pretty awful. His gruff voice might have worked<br />
in some other context, but is horribly out of place<br />
here. The songs with the female singer are poppier<br />
and catchier, less hard-edged, somewhat soulful, and<br />
this really sounds like two different groups. There<br />
are two very strong songs, “I’m Alive” and “Cry Cry,”<br />
both of which could have been hits. The album ends<br />
with yet another version of “Summertime,” which is<br />
another minus. Not a very satisfying listen straight<br />
through, but it has its moments. The organ player and<br />
the rhythm section are pretty solid. At their best<br />
Magic Bubble rock convincingly without being the<br />
least bit heavy. At their worst they’re forgettable<br />
and annoying. Lots of lyrics about drugs (and some<br />
paraphernalia on the album cover). Between that and<br />
the guy’s style of singing, they seem to be trying<br />
really hard to be hip. [AM]<br />
MAGIC FERN (Seattle, WA)<br />
"Magic Fern" 1980 (Picadilly 3386)
MAGIK (Canada)<br />
University of Washington band with circa 1966-67<br />
tracks. Pop rock with some psych shadings. Like most<br />
Picadilly albums, this was released posthumously<br />
without the band's knowledge.<br />
"Magik" 1981 (Rayne)<br />
MAGIK DAYZE (OH)<br />
Progressive hardrock in a primitive cover.<br />
"Magik Dayze" 1978 (no label) [lyrics]<br />
MAGILL & YOUNG ( )<br />
Hard guitar prog with moog, mellotron and Rush and<br />
Mahogany Rush influences. The cover has a paste-on<br />
front and handwritten credits on the back. Keyboard<br />
wiz Charles Thaxton went on to various projects.<br />
"Take 1" 1969 (Two:Dot)<br />
TOM MAHAIRAS (NY)<br />
Little-known title on the same custom label as<br />
Arthur, Hendrickson Road House and the Mystic Zephyrs<br />
IV. Basically it's lost in time 60s folkboom sounds<br />
with female vocals all through, rudimentary folkrock<br />
setting with two guitars and organ. The Baez-inspired<br />
lady doth oversingeth quite a bit, which makes for a<br />
strange vibe here and there, but may annoy if you're<br />
not in the mood. Her theatrics work best on a spooky<br />
cover of "Black is the color" with a sparse,<br />
Japanese-style arrangement and a Sally Eaton:ish<br />
psych feel creeping upon you. There's also a a couple<br />
Dylan songs and a heartfelt version of "Wayfaring<br />
stranger". Despite the band name the few original<br />
songs were written by one Karen Gross. For female<br />
folk completists mostly. Cool, primitive "period<br />
cover" to both front and back. [PL]<br />
"Seekers Of The Truth" 1972 (Janco 7256) [insert]<br />
Christian fringe-folk/incredibly strange artefact<br />
featuring amateur organ/guitar folkrock on one side,<br />
and priceless spoken word drug-head salvation stories<br />
on the other. Amazing front cover and funny liner<br />
notes. A must within the genre. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
One side of beautiful haunting christian psychedelic<br />
folk from former drug user turned preacher. Mahairas'<br />
voice and guitar is backed by chamber orchestration<br />
similar to that used on the Arthur Lee Harper album.<br />
The second side of the LP is spoken word featuring<br />
Tom and his wife giving testimony on how they turned<br />
from drugs to religion; plenty of talk about drug use
and someone who "went insane" on LSD. Might have some<br />
appeal to the fans of incredibly strange music. [MA]<br />
~~~<br />
see full presentation<br />
MAITREYA KALI (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Apache / Inca" 1972 (no label) [2LPs; gatefold; inserts;<br />
paraphernalia]<br />
"Apache / Inca" 1999 (Little Indians 2, Germany) [2LPs; 450p;<br />
3 inserts]<br />
"Apache / Inca" 1999 (CD Normal/Shadoks 005, Germany) [2 CDs]<br />
A very small number were made as a double LP before<br />
the LPs were issued separately (reviewed below). This<br />
package also contained a booklet, poster, feather,<br />
josh stick, and inserts. The German reissue imitates<br />
the release, except for the more exotic<br />
paraphernalia. Background: in 1966-67 Craig Smith<br />
made a bundle of cash writing songs for the Monkees,<br />
Andy Williams and Glenn Campbell, which is what<br />
financed his vast travels and subsequent<br />
transformation into Maitreya Kali. The unissued Penny<br />
Arkade recordings including several tracks also found<br />
on the Maitreya LPs and were released by Sundazed in<br />
2004. Check out the entry for Craig's old partner<br />
Chris Ducey for an unrelated story that is just as<br />
strange.<br />
"Apache" 1972 (Akashic 2777)<br />
"Apache" 1989 (Akashic) [bootleg; book; >300#d]<br />
This was apparently released before "Inca" but the<br />
recordings have a later sound. Continuing his trek<br />
down Latin America, this is more lowkey and<br />
introvert, as if the drugs caught up with him. The<br />
strange poetry and scribblings on the Yahowa-style<br />
sleeve confirm such suspicions. The album has a<br />
couple of marvy acid folkpsych tracks such as "Color<br />
Fantasy" but doesn't really live up to the hype I've<br />
seen on it. Beach Boy Mike Love unexpectedly pops up<br />
singing on a Monkees track (actually he's just<br />
humming along from the mixing board) that Maitreya<br />
wrote when he was still known as Craig Smith.<br />
Originals can be identified via printing on the spine<br />
and "masterdub" etched in the dead wax. Several other<br />
differences exist but these should suffice. The<br />
bootleg pressing is believed to be larger than the<br />
300 stated.[PL]<br />
"Inca" 1972 (United Kingdom of America cf-2964)<br />
"Inca" 199 (United Kingdom of America) [bootleg]<br />
Nominally Maitreya's 2nd album, but the material on<br />
it is definitely from an earlier era than "Apache".
To me superior to the more wellknown "Apache" with a<br />
fabulous folkrocky 1966-67 WCPAEB-sound for the most<br />
part, especially on side 1. There's also some pretty<br />
enjoyable mellow hippiefolk stuff, strange spoken<br />
bits and interviews with latino chicks making fun of<br />
this sensitive seeker-type guy. Worth checking out<br />
for both 1960s and 1970s heads. [PL]<br />
MAIYEROS see Instincts<br />
MAJIC SHIP (Long Island, NY)<br />
"Majic Ship" 1970 (Bel Ami 711) [circa 1000p]<br />
"Majic Ship" 1985 (Heyoka 203, UK)<br />
"Majic Ship" 199 (no label, Italy)<br />
"Majic Ship" 1993 (Afterglow 009, UK)<br />
"Majic Ship" 2000 (CD Gear Fab gf-107) [bonus tracks]<br />
"Majic Ship" 2000 (Gear Fab/Akarma 084, Italy) [2LPs; bonus<br />
tracks; booklet]<br />
Extended "Down by the river"/"For what it's worth"<br />
medley highlights this famous Long Island LP, the<br />
rest is so-so Eastcoast post-psych FM rock sounds<br />
reminiscent of Bubble Puppy or an earlier version of<br />
Odyssey. Some good guitar and nothing overly<br />
offensive about it, but hard to understand all the<br />
fuss over this album. The Italian reissue is actually<br />
a bootleg of the UK bootleg, while the Gear Fab CD<br />
contains spoken interview bits between some tracks<br />
and a messed-up running order. [PL]<br />
MAJOR ARCANA (Milwaukee, WI)<br />
"Major Arcana" 1976 (A Major Label 1000) [poster; lyric<br />
insert]<br />
The opening "Western wind" is a terrific folkpsych<br />
classic while the rest of the LP suffers a bit from<br />
the aggregated weight of all the different genres<br />
squeezed in. The vocals are strong but sometimes<br />
overstated in that typical 1970s troubador style,<br />
while the flute ornaments are a bit, uh, effeminate.<br />
Neat synth arrangements provide the same lounge<br />
multiinstrumentalist vibe as on Bermuda Triangle;
MALACHI (CA)<br />
this also has the odd rock musical/art school stage<br />
project feel that's on a lot of these mid-70s hippie<br />
LPs. Closing acidhead arrangement of "Greensleeves"<br />
sounds like the Kaplan Bros could step in any minute.<br />
Great psychy cover art. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is a more complex album than Jim Spencer’s solo<br />
work, with a lot of moods for what is essentially a<br />
hippie folk album. It starts with a truly gorgeous<br />
song, and has several highlights, including the<br />
voodoo inspired (and sexually nasty) “Pappa Doc” and<br />
the breezy “Back In The Spirit.” Not a wholly<br />
satisfying album, and it has way too much flute, but<br />
still an intriguing listen with some ace songs. One<br />
of the best album covers you’ll ever see, too. [AM]<br />
"Malachi" 1966 (Verve v6-5024) [gatefold; blue label]<br />
Eastern and American-Indian influenced protopsych/ethnic<br />
folk. Recorded at Columbus Recording in<br />
San Francisco in August 1966. Steve Cunningham would<br />
later joined Red Krayola. Although neither rare nor<br />
that highly rated, the LP is early enough to be<br />
historically interesting, and also features an early<br />
occurrence of the word "psychedelic" in the liner<br />
notes.<br />
MALT SHOPPE GANG (MA)<br />
"Maltshoppe Gang" 197 (Fleetwood fclp-5100) [red label]<br />
MAMMOTH ( )<br />
Early 1970s group doing retro 50s rock and doo wop<br />
like a local Sha Na Na. Good, primitive guitar sound<br />
for crossover garage appeal.<br />
"Mammoth" 1981 (RNA)<br />
DeLand, Florida label. Southern rock like Lynyrd<br />
Skynyrd.<br />
MANDRAKE MEMORIAL (Philadelphia, PA)<br />
"Mandrake Memorial" 1968 (Poppy py-40002) [mono promo; stereo<br />
cover with mono sticker]<br />
"Mandrake Memorial" 1968 (Poppy pys-40002) [stereo]<br />
"Mandrake Memorial" 1996 (CD Collectables col-0691)<br />
"Mandrake Memorial" 199 (Poppy, UK) [bootleg]<br />
"Mandrake Memorial" 2005 (Poppy/Scorpio)<br />
The first Mandrake Memorial album is one of those<br />
records where the sound of one instrument so<br />
dominates (like the jug with the 13th Floor Elevators<br />
or the autoharp on Michaelangelo's "One Voice Many")<br />
that your assessment of the album is based almost
completely on how you feel about that one sound. Here<br />
the instrument is an electric harpsichord, which<br />
gives the songs an almost synthetic feel. I like it,<br />
but I can't speak for anyone else. What I can say<br />
with conviction is that the songs on this album are<br />
outstanding, and the guitar playing and singing is<br />
very appealing throughout. The album is full of sly<br />
hooks and dreamy melodies. It's simpler than the two<br />
albums that would follow, but is unquestionably a<br />
highly accomplished work from a very talented band<br />
who should be better known today. [AM]<br />
"Medium" 1969 (Poppy pys-40003) [gatefold]<br />
"Medium" 1996 (CD Collectables col-0693)<br />
"Puzzle" 1970 (Poppy pys-40006) ['wheel' insert]<br />
"Puzzle" 1995 (CD MM, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
"Puzzle" 1996 (CD Collectables col-0693) [+bonus track]<br />
Great, great psych band and local Philly heroes,<br />
underrated elsewhere to this day. The first LP is<br />
drawn from their club live set and goes in a<br />
garage/teen-psych direction, not bad at all but the<br />
harpsichord makes for a somewhat awkward mix with the<br />
overall sound in my opinion. Nevertheless, it went on<br />
to sell a respectable 40 000 copies. "Medium" shows<br />
them developing their studio psych ambitions with<br />
carefully crafted introspective keyboard/guitar mind<br />
trips while still retaining a song-oriented<br />
structure. "Puzzle" is a masterpiece, one of the<br />
truly great concept acid psych LPs on a major label,<br />
drawing from modernist classical like Stravinsky and<br />
Bartok, yet retaining a psychy headtrip feel<br />
throughout. Side 1 in particular is devastating and<br />
the LP as a whole a major personal fave. The band<br />
also had a non-LP 45 around the time of "Puzzle". An<br />
unreleased acoustic album from the same timeframe<br />
exists on acetate, but nothing has been released so<br />
far. [PL]<br />
MANIACS see "Soundtracks 1966"<br />
MANN MADE (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"Mann Made" 1972 (Good Noise)<br />
UK-sounding progressive rock with folk moves, some<br />
horns and synths.<br />
TERRY MANNING (Memphis, TN)<br />
"Home Sweet Home" 1970 (Enterprise ENS-1008)<br />
Manning may have done this album as kind of a lark.<br />
He's not a songwriter, and there's nothing serious<br />
about this record. Maybe that's why this is so good,<br />
the kind of record that I can't imagine any rock fan<br />
not enjoying. He begins with the unthinkable, a truly<br />
minblowing cover of "Savoy Truffle," a ten minute<br />
tour de force of creative arrangements that is as
CHARLES MANSON (CA)<br />
good a Beatles' cover as anyone has ever done. The<br />
fun doesn't end with just that one song. There are<br />
trashy rock originals, more wild cover versions,<br />
outrageous drum breaks, hilarious female backing<br />
vocals, irresistible fuzz guitar riffs, feedback and<br />
absurd lyrics. Side two is a notch lesser than side<br />
one, but this is an enjoyable romp not quite like any<br />
other. Manning shows equal parts reverence and<br />
disdain for a whole host of rock and roll traditions.<br />
Perhaps it's mostly a novelty, but psych fans will<br />
like it, roots rock fans will like it, punks will<br />
like it, garage fans will like it, and warped soul<br />
fetishists will like it. Beatles fans might even like<br />
it. Now let's all get down and do the trashy dog!<br />
[AM]<br />
see full-length review<br />
"Lie" 1970 (Awareness 2144) [poster; 2000p]<br />
"Lie" 1970 (ESP 2003)<br />
"Lie" 1987 (Awareness 1)<br />
"Lie" 199 (CD Grey Matter 05) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"Lie" 199 (Fierce 001, UK)<br />
MANSON FAMILY (CA)<br />
It seems Charlie is bigger than ever these days and<br />
the fringe underground is all too happy to keep his<br />
shot at the charts in print. "Lie" would be a big<br />
item even if it was by an unknown guy, with Man-Son's<br />
great 50s beatnik outlaw voice and campfire folkpsych<br />
like "Mechanical man", "Sick city", "Ego" etc. The<br />
latter's my fave with a scary intensity and the<br />
girls' seductive Spahn Ranch harmonies. A staple of<br />
any reasonably twisted record collection. There was<br />
also an odd gatefold Spanish release on the Movieplay<br />
label from 1971, "12 Canciones". The poster<br />
represents about half the value. The ESP version is a<br />
legit 2nd press for Eastcoast distribution. The<br />
somewhat noisy 1987 repro has 'Awareness' on the<br />
front cover in print letters, not handwritten. In<br />
recent years there's been a handful of subsequent<br />
releases of material recorded in prison, including<br />
"The way of the wolf" and "The white album". The<br />
"Unplugged" CD features outtakes from the original<br />
"Lie" sessions and is worth checking out. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Manson Family<br />
"Sings The Songs Of Charles Manson" 1991 (no label) [white<br />
vinyl]<br />
"Sings The Songs Of Charles Manson" 1991 (no label, Europe)<br />
[bootleg]<br />
"The Family Jams" 1998 (CD Transparency) [2CDs]<br />
Circa 1970 tapes of the Family singing the Master's<br />
songs in a communal desert campfire folkpsych setting
with mixed male/female vocals - the innocent songs<br />
and evil lyrics make for great and spooky listening,<br />
superior to Charlie's own LP in many's opinion.<br />
Recommended, superior to most similar LPs not made my<br />
hippie murder cults. The Transparency double CD<br />
contains all material on the LP plus additional<br />
material from the same sessions. [PL]<br />
MANTIS (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"Mantis" 1973 (Sweet Plum 952)<br />
Prog and melodic rock from Quebec with liberal use of<br />
guitar and keyboards, mixed male and female vocals.<br />
MANTRA (Toronto, Canada)<br />
"Mantra" 1970 (MMC 301)<br />
MARANATHA (NJ)<br />
Folk/folkrock featuring steel guitar and autoharp,<br />
with a mellow vibe and some instrumental tracks,<br />
highly rated by some.<br />
"Soon" 1971 (no label no #)<br />
X-ian hippie rock with equal mix of hard guitar and<br />
moody acoustic numbers. Several unrelated x-ian<br />
groups recorded LPs under this name. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
Although they're from the opposite end of the<br />
country, New Jersey's Maranatha has that same<br />
longhaired homegrown west-coast guitar psych sound as<br />
Spokane's Wilson McKinley. In fact, I might go so far<br />
as to say that Soon is on equal footing with the<br />
classic "Spirit of Elijah" - it's that good.
MARAUDERS (PA)<br />
Guitarist Charlie Rizzo would later emerge with the<br />
more Southern-edged Emmaus Road Band, but here the<br />
style seems much more garage angled and hippie<br />
jamming. ... An insanely rare private press and<br />
easily one of the top US Christian monsters. [KS]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Emmaus Road Band<br />
"Check In" 1964 (PRC 64-303) [blank back cover]<br />
"Maraudin' 65" 1965 (no label)<br />
"Maraudin' 65" is a rare teenbeat LP with a mix of<br />
pre-Invasion instros and covers of Animals, Gerry &<br />
the Pacemakers typical of the era. Crude paste-on<br />
cover displays their hip VW Beetle convertible. The<br />
even obscurer first LP has been described as "hot<br />
guitar instro surf" and has covers of Ventures,<br />
Pyramids, Surfaris etc, plus one original.<br />
MARBLE PHROGG (Tulsa, OK)<br />
"Marble Phrogg" 1968 (Derrick 8868)<br />
"Marble Phrogg" 199 (CD Derrick, Europe)<br />
MARCUS (NY/CA)<br />
Covers only LP from local club band with Iron<br />
Butterfly, Cream, Hendrix, Steppenwolf, and even a<br />
belated Byrds number. More interesting than the<br />
typical late 60s fuzz cover bands, as they put a lot<br />
of effort in delivering and adapting the material,<br />
while retaining a cool teen vibe. The reissue is<br />
worth examining for those interested in the era, with<br />
obvious similarities to the Smack LP.<br />
"Marcus" 1970 (Kinetic 3027)<br />
"Marcus" 1993 (CD Collectables col-0571) [+2 tracks]<br />
As everyone knows, this is Deep legend Rusty Evans<br />
broadcasting from burnout island. Described by a<br />
noted record dealer as "one of the blandest records<br />
ever made" the 1970 LP still has a share of fans,<br />
though I'm not one of them. Wimpy sub-Donovan<br />
astrology hippie folkpsych, may appeal to Cat Stevens<br />
fans. "Million Grains Of Sand" in an orchestrated<br />
version is the best track. Kinetic was an Epic<br />
subsidiary. Rusty made an LP with the All Night<br />
Singers c1963 (Reprise R6117), and a Christian folk
MARCUS (KY/IN)<br />
solo LP in the late 1970s. There is a collection of<br />
demos/outtakes from this album on CD from<br />
Collectables (Col-0690). [PL]<br />
"From The House Of Trax" 1979 (House Of Trax nr-10788) [500p;<br />
'disco' cover with small blue paste-on]<br />
"From The House Of Trax" 199 (House Of Trax) [bootleg;<br />
boardprinted]<br />
"From The House Of Trax" 1995 (Fantasia, UK) [500p]<br />
"From The House Of Trax" 199 (CD House Of Trax) [bootleg]<br />
"From The House Of Trax" 2003 (World In Sound rfr-014,<br />
Germany) [+2 tracks; +bonus CD-ROM; 500p]<br />
"From The House Of Trax" 2003 (CD World In Sound wis-010,<br />
Germany) [+2 tracks; +bonus CD-ROM]<br />
A somewhat legendary late 1970s psych private from a<br />
guy still living in the cosmic acid seeker mindset,<br />
even as the sound is (for the time) modern, with an<br />
FM-rock/AOR feel that may put some off. Similar to DR<br />
Hooker as a "big ego" project with no resources<br />
spared; the songs, the performances and the<br />
production are flawless. Hearing this on acid is like<br />
walking around inside a psychedelic cathedral, with<br />
multilayered keyboards, dreamy female harmonies, and<br />
a panoramic 24-channel soundscape. The strongly<br />
psych-flavored A-side is awesome in my ears, although<br />
the Cecil B DeMille production has its number of<br />
detractors. I don't care - this is a longtime<br />
personal fave. The original press was 500 copies, but<br />
only about half of them came with the blue paste-ons<br />
with Marcus image and titles that cover the center<br />
hole front and back. In later years remaining copies<br />
from Marcus' original stash appeared on the market in<br />
the plain white disco sleeves only, without any blue<br />
paste-ons. Copies have also appeared with what are<br />
believed to be more recently manufactured paste-ons,<br />
although they're more or less identical to the 1979<br />
ones. The early 1990s bootleg enlarged the paste-on<br />
images so that they fill the entire boardprinted 12"<br />
sleeve space. Despite being legal reissues, the WIS<br />
releases are vinyl-sourced and somewhat inferior in<br />
sound to the original. The CD-ROM features a video of<br />
a 1979 acoustic live performance by Marcus from local<br />
TV. Only one song from the LP is performed, and the<br />
material is less psychedelic and more<br />
singer/songwriter. Marcus made a comeback LP in the<br />
1990s titled "The return". [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is the ultimate example of an album that divides<br />
psych fans. Some of you will hate it, though it's not<br />
one of those albums whose legend comes from<br />
misleading dealer hype, as there are people who<br />
absolutely love it too. Like the best latter day<br />
psych albums (Trimble, Zerfas, Anonymous, etc.) it<br />
sounds completely of its time. Unlike those albums it<br />
doesn't seem to have any connection to 60s music,
though, and if anything sounds a few years ahead of<br />
its time. The reverbed and way up-front vocals, the<br />
ultra-prominent cymbals (the rest of the drums are<br />
buried in the mix so far they might as well not even<br />
be there), the cheesy synthesizers and new agesounding<br />
female backing vocals are hallmarks of the<br />
80s sound. Mixed with spacy sound effects and this<br />
album's most prominent feature, heavy phasing, it<br />
sounds like psychedelicized AOR (or, on the non-heavy<br />
songs, new age soft rock) sung by a mystic and<br />
recorded in an echo chamber. The sound is absolutely<br />
going to be a hard sell for most of you, and in my<br />
opinion the songs are only marginally more appealing.<br />
Some of it doesn't even sound like "rock" to me, and<br />
while about half of the songs are quite catchy,<br />
there's not a lot of musical depth here. I find this<br />
one more interesting for the way the confusing<br />
release and "re-release" were hyped by dealers than I<br />
do for the actual music within. This is a real<br />
oddball, to be sure, and doesn't sound like anything<br />
else. I recommend that you don't pay too much mind to<br />
either its fans or its detractors and check it out<br />
for yourself. [AM]<br />
ROBERT MARCUS (Corpus Christi, TX)<br />
"Robert Marcus" 1974 (Ankh 1001)<br />
Soft rock with keyboards, orchestration, some fuzz<br />
and wah-wah, housed in a funny cover.<br />
MARIANI (Austin, TX)<br />
"Perpetuum Mobile" 1970 (Sonobeat HEC 411/412) [plain stamped<br />
cover; insert with typewritten info; 100p]<br />
"Perpetuum Mobile" 198 (Hablabel, Italy) [150#d]<br />
"Perpetuum Mobile" 199 (CD Germany) [+1 track]<br />
"Perpetuum Mobile" 1994 (Fanny 300894, Belgium) [500p]<br />
"Perpetuum Mobile" 200 (Akarma, Italy)<br />
"Perpetuum Mobile" 200 (CD Akarma, Italy)<br />
There are some really big rarities whose greatness<br />
escapes me and I'm afraid Mariani is one of those.<br />
Eric Johnson is probably a technically brilliant<br />
guitarist but after you've been through ten minutes<br />
of Hendrix/Alvin Lee imitations you sorta wish he'd<br />
do something else, like write decent songs rather<br />
than just excuses for guitar solos. A few promising<br />
hints of psych, especially on a track like "Rebirth<br />
day" and a powerful in-yer-face soundscape, but all<br />
over I find this LP disappointing. For Eddie van<br />
Halen fans, Texas completists and collectors of 4figure<br />
legends. The group had a non-LP 45 with<br />
psychedelic drum solos. [PL]
~~~<br />
Heavy blues psych band with sixteen year-old Eric<br />
Johnson on stun guitar, Vince Mariani handling drums,<br />
Jimmy Bullock on bass. Lead vocals are handled by<br />
several singers including Bill Wilson, Darrel Peal,<br />
and Jay Podolnick. The playing gets anthemic at times<br />
but the lyrics are regrettable. The recording session<br />
was done outside in a wooded area. The German CD is<br />
made from a rough copy of the LP and is very noisy.<br />
The bonus track is a much later Eric Johnson version<br />
of "Little Wing". All reissues have new sleeve<br />
designs as the original was plain cover. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
Eric Johnson the wunderkind is on display here, but<br />
the band was named after the drummer, and ultimately<br />
is as boring as, say, a Ginger Baker solo album.<br />
Johnson was talented but not especially original as a<br />
teenager, and there isn’t a solo here that wouldn’t<br />
have been better if it was half as long (the drum<br />
solo, of course, would have been better if it didn’t<br />
exist at all). Even with the Johnson connection, it’s<br />
a mystery to me why this is such a sought-after<br />
album. I can think of hundreds of better late<br />
60s/early 70s hard rock albums. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> American Peddlers; Electromagnets; Bill Wilson<br />
MARIANUS (Andover, MA)<br />
"Visions From Out of the Blue" 1981 (Jupiter) [lyric insert]<br />
This is hyped as a prog album (and occasionally as an<br />
AOR album), but defining it by that genre doesn't<br />
tell the whole story about this oddity. It takes cues<br />
from pretty much every rock style of the preceding 25<br />
years, even glam and new wave (those two are<br />
especially apparent on the irresistible opening<br />
track.) There's a bit of mellotron on the album, a<br />
spacy instrumental, a bunch of catchy choruses,<br />
bizarre backing vocals and a singer who is the<br />
missing link between Steve Harley and Geddy Lee. The<br />
guitar riffs on the early verses of "Man From Another<br />
Planet" really hit the spot. The songwriting<br />
throughout is creative and intelligent. This is weird<br />
and distinctive! I'm not sure who the audience is for<br />
this one, but it's pretty great. [AM]<br />
DEREK SCOTT MARKEL (Canada)<br />
"Derek Scott Markel" 197 (no label RH 074601)<br />
MARK IV (Canada)<br />
Rural folkrock and singer/songwriter with full<br />
setting, piano, even accordion, the Band moves and<br />
some psychy guitar. Highly rated by some.<br />
"Vol 1" 1965 (Rusticana CKL 1225)<br />
Obscure teen-beat LP in neat sportscar cover.
MARKLEY (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Markley: A Group" 1969 (Forward st-f-1007)<br />
GARY MARKS (NY)<br />
I may be in the minority here, but I enjoy this as<br />
much as any of the "proper" WCPAEB albums, as it's<br />
full of left turns, crazy arrangments, freaky lyrics,<br />
and catchy tunes. As with the first Reprise album, it<br />
sounds like a killer garage pop album filtered<br />
through the mind of a whacked out genius. Absolutely<br />
a must-hear for popsike fans. [AM]<br />
"Gathering" 1974 (ULT 74008) [booklet]<br />
Little-known Tim Buckleyish singer/songwriter with<br />
jazz moves, rated highly by some. The LP was<br />
originally sold via mail-order.<br />
MARLBOROS & JOKERS SIX ( )<br />
"Real Live Girl" 1966 (Justice 126)<br />
"Real Live Girl" 199 (CD Collectables 0610)<br />
MARR'DEL (OH)<br />
Unusual LP with black vocal group and white club band<br />
joining forces to try and get a beach party<br />
going. Apparently the two bands toured together, the<br />
Jokers Six supporting the Marlboros who are an early<br />
60s-style vocal 4-piece. The Marlboros don't sing bad<br />
and some tracks may appeal to local doo-wop<br />
collectors, although the recording is muddy and<br />
tinny. The title track is a fairly good original and<br />
there's another original on board, the rest is mostly<br />
r'n'b/soul standards. While the vocal strength of the<br />
Marlboros gives the album an edge over pretty much<br />
all other Justices I find little exceptional about<br />
it. There's an OK surf-style instro and an energetic<br />
"Good loving" on side 2 but apart from that the<br />
Jokers Six sound like any generic club band;<br />
competent but dull. Embarrassed, one of the Jokers<br />
Six guys comes right out in the liner notes and<br />
admits that the Marlboros are the "up and coming<br />
stars of this album". [PL]<br />
"Mystery Of Love" 1979 (MSP 3001) [1000p]<br />
Accurately described as "sparse cosmic female real<br />
people" by the guy who invented this type of<br />
descriptions. Her voice is somewhat arch and lofty,<br />
but the refined, serious mood is effective. Acoustic<br />
guitar and autoharp, some songs, some spoken poetry<br />
with musical backing and occasional sounds of nature<br />
such as rain and thunder.
MARSADEES (SC)<br />
"Marsadees" 1967 (Justice 150)<br />
"Marsadees" 1996 (CD Collectables)<br />
Probably the rarest LP on the label, this wasn't even<br />
known to exist for many years. It's not bad either,<br />
clearly among the better in the Justice catalog, with<br />
a crude surf and frat approach similar to the nongarage<br />
stuff on the Tempos LP. Should appeal to<br />
anyone interested in local pre-Brit Invasion sounds,<br />
even though it dates from around 1967! Cool cover<br />
photo of the very young band. One group original, a<br />
sleepy surf instro. [PL]<br />
MARY BUTTERWORTH (South Gate, CA)<br />
"Mary Butterworth" 1969 (Custom Fidelity 2092) [350p]<br />
"Mary Butterworth" 1988 (Breeder 562, Austria)<br />
"Mary Butterworth" 1998 (CD OCCS)<br />
Inside one of the greatest private press psych<br />
sleeves ever you'll find pretty enjoyable LA area<br />
(they were not from Idaho) highschool pothead sounds<br />
with Hammond organ upfront and great echoey drums.<br />
Mixes bluesy vibe with a westcoasty outdoors feel in<br />
the vocals. Mellow and stoned rather than lysergic,<br />
despite uninspired lyrics three out of six tracks are<br />
excellent - check out the Gathering vol 3 comp for a<br />
sample. The album was sold via gigs and to friends<br />
and had no formal distribution. The band also had a<br />
pre-LP 45 on Custom Fidelity. Surprisingly, one track<br />
from the LP is used in the highly acclaimed "Lost In<br />
Translation" movie. The CD is remastered and remixed.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Bluesy hard rock with long songs and some jazzy flute<br />
and sax. The lyrics are trite and uninteresting but<br />
the songwriting is decent and the overall sound is<br />
appealing: lots of reverb and echo, nice guitar<br />
sound, ringing cymbals and eerie organ, vocals that<br />
don’t fall into the usual bluesy macho trap. “It’s A<br />
Hard Road” is particularly good. There are moments<br />
where it seems pedestrian, but also moments that rise<br />
above. Not top of the heap, but good enough to<br />
recommend to genre fans. The guitar solos are pretty<br />
dull, though. [AM]<br />
CARM MASCARENHAS (Winnipeg, Canada)<br />
"Someday Soon" 1975 (Mascanta)<br />
Folk and folkrock with acoustic and electric backing
MASON (VA)<br />
and powerful vocals.<br />
"Harbour" 1971 (Eleventh Hour 1001) [paste-on yellow title<br />
sticker; booklet]<br />
"Harbour" 1971 (Eleventh Hour S-1001) [printed cover;<br />
booklet]<br />
"Harbour" 199 (Eleventh Hour) [bootleg]<br />
"Harbour" 199 (Gear Fab gf-137) [+2 tracks]<br />
"Harbour" 1999 (Akarma, Italy) [booklet]<br />
MASS-TERS ( )<br />
Released on the local Eleventh Hour label, the album<br />
offered up a surprisingly accomplished set of early-<br />
'70s heavy metal. Acrese had a voice that was well<br />
suited for the genre; Hampton was a first-rate<br />
drummer and as a trio these guys generated<br />
considerable intensity. Largely written by Galyon,<br />
material such as the driving opener "Let It<br />
Burn" (imagine Deep Purple having borrowed Ian<br />
Anderson for a flute solo), "Tell Me" and the cool<br />
instrumental "Electric Sox and All" were all<br />
impressive. Great songs and great performances (geez,<br />
Grand Funk sold millions and these guys couldn't get<br />
arrested). Elsewhere, "Golden Sails" was a<br />
substantial change of pace, opting for a progressive<br />
song structure (it may be our favorite song). [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
This is an interesting and diverse hard rock album,<br />
well liked enough to have been reissued several<br />
times. If you can picture slow, organ-rich heavy prog<br />
side by side with blues-rock, acoustic folk-prog,<br />
jazzy sax instrumentals, and snappy riff rockers,<br />
you’ll have an idea of what you’re in store for here.<br />
It’s all done quite well, and there’s an air of<br />
professionalism usually absent from this kind of<br />
self-made record. My favorite is the brief “Goin’<br />
Home,” which sports an undeniable hook, but there’s<br />
enough to like here than half a dozen listeners might<br />
pick half a dozen favorites. “Tell Me” has a fuzz<br />
guitar tone to die for. The singing is strong, but<br />
overly macho and humorless, unfortunately, the<br />
album’s one major fault. First issues have paste-on<br />
covers. The second issue has a black and white cover<br />
drawing and an insert.It was remixed at Alpha Audio<br />
but it's unclear whether there is any real difference<br />
in sound. Eleventh Hour went on to release albums by<br />
Polyphony and Vandy. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> James Galyon<br />
"Today" 1969 (Venus MS 001)<br />
Very obscure folk quintet looking like they're about<br />
5 years behind the times, and reportedly sounding<br />
that way too, except for some appealing female vocal<br />
harmonies. Mix of originals and covers.<br />
MATILDA see Don Daly
MILT MATTHEWS, INC ( )<br />
"For The People" 197 (Catalyst cas-1111)<br />
"For The People" 2003 (Catalyst 1111) [reissue]<br />
Early 1970s black group. Soul rock with some fuzzy<br />
jamming similar to early Parliament but less<br />
interesting. Matthews had several other releases.<br />
MAX AND I (Long Island, NY)<br />
"Max and I" 1976 (Western Hemisphere)<br />
MAX CREEK (CT)<br />
Rural jams with female vocals, featuring Maxine and<br />
Ira Stone along with ex-Elephant's Memory members. A<br />
Morris Levy tax-loss release.<br />
"Max Creek" 1977 (Quack Sound 100)<br />
MAXIMILLIAN (NY)<br />
Supposedly only 100 copies were pressed of this<br />
"American Beauty" style rural jam LP. The band has<br />
been going for decades and developed a Deadhead-type<br />
fan-base. Later LPs include "Rainbow" (Wranger, 1980)<br />
and "Drink The Stars" (Wrangers 2LPs, 1982).<br />
"Maximillian" 1969 (ABC 696)<br />
ALICIA MAY ( )<br />
This is remarkably inept for a major label release.<br />
It's certainly wasted, and is full of fuzz guitar as<br />
well as some organ, but it's not exactly the funkpsych<br />
freakout people wish it were, as it doesn't<br />
really go into particularly far out places. Add that<br />
to the lack of chops and go-nowhere soloing, and<br />
ultimately it's pretty boring. [AM]<br />
"Skinnydipping In The Flowers" 1976 (Golden Anchor 7777)<br />
[lyric inner]<br />
Femme vocal folk that has been compared to Linda<br />
Perhacs. California label.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> "Guitar Picks"<br />
MAYAN CANALS see Rich La Bonte<br />
MAYPOLE (Baltimore, MD)
"Maypole" 1971 (Colossus cs-1007) [ylp exists]<br />
"Maypole" 2005 (CD Radioactive 114, UK)<br />
Heavy psych rock that’s got a lot of ideas, but also<br />
has a tinny metallic sound that grates on the ears<br />
quickly (and this is a long record). A definite<br />
favorite of some fans of hard rock, but it’s one of<br />
those albums that sounds much better when you’re only<br />
hearing one song on a mixed tape or radio show. Some<br />
of the songs are put together in kind of a suite,<br />
showing some obvious prog ambitions. [AM]<br />
MAY STREET TOPS (NC)<br />
"May Street Tops" 1974 (Death Valley no #) [300p]<br />
MAZANTI ( )<br />
Rural hardrock with dual drums, occasionally hyped.<br />
Recorded at the same studio (Harry Deal's) as<br />
Dryewater. The title is sometimes listed as "Sold<br />
Out".<br />
"Philosopher" 1979 (Mazanti Music)<br />
Southern hardrock with some folky tracks and Jethro<br />
Tull moves.<br />
MAZE (Fairfield, CA)<br />
"Armageddon" 1968 (MTA 5012)<br />
"Armageddon" 1989 (no label, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
"Armageddon" 1995 (CD Sundazed sc-6060) [+6 tracks]<br />
"Armageddon" 2006 (Beat Rocket) [alternate mono mix]<br />
The Maze seek a sense of drama, with long songs,<br />
prominent organ, eerie harmonies, heavy lyrics and a<br />
singer who becomes unhinged here and there. If you're<br />
in the right mood for it, it's pretty enjoyable,<br />
especially since there are some crazed fuzz guitar<br />
breaks. One truly terrible semi-novelty song, "Kissy<br />
Face", destroys the mood, which makes the rest a<br />
little harder to take seriously. The overall effect<br />
is similar to the album by The Phantom, though the<br />
best songs here, especially "I'm So Sad", are more<br />
worthy of semi-serious respect than anything on that<br />
album. The short songs take a poppier approach, and<br />
they're reasonably good, with the one above-mentioned<br />
exception. Pretty cool, though not distinctive enough<br />
to really stand out in the genre. The Beat Rocket<br />
release has a previously unreleased mono mix with<br />
some alternate takes, and is this not a true reissue.<br />
[AM]
MCALLEN (MI)<br />
"McAllen" 1971 (Spirit 964S-2002) [gatefold]<br />
Downer folk/folkrock with Woolies member helping out,<br />
acoustic and electric backing. Back cover shows<br />
McAllen next to a huge cannabis plant.<br />
BOB MCCARTHY (Cambridge, MA)<br />
"Advice & Company" 1974 (Wandra no #)<br />
JAMES MCCARTHY ( )<br />
Coffeehouse folk and singer-songwriter with<br />
occasional band backing, including second guitar,<br />
bongos, violin, dobro, bass and drums.<br />
"Born a Loser" 1971 (Audio House ahs-3771) [blank back cover;<br />
translucent blue vinyl]<br />
KATHY MCCORD ( )<br />
Acoustic flower folk from noted Kansas studio and<br />
custom label.<br />
"Kathy McCord” 1969 (CTI 1001)<br />
"Kathy McCord” 1999 (CD Vivid, Japan)<br />
Female singer/songwriter album that is highly rated<br />
among genre fans.<br />
MCDONALD & SHERBY (MN)<br />
"Catharsis" 1974 (Omniscient 80 1426) [500p]<br />
"Catharsis" 1992 (Rockadelic 7.5) [altered cover; altered song<br />
order; 300p]<br />
Here's an interesting obscurity that mixes two really<br />
long moody songs and some shorter hard-rockers. The<br />
long songs have definite anthemic quality, and<br />
there's some cool guitar, organ and synth soloing:<br />
plenty of wah-wah and freaky noises. Most of this is<br />
blues-based, most of it riff-oriented. Neither the<br />
short or long songs are structured in a particularly<br />
complex way. Both are vehicles for jamming. It's a<br />
pretty cool record, and more distinctive than the<br />
description would suggest, though it would have been
MCGRAW BROS (NJ)<br />
nice if a few of the songs had been developed a bit<br />
further. Strangely enough, the shorter, faster songs<br />
suffer from the repetition more than the long ones<br />
do, maybe because the soloing on the epics is more<br />
thoughtful. [AM]<br />
"Scotch On The Rocks" 1966 (Tore 1)<br />
LARRY MCHUGH (PA)<br />
Scottish-American group doing club band frat & Brit<br />
invasion covers with honking sax, dressed up as<br />
Scotsmen on the sleeve. A couple of band originals<br />
also.<br />
"Son Of David" 1978 (BE 845)<br />
A fine example of the more subdued, reflective mood<br />
that emerged on Christian rock LPs towards the end of<br />
the 1970s. Post-acid westcoasty melodic studio rock<br />
with a highly professional, sophisticated sound<br />
create a backdrop for McHugh's relaxed, unassuming<br />
vocals. Lyrics are typical Jesus movement concerns<br />
and stay close to the known path, leaving the music<br />
to do the peregrinations in a quite appealing way. In<br />
fact this album has some of the best guitar-picking<br />
I've heard on a private from the era, sparse flowing<br />
jazzy scales that fit the mood perfectly. The band as<br />
a whole radiates a selfconfident late-night groove,<br />
occasionally getting into jammy bits that flow just<br />
right. Keyboards and moog fx are used in a way<br />
similar to the more relaxed tracks on One St Stephen,<br />
while the overall nocturnal feel is reminiscent of<br />
Christian colleagues Ark and Windwords. McHugh does<br />
get dangerously close to the "better safe than sorry"<br />
repetition spectre that can haunt this type of work,<br />
but emerges a winner on the strength of some terrific<br />
dreamy tracks such as "Come to me" and "Waters of<br />
life". This is not a local basement trip like<br />
Kristyl, but a very pro-sounding affair with mature,<br />
jazzy moods. I was rather impressed. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Folky Christian singer who can’t really hit all of<br />
his notes, but has a pretty solid musical backing.<br />
The title track is pretty great, full of phase<br />
shifter happy guitar solos (lots of scales), a dreamy<br />
chorus, and ends with a great rock guitar solo and<br />
some surprising moog. Terrific song! There isn’t<br />
anything else here that gets up as much of a rocking<br />
head of steam, but most of the album is decent<br />
acoustic folk and soft-rock with a rhythm section<br />
that stands out despite the quiet nature of the<br />
songs. The Christian lyrics are reasonably subdued. A<br />
few songs veer towards a jazzier direction, and<br />
aren’t quite as appealing. A lot of the electric lead<br />
guitar sounds like improvised noodling, and the weak<br />
singing grates after a while, but the more carefully<br />
constructed songs are quite good. Other than the<br />
title track, the oddly structured “Hold Your Love<br />
High” is probably the highlight, as it fits frantic<br />
bass runs, dreamy “ah ah” singing and a somewhat long
instrumental introduction into three surprising<br />
minutes. Not solid from start to finish, but a pretty<br />
interesting album. [AM]<br />
McKAY (Indianapolis, IN)<br />
"Into You" 1977 (no label) [300p; plain back cover]<br />
"Into You" 1993 (OR 001) [insert; 300#d + signed]<br />
"Into You... Plus" 1996 (CD OR 007) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"Into You" takes some time to get into but it's worth<br />
the effort - a laidback, nocturnal rural rocker with<br />
sounds ranging from country-tinged, almost Eagleslike<br />
brooders to uptempo guitar movers with some ace<br />
Jerry Garcia-style instros inbetween. Neil Young's<br />
"Harvest" and "Tonight's the night" may also spring<br />
to mind, but this is a distinctive album that needs<br />
to be heard, rather than imagined via semi-accurate<br />
comparisons. Some copies have a sticker on the back<br />
with personnel info. The CD reissue features 16<br />
unique bonus tracks, all from the same sessions as<br />
"Into You" and "Take Two". I was not quite as<br />
impressed with "Take Two", although others seem to<br />
like it. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
"Into You" has excellent sound and high quality<br />
performances. It could easily have been mistaken for<br />
a major label album of the time. It mixes acoustic<br />
ballads, upbeat rockers with wah wah, and laid back<br />
rural rock. The obvious reference points are 70s<br />
Grateful Dead and, to a lesser extent, The Band. That<br />
works for better (musicianship) and worse (vocals.)<br />
It rarely rocks out, but on the few occasions it<br />
does, it is convincing. The songwriting is pretty<br />
strong, and occasionally (i.e. the propulsive “This<br />
Road”) transcendent. I find the vocals weak (not in<br />
the sense that they can’t sing, but moreso that the<br />
singer sounds wussy), but otherwise this is one of<br />
the best albums of the style. The CD contains an<br />
albums’ worth of bonus tracks, many of which sound<br />
more like demos and jams that completed songs. If you<br />
listen to them separate from the album proper,<br />
they’re pretty fun, and there are a few solid songs<br />
mixed in too. [AM]<br />
"Into You, Take Two" 1995 (OR 007) [book; 375#d]<br />
McKay had a whole batch of unreleased recordings from<br />
around the time of "Into You", some of which were<br />
originally considered for the album. In 1995, the<br />
material from the vaults was dug out, remixed and<br />
released by OR records. The result is a collection<br />
just as slapdash as the bonus tracks on the "Into<br />
You" CD, including some jammy instrumentals and some<br />
brief effect-laden experiments to go along with a<br />
number of complete songs. Obviously this isn’t a<br />
consistent listen, but the quality of the songs is<br />
strong and even the most incomplete fragments are<br />
pretty interesting. The album is also intelligently
structured to make the experimental bits and songs<br />
fit well together. Fans of the first album are sure<br />
to enjoy this, and, since unlike "Into You" this is<br />
quite psychedelic, it could attract some new fans as<br />
well. Also, it has a great album cover. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
"Take Two" is the druggier and more interesting of<br />
the two fine McKay efforts, taken from mid-70s<br />
sessions at which time the group was going by the<br />
name, The Loos Band. The "Take Two" material does not<br />
overlap with the 1996 CD reissue at all. There is a<br />
CD release on OR of 1997 recordings, "Tomorrow's<br />
Tomorrow". [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Ray Pierle<br />
MCLEISH, PETRIE, ROBINSON & FRIENDS (Canada)<br />
"R P M" 1978 (Starfish 7801) [1000p; blue vinyl]<br />
Rural rock and folkrock with guitar/keyboard demo<br />
recordings gathered over a period of time, with<br />
songwriting contributions from all members.<br />
F J MCMAHON (Santa Barbara, CA) see Q & A here<br />
"Spirit Of The Golden Juice" 1969 (Accent 5049)<br />
"Spirit Of The Golden Juice" 2000 (Wild Places)<br />
Recently discovered obscurity on the Accent label,<br />
otherwise known for a number of great 45s. Late-stage<br />
beatnik/coffee house-folk which reminds me of Fred<br />
Neil; worldweary, introspective sound with an early<br />
Viet Vet vibe. He has a good voice somewhat similar<br />
to D R Hooker, and plays nice guitar figures<br />
throughout the LP, which has a light folkrock<br />
backing. Not bad, though the arrangements would have<br />
benefited from some variation. McMahon recorded this<br />
coming out of the air force, and "The Golden Juice"<br />
refers to a brand of bourbon popular among enlisted<br />
men. The album features Accent colleague Jon Uzonyi<br />
(Peace Pipe) on bass. [PL]<br />
MEADE RIVER see John Gilbert<br />
MEAT PHREDD (OH)<br />
"Meat Phredd" 1981 (Phreddhead)<br />
Instrumental avant guitar progressive trio similar to<br />
Viola Crayola. Recorded at Columbus' longrunning<br />
Musicol studios and housed in an odd cartoon cover.<br />
THE MEDIUM (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"The Medium" 1969 (Gamma 503)
Usually this band is listed as “Medium,” but the<br />
album cover clearly defines them as “the Medium,”<br />
which takes on a whole different meaning. This<br />
Canadian psych album is pretty interesting, starting<br />
with a trippy instrumental full of organ and fuzz<br />
guitar, and moving on to dreamy ballads and slightly<br />
heavier (but never fast) songs. The guitar playing<br />
throughout is somewhere between jazz and angular San<br />
Francisco-style noodling. There seems to be little or<br />
no attempt at melody, which actually makes the solos<br />
pretty distinctive and weird. An organ/guitar battle<br />
on “Give Me A Peace” is especially fun. The songs<br />
don’t follow traditional verse/chorus structures at<br />
all. The singer has a deep voice but isn’t exactly<br />
soulful or bluesy. This album is pretty freaky, what<br />
may have happened if bands like Aorta and Day<br />
Blindness didn’t bother to tidy up their loose ends.<br />
The style wears a little thin by the end, as the<br />
songwriting on side two doesn’t really offer anything<br />
new. Still, this is something most of you will enjoy.<br />
It has some similarities to the more satirical and<br />
pop-oriented Rabble, also from Montreal. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
This one has a pretty good reputation, but I was<br />
somewhat disappointed with it. It opens strongly with<br />
some fairly complex and atmospheric UK artrock<br />
excursions with classical influences in the typical<br />
Procol Harum/Moody Blues school; skillful keyboard<br />
and piercing fuzz themes keep your attention.<br />
Unfortunately someone, probably the vocalist, decided<br />
that something more was needed, which means that bad<br />
sub-Justin Hayward crooner laments pop up where there<br />
should have been more instrumentals. The guy's voice<br />
isn't half as good as he thinks it is, constantly<br />
hitting the wrong notes and straining in true amateur<br />
night fashion. The songwriting for these numbers is<br />
kind of lame too, with a remarkable lowpoint hit in<br />
what sounds like someone's drunken halfspeed karaoke<br />
reworking of the Hollies' old "Yes I will". When Mr<br />
Wayward keeps quiet or slides into a more balanced<br />
approach the music regains its footing, with a<br />
playful inventiveness and semi-avantgardism which is<br />
reasonably cutting edge for 1969. All over though, an<br />
album such as Aggregation on LHI shows how to handle<br />
and overcome the traps that pour sugar in the Medium<br />
gas tank. Still worth checking out cheaply, and may<br />
appeal to fans of early prog, but I wouldn't set my<br />
expectations too high. [PL]<br />
V.A "MEET THE LIVELY ONES" (Canada)<br />
"Meet The Lively Ones" 1965 (Capitol DJ 100) [thin paper<br />
cover]<br />
Obscure promo-only sampler of Canadian beat bands<br />
including early Sparrow(s), Wes Dakus Rebels, Big
MARK MELANSON (NY)<br />
Town Boys, Staccatos, Barry Allen, Diane Leigh, and<br />
Robbie Lane & the Disciples.<br />
"Haunted Hearse" 1970 (Color Esoterics) [insert]<br />
Real people/outsider folk with "Irish gravedigger<br />
vocals", echo effects and more. Highly rated by some.<br />
MELCHIOR ALIAS (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"Melchior Alias" 1969 (Capitol 70024) [gatefold; insert]<br />
MELISMA ( )<br />
Somewhat legendary French-Canadian LP with French<br />
vocals, electronic psych and freak-rock.<br />
"Like Trolls" 1978 (no label)<br />
MELOFIN (WV)<br />
Seldom seen local folk/prog, housed in nice pencildrawn<br />
cover.<br />
"Ivan Tale" 1984 (Sky Spy Studio)<br />
The 1984 date belies the sound of this interesting<br />
and unique record. Influences come from UK folk, UK<br />
prog and US folk-rock. The singer sounds very<br />
British, like a mixture of Roy Harper, John Lennon<br />
and an oboe. A wide range of instruments including<br />
mandolin, tasteful synthesizer, and many percussion<br />
devices color the sound of the music, which is about<br />
half acoustic, half electric. The lack of lead guitar<br />
on most songs makes the few solos and guitar hooks<br />
more powerful than they might be in another context.<br />
A couple of the songs are overlong (everything here<br />
has a leisurely pace to it), but for the most part<br />
this is lovely and ethereal. I've seen comparisons to<br />
the Strawbs and Jethro Tull, and that's not too far<br />
off. How much you like it will depend on how you<br />
respond to the unusual singer, but this is a pretty<br />
neat album with a timeless feel. The back cover photo<br />
shows the four least likely looking rock and rollers<br />
you'll ever see. [AM]<br />
DAVID & TINA MELTZER (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Poet Song" 1969 (Vanguard sd-6519)<br />
"Poet Song" 1999 (Akarma 054, Italy)<br />
"Serpent Power/Poet Song" 1999 (CD Akarma 053/054, Italy) [2on-1]<br />
Obscure follow-up to the Serpent Power LP by the main
duo, like that band still somewhat underrated. He<br />
reads some of his poetry which may turn some off<br />
though the poems are brief and enjoyable (he's a<br />
published poet with roots in the 1950s beat era), and<br />
do not detract from the excellent folkpsych songs<br />
that make up the bulk of the LP. Less poppy and more<br />
meditative than the earlier album, some tracks are<br />
truly great. Worth checking out. A Canadian pressing<br />
exists. There was also a children's LP titled<br />
"Faces" (Folkways, 1984) with Tina's vocals, guitar,<br />
and banjo playing. [PL]<br />
"Green Morning" 199 (RD Records 5, Switzerland) [500p]<br />
This is the Meltzers' unreleased 2nd LP, recorded in<br />
1970 for Capitol but never released except for an<br />
acetate.<br />
MENDELBAUM (Madison, WI)<br />
"Mendelbaum" 2002 (Shadoks 034, Germany, 2LPs) [450p]<br />
"Mendelbaum" 2003 (CD Shadoks 034, Germany, 2CDs)<br />
MERCURY MAGIC ( )<br />
Previously unreleased material, one disc studio, one<br />
disc live, from obscure Midwest band who moved to the<br />
Bay Area and cut some demos and played the ballrooms.<br />
Most of this falls into an unexceptional late 60s<br />
rock-club sound, like you may expect from a Fillmore<br />
support act. Proto-heavy transition sounds with<br />
typical guitar/Hammond B3 mix, bluesy vocals, some<br />
Santana and Dead moves. The guitar-playing is above<br />
average but that's really the only thing of note<br />
here. The live stuff is slightly superior in my ears.<br />
One of Shadoks' more dubious releases, though some<br />
people have reported liking it. There was a local 45<br />
released in WI around 1968. Both guitarist Chris<br />
Michie (previously in the Grapes Of Wrath) and<br />
drummer Keith Knudsen went on to bigger things. [PL]<br />
"Mercury Magic" 1980 (Hughestone 557)<br />
MERKIN (Orem, UT)<br />
Flowing hippie & prog-rock with Jaggeresque vocals,<br />
moog, sax and flute parts too. Spaced out black and<br />
white cover art is a plus. Some copies came with a<br />
bonus non-LP 7".<br />
"Music From Merkin Manor" 1973 (Windi 1005)<br />
"Music From Merkin Manor" 1994 (Merkin, UK) [bootleg; 350p]<br />
"Music From Merkin Manor" 1997 (CD Gear Fab gf-109) [+3
tracks]<br />
"Music From Merkin Manor" 1997 (Akarma, Italy)<br />
A real enigma, popular with many psych fans despite<br />
being easy-breezy sort of 1970s pop-psych rather than<br />
the typical heavy guitar blowouts. Some have compared<br />
this to the poppier, non-jammy side of early Santana.<br />
I have heard it many dozens of times but can't really<br />
put my finger on it - there's nothing quite like it.<br />
The LP they play at seaside resorts when all the<br />
summer visitors have left! "Take some time" is a<br />
personal favorite with a simple yet memorable guitar<br />
hook, while the sad ballad "Goodbye" has lots of<br />
admirers. A marvy negative purple/silver sleeve adds<br />
to the appeal. Recorded in LA 1972 but not released<br />
until 1973. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
I recall feeling disappointed when I put this LP on<br />
the platter having eagerly purchased the first<br />
reissue. I had read descriptions of the two copies<br />
auctioned in lists that featured those four words<br />
heavy, psych, private and monster. This was not what<br />
I’d expected. My initial disappointment gradually<br />
gave way to love and wonder. It was certainly three<br />
of these overused descriptors and with that<br />
thunderous and yet twangy bass it was genuinely<br />
heavy. The impression left when the stylus reaches<br />
the end is that of very, very happy musicians playing<br />
together and having the times of their lives. Like<br />
their label mates Creation Of Sunlight this oozes<br />
good vibes from every groove. There’s a lounge feel<br />
on some tracks like "Ruby" and "Sweet Country". The<br />
sound is very professional, but those tunes, boy,<br />
they had some great and sometimes brilliant ones up<br />
their sleeves. You will be humming them all day.<br />
Nothing else really sounds like this LP, it is as if<br />
innocent sixties youths had been lifted out of their<br />
dream and placed in bed with a well-meaning whore<br />
with a heart. It occupies that fruitful transition<br />
phase between psychedelic pop and more ‘meaningful’,<br />
‘heavy’ music of the early seventies. Has the reverse<br />
negative sleeve to end all reverse negative sleeves.<br />
Special as it comes. [RI]<br />
MERRY AIRBRAKES (MA)<br />
"Merry Airbrakes" 1973 (St George International 06) [100p;<br />
insert; blank back cover]<br />
"Merry Airbrakes" 1999 (Shadoks 002, Germany) [450p; altered<br />
cover]<br />
"Merry Airbrakes" 2000 (CD Shadoks/NOrmal, Germany)<br />
Folk blues cooker with Vietnam concerns. Organ, slide<br />
guitar, harmonica. Some copies came without cover,<br />
others have handmade embellishments. [RM]
V.A "MERRY CHRISTMAS" (WA)<br />
"Merry Christmas" 1965 (Etiquette 025)<br />
"Merry Christmas" 1984 (Etiquette)<br />
Local Northwest X-Mas comp from label made famous by<br />
the Sonics. Gerry Roslie and the boys supply four<br />
unique tracks of which one has appeared on "Back From<br />
The Grave". All can also be found as bonus tracks on<br />
recent Sonics reissues. In addition there's some<br />
charming yuletide stuff from the Wailers and the<br />
Galaxies. One of the most expensive originals on<br />
Etiquette.<br />
LES MERSEY'S (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"Mersey's" 1967 (DSP 417)<br />
MESSAGE ( )<br />
Well-produced French-Canadian pop/beat with Michael<br />
Pagliaro, sung in French. Several Beatles covers. The<br />
band also had many 45s.<br />
"It'll Be Awhile" 1981 (Black Gold)<br />
MESSENDGER (GA)<br />
The production on this private press hard rocker is<br />
crude, which makes the obvious 80s touches (mostly<br />
the lead guitar sound) somewhat less slick. They<br />
obviously have some prog aspirations, and have some<br />
interesting synth breaks and thoughtful<br />
instrumentals. The bass player obviously had listened<br />
to a lot of Yes albums. The lead guitar playing is<br />
often on the level of Id (of "Where Are We Going"),<br />
though, fast and spastic without any attention to<br />
melody or hooks. Basically their ideas are well<br />
beyond their ability or songwriting sense, which is<br />
kind of charming but not compelling on multiple<br />
listens. One song is a long acoustic guitar solo, and<br />
only about half of this album is vocal (and those<br />
vocals aren't particularly good). A bit different<br />
from your average hard rock album, but like, for<br />
example, Ixt Adux, it's not especially successful.<br />
The label was based in New Mexico. [AM]<br />
"Messendger" 1982 (Jab 111)<br />
This one is hyped as one of the best 80s rock albums,<br />
and usually described as sounding like a 70s band.<br />
That's just dealer hype, as it sounds completely<br />
1980s to me. The songs and playing are pretty good,<br />
but the guitar tone is annoyingly of its time and<br />
there's nothing here good enough to make it really<br />
rise to the top of the heap. [AM]<br />
MESSENGERS & GOOD NEWS (VT)
METZ (TX)<br />
"Born Again" 1971 (House VV 6285) [insert]<br />
Split LP of two Christian bands, both enjoyable,<br />
Messengers in a British 60s style with some fuzz and<br />
standout track "The right way", Good News in a<br />
acoustic folk duo direction. The sleeve uses the same<br />
Jesus face image as the first Agape LP.<br />
"Metz" 1974 (Chrome Star 1001)<br />
M.H.S ROCK (NJ)<br />
Very obscure Texas 70s bluesy rock with supposedly<br />
Johnny Winter guesting. There may be two cover<br />
variants for this title, one standard cover with<br />
large 'Metz' in script and a plain cover with stamped<br />
title.<br />
"On Record" 1981 (RPC 574292)<br />
MICAH (NY)<br />
Messengers.j<br />
(66853<br />
bytes)<br />
Seven tracks by seven different bands from Manasquan<br />
High School in New Jersey. Bands include Armadillo,<br />
Pegasus, Dead-End, Voyager, Runaways, Alternate<br />
Route, Mersey. Almost the entire LP has an early to<br />
mid 70's sound with some heavy psych tracks. Only a<br />
handful of copies have turned up and being released<br />
on RPC it's probably a micro pressing.<br />
"I'm Only One Man" 1971 (Sterling Award 1001)<br />
Depressing organ/guitar progrock with sidelong tracks<br />
and some interesting passages. The sound is a bit<br />
Santana-influenced, but mainly one for local prog<br />
hardrock fans. They also had a 45 edited from the LP.<br />
MICHAEL ANGELO (Kansas City, MO)<br />
"Michael Angelo" 1977 (Guinn 1050) [1000p]<br />
"Michael Angelo" 1997 (Guinn, Germany) [bootleg; 450#d]<br />
"Michael Angelo" 2005 (Void 036) [+1 track]<br />
Fabulous dreamy psych-flavored folkrock and anglo-pop<br />
shrouded in the early hippie vibe despite the<br />
vintage. Light and melodic in an L.A '67 & Donovan<br />
direction, while the lyrics hint at darker dimensions<br />
beneath the seductive surface. Possible points of<br />
reference are Bobb Trimble and the 2nd side of<br />
Marcus-House Of Trax, and don't doubt for a minute
MICHAELO (CA)<br />
this is just as good. Use of piano on some tracks<br />
bring in a singer/songwriter sound, while retaining<br />
the 60s feel. Very solid and well-written LP that is<br />
loved by many, one of the classics of the<br />
local/private press field, and one that may also<br />
appeal to fans of the Shoes and similar melodic mid-<br />
70s pop sounds. Sespite its deluxe profile the German<br />
reissue is somewhat inferior in sound. An album of<br />
previously unreleased material titled "Sorcerer's<br />
Dream" (Void, 1999) may be worth checking out for<br />
fans of the Guinn album. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Side one of this album is as good as anything, a<br />
truly lovely blend of pop, folk-rock and light<br />
psychedelia. Like the best music, it's of its time<br />
but evokes many great artists from before its time.<br />
He has a terrific voice too. Like Anonymous this is<br />
just plain great songwriting and performance, and<br />
whatever may or may not be psychedelic is secondary.<br />
Side two is pretty great too, but repeats a few of<br />
the ideas from the first side, and overall this maybe<br />
ends up being a notch below Zerfas or Anonymous,<br />
which still makes it in the top 10 or so for private<br />
press LPs. It's something everyone should hear. A CD<br />
reissue would be very welcome. [AM]<br />
"Michaelo" 1976 (Tomorrow tvi-140)<br />
LUCINE MICHAELS ( )<br />
Here's another cool album on a mysterious tax loss<br />
label (and by far the best album on Tomorrow). For<br />
the most part, it's singer-songwriter stuff with a<br />
strong Van Morrison influence, with a nice<br />
acoustic/electric mix and some tasty organ. The<br />
vocals are excellent and the songs, while simple in<br />
structure, hit some nice grooves and are quite<br />
hypnotic. What makes the album appeal to psych<br />
collectors is "Mystic Rider," which varies the style<br />
a bit with some great dreamy echo-laden lead guitar.<br />
It's the best song on a solid album. For those of you<br />
who can't find (or afford) the album, it was given a<br />
major label release on London Records #660, under the<br />
artist's real name, Michael O'Gara. It includes<br />
"Gunfighter" which is missing from this Tomorrow<br />
label release (despite being listed on the cover),<br />
but instead omits "Naked Circumstances," so you need<br />
both releases to get all tracks. [AM]<br />
"Turning Point" 196 (Koinonia 142626) [gatefold]<br />
Heartfelt album dedicated to the assassinated leader<br />
of the Koinonia organization. At times the lyrics are<br />
almost too sincere to take, but there’s real charm in<br />
the optimistic idealism here. I doubt you’d hear<br />
anything like it today, especially the song about<br />
poor little Leroy, a discriminated-against black boy.<br />
Lucine’s vocals are similar to a lot of Xian singers—<br />
pretty but without much soul. They don’t work for me,<br />
but do seem to fit with her songs. More of an<br />
interesting artifact and timepiece than an especially
good album. [AM]<br />
MICHAELS & HACK (MD)<br />
"Back To Back" 1978 (Mellow Magic 1) [insert]<br />
Trippy hippie duo doing spacy folk floaters with fuzz<br />
guitar, echoed vocals, and treated sounds.<br />
MICHELE (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Saturn Rings" 1969 (ABC s-684)<br />
"Saturn Rings" 199 (ABC, Japan)<br />
MIDNIGHT (IL)<br />
MIJ ( )<br />
This hodgepodge of an album ranges from soft rock to<br />
heavy acid guitar freakouts. Three songs are taken<br />
straight from the first Sagittarius album, apparently<br />
the exact same takes but with additional<br />
instrumentation and Michele's lovely vocals. Some<br />
electric violin here and there is pretty cool, and a<br />
few songs have a really nice late-night dreamy vibe.<br />
It's not exactly consistent, but this is mostly<br />
terrific, to my ears as good as either Sagittarius<br />
album or the Millenium album, and much tougher. Some<br />
LA heavyweights help out. [AM]<br />
"Into The Night" 1977 (no label KM 1787) [1000p]<br />
"Into The Night" 1996 (no label) [bootleg]<br />
Local Chicago garage hardrock with a Doorsy '69-70<br />
sound despite the release year. Covers all the bases<br />
with lots of rocking stuff, some moody<br />
introspectives, boogie moves, a doomy Sabbathish<br />
attempt etc. Pretty decent for the genre and a cool<br />
mid-60s Vox organ sound all through is a plus. [PL]<br />
"Color By The Number" 1969 (ESP 1098)<br />
"Color By The Number" 199 (CD ZYX)
Jim Holberg doing mystic folk weirdness with spooky,<br />
echoed vocals that has dubbed him the "Yodeling<br />
Astrologer". Less art/avant and more genuinely<br />
strange than most ESP releases, worth checking out<br />
for fringe fans. Issued in a color by number cover.<br />
MILKWOOD see Under Milkwood<br />
MILKWOOD (CA)<br />
"Another Sunday" 1979 (no label)<br />
Folk with 12-string, flute and mixed male/female<br />
vocals.<br />
MILKWOOD TAPESTRY (NY)<br />
"Milkwood Tapestry" 1969 (Metromedia md-1007) [gatefold; wlp<br />
exists]<br />
Milkwood Tapestry’s only album is a weird mix of<br />
baroque ballads and frantic fuzz-guitar screamers.<br />
The combination doesn’t really work very well,<br />
especially since the ballads outnumber the noisier<br />
songs. The singer is a little too operatic to be<br />
appealing in either context, and overall this album<br />
is an interesting misfire. Still, a few songs,<br />
especially “Beyond The Twelve Mile Zone,” are pretty<br />
cool, and some of the arrangements are quite<br />
original. Close listens will be marginally rewarding,<br />
but also somewhat frustrating. Great song titles.<br />
[AM]<br />
MILLARD & DYCE (Baltimore, MD)<br />
"Millard & Dyce" 1973 (Century Kaymar Dyce 7-265)<br />
Mix of electric and acoustic folk blues, with three<br />
guitars and bass. A Century custom, sometimes listed<br />
as on Kaymar only.<br />
MILLENNIUM (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Begin" 1968 (Columbia cs-9663) [360 Sound label]<br />
"Begin" 1990 (CD Columbia) [+2 tracks]<br />
This is generally considered to be the<br />
Boettcher/Usher masterpiece, though like the<br />
Sagittarius albums it's pretty spotty. It does have a<br />
remarkable timeless production quality to it, and<br />
when it's good, as on the amazing "It's You," it's as<br />
thrilling as pop can get. Otherwise, though, there's<br />
a definite wimpiness to these albums, and the<br />
songwriting is inconsistent. My lingering feeling is<br />
that if the best songs from all of them were mixed<br />
together into one compliation it would be heavenly,<br />
good enough to make up for the lack of, um, rock. As
MILLENNIUM (TX)<br />
it is, this is definitely worthwhile and is<br />
recommended, but it's not a five star record. [AM]<br />
"Millennium" 1973 (Shekinah 1512)<br />
Christian quartet in a prog-rock direction with lots<br />
of keyboard.<br />
"MILLION DOLLAR MONKEY ON MY BACK" ( )<br />
"Million Dollar Monkey On My Back" 1971 (no label)<br />
Spoken word anti-drug rap with ex-heroin addict, some<br />
musical background.<br />
MILL SUPPLY (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"Mill Supply" 1971 (Crescent Street 1860)<br />
"Satan won’t you help me get in, I’m coming on down".<br />
‘Satan’ opens Side 1 and left my jaw slack with<br />
amazement. It sounds like a lounge-crazed, heavier<br />
Dead making a pact with The Beast. The Christian<br />
lyrics on the track ‘Memories’ make you wonder if<br />
they are coming from Above or from Below. Sleeve<br />
notes about an interest in Choir singing and the<br />
Occult clarify nothing. This is a very solid LP with<br />
some exceptional vocals and nice twangy bass lines (a<br />
bit like Merkin in places). ‘Bedtime Stories’ is<br />
almost as unsettling as ‘Satan’. Side 2 is loungier<br />
and poppier, with ‘Voyage to Bhagdad’ and the drugged<br />
‘Spider’ being especially interesting. The LP closes<br />
with an amazing, sneering, downer ‘Henry was a<br />
Loser’. Well worth tracking down. [RI]<br />
V.A "MILWAUKEE SENTINEL" (Milwaukee, WI)<br />
"Milwaukee Sentinel" 1966 (Century 23214)<br />
MINETTE (NY)<br />
Battle Of The Bands LP with 12 obscure bands and<br />
terrible sound quality. Bands include the Radicals,<br />
the Patriots, the Ethics, the Woodsmen, etc. Mostly<br />
r'n'b and soul covers.<br />
"Come to me at Tea Time" 1968 (Collectors Choice CCR VOL 1)<br />
Rare LP of psychedelic cocktail lounge music by
MIKE MINGO (OH)<br />
female impersonator.<br />
"To All My Friends" 1976 (private)<br />
Strange folkrock/rock with wah-wah and organ by army<br />
veteran in a crude paste-on cover.<br />
MINSTREL STRING GUILD (WA)<br />
"The Nightbirds Are Screaming" 1976 (no label) [insert]<br />
MIRTHRANDIR (NJ)<br />
Folkrock and singer-songwriter from sibling duo with<br />
fuzz and some captivating female vocals. There is a<br />
second LP from 1977, "Music Swims Back To Me".<br />
"For You, The Old Women" 1976 (Mirthrandir 2276) [insert]<br />
"For You, The Old Women" 199 (CD Syn-Phonic)<br />
Symphonic progressive with good and heavy chaotic<br />
runs. Dual guitar, synth, flute.<br />
LES MISERABLES (Quebec, Canada)<br />
"Les Miserables" 1967 (Jupiter JDY-7011)<br />
"Les Miserables" 1999 (No Tyme, Italy) [+bonus tracks]<br />
MISSING LINKS (MA)<br />
Highly enjoyable garage & beat from moody French-<br />
Canadian punks, with dynamite 3-chord action on the<br />
best tracks, such as the two-fisted punch of<br />
"Chemises" and "Miserablement votre", both of which<br />
could have fit on any garage comp, with snotty<br />
vocals, a stripped-down garage sound, and a dynamite<br />
Bo Diddley mid-section on the latter. "Vivre avec<br />
toi" is another great track in the same fuzzed style,<br />
while the excellent "Ecoute-moi" brings in a driving<br />
Spencer Davis Group organ club groove. Although<br />
essentially a Brit-styled band, they are somewhat<br />
less Stones-inspired than Les Differents, with a bit<br />
of Yardbirds & Beatles influence reminiscent of<br />
upscale Euro-beat bands such as the Mascots or the<br />
Motions. Just to screw with this theory, there is a<br />
French-language version of "Tell me", and indeed the<br />
reissue CD contains a whole bunch of Frenchified<br />
versions of current hits like "The letter", "Western<br />
union" and (sadly) "When a man loves a woman". Some<br />
discrimination is needed when swinging with Les<br />
Miserables, but ultimately they were a respectworthy<br />
band that need to be checked out by any fan of prepsychedelic<br />
60s sounds, provided you can handle the<br />
French-only vocals. They also had several 45s. [PL]
"At The 5 O'Clock Lounge" 1965 (Fleetwood 3012)<br />
MISSION SINGERS ( )<br />
Obscure LP from teen-beat top 40 cover band with a<br />
tight, rocking sound that suggests many months of<br />
playing at local clubs. Covers all through from what<br />
I can tell, with the usual mixed bag of r'n'b/soul,<br />
frat, crooner ballads and a few glances at the<br />
British Invasion. Band had enough selfconfidence to<br />
add small but significant personal touches to several<br />
numbers. Hippest selections are "Just a little" and<br />
"For your love" while "What I'd say" proclaiming that<br />
"the Missing Links are in town" packs plenty of<br />
charm. They also do the most credible whiteboy<br />
version of "Earth angel" around, although this may<br />
not wow hip garage fiends who bump into this album<br />
looking for "fuzz" and finding none. Comparable to<br />
the Justice and early prep-rock LPs and more<br />
professional than the genre average. [PL]<br />
"Everything's Just Fine... Or Is It?" 1967 (Catholic Relief<br />
Services)<br />
MISSISSIPPI (NY/CA)<br />
Four Catholic priests with electric guitars! The LP<br />
was issued to raise money for the Catholic Relief<br />
Overseas Aid Fund Appeal. Notable for the atypical<br />
closing track “Reconciliation”, a garage psych beast.<br />
There is a second LP with folkrock and probing<br />
discussion of the lyrics, "Disco-Teach" (Celebrities,<br />
1969). [RM]<br />
"Velvet Sandpaper" 1973 (Taurus 169)<br />
"Velvet Sandpaper" 199 (Taurus, Austria) [bootleg; altered<br />
cover]<br />
"Velvet Sandpaper / White Light" 1998 (CD Two Of Us 001,<br />
Germany) [2-on-1]<br />
Obscure LP from ex-White Light vocalist with unusual<br />
worldweary "older guys" sound and titles such as<br />
"Mistrust-Separation-Divorce". Hard to describe<br />
accurately, but traces of late-period Doors and Tim<br />
Buckley can be found on things like the excellent<br />
"Blue Love". Comparable to the experience of sharing<br />
a drink with a stranger down on his luck at a<br />
desolate nightclub, then seeing him actually get up<br />
on stage and sing a few songs about his misfortunes<br />
as the closing hour approaches. Also a harder fuzz<br />
edge with creeping menace on a couple of tracks such<br />
as the terrific "Light", and some hints of the<br />
barrock groove aspirations of White Light, but these<br />
are exceptions to the overall scotch-laden<br />
introspection Mr Mississippi projects. Pro-sounding<br />
band and vocals that hit just the right spot. This<br />
strikes me as a lot better than the White Light LP,<br />
and it's strange that it hasn't become more well-
MISSOURI DIRT ( )<br />
known. Originally from New York, Gary "Mississippi"<br />
Abrams recorded this album in California 1973 with<br />
two completely separate sets of musicians. In 1980 he<br />
released another LP titled "Breaking Out". He worked<br />
with the Perron Brothers (White Light) for several<br />
years under various band names. There are also 3 non-<br />
LP 45s. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Here we have two great albums in one. Side one, with<br />
one band, is a terrific singer songwriter album with<br />
mainstream tendencies and great songwriting (the<br />
Chris Isaak-like "Blue Love" and the funky "Heat<br />
Chills" are particularly good). Side two, with<br />
another band, rocks harder, has some freaky moments<br />
and is equally as well-written. Abrahms is a vocal<br />
chameleon, sounding like Johnny Cash one moment, Jim<br />
Morrison another, and also alternately sounding 50<br />
and 20. There's a pretty wide range of styles here,<br />
but it coheres. It has top shelf production for a<br />
private press, and both bands are hot. Highly<br />
recommended. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> White Light<br />
"It's For You" 1977 (Ilmo)<br />
MISTREATER (OH)<br />
This album looks like it’s going to be really sleazy,<br />
as it’s obviously the work of drunken rural dudes who<br />
are more in love with their shotguns and whiskey than<br />
their girlfriends, but unfortunately it’s rather<br />
bland and not very well played bar rock. It lacks the<br />
kind of heavy guitar that would have given the sleazy<br />
lyrics some bite. I wouldn’t say it to their face,<br />
but this music is disappointingly wimpy. Illinois<br />
label. [AM]<br />
"Hell's Fire" 1981 (no label CPI 1280)<br />
MISTRESS (CA)<br />
Hardrock/metal. The band also had a 45 on the<br />
wellknown 700 West label.<br />
"New Ground" 2005 (RD Records 17, Switzerland) [insert]<br />
Post-Country Weather band with a shortlived career,<br />
captured here with unreleased 1973 material of 70s<br />
post-psychedelic Bay Area rock. There was also a 1996<br />
release from Taxim ("Free Flyte", Germany)<br />
MIZZOURI FOXX (MO/CA)<br />
"Mizzouri Foxx" 197 (no label)
"Trapped Live" 1979 (Brother Studio)<br />
MOBIUS STRIP ( )<br />
Hard guitar/organ bar-rock with a Deep Purple sound<br />
from band who moved to SoCal from small-town<br />
Missouri. The second LP is recorded live and was<br />
released on the same label as Chakra.<br />
"Mobius Strip" 1982 (Nervous)<br />
Basement AOR/ hardrock with high pitched vocals.<br />
MOCK DUCK (Vancouver, BC)<br />
"Test Record" 1969 (no label, acetate)<br />
"Test Record" 2001 (Gear Fab 154, 2LPs) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"Test Record" 2001 (CD Gear Fab 154) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"Test Record" 2001 (Gear Fab/Comet 4072, Italy) [+bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
One of several interesting bands from Vancouver's<br />
remarkable late 1960s freak scene. Unfortunately the<br />
45 "Do-Re-Mi" is about the only really good thing<br />
they did, the acetate material is disappointing<br />
jazzrock and blues excursions, as is the other live<br />
stuff added for the reissue. Rarity and legend factor<br />
may dictate certain releases, but a double LP was<br />
hardly called for.<br />
MOD & THE ROCKERS (MD)<br />
"Now" 1967 (Justice 153)<br />
"Now" 1994 (CD Collectables 0618)<br />
With a name like that you'd expect at least some<br />
recognition of "the new sound from England", and<br />
indeed these guys are really hip by Southeast<br />
standards, covering the Zombies and the Beau Brummels<br />
in addition to an unusual and great arrangement on<br />
"Gloria" that's based on Them rather than the Shadows<br />
Of Knight. The LP opens with a '66-sounding garage<br />
fuzz winner and the band has a tight club sound with<br />
organ and a strained soul-punk vocalist. The<br />
recording is better than most Justices and this could<br />
have been a winner, except that they manage to spoil<br />
the party with several lame ballads from a bygone<br />
era. Too bad. [PL]<br />
MODALITY STEW (Vancouver, WA)
"Modality Stew" 1978 (UMP) [booklet; 1000p]<br />
MODERN SOUNDS ( )<br />
Predominantly instrumental acoustic raga folk with an<br />
improvisational bent and quirky humor in the song<br />
titles. Versatile playing and rich instrumentation<br />
with sitars, bells, tablas, flute and more creates an<br />
appealing soundscape although it does seem a little<br />
late for this type of music. Vocals on first and last<br />
track makes you wish they'd sung more, still a cool<br />
item and mandatory for genre fans; clearly superior<br />
to something like Peter Stark. Features ex-<br />
Spikedrivers member Sid Brown. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Mostly intrumental, eastern-themed folk album that<br />
meanders quite a bit but has its moments. Ends with a<br />
really fantastic acid folk song. The singing is<br />
appealing; too bad there isn't more of it. This album<br />
is somewhat of frustrating because it's so off-hand,<br />
and some of it is pretty boring, but the good parts<br />
are better than most anything you'll hear in the<br />
style. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Peace, Bread, and Land Band; Spikedrivers<br />
"Famous Songs of Hank Williams" 1969 (Alshire S-5136)<br />
This is probably the most ridiculous of all of the<br />
60s exploito albums, and that's saying a lot. The<br />
album cover tells the whole story: "Famous Songs of<br />
Hank Williams; a return trip with Modern Sounds; with<br />
exciting vocals; in modern rock-acid sound." These<br />
words surround a photo of a hippie girl feeding red<br />
and blue sugar cubes to a horse. The liner notes<br />
appear to have been written by a marketing agent<br />
who's never actually heard rock and roll. The songs,<br />
which are very well played, transform Williams'<br />
compositions to organ-heavy rock-soul, kind of like<br />
what the Detroit Wheels would sound like if they<br />
replaced Mitch Ryder with a country singer and added<br />
a fuzz-happy guitar player. The fuzz on "Your<br />
Bucket's Got A Hole In It" and "Long Gone Lonesome<br />
Blues" is truly wonderful, and a few songs have<br />
effective raveups. Side two is better than side one,<br />
so stick with this and you're in for a heap of fun.<br />
The back cover notes say "the whole idea of this<br />
album is to bring Hank's great music to the modern<br />
young generation," but it's more intriguing to<br />
imagine this album bringing red and blue sugar cubes<br />
to the geriatric country music generation. See the<br />
Animated Egg entry for more LPs from this scene. [AM]<br />
DAN MODLIN & DAVE SCOTT (IN)<br />
"The Train Don't Stop Here Anymore" 1976 (700 West 760715)<br />
[500p]<br />
Interesting LP on the same label as Zerfas;<br />
ambitious, pro-sounding Americana/singer-songwriter<br />
in a westcoast style comparable to Dillard & Clark or<br />
Brewer & Shipley. Not psychedelic in any way, but not
MOFOYA (HI)<br />
quite countryrock either. Music has rich guitar and<br />
banjo tapestries, solid rhythm section, some stray<br />
keyboard flourishes and fine arrangements.<br />
Nevertheless this must rank as a bit of an aquired<br />
taste as the whole album is based on a romantic<br />
notion of a bygone hobo/drifter lifestyle which seems<br />
a bit clichéd to me. The band was serious enough<br />
about this concept to have a real life old-timer<br />
reminisce briefly in spoken word about the "good ol'<br />
days" in a thick Okie accent that's hard to decipher.<br />
At one point he sounds just like the bizarre spoken<br />
bit at the end of the Kaplan Bros' "Nightbird", and<br />
this is not a good thing. The band's vocals are good<br />
but suffer slightly from similar boxcar/bourbon<br />
posturing, and while the harmonies work they're not<br />
up to the level of the big LA bands in the style. I<br />
like this LP but am somewhat annoyed by the<br />
presentation. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This highly regarded rural rock album really is one<br />
of the best in the genre. It's not country rock, but<br />
rather laid back 70s rock with strong vocals and a<br />
very mild nod in the country direction. The usual 700<br />
West high-quality production makes it sound as<br />
professional as an Eagles album. Though it's a<br />
concept album about hobos and drifters, these guys<br />
sound way too practiced and educated to know anything<br />
about the subject, and two spoken bits by a real hobo<br />
are incoherent and distracting. Other than those<br />
bits, though, you could listen to the whole album<br />
without noticing the theme, as most of the lyrics are<br />
smart enough to allow for multiple interpretations.<br />
This album is melodically sharp and instrumentally<br />
sound. It's very, very good. However, when people say<br />
it's "better than Zerfas," that's because they don't<br />
particularly like Zerfas, not because it actually<br />
*is* better. [AM]<br />
"Send A Message" 1979 (no label)<br />
Obscurity from Hawaii with melodic progressive rock,<br />
some hard guitar, flutes and female vocals.<br />
MOGAN DAVID & HIS WINOS (Boston, MA)<br />
"Savage Young Winos" 1973 (Kosher 001) [inserts]<br />
This band was led by Harold Bronson, who would go on<br />
to run Rhino Records. The album was released in 1973,<br />
upon the band's demise, and is a mishmash of whatever<br />
material they could pull together. The packaging is<br />
really cool and funny and worth the price of the LP.<br />
It's chock full of notes and inserts, all of which<br />
are a kick. The music on the LP is erratic, since<br />
they had to dig the depths for enough material to<br />
fill 40 minutes. The first four songs are from their<br />
last singles, and are by far the best songs on the<br />
album, terrific garage pop with funny lyrics and a<br />
proto-punk feel. Side one is filled out by four<br />
earlier recordings (one dating back to 1969) that are<br />
extremely low-fidelity and sloppily performed
MOHS (NM)<br />
novelties. One is called "Nose Job," and two others<br />
are obviously inspired by the Bonzo Dog Band. Fun,<br />
but not as exciting as the songs that came before.<br />
Side two is mostly a live performance of energetic<br />
but unimaginative cover versions of well-known songs.<br />
The final song is a home recording (even cheaper<br />
sounding than the live recording) of a comic blues<br />
song, which is OK but overlong. Obviously, only some<br />
of this is worth hearing, but the single sides and<br />
the liner notes make it a cool artifact. By the way,<br />
there's a little bonus at the end of side two, so<br />
don't lift the needle before it's over. [AM]<br />
"The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living" 1979 (no label)<br />
MOLES (FL)<br />
Little-known college project-type album that has some<br />
of the usual counterculture brainstorms of the genre<br />
but is dominated by excellent local hippiefolk sounds<br />
with obvious psych overtones. Male/female vocals are<br />
very good, as is the songwriting and the arrangements<br />
which include flute and violin. Mix of westcoasty<br />
folk and vintage Brit moves a la Shide & Acorn, plus<br />
a hispanic element that may derive from the New Mex<br />
locale. Two weaker tracks, rest is highly appealing.<br />
A worthwhile addition to the late 1970s folkpsych<br />
roster alongside Modality Stew, Yellow Autumn, etc.<br />
[PL]<br />
"Moles" 1971 (Bandwagon DRP-1566) [color portraits cover]<br />
"The Early Moles" 1973 (Sacrana NRS 5400) [altered cover]<br />
Guitar/Hammond-B3 bluesy and psychy rock with several<br />
good tracks and originals all through, some horns.<br />
The retitled second version is rare in its own right,<br />
although the press size has been reported as<br />
everywhere between 500 and 2000 copies.<br />
MOLKIE COLE (Cleveland, OH)<br />
"Demo" 1975 (Owl) [plain cover]<br />
Demo LP with 4 tracks of progressive rock and AOR<br />
with an eclectic mid-70s bag of tricks, guitar, some<br />
synth. The band played for many years and opened for<br />
national acts, and also had a selftitled LP on Janus<br />
in 1977. Only one copy known to exist of this demo.<br />
MOLOCH (Memphis, TN)<br />
"Moloch" 1969 (Enterprise ens-1002)<br />
"Moloch" 200 (CD Lizard Records LR 0712-2)<br />
Hard bluesrock with a lot of fuzz guitar and the
original version of the much-covered “Goin Down”.<br />
Pretty good stuff for the most part, though there are<br />
a few duds thrown in. The most effective songs are<br />
the shorter, more effects-laden ones. Don Nix was<br />
involved in this one. There was also a local post-LP<br />
45 in the same style. [AM]<br />
SCOTT MOMENTHY (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Way Past Time" 1977 (Pepperhead) [lyrics]<br />
Melancholy acoustic guitar loner folk with real<br />
people depth. Simple yet striking horror cover<br />
design.<br />
V.A "MONEY MUSIC" (Minneapolis, MN)<br />
"Money Music" 1967 (August 100)<br />
This legendary local Minneapolis area comp is where<br />
many 1980s garage compilers (especially of the<br />
"Changes" LP) got their stuff rather than the 45s. In<br />
retrospect it is totally unreal with a line-up<br />
including C.A Quintet, Bedlam Four, Electras, T.C<br />
Atlantic and other legendary garage & acid punks from<br />
the area. Among the less familiar stuff is some<br />
quickie garbage but also a good "Hey Joe" by the<br />
Stillroven. There you go - an original 60s sampler<br />
that blows most 1980s-90s comps away. Very rare. [PL]<br />
MONSTERS (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"Beat 'n' Hits" 1965 (Royal 3507)<br />
Seldom seen LP in the typical Quebec mid-60s<br />
Merseybeat style, with French vocals. "Le Theme Du<br />
Cimetiere" is as spooky as they got.<br />
CHRISTOPHER MONTGOMERY (CT)<br />
"Connecticut Elegy" 1971 (Burning Deck) [booklet]<br />
Little-known but interesting loner/fringe urban folk<br />
trip full of quirky snapshots from the bleak early<br />
1970s. Lyrics are offbeat with plenty of surprising<br />
Dylanesque twists but generally deal with garbage,<br />
city desolation, unhealthy relationships and<br />
religious apocalypse all radiating from the guy's<br />
bedroom. Stripped down demo sound with just
steelstringed guitar and a quite passable voice.<br />
Comparable to Perry Leopold's "Cold in Philly" track<br />
but not quite as heavy, yet clearly better than<br />
something like Geoffrey. Recurring sense of irony and<br />
overall artistic vision makes you sympathize with the<br />
guy's total obscurity. Sample lyric: "I saw eternity<br />
the other night/And I tell you, it scared me<br />
shitless". 50+ minutes of Connecticut agoraphobia.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This certainly is a weird one. Montgomery is openly<br />
gay, and his lyrics are introspective and disturbed.<br />
Musically, though, it's utterly endless, just the<br />
same chord strummed the same way for 50 minutes, over<br />
which he sings in a monotone. It's like early Jandek<br />
if the guitar were in tune. If you connect with his<br />
world view, you may get something from it (I'm sure<br />
having the booklet to read along with it helps), but<br />
I find it numbingly dull. [AM]<br />
MONTREAL (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"Montreal" 1970 (Stormy Forest sfs-6002)<br />
MOODS (Luling, TX)<br />
Most of this album is straight ahead vocal folk/jazz,<br />
quite good (the woman has a beautiful, if<br />
unemotional, voice, and the band is outstanding), but<br />
unlikely to appeal to psych or folk-rock fans. The<br />
long closing song, though, is an absolute acid folk<br />
masterpiece, with a haunting melody, gorgeous vocal,<br />
backwards sound effects and a dreamy vibe that is<br />
completely out of this world. It doesn't exactly "fit<br />
in" with the rest, but it's a stunning song. The rest<br />
of the album is very good for what it is as well.<br />
Richie Havens produced and plays sitar and koto,<br />
while Buzz Linhart sits in on vibes. A Canadian<br />
pressing also exists. [AM]<br />
"Live at Turner Hall" 1969 (ACR Kno Bel 1002)<br />
Full color cover obscurity with late teenbeat club<br />
sounds. Basement soul covers with a couple country<br />
tunes and frat throwbacks. Has a short fuzz break on<br />
"Hey Joe".<br />
MOOLAH (New York City, NY)<br />
"Woe Ye Demons Possessed" 1974 (Annuit Coeptus)<br />
I can't for the life of me explain why I like this<br />
album so much, but I do. It's made up of long<br />
instrumentals with no melodies, no structure,<br />
disarmingly out of rhythm drums, and no guitars or<br />
bass. It sounds like it could have been made up<br />
entirely on the spot with no rehearsal by people who<br />
don't know how to play their instruments. But it also<br />
sounds like it every note could have been planned<br />
carefully with an unknown purpose in mind. All of the
songs have white noise backgrounds, and waves of<br />
synthesizer and piano creep in like a bad dream. Echo<br />
effects create a sinister, creepy atmosphere.<br />
Ultimately, it's fascinating and compulsive. Maybe it<br />
puts a hex on the listener. Often compared to<br />
Krautrock, but it's really a thing of its own.<br />
"Mirror's" (sic) is unrelentingly intense. [AM]<br />
TRAVIS MOON BAND ( )<br />
"Big Train Rollin'" 1982 (Jammin' jlp-5001)<br />
Southern sound heavy guitar and organ jamming, some<br />
slide moves in the wake of the Allman Bros, some<br />
harder moves.<br />
MOONLIGHTERS (Nashua, NH)<br />
"An Evening With" 1964 (Century 29132)<br />
Alvin High School lounge prep rock instrumentals with<br />
trumpet from the Century vanity label.<br />
MOONLYTE (Philadelphia, PA)<br />
"Better Late Than Never" 197 (Astro 217)<br />
Early 70s Latino band doing half an album's worth of<br />
killer mysterioso groove late night funk/soul/rock,<br />
while the other half is latino material sung in<br />
Spanish. Very obscure album. [PL]<br />
MOON PIE DANCE BAND ( )<br />
"Enchanted Mesa" 1978 (Goldust lps-174)<br />
MOONSTONE (Canada)<br />
Rural rock with flowing guitar housed in a striking<br />
color fantasy cover. Possibly from New Mexico. The<br />
cover actually says "Daince" rather than "Dance".<br />
"Moonstone" 1973 (Kotai 3003)<br />
Dreamy folk album from up north, sounds as cold as<br />
its place of origin. The female vocals are operatic<br />
and annoying, but when everyone sings together this<br />
has moments that can be quite compelling. Some of the<br />
songs are lovely and unique. I find it to be a mixed<br />
bag, with side two considerably better than side one.<br />
If you can stand the singing style you might like it<br />
more than that. [AM]
MOONSTONE (PA)<br />
"Moonstone" 1977 (Baldwin CS 8200)<br />
Hardrock/AOR with keyboard and some prog moves, has<br />
been compared to early Kansas.<br />
JEFF MOORE & FRIENDS (Canada)<br />
"The Youngest Son" 1974 (no label 07-42031)<br />
"The Youngest Son" 2003 (Orange Doubledome) [300p]<br />
High school project. Acoustic and dreamy folkrock,<br />
mixed vocals.<br />
LES MOORE (New Orleans, LA)<br />
"Yesterday" 197 (Natural 2154)<br />
Loner folk local recorded in his home direct to two<br />
track. just a guy his guitar and dark thoughts. some<br />
Leopoldian moments and a scary jump into the abyss<br />
long version of "A Day in the Life". [RM]<br />
R STEVIE MOORE (Nashville, TN)<br />
"Phonography" 1976 (Vital 0001) [b & w collage cover; blank<br />
back; 3 inserts; 100p]<br />
"Phonography" 1978 (HP 30734) [2nd press; b & w portrait<br />
cover]<br />
"Phonography" 1998 (CD Flamingo) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"Delicate Tension" 1978 (HP 30735)<br />
"Delicate Tension" 2004 (CD Cordelia 036, UK)<br />
R Stevie Moore is the all-time king of do-it-yourself<br />
recordings, as for thirty years he produced home made<br />
cassettes and sold them to his cult audience. He<br />
produced literally hundreds of 60 minute albums.<br />
Obviously anyone who never throws away a single idea<br />
is unlikely to have particularly consistent albums,<br />
but his occasional LP releases are best-ofs from his<br />
tapes. The two LPs that will be most of interest to<br />
Archive readers are "Phonography" and "Delicate<br />
Tension", his earliest LPs on his own label. Moore's<br />
music is basically guitar pop with quirky lyrics,<br />
even quirkier arrangements, and all sorts of<br />
weirdness (i.e. spoken sections, sound effects)<br />
thrown in between. He's comparable to oddball bands<br />
like, for example, Oho, except that he has much more<br />
of a knack for a pop hook than any post-Zappa or<br />
semi-prog weirdos. It's conceivable that he could<br />
have had mainstream success if the breaks went his<br />
way, but he also tended to sabotage such<br />
possibilities (i.e. his catchiest pop song is called<br />
"I Wanna Hit You"). He's a long-time favorite of<br />
Trouser Press editor Ira Robbins. "Phonography" is a<br />
great introduction to his music, with a number of<br />
strong songs, all sorts of weird interludes, and a
killer guitar-heavy cover of the Andy Griffith Theme.<br />
"Delicate Tension" is even better, a wild mix of pop,<br />
prog, short experimental rock and even punk. It's<br />
chock full of bizarre songs with clever lyrics. Moore<br />
has a bunch of later releases that compile music from<br />
the late 70s, and also a few 80s and 90s albums of<br />
varying quality. A mid-80s album entitled "Teenage<br />
Spectacular" is also very good. If you like these<br />
early albums, there's a world of R. Stevie to<br />
discover via his tape club. A 12" 4-track EP was also<br />
released from "Phonography" in 1978. [AM]<br />
MOOSETRACKS (Canada)<br />
"Moosetracks" 1972 (Barge) [200p]<br />
Introspective downer folk with psych moves and an<br />
echoey basement production. Mostly acoustic, one<br />
track has some wah-wah outbursts. All originals<br />
except one. Primitive packaging with stamped plain<br />
front cover and paste-on back.<br />
MOREY STORE BAND (MI)<br />
"Cry For The Dreamer" 1979 (Sound Machine 49007)<br />
Bluesy barband hardrock with ripping guitar and<br />
organ.<br />
MORGEN (New York City, NY)<br />
"Morgen" 1969 (Probe 4507) [gatefold; foldout insert]<br />
"Morgen" 199 (Probe, France) [bootleg]<br />
"Morgen" 199 (CD Eva, France)<br />
"Morgen" 2003 (Radioactive 008, UK)<br />
"Morgen" 2003 (CD Radioactive 008, UK)<br />
We've been referring to this LP a lot here in the<br />
Archives and it is a definite yardstick for the late<br />
60s guitar psych style. Despite its major label<br />
origins the sound is remarkably raw and garagey, with<br />
no compromises anywhere. Some rate it as the best<br />
major label LP all over and it sure blows a lot of<br />
mega-rarities away, as well as ALL the LA heavy psych<br />
competition from the same era, with an intense and<br />
genuinely psychedelic mood. Punky vocals, great and<br />
highly original material (especially on side 1), acid<br />
guitars that won't quit - I can't see anyone into<br />
psych not digging this. Incidentallly, none of the<br />
reissues are from mastertapes. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
It's easy to explain why this is *the* best heavy
psych album: It's a hard rock album that comes from a<br />
garage tradition with no blues or heavy metal<br />
influence at all. This results in two vocal styles,<br />
both of which are superior to anything else you'll<br />
hear on a 1968 hard rock record. The first, as heard<br />
on the aptly named "Welcome To The Void," is a punky,<br />
youthful snarl that suits upbeat hard rock better<br />
than any macho swagger. The second, as heard on the<br />
also aptly named "Of Dreams," is a breathy whisper<br />
that is sexual and eerie. Steve Morgen is one horny<br />
guy, and it's hard to tell whether he's more<br />
interested in hallucinating or getting laid, but both<br />
obsessions really create a kind of urgency here that<br />
is powerful and exciting. Even the obvious Who rip at<br />
the end of side one and the long jazzy guitar solo at<br />
the end of side two work in this context. And, of<br />
course, the songwriting and fuzz guitar are<br />
absolutely top of the heap. [AM]<br />
MORLY GREY (Youngstown, OH)<br />
"The Only Truth" 1972 (Starshine 69000) [1000p; poster]<br />
"The Only Truth" 1986 (Starshine) [counterfeit; poster]<br />
"The Only Truth" 199 (CD Twilight Tone, Germany)<br />
"The Only Truth" 199 (CD Flash 52, UK)<br />
I've always liked this LP for its successful mix of<br />
folkrocky westcoast and heavy guitar that few groups<br />
manage to pull off. Might be too proggy for those who<br />
want 1960s garage/psych sounds but to me it's<br />
definitely worthwhile, with strong songwriting, in<br />
your face hardrock action, and atmospheric moves on<br />
the sidelong title track. One of the classic privates<br />
from Ohio, with no weaknesses. The vinyl bootleg<br />
includes the original poster and is exact enough to<br />
look like a ripoff bid, but not many were fooled;<br />
easiest tell is that the original has a wraparound<br />
front cover slick with a tan background that extends<br />
onto the back cover, while the bootleg wraparound<br />
slick's tan background color ends at the seams and<br />
turns into white on the back cover. The boot also has<br />
some crackles on side 2 from the copy that was<br />
counterfeited. There were two 45s released from the<br />
LP, and also a rare pre-LP 45, "Sleepy Softness". The<br />
band also put out a 45 of previously unreleased<br />
tracks around 1990, with an art sleeve. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Essential heavy psych rock with wonderful mix of<br />
heavy wailing and delicate wandering guitar leads.<br />
Fine vocals and drumming as well. highlighted by the<br />
anthemic title track, a 17 minute anti-war epic with<br />
watery sustain. The drummer Paul Cassidy was fired<br />
after the initial recordings. The group kept side one<br />
and re-recorded the title track with new drummer, Bob<br />
Lanave. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
Strong hard rock album with some very subtle moments<br />
and excellent production for a privately pressed<br />
album. At times they sound like they could have been<br />
an effective folk-rock band if they'd chosen that<br />
route. Interesting and creative throughout. The 17minute<br />
song is surprisingly effective, and this album<br />
has hooks galore. One of the best of its kind, that<br />
rare hard rock album that mixes subtle and heavy<br />
without ever sounding uncomfortable. [AM]
MORNING DEW (Topeka, KS)<br />
"Morning Dew" 1970 (Roulette 42049) [wlp exists]<br />
"Morning Dew" 1989 (Roulette) [bootleg]<br />
"Morning Dew" 2002 (Akarma 195, Italy)<br />
"Morning Dew" 2002 (CD Akarma 195, Italy)<br />
"At Last" 2004 (Roulette/Scorpio)<br />
MORNING GLORY (CA)<br />
Midwest legends who cut a handful of great garage 45s<br />
before this swansong hippierock LP, which<br />
unfortunately was issued way too late to make any<br />
impact. Rated highly by many, it's a solid trip<br />
through Airplane/Cream /Butterfly dimensions mixing<br />
early heavy moves with strong folkrock/psych<br />
material. Lack of macho vocals is a plus, and opening<br />
"Crusader's smile" is a classic. Reminds me of the<br />
Mainstream label sound, though this is more<br />
consistent. A good LP all over, but perhaps not<br />
enough of a mindblower to warrant the big price tag.<br />
True originals have "Bell Sound" stamped in the<br />
trail-off. An original German pressing exists. There<br />
is also a sampler LP of their great 45s and<br />
unreleased tracks titled "Cut The Chatter" (Caped<br />
Crusader, 1988), and a couple of CD releases from<br />
Collectables with the album, 45s and unreleased.<br />
Caveat: despite utilizing the original album cover<br />
art, and listing the album tracks on the sleeve, the<br />
Scorpio vinyl LP contains completely different music;<br />
unreleased material plus three alternate takes of LP<br />
tracks! All this material had earlier been released<br />
by Collectables on CD. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Good but overrated album that sounds fantastic on<br />
first listen but comes down to earth once you get<br />
used to it. Mostly it's pretty mainstream, with solid<br />
vocals and performances and a few really great songs<br />
on side one. All of it is decent, but it lacks the<br />
kind of depth or originality that would give it<br />
classic status. [AM]<br />
"Two Suns Worth" 1969 (Fontana srf-67573) [promo exists]<br />
MORNINGLORY ( )<br />
Typical westcoast Airplane/Mamas & Papas sound with<br />
male/female vocals and full-on hippie-psych vibes. A<br />
bit inconsistent, with 2-3 excellent tracks including<br />
the classic trance psych floater "Jelly Gas Flame"<br />
which must be heard, and a few duds. Not great, but<br />
better than some albums five times as expensive.<br />
Producer credit is "John Cale"! [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is a slight bit wilder than most of the<br />
Airplane-wannabe albums, with some truly ripping fuzz<br />
guitar. As with a lot of these albums it's pretty hit<br />
and miss, but the best moments on it are more<br />
genuinely psychedelic and experimental than on albums<br />
like Yankee Dollar, Ivory, Spirits & Worm, and so on.<br />
[AM]
"Growing" 1972 (Toya tstlp-2001)<br />
MORNING SKY (NH)<br />
Harmony-rich rural rock with some mild blues<br />
tendencies. Pleasant and well done but not especially<br />
exciting or memorable. Recommended to fans of the<br />
genre, but unlikely to have much appeal to others.<br />
[AM]<br />
"Sea of Dreams" 1976 (SP 1110)<br />
MORNING STAR (MN)<br />
Spacy progressive with eclectic instrumentation and<br />
female vocals. [RM]<br />
"Message From the Throne" 197 ('Sound 80' s80-1071-4144s)<br />
Magnificent dreamy rural acoustic rock/psych gem from<br />
Minnesota trio. Even though there are no drums, or even<br />
electric guitar for that matter, these guys have a<br />
cutting-edge pastoral hippie/garage mood that’s like an<br />
unplugged version of Wilson McKinley or Maranatha (Soon).<br />
This album is an acoustic guitar lover’s dream, with long<br />
tracks that feature sharp 6-string leads backed by bass<br />
and hardy 12-string action. Mellotron adds a spacious<br />
Moody Blues/King Crimson-ish atmosphere to cuts like ‘The<br />
First Day’, ‘His Will’ and ‘The Ship Of Life’. Also some<br />
great slide guitar and peppy harmonica stirring things up<br />
in a bluesy country folk-rock way on ‘Steppin’ In &<br />
Steppin’ Out’ and ‘The Conversation’. The 12-string<br />
guitar gets a nice phased effect on the psychy opener<br />
‘You’re So Free’, also with slide guitar. ‘Shine On (With<br />
Jesus)’, ‘Joy In G Major’, every song a winner! Vocal<br />
harmony sounds real similar to Wilson McKinley, with<br />
straight-ahead Jesus-lovin’ lyrics to match. Totally<br />
homemade black-on-silver cover drawing of scroll in the<br />
sky floating above a cross on a hill, with the Biblical<br />
reference Revelation 22:16 written at the bottom. Back<br />
cover has a drawing of a van with “Jesus Lives” on the<br />
back, heading down The Straight and Narrow Pathway. Very<br />
rare custom record, mastered at Minnesota’s Sound 80<br />
studio. [KS]<br />
MORSE CODE TRANSMISSION (Quebec, Canada)<br />
"Morse Code Transmission" 1972 (RCA 4575)<br />
"II" 1972 (RCA 6092) [2LPs]<br />
The first album by this French-Canadian band (who<br />
would eventually change their name to “Morse Code”)<br />
mixes mainstream orchestrated pop with soulful hard<br />
rock. There’s great fuzz guitar on “It’s Never Easy<br />
To Do,” but for the most part the hard rock songs are<br />
unimaginative and the vocals annoyingly macho. The<br />
pop songs are short, but pretty complex, and actually<br />
are more successful than the rockers. I even like the<br />
one that starts out as a country-styled hoe-down and
MOSAIC (KS)<br />
then becomes sugary AM pop. Interesting. The lyrics<br />
on this album are in English. The rarer second album<br />
is a 2LP set which moves in a progressive rock<br />
direction and may appeal to genre fans. [AM]<br />
"Sea Caravan" 1972 (TAL Enterprises d-12977)<br />
Dark instrumental piano and acoustic guitar folk with<br />
classical shadings. Minor chords and moody strumming<br />
latenite sound. [RM]<br />
J MOSER & THE HOTS (AZ)<br />
"For Life" 1975 (Moco Records FIT 003)<br />
This unusual private press item comes from a distinct<br />
area of American 70s rock that strangely is not all<br />
that well documented. It has soulful but white vocals<br />
(somewhat similar to Willy Deville or Willie<br />
Alexander), mildly funky rock arrangements with as<br />
many pianos as rhythm guitars, and ragged harmonies.<br />
You expect a sax solo to appear at any moment, though<br />
these guys actually use some surprising moog instead.<br />
There were tons of bands who played this kind of barband<br />
rock, but somehow it's a genre that isn't as<br />
well chronicled on record as prog, hard rock, or<br />
folk; private press albums with this sound are rare<br />
indeed. Lyrics range from horny pickup attempts to<br />
near-suicidal ruminations on the meaning of life.<br />
There are some surprising production tricks<br />
throughout, and the long title track gets way out<br />
there, with sound effects, space age electronics,<br />
freaky backing vocals, phased drums and unrestrained<br />
lead guitar. That terrific song is probably what<br />
attracted collectors to this record, but the rest of<br />
the album, while more conventional, is nearly as<br />
good. Every song is performed as if Moser's life<br />
depended on it. This is a pleasant surprise, and a<br />
record that sounds like nothing else here in the Acid<br />
Archives. The back cover photo of Moser looking like<br />
a lounge singer gives a clue that the soulful vocal<br />
style developed from the many cover versions they<br />
played on the hopeful way up. I have a soft spot for<br />
bands like this. With a few breaks they could have<br />
taken the long road to stardom like, say, Bob Seger<br />
or REO Speedwagon. [AM]<br />
MOSES (Lethbridge, Canada)<br />
"End Of The Line" 1978 (Paradise Records)<br />
Moses were a four piece band from Alberta who<br />
recorded enough material for a long album (13 songs)<br />
between 1974 and 1977, and this release was the only<br />
one by the group and contained those songs. Being<br />
somewhat wary of mid 70s private press outings I can<br />
say I wasn't too sure about this one, It was<br />
described as heavy psych and there was only a very<br />
small press, but what really is on offer here is a
sometimes below average and sometimes decent brew of<br />
westcoast guitar rock with both a left field and a<br />
commercial edge exemplified in tracks like the opener<br />
"Ballerina Dance" and the best track "Wastin' My<br />
Time" which features an outrageous long guitar solo.<br />
There are 3 to 4 or 5 at most really killer tracks<br />
here out of 13, the rest being lukewarm, but you've<br />
got to give these guys credit for trying. I didn't<br />
like this one enough to keep it after about 8<br />
listens, and you are unlikely to ever find a copy of<br />
it. If you do, don't expect the usual boneheaded<br />
trash associated with private press rock LPs from<br />
this time, but don't expect a lost gem either. [Ben<br />
Blake Mitchner]<br />
MOTHER TUCKERS YELLOW DUCK (Vancouver, Canada)<br />
"Homegrown Stuff" 1969 (Capitol ST 6304)<br />
"Homegrown Stuff" 2000 (CD)<br />
"Starting A New Day" (1970) (Capitol ST 6352)<br />
The debut LP is excellent rural folkrock/psychrock<br />
that's still reasonably easy to score. Closest point<br />
of reference is probably Moby Grape and Kak, though<br />
this is less rocking and more mellow/stoned. Two<br />
duds, otherwise solid all through with a peak in two<br />
guitar-psych killers on side 2 that will blow your<br />
head clean off. Second LP is reported as being<br />
similar but not quite as good. They also had a great<br />
non LP 45. Some video material of the band performing<br />
five songs live on Canadian TV is in circulation and<br />
well worth tracking down. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Canadian answer to Wizards Of Kansas and other hard<br />
rocking almost-rural late 60s/early 70s bands. Side<br />
two on the debut opens with “One Ring Jane” an<br />
absolute classic of out of control fuzz guitar and<br />
heavy rock riffing, and not surprisingly nothing else<br />
on the album is anywhere near as good. None of it<br />
rocks nearly as hard either, so it takes a while to<br />
put it all in context. When you do, you’ll probably<br />
think that the spoken poem falls flat, but the rest<br />
of it is reasonably good. Not great, but not bad.<br />
[AM]<br />
MOUNTAIN BUS (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Sundance" 1971 (Good 101)<br />
"Sundance" 198 (Good) [bootleg]<br />
"Sundance" 1998 (CD Gear Fab gf-115) [+5 tracks]<br />
"Sundance" 1999 (Akarma, Italy) [2LPs; +bonus tracks]<br />
One of the most well-liked albums in the post-Dead<br />
rural rock bag. Jammy and loose but well-played. The<br />
vocals are in the Dead style but a little more<br />
palatable to these ears. Long cover of “I Know You<br />
Rider” is probably the highlight, but all of this is<br />
quite good. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Sky Farmer
MOUZAKIS (Wilmington, DE)<br />
"Magic Tube" 1971 (British Main 90069)<br />
I have no idea where their name came from, but I<br />
suppose it wouldn't be easy to find an ideal moniker<br />
for this bargain basement mix of funk, soul, hard<br />
rock, 50's-style rock, jazzy prog and Christian rock.<br />
They're pretty ambitious, and the music has a<br />
contagious energy even though it isn't good. I can't<br />
figure out what the songs are actually about, but you<br />
have to appreciate a title like "Long Haired<br />
Bombardier." This album includes a spastic live<br />
recording of "Rock Around The Clock". Throughout, the<br />
cheesy-sounding organ is mixed way too loud, and the<br />
recording quality is awful. Most of the solos are<br />
really bad. The singer is better, but barely. Somehow<br />
this album isn't boring, but I wouldn't exactly<br />
recommend it. Demo copies were issued with a four<br />
page promo insert. [AM]<br />
MOVING SIDEWALKS (Houston, TX)<br />
"Flash" 1969 (Tantara 6919) [unipak]<br />
"Flash" 1980 (Tantara, Europe) [counterfeit; 300p]<br />
"99th Floor" 1982 (Eva 12002, France) [LP +bonus 45 tracks;<br />
altered cover]<br />
"Flash" 1993 (CD Afterglow 002, UK)<br />
"Flash" 1994 (CD TRC, Germany)<br />
"Flash" 199 (CD) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"Flash" 2000 (Akarma 117/2, Italy) [3-sided LP; +5 bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
"Flash" 2000 (CD Akarma 117, Italy) [+bonus tracks]<br />
If in the mood for guitar-driven late 60s blues-rock<br />
with psych moves, this is one of the best LPs in the<br />
style. For a debut album it's quite accomplished,<br />
showing a band with no weaknesses and a lot of heart<br />
in their music. The Hendrix factor becomes too heavy<br />
on tracks like "Pluto, Sept 31st", but after hearing<br />
endless generic "heavy psych" albums from the LA area<br />
it's a delight to encounter an album in the same<br />
style that sounds emotionally genuine, whether it'd<br />
be bourbon-soaked laments or acid-fried studio<br />
experiments. Though not a masterpiece, this LP has<br />
aged well. Their non-LP 45s are excellent. The 1980<br />
counterfeit is close, but the graphics are blurry and<br />
lack the machine stamped 'MR' (enclosed in a circle)<br />
in the trail-off. True originals also have title<br />
stamped on spine inside the gatefold. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Well-known rarity outside of collector circles<br />
because of the ZZ top connection and because of the<br />
non-LP single on an early "Pebbles" comp. The album<br />
moves beyond the garage rock of that single to<br />
Hendrix-inspired heavy psych with lots of wild<br />
guitar. The last two songs are a complete freakout<br />
that surely baffled ZZ Top fans who dug this one up<br />
in the 70s and 80s. Most of this is very good, though<br />
it's marred the by one of those long blues jams<br />
typical of the genre. [AM]
MR FLOOD'S PARTY (NY)<br />
"Mr Flood's Party" 1969 (Cotillion sd-9003) [wlp exists]<br />
"Mr Flood's Party" 2005 (CD Synton, Austria)<br />
This is a tough one to describe, somewhere between<br />
dreamy downer psych and clever popsike. It’s not a<br />
masterpiece, but it’s a more interesting and<br />
evocative album than many that sell for quite a bit<br />
more money. Hard to find in strong condition, for<br />
some reason. The band later released an LP as Corbett<br />
& Hirsh, while another member went on to the Frogs.<br />
[AM]<br />
MU (Los Angeles, CA / Maui, HI)<br />
"Mu" 1971 (RTV 300) [lyric insert; wlp exists]<br />
"Mu" 1974 (CAS 100) [1000p]<br />
"Lemurian Music" 1974 (United Artists uag-29709, UK) [altered<br />
cover]<br />
"Mu" 1988 (Reckless 4, UK)<br />
"Mu" 199 (CD, UK)<br />
"Mu" 1997 (CD Sundazed sc-11037) [2CD box set; +bonus tracks]<br />
The band and LP that propelled Merrell Fankhauser to<br />
international stardom, at least on the rare psych LP<br />
collector circuit. Rated highly for decades, and less<br />
hippie:ish than his later Mu work. This mix of bluesy<br />
urban LA exhaust fume vibes and tribal desert<br />
mystique is as archetypal an early 1970s SoCal trip<br />
as you can find. Strong songwriting, pro-sounding<br />
recording all around, given a clearcut identity from<br />
the excellent slide guitar, harmony vocals, and<br />
occasional sax. Too bad not more bands followed this<br />
musical path. "Eternal Thirst" with spooky percussion<br />
and chanting goes deep into the ancient regions of<br />
your cranium. From a mainstream/classic rock<br />
perspective, this is Merrell's most significant work,<br />
although even better things were to follow for us<br />
hallucinogenic purveyors. The retitled British 1974<br />
version also came out in Brazil. [PL]<br />
"The Last Album" 1981 (Appaloosa 017, Italy)<br />
"Children of the Rainbow" 1985 (Blue Form 1) [#d]<br />
"End of an Era" 1988 (Reckless 7, UK)<br />
"The Band From the Lost Continent" 1995 (Xotic Mind xmcd-1,<br />
Sweden) [2CDs]<br />
Although not released until the 1980s, the 1974 Maui<br />
recordings may be even better than the debut LP. This<br />
is music as pure as you're ever going to hear, a<br />
seemingly effortless flow of tremendous melodic psych<br />
and folkrock most bands can only dream of attaining.<br />
This and the "Mu" LP are cornerstones in any decent<br />
psych collection. Hawaiian vegetarian UFO<br />
hallucinations! It should be mentioned that while<br />
this is seen mostly as a Merrell vehicle, many of<br />
Mu's best tracks were written or co-written by ex-
MARC MUNDY ( )<br />
Beefheart Jeff Cotton. All releases above feature<br />
essentially the same material, the Xotic Mind CD<br />
being the most complete collection. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Merrell Fankhauser<br />
"Marc Mundy" 1971 (Tomarc)<br />
"Marc Mundy" 2006 (CD Companion)<br />
Mundy expected this album to make him famous. His<br />
songwriting actually is rather mainstream singersongwriter<br />
fare, but his sensibility is pretty weird,<br />
and most importantly, he sings in an unidentifiable<br />
accent (Asian? Eastern European? Gypsy?) that makes<br />
this a true love or hate proposition. There's no in<br />
between here, as the voice overwhelms everything: the<br />
songs, the lyrics, the arrangements, even the backing<br />
vocals. The whole thing has a very exotic feel, and<br />
his guitar playing is vaguely Eastern. There is some<br />
orchestration and much of this is barely "rock," but<br />
it's hardly like any adult contemporary you've ever<br />
heard. There are some transcendent moments here, like<br />
the falsetto on "Give Up Your Pride." Truly unique.<br />
[AM]<br />
ALAN MUNSON (Santa Barbara, CA)<br />
"First Light" 1979 (Parallax)<br />
West coast 1970s laidback folkrock with mix of<br />
acoustic and electric tracks. Munson was earlier with<br />
Cooley-Munson, and also released the cassette-only<br />
"Good Morning World" (1975, Parallax Records).<br />
~~~<br />
"There are eleven original songs on the "First Light"<br />
album. The album doesn't easily fit into a music<br />
category box, since the songs range from Psych rock,<br />
to some fairly "laid back" folk-rock, and even a song<br />
with a country rock feel. Instruments played on the<br />
record include electric and acoustic guitars,<br />
electric bass guitar and drums. Lead solos are all<br />
played on electric guitar; there's a "clean" sound on<br />
the acoustic based songs and guitar effects were used<br />
on the Psych rock songs. Strong lead vocals and<br />
background harmony vocals. Lyrics are clear and<br />
meaningful." (Description supplied by Alan Munson)<br />
P J MURPHY QUINTET (Madison, WI)<br />
"P J Murphy Quintet" 1964 (Leaf 6475)<br />
University of Wisconsin, weak frat rock from preppylooking<br />
guys & a female member. This has been hyped<br />
as a rarity, so proceed with caution. Two cover<br />
variations exist.<br />
MUSHROOM (New York City, NY)
"Freedom You're A Woman" 1978 (Vulcan v-911)<br />
MUSIC (MI)<br />
Brooklyn hardrock recorded at The Record Plant, in<br />
nice toadstool cover.<br />
"The Book Of Music" 1972 (no label) [300p]<br />
"The Book Of Music" 2004 (Rockadelic 49) [300p]<br />
MUSICA ORBIS (PA)<br />
Although straightforward in style it required several<br />
plays for me to get a feel for this. "My side of the<br />
mountain" is the track people will talk about 10<br />
years from now, and a good example of the typical 70s<br />
teenage hardrock Rockadelic sound. The "lighter" side<br />
was the one I had to ponder, but it came out on top<br />
as well; the right vibe, good songwriting with some<br />
nice hooks, and arrangements and playing are fine<br />
throughout the LP. The original PR line of it<br />
sounding like "Led Zeppelin and Neil Young" I think<br />
sums it pretty well; oddly some of it sounds like a<br />
British band trying to sound like an American band.<br />
Possible local US references might be Top Drawer,<br />
Dryewater, Magi and other 70s exponents of US/UK<br />
melodic hardrock influences. I wouldn't rate this as<br />
high as Wailing Wall, which was quite unique and<br />
weird in a way I admire, but Music was obviously<br />
worth reissuing and I'm guessing it will have a wider<br />
appeal than W.W. among the general populace. The LP<br />
was originally sold at the band's high school. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Side one of this album is solid CSN-inspired harmony<br />
folk/folk-rock, very early 70s in sound, though the<br />
crude production gives it a dark feel that mainstream<br />
music of this type lacks. Side two is a whole<br />
different story, opening with one of the best folkinto-heavy-rock<br />
anthems you're likely to hear. "My<br />
Side Of The Mountain" is a monster, and it alone<br />
makes this album essential. The rest is pretty strong<br />
too. A nice, surprising find. [AM]<br />
"To The Listeners" 1977 (Longdivity) [gatefold]<br />
This group of Swarthmore College graduates (they<br />
formed while still students, but recorded afterwards)<br />
is rather unique and somewhat ahead of their time.<br />
They’re not really a “rock” band, though most of the<br />
songs take rock forms. They seem like a bunch of<br />
music majors who were cool enough to go beyond their<br />
jazz and classical roots, and were also too smart to<br />
play mainstream pop or rock. This type of background<br />
could lead to some really pretentious stuff, but not<br />
in the case of Musica Orbis, who are more interested<br />
in thoughtful experimentation than in showing off<br />
their chops. Kitty Brazleton (who is still active in<br />
the NYC music scene and has been leader of some<br />
interesting experimental jazz/rock/chamber music<br />
bands in the 90s and 00s) is the voice of the band,<br />
and what a voice she is: reaching insanely high notes<br />
here, and achieving an impressive calm there. The<br />
chorus to “It’s Hard To Say,” where she really belts
MUSICAL THEATRE ( )<br />
it out, is stunning. Side one of the album is much<br />
more experimental than side two, and includes a jazzy<br />
instrumental as well as some progressive-style rock.<br />
The instrumentation is diverse and unusual<br />
throughout, and while this side is all over the map,<br />
it’s pretty fascinating. If side one is a slightly<br />
qualified success, side two, which comprises five<br />
relatively short and accessible songs, is an<br />
unqualified success. It’s impressive how no matter<br />
what kind of experimentation they’ve got up their<br />
sleeve, the melodies are memorable and the songs<br />
sound like they could have been radio hits. The<br />
lyrics are pretty great too. “Home” is a feminist<br />
tale of self-reliance that predates the Waitresses’<br />
“No Guilt” by five years. While they don’t go out of<br />
their way to remind you, you’ll continually notice<br />
how smart this band is. If only all progressive music<br />
could be this heartfelt and passionate. Highly<br />
recommended, even though the pressings are awfully<br />
noisy straight out of the shrinkwrap. [AM]<br />
"A Revolutionary Revelation" 1969 (Metromedia) [wlp exists]<br />
Exploito concept with a narrator asking in a God-like<br />
voice how to make the world a better place. The<br />
"answers" are these studio pop psych ditties with all<br />
sorts of gratuitous sound effects.<br />
MUSIC EMPORIUM (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Music Emporium" 1969 (Sentinel 69001) [die-cut gatefold;<br />
300p]<br />
"Music Emporium" 1983 (Psycho 11, UK) [altered sleeve]<br />
"Music Emporium" 199 (Afterglow, UK)<br />
"Music Emporium" 199 (CD Afterglow, UK)<br />
"Music Emporium" 1997 (CD Flash, Europe)<br />
"Music Emporium" 2001 (Action Records 304)<br />
"Music Emporium" 2001 (Sundazed) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"Music Emporium" 2001 (CD Sundazed) [+bonus tracks]<br />
This should be a wellknown item by now in view of the<br />
legendary status attributed to it over the years.<br />
Classy, seductive LA studiopsych with Bay Area<br />
influences, terrific use of organ, some powerful<br />
guitar leads, and beautiful male/female harmonies,<br />
like a better produced Serpent Power or a better<br />
composed Growing Concern. The band (who sported a<br />
female drummer) was influenced by Iron Butterfly but<br />
unlike most of their contemporaries turned this<br />
influence into something useful and occasionally<br />
truly haunting, be it dreamy floaters like "Velvet<br />
Sunsets" or the powerful acid drone of "Day of<br />
wrath". There are other LPs I rate higher but all<br />
over one of the true classics among rare westcoast<br />
60s psych LPs. The album used to be extremely rare,<br />
until a fortunate soul came across more than 100<br />
unplayed copies in a warehouse in the 1990s. As most<br />
people know, the Psycho reissue suffers from a major<br />
mastering screw-up and has one channel missing. The<br />
Afterglow boots have good sound. The Sundazed<br />
remastering job is OK but loses a bit of the
original's presence, in my opinion. Only the Action<br />
bootleg and legit Sundazed reissue retain the<br />
original die-cut gimmick sleeve[. PL]<br />
MUSIC MACHINE (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Turn On" 1966 (Original Sound 5015) [mono]<br />
"Turn On" 1966 (Original Sound 8875) [stereo]<br />
"Turn On" 1966 (CD Repertoire, Germany)<br />
"Bonniwell's Music Machine" 1967 (Warner Brothers w-1732) [mono;<br />
wlp]<br />
"Bonniwell's Music Machine" 1967 (Warner Brothers w-1732) [mono;<br />
gold label]<br />
"Bonniwell's Music Machine" 1967 (Warner Brothers ws-1732)<br />
[stereo; gold label]<br />
"Beyond The Garage" (CD Sundazed sc-11030) [+bonus tracks]<br />
MUSTARD SEED (CA)<br />
Well-known cult band that needn't be explained here.<br />
Often referred to as "garage" although they were perhaps<br />
more of a cutting edge LA band like the Doors and Love,<br />
with music so unusual and ambitious that it sometimes<br />
sounds more like late 1970s post-punk than "60s". The<br />
first LP is a mixed bag and can be avoided if you get the<br />
45s instead; the second LP is a more consistent affair<br />
allowing you a peek inside the unusual creativity of Sean<br />
Bonniwell. Still, I'm not a great fan of the band whose<br />
music often strikes me as overly intellectual and<br />
elaborate, but when they get it right the intensity is<br />
truly remarkable. Apart from the early 45s I think the<br />
tormented "I've loved you" on the second LP and the rare<br />
non-LP 45 "You'll love me again" are musts. The wlp mono<br />
contains a unique rough mix of "Eagle Never Hunts The<br />
Fly" not available anywhere else; probably included by<br />
mistake instead of "Double Yellow Line", which is listed<br />
but not included. The old Rhino "Best Of" sampler has<br />
some rare tracks, but these are unfortunately mastered<br />
slightly off-speed. There is a more recent Sundazed<br />
sampler titled "Ignition" which has much of the same<br />
rarities. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> T S Bonniwell<br />
"Mustard Seed" 1971 (Spectrum lps-3501) [plain cover with<br />
sticker]<br />
Here’s a weird one. I’ve listened to this one<br />
multiple times and I’m still not sure what to make of<br />
it. I think I like it. Not quite sure how to describe<br />
it either. There are some simple acoustic ballads,<br />
melodic rock with low-key psychy organ, pop horns on<br />
a couple tunes, an unusual psychedelic moody piece<br />
with wah-wah electric, trumpet, and reverbed vocals.<br />
‘Free People’ has a nice Doors-ish organ solo (sort<br />
of a poor man’s ‘Light My Fire’) and a brief token<br />
drum solo that all hip albums from this period were<br />
required to have. Has flashes of brilliance and edge<br />
that hearken to the “biggies” that sell in the 3digit<br />
figures, but overall it’s not quite up there<br />
with the rest. Well produced. [KS]
MUTHA GOOSE (IN)<br />
"Mutha Goose I" 1975 (Alpha Omega 26401)<br />
Heavy underground rock with surging leads, organ, and<br />
a progressive edge. "Freak Hitch-hiker" is a strong<br />
track.<br />
MYSTERIANS (Winslow, AZ)<br />
"Mysterians" 1967 (Indian Arts of America p-3005)<br />
American-Hopi Indian group doing frat, soul and beat<br />
covers with guitar band setting plus sax, some female<br />
vocals. "A Thousand Stars", "Money", "Wooly Bully", a<br />
couple of possible originals. No relation to the "96<br />
tears" guys, of course.<br />
MYSTERIOUS MINDS ( )<br />
"Mind Over Matter" 1975 (no label)<br />
"Mind Over Matter" 2002 (Mystic) [300p]<br />
Great weirdo 1970s groove rock by Korea War veterans<br />
with unique vibe and using a custom-built pipe<br />
instrument, the "Brass Orchestra Cabinet", for added<br />
strangenss. Only a handful of copies known, good one<br />
for the fringe fans.<br />
MYSTERY MEAT (Carlinville, IL)<br />
"Profiles" 1968 (Director 7303)<br />
"Profiles" 2003 (Shadoks 041, Germany)<br />
"Profiles" 2003 (CD Normal, Germany)<br />
Extremely rare garage/folkrock LP whose existence was<br />
long doubted, until a few copies were unearthed some<br />
years back. The band came out of Blackburn College in<br />
Carlinville and existed mainly to record this LP.<br />
Great originals all through reminiscent of the Bachs<br />
and UK group Complex, chock full of organ-led teen<br />
atmosphere, tremendous melancholy vocals, and tunes<br />
that grow with each play. My current faves include<br />
the Dovers-like "Put me down" and "Girl named Sue",<br />
but it's really a wide selection of great sounds,<br />
enhanced further by the basement ambience. One of the<br />
best garage-era albums you can find, to me better<br />
than All Of Thus, Summer Sounds, etc. Primitive<br />
sleeve design shows a piece of "mystery meat".<br />
According to the band, the pressing was very small,<br />
maybe 25-100 copies. Due to the lo-fi nature of the
original, substantial sound processing has been<br />
applied for the German reissues, with mixed results.<br />
[PL]<br />
V.A "MYSTERY REVEALED" ( )<br />
"Mystery Revealed" 1972 (Creative Sound 666/777)<br />
Christian rock compilation with tracks by Mike<br />
Johnson, Harvest Flight and Paul Clark, the reported<br />
highlight being a number by unknown Jay Larremore.<br />
MYSTERY TREND see S F O Music Box<br />
MYSTIC SIVA (Detroit, MI)<br />
"Mystic Siva" 1971 (VO Recording 19713) [gatefold]<br />
"Mystic Siva" 198 (no label, Austria) [altered cover; 385p]<br />
"Mystic Siva" 198 (Hablabel, Italy) [altered cover]<br />
"Mystic Siva" 199 (CD Mystic)<br />
"Mystic Siva" 199 (CD Anthology, Italy)<br />
"Mystic Siva" 199 (World In Sound rfr-002, Germany)<br />
[gatefold]<br />
"Mystic Siva" 199 (CD World In Sound wis-1002, Germany)<br />
The way I see it, this legend has four strong<br />
basement guitar-psychers, while the rest is either<br />
lame slow cuts or potential winners screwed up in the<br />
mixing (these guys admit being so stoned in the<br />
studio they brought the wrong channel up for the<br />
solos). "Supernatural Mind" and "In a room" are<br />
worldclass stoner killers, but I really have a hard<br />
time sitting through some of the weaker stuff. As<br />
this has many and loud advocates I've probably stuck<br />
my head out too far. Some unreleased live recordings<br />
from before the LP were released in 2003 as "Under<br />
the Influence" (World in Sound 017, CD & LP), and has<br />
garnered some fans. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
The mixing mistake (which, bafflingly, is never<br />
mentioned in reviews of the album) makes several<br />
songs on this album very distracting and annoying.<br />
The solo lead guitar is either so loud that it<br />
completely drowns out everything else or is so quiet<br />
that you can barely hear it. These solos, which are<br />
plentiful, aren't all that great, either, rambling<br />
endlessly with no apparent purpose. Otherwise, this<br />
is stoned teen hard rock with many of the hallmarks<br />
of the era: wah wahs, a few funky moves, prominent<br />
organ, and youthful but bland vocals. I find the<br />
slower songs, which have 12-string guitars and dreary<br />
drone-like paces, more interesting than the rockers.<br />
Even there, though, the weak vocals detract and keep<br />
the songs from being total keepers. Occasionally the
singer aims for a Jagger-like snotty tone that<br />
recalls 60s garage bands, and while he doesn't do it<br />
especially well, it's an improvement over the<br />
attempts at "melodic" singing. "Spinning A Spell" is<br />
my pick hit. Even its ear-busting solo is a step up<br />
from the rest on the album. A few other songs rise<br />
above, but there are a bunch of duds as well. It does<br />
have a mildly outrageous and spooky feel to it, and I<br />
think it would appeal more to 60s garage fans than to<br />
70s hard rock fans. Still, there are plenty of albums<br />
as good or better, and it's hard to see why it is<br />
rated so high in collector circles. [AM]<br />
MYSTIC ZEPHYRS 4 (Ventura, CA)<br />
"Maybe" 1974 (Two:Dot HRH-6873)<br />
Incompetent teenage family band with sincere pop<br />
songs and an extremely dated "have a nice day" 1970s<br />
feel a la the Brady Bunch/Partridge Family. The vibe<br />
is understated and nervous, as opposed to the in-yerface<br />
crudeness of the Shaggs. Some of the tracks are<br />
truly memorable, and this is a recently discovered<br />
biggie on the Fringe/Incredibly Strange circuit. The<br />
drummer is only 12 and she sucks! An obvious cult<br />
item, on the same label as Arthur and Hendrickson<br />
Road House. The band were: Lynne (age 18) - guitar,<br />
vocal, flute, songwriter; Keith (age 16) - bass,<br />
vocals; Gayle (age 14) - organ, vocals; Joyce (age<br />
12) - drums, vocals. There were also two 45s with<br />
non-LP tracks released on Two:Dot.<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
DARRAGH NAGLE (Tempe, AZ)<br />
"Lapis" 1975 (Star Rider 1175)<br />
NAOMI (UT)<br />
Nature folk, mostly acoustic with flutes, some synth.<br />
The guy came out of the same pagan folk scene as<br />
Gwydion and is still active, with several later album<br />
releases.<br />
"Cottage Songs" 1975 (Cottage Records no #)<br />
Both Naomi albums are several cuts above your typical<br />
singer-songwriter private press. She has a lovely,<br />
clear voice, and the songs are intelligently<br />
arranged. The vocals are in a folk tradition, but the<br />
music covers a number of soft rock styles, with<br />
liberal use of woodwinds, keyboards, even occasional<br />
horn arrangements. Naomi's last name is Lewis.<br />
"Seagulls And Sunflowers" 1976 (Cottage Records)<br />
The second Naomi album is jazzier than the first, and<br />
has a bit more guitar (even fuzz on one song!)<br />
Otherwise it’s quite similar, and again there a few<br />
really choice songs: “Tupa Tupa Tupa,” with cool use<br />
of oboes (I think) and sly whispered backing vocals,<br />
the hippie-folk “Love Song,” the funky “Rock Me,” and<br />
the San Francisco-styled “There Will Be Music.” Her<br />
voice is really beautiful when double tracked.<br />
Overall, maybe a notch less enjoyable than the first<br />
album, but still pretty great. [AM]<br />
NAPOLEON XIV (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" 1966 (Warner<br />
Brothers w-1661) [mono; wlp exists]<br />
"They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" 1966 (Warner<br />
Brothers w-1661) [stereo]<br />
"They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" 198 (Rhino RNLP-<br />
816)<br />
The title track is one of the greatest novelty songs<br />
ever, disarming in its simplicity and complete lack<br />
of good taste. Samuels had one more great trick in<br />
his bag, as the B-side (also included on the album)<br />
was the entire song played backwards, possibly the<br />
first use of backwards recording in popular music.<br />
The rest of the album shows little imagination,<br />
unfortunately. It's basically just variations on the
one theme, without ever being anywhere near as clever<br />
as the original song. The stereo version may be<br />
preferrable to catch all the production tricks. A<br />
Rhino CD release entitled "The Second Coming"<br />
contains the album and some later Samuels comedy<br />
songs/bits that are more "adult" but not funny at<br />
all. [AM]<br />
LES NAPOLEONS (Quebec, Canada)<br />
"A Go Go" 1966 (Passe Temps PST-17)<br />
"A Go Go" 2001 (no label) [bootleg]<br />
Sporting a subtitle that says "music for dancing",<br />
Les Napoleons offer an engaging mix of snarling<br />
garage rockers and Mersybeat-inspired pop. While<br />
isolated ballads such as "Tu es Partie" and "La Vie<br />
Sans Toi" are okay, the band's at their best on uptempo<br />
rockers such as "Fou de Toi", "Reviens" and "Je<br />
M'en Fou". The set's low-fi production feel adds to<br />
the overall appeal. Translated covers of The Beatles'<br />
"I Feel Fine" and "We Can Work It Out" are great.<br />
Although all ten tracks are sung in French, the<br />
energetic performances more than compensate for the<br />
fact the lyrics are largely a mystery. Man, these<br />
guys were every bit as good as their Anglo<br />
competition. [SB]<br />
NAVIGATOR (Kansas City, MO)<br />
"Outlines" 1982 (Systems no #) [plain cover with handmade<br />
artwork; insert]<br />
Basement recording of late-stage 70s hardrock with a<br />
compressed, tinny sound, a tight band and lots of<br />
guitar leads. Early metal moves and even a punk feel<br />
here and there, while some tracks bring in out-ofcontrol<br />
synth runs for good effect. Unfortunately the<br />
vocals are weak and often inaudible, and the end<br />
result is mainly for local hardrock completists,<br />
although I must admit it had a certain wild DIY demo<br />
charm. A couple of tracks lay on proggy sci-fi drama<br />
moves typical for the era. Supposedly only 200 copies<br />
were pressed. Some copies have spray-painted logos,<br />
others are hand-drawn. [PL]<br />
NAZCA LINE (Lima, OH)<br />
"Outer Space Connection" 1979 (Nazca Productions RR1) [1000p]<br />
Another Ohio private press here, a hard rock album<br />
recorded in a barn. A lot of people like this, but I<br />
find it pretty pedestrian with lousy vocals and not<br />
very many hooks. The guitar has a nice metallic tone,<br />
similar to the album by Constellation. The nineminute<br />
“Stranger,” probably the best song on the<br />
album, steals the key guitar riff from Greg Kihn’s<br />
“Breakup Song” and Television’s “Elevation”. The<br />
lyrics throughout follow the outer space theme, but<br />
musically the only “spacy” moments are the sound<br />
effects on the first song, so space-rock fans
shouldn’t get their hopes up. [AM]<br />
NEGATIVE SPACE (NJ)<br />
"Hard, Heavy, Mean & Evil" 1971 (Castle NS-101) [plain cover<br />
with stamped title; 200p]<br />
"Hard, Heavy, Mean & Evil" 198 (Castle) [bootleg; 'trippy<br />
pattern' cover; 100p]<br />
"Hard, Heavy, Mean & Evil" 199 (Castle, Austria) [bootleg]<br />
"The Living Dead Years" 2000 (CD Monster mcd-009) [LP +10<br />
bonus tracks]<br />
TOM NEHLS (MN)<br />
Underground hardrock/guitarpsych from guys who<br />
probably lived in the same toxic waste sewers as St<br />
Anthony's Fyre. Opens with an extended killer fuzz<br />
track and has more in a Boa/Mystic Siva type bag,<br />
plus some "ballads" and odd covers. Hardly a classic,<br />
but worthwhile for those into the local '69-70 stoner<br />
longhair sound. The band leader Rob Russen also cut a<br />
solo 45 on the same label, with a different version<br />
of an LP track. [PL]<br />
"I Always Catch The Third Second Of A Yellow Light" 1973 (no<br />
label 7303) [paste-on; booklet]<br />
Spooky late-night urban 1970s fringe psych excursion<br />
that is surprisingly effective; covers a lot of bases<br />
but all of them moody and introspective, like eerie<br />
dreams rising to the surface. A Patron Saints-mood<br />
here and there, esp the guy's voice, but also phased<br />
fuzz-psych, Search Party downer trips with female<br />
vocals, weary 3 AM Las Vegas lounge-jazz, backwards<br />
effects, great use of vibes and moog; consistent and<br />
determined in its ambitions and atmospheres. Sounds a<br />
bit like 1990s guy St Mikael, actually. True<br />
psychedelia for experienced midnight-to-6<br />
trippers. The LP was recorded in Minneapolis and<br />
released in June 1973. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Really nice 'production' LP with watery wah wah,<br />
phasing, and loads of effects. Delicate and trippy,<br />
not particularly arresting compositionally but lots<br />
of depth in the production -- good one to break out<br />
the headphones for. The echoed vocals and guitar<br />
parts have a submerged quality. A bit lightweight on<br />
the A-side but the flip gets hot and heavy. Two cover<br />
variations exist, a rarer one with a full-size pasteon,<br />
and one with a smaller paste-on. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
Difficult and highly personal folky weirdness here.<br />
At some points, it’s reminisicent of R Stevie Moore,<br />
though without any or Moore’s catchy melodies or<br />
sense of humor. I find it difficult, but complex<br />
enough to be interesting. It definitely sets a creepy<br />
mood. Too accomplished to be a “real people” album<br />
but too idiosyncratic to appeal to most. [AM]<br />
NEIGHB'RHOOD CHILDR'N (Ashland, OR)
"Neighb'rhood Childr'n" 1967 (Acta a-38005) [mono]<br />
"Neighb'rhood Childr'n" 1967 (Acta) [stereo]<br />
"Neighb'rhood Childr'n" 198 (Acta, Europe) [bootleg; thin<br />
glossy cover]<br />
-- this exact bootleg is a slightly noisy press<br />
"Long Years in Space" 1997 (Sundazed 5023) [2LPs; LP +12<br />
tracks]<br />
"Long Years in Space" 1997 (CD Sundazed sc-11041) [LP +12<br />
tracks)<br />
An album that triggers a wide variety of responses<br />
among listeners, and needs to be approached the right<br />
way. Inaccurately described as some sort of deep<br />
psych classic elsewhere, what I hear is trashy<br />
sunshine lytepsych with a garage production value.<br />
There are some starry-eyed acid moves that sounds<br />
like a bunch of runaway kids groovin' on their first<br />
week in the Haight, but it's undeniably teenybopper<br />
top 40 at the core. I still think it's fun and<br />
charming, with fuzz and organ and mixed male/female<br />
vocals that all help create an appealing surface<br />
straight out of an old AIP movie soundtrack. The<br />
Sundazed re adds some unreleased and non-LP tracks of<br />
shifting quality, but is recommended mainly for<br />
diehard fans. In addition to the various official<br />
releases there was a 4-track promo EP courtesy of<br />
Vegas Productions, which was released in April 1967<br />
and includes different versions of a few LP tracks.<br />
Two of these were included on the Sundazed set, but<br />
"Please please leave me alone" (1st vers) and<br />
"Maggie's Farm" remain unreissued. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Newbies to this likeable album will probably learn it<br />
from the Sundazed reissue, which scrambles the song<br />
order, relegates their weird cover of "Over The<br />
Rainbow," (which is the weakest song on the album<br />
anyway) to bonus track status, and adds a mishmash of<br />
bonus tracks of varying quality. Often, when you hear<br />
an album like this in a way other than it was first<br />
intended, it comes off as less than it really is (the<br />
Blue Things is a good example.) In this case, though,<br />
the revamped song order makes sense, and the<br />
separation of the novelty song also improves the<br />
situation, as long as you can separate the bonus<br />
tracks in your mind from the album tracks. What you<br />
end up with is a co-ed 60s pop album with organ and<br />
fuzz guitar and one really freaked out song (which is<br />
effectively short). As is usually the case, they'd<br />
probably have been better off with the woman singing<br />
all of the songs, not because anything's wrong with<br />
the guys, but because she's much less appealing as a<br />
backing singer than a lead singer. Though this is<br />
basically pop, it does rock pretty hard here and<br />
there, and it's a few cuts above the average album of<br />
this kind. Yankee Dollar and Sapphire Thinkers<br />
comparisons are apt, though both of those bands seem<br />
to have a more consistent sound, while Neighb'rhood<br />
Childr'n seem to have adjusted their mainstream
songwriting style to the trends of the time and are<br />
more experimental. "Please Leave Me Alone," which is<br />
the wimpiest and least psychedelic song here,<br />
actually comes off to these ears as the best, as it<br />
is pure pop with a lovely melody and fresh spirit,<br />
untouched by any kind of pretense. The brief minor<br />
key ballad "Hobbit's Dream" is also very nice. [AM]<br />
AL NEIL TRIO (Vancouver, Canada)<br />
"Retrospective 1965–1968" 1976 (Lodestone) [200#d; gatefold]<br />
NETHERWORLD (CA)<br />
Very obscure collection of 1960s psych/jazz/avant<br />
recordings from band who played the legendary 1966<br />
Trips Festival in Vancouver. A variety of instruments<br />
used including a "vortexorola".<br />
"In The Following Half-Light" 1981 (R.E.M./ Silver rem-4441)<br />
[insert]<br />
Pretentious prog that strives for something great and<br />
comes off sounding like a poor cousin of many better<br />
and more well-known bands. The songs are complex in<br />
an annoying way: they shift gears every time a hook<br />
or good melodic idea begins to take hold. The last<br />
song attempts to be horrific, and ends up being<br />
almost laughable. There are some decent synthesizer<br />
bits scattered about and some of the album is<br />
reasonably heavy, but this isn’t a pleasant listen by<br />
any stretch of the imagination. [AM]<br />
NEURON (Chicago, IL)<br />
"For What We Are" 1980 (Erect 1000)<br />
Flowing jazzy progressive with acidic guitar work and<br />
a rural vibe. Some think it more pomp than prog,<br />
while the cover art is an all-out prog fest. The<br />
label had a few more releases around this time.<br />
NEUTRAL SPIRITS (GA)<br />
"Neutral Spirits" 1973 (Regency 101) [500p]<br />
"Neutral Spirits" 2003 (CD Gear Fab GF 198)<br />
Lost in time garage band with a primitive sound and<br />
very basic songs; should appeal to fans of Cykle and<br />
New Dawn. Prominent use of fuzz bass gives an<br />
original edge, while the lead guitarist and drummer
work frantically within their limited capabilities.<br />
Charming teen vocals and some atypical lyrics about<br />
Vietnam and dope legislation. Pretty cool, though<br />
mainly for fans of local early 70s amateur sounds.<br />
Very short playtime. According to the band, 350<br />
copies were destroyed in a house fire in 1981. The<br />
Neutral Spirits also appear on a gospel LP recorded<br />
the same day in 1972 as the Regency album; "Gospel<br />
Songs Old & New" by Dot Henry (Jayla Records 1020).<br />
[PL]<br />
NEW AGE (Atlanta, GA)<br />
"Neptuned" 1979 (Microdot no#)<br />
Excellent, dynamic progressive with doomy organ,<br />
violin and driving synth, housed in typical fullcolor<br />
prog fantasy cover.<br />
NEW BREED (Carlisle, PA)<br />
"The Many Moods Of The New Breed" 1970 (New Breed 13634)<br />
This local album offers up a mixture of nifty<br />
original numbers and popular soul and pop hits.<br />
Opening with a cover of "Shotgun" probably wasn't the<br />
most original move in the book, but propelled by<br />
frantic drumming and enthusiastic blue-eyed soul<br />
vocals, the result may be the best cover of the<br />
Motown classic I've heard. As good as the group's<br />
covers are, the five originals are even better. The<br />
only original on the first side, the molten<br />
"Rockbustin Blues" served to show these guys were<br />
rockers at heart. Showcasing a great lead guitar,<br />
side two started out with another winner in the form<br />
of "Mississippi Delta", while the other three<br />
originals on side two were just as good. The only<br />
disappointment was the closer "Never Ending Song of<br />
Love" which sounded like it was being performed for<br />
an audience of polka fans. All told, a nice obscure<br />
find. The band had won a Pepsi Cola contest and their<br />
rendition of the Pepsi jingle was used in an ad<br />
campaign; in addition they were given a recording<br />
contract for one year. [SB]<br />
NEW COLONY SIX (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Breakthrough" 1966 (Sentar 101)<br />
"Breakthrough" 1984 (Eva 12008, France)<br />
"Colonization" 1967 (Sentar St-3001) [mono]<br />
"Colonization" 1967 (Sentar Sst-3001) [stereo]<br />
"Colonization" 199 (CD Sundazed sc-6026) [+2 tracks]
"Breakthrough" is a rare early Chicago legend with<br />
marvy teen-beat/folkrock moves along the lines of<br />
the Rising Storm LP, even has a terrific "Frozen<br />
laughter" counterpart, plus some swinging upmarket<br />
Raiders-style garage and more. Easily one of the best<br />
mid-60s LPs from the Midwest. The similar-sounding<br />
and just slightly less outstanding "Colonization" has<br />
its share of fans as well, while their later LPs are<br />
universally despised top 40 fodder. Sundazed has done<br />
a great NC6 CD comp that I recommend, "At The River's<br />
Edge". There are also samplers on Rhino and Mercury<br />
Japan. [PL]<br />
NEW CREATION (Vancouver, Canada)<br />
"Troubled" 1970 (Alpha Omega no #) [insert]<br />
"Troubled" 2003 (CD Companion CR 1)<br />
Mindbending "real people" Incredibly Strange<br />
obscurity, featuring an essentially untalented trio<br />
of square Christian folkies diving head-first into<br />
the hippie revolution and all the bad stuff that came<br />
with it. Like Peter Grudzien or Charlie Tweddle you<br />
could write a whole book about the strange cerebral<br />
buttons this album pushes, the aggregated effect of<br />
which is truly staggering. The female vocalist is<br />
unsure of things such as rhythm and accents and opts<br />
for a very unusual half-sung/half-spoken style that<br />
sounds like a 1950s housewife humming to herself at<br />
K-Mart. The male vocalist has a flat, geeky voice<br />
that lends little weight to the apocalyptic and often<br />
quite bizarre lyrics about degenerate hippies, drugs,<br />
Sodom & Gomorrah, immoral adults, sinners and more.<br />
The most normal tracks sound like an off-key Guitar<br />
Ensemble, while the rest is so out of whack that<br />
proper comparisons can't be drawn. The LP opens with<br />
a long, hip collage with snips of voices and sound<br />
effects intended to put you in the buzzing chaos of<br />
"now"; oddly it sounds like it was recorded live with<br />
the three band members inserting their soundbites and<br />
cheesy sound fx on cue from prepared notes. There is<br />
also a ripoff of "Sky Pilot" that takes the latent<br />
monotony of the verse melody and shoves it into your<br />
face until time seems to stop. Many more examples<br />
could be made. True psychedelia, and like Grudzien<br />
and Tweddle flipped out enough to be enjoyed by folks<br />
otherwise uninterested in fringe sounds. Excellent CD<br />
reissue has celebrity endorsements from Paul Major<br />
and Ron Moore, among others. There are also two non-<br />
LP 45s. [PL]<br />
NEW DAWN (Salem, OR)<br />
"There's A New Dawn" 1970 (Hoot/Garland GR70 4569) [circa
1000p]<br />
"There's A New Dawn" 1994 (no label, Germany) [altered sleeve]<br />
"There's A New Dawn" 200 (CD Synton, Austria)<br />
"There's A New Dawn" 2001 (Akarma 152, Italy)<br />
"There's A New Dawn" 2001 (CD Akarma 152, Italy)<br />
NEW EXPRESSION (OH)<br />
It's generally a good sign when a record opens with<br />
the sounds of nature and this is no exception. The<br />
central theme seems to concern suicide or a deep<br />
seated sadness about Man's seperation from God. Maybe<br />
even both! dreamy downer xian LP rhythm centered<br />
(monotonic? monotonous?) drums, organ, and chiming<br />
guitar. Moody heartfelt vocals and buzz fuzz breaks<br />
fill out the claustrophobic soundscape. Full of<br />
despairing lyrics about dissatisfaction with life and<br />
feelings of hopelessness without God. No 'Up With<br />
People' plastic smiles from these guys! "Dark<br />
Thoughts" is the ultimate in doomy bumblebee with a<br />
message guitar tracks and the gloomy closer, "Life<br />
Goes On" is surely in the top ten of songs to check<br />
out to. Inspirational verse: 'I sit all day... and<br />
watch my hands. And feel self pity... ooze from my<br />
glands'. Too deep and dark for some but could be the<br />
pinnacle for xian sorrow. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
Some rate this as an all-time favorite, probably<br />
because it has such a consistently strong downer mood<br />
to it. The consistency works against it in some ways<br />
(all of the songs sound like they're in the same<br />
key), but the album is quite distinctive. Side one<br />
has stronger songs, closing with some great fuzzguitar<br />
on "Dark Thoughts." Side two moves in an<br />
almost rural direction, and isn't as compelling.<br />
Every time psychedelic music newsgroups have threads<br />
about "grower" albums this always seems to turn up,<br />
though I liked it reasonably well at first and<br />
haven't changed my mind about it. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
"Good Clean Rock'n'Roll" 1975 (Jewel 544)<br />
NEW HOBBITS (NY)<br />
Fuzz/organ/harpsichord mix of dreamy ballads and 70s<br />
rock in striking swirl design cover.<br />
"Back From Middle Earth" 1969 (Perception PLP-10)<br />
The "discovery" of this third Hobbits LP caused some<br />
excitement a few years back. Unlike the two preceding<br />
albums, this was released on Hobbit mastermind Jimmy<br />
Curtiss' own Perception label, and probably pressed
NEW LEGEND ( )<br />
NEWS (CT)<br />
in few numbers. This could have made for an<br />
interesting story, but what the lyte-psych and softrock<br />
brigade neglected to mention is that "Back From<br />
Middle Earth" isn't a very good album. In fact, it<br />
sounds just like the $10 LP it would have been<br />
without the special circumstances. Jimmy Curtiss has<br />
penned most of the songs, and the "group" was<br />
probably just him plus some studio hacks. The opening<br />
track, the "top 40 pick", is a reasonably catchy pop<br />
number that might have worked even in 1969. The<br />
second track is a musically agreeable minor chord<br />
Association ballad, damaged by weak lyrics. It kind<br />
of continues downhill from there, with uninspired pop<br />
songwriting, throwaway arrangements, and a crude mix<br />
with the vocals too loud. A low-point is reached with<br />
a ridiculous Band ripoff that dissolves into 3rd rate<br />
saloon crooner sounds before your eyes. The quickie<br />
lameness of it all is hammered home by a 23-minute<br />
playtime. Most or all known copies are promo. The two<br />
preceding Hobbits LPs on Decca, "Down To Middle<br />
Earth" (1967) and "Men And Doors" (1968) have caught<br />
some interest in recent years. Curtiss was also<br />
involved with Velvet Night and The Bag, but his most<br />
memorable work might have been the fun "Psychedelic<br />
situation" 45. [PL]<br />
"New Legend" 1971 (Band'n Vocal 1269)<br />
Rare LP on the same label as Brigade, psychy early<br />
70s rock.<br />
"Hot Off The Press" 1974 (XPL-1045)<br />
Here’s a unique and outstanding 70s pop album. The<br />
lead instrument is a pedal steel guitar, played with<br />
more imagination than anywhere other than the<br />
Misunderstood’s studio recordings, often with some<br />
nice fuzzy distortion. It rarely sounds “country.”<br />
The songs are strong pop/rock, with Beach Boys-style<br />
harmony vocals on the softer songs, and tougher (but<br />
still melodic) singing on the rockers. Other than the<br />
opening “song” (three minutes of a guy fiddling with<br />
a radio dial), everything here is memorable, and no<br />
two songs sound alike. My pick hits are the powerful<br />
“Loser,” with a stunning steel guitar solo, and the<br />
long album-closer “New York City,” but this is<br />
consistent enough that any given listener could feel<br />
equally strong about any two others. This is exactly<br />
the kind of band a daring major label executive would<br />
have struck gold with in the 60s, but nobody would<br />
dare to touch in the 70s. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Excellent and still fairly unknown LP on the same<br />
local CT label as D R Hooker. The bulk of it is<br />
terrific 1960s westcoast-flavored folkrock with a<br />
dreamy psych vibe and good vocal harmonies. I'm<br />
reminded of other 60s-in-the-70s trips such as Creme<br />
Soda or the good tracks on Spur more than anything<br />
else, with lyrics that show the retro feel to be
NEW TROUBADORS (CA)<br />
deliberate on the band's part, openly referring to<br />
old songs by the Byrds, the Beatles, etc. Not sure<br />
what they were aiming for with this, but it does<br />
produce an appealing sound. Another reference point<br />
is Merrel Fankhauser in his melodic '66-67 phase.<br />
Opening track of random radio chatter is unfortunate<br />
and may have turned some buyers off, and there is a<br />
so-so Creedence ripoff on side 2, but apart from that<br />
-- meaning 8 tracks out of 10 -- this is a delight.<br />
Recommended to any fan of melodic 60s sounds, and not<br />
terribly hard to find. [PL]<br />
"Winds Of Birth" 1974 (Lorian no #)<br />
New agey folky album tied in with the Lorian<br />
organization that has some lovely folk songs on it<br />
but a cheesy vocal style that really makes it<br />
unlistenable to these ears. Sounds a lot like The<br />
Trilogy "It Starts Again" album. You’ll like it on<br />
first listen but once you really start to pay<br />
attention to the singing, you’ll come to your senses.<br />
Not as good as the similar Susan & Richard Thomas<br />
album, and a lot of people hate that one. Both white<br />
and blue cover designs exist. This is not an<br />
expensive LP. [AM]<br />
NEW TWEEDY BROTHERS (Portland, OR)<br />
"New Tweedy Brothers!" 1968 (Ridon slp-234) [oversized<br />
hexagonal foil cover; maroon label; 1000p]<br />
"New Tweedy Brothers!" 1998 (Tweedy, France) [bootleg; altered<br />
cover]<br />
"New Tweedy Brothers!" 199 (CD Afterglow 004, UK) [hexagonal<br />
CD digipak]<br />
"New Tweedy Brothers!" 2001 (Shadoks 118, Germany) [inserts]<br />
"New Tweedy Brothers!" 2001 (CD Shadoks 118, Germany)<br />
[hexagonal CD digipak; bonus tracks]<br />
Often referred to as a "missing link" album, this<br />
band played the San Francisco ballroooms in 1966<br />
before returning to Oregon, leaving only a weak 45<br />
behind them, although they did make enough of an<br />
impression in S F for Jerry Garcia to mention them in<br />
a '66 interview. They continued to gig locally around<br />
Oregon in 1967-1968, when this LP was cut and<br />
released. In view of all the hype I've seen it's a<br />
bit patchy and disappointing, though the best tracks<br />
such as "Her Darkness In December" are awesome<br />
folkrock-psych transitions, and they hit an appealing<br />
rootsy Bay Area folkrock sound on a couple of others.<br />
But it seems to me the historical artefact value of<br />
the LP has led to its musical qualities being<br />
somewhat exaggerated. Judging by a local ad, the LP
NEW WAVE ( )<br />
was released in early 1968. The supposed rarity of<br />
copies with cover is cast in doubt by the number of<br />
originals sold in recent years, all of which came<br />
with the cover. The German vinyl reissue is not from<br />
master tapes, while the German CD reissue is. [PL]<br />
"The Sound Of" 1967 (Canterbury 1501) [promos exist]<br />
Most of the album's 11 tracks are originals that<br />
showcase heavily orchestrated soft-pop moves. Lots of<br />
references list this as a "psych" effort but other<br />
than the cover art, be forewarned that it isn't.<br />
Tracks such as "Shadows of Good Bye", "The Evening<br />
Mist" and "In a Lonely Towne" aptly exhibit the duo's<br />
decent voices and nice harmony work. Most of the<br />
songs boast fairly attractive melodies, though the<br />
arrangements are occasionally overwhelming and their<br />
lyrics suffer from standard college student angst,<br />
which probably drove young female English majors<br />
crazy. Stuff like "Live for Today" and the dreadful<br />
"Autrefois" (the one non-original) are simply too MOR<br />
for my personal tastes, but anyone who likes late era<br />
Chad & Jeremy or Peter & Gordon (the phase where they<br />
started to get arty) might enjoy this lesser known<br />
act. [SB]<br />
NEW WINE (San Diego, CA)<br />
"Holy Spirit Express" 1972 (Anodyne)<br />
NEXT (Canada)<br />
Unlike most records of this ilk, New Wine is mostly<br />
solid with only a couple of weak songs but nothing<br />
horrible. The band is basically two guitars, bass,<br />
drums and vocals. The band consists of four stoner<br />
looking long haired dudes that would look more<br />
fitting on a Mothers album than a religious one. Then<br />
there's the lead singer: A woman that looks like your<br />
stereotypical mom from next door that spends more<br />
time in the kitchen than your average Frenchman.<br />
Don't let this generation gap between the band and<br />
the lead singer fool you into thinking this is some<br />
goofy unreal Jesus people record with vocal<br />
overkill... Nope, it's quite the opposite! Good<br />
vocals similar to Search Party but less powerful,<br />
with a touch of maturity in her vocal style. Three of<br />
the four guys in the band sing too with an occasional<br />
lead part on a couple of songs. As for the music,<br />
lots of nice electric guitar including some mild<br />
buzzy fuzz leads. The songs have a strong westcoast<br />
flavor and somewhat similar to Wilson Mckinley but<br />
not as heavy. They do a good version of Spirit Of<br />
Elijah, and most people would find this version<br />
stands on it's own fairly well when compared to the<br />
original. The album's production has a nice garage<br />
feel to it too. [JSB]<br />
"Dusty Shoes" 1973 (Warner Bros 9009)
This Canadian hard rock album has a sharp sound: a<br />
nice blend of electric and acoustic guitars.<br />
Unfortunately, though, it has undistinguished<br />
songwriting and singing, and ends up sounding like it<br />
should be a lot better than it is. One or two songs<br />
stand out enough for me to recommend it to genre<br />
fans, but this is nothing special. [AM]<br />
NEXT MORNING (New York City, NY)<br />
"Next Morning" 1972 (Calla 2002) [wlp exists]<br />
"Next Morning" 1999 (CD Sundazed SC 6150)<br />
I'll be the first to admit a fascination with black<br />
1960s/1970s hard rock/psychedelic bands such as Black<br />
Merda, Hendrix, Ernie Joseph and Purple Image. With<br />
the exception of Hendrix, these outfits were caught<br />
in an impossible Catch 22 situation whereby their<br />
music was simply too white for black audiences and<br />
too black for white audiences. Next Morning is<br />
another example of this dilemma. Propelled by insane<br />
keyboards and wicked feedback drenched guitar, selfpenned<br />
material such as "Changes of the Mind", "Life<br />
Is Love" and "Back To the Stone Age" offered up<br />
impressive slices of Hendrix-styled heavy rock. The<br />
comparison was underscored by the fact that on<br />
numbers such as the growling title track Lou<br />
Phillips' vocals bore a modest resemblance to<br />
Hendrix. Admittedly there wasn't anything 100%<br />
original here, but the overall performances were<br />
quite attractive, making for a first-rate set that<br />
should appeal to all guitar rock lovers. Dock it half<br />
a star for the butt ugly cover art. A French pressing<br />
on Roulette exists. [SB]<br />
B P NICHOL (Vancouver, Canada)<br />
"Motherlove" 1968 (Allied 3)<br />
One of the most obscure LPs on this label is yet<br />
another avant trip with bizarre spoken word dadaist<br />
and concretist excursions. Nichol was an avantgarde<br />
poet with several works published from 1965 onwards.<br />
This goes way into experimental art and sound-poetry<br />
and is included mainly because of the label it's on<br />
(Plastic Cloud, etc), unless you're a cerebral fringe<br />
specialist.<br />
NICKLES & DIMES see Victoria<br />
NICODEMUS [& MATCHEZ] (Detroit, MI)<br />
"Spacechild Squall" 1977 (Zedikiah 1069) [b & w graveyard<br />
cover]<br />
"Spacechild Squall" 1977 (Zedikiah 1069) [tan art cover]<br />
"Spacechild Squall" 1995 (Zedikiah zed-1069) [500#d]
"Backstreet Orange" 1978 (Zedikiah 1070-b) [photo inner sleeve]<br />
"What For?" 1980 (Zedikiah) [textured b & w cover; 150p]<br />
"What For?" 1995 (CD Zedikiah zed-334) [+bonus tracks]<br />
“What For” is a good place to start with Nicodemus, a<br />
solid rock and roll album, not “hard rock,” but<br />
definitely tough. He’s got a solid voice, equally<br />
suited for rock and folk. Despite his creepy biker<br />
image he has an impressive range of moods and styles,<br />
many quite mellow, and these songs have a lot of<br />
emotional depth. The production is bargain basement,<br />
but there’s still a pretty good variety of<br />
arrangements, and a few songs get a bit freaky<br />
(moreso the folky ones than the “rock” ones.) Not all<br />
of his albums are good straight through, and even the<br />
best have some failed experiments. A smaller<br />
discography might be a less daunting task, but he has<br />
an impressive body of work, and his music has a cool<br />
timeless feel to it. The CD re-release of “What For”<br />
has some good bonus tracks culled from his rather<br />
erratic 90s albums. [AM]<br />
"A Light In The Dark" 199 (CD Parallel World cd-3)<br />
Apocalyptic outlaw biker folk rock. "Spacechild<br />
Squall" and "Backstreet Orange" are in a moody<br />
acoustic folk style. On "What For?" he's into a<br />
damaged booze and drugs biker sound, like Circuit<br />
Rider with phased vocals. Fashion tip: He has rainbow<br />
tattoos on his forehead. The "Spacechild Squall"<br />
reissue is housed in leftover 'graveyard' covers from<br />
the original pressing. Among Nicodemus' later LPs are<br />
"The Strange Saga of Henryetta Flagetta" (1984),<br />
"Better Art Music" (1986), and "Antennae<br />
Moonlite" (1994), all on the Zedikiah label. The<br />
Parallel World CD is a retrospective sampler. [RM]<br />
NIGHTCRAWLERS (Daytona Beach, FL)<br />
"Little Black Egg" 1966 (Kapp kl-1520) [mono]<br />
"Little Black Egg" 1966 (Kapp ks-3520) [stereo]<br />
"Little Black Egg" 1984 (Eva 12042, France) [+6 bonus tracks;<br />
altered sleeve]<br />
"Little Black Egg" 199 (CD Big Beat 203, UK) [+bonus tracks]<br />
Wellknown folkrock/garage LP from Chuck Conlon and<br />
pals who had a minor hit with the strange title<br />
track. The rest is pretty solid, all originals with a<br />
jangly local sound similar to the first Love LP. The<br />
Eva reissue has a new hippie collage sleeve which<br />
offended some moptops. Big Beat's CD comp is<br />
excellent and includes all their non-LP 45s. [PL]
NIGHTRIDERS (NC)<br />
"Introducing" 1967 (Justice jlp-157)<br />
"Introducing" 1994 (CD Collectables 0603)<br />
One of the last Justices is a straightforward mix of<br />
organ/guitar instrumentals way past their due date<br />
and classic frat sounds lifted from the Kingsmen<br />
catalog. The usual soul element has been reduced to a<br />
nervous cover of "Come see about me", while the band<br />
shows class in covering "Double Shot" and "Louie<br />
Louie". Only one lameass ballad makes this LP at<br />
least in theory an agreeable basement instro/frat<br />
excursion whose main fault is that it was made 3<br />
years too late. Very basic soundscape from these 16year<br />
olds who probably were pleased that they managed<br />
to play all songs through without mistakes on their<br />
newly purchased gear. Drummer sounds like he's only<br />
handled the sticks for a few weeks which messes up a<br />
few tracks, but they get all the elements right for a<br />
closing "Journey to the stars", the album's obvious<br />
highpoint which has also been comp'd on Relics vol 2.<br />
[PL]<br />
NIGHTSHADOW a k a LITTLE PHIL & THE NIGHTSHADOWS (Atlanta, GA)<br />
"Square Root Of Two" 1968 (Spectrum 2001) [bonus 45; poster;<br />
1000p]<br />
"Square Root Of Two" 1979 (Hottrax 1414) [remixed; altered<br />
sleeve; 200p]<br />
"Square Root Of Two" 199 (no label, Europe) [blue vinyl; +2<br />
tracks]<br />
"Square Root Of Two" 199 (CD Cosmic Mind, Italy) [+2 tracks]<br />
"Vol 3: The Psychedelic Years 1967-69" 2003 (CD Hottrax 60012)<br />
[LP +9 bonus tracks]<br />
And here's another longtime legend, reissued as early<br />
as 1979. The band was usually known as Little Phil &<br />
the Nightshadows and had roots in the pre-Beatles<br />
era, but changed their name due to legal<br />
complications at the time. Unlike the Litter LPs I<br />
think this really is as great as people would have<br />
you believe, particularly side 1 which is like<br />
listening to a comp of killer fuzz acidpunk 45s.<br />
Beyond Phil's showmanship and the blatantly druggy<br />
lyrics and sound fx the fact remains that the superb<br />
songwriting puts most "Nuggets" classics to shame,<br />
and the band is completely at home in a sound that<br />
was unusual for the deep South. Some silly songs<br />
close the LP but all over this must rank among the<br />
top early garage psych LPs. Apart from the LP they<br />
had some killer 45s in 1966-1967. [PL]<br />
~~~
The Nightshadows discography is very complex and<br />
includes multiple versions and remixes of the same<br />
recordings, as well as 45s released under aliases,<br />
withdrawn records, and more. Here's an attempt to<br />
sort "Square Root" out: 1) The 1968 original came<br />
with a bonus 45 that contained the band's risqué<br />
songs 'Hot Dog Man' and 'Hot Rod Song' on Banned<br />
records (both also on the LP); this with 900 copies<br />
of the LP. The poster was supposedly included with<br />
the remaining 100 copies that did not include the 45,<br />
although some subsequent finds of sealed copies have<br />
included both the 45 AND the poster. 2) The 1979<br />
Hottrax release is a unique remix with "So Much"<br />
having an extra guitar lead, while "60 Second<br />
Swinger" has a loud fuzz riff added throughout.<br />
"Anything But Lies" has been shortened by 1 minute.<br />
Both front and back cover have been altered, as well<br />
as the running order. 3) Both the European 1990s<br />
bootlegs are sourced from the 1979 remix rather than<br />
a 1968 original. 4) The recent CD series is the<br />
easiest way to get a complete picture of the<br />
Nightshadows. Vol 3 has all tracks from the LP except<br />
"Hot Rod Song", which can be found on vol 2. "So<br />
Much" is the 1979 remix version, while "60 Second<br />
Swinger" and "Anything But Lies" are the 1968 LP<br />
versions. The running order from the LP has been<br />
completely broken up. Some of the unreleased bonus<br />
material is very good.<br />
"Live At The Spot" 1969 (Spectrum 2002) [no sleeve; 100p]<br />
"Live At The Spot" 1981 (Hottrax 1430)<br />
Although it hasn't been properly documented, the live<br />
LP was pressed up in very limited quantities for demo<br />
purposes in 1969. As the band was falling apart at<br />
the time there wasn't anything left to demo, and it<br />
didn't come out properly until 1981 in a cartoon<br />
drawing sleeve. Three tracks are from a November 1967<br />
show, while the rest comes from a March 1969 gig.<br />
Opening with yet another version of "60 second<br />
swinger" followed by an excellent version of the 45only<br />
"The way it used to be", the album mixes<br />
familiar band originals with a few covers typical for<br />
a late 60s club band, a 13-minute "Season of the<br />
witch" and two Cream numbers among them. The<br />
recording is pretty good, with a nice live<br />
atmosphere, and the band is as tight, intense and<br />
driving as you would expect. There's also some<br />
humorous and raunchy between-song banter, as often<br />
with the Nightshadows, including Little Phil<br />
introducing sidekick Electric Bob as "a real<br />
acidhead". Essential to fans of this great band.<br />
Hottrax is band leader Aleck Janoulis' own label.<br />
[PL]<br />
"Invasion Of The Acid Eaters" 1982 (Hottrax 1450)<br />
This was intended as a reunion LP, but for whatever<br />
reason only one side was cut (reportedly not too<br />
shabby), while the other side was used for remaining<br />
tracks from the 1967 "Spot" club performance
partially reissued on the live LP above. Here we get<br />
only cover versions of Hendrix and Cream etc, not bad<br />
but obviously lacking that special Nightshadow acid<br />
teen mania. There's also some stage raps from Little<br />
Phil, one of which popped up on the "Vol 3" anthology<br />
CD. There was also a 45 sampler titled "Patriarchs Of<br />
Garage Rock" on the Spanish Penniman label in 2004.<br />
[PL]<br />
NIGHTWALKERS (Puerto Rico)<br />
"Introducing The Nightwalkers" 1968 (Inca, Puerto Rico)<br />
"El Gordo" 1968 (Borinquen, Puerto Rico)<br />
The first LP is laden with weak covers. "El Gordo" is<br />
better, half English vocals melodic jangle beat and<br />
harmony folkrock with nice twelve string and fuzz<br />
shadings. A fun pop beat Byrdsian charmer. [RM]<br />
NIHILIST SPASM BAND (London, Canada)<br />
NOAH (OH)<br />
"Nihilist Spasm Band" 1968 (Allied 5) [200p]<br />
"No Record" 1996 (CD Alchemy arcd 082, Japan)<br />
"Vol 2" 1979 (Music Gallery 13)<br />
"Vol 2" 1996 (CD Alchemy arcd 083, Japan)<br />
Experimental avant rock, freeform freakout with a<br />
variety of homemade instruments. Prior to the Allied<br />
LP the band released a flexi 7", "The Sweetest<br />
Country This Side Of Heaven" which was included in<br />
the Aug/Sep-1967 Arts Canada Magazine. It has been<br />
described as a "proto-dada assault".<br />
"Brain Suck" 2003 (Head 001)<br />
NOCTURNES (NJ)<br />
Posthumous release of early 1970s recordings from<br />
obscure hardrock/prog band with long tracks and lots<br />
of Hammond/guitar interplay. Overall vibe ranges from<br />
Iron Butterfly drama to a more jammy Deep<br />
Purple/Captain Beyond style. Worthwhile for genre<br />
fans, provided you can find a copy. [PL]<br />
"Slightly Delightful" 1964 (Cook 977)<br />
Military Academy fratrock band leaving a crude and<br />
primitive testament to their skills, although just<br />
what these skills were remains hard to tell.<br />
Distorted lower-teen vocalist sounds like Sky Saxon's<br />
younger brother on top of an energetic sub-Kingsmen<br />
fraternity house band. Pre-Invasion covers all<br />
through naturally, epic opening "Twist and shout" has<br />
been comp'd while frantic takes on "Mashed Potatoes"
and "Money" give a high reading on the Stupid-O-<br />
Meter. Most songs have crude fadeouts and the album<br />
as a whole displays a lo-fi $15 production value. Not<br />
bad at all for fans of local frat sounds a la "Ho-Dad<br />
Hootenanny" or Hipsville vol 2 & 3, although the<br />
total effect of a whole LP's worth is a bit mindnumbing.<br />
The cover has a color photo of the group (in<br />
matching red jackets) glued on. [PL]<br />
NOMADDS (Freeport, IL)<br />
"The Nomadds" 1965 (Radex 6521)<br />
Way above average local beat (read: Merseybeat) LP<br />
with five excellent originals and classy<br />
sound/performances; an appealing snapshot of the<br />
brief post-Invasion, pre-garage era. Songwriting is<br />
remarkably mature and ambitious, and the band is very<br />
tight after honing their craft on the local club<br />
scene. Superb Gerry Marsden-like vocals add further<br />
atmosphere, while a number of OK but more mundane<br />
covers can't help but damage the total impression<br />
somewhat. In another time and place, these guys could<br />
have hit the big time. [PL]<br />
see full-length review<br />
NOMADS (Edmonton, Canada)<br />
"Hits of the Nomads" 1968 (Point 333)<br />
Later-day Canadian teenbeat LP with a variety of<br />
covers, including an average version of "Hey Joe"<br />
which was comp'd on Relics vol 2. There's also two<br />
Box Tops covers, a couple of originals, and odd for<br />
the time versions of "Stagger Lee" and "Dizzy Mizz<br />
Lizzie".<br />
NOONAN, LEVI & HOUSHMAND (CT)<br />
"East River" 1975 (Cavern Custom no #)<br />
Acoustic progressive folk trio with violin, good one.
DAVE NORDIN (CA)<br />
The band were students at Yale but recorded in the<br />
legendary Midwest Caven Custom studio. There is a<br />
more jazz-oriented second LP "Laurasia", released as<br />
by the East River Consort in 1978.<br />
"In My Mind" 1974 (Specification Records 27874) [blank back<br />
cover]<br />
Demo press of obscure all-acoustic loner folk/s-sw<br />
guy with titles like "All strung out again". Label<br />
shows a Kentfield, CA address.<br />
NORTH COUNTY ROCK ASSOCIATION (CA)<br />
"Sampler" 197 (Nuthouse no#)<br />
Recently discovered obscurity with a couple of great<br />
tracks that hopefully will be reissued down the line.<br />
A commune/friends & family type deal with different<br />
guys providing a few number each, yet the total<br />
effect is reasonably consistent. Main attraction is<br />
two tracks on side 1; the first a marvy mixed vocal<br />
Marin County folkrocker like the moodier tracks on<br />
Anonymous, the other a fuzzed out female vocal<br />
psychrocker with acid lyrics that sounds like the Bow<br />
St Runners at their best. Rest of the LP is<br />
listenable OK with a rural rootsy rock sound like<br />
"Time Fades Away"-era Neil Young; originals all<br />
through. Last two tracks are bluesy instrumentals<br />
with a "filler" feel, although they do have strong<br />
guitarleads. As far as unknown finds go, not bad,<br />
although I wouldn't pay big $$$ for it. Crude artwork<br />
on the cover, back cover has credits but no photos.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
I originally was kind in my assessment of this album,<br />
describing it thus: "amateurish but likeable mix of<br />
folk-rock and soft rock, with male and female vocals<br />
and a definite 70s West Coast (LA) feel." But a few<br />
more listens knocked some sense into me. This is<br />
absolute proof that *anything* can be an expensive<br />
collectable if hyped the right way. It's certainly<br />
rare, but most likely the reason it remained<br />
undiscovered for 25 years is that nobody in their<br />
right mind would think collectors would be interested<br />
in it. The band appears to have just learned to play<br />
their instruments last week, the songs sound like<br />
demos (many of them just end abruptly when the band<br />
decides to stop playing), and the album is padded out<br />
to almost full-length by two ridiculously dull<br />
instrumental jams at the end. One weird and strident<br />
anti-tax song is out of place on what otherwise feels<br />
like the work of idealistic hippies. Dealers can get<br />
away as describing this as "psychedelic" because they<br />
use a phase shifter here and there. So did every
NORTHERN FRONT (CA)<br />
other band in the 70s. [AM]<br />
"Presents Furniture Store" 1975 (Kader k-4321) [2 inserts]<br />
This humorous, proggy band falls somewhere between<br />
Broken Bow & Idabell and Oho, with the addition of a<br />
power pop edge. The style is reasonably appealing,<br />
the instrumentation diverse, the vocals pleasant, and<br />
the performances are nice, but the songs aren’t<br />
memorable, leading to a pretty bland album. It came<br />
with two inserts, and most copies are missing them,<br />
leaving the listener with no information at all other<br />
than song titles (listed on the labels). [AM]<br />
V.A "NORTHLAND SHOPPING CENTER" (Columbus, OH)<br />
"Northland Shopping Center 3rd Annual Battle Of The Bands 1967"<br />
1967 (Magna 71014) [gatefold]<br />
NORTHWIND (MI)<br />
Battle of the Bands 2 LP set, featuring 1 side of raw<br />
garage/psych covers by 4 O Clock Balloon. Classy FOC<br />
packaging with band photos.<br />
"Northwind Songs" 1974 (no label) [50p; plain sleeve; 2<br />
inserts]<br />
"The Woods Of Zandor" 199 (no label, Europe)<br />
NOSY PARKER (NY)<br />
Bearing no relation to the UK group of the same name,<br />
this nevertheless is folky progrock with strong<br />
British influences, especially from Jethro Tull. If<br />
you're still interested I can add that there's lots<br />
of "complex" tempo shifts, long moog solos and<br />
troubadorish vocals. Melodic and not overly selfindulgent<br />
but in my ears not as appealing as<br />
Thunderpussy, as an example. Should still be worth<br />
checking out for prog fans, although even the<br />
retitled reissue is hard to find. The original label<br />
is plain white with handwriting/logo. Back cover<br />
reads 'not for sale, for demonstration purposes<br />
only'. The band recorded (but never released) a<br />
second LP in 1977, one track from which was included<br />
on a local Detroit sampler called "Home Grown". [PL]
"Nosy Parker" 1975 (no label) [insert]<br />
"Nosy Parker" 199 (Breeder, Austria) [bootleg]<br />
"Nosy Parker" 2004 (CD Gear Fab gf-189)<br />
Rare but to my ears dull NYC busker-style<br />
folkrock/singer-songwriter LP with keyboards, some<br />
fuzz and a claustrophobic basement sound, comparable<br />
to the (much cheaper) Osh Sebrow LP. Wimpy Cat<br />
Stevens sound for most part, not much psych and not<br />
much of a fave for me. Guy has cited Ralph McTell as<br />
an influence, which is audible in the grooves. Some<br />
people seem to like it though. [PL]<br />
CHARLIE NOTHING see Charlie Nothing<br />
LA NOUVELLE FRONTIERE (Quebec, Canada)<br />
"La Nouvelle Frontiere" 1970 (Gamma 137)<br />
"La Nouvelle Frontiere" 2004 (CD Unidisc)<br />
NOVA LOCAL (NC)<br />
Dreamy French-Canadian folk rock featuring the Seguin<br />
couple, with crystal clear female vocals. There is<br />
also a less expensive second LP, "L'Hymne Aux<br />
Quenuilles" (Gamma, 1970).<br />
"Nova 1" 1968 (Decca 4977) [mono; wlp exists]<br />
"Nova 1" 1968 (Decca 74977) [stereo; wlp exists]<br />
"Nova 1" 2004 (Radioactive 063, UK)<br />
"Nova 1" 2004 (CD Radioactive 063, UK)<br />
Underrated middle-of-the-road lytepsych '67 trip<br />
that's enjoyable with excellent vocal harmonies, fat<br />
Eastcoast organ, and lots of fuzz leads for those who<br />
demand such. Brit-influenced Hollies/Bee Gees '67<br />
stylings mixed with the L A/Nuggets teen sound,<br />
bringing in some Vanilla Fudge flavor on top via a<br />
string of cover reworkings that display considerable<br />
talent and cojones. Comparable to LPs such as Orphan<br />
Egg, Phluph or Bold. The LP was also released in<br />
England (MCA) and Canada. The Radioactive reissues<br />
have some audible vinyl transfer noise. The band had<br />
a good non-LP 45 "Games" that appears on the Echoes<br />
In Time vol 2 compilation. [PL]<br />
NOVELLS (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"That Did It! A Happening" 1968 (Mothers Records 73)<br />
"That Did It! A Happening" 2004 (CD Radioactive 128, UK)<br />
Boyce & Hart-produced harmony pop mixed with heavier
aspiration, covers of Cream, Lee Michaels' "Love",<br />
Otis Redding.<br />
V.A "NSS CAVE BALLAD COMPETITION" ( )<br />
"Where Rain Never Falls" 1973 (no label BH3-1016) [plain cover;<br />
insert]<br />
This is a compilation of ballads in traditional folk<br />
styles (blues, mountain, even a rag). NSS is the<br />
National Speleological Society, the big caver group.<br />
The label indicates this is a 1972 competition but<br />
the credits on the insert indicate one of the songs<br />
wasn't even finished until April 1973 and the others<br />
vary in age from 1961-72. Maybe this ballad thing was<br />
a regular part of their conventions and they just<br />
took the best ones over the years? No idea, but first<br />
through third place are mentioned along with<br />
honorable mentions. Musically this is pretty cool.<br />
Fifteen songs, ten or so are dark, damp<br />
claustrophobic folk with stalactite sharp arpeggios<br />
and mazes of twisty harmony all alike... he-he...<br />
really though its mostly moody guitar (lotsa 12<br />
string minor chords) vocal numbers half with female<br />
vocals all about caving and several of 'em are tragic<br />
or cautionary tales. Guess these folks are<br />
pessimists. My fave is the nearly nine minute "Life<br />
is Like a Carbide Lantern/ Endless Cavern" sung to<br />
the hymn "Life's Railway to Heaven". Very stark and<br />
mysterious with the theme that the journey never ends<br />
because there's always more to map! "The Lonesome<br />
Death of Endless Cave" is sung to Dylan's "The<br />
Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" and is every bit as<br />
moving. "Histoplasmosis" is a terrifying cautionary<br />
tale about... histoplasmosis... let's just say<br />
there's better diseases to have. "Dedicated Caver" is<br />
a wonderfully nasal rewrite of "Long Tall Texan". The<br />
two 1961 tracks credit a Robert Novak as co-vocalist,<br />
including the beloved family chestnut, "I Smell Bat<br />
Shit". Could it be the conservative commentator he's<br />
about the right age? Anyways, all for some and not<br />
for all with absolutely no commercial potential but<br />
great fun for jaded ears. [RM]<br />
NUCLEAR DEBRIS (Adams, MA)<br />
"In Space No One Can Hear You Fart" 1981 (Rock House Records<br />
013)<br />
This weird neo-garage private press sounds like the<br />
improvised work of pre-teens, with crazy distorted<br />
guitars, lyrical obscenities and completely<br />
outrageous synthesizer noises. Among its 20 songs are<br />
five versions of a terrific Dylan-soundalike called<br />
“Poop From The Pope,” a country tune called “Al Haig<br />
Is A Pig,” a crazed fuzz guitar/synth workout called<br />
“Hydrogen Bombs Are Not Healthy For Your Health,” and<br />
an irresistible riff rocker called “Brown Spots On<br />
The Rim.” The highlight, though, is the epic folkrocker<br />
that closes the album, a ridiculously catchy<br />
song called “Wang In The Window.” Liner notes<br />
indicate that the album was “written as it was<br />
recorded, live at the Rock House.” Band member names
include Joey Scrotum and Johnny Scum. Only one copy<br />
of this oddity is in the hands of a collector, and<br />
the mysterious owner says he’s holding out for $13<br />
million before he will OK a reissue. This obscure<br />
label also released albums by The Generators, Liquid<br />
Sky and Pink Dolphin. [AM]<br />
NUCLEUS (Toronto, Canada)<br />
"Nucleus" 1969 (Mainstream s-6120)<br />
Despite a promising album cover, this is one of the<br />
real duds on Mainstream. It’s six long, dull proggy<br />
organ/guitar workouts with a bit of jazz, bit of<br />
blues, but not a whit of melody. If you can keep your<br />
attention on these songs from start to finish you<br />
might find one or two interesting moments in the mix.<br />
That’s not because this is any good, but because of a<br />
cool trick the human mind plays on you: when<br />
accustomed to bland boredom, minor pleasures take on<br />
major significance. Don’t let two or three minutes of<br />
distraction among 40 minutes of ill-advised noodling<br />
fool you. Also released in Canada. Pre-A Foot In<br />
Coldwater. [AM]<br />
NUMBERS BAND see 15:60:75<br />
NUN PLUS (OR)<br />
"Ljubimo" 1970 (Amato SLP 1)<br />
Fringe-strange fun in the "nun-folk" category, female<br />
vocal harmony folk with offbeat vibe and some spoken<br />
bits. For experienced purveyors only. The title is<br />
Croatian for "let us love".<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
OASIS (Marin County, CA)<br />
"Oasis" 1973 (Cranbus no #)<br />
"Oasis" 2005 (CD Radioactive, UK)<br />
OBJECTS (VT)<br />
Professionally produced hippie folkrock with great<br />
male/female harmonies, strong tracks and a general<br />
uplifting quality about it. Pressed in Canada but the<br />
group was from Marin County and had help from David<br />
Crosby, who even on coke knew good music when he<br />
heard it. There is also a double CD "Retrospective<br />
Dreams" (Black Bamboo, 1995), which was issued by the<br />
group themselves under their alternate name R.J Fox<br />
and has about half the LP plus dozens of unreleased<br />
cuts including personal fave "Parallel trains". The<br />
LP was pressed in Canada but distributed primarily in<br />
California. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Cookin' Mama<br />
"Live At The Greatwood Cafe" 1980 (Gildersleeve) [insert]<br />
Vermont show from 1978. Garage punkish trio with<br />
Scott Gildersleeve (pre-Queers) and Marc Weinstein<br />
(pre-MX-80 Sound). The LP has been offered as "rare<br />
garage psych" by record dealers since the mid-1980s,<br />
but not many people seem to like it, and it's not a<br />
highly rated title today.<br />
JUSTEN O'BRIEN & JAKE (MN)
"Time Will Tell" 197 (no label S80-1556)<br />
"Time Will Tell" 2001 (Mystic, Europe)<br />
OCTOBER (MI)<br />
One of the more recent finds to be introduced to a<br />
wider audience, this is an atmospheric 1970s ssw/loungerock<br />
trip from the depths of Middle America.<br />
Somewhat reminiscent of the loungier side of D R<br />
Hooker, with idiosynchratic vocals and a glitzy mid-<br />
70s production with keyboards upfront and fairly<br />
professional playing. The total effect is like<br />
driving around in late-night Minneapolis looking for<br />
some action, but instead ending up alone in an<br />
airport hotel lounge; a desolate 2 drink-minimum neon<br />
light trip of creeping originality. I like it, but it<br />
may not be the first LP you recommend to psych<br />
newbies. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is a tough one to assess. I hated it on the<br />
first four or five listens, but a few months later<br />
played it again and found it surprisingly enjoyable.<br />
The vocals are very, very weak, and there’s an<br />
amateurish feel that doesn’t really work in its<br />
favor, but the songs are bizarre and occasionally<br />
surprising. It’s singer/songwriter stuff from a very<br />
bent perspective, with an unfortunate influence from<br />
70s top 40. A definite labor of love, and it took<br />
O’Brien about two years to complete it. There’s some<br />
sort of overriding theme about aliens and abduction,<br />
but I can’t figure it out. Not quite as far out as,<br />
say, Damin Eih, but certainly more unusual than, say,<br />
Richard Soutar. [AM]<br />
"October" 1979 (Charisma Sound) [insert]<br />
"After The Fall" 1979 (no label) [gatefold; 25p]<br />
Symphonic space progressive with acoustic guitars and<br />
lots of keyboard, including moog. "After The Fall" is<br />
excellent with spacy mellotron and hard guitar runs<br />
and comes in a handmade watercolor cover.<br />
OCTOBER COUNTRY (CA)<br />
"October Country" 1968 (Epic) [wlp; mono]<br />
"October Country" 1968 (Epic BN 26381) [stereo]
"October Country" 2003 (CD Rev-Ola 51, UK) [+6 tracks]<br />
"October Country" 2004 (Epic) [exact reissue]<br />
OCTOPUS (CT)<br />
This band was in the hands of Michael Lloyd, and they<br />
did two songs that would later be redone for the<br />
Smoke album. In some ways, this is kind of a lesser<br />
variation on that album, but it does contain one<br />
atypical fuzz-guitar blaster, “My Girlfriend Is A<br />
Witch,” which is totally great. It’s really a good<br />
album, but just a little redundant (i e: like the<br />
Michele "Saturn Rings" and first Sagittarius album).<br />
[AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Anyone who enjoys "sunshine pop", the orchestrated,<br />
harmony rich material that makes bands such as The<br />
Association, Millennium, Orange Colored Skies and<br />
Sagittarius such a delight, will certainly find<br />
"October Country" a pleasure. That said, in many<br />
respects this album is almost a Michael Lloyd solo<br />
effort. In addition to producing, arranging, writing<br />
all eleven tracks and providing much of the<br />
instrumentation, Lloyd's distinctive creative<br />
fingerprints are found all over the album. While<br />
neither of the vocalists is much of a singer, in the<br />
confines of this album they're individual vocal<br />
shortcomings don't really matter that much.<br />
Surrounded by breezy melodies, complete with<br />
imaginative (and occasionally quirky) arrangements,<br />
material such as 'Painted Sky', 'Little Boy Smiling'<br />
and 'She's Been Away' just exudes a sense of joy and<br />
innocence. [SB]<br />
"Octopus" 1969 (ESP-Disk 2000) [color cover]<br />
"Octopus" 1969 (ESP-Disk 2000) [black & white cover]<br />
"Octopus" 199 (CD ESP, Germany)<br />
Bluesy melodic rock with organ, sax, fuzz. real<br />
amateur sound. A highlight is "U.S. Blues" with<br />
trippy dippy counterculture lyrics, basement vocals,<br />
and avant sax noise.<br />
ODA (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"The Black Album" 1973 (Loud 80011) [1000p]<br />
"The Black Album" 1998 (Void 10)<br />
"The Black Album" 2000 (CD Hallucinations 010) [+4 tracks]<br />
Strong local hardrock in the stripped down, riffhappy,<br />
non-bombastic style, comparable to the Estes<br />
Bros and Glory on Rockadelic. Guitar playing from<br />
Randy O is killer throughout, lyrical and fluent yet<br />
hard and no-nonsense. Randy also plays the organ in<br />
an unusual combination, while his brother Kevin plays<br />
drums. Art Pantoja's vocals are OK in the nonoperatic<br />
style common to these bands (though clearly<br />
not as good as on Dryewater and Top Drawer), and all<br />
over I have to rate this one of the better within the<br />
style. The CD bonus tracks show an impressive<br />
versatility with more melodic moves, as well as a<br />
very good take on Butterfield's "Mind to Give Up
KEVIN ODEGARD (MN)<br />
Living". Randy Oda later had a taste of mainstream<br />
success as member of Tom Fogerty's band Ruby in the<br />
late 1970s, then reformed Oda for a 1984 LP. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is above average 70s hard rock, with good guitar<br />
leads and memorable riffing. The vocals are<br />
uninteresting, though, and there’s not much variety<br />
or originality here. A few pleasant exceptions: the<br />
surprising funk/horn interlude on “Cheated,” and the<br />
poppy melody and hot guitar solo on “Give It Up”. The<br />
best songs are in the middle of the album, so give it<br />
a chance if the first couple of songs underwhelm you.<br />
The CD adds four bonus tracks that span more styles<br />
than the original album. [AM]<br />
"Kevin Odegard" 1974 (Wooff W4ST)<br />
Unexceptional album with a westcoasty folk/rock<br />
sound, one long Neil Young:ish track being the<br />
highlight. The cover shows a drawing of the guy.<br />
Odegard had at least one more LP, "Silver lining",<br />
but is more famous for playing on Dylan's classic<br />
"Blood on the tracks" LP, about which sessions he's<br />
also written a book.<br />
ALAN O'DAY (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Songs By" 1973 (Edwin WH Morris AO-100)<br />
Demo-only album from singer/songwriter who later<br />
would achieve fame & fortune both as an artist and<br />
composer. As few as 100 copies may have been pressed.<br />
ODYSSEY (Brentwood, NY)<br />
"Setting Forth" 1971 (Organic org-1)<br />
"Setting Forth" 1990 (Trip 1000) [new sleeve]<br />
"Setting Forth" 1995 (CD Timothy's Brain 103)<br />
"Setting Forth" 2000 (CD Odyssey)<br />
"Setting Forth" 2005 (Lion, Italy)<br />
Rare demo LP with East Coast mainstream guitar/organ<br />
hardrock sound.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Cathedral<br />
OFOEDIAN DEN (San Francisco, CA)
"The Birds" 1970 (Rock Bottom 2151) [4 inserts]<br />
Soundtrack of a collegiate tackling of the<br />
Aristophanes play. The play was connected to a<br />
College of Marin student protest of the Vietnam War.<br />
There is a bit of psychy guitar work on a couple<br />
tracks else the music is incidental and of little<br />
interest. [RM]<br />
OGANOOKIE (Santa Cruz, CA)<br />
"Oganookie" 1973 (Oganookie dsw-4154) [lyric inner]<br />
OHO (Baltimore, MD)<br />
Live recording of communal band playing modern<br />
bluegrass & rock with George Stavis, who had a solo<br />
LP on Vanguard and was in Federal Duck. Oganookie<br />
existed for years and its members collaborated with<br />
many name musicians, such as Jerry Miller of Moby<br />
Grape and Charlie Prichard of Conqueroo.<br />
"Okinawa" 1974 (Sky nr-4579) [book]<br />
"Okinawa" 1994 (Little Wing lw-3044/47, Germany) [800#d; four<br />
10" LPs in a metal film can; booklet; +bonus tracks]<br />
Cool artsy weirdness from a Baltimore band who<br />
actually are still around (and have several further<br />
albums.) They influenced a number of strange new wave<br />
bands and even appeared on the Bomp "Waves 2"<br />
compilation (one of the finest compilation LPs ever).<br />
Their first and most sought-after album is full of<br />
proggy experimentation, but the songs are short and<br />
often goofy. It's much more complex and creative<br />
than, say, Northern Front, and the lyrics reach some<br />
really far out (and often obscene) places. Zappa was<br />
probably an influence, but this is too unique and<br />
distinctive to make comparisons. Some of the songs<br />
are downright catchy, some completely impenetrable.<br />
Originally it was intended to be a 2-LP set, and the<br />
rest of the original recordings have since been<br />
reissued (the coolest reissue is a set of four 10inch<br />
records in a tin box). Not everything here<br />
works, but the songs are short enough for the<br />
failures to be harmless, and enough of it is<br />
wonderful so that if you're interested in music of<br />
this type, it's the first album I'd recommend. This<br />
breaks some of the same ground as the Residents, and<br />
may even predate them, which makes them pioneers of<br />
just plain bizarre rock and roll. There was also a<br />
1980 LP released as by Dark Side, and a 1984 LP on<br />
Clean Cuts titled "Rocktronics". "Vitamin Oho" from<br />
1991 (Little Wing, Germany) contains unreleased 1974-<br />
75 tracks. [AM]<br />
OJAS (Oklahoma City, OK)<br />
"Seven Levels Of Man" 1979 (Unity ur-703)
Densely layered cosmic synth progressive with sidelong<br />
tracks, on the same label as Iasos. Home studio<br />
one-man-band with lots of electronics and found<br />
sounds in the mix. Chakra-based concept somewhere in<br />
the burbling noises. Opinions differ on its merits.<br />
There may also be a slightly later pressing. Steve<br />
McLinn went on to release lots more music on tape and<br />
CD.<br />
OLD HICKORY & THE PIRATE (CA)<br />
"Old Hickory and the Pirate" 1977 (Hakim 1001)<br />
Laid-back cosmic cowboy countryrock and eastern moves<br />
with sitar and tablas. The LP was assembled from<br />
recordings spanning more than a decade, which<br />
explains its schizophrenic nature. The few folkpsychy<br />
tracks may be worth checking out, although this is<br />
not a highly rated LP at this point.<br />
OLD SALT (Rochester, NY)<br />
"Old Salt" 1976 (PTO 101) [1000p]<br />
Upstate New York rural rock album that’s more country<br />
and less inspired than, say, Cambridge. Typical<br />
lyrics include “women and whiskey, which one will be<br />
the death of me.” Catchy but in an annoying way.<br />
Pretty weak, really. The long jammy last track is<br />
probably the best thing here. Not an expensive LP.<br />
[AM]<br />
OLIVER KLAUS (Waterloo, Canada)<br />
"Oliver Klaus" 1970 (Captain Moze 8841/42) [poster; insert]<br />
"Oliver Klaus" 1996 (Captain Moze/No Exit) [booklet; insert]<br />
"1967-70" 200 (Captain Moze) [LP + 10 bonus tracks]<br />
The first side has six shorter westcoast/folkrock<br />
originals played with energy and an upbeat feel; side<br />
2 is a live recording of harder club rock/r'n'b<br />
sounds with an extended and not bad version of<br />
"Season of the witch". Appealing organic feel on both<br />
sides with inbetween song chatter and a loose rural<br />
freak vibe doing what is mainly 1967-68 type<br />
material. The live recording was made before a crowd<br />
of 280 people in Waterloo (Quebec), where "you don't<br />
often have that many people assembled". The rarity<br />
and dealer hype has made this an overpriced album,<br />
but at a low rate (or as a reissue) it is worth
checking out. There are also several later 45s with 5<br />
non-LP tracks between them. [PL]<br />
DENNIS OLIVIERI (CA)<br />
"Come to the Party" 1970 (VMC 130)<br />
HANS OLSON (AZ)<br />
Freeform folky psych rock with organ, rocksichord,<br />
sax, guitar, percussion. Weird, uncommercial LP<br />
produced by songwriter Tandyn Almer, this has been<br />
used for samples. Olivieri was primarily a TV actor,<br />
and this LP release parallels Rex Holman's in some<br />
ways.<br />
"Western Winds" 1973 (Joplin Records 3266)<br />
"Western Winds" 1980 (Marshall Records 10320) [reissue]<br />
"Blonde Sun Album" 1978 (Blond Sun Records 1002)<br />
OMEGA (IL)<br />
OMEGA ( )<br />
Electric and acoustic blues on the debut, liverecorded<br />
loner folk/blues on the followup from this<br />
long-running performer, who has continued to record<br />
and release music and played with some success in<br />
both the US and Europe.<br />
"Omega" 1969 (Fellowship 100) [sprayed logo cover; insert]<br />
Mostly folk and blues covers on this debut LP,<br />
including Butterfield, "Violets Of Dawn" and even<br />
"Leaving on a jet plane", which indicates a 1969<br />
release year. Folkrock setting plus banjo and even<br />
some sitar. Some copies came in plain cover.<br />
"Michigan Avenue" 1969 (Fellowship 110) [300p; band photo<br />
cover; insert]<br />
Equally obscure second LP from this band; this time<br />
they do all originals, in a folkrock style. The LP<br />
has "grower qualities". It seems some copies came in<br />
the first album sleeve. Both LPs were pressed in demo<br />
runs of a few hundred copies.<br />
"The Timekeeper" 1979 (no label)<br />
Dual-lead hardrock obscurity from the Midwest in
primitive black & white cover.<br />
OMEGA SONSHIP (Austintown, OH)<br />
"Earth Ride" 1980 (Jeree)<br />
Dreamy Christian folkrock with mixed vocals, on local<br />
Northeast label with several releases. The band had<br />
two more albums out.<br />
OM SHANTI (Houston, TX)<br />
ONE ( )<br />
ONE (CA)<br />
"We Are Home" 1977 (Solace 1001)<br />
Spiritual hippiefolk sextet with female vocals,<br />
tablas, mandolin.<br />
"Live At Joe's Fishmarket and Saloon" 1975 (Back Door Sound)<br />
Open mike quality melodic rock with comic interludes.<br />
The kind of group that plays for beer and gets kicked<br />
off the stage before their set is over. Covers of<br />
Beatles, Beach Boys, Righteous Bros, and more.<br />
Highlight: a basement fuzzed "Mr. Soul".<br />
"Creation Earth" 1977 (Children's Village) [2LPs; gatefold;<br />
inner sleeves; poster]<br />
Communal concept folk-psych with apocalyptic religous<br />
concerns. Nice organ and fuzz in spots, mixed vocals.<br />
One of the few communal groups that (at least here)<br />
didn't float away into guru love chanting or<br />
hedonistic atonal dreck. The first LP contains a<br />
reference to Lite Storm, which was an earlier<br />
incarnation of this spiritual outfit, with the same<br />
key members. All of it was done under the spiritual<br />
aegis of the guru, Sai Baba. The title is a k a "Who<br />
Am I?"; promo variants have been found with bonus<br />
45s. Later recordings exist, and shows the band<br />
moving into new age electronica while retaining a<br />
hippie folkpsych core. The commune still exists as of<br />
this writing, and offers CD and cassette reissues of<br />
most of their works from their Idaho base. No<br />
relation to the band and LP on Grunt.<br />
100% UNKNOWN FIBERS (Laguna Beach, CA)<br />
"Odd Lots" 1971 (no label) [plain stamped cover]<br />
"Odd Lots" 2004 (Little Indians, Germany) [10p]
Live recording from an outdoor festival with abysmal<br />
sound. Incredibly damaged over the top and down the<br />
other side sludge guitar, bass, and drums on the key<br />
tracks. A couple of dull jazzy noodlings, stage<br />
announcements, nearly inaudible vocals on most<br />
tracks. 10 copies only were pressed of the reissue<br />
and included in a Little Indians commemorative boxset<br />
of all their reissues with this item as a bonus.<br />
A proper reissue was planned but cancelled. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
The LP was recorded during the Laguna Beach Christmas<br />
Day "Happening" 1970, and probably released in early<br />
1971. No bands of note appeared, but newspaper<br />
articles from the time refer briefly to participants<br />
such as Sea, East Utopian Mission, Sound Spectrum and<br />
Primal Scream. The event was severely over-crowded<br />
and seems to have been a rather haphazard affair, but<br />
apart from a few drug freakouts from LSD and PCP<br />
nothing bad went down. The LP bears witness to the<br />
general drugginess with stage announcements such as<br />
"...Hello, we got to have some Thorazine at the<br />
medical tent immediately, some guy drank a whole<br />
bottle of acid". The music has been described as an<br />
amateur version of Cosmic Travellers, with crude rock<br />
jams and some jazz moves. Thanks to Stephan Colloredo<br />
for info. [PL]<br />
101 STRINGS (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Astro-Sounds From Beyond the Year 2000" 1968 (Alshire s-<br />
5119)<br />
"Astro-Sounds From Beyond the Year 2000 / Miracles" 199 (CD<br />
Request) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"Astro-Sounds From Beyond the Year 2000" 2004 (Licorice Soul<br />
LSD006) [+2 tracks]<br />
Classic exploito muzak sci-fi instro freakout psych,<br />
one of the true exploitation "musts". The best tracks<br />
combine spooky fuzz instros with swirling string<br />
arrangements for a unique experience, projecting a<br />
future in outer space as it was envisioned in the<br />
1960s, and is closer to "Barbarella" than "2001".<br />
This LP (masterminded by David Miller and Alan<br />
Sherman) comes out of the same stock recordings that<br />
were used for Animated Egg LP, without strings and<br />
under different titles, and the basic tracks appear<br />
on other exploitation albums as well. The countless<br />
other orchestral hack LPs released under the "101<br />
Strings" franchise are excluded here, naturally.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Animated Egg<br />
ONENESS SPACE see Love Band<br />
ONES (Unionville, CT / Boston, MA)
"Vol 1" 1966 (Ashwood House 1105)<br />
ONE ST STEPHEN (OH)<br />
Covers mostly on this rare LP, including "Diddy wah<br />
diddy", "Mr you're a better man", "Can't explain"<br />
etc. There was also a little-known 45 released around<br />
this time with two LP tracks ; Don't Make Me<br />
Over/Maybe it's Both Of Us (Contrapoint 9010). The Bside<br />
is an original. The band photo looks almost like<br />
a 1970s new wave band, but band member Jeff Costello<br />
has confirmed the release date as mid-1966. The Ones<br />
formed as early as 1964 and should perhaps be<br />
considered a club band rather than a garage act. An<br />
eBay copy of the LP sold for almost $3500 in 2006.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Prep rock covers half ravers half slow dance doo wop.<br />
A fuller, more mature sound than most garage bands of<br />
the period with some great early psych playing on<br />
"Mr. You're a Better Man Than I" and a fine version<br />
of "I Can't Explain". Only one original but a great<br />
early garage effort. [RM]<br />
"One St Stephen" 1975 (Owl 553) [1000p; inner sleeve]<br />
"One St Stephen" 1987 (no label, Austria) [385#d; inferior<br />
sleeve job; +bonus tracks]<br />
"One St Stephen" 199 (CD no label, Austria) [+bonus tracks]<br />
Side 1 on this private press 1970s classic opens and<br />
closes with two extended moody psych tracks which are<br />
quite impressive. The LP has a couple of more strong<br />
tracks, plus 3-4 less exciting bluesy/rocking<br />
numbers. Edgar Allen Poe, heroin, and Jim Morrison<br />
all help shape Stephen's outlook, which results in<br />
one of the more distinctive late Autumnal moods<br />
manifest on vinyl. Good vocals, some howling fuzz and<br />
occasional use of moog in typical 1970s acidhead<br />
fashion. Above average, the reissue should be<br />
worthwhile. Both the Austrian bootlegs have bonus<br />
tracks by the totally unrelated St Steven from Boston<br />
(Front Page Review). [PL]<br />
ONSTAGE MAJORITY (Aurora, IL)<br />
ONYX (CT)<br />
"Solo Flight" 1971 (no label om-896)<br />
Way cool lounge rocker with insane bouncy moog,<br />
vibes, gravelly vocals, and kitchen sink efx ala the<br />
Kaplan Brothers. One third lame-o balladry, two<br />
thirds lounge psych monster! [RM]<br />
"Onyx also Featuring Wildwood" 1981 (Weathersfield) [insert]<br />
School project teen basement hardrock covers, some<br />
female vocals.
MICHAEL OOSTEN (WI)<br />
"Michael Oosten" 1974 (Hub-City 5191) [500p]<br />
"Michael Oosten" 2000 (Gear Fab Comet 411, Italy)<br />
"Michael Oosten" 2000 (CD Gear Fab gf-132)<br />
ORACLE (WV)<br />
Local weirdo 1970s folkie with long intense acoustic<br />
tracks and extended instrumental passages, like a<br />
second-tier Perry Leopold. His voice is OK and he's<br />
certainly not holding anything back. Mood and<br />
atmosphere dominates over songwriting, with lots of<br />
two-chord drone and half-spoken lyrics. Apart from<br />
Oosten's fine guitar-playing there is bass and<br />
occasional electric guitar, but no percussion.<br />
"Wavefaring boy" is a highpoint with a dramatic mood<br />
and an amazing section where the guy does a vocal<br />
imitation of the sound of the sea surf, and not a bad<br />
one either. After having heard many dozens of<br />
mediocre LPs in the style I would have to rate this<br />
above average, but can still only recommend it to<br />
genre fans. Silkscreened cover. [PL]<br />
"Nataraja Da Nada" 1989 (Paradise Lost)<br />
Freaky basement acid guitar excursions with flipped<br />
out biker redneck vocals. Side 1 is a bit<br />
disappointing, while side 2 is intensely psychedelic<br />
in a Yahowha 13/Strange-"Ruler of the universe"<br />
direction. This has been listed as a reissue, but is<br />
a 1985 re-recording of material originally laid down<br />
in 1976, which has led to some confusion. Later<br />
recordings in a similar style have been released on<br />
CD as by Skuldedog. A must for fans of fried basement<br />
cosmic drug guitar sounds, but not exactly for<br />
everyone. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
ORANGE COLORED SKY (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Orange Colored Sky" 1969 (Uni 73031)<br />
ORANGE PEELS (NJ)<br />
Pop psych floater, good one. The band was originally<br />
from PA and were called the Fabulous Epics, then<br />
moved to LA in 1968. One of several bands to claim<br />
being the model for the Tom Hanks 60s retro movie<br />
"That Thing You Do".<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Cosmic Travellers
"Orange Peels" 1963 (Wight Audio Studios WAS 62075)<br />
"Orange Peels" 2000 (Mystic, Europe)<br />
Primitive surf/instro trip with a garage vibe,<br />
sometimes seen as a "prep-rock" artefact due to a<br />
Princeton connection. Covers of "Apache", "Runaway",<br />
"Honky Tonk", one band original. Superbly crude<br />
packaging. Cool one for pre-Beatle heads.<br />
ORANGE WEDGE (Baltimore, MD)<br />
"Wedge" 1972 (Wedge 3597/Contraband) [insert]<br />
"Orange Wedge" 1998 (Little Wing 3051-52, Germany) [2LPs;<br />
yellow vinyl; obi; insert; poster; 500#d]<br />
Local hardrock with an appealing directness and above<br />
average guitar-playing, even in a genre full of good<br />
guitarists. The vocals are somewhat strained, and the<br />
reverbed and sometimes doubletracked production<br />
enhances rather then reduces this factor. This is not<br />
a major problem, however. Songwriting isn't bad at<br />
all, while the lyrics go in a bonehead macho<br />
direction typical for the genre, which admittedly<br />
adds to the authentic teenage vibe. Good, understated<br />
use of piano and acoustic guitars make for a varied<br />
sound, with a brief throwaway boogierocker the only<br />
wasted track. The overall feel of a local club band<br />
reaching for an upmarket Aerosmith-type sound makes<br />
it reminiscent of the Magi LP, and none the worse for<br />
it. A so-so song such as "One night lover" still has<br />
a truly great solo, while the closing track has an<br />
impressive epic feel. Two release variations exist;<br />
one with a Contraband label designation and a stamped<br />
title cover, the other with a Wedge label and an unstamped<br />
cover. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Noisy 70s hard rock that has its moments. Mix of long<br />
and short songs and lots of loud guitar. It sounds<br />
like it was recorded live in the studio. There's<br />
nothing here to really distinguish it, style-wise,<br />
from a million other local hard rock albums, but the<br />
songs and hooks aren't bad, and the sound is<br />
appealingly low-budget. Not good enough for a blanket<br />
recommendation, but good enough to recommend to fans<br />
of the style. [AM]<br />
"No One Left But Me" 1974 (no label 1434) [textured cover;<br />
insert]<br />
"Orange Wedge" 1998 (Little Wing 3051-52, Germany) [2LPs;<br />
yellow vinyl; obi; insert; poster; 500#d]<br />
Second album is slicker and has superior sound. In a<br />
few places that means it veers towards prog, but it<br />
also means the guitars sound sharp and powerful. I<br />
find it kind of dull, though, especially on the long
ORFEUS (KY)<br />
songs. The vocals are very 70s AM radio friendly,<br />
which isn't really a good thing. Which of their two<br />
albums you prefer definitely depends on your personal<br />
taste, but I prefer the first. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
The second LP (release as by Wedge) has a slightly<br />
more produced sound and more ambitious arrangements.<br />
Some keyboard has been added, and the vocal mixing is<br />
more successful. Other than that it's in a similar<br />
style to the debut, with agreeable songwriting and<br />
excellent guitarwork throughout. The epic last track<br />
has a melodic psych/prog feel unusual for the band. I<br />
rate this about equal with the debut: it seems to<br />
squeeze more out from the band's abilities and is a<br />
more varied experience, but is missing some of the<br />
raw directness. But the two are so close in quality<br />
and style that they're both best checked out as a<br />
package deal (as on the Little Wing reissue). [PL]<br />
"Lying To The Wall" 1973 (Lemco 721) [1200p]<br />
Fairly mediocre local rock LP in various early 1970s<br />
styles, promising start with a Tripsichordish title<br />
track but rest is derivative and/or dull barrock/prog<br />
rock/hard rock with a Brit slant, covers of Free,<br />
James Gang and a bizarre "We can work it out", plus<br />
some feeble attempts at Santana/Allman Bros jamming.<br />
Except for a slight whiff of basement charm you're<br />
not missing much. [PL]<br />
ORGANIZATION (Dartmouth, Canada)<br />
"Organization" 1970 (Music Stop 100)<br />
ORIENT EXPRESS (NY)<br />
Obscure soft-rock and lyte psych private press in<br />
primitive cover.<br />
"Orient Express" 1968 (Mainstream 6117)<br />
"Orient Express" 199 (Mainstream, Germany) [bootleg;<br />
boardprinted cover]<br />
"Orient Express" 199 (CD Head)<br />
"Orient Express" 2005 (Tripkick, Spain)<br />
Real cool trip out Middle East by three beatnik<br />
immigrants who brought some European savoir faire<br />
along with their strange instruments. Not the usual<br />
sitar exploitation but a real ethnic vibe, like<br />
standing on acid at the Istanbul Grand Central with<br />
too much stuff going on to ever fully comprehend. Up<br />
there with Ganimian & the Orientals and the good<br />
tracks on "Side trips" for dawamesk/belly dancer
vectors. French vocals on one track add a strange<br />
colonial twist. Despite occasional claims to the<br />
contrary, this band had nothing to with Liz Damon's<br />
Orient Express. One of my 3-4 favorites on the label.<br />
[PL]<br />
ORION EXPRESS (Sacramento, CA)<br />
"Orion Express" 1975 (Round Mound Of Sound 1001)<br />
If you listened to the prevailing hype on this LP<br />
you'd see nonsense like "Killer rural hard rock/psych<br />
rocker with acid guitar jamming!" or "Backwoods<br />
guitar rock with wailing leads." The fact of the<br />
matter is that the only thing psychedelic here must<br />
be the stuff people were ingesting when they listened<br />
to the album, or wrote such nonsense. So let's get<br />
down to the facts. "The Orion Express" offers up a<br />
decent set of original material and covers. While<br />
there's some nice guitar on tracks like 'Gotta Get<br />
the First Plane Home' and a cover of Steve Miller's<br />
'Mercury Blues' there's absolutely nothing<br />
psychedelic to be found here. Instead the general<br />
feeling is of competent (and occasionally quite<br />
talented) bar band who have a penchant for bluesy<br />
material such as "Down the Rail" and "Hard Goin'<br />
Down". The vocalist has a decent voice and he injects<br />
more enthusiasm into the material than most similar<br />
acts. The same is true for the rest of the band -<br />
they were probably a pretty good live act. Still,<br />
don't be fooled by the marketing hype! [SB]<br />
P J ORION & THE MAGNATES see P J Orion & the Magnates (under 'P')<br />
ORKUSTRA (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Light Shows For The Blind" 2005 (RD Records 16, Switzerland)<br />
[insert]<br />
First ever release for this legendary 1966-67 Bay<br />
Area band, whose members would go on to various sorts<br />
of fame. Mainly instrumental music of a highly<br />
eclectic nature, mixing modal Eastern sounds with<br />
impressionist classical and plain old SF acid rock.<br />
Embryonic versions of two It's A Beautiful Day<br />
numbers can be heard. Somewhat challenging and with<br />
below average sound quality, but well worth hearing<br />
for purveyors of mid-60s freak sounds and of obvious<br />
historical value. The overlap with the Bobby<br />
Beausoleil CD is restricted to two short numbers.<br />
[PL]<br />
ORPHAN EGG (San José, CA)<br />
"Orphan Egg" 1968 (Carole 8004) [wlp exists]<br />
-- also released in Germany by Vogue<br />
"Orphan Egg" 2005 (CD Radioactive 146, UK)<br />
Typical '68 lyte-psych with an eclectic (or rag-tag)
assortment of "hip" sounds; at best an edgy melodic<br />
fuzz-psych presence a la Food, at worst a wimpy early<br />
Brit Invasion vibe. Strong UK beat-psych influences<br />
throughout (think early Status Quo), with some sideglances<br />
at the commercial psych sound out of LA.<br />
Obvious signs of talent, given another 6 months or so<br />
they probably could have made a really good LP. Neat,<br />
zit-faced freshman vocals and 3-4 tracks that hit the<br />
vintage teen-psych moves right on means the LP needs<br />
to be heard, while some poorly chosen covers and an<br />
unsuccessful "heavy blues" excursion seals its<br />
ultimate fate in a manner similar to the Rainy Daze<br />
LP. This seems to have been the last album released<br />
by this shortlived GNP Crescendo subsidiary. Also<br />
released in Germany by Vogue. The band appears on the<br />
"Cycle Savages" movie soundtrack (AIP, 1970). [PL]<br />
ORPHANN (Kansas City, KS)<br />
"Up For Adoption" 1977 (OMI 70021)<br />
Dual lead hardrock. There is also a second LP on OMI,<br />
"Don't Say No" (1980).<br />
OTHER HALF (Pottstown, PA)<br />
"The Other Half" 1966 (7/2 Records HS 1-2) [500p]<br />
"The Other Half" 1984 (Resurrection cx-1266)<br />
Post-Half Tribe garage wizards from Hill School with<br />
a solid Northeastern sound and a little more punk<br />
edge than their regional competition. Two cool<br />
originals and the rest top 40/British Invasion covers<br />
including "Gloria", Sam The Sham, "Time won't let<br />
me", and a whole bunch of Stones tunes. Some<br />
variation is offered as they run "Like a rolling<br />
stone" into the ground with fun consequences. It<br />
appears that most or all originals have the sleeve<br />
opening on the left. There was also a 45 released on<br />
the same label. [PL]<br />
OTHER HALF (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"The Other Half" 1968 (Acta 38004) [stereo]<br />
"The Other Half" 1968 (Acta a-8004) [mono]<br />
"Mr Pharmacist" 1982 (Eva 12003, France) [LP + bonus tracks]<br />
"Mr Pharmacist" 1992 (CD Eva b-13, France) [LP + bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
"The Other Half" 2004 (CD Radioactive 025, UK)<br />
"The Other Half" 2004 (Radioactive 025, UK)
OTHER HALF (Canada)<br />
Well-known Randy Holden vehicle in the typical (and<br />
to me unappealing) LA psych/hard rock transition<br />
style, those growling vocals are always a drawback.<br />
Starts out very weak with a bad version of "Feathered<br />
Fish" and more, some better tracks on side 2.<br />
Blistering guitar (of course) and some unusual<br />
r'n'b/club influences, occasionally rocks but just as<br />
often slow and lead-footed. Holden fans will still<br />
want to get it, of course. Also released in Germany<br />
with a different sleeve. The non-LP 45 is the best<br />
thing they did in my opinion. [PL]<br />
"The Other Half" 1971 (DDTB 001)<br />
Mostly bland covers with organ upfront, "Summertime",<br />
Santana.<br />
OTTER CREEK (Long Island, NY)<br />
"Otter Creek" 1977 (Bolt b-3234) [500p]<br />
Long Island band with a New Riders type<br />
rural/country-rock sound, they played live frequently<br />
in the late 1970s with a local following.<br />
OUBA (Quebec, Canada)<br />
"Ouba" 1968 (A1 33-213)<br />
Westcoast and jazzrock jamming freakout with<br />
organ/fuzz, supposedly the Sinners or perhaps some<br />
other famous Quebecians in disguise. One long track<br />
stretched over two sides, with a 5-minute drum solo<br />
on side 2, some scat singing of mostly nonsense<br />
lyrics, and a general sense of abandon. Although<br />
nominally a private press, the label shows the Trans-<br />
Canada "t-c" logo.<br />
OUR GENERATION (Nyack, NY)<br />
"Dawning Of The Day" 197 (Generation LPM/S 500)<br />
What do you get when you combine the heavy fuzz<br />
guitar of Earthen Vessel, the swirling organ of<br />
Azitis and the joyous male/female harmonies of The<br />
Bridge? You get a humongous garage/psych monster by<br />
the name of Our Generation. This outfit’s debut is<br />
easily one of the top Jesus psych privates. Opens
with the hard-driving rocker "11th Hour", followed by<br />
the chilling downer minor-key "Near The End" with<br />
heavy droning distorted fuzz, eerie vocals and lyrics<br />
dealing with death and despair. ‘Love’ provides some<br />
animated ‘60s garage-rockin’ fun with a bratty<br />
abrasive fuzz riff that sounds like it came straight<br />
out of the Rhino Nuggets boxed set. Lots of dynamic<br />
organ throughout, as on the high-energy "Look –<br />
Out" (which again hits us with another venomous<br />
explosion of fuzz), "Jesus In Your Life" (coupled<br />
with nice wah-wah electric guitar) and "Can You Make<br />
It?" with its dissonant spoken-word psychedelic<br />
intro. Even the quieter melodic tracks like "Beyond<br />
Yourself" and "I Can See Forever" definitely have<br />
that sought-after tripped-out edge. The title track<br />
closes out the LP with a slow dreamy mysterious psych<br />
mood. All original songs and every single one is a<br />
winner, with creative vocal arrangements and sincere<br />
Jesus-centered lyrics. Faint yellow-on-white cover<br />
art with hills, sunflower and chain of figures<br />
holding hands. Raise your hands and worship at high<br />
volume. Awesome! [KS]<br />
"Praise And Prayer" 197 (Generation OG1072)<br />
Holy cow, they did it again! The gang delivers<br />
another first-rate psych juggernaut here, with some<br />
of their loudest moments on record. "Hello Friends"<br />
begins the album with drums and a pulsating bass<br />
line, soon joined by fierce fuzz, psychy organ and<br />
odd spacey choral harmonies. Likewise ‘Praise’ bursts<br />
forth with a vicious guitar riff worthy of Jefferson<br />
Airplane or Big Brother & the Holding Company. More<br />
high-powered fuzz on "Jesus Paid It All". Quieter<br />
moods are expressed on organ-backed ballads "Only A<br />
Man" and "Have You Tried This One Called Jesus", as<br />
well as covers of Paul Stookey’s "Hymn" and The<br />
Youngbloods’ "Get Together". The latter has a female<br />
lead vocal for a change, as does side two’s opener<br />
"Sacrifice". Also includes Blind Faith’s "Presence Of<br />
The Lord" where they super-size the guitar break into<br />
extended total fuzz mayhem. Closes with an acoustic<br />
ballad entitled "A Prayer". Both of these records are<br />
intensely rare small-press items. [KS]<br />
OVERSEAS HIGHWAY (Key West, FL)<br />
"Miles Away" 1979 (Alpha) [500p]<br />
This is essentially a bunch of short jams, in the San<br />
Francisco style, but with the addition of lots of<br />
reverb effects. The end result is a cool spacey<br />
sounding record, which benefits from the minimalist<br />
arrangements. It's simple, but appealing music. A<br />
little bit of synthesizer is a definite plus; a drum<br />
solo is a definite minus. There are vocals on only a<br />
few songs and those vocals are very weak. It's an<br />
enjoyable album, but nothing groundbreaking. A number<br />
of Overseas Highway songs are on the "Key West<br />
Psychedelic Daze" compilation, which has a photo of<br />
them as aging hippies on the front cover. Fun! There<br />
is also a retrospective sampler, "Prism Of Soul<br />
2" (no label, 1998). [AM]
OWEN-B (OH)<br />
"Owen-B" 1970 (Mus-i-col 101209)<br />
"Owen-B" 1988 (Mus-i-col, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
This falls somewhere between post-Beatles power pop<br />
and 70s hard rock. Occasionally it's described as<br />
"prog," maybe because of the long song on side one,<br />
but that's not accurate. The tinny production is a<br />
little unfortunate, but the lovely acoustic guitar<br />
sound on the folky songs and the great harmonies<br />
shine through nonetheless. Solid throughout-great<br />
songwriting and inspired guitar playing. Nothing<br />
"psych" about this, but it's a heavier album than<br />
stuff like "Faces of Jade," and points the way toward<br />
more experimental post-Beatles bands. Like Zerfas or<br />
Anonymous (or maybe a more well-known band like Crack<br />
The Sky), it feels equal parts 60s and 70s, and while<br />
it's not as good as those masterpieces it's still an<br />
excellent record. There are also two 45s with rocking<br />
non-LP tracks, and a less interesting second LP (Old<br />
Happy Places, "A Good Example") in the late 1970s.<br />
[AM]<br />
CHUCK "SNAKE" OWSTON see Snake<br />
OXEN OF THE SUN (WY)<br />
"Stations Of The Cross" 1969 (Calvary 666) [blank back; insert]<br />
50-copy demo press of intense X-ian Dead/Quicksilver<br />
dual guitar jammer, one of the earliest in the style<br />
made famous by Kristyl, "Spirit Of Elijah", etc. Side<br />
1 has four tracks in a Tripsichord bag, while the<br />
whole of side 2 is "Stations Of The Cross" a<br />
desperate messianic fuzz/wah wah desert guilt trip<br />
reminiscent of "Eye Of The Hurricane" by Fraction,<br />
except twice as long. Less than 10 copies known to<br />
exist. [PL]<br />
OXFORDS (Louisville, KY)<br />
"Flying Up Through the Sky" 1970 (Union Jac LH6498) [500p]<br />
"Flying Up Through the Sky" 2001 (Gear Fab gf-168) [+bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
This is one of the best soft rock albums of the era,<br />
akin to bands like the Free Design but not quite as<br />
lightweight. Nice male and female vocals and<br />
intricate songs. The Gear Fab reissue has a whole<br />
bunch of bonus tracks from various parts of their<br />
career, including some bluesy, funky and humorous
OZ KNOZZ (TX)<br />
numbers. Lots of interesting songs, and the female<br />
vocalist is really excellent on the later stuff when<br />
she gets a chance to belt it out. [AM]<br />
"Ruff Mix" 1975 (Ozone 1000)<br />
"Ruff Mix" 1985 (Ozone, Italy) [bootleg]<br />
KAREN H OZNICK ( )<br />
You have to like a band that names three consecutive<br />
songs “Doodley Squat”. On the other hand, this weird<br />
mix of prog, hard rock, and jazz is full of clichés:<br />
there are synths and mellotrons, long guitar solos,<br />
jazzy instrumental breaks, high-pitched male singing,<br />
a long blues song, a soulful song with a horn<br />
section. Despite that (or partially because of it),<br />
there’s an appealing kind of energy and kitchen sink<br />
experimentalism. It works best when it’s most<br />
surprising (i.e. the loud, jarring way the guitar<br />
solo begins in “Peanut Butter Yoni,” some occasional<br />
stereo tricks), worst when it settles into long<br />
soloing or focuses on the weak melodies. Most of the<br />
vocals are pretty tuneless (or annoying in that hard<br />
rock high-pitched way), but occasionally they get<br />
kind of unhinged, which is great fun. The<br />
musicianship is pretty strong, and they probably came<br />
across very well on stage, where the vocal and<br />
melodic limitations are less obvious. If you’re in<br />
the right mood, much of this album provides dumb fun<br />
and excitement. Originals are on notoriously thin<br />
vinyl, similar to RCA's Dynaflex. [AM]<br />
"Karen H Oznick" 197 (no label) [plain cover]<br />
Demo LP of female folk/s-sw with mostly originals and<br />
covers of Judy Collins, Leonard Cohen.<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
PACERS (AR)<br />
"Go Wild" 1965 (Razorback)<br />
Local obscurity tied in with the University of<br />
Arkansas' football team, The Razorbacks. The LP has<br />
been described as more country/rockabilly than<br />
beat/garage, and features topical songs such as<br />
"Quarterbackin' man" and the regional hit "Short<br />
squashed Texan". The Pacers were 1950s legend Sonny<br />
Burgess' backing band. There were also some 45s<br />
released during the post-Burgess era. Several<br />
pressings exist of this album.<br />
PAISLEYS (Minneapolis, MN)<br />
"Cosmic Mind At Play" 1970 (Audio City-Peace 944S-2809)<br />
"Cosmic Mind At Play" 1984 (Psycho 7, UK)<br />
"Cosmic Mind At Play" 199 (CD Afterglow, UK)<br />
"Cosmic Mind At Play" 2004 (CD Sundazed) [+bonus tracks]<br />
Late (1970) stab at 60s-style popsike with side two<br />
being an extended suite. There are a couple of songs<br />
on side one that use sound effects nicely, and there<br />
are a bunch of good melodies within the suite.<br />
There's a breezy, almost innocent feel that is<br />
appealing. Overall, though, it feels like they were<br />
trying too hard, and they didn't give up on a single<br />
idea, good or bad. The CD bonus tracks are of 80s<br />
vintage and are very weak. [AM]<br />
JOHN PALMER (Canada)<br />
"Shorelines" 1971 (Celebration 1868) [gatefold]<br />
Downer psych a la Skip Spence, with an echo-laden<br />
production, use of keyboard, some fuzz, and tormented<br />
lyrics.<br />
LUCIA PAMELA (Fresno, CA)
"Into Outer Space With" 1969 (Gulfstream)<br />
"Into Outer Space With" 198 (L'Peg)<br />
"Into Outer Space With" 1992 (CD Arf Arf 0037)<br />
PANDORA (NY)<br />
Legendary incredibly strange album of kooky woman<br />
with an elaborate delusional fantasy about people on<br />
the moon and how she visits them with her Cadillac. A<br />
must within the genre, although it's not "rock" music<br />
by a long shot. The L'Peg pressing is a reissue from<br />
Pamela herself. Gulfstream was a Florida label, but<br />
Lucia was based in California. She passed away in<br />
2002, 98 years old.<br />
"Pandora" 1975 (Evatone) [10" flexi; no cover]<br />
"Pandora" 200 (CD Captain Trips, Japan)<br />
Live glammy hardrock produced by Granicus' drummer, a<br />
promotional green flexi for a prospective LP. The<br />
Japanese CD reportedly contains longer versions of<br />
the tracks, which had been edited for the promo<br />
flexi.<br />
PAPA BEAR'S MEDICINE SHOW (Canada)<br />
"Papa Bear's Medicine Show" 1971 (One Shot 1001) [100#d;<br />
handmade cover]<br />
"Papa Bear's Medicine Show" 1998 (Little Indians 5, Germany)<br />
[+1 track; 4 inserts; 400p]<br />
PAPER GARDEN (NY)<br />
Reissued along with Butterfingers and sort of similar<br />
but decidedly better to my ears; laidback later-day<br />
loungey Doors moods with decent songwriting and a<br />
consistent sound. Has that typical early 1970s moody<br />
organ-led Canuck vibe. Side 2 is live with an<br />
extended nightclub jazzrock cover of "Soul Kitchen".<br />
Video material exists of the band doing 100% jug band<br />
material, unfortunately. [PL]<br />
"Presents" 1969 (Musicor 3175)<br />
"Presents" 1986 (Antar 3, UK) [altered sleeve]<br />
"Presents" 2004 (CD Gear Fab 194)<br />
This is one of the better Beatles-inspired US<br />
pop/psych albums. It’s a short album (ten brief<br />
songs), but still has a bunch of variety and melodic<br />
ideas to spare. Lots of sitar, some great fuzz<br />
guitar, even gypsy violins and calypso beats. A few<br />
good-timey songs at the end of side one may annoy<br />
some, but they’re good for what they are, and the
PARISH HALL (CA)<br />
rest is even better. Great cover, too. Also released<br />
by Columbia in Canada. [AM]<br />
"Parish Hall" 1970 (Fantasy 8398) [wlp exists]<br />
"Parish Hall" 1999 (Akarma 037, Italy)<br />
"Parish Hall" 1999 (CD Akarma 037, Italy)<br />
PATRON SAINTS (NY)<br />
Fantastic power trio hard rock that just about<br />
everyone likes. This is no-nonsense stuff, brief<br />
songs, killer riffs, strong but unpretentious<br />
singing, sparse arrangements. There’s a mild bit of<br />
bluesiness to it, but the songs are fast and the<br />
album isn’t full of long guitar solos. There’s a<br />
terrific ballad too. A really good one. Original<br />
French, British and Australian pressings exist. [AM]<br />
"Fohhoh Bohob" 1969 (no label JT-1001) [100p; booklet]<br />
"Fohhoh Bohob" 1994 (no label, Austria) [bootleg; 300p;<br />
altered cover; booklet]<br />
"Fohhoh Bohob" 1997 (American Sound 106202/3) [booklet; bonus<br />
45; 500#d]<br />
"Fohhoh Bohob" 1997 (CD Patron Saint PSCD-101) [+bonus tracks]<br />
PAT'S PEOPLE (MI)<br />
A truly unique trip and hard to describe, but it's<br />
atmospheric "real people" folk-singer/songwriter with<br />
an array of influences ranging from ragtime to 40s<br />
schlager sentimentality to hippie confusion, like<br />
tuning into a radio station from another world. Wellwritten,<br />
amazing and deep, you need to hear it.<br />
Member Eric Bergman has confirmed the original<br />
pressing as 100 copies. Note hidden message along the<br />
borders of the back sleeve. There are also two<br />
releases of unreleased material, "Proto-Fohob" and<br />
"The Latimer Sessions". [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This album was way ahead of its time, kind of like<br />
Virgin Insanity. Nothing else sounded like it then,<br />
but now there have been a bunch of 90s indie bands<br />
that cover the same DIY-type territory. The sloppy,<br />
somewhat inept performances will either appeal to you<br />
or they won't. The mix of old-fashioned musical<br />
styles is definitely interesting, though. This has<br />
the hallmark of a songwriter who had a million ideas<br />
but nowhere near enough musical talent to project<br />
them correctly, and the result is actually more<br />
original and fascinating than what they had<br />
hoped...or just boring, depending on your<br />
perspective. Not for everyone. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Eric Bergman
"Silver Rains Afar" 197 (no label)<br />
BOB PATTERSON (PA)<br />
UK style folk Recorded at Adell Studios in Novi, MI.<br />
"Instrumentalist" 1971 (RDP)<br />
BOB PATTERSON ( )<br />
Obscure album from guy who presents himself as<br />
"singer/songwriter" on the James Taylor-inspired<br />
front cover, so no need to worry about the<br />
categorization. Tracks include "Trippin' to Boston",<br />
"I am abandoned".<br />
"Land Of The 12 String Song Man" 1977 (Conch Island)<br />
Countryrock from the South with pedal steel, flute,<br />
banjo. Possibly the same guy as above.<br />
PATTERSON & PULTS (TX)<br />
"Grand Tetons" 1977 (PPP 1178)<br />
Introspective acoustic folk duo. Nice dark playing<br />
and stark, heartfelt songs about loneliness and the<br />
wonders of nature. There is also a second LP from<br />
1984, "Second Time Around" with 1979-80 recordings.<br />
[RM]<br />
JOE PEACE (Cincinnati, OH)<br />
"Finding Peace Of Mind" 1972 (Rite 29917) [2000p; gatefold]<br />
"Finding Peace Of Mind" 2001 (CD World In Sound 1005, Germany)<br />
Light good-natured hippie folkrock LP comparable in<br />
sound to Brazda Brothers though less consistent.<br />
Obvious Neil Young influence typical for the bag,<br />
while crude guitar leads add some needed tension.<br />
Opens strongly but the last third of the LP is weak<br />
with strained vocals and a flower-embellished VW bus<br />
mood that becomes one-note. Warm and friendly in a<br />
1960s vibe, but apart from 2-3 excellent tracks<br />
mostly for completists. [PL]<br />
PEACE BREAD & LAND BAND (WA)<br />
"Liberation Music" 1970 (Red Yogis no #) [10"; 1000p; cover is<br />
a 10x13" envelope; insert]<br />
Communal left-wing hippie folkrock with female vocals<br />
and a strong political orientation, including a poem<br />
by Ho Chi Minh set to music and women's rights<br />
concerns. A mono recording.
"Bright New Dawn" 1978 (Olequa 7801) [1000p]<br />
PEACE PIPE (CA)<br />
Second and inferior LP of Northwest communal,<br />
political folkrock, led by ex-Spikedrivers member Sid<br />
Brown. There is also a 7" EP from 1973, "Mill Town<br />
Blues".<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Modality Stew<br />
"Featuring The Human Equation" 1995 (Rockadelic 18) [600p]<br />
"Featuring The Human Equation" 2002 (CD Normal, Germany)<br />
[+bonus tracks]<br />
STEPHEN PEGUES (TX)<br />
This unreleased late 1960s heavy guitarpsych classic<br />
is probably (along with Cold Sun) the Rockadelic LP<br />
with widest appeal among mainstream psych fans.<br />
Despite being just 3 guys with no bass player, a<br />
dense wall of hard psychedelia is erected with<br />
moments as intense as Fraction. The opening "Sea of<br />
nightmares" is one of the best heavy psych tracks<br />
ever laid down, while cool remnants of teen garage<br />
and lounge/schmaltz add to the LP's underground<br />
appeal. Powerful, non-macho vocals and Jon Uzonyi's<br />
triple-tracked feedback guitars makes this blow away<br />
20th Century Zoo, Savage Resurrection, Dragonfly,<br />
etc. Stunning in parts, solid as a whole. The band<br />
had a rare 45 back then; this is not included (as<br />
often with Rockadelics) on the LP, but added as bonus<br />
tracks on the excellent German CD version, which also<br />
benefits from the hi-fi nature of the original tapes.<br />
[PL]<br />
"Mellow Understanding" 197 (Harvest 06781)<br />
A nice cover photo of a dove with a cool blue<br />
background and shiny silver writing gives hope of a<br />
lovely folk/psych record within. Pegues isn't a wimpy<br />
folkie, though. Not only does he look like someone<br />
you wouldn't want to pick a fight with, he has a deep<br />
powerful voice that overwhelms the acoustic backing.<br />
The playing on his album is often crude, but the<br />
music is quite confident. The first few songs have a<br />
stark outlaw loner folk to them, though they also<br />
sport some noodly electric lead guitar. Side one also<br />
sports a song with a southern hippie feel (flute,<br />
female backing vocals, and a lyric line sung in<br />
Spanish) and two quiet ballads, one piano-and-voice,<br />
one guitar-and-voice. Side two starts with the<br />
album's best song, "Take The Devil," which has some<br />
great 12-string acoustic guitar and some dramatic<br />
mellotron-like string synth. Unfortunately the rest<br />
of side two isn't even by Pegues. It's a short guitar<br />
instrumental and two guitar-and-voice ballads by his<br />
friend Kevin Kine, and they're uninteresting and not<br />
especially well sung. Too bad that Pegues didn't do a<br />
full album on his own. As it is fans of the style<br />
should enjoy about half of this record. [AM]
JEFF PEKAREK (San Diego, CA)<br />
"To Each Their Own" 1982 (no label)<br />
Cosmic folkrock from classically trained bass player.<br />
Pekarek has continued to record extensively after<br />
this debut album.<br />
PENDULUM & CO (Boston, MA)<br />
"Pendulum & Co" 1971 (Perception 25)<br />
PENETRATIONS ( )<br />
Here's another rare album on Jimmy Curtiss' obscure<br />
Perception label. It's an odd bird of a pop/soft<br />
psych album, sounding like several different bands<br />
(and, according to the band members, three songs were<br />
indeed by a later and very different incarnation of<br />
the band.) It's got a bit of orchestration, some<br />
horns, a country tune, and on a few songs, soulstyled<br />
singing. Some of this is too smooth for its<br />
own good, and the album is way too long. It does,<br />
however, contain a few strong, classy, downer melodic<br />
psych songs. The opener, the closer, and "Chrome<br />
Street Blues" are definite winners, and some good<br />
songs are scattered about elsewhere. Sounds like the<br />
recording budget was significant, which further makes<br />
the small press a mystery. Most of the sealed copies<br />
that have surfaced are somewhat damaged, with pops<br />
and tics on several songs. The album recording<br />
spanned a period of two years, beginning in 1969, and<br />
saw lots of personnel changes within the band during<br />
that time. [AM]<br />
"The Fantastic Penetrations / Octet" 1965 (no label)<br />
PAUL PENFIELD ( )<br />
Mid-60s surf/teenbeat LP split with the Octet;<br />
possibly the same Octet choir who screwed up the<br />
Rasputin & Monks LP, which would place this LP at St<br />
Mark's School in NH. This is unconfirmed.<br />
"Inward Eye" 1975 (no label)<br />
PENNY BLUE (Canada)<br />
Acoustic folk/blues LP with about half instrumentals<br />
and some post-Vietnam concerns. Recorded in New York.<br />
"Upon Cripple Creek" 1969 (Paragon 240)<br />
Late 60s organ/guitar rural rock with about half<br />
originals. Two Creedence covers, "Suspicious minds"<br />
and the Band title track. Seldom seen title on this<br />
wellknown label, housed in a beautiful pasture and
RICK PENTA (OH)<br />
creek cover.<br />
"Hit The Road" 1977 (Jewel 737)<br />
Melancholic basement rock with a druggy downer<br />
atmosphere shifting from acoustic to electric with<br />
guitar leads weaving in. Titles include "Suzi<br />
Mesciline", "Who Is The Wise Man?". Nice color<br />
artwork. There was also non-LP 45 with PS.<br />
PENTWATER (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Pentwater" 1978 (Beef no #) [insert]<br />
"Pentwater" 2003 (CD Beef) [remix; +4 tracks]<br />
"Out Of The Abyss" 1990 (CD Syn-Phonic)<br />
This album starts with the completely insane<br />
"Frustration Mass," where the singer goes totally off<br />
the deep end. It gives hope that this will be the<br />
kind of highly creative weirdness that gives prog a<br />
good name, but the rest of the album is a bit more<br />
typical of the genre, with complex song structures,<br />
lots of time signatures, and some spacy<br />
instrumentals. There are plenty of good and highly<br />
creative moments here, from the mesmerizing guitar<br />
riffs on "Memo" to the innovative dual vocal lines of<br />
"Orphan Girl," and there are a number of highly<br />
melodic songs as well. Initially, it's a<br />
disappointment that the rest of the album doesn't<br />
live up to the weirdo potential of the opener, but<br />
multiple listens reveal all sorts of pleasures here.<br />
It's a bit long at 50 minutes, but this is a good<br />
one, and not something that you need to be a prog fan<br />
to enjoy. The "Abyss" CD contains unreleased 1970s<br />
material that some consider superior to the 1978 LP.<br />
[AM]<br />
PEOPLE "Rock Sounds" see Rasberry Jam<br />
PEOPLE'S VICTORY ORCHESTRA & CHORUS (NY)<br />
"The School" 1972 (People's Music Works) [insert]<br />
"Weltschmerzen" 1973 (People's Music Works 270)<br />
Communal eclectic bag of tricks of mostly hippie<br />
boogie and blues-rock from Long Island, also some<br />
eccentric folk, with one side femmes & one side males<br />
on "The School". Some promo copies of this came with<br />
a flexi 45 and 6 promo sheets.<br />
V.A "PEORIA FOLK ANTHOLOGY" (Peoria, IL)<br />
"Peoria Folk Anthology" 1970 (Webster's Last Word 3825)
Local hippie folk sampler on Chuck Perrin's label;<br />
Perrin and his sister Mary also contribute two good<br />
tracks. Other acts include Dan Young, Jennie Pearl,<br />
Lou Jendras, Bruce Brown.<br />
VICTOR PERAINO'S KINGDOM COME (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"No Man's Land" 1975 (no label)<br />
"No Man's Land" 199 (no label) [bootleg]<br />
"No Man's Land" 199 (CD Digital, Japan) [+4 tracks]<br />
"No Man's Land" 2000 (CD St Thomas 112) [+4 tracks]<br />
Heavy synth and mellotron-laden progressive rock.<br />
Guitar, flute, efx. The band arose out of the ashes<br />
of Arthur Brown's backup combo, with US native<br />
Peraino retaining the band name. Reportedly only 100<br />
copies were pressed of the original, which has sold<br />
for four figures on occasion. The CD reissues add<br />
bonus tracks from a 1981 EP.<br />
LOS PERDIDOS see Los Perdidos<br />
LINDA PERHACS (HI)<br />
"Parallelograms" 1970 (Kapp ks-3636) [black label]<br />
"Parallelograms" 1970 (Kapp) [multicolor label]<br />
"Parallelograms" 199 (CD Wild Places)<br />
"Parallelograms" 2001 (Beatball, Korea) [600p; insert; poster;<br />
+2 tracks]<br />
"Parallelograms" 2001 (CD Merry Go Round, Korea) [+2 tracks]<br />
"Parallelograms" 2003 (CD Wild Places 005) [remaster; +6<br />
tracks]<br />
"Parallelograms" 2006 (Guerssen, Spain)<br />
"Parallelograms" is the unquestioned queen of the<br />
hill of female psychedelic albums. Fans of the genre<br />
are as unanimous in their praise of this album as<br />
mainstream critics are for Joni Mitchell's "Blue,"<br />
almost to the point where it's unthinkable that<br />
anything else can be better. There are many reasons<br />
for this. To begin with, no other female folk/folkrock<br />
album is so genuinely psychedelic without also<br />
being unmusical (i.e. freakouts like Erica Pomerance,<br />
Amanda Trees). More importantly, though, this is a<br />
just plain solid piece of singer-songwriter music,<br />
mixing lovely and versatile vocals with evocative<br />
lyrics, creative and melodic songwriting, and an<br />
accessibility that makes it the kind of album that<br />
can draw mainstream fans into the world of odd<br />
collectables. Linda's arrangement ideas are ace, too.<br />
The black Kapp label variation is somewhat rarer and<br />
may be a superior pressing. The most recent Wild
Places CD is the best version of the album, with<br />
sound that is superior to the lousy Kapp presses, and<br />
some bonus material that shows she might have made<br />
the leap to a more commercial sound without<br />
sacrificing the originality and quality of her work.<br />
An essential album. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
CHUCK & MARY PERRIN (IL/IN)<br />
"Brother & Sister" 1969 (Webster's Last Word 2101) [500p;<br />
gatefold]<br />
"The Next Of Kin" 1969 (Webster's Last Word 2319) [500p]<br />
"Brother & Sister / The Next Of Kin" 2003 (CD Rev-Ola, UK) [2on-1]<br />
"Life Is A Stream" 1971 (Sunlight)<br />
“Life Is A Stream” 2004 (CD Rev-Ola, UK)<br />
Mellow 60s-style folk/folk-pop LPs from ex-Notre<br />
Dame/ex-Shaggs member and his sister. The debut is<br />
highly rated within the genre and has mostly<br />
originals plus a couple of covers. The second LP<br />
continues in the same style; these albums differ from<br />
the typical hippie folk sounds as they lean more<br />
towards vocal soft-pop. Perrin formed the Webster's<br />
Last Word record label which had a couple more<br />
releases, including First Friday and the "Peoria Folk<br />
Anthology" on which he and Mary appear. The LPs were<br />
recorded at Golden Voice in Illinois. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
The first two Chuck and Mary Perrin albums are very<br />
similar, pure acoustic guitar and voice duets with<br />
crystal clear vocals and sharp phrasing. The vocals<br />
are lovely, evoking the greatest joys and wonders of<br />
childhood. Some rate these albums at the very top of<br />
the solo acoustic genre, though I think they lack<br />
variety and the kind of challenging songwriting that<br />
would make them more than just vehicles for nice<br />
voices. "Next Of Kin" is slightly more complicated<br />
than the debut, though both are pretty much of equal<br />
quality. "Life Is A Stream" is a much more elaborate<br />
production, with a full soft rock band, and includes<br />
fleshed out remakes of a few songs from "Next Of<br />
Kin." The arrangements work well and give the album<br />
depth without sacrificing the innocent feel. About<br />
half of the songs are very good, and despite a few<br />
spots that are a bit bland or overly precious this<br />
could have been a big hit if the cards had fallen<br />
correctly. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Shaggs; Peoria Folk Anthology<br />
PEP PERRINE (Detroit, MI)<br />
"Live And In Person" 1969 (Hideout 1003)<br />
Comic psych rock LP from drummer for Bob Seger's Last<br />
Heard on noted local Motor City label.
PERSEPHONE BILLY see Billy<br />
PERSPECTIVE (RI)<br />
"Syllabub" 1970 (Gerry WCL-101) [insert]<br />
"2" 1971 (no label)<br />
College project LPs from longrunning RIU music<br />
workshop that would produce a whole bunch of private<br />
press albums over the years, such as Follies Bazaar.<br />
"Syllabub" is basement folk and rock with westcoast<br />
and prog moves, some jazz leanings, and so on in a<br />
typical mix. Some tracks have female vocals.<br />
Supposedly only 200 copies pressed. The second LP is<br />
even more obscure but reportedly similar in style.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Follies Bazaar<br />
PERTH COUNTY CONSPIRACY (Stratford, Canada)<br />
"Does Not Exist" 1970 (Columbia ELS 375) [gatefold; booklet]<br />
Terrific progressive folkpsych LP with a lot of<br />
brains and $$$ put into it, still underrated but<br />
really one of the best of its kind. Pretentious and<br />
theatrical but successful simply on strength of the<br />
talent and production value that went into it. A<br />
personal fave with several strong tracks and a peak<br />
in the deep acid introspection of "Crucifixation<br />
Cartoon". Richard Keelan had previously been in US<br />
1960s folkrock band the Spikedrivers. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
"Alive" 1972 (Columbia 90037) [2LPs]<br />
The live double is recommended to PCC fans, though<br />
not as good as the debut. Includes a Dylan cover,<br />
rest is originals in their typical hippie folk style.<br />
Like the first LP there are interludes of spoken word<br />
in a theatrical manner, which is less effective here.<br />
"Cabin Fever" 1973 (Rumour no #) [inserts]<br />
After leaving CBS there was a line-up shift with new<br />
arrival Bob Burchill becoming a key member, prior to<br />
his solo career. The discography becomes somewhat<br />
confused, but we've done our to best to get it sorted<br />
out. The two Rumour LPs are private releases and<br />
considerably rarer. "Cabin Fever" was released<br />
credited to "Bob Burchill of Perth County<br />
Conspiracy", and has one side of live recordings from<br />
Calgary. The sound isn't hippie psych, but rustic,<br />
realistic folk.
PerthCoRumo<br />
(43412<br />
bytes)<br />
"Perth County Conspiracy" 1973 (Rumour 2) [inserts]<br />
JOHN PETERSON ( )<br />
Rumour #2 is also known as "Mushroom Music" and "What<br />
School Bus Tour", and is a live recording from<br />
various Canadian cities. Both copies with printed<br />
sleeves (showing a drawing of a school bus) or with<br />
only an inner sleeve with the same image have been<br />
found. Despite their joy of going independent, the<br />
music from their more commercially oriented CBS phase<br />
may be considered superior, or at least more<br />
creative. Around this time there was also a non-LP 45<br />
with picture sleeve on the Rumour label under the PCC<br />
name, which looks like a Richard Keelan solo release.<br />
The band was known as "Perth County Conspiracy Does<br />
Not Exist" for these later releases. Other PCCDNE<br />
releases include "Breakout To Berlin" (Rumour 5,<br />
1975), recorded in East Berlin for the Fifth<br />
International Festival of Political Song, and "Ten<br />
Lost Years" (Rumour, 1977), credited to Cedric Smith<br />
and Terry Jones. Bob Burchill would go on to release<br />
more LPs as well.<br />
"Where Does It Go From Here" 1976 (TJ Phoenix 11776) [1000p]<br />
"Where Does It Go From Here" 1998 (no label, UK) [altered<br />
sleeve; flyer; 300p]<br />
Tim Buckley-inspired mid-1970s busker/hippie folk. A<br />
couple of good psychy tracks and the rest<br />
singer/songwriter mediocrity. About average for this<br />
endlessly over-hyped genre. I'd settle for taping the<br />
best tracks, which include the melancholic "Summer<br />
magic is gone". The songs were written 1970-75 when<br />
Peterson was living in Europe. The reissue has an<br />
altered sleeve designed to resemble the Perry Leopold<br />
reissue cover. Nice try. [PL]<br />
CAROLINE PEYTON (IN)<br />
"Mock Up" 1971 (BRBQ 1)<br />
The first Peyton album is a drumless mix of Joni<br />
Mitchell-inspired singer songwriter tunes and free<br />
form freakouts. It's odd, to be sure, and the one<br />
song where she starts out singing opera is especially<br />
jarring. It's mostly awful, though, and the dead-on<br />
aping of Mitchell's singing quirks on a few songs is<br />
even more annoying than Mitchell herself at her most<br />
unstable. The lack of a full band hurts a lot too;<br />
the songs sound like demos. The unimaginative piano<br />
playing on many of the songs doesn't help. Psych, or<br />
oddball folk, fans will appreciate this album for<br />
"Lor el iii," which is seven minutes of jazzy guitar
weirdness and off-kilter singing from Screaming Gypsy<br />
Bandits bandmate Mark Bingham (who wrote all of the<br />
songs on the album.) Yoko Ono and otherwise noiserock<br />
fans will appreciate it for the two minute<br />
closer "Bill Monroe," on which Peyton imitates a<br />
saxophone and makes animal noises. But don't be<br />
fooled; those songs suck too. Even hearing Peyton<br />
sing about creaming in her jeans doesn't save this<br />
mess. She is a very talented singer, when presented<br />
with the right material and when encouraged to sing<br />
from her heart rather than to desperately ape others<br />
in hope of commercial success. There's little<br />
evidence here that her talent can be roped in,<br />
though. This album is unlistenable, almost to the<br />
point of being fascinating. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Screaming Gypsy Bandits<br />
"Intuition" 1977 (BRBQ 8)<br />
"Intuition" 2003 (CD Japan)<br />
P F FLYER ( )<br />
Peyton's second album is a vast improvement, with a<br />
full band, a remake of an excellent Screaming Gypsy<br />
Bandits song, some dreamy folk-pop and cover photos<br />
that show her to be the cutest hippie in history. A<br />
few songs veer towards funk and disco, in a<br />
reasonably convincing way. It's clear that her heart<br />
is in some sort of sell-out attempt (she'd succeed<br />
many years later, becoming a voice in many Disney<br />
films, and releasing a Celtic Christmas album), but<br />
still this is a decent record with likeable moments<br />
for both folk and funk fans. [AM]<br />
"Play Gianchetta Jazz" 1970 (AVG 101)<br />
Instrumental psych jams with remarkable background<br />
story, intended as a dancing instruction soundtrack<br />
but the students turned in this drugged out<br />
fuzz/organ trip instead, to everyone else's dismay.<br />
PHAFNER (Marshalltown, IA)<br />
"Overdrive" 1972 (Dragon no #)<br />
"Overdrive" 1989 (Animus Oculus 101) [300#d; inserts; altered<br />
cover]<br />
"Overdrive" 1999 (Akarma 009, Italy) [altered cover]<br />
"Overdrive" 1999 (CD Akarma 009, Italy)<br />
Enjoyably crude hard rock unburdened by any notion of<br />
good taste. The dual lead guitars are gloriously<br />
sloppy. One wasted-sounding blues song is kind of<br />
dull, the songwriting isn't exactly subtle (i e:<br />
melodies mimic hooks and chord progressions, a la<br />
Black Sabbath), and the drummer can barely keep time,
ut this is tons of fun. Apparently all available<br />
reissues have excised a couple of songs that "don't<br />
fit in" with the rest; the Rockadelic inserts two<br />
unreleased tracks instead. This explains why the<br />
album runs only 26 minutes. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Whiskeyed and smacked-out bluesy garage snarl. Heavy<br />
fuzz, pounding drums, basement warbling. Loaded with<br />
that Index and Mystic Siva cavern sound. Deep and<br />
damaged cruel world gimme-a-fix originals from the<br />
pit. The previously unreleased "Black Cat Claw" is<br />
unearthly... dissolving into raging white noise. Even<br />
beats Raven (OH) for checking out to. The first<br />
reissue is on an early Rockadelic subsidiary.<br />
Supposedly only 50 copies were pressed of the<br />
original. They also had a 45. [RM]<br />
PHANTASIA (Kansas City, MO)<br />
"Phantasia" 1971 (Damon 12918) [no sleeve]<br />
"A Psychedelic" 1994 (T.U.T 641, Austria) [partial reissue;<br />
300#d; gatefold]<br />
"A Psychedelic" 1997 (CD TUT/Syn-Ton, Austria)<br />
"Phantasia" 2003 (World In Sound rfr-18, Germany) [+1-sided<br />
10" disc; gatefold; poster insert]<br />
"Phantasia" 2003 (CD World In Sound 1015, Germany)<br />
Demo press LP that very few had heard of before the<br />
first reissue appeared. Powerful UK-influenced<br />
psych/prog-rock with strong, heartfelt vocals, some<br />
long fuzz excursions and recurring folk influences.<br />
The band obviously put a lot of work into this<br />
totally pro-sounding affair, and it's strange that no<br />
label picked them up. The Austrian reissue is a bit<br />
screwed up as it features only about half the<br />
original LP, adding several inferior tracks from the<br />
Trizo 50 LP, which was a later incarnation of this<br />
band. This is unfortunate as the original demo LP<br />
plays through like a fully realized and very<br />
impressive album, which is lost in that rag tag<br />
reissue. The more recent WIS releases correct this.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Here's a comment from member Bob Walkenhorst from a<br />
web forum: "My first highschool band was Phantasia,<br />
1970-71. We played high school dances and a bi-weekly<br />
gig at the VFW Hall in Carrollton MO. We played<br />
covers, but also started right in doing originals<br />
that were heavily influenced by early King Crimson<br />
and Moody Blues. Considering how ignorant we were, we<br />
did some pretty good stuff. We recorded several<br />
tracks at Damon Studios in KC in 1971."<br />
"Walkenhorst & De Pugh" 1972 (Damon 12969) [1-sided; no<br />
sleeve]<br />
"I Talk To The Moon" 1996 (T.U.T 1096, Austria) [+bonus<br />
tracks; 300p; gatefold]<br />
"Phantasia" 2003 (World In Sound rfr-18, Germany) [+1-sided<br />
10" disc; gatefold; poster insert]<br />
"Phantasia" 2003 (CD World In Sound 1015, Germany)<br />
This 1-sided demo album has re-recordings of some<br />
tracks from the earlier LP, adds a couple new ones,<br />
and generally expands the folk/singer-songwriter<br />
moves from the first one on expense of the fuzz-rock,
which is unfortunate. Still a pretty impressive<br />
effort. The Austrian vinyl reissue of this one is<br />
less confused than the first one, including this LP<br />
in its entirety and adds most of the first demo LP as<br />
well. Two tracks are repeated from the earlier<br />
reissue. You need both T.U.T vinyl reissues to<br />
recreate the original demo LPs, but it seems the<br />
recent World In Sound CD contains all the Phantasia<br />
material on one disc, making the earlier recycling<br />
redundant. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Trizo-50; Walkenhorst Brothers<br />
PHANTOM (Rochester, MI)<br />
"Phantom's Divine Comedy" 1974 (Capitol 11313) [red label]<br />
"Phantom's Divine Comedy" 1989 (Capitol, Italy) [bootleg]<br />
"Phantom's Divine Comedy" 199 (CD One Way)<br />
"Phantom's Divine Comedy" 2003 (Radioactive 002, UK)<br />
"Phantom's Divine Comedy" 2003 (CD Radioactive 002, UK)<br />
Bordering on novelty sounds with overblown Lizard<br />
King vocals and a goofy fairytale concept, but is<br />
somehow well-done enough to be enjoyable. Lots of<br />
fuzz and dramatic mood changes plus almost inaudible<br />
spoken parts between the songs that few people have<br />
discovered (the vinyl re possibly omits these). Their<br />
manager claimed it to feature Jim Morrison on vocals<br />
which ensured a rapid journey down the cutout trail.<br />
In addition to this LP there is a "Lost Album" with<br />
recordings that may predate the Capitol album. The<br />
tapes have been bootlegged in Italy on vinyl (Ghost,<br />
1989) and CD (Flash, 1997) and display an<br />
unexceptional Brit-inspired prog/folk sound. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Without the Jim Morrison rumors, it's likely nobody<br />
would have ever taken notice of this overly dramatic<br />
semi-hard rock album at all, though it is pretty<br />
outrageous. If you look at it with an open mind, it's<br />
got its appealing moments, especially when the lyrics<br />
are absurd (Spiders Will Dance On Your Face While You<br />
Sleep" is one song title) or when it veers into heavy<br />
metal territory. Not exactly good, but fun if you're<br />
in the right mood. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Happy Dragon Band<br />
PHANTOM RAIDERS (Concord, NC)<br />
"New Sound '67" 1967 (Justice 146)<br />
"New Sound '67" 1996 (CD Collectables)<br />
13 year old kids deliver a crude set of hit covers of<br />
the day, although one must wonder in what parallel<br />
universe "Walk don't run" represents the "New sound<br />
'67". Cool LP above the label average that should<br />
appeal to any fan of true garage sounds, meaning<br />
healthy doses of incompetence, enthusiasm and local<br />
charm. They weren't immune to the backwoods time lag<br />
of the area which makes for 3-4 instros that cut into<br />
the excitement but basement versions of "Stepping<br />
stone", "Day Tripper" and Mitch Ryder more than make<br />
up for this. An amazing highpoint is reached with
"Gloria" who's serenaded as being "4-foot-4" rather<br />
than the standard "5-foot-4", because these small<br />
kids reduced her height to their Junior High<br />
standards - genius! The recording is unusually good<br />
for the label, and if you think the lead guitarist is<br />
hot for a low-teenager, you should realize that he's<br />
only 11 years old. As reported in Kicks #5, the band<br />
sold the LP door-to-door after winning a talent<br />
contest with a Justice "contract" being the first<br />
prize. One band original, an instro. [PL]<br />
P H FACTOR (Portland, OR)<br />
"Merryjuana" 1980 (Piccadilly 3343)<br />
Obscure retrospective release on Jerry Dennon's<br />
mysterious label of a semi-legendary Portland/S F<br />
band's late 60s recordings, most of it previously<br />
unreleased. Historically relevant and musically<br />
fairly agreeable mix of jugband sounds and eclectic<br />
Bay Area moves recalling the US Kaleidoscope, should<br />
appeal to fans of that band; also hints of the New<br />
Tweedy Bros and Sons Of Champlin. Closing acid-rock<br />
raga/sax instro excursion is particularly good. Worth<br />
checking out, hopefully a more up-to-date release<br />
will appear some day. The band later went for a pure<br />
jugband sound, unfortunately. [PL]<br />
PHILOSOPHERS (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"After Sundown" 1970 (Philo Spectrum 1001)<br />
"Getting Down" 199 (no label, France) [300p; altered cover;<br />
bonus tracks]<br />
Cool party LP with Hammond, fuzz and a swank r'n'b<br />
club groove due to a mixed lineup of brothers and<br />
honkies. Not psych or hardrock in any sense, more<br />
like what you'd hear if you strolled into a seedy L A<br />
discoteque in the late 60s. Enjoyable, but perhaps a<br />
bit misplaced in our Archive context. Although the<br />
band chose their own label name and design, it is a<br />
Century label custom pressing, and has the same<br />
generic sleeve as the White Light LP. There was a<br />
pre-LP 45 on Century/Philo Spectrum. [PL]<br />
PHOENIX SONSHINE (CA)<br />
"Shinin' In The Light" 1971 (Destiny)<br />
Christian vocal harmony folkrock with male/female<br />
vocals and CSN hippie sounds. "Broken Wing" is a<br />
standout track with terrific harmonies and a secular<br />
westcoast feel not unlike Oasis on Cranbus.<br />
PI CORPORATION (cleveland, OH)<br />
"Lost In The Cosmic Void" 2001 (Rockadelic 41) [500p]<br />
Unreleased 1973-76 experimental/avantgarde synth
dopehead recordings, enjoyable even if you're new to<br />
the style. Two structured "songs" on side 1 are<br />
really good, plus they retain a basement vibe<br />
throughout with a real live drummer and acid lead<br />
guitarist. Side 2 is mostly electronic noise, though<br />
not without a lot of thought put into it and various<br />
moods creeping in and out. The freakiest aspects of<br />
Stone Harbour might be one point of reference, though<br />
these guys had a somewhat bigger budget. Worth<br />
checking out, with grower qualities. The vocalist was<br />
formerly with Granicus. [PL]<br />
RAY PIERLE (Indianapolis, IN)<br />
"Time And Money" 1980 (no label) [300p]<br />
"Rhythm Of The Highway" 1981 (no label 1634) [300p;<br />
insert/paste-on]<br />
Among the three records (including McKay) with Ray<br />
Pierle involvement, "Time & Money" is the heaviest<br />
guitar LP. Both "Time & Money" and "Rhythm of the<br />
Highway" are one-man-band albums with Ray Pierle<br />
playing everything. One reason the McKay LP is rated,<br />
in general, the far better of these three is that it<br />
has the more organic feel of a record made by a real<br />
band, and one that had been playing together for a<br />
while. Pierle's solo LPs are more overtly<br />
singer/songwriter LPs and, musically, both records<br />
sound more like the early 1980s records they are,<br />
than McKay which is from 1977 but sounds as early as<br />
1972. Both above albums are rock records<br />
(descriptions like "psychedelic folk" are way off<br />
base) dominated by electric guitars, bass and drums.<br />
Both employ occasional flanging effects on the<br />
vocals, but the early-70s post-psychedelic charm of<br />
the McKay LP is, for the most part, missing. Among<br />
rare record collectors you cannot underestimate the<br />
appeal of an interesting record cover and "Rhythm of<br />
the Highway" has the sort of cover that just screams<br />
Private Press from across the room; the kind of cover<br />
that holds out enormous promise when stumbled upon in<br />
a thrift shop record bin. A blank white jacket, the<br />
LP originally came sealed with an 8 x 8 inch cover<br />
art sheet (white with a fairly psychedelic blue<br />
drawing) loose inside the shrink. The sheet was<br />
printed on "crack and peel" paper so the buyer could<br />
remove the backing and glue it to the sleeve. "Time &<br />
Money" has a printed cover with a color painting<br />
(also by Ray Pierle) of an hour glass. In addition to<br />
these 3 records by Ray, his late-brother Donnie<br />
Pierle was on a marginally interesting self-titled LP<br />
from Michigan by the band Bike. [SD]<br />
MIKE PINERA BAND (FL)<br />
"1 For All" 1978 (Illusion)<br />
Hard guitar rock from ex-Iron Butterfly and Blues<br />
Image member on (his own) mysterious Florida tax-loss<br />
label with dozens of releases around this time.<br />
Pinera would record and release more albums.
PIPER ( )<br />
"Next Superstar" 1969 (Century) [insert]<br />
Obscure title on notorious custom label, light<br />
pop/folkrock with artrock keyboard and harpsichord<br />
moves judging by the descriptions seen.<br />
PIRANHAS (San Marino, CA)<br />
"Somethin' Fishy" 1965 (Custom Fidelity 1452)<br />
FRANK PISANI ( )<br />
"Somethin' Fishy" was a little bit different than<br />
your standard surf band offering. First off, few of<br />
their contemporaries included a three piece horn<br />
section. Although the debut offered up a fairly<br />
standard mixture of popular covers and isolated<br />
originals, musically these guys were difficult to<br />
peg; falling somewhere in the cracks between surf<br />
outfit and garage genres. Horn-propelled<br />
instrumentals such as 'Peter Gunn Theme' and 'James<br />
Bond Theme' were enthusiastic, if not particularly<br />
innovative. Far more impressive were the band's vocal<br />
performances. Snotty and suitably raw, material such<br />
as 'Hitchhike', 'My Babe' (be sure to check out the<br />
hysterical spoken word segment) and a great cover of<br />
'Louie, Louie' were all worth hearing. Sure, it<br />
wasn't going to have a major impact on your<br />
lifestyle, but it's somehow uplifting to hear these<br />
guys struggle through the ten tracks - any group of<br />
11 year olds could probably handle 'Bubbles' with the<br />
same degree of professionalism. [SB]<br />
"Sky" 1977 (Dellwood)<br />
Another fun tax scam label item. Pisani's music is<br />
hard rock with both prog and AOR tendencies, equal<br />
parts keyboards and guitar. Some of the arrangements<br />
are quite creative and the songs are pretty strong.<br />
The manly but high vocals would have been very radio<br />
friendly in the late 70s-the sound is not too far<br />
from Foreigner, Montrose (with Sammy Hagar) or Bad<br />
Company. Pisani, though, is less refined and more<br />
unpredictable than those artists. Along with the<br />
heavy songs, the album includes a funky instrumental<br />
with great keyboard playing, a surprisingly good<br />
guitar-free ballad, and a song timed at "7:60."<br />
Pretty good stuff. [AM]<br />
P J ORION & THE MAGNATES (Groton, MA)
"P J Orion & The Magnates" 1967 (Magnate 122459)<br />
"P J Orion & The Magnates" 1984 (Eva 12023, France)<br />
"P J Orion & The Magnates" 1984 (Resurrection) [b & w cover]<br />
PLAGUE (MI)<br />
Local prep-garage LP with a folkrock sound a la<br />
Ha'Pennys but slightly more pro-sounding, adds some<br />
early 60s and UK R'n'B covers for good measure.<br />
Consistent in its $15 jangly Searchers/early Byrds<br />
sound, even on Stones and Animals numbers, with a<br />
folkrocked "Love Minus Zero" perhaps the most<br />
original thing on board. Nice live feel with<br />
appealingly loose drummer and amateur vocals. No<br />
selfpenned material and kind of short with only nine<br />
tracks, even as most of them cross the 3-minute mark.<br />
Recorded in New York. The band members belonged to<br />
wealthy Greek shipping families (hence "Magnates")<br />
and were students at the Groton prep school, which<br />
makes their tough greaseball stance on the supercool<br />
cover seem a wishful Spring break fantasy. [PL]<br />
"Plague" 1972 (no label 26907) [no sleeve]<br />
Basement-sounding folkrock cover LP with organ/guitar<br />
and horns, a few originals.<br />
PLANET OF THE APES (CT)<br />
"A Musical Trip" 1974 (TPI)<br />
Oddball concept LP from artist inspired by the<br />
classic movie, with crude prog and goofy spoken bits.<br />
Not without appeal due to its weirdness. Strange<br />
cover of monkey heads floating in space. The work of<br />
one Terry Phillips.<br />
PLASTIC CLOUD (Bay Ridge, Canada)<br />
"Plastic Cloud" 1968 (Allied 10) [insert]<br />
"Plastic Cloud" 1987 (BSF/Toadstool 2104, Italy) [bootleg; no<br />
insert]<br />
"Plastic Cloud" 1990 (CD Lazer's Edge 1002)<br />
"Plastic Cloud" 1999 (Void) [insert]
"Plastic Cloud" 2005 (CD Akarma 316, Italy)<br />
"Plastic Cloud" 2005 (CD Pacemaker/Lion 046, Canada)<br />
"Plastic Cloud" 2005 (Lion) [700p; gatefold]<br />
The Canadian scene produced several terrific LPs and<br />
here's one of the ultimates, with an appeal to both<br />
garage fuzz-heads and album psych collectors. The mix<br />
of dreamy WCPAEB-style vocals with ripping fuzz and<br />
sub-Dylanesque lyrics works better than one might<br />
imagine possible, and the LP gains appeal from its<br />
youthful basement edge. One of the big, mandatory<br />
pieces of the field, and a desirable item for<br />
decades, which has helped make it rare despite a<br />
sizable pressing run. Great sleeve too. Unfortunately<br />
this classic LP has been poorly served by the<br />
recyclers (much like the Bachs). Of the older<br />
reissues, the BSF is generally considered to have the<br />
best sound. The Lazer's Edge CD is noisy, while the<br />
Void reissue lacks punch. The recent Pacemaker/Lion<br />
job has been reported to sound good. A close<br />
counterfeit appears to exist; originals show "Record<br />
#10-A" in the dead wax on side 1, crossed out with 4<br />
lines. Next to this it is etched "Rec.No.10-S-1".<br />
Some originals came with additional promo inserts.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Amazing album that combines wonderful melodic soft<br />
pop with utterly relentless fuzz guitar. The guitar<br />
truly doesn’t stop, blazing on behind and around the<br />
singing, and somehow it all seems to be with a<br />
purpose. The songs are terrific, and this would have<br />
been a great pop album even without all the fuzz (or<br />
the lyrics about “smoking cow” and “sniffing glue”).<br />
As it is, it’s a one-of-a-kind wonder that can warm<br />
the heart of even the most jaded popsike fan. One of<br />
the all-time greats. [AM]<br />
PLEASE FEED THE ANIMALS (Canada)<br />
"Please Feed The Animals" 1968 (Paragon PGS 572)<br />
"Please Feed The Animals" 1968 (Arc 755)
PLUM NELLY (NY)<br />
One track from this late Brit Invasion exploitation<br />
LP has been reissued on the "Nightmares From The<br />
Underworld vol 2" comp. The album contains covers of<br />
various UK bands, the Animals in particular, as the<br />
title implies. Also one track each from the<br />
Yardbirds, Cream, and Small Faces. The unexpected<br />
appearance of Sir Douglas Quintet's "The tracker"<br />
suggests this band was still believed to be English<br />
at the time! Pretty cool if you take it for what it<br />
is. The two original releases have different sleeves.<br />
"Deceptive Lines" 1971 (Capitol 692)<br />
P.O.A (IL)<br />
I have to admit that it took awhile for this album to<br />
reveal its charms to me. Featuring a series of<br />
extended tracks (only one out of six clocks in under<br />
four minutes), selections such as 'Deception' and<br />
'Carry On' were rather conventional rock, sporting<br />
occasional progressive and jazzy touches (the latter<br />
courtesy of Jeremy Steig's flute, of Jeremy and the<br />
Satyrs fame). The lead singer had a decent voice,<br />
though his performances were frequently a little on<br />
the shrill side for my tastes. More to my liking were<br />
the chunky lead guitar moves. Personal favorite; the<br />
intense 'Demon'. In terms of talent, these guys were<br />
clearly above most of their competition, but I still<br />
find the set lacking. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
Another hard to find Capitol release, and another<br />
solid one. It's progressive hard rock with a British<br />
feel. There are lots of guitars, powerful male<br />
vocals, and even a little bit of flute. The long<br />
songs develop some nice grooves, and the album rocks<br />
convincingly. Equally as rare as Head Over Heels and<br />
Landslide, and almost as good. [AM]<br />
"Home" 197 (Applause LPS-277-02)<br />
Christian 70s guitar-led rock/hardrock with long<br />
cuts, wah-wah, even some funky moves. Rated highly by<br />
some.<br />
PODIPTO (Bemidji, MN)<br />
"Homemade" 1973 (Minnesota Green 7304)<br />
Rural/country-rock LP from a locally popular band who<br />
also had a less obscure, selftitled LP on the GRT<br />
label. This one has been described as unexceptional<br />
within the genre, with short pop-format songs. A<br />
vinyl-sourced CD reissue of both LPs has been made<br />
for regional distribution.<br />
POLESTAR 1 (Baltimore, MD)
"Flying Through The Universe" 1980 (Rascal)<br />
POLYPHONY (VA)<br />
Heavy guitar and keyboard space rock and prog with<br />
Christian concerns, housed in an appropriate fantasy<br />
cover.<br />
"Without Introduction" 197 (Eleventh Hour 1003)<br />
"Without Introduction" 199 (Eleventh Hour) [bootleg]<br />
"Without Introduction" 2004 (CD Acid Symposium 008, Italy)<br />
"Without Introduction" 2004 (CD Radioactive 117, UK)<br />
Here's another fascinating album on the Eleventh Hour<br />
label (like Mason), and with a gorgeous cover. This<br />
is an early experimental prog band with definite scifi/fantasy<br />
tendencies. Some of the lyrics are pretty<br />
pretentious and aspire to a level of intellect they<br />
can't pull off, and even words with a more musical<br />
flow wouldn't have saved the blah melodies on side<br />
two (which comprises two long songs.) Side one,<br />
however, is great. It's mostly one 14-minute song<br />
with all sorts of surprises, including some really<br />
appealing and unique jagged guitar. About a minute of<br />
wild electronic noise follows, making for a really<br />
cool album side. Half of a killer album. [AM]<br />
ERICA POMERANCE see Erica<br />
POOBAH (Youngstown, OH)<br />
"Let Me In" 1972 (Peppermint 1015)<br />
"Let Me In" 199 (Peppermint, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
"Let Me In" 199 (CD Third Thunder, Germany)<br />
First and best LP by prolific outfit celebrated on<br />
the hard rock circuit. This is their most<br />
psych/underground effort and opens with some really<br />
good tracks firmly rooted in the late 60s sound.<br />
Unfortunately side 2 is more rootsy boogie and has a<br />
long dull power trio showoff including a drum solo,<br />
so I can't really recommend it unless you're a genre<br />
fan. Also has one of the worst covers of all time<br />
with a cheap b&w drawing of an old hippie throwing up<br />
- very nice. There was a 45 with a non-LP track<br />
around the same time. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
The first two songs are great—a hot loud hard rocker<br />
and a great moody psych tune. The rest of the album<br />
hints at the direction they’d later take, which is a<br />
more commercialized and less interesting hard rock<br />
sound. The last song has a typically dull drum solo.<br />
[AM]<br />
"US Rock" 1976 (Anchor 1) [poster]<br />
"Steamroller" 1979 (Peppermint 1180) [insert]<br />
Poobah's later albums are sought after by guitar hero<br />
collectors but may sound like loud, bland FM hard
POOR RICHARD (MI)<br />
rock to others, and are recommended only to genre<br />
fans. In 1980 there was a test press LP, "Live At<br />
Snug Harbor" (Cleveland Rec Co; no cover) with 20<br />
minutes of 'Poobah's Boogie' and nothing else. Poobah<br />
main guy Jim Gustafson has continued to perform and<br />
occasionally record.<br />
"Place Of The Sun" 1978 (Kazoo 4105)<br />
This unique and cool acid folk item is something you<br />
know is special as soon as you see the beautiful<br />
album cover. All of the songs are centered around<br />
heavy acoustic guitar, but some really rock out<br />
(three songs have drums and are all fab), while<br />
others set a stark mellow late-night or outdoors<br />
mood. Side one is solid from start to finish. Side<br />
two is more complex, starting with a song<br />
appropriately named “Funky Honky,” and then going<br />
into a twelve-minute suite which has lots of lovely<br />
acoustic 12-string and some neat moments, but doesn’t<br />
sustain interest like the short songs on side one.<br />
Richard’s vocals are strong and serious, well suited<br />
to this music. You’ll be surprised by the groove a<br />
few songs find. When the rhythm section enters half<br />
way through the otherwise sleepy “Ax of Good-Bye,”<br />
the effect is startling and magical. I wish the long<br />
song had a bit more strength, but this album is very<br />
good. [AM]<br />
POPCORN BLIZZARD ( )<br />
"Explode" 1968 (De-Lite 2004)<br />
DAVE PORTER (WA)<br />
A seldom seen soft pop/lyte-psych LP that has some<br />
admirers. It appears that Meatloaf's first group of<br />
the same name was an unrelated combo, despite the<br />
unusual monicker. The De-Lite band also had two 45s<br />
out, and may have been from New Jersey.<br />
"Dave Porter" 197 (no label, no #)<br />
Loungey singer/songwriter guy looking like a happy<br />
outsider on the excellent front cover. Inside is a<br />
mixed bag of sounds, mostly unexceptional, but with<br />
solid entertainment in "I'm The Boss" with strange<br />
lyrics and inappropriate scat-singing, and the<br />
driving "Why I can't love you", while the memorable<br />
panoramic Vegas lounge-rock of "Where do clouds go"<br />
is just one notch from turning into full-blown<br />
psychedelia in the Bob Smith/D R Hooker school;<br />
outstanding. The album was recorded in Seattle with<br />
NW scenemaker Rick Keefer engineering, and pressed in<br />
Canada.
JERRY PORTER ( )<br />
"Don't Bother Me" 1966 (Mirror 123)<br />
POUND (Chicago, IL)<br />
Acidy downer urban blues folk with guitar and<br />
harmonica, including lengthy track "LSD fixation"<br />
which is an early description of an acid trip. Worth<br />
looking up for early loner/freak folk fans. He also<br />
wrote books about the hobo lifestyle. Produced by NY<br />
upstate legend Armand Schaubroeck for his Mirror<br />
label, this was a "Capitol Custom" job with actual<br />
distribution.<br />
"Odd Man Out" 1974 (Audio Mixers 74840)<br />
STEVE POWELL (TX)<br />
Homemade 70s blend of basement folk and rock, not<br />
terribly impressive. The title track is worth<br />
checking out for a sample. Ex-Down From Nothing.<br />
"Revelation (The Party's Over)" 1974 (Wine Skin 259-02)<br />
POWER OF ZEUS (MI)<br />
Rainbow Promise main guy using his former band as<br />
back-up, a bit mellowed out bit still showing some<br />
basement jammy psych tendencies.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Rainbow Promise<br />
"The Gospel According To" 1970 (Rare Earth 516) [promos<br />
exist]<br />
"The Gospel According To" 2005 (Rare Earth) [bootleg; slightly<br />
diff back cover]<br />
"The Gospel According To" 2005 (CD Akarma 318, Italy)<br />
This is actually an early Christian hard rock album,<br />
though you might not know if you don’t listen too<br />
closely. It sounds great one song at a time, as the<br />
songs are powerful and have nice guitar/organ<br />
interplay. Yet over the whole 40 minutes it doesn’t<br />
seem as good, which is probably a case of the songs<br />
sounding too much alike and the ideas not being<br />
especially original. Recommended to junkies of the<br />
style. The powerful recording and instrumental breaks<br />
has made this a popular LP for DJ samples. The LP was<br />
also released in Germany. [AM]<br />
PRATT (Grand Rapids, MI)<br />
"Pratt" 1978 (Stentorian 38022)<br />
Midwestern guitar-driven hardrock in crude reverse
negative cover showing the drummer behind his kit.<br />
PRENTICE & TUTTLE (Boston, MA)<br />
"Prentice & Tuttle" 1970 (RPC AZ-59501)<br />
The first Prentice & Tuttle album is nowhere near as<br />
well known as the slightly more produced "Every<br />
Loving Day", but it will appeal to the same people,<br />
and just may well be a better album. It’s a<br />
distinctive and well-written collection of 14 short<br />
songs, starkly arranged in the best tradition of 1962<br />
Greenwich Village (they even cover a Fred Neil song)<br />
and with an old-timer kind of world-weary feel. Some<br />
pianos and acoustic 12-string guitars give the album<br />
some variety despite the simple arrangements. This is<br />
not “pretty” folk, but it is melodic nonetheless. It<br />
doesn’t get much more “real” than this album. Highly<br />
recommended to any fan of folk/loner folk. [AM]<br />
"Every Loving Day" 1972 (RPC Z-50172) [paste-on]<br />
Lost country folk duo with that fragile delicacy and<br />
despair that really hits home for this sort of lowkey<br />
local. Strong rural element in the lyrics with<br />
troubled tales, and a deep love of nature is evident.<br />
Good dark fingerpicking and strum folk with<br />
occasional piano. The deep vibrato vocals can be a<br />
bit tough on the ears, but all in all a nice glimpse<br />
of rural Americana. [RM]<br />
PRESSED DOWN, SHAKEN TOGETHER AND RUNNING OVER (OH)<br />
"Pressed Down, Shaken Together And Running Over" 1973 (Almond<br />
Tree 20423)<br />
The debut LP is melodic x-ian rock and psych,<br />
restrained acoustic guitar, keys, beautiful lead<br />
vocals and harmonies. Charming with a sedate CSN<br />
melodicism mixed with some uptempo numbers.<br />
Highlight: the moody "Bright and Morning Star" with<br />
its trippy organ and shuffling rhythm. The follow-up<br />
from 1979 ("Star Of The Show", WOW) is a bit of a<br />
letdown. [RM]<br />
PRIMEVIL (Indianapolis, IN)<br />
"Smokin' Bats At Camptons" 1974 (700 West 740105) [1000p]<br />
"Smokin' Bats At Camptons" 199 (no label, Europe) [altered<br />
cover]<br />
"Smokin' Bats At Camptons" 2006 (CD Radioactive 164, UK)<br />
It's funny to hear the acoustic guitars that begin<br />
and end some of these songs (and the 6-minute<br />
instrumental "composition"). It's almost as if they<br />
want us to take them seriously. Sorry, but they're<br />
just a rough-edged hard rock band with an angry<br />
vocalist and an ambitious rhythm section (i.e. some<br />
funky bits). Unfortunately the drummer's other
SUZANNE PRINCE (IN)<br />
tendency is towards Ginger Baker-styled tom-tom<br />
overuse. This has its moments, and sounds good due to<br />
the excellent 700 West engineering, but strives for<br />
virtuosity while barely reaching competency. In a<br />
way, that's kind of charming, and the instrumental<br />
parts are more fun to listen to than the growling<br />
vocals (except on the absurd "Hey Lover," with the<br />
inexplicable call and response vocals "Hey lover...<br />
hey tuna!") A lot of people like this one, but I<br />
think it's only a step away from Spinal Tap. Hmmm,<br />
maybe that means I do like it. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Buccaneer<br />
"Rusty Nails & Promises" 1978 (L'VY Records)<br />
Here's a completely unknown private press that should<br />
thrill fans of blues and/or powerful female singers.<br />
Prince has a sultry, resonant voice and is a strong<br />
songwriter. Most of the songs are steamy blues-rock,<br />
though a few are calm, almost folky. Some surprising<br />
and terrific fuzz guitar shows up on a few songs, and<br />
it's played by Suzanne herself. She's also assembled<br />
a pretty solid bar band for this album. A very nice<br />
find, much better than a lot of more well-known<br />
albums in the genre. [AM]<br />
PRINCESS FLOWER & THE MOON RAYS ( )<br />
"Dreaming the Magic of Your Maya" 1968 (Akashic #22)<br />
website version:<br />
A group of American freaks hanging out in Paris who<br />
joined up with an exiled Daevid Allen post-Soft<br />
Machine to form what has been referred to as Proto-<br />
Gong (aka Banana Moon #1), existing from late 1967<br />
through 1968. They recorded this one LP in Paris in<br />
Spring 1968 before D.A. and Gilli Smyth did their<br />
Gong thing. The LP contains 6 tracks dominated by<br />
Standlee’s meandering flute and occasional vocals<br />
spewing out what appears to be free associative<br />
poetry. Daevid Allen is credited as being on only one<br />
track on Side 2; another guitarist, with the rather<br />
suspicious name of Fej Mornin, is credited with the<br />
guitar playing on Side 1, most of which does sound<br />
somewhat suspiciously like Allen’s style. The album<br />
opens with a short spurt of flute and laughter (male<br />
& female - could that be Daevid & Gilli?). It leads<br />
into the first song, “Lovin Spaceship”, a sort of<br />
Proto-Gong bluesy guitar strummer with Dylanesque<br />
stream of consciousness lyrics and a Booby D<br />
harmonica finale. Following is “Women of Moon”,<br />
another free association Dylanesque blues strum. Side<br />
1 winds up with a long track listed as two songs on<br />
the label. First is “Vanishing Rama”, a long krishna<br />
jam led by Standlee’s flute, echoed guitar sounding<br />
very much like Allen’s glissando guitar playing and<br />
crude “tin pot” drumming. Midway, a Spoonfull rhythm<br />
intrudes, leading into proto-Gong space avant<br />
wanking. This flows directly into “Guharam Rock”,<br />
more free association/guitar strumming, though this
time with a more rocking rhythm set by “shoe box”<br />
drumming. Standlee’s flute at its most meandering<br />
joins in toward the end. Side 2 opens with the one<br />
track that officially credits Daevid Allen, “Between<br />
Spirits”. This track is pure Gong; atonal flute over<br />
glissando guitar with nonsense vocals flitting in and<br />
out. The LP ends on the lengthy “Ancient Faces”. This<br />
is a raga-fueled flute and percussion instrumental<br />
with a female “chanter” Ziska Baum, described as<br />
Gilli Smyth’s “soul-sister”and sounds very much like<br />
her. The music is trancey, yet floating and a jew’s<br />
harp briefly floats into the mix about midway. As the<br />
harp fades away, the percussion intensifies, a male<br />
chanter is added and the now double-tracked flute<br />
engages in atonal sputtering until the LP ends as it<br />
began with a few seconds of laughter. Princess Flower<br />
and the Moon Rays dissolved in the spring of 1968<br />
when Paris was enveloped by student riots. Loren<br />
Standlee and Ziska Baum returned to the U.S. after<br />
she was busted for marijuana possession. Standlee,<br />
Ziska and percussionist Raja Samyana were members<br />
through the late 60s of The Universal Mutant<br />
Repertory Company, which also included original<br />
Velvet Underground drummer Angus MacLise and his wife<br />
Hetty. Samyana is listed as guitarist, though. This<br />
LP is believed to have been released in New York<br />
City, where Standlee was very active as the 3 or 4<br />
known copies have all been found there. This Akashic<br />
label does not appear to be related to any other by<br />
that name (Maitreya Kali, etc). [MA]<br />
book version:<br />
A group of American freaks hanging out in Paris who<br />
in late 1967 joined up with an exiled Daevid Allen<br />
post-Soft Machine to form what has been referred to<br />
as Proto-Gong (aka Banana Moon #1). They recorded<br />
this LP in Paris in Spring 1968. The LP contains 6<br />
tracks dominated by Standlee’s meandering flute and<br />
occasional vocals spewing out what appears to be free<br />
associative poetry. Daevid Allen is credited only one<br />
track; another guitarist, with the rather suspicious<br />
name of Fej Mornin, is credited with most guitar<br />
playing, much of which does sound somewhat<br />
suspiciously like Allen’s style. The album opens with<br />
a short spurt of flute and laughter which leads into<br />
“Lovin Spaceship”, a sort of Proto-Gong bluesy guitar<br />
strummer with Dylanesque stream of consciousness<br />
lyrics and a harmonica finale. Following is “Women of<br />
Moon”, another free association Dylanesque blues<br />
strum. Side 1 winds up with “Vanishing Rama”, a long<br />
krishna jam led by Standlee’s flute, echoed guitar<br />
sounding very much like Allen’s glissando guitar<br />
playing and crude “tin pot” drumming. Midway, a<br />
Spoonful rhythm intrudes, leading into proto-Gong<br />
space avant wanking. This flows directly into<br />
“Guharam Rock”, more free association/guitar<br />
strumming, though this time with a more rocking<br />
rhythm set by “shoe box” drumming. Standlee’s flute<br />
at its most meandering joins in toward the end. Side<br />
2 opens with the one track that officially credits<br />
Daevid Allen, “Between Spirits”. This track is pure<br />
Gong; atonal flute over glissando guitar with<br />
nonsense vocals flitting in and out. The LP ends on<br />
the lengthy “Ancient Faces”. This is a raga-fueled<br />
flute and percussion instrumental with a female<br />
“chanter” Ziska Baum, described as Gilli Smyth’s<br />
“soul-sister”and sounds very much like her. The music<br />
is trancey, yet floating and a jew’s harp briefly
floats into the mix about midway. As the harp fades<br />
away, the percussion intensifies, a male chanter is<br />
added and the now double-tracked flute engages in<br />
atonal sputtering until the LP ends as it began with<br />
a few seconds of laughter. Princess Flower & The Moon<br />
Rays dissolved in the spring of 1968 when Paris was<br />
enveloped by student riots. This LP is believed to<br />
have been released in New York City, where Standlee<br />
was very active as the 3 or 4 known copies have all<br />
been found there. This Akashic label does not appear<br />
to be related to any other by that name (Maitreya<br />
Kali, etc). [MA]<br />
JOE PRITCHARD & GIBRALTAR (MO)<br />
"Kendall" 1974 (Kendall-Lee 74201)<br />
"Kendall" 1996 (no label, Austria) [300#d; altered cover]<br />
"Kendall" 2004 (CD Radioactive 0062, UK)<br />
PROBE (IL)<br />
Pro-sounding 1970s rarity with ballsy rock sound and<br />
songs ranging from ambitious prog moves over bluesy<br />
bar-rock and into macho FM rock postures. Solid<br />
across the board with excellent guitar leads, soulful<br />
vocals, and a versatile band. Keyboards, woodwinds<br />
and ambitious arrangements provide a prog/AOR vibe<br />
that may turn some off, although there's enough<br />
groove to keep one's attention throughout the four<br />
long tracks. At its best it approaches the powerful<br />
sound of fellow Missourians Phantasia, and is also<br />
somewhat reminiscent of the 2nd Wedge LP. For 70s<br />
fans only, and ultimately a little too much<br />
mainstream rock for me, but still an agreeable<br />
testament to the remarkable production value of many<br />
local US albums of the time. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Interesting and unusual private press hard rock<br />
album. Four long songs and a short experiment. The<br />
unusual arrangements augment riff rock and blues rock<br />
with saxes, synthesizers, and some poetic ideas. All<br />
of it is quite good and though the songs are long<br />
they have enough going on to keep them from dragging.<br />
A refreshing change from the usual bonehead 70s hard<br />
rock. Bizarre album cover is a bunch of writing --<br />
political ranting by Pritchard. [AM]<br />
"Direction" 1971 (Eborp 21396) [200p]<br />
"Direction" 199 (no label) [bootleg; orange vinyl; inferior<br />
sleeve job]<br />
"Direction" 2004 (CD Mind's Eye, UK)<br />
This is pretty amateurish stuff, and falls into a<br />
category somewhere between Bachs/Mystery Meat garage<br />
and post-Iron Butterfly hard rock. There's lots of<br />
organ and wah-wah, phased drums, an energetic Steve<br />
Miller cover, a definite soul influence, and<br />
harmonies that don't quite cut it. The best thing<br />
about the album is the interplay between the lead
PROBE 10 ( )<br />
guitar and the eerie-sounding organ. None of it is<br />
played particularly well, but the spirit is cool in a<br />
youthful way and the songs aren't bad. Best song:<br />
"Two Roads In The Night," which has a memorable<br />
guitar hook, varying speeds and a tricky chord<br />
progression. The songs are surprisingly complex; they<br />
have ambitions beyond their chops. "Direction" has<br />
its faults, but overall it's one of the more<br />
enjoyable albums of its style. A long bluesy cover of<br />
"Rock Me" is regrettable, though. Recommended to<br />
people who like prep rock but wish it was heavier.<br />
[AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Bread'n'butter local basement longhairs who probably<br />
played high schools and clubs in their home-town<br />
without aspiring to a high level of artistry. The<br />
vibe is post-psychedelic, rootsy bluesy in parts,<br />
proggy hardrock in parts. Setting is typical<br />
guitar/organ interplay, with some surprisingly<br />
sophisticated jazzy guitarwork that doesn't quite gel<br />
with the bonehead feel of other parts of the LP; good<br />
old local LP idiosynchracy in other words. The vocals<br />
tend to fall in the unfortunate soulful macho style<br />
of the era which keeps this from attaining the full<br />
teenage realness of albums like Top Drawer or the<br />
Rockadelic roster. All over a difficult album to<br />
knock, but equally difficult to find reasons for<br />
people to pick up, unless they have some personal<br />
memories attached to the scene. Probe released this<br />
to get gigs and delight friends and family, and apart<br />
from the excellent "Two Roads", the "Direction" trip<br />
doesn't really extend beyond those humble ambitions.<br />
The small press size has been reported by the band.<br />
[PL]<br />
"There Is A Universe" 1975 (Blue Universe 92673)<br />
Progressive rarity of an eclectic, challenging<br />
nature, venturing into fusion with jazzy guitar runs<br />
and trumpet and flute interplay. Mostly instrumental.<br />
As with others of the era, there is a clear debt to<br />
Chick Corea's Return To Forever.<br />
PROFESSOR FUDDLE'S FANTASTIC FAIRYTALE MACHINE (Toronto, Canada)<br />
"Professor Fuddle's" 1974 (Periwinkle 7314) [textured cover]<br />
"Professor Fuddle's / Borealis" 2005 (CD Beatball, South<br />
Korea) [2-on-1]<br />
Lots of synthesizers can't disguise the fact that<br />
this album is bascially bubblegum, and in fact, the<br />
catchiest song on it is one that's definitely aimed<br />
at kids. Not that bad, really, but unlikely to appeal<br />
to psych fans or to prog fans who hear it described<br />
as a moog-heavy rock album. Very short album, under<br />
25 minutes. Vocalist Paul Bradbury was formerly with<br />
Borealis. [AM]<br />
PROJECTION COMPANY ( )
"Give Me Some Lovin'" 1967 (Custom cs-1113)<br />
PROMISE (CO)<br />
Extra cheesy exploito garage fuzz and organ fun. Half<br />
instro ravers with the trademark Jerry Cole guitar<br />
style and misleading titles like "Our man Hendrix".<br />
The offhand "soulful" vocals are a gas. Some of the<br />
tracks are backing tracks from the ID-"Inner Sounds"<br />
album sessions. One of the less common titles on the<br />
label. [RM]<br />
"Promise" 1980 (Cumulus)<br />
Seldom seen private press ranging from strong power<br />
pop to Beatles influenced pop-psych with an<br />
occasional heavier edge.<br />
PROOF (Anchorage, Alaska)<br />
"Proof" 1971 (no label) [500p; insert]<br />
"Proof" 200 (Akarma 236, Italy)<br />
"Proof" 200 (CD Akarma, Italy)<br />
Early bar-rock/roots/1960s revival band from<br />
Anchorage recorded live at two different 1970<br />
concerts opening for big US artists. Crude bluesy<br />
garage sound with good harmonica, fluid guitar work<br />
and some unusual arrangements of r'n'r standards<br />
makes this above average for the genre, though the<br />
genre admittedly sucks. A few group originals too.<br />
The press size has been reported as 300 copies. [PL]<br />
"5th Anniversary Phonograph Record" 1972 (no label) [125p]<br />
"5th Anniversary Phonograph Record" 200 (CD Akarma, Italy)<br />
PROPINQUITY (CO)<br />
Comp of '66-71 live material, a couple of tracks have<br />
strong westcoasty guitar jamming.<br />
"Propinquity" 1972 (Owl 23)<br />
PROSPECTUS (NJ/PA)<br />
1970s folkrock with its share of fans, female vocals<br />
on one track.<br />
"With Friends" 1971 (Bristol ee-1001) [2LPs; gatefold]<br />
Double LP of live funk and hippie rock covers.<br />
Barband basement jamming on James Gang, Janis Joplin,<br />
Blood Sweat & Tears and a bunch of tracks from the<br />
Joe Cocker repertoire.<br />
V.A "PSYCHEDELIC SIX-PACK SOUND" (IL)
"Psychedelic Six-pack Of Sound" 1968 (Summit 410)<br />
"Psychedelic Six-pack Of Sound" 199 (Lustbutt) [500p; blue<br />
marble vinyl]<br />
Obscure comp from local rural teenage bands,<br />
"psychedelic" only in name. Six groups do two cuts<br />
each, of which all on side one are pretty awful. On<br />
side two the Mavericks do decent Farfisa beat, Sound<br />
Of Fury do good beat/folkrock and finally there's<br />
great primitive garage/psych by Eighth Day. All over<br />
one of the lamer local comps though. Incidentally,<br />
many (or all) reissue copies have the cover slicks<br />
glued on the wrong way. [PL]<br />
PTARMIGAN (Vancouver, Canada)<br />
"Ptarmigan" 1974 (Columbia 90257)<br />
"Ptarmigan" 1991 (no label, Italy) [bootleg]<br />
Progressive folk with introspective psych moves, has<br />
a fabulous A-side with dark, almost hypnotic tracks<br />
travelling from mellow Eastern moods to intense<br />
hippiefolk and back. B-side is similar but less<br />
successful, though a great psych sleeve makes it a<br />
neat item all over. Not rated that highly, but I like<br />
it. The LP was recorded with session musicians (incl<br />
Papa Bear's guys) in 1972, but not released until<br />
'74. [PL]<br />
PUBLIC NUISANCE (Sacramento, CA)<br />
"Gotta Survive" 2002 (CD Frantic Records 1313) [2CDs]<br />
"Gotta Survive" 2002 (Shadoks 040, Germany) [2LPs; bonus EP;<br />
750p; gatefold]<br />
Public Nuisance never released a record during their<br />
time, but somehow made enough studio recordings to<br />
fill up this archival 2-CD collection. The recordings<br />
sound surprisingly modern, and the production quality<br />
is very strong. The songs are in a post-garage<br />
slightly psychedelic rock/pop mode, equal parts<br />
energy and melody. There are a number of standouts,<br />
and as a whole Public Nusiance is more impressive<br />
than many long-term major label bands of the era.<br />
Despite a reasonable amount of variety, 2 CDs is a<br />
lot. Particularly deadening is the inclusion of<br />
multiple versions of two tedious songs by an early<br />
version of the band. If the CDs had been arranged a<br />
little differently, perhaps to make the first disc a<br />
solid album of their best dozen or so songs, and the<br />
second to be like a set of bonus tracks, the "album"<br />
would have been a killer. As it is, this is a<br />
somewhat erratic and overlong compilation that's full<br />
of great songs, but the need to provide us with<br />
everything dulls the listening experience. I suspect<br />
most listeners will feel the urge to make their own<br />
CD-R of the best songs from both of these discs. [AM]<br />
PUGSLEY MUNION (Fitchburg, MA)<br />
"Just Like Me" 1970 (J & S slp-1001) [photo insert]
"Just Like Me" 2000 (CD Gear Fab GF-143) [+3 tracks]<br />
Excellent local power-trio sound with a ballsy Cream<br />
vibe, psych residuals, good guitar-playing. If there<br />
hadn't been 900 copies found in a warehouse in the<br />
early 1990s, this would be rated a lot higher. One<br />
member was formerly with Brother Fox & the Tar Baby.<br />
PULSE (New Haven, CT)<br />
"Pulse" 197 (Poison Ring 2237)<br />
"Pulse" 1996 (Poison Ring, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
"Pulse" 199 (CD Black Rose 144)<br />
This hard rock album has a crisp, clear production<br />
style that isn't really matched by the music. There's<br />
some decent guitar playing and a few catchy bits, and<br />
unlike a lot of the era's hard rock the songs are<br />
focused and well-constructed. Nonetheless, the<br />
histrionic bluesy wailing is pretty annoying, and<br />
despite the attention given to the songwriting<br />
there's not a whole lot that sticks. A significant<br />
amount of harmonica confirms the band's blues base.<br />
Recommended to hard rock fans who don't mind<br />
undistinguished macho singing. Sizeable quantities of<br />
this album were stashed in its Connecticut recording<br />
studio, and sealed copies still show up for sale<br />
reasonably often. Many of them have slight warps that<br />
don't seem to affect play. The album was also<br />
released in England by Major Minor. The band had a 45<br />
on Atco with a freaky non-LP track. There is another,<br />
unrelated Pulse who had an LP on Thimble, an Italian<br />
band based in New York. [AM]<br />
PURPLE IMAGE (Cleveland, OH)<br />
"Purple Image" 1970 (Map City 3015)<br />
"Purple Image" 2003 (CD Radioactive 041, UK)<br />
Sign-of-the-times hard drugged out funky guitar-rock<br />
from black 7-piece band with titles like "Living in<br />
the ghetto" and "We got to pull together". Typical<br />
mix of late-period Hendrix and Sly Stone, with<br />
wailing acid fuzz, wah-wah and feedback, loose<br />
male/female ensemble singing and revolutionary lyrics<br />
up the wazoo. Also some late 60s Marvin Gaye soul<br />
moves with sax. Definite psychedelic feel with stoned<br />
sound fx and a certain cheese flavor to it, as though<br />
they could have played the local Panther section in<br />
an AIP movie. "Lady" is the weakest track, while the<br />
opener and the 15-minute "Marching to a different<br />
drummer" sounds like the Chamber Bros on PCP. The<br />
50/50 mix of ghetto attitude and mind expansion is<br />
pretty successful in my ears, and while some people<br />
have expressed fatigue with hyped-up Hendrix/Sly<br />
derivations this one stands pretty well on its own<br />
bell-bottom clad legs. Great back cover photo from<br />
the grim streets of 1970 Cleveland. [PL]
PURPLE SMOKE ( )<br />
"Vol 1" 1969 (Mark 1446)<br />
Seldom seen light psych/loungy fare with some appeal<br />
and a cool cheesy purple smoke drawing cover.<br />
JOSEPH PUSEY (Los Angeles, CA) see interview<br />
"In My Lady's Chamber" 1977 (Cerebella 1001)<br />
UK-influenced progressive folk with superb playing<br />
and some moody psych residuals. Not trad folk in the<br />
rural sense, more in a direction towards renaissance<br />
court music. Acoustic guitars, bells, gong, some<br />
flute; a cerebral, refined atmosphere. Vocals aren't<br />
impressive but OK while the instrumental passages<br />
will leave any guitar student with his mouth hanging<br />
open. Consistent LP with a strong identity and grower<br />
qualities. Epic "Red planet descends" is a highpoint.<br />
Pusey passed away in 2004. [PL]<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
QUANTUM (Hartford, CT)<br />
"New World" 1976 (no label)<br />
QUASAR LIGHT ( )<br />
Trippy progressive with electronics, stacked synths,<br />
electric guitar, and efx. Long tracks broken up into<br />
movements. The band has also been listed as coming<br />
from NY.<br />
"Experience This" 1981 (no label)<br />
QUILL (CA)<br />
Eastcoast band doing heavy space rock with mixed<br />
vocals, guitar leads, sound effects, and more.<br />
"Sursum Corda" 1977 (RTI) [testpress in homemade cover]<br />
"Sursum Corda" 2000 (CD Syn-phonic 10, Europe)<br />
QUOTH THE RAVEN ( )<br />
Prog in ELP style. They define the title as "A<br />
complete and separate world which you can enter in<br />
and travel, but can return anytime you wish". It's a<br />
good sign when an album opens with the sounds of<br />
nature and this is no exception. A quite beautiful<br />
and at times eerie prog composition broken into two<br />
movements. Mostly featuring synth and drums with some<br />
piano and organ fills. Good dynamics as it shifts<br />
from delicate runs and organ washes to cascading<br />
synth blitzes. The vocals are a mite distracting but<br />
the music is quite complex and should appeal to fans<br />
of the mid-70s Italian driving synth groups. Original<br />
copies also exist with no cover. [RM]<br />
"Nevermore" 1972 (Triple G Records TGS 1-2)<br />
Little-known LP from Christian folkie/singersongwriter<br />
trio with mixed male/female vocals, in<br />
nice generic ocean sleeve. Rated highly by some,<br />
others are less impressed.
Acid Archives Main Page
RABBLE (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"The Rabble Album" 1967 (Trans-World 6800) [mono; brown wall<br />
cover]<br />
"The Rabble Album" 1967 (Trans-World 6800) [stereo; band photo<br />
cover]<br />
"The Rabble Album" 1968 (Roulette sr-42010, US) [stereo]<br />
"The Rabble Album" 1995 (no label) [bootleg]<br />
This Canadian band truly sounds like nobody else.<br />
They have a matter-of-fact, almost comic vocal style<br />
and goofy lyrics, and music with a strong pop sense<br />
but plenty of quirks. They’re too professional to be<br />
called garage, the vocals not melodic enough to be<br />
“pop,” and too musically creative to be “novelty.”<br />
Comparisons to Zappa are way off the mark (though he<br />
would be just gross enough to write a song about<br />
lancing a boil). They’re closer to 70s prog and pop<br />
weirdos like Oho or R. Stevie Moore, or even 90s<br />
indie-pop bands like Pavement. Both of their albums<br />
contain some unexpectedly interesting guitar work and<br />
a few psychedelic songs. I like them a lot; they’re<br />
unique, the songs are memorable and they’re never<br />
dull. The pressing history is a bit complex: the mono<br />
includes 'Golden Girl', while the stereo mix includes<br />
'I can still hear them laughing' instead of 'Golden<br />
girl' and also has edits and voices not on the mono.<br />
The US press includes both these tracks. [AM]<br />
"Give Us Back Elaine" 1969 (Trans-World 6707)<br />
"Give Us Back Elaine" 1995 (no label) [bootleg]<br />
RADIANT SET (CA)<br />
RAIN ( )<br />
The second Rabble album picks up where the first left<br />
off, but is maybe a tad bit less goofy. It’s equally<br />
good, if not better, and both of their albums are<br />
recommended. [AM]<br />
"Live" 197 (Five Star fsrs-1409)<br />
Early 1970s weird mix of Free Design pop, early Tex<br />
Mex, and horns. Fun incompetent jams to "La Bamba"<br />
and "Come Together", plus some originals.<br />
"Rain" 1972 (Project 3 PR 5072 SD) [wlp exists]<br />
This is the kind of record that has collectors<br />
tearing their hair out. It has that most horrible
RAIN (NY)<br />
combination of traits: 1) it’s scarce and has not<br />
been reissued, 2) it’s very, very good and 3) every<br />
known copy of the album is mispressed, which means<br />
that even if you find a copy of the damn thing, you<br />
won’t get to listen to it the way it was actually<br />
recorded. Two distinct problems exist: copies where<br />
side two is pressed on both sides of the album, and<br />
more commonly, copies where side one is pressed so<br />
badly off-center that the entire side sounds like it<br />
has a huge warp. As to the music within, it’s a<br />
fascinating blend of soft pop, folky psych and early<br />
prog. Some of the song structures and keyboard<br />
arrangements are certainly progressive, but this is<br />
one prog album that will appeal just as much to psych<br />
and pop fans, as the songs are brief and highly<br />
melodic. There’s experimentation here, but no excess.<br />
In fact, the proggiest songs give the album a nice<br />
lift, and the two best, “To A Dreamer” and “He Could<br />
Have Known,” really rock out. A few songs have clear<br />
Zombies and Beatles influences, while others remind<br />
the listener that Project 3 is the label of the Free<br />
Design. All are memorable and creatively composed.<br />
This is a great record. They evoke bands like Zerfas,<br />
who sound 70s but in a way that brings the best 60s<br />
music into the era. Now, please, somebody do a master<br />
tapes reissue! Some members were formerly with Rock<br />
Island, who also had an LP on Project 3. [AM]<br />
"Live, Christmas Night" 1974 (Whazoo usr-3049)<br />
"Live, Christmas Night" 199 (Whazoo) [300p; altered cover]<br />
RAINBEAUX (FL)<br />
Power trio with a Stones vibe and lots of hard guitar<br />
leads.<br />
"Reflections" 196 (Century - UMYC 11969)<br />
Late 1960s harmony folk trio look like frat brothers.<br />
Very moody, slow tempo tracks with delicate acoustic<br />
guitar, organ. A couple of stinkers but most of it is<br />
deep latenite folk and oddly rendered melodic rock "I<br />
Dig Rock and Roll Music", "Get Together", "She Loves<br />
You". Like the Four Freshmen going for a Mamas and<br />
Papas sound, without the gals. Beautiful Victorian<br />
psych cover. [RM]<br />
RAINBOW PRESS (New York City, NY)<br />
"There's A War On" 1968 (Mr G 9003)<br />
"There's A War On" 199 (Mr G, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
"There's A War On / Sunday Funnies" 1997 (CD Hipshaft) [2-on-<br />
1]<br />
"There's A War On" 2004 (CD Radioactive, UK)<br />
"There's A War On / Sunday Funnies" 2005 (CD Estrella, Spain)<br />
[2-on-1]<br />
Under-the-radar melodic psych LP which turns out to<br />
be surprisingly enjoyable, with wellwritten, often
moody tunes, OK vocals in the teen crooner style, and<br />
extensive use of acid fuzz leads. Nice organ-led<br />
minor chord progressions create a mock-serious feel a<br />
la Moody Blues, which is balanced by a snappy top 40<br />
enthusiasm that suggests the band still has one foot<br />
left in the "Nuggets" garage. Lyrics partly deal with<br />
"now" topics appropriate to the band's monicker, but<br />
apart for some bittersweet irony they go by pretty<br />
unnoticed. The slower tracks reveal that they weren't<br />
quite ready for Aggregation type pocket symphonies,<br />
but the midtempo lytepsych comes off well in a sound<br />
similar to Rainy Daze, and somewhere between those<br />
two bands is where I would place the Rainbow Press<br />
debut LP. The band was basically a studio-only outfit<br />
and reportedly sold several thousand copies of this<br />
debut album. [PL]<br />
"Sunday Funnies" 1969 (MR G 9004)<br />
"Sunday Funnies" 199 (MR G, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
"There's A War On / Sunday Funnies" 1997 (CD Hipshaft) [2-on-<br />
1]<br />
"There's A War On / Sunday Funnies" 2005 (CD Estrella, Spain)<br />
[2-on-1]<br />
Less successful but more pro-sounding second LP,<br />
released in the Spring 1969 although the band no<br />
longer existed. Beatles and Dylan covers alongside<br />
the originals. Canadian pressings of both LPs exist.<br />
RAINBOW PROMISE (TX)<br />
"Rainbow Promise" 197 (New Wine 259-01) [candelabras cover;<br />
inner]<br />
"Rainbow Promise" 1975 (New Wine 259-01) [marquee cover;<br />
inner]<br />
Christian melodic rock with a loose westcoasty vibe<br />
and sound a la Wilson McKinley, has three killers in<br />
a row at the beginning of side 1 up there with the<br />
best in the genre, another 3-4 numbers that are OK,<br />
and a couple of rather painful duds. Clearly above<br />
average for the style, and a popular item since many<br />
years. There is some confusion around the pressings<br />
of this LP, but the second version is credited to<br />
Steve Powell & Rainbow Promise and has a completely<br />
different cover (showing a pink old-style theatre<br />
marquee inside a black border). It also appears that<br />
at least some copies came with the 2nd pressing discs<br />
in the 1st press sleeve. Both runs are pretty rare.<br />
[PL]<br />
---<br />
Excellent laid-back West Coast style Christian rock.<br />
Similar to Wilson McKinley, though not as good (what<br />
is?). The lyrical message is a tad awkward at times,<br />
but the vocals are strong and heartfelt, and the<br />
abundance of echo-heavy guitar is beautiful and often<br />
transcendent. The first song on side two is<br />
especially dreamy. A couple of good-timey duds dull<br />
the overall impact of this album, but the good stuff<br />
here is right at the top of this genre. [AM]<br />
---
see -> Steve Powell<br />
RAINWATER TOURING COMPANY ( )<br />
RAM (NY)<br />
"The Theater Project Concerts" 1974 (Grinn 1003)<br />
Very obscure hippie folkrock jammer with a stoned<br />
westcoast vibe. Loose and organic with lots of<br />
atmosphere due to it being a live recording in front<br />
of an attentive audience. Mixed male/female vocals<br />
over an appealing soundscape ranging from quirky<br />
downer folk into all-out flowing psych folkrock. Hard<br />
to find any immediate comparisons, although the offbeat,<br />
piercing male vocals and late-night campfire<br />
feel had me thinking of Neil Young's "Tonight's the<br />
night" a bit. Also some instrumental guitar jamming.<br />
About half is a full rock setting with drums and<br />
snakey guitar leads and includes a couple of truly<br />
great tracks with an oceanic psych vibe, sort of like<br />
the first two tracks on the Robb Kunkel LP, or Sub<br />
Zero Band minus the violin. Closing "Gypsy lover"<br />
epic stretches out into vintage S F Ballroom jamming<br />
over a communal 1970s intensity. Good LP (provided<br />
you can handle some idiosynchratic vocals), killer in<br />
parts, and likely to blow a few minds when word gets<br />
around more. [PL]<br />
"Where In Conclusion" 1972 (Polydor PD-5013)<br />
"Where In Conclusion" 199 (CD Lizard Records LR 0710-2)<br />
RAM DASS (MA)<br />
At least to my ears this five track set featured one<br />
of the era's more engaging attempts to blend hard<br />
rock and progressive moves. So given the band's<br />
progressive leanings, including a penchant for long<br />
compositions (there's even a side long suite - "Aza")<br />
and an over-abundance of mellotrons and woodwinds,<br />
what makes lift this set above the norm? Tracks such<br />
as "The Want In You" and "Stoned Silence" showed that<br />
the band could actually rock out. It also helped that<br />
they had a pretty good singer, who occasionally<br />
reminded us of early Randy Bachman. The guitar<br />
playing is first rate, with a couple of blazing solos<br />
on material such as "The Want In You" and the bluesy<br />
"The Mothers Day Song". An added bonus; even at their<br />
most self-engrossed , the band never forgot to keep<br />
the melodies engaging. For whatever reason, this<br />
appears to be the band's only release, with original<br />
copies having become quite rare and sought after.<br />
[SB]
"Here We All Are" 1969 (Inner Sound, Canada, 3 LPs) [box-set;<br />
hindu artwork sleeve; insert]<br />
"Here We All Are" 1970 (Inner Sound, Canada, 3 LPs) [regular<br />
sleeve; blue title cover; insert]<br />
"Evolution Of Consciousness" 1973 (no label, 3 LPs) [boxset]<br />
"Love Serve Remember" 1973 (ZDA, 6 LPs) [box-set; booklet]<br />
RANDOM ELEMENT (NY)<br />
In the 1960s Richard Alpert was known as a Harvard<br />
professor and Timothy Leary LSD research associate.<br />
After a spiritual transformation into Baba Ram Dass,<br />
he went on to become one of the most wellknown<br />
East/West gurus during the 1970s, and a very popular<br />
lecturer. His natural gifts as a performer are on<br />
display on all these releases, with an off-beat and<br />
often selfdepreciating humor that works very well in<br />
conjunction with the loftier and more cosmic<br />
excursions. "Here We All Are" is unfortunately<br />
speeded up, perhaps not deliberately (although each<br />
side still clocks in at 35 minutes), giving Ram Dass'<br />
voice a rare Donald Duck edge. "Evolution Of<br />
Consciousness" is essentially the spoken word version<br />
of Dass' popular "Be Here Now" spiritual<br />
autobiography book. "Love Serve Remember" is notable<br />
on account of having several songs in a rather<br />
appealing spiritual hippie-folk style, with psych<br />
moves on things like "Floating Mind". It's the<br />
easiest to find of the three and features hindu<br />
fairytales, radio broadcast phone-ins, chanting, and<br />
more. Important documents of the fallout from the<br />
psychedelic era, and agreeable, non-phony<br />
introductions to Eastern spirituality as well. [PL]<br />
"Random Element" 1977 (Rocking Horse 5521)<br />
Heavy 70s progressive rock trio with some fuzz.<br />
RANDY & THE GOATS (Albany, NY)<br />
"On the Lam" 1981 (Broken)<br />
Randy Would is a singer/songwriter with the feel of<br />
punk era street poets like Jim Carroll and Richard<br />
Hell. He’s not much of a singer, but he uses a talky<br />
style and a soft, whispery style that both work well<br />
enough, and give his music a bit of a sleazy vibe.<br />
The music has a basement garage rock quality to it,<br />
and here and there is some quality fuzz guitar. This<br />
is pretty strong stuff. Song titles like “Nausea #2,”<br />
“Screwed,” “N.Y. Survivor” and “Murder By<br />
Programming” should give you the idea. This is a<br />
refreshing album; Randy has that bohemian indifferent<br />
cool personality but he’s not trying too hard to be<br />
trendy, as evidenced by one nice pop song thrown in<br />
the mix. "On The Lam" is recommended to those of you<br />
who miss the days when singer/songwriters had no<br />
interest in romance or self-pity. Note: Most copies
of this album have small dish warps, but the warp<br />
doesn’t affect play. [AM]<br />
RAPID RICHARD GROUP (CA)<br />
"Did I See What I Thought I Saw" 1977 (Home Spun RG 1000)<br />
[500p]<br />
RASBERRY JAM (NJ)<br />
You could call this the third Agape album and you<br />
wouldn’t be far off. Essentially a custom solo<br />
project from Richard Greenburg, bassist for "Victims<br />
Of Tradition", joined by fellow Agape drummer Mike<br />
Jungkman. Add to that token appearances by Jim Hess<br />
and Fred Caban and the line-up’s complete. One could<br />
speculate that while Caban was responsible for<br />
Agape’s blues and psych direction, Greenburg provided<br />
the more progressive elements. As you’d expect "Did I<br />
See..." is heavy duty hard rock. With lots of guitar<br />
and artsy keyboards it’s a sound not too distant from<br />
Victims, yet even more in the progressive rock<br />
direction and with more of a homemade feel.<br />
Greenburg’s rapid-fire guitar leads dominate this<br />
monster, catching our attention right from the start<br />
with a wah-wah and feedbacked exploration of a<br />
Beethoven string quartet opus! That track is ‘Ears’,<br />
the first of nine tales on this thematic project<br />
subtitled “an album of parables”. The pace doesn’t<br />
let up for the boogie-boppin’ "The Prodigal Ducks"<br />
spotlighting Hess’s jazzy keyboard licks. "The Hobo"<br />
sounds like a pure Caban track while "The Tempest"<br />
rocks slowly, halting midway for a detonating barrage<br />
of frenzied guitar explosives. Next is the ballad<br />
"The Obstinate Toy Soldier", followed by the 7-minute<br />
art rock masterpiece "Religion’s Pigeon". "Groundhog"<br />
has kick-butt Clapton-esque hard rock crunch while<br />
"The Sparrow" coasts with a Victims-like jazzinfluenced<br />
groove. "The Parables" sums up all the<br />
prior tales, explaining the spiritual angle of each.<br />
Apparently a lot of these songs were being performed<br />
by Agape at the time of their demise. For those<br />
thirsting for more of this groundbreaking Jesus rock<br />
band you’re in for quite a treat. [KS]<br />
"Rock Sounds Of People / Folk Sounds Of Rasberry Jam" 196 (no<br />
label) [split LP]<br />
The Rasberry Jam side on this split LP has been<br />
described as dull, while the People side has its<br />
moments, including a cover of "White Rabbit". The<br />
album is subtitled 'If Only We Have Love'. Supposedly<br />
an even earlier Rasberry Jam LP exists, but has not<br />
yet been found.<br />
"Here's" 197 (House Of Guitars)<br />
Octet with mixed male/female vocal harmonies doing<br />
mellow folk, rated highly by some. The band also<br />
appears on the Summer Of Service 2 LP set (see<br />
entry).
RASPUTIN & THE MONKS (St Mark's School, NH)<br />
"Sun Of My Soul / Octet" 1966 (Trans-Radio 200836)<br />
"Sun Of My Soul" 1984 (no label) [1-sided; altered cover]<br />
This is possibly the most inept of all local New<br />
England garage LPs with moronic 1-2 beat drumming,<br />
offkey harmonies and general mayhem all around. A<br />
teenage enthusiasm permeates all tracks to make for<br />
great listening - Back From The Grave fans will love<br />
it. Covers all through naturally, mostly from the UK<br />
R'n'B scene. The reissue contains the Rasputin side<br />
only. [PL]<br />
RATIONALS (Ann Arbor, MI)<br />
"Fan-Club LP" 1966 (no label) [no sleeve]<br />
RAVEN (OH)<br />
Unknown to exist for many years, this rarity works as<br />
a fine document of the band's early years, before<br />
they took a dubious turn musically. Three cool preinvasion<br />
instros from 1964, alternate takes on a<br />
number of vintage 45 tracks, and a wild 6-minute<br />
garagepsych rave-up add up to a solid pre-junkie<br />
Michigan 60s album. Too bad this wasn't released<br />
properly back then as it would have affected our<br />
perception of the band, more along the lines of the<br />
Remains or Paul Revere & the Raiders. Only two copies<br />
have been found of the LP, which has "Rationals"<br />
etched into the dead wax, and was put together by<br />
their manager in late 1966. Of course, the Rationals<br />
cut a more wellknown LP later on. [PL]<br />
"Back To Ohio Blues" 1975 (Owl 66X111)<br />
"Back To Ohio Blues" 199 (Rockadelic 15) [altered cover;<br />
1000p]<br />
RAW HONEY ( )<br />
Messed up bluesy hard rock biker statement which I'm<br />
told comes straight from this guy's reality, no<br />
posing but the real thing. Great punky vocals relate<br />
stories on smack, sex, Ohio, Harleys and everything<br />
else that makes life worth living. Sample lyrics:<br />
"gotta get high/gotta get fucked/nail me to your<br />
cross". An impressive intensity especially on side 1<br />
and one of the few local white bluesrock LPs that<br />
truly works. A classic of mid-70s local hard stoner<br />
dementia; would make a good double bill with the<br />
Merry Airbrakes. [PL]<br />
"Ragweed" 1974 (RH 1057)
Live recording of hippie folk and Dead-inspired rural<br />
rock, with some female vocals. One of the listenable<br />
ones in the genre.<br />
RAY BRADBURY'S DARK CARNIVAL see Bob Jacobs<br />
JERRY RAYE & FENWYCK (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Many Sides Of" 1966 (DeVille 101) [split LP; red vinyl]<br />
"Many Sides Of" 199 (no label, Europe)<br />
Too bad Fenwyck didn't get a full album's worth<br />
instead of just one side, because all their tracks<br />
are good swinging Sunset Strip folkrock with psychy<br />
flashes. The well-known "Mindrocker" track gives you<br />
a taste of their sound. Jerry Raye's side (with<br />
Fenwyck as support) is mostly lame crooner stuff but<br />
has one great fuzz-garage tune. A decent item all<br />
over. [PL]<br />
RAYNE (New Orleans, LA)<br />
"Rayne" 1979 (no label R-358)<br />
"Rayne" 1994 (OR) [insert; 500#d]<br />
JERRY RAYSON (NY)<br />
After being discovered in the late 1980s this deep<br />
outlaw basement blowout has gained a reputation among<br />
all sorts of music fans. A mix of rural hardrock and<br />
mellow folkrock that's hard to pinpoint since it's so<br />
original, though Neil Young (especially the electric<br />
side on "Rust Never Sleeps") and angry cajun-mood<br />
Creedence are possible references. Great lyrics about<br />
booze, mass murder and underdog Americana attitudes<br />
with a solid consistency all through - side 2 is<br />
pretty devastating. A must. [PL]<br />
---<br />
Like all of the great 70s bands that psych fans fawn<br />
over, Rayne successfully sound of their time and<br />
before their time. The rock with a punky attitude<br />
that’s pure 1979, and have a moody, not-quite-heavy<br />
style that is more like the direction some great 60s<br />
bands could have headed than like a direction any of<br />
them actually went. The songs are deep and grow on<br />
you, and there’s a depraved southern vibe here that<br />
can only be compared to the musically dissimilar<br />
Stonewall. A band that can be equally appreciated by<br />
those who long for the past and those who think rock<br />
started in 1977, neither knowing that their archenemies<br />
in musical taste would love the same album.<br />
Truly great. [AM]<br />
"The Weird Ming In Town" 196 (Psychedelic Records 523)<br />
Obscure and severely spaced out fringe folk with<br />
unusual inner-city vibe and Puerto Rican<br />
tangents. Subtitled "Let's go man rocbuafro".
V.A "READING '68" (Reading, PA)<br />
"Reading '68" 1968 (Empire 868-585)<br />
One of at least three local late 60s PA compilations<br />
on the Empire label. These are of great interest for<br />
local musicologists, but do not necessarily contain<br />
that much good music. One track from this volume has<br />
been comp'd on "Crude PA vol 2". There's also several<br />
soul covers as usual, a Doors cover, and possibly a<br />
couple of originals.<br />
REAL EYES (Flemington, NJ)<br />
"Real Eyes" 1981 (Wizard no #) [booklet]<br />
KIT REAM (OH)<br />
This early 80s LP seems to have been discovered about<br />
twenty years after its release, and was given some<br />
major hype by rare record dealers hoping to be the<br />
one to discover the next big thing. It came with a<br />
huge book of poetry and art, making it a real labor<br />
of love by the folks who released it. The music is<br />
pretty much mainstream rock, both acoustic and<br />
electric, with hard rock moves and quirky<br />
arrangements. It sounds like they were shooting for<br />
an AOR sound but didn’t have the budget to pull it<br />
off, and instead this ends up with a crude garage<br />
edge, especially when it gets heavy. The songwriting<br />
is pretty interesting and thoughtful, and as 80s<br />
private press LPs go, this is distinctive and<br />
memorable enough to explain why psych dealers jumped<br />
on its bandwagon. The singing is pretty weak, though,<br />
and the “poetic” lyrics are humorless and shoot way<br />
higher than this band’s actual reach. A lot of the<br />
lyrics are pretty stoned, which doesn’t exactly add<br />
brainpower to the poetry. That said, there is a lot<br />
going on here, with enough weird hooks and surprising<br />
moments to give any listener a fair amount of kicks.<br />
I like side two, especially the closing “Visions of<br />
Obscurity V,” better than side one. In the long run,<br />
whether this will be a keeper for any individual<br />
listener will probably be determined by the 12-minute<br />
“Madman’s Game,” an elaborate epic that encapsulates<br />
everything good and bad about this record. I’m not<br />
sure how strongly to recommend this album (I sure<br />
wouldn’t suggest paying the $100+ most dealers are<br />
selling it for), but it’s not boring or predictable.<br />
The booklet is 90 pages with drawings and lyrics.<br />
[AM]<br />
"All That I Am" 1978 (Creative)<br />
This one is pretty well-known by “incredibly strange”<br />
fans and has been raved over by Jello Biafra. To make<br />
the story short, Ream was a wealthy 1960s acid<br />
casualty and then mental patient whose album was<br />
actually released by the "Institute For Creative<br />
Living,” a conservative “spiritual growth” center.<br />
The spacy, jazzy music on the album is strikingly
similar to the equally bizarre Gary Wilson. Ream<br />
rants and raves in a completely confident and loungeinspired<br />
way, entreating us not to be so holy poly<br />
over his souly, among other things. As real people<br />
albums go, this is one of the most endearing, as his<br />
life philosophy is even more compelling than, say,<br />
Father Yod’s, and the music is never dull. One song<br />
has some unexpected female vocals, and a few others<br />
have cool and weird vocal arrangements. He grunts and<br />
groans and moves from sing-speak to crooning at the<br />
drop of a hat. This is absolutely wonderful. “Go down<br />
to the beach, baby, get naked at twelve<br />
o’clock!” [AM]<br />
REBECCA & THE SUNNYBROOK FARMERS (Pittsburgh, PA)<br />
"Rebirth" 1969 (Musicor MS 3176)<br />
This is an old-school cult LP out of Pittsburgh that<br />
in spite of all the recent interest in hippie freak<br />
music still remains pretty much buried in the "cult"<br />
section. It probably deserves more attention, not to<br />
mention a reissue, as it is appealing late 1960s head<br />
sounds with obvious signs of dropping out of straight<br />
society. The male vocalist goes for a sometimes<br />
unwanted Dylan/Zappa sarcasm while the female singers<br />
range from turned-on purrs into amazing primal<br />
therapy, not unlike the weird shit pulled by Buffy<br />
Ste Marie on her "Illuminations" LP. The band has a<br />
clubby, almost garagey sound which adds to the<br />
crashpad feel, and there's unexpected and quite good<br />
use of violin throughout. Except for the vocalists it<br />
sounds a bit like the non-orch folkrock tracks on the<br />
Common People LP. Wellwritten songs with eclectic<br />
folk and jazz moves, plus a couple of acid freakouts.<br />
Not to be confused with the zillions of late 60s<br />
femme-vox hippie bandwagon jumpers, "Rebirth"<br />
deserves a place among True Freaks such as Fear<br />
Itself and United States Of America; in fact it's<br />
almost like a satire over weekend hippies at times.<br />
Well worth checking out. [PL]<br />
---<br />
Can you think of any other band in rock history with<br />
two members named Ilene?? This is an odd bird to be<br />
sure. It probably noses out the Fort Mudge Memorial<br />
Dump album as the co-ed record with the most annoying<br />
and pretentious male singer, so about half of the<br />
album is pretty unlistenable. But the songs with the<br />
women range from great to classic, and range<br />
stylistically from wonderful guitar pop to freaked<br />
out sex-blues to full-on psych, with some cool<br />
counterculture lyrics. Great odd album cover too.<br />
[AM]<br />
REBIRTH (Harrisonburg, VA)<br />
"Into The Light" 1970 (RCR)<br />
"Rebirth" 1970 (LeFevre Sound MLSP-3100)<br />
"Rebirth" 1972 (Avant Garde 135)
REBS (IA)<br />
"Rebirth" on Avant Garde is a compilation, pulling<br />
together material from the group's two vanity<br />
pressings; four from the debut and eight from the<br />
LeFevre LP. It also sounds like a couple of the<br />
tracks were either re-recorded or had some postproduction<br />
work done to improve the overall sound.<br />
The liner notes claim that "many people have<br />
repeatedly asked us for a record which they can give<br />
to their teenagers to play along with regular pop<br />
artist albums. We feel that what is needed is music<br />
with a good rock sound, that stimulates thought, and<br />
has a Christian message." Since this is one of the<br />
better Christian rock albums we've heard, that's<br />
actually a pretty good description. With largely<br />
original songs, most of it features a rather<br />
conventional folk-rock sound. Material such as<br />
"Everybody's Talking" (one of two covers), "Laughin'<br />
On the Corner" and "The Way That I Feel" sported some<br />
nice group harmonies and pretty if lightweight<br />
melodies. The results were occasionally a little too<br />
Up with People-ish for our tastes ("Lancaster<br />
County"), but for the most part the group's religious<br />
beliefs were understated, making for a set that<br />
mostly managed to avoid the usual in-your-face-sinner<br />
bombast one associates with so much of Christian<br />
rock. Highlights include the unexpected and totally<br />
atypical rocker "Into the Light" and an interesting<br />
contemporary update of the traditional hymn "They'll<br />
Know We Are Christians". Clearly not for everyone,<br />
but for the right crowd this will be a wonderful<br />
find. The artwork for the RCR debut is reused for the<br />
Avant Garde version. [SB]<br />
"Breakthrough 1968 A.D" 1968 (Fredlo 6830) [200p]<br />
Endearingly bad organ and three chord raveup covers.<br />
Amazingly bad vocals, the falsetto on "Gimme some<br />
lovin'" is guaranteed to leave you in stitches. [RM]<br />
RED BUD THUNDER (WI)<br />
"American Rock'N'Roll" 1979 (Feldergarb 41178) [lyric sleeve]<br />
RED CHEEK (FL)<br />
Hardrock with good guitar, twin leads.<br />
"Red Cheek" 197 (Armadillo 8032)<br />
Rootsy rural/countryrock with acoustic guitars, on<br />
same label as Magic-Enclosed. Has been hyped but<br />
according to a knowledgable source, it "sucks in a<br />
gentle way".
RED CRAYOLA (Houston, TX)<br />
"Parable Of Arable Land" 1967 (International Artists 2)<br />
[mono]<br />
"Parable Of Arable Land" 1967 (International Artists 2)<br />
[stereo]<br />
"Parable Of Arable Land" 1978 (International Artists 2)<br />
"Parable Of Arable Land" 1978 (Radar rad-12, UK)<br />
"God Bless The Red Krayola And All Who Sail With It" 1968<br />
(International Artists 7)<br />
"God Bless The Red Krayola And All Who Sail With It" 1978<br />
(International Artists 7)<br />
"God Bless The Red Krayola And All Who Sail With It" 1978<br />
(Radar rad-16, UK)<br />
Experimental art-school psych and avant featuring<br />
Mayo Thompson. The first LP is more listenable, a fun<br />
over-the-top freakout typical of the era, with some<br />
good songs buried in the chaos. It's not for<br />
everyone, but did help to cement IA: standing as a<br />
mythical weirdo label back in the 1970s. The box set<br />
reissues can be identified via a matrix # that begins<br />
"Ach...".. They changed spelling to Red Krayola by<br />
the time of their 2nd LP, which contains 19<br />
minimalist song fragments. Mayo moved to New York<br />
after his solo LP and took up the Red Crayola moniker<br />
again. In the late 1970s and early 80s the group<br />
recorded several interesting art rock albums,<br />
including collaborations with the group Art &<br />
Language, and Mayo has continued to put out<br />
challenging avant rock releases. The band has a few<br />
unreleased 1960s era tracks on "Epitaph For A<br />
Legend", and there's also a CD's worth of such<br />
material titled "Coconut Hotel" on the Drag City<br />
label (1996). Vinyl and CD reissues include Spalax,<br />
Collectables, Decal, and probably a few more. All<br />
reissues are vinyl-sourced as the mixdown masters<br />
were lost in the early 1970s. [RM]<br />
---<br />
see -> Mayo Thompson; Epitaph For A Legend<br />
REDEMPTION (San Antonio, TX)<br />
"Look Up" 1974 (Evan Comm 553547) [1000p]<br />
Dreamy Christian rural 12-string folkrock, some fuzz<br />
and organ. Featuring Kemper and Bekah Crabb doing a<br />
mix of standards and originals. The band was also<br />
represented with two tracks on the comp "Gospel Ship<br />
2" (Destiny 2012, 1975).<br />
---<br />
see -> Arkangel; Hill Country Faith Festival<br />
V.A "RED HERRING FALL FOLK FESTIVAL" (IL)<br />
"The Red Herring Fall Folk Festival" 1970 (Century 36387)<br />
Various artists local folk assembly including Louie<br />
Kotva (see entry), Dan Fogelberg, Peter Berkow, Nancy<br />
Fetters. Red Herring was a coffee house in Urbana,
IL.<br />
RED PONY (OK)<br />
"Red Pony" 1975 (Artco 1123)<br />
Local band doing hardrock and prog with female vocals<br />
and a Janis Joplin cover.<br />
RED SHADOW (Cambridge, MA)<br />
"Live At The Panacea Hilton" 1975 (Physical 21-005) [insert]<br />
Underground radical folkrock with mixed vocals and<br />
counterculture politics. Track titles include<br />
"Stagflation" and "Understanding Marx", a Ray Charles<br />
take-off with a spoken segment with a hip female<br />
explaining how she got turned on to Karl Marx. This<br />
bizarre LP still sounds like satire, but hardly in<br />
the way it was intended. There is a second LP,<br />
"Better red".<br />
REFINED BY FIRE (CA)<br />
"Refined By Fire" 1980 (no label)<br />
This is 70s sounding mellow Xian rock with some quite<br />
good (often jazzy) guitars and the genre’s usual<br />
pretty but soulless vocals (there are several female<br />
singers and one male singer.) Much of this is average<br />
bland AM-style pop, but a couple of songs have a<br />
dreamy beauty to them and the closing song has a cool<br />
heavy guitar solo that flows underneath a catchy<br />
repeated end chorus. Not a great album, but here and<br />
there it hits the spot. [AM]<br />
REFLECTIONS (Sidell, LA)<br />
"The Unique Sounds Of" 1970 (RSVP MC 1371)<br />
Atmospheric instrumental home recordings of<br />
trumpet/organ-led lounge duo, with a 13-year old kid<br />
on drums joining forces with a significantly older<br />
lady who manages to play bass, organ and trumpet at<br />
the same time! This low-rent circus act handles a mix<br />
of cocktail jazz and surf music standards, all of<br />
which must have seem totally dated in 1970. The most<br />
modern track is "Eleanor Rigby". There's two<br />
originals in a 50s light-jazz/exotica style. While at<br />
least half of this isn't "rock" by a long shot, the<br />
end result isn't that far removed from some of the<br />
more backwoods Justice label acts, right down to the<br />
somnabulent, strangely hypnotic melancholy moods.<br />
Unless made clear already, this is deep into<br />
Incredibly Strange, and needs the proper approach to<br />
work. A CD-R "reissue" exists. [PL]
REIGN GHOST (Toronto, Canada)<br />
"Reign Ghost" 1969 (Allied 12)<br />
"Reign Ghost" 198 (no label, France)<br />
"Reign Ghost / Featuring Lynda Squires" 1990 (CD Lazer's Edge<br />
1004) [2-on-1]<br />
"Reign Ghost" 2004 (CD Akarma 277, Italy)<br />
"Reign Ghost" 2004 (Akarma 277, Italy)<br />
Fuzzed basement mid-period Airplane hippierock sound<br />
with many great tracks like the opening raga ripper,<br />
"Travels of blue paradox". Lynda Squires' slightly<br />
operatic voice might put some off though there are<br />
many other elements here to make at least the reissue<br />
worthwhile. The band also shows some folk moves. One<br />
of the better LPs in a genre littered with local<br />
mediocrities. [PL]<br />
"Featuring Lynda Squires" 1970 (Paragon 19)<br />
"Featuring Lynda Squires" 198 (no label, France)<br />
"Reign Ghost / Featuring Lynda Squires" 1990 (CD Lazer's Edge<br />
1004) [2-on-1]<br />
"Featuring Lynda Squires" 2005 (CD Akarma 325, Italy)<br />
"Featuring Lynda Squires" 2005 (Akarma 325, Italy)<br />
Only Squires and Bob Bryden remain for this followup,<br />
which is similar but slightly less garage and<br />
more mellow. Bryden wrote only three tracks which is<br />
a pity as the other guys couldn't really compete with<br />
him. Some swear by the long closing fuzzrocker "Enola<br />
gay" but all over this is weaker than their debut in<br />
my ears. It is even rarer than the Allied album. [PL]<br />
---<br />
see -> Christmas<br />
REJECTS (Ontario, Canada)<br />
"Rejects" 1969 (Toad no #)<br />
Coffehouse folk home-recordings from 1967, featuring<br />
roughly the same crowd as on the Jeremy Dormouse LP,<br />
with a similar primitive basement folk sound. After<br />
the Dormouse sessions and prior to the Rejects<br />
sessions there was also a rare EP with non-LP tracks,<br />
titled "The Entire Castle Illusion".<br />
RELATIVELY CLEAN RIVERS (CA)<br />
"Relatively Clean Rivers" 1976 (Pacific 17601) [gatefold;<br />
photo insert]<br />
"Relatively Clean Rivers" 2003 (Radioactive 020, UK)<br />
[gatefold]<br />
"Relatively Clean Rivers" 2003 (CD Radioactive 020, UK)<br />
Post-Beat Of The Earth classic in a melodic 70s<br />
westcoast style with an impressive crystal clear
sound. Has some killer tracks with acoustic/electric<br />
guitar tapestries and is of a high standard<br />
throughout, although a couple of tracks sound more<br />
like outlines than finished creations to me.<br />
Reminiscent of Neil Young at his most melodic, with a<br />
rare reflective desert mood. "Journey thru the valley<br />
of O" is sheer perfection. Much-loved LP with grower<br />
qualities. [PL]<br />
---<br />
At its best, this album is worthy of the legend; a<br />
super-clean (the “band” is perfectly named) acousticflavored<br />
pop/folk-rock feel, in the 70s California<br />
vein but with a more innocent feel. A couple of songs<br />
here are surprisingly sloppy, which is a jarring<br />
switch from the crisp arrangements and lovely singing<br />
on the majority of the songs, but the experiments are<br />
interesting ones, whether they mesh perfectly or not.<br />
If you don’t come into this one believing the most<br />
outrageous hype, you should be very pleased indeed.<br />
[AM]<br />
RELAYER (Houston, TX)<br />
"Relayer Album" 1979 (HSR) [inner]<br />
ERIC RELPH (CA)<br />
Symphonic keys prog in Yes style.<br />
"Pretty Darlin'" 1978 (Evy Pollen 1-2-49)<br />
An odd album that‘s hard to pinpoint. There’s a<br />
definite lounge feel to it (mostly due to the reverbheavy<br />
vocals), but after a few listens you start to<br />
notice that it rocks out too. There’s some excellent<br />
creepy slide guitar on some songs and a high standard<br />
of songwriting. The overall style is a tough one to<br />
get around, as it’s too hard for soft rock fans but<br />
too floofy for hard rock fans, but it’s strange<br />
enough to be the ticket for someone who can<br />
appreciate both. [AM]<br />
REMAINS (Boston, MA)<br />
"Remains" 1966 (Epic ln-24214) [mono]<br />
"Remains" 1966 (Epic bn-24214) [stereo]<br />
"Remains" 1978 (Spoonfed 3305) [+bonus tracks; red vinyl;<br />
altered cover]
"Remains" 2002 (Beat Rocket) [+bonus tracks]<br />
These boys should need no introduction -- along with<br />
Paul Revere & the Raiders probably the finest<br />
exponents of the upmarket mid-60s US teen-rock that<br />
has aged as well or even better than the more famous<br />
UK groups they competed with. Great stuff, they<br />
should have been millionaires. Stereo originals are<br />
somewhat rarer than mono. The original LP was also<br />
released in South Africa by CBS. Of the reissues and<br />
repackagings, the Spoonfed release is considered to<br />
have very good sound. The Beat Rocket LP is at this<br />
point the only exact reissue around. There is a<br />
Transco acetate from 1966 with material that has been<br />
released by Eva Records in France as "Live In<br />
Boston" (1984) with fake applause added, and by<br />
Sundazed as "A Session With" (1996) in their original<br />
format plus some bonus tracks. [PL]<br />
RESEARCH 1-6-12 (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"In Research" 1968 (Flick City fc-5001)<br />
Cool fun garage/psych album with an amusing “Adults<br />
only” disclaimer: “this album has been called dirty.<br />
This album has been called great.” The drug and sexrelated<br />
lyrics actually are quite daring for the<br />
time, but the musically edgy vibe is even more<br />
appealing. A little bit of good-timey goofiness<br />
annoys, but most of the album comprises punky garage<br />
rockers with cool fuzz guitar and folky psych tunes<br />
with echo effects, trippy lyrics, etc. Really a very<br />
solid album with just the one or two duds. The liner<br />
notes make these guys out to be, like Phluph,<br />
intellectuals who chose the low road. [AM]<br />
REUNION BAND & FRIENDS (KY)<br />
"Ocean of Love" 1977 (Living Love Productions) [gatefold]<br />
REVERBS (CT)<br />
The songs were written by Marcus Allen and Summer<br />
Raven and performed by The Reunion Band and Friends.<br />
Features many of the same folks on The Love Band's<br />
"The Oneness Space" LP, but is considered superior by<br />
some. Gentle folk with pretty femme vocals and<br />
cosmic, cultish lyric concerns.<br />
"Chalk Up" 1965 (RV Connection) [blank back cover]<br />
Obscure local teenbeat LP from Westport, featuring<br />
typical mix of frat, surf and British Invasion, with<br />
covers of Beatles and Stones numbers.<br />
PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS (Boise, ID)<br />
"Like Long Hair" 1961 (Gardena LP-G1000) [mono]
"Like Long Hair" 196 (Gardena LP-G1000) [mono; later press;<br />
green & red lettering on label]<br />
"Rock & Roll With" 198 (Gardena LP-G1000) [mono; bonus<br />
tracks; altered sleeve]<br />
Beginning in 1959, Paul Revere & the Raiders were one<br />
of the truly great bands of the 1960s, and a crucial<br />
influence for the "garage" bands of 1966-67. Their<br />
music has aged exceptionally well and radiates class<br />
and style from the very beginning. This debut LP is<br />
all instrumentals including five originals, the rest<br />
covers including two Wailers numbers. Originals have<br />
red and black lettering on the label.<br />
"Paul Revere & The Raiders" 1963 (Sande S-1001) [mono]<br />
"In The Beginning" 1966 (Jerden JRL-7004) [mono; new sleeve]<br />
"In The Beginning" 1966 (Jerden JRL-7004) [rechanneled stereo;<br />
new sleeve]<br />
"In The Beginning" 1969 (PickWick SPC 3176) [rechanneled<br />
stereo; tracks removed; new sleeve]<br />
"Paul Revere & The Raiders" 197 (Sande S-1001/Etiquette)<br />
[mono; thin cover]<br />
Only one original song on this one. The rest are<br />
covers of r'n'b/1950s classics. The Jerden jobs are<br />
repackaged reissues. The Pickwick budget release is<br />
missing two cuts and came in a psychedelic cover. It<br />
was also released as Sears SPS-493. The 1970s<br />
"Northwest Collection" box-set reissue has Etiquette'<br />
in the dead wax. With "Here They Come" on CBS in 1965<br />
the Raiders became a matter of national concern,<br />
which is well covered elsewhere.<br />
REVIVAL (Denver, CO)<br />
R.F.D ( )<br />
"Music By Al Basim" 1979 (American Sound Recording) [300p]<br />
"Music By Al Basim" 1995 (CD AB 02)<br />
Al plays electric guitar and is joined by a trio on<br />
most of the tracks. Instro guitar flute prog with<br />
Middle Eastern themes and tonalities. Dense and<br />
chaotic trance. Al was a Bulgarian student working<br />
towards his master's degree in music at the<br />
University Of Colorado. Stories of him being Iranian<br />
and getting executed are not true. [RM]<br />
"Lead Me Home" 1971 (no label)<br />
Obscure Christian folkrock LP with an appealing,<br />
understated feel. Close male/female harmonies and
KEN RHOTEN (IN)<br />
ringing guitars create a secular, late 60s California<br />
sound, with strong songwriting that reaches back to a<br />
Byrds/Simon & Garfunkel hook sensibility. The<br />
intimate, low-key vocals and summery mystique also<br />
remind me a bit of These Trails. Enjoyable album with<br />
an unusual timeless quality, and as non-preaching a<br />
Christian artefact as you're likely to find. Weird,<br />
eerie cover design. [PL]<br />
---<br />
On first listen I thought this album (which now<br />
fetches ridiculous prices) had a nice gentle feel to<br />
it with pleasant vocals. Subsequent listens made me<br />
come to my senses. It's wimpy soft folk with no vocal<br />
identity and not a wisp of energy or passion of any<br />
kind. It has a nice cover, yeah, but why spend $700<br />
on this when you can get the same thing for $15 by<br />
the New Troubadours or Oneness Space or Susan And<br />
Richard Thomas? Really, really weak. [AM]<br />
"Flying Saucer Man" 1979 (Neptune) [300p]<br />
A mix of sci-fi pop and folk in great cover art.<br />
RHUBARB'S REVENGE (NJ)<br />
"Confessions Of A Big Lanky Dope" 1973 (Pink Grass no #)<br />
[plain sleeve]<br />
"Rhubarb's Revenge" 2001 (Gear Fab/Comet 416, Italy) [new<br />
cover; +4 tracks]<br />
"Rhubarb's Revenge" 2001 (CD Gear Fab gf-128) [+4 tracks]<br />
Charming stoned college dorm hippie folkrock<br />
obscurity in the typical quirky Eastcoast style.<br />
Opens with excellent original in a Patron Saints<br />
direction, rest is mainly covers of classic tracks<br />
from the UK 1967-68 scene, giving the album an odd<br />
retro/tribute flavor. The Zombies, Kinks, and Move<br />
all get the Rhubarb treatment in a rather<br />
irresistable way with unpretentious vocals and the<br />
loose weedhead drumming in particular a treat.<br />
There's also a funny Star Trekked version of "Mr<br />
Spaceman" with ad libbed lyrics such as "you're a<br />
motherfucking good-for-nothing Spaceman". Band uses a<br />
full rock setting plus piano but create an intimate,<br />
spontaneous sound. I've seen this described as a<br />
"novelty" LP and while it's pretty entertaining I<br />
think it has as much worth as any other document of<br />
the early 70s Eastcoast, like the Georgie Leonard<br />
album or "Tool Shed". Not a great LP, but worth<br />
hearing. The CD bonus tracks introduce a more serious<br />
tone with an excellent anti-'Nam war track and a<br />
cover of Neil Young's "Ohio". [PL]<br />
RHYTHM AND BLISS (CA)<br />
"The Magic Is Back" 1978 (Rainbow Island)
Communal cosmic folk. Dreamy acoustic tracks with<br />
Eastern percussion.<br />
RHYTHM OF THE HIGHWAY see Ray Pierle<br />
RANDY RICE ( )<br />
"To Anyone Who's Ever Laughed At Someone Else" 1974 (RR no #)<br />
[2LPs; 2 inserts; 550#d]<br />
LINDA RICH ( )<br />
Very obscure double LP from talented but troubled<br />
hippie-folk/singer-songwriter guy with a lot of<br />
interesting aspects. You needn't look hard to see the<br />
demons in the guy's skull, as pleasant Lennonesque<br />
songs open doors into hateful lyrics knocking<br />
rednecks, feminists, vicious mothers, America,<br />
religion, his phony friends, and pretty much<br />
everything else until the meaning of "loner" folk<br />
shines bright and clear like an aura around his head.<br />
Some songs bring in a full rock band with howling<br />
feedback guitars a la One St Stephen, and there are<br />
also spoken bits with bad coffeehouse jokes,<br />
interviews with people on the street, and diary<br />
confessions probably from his mom's basement.<br />
References to Watergate and Vietnam send you right<br />
back to 1974. As far as loner/downer 2LP sets go,<br />
this is surprisingly strong and varied, with a good<br />
soaring voice, atmospheric recording and inventive<br />
arrangements and playing, mostly guitar, some with<br />
piano. References to babies and parenthood provide an<br />
unusual documentary feel. As a peek into an unknown<br />
guy's reality this is rather successful and clearly<br />
above average for the genre. [PL]<br />
"There's More To Living Than I Know So Far" 1969 (InterVarsity<br />
03498)<br />
"Patterns" 1970 (InterVarsity 8091-4498)<br />
"Apple Tree" 1975 (InterVarsity 279-598)<br />
Delicate acoustic Christian folk on the same label as<br />
Jonathan & Charles. Her poetic lyrics and stunning<br />
alto vocals have a dreamy quality that will certainly<br />
appeal to folk psych collectors. "Patterns" even<br />
features a trippy cover. [RM]<br />
RICHARD, CAM & BERT (NY)<br />
"Richard, Cam & Bert" 197 (Trilogy TS-91701)<br />
Late 60s or early 70s New York street musician folk<br />
blues. The three switch around on guitars and bass<br />
and sing mostly in harmony. They are occasionally<br />
accompanied by a drummer. Some nice soloing on what I<br />
believe are amplified acoustic guitars, rather than
REX RICHARDSON ( )<br />
electric. Overall rather pleasant, but hardly earthshattering.<br />
Produced by Warren Schatz (Yesterday’s<br />
Children, etc). [MA]<br />
"Crescent Phase" 1980 (Sage 37360) [100#d]<br />
One side of guitar instros and one side with ISBstyle<br />
progressive folk with flute and hand<br />
percussion. The guy has a passionate troubador vocal<br />
style (typical for the genre) that may annoy, which<br />
mixes with showoffy guitar runs. Songwriting doesn't<br />
account for much, but the overall package may appeal<br />
to Joseph Pusey fans. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Very rare outsider folk private press. The first side<br />
consists of Faheyesque acoustic guitar instrumentals,<br />
which are quite competent. The 2nd side is comprised<br />
of weird loner folkie ramblings. In addition to<br />
guitar, Richardson also plays flute on several<br />
tracks. The LP is housed in a homemade cover with a<br />
large paste-on front and a smaller paste-on back<br />
cover. [MA]<br />
KARL RICHEY (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Karl Richey" 1969 (Studio 10 DBX 102)<br />
This album is on the same label as Day Blindess, but<br />
is quite a bit different. Richey is a stoned folk<br />
troubadour type, with a bit of a Dylan fixation, but<br />
with more of a youthful late 60s counterculture edge.<br />
Also without the songwriting talent. Richey might<br />
have been a bit more convincing as a rocker, but<br />
since this album is basically just guitar and voice,<br />
he'd need to have something more original and<br />
exciting to say to make these songs more memorable.<br />
[AM]<br />
RIGHT OF LITTLE REST (RI)<br />
RILEY ( )<br />
"The Right Of Little Rest" 1975 (TN 1100) [blank back]<br />
Communal folk with one good psychy track with female<br />
vocals, "Am I not the one". Neat cartoon cover with<br />
sea dragon threatening a village at the edge of the<br />
world.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Follie's Bazaar
"Grandma's Roadhouse" 1970 (Mo-Funk)<br />
That, to my knowledge, there's only been one copy of<br />
this LP ever found certainly speaks to its obscurity.<br />
The immediate reference here is to The Band in terms<br />
of arrangements, instrumentation and vocals. The<br />
comparison is a loose one however, and the little<br />
odd, almost experimental, flourishes that pop up here<br />
and there, give the whole thing a certain noncommercial<br />
character that works to its advantage. In<br />
terms of musicianship, production and creativity the<br />
album sounds like it could have been a successful<br />
major label LP from the early 70s. "You Been Cheating<br />
On Me Honey" features a pretty heavy & ferocious<br />
fuzz-wah guitar solo that leads back into more Robbie<br />
Robertson territory with "East People." A New Dawnish<br />
fuzz returns for "Field of Green" though the<br />
vocals would never be mistaken for the vocals on that<br />
LP. When you spend your days rooting through junk<br />
shops and flea markets looking for something you<br />
haven't heard yet, it is just a record like this that<br />
provides that 1 in 10,000 jolt that keeps you going<br />
back. [SD]<br />
RIN ERIC see Eric, Rin<br />
RISING HOPE (Cincinnati, OH)<br />
"Farewell To The Shadowlands" 1975 (no label lp-s-726)<br />
Besides coming up with one of the coolest album<br />
titles of all time (taken from the final chapter in<br />
C. S. Lewis’ ‘The Chronicles Of Narnia’), this trio<br />
have managed to create a brilliant homemade release<br />
of contemplative acoustic/folk music. All three have<br />
nice soothing voices that harmonize well together<br />
(Susan Goldberg sounds a lot like Debby Kerner,<br />
especially on the briskly strummed "Psalm 27"). Quiet<br />
and acoustic-oriented for the most part, with some<br />
flute, piano and folky percussion, plus banjo and<br />
jew’s-harp for ‘The Lord Will Be My Snowtires’, a<br />
novelty bluegrass side-trip. Mostly originals plus a<br />
couple Martin Bell songs. Includes a lovely minor-key<br />
track "Help O Lord" that’s accompanied by flute and<br />
what sounds like a hammer dulcimer. Closes with the<br />
Narnia-inspired ‘Further Up’. Best cover art seen in<br />
years. Essential Jesus music classic. [KS]<br />
"Where The Songs Come From" 1978 (no label 8064N2) [insert]<br />
Top-rate second custom LP of gentle folkrock tunes,<br />
mostly originals. Pretty simple sound, but it’s the<br />
catchy melodies, creativity, beautiful arrangements<br />
(including some nice flute, mandolin, violin) and the<br />
overall atmosphere of charm and radiant joy that<br />
makes this one of my all-time favorites. The acoustic<br />
flute-backed folk rock opener "Here’s My Family" and<br />
the closing "A Wind In The Door" (which builds to a<br />
lively electric conclusion) are some of the most<br />
exuberant moving pieces of Jesus music to my<br />
remembrance. "Listen To The Singer" is an equally<br />
touching acoustic ballad, as are "Morning Song" and<br />
the delicate violin-backed "Friends & Lovers". "I
Want To Be" supplies a folksy fiddle/banjo number,<br />
while "Try To Run" boogies along with piano and<br />
electric guitar. "Run To California" introduces some<br />
steel guitar for its peaceful-easy-feeling country<br />
mood. Also includes covers of Suzanne Toolan and Noel<br />
Stookey’s. It’s albums like this that make this whole<br />
record collecting thing worthwhile. Attractive cover<br />
art by member Susan Goldberg. [KS]<br />
RISING STORM (Andover, MA)<br />
"Calm Before" 1967 (Remnant 3571) [500p]<br />
"Calm Before" 1984 (Eva 12012, France) [bootleg; altered<br />
cover]<br />
"Calm Before" 1992 (Stanton Park 001)<br />
"Calm Before / Alive Again" 1992 (CD Arf Arf 034) [2-on-1]<br />
Very good beat/garage LP of course, although its<br />
hallowed standing (due to it being an early collector<br />
discovery) may puzzle recent arrivals to the scene.<br />
One might have wished for even more originals and<br />
fewer cover versions, especially as the covers are OK<br />
but unexceptional, while the five originals range<br />
from good to killer. "Frozen Laughter" is an all-time<br />
spooky psych-flavored fave with lines stolen from T S<br />
Eliot, while "She loved me" is terrific rich kid<br />
garage. Local MA heroes the Rockin' Ramrods are paid<br />
tribute to with two obscure covers. The Storm's 1983<br />
LP "Alive Again At Andover" is above average for<br />
reunions, with a nice cheesy garage vibe intact, in<br />
addition to the overall oddity of the concept. The<br />
Arf Arf CD contains all of the reunion except for one<br />
track. There's also been some related releases in<br />
recent years. [PL]<br />
RISING SUN (Toronto, Canada)<br />
"Born To Be Wild" 1969 (Birchmount 515)<br />
"Born To Be Wild" 2004 (CD Radioactive 092, UK)<br />
RIST ROCKET (CA)<br />
Exploito fuzz and pop rock covers mixed with several<br />
originals, which is the main reason for this album's<br />
relative desirability. Side one is more garage, while<br />
side 2 brings in some horns for that special Blood<br />
Sweat & Tears touch.<br />
"Rist Rocket" 1978 (Sun West 2506)<br />
Guitar rock and AOR from goofy-looking Southern<br />
California club band. Not an expensive LP.<br />
RITTENHOUSE SQUARE (NC)
"Rittenhouse Square" 1972 (R2 no #) [paper sleeve with<br />
photo]<br />
"Rittenhouse Square" 1972 (R2 no #) [plain sleeve]<br />
This album is the holy grail to some power pop<br />
collectors, as the band contained Mitch Easter, Chris<br />
Stamey and Peter Holsapple, all of whom because major<br />
cult artists in the genre in the 80s. They'll be<br />
horribly disappointed by what they find, though, as<br />
there's no evidence of the kind of melodicism these<br />
guys would eventually show, or even the weird pop<br />
sensibility of the terrific 1976 EP by the<br />
Stamey/Easter band Sneakers. It's plain old rock and<br />
roll, with a slightly hard edge and a lot of lead<br />
guitar. The singing not only isn't full of harmonies,<br />
but it's not especially good. If fans of Stamey and<br />
Easter would hear this album they'd never in a<br />
million years guess who's singing. The album is<br />
unlikely to ever be reissued, as Easter is<br />
embarrassed by it. Frankly, I can see why, not so<br />
much for the music, which is crude but inoffensive,<br />
but for the ridiculous childish lyrics. These guys<br />
were in their late teens when they made this, but the<br />
intellectual level of these songs is far younger than<br />
that. You just won't believe "The Hots," which is the<br />
kind of "we're in the music business for the sex"<br />
song that makes David Lee Roth look intelligent and<br />
compassionate. Fans of low-fi post-garage rock will<br />
enjoy this a lot more than fans of Let's Active or<br />
the dB's. Still, it's pretty lame, no matter how you<br />
classify it. All copies are rare, the ones with the<br />
photo sleeve most of all. [AM]<br />
RITUAL ALL see Alan Sondheim<br />
RIVERSON (Canada)<br />
"Riverson" 1973 (Columbia CS 90136)<br />
Of all the zillions of CSNY-inspired westcoast hippie<br />
rock LPs from the early 1970s, this is one of the<br />
very best. Another feather in the cap for the great<br />
Columbia Canada office, with an excellent production<br />
bringing out the max from these talented longhairs.<br />
Clearly out of a "Deja Vu" corner (minus the sugary<br />
Nash crap, naturally), the songwriting here is very<br />
good, grabbing your attention without being overly<br />
commercial, while the band lays down a groove that is<br />
both relaxed and tight. You can hear early AOR moves<br />
creeping into the hippie stylings, and much like on<br />
Homer this is not a disadvantage but helps broaden<br />
the album's impact. Female vocalist Franki Hart of<br />
Freedom North handles a few tracks, but is given<br />
solid competition by the male vocalists who sing just
as well. Soaring, lyrical guitar leads recur<br />
throughout the LP, and there are some vague prog<br />
moves with flute on one track. Clocking in at 42<br />
minutes, this could have omitted 1-2 tracks, and<br />
it's a testament to Riverson's strength that the<br />
playtime seems warranted. Recommended to anyone with<br />
an ear for top-level, upscale 70s westcoast sounds.<br />
[PL]<br />
ROAD OF LIFE (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Newborn" 1974 (no label)<br />
Christian folk quintet with female vocal harmonies,<br />
acoustic guitars and standup bass.<br />
ROBBIE THE WEREWOLF (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Live At The Waleback" 1964 (no label)<br />
Live jawdropper bohemian folk comic "real person"<br />
with monster concept. Strummed guitar lunatic tunes<br />
about Frankenstein, the joys of werewolfdom, and<br />
Count Dracula. A cover to die for with serial photos<br />
of lycanthropic transformation. [RM]<br />
---<br />
Remarkable early private press LP that manages to be<br />
a folk LP and a parody of a folk LP at the same time.<br />
Half of it is monster-fan piss-takes on standards<br />
such as "Tom Dooley", "Tip toe through the tulips",<br />
other half is Robbie originals of varying quality,<br />
hitting an unforgettable apex with the echo-laden<br />
Count Dracula track, which warns us to "...watch out<br />
for those vampires, some of them are QUEER". Also<br />
daring for the time marijuana and sex jokes, and a<br />
general bohemian counterculture feel to it all. Some<br />
of his in-between song jokes aren't all that funny,<br />
but the Santa Monica crowd had had enough red wine &<br />
weed to cheer and laugh at pretty much everything,<br />
creating a nice vibe. Unique artefact, made even more<br />
compelling by the fact that this guy later turned up<br />
in big time band Clear Light. [PL]
ROBERT E LEE BRIGADE (Canada)<br />
"Robert E Lee Brigade" 1970 (Columbia ELS 370)<br />
Organ/guitar folkrock and blues from up north, one of<br />
the lesser known titles on the renowned Columbia<br />
Canada label.<br />
V.A "ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON 1978-79" (New York City, NY)<br />
"Record Of The Year" 1979 (no label)<br />
DON ROBERTSON ( )<br />
Heavy rock covers and femme folk from NYC prep school<br />
for "underachievers".<br />
"Dawn" 1969 (Limelight 86067) [wlp exists]<br />
"Dawn" 2003 (Akarma 240, Italy)<br />
"Dawn" 2003 (CD Akarma 240, Italy )<br />
CHRIS ROBISON (NY)<br />
Eclectic, improvised Eastern trip from classically<br />
trained pianist. Harp, celeste and ethnic<br />
instruments, spoken segments, released on the same<br />
Mercury subsidiary as 50 Foot Hose. Beautiful<br />
psychedelic cover.<br />
"And His Many Hand Band" 1973 (Gypsy Frog)<br />
This early openly gay rocker put out this truly solo<br />
LP, playing all of the instruments and doing all of<br />
the vocals himself. The result is unique and<br />
wonderful. His tales of down and dirty NYC street<br />
life (characters include hustlers and runaways) are<br />
alternately sad and funny, always emotionally<br />
powerful. The music ranges from straight rock to folk<br />
to funky hippie weirdness, only going astray with the<br />
silly good-timey “Looking For A Boy Tonight.” “Doctor<br />
Doctor” (about psychoanalysis that attempts to “cure”<br />
homosexuality) and the heartbreaking “Italian Boy”<br />
are masterpieces. At times, Robison bites off a bit<br />
more than he can chew musically, and this long album<br />
could maybe have been trimmed a bit, but it’s still<br />
very, very good, and he has a marvelous range of<br />
vocal styles. It’s surprising that Robison remains so<br />
unknown. [AM]<br />
"Manchild" 1974 (Gypsy Frog 61974)<br />
This album is every bit as diverse as MANY HAND BAND<br />
but is arranged differently. Side one is a mishmash<br />
of Stonesy rockers, novelty numbers and funk, while<br />
side two is a much more consistent and coherent batch<br />
of folk and folk-rock songs. The novelty songs here<br />
range from amusing and clever to overlong and dull,<br />
the rockers are ace, and the folky songs are even
ROCKADROME (Canada)<br />
better. The lengthy “Only The Night” is a true marvel<br />
of 70s psychedelic folk, and a few of the shorter<br />
songs on side two are almost as good. The lyrics<br />
don’t have as many blatant references to<br />
homosexuality as those on MANY HAND BAND, but if you<br />
pay attention, the subject is there. “Soap Opera Day”<br />
would later be redone by Robison’s late-70s power pop<br />
band Stumblebunny. Overall, this isn’t quite as solid<br />
as the first album but it has enough greatness,<br />
including one entirely solid side, that it’s still<br />
highly recommended. [AM]<br />
"Royal American 20th Century Blues" 1968 (Sound Canada sc-<br />
7701) [color cover]<br />
"Royal American 20th Century Blues" 199 (no label) [b & w<br />
cover; 430p]<br />
"Royal American 20th Century Blues" 2002 (Shadoks, Germany)<br />
[+bonus 45]<br />
UK-influenced beat/folkrock/psych with some good<br />
guitar and an odd, goofy "magic banjo" concept<br />
running through. Not really a worthwhile LP to my<br />
ears, songwriting is a bit lame and the band has no<br />
real edge. To my ears it sounds like one of those<br />
budget psych LP on the UK Saga label. One extended<br />
track with good guitar leads is worth checking out<br />
for a sample. [PL]<br />
---<br />
see -> Hyde<br />
PALMER ROCKEY (Dallas, TX)<br />
"Scarlet Love" 1979 (AB-Rock Music PR-1-LP)<br />
"Scarlet Love" 1980 (AB-Rock Music PR-2-LP)<br />
"Rockey's Style" 1981 (AB-Rock Music PRR-2-LP)<br />
Unbelievable lounge lizard "real people" con-man LP<br />
that defies description and has an amazing background<br />
story that needs to be known for full appreciation.<br />
The music varies from stale loungabilly to shakeyvoiced<br />
croonerisms into generic session musician<br />
"rock". I personally prefer the 1979 version on<br />
strength of the two unique and excellent C-grade<br />
Elvis-impersonator tracks. Fortunately the classic<br />
occult Holiday Inn "Scarlet Warning" track can be<br />
found on all three pressings. Let Palmer bring the<br />
smell of hair tonic and the sound of low-rent<br />
dishonesty into the privacy of your own hi-fi room.<br />
You will not regret it. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Pressing details are as follows. The first version<br />
comes in a "1980" copyright PR-2-LP sleeve. The label<br />
has different fonts. Includes two tracks that are not<br />
on the other two pressings: "Lonesome Tonight" and<br />
"Sunday Love". These are replaced with "Love, Love<br />
Rock" and "Love Is Deep Inside", as indicated on the<br />
PR-2 cover. Most other tracks features alternate
ROCK ISLAND ( )<br />
mixes. Presumably Rock never got around to printing<br />
covers for the 1979 pressing, and later put them in<br />
1980 covers. The second version has the same tracks<br />
and mixes as the 1981 pressing, except the first song<br />
is titled "Scarlet Love". Sleeve has different prints<br />
of the photos. They are smaller but clearer than on<br />
the others. Same font used on the titles on the<br />
labels as on the first version, but different font<br />
used on the songs. The re-titled third version has<br />
the same tracks and mixes as the 1980 pressing,<br />
except the first song is titled "Rockey's Style".<br />
Different album title and fonts used on the labels<br />
than for the previous versions. The sleeve looks like<br />
the 1980 version, except it doesn't say "Scarlet<br />
Love" on the back cover in the upper right corner. He<br />
apparently decided to change the name of the<br />
movie/soundtrack.<br />
see full-length review<br />
"Rock Island" 1970 (Project 3 pr-4005) [wlp exists]<br />
It's surprising to find a hard rock band on Project<br />
3, but here they are. The record is a mix of<br />
psychedelic rockers, pure hard rock, heavy harmonyrich<br />
rural rock and hard blues. They're not smart<br />
(their attempt at a meaningful lyric:" "life is hard<br />
and never easy"), and at times they seem a little too<br />
studied for their own good, but this album is pretty<br />
good from start to finish. Even the obligatory 10<br />
minute blues workout isn't bad. It's kind of a less<br />
heavy variation on the Euclid album. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Rain<br />
ROCK SHOP (Los Angeles, CA)
"Mr Lee's Swing'n Affair" 1969 (Lee-Mo 1)<br />
"Rock Shop" (CD Radioactive 080, UK)<br />
RODAN (CA)<br />
Oddball release from moderately successful LA<br />
hairdresser/beauty parlor manager, giving the term<br />
"vanity project" a new dimension. Actually, the<br />
remarkable Mr Lee doesn't perform on the LP,<br />
relegating that task to a group of teen-club<br />
stalwarts he'd found somewhere. The LP could be<br />
viewed as a "1-killer-track" type deal, this being<br />
the opening fuzz-psycher "Soap suds & creme" (!)<br />
which is a quite successful take on the<br />
Butterfly/Steppenwolf bag, with a long killer guitar<br />
break. The rest of the LP (all originals) is more<br />
teenbeat-sounding and what you might expect from a<br />
3rd tier Sunset Strip band. Although light fare I<br />
must admit a couple of them have good, memorable<br />
hooks, and excellent fuzz leads keep recurring. For<br />
some reason I'm reminded a bit of Brain Police,<br />
although this is a more modest outing. Apart from the<br />
opener this is ultimately a completist artefact a la<br />
the Tormentors, albeit with some unusual angles.<br />
Sleeve notes have an enthusiastic endorsement from Mr<br />
Lee's wife, Monique. [PL]<br />
---<br />
The band played mainly at Mr Lee's Covina nightclub,<br />
where the bulk of the LP pressing was sold. There<br />
were also some lounge gigs in Santa Cruz. The band<br />
existed roughly a year. Ex-member Alan Clark has a<br />
website with more info and images, such as the ad<br />
above.<br />
"Rodan" 1974 (Pandora no #) [200p]<br />
Pretty good LP ranging from prog with ripping guitar<br />
to horn-laden ballsy funk. The vocals are pretty out<br />
there. It appears that this band had roots with the<br />
Elastik Band of "Spazz" infamy!<br />
ROGER RODIER (Canada)<br />
"Upon Velveatur" 1972 (Columbia 90095) [booklet]<br />
"Upon Velveatur" 2005 (CD Sunbeam, UK) [+bonus tracks]<br />
This French-Canadian singer/songwriter (who sings in<br />
English) has often been compared to Nick Drake, and<br />
the folky style with creepy orchestration does<br />
somewhat resemble Drake, though there’s nowhere near<br />
the same level of loneliness and despair here. A few<br />
songs have some effective fuzz guitar, though mostly<br />
it’s fragile folk-rock of the highest order. It’s got
RODS (NY)<br />
the same kind of wonderful dreamy feel of the wellknown<br />
orchestrated 60s Capitol psych monsters, though<br />
through the mouth and mind of a gentle, wistful soul.<br />
This is really an excellent album, one of the finest<br />
acid folk items, and certainly a record that deserves<br />
more attention. Original copies came with an 18-page<br />
lyric booklet. [AM]<br />
---<br />
Major label soft folk/pop with a very appealing<br />
surface, well-written and skillfully arranged. The<br />
moody folk tracks are excellent but only make up a<br />
minority of the album, which also goes into more<br />
ambitious domains with a European cabaret vibe a la<br />
Bowie, and some truly gentle musings that are too<br />
close to sugary 1970s soft rock for my tastes. The<br />
Nick Drake comparisons are indeed inaccurate, and I<br />
would expect this to appeal mainly to fans of soft<br />
femme vocal folkpop a la Margo Guryan. There is a<br />
certain kinship to the "Chris Lucey" LP as well. "My<br />
spirit's calling" is the standout track to me. [PL]<br />
"Rock Hard" 1980 (Primal p-1001) [1000p]<br />
ROGER & WENDY ( )<br />
Rare hardrock/metal trio housed in a funny period<br />
cover; highly rated among genre fans.<br />
"Roger & Wendy" 1972 (Horny 71RW1) [handmade covers]<br />
Pre-Bermuda Triangle Christian folkrock rated highly<br />
by some, with Dylan and Beatles covers and a few<br />
group originals. It appears to have been a very small<br />
pressing aimed at friends and family, which is<br />
further indicated by the hand-drawn covers with<br />
personalized greetings from the couple.<br />
---<br />
see -> Bermuda Triangle<br />
ROHRBACKER, HENDREN & KINGEN (OR)<br />
"Rohrbacker, Hendren & Kingen" 1975 (RA 2176 LPS)<br />
Exceptionally talented Oregon trio that blends the<br />
jangly energetic folkrock guitars and gentle closeknit<br />
harmonies of The Byrds with FM country rock,<br />
bluesy classic rock jamming and flowing summery CSNish<br />
soft rock sounds. Instrumental lineup is the same<br />
throughout with the dual electric guitars of Bob<br />
Rohrbacker and Bob Hendren vibrantly resounding on<br />
every track, including some superb lead work from Mr.<br />
Hendren. Mark Kingen handles bass while a couple<br />
friends alternate at drums. The opening salvo of<br />
"Look Towards Tomorrow", "You’re In My Life" and<br />
"Near To Me Now" is especially strong. An obvious<br />
professionalism and “true rockers” mentality at work<br />
here making this outing a quantum leap above most<br />
homegrown Christian projects. A virtually unheard of<br />
500-press mega-rarity. Phenomenal! [KS]
RON & SHIRLEY (NJ)<br />
"Rock And Scroll" (C & C 101277) [lyric insert; promo flier]<br />
This is an excellent 70s Christian rock album that<br />
really doesn’t sound like any other Christian record.<br />
It’s mainstream 70s rock, but with diverse<br />
songwriting and arrangements, and just a few prog<br />
moves. Sax and synthesizer are very well integrated<br />
into the sound, and little bits of heavy guitar add<br />
some exciting moments. Unlike a lot of other<br />
Christian records, the message is relatively subtle<br />
and unobtrusive, and the vocals, while unexceptional,<br />
have rock strength rather than gospel prettiness.<br />
Pure psych fans are often disappointed by this album,<br />
but that’s because the “psych” hype is misleading.<br />
The low budget production adds a garage-like strength<br />
to the loud guitar parts, but otherwise this is just<br />
plain old rock and roll. (There are a few cool spacy<br />
moments, especially on the great album closer “Bad<br />
Love Is A Demon.”) Occasionally their chops aren’t up<br />
to their ambitions, but this is a solid listen, with<br />
maybe one or two weak songs, and with the longest<br />
songs being the best. I love the cheap paste-on cover<br />
(which always ends up bubbling) and the cheesy drawn<br />
insert than makes then look more like a Tony Orlando<br />
cover band than a rock band. [AM]<br />
---<br />
How can you avoid buying an album with liner notes<br />
that read "The time has come to probe into the soul &<br />
spirit of human kind & caress a new experience in<br />
sound. A sound that is as ageless as the universe!" ?<br />
Ah, human bliss is at hand. First off, I can't say I<br />
know much about this duo. Apparently from New Jersey<br />
(their album was recorded at C&C Studios in Glassboro<br />
NJ and released by the small Jersey-based C&C label),<br />
Ron and Shirley are singers/guitarists Ron Russo and<br />
Shirley Bristle. Co-produced by Russo and Ed<br />
Candelora, their sole release, 1977's "Rock and<br />
Scroll" offered up an interesting blend of Christian<br />
themes and rock instrumentation. Certainly a turnoff<br />
to many rock fans, the duo's religious agenda was out<br />
front and center on material such as 'Sealer Healer',<br />
'Christian Man' and 'Troubled Sea'. That said, with<br />
backing from the trio Universe (drummer Jay Baccile,<br />
guitarist Tom Boyer and bassist Jack Deluca), Russo<br />
and Bristle packaged all nine original tracks in<br />
surprisingly mainstream and attractive rock<br />
arrangements. The proceedings were certainly helped<br />
by the presence of guitarist Boyer's first-rate<br />
playing and the fact Russo had an attractive voice<br />
(Shirley's obtrusive and occasionally shrill<br />
supporting vocals took a little getting use to -<br />
check out her performances on 'Jude' and<br />
'Comforter'). Interestingly, we've seen the LP turn<br />
up on a number of big dollar psych sales lists. While<br />
the closing number 'Bad Love Is a Demon' boasted a<br />
distinctive psych edge (complete with weird time<br />
signature and oddball sound effects), it's an<br />
exception. The majority of the set, including<br />
selections such as 'Soul Winner' and 'Love Is Real'<br />
sport a more mainstream rock sound. Certainly not for<br />
everyone, but if you can live with the religious<br />
overtones, the LP's a pleasant surprise and something<br />
we play with surprising regularity. [SB]
RONNIE & THE POMONA CASUALS (Pomona, CA)<br />
"Everybody Jerk" 1965 (Donna do-2112)<br />
Excellent East LA interracial teen group doing<br />
uptempo soul rock proto garage ravers. Fine vocals<br />
similar to the best Justice label LPs. Features three<br />
'jerk' songs. It appears that Arthur Lee was involved<br />
with some tracks, and even sings.<br />
V.A "ROOF GARDEN JAMBOREE" (MN/IA)<br />
"Roof Garden Jamboree" 1967 (IGL 103)<br />
One of many local Midwest albums from the pre-hippie<br />
period. This various artist sampler contains a non-LP<br />
track by the Trashmen, Steve Ellis & the Starfires,<br />
Chateaux, Mad Hatters, South 40, Underbeats, and<br />
others. Iowa and Minnesota groups are featured. A<br />
couple of the tracks appear on the "IGL Rock Story<br />
vol 2" CD, but most have never been reissued.<br />
ROOTS OF MADNESS (San José, CA)<br />
"Girl In The Chair" 1971 (Dogmouth 1001)<br />
"Girl In The Chair" 2005 (DeStijl 045)<br />
Experimental weirdness that has been compared to the<br />
early Residents, but is perhaps more avant/collage<br />
and less "rock".<br />
JOE ROSANOVA & THE VINEYARD (TN)<br />
"In Dedication To The Ones We Love" 1968 (Astro Sonic<br />
Productions 4000)<br />
Given that it was distributed by Starday Records<br />
(known as a pay and press label), this appears to<br />
have been a vanity project. The opener leaves you<br />
with the impression this is going to be a Christian<br />
rock outing. Thankfully that's a red herring with<br />
most of the album bouncing between accomplished pop<br />
("Vicki" and "Now That I've Lost You"), more rockoriented<br />
numbers ("Mother's Brother's") and an odd<br />
nod at psych with the killer "Dreams of You", which<br />
is alone worth the admission price). As lead singer<br />
Fiori was quite good, particularly when he toughened<br />
up his delivery ("In Every Way"), where his growl<br />
recalled Rare Earth's singer. To be honest, had the<br />
set been a little more focused with a couple more<br />
psych and rock numbers, this'd be a major and highpriced<br />
item. Band originals all through. [SB]<br />
---<br />
“Dreams Of You” is a bonafide psych classic, mixing<br />
overwhelming, spooky organ, dreamy vocals, hot fuzz<br />
guitar, a haunting melody and powerful sound effects.<br />
General consensus among collectors is that this album<br />
is worth owning only for that one song, but I think<br />
there’s plenty more to like here, from the bouncy
ROSEWOOD ( )<br />
organ on the soulful “Lord, What’s Your Plan” to the<br />
catchy upbeat “In Every Way” to the slightly heavy<br />
“Since You’ve Been Away.” It is a spotty mix of<br />
styles, with about half of the songs being innocuous<br />
soft pop, but even the wimpiest songs here are pretty<br />
tuneful and have interesting arrangements. In Dave<br />
Clark Five fashion, the band is named after the<br />
drummer. Oh, and just the kind of thing to infuriate<br />
collectors: pretty much every copy of this album,<br />
even ones that look mint, play a bit noisy on just<br />
one track. Guess which song it is... [AM]<br />
---<br />
While looking for an image of the LP, we stumbled on<br />
this little item from a former Vineyard bass player<br />
(I'll leave the person's name off of the quote): "Joe<br />
Rosanova - that dirtbag - still owes me one year's<br />
withholding tax which he withheld - PERMANENTLY. He<br />
was a real trip. He had polio as a child and it left<br />
him somewhat crippled although you really couldn't<br />
tell. He was the band leader and also the drummer.<br />
When he would have a bad day and his legs hurt he<br />
would yell furiously at the bass player. And then<br />
there was his gun..."<br />
"Rosewood" 197 (Martin Recordings PRP-29312)<br />
JOHN ROSPLOCK ( )<br />
Early 1970s folkrock private in a Tim Hardin<br />
direction.<br />
"John Rosplock" 1974 (Johnny Dollar JD 101)<br />
Melodic folkrock/singer-songwriter LP, rated highly<br />
by some.<br />
ROUNDHOUSE (Wisconsin Dells, WI)<br />
"Handle With Care" 1976 (Claremont Records)<br />
ROUSERS (IA)<br />
This transitional hard rock album has AOR and prog<br />
(some mellotron) tendencies, but veers toward power<br />
pop too, and most of the songs are unfashionably<br />
fast. The riffs are somewhat pedestrian and the<br />
guitar playing pretty conventional, but the vocals<br />
are good and their heart was definitely in it. The<br />
album has 10 songs, unusual for a post-1968, pre-punk<br />
hard rock record. An obvious Beatles influence is a<br />
plus. This is a refreshing change from all of the<br />
dumb heavy albums of its era, but it’s not inspired<br />
or well-written enough to actually break new ground.<br />
More of a case of potential than actual quality, but<br />
not bad. [AM]<br />
"In Concert" 1965 (Fredlo 6520)
ROXX (MN)<br />
Local pre-Invasion teen-beat on famous Midwest label<br />
in primitive cover.<br />
"Get Your Rocks Off" 1976 (Sit On It And Spin)<br />
ROYALAIRES ( )<br />
Crude boozy barband hardrock with keyboard/guitar<br />
prog moves.<br />
"Live vol 1" 1966 (RPC 76532)<br />
R P M (NY)<br />
R P S ( )<br />
Rare teenbeat LP on famed custom label.<br />
"R P M" 1972 (Freeflow)<br />
Seldom seen private press of keyboard/guitar flowing<br />
progressive rock. It seems the band included Chris<br />
Robison, who had two solo LPs out (see entry).<br />
"R P S" 1976 (Mars)<br />
RUBBER MEMORY (LA)<br />
Midwest hardrock trio with a James Gang barband<br />
sound.<br />
"Welcome" 1970 (RPC 69402) [300p]<br />
"Welcome" 2000 (Loopden 002) [inserts]<br />
Post-Iron Butterfly organ-lead basement psychrock<br />
with a teenage vibe, pretty cool for what it is with<br />
mostly originals and one doomy killer track on side<br />
1. Side 2 is a bit on the weak side and has an inept<br />
drum solo. An insert with the classy reissue reveals<br />
that they still held Battle Of The Bands in Louisiana<br />
at this late stage. [PL]
ROGER RUBIN & ROTFREE ANDERSON (Atlanta, GA)<br />
"Atlanta Underground - Freek Music" 1971 (Purple Haze 1-71)<br />
Georgia acid strum damage realness. Like the British<br />
icon Ron Warren Ganderton. Tracks include "Redneck<br />
woman" and "Masters of society, while side 2 is<br />
dominated by a folk-freakout titled "Hallucinate".<br />
BECKIE RYAN (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Beckie Ryan" 1977 (Blossom 101)<br />
This latter day hippie folk album is a hot ticket<br />
item in Japan. Like a lot of albums championed there,<br />
it’s gentle with beautiful vocals and clear<br />
songwriting. It’s quite good for its type and is<br />
recommended to fans of singer songwriter folk, but<br />
it’s too straightforward and lacking in excitement to<br />
turn the heads of loner folk or acid folk fans.<br />
Producer David Blossom is likely the guy from 50 Foot<br />
Hose. On the back cover photo Becky rivals Caroline<br />
Peyton, from her "Intuition" cover photos, for cutest<br />
70s hippie. [AM]<br />
COLLIE RYAN (Santa Barbara, CA)<br />
"The Giving Tree" 1973 (Rainbow CRGMC-1) [500p]<br />
"Indian Summer" 1973 (Rainbow CRGMC-2) [500p]<br />
"Takin’ Your Turn ‘Round the Corner of Day” 1973 (Rainbow<br />
CRGMC-3) [500p]<br />
Ryan's three LPs contain acoustic folk with female<br />
vocals and an appealing moody, mysterious<br />
(Theosophian) edge that scares off the trad spectre<br />
and invites the psychedelic spirits, although they do<br />
not quite enter the room. Ms Ryan has a good voice, a<br />
bit like Alisha of Magic Carpet, and writes songs<br />
with memorable melodies and minor chord progressions.<br />
The more upbeat and sing-songy tracks are slightly<br />
less successful. The albums were only sold locally at<br />
the "New Age Farms" fresh squeezed juice store. All<br />
three have full color covers painted by Ryan herself<br />
and make for an appealing trinity in the popular Judy<br />
Collins style, even while they're not the<br />
"mindblowing femme acid folkpsych" you may see them<br />
listed as. The third one may be the strongest<br />
overall, and is a good one to start with, although<br />
they're all quite similar. CRGMC stands for the
DENNIS RYDER ( )<br />
Colorado River Gold Mining Company. [PL]<br />
"Let Me Take You To The Kingdom" 1973 (Hosanna 72873)<br />
JOHN RYDGREN (CO)<br />
Top of the heap for Christian folk. Ryder is a<br />
marvelous songwriter, and his enthusiasm for his<br />
faith is utterly infectious without being at all<br />
annoying. He simply shares, doesn’t proselytize. His<br />
vocals and melodies are brilliant, and the mild folkrock<br />
arrangements show them off beautifully. By the<br />
time of the gorgeous Beatlesque “Make It Right” even<br />
I’m ready to convert. Just a fantastic record. Two<br />
cover variants exist; one a landscape drawing, the<br />
other a portrait. [AM]<br />
---<br />
Obviously inspired by the crystal clear folk sound of<br />
"Scarborough Fair", "Sounds Of Silence" etc, Dennis<br />
Ryder brings the liturgical Simon & Garfunkel vocal<br />
harmony trip full circle as he charges it with<br />
religious themes in the typical born-again Jesus<br />
movement style. The tracks with a full folkrock sound<br />
show an obvious CSN influence, and it's a testament<br />
to this album's strength and self-confidence that<br />
Ryder comes out with a consistent, personal statement<br />
despite these two commanding presences. Occasionally<br />
he strays into the bland, frictionless feel-good<br />
1970s praise heard on albums such as Chenaniah and<br />
Harvest Flight, but the spellbinding nature of the<br />
best tracks is what leaves a lasting impression. The<br />
recording is impressive with attractive guitar<br />
figures and multilayered vocals forming the base for<br />
overdubs of flute, organ and in some cases, drums and<br />
bass. Psychedelia creeps in via unexpected Eastern<br />
chord progressions and gliding, dreamy vocals, and on<br />
a track such as "Sound The Alarm" the otherworldly<br />
psych feel completely overtakes the religious feel in<br />
a way similar to Search Party and Trees-Christ Tree.<br />
Would make a good double bill with R.F.D, with this<br />
being the stronger and more distinctive of the two.<br />
[PL]<br />
"Cantata Of A New Life" 1967 (Sirl) [gatefold]<br />
Created for the 450th anniversary of the Lutheran<br />
Church, side 1 of this LP is an extraordinary<br />
psychedelic Christian cantata which is possibly<br />
Rydgren's crowning achievement. In cooperation with<br />
composer Robert Way, a 25 minute eclectic musical<br />
mass mixes superbly with Rydgren's raps on the<br />
existential confusion of youth in modern society, and<br />
how Christianity possibly holds the key. As with all<br />
his recordings, the questions are asked in such a<br />
mindbendingly cool way that the answers sort of get<br />
lost in the haze, which is part of the strongly<br />
psychedelic nature of this material. The music ranges<br />
from modernist classical over exotica to contemporary<br />
"rock", and is as impressive as Rydgren's dramatic<br />
narration. As good it gets within the Christian<br />
Incredibly Strange field. Side 2 contains variations
on his "Silhouette" radio spots. An oversize poster<br />
of the acid collage gatefold cover was created to<br />
promote the LP. [PL]<br />
"Worlds Of Youth" 1968 (Concordia 79-9066)<br />
One of Rydgren's rarest albums, this contains a<br />
series of two-person dialogues, pairing Rydgren &<br />
associate Herbert Brokering with a hip teen girl and<br />
a goofy teen boy. Typical period surf a-go-go and<br />
fuzz psych plays in the background, as the turned-on<br />
Christian brainwashing plays out. There's also a<br />
unique track of Rydgren singing. This is a lockedgroove<br />
disc, which means that you have to move the<br />
needle forward to get to each new track.<br />
"Silhouette" 196 (Lutheran)<br />
This is a single-disc radio program that should not<br />
be confused with the 2-LP "Silhouette Segments". Each<br />
side of the record is a single track, each<br />
approximately one half hour in length. This appears<br />
to be an actual broadcast of the Silhouette program,<br />
described as “a sound in the middle of sounds” and “a<br />
chance to think”. The record strings together songs<br />
from popular artists of the day (The Supremes, Lou<br />
Rawls, Buffalo Springfield, The Hollies, Simon &<br />
Garfunkel), but many of the selections are from<br />
obscure unknown artists (such as Japan’s The<br />
Peanuts). Rydgren speaks between the songs,<br />
interviewing Seattle co-eds, London teens, hit<br />
songwriters and authors on topics such as the church,<br />
Christianity, witnessing, petting, guilt, God and<br />
whether the Christian approach to sex makes any sense<br />
“in today’s go-go world”. There are a few brief<br />
sketches of the Silhouette Segments variety,<br />
including one killer tripped-out dramatic spoken<br />
prayer that melds into a psych track by The Animals<br />
called "When I Was Young". Worth it just to hear that<br />
ultra-groovy Silhouette jingle that pops up here and<br />
there. Front cover has the same picture of the miniskirted<br />
girl that’s on the back of Segments, plus<br />
there’s a different b&w shot of her inside. Don’t<br />
know if this is the only album in the series or if<br />
there might be others? A marvelous snapshot of late-<br />
‘60s hip radio. [KS]<br />
"Silhouette Segments" 1969 (American Lutheran Church 8-8531)<br />
[2LPs; gatefold]<br />
"Silhouette Segments" 199 (Mystic) [no gatefold]<br />
The most famous album from Christian radio DJ with an<br />
atmospheric, gravelly voice a la Ken Nordine rapping<br />
and doing spoken word designed to pull kids away from<br />
hippie drugs and into the even hipper Jesus trip. In<br />
line with Rydgren's radio show (first aired on WABC,<br />
then syndicated around the US), this 2LP set contains<br />
musical snips from various sources, some of it famous<br />
psych tracks, and also interviews with kids and<br />
celebrities explaining the dilemma of late 60s "now"<br />
lifestyles. "My head's torn up in the world of the<br />
plastic mushroom". Rydgren's superb turned-on<br />
monologues is what really carries this into the<br />
upmost echelon of Weird America, though. Drugs are<br />
frequently mentioned and needless to say this is a
smorgasbord for samples. Most people are hopefully<br />
familiar with this wonderama by now. The reissue is a<br />
single-LP condensation of highpoints from the double<br />
LP. [PL]<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
SABRAS see Bezalel & the Sabras<br />
SACRED MUSHROOM (Cincinnati, OH)<br />
"Sacred Mushroom" 1969 (Parallax 4001)<br />
"Sacred Mushroom" 198 (Parallax, Europe) [bootleg; yellow<br />
vinyl]<br />
"Sacred Mushroom" 1993 (CD Eva b-30, France)<br />
"Sacred Mushroom" 2001 (CD)<br />
I occasionally see this on high priced psych lists,<br />
coupled with the usual dealer BS descriptions of<br />
"radical, mind numbing psych", etc. You probably<br />
won't be shocked to hear that most of the album isn't<br />
particularly psychedelic. In spite of the trippy name<br />
and great psychedelic cover art, the majority of the<br />
album found the band pursuing a fairly pedestrian<br />
blues attack. Unfortunately, overlooking a nifty<br />
cover of The Kinks' "I'm Not Like Everybody<br />
Else" (which stood as the album's highlight), none of<br />
the set's white-boys-singing-the-blues efforts were<br />
particularly original. Competent and professional,<br />
the isolated bits of excitement were largely a result<br />
of excellent guitar work. There was also a pre-LP 45,<br />
and an original Mexican pressing of the LP on Audio<br />
Fidelity. The 2001 CD is a reissue from the band<br />
themselves. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
This one's collectable more for the album cover and<br />
band name than for the music within. They're<br />
definitely hippies, but this is mostly straight<br />
blues, and not a particularly interesting example of<br />
it. Cool communal photo on the back cover, though.<br />
[AM]<br />
SADDHU BRAND (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Whole Earth Rhythm" 1970 (Anna Chakraborty's Musical Sewing<br />
Machine 101)<br />
Cosmic communal sitar folk and psych, with female<br />
vocals, chanting in English and Hindu, lots of ethnic
SAGE (FL)<br />
instruments. An early example of a genre that would<br />
become common during the 1970s, not overwhelmingly<br />
interesting to my ears and curiously lacking the<br />
spiritual charge that can make these albums<br />
memorable. With Peter Van Gelder (ex-Great Society)<br />
after a long trip to India. The LP was picked up by<br />
UNI (73116) and re-released in 1971 with a new and<br />
less blatantly druggy cover. The UNI press is a good<br />
way to check out the LP cheap.<br />
"By Sage" 1977 (Illusion CM2004)<br />
"By Sage" 2004 (CD Radioactive 081, UK)<br />
Typical local mid-1970s Allman Bros/Dead rural<br />
groover, with a laidback mood and snakey guitar<br />
leads. Hard to find anything that makes it stand out<br />
within this rather common style, although the overall<br />
consistency of mood and playing makes it a good proxy<br />
for the genre. Vocals are OK, with some westcoast<br />
harmonies here and there, while the smooth flow of<br />
the playing is a bit like Kristyl (esp on "Morning<br />
Dove"), except a bit more swampy and not as<br />
spellbinding. Recording has an agreeable basement<br />
live feel, and it could be argued that these guys<br />
have everything in place to make a killer LP, except<br />
the songwriting, which relies too much on lines<br />
repeated like mantras and a lack of hooks and<br />
memorable chord progressions. Instead it becomes a<br />
working snapshot of the sound going round among 1000s<br />
of local club & bar bands in the American heartland<br />
at the time. Slightly stoned but not very<br />
psychedelic, except for the front cover acid drawing<br />
of a weird old sage with gigantic sheep eyes. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is average Southern-style rock with innocuous<br />
love-song lyrics. Some of the guitar playing is<br />
pretty cool, and the performances are fine, but until<br />
the very last song, the lovely "Morning Dove" (sic),<br />
this is unexceptional in every way. The LP sounds<br />
like a third-generation recording, the most fadedsounding<br />
album you'll ever hear. I know tax scam<br />
labels are low-budget, but this must have been<br />
mastered from the band's cassette recording of their<br />
studio sessions. The first song on side two starts<br />
part-way through the actual recording. The vinyl is<br />
pretty noisy too, and the album is only 28 and a half<br />
minutes long. Cool album cover considering the<br />
circumstances. [AM]<br />
"Rock It Out" 1978 (Illusion)<br />
"Shadows Of The Night" 1978 (lllusion 1050)<br />
"Freeport" 1978 (Illusion)<br />
"Rockin'" 1978 (Illusion)<br />
"Skyscraper" 1978 (Illusion)
SAGE (OK)<br />
As you can see, something weird was going on with<br />
this band and label. In his "release anything I can<br />
get my hands on" frenzy, Mike Pinera put out not less<br />
than six albums by Sage on his Illusion label,<br />
probably as a tax-scam. Too bad he couldn't find some<br />
lost recordings of his ex-bandmate April Lawson.<br />
These other five Sage LPs have been described as<br />
similar in style to "By Sage", although they tend to<br />
be seldom seen. "Rock It Out" has a photo of the<br />
band.<br />
"Sage" 197 (McCullar Sound no #)<br />
SAGE & SEER (CO)<br />
Good, laidback 1970s rock with some psychy<br />
guitarwork. The band recorded an LP under the name<br />
Lyra in 1979, also reputedly of interest.<br />
"Sage & Seer" 1969 (Stylist SA-600) [insert]<br />
Unusual item for a private press as it's an ambitious<br />
and elaborate lyte-psych effort that would have fit<br />
well on Epic or ABC. Influences are mainly British<br />
with obvious nods to 1967 Donovan and the Beatles.<br />
Arrangements bring in chamber music orchestrations<br />
and a baroque feel that has made for Left Banke<br />
comparisons, although I was more reminded of a<br />
second-tier Fredric. Unfortunately the slight<br />
weakness of the vocals is enhanced by an upfront and<br />
strongly channel-separated mix, something that would<br />
have been better handled with the major label<br />
treatment originally intended for the guys.<br />
Songwriting is good, and the lyrics typically<br />
poignant. One track has unsuccessful soul moves like<br />
Colorado colleagues Rainy Daze, rest is true to the<br />
clever pop genre credo. The experience of hearing a<br />
typical $10.000 LA album done as a local release is<br />
interesting enough to make this worth checking out,<br />
in addition to 3 or 4 memorable tracks. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Cool album cover and lots of dealer hype make this<br />
one easy to mistake for a lost pop/psych masterpiece.<br />
In reality, though, it's a mainstream 60s pop album<br />
with lots of strings and horns (where'd these guys<br />
ever get such a big recording budget?). It starts and<br />
ends well: "Pictures Through A Sunday Afternoon" is a<br />
gorgeous baroque pop song that ends in a wash of<br />
psychedelic effects, and the closing "Farewell St.<br />
John" is a slightly lesser variation on the same<br />
musical theme. The rest is kind of a mixed bag, with<br />
a few nice soft rock songs and a few that are more<br />
forgettable. The album came with a lovely lyric<br />
poster. [AM]<br />
SAGITTARIUS (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Present Tense" 1968 (Columbia cs-9644)
"Present Tense" 1985 (Back-Trac)<br />
"Present Tense" 1997 (CD Sundazed 10053) [+9 tracks]<br />
"Present Tense" 2004 (CD Sony, Japan)<br />
This is one of the most beloved soft psych albums of<br />
the 60s, and it certainly has moments that show Curt<br />
Boettcher to have an extraordinary gift for a catchy<br />
melody. The album is kind of hit and miss, though,<br />
and commits the unpardonable sin of including an<br />
edited version of the masterpiece “My World Fell<br />
Down.” Unsuspecting 70s collectors who bought the<br />
album after hearing the song on the "Nuggets"<br />
compilation were understandably disappointed.<br />
Certainly this is worth owning, as there are about<br />
half a dozen wonderful pop tunes on it, but it feels<br />
more like an exploitation album than a coherent<br />
whole. [AM]<br />
“The Blue Marble” 1969 (Together 1002)<br />
SAHARAS (MI)<br />
The second Sagittarius seems like a more coherent<br />
attempt at an “album” than the first, with a more<br />
consistent melodic feel and some quite surprising use<br />
of moog (an instrument still in its infant stages in<br />
rock and roll.) It’s completely lightweight, always<br />
pretty but rarely a whole lot more than that. You’ll<br />
either love or hate the synths, though I can’t<br />
imagine even the most jaded hard rock junkie not<br />
appreciating the beauty of the voices. The high<br />
points aren’t as high as those on "Present Tense",<br />
but this is an enjoyable album for those moments when<br />
you want to wimp out for a while. [AM]<br />
"Saharas" 1966 (United) [10"]<br />
SAILOR ( )<br />
Teenbeat rarity with female vocalist Lu. Supposedly a<br />
live recording from a Michigan college, in a fratrock<br />
style. This may be the same Saharas that had 45s<br />
on United and the well-known Fenton label.<br />
"Sailor" 1976 (700 West) [1000p; inner]<br />
Obscure light westcoasty sounds on the same Indiana<br />
label as Zerfas, receiving some hype of late.<br />
SAINTE ANTHONY'S FYRE (NJ)<br />
"Sainte Anthony's Fyre" 1971 (Zonk 001)<br />
"Sainte Anthony's Fyre" 1987 (Breeder 563, Austria)<br />
"Sainte Anthony's Fyre" 1996 (Void 03) [poster; 400#d]<br />
"Sainte Anthony's Fyre" 199 (CD, Europe)<br />
Rated by many as one of the ultimate local basement<br />
hardrock blowouts. An intense, compressed live feel
ST ELMO'S FIRE (OH)<br />
has the band going through a set of raw originals<br />
with a near-punk attack. Also shows obvious urban<br />
soul/funk inspiration a la Grand Funk, although this<br />
becomes an advantage in this context. A great echoey<br />
rehearsal space sound adds to the appeal. According<br />
to Jersey folklore the drummer OD'd after his brother<br />
had shot himself in the head. The Void reissue is<br />
inferior in sound compared to the original, or the<br />
earlier bootleg. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Intense damaged power trio. Sludge fuzz behemoth in<br />
Bent Wind/Blue Cheer zone. No subtlety or restraint<br />
in evidence as Greg Ohm delivers powerful vocals and<br />
distorted leads from the other side. The side openers<br />
"Love over you" and "Lone soul road" are all time<br />
riff fests. [RM]<br />
"Live At The Cleveland Agora" 1980 (Corposant) [inner sleeve;<br />
#d]<br />
ROD ST JAMES ( )<br />
Hard progressive guitar keys. Garagy King Crimson<br />
sound and Tolkien influence. Not an expensive LP.<br />
"Has Anybody Seen A Superstar" 1972 (Paula lps-2218)<br />
Nice one. Trippy organ, wailing fuzz, and wah-wah<br />
over a funky psych backing with 'laid-back cool'<br />
phased hippie vocals. Donovan meets Marcus<br />
(McDonald)! [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
Interesting combination of funky guitar rock and some<br />
folk. The cover is mysterious and it’s impossible to<br />
tell from his singing if he’s white or black. There’s<br />
some hot guitar here and some pretty catchy songs.<br />
It’s a darn good mainstream 70s rock album, though I<br />
suppose some would say he’s trying too hard on the<br />
few folky songs on side two. There’s nothing<br />
“psychedelic” about this album, and other than the<br />
lead guitar, it’s not hard rock either, so the hype<br />
is sometimes misleading. Nonetheless it’s a very good<br />
album and is quite scarce, and I recommend it. [AM]<br />
SAINT JOHN GREEN (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Saint John Green" 1968 (Flick-Disc fls 45001)<br />
Trashy sci-fi bubblegum fuzz punk with Kim Fowley<br />
involvement, cheesy organ fun. Goofball concept about<br />
the end of the world. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
It's pretty cool to think that stuff this bizarre was<br />
getting released and distributed in the late 60s.<br />
Goofy comedy bits and fake Satanism mix with garagy<br />
pop to make for a fun album. There are a couple of<br />
excellent songs here too, and not a boring moment to<br />
be found. A nice companion piece for Kim Fowley's<br />
"Outrageous". [AM]
ST LOUIS HOUNDS (St Louis, MO)<br />
"St Louis Hounds" 1977 (Hounds 101)<br />
Rock with big band sound and violin. This is actually<br />
the third Pavlov's Dog LP, which had been rejected by<br />
Columbia.<br />
ST PIUS X SEMINARY CHOIR (CA)<br />
"Each One Heard In His Own Way" 1968 (Century 30441)<br />
Here’s one choir you definitely won’t want to miss.<br />
Notice that they’re directed by the Rev. Nicholas T.<br />
Freund, the same guy responsible for The Search<br />
Party’s "Montgomery Chapel", one of Christian music’s<br />
absolute top psych rarities. Although this<br />
male/female choir doesn’t really sound like The<br />
Search Party, they sure don’t recall any choir I’ve<br />
ever heard before. The rock, folk, psych and<br />
electronic influences heard here once again confirm<br />
that Freund was very much a part of the experimental<br />
late ‘60s. The choir itself comes across big and<br />
loud, and at more than one point it even sounds like<br />
they’re yelling at the top of their lungs. The<br />
instruments are loud, too: the electric bass, the<br />
organ, the acoustic guitars, the electric guitar, and<br />
especially the drums and percussion. "Meditation –<br />
Acts 2:1-12 – Pentecost Sunday" opens the album on a<br />
highly avant garde note, with liturgical readings,<br />
chanting and dissonant singing backed by a variety of<br />
harsh heavy grating electronic sounds. Covers of Ray<br />
Repp’s "I Am The Resurrection" and "Come Children<br />
Hear Me" follow, sounding like straightforward ‘60s<br />
Catholic folk as typically heard on the World Library<br />
or FEL labels. Bluesy harmonica joins with some cool<br />
electric guitar riffing on Sister Germaine’s "Who Is<br />
This Man". Next is an intense psychedelic version of<br />
"Get Together" with big drums, swirls of spacey organ<br />
and tripped-out Sgt. Pepper flutes, and a short<br />
modal/raga electric guitar solo. Side two is entirely<br />
taken up with a rocking performance of John<br />
Ylvisaker’s "Mass For The Secular City" (from Praise<br />
The Lord In Many Voices Part I), highlighted by<br />
psychy organ and electric guitar interaction. Very<br />
primitive looking yellow cover with red dove/fire<br />
design, along with newspaper clippings about the<br />
group on the back. [KS]<br />
ST RAPHAEL FOLK GROUP ( )<br />
"Sabbath Prayer" 196 (no label)<br />
SAINTROCK (NY)<br />
Late 1960s typical Christian folk and folkrock with<br />
male/female vocals, in a nice color sleeve. Described<br />
as unexciting by some.
"Conceptual Orchestra" 1978 (CER)<br />
"Conceptual Orchestra" 2005 (CD)<br />
SAINT STEVEN (MA)<br />
Westcoast/rural-flavored religious folkrock with<br />
flute and fuzz from duo, highly rated by some. There<br />
is a second LP from 1984, "Second Coming", and<br />
further recordings from recent times.<br />
"Saint Steven" 1969 (Probe CPLP 4506) [gatefold; red label<br />
rim]<br />
"Saint Steven" 1969 (Probe) [bootleg; gatefold]<br />
"Saint Steven" 199 (CD TRC, Europe)<br />
"Saint Steven" 199 (CD BOD 102, Germany)<br />
SALEM MASS (ID)<br />
Ambitious and eclectic Boss-Town sound that's<br />
received some hype recently though I can't say I'm<br />
blown away by it. Fuzzed hippierock mixed with folkie<br />
bits and interesting lyrics but nowhere as freaky and<br />
arresting as the top psych LPs from the time and<br />
place, in my opinion. May appeal more to fans of<br />
early UK/Euro artrock and prog. Earlier recordings as<br />
the Frontpage Review have been made available (CD<br />
"Mystic Soldiers", Big Beat). Cataldo was later in<br />
the Nervous Eaters. The LP title is sometimes listed<br />
as "Over The Hills". A Canadian original pressing<br />
exists without gatefold; the album was also released<br />
in Peru for some reason. See also comment for One St<br />
Stephen. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
After Morgen, this is the key collectable on the<br />
label. Opinions are divided on it, but I think it's a<br />
good one. There's a mild theme to it, with background<br />
noise on several songs (political commentary, animal<br />
noises), and two distinct album sides: "Over The<br />
Hills" and "Bastich." I'm not really sure what it's<br />
about, but it has an appealing strange energy. The<br />
music is a mix of melodic pop/psych and heavy psych.<br />
The songs vary in quality but all have nice fuzz<br />
guitar and a few, notably "Bastich 1" and "Voyage To<br />
Cleveland," are quite memorable. Not a masterpiece,<br />
but an interesting album. Oddly enough, "Bastich 1"<br />
was covered by Whalefeathers. How in the world did<br />
they ever discover this song? [AM]<br />
"Witchburning" 1971 (Salem Mass slp-101)<br />
"Witchburning" 199 (Salem Mass, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
"Witchburning" 1998 (CD Gear Fab gf-117)<br />
"Witchburning" 1999 (Akarma 092, Italy)<br />
Cheap-sounding hard rock with lots of moog. For the<br />
first song, which is quite long, it's pretty cool,<br />
but overall this isn't anything special and doesn't<br />
cover any new ground after that one song. It's<br />
nowhere near as dark as the band and album title<br />
would imply, though the synth does get pretty creepy<br />
now and then. [AM]
SANDS OF TIME ( )<br />
"Sands Of Time" 197 (Sands Of Time 2000)<br />
SANDSTONE (PA)<br />
Not to be confused with any other Sands Of Time, this<br />
is unexceptional hippie folk with male/female vocals.<br />
The cover shows the main couple in a field.<br />
"Can You Mend A Silver Thread?" 1971 (SA 2911)<br />
Little-known local folkpsych trip with a total UK<br />
sound, reminiscent of the Shide & Acorn album in<br />
particular. Male/female vocal harmonies, acoustic<br />
guitar tapestries, flute, piano and occasional violin<br />
all create a dreamy, wistful mood typical of the<br />
style. While not terribly original it is skillfully<br />
done and hits all the right spots, and is likely to<br />
delight genre fans in a big way. I might have opted<br />
for even more of the female vocals but it's a minor<br />
objection. Some trad moves here and there for an<br />
"authentic" feel, but really a trip off the lysergic<br />
Camelot magic first invoked by Donovan back in 1967.<br />
[PL]<br />
V.A "SAN FRANCISCO POP FESTIVAL" (CA)<br />
"San Francisco Pop Festival" 1968 (Colstar 5001) [poster]<br />
Obscure comp done to cash in on the San Francisco<br />
craze of '67-68. The marvy packaging (including a<br />
poster) is probably of more interest than the sounds,<br />
which apart from three or four OK garage/psych<br />
numbers is wholly superflous. S.F experts suggest<br />
that several of the groups listed actually represent<br />
various one-off studio amalgamations involving the<br />
highly active ex-New Zealander Ray Columbus. The<br />
track attributed to the Haight-Ashbury Blues Band was<br />
actually pre-Horses/Kingfish group New Delhi River<br />
Band. "Friendly indians" by Charolette Wood is the<br />
high point to me. [PL]<br />
SANSONE & McDONALD ( )<br />
"Country Life & My Wife" 1976 (Acredited)<br />
SANTA FE ( )<br />
Local folkrock obscurity with a 60s throwback sound.
"The Good Earth" 1972 (RTV 301) [wlp exists]<br />
DAVID SANTO (NY)<br />
This is a collectable because of the label, but it's<br />
not something many collectors will want to listen to<br />
more than once or twice. It's non-psychedelic rural<br />
rock, with a few good-timey rock songs and some<br />
horns. They try awfully hard but really don't develop<br />
an identity. Despite the variety of arrangements it's<br />
pretty bland. The band's earlier, self-titled LP on<br />
Ampex is highly rated by some. [AM]<br />
"Silver Currents" 1968 (Phoenix phs-101)<br />
"Silver Currents" 1969 (Sire ses-97004) [altered cover]<br />
Obscure Village folk-hippie guy with tremendous 45<br />
"Rising Of Scorpio", included on this LP in an<br />
alternate mix. Rest of the album is disappointing<br />
third-tier Donovan sounds with offkey vocals. File<br />
under "avoid" next to Marcus on Kinetic. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Santo’s best known for “Rising Of Scorpio,” a cool<br />
tune that appeared on many psychedelic compilations,<br />
despite musically being pretty straight folk rock.<br />
The rest of his album is pretty similar, though no<br />
other song is quite as memorable. Santo has a warm,<br />
guy-next-door voice that’s more likeable than good.<br />
His songwriting is good but not great and the album<br />
is a fun but minor entry into the 60s<br />
singer/songwriter sweepstakes. This LP came out<br />
twice, once on a small label with a colorful cover<br />
photo with Santo’s face in a bunch of clouds, and a<br />
second time on Sire with a black and white photo of<br />
Santo in a cold-weather parka. Both versions are<br />
scarce, though the original generally goes for twice<br />
as much as the second issue. [AM]<br />
SAPPHIRE THINKERS ( )<br />
"From Within" 1969 (Hobbit 503) [wlp exists]<br />
"From Within" 199 (Hobbit)<br />
"From Within" 2000 (CD Summer Of Love 2000-2)<br />
Surprisingly good CA-sounding melodic/harmony psych<br />
trip, instantly likable and strong enough to hold<br />
your attention for repeat plays. Elements from<br />
disparate sources are brought in -- Curt Boettcher<br />
sunshine pop, Bay Area teen top 40 psych like<br />
Neighb'rhood Childr'n, Sunset Strip organ/fuzz/flute<br />
a la Strawberry Alarmclock -- yet the end result is<br />
consistent and convincing, with plenty of strength in<br />
the songwriting and arrangements, and no major<br />
weaknesses. A few tracks point towards the relaxed
JOHN W SARGENT ( )<br />
early 1970s psych sound of Kak and Bob Smith.<br />
Impressive, not unlike a junior Music Emporium. Ex-<br />
Merry Prankster Sandy "Dismount" Lehmann-Haupt was<br />
involved and may have contributed to the non-fake<br />
vibe of this LP. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
All the elements are here: cool organ, solid male and<br />
female vocals, catchy melodies, plenty of fuzz<br />
guitar, but somehow this album never really worked<br />
for me. I'm not sure if it's overlys formulaic, or if<br />
the songwriting is a little bland, or I find the<br />
flute annoying, or what, but I keep trying to<br />
discover what others see in this record with no luck.<br />
The album definitely lacks the kind of wildness found<br />
in, say, Neighb'rhood Childr'n, or the kind of<br />
songwriting excellence and diversity that makes<br />
Creation of Sunlight and the Strawberry Alarm Clock<br />
rise above their similar saccharine tendencies. [AM]<br />
"John W Sargent" 196 (no label) [no cover]<br />
Druggy lounge rock with guitar, organ, flute. Some of<br />
the vocals are unintelligible which may well be for<br />
the best. The label reads 'demonstration copy'. [RM]<br />
JOHN SASE see Aessence<br />
SATAN & THE DECIPLES (LA)<br />
"Underground" 1969 (Goldband grlp 7750)<br />
Mock-satanic swamprock with classic "theme" song that<br />
features unconvincing devilish laughter and a swank<br />
Sam The Sham occult party groove that needs to be<br />
heard. Made by stupid people for stupid people! [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This album is a riot. That doesn't mean it's good;<br />
it's not. It is, however, one of the most absurd and<br />
misguided attempts at exploitation you'll ever hear.<br />
The long opening "Satan's First Theme" is ridiculous<br />
beyond belief. The singer laughs and growls in a<br />
goofy way that wouldn't scare a two-year old, and the<br />
lyrics are equally tame. I mean, if you're trying to<br />
be Satan, wouldn't you be evil, or scary, or<br />
offensive? He doesn't go much further than suggesting<br />
he should have sued the writers of the bible for<br />
libel. This goes on for about eight minutes, as he<br />
sing-speaks and while the backup singers call him<br />
"the bugger man." Unforgettable! Another long (7<br />
minute) song ends the album, with the same<br />
singer/narrator teaching us about "The Book Of<br />
Alpha." It's more of the same and less entertaining<br />
only because it's the second time he's pulled the<br />
same schtick. The lousy garage pop songs and country<br />
ballads that come between these two "masterpieces"<br />
are mundane by comparison, even though they're pretty<br />
goofy too. Most of you will think this is a colossal<br />
waste of time, but some of you will treasure it for<br />
life. [AM]
"THE SATANIC MASS" (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Recorded Live At The Church Of Satan" 1968 (Murgensturm MM<br />
6660)<br />
Satanic service with sinister organ and preaching.<br />
Conducted by church leader Anton Szandor Lavey. One<br />
side features a recording of his "Satanic Mass"<br />
recorded live, the other features LaVey's reading<br />
from "The Satanic Bible" over selected classical<br />
music. Reissued on CD several times by labels such as<br />
Amarillo, Mephisto, and Rare Recordings.<br />
SATANS (Andover, MA)<br />
"Raisin' Hell" 1962 (no label 3262)<br />
RICK SAUCEDO (IL)<br />
Instrumentals from the East-Coast prep rock scene,<br />
the renowned Phillips Academy (Rising Storm, etc) to<br />
be precise. Very crude sleeve artwork.<br />
"Heaven Was Blue" 1978 (Reality 55)<br />
"Heaven Was Blue" 2003 (Orange Double Dome) [300p]<br />
Elvis impersonator moonlighting as a psych genius in<br />
a nice blue haunted house sleeve. This is melodic<br />
1970s psych like Michael Angelo and Bobb Trimble with<br />
a great sidelong epic and two rootsy r'n'r numbers<br />
that stick out like a sore thumb. The good stuff is<br />
killer though, rich guitar textures supporting dreamy<br />
vocals carrying wellwritten songs through plenty of<br />
changes yet always with an eye on the ball; likely to<br />
appeal to any and all psych fans out there. All<br />
reissue copies came with loose, unglued cover slicks.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is the kind of album that makes collecting so<br />
much fun. Who in a million years would have guessed<br />
that this Elvis impersonator also was a tortured soul<br />
who real voice would be so pretty in a pop sense? The<br />
two regular length popsike songs on side one are as<br />
good as music gets, every bit as emotionally deep and<br />
chill-inducing as Michael Angelo or Bobb Trimble,<br />
packed with melody, hooks and dreamy guitars. The<br />
sidelong suite is almost as good, but suffers from<br />
sloppy rhythms. It sounds as if the drums were<br />
overdubbed, and several times the drummer struggles<br />
to keep up. The two good time rock & roll songs that<br />
close side one are nothing particularly exciting even<br />
for fans of the style, and couldn’t be more out of<br />
place. Still three quarters of a very special album<br />
is something to treasure, and everyone reading this<br />
needs to hear it. [AM]<br />
~~~
see full-length review<br />
SAVAGE RESURRECTION (CA)<br />
"Savage Resurrection" 1968 (Mercury mg-21156) [wlp; mono]<br />
"Savage Resurrection" 1968 (Mercury mg-21156) [red label;<br />
mono]<br />
"Savage Resurrection" 1968 (Mercury sr-61156) [red label;<br />
stereo]<br />
"Savage Resurrection" 1988 (Mercury) [bootleg]<br />
SAVAGES (Bermuda)<br />
One of the classic heavy psych albums, this is one<br />
that every fan of the genre seems to like. What makes<br />
the album so cool is that they have not one but two<br />
wild guitarists, and the dual lead guitars spew fuzz<br />
and feedback brilliantly throughout. As much as I<br />
enjoy this album, though, I must say that after about<br />
twenty listens I still can't remember more than one<br />
or two of the actual songs without hearing them<br />
again. If the songwriting had been up to the level of<br />
the guitar playing this would have been as good as<br />
Morgen. The one common criticism is that it's yet<br />
another one of these records with a long blues jam on<br />
it, but the guitar playing at least makes the jam<br />
more enjoyable than most others in the style. As is<br />
sometimes the case, the mono promo has been reported<br />
as having the best sound of the pressings. [AM]<br />
"Live 'N Wild" 1967 (Duane 1047)<br />
"Live 'N Wild" 1984 (Resurrection CX 1330)<br />
"Live 'N Wild" 2002 (CD no label)<br />
SAVANNAH ( )<br />
To me one of the best local garage LPs, an authentic<br />
live recording from a Bermuda rich kid hangout. Lots<br />
of Animals/Stones moves but also several great<br />
originals like "The world ain't round" and the<br />
sublime "Quiet town", three of which have appeared on<br />
comps. Tough garage sounds successfully mixed with<br />
atmospheric ballads in a stylish manner, my only<br />
gripe being the wasted "On Broadway" cover and the<br />
"manly" sub-Burdonesque vocals on a few tracks. "No<br />
no no" is a studio recording from a post-LP session<br />
and was inserted into the album with some fake crowd<br />
noise added. Original copies of this LP are hardly<br />
ever offered but by all means try to score the old<br />
vinyl reissue. The label was from New Jersey, but the<br />
band was mainly based in Bermuda. There is also a<br />
good non-LP 45 track. The vinyl-sourced CD reissue<br />
comes from the band themselves. [PL]<br />
"Crank It Up" 1977 (Chrome Thigh)
Hard guitar jamming dedicated to Tommy Bolin.<br />
SKY SUNLIGHT SAXON (Los Angeles, CA) see article<br />
"Lovers Cosmic Voyage" 1976 (Emerald Light GF 571231) [no<br />
cover]<br />
"Heavenly Earth - Live at the Orpheum" 1977 (Sunbow 001) [2<br />
inserts]<br />
"Masters Of Psychedelia" 1984 (New Rose, French)<br />
Still going strong (?) into his fifth decade of<br />
flipped out sounds, the great man's discography could<br />
fill a book of its own. We've narrowed it down to<br />
things immediately relevant to the Archives. Credited<br />
only to Sunlight, "Lovers Cosmic Voyage" is a new<br />
agey harp & piano meditation on space travel with<br />
dogs, quite surreal for the whole 15 minutes it<br />
lasts. "Heavenly Earth" is credited to Sunlight<br />
Rainbow Stars New Seeds and is a droning basement 70s<br />
psych trip that would fetch a lot more $$$ if made by<br />
unknown guys, the only drawback being the lack of<br />
guitar-leads. Although the sleeve bears no such<br />
credits, it appears that side 2 of "Masters Of<br />
Psychedelia" features Fire Water Air, circa 1975,<br />
from the same recording session that yielded the<br />
Yahowha-related "Golden Sunrise" LP. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Alright Family Band; Yahowha 13<br />
SAXONS (New York City, NY)<br />
"Love Minus Zero/No Limit" 1966 (Mirrosonic AM 1017) [mono]<br />
"Love Minus Zero/No Limit" 1966 (Mirrosonic AS 1017) [stereo]<br />
Baroque vocals and harpsichord folkrockers from duo<br />
doing three Dylan covers among others.<br />
SCHROEDER & FOREST (Canada)<br />
"Another Brand New Day" 1975 (no label)<br />
Hippie folk with flute and male/female vocals. May be<br />
a demo pressing only.<br />
JIM & CHERIE SCHWALL (Chicago, IL)<br />
"A Wedding Present From" 1971 (no label)<br />
Early 1970s, laidback mostly acoustic blues jamming.<br />
Made as a gift for friends. Jim was in the Siegel-<br />
Schwall Band. There was a later private press also,<br />
"Spring Vacation" (1978).
JOHN SCOGGINS ( )<br />
"Pressed For Time" 1976 (Tiger Lily 14059) [promos exist]<br />
SCORPION ( )<br />
Charming dreamy 1970s pop with an early new wave<br />
sensibility mixed with a warm, 1960s-style folkrock<br />
sound. Light, upbeat vocals fit the music perfectly,<br />
and the playing is fine with lots of ringing guitars.<br />
Several songs are superb 3-minute creations in the<br />
classic McCartney/McGuinn school, and the LP sticks<br />
close to this credo throughout, with only a jokey<br />
hillbilly tune wasted. While not a far out psych<br />
monster or hardrock blowout, most people who hear<br />
this like it, simply on ground of its talent and<br />
sunny feel. Too bad it came out on the tax-loss Tiger<br />
Lily label; on the appropriate label it could have<br />
been a Shoes-type cult classic. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Along with Stonewall, this is the cream of the crop<br />
on this fascinating label. Pressed For Time is a very<br />
solid 70s pop album-hooky, highly melodic songs,<br />
jangly guitars, lovely high male vocals and joyous<br />
harmonies, and a significant Beach Boys influence. A<br />
bit of fuzz guitar, especially on "Somebody's Sad,"<br />
adds a nice touch of energy. The format is varied by<br />
a goofy country tune on side one and a soulful<br />
Easybeats cover on side two, but otherwise it's just<br />
one memorable, hummable song after another, evoking<br />
the best summer feelings. Power pop fans will go<br />
insane when they discover this one. Oddly, there<br />
exist a number of copies of this album with stickers<br />
on the cover, some of which list the actual band<br />
members, implying that unlike other Tiger Lily albums<br />
at some point there was an effort on someone's part<br />
to actually sell the thing. [AM]<br />
"Scorpion" 1970 (Tower st-5171) [striped label]<br />
SCOTTI (CO)<br />
Black guys doing raw underground bar funk sounds,<br />
sometimes hyped by dealers but hardly the most highly<br />
rated LP in the style.<br />
"For Friends" 1973 (Strawberry)<br />
Folkrock obscurity in nice color cover.<br />
SCREAMING GYPSY BANDITS (Bloomington, IN)<br />
"In The Eye" 1973 (BRBQ)<br />
"In The Eye" 1996 (OR 014) [paste-on; insert; 375#d]<br />
Nice flowing rural rock with lots of little exotic<br />
world music touches, female vocals. Saddhu Brand<br />
meets Hickory Wind! Member Bob Lucas had a solo LP,<br />
"The Dancer Inside You" (BRBQ, 1974). [RM]<br />
~~~
This album sports a mix of styles and a communal<br />
feel. Not all of it is memorable but there are two or<br />
three excellent, resonant songs here. Horns are used<br />
to powerful purpose. It’s hard to classify this one.<br />
It’s not folk, not soul, not progressive. A nice find<br />
for jaded listeners. One of the highlights would be<br />
re-recorded for Caroline Peyton’s "Intuition" album.<br />
[AM]<br />
SEARCH PARTY (Sacramento, CA)<br />
"Montgomery Chapel" 1969 (Century 32013) [600p]<br />
"Montgomery Chapel" 1994 (Rapturedelic) [paste-on]<br />
"Montgomery Chapel" 1998 (CD Flash, Italy)<br />
"Montgomery Chapel" 200 (Void 22) [insert]<br />
"Montgomery Chapel" 2004 (CD Beatball 05, South Korea)<br />
SEBASTIAN (Canada)<br />
One of the more notable discoveries of the 1990s, a<br />
primitive Christian folkrock LP which isn't great all<br />
through but hits some truly unique moods and sounds<br />
on about 2/3rds of the tracks. Obviously inspired by<br />
the westcoast "psychedelic" sounds of the era, the<br />
Search Party take compositions by their spiritual<br />
mentor, a Catholic middle-aged priest, and turn them<br />
into primitive California garage folkrock and psych<br />
with fuzz leads and raw vocals! Most Christian<br />
"folkrock" LPs suffer from still having one foot left<br />
in Sunday School, but these young seminarians have<br />
definitely broken through to the other side. Side 1<br />
ends with an unparalleled 9-minute downer folkrock<br />
excursion with heavy soulsearching lyrics that alone<br />
makes "Montgomery Chapel" worth checking out, but<br />
beware -- it's crude, even the female vocalist has a<br />
strange edge. Unrehearsed confessions from a basement<br />
Music Emporium. [PL]<br />
"Rays Of The Sun" 1969 (MCA 7001)<br />
Most of this album is horn- and string-heavy AM pop,<br />
though two songs here, both self-produced, are from a<br />
completely different world. They are long folky<br />
ballads, dreamy and intense with powerful vocals.<br />
They're kind of humorless, but they're great anyway,<br />
precursors of 70s psych classics like the best songs<br />
on the Garrett Lund album. Elsewhere, one song opens<br />
with some terrific phasing, though everything else is<br />
much more conventional. The mainstream stuff here is<br />
quite good if you pay attention, but you'll probably<br />
be more likely to wonder what Sebastian could have<br />
come up with if he'd had full creative control. The<br />
self-produced songs are long and take up a third of<br />
the album's running time. [AM]
SEBASTIAN (Canada)<br />
"Head Roach" 1972 (Vintage) [booklet]<br />
"Head Roach" 2005 (Void 037) [500p; inner]<br />
OSH SEBROW (NJ)<br />
SEEDS ( )<br />
A different Sebastian, with an LP of stoned folk and<br />
Zappaesque touches, supposedly banned upon release<br />
due to drug references.<br />
"Angels Are Falling" 1982 (Osty) [insert]<br />
Interesting early 80s pop album with folky leanings.<br />
Sebrow did the whole thing himself, which<br />
unfortunately means it has a drum machine. The songs<br />
are quite good in a post-Beatles pop mode, and Sebrow<br />
has a haunting voice. One song is a tribute to John<br />
Lennon, but unfortunately quotes from some McCartney<br />
songs that Lennon always hated. Lennon would be<br />
spinning in his grave! Otherwise, though, if you can<br />
get past the drum machine (which I can not), this is<br />
a nice album. Osh was an Eye Surgeon and gave out the<br />
"Angels Are Falling" LP to his patients. Due to a<br />
quantity find it's not a pricey album at all. He also<br />
did a much earlier LP, "I Can See Tomorrow" (Ame,<br />
1974). [AM]<br />
"Hymns For A New Age" 1978 (Whatever WA 101)<br />
Unrelated Seeds doing hippie folk.<br />
V.A "SEE/HEAR RECORD MAGAZINES" (Canada)<br />
"See/Hear Record Magazine #1" 1968 (See/Hear ST 55852) [folder<br />
with info sheets]<br />
"See/Hear Record Magazine #2" 1968 (See/Hear ST 56410)<br />
[inserts]<br />
Avantgarde publications including a 12" record and<br />
various inserts/magazines. Mixes avant music with<br />
poetry and electronic freakouts typical of the era.<br />
Issue #2 has some members from Mock Duck. Bill<br />
Bissett is also featured, and got to release his own<br />
LP as "See/Hear #3".<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Bill Bissett<br />
SEICHE (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Dose After Dose" 1981 (no label) [plain cover; 100p]<br />
"Dose After Dose" 1999 (Hexamon 001) [500p; 2 inserts]
Highly regarded progressive hardrock trio with hard<br />
fuzz leads, mystical vocals, burnout vibes.<br />
SENSATION (Milwaukee, WI)<br />
"Sensation" 1976 (no label)<br />
SEOMPI (TX)<br />
Mid-70s Beatle throwback sound.<br />
"Summer's Comin' On Heavy" 1998 (Rockadelic 33)<br />
"AWOL" 2000 (CD Gear Fab gf-136)<br />
"Seompi" 2000 (Akarma 089, Italy) [2 LPs]<br />
SEQUOIAH ( )<br />
A tasty selection of previously unreleased circa 1971<br />
material from an Austin-based band often referred to<br />
as the "Black Sabbath of Texas", a rather inaccurate<br />
handle as the bulk of the material is progressive<br />
hardrock with jazz leanings. It's still heavy and<br />
powerful stuff though, especially the awesome<br />
"AWOL/Elijah" blowout that closes side 1. Their two<br />
famous 45 tracks are included in alternate versions,<br />
along with a bunch of originals and a "Voodoo Child"<br />
take that's good but can't match Hendrix. Have to<br />
admit some of the avantgarde stuff goes over my head,<br />
but should be mandatory to Texas and/or hardrock<br />
aficionados. Odd packaging on the Rockadelic includes<br />
an outer rubber sleeve and plenty of pics. The Gear<br />
Fab and Akarma releases add some 45 tracks and even<br />
more unreleased material (on the Akarma only) to the<br />
Rockadelic album. An early, previously unknown 45 has<br />
recently been found with at least one track not<br />
reissued on any of these. [PL]<br />
"Sequoiah" 1975 (700 West) [2000p]<br />
Another little known title on the prolific Indiana<br />
label, stoned moody rural rock with violin.<br />
SEQUOIAH STREAM (Richmond, IN)<br />
"Sequoiah Stream" 1971 (no label) [no cover; insert]<br />
Half listenable live-in-auditorium college comp with<br />
a couple strong downer folk tracks and a smoking fuzz<br />
workout. The cover was not finished in time so a<br />
mimeographed insert contained all the info. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
Here's some background on this LP and the Earlham<br />
College scene courtesy of Todd Cerney: "The name<br />
Sequoia Stream was the title of a piano instrumental<br />
on the album from the year before or maybe 2 years<br />
before that I produced out of a series of live<br />
performances. It ended up as the album title. These<br />
albums were an extension of the yearly poetry book
that the school would produce. In fact the one made<br />
in 1971 was one of the reasons I decided to go to the<br />
school in the first place... There was a guy named<br />
Charlie Bleak who was incredible (sang like Paul<br />
Macartney) and wrote amazing songs. He and several<br />
students there did an album called Hoi Polloi.<br />
Charlie went on to get a record deal but never got on<br />
the radio for some reason. I didn't know him and he<br />
wasn't a student anymore when I got to Earlham<br />
myself...".<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Attention Span; Hoi Polloi<br />
SERPENT POWER (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Serpent Power" 1968 (Vanguard 9252) [mono]<br />
"Serpent Power" 1968 (Vanguard vsd-79252) [stereo]<br />
"Serpent Power" 199 (Vanguard, Italy)<br />
"Serpent Power/Poet Song" 1999 (CD Akarma 053/054, Italy) [2on-1]<br />
While all kinds of mediocre rarities are treated to<br />
pages of lip-service, this fine little LP still<br />
remains underappreciaed. It's a good early SF LP;<br />
stripped down folkrock a la the first Airplane with a<br />
slightly bohemian vibe and some David Meltzer poetry<br />
on the back cover. Not freaky or avantgarde, more<br />
like folky Bay Area pop. A couple of excellent tracks<br />
with female vocals on side 1, while the 13-minute<br />
"Endless tunnel" on sided 2 fails to reveal any<br />
metaphysical insights yet is still kinda cool, with<br />
noted banjo-master Jean-Paul Pickens guesting.<br />
Enjoyable and historically significant LP in a nice<br />
cover, and as the original's still fairly cheap, go<br />
get one. The LP was released in February 1968. An<br />
original Australian pressing exists. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is one of the best co-ed albums in the San<br />
Francisco style. The feel of the guitar and organ<br />
arrangements is just right, and Tina Meltzer's vocals<br />
are strong without being uncontrolled. Generally rock<br />
albums by poets can be pretty annoying, but this<br />
keeps its pretentions in balance and the songwriting<br />
is sharp and clever. The 13-minute closing track is a<br />
powerful vision of a personal apocalypse, and<br />
foreshadows "Hotel California" by almost ten years.<br />
[AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> David & Tina Meltzer<br />
SCOTT SESKIND (Boulder, CO)<br />
"Scott Seskind" 1985 (no label 11785)<br />
SEVENTH DAWN (MD)<br />
Late phase downer/loner folk and singer/songwriter<br />
trip, mostly acoustic, some tracks with a small band.
"Sunrise" 1976 (Fantasy Worlds Unlimited) [200p]<br />
"Sunrise" 1994 (Project Aquarius) [275#d; insert]<br />
SEVENTH SEAL (VA)<br />
Local hippie folkrock and melodic prog few had heard<br />
of until the reissue appeared. Some people hate it<br />
and it is probably the only hallowed $1000 rarity to<br />
feature a Barbra Streisand tribute song. Nevertheless<br />
I dig this LP, it has a wonderful naive seriousness<br />
that makes me think of high school project records,<br />
with three brothers and a sister doing male/female<br />
vocals and an even mix of folky ballads and fuzzed<br />
prog hippierock. "Free" has a great late 60s Beatles<br />
feel and is a personal fave. The album was recorded<br />
in the electronic music lab at Virginia Commonwealth<br />
University. The small press size has been confirmed<br />
by the band. 25 copies of the reissue run came with<br />
leftover slicks and inserts from the original<br />
pressing. Some unreleased recordings from 1979 exist.<br />
[PL]<br />
"Reflections" 1999 (Justice 0) [insert]<br />
SEVENTH SONS ( )<br />
30+ year belated addition to the Justice label<br />
catalog, via an album that was recorded but never<br />
released by the label back in 1967. Weighing it<br />
against the stablemates, this is clearly above<br />
average, with a number of band originals and a more<br />
genuinely contemporary (as in 1966) moody garage and<br />
folkrock feel than the usual Justices. The release is<br />
nicely done in a way that looks and feels like a 60s<br />
pressing, and anyone with an interest in local<br />
teenbeat albums may want to check it out, apart from<br />
the obvious completist angle.<br />
"4:00 AM at Frank's" 1968 (ESP 1078)<br />
"Raga" 199 (CD ESP 1078)<br />
"4:00 AM at Frank's" 1999 (Get Back GET 1038, Italy)<br />
Garagy trance raga jams with Buzzy Linhart on guitar<br />
and vocals. Basement Eastern stuff with percussion<br />
and flute, has been compared to Handgjort.<br />
SEVENTH TEMPLE (Canada)<br />
"Under The Burning Sun" 1978 (no label 7T)<br />
"Under The Burning Sun" 2004 (CD Radioactive, UK)
This LP was heavily hyped and priced when discovered<br />
a few years back, although the excitement cooled off<br />
once people found out that rather than some lost acid<br />
concept killer, it was 18 minutes of Canadian late<br />
70s basement prog, nothing more, nothing less. The<br />
short playtime suggests it may have been intended as<br />
a demo LP; in any event it's a symphonic-oriented<br />
trip with mid-tempo tracks, lots of mellotron and<br />
moog and the typical arch-pompous UK prog mood. You<br />
can still spot traces of decent melodies in there,<br />
and the amusement value of a Canuck teenager trying<br />
to sound like Jon Anderson shouldn't be understated.<br />
The opening title number is the best of the three<br />
tracks, with feedback leads and an occasional sci-fi<br />
cheese drama feel not unlike Eyes-New Gods. May<br />
appeal to fans of Autumn People, although more<br />
theatrical and less warm. Crude cover which along<br />
with the band name and album title makes this item<br />
look a lot cooler than it actually is. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Drama<br />
BECKY SEVERSON (St Cloud, MN)<br />
"A Special Path" 197 (no label)<br />
Christian teenage femme acoustic folk with short<br />
songs, inspired by the book of Jeremiah. One track<br />
appears on the "Ladies Of The Canyon" compilation.<br />
SEX (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"Sex" 1970 (Transcanada 775)<br />
"Sex" 199 (no label) [bootleg]<br />
"The End Of My Life" 1971 (Transcanada 785)<br />
"The End Of My Life" 199 (no label) [bootleg]<br />
"The End Of My Life / Lectric Music Revolution" 1997 (CD<br />
Hipschaft) [2-on-1]<br />
Unexceptional post-psych prog hardrock LPs from<br />
obscure French-Canadian band. Some jazzy moves on the<br />
second LP.<br />
V.A "S F O MUSIC BOX SET" (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"S F O Music Box Set" 1967 (no label CRS-1162) [4LPs; box-set;<br />
insert]<br />
Quite rare 4 LP box set of SF area songwriter demos<br />
connected to the Trident operation, released around<br />
X-mas 1967. Contains rare tracks by Blackburn & Snow,<br />
Mystery Trend, Sons Of Champlin, Randy Steirling, Ron<br />
Davies, John Stewart, and others. Only the<br />
songwriters are credited, not the performers, which<br />
makes figuring the actual credits out somewhat<br />
difficult, but folkrockers We Five play a number of<br />
tunes. Mostly folky stuff; Ron Davies' contributions<br />
are interesting in a 1965 Paul McCartney direction<br />
and remain completely unreleased from what I can<br />
tell. John Stewart is the ex-Kingston Trio guy and
SHADE TREE (KS)<br />
gets 3 full sides worth of uneven material. The<br />
Mystery Trend material (5 tracks) sounds better in<br />
this raw, non-cleaned up mix than on their Big Beat<br />
CD. For the Blackburn & Snow tracks (10 in total) the<br />
difference is less pronounced, but many 1960s fans<br />
are again likely to prefer the more living and less<br />
channel-isolated stereo mix of the box-set vs the Big<br />
Beat CD. [PL]<br />
"Shade Tree" 1979 (Buffarilla)<br />
Mediocre Southern/rural rock with a couple of good<br />
tracks.<br />
SHADRACK CHAMELEON (IA) see interview<br />
"Shadrack Chameleon" 1973 (IGL 4051-5)<br />
"Shadrack Chameleon" 1987 (no label, Europe) [250p]<br />
"Shadrack Chameleon" 2000 (CD Gear Fab 110) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"Shadrack Chameleon" 2000 (Gear Fab 202) [+bonus tracks]<br />
Wellknown Midwest rural rocker with a wideopen honest<br />
sound I find hard to resist. Long tracks with<br />
organ/guitar and warm basement vocals, sounds like<br />
Neil Young circa '69-70 or a less nihilistic Rayne. A<br />
true relic of the era with deep college dorm lyrics<br />
not easily penetrated, and strong songwriting from<br />
the very young band. Personal fave that sounds better<br />
with each passing year. Nice minimalist sleeve job a<br />
la St Anthonys Fyre. The CD has their good pre-LP 45<br />
as bonus. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This album has an amateurish, laid-back feel that is<br />
very appealing, especially on the two or three songs<br />
with really strong melodies. Some of the lyrics are<br />
heavily counter-culture, but the band never comes off<br />
as having an attitude or a chip on their shoulder.<br />
It’s pretty intelligent, or at least pretty genuine.<br />
The feel of the sparse arrangements is one of great<br />
warmth. It’s the kind of album that at first sounds<br />
like it has nothing to it, but after a few listens<br />
really starts to sneak up on you. Fans of low-budget<br />
90s pop might like it too. [AM]<br />
SHAGGS (South Bend, IN)<br />
"Wink" 1967 (MMC 6311)<br />
"Wink" 1984 (Resurrection CX 1295)<br />
"Wink" 2004 (CD Radioactive 079, UK)
Local prep-rock LP on a folkrock/Beatles '65 bender;<br />
ambitious multipart vocal harmonies and fake 12string<br />
jangle make for a charming experience, though<br />
it's not "fuzz garage" by any means. These Notre Dame<br />
boys had enough cojones to tackle two Beatles tunes<br />
with reasonable success, but the highpoint of the LP<br />
is an atmospheric "If I were a carpenter". One group<br />
original (I think), other covers include Stones, Who,<br />
Beau Brummels, Byrds, Them, and a bizarre "Hey Joe".<br />
Disappointing sleeve well below the genre average.<br />
The album was financed by a local business college<br />
student who thought he was going to make big $$$ but<br />
ended up selling copies door-to-door! In addition to<br />
the LP, the band recorded an acetate 45 of two non-LP<br />
tracks which received some local airplay. Chuck<br />
Perrin (see entry) appears on this acetate, but was<br />
not in the band when the "Wink" LP was made. The<br />
1980s Resurrection reissue is mastered at an<br />
annoyingly low volume (as all Resurrection LPs seem<br />
to be) and displays cover wear on the front cover<br />
repro. [PL]<br />
SHAGGS (Fremont, NH)<br />
"Philosophy Of The World" 1971 (Third World 3001)<br />
"Philosophy Of The World" 1980 (Rounder 3032)<br />
"Philosophy Of The World" 199 (Red Rooster)<br />
Magically incompetent teen sister garage band who<br />
play and sing like ten year olds. Unreal plodding<br />
drums, out of tune guitars, and amazing off-key<br />
vocals. Jawdropper slice of life lyrics loaded with<br />
girl diary philosophies, Foot Foots, and parents who<br />
are always there. They were coerced into recording<br />
this by their father and their discomfort is clearly<br />
evident. This record is known to end parties in<br />
record time. The second LP "The Shaggs' Own<br />
Thing" (Rounder 3056, 1990s) is more monstrosities<br />
from the vault. Promo copies of "Philosophy" include<br />
an 8x10 photo, 2 wallet photos, and a business card.<br />
[RM]<br />
~~~<br />
This is one of the most misunderstood albums of all<br />
time. It's one of the very, very few "real people"<br />
albums that appeals to people who don't appreciate<br />
those records in a condescending, or amused, way.<br />
Musicians tend to like it, which is also unusual for<br />
a record of this type. What makes these three sisters<br />
different from every other "inept" band is that they<br />
redfine the meaning of that word. This is not just<br />
another album by people who just learned to play<br />
their instruments last week. It's more like they<br />
taught themselves to play without having any<br />
instruction, and without having any knowledge of<br />
music theory. Once they figured out a way to play,<br />
which is unlike any "accepted" method, they worked on<br />
it and perfected it. Evidence of this is that a<br />
number of bands who wanted to cover Shaggs songs<br />
couldn't figure out how to play them. From the sounds<br />
of it, they even made up their own way of tuning the<br />
guitars, and rather than playing chords, they played<br />
patterns that follow along with the vocals. It's<br />
unique and impossible to duplicate. It also is one of<br />
the greatest ever expressions of pure love of music,<br />
and the joy and warmth of this album is irresistible.<br />
[AM]
DEL SHANNON (MI)<br />
"The Further Adventures Of Charles Westover" 1968 (Liberty lst-<br />
7539)<br />
SHANNONDOAH (WA)<br />
There aren't a whole lot of 50s or early 60s stars<br />
who gracefully made their way through the 60s, but<br />
this well-loved album is proof that it was possible.<br />
This isn't really a "psychedelic" record (way more<br />
strings than sound effects), but rather a case where<br />
a great talent (man, what a voice!) realized that the<br />
60s brought about a great step forward in the use of<br />
recording techniques and arrangements. Shannon warmly<br />
embraced the possibilities. At the same time, he<br />
wrote a fantastic batch of pop songs, and the mix of<br />
the great songs, the stunning voice and the ambitious<br />
sound makes for a truly wonderful record. Also<br />
released in England with a completely different<br />
cover. The rest of Shannon's vast output fall outside<br />
the scope of the Archives. [AM]<br />
"Ideas & Rhymes" 1977 (Blue Heron)<br />
SHANTI DAS (OR)<br />
Private press-looking LP from country rock/folk<br />
quartet with some female vocals and an a capella<br />
cover of "Come up the years". The Minstrel String<br />
Guild duo help out on one track.<br />
"Servant Of Peace" 1973 (no label) [insert]<br />
Communal hippie folk with male/female Harmony vocals<br />
and chanting, Eastern instruments.<br />
SHARKEY (San José, CA)<br />
"Signposts" 1975 (no label)<br />
Obscure post-Syndicate Of Sound LP, breezy westcoast<br />
rock with some guitar jamming. Issued with a<br />
songtitles sticker on the shrink.<br />
SHATTERS (Austin, MN)<br />
"Shatters" 1966 (Welhaven 63)<br />
Sleeve-less demo LP (or acetate) from garage band<br />
with a few 45s. The LP is mainly frat and r'n'b<br />
covers.<br />
SHAW, ALLEN & SHAW (MN)
"This Side That Side" 197 (Sound 80 s80s-40-1425)<br />
SHEKINAH (MI)<br />
Trio with acoustic guitar, electric bass, and drums.<br />
Mostly mellow acoustic folk covers with psychy<br />
shadings.<br />
"Shekina" 1982 (Eden 104) [insert]<br />
This is a mystical Christian folk album with<br />
beautiful vocals and an ethereal feel. Most of the<br />
songs aren't really structured, but just kind of<br />
flow. It's very mellow, but there are drums and nice,<br />
drifting electric guitar on some of the songs. The<br />
canon vocals on "Blessed Be" and "Jesus Eyes" are<br />
hypnotic and the use of bells, chimes, woodwinds and<br />
mandolins give this album a distinctive sound. The<br />
memorable melodies make this more accessible than<br />
similarly complex X-ian albums like The Christ Tree.<br />
Not for "rock" fans, but a lovely, special record.<br />
[AM]<br />
SHEKINA GLORY (Ilford, IA)<br />
"Have You Considered" 1976 (IGL 6045N1)<br />
SHILOH (TX)<br />
Very impressive custom obscurity from male/female<br />
outfit scoring high with their mix of dreamy<br />
mysterious folk/psych and west-coast rural rock. Some<br />
really breathtaking moments here. One listen to songs<br />
like "If I Don’t Let People Know", "Jesus", "Ask" and<br />
"Good Samaritan" and you’ll see these folks<br />
definitely knew how to weave in mood and texture<br />
alongside the heavier elements. One minute there’s a<br />
gentle eerie atmospheric melody with spacey flute<br />
accompaniment; next thing you know they’ve built up<br />
to a climax of blaring hard rock guitar. Some of the<br />
in-between moods reminded me of songs like The Way’s<br />
"Have you ever Heard" from the Maranatha Four LP.<br />
Closes with some joyous upbeat fuzz jamming a la<br />
Earthen Vessel on "Glory Glory". [KS]<br />
"Shiloh" 1971 (Amos aas-7015)<br />
SHILOH MORNING ( )<br />
Early countryrock with steel and harmony vocals in<br />
Flying Burrito Bros style with Don Henley on vocals<br />
and guitar, pre-Eagles.<br />
"Shiloh Morning" 1974 (TRC 51053)<br />
Midwest male and female vocal harmony folk rock and<br />
pop with acoustic and electric guitar, bass,<br />
percussion, some mellotron. Includes versions of
"Nights in White Satin" and "White Bird" among<br />
others.<br />
SHIVA'S HEADBAND (Austin, TX)<br />
"Take Me To The Mountains" 1970 (Capitol st-538) [green label]<br />
"Take Me To The Mountains" 2005 (Capitol/Scorpio)<br />
This was one of the earliest countryrock LPs but<br />
never made the splash it should have, yet remains an<br />
enjoyable experience with a nicely balanced countryhippie<br />
mix and Spencer's terrific violin. Both tracks<br />
from their outstanding debut 45 are re-cut here in<br />
slightly less drugged versions. Anyone who likes Sub<br />
Zero Band ought to recognize Shiva's as the original<br />
masters of the style. An original Canadian pressing<br />
exists. [PL]<br />
"Coming To A Head" 1971 (Armadillo no #) [1000p; paste-on;<br />
handmade labels]<br />
"Coming To A Head" 1981 (Armadillo no #) [200p; printed<br />
labels]<br />
"Coming To A Head" 2003 (Akarma 250, Italy) [+1 track]<br />
"Coming To A Head" 2003 (CD Akarma 250, Italy) [+1 track]<br />
SHIVER (CA)<br />
Contrary to what you may read elsewhere, this was not<br />
their debut album but a privately released sequel<br />
after Capitol dropped them. Basically the same style<br />
as the debut, a little less druggy and a bit more<br />
western swing. The 1981 pressing is reportedly a<br />
better pressing than the first. Later LPs include<br />
"Psychedelic Yesterday" (Ape, 1981) and "In The Primo<br />
Of Life" (Moontower, 1984) as well as a number of<br />
cassette and CDs in more recent years. Spencer<br />
Perskin is alive and well and gigging locally.<br />
"Shiver" 2000 (Rockadelic 39) [600p]<br />
"Shiver" 2001 (CD Shadoks 023, Germany)<br />
SHOES (Zion, IL)<br />
As far as packaging goes one of my fave Rockadelics,<br />
superb color gatefold with cool liner notes detailing<br />
the adventures of this "tough as nails" early 1970s<br />
power trio. Music consists of long and mostly<br />
instrumental STP jams that are ferocious but not<br />
without subtlety, taking a cue from early Blue Cheer<br />
but stretching out into 100 MPH Hawkwind/Ash Ra<br />
Temple/Terry Brooks spacerock excursions. Not<br />
terribly varied and songwriting doesn't account for<br />
much, but should be of interest to fans of hard early<br />
70s guitar trips. The band had roots in Texas but<br />
played the Bay Area biker circuit. [PL]<br />
"One In Versailles" 1975 (Black Vinyl Records) [2 inserts]<br />
"As Is" 1996 (CD) [2CDs; bonus tracks; autographed]<br />
The first Shoes album was released by the band in a
limited number, some of which were ruined in a flood.<br />
Supposedly only between 200 and 300 survived. The<br />
homemade album is one of the rarest and most soughtafter<br />
power pop collectables, since the band would<br />
eventually become one of the most well-loved bands in<br />
the genre. As you might expect, this early offering<br />
by the band is quite crude. All of the elements of<br />
their sound are there, including sharp harmonies,<br />
quick-witted songs of love and seduction, and fuzz<br />
guitars (though these would get much louder and more<br />
frequent on their later albums.) They're clearly<br />
finding themselves as songwriters and as a band with<br />
an identity. Much of the album has a nice understated<br />
charm, and a few of the ballads are very good ("Do I<br />
Get So Shy," in particular, is irresistible.) What's<br />
yet to develop is their knack for the killer hook,<br />
and their ability to construct songs tightly and<br />
concisely. A few songs drag, and I have to think that<br />
a few years later Shoes would have shortened them,<br />
sped them up, piled on layers of guitar, and improved<br />
them dramatically. "Un Dans Versailles", thus, while<br />
a very enjoyable and melodic record, is a few notches<br />
below the band's best work (which is on the next<br />
three officially released albums.) The album's title<br />
refers to the fact that band member Gary Klebe was<br />
away in Versailles while the rest of the band<br />
recorded without him. In the 90s, Shoes put together<br />
a limited edition 2-CD set that included one CD of<br />
unreleased songs from throughout the band's career<br />
and a second CD comprising "Un Dans Versailles" and<br />
their unreleased second album "Bazooka". "Bazooka" is<br />
rather weak, unfortunately. [AM]<br />
"Black Vinyl Shoes" 1977 (Black Vinyl)<br />
"Black Vinyl Shoes" 1977 (PVC)<br />
The second Shoes album was a much larger private<br />
press than the first, and in fact was so successful<br />
that it soon was re-released on the larger PVC label.<br />
Shoes are one of the most well-loved and influential<br />
of all power pop bands, and it all starts here. It<br />
wasn't their first album, but it was the first to be<br />
heard my more than a handful of people. While the<br />
next few major label albums would be just as good,<br />
this holds a special place among their fans, as the<br />
self-production, despite elaborate attention to<br />
harmonies and guitar overdubs, gives it a fresh doit-yourself<br />
feel that they'd never again duplicate.<br />
The guitars are fuzzy, fuzzy, fuzzy and full of<br />
hooks, and while the lyrics are about love and<br />
romance, they have a certain kind of maturity and<br />
intelligence often missing from the genre. I don't<br />
expect most visitors to this site to love Shoes, but<br />
I'd think many garage-rock fans would get a kick out<br />
of the masses of fuzz guitars. [AM]<br />
SHORT CROSS (Richmond, VA)<br />
"Arising" 1972 (Grizzly 16013) [gatefold]<br />
"Arising" 1988 (Breeder, Austria) [no gatefold]<br />
"Arising" 1998 (CD Gear Fab 119) [+3 tracks]<br />
"Arising" 2000 (Akarma 079, Italy) [2LPs; gatefold; +3 tracks]<br />
Ballsy, pro-sounding early 1970s rural barrock/hard<br />
rock in an Allman Bros direction with great
organ/guitar interplay, OK vocals and a versatile<br />
keyboardist. Not for garage or psych fans but should<br />
appeal to those into the local early 70s style; "Till<br />
we reach the sun" is a particularly good track. Band<br />
had a pre-LP 45 as follows: "On My Own"/"Marching Off<br />
To War" (Colpar, 1970). The A-side is an alternate<br />
version of the LP track, B-side is non-LP. [PL]<br />
SIDETRACK (New York City, NY)<br />
"Baby" 1968 (no label SMIS-1) [no cover; 100p]<br />
"Baby" 2005 (CD Radioactive, UK)<br />
Demo press for a planned Elektra release that never<br />
happened. Baroque-pop/folkrock with lots of<br />
harpsichord and energetic vocals. Some copies came in<br />
plain covers with LP labels glued to the front<br />
containing the relevant info.<br />
SIDEWALK (New York City, NY)<br />
"Sidewalk" 1975 (C.D.)<br />
Cosmic jazz lounge duo, some wailing guitar parts.<br />
SILENT CHEER (Northfield, MA)<br />
"Learning Insipid Seal" 1969 (no label 202115) [blank back;<br />
insert]<br />
Late 60s garage rock covers with horns and some fuzz<br />
leads, from Mount Hermon school alumni. Mostly band<br />
originals. The same scene also produced the Knights<br />
band and the Led Balloon Jug Band LP.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Together<br />
SILENT PARTNER (Athens, GA)<br />
"Hung By A Thread" 1975 (Lucky Boy 32779) [insert]<br />
"Hung By A Thread" 1988 (Lucky Boy, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
I'd be shocked to discover than the guys in REM<br />
didn't grow up idolizing this band. This is the<br />
original blueprint for the much-heralded 80s Athens<br />
scene. It's not a psych or prog (long instrumental<br />
notwithstanding) album as dealers hype it, but an<br />
ahead-of-its-time guitar pop album with outstanding<br />
playing, clever songwriting, and a touch of mystery.
The title track is a killer-two overlapping melodies<br />
of equal beauty and an elaborate<br />
acoustic/electric/synth arrangement that gives way to<br />
a transcendent guitar solo. Nothing else on the album<br />
can match this amazing first song, but there's plenty<br />
to like, from the flange-heavy guitar on "Just Sail<br />
Around" to the surprising and weird metal-inspired<br />
bits in "From The Diary of H.R.H. 1975." Smart<br />
songwriting, thoughtful arrangements and excellent<br />
singing abound. They had so many great melodies that<br />
three songs actually double them up (one sung over,<br />
behind, or between the other.) A 10-minute mildly<br />
jazzy instrumental at the end manages not to ruin<br />
everything. This is a great album. Along with<br />
Arrogance's "Prolepsis", it's the 70s pinnacle of the<br />
new Southern Rock (i.e: made by guys you would<br />
actually let your daughter date) that would explode<br />
almost a decade later. [AM]<br />
SILENT STRANGERS (CT)<br />
"It's All Over Now" 1965 (no label BRS 390)<br />
JUDEE SILL (CA)<br />
Obscure local teen-beat LP in cool cover. Prep school<br />
album from Washington, CT with 12 songs, 5 of which<br />
are instrumentals. Despite some unexciting covers,<br />
this is a fairly rocking disc that stands up with the<br />
best of the genre, not unlike the Weekenders or an<br />
improved Davey & the Badmen.<br />
"Judee Sill" 1971 (Asylum sd-5050) [unipak; wlp mono exists]<br />
"Judee Sill" 2004 (Four MWB 120)<br />
"Judee Sill" 2005 (CD Water 158)<br />
Sill’s story is fascinating and sad. She was a heroin<br />
addict, even a part-time prostitute, her career fell<br />
apart just as it was getting interesting, and she<br />
disappeared so completely that for years after her<br />
death nobody could even figure out exactly when she<br />
died. You’d never know she was such a wild one from<br />
the music or the album cover photos, but close<br />
listens show this to be something much more intense<br />
and deep than your average singer-songwriter album.<br />
“Jesus Was A Crossmaker” is as good as any 70s song<br />
in the genre, and should have been a huge hit.<br />
Nothing else on the album reaches those same heights,<br />
but it’s very good stuff. Sill has gotten a lot of<br />
publicity lately, as the 90s and 00s really were a<br />
renaissance for troubled and dead 70s singers. Too<br />
bad nobody noticed her when she needed the attention.<br />
[AM]<br />
"Heart Food" 1973 (Asylum sd-5063) [booklet]<br />
"Heart Food" 2004 (Four MWB 121) [booklet]<br />
"Heart Food" 2005 (CD Water 159)<br />
Sill’s second album is more ambitious than the first,<br />
with complex string arrangements and a major gospel<br />
influence. The struggle between her strong religious<br />
beliefs and her “pagan” lifestyle are apparent here
and it’s pretty fascinating. Musically this isn’t as<br />
consistent as the debut and it occasionally feels<br />
like the ambitious ideas took precedence over the<br />
songwriting, but this is still a really interesting<br />
record. Both Sill albums were also released in<br />
England. [AM]<br />
SILMARIL (Milwaukee, WI)<br />
"Given Time... Or The Several Roads" 1973 (Ettinmoore)<br />
This is an American band, but they sure sound<br />
British, from the melodies to the lonesome feel of<br />
the songs to the male and female vocal styles to the<br />
upbeat song about pub life. It’s a pretty impressive<br />
recreation of across-the-pond folk. It’s a long<br />
album, and at times I wish it had some rock elements<br />
to it, but there are pleasures to be found<br />
throughout, and a few songs are downright creepy.<br />
[AM]<br />
SILOAM (St Louis, MO)<br />
"Siloam" 197 (Timbrel 47-248)<br />
Siloam is to American folkrock what groups like<br />
Presence, Aslan and Sanctus are to the British scene.<br />
Melodic textures of 12-string guitar, piano,<br />
percussion and male/female harmonies combine with<br />
compassionate songwriting and skilled musicianship to<br />
create a wonderful work of fragile beauty and<br />
homegrown charm. Gently strummed mid-tempo numbers<br />
like "Mystery", the minor-key "We Beseech You" and<br />
the breezy "For This Reason" all are sheer perfection<br />
for the genre. Tracks like "The Shepherd" and "Day Of<br />
The Lord" even have a dreamy psych edge to them.<br />
Others reveal a delicate VU "Femme Fatale" kind of<br />
quality. Very nice acoustic lead guitar work<br />
throughout. A seven person outfit from Dayspring<br />
Community in St. Louis. Not an expensive LP. [KS]<br />
SILVER (Milwaukee, WI)<br />
"Children Of The Lord" 1975 (Grammi Fonics) [plain stamped<br />
cover]<br />
This is one of the albums released in the "advance<br />
reviewer copy - confidential" album covers. It's the<br />
one in the series most likely to appeal to<br />
collectors, and it has a somewhat hard rocking organ<br />
and guitar sound, some Christian lyrics and a spacy,<br />
sparse feel to it. The production sound is pretty<br />
cheap, with seemingly no attention paid to which
instruments or vocals should be louder than the<br />
others. It sounds suspiciously like demos. Still,<br />
pretty cool. [AM]<br />
SILVER APPLES (New York City, NY)<br />
"Silver Apples" 1968 (Kapp KL-1562) [mono wlp exists]<br />
"Silver Apples" 1968 (Kapp KS-3562) [poster]<br />
Silver Apples will always hold a special place in the<br />
world of electronica, because there never was<br />
anything else remotely like them (except maybe<br />
Suicide.) The electronics weren’t from synths, but<br />
from the Simeon, their self-made instrument that made<br />
all sorts of wild noises. It was very limited in<br />
tonal scope, which means the songwriting is as sparse<br />
as the arrangements, and most of the variety here<br />
comes from the drumming and vocal rhythms, not from<br />
chord progressions. It’s the kind of thing that<br />
really isn’t likely to hold up for 40 minutes, so<br />
it’s quite impressive that this album is so<br />
enjoyable. It’s still fresher and more powerful than<br />
the years of synth music that followed. Some promos<br />
came with additional promo material; there are no<br />
mono sleeves. Numerous reissues exist and will be<br />
omitted here. [AM]<br />
"Contact" 1969 (Kapp KS-3584)<br />
"Silver Apples / Contact" 199 (CD TRC) [2-on-1]<br />
"Silver Apples / Contact" 199 (CD MCA 11680) [2-on-1]<br />
The second Silver Apples album sports longer songs<br />
and darker themes. It tends to be liked better by<br />
critics and fans, though I would suggest that if you<br />
like one you should like the other equally as much.<br />
"You And I" is probably their best song, the kind of<br />
thing that shows electronics to be every bit as<br />
sinister as the most distorted guitar. Along with<br />
United States of America and Fifty Foot Hose, this is<br />
essential listening for anyone who wishes to know how<br />
creative electronic music could be before a<br />
"traditional" use of synthesizers was established in<br />
the 70s. "The Garden" is a release of late 1960s<br />
outtakes (CD Whirlybird). [AM]<br />
SILVER LAUGHTER (IA)<br />
"Handle With Care" 1976 (Fanfare Records)<br />
This Iowa band put out two very obscure albums on<br />
their own label in the mid 70s. The first of the two<br />
is a mixture of Beatles-inspired 70s pop and<br />
backwoods rural rock. The power pop stuff here is<br />
very good, bringing to mind bands like the Hudson<br />
Brothers and Hollins Ferry. Their songcraft is<br />
strong, the singing excellent, and unlike most bands<br />
in the genre, there’s a reasonable amount of variety<br />
in their songwriting. Unfortunately, the more<br />
countrified and boogie rock songs are pretty bad,<br />
hitting a nadir with the album closer “Whiskey<br />
Heaven.” The result is that about two-thirds of this<br />
is very good. They should have stuck with their best
instincts. Look at the album cover photos -— these<br />
guys are geeky wanna-be pop stars with 70s hair, not<br />
redneck drunks. [AM]<br />
"Sailing On Fantasties" 1978 (Fanfare)<br />
JEFF SIMMONS (CA)<br />
Silver Laughter’s second album drops all of the<br />
backwoods aspirations of the first. As a whole it<br />
doesn’t rock as hard, but the harder rocking songs<br />
were the duds on the first album anyway. Here they’re<br />
simply a confident, inspired pop band and the album<br />
is solid straight through. The harmonies and hooks<br />
may be a little derivative for some, but these songs<br />
are really catchy and have a nice breezy summer feel<br />
to them. While the songs are very carefully<br />
constructed, the private press production keeps it<br />
from sounding too slick, something that really marred<br />
a lot of the better 70s power pop. The post-punk 70s<br />
freshness also makes this obscurity better than just<br />
about any of the 90s power pop revival albums I’ve<br />
heard. My only complaint is that as with most bands<br />
in this genre, the lyrics are inconsequential. [AM]<br />
"Lucille Messed My Mind Up" 1969 (Straight sts-1057) [wlp<br />
exists]<br />
This is one mess of a record, and it's hard to<br />
recommend it, but I think it's got a lot of fun<br />
moments on it. There's wacked-out guitar throughout,<br />
the great Zappa-penned doo-wop-ballad title track,<br />
and a couple of weird ambitious classical-influenced<br />
songs. Fans of the down and dirty will probably<br />
prefer something like 'Wonderful Wino" to "Aqueous<br />
Humore" or "Tigres." My favorite, though, is "I'm In<br />
The Music Business," the ultimate tale of the<br />
struggling rock wannabe. In the song Jeff refuses to<br />
get a haircut and lose his chance at rock stardom,<br />
and ends up so hungry and poor that he takes a part<br />
in a skin flick. Grungy and hairy. Simmons also<br />
contributed to the biker movie "Naked Angels", and<br />
was formerly with Easy Chair. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Easy Chair<br />
DAVID SINCLAIR (Vancouver, Canada)<br />
"Take My Hand" 1973 (SGM Records no#)<br />
Typical '73 fence-straddler between westcoast and<br />
singer/songwriter, with convincing moves in both<br />
directions and added credibility via strong vocals
TONY TAM SING (HI)<br />
and a quite professional sound. Sinclair sings and<br />
plays guitar but has a full rock band plus piano,<br />
which is skillfully employed for both introspective<br />
s/s-w and upbeat New Riders/Cambridge honkytonk<br />
digressions. Has been compared to Jackson Browne but<br />
to me it's really more of a Nor-Cal/Pacific NW trip<br />
with a fresh outdoors feel. The highpoint is an<br />
atypical but terrific Nick Drake-like folk brooder,<br />
"A tale of raven" which opens side 2. Not outstanding<br />
but enjoyable and recommended to genre fans. This LP<br />
would have deserved to come out on a real record<br />
label, such as Tumbleweed. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Sinclair is Canadian, but he sounds like an early 70s<br />
California singer songwriter. The album has crisp<br />
production and pleasant vocals and some pretty strong<br />
songwriting. The dreamy “A Tale Of Raven” is the<br />
definite standout, but this is pretty consistent.<br />
It’s a pretty mainstream record, though, so beware of<br />
“psych” dealer hype. [AM]<br />
"Tony" 1975 (Shampton)<br />
Littleknown Hawaiian LP in a folk/folkrock style,<br />
with violin. Sing is a Christian minister.<br />
LES SINNERS (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"Sinerisme" 1967 (Rusticana 1243)<br />
"Sinerisme" 1989 (Hablabel, Italy)<br />
Wellknown French-Canadian band with several LPs, this<br />
one has half French and half English vocals in a<br />
garage beat style and is rated highly by many.<br />
"Sinnerismes" 1967 (Jupiter 7009)<br />
Different LP from above, despite the title<br />
"Vox Populi" 1968 (Jupiter 7015) [French vocals]<br />
"Les Sinners, vol 1" 1991 (CD Disques Merit 22908) [French<br />
vocals; +bonus tracks]<br />
"25 Succès En Anglais" 1991 (CD Disques Mérite 22922) [English<br />
vocals; +bonus tracks]<br />
"Vox Populi" is an ambitious but un-pretentious<br />
"concept" LP in the wake of Sgt Pepper, built around<br />
a theme of the "voices of the people", and a<br />
recurring musical signature that introduces different<br />
snapshots of everyday life and attitudes, such as a<br />
taxi driver's story. These snapshots are conventional<br />
3-minute pop songs, most of which are pretty terrific<br />
1967 UK-style beat-psych, well-written with hooks and<br />
vocal harmonies a la the Beatles/Bee Gees/Hollies.<br />
There's also some strong fuzz leads and interesting<br />
studio effects that give the trip a clear identity,<br />
and a stoned sense of humor which works well.<br />
Consistent and skillfully balanced between<br />
songwriting and concept, not unlike the Forever Amber<br />
album, and a lot better than Rockadrome, as an
SINNERS (Canada)<br />
example. The LP is strong enough to be enjoyable even<br />
with the French language barrier, but obviously those<br />
who don't speak French need the English vocal<br />
version, which wasn't released until the 1990s. One<br />
of the best psych LPs from Quebec, with a strong<br />
"1967" feel. The band later cut two unexceptional<br />
hardrock LPs in the 1970s, with a new line-up. [PL]<br />
"Sinners" 1970 (Transworld 6801)<br />
Artrock and prog with fuzz leads and flute. This is a<br />
different band from above, although they're often<br />
confused.<br />
SIVEL SOUND EXPERIENCE (NE)<br />
"Sivelization 1" 1968 (Rene 1107)<br />
SIXTH STATION ( )<br />
Oddball local LP of teenbeat/blue eyed soul with<br />
horns.<br />
"Deep Night" 1982 (LPS 1588)<br />
Stunning soft rock set of dreamy celestial moods<br />
carried by a steady beat and rife with phased<br />
electric rhythm guitar for a wonderful unfiltered<br />
slightly out-of-tune quality. Lead vocalist sounds a<br />
lot like Neil Young with his fragile shaky delivery.<br />
Deep creative lyrics to match, with all original<br />
songwriting and plenty of solo leads on top of the<br />
rhythm guitar, sometimes two in tandem, sometimes<br />
with light fuzz or other effects, reaching some hardhitting<br />
moments on tracks like "Scar Of Love" or the<br />
powerful "Before The Snowfall". The only other<br />
instruments are bass and drums (no keyboards or even<br />
acoustic guitars from what I can tell). Some of the<br />
most beautiful selections are the ballads, like "Make<br />
A Way For Me" or the delicate title track. Catholic<br />
I’m guessing – the back cover has references to<br />
“nihil obstat” and “imprimatur”, plus a thanks to the<br />
Bishop of Peoria. Simple sunset cover photo. One of<br />
the most impressive post-1980 custom recordings I’ve<br />
heard. [KS]<br />
SKIP & THE CREATION (VA)<br />
"Mobam" 1967 (Justice 152)<br />
"Mobam" 1995 (CD Collectables 0602)
SKOGIE (MN)<br />
Organ-led combo with hip (relatively speaking) Myrtle<br />
Beach teen club vibe, band does unusual covers of<br />
Hank Williams and "Harlem Shuffle" plus one cool<br />
original. Bonus points for excellent organ sound but<br />
the muddy recording, weak vocals and abundance of<br />
soul covers places this among the less interesting on<br />
the label. The selfwritten tune, a semi-ripoff of<br />
"Time won't let me" (comp'd on "Good Roots") is worth<br />
hearing. "Mobam" supposedly means Makers Of Bad Ass<br />
Music, but the sounds on the record belie such an<br />
interpretation. [PL]<br />
"There's A String Attached" 1974 (General)<br />
SKUNKS (WI)<br />
This weird mix of funk, glam and straightforward rock<br />
is completely unique. They take Parliament's<br />
experimentation with synthesizers a step further (or,<br />
they may actually have used them first), with bubbly<br />
bass snyths galore. The album begins with its<br />
funkiest and most synth-heavy tune, giving a strong<br />
but not 100% accurate first impression. Apparently<br />
they were a rather comical live band, but other than<br />
a disgusting sound effect that accompanies a lyric<br />
about masturbation there's no blatant humor here. The<br />
songs flow together with no space between, creating<br />
the illusion of a concept, though there's no lyrical<br />
unity. Overall, this record is pretty neat. It's<br />
creative and energetic and there are a bunch of good<br />
songs. It probably won't appeal to psych fans, but if<br />
you're looking for an unusual 70s rock album, I<br />
recommend it. [AM]<br />
"Gettin' Started" 1967 (Teentown 101)<br />
SKY DANCER ( )<br />
Here's one of the few local garage era LP that's<br />
never been expensive, partly due to copies being<br />
available, partly because it's lukewarm and difficult<br />
to hype. The band has an amateur folkrock sound with<br />
nothing that grabs your attention. Mostly originals,<br />
a couple of Beatles covers. The band had several 45s<br />
which again have failed to raise much excitement.<br />
"Alive" 1977 (All In One)<br />
SKY DOG ( )<br />
Live hardrock with hard guitar and churning organ.<br />
"Just Want To Make You Happy" 1974 (Paw Records 5336)<br />
[1000p]<br />
Local Allman Bros-type combo with a pleasant rural
SKYEROS (MO)<br />
vibe, ranging from rootsy mellow rock to spacier<br />
jamming, just like their mentors. Sometimes too easygoing<br />
for its own good, though it's difficult to<br />
knock as background music for summer day cruising.<br />
Strongest appeal may be the Hammond organ which has<br />
one of the best sounds ever and is put to good use,<br />
while a couple of tracks (such as the title number)<br />
are too poppy for my tastes. An odd Middle-Eastern<br />
theme recurs through the LP for reasons unknown to<br />
me. Recorded in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Has the same<br />
generic rainbow cover as Euphoria-Lost in trance.<br />
[PL]<br />
"Skyeros" 1975 (no label 8637)<br />
Dual lead guitar, melodic psychy progressive. A bit<br />
spacy and comparable to Brimstone.<br />
SKY FARMER (Chicago, IL)<br />
“Amazing Grace” 2004 (Gear Fab 191)<br />
SKY-SAILS (Canada)<br />
1970s recordings of commune-vibration organic,<br />
borderline psychedelic, jazz-rock that hits some good<br />
spots. Very distinctive and beautiful vocals from<br />
Annie Hat. The strong prevalence of piano and<br />
saxophone could put rock heads (like me) off, but it<br />
has a happy-go-luck feel that makes it worth<br />
listening to. A pioneering, rock’n’roll, camp fire<br />
feel prevails on the better tracks. Overall, it may<br />
appeal more to those with a taste for jazz. They came<br />
out of the ashes of Mountain Bus and retained their<br />
capacity for free-form live jamming. Nothing here<br />
equals the heights attained by the Mountain Bus<br />
version of "I know you rider", but the first track<br />
"Okooch Farewell" is a joy to hear. [RI]<br />
"Sky-Sails" 1973 (no label MH-93) [insert]<br />
Obscure Canadian electronics, effects & poetry freak<br />
LP in the Bill Bissett/Intersystems tradition.<br />
SKYWALKER (Long Beach, CA)<br />
"Made In Flight" 1982 (Phax pr-2001)<br />
SLEEPY HOLLOW ( )<br />
Hardrock trio with spacy Floydian moves.<br />
"Sleepy Hollow" 1972 (Family FPS 2708)
SLEEPY JOHN (ID)<br />
The first two songs here are the most uncanny Beatles<br />
soundalikes you'll ever hear. The first is the<br />
perfect blend of "Abbey Road" and "Plastic Ono Band"<br />
and the second mixes pure 1965-style harmonies with<br />
1969-style production. So this album gets big points<br />
for nostalgia value; like Blue Ash, Badfinger,<br />
Zerfas, Anonymous, We All Together, Jade and so on,<br />
it gives comfort to people who wish the Beatles never<br />
broke up. The vocals throughout are pure Lennon, very<br />
similar to Lazy Smoke but a bit more studied. The<br />
rest of the album is hit and miss, with the upbeat<br />
songs better than the ballads. Even the weak songs<br />
have that magical feel to them, though in some ways<br />
this feels like a McCartney solo album: everything<br />
sounds great, but there's something a bit (sorry<br />
about the pun) hollow to it. The long song that<br />
closes the album, unfortunately, is not especially<br />
compelling. If it had been up to the level of the<br />
best songs here, this would have been something truly<br />
special. As it is, "Sleepy Hollow" is definitely<br />
recommended for the three or four winners and, of<br />
course, the déjà vu factor. [AM]<br />
"Sleepy John" 1999 (Rockadelic 38) [600p]<br />
SLIGHTEST IDEA (IA)<br />
Haven't heard much buzz on this but clearly a<br />
worthwhile addition to the Rockadelic roster; crude<br />
early 1970s local NW basement hardrock with intense<br />
Hammond and fuzz excursions and a truly frantic<br />
drummer. Somewhat similar (though inferior) to<br />
neighbors Stone Garden but less Bay Area-influenced,<br />
delivering a dense wall of lo-fi blowouts plus some<br />
melodic/proggy ambitions on a track like "Seasons".<br />
Consistent, with agreeable songwriting, lots of riff<br />
hooks and clever breaks and an idiosynchratic<br />
vocalist a bonus. Should appeal to fans of Brigade.<br />
Gatefold cover with band story and pics. [PL]<br />
"Bring Your Own" 1973 (Pit 1019)<br />
Raw bar-rock with unusual basement vibe, covers of<br />
things like "Smoke on the water", plus one band<br />
original.<br />
SLOOPY & THE GUYS (Detroit, MI)<br />
"Somethin' Wild" 1966 (Mark 107449/50)<br />
SLY BOOTS ( )<br />
Local teen-beat band with loads of reverb and cool<br />
amateur mid-tempo moves.<br />
"Notes On A Journey" 196 (Faithful Virtue fvs-2002)
[gatefold]<br />
SMACK (KS)<br />
Late 60s hippie folky rock group led by Michael<br />
Wendroff and David Greenberg. Deep thought lyrics and<br />
wistful acoustic jammy playing. Solid latenite<br />
charmer. Not an expensive LP.<br />
"Smack" 1968 (Audio House 14468) [blank back]<br />
"Smack" 1991 (Smack TS 9104) [altered cover; insert; 300p]<br />
BOB SMITH (CA)<br />
Surprisingly enjoyable guitar-psych top 40 cover LP<br />
with tunnelvision galore as these highschool kids<br />
blow through 4 Hendrix and 3 Cream numbers, making<br />
the additional Kinks and Buffalo Springfield tunes<br />
seem downright exotic. Somewhat mysteriously the<br />
guitarplayer achieves some of the best fuzz-tone I<br />
have ever heard, and isn't afraid to use it. The full<br />
band has the right power-trio directness, and are<br />
given an additional hand by an excellent in-yer-face<br />
recording. Vocalists do credible Jimi & Jack Bruce<br />
imitations and as a whole any sarcastic jokes aimed<br />
at this LP come flying back like a cream pie in the<br />
face of the listener. Only moment of stupidity is<br />
some funny incorrect lyrics in "For What It's Worth";<br />
other than that this is the Rolls Royce of "Purple<br />
Haze" copy band LPs. The band met at a summer camp in<br />
Kansas but the four members came from all over the US<br />
and only rehearsed for a few weeks before releasing<br />
this LP on request of the other camp kids, even<br />
though their "acid rock" performance had been aborted<br />
by camp management! [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Young Prophecies '68<br />
"The Visit" 1970 (Kent 551) [2LPs; poster]<br />
"The Visit" 1996 (CD Virgo 1518)<br />
"Stop For A Visit Down Electric Avenue" 2000 (RD 6,<br />
Switzerland) [3 LP box set; poster; +1 bonus disc]<br />
Very good Bay Area forerunner of the epic 70s psych<br />
sound of Zerfas, Garret Lund, DR Hooker etc. A 2 LP<br />
set and except for one or two unnecessary<br />
"experiments" solid all through. Wellcrafted<br />
psychrock with strong, heartfelt vocals and marvy<br />
sound tapestries of fuzz, flute, mellotron and more.<br />
All psych collectors need this. The original came<br />
with a great poster that's often missing. The retited<br />
Swiss 3LP box-set features an LP of unreleased<br />
material featuring Bob's post-"Visit" band Stop,<br />
1971-72. This bonus material is remarkably good in a<br />
style close to the double LP, and should be checked<br />
out. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
It’s pretty ambitious to debut with a double album,<br />
but I’ll give Smith credit as he had enough ideas to<br />
fill four sides. His voice is a little serious/loungy<br />
but he does at least try to sing like a rock guy when<br />
he’s not trying to sound like a prophet. If you like<br />
D.R. Hooker’s singing, you’ll like Smith’s. The music
is in a wide range of late 60s/70s psych genres, from<br />
hard rock to upbeat folk-rock to jazzy<br />
experimentation. The arrangements are always<br />
interesting. Backing vocals, a range of keyboards and<br />
clever sound effects are used well. Smith’s band is<br />
excellent, and there’s plenty of hot guitar/keyboard<br />
interplay. A few songs have some pretty heavy<br />
mellotron. The 8-minute “India Slumber” might be a<br />
bit much for some listeners, but otherwise this album<br />
is surprisingly accessible. By the end of four sides,<br />
I wish Smith would have lightened up a bit, but this<br />
album is chock full of great songs and great moments.<br />
Even the requisite blues song is pretty good. As is<br />
the case with 99% of double LPs, side three is the<br />
weird one. Darryl Dragon began his “Captain” persona<br />
here; he’s listed as “Captain Keyboard.” It would<br />
have been cool to have heard Toni Tennille singing<br />
something like “Mobeda Dadelions.” [AM]<br />
GRANT SMITH & THE POWER (Toronto, Canada)<br />
"Grant Smith & the Power" 1968 (Boo 6802)<br />
KATHY SMITH (CA)<br />
Blue-eyed soul and r'n'b club sound with Hammond and<br />
sax, on the same label as A Passing Fancy. Includes a<br />
long instro version of "Ode to Billie Joe", lots of<br />
soul numbers, and a Beatles cover.<br />
"Some Songs I’ve Saved" 1970 (Stormy Forest 6003)<br />
Stormy Forest is Richie Havens’ label, and he<br />
presented the world a number of very interesting folk<br />
and folk-rock artists, of which Smith is probably the<br />
best and most evocative. Her debut album has some<br />
unusual orchestration, some of the most effective<br />
I’ve ever heard in the genre, and powerful singing in<br />
the Judy Collins style (I suspect Kathy listened to<br />
Who Knows Where The Time Goes a hundred times before<br />
recording this.) It also benefits from terrific<br />
acoustic guitar playing and subtly powerful drumming<br />
on a number of songs. A few other songs are just<br />
guitar and voice, and they’re pretty deep. The<br />
intelligent and moody lyrics about the not-so-sunny<br />
California of the time foreshadow Jackson Browne's<br />
career, which is apt because Browne was friend of<br />
Smith's. The album includes, along with Smith’s own<br />
songs, excellent compositions by her friends Pamela<br />
Polland and Jimmy Spheeris. The album improves with<br />
multiple listens, and has a number of chilling<br />
moments (the loud strings at the end of “Same Old<br />
Lady,” the circular vocal bit at the end of “If I<br />
Could Touch You.”) Both of Smith's albums are among<br />
the very best female singer songwriter albums of the<br />
70s, and should appeal to loner folk fans as well. By<br />
the way, despite the claims of several record dealers<br />
and reference books, she is most certainly not the<br />
same person as the Cathy Smith who was with John<br />
Belushi on the night of his death. It's appalling<br />
that so many people would make such a slanderous<br />
claim without first researching the matter. [AM]
"2" 1971 (Stormy Forest 6009)<br />
Kathy Smith's second album is in the same style as<br />
the first, and is every bit as good, if not better.<br />
The singing is equally strong, but here she's<br />
developed more personality and is less of a Judy<br />
Collins clone. The songs are uniformly strong: by<br />
combining her own songs with those of her like-minded<br />
friends, Pamela Polland, Jimmy Sphreeris, and Jackson<br />
Browne, she maintained a high standard while having<br />
the flow and continuity that is missing from albums<br />
where performers mix their own material with that of<br />
outside songwriters whom they do not personally know.<br />
The excellent orchestration from the first album has<br />
been replaced by a hot jazzy backing band that rocks<br />
out and occasionally jams in a highly appealing and<br />
appropriate way. The lyrics are, once again, deep. If<br />
Browne, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, and so on were<br />
able to make million-selling albums in the early 70s,<br />
it's a mystery why Smith didn't as well. This<br />
certainly blows away anything by Janis Ian or Joan<br />
Baez. By the way, both of Smith's albums were<br />
engineered by Val Valentin of Velvet Underground<br />
fame. [AM]<br />
SMOKE (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Smoke" 1968 (Sidewalk t-5912) [mono]<br />
"Smoke" 1968 (Sidewalk st- 5912) [stereo]<br />
"Smoke" 2004 (CD Acid Ray 5504, South Korea)<br />
SMOKIN' WILLIE (IL)<br />
This is certainly one of the best US popsike albums,<br />
straddling the edge of soft-rock popsike like<br />
Sagittarius, but rocking quite a bit more<br />
convincingly. There’s a definite Beach Boys<br />
influence, but the soaring vocal arrangements and<br />
guitar-based song structures move in a direction<br />
those Boys never dared tread. That said, it’s nowhere<br />
near as weird as the WCPAEB, and could easily have<br />
had mainstream success if the cards were right. Great<br />
songs like “Gold Is The Color of Thought” encapsulate<br />
the era perfectly. The stereo pressing exists with<br />
both Sidewalk and Tower labels. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
"Smokin' Willie" 1972 (Ulrich Studio 3999) [1000p]<br />
"Smokin' Willie" 1994 (OR 006) [375#d]<br />
"Smokin' Willie" 2004 (CD Radioactive 077, UK)<br />
An LP to match St Anthony's Fyre for outlaw booze &<br />
pills attitude and an even more echoey gymnasium<br />
fidelity. Five out of six tracks are covers but<br />
they're so off-the-wall it doesn't matter much. Dig<br />
"Whiter shade of pale" with half the notes missing<br />
from the familiar organ line. Loud fuzz and Hammond<br />
upfront, howling biker vocals and a thundering rhythm<br />
section. Not for everyone's tastes for sure, but<br />
entertaining to these ears. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Heavy distorto fuzz biker cover band. Savage power
chord no-fi onslaughts that just pulverize the<br />
material. When they ease up on "Whiter Shade Of Pale"<br />
with the shimmering church organ and strained vocals<br />
you can see why their motto was Louder, Harder,<br />
Fuzzier. Most copies were destroyed at the local dump<br />
in 1988. Promo copies were made on 8-track tape. [RM]<br />
SNAKE (Pittsburgh, PA)<br />
"Mysterious Ladies And Midnight Queens" 1977 (Nite Owl)<br />
SNAKEGRINDER (DE)<br />
Chuck Owston has a long career in a variety of<br />
musical genres, though he rarely recorded. This selfreleased<br />
album contains country-rock, energetic<br />
roots-rock, folk, ballads, and an absolute spot-on<br />
Tom Waits impersonation/tribute. All of it is pretty<br />
good, but none of it is transcendent. If you like<br />
this style of music, it’s recommended. He has an<br />
appealing road-weary personality, kind of like<br />
someone whose whole life is music but doesn’t care if<br />
he ever hits the big time or not. Most songs are<br />
sparsely arranged, but the production is very crisp<br />
and his band is quite good. Nice mix of instruments<br />
including dobro and slide guitar. [AM]<br />
"And The Shredded Fieldmice" 1977 (Alligator Shoes 40-004)<br />
"And The Shredded Fieldmice" 2005 (CD Radioactive 102, UK)<br />
"And The Shredded Fieldmice" 2005 (CD)<br />
One of the more pleasant reissue surprises of 2005,<br />
this obscure Delaware (not many known LPs from there)<br />
private goes into a lot of unusual places and retains<br />
a friendly, upbeat vibe while doing so. I hear traces<br />
of mid-70s Dead, Santana, The Band and Zappa, but the<br />
end result is all Snakegrinder. The vibe I pick up is<br />
a bunch of local stoners who have been jamming for<br />
years, written some tunes, and finally gotten<br />
together for an album to delight their buddies. The<br />
sound is rich and n-dimensional with an impressive<br />
group-mind synchronization going, creating a vintage<br />
Bay Area vibe pretty much any time they zoom off into<br />
jams. At times it sounds a lot like Ray Harlowe & Gyp<br />
Fox, and anyone who likes the best tracks on that LP<br />
is going to flip out over this one. This is not a 70s<br />
hard guitar jammer, but real deal acidrock with a<br />
multichannel flow to rank among the best of them.<br />
Terrific musicians, floating THC vibe, and long<br />
snakey tracks -- what more could one ask for? The<br />
second CD is a master tape reissue from the band.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is a completely distinctive album that seems to<br />
wow everyone who hears it. It’s compared by most to<br />
the Grateful Dead, but some songs actually have a<br />
very professional jazzy 70s sheen and funky rhythmic<br />
sense that reminds me of Steely Dan. Unlike that<br />
band, though, the careful songwriting soon gives way<br />
to long jams, which veer from acid rock to jazz and<br />
back seamlessly. These sound like they have developed<br />
carefully over many live performances and rehearsals,<br />
and not like random improv. The playing is top-notch,
and the songs are full of surprising twists and<br />
turns. The vocals aren’t up to the level of the<br />
guitars, but they’re serviceable (and there aren’t<br />
very many of them.) Not at all what you’d expect from<br />
hippie jammers; this is the kind of unique mix of<br />
styles that takes a while to get used to but is<br />
ultimately more rewarding than the cruder and less<br />
complex laid-back jammy music more frequently found<br />
on private press albums. [AM]<br />
SNICKELFRITZ (Provo, UT)<br />
"Snickelfritz Wants You!" 1969 (Mormoney mm-666) [insert; 50p]<br />
Amazing dark folk rock excursion with creepy pipe<br />
organ interludes that would have been right at home<br />
in the film, "Carnival of Souls". The songs cover the<br />
downer bases of unrequited love and societal<br />
rejection with aching sincerity teen vocals.<br />
Meandering minor chord 12-string solos give the<br />
record a real lost-in-time feel like a moody New<br />
England prep rocker without the backbeat. Thick<br />
gatefold with demonic trivia insert. [RM]<br />
SIGMUND SNOPEK III (Milwaukee, WI)<br />
"Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf" 1973 (Waterstreet) [insert]<br />
"Trinity Seas" 1974 (Akashic) [insert]<br />
"Nobody To Dream" 1975 (Couth Youth 1001) [insert]<br />
Doorsy vocals prog psych with mellotron, synth, and<br />
whatever else was handy. There was also an instro<br />
artrock LP from 1982, "Roy Rogers Meets Albert<br />
Einstein". [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Bloomsbury People; Jim Spencer; Major Arcana<br />
SNOW (Cleveland, OH)<br />
"Snow" 1968 (Epic BN 26435)<br />
"Snow" 2003 (CD Radioactive 056, UK)<br />
"Snow" 2003 (Radioactive 056, UK)<br />
Little-known item on the label with a sound placed<br />
right smack in the 1968 moustache sunshine Los<br />
Angeles & London pop-psych intersection of Mamas &<br />
Papas, Bee Gees, Hollies, etc. Not bad for the style,<br />
with nothing particularly objectionable and vintage<br />
zeitgeist charm. Male/female munchkin vocals, fuzz<br />
and harpischord flourishes, and an upbeat mood<br />
throughout. The production and vocals are LA while<br />
the songwriting style and whimsical fairytale lyrics<br />
are typical British. "Old Uncle Timothy's Flying<br />
Balloon" is the perfect lost track for the Rubble<br />
series. The closing psych-phased "Caterpillar" track<br />
has been hyped and is probably the best track here,<br />
but for fans of things such as the Smoke on Sidewalk<br />
or the Move/Idle Race the whole album could be worth
searching out. Not heavy or deep in any way, in case<br />
the description hasn't made that clear, although they<br />
do try and pull an Iron Butterfly on "Song of the<br />
Sirens". [PL]<br />
SNOW GEESE (Manfield, TX)<br />
"Feathers In The Wind" 1977 (Old Hat) [inner; insert]<br />
Rural hippie folk and country-rock with some<br />
Christian moves.<br />
SODBUSTERS (Vancouver, Canada)<br />
"Sodbusters" 1974 (Georgia Stock 71-01)<br />
Rural hippie folk LP with Huckle helping out.<br />
"SO IT GOES" (Atlanta, GA)<br />
"So It Goes" 1973 (no label 1701) [insert]<br />
SOJOURNER (LA)<br />
Also known as "Emory Almanac", this various artists<br />
project from Emory College is an above average mix of<br />
folk and psychy rock.<br />
"Wings Like An Eagle" 1979 (no label 017901)<br />
Christian proggy folk and rock mix, recorded at Magic<br />
City Studios in Bogalusa. Keyboard-heavy sound<br />
including synth, organ, clavinet, electric guitars<br />
and various percussion instruments.<br />
V.A "SOMETHIN' ELSE" (Canada)<br />
"Somethin' Else" 1966 (Roman drl-103)<br />
SOMETHING NEW ( )<br />
Canadian teen-beat sampler including the Paupers,<br />
David Clayton-Thomas, the Shays. The latter's track<br />
("This hour has seven days") is good moody beat and<br />
has been comp'd.<br />
"Are You Looking" 1970 (Century 40499)<br />
Electric folkrock with female vocals on well-known<br />
custom label.<br />
ALAN SONDHEIM (Providence, RI)
"The Songs" 1967 (Riverboat rb-3)<br />
"Ritual All 7-70" 1968 (ESP 1048) [2nd press; altered cover]<br />
"Ritual All 7-70" 199 (CD ESP 1048, Germany)<br />
SONICS (Tacoma, WA)<br />
Pre-psych beatnik style freakout with exotic string<br />
and woodwind instruments and voice fragments. A<br />
classic of the early avant underground. The Riverboat<br />
version was credited to Ritual All 7-70, which became<br />
the LP title for the ESP pressing. Sondheim made a<br />
second LP for ESP with synth added, "Th 'Other Little<br />
Tune" (ESP 1082, 1969) which also is of some<br />
interest.<br />
"Here Are" 1965 (Etiquette etalb-024) [mono; red label]<br />
"Here Are" 1965 (Etiquette etalb-024) [stereo; red label]<br />
"Here Are" 1965 (Etiquette etalb-024) [stereo; purple label;<br />
2nd press]<br />
"Boom" 1966 (Etiquette etalb-027) [mono; purple label]<br />
"Boom" 1966 (Etiquette etalb-027) [stereo; purple label]<br />
Often inaccurately described as a "garage" era band,<br />
the Sonics emerged from the pre-Beatle Pacific<br />
Northwest scene as the final and perfected<br />
incarnation of the first 10 years of rock'n'roll. The<br />
debut LP is one of the best regional albums of the<br />
1960s, and while "Boom" has a few unexceptional cover<br />
versions, the originals are again utterly stunning.<br />
No need for lengthy discursions on these guys, you<br />
either own this or you're clueless. Cover variations<br />
of first LP originals exist as follows: 1) cat# top<br />
right; 2) cat# lower right; 3) 1/4" white border<br />
round the cover. Reissues of both albums are too<br />
numerous to list, but there were official, exact runs<br />
from Etiquette in the 1980s sporting a purple label.<br />
Poorly done bootlegs exist without spine printing and<br />
a botched b & w sleeve job on "Here Are". The<br />
reissues on New Rose are reported as having poor<br />
sound. The 1970s six-LP "Northwest Box" on Etiquette<br />
include both (stereo mix) albums in thin, flimsy b &<br />
w sleeves. There is also an original 1960s Canadian<br />
pressing of "Boom", distributed by London. [PL]<br />
"Introducing" 1967 (Jerden jrl-7007) [mono; wlp exists]<br />
"Introducing" 1967 (Jerden jrls-7007) [stereo]<br />
Repackaged early "hits" plus some later-day numbers,<br />
missing the nitroglycerin charge of the Etiquettes<br />
but still way above average. The original band was<br />
falling apart at this time.<br />
"Explosives" 1973 (Buckshot 001)<br />
Legit sampler of Etiquette material put together in<br />
the dark ages, available via mail-order ads in Bomp<br />
Magazine. Compiled by Mark Shipper, this features 12<br />
classic rippers in mono mixes.<br />
"Original Northwest Punk" 1977 (First American fa-7715)<br />
A couple early hits plus the later 1966-67 material,
in fact an exact retread of the 1967 "Introducing" LP<br />
repackaged in a new cover. First American was run by<br />
NW scenemaker Jerry Dennon, also behind the<br />
Piccadilly label from the same timeframe.<br />
"Unreleased" 1980 (First American fa- 7719)<br />
Jerry Dennon's second raid on the Sonics vault<br />
yielded a selection of later 45s and unreleased<br />
tracks, some from the post-Gerry Roslie era. The<br />
material pops up on recent CDs as well. For diehard<br />
fans only.<br />
"Fire And Ice" 1981 (First American fa-7779)<br />
Scraping the bottom of the barrel on "Fire & Ice"<br />
with really lame vault material. A later CD version<br />
also exists. There is also a reunion LP of sorts from<br />
1980, "Sinderella" (Bomp), which has a hideous cover<br />
and reportedly not very appealing contents. "Live<br />
Fanz Only" is a 1986 Etiquette release with a 1966<br />
Oregon show on one side and a 1972 show on the other.<br />
From the mid-1980s and onwards the Sonics became a<br />
matter of international concern, with a number of<br />
reissues and retrospective releases. Best of CD<br />
samplers from Etiquette and Big Beat are good, just<br />
make sure you get the early non-LP 45 tracks ("The<br />
Hustler"; "Keep-A Knocking") and the X-mas sampler<br />
tracks. Mono mixes are always preferrable. In the<br />
2000s there has again been a slew of releases,<br />
including early, pre-Etiquette recordings from Norton<br />
("The Savage Young Sonics"), and more.<br />
--<br />
see -> "Merry X-Mas"<br />
SONS (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Minus Seeds and Stems" 1971 (private 2126) [100p]<br />
"Minus Seeds and Stems" 1993 (CFS 2126) [2 inserts]<br />
Westcoast rarity featuring privately released live<br />
recordings by the Sons Of Champlin. This was made as<br />
the band had been dropped by Capitol, although they<br />
would reform for a couple more major label LPs later<br />
on. The sleeve has no song titles or credits, which<br />
were added via the 1990s reissue.<br />
SONS OF THUNDER (MD)<br />
"Till The Whole World Knows" 196 (Zondervan 754)<br />
Obscure late 1960s Christian album with surprisingly
hip sounds of mostly light femme-vocal folkrock like<br />
an upbeat Guitar Ensemble or John Ylvisaker's younger<br />
cousins; a couple of tracks with male vocals are less<br />
exciting but it still plays solidly through with<br />
folkboom leftover charm and marginal school-play<br />
moves. Side 2 is strong with 3 excellent tracks, one<br />
of which even features raga guitar and psych effects.<br />
A few covers, but mostly origs I think. A marginal<br />
item really, but worth checking out for fans of Holy<br />
Ghost RC#9. Band looks really eerie on the cover...<br />
straight out of "Stepford Wives". The album is not<br />
expensive. Later Sons albums include "Days Follows<br />
Night" (Bronte 1001, 1972) and the heavier "Live At<br />
Virginia Beach" (Bronte 1002, 1973). [PL]<br />
SORCERY (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Sinister Soldiers" 1978 (Century 45484) [2LPs; gatefold]<br />
"Sinister Soldiers - First Chapter" 199 (no label, Europe)<br />
[bootleg]<br />
"Sinister Soldiers - Second Chapter" 199 (no label, Europe)<br />
[bootleg]<br />
"Sinister Soliders" 199 (CD Monster)<br />
"Sinister Soldiers" 200 (Century) [2LPs; gatefold;<br />
counterfeit]<br />
Often described as an early metal/NWOBHM album, but<br />
in my ears closer in sound and mood to local early<br />
1970s hardrock bands like Top Drawer. Inane teen<br />
lyrics and thankfully non-screaming vocals, with<br />
plenty of guitarwork that occasionally goes into<br />
Terry Brooks territory, plus some mellotron and a<br />
proto-1980s drummer. Despite some negative feedback I<br />
think it's listenable all through, with a highpoint<br />
in moody long "Last goodbye" track. 2LP set in<br />
gatefold cover, although the total playtime barely<br />
exceeds 50 minutes. Apart from the reissues, there's<br />
a counterfeit in circulation which can be recognized<br />
by a white rectangle obviously inserted into the<br />
original cover artwork. [PL]<br />
"Til Death Do We Part" 1980 (Sentry)<br />
S O S FEVER ( )<br />
The second LP is not so good. Is this the same group<br />
who did "Stunt Rock", the soundtrack to the film<br />
"Stunt" (Groovy, 1978, Holland)? [RM]<br />
"Live At The Outrigger Hotel" 1969 (Makaha 5001)<br />
SOUL INC (NC)<br />
Obscure beat LP in nice color cover, supposedly<br />
recorded live.<br />
"At The Cellar" 1967 (Emblem)<br />
A common band name, this particular branch cut a live
album in Charlotte NC with mainly blue-eyed soul<br />
numbers, as indicated by their monicker. Some<br />
originals, and covers of "Knock on wood", "You don't<br />
know like I know", etc. This is not the same Soul Inc<br />
as the prolific 45 outfit from Louisville, KY.<br />
SOULS OF INSPYRATION (Quebec, Canada)<br />
"The Souls of Inspyration" 1970 (Columbia ES 90061)<br />
"The Souls of Inspyration" 199 (Columbia) [bootleg]<br />
"The Souls of Inspyration" 2005 (CD Pacemaker 037)<br />
Like labelmates Jarvis St Revue and It's All Meat a<br />
very rare LP despite being on Columbia. Keyboarddriven<br />
artrock with a late 60s feel in the vocals and<br />
organ but also baroque and classical influences. Not<br />
overwhelmingly interesting to me.<br />
SOUND OF THE REIGN ( )<br />
"Reigned Out" 1965 (Wilber)<br />
SOUNDSATIONS (MI)<br />
Teenbeat/garage.<br />
"Shout" 1966 (Phalanx 001) [1000p]<br />
If intended to capture the band's in-concert<br />
excitement, then this was totally missed. In spite of<br />
some lame audience sound effects, nothing here<br />
sounded live, nor particularly exciting. Featuring a<br />
mix of then-popular pop and soul hits the album<br />
deserved a 'D' for creativity, though the inclusion<br />
of one original ("Moody Love") saved it from an 'F';<br />
this bluesy organ-propelled original was also the<br />
album's highpoint. Perhaps because they were so bad,<br />
the band's haphazard readings of "When a Man Loves a<br />
Woman" (I could read Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham"<br />
with more feeling), an equally inept "Midnight Hour"<br />
and a seemingly endless "Shout" (with a particularly<br />
disturbing drum solo) were fascinating in the same<br />
way a bad traffic accident captures one's attention.<br />
By no stretch of the imagination was this great<br />
music, but the band's misplaced enthusiasm helped<br />
compensate for the absence of originality and the<br />
rather flat production. The other saving grace came<br />
in the form of guest vocalist Patsy Stevens. While<br />
she wasn't even shown on the album cover, Steven's<br />
handled lead vocals on several tracks and her<br />
performances on "What Now My Love" and "Just You"
provided two of the LP highlights. [SB]<br />
V.A "SOUNDS OF CENTRAL HIGH" ( )<br />
"Sounds Of Central High '67" 1967 (no label)<br />
"Sounds Of Central High '68" 1968 (no label)<br />
High-school project LPs of which the first is of no<br />
particular merit, while the 1968 instalment has some<br />
cool tracks and an extraordinary psychedelic cover.<br />
V.A "SOUNDTRACKS 1966" (Northfield, IL)<br />
"Soundtracks 1966" 1966 (no label 28573)<br />
SOUP (Appleton, WI)<br />
Very obscure school project LP from New Trier High<br />
School, features some brief teenbeat from the Maniacs<br />
doing "Little Latin Lupe Lu" as the main attraction;<br />
also has some students singing a mock "protest" tune<br />
to the melody of "Louie Louie".<br />
"Soup" 1970 (Arf Arm 1) [plain cover; blank labels; yellow<br />
insert]<br />
"Soup" 199 (Arf Arm) [counterfeit; insert]<br />
"Soup" 2000 (Gear Fab 144) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"Soup" 2000 (CD Gear Fab 144) [+bonus tracks]<br />
Crude local rural rock/hard-rock affair with melodic<br />
Marin County eclecticism on side 1 including jazz and<br />
country moves; ambitious guitarwork, unpretentious<br />
vocals and some nice hooks that may appeal in an Owen<br />
B direction. Side 2 is a live-recorded hard-rock<br />
blowout called "I'm so sorry" with the desperate teen<br />
vocals again an asset, as well as some of the more<br />
frantic guitar riffing you're likely to hear. Nice<br />
playing all around and a trip worth examining for<br />
those into the really local early 70s sounds, while<br />
the average psych fan can pass on it. The easiest way
RICHARD SOUTAR (CT)<br />
to identify an original is that the vinyl has a<br />
flatter, rounded edge while the fakes are sharply<br />
beveled. The fake insert was a lime green with<br />
thinner paper stock and 'new' looking. The group was<br />
previously known as garage-era band Private Property<br />
Of Digil, whose 45s are included on the reissue. The<br />
band had a second LP on a real record label, "The<br />
Album Soup" (Big Tree bts-2007, 1971) which has some<br />
excellent guitar and a couple of good songs opening<br />
side 1 but is otherwise unexceptional. [PL]<br />
"Episodes" 197 (Artsong)<br />
Pleasant surprise in store here as Soutar's more<br />
obscure debut LP turns out to be clearly better than<br />
"Lavender Daydreams", in fact I think it's on a whole<br />
other level. Songwriting is similar but superior,<br />
with a 1960s folkrock feel and lots of hooks and<br />
strong melodies. Recurring use of fuzz leads and<br />
enthusiastic live feel reminds me of the Joe Peace<br />
album but this is clearly better in my ears. Also has<br />
frequent use of flute and female harmonies supporting<br />
Soutar's own excellent vocals, wrapped in a full<br />
folkrock basement setting a la Gandalf the Grey. A<br />
couple of tracks hint at the generic 1970s<br />
singer/songwriter blandness that weighed down his<br />
later LP, but all over this is a fine trip comparable<br />
to a less moody Gary Higgins, or what you hoped the<br />
Arthur Lee Harper album would sound like. Too bad<br />
this didn't get reissued instead of "Lavender", but<br />
hopefully it will come round down the line. [PL]<br />
"Lavender Daydreams" 1976 (no label SD-72176) [lyric insert;<br />
200p]<br />
"Lavender Daydreams" 199 (Void 9) [insert]<br />
JOHN SOUTHERN (OK)<br />
Pro-sounding melodic singer/songwriter & hippie<br />
folkrock LP in the popular post-CSNY 1970s bag, too<br />
lightweight and easygoing to challenge the status quo<br />
of anything, including the listener's mood.<br />
Songwriting and performances are flawless, but a bit<br />
more heart and soul wouldn't hurt next time. The<br />
title track is a terrific dreamy folkrockpsycher in<br />
the Michael Angelo realm, but to get there you have<br />
to sit through 35 minutes of pleasantly forgettable<br />
s/sw material. Gary Higgins is a much better and more<br />
personal trip for this style. [PL]<br />
"Equinox" 1975 (Boyd 0001) [insert]<br />
Little-known mid-70s title in great color sleeve<br />
showing the man inside a giant sewer pipe. The LP<br />
features Southern's homemade string instruments and<br />
has one excellent long cut and a couple other decent<br />
ones.
SOUTHERN STEEL (Miami, FL)<br />
"Get On Through" 1974 (Earth Records 0003/04)<br />
SOWER (NM)<br />
Seldom seen Southern rock/hardrock with strong<br />
guitarwork and some outstanding tracks such as "Don't<br />
deny it". There was also a 45 released. Produced by<br />
Craig Leon, who went on to fame as a producer with<br />
Ramones, Suicide, and others.<br />
"Sower" 1977 (Grand Trine) [500p; inner]<br />
STEPHEN SPANO (MD)<br />
1970s style laidback rural folkrock with guitars,<br />
drums, flute and violin, reported as "lame" by one<br />
renowned critic.<br />
"Eye To Eye" 1974 (Adelphi ad-4103) [insert]<br />
Here’s a terrific private press rarity that’s<br />
completely fallen under the radar. It’s way better<br />
than multi-hundred-dollar singer-songwriter/folkrock/soft<br />
pop rarities like Richard Soutar or Mick<br />
Stevens and the entire brigade of albums inaccurately<br />
compared to Michael Angelo. Like all of those<br />
records, there’s scant amount of fuzz guitar or<br />
trippiness here. But there’s some excellent lead<br />
guitar, occasional use of hippie instruments like<br />
conga and flute, a bit of moog, unusual chord<br />
progressions and thoughtful, intelligent songwriting<br />
to go along with the requisite vocal harmonies and<br />
acoustic guitars. It’s also much less wimpy than your<br />
average CSN-influenced private press album. The<br />
highlights are “...and dream,” which has some great<br />
lead guitar, and “Eye to eye,” which rocks out (and,<br />
admittedly, veers a tad toward prog). The rest of the<br />
album is quite good too. Neat album cover; you’d<br />
think that alone would have attracted attention to<br />
it. Snap it up quick before it gets discovered and<br />
the price balloons. About 1500 copies were pressed.<br />
[AM]<br />
SPARE CHANGE BAND (MA)<br />
"Spare Change Band" 1977 (Tribute)<br />
SPARKS (Canada)<br />
Westcoasty folkrock jams and loungey blues, post-Tea<br />
Company. To my ears a dull, overrated LP with one<br />
good track in "Take me to your garden".<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Frankie Carr
"Travelling With" 1965 (Fontaine)<br />
Obscure teenbeat.<br />
SPARROWS (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"That Mersey Sound" 1964 (Elkay 3009)<br />
Exploito Beatles covers with monster garage guitar<br />
sound and hick vocals (like From Britain With Beat)!<br />
One of the best in the style. Rick Griffin did the<br />
cover art. [RM]<br />
SPEAK EASY (Kansas City, MO)<br />
"Speak Easy" 197 (no label)<br />
SPECKULATIONS ( )<br />
Late 1970s hardrockers.<br />
"Walking The Dog In The Midnight Hour" 1966 (Justice 132)<br />
"Walking The Dog In The Midnight Hour" 1996 (CD Collectables)<br />
SPECTRE (WY)<br />
Crude frat/garage that differs from most Justice<br />
albums in being sloppily played, the rhythm section<br />
in particular. In fact, they're all over the place.<br />
Further garage ambience is provided by Index-like<br />
teen vocals and a selection of covers that are<br />
somewhat less soul/lounge and more standard '65-66<br />
fare than many of their local competitors. There may<br />
also be an original or two. A solid dose of vintage<br />
teen incompetence that makes for passable<br />
entertainment and is about the closest any Justice<br />
band came to the equally maligned North-East preprock<br />
sound. One of the rarer Justices. [PL]<br />
"Spectre" 1982 (Vedauwoo)<br />
SPEED LIMIT 35 (NC)<br />
Hardrock/AOR with lots of guitar, housed in an odd b<br />
& w cover. One of the few ones from Wyoming, this has<br />
been compared to Unison.<br />
"Speed Limit 35" 2004 (RD Records 14, Switzerland) [insert]<br />
Post-Ladies WC band with unreleased studio and live<br />
recordings from circa 1970 in a rural guitar-jam<br />
style.
ALEXANDER 'SKIP' SPENCE (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Oar" 1969 (Columbia cs-9831) [360 label]<br />
"Oar" 199 (CD Sundazed 11075) [+10 tracks]<br />
"Oar" 199 (Sundazed 11075)<br />
"Oar" 199 (CD Sony Legacy 75031) [+5 tracks]<br />
As most probably know already this is the solo album<br />
Alexander 'Skip' Spence recorded after getting sacked<br />
from Moby Grape and spending six months in the<br />
Bellevue hospital. The songs were written while he<br />
was committed there and it kinda shows - it's<br />
fragmented and demo-like but at the same time filled<br />
with emotion and raw beauty. The album is often<br />
described as being very downer and depressive, which<br />
I think is extremely unjust. It's full of beautiful<br />
songs like "Little Hands", "Diana" and others, that<br />
easily would've fitted with the Grape. But the<br />
spectrum is much wider. There's the countryish<br />
"Broken Down", a tale of revenge, cheating and death<br />
which predates Johnny Cash's raw acoustic recordings<br />
by three decades. The influence of American folk<br />
music, or cosmic Americana maybe, runs through the<br />
whole album and keeps it together. There's off-beat<br />
humor in tracks like "Dixie Peach Promenade" and<br />
"Lawrence Of Euphoria". Great lyrics over all and<br />
possibly one of the best real psychedelic acid<br />
compositions/performances ever pressed into vinyl:<br />
"War In Peace" which is worth the price of admission<br />
alone. Alexander plays all of the instruments himself<br />
and the result is fantastic, if you like some offbeat<br />
playing and misses in synching, but also a total<br />
presence of this person who turns himself inside out<br />
to express his inner feelings. It's quite simply an<br />
awesome album, for me it has desert island status.<br />
He's been compared to Syd Barrett a lot, but I don't<br />
think that gives away what this LP sounds like. This<br />
is, first of all, more American. It's also less<br />
whimsy and to my ears more "real". There's nothing<br />
quite like it. "Oar" is one of the worst selling<br />
albums in Columbia's history; around 600 copies total<br />
of the 2000 pressed. The old Sony CD has lots of<br />
extra material, but I must warn about the sound on<br />
that issue. It's way too "cleaned up" and sounds dead<br />
compared to an original or a better reissue. [MM]<br />
JIM SPENCER (Milwaukee, WI)<br />
"Landscapes" 1973 (Thoth)<br />
Singer/songwriter and folkrock with an ambitious<br />
mainstream feel and Susan & Richard Thomas helping<br />
out.<br />
"2nd Look" 1974 (Akashic Records ast-1001) [poster]<br />
Before the Major Arcana album, Jim Spencer released<br />
two equally rare solo albums. The second has<br />
contributions from Susan and Richard Thomas, Sigmund<br />
Snopek III and Anonymous’ Ron Matelic (who wrote one<br />
song and co-wrote another.) The music is a more<br />
singer/songwriter variation on the Major Arcana<br />
album. Some songs are dead ringers for the Major<br />
Arcana sound. Others are in a more straight folk
and/or country direction. The more elaborate songs<br />
feature mildly jazzy arrangements including sax,<br />
flute, mellotron and synthesizers. The songwriting is<br />
reasonably strong, peaking on the somewhat sinister<br />
“The Devil Is A Fat Man.” Matelic’s contributions are<br />
almost baroque, sounding nothing like Anonymous (and<br />
nowhere near as good). This album isn’t quite up to<br />
the level of Major Arcana, but will certainly appeal<br />
to fans of that album and folk/psych fans in general.<br />
[AM]<br />
SPIDER & THE CRABS (KS)<br />
"Spider & the Crabs" 1967 (Audio House AH12267)<br />
Previously unknown to exist custom press on renowned<br />
Lawrence, KS label. Eight tracks, six of which are<br />
horn-laden crooneresque soul ballads of no<br />
identifiable merit. However, "Think" is a fuzzed out<br />
100 mph band original well worth investigating, and<br />
the LP closes with an agreeable "Stepping Stone".<br />
Press size has been estimated to 25-100 copies by<br />
Audio House management. The band, who were a popular<br />
live attraction in the Kansas showband style, also<br />
had a local non-LP 45. [PL]<br />
SPIFFYS (Annapolis, MD)<br />
"The Spiffys" 1967 (no label 242) [1500p]<br />
The weaker of the two LPs from Naval Academy recruits<br />
whose band kept going for decades, with members<br />
changing as new classes were enlisted. This one is on<br />
level with the average Justice LP and thus not very<br />
interesting beach club garage/soul sounds, all covers<br />
except one OK beat original. Nice sleeve.<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
"Spiffys '68" 1968 (no label 12597) [2500p]<br />
Their better LP, two bad "soul" tracks while the rest<br />
is highly listenable, including fun covers of Procol<br />
Harum and the Doors. The great group folkrock/psych<br />
original "Dreams" is a must-hear and has been comp'd<br />
on Oil Stains vol 2.<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
SPIKEDRIVERS (Detroit, MI)<br />
"Spikedrivers" 2002 (RD Records 10, Switzerland)<br />
"Spikedrivers" 200 (CD RD Records CD-3, Switzerland)<br />
Subtitled "Folk-rocking psychedelic innovation from<br />
the Motor City in the mid 60's", this is a rather<br />
terrific and much-loved retrospective sampler of<br />
official and unreleased recordings from this aheadof-their<br />
time band that blended westcoast folkrock<br />
with middle eastern psych sounds long before it was
SPIRITS & WORM (NY)<br />
trendy. The opening "Often I Wonder" raga psycher (a<br />
45 B-side from mid-1966) blows minds wherever it is<br />
heard, and the rest of the LP ranges from good to<br />
great. Two different line-ups of the band are<br />
represented. Along with Bob Smith my favorite release<br />
from the label so far, and simply essential to any<br />
60s psych fan. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Ted Lucas; Perth County Conspiracy; Peace<br />
Bread & Land Band; Modality Stew<br />
"Spirits & Worm" 1969 (A&M 4229) [brown label box logo]<br />
"Spirits & Worm" 1995 (Water Servant, UK) [paste-on; 375#d]<br />
"Spirits & Worm" 1995 (Sweet Herb, Europe)<br />
"Spirits & Worm" 2000 (CD Akarma 141, Italy)<br />
"Spirits & Worm" 2000 (Akarma 141, Italy)<br />
SPLIT DECISION ( )<br />
Well, you can't get much rarer for a major label LP,<br />
although the reason for the rarity and the number of<br />
copies pressed differ depending on who you talk to.<br />
Unfortunately, and despite some excited ramblings<br />
I've read, this doesn't really deserve its legend.<br />
The music is your standard westcoast hippiepop/rock,<br />
pretty fun and enjoyable but by no means superior to<br />
many a $20 LP, with horns on two tracks. Despite what<br />
you might read, this sounds closer to the Fifth<br />
Dimension than Jefferson Airplane to my ears. A 45<br />
was released from the LP, and it appears the LP was<br />
also released in England, despite its utter<br />
obscurity. The band was from Long Island, except the<br />
female vocalist who was from NJ. Prior to the A & M<br />
signing they won a Battle Of The Bands sponsored by a<br />
shoe store which supposedly led to them recording a<br />
local 45, which has not yet been found. The Water<br />
Servant boot cover is a poorly done repro of the back<br />
cover with a different front, while the Sweet Herb<br />
job is an exact repro with some minor crackle. [PL]<br />
"Flight Of The Triad" 1981 (no label SD-1)<br />
Rather quirky hard rocking AOR private press I<br />
believe hails from New Jersey. There are occasional<br />
arena prog moves thrown in, mainly through the<br />
sporadic use of a synethesizer. There's some psych<br />
vibes as well, particularly in the first two songs on<br />
Side 2. The first is a heavy late psych sound with<br />
liberal use of fuzz on the guitar. It flows into the<br />
next track, a spacy guitar dominated instrumental<br />
with a bit of a rural Dead influence. Plenty of<br />
guitar leads permeate the LP, and a lot with effects<br />
(phased, synthesized, etc). Good musicianship<br />
throughout, though there is an endearing bonehead<br />
quality to the lyrics and vocals. Extremely rare; I<br />
know of only three copies, including the two I have.
[MA]<br />
SPOILS OF WAR (IL)<br />
"Spoils of War" 1999 (Shadoks 001, Germany) [+bonus 45]<br />
"Spoils Of War" 2000 (CD Shadoks 001, Germany)<br />
SPONTANES ( )<br />
Late 1960s recordings, originally released on two<br />
local EPs at the time, from arty college outfit who<br />
later metamorphosed into prog-folkers Mormos. Really<br />
two bands in one, one being an introspective<br />
garage/folkrock band like the Rising Storm, the other<br />
a quirky electronics psych act in a Lothar & the Hand<br />
People/50 Foot Hose direction. Oscillator and sound<br />
fx become annoying at times but add an interesting<br />
intellectual finish for the most part. Well worth a<br />
release, and combined with the great cover design<br />
makes for one of Shadoks' better offerings. Includes<br />
a bonus 45, even though the playtime of the regular<br />
LP isn't particularly long. Shadoks followed this<br />
with a 2LP set (also titled "Spoils Of War", Shadoks<br />
55) of similar, slightly earlier material in lesser<br />
sound, which is recommended only to hardcore fans of<br />
this first one. [PL]<br />
"Play Solid Soul" 1965 (Hit Attractions 109)<br />
SPOONFED (AR)<br />
Obscure teen-beat/blue-eyed soul LP in crude cover.<br />
"Rock 'n Roll Rowdies" 1983 (Zanbeck ZSP 1001)<br />
Good Southern guitar-rock despite the late release<br />
date.<br />
SPRING FEVER (Canada)<br />
SPUR (IL)<br />
"Woodstock" 1970 (Paragon 302)<br />
Obscure power trio doing blues-rock with all covers<br />
except one instrumental, on the same label as Reign<br />
Ghost and Christmas.<br />
"Spur Of The Moment" 1969 (Cinema 1500)<br />
"Spur Of The Moment" 199 (Cinema, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
Pretty strange LP from rural Illinois band which is<br />
partly novelty-tinged garbage with rock'n'roll<br />
medleys, "funny" spoken bits etc, but also has some<br />
very good folkrock psychers on side 2 - too bad the
whole LP isn't that way. Can't really recommend it<br />
despite being pretty cheap, but try to tape those<br />
good ones. Spur also backed Father Pat Berkeley on a<br />
late 60s LP in the "Incredibly Strange" bag. The LP<br />
was distributed mainly around St Louis, which is why<br />
the band was believed to be from there. [PL]<br />
SQUARE ROOT OF NINE (MI)<br />
"Three" 196 (Pac Three)<br />
-- there is some confusion around the name of this band, as<br />
some believe them to have been called Three, 'Square Root Of<br />
Nine' being the album title.<br />
Little known folk with 2 guys & 1 gal looking square<br />
indeed. Mostly covers in a moody folk-boom style.<br />
STACCATOS (Ottawa, Canada)<br />
"Initially" 1965 (Capitol t-6158) [mono]<br />
"Initially" 1965 (Capitol st-6158) [stereo]<br />
Jangly pop and teen-beat from popular group, mostly<br />
originals. The band also released a split Coca Colabacked<br />
promo LP, "A Wild Pair" (1969, Nimbus 9), with<br />
Guess Who on the other side. Pre-Five Man Electrical<br />
Band.<br />
STACK (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Above All" 1969 (Charisma 303)<br />
"Above All" 199 (Charisma, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
"Above All" 1997 (Void 06) [die-cut cover; insert; +1 track;<br />
500p]<br />
"Above All" 1998 (CD Gear Fab 111)<br />
"Above All" 199 (Akarma 057, Italy)<br />
"Above All" 199 (CD Akarma 057, Italy)<br />
Early LA hardrock blowout with a British sound and<br />
Who and Led Zep influences; not everything works but<br />
the best tracks go into ferocious guitar excursions<br />
that are among the best anywhere. Teenage punk vocals<br />
work well and it's a LOUD upfront mother from start<br />
to finish. Almost glamrocky in its selfassured yet<br />
convincing "rock" postures, and indeed ahead of its<br />
time. Mandatory to any hardrock fan, although<br />
originals are genuinely rare. One member was in<br />
garage legends the Fabs before this. The band<br />
appeared in a Pepsi Cola commercial, supplied<br />
background music for the classic teen flick "Wild In<br />
The Streets", and had a major label contract within<br />
reach, but it didn't happen. The Void reissue has<br />
some crackles. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Superb bluesy hard fuzz rocker with a Rush feel at<br />
times. Powerhouse vocals, tight playing, distinctive<br />
songs, and muscular guitar work with plenty of fuzz.<br />
This group had the whole package, it's really a crime<br />
they never hit the big time. The drums are up front<br />
and this record really pounds. One of the few early
STAGE FRIGHT (MO)<br />
hardrock locals with memorable songs and a first<br />
class vocalist with range. The anthemic "Only<br />
forever" and "Everyday" will blow heavy guitar fans<br />
away. Amazing LP at least five years ahead of its<br />
time. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
As the band say, “Laugh and point and stare at the<br />
boys with girls’ hair”. You can laugh and point and<br />
stare as much as you like, because Stack demolish<br />
most of their contemporary hard rockers and either<br />
predate or demolish most of what came after in the<br />
genre. The drumming on this LP stands out a mile but<br />
the whole band are great. No macho drivel or posy<br />
metal solos on this one –- this is the meat with no<br />
vegetables or potatoes in the mix. The shortest songs<br />
are the best (they’re all quite short apart from "Da<br />
Blues"). "Everyday", "Valleys" and "Cars" are<br />
wonderful songs delivered with such raw energy that<br />
you are left wondering how success eluded them. The<br />
LP does sound like it should have had significant<br />
mainstream appeal in all the right ways and yet<br />
amazingly it flopped. [RI]<br />
"D-Day" 1980 (Aardvark)<br />
STAINED GLASS (CA)<br />
Rural hardrock/barrock with a late 1960s vibe. Has<br />
been hyped, but not everyone is impressed with it.<br />
"Crazy Horse Roads" 1969 (Capitol ST 154)<br />
This album has a cool cover, with the band being hung<br />
from (obviously airbrushed) trees. The music doesn’t<br />
really have the outlaw vibe as advertised, though,<br />
being a pretty upbeat mix of pop/psych styles. A few<br />
songs are pretty strong, and overall it’s a pleasant<br />
listen, slightly above average for the genre. [AM]<br />
"Aurora" 1969 (Capitol ST 242)<br />
The second LP is rarer and considered superior by<br />
most.<br />
STAINED GLASS WINDOW (IL)<br />
"Stained Glass Window" 1975 (Sycamore 248)<br />
Downer folk with an Incredible String Band vibe, not<br />
terribly impressive.<br />
STALK-FORREST GROUP (Long Island, NY)<br />
"Stalk-Forrest Group" 1999 (no label, Germany)<br />
"Stalk-Forrest Group" 2002 (CD Rhino Handmade) [+bonus tracks]
"Stalk-Forrest Group" 2004 (CD Radioactive 019, UK)<br />
"Stalk-Forrest Group" 2004 (Radioactive 019, UK)<br />
STANLEY (TX)<br />
Also known as "St Cecilia" and "The California<br />
Album", these are legendary pre-Blue Öyster Cult<br />
recordings made for a 1969-70 Elektra LP that was<br />
shelved for reasons that remain obscure. Tapes of<br />
this material were going round already in the 1970s,<br />
but it wasn't until recently that it became<br />
commercially available. It's a tremendous westcoastsounding<br />
LP with a superb blend of songwriting,<br />
guitar excursions and above-average lyrics. Strong<br />
all through with outstanding peaks in "Gil Blanco<br />
County" and "St Cecilia". The album has a bit of a<br />
Love influence and could be considered an alternative<br />
(superior) development to "Four Sails". Essential to<br />
any westcoast fan, also reminiscent of "China cat<br />
sunflower"-era Dead and Truth/Them from Chicago. The<br />
German vinyl bootleg has unimpressive sound (about<br />
7/10) which admittedly brings a nice basement edge to<br />
the tracks, but ultimately isn't recommended. The<br />
Rhino Handmade on the other hand is almost too good<br />
in sound, with an unprocessed, widestretched<br />
soundscape that will appeal to sound engineers but is<br />
somewhat lacking in warmth and presence. The<br />
remastered Radioactive CD delivers a more alive,<br />
organic feel and also has a superior running order<br />
and should be considered the first choice for Stalkhunters,<br />
even though it is completely lacking the<br />
superb packaging of the Rhino CD. A promo 45 was<br />
released by Elektra, this 45 has been bootlegged.<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
"Enemy Ave" 1981 (Rectangle)<br />
RICK STANLEY ( )<br />
Obscure bonehead hardrock in primitive cover.<br />
"Song Of Life" 1970 (Jai Guru Dev)<br />
STARBLIND (CA)<br />
Spiritual meditation folk sounds from guy on the<br />
Maharishi trail, opens with a lecture on the virtues<br />
of transcendental meditation, followed with music in<br />
the expected style. Stanley later popped up with the<br />
Natural Tendency "Something Good Is Happening" LP<br />
(Ganesh, 1972) which has a full folkrock sound with<br />
keyboard mixed with Indian instruments.<br />
"Rock Is Our Business" 197 (LRS)<br />
One-sided LP on same custom label as Frolk Haven,<br />
typical 70s hardrock with mostly covers in an<br />
elaborate gatefold sleeve.
STARCHILD (Canada)<br />
"Children Of The Stars" 1978 (Axe 521)<br />
STARFIRE (CA)<br />
Metallic hardrock like German band the Scorpions.<br />
With Greg Hinz of Helix. The label had several more<br />
releases out.<br />
"Starfire" 1974 (Crimson 4476)<br />
"Starfire" 2004 (Void 033)<br />
"Starfire" 2005 (CD Radioactive 137, UK)<br />
Unexceptional local basement hardrock with guitar,<br />
organ and some prog ambitions.<br />
STARFIRES (Orlando, FL)<br />
"Play" 1965 (Ohio Recording Service 34)<br />
Typical mid-60s teenbeat from Florida band who<br />
recorded in Ohio due to a family connection. One<br />
member later went on to garage legends Little Willie<br />
& the Adolescents.<br />
STARFIRES (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Teenbeat A Go Go" 1965 (LaBrea LS 8018)<br />
PETER STARK (MI)<br />
Frat r&b covers, mostly in a pre-Invasion mood with<br />
"Money", "Peter Gunn", "Apache" and so on. The band<br />
later cut an all-time classic garage 45 in "I never<br />
loved her". Many years later, band member Sonny<br />
Lathrop popped up in Sweet Marie.<br />
"Mushroom Country" 1976 (Montagne no #)<br />
"Mushroom Country" 2005 (CD Radioactive 098)<br />
Second-tier private press hippie folk LP is a<br />
somewhat surprising pick for a reissue, although the<br />
great mushroom/flying saucer cover may have<br />
contributed. Stylistically pretty similar to the Ted<br />
Lucas LP with a mix of loner folk, bluesy folk, and<br />
acoustic ragas, the latter aspect being perhaps the<br />
most appealing as the guy gets a nice flow going. The<br />
vocal stuff isn't too shabby but a little bloodless,<br />
due in some part to a flat, lo-fi recording. Some<br />
unexpected cover versions take up space that could<br />
have been put to better use. Last track has full<br />
folkrock setting with guitar leads. A listenable 30<br />
minutes, but recommended mainly for genre fans and<br />
completists, and ultimately one of Radioactive's more<br />
questionable reissues. [PL]
STARLIGHTS ( )<br />
"Triste-Payaso" 196 (Teardrop lpm-2015)<br />
STARLINERS (MN)<br />
Tex-Mex sound with some garagy r&b ravers. "Mustang<br />
Sally", "Stagger Lee".<br />
"Live At Papa Joe's" 1967 (Le Jac 1001)<br />
STARLITERS (NC)<br />
This little known garage/club LP is above average for<br />
the genre, due to a crazy Gerry Roslie-type screamer<br />
on vocals and some genuinely rocking takes on the<br />
standards; "Bo Diddley" in particular blows away any<br />
UK r'n'b act, while their "Satisfaction" is one of<br />
the best ever (better than the Stones). Six-minute<br />
take on "Caravan" has terrific Gene Krupa-style drum<br />
solo and the band is very tight. Not great all<br />
through, but if they'd let the wildman sing all songs<br />
and lost a couple of soul poopers this would have<br />
been a mindblower for any garage LP fan. Comparable<br />
to the Tony Lane LP on Justice. Seems to be an<br />
authentic live recording, though crowd noise is<br />
faint. "Broken engagement" is a band original, while<br />
"I feel good" is listed as "I got you". The press<br />
size has been reported as only 275 copies, due to a<br />
pressing plant problem. [PL]<br />
"Journey With" 1966 (Justice 124)<br />
"Journey With" 1995 (CD Collectables 0611)<br />
STARR (CO)<br />
Obscure one on the label, with four high school kids<br />
displaying their lack of "chops". They try burying<br />
the drummer's incompetence with an echo-laden<br />
production to no avail. Pretty fun and charming LP,<br />
closer to being real "garage" than most of their<br />
Justice colleagues, with three Animals covers<br />
including a memorable "Rising Sun"; the band also had<br />
enough chutzpah to try out "Ticket to ride". Three<br />
unexciting instros and a couple of half-assed<br />
r'n'b/beach music covers break the spell, but this is<br />
in no way inferior to the prep rock and local garage<br />
LPs from the Northeast. [PL]<br />
"Memories Never Die" 197 (no label)<br />
Late 1970s proggy hardrock a la Legend "From the<br />
fjords", with some AOR moves and synth. The LP is<br />
sometimes shown as self-titled as there is no title
on the front cover.<br />
GENE STEIKER & LARRY CHENGGES ( )<br />
"Straywinds" 1973 (Shanyn-Alexus)<br />
ALEX STELZNER ( )<br />
Most of us have a record or two that we believe in<br />
our hearts we are the only person to ever "get". For<br />
me, this record is utter magic and sits in a stack of<br />
well under ten records I won't put up on the block<br />
because I just can't be without them. The Grudzien is<br />
in that pile, so is the UK mono White Album.<br />
"Straywinds" is a whole lot closer to Grudzien than<br />
The Beatles. Two guys in a cavernous and empty<br />
auditorium (the natural echo here is phenomenal). One<br />
plays acoustic piano, the main instrument, the other<br />
some percussion and some clean electric guitar, very<br />
quietly. This is, in fact, a seriously quiet record.<br />
There are a few vocal parts that are sung, but the<br />
majority of this is spoken poetry with piano<br />
accompaniment. There is a naiveté and innocence here<br />
that I think is a common thread in my private stash<br />
of keeper records. This is as fragile a record as may<br />
have ever managed to get itself pressed and issued<br />
into the world. While the first side is heavily<br />
echoed vocals over sparse instrumentation (on tracks<br />
like "In Green Pastures" "Some Old Town" My Dreams,<br />
My Love"), the second side opens with "Beyond<br />
Forgetting." Under the right circumstances someone<br />
could play this track and, at the end, ask for $1,500<br />
and get it. A distorted and electronically effected<br />
vocal shouts over an electric piano and acoustic<br />
guitar bed. Still subdued but otherworldly and<br />
impossibly strange; I have never played this for<br />
someone and not had to scrape their jaw off the<br />
carpet. Like most of our secret records, this comes<br />
with the added knowledge that this will be reissued<br />
only after everything else is and so it will remain<br />
that little treasure just for us. Back in the time of<br />
mail order record lists this would show up<br />
occasionally for $35 to $75. Certainly not for<br />
everyone, and perhaps more a relic from the<br />
psychedelic age than psychedelic itself; I can't<br />
recommend this without reservation. In fact, I'm not<br />
really sure I want you listening to it at all. Forget<br />
I mentioned it. Move along. [SD]<br />
"Listen To The Changes" 197 (Century 32413)<br />
STENCIL FOREST (IN)<br />
Moody melodic folk and folkrock with baroque feel.<br />
Originals all through.<br />
"Opening Act" 1983 (Realtime RTA 1000)<br />
Styx-inspired melodic hard rock-AOR with professional<br />
sound and some progressive rock leanings, with<br />
keyboard and ace guitar leads.
JOE STEP ( )<br />
"Sacrifice" 1982 (CCS)<br />
Guitar-dominated band somewhere between hardrock and<br />
metal. The cover shows stills from a slasher movie<br />
the band made.<br />
STEPHEN & THE FARM BAND see Farm Band<br />
STEPSON ( )<br />
"Stepson" 1974 (ABC 826)<br />
This band actually descends from Touch and Blue<br />
Mountain Eagle, though this time they’ve gone towards<br />
moronic hard rock, including a song about their “Rude<br />
Attitude” and a hilariously crude power ballad. It’s<br />
not exactly hard rock at its most precise or<br />
thoughtful, but it really works for dumb fun. Pretty<br />
great, really. Marred slightly by an unnecessary and<br />
uninteresting Animals cover. [AM]<br />
JERRY & NANCY STEVENS (Austin, TX)<br />
"A Little Resolution" 1976 (Troll tr-12372) [insert]<br />
Gently baked hippie folk delicate peace and love<br />
tunes. Lots of backing instruments and nice vocals,<br />
right look but ultimately borderline crappy in a<br />
sleepytime way. [RM]<br />
LORA LEE & JANA LYN STEWART (Canada)<br />
"Have You Heard The News?" 1972 (Wonderland QCS 1033)<br />
Two wholesome hand-holding teen sisters who somehow<br />
ended up with a trippy psychedelic sound on a good<br />
third of their ultra-homemade LP. The songs to pay<br />
special attention to are "It Seemed So Easy", "Why Do<br />
You Keep Running?", "So Far To Go" and the sevenminute<br />
ballad "Fellowship", each of which features a<br />
sparsely-arranged late-‘60s combination of psychy<br />
organ, piano, electric guitar (including some fuzz),<br />
drums and bass. Not just the arrangements – the<br />
melodies themselves have a moody psychedelic nature<br />
with gloomy minor-key downer structures (the organ on<br />
a couple of these reminded me of Azitis). Even some<br />
subtle echo effects on the vocals in a couple spots.<br />
A few other songs like the title track, "Can’t You<br />
See?" and a cover of "Day By Day" also manage a<br />
pleasant underground light-rock vibe, albeit without<br />
the psych edge. Everything has a simple stark<br />
hypnotic loner tone overlaid with the gals’ delicate<br />
soprano/alto harmonies. Unfortunately the rest of the<br />
album consists of traditional piano hymns, but the<br />
good stuff (all of which was written by the girls)<br />
more than makes up for it. [KS]
A STILL SMALL VOICE ( )<br />
"The Still Small Voice" 197 (Herald AM1596)<br />
TED STILLES ( )<br />
Great underground psych-edged custom rock from<br />
male/female group of eight. Garagy electric riffs<br />
with wah-wah loudly roughing things up on "Mark Of<br />
The Beast" and the eight-minute opener "A Still Small<br />
Voice/A Future Time". The latter track also has some<br />
nice psychy organ, as does the trippy mysterious "The<br />
Night Has Come". Several songs target middle-ground<br />
plugged-in guitar/piano folkrock realms a la Wild<br />
Olive Branch Band, namely "Lord I’m Smiling In Your<br />
Love", "All The Days Of Your Life", "Rainbow" and<br />
"Same Old Feeling", all with good electric guitar<br />
presence. A couple pleasant acoustic ballads: "I Must<br />
Tell Jesus" and "Wherever He Leads I’ll Go", the<br />
latter with a spoken personal challenge to accept<br />
Christ. Crude b&w pen/ink cover drawing of a pair of<br />
hands reaching out toward three crosses on a hill.<br />
Creepy contorted photo of two faces on the back.<br />
Doesn’t say where they’re from, but mentions the<br />
album was recorded in Phoenix, Arizona. No relation<br />
to the better known Herald label out of South<br />
Carolina. [KS]<br />
"Bhang" 1980 (Telewbar TS-100)<br />
Six-track mini-LP debut in a hard fuzz Hendrix style<br />
fuzz, more primitive than heavy. Stilles second LP is<br />
less interesting.<br />
STING RAYS (Rochester, NY)<br />
"Take Off With" 1964 (Century 17867) [10"]<br />
RAY STINNET ( )<br />
Garage surf and r&b stompers, 11 tracks in total.<br />
"Ray Stinnet" 1971 (A & M demo) [2LPs; no sleeve]<br />
Sleeveless double set demo album recorded with LA<br />
session pro:s, according to a reliable source it<br />
"sounds like the tail end of the Steve Young/Dillard<br />
and Clark impulse, clearly influenced by Neil Young<br />
but with a few druggier moments. If you took the best<br />
1/3 of it, you'd have a truly great 2/3's of an<br />
album." This appears to be the same Ray Stinnet that<br />
was in Sam The Sham's Pharaohs.<br />
BILLY AND SANDRA STINSON ( )<br />
“The Merchant’s Ship” 197 (NRP NR 2924)
STONE CIRCUS (NY)<br />
Scarce and unknown private press folk LP with some<br />
mellotron, mixed vocals, dark lyrics.<br />
"The Stone Circus" 1969 (Mainstream 6119)<br />
"The Stone Circus" 199 (Mainstream, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
Westcoastish psych/hippie-rock, less elephantine than<br />
most later Mainstreams, with an unusual Strawberry<br />
Alarmclock influence a plus. Melodic and competent,<br />
fairly agreeable LP. Described as "strange" elsewhere<br />
but in actuality pretty straightforward, some odd<br />
spoken passages excepted. Most of the members were<br />
originally from Montreal, and were based in NY where<br />
they were known as the Funny Farm; the new band name<br />
was Mainstream's invention. In 1971 band member Larry<br />
Cohen aka Jonathan Caine recorded an orchestrated<br />
pop-psych album which included a version of a Stone<br />
Circus track. He hired one Yank Barry to handle the<br />
vocals, and Barry actually released this in the mid-<br />
70s, possibly without Cohen's knowledge. The whole<br />
thing was then reissued as a box-set in 2001, now<br />
credited to Stone Circus ("Diary Of Mr Gray",<br />
McConnell, Canada). The Yank Barry story is pretty<br />
amazing, see separate entry. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Yank Barry<br />
STONE CROW see Great Loose Band<br />
STONED CIRCUS (MO)<br />
"Stoned Circus" 1994 (Rockadelic 12) [insert; 500p]<br />
"Stoned Circus" 200 (CD World In Sound, Germany) [+bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
STONE GARDEN (ID)<br />
Unreleased 1970 tapes from band with rare 45,<br />
somewhat atypical for Rockadelic in its generic<br />
westcoasty Big Brother/Airplane style. Agreeable<br />
Hammond/guitar mix and a tough femme wailer,<br />
songwriting isn't terribly impressive however and the<br />
band sounds best on two jammy numbers on side 2 that<br />
suggest they may have been good live. Bluesy feel<br />
like the St Louis Touch, some stray folk and soulrock<br />
moves; all over like if the first Big Brother LP had<br />
been recorded in 1969. May appeal to fans of the<br />
Mainstream label sound. Worth releasing but not among<br />
the best Rockadelics in my opinion. Yet another find<br />
from the depths of Cavern Sound studios in KC. [PL]<br />
"Stone Garden" 1998 (Rockadelic 29) [insert; 500p]<br />
"Stone Garden" 2001 (CD Gear Fab 188)<br />
Popular title on the Rockadelic label and clearly<br />
above average transition document from late 60s S F<br />
Bay Area eclectisism into crude Northwest hardrock.
The band was once thought to be an early version of<br />
Fraction which is not true, although their 45 (on<br />
Fraction's label) packs a similar intensity and is<br />
present here in two versions, both excellent. The LP<br />
is enjoyable all through with highpoint in a couple<br />
of hard guitarpsych excursions on side 2, and the<br />
band shows more talent and variation than the<br />
standard basement outfits from the era. Extra points<br />
for obvious teen psych remains, and even the<br />
goodtimey track about being busted for pot in S F is<br />
agreeable. One of the best of the label's more recent<br />
releases. Very nice gatefold packaging although the<br />
Stonehendge image may remind some of "Spinal Tap".<br />
[PL]<br />
STONE HARBOUR (Youngstown, OH)<br />
"Emerges" 1974 (Stone Harbour 610) [500p]<br />
"Emerges" 199 (no label, Europe) [bootleg; b & w cover]<br />
"Emerges" 199 (CD Flashback, UK)<br />
"Emerges" 2004 (Void 32) [500p]<br />
STONE MOSES (IL)<br />
Extraordinary basement psych with two multiinstrumentalists<br />
creating a melancholic dreamlike<br />
state with songs fading in and out of the speakers,<br />
cavemen drums, primitive electronics and murky fuzz<br />
lurking in the background. The best tracks go into<br />
places no other albums reach. Actually closer to the<br />
heart of psychedelia than most other records listed<br />
here. The two hard rocking tracks that have been<br />
comp'd are not representative of the album as a<br />
whole, and add an unwanted "roots" feeling that<br />
disturb the trip somewhat. Still, one of the Ohio<br />
classics, with unparalleled artwork on the sleeve.<br />
Beware of an earlier "reissue" on Void (#20) titled<br />
"Re-emerges", which is new recordings of the 1974<br />
material. [PL]<br />
"Stone Moses" 1974 (Red Rock)<br />
STONEWALL (NY)<br />
Stoned rural rock.<br />
"Stonewall" 1974 (Tiger Lily 14013)<br />
"Stonewall" 1992 (no label) [bootleg]<br />
"Stoner" 199 (Akarma, Italy) [new sleeve]<br />
"Stoner" 199 (CD Akarma, Italy)<br />
"Stonewall" 2004 (Scorpio/Tiger Lily)
STOWAWAYS ( )<br />
Very good teenage hard rock rated highly by many.<br />
Worth it for any fan of the genre, with energetic<br />
teen vocals and frantic guitarwork. Originals all<br />
through, with "Outer spaced" particularly intense.<br />
Only a handful of originals have been found, all of<br />
which have been DJ copies. Both Akarmas are retitled<br />
reissues with completely altered artwork and inferior<br />
sound. The Scorpio reissue is a nice job and<br />
recommended. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This impossibly rare album (only a handful of known<br />
copies) ranks among the top few hard rock albums of<br />
all. Punky, snotty vocals, loud guitars, powerful<br />
riffs, relentless organ and drums, tight short songs<br />
without any wank factor... this has it all, along<br />
with an amazing amount of energy that keeps it from<br />
dragging the way the heaviest rock tends to. It<br />
really doesn't sound like anything else, and I<br />
imagine it would appeal just as much to punk fans as<br />
it would to blues-rock or heavy metal fans. The album<br />
is brief, with only eight short songs, and it goes by<br />
in such a breathless rush that you'll be begging for<br />
more. The key moment of this album to me is when they<br />
appear to be heading towards that album's first<br />
cliched misstep-a drum solo. Yet after a few seconds<br />
the rest of the instruments come crashing back in<br />
unexpectedly, so much so that you can hear if fifty<br />
times and still not anticipate exactly when they'll<br />
return. There's genius here, and the funny thing is<br />
that I suspect it's entirely unintentional. Who were<br />
these guys and why didn't they record again? The<br />
thought that this album could have been lost to the<br />
world if those scant few copies hadn't ended up in<br />
the hands of knowledgeable collectors/dealers is<br />
tantalizing. If what may be the greatest hard rock<br />
album almost had such a fate, is it possible that the<br />
greatest album in some other genre is still lost<br />
somewhere in a warehouse, its creators unaware (as<br />
all Tiger Lily artists were) that their music had<br />
even been put on plastic at all? [AM]<br />
"In Our Time" 1967 (Justice 148)<br />
"In Our Time" 1996 (CD Collectables)<br />
Apparently one of the rarest LPs on the label and to<br />
my ears also one of the more enjoyable. Cover photo<br />
shows the band in lengthy Peter Tork hairdos and<br />
indeed they seem to be more with the times than their<br />
colleagues. While they deliver obligatories like<br />
"I've been hurt" and "Sunny" there's also some<br />
unusual Stones and Beatles numbers as well as a<br />
daring, atmospheric stab at the Byrds and a spooky<br />
original called "Just a toy", which crowns them<br />
Justice's token folkrock act. Also has an excellent<br />
fake 12-string take on "Summertime" that rivals the<br />
Half Tribe. The r'n'b stuff that weighs down side 2<br />
is less convincing, but passable. Band isn't terribly<br />
tight and the recording has the label's usual early<br />
60s murkiness, but clearly an above average Justice<br />
outing. [PL]<br />
STRANGE see Terry Brooks
STRANGE (CA)<br />
"Strange" 1979 (Yantis)<br />
Legendary obscurity, the first copy of which was<br />
found in a garbage can. The LP has been described as<br />
a "journey through someone's personal hell" with<br />
bizarre lyrics, sparse piano interrupted by<br />
Baumstaum-like heavy guitar and backwards effects.<br />
The sound quality fluctuates wildly. Has been deemed<br />
"too disturbing to reissue", but we'll see about<br />
that.<br />
THE STREET AND THE SEA (PA)<br />
"The Street And The Sea" 1975 (no label)<br />
Folk/singer songwriter with female vocals on some<br />
tracks.<br />
V.A "STRICTLY CANADIAN" (Canada)<br />
"Strictly Canadian" 1969 (Birchmount bm-523)<br />
STROKE BAND (GA)<br />
STUD (TX)<br />
Compilation LP with a mixed bag, notable for<br />
including "High Flying Bird" by the Plague, one of<br />
the best versions ever (has been comp'd).<br />
"Green and Yellow" 1978 (Abacus 78-095)<br />
Bruce Joyner led group. Proto new wave basement<br />
realness with moog, fuzz, effects, and "big thought"<br />
lyrics. A funny bad aural disaster. [RM]<br />
"Stud" 1975 (Baron 002)<br />
DANE STURGEON (CA)<br />
Highly rated hardrock LP on local Rosenberg label.<br />
Only a handful of copies have been found, out of the<br />
300 supposedly pressed.<br />
"Wild'n Tender" 1967 (Stur-Geon TS 100)<br />
No other album had this particular sound, mid 60s<br />
folk rock instrumental backing with 50s/early 60s<br />
style vocals and lyrics (notably the horror tale<br />
"Ghost of Bardsley Road.") It's a throwback to people<br />
like Roy Orbison and Del Shannon, back when pop stars<br />
could really sing. Like Shannon's mid-60s work, it's<br />
terrific, and is proof that this era of rock and<br />
roller could easily have made the transition to the
MICHAEL STYERS (NC)<br />
60s and beyond without compromising themselves.<br />
There's some lovely 12-string guitar on a few songs,<br />
terrific falsetto vocals on "What's Comin' Z'<br />
Comin'," and even a little fuzz guitar on a couple of<br />
songs. Side one is listed as the "wild" side, and<br />
side two the "tender" side, but they aren't really<br />
all that different except that Sturgeon sings on side<br />
one and his soundalike David Cosby sings on side two.<br />
The song "Whip Of Love" somehow ended up on the<br />
"tender" side. A couple of the ballads are less<br />
exciting than the upbeat songs, but for the most part<br />
this is great. The cover calls this music "righteous<br />
folk-rock" and "folk-rock in a stone groove." Two<br />
sleeve variations exist, one with a statue design,<br />
one with a photo of Sturgeon. [AM]<br />
"Bearing A Gentle Message" 1980 (Myrddin 8007) [lyric insert;<br />
800p]<br />
Interesting LP that has received some attention of<br />
late. As the album title and a nice naked chick art<br />
sleeve suggest, the dominating sound is melodic,<br />
slightly rural folkrock/singer-songwriter not unlike<br />
Gary Higgins, or the less acidy tracks on Michael<br />
Angelo. Styers' voice is somewhat weak, but the<br />
arrangements and playing is fine, with rich,<br />
crystalline guitar tapestries that recall Relatively<br />
Clean Rivers on the best tracks. Female backing<br />
vocals and light string arrangements are put to good<br />
use. The countryrock moves convince, while the<br />
caribbean jungle excursion seems a bit superflouos<br />
given the 45 minute playtime, although it has a<br />
certain charm. Side 1 is uneven while side 2 is very<br />
good, peaking in the superb "Summer Evening Chant"<br />
with a Donovan vibe and excellent psychedelic guitar<br />
leads. A friendly, wistful mood persists, while the<br />
obvious talent and work that went into it holds your<br />
attention. While not a classic this, along with the<br />
first Bobb Trimble, T-Kail and Blackburn & Lauren<br />
show that the psychedelic era was alive and well<br />
around 1980. [PL]<br />
SUB ZERO BAND (Sacramento, CA)<br />
"Sub Zero Band" 1972 (no label)<br />
"Sub Zero Band" 1999 (Void 15)<br />
Good rural hippiefolk/countryrock with atmospheric<br />
violin and downer psych moves, similar to the first<br />
Shivas Headband LP but with female vocals. Couple of<br />
great moody psych tracks and the rural stuff is<br />
enjoyable too, my main objection being that some<br />
tracks are too long. Press size reports vary between<br />
500 and 1000 copies. A non-LP 45 exists. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is basically a crude, amateurish country/old<br />
fashioned rock and roll album. It has some charm, but<br />
beware any dealer who tries to tell you this sounds<br />
like a West Coast psych album. The frequent Shiva’s<br />
Headband comparisons are more appropriate. Neither<br />
band is exactly “rock”. There’s some violin on a few
SUDDEN DEATH (NY)<br />
songs, and lots of noodly lead guitar. The singing is<br />
decent, and there’s a pleasant hippie vibe. There are<br />
some duds on the album, but a few of the songs are<br />
strong (the long closer is the best, and would be a<br />
standout on any album) and this will appeal to the<br />
right listener. [AM]<br />
"Sudden Death" 1995 (Rockadelic 19) [600p]<br />
SUGAR BEAR (FL)<br />
Previously unreleased 1971 tapes of Long Island band<br />
on Led Zep bender, local hardrock with some pretty<br />
good tracks like "The zoo", operatic vocals and one<br />
of the best Rockadelic sleeves ever. [PL]<br />
"Sugar Bear" 197 (Gaff NR5392) [500p]<br />
"Sugar Bear" 2004 (CD Radioactive 59, UK)<br />
SUGAR CREEK (OH)<br />
Yet another Grateful Dead-inspired 70s rural rock<br />
obscurity with a professional sound and an unusually<br />
clear and well-engineered recording. Most distinctive<br />
feature are probably the expressive vocals which<br />
aren't necessarily great but have a nice showmanship<br />
to them. Music is song-oriented in a<br />
folk/country/swamprock mix rather than jammy, with a<br />
typically tight band and nice guitar figures<br />
throughout. One or two tracks are a little too close<br />
to Dr Hook for my tastes, but there are also some<br />
obvious psych moves with late 1960s remnants,<br />
especially on the stronger side 2. "Seasons For Love"<br />
has a MU/Fankhauser feel, while the SF psych<br />
Croz/Airplane-style "The Garden" is easily the best<br />
track. And the chorus to "Moccasin Mona" will eat<br />
into your brain in no time! Not a classic, but above<br />
the genre average to my ears. [PL]<br />
"Please Tell A Friend" 1969 (Metromedia 1020) [wlp exists]<br />
"Please Tell A Friend" 1999 (CD Lyrical SD 5004)<br />
"Please Tell A Friend" 2001 (Akarma 151, Italy)<br />
"Please Tell A Friend" 2001 (CD Akarma 151, Italy)<br />
Overlooked but appealing mix of late 60s westcoast<br />
and early 70s-style rock. Two outstanding psych<br />
tracks, the good news being that the rest delivers<br />
too, even the Butterfield-inspired blues aspects work<br />
on strength of the excellent vocals and an exemplary<br />
production. A couple of ballads are OK too. Almost as<br />
good as Christopher, if approached mainly as a postpsychedelic<br />
"rock" LP. As with some other Metromedia<br />
releases, promo copies seem to be more common than
stock. Apart from Jonathan Edwards' solo career,<br />
member Joe Dolce would go on to have a huge novelty<br />
hit with "Shaddap you face" in the 1980s. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This professional-sounding hard rock/country blues<br />
band was led by "John Edwards", who would find fame<br />
and fortune as Jonathan Edwards with the hit<br />
"Sunshine". Fans of his folk and country career will<br />
be surprised to hear the copious fuzz guitar here.<br />
Some of the guitar has an Eastern style to it; the<br />
opening "A Million Years" adds to the exotic feel<br />
with chanting that ends the song. "Memory Tree" is a<br />
terrific slow psych tune with an equally otherworldly<br />
sound, and "Night Flash" is a terrific ballad. It's<br />
too bad that more songs don't try these approaches,<br />
as the acoustic-based blues songs are somewhat hit<br />
and miss, with the better ones sounding more folk<br />
than blues. One boogie styled rocker is goofy but is<br />
somewhat redeemed by loud fuzz guitar. The harmonica<br />
playing isn't bad, but hardly as attention-grabbing<br />
as the guitar. A mixed experience, but an interesting<br />
album with a bunch of fine moments. [AM]<br />
SUGAR CUBE BLUES BAND (MS)<br />
"Sugar Cube Blues Band" 1997 (Rockadelic 21) [500p]<br />
Folkrock/psych transition duo showcase their<br />
unreleased 1967-68 recordings. At best reminiscent of<br />
mid-period Beau Brummels or the Blue Things LP,<br />
though many tracks have desperate, strained vocals<br />
instead of the cool Sal Valentino moves I would have<br />
preferred. Others have reported enjoying the vocals<br />
in a Sky Saxon way - decide for yourself. I counted 4<br />
good tracks including an alternate version of their<br />
sole 45 release "My last impression", the flipside of<br />
which unfortunately is not included at all. [PL]<br />
SKY SULAMYTH (Canada)<br />
"Full Moon Light" 1979 (7th Ray 03721)<br />
Obscure 1970s hippie folk with titles like "Medicine<br />
Fire" and "Angels In Embryo". Sulamyth also worked<br />
with Huckle.<br />
JIM SULLIVAN (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"U.F.O" 1970 (Monnie MR 0003)<br />
"Jim Sullivan" 197 (Century City CCR 5000) [remix;<br />
gatefold]<br />
Early singer/songwriter sounds with lots of<br />
personality and atmosphere. Setting is light folkrock<br />
with excellent vocals that seem almost too good for<br />
such an obscure title. This guy has lived, man, and<br />
seen a few things in life, which gives the album a<br />
certain country music vibe without actually sounding<br />
country at all. The presence of Earl Palmer and some
SUMMERHILL ( )<br />
pretty advanced studio arrangements suggests that<br />
someone poured a sack of coins into this project.<br />
"Jerome", "Highway" and "Rosey" are standout tracks<br />
to me, but this is a surprisingly good westcoast s/sw<br />
LP all through.In an enlightened world Jim Sullivan<br />
would be in Bel Air while James Taylor would play $15<br />
tourist traps. The Monnie version is probably the<br />
earlier and has a somewhat awkward mix with drums<br />
upfront, while the self-titled Century City mix has a<br />
soundscape more typical for the genre. This is the LA<br />
session guy who did the "Sitar Beat" LP. [PL]<br />
"Summerhill" 1969 (Tetragrammaton t-114)<br />
This album goes for the kitchen sink approach, kind<br />
of like the Sundowners and Condello albums. It mixes<br />
over-orchestrated popsike with semi-heavy rock and<br />
sparkling guitar rock. The combination of styles is a<br />
bit off-putting, and by the time you get used to it<br />
you'll realize that only two or three songs really<br />
rise above, though those (especially the killer<br />
guitar pop tune "It's Gonna Rain") are very good<br />
indeed. I don't expect anyone to like the whole<br />
thing, but if you prefer a spotty album with a few<br />
great songs to a consistent one with no standouts,<br />
this is worth picking up. [AM]<br />
V.A "SUMMER OF SERVICE" (NJ)<br />
"Summer Of Service" 1968 (RPC 11461-11464) [2 LPs]<br />
2LP set local sampler of religious folk and folkrock<br />
from Elizabeth, NJ. Acts include The Nu Sounds of<br />
Chatham, Rasberry Jam, The Heartbeats, The Teacher<br />
and the Preacher, Whole Ensemble and more.<br />
SUMMER SOUNDS (Cambridge, MA)<br />
"Up-down" 1968 (Laurel 331098)<br />
"Up-down" 1996 (Laurel) [bootleg; 400p; insert]<br />
"Up-down" 2004 (CD Radioactive 78, UK)<br />
Good local concept beat-garage LP (a very obscure<br />
genre) relating a summer vacation love story with the<br />
moody/whiney Zombies-inspired New England sound<br />
explored to the max. Appealing basic songs, basement<br />
teenage vocals and only 2 covers - one of the better<br />
pre-psych LPs from the Northeast, though they don't<br />
show much "punk" cojones for sure. Cool sleeve. A<br />
couple of tracks have been comp'd. [PL]
SUM PEAR ( )<br />
"Sum Pear" 1971 (Euphoria 1)<br />
“Sum Pair” 1977 (Guinness 36044)<br />
"Sum Pear" 2004 (CD Radioactive 67, UK)<br />
Eclectic, ambitious Eastcoast bag of tricks delivered<br />
from a UK-influenced post-psych melodic rock and<br />
singer/songwriter angle. Reminiscent of Westfauster<br />
in parts, other tracks are more fuzzed and rocking a<br />
la Whalefeathers. Serious lyrics deal with Vietnam<br />
concerns, drugs and more. Some minor horns. Harmless<br />
and skillful but not terribly interesting. Euphoria<br />
was one of several Jubilee subsidiaries. The Guinness<br />
release is the same album, but credited to 'Sonny &<br />
Doug' and with a new album title and the songs in a<br />
different order. More tax scam fun, and one of the<br />
rarest albums on that label. [PL]<br />
SUNDANCE (Chico, CA)<br />
"Sundance" 1971 (Kapp 3659)<br />
SUNDOG SUMMIT (IL)<br />
Early 70s hard rock album with a rural feel. Slightly<br />
above average for the genre, but not a stand-out.<br />
They’re from Chico, which may be California but isn’t<br />
the usual stomping ground of rock bands. “Chico<br />
Women” is a terrific song. Recommended to fans of the<br />
style. [AM]<br />
"On Sundog Hill" 1976 (Audio Mixers)<br />
This bizarre artifact is the missing link between<br />
rural rock and punk (I bet you didn't think such a<br />
thing existed!). It starts out in mundane fashion, as<br />
the second song is a dumb backwoods barefoot ode to<br />
dope-smoking, but after that they rip loose with some<br />
hot rootsy minimalist rockers. These songs have a<br />
cool counterculture edge that can appeal to freaks of<br />
all varieties. There's no distortion to the guitars,<br />
but certainly the music has the energy of punk (which<br />
was a year away from being noticed) while still<br />
retaining a hippie vibe…ne'er again would the twain<br />
meet. Surely they're the only band who could put a<br />
Johnny Cash song and a Velvet Underground song side<br />
by side and make them sound like two of a kind. This<br />
is a good start, but the real secret weapon here is<br />
Lee Groban, the self-appointed "high commissioner of<br />
Cyprus." His rantings and ravings are scattered<br />
throughout the album (and in the great liner notes),<br />
and take full fruition at the end, where we're<br />
treated to seven and a half minutes of jaw dropping<br />
"recitations" and "incantations" of a completely<br />
insane nature, backed by a driving rhythm. This is a<br />
wonderfully unique, fun album. They also released a<br />
4-track EP. [AM]
V.A "SUNNY SPRING FEVER" (CT)<br />
"Sunny Spring Fever" 1971 (Mark)<br />
Connecticut teen folk with live Burnt Suite track.<br />
The full title is "Canton High School presents -<br />
Sunny Spring Fever".<br />
SUNPOWER BAND (Seattle, WA)<br />
"Sunpower Band" 1977 (Right Now 11277)<br />
SUNSHINE (TX)<br />
Jammy rock with a mild funk feel. Poorly recorded and<br />
echoey. There’s some good guitar playing here but<br />
this album bored me. Not an expensive LP. [AM]<br />
"Here's Sunshine" 197 (Backbeat Records BLP #69)<br />
Downer/real people folk with lots of reverb,<br />
featuring Larry 'Sunshine' Rice.<br />
SUPERFINE DANDELION (Phoenix, AZ)<br />
"Superfine Dandelion" 1968 (Mainstream 56102) [mono]<br />
"Superfine Dandelion" 1968 (Mainstream 6102) [stereo]<br />
This is generally seen as one of the lesser<br />
Mainstreams, and while it's not especially original<br />
or unusual, it's better than its reputation. Mostly<br />
this band comes from a 1965-era Beatles vantage point<br />
with a little folk-rock mixed in. The rhythm guitars<br />
are acoustic and the lead guitars electric. Lyrics<br />
range from mild social commentary to silly love songs<br />
to folk-style murder ballads. The songs are as<br />
blatantly derivative as, say, Blue Things, with one<br />
completely ripping off the Beatles' "I'm A Loser,"<br />
and another stealing the flute solo from the Moody<br />
Blues' "Nights In White Satin". These thefts aside,<br />
all songs are originals, unusual for this type of<br />
album. Side two is stronger than side one, ending<br />
with the album's three best songs. "Don't Try To Call<br />
Me" is a terrific pop song, "The Other Sidewalk" is<br />
the album's one psychedelic tune, and "What's The<br />
Hurry" is a pretty folk-rocker. Overall, this album<br />
is quite enjoyable. Kazoo haters beware of "It's<br />
Raining," however. The LP was also released in France<br />
on Vogue with an altered cover, and the band had a<br />
pre-LP 45 on a local label. [AM]<br />
SURPRISE (St Louis, MO)<br />
"Assault On Merryland" 1977 (Carousel 77) [booklet]<br />
"Assault On Merryland" 199 (CD Zarathustra)<br />
Prog fantasy concept, with heavy guitar, organ, moog,
flute. Deep Purple & ELP influences.<br />
SURPRISE PACKAGE ( )<br />
"Free Up" 196 (LHI s-12005)<br />
SURPRIZE (NJ/PA)<br />
Pretty standard late-60s heavy psych: soulful vocals,<br />
lots of organ, loud fuzz guitars. As with most of<br />
these bands, it has its moments, and the guitar sound<br />
is very nice. Still, it doesn’t really offer much you<br />
can’t get from dozens of other albums. The long title<br />
track, which would have easily been the album’s best<br />
song, is extended beyond the bound of reason with a<br />
batch of dull solos. It has some nice feedback,<br />
though. [AM]<br />
"Keep On Trucking" 1971 (East Coast ec-104-s) [b & w cover]<br />
"Keep On Trucking" 1973 (East Coast ec-104-s) [2nd press;<br />
color cover; yellow label]<br />
From the Crumb ripoff album cover to the cheesy echo<br />
effects on “See The Light,” this album is unoriginal<br />
fun. It starts with some far out psych, moves into<br />
some impressive white boy funk, bluesy hard rock and<br />
ballads, all of which work well enough to make this<br />
an enjoyable listen. The playing is pretty tight, the<br />
guitar has a nice fuzz tone, and the organ is loud.<br />
There are only six songs, and maybe they try a little<br />
too hard to stretch a few of them out, but all six<br />
have something to offer. The album cover leads a lot<br />
of people to assume this is Dead-style jamming, but<br />
it’s not “rural” sounding at all. This LP supplied<br />
the unlisted heavy psych mystery track found on the<br />
old "Changes" compilation, titled "Earth Odyssey".<br />
[AM]<br />
SURVIVOR (Shreveport, LA)<br />
"All Your Pretty Moves" 1979 (no label) [insert]<br />
Good Thin Lizzy-like hardrock, recorded in Dallas.<br />
SWAMPGAS (Long Island, NY)<br />
"Swampgas" 1972 (Buddah BDS 5102)<br />
Overlooking the bland cover, the album's quite<br />
diverse and impressive. This comparison probably<br />
won't trigger everyone's imagination or interest, but<br />
on material such as the molten opener "Patato Strut"<br />
and "Trapped In The City" the combination of the<br />
vocalist's grizzly drawl and Hersey's guitar recalls<br />
38 Special, or Skynyrd had they been interested in<br />
pursuing a tougher, mildly psychedelic and<br />
progressive sound. Hersey's licks also make it an<br />
album that should appeal to folks who like Hendrixinfluenced<br />
guitar (check out the blazing "Eulogy").
The handful of ballads are equally impressive - 'The<br />
Waiting, E Train Blue'. Weirdest and coolest track<br />
here: the raga-influenced "Egg Shells". [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
With Baird Hersey' permission (thanks Mr. Hersey),<br />
here are some comments on the LP:<br />
"We started out near the end of Long Island NY. About<br />
the time we were making the record two records came<br />
out with southern roots : Johnny Winter and The James<br />
Gang that had certain similarities. I think it's the<br />
heavy blues influences: Ray Charles in the vocals,<br />
early B.B. King and Muddy waters in the guitar, that<br />
pull us in that direction. We were plucked from<br />
obscurity by Artie Kornfeld who was one of the three<br />
producers of Woodstock. His wife saw us at a concert<br />
where we opened for the Gratetful Dead. We made the<br />
record, but Artie's record label had financial<br />
troubles. The record looked like it wasn't going to<br />
come out which tore the band apart. About a year<br />
after we broke up Buddah Records which was the parent<br />
company of Artie's label put the record out without<br />
even notifying anyone in the band. With no support<br />
budget and no band to play the music the album<br />
floundered and we all slid back into<br />
obscurity..." [SB -- excerpt]<br />
~~~<br />
Baird Heresy has continued to play and release<br />
records in various styles.<br />
SWEET MAGNOLIA BAND (Little Rock, AR)<br />
"Sweet Magnolia Band" 1973 (Lardbucket 0001)<br />
SWEET MARIE (HI)<br />
Rural rocker with Band and Neil Young influences. Not<br />
rated that highly, although "10 days over 23 years"<br />
is an excellent track for genre fans.<br />
"One" 1970 (Yard Bird 770)<br />
"One" 199 (Yard Bird) [bootleg]<br />
"Stuck In Paradise" 1971 (Yard Bird 771)<br />
"Stuck In Paradise" 199 (Yard Bird) [bootleg]<br />
SWEET PANTS (PA)<br />
Hawaii trio. First LP is in westcoast blues rock<br />
style, second is more relaxed with funk and soul<br />
moves added. There were also several 45s released.<br />
"Fat Peter Presents" 1970 (Barclay 1141) [circa 1000p]<br />
Seedy organ fuzz with an underground rural vibe like<br />
Mary Butterworth, some pretty obnoxious vocals.<br />
Disappointing LP.<br />
SWEET SOMETHINGS (Montreal, Canada)
"Sweet Somethings" 1968 (Melbourne SMLP-4014)<br />
All-girl quartet done up in mid-60s style, with<br />
guitar/organ line-up playing pop. Obscure one for<br />
genre fans.<br />
SWEET TOOTHE (Bluefield, WV)<br />
"Testing" 1975 (Dominion 7360) [1000p; inner]<br />
"Testing" 199 (Dominion) [bootleg]<br />
"Testing" 1995 (Void 01) [lyric insert; photo; 400#d]<br />
Pro-sound rural rock/hardrock similar to Short Cross<br />
and Wedge, with strong songwriting and guitar/vocals.<br />
Three or four very good tracks with psychy westcoast<br />
hints, a few others are too rootsy barrock for me.<br />
Fans might also seek out Emerson (Conley) "The power<br />
of love" (CD 1992, LGM 2222), which is hampered by a<br />
drum machine but does have some good wailing guitar<br />
blues licks. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Superb flowing dual fuzz hardrock with first rate<br />
vocals, including harmonies, and dynamic ensemble<br />
playing. The opening two tracks "Karen" and "Music's<br />
gotta stay" are especially fine melodic hardrockers.<br />
Bit of a backwoods barband edge with several songs<br />
about the music biz and life on the road. Nice bluesy<br />
restraint and the lyrics. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
On those rare occasions it shows up on sales lists,<br />
the LP is frequently billed as psychedelic. It isn't.<br />
Sure, there are occasional psych touches, the most<br />
notable being the lyric to "All the Way Home", but<br />
the majority of the album offers up more conventional<br />
hard rock structures. Propelled by attractive vocals<br />
and nifty fuzz guitar, tracks such as "Karen",<br />
"Music's Gotta Stay", "You Know How To Love Me" and<br />
"E.R." sport great melodies and a sense of enthusiasm<br />
that must have made these guys a great live act. Even<br />
their isolated stabs at country bar band material<br />
("Wind and Water" and "Swamp Fox") are likeable. Even<br />
more impressive, for a small private pressing the<br />
album has a wonderful, deep and full sound. Played<br />
loud on a quality stereo system, this LP rocks! One<br />
of my all time favorite rarities. [SB]<br />
SWIFT RAIN (El Paso, TX / Memphis, TN)<br />
"Coming Down" 1969 (Hi 32064)<br />
These guys were Southerners, but the album has the<br />
feel of a laid-back West Coast album, and a very good<br />
one at that. It's hooky, full of memorable songs,<br />
energetic guitar playing and breezy melodies. The<br />
songs are short and tight, kind of what a post-Dead<br />
band like Mountain Bus or the Walnut Band would have<br />
sounded like if they wrote pop songs instead of long<br />
jams. This end up being quite a bit better than those<br />
bands, and there's enough cool lead guitar here so<br />
that it may appeal to fans of harder music too.<br />
There's a great mix of guitar sounds here: acoustic,<br />
electric, wah-wah, dual harmony guitars, etc. Two<br />
songs are sung partially in Spanish and have a mild
SYN (PA)<br />
Latin feel to them. [AM]<br />
"Cast The First Stone" 1980 (Cheap Plastic) [inner]<br />
SYNOD (IL)<br />
Mixed vocals proggy psych with dramatic keys and some<br />
garagy guitar.<br />
"Nobody's Jukebox" 1971 (no label) [gatefold]<br />
This would be a decent 70s pop/rock album if it<br />
weren't for the overly cloying and out of tune<br />
vocals, which are not only lousy but are also mixed<br />
way too loud. The songwriting is pretty good, and the<br />
gatefold cover makes for a nice package for a selfreleased<br />
record, but the singing is really awful, and<br />
is worse because they try so hard to highlight their<br />
harmonies. The first song starts out in "harmony" a<br />
capella, so from moment one you know what's in store<br />
for you here. A few songs have Christian lyrics. [AM]<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
JON TABAKIN (CA)<br />
"Jon Tabakin" 1975 (Larrow 100)<br />
TAILGUNNER ( )<br />
The not-so-promising liner notes say that “his first<br />
album of love songs covers the total musical<br />
experience from ballads to bossa nova to rock.”<br />
Between that and the bland cover photo I can imagine<br />
collectors letting this album slip by, but if you’re<br />
not counting on something far out this is a very<br />
pleasant surprise. Tabakin is a creative, thoughtful<br />
and complex songwriter and has crafted a set of<br />
memorable and enjoyable pop songs. The obvious<br />
influences are the Beach Boys and his lookalike John<br />
Sebastian (interestingly, there’s no Beatles<br />
influence at all), though a few songs rock out in a<br />
way those artists rarely did. It’s a bit dorky at<br />
times, but unlike most albums of the type is<br />
consistently good on both sides. The vocals are just<br />
a bit imperfect (the highlight is the crazed section<br />
at the end of “Let’s Do It Again”) and the production<br />
low-budget, giving these otherwise accomplished songs<br />
a mild, likeable real people feel. It’s not really<br />
for everyone, but recommended to collectors with a<br />
soft spot for 70s pop. I think fans of the Shaun<br />
Harris solo album will like it. [AM]<br />
"Tailgunner" 1983 (Rapid no #)<br />
Despite the 1983 date, this album is well-loved by<br />
70s hard rock fans. Large quantities were bought by<br />
dealers and the album never shows up cheap, but if<br />
you’re a fan of noisy, aggressive hard rock, it’s a<br />
pretty great album. The guitar sound is really<br />
grungy, and the opening and closing songs are<br />
killers. I wouldn’t exactly say it sounds like it was<br />
recorded before 1983, but it doesn’t have the usual<br />
annoying 80s production tendencies. The lyrics are<br />
typically stoopid. [AM]<br />
TANGERINE (Pittsburgh, PA)<br />
"The Peeling Of" 1971 (Stephen Productions 001)<br />
"The Peeling Of" 199 (no label, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
"The Peeling Of" 1999 (Akarma 137, Italy)<br />
"The Peeling Of" 1999 (CD Gear Fab 131)<br />
Jammy hard rock with lots of rhythm section: drums<br />
way up in the mix, a prominent conga player, bass<br />
solos, and finally a 5+ minute conga-then-drumkit<br />
solo at the end of the album. Some reviews describe<br />
this as sounding like Latin rock, but I don't hear
it. Surprisingly for a heavy band, there's fuzz<br />
guitar on only a few of the songs. On others the<br />
guitars aren't distorted at all. Side two is just one<br />
epic song, but if you ask me, side one might as well<br />
be also, because all four songs sound the same. What<br />
little vocals there are on this album are competent<br />
but pretty typical of the genre. At times they get a<br />
solid groove going, but for the most part this album<br />
is dull. [AM]<br />
TANGERINE ZOO (Swansea, MA)<br />
"Tangerine Zoo" 1968 (Mainstream 56109) [mono]<br />
"Tangerine Zoo" 1968 (Mainstream s-6107) [stereo]<br />
"Tangerine Zoo" 199 (Mainstream, Europe) [bootleg; thin<br />
cover]<br />
One of the lesser albums on Mainstream. It’s soughtafter<br />
by collectors, but it’s got nothing that a<br />
hundred cheaper guitar/organ/semi-hard rock albums<br />
don’t do better. And who needs yet another long,<br />
drawn-out version of “Gloria?” A green label Canadian<br />
pressing also exists. [AM]<br />
"Outside Looking In" 1968 (Mainstream 6116)<br />
"Outside Looking In" 199 (no label)<br />
"Tangerine Zoo / Outside Looking In" 199 (CD) [2-on-1]<br />
TARBABY (FL)<br />
Their rarer 2nd LP, superior to the debut but still<br />
unexceptional. The sound is typical New England post-<br />
Butterfly/Fudge heavy psych rock with organ, fuzz and<br />
slow elephantine songs. The supposed drama they're<br />
reaching for simply doesn't enter, and after more<br />
than a dozen plays I'm having trouble recalling one<br />
single hook or line from the album. Listenable all<br />
over but nothing that grabs you. For New<br />
England/Mainstream label completists only. Great<br />
sleeve design like most LPs on the label. [PL]<br />
"February" 1974 (New South nr-4500)<br />
JEM TARGAL (MI)<br />
Garagy folkrock with some light fuzz in spots and a<br />
subtle, understated feel such as on the atmospheric<br />
instrumental "New song". Also some boogie tracks, as<br />
you'd expect from the time and place.<br />
"Luckey Guy" 1977 (S'Heavy) [gatefold; insert]
You know from the coloring book album cover and<br />
misspelled album title that Targal is one of a kind,<br />
and his album does not disappoint. It’s full of weird<br />
songs with freaky echo-heavy production, pained<br />
romantic lyrics, unrestrained high-pitched vocals and<br />
stark guitar or piano arrangements. There’s no clue<br />
here that he was once in the Third Power. Not only is<br />
this music not heavy, it’s almost not even rock. The<br />
songs are pretty repetitive and groove heavy, but<br />
pretty catchy. It’s more like 80s and 90s DIY albums<br />
than 60s or 70s acid casualty music (the Skip Spence<br />
comparisons are off the mark.) A few songs are<br />
completely incomprehensible. The piano ballads drag<br />
some, and Targals’ style wears a listener down by the<br />
end of the album, and there’s a drum machine here and<br />
there, but this is a unique record with some very<br />
cool songs. Recommended to those seeking adventure.<br />
[AM]<br />
BANASTRE TARLETON ( )<br />
"Electric Women" 1979 (no label)<br />
TAROTS ( )<br />
Weird mix of synth prog and hard guitar rock. There<br />
was also a 1985 LP, "No destination".<br />
"Knight In Blue" 197 (Arnold aw 14070)<br />
"It's In The Cards" 197 (Richard)<br />
Johnny Kitchen (Victims of Chance, Crazy People,<br />
Blues Train, etc) gets the songwriting credit for<br />
three tracks with the remainder by L Priessman.<br />
Indiscriminate mix of funk, rock, and e-z lounge<br />
moves.<br />
TAYLES (Madison, WI)<br />
"Who Are These Guys" 1972 (Cinevista 1001) [lyric insert]<br />
"Who Are These Guys" 2001 (Akarma 122, Italy) [2LPs; gatefold;<br />
+4 tracks]<br />
"Who Are These Guys" 2001 (CD Gear Fab 121, Italy) [+4<br />
tracks]<br />
A live effort recorded at Madison's Nitty Gritty<br />
Club. Heavily hyped by fans and reviewers, these guys<br />
were little more than your standard bar band. Among<br />
their shortcomings, even though all five members were<br />
credited with vocals, they lacked a strong singer.<br />
Musically they were certainly competent, though the<br />
flute bugged the hell out of me. With the band<br />
responsible for all of the material, the collection<br />
steered the middle ground between cutesy nostalgia<br />
numbers ("Did It"), standard blues-rock ("Baby<br />
DoughDough") and longer jam-oriented material<br />
("Bizzaro Ben"). Unfortunately, little on the ten<br />
track set was of repeated interest. At least "Angry<br />
with My Friend" had a little bit of meltdown guitar.<br />
A major disappointment, guess you had to be there.
[SB]<br />
ADAM TAYLOR ( )<br />
"Adam Taylor" 197 (Tiger Lily TL 14024)<br />
Obscure one on this infamous tax-scam label,<br />
impressive 1970s rural folkrock sound with a rootsy,<br />
mature vibe. Longer review will follow.<br />
EMMETT TAYLOR (Kirkwood, MO)<br />
"Emmett Taylor" 197 (Kerygma 101)<br />
T C (Phoenix, AZ)<br />
Early 1970s Christian folkrock with 60s-sounding<br />
garage and psych moves, including "Men of delusion"<br />
with long fuzz guitar break. Highly rated by some.<br />
The LP is credited to Emmett Taylor with Stephan<br />
Eyre.<br />
"Lamanite" 1976 (Desert City 3002)<br />
Native American doing 1970s melodic rock and folk<br />
with mellotron and unusual vocals, also two heavy<br />
rock tracks. Has been hyped but not likely to blow<br />
you away.<br />
T C ATLANTIC (St Paul, MN)<br />
"Live At The Bel-Rae Ballroom" 1967 (Dove 4459)<br />
"T C Atlantic" 1983 (Eva 12014, France) [+bonus tracks]<br />
Charming live recording of legendary Twin Cities band<br />
that had several good non-LP 45s. This is not the<br />
thrilling acid psych of "Faces" but more of a typical<br />
club set from a top local act; bunch of r'n'b/soul<br />
standards plus a couple Brit Invasion tunes and two<br />
band originals. Good vocals, the right organ sound,<br />
excellent recording with plenty of presence, and<br />
solid performances all around -- sort of like what<br />
all those Justice LPs should have been like. Only<br />
weak spot is an endless rave-up on "Love light" that<br />
doesn't really work. File under "party" next to the<br />
Dimensions, the Kasuals and the Raiders' "Here they<br />
come" LP. [PL]<br />
T C B (Ottawa, Canada)<br />
"Open For Business" 1970 (Traffic)<br />
Jazzy horn rock with psych/prog touches and female<br />
vocals.
T C T BAND ( )<br />
"Last Time Around Folks" 197 (no label) [2 LPs]<br />
TEA COMPANY (MA)<br />
A live performance by your typical southern hard rock<br />
band from the early seventies. Long jams with guitar<br />
and organ, mostly cover songs of the day and not one<br />
but two songs with the presumed drum solo (one sucks,<br />
the other is tolerable). It's a double album that<br />
comes in two glued together brown paper bags with red<br />
print. A period piece that works for people in my age<br />
group (mid-forties to early fifties) that remembers<br />
those free outdoor shows at a local park complete<br />
with jug wine, dirt weed and loose hippy chicks on<br />
Quaaludes. [JSB]<br />
"Come And Have Some Tea" 1968 (Smash srs-67105) [wlp exists]<br />
"Come And Have Some Tea" 2000 (CD, Europe)<br />
TEAKWOOD (NY)<br />
Pretty freaky stuff for a major label album. It’s got<br />
every bit as much reverb as The Bachs or Index or the<br />
Scorpio Tube. One song is just water sounds. There<br />
are lots of sound effects and spastic guitar parts on<br />
this album, and maybe the most bizarre cover of “You<br />
Keep Me Hanging On” yet. Not a very good record, but<br />
gets points for pure wildness. The band’s name is<br />
very clearly defined in the liner notes. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Fronted by Frankie Carr, the album featured a rather<br />
over-indulgent set of self-penned era-psychedelia (be<br />
sure to check out the hysterical "As I Have Seen You<br />
Upon the Wall"). The lone non-original was a Vanilla<br />
Fudge-styled cover of The Supremes' "You Keep Me<br />
Hangin' On". Unfortunately, as lead singer Carr<br />
wasn't any great shakes. Moreover, burdened by dopey<br />
lyrics ("Make Love, Not War") and bland melodies<br />
("Love Could Make the World Go Round"), none of the<br />
eight originals proved particularly memorable. On the<br />
other hand, exemplified by tracks such as the 10<br />
minute plus "Flowers" and "Don't Make Waves (Water<br />
Sound Effects)" the band displayed an awesome<br />
affection for sound effects. Having missed the '60s,<br />
we can only report that "tea" was supposedly a<br />
reference to dope. Contrary to rumor, we can tell you<br />
the plant shown on the cover is not marijuana. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Frankie Carr; Spare Change Band<br />
"Teakwood" 196 (Century 34005)<br />
Bob Tupper and Greg Rita of Hamilton College doing<br />
late 1960s acoustic folk.<br />
TEMPEST (Houston, TX)<br />
"Tempest" 1979 (Earth Records 0378)
TEMPESTS (Canada)<br />
This privately pressed hard rock record starts<br />
weakly, with a mediocre AOR song and a mediocre blues<br />
song, but gets much better. There are a few really<br />
hot hard rockers and quite a bit of variety in its<br />
almost 50-minute length. The only problem is that the<br />
male singer is terrible, and he’s given the album’s<br />
very best songs. The female singer, Barbara<br />
Pennington (not to be confused with the soul singer<br />
of the same name), has real blues strength to her<br />
voice but not much in the way of subtlety or nuance.<br />
This is a frustrating album, as a lot of talent shows<br />
through here but they obviously didn’t know what to<br />
do with it. The best songs (especially the two sideclosers,<br />
which have really great hooks) could have<br />
been killers. What this band needed was a good<br />
producer or manager who would have made better<br />
decisions about who was singing and how. Strangely<br />
enough, this album was also released in Germany. The<br />
US release has a white cover; the German release has<br />
a silver cover. Pennington released an LP in 1982<br />
with Tempest as the backing band. [AM]<br />
"That's Right - Walk On By" 1965 (Arkon ACS 4)<br />
Teenbeat obscurity with moody cover shot of the six<br />
band members' heads arranged to form a human pyramid!<br />
TEMPOS (Sylacuga, AL)<br />
"Speaking Of The Tempos" 1966 (Justice 104)<br />
"The Tempos" 1987 (Crypt 010) [partial reissue+bonus tracks;<br />
altered sleeve]<br />
"Speaking Of The Tempos" 1996 (CD Collectables 0601)<br />
TEMPOS ( )<br />
Considered by many the best LP on the label, even<br />
rated by some as the best local garage album all<br />
over. Has a true garage edge throughout and an<br />
impressive number of great Stonesy originals such as<br />
the opening "Two timer" and "You're gonna miss<br />
me" (not the Elevators tune) along with 3-4 of the<br />
usual surf and R'n'B covers. One of the few, or the<br />
only, Justice band not to hail from the Atlantic<br />
seaboard states, this also sticks out due to an<br />
atypical recording with plenty of punch that reflects<br />
a Brit Invasion mindset among these Sylacuga High<br />
School punks. Either reissue is worth getting for any<br />
1966 garage fan. [PL]<br />
"Tempos" 1966 (no label WFC 595) [10"]
TEMPTERS (MI)<br />
No relation to the famous Alabama band, this is a<br />
very obscure 10-inch teenbeat LP from the same era.<br />
"Live" 1969 (AmCue)<br />
Primitive local release of late-period 60s club band<br />
doing Beatles and soul covers, along with a few<br />
originals.<br />
TENNESSEE FARM BAND see Farm Band<br />
JOHN TERLAZZO (York, PA)<br />
"Honor Among Thieves" 1983 (Beggar Recordings no #)<br />
TERRAPLANE ( )<br />
Incredibly dark loner poet folk/rock. Very heavy<br />
Leonard Cohen influence, but makes LC seem cheerful<br />
by comparison. Even the one song that is upbeat,<br />
almost good-timey, has a dark undertone. Terlazzo is<br />
accompanied on many tracks by a beautiful haunting<br />
female backing vocal which is often wordless. Several<br />
tracks have fine electric guitar leads and solos. The<br />
poetic nature of his writing rather stark and often<br />
“esoteric” lyric images, brought out well by his<br />
rather limited baritone voice. I rate this at the top<br />
of the loner folkie heap. [MA]<br />
~~~<br />
Enjoyable modern-sounding dark folk and<br />
singer/songwriter with a vibe similar to Bruce<br />
Janaway or Bob Theil. There is indeed a notable<br />
Leonard Cohen influence but Terlazzo needn't be<br />
embarrassed, as this is simply the genre he belongs<br />
too, and he does it well, with a personal voice and<br />
inventive arrangements including spooky female<br />
harmonies and sparse folkrock arrangements. I counted<br />
three excellent tracks with "Seven stars over Sicily"<br />
a favorite, several more good ones, and only one dud.<br />
Terlazzo would continue to record after this debut<br />
and is still active as a performer and poet. [PL]<br />
"Arrives" 1981 (Stress) [12" EP]<br />
Weak hardrock on a 5-track, 45 RPM 12-incher, some<br />
prog moves with keyboard.<br />
PETER TESSIER (Canada)<br />
"By Turning A Knob" 1973 (Columbia ES 90202)<br />
It’s a mystery as to why this major label release has<br />
become so rare, but it’s a very tough one to find.<br />
It’s an interesting 70s singer/songwriter record with<br />
occasional Christian lyrics strung together in a
thematic way (bits of two songs are repeated<br />
throughout the album.) Most of it is pretty<br />
straightforward acoustic guitar-based rock that’s<br />
pretty commercial (and some of it is kind of goofy),<br />
but there’s a stark feel to some songs and a bit of<br />
cool fuzz guitar, so it will appeal to some<br />
folk/psych fans. Excellent bass playing throughout,<br />
and nice crisp production. The quality of the<br />
songwriting is pretty hit and miss. I expect most<br />
listeners to like about half of it. Side two really<br />
mixes up the genres, some of which aren’t exactly<br />
rock or folk, and the last song on the album is sung<br />
in French. [AM]<br />
THEE MIDNITERS (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Thee Midniters" 1965 (Chattahoochee c-1001) [mono]<br />
"Thee Midniters" 1966 (Chattahoochee cs-1001) [stereo]<br />
"Bring You Love Special Delivery" 1966 (Whittier w-5000)<br />
[mono]<br />
"Bring You Love Special Delivery" 1966 (Whittier ws-5000)<br />
[stereo]<br />
"Unlimited" 1966 (Whittier w-5001)<br />
Mexican-American group doing an early mix of r&b and<br />
Stones-styled movers with horns and garagy guitars.<br />
One of the earliest and greatest of the latino soul/<br />
rock groups, led by the outstanding soulful vocalist,<br />
Willie Garcia. The debut features their "Whittier<br />
Boulevard" hit original, alongside a mix of club<br />
frat, soul and British covers. The first Whittier LP<br />
has a similar mix plus cool band original "I found a<br />
peanut" and a version of "Love Special Delivery", one<br />
of the earliest songs with a possible LSD message.<br />
"Unlimited" is more geared towards their soul/dance<br />
side, and perhaps of less interest, despite several<br />
originals and a cool cover. The band's last LP on<br />
Whittier was "Giants" (1967), and features material<br />
from the earlier albums. There is a vinyl sampler on<br />
Rhino from 1983, and a later CD sampler.<br />
THEE MUFFINS (Lake George, NY)<br />
"Thee Muffins" 1967 (Fan-Club no #)<br />
THEM (UK / TX / CA)<br />
So-so local club/R'n'B act from upstate NY, has one<br />
track comp'd on "Oil Stains" but otherwise little to<br />
distinguish it. Bonus points for a hilarious sleeve<br />
of the group popping out of a toaster. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Garage pop covers. Mix of lounge soul ballads and<br />
rhythmic garage covers. Fun tinny chiming rhythm<br />
playing. Of interest mostly for the fact that it got<br />
made at all. [RM]<br />
"Now And Them" 1967 (Tower t-5104) [mono]<br />
"Now And Them" 1967 (Tower st-5104) [stereo]
"Now And Them" 200 (CD Revola 29, UK) [+bonus tracks]<br />
The first post-Van Morrison Them album takes their<br />
gritty R&B sound a step into the future by adding<br />
fuzz guitar and some Eastern musical themes. A number<br />
of the songs are in a more straight R&B bag, and<br />
while they’re pretty good, this is certainly of more<br />
interest for the punky “Witch Doctor” and “Walking in<br />
The Queen’s Garden,” or the freaky sitar-heavy<br />
“Square Room,” than for horn-laden soul like “What’s<br />
The Matter Baby.” “You’re Just What I Was” is a nice,<br />
if slightly out of character, pop song. There’s a lot<br />
to like here. I could have done without their<br />
uninteresting version of “Nobody Loves You When<br />
You’re Down And Out,” though. [AM]<br />
"Time Out! Time In" 1968 (Tower t-5116) [mono]<br />
"Time Out! Time In" 1968 (Tower st-5116) [stereo]<br />
"Time Out! Time In" 200 (CD Revola 52, UK) [+bonus tracks]<br />
This time, they get even further out, with more<br />
sitar, more fuzz guitar, less R&B, stranger lyrics.<br />
My favorite line: “Buzz, buzz, it’s a wonderful<br />
feeling/to be upside down now and waltz on the<br />
ceiling.” A lot of this is pretty great. The overall<br />
songwriting isn’t as strong as on "Now And Them", but<br />
the consistency of style compensates. [AM]<br />
"Them" 1970 (Happy Tiger 1004)<br />
This is usually rated as the weakest of the band's 4<br />
post-Van albums. For a much more enjoyable, in fact<br />
quite outstanding Them-related outfit, check out "Of<br />
Them And Other Tales" by Truth, a retrospective CD<br />
release of westcoast-flavored circa 1969 recordings<br />
from Epilogue records 1995.<br />
"In Reality" 1971 (Happy Tiger 1012)<br />
By 1971 Them had been reduced to bassist Alan<br />
Henderson, lead guitarist Jim Parker and drummer John<br />
Stark (both formerly with the Kitchen Cinq and<br />
Armageddon). Anyone expecting a continuation of the<br />
psychedelic moves that marked the band's previous<br />
releases for Happy Tiger was in for a major shock.<br />
Musically the set started out with a blast; in this<br />
case an extended, fuzz guitar powered cover of Them's<br />
own "Gloria". While the remake may not have<br />
threatened Van Morrison's original, it boasted some<br />
killer lead guitar courtesy of Parker. While some<br />
folks will certainly disagree to our ears the band<br />
actually benefited from their new found direction.<br />
Stripped of the elaborate production that<br />
characterized their last couple of releases, material<br />
such as "Laugh" and "Lessons of the Sea" found the
THESE TRAILS (HI)<br />
trio turning in some roaring hard-rock sides. Kudos<br />
to Parker who was simply amazing on material such as<br />
"Baby Please Don't Go" and "California Man". [SB]<br />
"These Trails" 1973 (Sinergia 4059)<br />
"These Trails" 1998 (Pele 1, Germany)<br />
"These Trails" 1999 (Gates Of Dawn)<br />
"These Trails" 1999 (CD Gates Of Dawn)<br />
"These Trails" 1999 (CD Sinergia)<br />
Marvellous folkpsych and the best Hawaiian LP ever<br />
along with Mu. Like tripping out in a botanical<br />
garden and having the acid turn your casual stroll<br />
into a deep jungle exploration, surrounded by exotic<br />
birds and mystic noises, with old volcanos in the<br />
distance while ocean waves lap the back of your mind.<br />
Dreamy female vocals, surprising twists, and talent<br />
all through, courtesy mainly of Margaret Morgan, who<br />
sadly passed away recently. The song structures and<br />
arrangements are very unusual, and combine with the<br />
ethereal vocals to send you into uncharted mind<br />
spaces. "Share your water" is a personal fave.<br />
Psychedelic exotica doesn't come better than this.<br />
The Sinergia CD is from the band themselves. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is a wonderful and unique album that really<br />
defines Hawaiian psych rock. The music is<br />
folky/poppy, with clever arrangements that include<br />
surprising stop/start sections, little bits of<br />
synthesizer noises that feel like rain coming down,<br />
and exotic-sounding female vocals. The singing has a<br />
naïve charm that can't be beat, and the excellent<br />
songwriting is breezy and airy. Highly recommended.<br />
[AM]<br />
THINGS TO COME (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Things To Come" 1978 (W.P.I 1)<br />
"Things To Come" 1995 (Sundazed 5008) [altered sleeve; bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
"Things To Come" 1995 (CD Sundazed sc-11017) [bonus tracks]<br />
Here's one with a real story to it. For years known<br />
only for their outstanding first 45, this ultrarare<br />
(50 copies?) late 70s tax-loss LP featuring both 45<br />
tracks plus several more '66-67 recordings was<br />
discovered in LA in the early 1990s. Sundazed moved<br />
in with a classy reissue making this a household word<br />
soon after being found. Things like "Darkness" is<br />
true missing link garage-psych stuff everyone needs<br />
to hear, although the strongly derivative (esp from<br />
Them) nature of some tracks is a drawback. The<br />
monster acid tune "Speak Of The Devil" is in a<br />
different mix from the 45 version. After a line-up<br />
change the band released two good non-LP 45s not<br />
included on the reissues. [PL]
THIRD EDITION (LA)<br />
"Take 1" 1973 (Rapture 1236)<br />
Sometimes described as "garage" or "psych", but<br />
actually a lo-fi amateur lounge-rock trio with cheesy<br />
organ, some buzzing fuzz guitar and off-key vocals.<br />
Three Creedence covers tells you where they're coming<br />
from.<br />
THIRD ESTATE (Baton Rouge, LA)<br />
"Years Before The Wine" 1976 (Third Estate 1000) [500p;<br />
insert]<br />
"Years Before The Wine" 199 (no label, Austria) [150p]<br />
"Years Before The Wine" 199 (CD Mellow, Italy)<br />
"Years Before The Wine" 1997 (Void 07) [insert; 500p]<br />
One of my personal faves in the seemingly bottomless<br />
well of great local 70s LPs, this intricate folkrock<br />
prog-psycher blends a warm Southern summer sound with<br />
baroque-like song structures and graduate school<br />
lyrics inspired by the French Revolution! Not your<br />
average local barrocker and despite multitudes of<br />
spins I haven't grasped it all yet. Serious in mood,<br />
but rescued from the prog traps thanks to the strong<br />
songwriting and a light, flowing musical style.<br />
Excellent female vocals on one track. A must to check<br />
out, and loved by many. The Italian CD is the best<br />
introduction, while the old Austrian bootleg has poor<br />
sound. The band came together at LSU in Baton Rouge<br />
but the members hailed from elsewhere. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
A concept album about the French Revolution. Fetch my<br />
sawn off from the pick up Bubba, it’s time to teach<br />
these pretentious hippies a danged good lesson. But<br />
how wrong I would be to shoot first without<br />
listening. Often cited are the female vocals (from<br />
Fae Ficklin), “brought in” for the title track. Her<br />
singing is stunning, but even without it the LP would<br />
still richly deserve its legendary status. Plenty of<br />
fuzz, backwards soundscapes and beautiful acoustic<br />
guitar tunes from band leader Robert Everett make<br />
this into a total classic. Rewards repeat listening,<br />
multi-textured, the sound of exploration is apparent<br />
as the band spreads its wings and glorious harmonies<br />
flow forth. The sound and overall impression is<br />
highly reminiscent of another UK classic, Ithaca. The<br />
sound quality on the Mellow CD is superb and it comes<br />
with a highly informative booklet with band photos<br />
and lyrics. [RI]<br />
~~~<br />
This is a complicated album that opens new doors with<br />
every listen. The production style is weirdly stark,<br />
with acoustic guitars that sound like they’re in the<br />
room with you. The low-budget recording creates a<br />
real sense of immediacy. Backwards bits and treated<br />
guitars are used to nice effect, and the leisurely<br />
pace of the songs works very well. This is unlike<br />
anything else I’ve heard, and is hard to<br />
characterize. It blows most people away, but even if<br />
you don’t love it, I suspect you’ll have a weird<br />
fascination with it and keep listening. A lot of
eviews mention the female vocalist, but it should be<br />
noted that she sings only one song. [AM]<br />
THIRD GENERATION (HI)<br />
"Third Generation" 1967 (no label)<br />
Lounge rock covers. [RM]<br />
THIRD POWER (Detroit, MI)<br />
"Believe" 1970 (Vanguard 6554)<br />
"Believe" 199 (Mr G no #)<br />
"Believe" 1998 (Akarma 033, Italy)<br />
"Believe" 1998 (CD Akarma 033, Italy)<br />
This is certainly one of the very best heavy psych<br />
albums, and also one of the best albums on Vanguard.<br />
It’s wild, frantic, surprising, diverse and<br />
uncompromised. The guitar playing is restrained and<br />
subtle in places, but blasts out with a fury when it<br />
needs to. On the slower songs the singing is<br />
downright eerie. As with all great albums, it isn’t<br />
just the sound and energy that kill, but the<br />
songwriting, which is great throughout. “Feel So<br />
Lonely,” which starts out slow and drifty, but adds<br />
intensity as it goes along, is my favorite, but the<br />
rest aren’t far behind. As with the Highway Robbery<br />
album, the ballads are as good as the rockers. A<br />
Canadian pressing also exists. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Jem Targal<br />
13th FLOOR ELEVATORS (Austin/Kerrville, TX)<br />
"Psychedelic Sounds" 1966 (IA LP 1) [promo; mono; blue/white<br />
label]<br />
"Psychedelic Sounds" 1966 (IA LP 1) [mono; yellow/green<br />
label]<br />
"Psychedelic Sounds" 1966 (IA LP 1) [stereo; coral blue<br />
label]<br />
"Psychedelic Sounds" 1977 (IA) [stereo bootleg; 'Masterfonics'<br />
in dead wax]<br />
"Psychedelic Sounds" 1978 (IA LP 1) [official stereo reissue]<br />
"Psychedelic Sounds" 1978 (Radar 13, UK) [stereo reissue]<br />
"Psychedelic Sounds" 197 (IA) [stereo bootleg; altered back<br />
cover without credits]<br />
Recorded over a 9-month period during 1966, the LP<br />
was assembled with some haste as "You're Gonna Miss<br />
Me" became an unexpected national hit in the early<br />
Fall. The mono mix is clearly superior, as is<br />
particularly evident on "Roller Coaster" and "Monkey<br />
Island", where the stereo mixes sound unfinished and<br />
should be avoided. The mono LP was released in late<br />
November 1966, thus competing with the Deep and Blues<br />
Magoos as the very first "psychedelic"-titled album.<br />
The music, in case anyone needs to know, is a<br />
firebreathing blend of garage, folkrock and embryonic<br />
psychedelia, the latter represented by the two
groundbreaking numbers "Roller Coaster" and "Kingdom<br />
Of Heaven". The LP was an underground hit and went on<br />
to sell some 40.000 copies. All promos and early runs<br />
of the mono stock have a slightly different back<br />
cover with a street address for IA and no credit to<br />
Gordon Bynum. Due to stamper degeneration this<br />
variation may be preferrable to later runs. Although<br />
1966 is the nominal release year for the stereo<br />
version, it probably wasn't mixed and released until<br />
a few months into 1967. No stereo promos exist. The<br />
IA box set reissue (also available as a standalone<br />
item) is identifiable via a matrix number that begins<br />
'Ach...'. Post-1980 reissues are too numerous to<br />
list; the crucial fact is that none of the re:s,<br />
including those above, are from master tapes. The<br />
mixdown masters were lost in the early 1970s and have<br />
never been found. The preferrable mono mix has been<br />
bootlegged twice in the late 1990s, all other<br />
reissues are the inferior stereo mix. [PL]<br />
"Easter Everywhere" 1967 (IA LP 5) [mono; wlp exists; lyric<br />
inner]<br />
"Easter Everywhere" 1967 (IA LP 5) [stereo; lyric inner]<br />
"Easter Everywhere" 1977 (IA) [bootleg; 'Masterfonics' in dead<br />
wax]<br />
"Easter Everywhere" 1978 (IA LP 5) [official reissue]<br />
"Easter Everywhere" 1978 (Radar 15, UK) [reissue]<br />
"Easter Everywhere" 197 (IA) [bootleg; orange-tone front<br />
cover]<br />
International Artists put substantial amounts into<br />
"Easter", which was supposed to establish the<br />
Elevators as a major force in rock music, after the<br />
unexpected underground success of "Psychedelic<br />
Sounds". Unfortunately it came out about 6 months too<br />
late (released in November), and lacked a strong hit<br />
45 to carry it. Nevertheless most Elevators fans<br />
rates it the best thing by the band (or indeed by<br />
anyone). The LP sold out its original pressing but<br />
was not reprinted, suggesting somewhat disappointing<br />
sales, perhaps around 10.000 copies. For some reason<br />
IA mastered it an unusually low volume, which<br />
contributes to the slightly muddy sound. The earliest<br />
run has a printing error on the back sleeve that<br />
lists "Posturos" instead of "Postures". The mono mix<br />
is an interesting experience, but clearly inferior to<br />
the hypnotic, elaborate soundscape of the stereo. The<br />
stock mono version is extremely rare and usually<br />
sells for four figures. The IA box set reissue ( also<br />
available as a standalone item) is identifiable via a<br />
matrix number that begins 'Ach...'. Again, post-1980<br />
reissues and bootlegs too numerous to list; the<br />
crucial fact is that none of these, including those<br />
above, are from master tapes. The mixdown masters<br />
were lost in the early 1970s and have never been<br />
found. The mono mix was bootlegged in the late 1990s,<br />
all other reissues are the superior stereo mix. [PL]<br />
"Live" 1968 (IA LP 8) [stereo; wlp exists]<br />
"Live" 1978 (IA LP 8) [IA box-set reissue]<br />
As the Elevators were falling apart, IA put this<br />
infamous pseudo-live LP together from old studio<br />
outtakes and added some very phony-sounding applause.<br />
The release date is somewhere around August 1968. The<br />
LP was not a success, and unsold copies were still
floating around 20 years later. For an Elevators fan<br />
this is still mandatory, and due to the strength of<br />
the material and performances, a lot better than its<br />
reputation suggests. No mono mix exists. Reissues and<br />
bootlegs are too numerous to list; the crucial fact<br />
is that none of these, including the IA box set<br />
reissue from 1978 are from master tapes. The mixdown<br />
masters were lost in the early 1970s and have never<br />
been found. The 1978 IA box-set reissue can be<br />
identified via a matrix number that begins "Ach...".<br />
All other reissues or boots are easy to identify as<br />
such. [PL]<br />
"Bull Of The Woods" 1969 (IA LP 9) [stereo; wlp exists]<br />
"Bull Of The Woods" 1969 (IA LP 9) [IA box-set reissue]<br />
This posthumous swansong was underrated for many<br />
years, but has been revaluated from the 1990s and<br />
onwards, and in fact rates as the band's best LP<br />
among some Elevators fans. Dominated by lead<br />
guitarist Stacy Sutherland, the band here has a dark,<br />
brooding intensity that has aged well. Roky appears<br />
on less than half the tracks, and there is no jug.<br />
The material was recorded during a chaotic 6-month<br />
period in 1968, with some horn arrangements added by<br />
IA and drummer Danny Thomas as the LP was put<br />
together in late 1968. As the original band was long<br />
gone, the LP didn't sell well, and unsold copies<br />
crowded Texas warehouses for decades. No mono mix<br />
exists. Reissues and bootlegs are too numerous to<br />
list; the crucial fact is that none of these,<br />
including the IA box set reissue from 1978 are from<br />
master tapes. The mixdown masters were lost in the<br />
early 1970s and have never been found. The 1978 IA<br />
box-set reissue can be identified via a matrix number<br />
that begins "Ach...". All other reissues and boots<br />
are easy to identify as such. All four Elevators LPs<br />
were also released on 8-track, the first two LPs both<br />
by IA and ITCC, the last two LPs only by ITCC. [PL]<br />
"Fire In My Bones" 1985 (Texas Archive Recordings 4)<br />
"Elevator Tracks" 1987 (Texas Archive Recordings 7)<br />
There is a wealth of bootlegs and obscure archival<br />
releases of unreleased Elevators material, but the<br />
two TAR albums should be considered mandatory. Both<br />
contain one side of unreleased studio material, and<br />
one side of live recordings. "Elevator Tracks" is<br />
somewhat difficult to find, and includes the<br />
devastating "I don't ever want to come down". Of the<br />
other vinyl retrospectives, by all means avoid the<br />
common "SF '66" boot on Lysergic, which has terrible<br />
sound quality. Other releases of the outstanding<br />
Avalon tape have better sound, but none come close to<br />
the source tapes, originally broadcast on KSAN in<br />
1977. "Original Sounds" (13th Hour, 1989) is a<br />
worthwhile boot, containing rough mixes from the<br />
first LP in excellent sound on one side, and a highenergy<br />
early live recording on the other. "Demos<br />
Everywhere" is a UK variant with this same material<br />
in an inferior pressing. Beyond these, dozens of CD<br />
releases exists, often recycling the same material in<br />
various combinations.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> "Epitaph For A Legend"
31st OF FEBRUARY (Jacksonville, FL)<br />
"31st Of February" 1969 (Vanguard 6503)<br />
"31st Of February" 200 (Vanguard 6503)<br />
"31st Of February" 200 (CD Vanguard 6503)<br />
The buzz about this album is partially due to having<br />
a future member of the Allman Brothers in the band.<br />
The record, though, is actually quite good, with a<br />
nice dreamy folk-rock/popsike sound and consistent<br />
songwriting. There’s yet another version of “Codine,”<br />
but it’s an appealingly eerie one, and this record<br />
really hits all the right spots for fans of the<br />
style. All three band members would go on to bigger<br />
things in the 1970s. [AM]<br />
THIRTYONE FLAVORS ( )<br />
"Hair" 1969 (Crown 492)<br />
One of the best psychploitation LPs with more fuzzzz<br />
than a dozen 1971 private press hardrockers. Opens<br />
with amazingly lame title track from "Hair", then a<br />
funny inept "Age of aquarius" with femme vocals, then<br />
a crude basement psych original with far out vocals.<br />
The rest of the LP is 100% fuzzploitation instros<br />
with studio hacks obviously delighted to run stone<br />
free like a stage jam by the Jimi Hendrix Experience.<br />
Great raw live feel, wild playing and excellent fuzz<br />
riffs. A good one to use as a proxy for the whole<br />
genre. The LP contains a couple of tracks listed but<br />
not present on the Firebirds album, which probably<br />
was recorded during the same 2-hour session. A couple<br />
of the best tracks have been reissued on the "Heavy<br />
Psych" CD compilation. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
If you wondered what happened to the two missing<br />
songs that were listed on the Firebirds album, here’s<br />
your answer. In wonderful exploito fashion, this is<br />
the same band from the same sessions, and despite<br />
something called “Free Drum,” it’s an equally great<br />
record. It’s got tons of grungy fuzz guitar and lots<br />
of spastic drumming; it’s a true hard rock wonder! A<br />
cover of the song “Hair” that doesn’t bother to<br />
follow the normal melody is just plain weird. You<br />
have to love the idea that these people were just<br />
fucking around and still managed to put together two<br />
albums that blow away most hard rock albums by “real”<br />
bands. [AM]<br />
SUSAN & RICHARD THOMAS (WI)<br />
"A Burst Of Life" 1973 (Blue Hour B.H 3-1017)<br />
Pro-sounding, dorky "up-with-people" 1970s hippie<br />
couple folkrock/ singer-songwriter trip. She has a<br />
nice voice and their enthusiasm and undeniably<br />
skillful compositions and arrangements make for<br />
passable listening, with a few showtune/musical moves<br />
adding a nostalgic charm. However I have a hard time<br />
seeing anyone but the most hardcore hippie folk
DON THOMPSON ( )<br />
collectors really enjoying this obscurity. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is a bit of a joke in the collectors’ world, a<br />
record that, when found, sold for $100 to<br />
unsuspecting “folk-psych” fans, and has since become<br />
one of the hardest records for rare record dealers to<br />
unload. In actuality, as over-sincere hippie communetype<br />
folk goes it’s pretty good, and Susan has a nice<br />
voice. It has moments that are way too sweet, and<br />
certainly there’s nothing even remotely “psych” about<br />
it, but the songwriting is decent and it’s a heck of<br />
a lot more listenable than New Troubadours or Oneness<br />
Space. [AM]<br />
"Jupiter" 1975 (Sunday 5101) [gatefold; booklet; insert]<br />
"Jupiter" 1976 (Korona 5101) [gatefold]<br />
Delicate emphatic dark folk, sweet high trembling<br />
Marcus/Trimblesque vocal, orchestral backing. Sparse<br />
sound with spacey mellotron in the background.<br />
Flowing "seer with answers" damage. When he sings<br />
he's "going to the edge of the world" you gotta<br />
believe it's not the first time. Excellent LP. George<br />
Faber (Finchley Boys) helps out. Supposedly only 100<br />
copies were pressed of the first version, but the<br />
substantial number of copies traded in recent years<br />
makes this seem dubious. Some copies of the first<br />
press came with promo material and a bonus 7". [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
One side is pretentious guitar-and-voice folk (with<br />
mild synthesized orchestral arrangements.) His<br />
singing style is way too sincere, and all of the<br />
songs sound pretty much the same. Though there are<br />
some neat little arrangement tricks (mostly with<br />
backing vocals), and creative lyrical ideas, the<br />
greatest impression he leaves is of someone who’s<br />
trying way too hard but doesn’t have the ideas to<br />
back up the ambition. Side two is more folk-rock,<br />
with bass, drums and electric lead guitars, sounding<br />
a bit like Cat Stevens. It suits him a little better,<br />
mostly because the singing isn’t so front-and-center,<br />
but this really isn’t a fun record. [AM]<br />
MAYO THOMPSON (Houston, TX)<br />
"Corky's Debt To His Father" 1970 (Texas Revolution 2270)<br />
[600p]<br />
"Corky's Debt To His Father" 198 (Texas Revolution) [reissue]<br />
"Corky's Debt To His Father" 1986 (Glass 015, UK)<br />
"Corky's Debt To His Father" 1996 (Drag City 49)<br />
Thompson’s singer/songwriter album is in many ways a<br />
lot more interesting than anything he did with the<br />
Red Crayola. He has a matter of fact singing style<br />
and a really unusual sensibility that rewards<br />
multiple listens. Some surprisingly blunt sexual<br />
lyrics are pretty funny. As with the Crayola, this<br />
isn’t exactly the most adeptly performed record, but<br />
unlike with the Crayola, it never sounds like<br />
Thompson doesn’t care deeply about his songs.<br />
Fascinating and memorable. Mayo relocated to England
JEFF THORNLEY (DE)<br />
in the 1970s, then returned to play with Pere Ubu in<br />
the early 1980s as well as continuing to record, with<br />
a variety of musicians, under the Red Krayola banner.<br />
His other releases fall outside the Archives. [AM]<br />
"Locked Inside" 1983 (Unique Records no #)<br />
Latter day album hyped by psych dealers, despite<br />
there not being anything “psych” about it. Some of it<br />
is heavy, some in a more refined pop style. One song<br />
is country/rockabilly. It’s pretty impressive that<br />
Thornley spans a bunch of styles without the album<br />
sounding disjointed. The reverb-heavy production does<br />
shout out “80s,” but not in as offensive a way as<br />
most albums from 1983. There are a few Xian lyrics<br />
here, lots of lead guitar, and some good hooks. One<br />
song has a guest female lead singer and she’s better<br />
than Jeff, though neither are especially distinctive.<br />
Frankly, I’m not sure how this got a $100+ price tag<br />
when there were hundreds of 80s private press albums<br />
of similar quality and originality, but it is a<br />
pretty good record. [AM]<br />
THREE see Square Root Of Nine<br />
THROWER SPILLANE MCFARLAND (MI)<br />
"Blue John" 197 (Ranger Records RLPS 412)<br />
"Boots & Bottles" 1975 (Black River Tunes 544N3)<br />
THUGH (OH)<br />
Obscure rural rock/singer-songwriter albums from the<br />
same crowd that did the Drendall, Thrower & Friends<br />
album. Similar in style with some outstanding tracks,<br />
though not as solid as "Papa". The second LP,<br />
released as by Blue John, features John Drendall, who<br />
is not on the Ranger LP. McFarland is not on the<br />
Black River LP.<br />
"Phase Tapes" 1981 (Earters) [insert; 200p]<br />
Inept, homemade primitive underground folk/avant<br />
tracks recorded '74-80 with an occasional psych vibe.<br />
Lots of phasing, synth, tape effects, some acoustic<br />
and electric guitar.<br />
THUNDERBIRDS (Albuquerque, NM)
"Meet The Fabulous Thunderbirds" 1965 (Red Feather TH1)<br />
THUNDERDUK (OH)<br />
Mostly pre-invasion frat and instros from teenage<br />
Native Americans dressed in goofy dance band gear.<br />
Notable Chuck Berry and Tex-Mex influences across the<br />
LP, which has been known for decades but is pretty<br />
hard to find. One track has been comp'd on "Oil<br />
Stains".<br />
"Thunderduk" 1996 (Rockadelic 23) [750p; insert]<br />
Band photos and raw opening track may tempt one to<br />
file this among the typical Rockadelic teenage<br />
basement hardrock blowouts, but in actuality this is<br />
a local prog/jazzrock affair that's a bit left field<br />
both for the label and my hi-fi. The uptempo,<br />
energetic excursions suffer from so-so songwriting<br />
and a dry, clinical soundscape that cries out for<br />
keyboards, fuzz and feedback, and jars with the<br />
distorted vocals. Liner notes claim they were a big<br />
draw live but it doesn't really sound like it, and<br />
there's an odd atonal and out of synch feel to the<br />
recording as a whole -- but maybe that's right for<br />
the genre. Couple of OK tracks, but too little<br />
guitar, and neither psych, folk nor hardrock; may<br />
appeal to fans of the UK hard prog scene. 1972-1974<br />
recordings. [PL]<br />
THUNDERPUSSY (Quincy, IL)<br />
"Documents Of Captivity" 1973 (MRT rl-31748) [insert]<br />
"Documents Of Captivity" 1987 (Breeder 561, Austria) [b & w<br />
sleeve]<br />
"Documents Of Captivity" 199 (CD Wild Places 002)<br />
Ah, Quincy's contribution to mid-1970s' progressive<br />
rock. Printed in minute quantities, this one's<br />
attracted a cult following and some glistening<br />
reviews. Curiously, most of the reviews we've seen<br />
have painted the album as being a hard rock with<br />
psych touches outing. Wrong. Written as a concept<br />
piece divided into a series of "six Documents" (which<br />
plotlines are largely lost on me), the result is<br />
conventional (if very good) progressive rock. I'll<br />
also be honest and admit that it took a couple of<br />
spins to warm up to the LP's charms. It's worth the<br />
effort since Morris has a nice voice and, in spite of<br />
the elaborate plotline, tracks such as the leadoff<br />
"Document of Enigma / Scream Inside", "Document of<br />
Security / Moonlite Ladies" and "Document of Latent<br />
Summation / In the Forest" offer up strong and<br />
surprisingly conventional melodies. The original was<br />
pressed on very thin vinyl, most copies have slight<br />
bowl warps. There is also a posthumous EP with<br />
unreleased tracks. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
This is the kind of 'prog' album that seems to go<br />
over pretty well with psych or hard rock fans. As I'm<br />
listening I always enjoy it, as it's full of weird<br />
ideas and cool guitar playing. It doesn't stick with
me once it's off, though, which probably means their<br />
ambitions are miles beyond their pop sense. This is<br />
the kind of thing that I can recommend to people<br />
looking for something a bit beyond their usual<br />
tastes, but I'm not sure I'd call it wholly<br />
successful. Where they got their name is beyond me,<br />
because this isn't especially thunderous or<br />
tasteless. [AM]<br />
THUNDERTREE (Minneapolis, MN)<br />
"Thundertree" 1970 (Roulette sr-42038) [wlp exists]<br />
"Thundertree" 2004 (CD Radioactive 096, UK)<br />
It's hard to say why this particular major label<br />
release is now worth double the price of a lot of its<br />
equally good peers, but there's no predicting<br />
collectors. Side one are individual songs while side<br />
two is a side-long suite. It's somewhat soulful rock<br />
with a mild psych edge. It mixes carefully<br />
constructed songwriting with a nice variety of<br />
sounds, ranging from quiet and mellow to moderately<br />
heavy. It's not exactly poppy, but not exactly heavy<br />
either. The singing is a bit pretentious, but the<br />
interesting production tricks compensate. Depending<br />
on how you look at it, it's either creatively<br />
arranged or gimmicky. Hardly the best of its type,<br />
but perfectly enjoyable for fans of major label<br />
psych. Starts with the great song title "Head<br />
Embers". [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
This Roulette obscurity has a fair share of fans,<br />
although I was a bit put off by the weak,<br />
unconvincing vocals and too-busy drumming. Both the<br />
overall sound and mood shifts strangely over the LP,<br />
ranging from demo-like Steppenwolf macho rock to<br />
fullblown, sophisticated westcoast psychedelia.<br />
Songwriting is pretty good but the crude, unfinished<br />
feel of several recordings suggests that a<br />
significantly better LP from the same material could<br />
have been delivered by a different band. The<br />
dominating sound is a bit like the non-orchestrated<br />
tracks on the Common People LP, but less successful.<br />
On the plus side is good use of fuzz leads and some<br />
interesting studio tricks, once they were given time<br />
to fool around. The long suite on side 2 shows<br />
typical UK "Abbey Road" artrock ambitions a la<br />
Graffiti or Jasper Wrath, and is rather appealing<br />
within the genre. Worth hearing, but I'm not really<br />
prepared to join the cheering for this album. The LP<br />
was also released in Germany on Vogue. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Billy; "Gathering At The Depot"<br />
STEVE TIBBETS (St Paul, MN)<br />
"Steve Tibbets" 1977 (Frammis bzz-77)<br />
"Steve Tibbets" 199 (Cuneiform 55009)<br />
Guitar/home studio wizard. Eastern instro prog psych,<br />
tablas. The Frammis LPs were recorded in his house on<br />
an 8-track machine. Later pressings have 're' scribed<br />
in the trail-off. None of his releases are
particularly expensive, which is good news.<br />
"Yr" 1979 (Frammis 1522-25)<br />
"Yr" 198 (ECM) [altered sleeve]<br />
Instrumental album that’s just chock full of amazing<br />
guitar playing. The use of tabla gives it a unique<br />
feel and a kind of intimate charm missing from the<br />
works of better-known guitar heroes. This is the kind<br />
of album that could appeal to everyone from psych<br />
fans to folk fans to prog fans to hard rock fans.<br />
Very tasteful, very clever, often quite surprising.<br />
Highly recommended. Two sleeve versions exist, with<br />
"daytime" or "nighttime" scene. [AM]<br />
FREDDIE TIEKEN & THE ROCKERS (Quincy, IL)<br />
"Live!" 1964 (IT 2304)<br />
Early teenbeat and soul covers recorded live at TNT<br />
in West Quincy, Missouri. The band kept going for<br />
many years and was popular throughout the Midwest. In<br />
the late 60s, the Tieken brothers went on to Ilmo<br />
Smokehouse.<br />
TIFFANY SHADE (Cleveland, OH)<br />
"Tiffany Shade" 1967 (Mainstream 56105) [mono]<br />
"Tiffany Shade" 1967 (Mainstream s-6105) [stereo]<br />
"Tiffany Shade" 200 (Mainstream, Europe) [bootleg; thin<br />
cover]<br />
This used to be one of the less championed<br />
Mainstreams, but the persistent hype on the label has<br />
sent the rep of it soaring. Mainstream seldom spent<br />
much time on A & R once the artists had been signed,<br />
but Tiffany Shade must have been pushed through quick<br />
even by their standards. Hence a rather charming teen<br />
garage presentation of what is economy fare westcoast<br />
folkrock-psych sounds, plus a bunch of tracks that<br />
make no sense at all. LP opens strongly with several<br />
raw trips on the early Airplane style; cutting fuzz<br />
leads and excellent "Nuggets" vocals should appeal to<br />
anyone. Side 2 is less garagey & more goofy top 40,<br />
but listenable with class points reaped for a Love<br />
cover. All over a bit better than I expected, with<br />
some prime slices of 60s cheese-psych. Superb cover<br />
artwork, as always with the label. The album was also<br />
released in the UK by Fontana. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Considered one of the second-tier Mainstream albums,<br />
but I can’t see any reason that Growing Concern is<br />
more well-liked than this. Tiffany Shade doesn’t have<br />
a female vocalist, but has the same general feel as<br />
Growing Concern, but with better songwriting and<br />
fewer covers. Most importantly, they have a youthful<br />
punky vocal style that’s ten times more appealing<br />
than the annoyingly syrupy male singer from Growing<br />
Concern. “Would You Take My Mind Out For A Walk” is a<br />
highlight. As with the Growing Concern album, side<br />
two is a bit weaker than side one, but this is a good<br />
album, recommended to fans of pop-oriented garage
ock. [AM]<br />
TIGHT LITTLE UNIT (TN)<br />
"Sings 'Just Send Her To Me'" 1966 (Orchid 6200)<br />
A (presumed) live recording from Liberty Lanes<br />
bowling alley in Millington, plain cover with<br />
stickers. Cover versions in an r'n'b/soul<br />
direction. The album title is sometimes listed as<br />
"Live at Liberty Lanes".<br />
TIMBERCREEK (Boulder Creek, CA)<br />
"Hellbound Highway" 1975 (Renegade jah-95014) [insert;<br />
2000p]<br />
The album cover gives hope that this rural rocker is<br />
going to be really wild, but the most I can say for<br />
it in that regard is that they’re pretty wasted (too<br />
much Tequila). There’s nothing heavy or angry here.<br />
It is good but not great rural rock in a Dead-meets-<br />
Eagles mode. The first song is a killer, with a<br />
psych-y lead guitar hook, a clever twist in the<br />
chorus and a great melody. The two side closers are<br />
very strong too. The rest of the songs are a bit too<br />
mellow, have too much steel guitar, and are too<br />
derivative to make this a great album. The laid back<br />
vocals are highly appropriate and surprisingly<br />
tuneful, by the way. The cover is cheaply made and<br />
extremely prone to seam splits. [AM]<br />
TIME (Toronto, Canada)<br />
"Before There Was Time" 2004 (Shadoks 054, Germany) [350p]<br />
"Before There Was Time" 2005 (CD Shadoks, Germany)<br />
Impressive late 60s art-rock with a strong British<br />
slant, holding a middle ground between the<br />
psychedelic '67 Pepper field and the cerebral<br />
excursions of the early prog era. Completely realized<br />
arrangements and recordings stand head and shoulders<br />
above most unreleased 1968 stuff you run across these<br />
days; if released at the time it would have been a<br />
classic. Atmospheric, understated vocals, wideranging<br />
use of keyboard, and excellent jazzy<br />
percussion all create a delightful trip for purveyors<br />
of sophisticated late 60s sounds. Not that far<br />
removed from classic high IQ American albums such as<br />
the second Fallen Angels or Freeborne, with a bit of<br />
Lothar & the Hand People college student avantgardism<br />
sprinkled on top. The second half of side 1 is<br />
particularly good, with a couple of psychedelic<br />
tracks that are truly outstanding. The refined<br />
atmosphere may be offputting for those in search of<br />
garage or hardrock type experiences, but a playful<br />
60s mood and strong songwriting keeps the dread UK<br />
prog-rock unicorns at bay. My only real objection is<br />
the somewhat short playtime. Released alongside<br />
Fingletoad, so Shadoks were definitely on a roll at<br />
this point. [PL]
CY TIMMONS (Atlanta, GA)<br />
"Cy Timmons" 197 (Erewhon no #)<br />
This isn’t any kind of loner folk record. It’s pure<br />
lounge/night club non-rock. This is the kind of guy<br />
who would be perfectly at home singing “Feelings”. Cy<br />
has one of those smooth voices that shows practice<br />
and polish but not soul or even natural skill. This<br />
isn’t something like Rick Saucedo’s venture into<br />
rock. It’s not music I could imagine appealing to<br />
fans of folk, rock, or even the softest soft rock.<br />
It’s collectable because it’s a private press,<br />
period. What’s next, hype for high school marching<br />
band records? Given what it is, by the way, it’s not<br />
awful, but he’s certainly no Tom Jones. Some copies<br />
of this debut came without sleeve. [AM]<br />
"The World's Greatest Unknown" 1976 (Erewhon 1001)<br />
Little-known singer/songwriter guy in the jazzy Neil<br />
Diamond nightclub direction. First LP is with band<br />
and smooth brass; second LP is acoustic solo and has<br />
been put down, despite the high going rate.<br />
TIMMOTHY (Bay City, MI)<br />
"Strange But True" 1972 (Pear LX 502/503) [300p]<br />
"Strange But True" 2001 (Rockadelic rfr 001) [300p; +1 track]<br />
TIN PENNY (NY)<br />
Post-Blues Company rural hippie folkrock LP with a<br />
bluesy undercurrent. Notable Neil Young influence on<br />
an album that's not at all as strange or eccentric as<br />
made out to be, could have been a major label item.<br />
Excellent opening track is a rather clever marriage<br />
of "Down By The River" and "Wooden Ships". The rest<br />
shows Timmothy trying out various loner folk and<br />
swampy folkblues moves, although the songwriting<br />
tends to be somewhat lacking and the personality<br />
isn't arresting enough to compensate. If you're in<br />
the right late-night mood this may sound quite<br />
atmospheric, at other times the two-chord drone and<br />
lack of hooks may annoy. Not a great album to my ears<br />
but should appeal to genre fans, and clearly better<br />
than LPs such as Geoffrey and Georgie Leonard. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Stark-sounding singer/songwriter album with a very<br />
obvious Neil Young fixation. I think it's best when<br />
it's at its most electric, but even the mellow stuff<br />
is better than most in the genre. The album has a<br />
deep, personal feel to it and it will connect with<br />
the right listener. [AM]<br />
"Cycles" 1971 (Silver Crest Custom 112771)<br />
Upstate collegians, basement prog moves with horns<br />
and deep thoughts. On the same custom label as<br />
Collective Tools.
TINO & THE REVLONS (Detroit, MI)<br />
"By Request At The Swayzee" 1966 (Dearborn 1004)<br />
Popular Detroit area band does fratrock & teenbeat on<br />
this rarely seen LP, in color cover with band pic and<br />
cartoon go-go girls.<br />
BRENT TITCOMB (Vancouver, Canada)<br />
"Brent Titcomb" 1977 (Manohar mr-100)<br />
Long time Canadian folkie (he was in 3’s A Crowd)<br />
finally got around to making a solo album after the<br />
genre practically disappeared. The result is an<br />
interesting piece somewhat lost in time, with some<br />
eastern influence and an almost evil post-hippie feel<br />
to it. Strong songwriting and Titcomb’s deep voice<br />
make for a distinctive album. Only one song has a<br />
particularly psychedelic feel to it, but the album<br />
should appeal to fans of loner folk or moodier folkrock.<br />
Titcomb went on to release three more LPs. [AM]<br />
TITUS & ROSS (Marion, IN)<br />
"Titus And Ross" 1970 (no label)<br />
TITUS OATES (TX)<br />
Melodic folk duo with acoustic/electric guitar, bass,<br />
recorder and percussion and some fuzz guitar on<br />
"Cycle Thing".<br />
"Jungle Lady" 1974 (Lips 003) [1st version; blue gatefold<br />
cover] [circa 1400p]<br />
"Jungle Lady" 1975 (Lips no #) [2nd remixed version; red label<br />
and plain cover] [300p]<br />
"Jungle Lady" 198 (Hablabel, Italy)<br />
"Jungle Lady" 2004 (CD Radioactive 0026, UK) [defective<br />
mastering]<br />
Pro-sounding melodic 1970s rock with AOR and<br />
funky/proggy nightclub moves. Double (sometimes<br />
triple) crystalline guitar leads and snappy<br />
performances all around make for an attractive sound,<br />
with female vocals on one track. Keyboard and sax<br />
here and there are appropriate to the mid-70s style,<br />
while the upscale production gives all members a<br />
chance to shine. At best a fully-realized vintage<br />
westcoast trip, as heard on "Blanket", but ultimately<br />
there is too little that stands out and it's<br />
unfortunate the lady didn't get more songs to sing.<br />
Initial response to this was mixed due to its slick,<br />
non-basement nature but over time it has gained a<br />
fair share of fans, although it's not for everyone.<br />
Would make a good double bill with Corpus, although<br />
personally I think T-Kail is a better LP in a similar<br />
style. The 1975 remix was previously believed to be a<br />
test/demo press, but is in fact a later version,
T-KAIL (MN)<br />
remixed in Nashville. On this later version "Dream on<br />
a train" features a solo female vocal rather than a<br />
duet. The band also had a 45 (Lips 001). The<br />
Radioactive CD has a digital skip on track #6. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
A lot of this album is very mainstream 70s AOR, but<br />
more so on the initial listen than after you get used<br />
to it and start to pay attention. There are 70s<br />
clichés throughout, especially when they flirt with<br />
jazz and funk, and the string synthesizers and phase<br />
shifters scream out that it's a cheap production<br />
trying to sound like big budget AM radio fare. The<br />
two ballads are really schlocky, and the singing is<br />
bland in a way that characterizes bands who<br />
desperately wanted to be signed by major labels but<br />
just didn't have what it took. Female vocals on one<br />
song help a bit. She doesn't have much personality<br />
either, but at least her voice is pretty. Too bad the<br />
song is one of the ballads. Some cool angular guitar<br />
parts can be found on a bunch of songs here, though<br />
the riffs all pretty much sound the same. Almost all<br />
of the songs are more interesting during the solos<br />
than during the verses and choruses. At its best this<br />
has slight similarities to bands like Snakegrinder,<br />
who mixed the styles of the 60s west coast and the<br />
mainstream 70s more convincingly than this. Best<br />
songs: "Blanket," which has not only more lead guitar<br />
than anything else here but also some cool congas,<br />
and "Friend of Life," which overcomes out of tune<br />
harmonies with some nice riffing and an intense<br />
buildup. Half of me (the half that houses my brain)<br />
says this is the kind of thing collectors desperately<br />
try to convince themselves is unique and different so<br />
they can justify their purchase, but the other half<br />
says it's an enjoyable AOR record with enough quirks<br />
to make it kinda fun. It grew on me. [AM]<br />
"Somewhere Sometime" 1980 (Jade no #)<br />
Remarkable trip in time back to the late 1960s femmevox<br />
hippierock sound from this mystery band. Opening<br />
track in particular is a dead ringer for the fuzzed<br />
teen chick Yankee Dollar-Fear Itself style, while<br />
subsequent tracks show 1970s influences creeping in,<br />
both in terms of ambitious playing and arrangements,<br />
as well as an overall nightclub/singles bar<br />
atmosphere that I like. Sounds like it might be a pro<br />
loungerock band who wisely filled their sole chance<br />
at vinyl with originals rather than "Macarthur Park"<br />
and "Hair" medleys. Playing is very tight and both<br />
the gal and guys sing well. Unfortunately a<br />
completely misplaced disco track in the middle of<br />
side 2 breaks the spell a bit, but this is still one<br />
of the top 10 local psych-influenced LPs from the
1980s that I've heard. Recommended especially to fans<br />
of Titus Oates and the rocking stuff on Galaxy.<br />
Sleeve artwork utilizes the same Escher "stairs"<br />
design as Mandrake Memorial's "Puzzle", which is<br />
obviously a good sign. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
After Bobb Trimble's work, this is the best 80s psych<br />
album. In fact, at least for side one I'd go out on a<br />
limb and rank it the very best co-ed San Franciscostyle<br />
psych album, regardless of era. In the<br />
tradition of the best latter day psych, it clearly is<br />
influenced by the golden age of West Coast music, but<br />
sounds completely of its time as well. This is no<br />
simple throwback or derivative work; it's a wholly<br />
unique and distinctive album that combines a very<br />
wide and unlikely set of influences in creative and<br />
wonderful ways. The album's biggest criticism has<br />
come from the inclusion of a straight disco song on<br />
side two. The song is unlikely to appeal to the same<br />
audience as the garage-styled opener "Peace of Mind,"<br />
but in the context of the album, which flows from<br />
song to song, showing subtle shifts in style, it<br />
actually makes perfect sense. Similarly, neither the<br />
new wave-styled synthesizer on the title track or the<br />
long jazz-funk instrumental opening on the final song<br />
sound out of place. There seems to be no attempt at<br />
attracting any particular type of audience here: no<br />
artifice, no pandering. It's a wonderful album.<br />
Highest among the many pleasures is the absolutely<br />
stunning title track, which benefits from a chillinducing<br />
vocal from Kathy Bass. The long guitar solo<br />
on "Bye Bye" is also a winner, in the best tradition<br />
of Quicksilver Messenger Service or Tripsichord Music<br />
Box. This is also one of the very few albums of this<br />
style where the male and female vocals coexist<br />
without stepping on each other's toes. If you can<br />
live with the disco tune, this is very highly<br />
recommended. The band is quite mysterious (no photos<br />
on the album cover) and sadly appear to have made no<br />
further recordings. Great Escher cover art. [AM]<br />
TOADS (Lawrenceville, NJ)<br />
"Toads" 1964 (K R Wight & Associates 64-021)<br />
Lawrenceville prep school instros and surf with a<br />
couple of members formerly in Davy & the Badmen,<br />
reportedly with some good tracks for genre fans.<br />
Typical period covers of "Baja", "You can't sit<br />
down", "Sleepwalk", "Penetration" etc, and one or two<br />
originals.<br />
TOGETHER (East Orange, NJ)
"Together" 1969 (Ransom Recording no#) [plain cover with<br />
stamped title]<br />
Folk blues, homemade sound. Ex-Hermon Knights.<br />
V.A "TOGETHER SOUND OF LEHIGH VALLEY" (PA)<br />
"Together Sound Of Lehigh Valley" 1971 (Red Barn 83071)<br />
Well-regarded local PA sampler which has supplied one<br />
primitive fuzz-psych track by Bitter End to a comp<br />
and has 3-4 more good moody basement tracks worth<br />
hearing. A bit later in the game than most LPs in the<br />
genre, with 1970s rural rock/AOR elements creeping<br />
in. About half is covers, including Neil Young, Three<br />
Dog Night and (yep) Ringo Starr. [PL]<br />
V.A "TOGETHER SOUND OF READING" (Reading, PA)<br />
"Together Sound Of Reading" 1970 (Airport 70870)<br />
TONGUE (WI)<br />
Mixed bag of post-garage and soul moves, with covers<br />
of Creedence, Chicago, "People get ready", "96<br />
tears" (!). For regional completists mainly, with<br />
only 9 cuts.<br />
"Keep On Truckin'" 1972 (Hemisphere 101)<br />
"Keep On Truckin'" 2004 (Comet GFC 418, Italy)<br />
"Keep On Truckin'" 2004 (CD Gear Fab 151)<br />
This odd mix of hard rock and rural folk-rock is on<br />
the same label as Clicker and Yancy Derringer. It has<br />
a few hot hard rocking moments to it, and<br />
uncompromising stuff like "Get Your Shit Together."<br />
Their cover of "Morning Dew" is based on Bonnie<br />
Dobson's mellow version, not the common and more<br />
rocking Tim Rose version. The album is uneven and<br />
rather sloppy, but it's interesting straight through.<br />
[AM]<br />
TOOL SHED (New York City, NY)<br />
"Skyscape Music" 1971 (RPC 19291) [500p]<br />
"Skyscape Music" 199 (no label, Austria) [300p; altered<br />
cover]<br />
Desoriented urban college dorm hippie-folk album with
TOO SMOOTH ( )<br />
some good and strange tracks like "Angels in her<br />
walk" that go deep, and a pretty interesting LP all<br />
over. Actually a various artists college project LP<br />
from NYC but usually referred to only as "Tool Shed".<br />
[PL]<br />
"Too Smooth" 1976 (Tiger Lily)<br />
Southern rock with heavy guitar, one of the rarest on<br />
this notorious tax-scam label.<br />
TOP DRAWER (Mansfield, OH)<br />
"Solid Oak" 1972 (Wishbon 721207)<br />
"Solid Oak" 1984 (Wishbon/Resurrection)<br />
"Solid Oak" 199 (CD Austria)<br />
"Solid Oak" 2002 (CD Psychosound)<br />
"Solid Oak" 2004 (CD Red Lounge)<br />
Long time legend which opens with a tremendous<br />
introspective moody psycher, rest of the LP is more<br />
typical rural hard rock with 1960s remnants.<br />
Appealing, non-operatic teenage vocals, tough<br />
stripped down sound with organ and strong guitar<br />
leads not unlike Headstone (OH), plus some cool<br />
lyrics. The LP is very unassuming in its nature,<br />
which means that some songs and/or takes seem<br />
unfinished, which adds to the overall realness of the<br />
Top Drawer trip but may offend those looking for Led<br />
Zeppelin type professionalism. One of my personal<br />
favorites in the style, simply because it avoids<br />
being slick, macho, bone-head, phony or<br />
commercialized; a snapshot of a local stoner band<br />
without any posturing. Mandatory for 70s basement<br />
hard rock fans, with a wider appeal in that long<br />
first track. The band was long believed to be from<br />
Kentucky, but came from Ohio. The 1984 "second press"<br />
is unmarked but can be identified as a Resurrection<br />
label job by the 'CX' prefix in the dead wax. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This starts out well, with the long “Song of A<br />
Sinner,” which mixes moody keyboards with equally<br />
moody lead guitar blasts. The rest of the album is<br />
more upbeat, more standard rock (not “hard” rock, as<br />
it’s usually described), and less interesting. The<br />
guitar solos are uninspired (except for the fun spazz<br />
attack solo on “Lies”) and many of the songs drag on<br />
about twice as long as they should. The vocals range<br />
from competent to awful. A lot of the melodies are of<br />
the “let’s just follow the chord progression” type,<br />
which makes for some really tedious listening. Much<br />
of this album is pretty bad (the ballad “Sweet<br />
Memories” is painfully so), but every once in a while<br />
something unexpectedly hits the spot. For example,<br />
“Baker’s Boogie” is standard boogie rock, with<br />
mediocre guitar playing and lousy singing, but has a<br />
wacky recurring organ pattern that’s just wonderful,<br />
and lyrics about “panties of lace” that are<br />
delightfully dumb. It’s not a good song by any means,<br />
but that organ part just drills its way into my<br />
head... The horns on “Messed Up” are surprisingly
TOPPER ( )<br />
effective. Other than the first song, this is closer<br />
to a real people album than a real rock album. Some<br />
of you will like it a lot. You know who you are. [AM]<br />
"At Last" 1977 (Scot t-9548)<br />
This one may annoy a lot of people, but I love it.<br />
It’s synth-heavy 70s prog with a mild heavy tone,<br />
much more about hooks, melodies and creative use of<br />
Moog than about virtuoso instrumentation. The synths<br />
are inventive and intense, and the instrumental bits<br />
are carefully composed. There’s nothing offhand or<br />
boring about this album. The vocalist falls somewhere<br />
between 60s hard rock and 60s soul, and somehow fits<br />
this mix perfectly. All of these elements could add<br />
up to real dreck, especially on the song with a<br />
strong disco/funk feel, but somehow it works. The<br />
last few songs flirt with heavy metal-style<br />
devilishness, including electronically altered<br />
vocals, but there’s a surprising mildness to this<br />
music. The guitars are relatively sparse and<br />
tastefully low-key (no distortion on the rhythm<br />
guitars.) One song rips off “Stairway To Heaven,”<br />
something Led Zeppelin deserves for all of their own<br />
thievery, and adds mellotron to wonderful dramatic<br />
effect. This really doesn’t sound like anything else<br />
I know, and maybe there aren’t a whole lot of people<br />
out there who will react to it as positively as I do,<br />
but I sure can’t stop playing it. [AM]<br />
V.A "TOP TEEN BANDS" (MN)<br />
"Top Teen Bands, vol 1" 1966 (Budjet 311)<br />
"Top Teen Bands, vol 2" 1966 (Budjet 312)<br />
"Top Teen Bands, vol 3" 1966 (Budjet 313)<br />
TOR-KAYS ( )<br />
Quickie series of local Minnesota acts with some neat<br />
frat and garage tracks. Vol 1 has lots of local Minn<br />
legends like the Muleskinners, the Avanties, the<br />
Underbeats, the Kan-Dells and the Deacons. Vol 2 has<br />
some of the same acts, adding the Novas and some girl<br />
group and blues outfits. Vol 3 again features familar<br />
names, with more focus on teen-beat/garage. As<br />
collections of local mid-60s sounds, these aren't bad<br />
at all, especially for those who enjoy the classic<br />
beer-soaked sounds of pre-acid Twin Cities. Most, or<br />
all, of the tracks also came out on 45s. All three<br />
LPs were reissued on vinyl some years back.<br />
"Tor-Kays" 1967 (Wild Enterprises WE 1003)<br />
Sleeveless LP of local unknowns doing mostly blueeyed<br />
soul covers, indicating an Eastcoast origin.
TORMENTORS (CA)<br />
TORO ( )<br />
"Hanging 'Round" 1967 (Royal 111) [mono]<br />
"Hanging 'Round" 1967 (Royal s-111) [stereo]<br />
"Hanging 'Round" 1984 (Eva 12055, France)<br />
Rare but disappointing LP in various mid-1960s<br />
styles, ranging from pre-Invasion crooner pop to<br />
moody folkrock. Sounds like they came out of a square<br />
lounge/club circuit a la Jack Bedient & the Chessmen,<br />
with the sound only partially updated. The Roy<br />
Orbison/Neil Sedaka stuff makes up at least 1/3rd of<br />
the album and some of it is awful, with weak<br />
songwriting and mumbling vocals. There's a Beau<br />
Brummels cover, but otherwise originals from what I<br />
can tell. I counted two good tracks on each side,<br />
with the moody folk introspection of "Childhood<br />
memories" and the swell teenbeat of "Cause you don't<br />
love me" the best; the latter also came out on 45 as<br />
by the Odds & Ends. There's some fuzz where you least<br />
expect it, a muzak instro, and the LP as a whole has<br />
a strangely disjointed feel with a lot of seldom<br />
touched bases covered, while all the usual stuff such<br />
as the Stones and blue-eyed soul is missing. Could be<br />
hyped and probably has been, especially in light of<br />
the excellent cover artwork, but in actuality nothing<br />
to write home about. The band had a couple of 45s as<br />
well. [PL]<br />
"Toro" 1975 (Coco clp-106)<br />
Hispanic group with cool Santana sound heavy guitar<br />
rock (great leads) and latin groove on the melodic<br />
cuts.<br />
TORQUES (Phillips Academy, Andover, MA)<br />
"Zoom" 1964 (Wright & Associates 64-01)<br />
TORQUES (KY)<br />
Obscure one from the famous Andover prep school. The<br />
LP which utilizes a vast number of "clappers" has one<br />
original ballad plus covers including "Surfin' Bird".<br />
Possible George W Bush involvement, at least he was<br />
there at the time!
"Live" 1967 (Lemco 604)<br />
TOTENTANZ (Canada)<br />
Different group from the prep-rockers. Garage, frat &<br />
soul, half with good fuzz. Several band originals<br />
mixed with covers of the Rascals, Raiders, James<br />
Brown, etc. Recorded on New Year's Eve 1966.<br />
"Totentanz" 1972 (no label)<br />
TOTTY (Tulsa, OK)<br />
Obscure LP of minimalist electronic experimental with<br />
a spooky vibe.<br />
"Totty" 1977 (no label bt-205) [demo press; 50p; plain cover<br />
with sticker; lyric sheet; promo photos]<br />
"Totty" 1977 (Our First 205) [color cover; insert]<br />
"Totty" 2004 (CD Radioactive, UK)<br />
Christian powertrio hardrock out of Tulsa with some<br />
psych and prog flashes not unlike Truth & Janey.<br />
Incessant guitar riffing and soloing throughout,<br />
superb bass playing, only weak spot are the vocals<br />
which almost drown in the music. A few weaker<br />
barrockers, but 3-4 extended killer blowouts make<br />
this an essential item for local 70s hardrock fans.<br />
The closing 8-minute "Somebody help me" is about as<br />
good as it gets for me. The band also had a lesser LP<br />
"Too" in 1981 (Our First ofr-02). [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Interesting Xian hard rock album with mild jazzy<br />
touches to it. It’s not as in-your-face heavy and<br />
riffy as the best albums in the genre, but the songs<br />
are well-written and it does have its share of hooks.<br />
The lyrics are pretty interesting and sophisticated,<br />
not your usual Christian blandness. The guitar<br />
playing is pretty strong throughout. [AM]<br />
TOUCH (St Louis, MO)<br />
"Street Suite" 1969 (Mainline 2001) [gatefold; bonus 45s;<br />
100p]<br />
"Street Suite" 199 (Mainline) [bootleg]<br />
"Street Suite" 199 (CD Renaissance)<br />
"Street Suite" 1997 (Gear Fab 105)<br />
"Street Suite" 1997 (CD Gear Fab 105) [+9 tracks]
Local LP in a late hippierock mode, caught in the<br />
transition from flower power to counterculture<br />
"Volunteers"/"Kick out the jams" revolutionary<br />
attitudes. Cool female vocals, a bit bluesy in parts<br />
but also some no-nonsense westcoast rockers. Hardly a<br />
mindblower, but with a pretty high "artefact" value.<br />
Great lyrics like "You gotta get it on/With a gun in<br />
your pocket/And a capsule in your hand" - it must<br />
have been tough being the only hippies in St Louis<br />
back then. No relation to any other Touch. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Bluesy psych-rock with an underutilized female singer<br />
and plenty of clichés. Lyrically, it definitely<br />
skates on the violent revolutionary edge of<br />
hippiedom, but in a rather awkward way. The bleak<br />
production is pretty powerful, but this isn’t a very<br />
good album. A couple of country-style songs don’t<br />
help. The CD includes some odd bonus tracks,<br />
including some 80s synth-rock by band member Ray<br />
Schulte and a 70s song with a pre-Pavlov’s Dog David<br />
Surkamp on vocals. [AM]<br />
TOUCH (Portland, OR)<br />
"20/20 Sound" 1969 (Coliseum ds-51004) [gatefold; poster]<br />
"20/20 Sound" 1993 (CD Renaissance rcd-1001) [+2 tracks]<br />
TOUCH (OH)<br />
Unique experimental album that anticipates prog. Long<br />
songs that rarely stick to any one theme or a<br />
verse/chorus structure are highly creative and<br />
somwehat erratic. Two are total killers, though.<br />
"Down At Circe's Place" starts with a killer piano<br />
hook and overlays all kinds of noise on it...<br />
irresistibly catchy! The epic closing "Seventy-Five"<br />
is a masterpiece, building slowly to an amazing peak,<br />
and featuring high male vocals that rival Tim Buckley<br />
at his most exciting. This is better on LP where the<br />
song runs into the groove at the end of the album<br />
side. Also, the CD is compressed and takes away from<br />
the ear-piercing peaks of sound on both of these<br />
great songs. Sometimes it's better not to follow the<br />
rules, and they understood that concept completely.<br />
Not a great album all the way through, but the good<br />
parts are unlike anything else I know. There is a UK<br />
pressing on Deram that sells for bigger $$ than the<br />
easy to find US pressing. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Stepson<br />
"Touch" 1980 (Jewel)<br />
TOUCHSTONE (VA)<br />
Local hardrock, includes cover of "Wizard" by<br />
Charlee.<br />
"Runes" 1978 (Jericho 1260)<br />
Folk with a dreamy feel, female vocals on one song.
Pleasant but not a real standout of the style. They<br />
released a second album as Eric and Kathryn Cowan,<br />
entitled "Long Through Time", in 1983 on cassette<br />
tape only. It's mostly in a jazzy soft rock/ballad<br />
mode with unappealing 80s-sounding production, but<br />
the closing "Mystical Journey" has a nice acid folk<br />
feel to it that makes it much more interesting than<br />
the rest of the album. This time around, the vocals<br />
have a pretty even male/female split. [AM]<br />
TOWER (New York City, NY)<br />
"The Tower" 1973 (Other World 1001)<br />
Post-nuclear holocaust story with audio collage of<br />
electronics, musique concrete, synthesized speech,<br />
and all sorts of sound effects. Sounds like the<br />
Dreamies doing the music for a Stephen King audio<br />
book!<br />
TOY FACTORY (Canada)<br />
"Toy Factory" 1969 (Avco ave-33013)<br />
Poppy studio lounge psych mixed group that's<br />
beginning to attract some attention. The male lead<br />
has a very feminine sounding voice. Mostly originals,<br />
and a far out "Summertime" cover.<br />
TRACKS (New England)<br />
"Tracks 69/74" 1974 (Tracks SBT 1) [3 LP box-set; booklet]<br />
TRANCE-FORM ( )<br />
Three LP box-set rounding up a stack of recordings<br />
from band in a progrock direction with a jammy live<br />
feel, guitar-leads, organ. Band leader Russell<br />
Pinkston later became a noted researcher on<br />
computer/music interfaces.<br />
"Stranger In The Same Land" 197 (Hyde & Zeke) [insert]<br />
Genesis-style progressives.<br />
TRAVELER'S AID (San Bernardino, CA)<br />
"Corduroy Roads" 1970 (Rock 9001) [blank back; 100p]<br />
"Corduroy Roads" 2000 (World In Sound rfr-05, Germany)<br />
[insert]<br />
Rural rocking sounds with growling vocals and a<br />
rootsy sort of Creedence vibe - neither psych nor<br />
hardrock, more like an ambitious bar band. A title<br />
like "Rock'n'roll is spoken here" says it all. Real<br />
Americana sounds on a consistent level with a couple
TRAVIS (MI)<br />
of standout tracks and an appealing<br />
unpretentiousness, but not really my bag; songwriting<br />
doesn't impress (the "Hair" musical cover even less<br />
so) and the sub-Fogerty vocals seem one-note after a<br />
while. The droney "Making tracks" is the only cut I<br />
really like. Others rate this highly, and it's a<br />
pricey one when offered. The group is actually San<br />
Bernardino punksters the Torquays in a later<br />
incarnation and includes a version of "Harmonica man"<br />
appropriately replacing the London reference with<br />
Nashville. The miniscule press size has been reported<br />
by the band. They came back again with an oldies LP<br />
under another name in 1976, including alternate<br />
versions of two tracks from this LP. [PL]<br />
"To Be As Free As You" 1975 (Unity 001)<br />
TREE (Kalona, IA)<br />
Harmony vocal rural rock trio with jammy westcoast<br />
sound in a mellow Deadish vein.<br />
"Tree" 1972 (Goat Farm)<br />
The opening track here is: "Dedley Medley (including:<br />
Separate Ways, Oh Well, Captain Bobby Stout, Cranny<br />
Crow, Rattlesnake Jam, Mellowdown Easy, All Join<br />
In)", it is the first of three songs on side one and,<br />
given its title, surprisingly short at about four<br />
minutes. It involves what sounds like about eight to<br />
a dozen people pounding on various percussion and<br />
singing hard-to-decipher lines until "Mellow down<br />
easy...." gets repeated a few times and you find that<br />
you're farther along than you imagined you'd be.<br />
"Directly From My Heart" gets more coherent and<br />
sounds more like a standard band with a good bassist<br />
and drummer and an organ player/vocalist who tries to<br />
be Al Kooper with mixed results on both fronts. The<br />
first side ends with "Down the Rabbit Hole" and a<br />
return to more free jazz moves as a trumpet player<br />
and organist trade licks while the bassist plays<br />
walking bass runs behind them. As psychedelic rock,<br />
it just isn't, and as free (or modestly priced) jazz,<br />
it falls pretty far from the interesting bush. Put<br />
this in a historical context and it probably would<br />
have seemed incredibly cool for a bunch of hippies on<br />
a farm in Iowa to jam like Miles Davis' way less<br />
talented 3rd cousin. Not totally horrible, just<br />
horribly unnecessary. Side two also has three tracks:<br />
"Blue Cheese Gospel" is a stoned cross between a<br />
crazed evangelist and James Brown. If you can imagine<br />
a bunch of stoned hippies sitting around trying to<br />
improvise to that idea you can also imagine why you<br />
don't need to hear this. "Mind Spirit-Body Train" is<br />
a percussion/organ jam with female vocals that most<br />
closely resemble Yoko Ono's vocals on "Don't Worry<br />
Kyoko". And I don't mean that in a good way. The LP<br />
closes with the strongest cut, "Moonlight Couples<br />
Only" which gets closer to a "Jack Johnson" era Miles<br />
Davis sound than anything else. A repetitive bass<br />
pattern anchors the track, as a guitar and trumpet
TREE PEOPLE ( )<br />
play off each other and the drummer colors in the<br />
empty spaces. It never plays with dynamics like Miles<br />
and John McLaughlin did, but it makes me wish they'd<br />
recorded the entire performance (it's a live track).<br />
[SD]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Iowa Ear Music<br />
"Tree People" 1979 (no label)<br />
TREES (NY)<br />
Flowing guitar & flute hippie folk with a rural<br />
British downer vibe, some instrumental tracks a la<br />
Modality Stew.<br />
"The Christ Tree" 1975 (Pomegranate 001) [lyrics insert]<br />
RYAN TREVOR ( )<br />
Quite extraordinary religious progressive folk album<br />
that moves across time and space in a C.O.B-like<br />
manner yet never misses the beat. Dominated by three<br />
extended mindblowers that bring in deep Search Party<br />
brooding, Indian and Japanese instruments, advanced<br />
choral experiments, bells, gongs, hippie commune<br />
vibes, you name it; the shorter tracks are less<br />
eclectic and more traditionally catholic-liturgical.<br />
The constant motion from a good idea to an even<br />
better idea reminds me of the first Perth County<br />
Conspiracy album, if you imagine that one being about<br />
Christ instead of Shakespeare. A deeply spiritual<br />
feel emerges, yet the massive influx of ideas spells<br />
pure psychedelia for acidhead seekers. On the IQ<br />
scale this one's way up there. Personal fave,<br />
recommended to fans of Search Party, Extradition,<br />
Book Of Am and similar monastery head trips. The band<br />
was based in NYC but travelled a lot and had a second<br />
base in New Mexico. [PL]<br />
"Introducing" 1977 (Ryan Songs rf-1)<br />
Acoustic-based psychy folkrock with electric leads<br />
and some synth.<br />
VIC TRIGGER BAND ( )<br />
"Electronic Wizard" 1977 (Sanctuary 12103)<br />
TRILOGY (FL)<br />
Hard prog-rock with long wah-wah and fuzz excursions.<br />
There was also a self-titled mini-LP in 1983 on<br />
Sanctuary.
"Two Sides" 197 (Strange Productions 101)<br />
Early 1970s lounge band with female vocals and bossa<br />
nova moves, includes an Emerson Lake & Palmer cover.<br />
Highly rated among genre fans, others may be less<br />
impressed.<br />
BOBB TRIMBLE (Worcester, MA)<br />
"Iron Curtain Innocence" 1980 (Vengeance no #)<br />
Locked in a timeless world of bittersweet<br />
folkpsychedelia, Bobb recorded this first ultraobscure<br />
LP at a time when absolutely noone made psych<br />
LPs. Hits roughly the same spot as his more wellknown<br />
2nd LP with three awesome tracks at the outset<br />
and other winners scattered about; a couple of weaker<br />
moments but all over a brilliant LP - blows almost<br />
all 60s psych LPs away. Side 1 is Bobb in 1980 with<br />
studio band the Violent Reactions, side 2 features a<br />
somewhat sparser sound, recorded in 1978. A rare 45<br />
was pulled from this LP. Most of it is reissued on<br />
the 1995 CD below, unfortunately two very good tracks<br />
on side 2 were omitted. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Most people's introduction to the world of Bobb<br />
Trimble is via the CD, which starts with the amazing<br />
first three songs from this album. Those three songs<br />
are as good as anything; Trimble's music is an<br />
utterly unique blend of melodic songwriting, gorgeous<br />
high vocals, overwhelmingly echoey and warbly<br />
production, synthesized guitar and fuzz guitar, and<br />
it's mesmerizing and life-changing. Side two was<br />
recorded a few years earlier and is simpler in terms<br />
of production, but the songwriting is equally good.<br />
Over the years it has become apparent that this album<br />
has aged very well and is every bit as good as the<br />
more heralded second album. Trimble's music is<br />
utterly timeless, utterly distinctive, and utterly<br />
beautiful. [AM]<br />
"Harvest Of Dreams" 1982 (Bobb no #)<br />
"Jupiter Transmission" 1995 (CD Parallel World)<br />
Rated by most as the best psych LP of the 1980s. One<br />
of those obscurities (like Golden Dawn) that blows<br />
even non-psych fans away. Rooted in a '67-68<br />
"Strawberry Fields"-type deep acid psych sound with<br />
tapestries of acoustic guitars, multilayered vocals<br />
and halfburied sound effects, the total impact is<br />
like walking around in one of Bobb's dreams.<br />
Melancholic, moving but also hopeful - an essential<br />
experience. As with the debut, a very rare 45 was<br />
released. The CD reissue includes the entire LP,<br />
except for an atypical number sung by "the kids".<br />
There is also an LP "Life Beyond The Doghouse" with<br />
later recordings from Bobb (Orpheus, 2002) [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
"Harvest" is equally as good as the debut, but has<br />
the edge for many because it packs such a powerful
and mysterious emotional punch. Those who know the<br />
majority of the album's songs from the CD will be<br />
surprised to find a brief punk song and two and a<br />
half minutes of silence on the album, but once you're<br />
used to them they make perfect sense and add<br />
immeasurably to the depth of the record. It's notable<br />
that amidst all of the despair here, both sides open<br />
with the most joyous songs you'll ever hear. Everyone<br />
reading this needs to hear both Trimble albums. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
TRIPSICHORD MUSIC BOX (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Tripsichord Music Box" 1970 (San Francisco Sound T4A-12700)<br />
[1st version; red label; plain cover with stickers]<br />
"Tripsichord Music Box" 1971 (Janus 3016) [2nd version;<br />
altered cover; brown label]<br />
"Tripsichord Music Box" 198 (no label) [white label bootleg]<br />
"Tripsichord Music Box" 199 (no label, Italy) [green vinyl]<br />
"Tripsichord Music Box" 199 (CD Eva, France)<br />
"Tripsichord Music Box" 199 (CD San Francisco Sound)<br />
"Tripsichord Music Box" 2000 (Akarma 077, Italy) [2LPs;<br />
gatefold; bonus tracks]<br />
"Tripsichord Music Box" 2000 (CD Akarma 077, Italy) [+bonus]<br />
To me one of the best LPs ever out of the westcoast,<br />
hits that awesome Fillmore live feel rarely found on<br />
studio LPs. Except for the unsuccessful boogie of<br />
"Short order steward" this kills from start to<br />
finish. Rather than describing this major classic I<br />
urge any newcomers to get it with no further delay.<br />
The band was originally from LA and known as Now (who<br />
did a 45), then moved to SF when Matthew Katz' eyes<br />
fell upon them. An early 1970s Christian LP "Sons of<br />
Mosiah" features one ex-member playing acoustic<br />
versions of a couple of Tripsichord tracks. The<br />
earliest version of the LP was possibly pressed only<br />
as a demo, and only a couple of copies have been<br />
found. It comes in a completely different cover than<br />
the familiar Janus "fairytale" design. It's been<br />
suggested that the somewhat lo-fi Janus pressing was<br />
mastered from this earlier vinyl demo, rather than<br />
from actual tapes. Two label variations exist of the<br />
Janus pressing, one with a "San Francisco Sound"<br />
logo, the other with only Janus logo. The 1980s<br />
bootleg is sometimes sold as an original, but there<br />
were no white label originals. The beautiful Akarma<br />
reissue has all their recordings including the "Fifth<br />
Pipe Dream" tracks and non-LP 45; very nice job. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Other than the terrible blues-rock song "Short Order<br />
Steward," this is a completely solid SF album, with<br />
well-written, concise songs, evocative lyrics,<br />
creative guitar playing and appealing vocals. It<br />
rocks reasonably hard in spots, but has a folky moody<br />
feel to it as well. For some reason, people either<br />
seem to think of this album as generic or as the best<br />
of the genre. Usually the truth is somewhere in<br />
between, but in my opinion this really is one of the
est, and I have a hard time understanding why it<br />
isn't apparent to everyone who hears it. Maybe the<br />
best moments here aren't as exciting as those by the<br />
better known bands from the scene, but the songs are<br />
great, and this album is free of the excesses, ego<br />
trips, and recording studio discomfort of The Dead,<br />
Quicksilver and the Airplane. The singing is better<br />
than any of those bands, too. Highly recommended.<br />
[AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> "Fifth Pipe Dream"<br />
TRIZO-50 (Kansas City, MO)<br />
"Trizo-50" 1974 (Cavern Custom 740142) [100p]<br />
"Trizo-50" 2003 (World In Sound 21, Germany) [+bonus tracks]<br />
"Trizo-50" 2003 (CD World In Sound 1021, Germany) [+bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
TROLL (Chicago, IL)<br />
Demo LP recorded in KC, this was a later incarnation<br />
of Phantasia with a different and more glamrockinfluenced<br />
sound. Some tracks appear on the "A<br />
Psychedelic" Phantasia sampler from the early 90s.<br />
There's a large number of unreleased recordings,<br />
although the WIS reissue takes care of many of these.<br />
Some people seem to like this but to my ears it's a<br />
let-down after the awe-inspiring, dynamic creativity<br />
of Phantasia. The recording quality is also a lot<br />
less impressive here. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Walkenhorst Brothers<br />
"Animated Music" 1968 (Smash srs-67114) [insert; ylp exists]<br />
"Animated Music" 1997 (CD Flashback 010)<br />
"Animated Music" 2005 (Radioactive 064, UK)<br />
"Animated Music" 2005 (CD Radioactive 064, UK)<br />
Interesting Sgt Pepperish bag of tricks from Chicago<br />
band who had some non-LP 45s as well. Opens with<br />
somewhat atypical raw fuzzrocker with growling<br />
vocals, while "Mr Abernathy" zooms you right into the<br />
expected Brit-style pop quirkiness, wellwritten and<br />
charming a la the Snow LP on Epic. This segues into<br />
the rather unfortunate "Fritz und Sweeny" which<br />
proves that applying the Ray Davies short-story idiom<br />
on the Third Reich is not a good idea, even as the<br />
music is pretty good. The LP continues in the same<br />
hit and miss fashion, but the entertainment factor<br />
remains pretty high. The token "Winchester<br />
Cathedral"-type music hall piece of shit is present,<br />
although the lyrics are unusually off-color. At best<br />
the band reaches the upscale post-Pepper cleverness<br />
of Mandrake Memorial and the 2nd Fallen Angels,<br />
especially on the great "Winter song". As is typical<br />
for the genre, the album closes with a "heavy<br />
freakout" track with Hendrixy feedback. "Animated<br />
Music" used to be overlooked and while not a<br />
masterpiece by any means it's a passable piece of<br />
late 60s UK-style studio art-pop with a few moves<br />
into grade A psychedelia. Incidentally, the<br />
Radioactive CD offers no track list except on the
TROYKA (Canada)<br />
cover reproduction, which is almost impossible to<br />
read. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is a highly ambitious psych album that has some<br />
killer freakouts (“Werewolf and Witchbreath”), some<br />
awful novelty tracks, and some attempts at social<br />
commentary. Obviously, it’s only semi-successful and<br />
is occasionally frustrating, but it has its moments,<br />
and gets downright creepy near the end. They were a<br />
band in need of an identity, and I think that if<br />
stuck with their wild instincts this would have been<br />
a really good album. As it is, it’s still worth a<br />
listen as long as you can deal with the mix of<br />
styles. [AM]<br />
"Troyka" 1970 (Cotillion) [red label]<br />
"Troyka" 2004 (Eroe Progressivo 005)<br />
TRUTH & JANEY (IA)<br />
Wonderful, distinctive album that follows none of the<br />
rules and is better for it. About half of the songs<br />
are instrumentals, built around catchy hypnotic<br />
patterns. Despite being a "power trio," they have<br />
surprising musical grace and dexterity. The songs<br />
with vocals are much heavier, as the "singer" mostly<br />
grunts and growls, making for some pretty wild stuff.<br />
It really feels like a big goof (there's not a single<br />
serious lyric on the album), but somehow it works as<br />
a mix of psychotic pre-punk zaniness and anti-prog<br />
instrumental creativity. A lot of albums have one or<br />
two "throwaway" songs that have an engaging looseness<br />
and somehow are more enjoyable than the "real" songs.<br />
Here's an entire album of those songs. [AM]<br />
"No Rest For The Wicked" 1976 (Montrose 376)<br />
"No Rest For The Wicked" 1988 (Montrose) [plain cover<br />
autographed by Janey]<br />
"No Rest For The Wicked" 199 (CD Recession) [+4 tracks]<br />
"Just A Little Bit Of Magic" 1979 (Bee Bee)<br />
"Live April 8, 1976" 1988 (Rock'n Bach) [2LPs; gatefold]<br />
"No Rest For The Wicked" is surely one of the<br />
greatest hard rock albums of all time. It's tightly<br />
constructed and tightly played, with more memorable<br />
riffs and solos than the entire careers of a dozen<br />
other similar bands. The bass playing is monstrous<br />
and the drumming solid but, believe it or not,<br />
tasteful. The singing is only average, and the band<br />
tends to compensate with multi-tracked, highly<br />
reverbed lead vocals, not really the worst way to<br />
deal with the issue. An song that illustrates the<br />
best features of the band is "The Light," which opens<br />
with a combination of low and high guitar riffs, a<br />
melodic bass line and precise rhythm guitar. Not too<br />
many bands could resist the urge to go crazy with<br />
extra solos or spastic drumming, but this just works<br />
its way through a cleverly composed pattern, creating
TRYAD ( )<br />
the right kind of tension and intensity. It's<br />
perfect. The best song is probably the nine-minute<br />
"Remember," a complete smorgasboard of melodic and<br />
dissonant riffs and hooks. This album doesn't have a<br />
lot of overdubs, but the production is quite<br />
professional, and it's heavy from start to finish-not<br />
a wussy moment on it. Guaranteed to blow the mind of<br />
any mainstream hard rock fan, and, of course, it<br />
sounds equally good to those of us who enjoy Tin<br />
House and Sir Lord Baltimore as much as Blue Oyster<br />
Cult and Black Sabbath. This is one of those albums<br />
where you keep thinking "the next song can't possibly<br />
be as good as what's come before," but it always is.<br />
The 2nd LP isn't highly rated, but the live double<br />
has some killer tracks, four of which appear as bonus<br />
tracks on the Recession CD reissue. [AM]<br />
"If Only You Believe In Lovin'" 1972 (Storm King SKS 101)<br />
[insert]<br />
T S TRUCK (IL)<br />
Rare 1970s folker by 2-guys-1-girl trio, described by<br />
some as mediocre, despite the high going rate.<br />
"T S Truck" 1973 (Smokey Soul 062973)<br />
This LP offers up a mix of conventional rock, pop and<br />
light progressive touches. At least a couple of<br />
tracks like "Chance To Prance" and "Doc LaVay" melded<br />
all of those genres into one song. Merideth had a<br />
nice voice and the rest of the band displayed musical<br />
dexterity far beyond what you'd find in your typical<br />
bar band. Additionally several of the songs (which<br />
are probably all originals - no credits on the<br />
album), benefited from a distinctive Allman Brothersstyle<br />
twin lead guitar attack. Highlights include the<br />
nifty leadoff track "Khengis Gange" (the lyric was<br />
sung as 'ganja people'), the Allman Bros-styled "Let<br />
the Gunslinger Win" and the pretty ballad "Country<br />
Lady". To be honest, while none of the eight songs<br />
were particularly original they all benefited from<br />
enthusiastic performances and some surprisingly good<br />
production work (for a small studio). A pleasant<br />
discovery with more than its share of winners. [SB]<br />
MARK TUCKER (IL / CA)<br />
"Batstew" 1975 (Tetrapod Spools 64001) [200p; lyrics]<br />
"Batstew" 1996 (CD Tetrapod Spools)<br />
"Batstew" 2006 (De Stijl 037) [500p]<br />
Damaged, somewhat legendary acid folk/real people<br />
with lots of car noises, piano ballads, tape<br />
manipulation and general madness, housed in a<br />
handmade cover. The album was released in two runs of<br />
100 copies each, including one personalised edition<br />
for his former girlfriend Eva, where the title read
"Bataszew" (her last name). It should be pointed out<br />
that some people consider "In the sack" superior.<br />
Tucker also made a non-LP 45 in 1979.<br />
"In The Sack" 1982 (Tetrapod Spools 64009)<br />
TUMBLING DICE (KS)<br />
Apparently Tucker's second release, 1982's "In the<br />
Sack" was recorded after he'd suffered at least a<br />
couple of mental breakdowns, pulled himself back<br />
together and relocated to Encinitas, California.<br />
Self-produced under the pseudonym "T. Storm Hunter",<br />
it's largely a one man show with Tucker/Hunter<br />
responsible for penning all eleven tracks, as well as<br />
handling all of the vocals and most of the<br />
instrumentation. With that background you probably<br />
won't be shocked to learn that musically this is one<br />
mixed up and messed up album. Supposedly a concept<br />
piece having to do with karma and the postal system<br />
(I have no idea what the plotline is), the album<br />
offered up an indescribable mix of spoken word<br />
segments, experimentation, instrumentals, and<br />
surprisingly commercial numbers. Finding a<br />
comparative baseline for this one is pretty tough -<br />
perhaps Jonathon Richman had you put him on mood<br />
altering drugs for a year. "Everywhere with Sally<br />
(Ride)" is a great slice of pop, except for the fact<br />
it was recorded backwards. Cool, but typically<br />
strange. The snippet "Down the Pipeline" sounds like<br />
it was lifted from a video game. A mix of avant<br />
garde, tape manipulations and experimental ramblings,<br />
"The Importance of Making Molehills One of Specks"<br />
could have been mistaken for a slice of musique<br />
concrete. The pretty, pseudo-jazzy instrumentals<br />
"Shelly" and "Can't Make Love" sound like they were<br />
lifted from a Peanuts cartoon. Clearly not for<br />
everyone, but there are enough of you out there who<br />
are either brave enough, or sufficiently damaged to<br />
give this one a shot. [SB]<br />
"Tumbling Dice" 1973 (Century 42301)<br />
Guitar/organ band doing cover versions of Neil Young,<br />
Procol Harum, Grand Funk, on the well-known custom<br />
label.<br />
VELVERT TURNER GROUP (New York City, NY / Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Velvert Turner Group" 1972 (Family FPS 2704) ['rock' mix;<br />
matrix # 16741]<br />
"Velvert Turner Group" 1972 (Family FPS 2704) ['soul' mix;<br />
matrix # 16951]<br />
"Velvert Turner Group" 2004 (CD Radioactive 040, UK)<br />
"Velvert Turner" 197 (Tiger Lily 14030) [remix; different<br />
cover; 1 new track]<br />
Generally cool hard guitar funkpsychrock from "close<br />
friend" of Jimi Hendrix, who if nothing else shows an<br />
impressive grasp of Jimi's best moves on this album.<br />
Although 100% derivative it still works, as the
songwriting, vocals and guitar leads are fine and the<br />
sharp groove of Turner's power trio (plus assorted<br />
guests on keyboard) stands up to any comparison. Fine<br />
recording with a tight in yer face sound is another<br />
bonus. The Experience influence means unusual traces<br />
of 1967 Swinging London such as highpitched mod<br />
harmonies on this 1972 NYC trip. One weird, silly<br />
track with singalong kiddy vocals sort of sticks out,<br />
though it too has soaring acid leads. Apart from the<br />
originals the LP includes a cover of Jimi's<br />
"Freedom", and should appeal to fans of Next Morning.<br />
Just like Del Jones there are two different mixes of<br />
this LP, a Rock Mix with lots of guitar and a Soul<br />
Mix with less guitar. A German pressing of the rock<br />
mix on Philips exists. The Radioactive reissues are<br />
of the rock mix. There is also a rare third version<br />
on the infamous Tiger Lily label, with (again) a<br />
different mix and a good track not on the Family<br />
label releases at all. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Apparently, the soul version of this album was<br />
distributed to the East and Midwest, while the heavy<br />
version was distributed in the West. Hendrixisms<br />
abound on this record, but in my opinion it’s the<br />
best album in the style, to Hendrix what Badfinger<br />
were to the Beatles. The songwriting and playing are<br />
excellent, and this is not merely a copy (and is both<br />
funkier and poppier than prime Hendrix.) It’s<br />
arguable, by the way, that the soul version (which<br />
has plenty of lead guitar and rocks just as hard) is<br />
as enjoyable a listen as the heavy version. The bass<br />
playing on it is emphasized in an exciting way. Oddly<br />
enough, the other two members of Turner’s trio would<br />
become fixtures in the late 70s LA power pop scene,<br />
with drummer Tim McGovern joining the Pop and bass<br />
player Prescott Niles joining the Knack. [AM]<br />
V.A "TWAIN MUSIC SAMPLER" (NJ)<br />
"Twain Music Sampler" 1972 (Twain) [no cover]<br />
Obscure sampler of local Jersey rock bands.<br />
CHARLIE TWEDDLE (CA)<br />
"Fantastic Greatest Hits" 1974 (KM 1500) [500p; gatefold]<br />
"Fantastic Greatest Hits" 2004 (CD Companion CR2) [+bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
Incredibly strange (true, for once) real people<br />
artefact from a Bay Area guy who claims to be "king<br />
of the flying saucer people". Moves in a<br />
Grudzien/Skip Spence direction but without their big<br />
city vibes, more like if one of those inbred<br />
hillbilly degenerates in "Deliverance" made an LP,<br />
complete with pig oinks. First side is twisted<br />
backporch acid folkblues with amazing lyrics, side 2<br />
is mostly the sound of crickets, water and nightbirds
with fragments of music here and there, like if the<br />
tripper wandered off into the woods. It's hard to<br />
determine the angle Tweddle is coming from as the<br />
music is obviously retro yet has an undeniable<br />
authenticity to it, not unlike Bob Dylan's early<br />
1960s bootleg recordings. The "Alien Invaders" track<br />
rivals Grudzien for surreal mountain music, and the<br />
"sounds of nature" side sucks you into a forgotten<br />
movie inside your mind. One of the major pieces in<br />
the Fringe Of Everything genre, and a great foldout<br />
sleeve too. Apparently Charlie is a famous designer<br />
of $1000 cowboy hats! [PL]<br />
20TH CENTURY ZOO (AZ)<br />
"Thunder On A Clear Day" 1968 (Vault 122)<br />
"Thunder On A Clear Day" 198 (Line 5320, Germany)<br />
"Thunder On A Clear Day" 199 (CD Afterglow 016, UK)<br />
"Thunder On A Clear Day" 199 (Sundazed)<br />
"Thunder On A Clear Day" 199 (CD Sundazed 11063) [+8 bonus<br />
tracks]<br />
"Thunder On A Clear Day" 2003 (Radioactive 05, UK)<br />
"Thunder On A Clear Day" 2003 (CD Radioactive 05, UK)<br />
Fairly wellknown stoner fuzz bonanza with a couple of<br />
really good psych rippers like "Quiet before the<br />
storm" and two extended cuts in a "bluesy" style,<br />
though both stupid and cheesy enough to make for<br />
passable listening. A dumb teenage drugginess<br />
throughout puts this somewhere between Ultimate<br />
Spinach and Iron Butterfly, though with more guitars<br />
than either. Enjoyable OK for 2nd tier mainstream<br />
guitar-psych, they also had some excellent non-LP<br />
45s. For some reason, Sundazed and Radioactive also<br />
released picture disc versions of their respective<br />
reissues. [PL]<br />
21ST CENTURY SOUND MOVEMENT ( )<br />
"21st Century Sound Movement" 1968 (no label 12877) [blank<br />
back]<br />
Recorded at Cavern Sound in Kansas City, very obscure<br />
garage-era LP that has been described as an above<br />
average item of heavy cover versions of the Beatles,<br />
Hendrix, Doors, etc. Cool sleeve. Some copies come<br />
with promo photos.<br />
25TH REGIMENT (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"25th Regiment" 1969 (Lero LS 767)<br />
A mixed bag, where tracks such as "Un Petit Bonhomme<br />
Avec Le Nez Pointu", "Roulez-Roulez" and "Mammy" are<br />
probably a little too MOR pop for true rock fans. On<br />
the other hand, "Lucie Sons in Ciel de<br />
Diamantes" (aka "Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds"),<br />
finds the band turning in one of the odder Beatles<br />
covers we've heard. Their "Hey Jude" cover is a<br />
little more mainstream, but just as odd with the<br />
French lyrics. Listenable, but certainly not what the
dealer hype would have you believe. [SB]<br />
"Ecology" 1970 (Trans-Canada 779)<br />
The rarer second LP abandons the pop for a more<br />
contemporary outlook; breezy folk/psych with fuzz<br />
breaks, organ, flute. The band was a k a Le 25eme<br />
Regiment.<br />
$27 SNAP ON THE FACE (Sebastopol, CA)<br />
"Heterodyne State Hospital" 1977 (Heterodyne 0001) [1000p;<br />
gatefold; blue vinyl; lyric insert]<br />
Despite what you will read, this album is not<br />
psychedelic or progressive or hard rock, and has no<br />
fuzz guitar. It does not sound like Frank Zappa. It<br />
is, however, an interesting and reasonably worthwhile<br />
album that will appeal to a wide range of DIY and<br />
weird rock fans, as long as they listen to it with<br />
the proper expectations. This is one of many new<br />
wave-era private press records that got some<br />
attention from punk and new wave fans (and magazines)<br />
even though musically it’s basically mainstream rock<br />
and roll with no particular punk edge (Armand<br />
Schaubroeck, Dorian and Just Water are other<br />
similarly non-punk artists who gained a “right place<br />
at the right time” punk audience.) The LP has a<br />
kooky, somewhat warped lyrical bent, and the lo-fi<br />
production gives the music a crude garagy feel that<br />
is appealing, especially since the songs rock<br />
convincingly despite the lack of loud, distorted<br />
guitars. The singer isn’t exactly tuneful, but he’s<br />
expressive in a way that works in the context of this<br />
music. The songs are pretty long and meandering (most<br />
of the overlong guitar solos sound pretty much the<br />
same and the drummer knows only two rolls), but the<br />
longest one, the 9-minute closer “Sleeping in a<br />
Technical Bed,” is the best, a two-section song with<br />
a solid hook and the best guitar solo on the album.<br />
Despite the bargain basement production, they go for<br />
a bunch of tricks, instruments going from speaker to<br />
speaker, weird percussion instruments, echoed<br />
laughter, and freaky echoed vocals on a couple of<br />
songs. In addition to “Sleeping In a Technical Bed,”
TWILIGHTERS ( )<br />
my pick hits are “Tie Your Boots Tight,” which sounds<br />
anthemic even though I don’t have a clue what it’s<br />
about, and “Kicking Around,” by far the catchiest,<br />
tightest song on the album. It’s a long album and<br />
could have used some editing, but it’s full of energy<br />
and spirit and doesn’t sounding like anyone else. The<br />
LP came with a sticker that says the first 1000<br />
copies are pressed on blue vinyl. All known copies<br />
are blue. [AM]<br />
"Power & Peace" 1967 (Fleetwood 5069)<br />
DAVID TYSON (TX)<br />
Goofy-looking club band with sax and organ on<br />
wellknown New England label, packaged in great full<br />
color cover like most Fleetwood releases.<br />
"The Accepted Way" 197 (no label)<br />
Obscurity from the mid/late 1970's, recorded in mono.<br />
Distorted folkrock with some heavier moves and<br />
harmonica and synth here and there.<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
UGLY DUCKLINGS (Toronto, Canada)<br />
UHF (FL)<br />
"Somewhere Outside" 1966 (Yorktown 50001) [white label]<br />
"Somewhere Outside" 1966 (Yorktown 50001) [multicolored<br />
label]<br />
"Somewhere Outside" 198 (BSF, Italy)<br />
"Somewhere Outside" 199 (CD Unidisc, Europe) [+bonus tracks]<br />
Very good upmarket teen-punk and r'n'b LP, essential<br />
to any garage collection. Has one of the best<br />
versions ever of "I wish you would", plus all their<br />
famous 45 tracks, and some unusual, ambitious tracks<br />
like "Windy City". The white label variant is pressed<br />
from a different stamper (i e: remastered), and is a<br />
slightly less "hot" pressing. There is some<br />
disagreement as to which pressing is the earliest,<br />
but the most credible theory suggests the white<br />
(which is not a promo) to be the earliest, after<br />
which there was a re-master with a newly designed<br />
multi-colored Yorktown label. It seems that some of<br />
the white label pressings were defective. [PL]<br />
---<br />
One of the best Stones-inspired 60s garage rock<br />
albums, with a really professional feel, great snotty<br />
vocals, and powerful songs. It even has an<br />
experimental instrumental that’s ahead of its time<br />
and works well here. “Nothin’” is their most wellknown<br />
song, but many others here equal it. There is<br />
also a reunion LP "Off The Wall" (1980) and a<br />
selftitled sampler from 1983 notable for a freaky<br />
cover drawing of stoned ducklings. [AM]<br />
"Timeless Voyager" 1981 (Rofer Music) [insert]<br />
ULTRA (TX)<br />
Spacy hardrock. Good hard guitar runs, amateur synth<br />
moves.<br />
"Ultra" 1976 (no label) [1-sided acetate]<br />
"Ultra" 2000 (CD Monster) [+11 tracks]<br />
Impressive metallic hard rock with ex-Homer<br />
guitarist, no psych in sight. The guitar overload
eminds me of a less jamming, heavier Highway. On<br />
first listen I felt it lacked variety, but that’s not<br />
entirely true, they just ‘do the thing they do’ very<br />
well, and do a lot of it. ‘Lamp Black, White<br />
Fight’ (waking up feeling paranoid) and<br />
‘Android’ (chick made of metal messing with your<br />
mind) are stand out tracks, although it’s all<br />
thoroughly listenable. Progressive in places, ‘Ten<br />
Years Since’ features very flashy guitar, at their<br />
best when there’s plenty of ‘axe-duelling’ and paying<br />
their dues to ZZ Top. This review is of the reissue<br />
CD; the original acetate contains only 5 tracks. [RI]<br />
UNBEATABLES (Canada / NY)<br />
"Live At Palisades Park" 1964 (Fawn 5050)<br />
"Live At Palisades Park" 2003 (CD DFP, Europe)<br />
UNCLE (TX)<br />
Obscure pre-garage teenbeat LP with a pre-Young<br />
Rascals Gene Cornish. The band was originally from<br />
Canada and spent some time in NYC following their<br />
early Beatle novelty 45 "I wanna be a Beatle".<br />
"Up Against The Wall" 1979 (SSS)<br />
Heavy rural Southern blues rock.<br />
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD (New York City, NY)<br />
"Discovery Club #1" 197 (Discovery Club) [split LP]<br />
Little-known album that was part of a project<br />
supposed to help inner city black kids get in on the<br />
music scene. Side 1 is Underground Railroad, who have<br />
been described as a garage version of early<br />
Funkadelic and among other things do a gritty<br />
funk/rock number called "A song" with a superb,<br />
sample-friendly groove and raw guitar licks. This is<br />
a split LP with the less interesting Tree Of Life on<br />
the other side.<br />
UNDER MILKWOOD (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Under Milkwood" 1970 (A & M 4226) [test press; plain cover]<br />
"Under Milkwood" 1993 (Fanny, Belgium) [500#d]<br />
"Under Milkwood" 200 (Akarma 095, Italy)<br />
"Under Milkwood" 200 (CD Akarma 095, Italy)<br />
This test press item opens with an enjoyable<br />
Tripsichordish number but the rest of the album<br />
ranges from weak to awful, with some uninspired sax<br />
excursions that makes you wonder how A & M ever saw<br />
anything in them. In any event they were right not to<br />
release it, and it should never have been reissued.<br />
The album came in a plain cover with title and<br />
catalog number. The Fanny reissue credits the band as<br />
Milkwood only. [PL]
UNFOLDING (NY)<br />
"How To Blow Your Mind And Have A Freakout Party" 1968 (Audio<br />
Fidelity aflp-2184) [mono; insert]<br />
"How To Blow Your Mind And Have A Freakout Party" 1968 (Audio<br />
Fidelity afsd-6184) [stereo; insert]<br />
"How To Blow Your Mind And Have A Freakout Party" 198 (no<br />
label)<br />
"How To Blow Your Mind And Have A Freakout Party" 1997 (CD Head<br />
3197, Europe)<br />
Crazed and hilarious acid exploitation album that<br />
goes far out enough to become genuinely psychy, like<br />
a second tier Deep. One side is cheesy garage psych<br />
including the classic "Play your game", the other is<br />
'meditation' featuring strange fairytales, Hare<br />
Krishna chanting, and more. The short spoken segment<br />
on Pebbles vol 3 that's puzzled many comes from this<br />
LP. A Canadian mono release exists. [PL]<br />
UNGAVA (Quebec, Canada)<br />
"Ungava" 1976 (Trente-six fh-36004)<br />
UNION (WI)<br />
Mostly instrumental heavy prog. Excellent guitar,<br />
some flute, vocals in French.<br />
"10 Jewels" 1976 (no label)<br />
UNISON (NY)<br />
Midwest dual guitar progressive with melodic powerpop<br />
angles. No keyboard on this one, progsters.<br />
"Unison" 1984 (no label)<br />
"Unison" 2002 (CD Synton 1780821, Austria)<br />
Dryewater run into Truth & Janey after a really nasty<br />
relationship breakdown. Essentially a concept LP<br />
about a relationship gone wrong, each song being a<br />
different aspect of how “his chick done him wrong”.<br />
Sounds terrible doesn’t it? But it is pretty good,<br />
with tracks like "Borderline" delivering that<br />
seventies chunk fuzz with insane lyrics and "Cookin’<br />
for you" having so much phasing it could be Marcus.<br />
Dealers give the date on the LP as 1984, but the CD<br />
indicates 1976 and that fits the sound better. The CD<br />
sounds like it’s from mint vinyl, namely very good.<br />
[RI]
UNIVERSAL IGNORANTS (PA)<br />
"Transitions" 1968 (WFB Productions) [split LP]<br />
Split prep school LP with the Hilltones glee club<br />
unfortunately taking up 2/3rds of the space. The<br />
psychy Universal Ignorants were actually members of<br />
the Hilltones. They do 4 songs and a short<br />
instrumental, total time about 12 minutes. The sound<br />
is westcoast psychedelia. I hear a very heavy<br />
Quicksilver influence. I definitely felt the<br />
guitarist was trying to emulate Cipollina's staccato<br />
style. The Hilltones had a later LP "Rebirth" that is<br />
strictly a glee club sound. [MA]<br />
V.A "UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA STAGE BAND" (Las Vegas, NV)<br />
"Stage Band Festival" 1967 (no label)<br />
Very obscure Battle Of The Bands souvenir LP, of note<br />
for a track called "LSD '67" which has been described<br />
as a strange, chaotic instrumental aiming to simulate<br />
an acid trip.<br />
UPSIDE DAWNE (Lawrence, KS)<br />
"Upside Dawne" 1967 (Audio House 12367) [no sleeve]<br />
URSULA CREEK ( )<br />
Surprisingly strong LP of local teen-club/top 40 band<br />
that stands head & shoulders above the pack, with a<br />
dynamite professional sound, strong vocals, fat<br />
roller rink organ and a local Hendrix epigon on<br />
guitar. Opens intensely with "7 & 7 is", after which<br />
a good "Heatwave" segues into an absolutely ripping<br />
cover of "Gloria" that's simply one of the best takes<br />
ever (and of course there's zillions). Rest of the LP<br />
is typical 50/50 late 1967 bag of Memphis/Motown on<br />
the one hand and emerging westcoast underground on<br />
the other, plus one good band original. "Somebody to<br />
love" sports a 70-second raga solo you won't believe<br />
and there's also a charming "Light my fire". Last few<br />
tracks lose a bit of energy but I would still rate<br />
this as one of the best in the style, and an<br />
excellent remedy for those bored with lukewarm<br />
Justice label & MA prep-rock artefacts. The Kansas<br />
kids must have loved this band -- better than<br />
Grandma's Rockers to my ears. The album may have been<br />
a demo press only. There was also a rare EP which<br />
highlighted the showband/soul side of the band.<br />
Terrific lead guitarist Jim Stringer and ace drummer<br />
Steve Hall left to form Tide (album on Mouth in 1971)<br />
in 1968. [PL]<br />
"Ursula Creek" 1976 (Richard Luft Music)<br />
Mid-70s hardrock, rated as above average by most.
US ( )<br />
"It's Just Us" 1979 (no label)<br />
UTOPIA (CA)<br />
Guitar-driven rural stoner rock.<br />
"Utopia" 1971 (Kent kst-566) [gatefold]<br />
Bluesy heavy rock with Led Zeppelin influence and<br />
roots moves on things like "I just want to make love<br />
to you" and "Hound dog". Dual guitar line-up with<br />
harmonica, on the same label as Bob Smith and<br />
apparently recorded around the same time. This album<br />
was re-released on a major label (Discreet) under the<br />
band's new name Growl, a name that fits the singing<br />
style quite well. [AM]<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
ROBERT VALENTE ( )<br />
"No Hype" 197 (no label)<br />
Obscure loner/downer folk LP, rated highly by some.<br />
DINO VALENTI (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Dino Valente" 1969 (Epic bn-26335) [bag; wlp mono]<br />
"Dino Valente" 1969 (Epic bn-26335) [bag; stereo]<br />
"Dino Valente" 1998 (CD Koch) [+2 bonus tracks]<br />
VALHALLA ( )<br />
There’s a lot more wrong here than just the fact that<br />
the label spelled his name wrong on the cover.<br />
Valenti has one of the most annoying, self-centered<br />
singing styles on earth, and here these melody-less,<br />
formless songs drag on for 7 and 8 minutes at a time<br />
without going anywhere. The lack of actual<br />
arrangements (it’s all basically guitar and voice)<br />
adds to the monotony. A lot of people try to claim<br />
that this is some deranged scream from the soul like<br />
the Alexander Spence album or a deeply personal<br />
confessional like the Mayo Thompson album, but I<br />
think it’s just a bunch of self-indulgence. Robert<br />
Christgau once reviewed a Quicksilver album by saying<br />
that one of the reasons people hate hippies is that<br />
Dino Valenti is a hippie. He had a point. The LP was<br />
issued with an outer clear plastic bag with 'Dino<br />
Valente' printed in block letters, since there is no<br />
mention of the artist on the original front cover.<br />
Later Epic pressings add this in big letters, while<br />
the original British, Canadian and Japanese pressings<br />
added the name on the cover from the start. [AM]<br />
"Valhalla" 1969 (United Artists 6730) [gatefold]<br />
"Valhalla" 199 (CD Free 2006)<br />
Pretentious hard rock with a lot of organ. Influenced<br />
by the Doors and Iron Butterfly and similar to (but<br />
not as good as) the album by Julius Victor. It’s the<br />
kind of thing that can hit the spot if you’re in the<br />
exact right mood, but to be honest, it’s pretty<br />
average. Pompous sleeve of a viking ship on fire for<br />
the right bonehead vibe. [AM]<br />
BRUCE VANDERPOOL ( )
"Bittersweet" 197 (Raydar 115)<br />
Loner folk/folkrock in primitive paste-on cover.<br />
VARCELS (Thomasville, NC)<br />
"Hang Loose" 1967 (Justice 147)<br />
"Hang Loose" 199 (CD Collectables 0622)<br />
VARIATIONS (NC)<br />
One of the more obscure on the label, with a<br />
reasonable mid-60s teenbeat sound and less anemic<br />
than some of their colleagues. Hell, there's even a<br />
Standells cover! Opening title track original is a<br />
derivative sax instro, after which we go through<br />
typical top 40/club sounds from the era, with organ<br />
upfront and an OK recording. Beach music, ballads,<br />
instros, frat and 1950s all rolled into a big<br />
exciting parcel for Justice completists and local<br />
nostalgia collectors. Lacking the balls to go up<br />
against Eric Burdon, we get "House of the rising sun"<br />
in an instrumental arrangement, while band original<br />
#2, "I'm tired" is a nice 3-chord Motown/garage<br />
crossover and about the best thing on board,<br />
alongside the sloppy "Dirty water". The band is<br />
reasonably tight, amateur vocals have energy and<br />
atmosphere, and there's a nicely reverbed drum sound,<br />
if you want to single out high points. The worthwhile<br />
stuff is all on side 1. [PL]<br />
"Dig 'Em Up!" 1966 (Justice 112)<br />
"Dig 'Em Up!" 199 (CD Collectables 0615)<br />
Blue-eyed soul and pre-soul r'n'b covers all thru,<br />
not a whiff of 'the new sound from England' on this<br />
one. Atmospheric and charming for those interested in<br />
local non-garage mid-60s sounds, guttural teen vocals<br />
imitating Ben E King and the Righteous Bros are fun.<br />
Organ-led "Shake a tail feather" is a probably the<br />
most rocking track. Sax but no brass. Cool cover (the<br />
only Justice in full color) has them in Count Five<br />
vampire gear in front of their customized band<br />
hearse. [PL]<br />
VARIOUS ARTISTS LPs are listed alphabetically under their titles. In<br />
other words, "Fifth Pipe Dream" is listed under "F", etc.<br />
VELVET NIGHT (NY)<br />
"Velvet Night" 1970 (Metromedia 1026)
"Velvet Night" 1993 (no label)<br />
"Art Of Lovin' / Velvet Night" 200 (CD Hipschaft) [2-on-1]<br />
Disappointing hippie-rock LP with sloppy playing and<br />
no original ideas whatsoever. Forget the hype, this<br />
one sucks, with mostly turgid covers of Cream, the<br />
Band and so forth. The LP was reissued as "Would" on<br />
Perception in 1971, with 1 track replaced and track<br />
order rearranged. Lord knows why. An original Italian<br />
pressing of the Velvet Night LP exists. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Most of the songs on this album are uninteresting<br />
covers of well-known 60s songs. A few of the<br />
originals (written by Jimmy Curtiss, the guy behind<br />
the Hobbits and a number of other bands) are decent<br />
and make an effort to be creepy and far-out. They’re<br />
not enough to make the rest worth listening to,<br />
though. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Would<br />
JACK VERONESI & FRIENDS (MA)<br />
"Farewell Album" 1971 (Japanezi)<br />
Wasted rockers and stoned hippiefolk.<br />
KEVIN VICALVI (Worcester, MA)<br />
"Songs From Down The Hall" 1974 (Starizon Studios 2065)<br />
[1000p; plain jacket with wraparound sheet]<br />
"Songs From Down The Hall" 200 (CD Left) [+7 bonus tracks]<br />
This varied singer/songwriter album runs the gamut<br />
from folk to pop to blues to flamenco to piano<br />
ballads, hitting the mark on pretty much all of them.<br />
“Letter to Michael Henchard”, a dirge with a<br />
dissonant chord progression and some stunning<br />
mellotron, is so good that anyone who hears it will<br />
probably run right out and buy the album. Nothing<br />
else matches it or sounds like it, but it’s still<br />
hard to imagine too many people being disappointed by<br />
the rest of the record. Other nice moments include<br />
the synth on “Another Day, Another Time” and the<br />
poppy guitar hook on “You Just Don’t Know". The LP<br />
also features one Dennis de la Gorgendiere. [AM]<br />
VICTIMS OF CHANCE (CA)<br />
"Victims Of Chance" 1969 (Crestview crs-3052)<br />
"Goin' Home Blue" 197 (no label 1014)<br />
Lounge psych freakout with brass featuring Johnny<br />
Kitchen. The followup (assuming it to be the same<br />
band) is more into westcoast rural rock sounds with<br />
some female vocals, and comes in the same generic<br />
mill wheel cover as Fifth Flight.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Crazy People; Jeremiah; Tarots
VICTORIA (NJ)<br />
"Kings, Queens And Jokers" 1971 (Dirty Martha 61471) [no<br />
sleeve]<br />
"Kings, Queens And Jokers" 1971 (no label) [different mix;<br />
plain cover with stamped title; photos; press clipping; 100p]<br />
"Victoria" 1996 (Little Indians 7, Germany) [400#d]<br />
"Victoria" 1998 (CD Little Indians, Germany) [+7 tracks]<br />
Reissued alongside Jungle in similarly great<br />
packaging and is to me less disappointing musically.<br />
An organ-based conceptual song cycle with mostly<br />
female vocals and a Khazad Doom/school-play vibe, has<br />
lots of good guitar but is too cheesy and uneven to<br />
live up to the hysterical hype, at least in my ears.<br />
Some horns, nice amateur vocals, and a confused mix<br />
of westcoast, eastcoast and teen drama. The<br />
outstanding closing track sounds like Strawberry<br />
Alarmclock's "World's on fire" with female vocals.<br />
Worth hearing, and despite reservations a must for<br />
fans of female psychrock bands. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Band leader Greg Ruban found himself three capable<br />
young ladies to back him on his homemade musical<br />
fantasy. Greg himself is a pretty unusual guy... a<br />
professional volleyball player who at 6'6" was still<br />
playing into his 50's. Warning: Honky Hornaphobics<br />
Beware... this LP does make use of the dreaded horn<br />
section on 2-3 cuts and not necessarily always in a<br />
good way. Side 1 starts off with "Peace" a nice<br />
garagey ballad with echoey female vocals, spooky<br />
organ and those dang horns which will be hard to<br />
overcome for the average horn hater. "Cumberland" is<br />
even more low key with those cool echoey female vox<br />
and a Wendy & Bonnie feel but more amateurish. Cut #3<br />
is fantastic... "Gevaro" starts off like a Santana<br />
style jammer but actually gets a little Middle East<br />
vibe going... killer fuzz guitar and the dreaded<br />
horns but they're buried on this track and a very<br />
bizarre drum solo (I like the "style" of this female<br />
drummer). This is for the most part, an instrumental.<br />
"Ride A Rainbow" starts off like a lost Hendrix cut<br />
but quickly gets into a female vocal track about<br />
Wizards & Dragons & Incense & Stuff. Nice guitar<br />
break and bass line. I have to admit that I can't<br />
think of another female psych band that are as tight<br />
as this one (no pun intended all you perverts) and<br />
Greg Ruban's guitar really cuts through the smoke<br />
with a classic psych sound. "Never Knew The Blues"<br />
slows the pace again with a great organ sound and<br />
cool low key wah-wah pedal guitar... this is probably<br />
my favorite cut on the LP and is what I always hoped<br />
the Jade Stone & Luv LP sounded like. Last cut on<br />
side 1 is a throwaway... a lame attempt at AM Top 40<br />
drivel with horns from hell. Side Two is a totally<br />
different trip. Two long cuts starting with the 12<br />
minute+ "Village Of Etaf". Imagine an East Coast<br />
version of CA Quintet's "Trip Thru Hell" done by<br />
three chicks influenced by Joan Baez and a second<br />
rate Herb Alpert & The Marijuana Brass. The only<br />
redeeming thing about this track is the effects used<br />
in the last 4 minutes that do indeed remind me of a<br />
"Trip Thru Hell". The final cut is probably the<br />
highlight for most owners of this LP. "Core Of The<br />
Apple" is an upbeat, fuzz guitar 8 minute killer with<br />
that same Middle East feel that we caught a glimpse
VILLAGERS ( )<br />
of on side one. Overview: The good cuts are GREAT but<br />
the lesser cuts really bring this LP down a notch or<br />
two. In the world of female psych bands this may<br />
still be one of the best. Greg recorded a bunch of<br />
material in the late 60's and early 70's and one day<br />
maybe another one of his LP's, the demo-only pressing<br />
"Nickels & Dimes", will see the light of day. [RH]<br />
"Homemade" 1971 (no label 584 N10)<br />
A folk quartet with mixed vocals, playing covers of<br />
CSN and "High flying bird", among others. Partly a<br />
live recording, housed in an elegant silhouette<br />
cover.<br />
JOHN VILLEMONTE (Madison, WI)<br />
"People Like You" 1976 (no label) [200p]<br />
Everytime someone describes David Crosby's "If I<br />
Could Only Remember My Name" LP to me, it is the best<br />
moments of this record I hear in my imagination.<br />
Lovely vocal harmonies, odd chords and phrasing, mix<br />
of quiet acoustic and electric jams, some perfectly<br />
placed flute ("Rain On Me") and piano ("Hours of<br />
Days") passages, decent writing (though, to be<br />
honest, I have no idea what they're saying most of<br />
the time). This reminds me of what music made on a<br />
perfect evening on the edge of the Hawaiian rain<br />
forest, stoked on primo weed and some nice Pinot<br />
Noir, might sound like. All the women look like Peggy<br />
Lipton, all the men like Merrell Fankhauser (or Kato<br />
Kaelin, or Jeff Spicoli... same thing). The first,<br />
rarest and best of three LPs this Wisconsin<br />
singer/songwriter made in the 1970s and early 80s.<br />
The songs here vary enough to hold your interest, but<br />
everything is sort of mid-tempo mellow and variations<br />
on tried & true 70s singer/songwriter romantic themes<br />
which does drop the grade a notch. The LP's second<br />
side opens with the very brief and very pretty "Why<br />
Do You Cry" which works as a lead in to "24 With<br />
Clancy," a floating and dreamy electric and acoustic<br />
instrumental jam that seems to take forever. It isn't<br />
that the playing is particularly good (though it's<br />
fine), it's more a matter of the gentle buzz it<br />
creates by stirring the collective memory of everyone<br />
who has ever sat up late with good friends quietly<br />
jamming until it starts to get light outside.<br />
Ultimately, there is nothing here that lifts the<br />
album into the A level of the private-press heavens,<br />
but it sits just below the standards set by better<br />
known LPs like These Trails. [SD]<br />
~~~<br />
Here's a comment from John Villemonte himself: "When<br />
one considers how my first album was recorded, with a<br />
4-track TEAC tape deck with no signal processing and<br />
no mixing board, all instruments recorded with an $18<br />
Radio Shack mic - it certainly has seemed to weather<br />
the test of time. Though I went on to record 8 more<br />
albums, this first one still remains my favorite."
"This" 1979 (Some 905053-3520) [1]<br />
VINCENT (MA)<br />
Villemonte's second LP is similar in style and has<br />
been attracting much of the same clientele. There<br />
were several more albums from the man later on.<br />
"Wild Strawberries" 1976 (Audem AU 1004)<br />
VINDICATION (IN)<br />
Rarely offered private rural singer-songwriter folk<br />
rocker from Massachusetts. A number of the tracks<br />
have a country Grateful Dead influence a la<br />
Workingman's Dead, and Vincent's voice often sounds<br />
like he's trying to emulate Jerry Garcia's vocal<br />
style, though in a lower range. The LP is mostly<br />
acoustic, but some songs feature electric guitar (no<br />
fuzz though) and synthesizer (no fuzz on that<br />
either). [MA]<br />
"Vindication" 1973 (Custom Fidelity cfs-3570) [200p]<br />
VIOLA CRAYOLA ( )<br />
If Fraction is the Holy Grail of psychedelic privates<br />
then the corresponding honors in the world of<br />
progressive rarities would hands down go to Indiana’s<br />
Vindication. This is bona fide five-star progressive<br />
rock from start to finish, quite unlike any other<br />
album in Christian music. Lengthy tracks are the norm<br />
here and every one of them is solid. The instrumental<br />
"Sonnet To Seagulls" starts things off in driving<br />
allegro fashion - and the energy level doesn’t let up<br />
for a moment throughout the whole LP. "Atop Of The<br />
Mountains" follows in classic art rock tradition with<br />
the trio’s trademark ELP-ish compositional complexity<br />
of constantly shifting mood and tempo changes. "Money<br />
Window" and "Satan’s Song" share a similar focus, as<br />
does the 11-minute epic "Master Law" that opens side<br />
two. Here Brad Garton takes on the Keith Emerson role<br />
of the group with skillful piano and synthesizer that<br />
reveals strong classical training. Patrick Kennedy<br />
also gets several opportunities to shine on guitar,<br />
showing agility in not only the fast-paced jamming<br />
stretches, but also the more graceful acoustic<br />
passages (in particular the beautiful closer "You And<br />
Me And God"). Geoff Pacheco keeps the ever-changing<br />
beat going and gets a nice little solo in ‘Master<br />
Law’. Intelligent lyrics and good sound for a custom.<br />
[KS]<br />
~~~<br />
X-ian keys complex prog in ELP style. Dull and<br />
overblown to these ears, though this appears to be a<br />
minority opinion at present. [RM]<br />
"Music: Breathing Of Statues" 1974 (Fautna) [500p]<br />
"Music: Breathing Of Statues" 2004 (CD Radioactive 0093, UK)
Instrumental guitar excursions with a hard edge and a<br />
playful vibe despite the album's lofty pretensions.<br />
Progressive towards the fusion camp but most of the<br />
traps of the style are avoided, thanks in no small<br />
part to the jammy feel provided by the rhythm<br />
section, while lead guitarist and main guy Anthony<br />
Viola soars on top, playing with a raw metal edge and<br />
plenty of fx boxes to help him. The music is<br />
carefully structured and composed, as evident from<br />
the back cover which provides sheet music for the<br />
basic themes of all eight songs! Some tracks such as<br />
"The bus to New York" go all the way into avant<br />
jazzrock but even at that remains reasonably open to<br />
the listener. "The last one on earth" has a nice<br />
doomy intensity, like Black Sabbath with a Juilliard<br />
degree. All over I found this LP surprisingly<br />
appealing, especially in small doses, and if you want<br />
to check the genre out this should be a good entry<br />
point. The memorable LP title comes from a poem by<br />
Rilke, printed on the front cover. Recorded in New<br />
York. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This isn’t the usual psych collectors’ fare, but<br />
never underestimate an album’s rarity as a factor in<br />
opening people’s minds to new genres of music. It’s<br />
instrumental progressive rock with some jazz<br />
leanings. Anthony Viola is a talented and creative<br />
guitarist, and at some points the soloing gets pretty<br />
wild. The songs are complex, full of odd time<br />
signatures and unusual riffs. I’m not especially<br />
knowledgeable about instrumental rock of this type,<br />
so I can’t compare the album to anything, but there’s<br />
no question that this is good stuff, instantly<br />
enjoyable. A couple of songs are really disjointed,<br />
while others flow smoothly despite the tricky time<br />
changes. The rhythm section keeps up nicely. The<br />
final song is a big goof, with the only vocal on the<br />
album, sped up Chipmunks-style and singing about<br />
sandwiches. Some of you will hate it, but after the<br />
rather serious music that preceded it, it’s kind of<br />
fun to end the album in a lighthearted way. Short<br />
album: 8 songs in about 25 minutes. [AM]<br />
VIRGIN INSANITY (Dallas, TX)<br />
"Illusions Of The Maintenance Man" 1971 (Funky 72411) [plain<br />
stamped cover; blank back; 200p]<br />
"Illusions Of The Maintenance Man" 2005 (DeStijl IND-046)<br />
[500p]<br />
"Illusions Of The Maintenance Man" 2005 (CD P-Vine, Japan) [+7<br />
tracks]<br />
Currently in vogue basement folk and folkrock with<br />
short songs and mixed male-female vocals. Hard to<br />
describe accurately (always a good sign), though<br />
comparisons drawn to the third Velvet U LP are not<br />
without merit, especially as the lady vocalist sounds<br />
as unschooled and earthy as Moe Tucker. The sound is<br />
disarmingly honest and stripped down, and indeed the<br />
concentrated minimalist vibe of the LP seems wholly<br />
deliberate. The album has strong grower qualities and<br />
eats its way into your brain, due in no small part to<br />
the excellent, understated songwriting and<br />
arrangements. Unlike the typical depression and<br />
claustrophobia of the genre, a rare warmth and<br />
closeness is projected here, and it's also a most
atypical record to come out of Texas. One of the<br />
flagship pieces for the private press 70s folk sound.<br />
Perhaps not for everyone, but I was impressed and<br />
keep returning to it. The band has recently been<br />
found and confirmed the press size as 200 copies.<br />
Following the "Illusions" LP the band recorded a<br />
second, unreleased album called "Toad Frog", which is<br />
less structurally coherent and has a more varied<br />
sound but otherwise is clearly similar in style, and<br />
contains excellent songs such as "Clifton T". There<br />
is also a third unreleased LP by band leader Bob Long<br />
called "The Odometer Suite". Some of this unreleased<br />
material appear on the Japanese CD reissue, and there<br />
is also a standalone CD release of the complete<br />
material (P-Vine, 2006, Japan). [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This album is years ahead of its time, sounding much<br />
more like an 80s/90s record on the K label or one of<br />
those cassette-only low-fi recordings that made the<br />
rounds before CDs started to dominate the market.<br />
They really want to be a pop band, but can’t quite<br />
figure out how, and some really sloppy drumming, loud<br />
acoustic guitars, untrained singing and tons of<br />
enthusiasm combine for a record that’s hard to<br />
dislike, but not really easy to listen to either.<br />
Unfortunately a number of songs are noticeably out of<br />
rhythm. A few attempts at clever vocal arrangements<br />
are charming. Some of you will like this a lot. You<br />
know who you are. [AM]<br />
VISITOR (Albany, NY)<br />
VIVA ( )<br />
"Visitor" 1980 (Blue Elf/Arabellum AR 1033)<br />
Hard guitar prog/AOR, highly rated by genre fans.<br />
There was also a 12-inch EP "4 by 5" in 1982 and LP<br />
"Take It" in 1983, both on the Visitor label. These<br />
later releases sell for at least as much as the 1980<br />
album among AOR collectors.<br />
"Automobile Downstairs" 1977 (Mark Holly)<br />
Weird tax scam label LP that has connections with the<br />
movie "Gone In 60 Seconds" (original version). It’s a<br />
mix of 70s styles, none of them the kind collectors<br />
care about (except maybe a little funk.) The<br />
production is murky, there are huge gaps of time<br />
between songs, the song titles on side two are<br />
mislabeled, and the album is only 24 minutes long.<br />
It’s a typical tax scam obscurity (the “Album World”<br />
company, who released each of their albums under a<br />
different fake label name, have pulled all kinds of<br />
tricks, such as throwing together songs by more than<br />
one band under the name of one non-existent artist),<br />
a record that makes no sense at all and seems to be<br />
aimed at no actual audience. So, wouldn’t you know,<br />
despite all of the above, some of this is quite good<br />
unclassifiable 70s rock, with nice slide guitar, some<br />
haunting melodies, and a weird underground feel. Not<br />
a great album, but an interesting obscurity for jaded<br />
collectors. [AM]
VIZION (Dallas, TX)<br />
"Rock For Your Life" 1980 (Future) [lyric sleeve]<br />
Texas hard rock with an AOR vibe and a gruff female<br />
singer. It’s a little mainstream for my tastes, but<br />
as this kind of thing goes it’s quite good, and the<br />
singer has an appealing lack of femininity to her. A<br />
few songs have memorable hooks. They have some pop<br />
aspirations and overall it’s not too heavy, but rocks<br />
with enough energy to overcome their most FM-radiofriendly<br />
tendencies. [AM]<br />
VULCAN (Spencer, IA)<br />
"Meet Your Ghost" 1982 (North Star Productions ST 38456)<br />
[200p]<br />
"Meet Your Ghost" 1994 (13th Record) [bootleg; 300p]<br />
"Meet Your Ghost" 199 (CD Steece 13)<br />
"Meet Your Ghost" 199 (Steece 13)<br />
Basement hard fuzz, Hendrix-style riffs. Somewhat<br />
cult-ish, but not everyone is impressed with it.<br />
There are numerous label and cover variants among the<br />
homemade originals. All covers state "reissue", even<br />
the originals. Most or all of the originals have<br />
hand-made labels, while later pressings have real<br />
printed ones. Recorded in 1978. We've also seen<br />
references to a second LP "Hard As Rock, Vol 1",<br />
credited to main Vulcan guy Lyle Steece.
VYTO B (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Tricentennial 2076" 1976 (Clay Pidgeon cps-3012)<br />
This is Vyto Baleska, the force behind First Chips,<br />
doing an oddball one-man band spacy psych LP with<br />
some electronics. The cover design is priceless, and<br />
this may be one for the "outsider" crowd, in addition<br />
to the First Chips pedigree.<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
WABASH RESURRECTION ( )<br />
"Get it Off!” 1975 (Pepperhead 76294) [1000p] [2]<br />
“Get it Off!” 2005 (CD Radioactive 068, UK)<br />
TOM WACHUNAS (OH)<br />
Apparently they sound like Led Zeppelin, but I just<br />
can’t hear that. It’s probably been repeated once<br />
someone had written it, and it became "true”. At<br />
their best Wabash Resurrection sound like a garage<br />
Lynyrd Skynyrd after a heavy night with Crazy Horse.<br />
The best tracks are definitive shit-kicking-ruralmullet-toting<br />
pick-up-truck-drivin’ rawk. Naturally<br />
they look the part on the cover. Launches with<br />
“Pigsty Blues” which seems to be about “keeping yer<br />
sheeet good and your feet flat on the ground”,<br />
essential for one’s health and well being don’t you<br />
know. The second track, “A Soldier’s Lament” is<br />
perhaps the best, and could be straight off the Rayne<br />
LP, thudding drumming and really groovy Crazy Horse<br />
style guitar with perfectly subdued, downer vocals.<br />
On the amazing “In Heat” they really nail it on the<br />
head with the lines: “I dig those Rhythm and<br />
Blues/Don’t try to tell me ‘bout no astral<br />
projections/I got horse shit on my shoes". You can<br />
just picture the lead singer in his cowboy hat<br />
peering skeptically at the hippie chick as she<br />
warbles on about the Age of Aquarius. Very worthwhile<br />
reissue, and even if you’re not a fan of the genre<br />
it’ll make you laugh. [RI]<br />
"Spare Changes" 1975 (Owl 63701) [1]<br />
ALLEN WACHS (WA)<br />
The back cover says that this album is a “graduation<br />
project”. I assume that means college graduation, as<br />
he looks too old to be a high school student. In any<br />
case, this is a mix of guitar-and-voice folk and more<br />
elaborately arranged rock songs. A few of the songs<br />
are quite good, and the long closer has a terrific<br />
guitar solo. Both sides drag a bit in the middle but<br />
start and end well. He has a quirky enough<br />
personality to appeal to loner folk fans, though this<br />
is well-played enough not to be a “real people”<br />
album. Final verdict: not a great album, but an<br />
interesting one with a few memorable songs. Same<br />
label as Raven, about 1000 copies pressed. [AM]<br />
"Mountain Roads & City Streets" 1979 (True Vine) [1]<br />
Country-rock/folkrock with lots of string
instruments, pedal steel, some fuzz and female<br />
backing vocals.<br />
WAILING WALL (El Paso, TX)<br />
"Wailing Wall" 2002 (Rockadelic 47) [600p]<br />
Unusual and appealing circa 1970 recordings from a<br />
forgotten El Paso band that played military bases and<br />
clubs in the area; a worthwhile addition to the<br />
Rockadelic stable and clearly better than the<br />
preceding Iota LP to my ears. Needs to be heard<br />
rather than described, but reminiscent of Neil Young<br />
at his weirdest, Captain Beefheart, Circuit Rider and<br />
even Savage Sons of Yahowa. Long unpredictable tracks<br />
with earthy vocals and an eerie high desert El Paso<br />
vibe in the guitar excursions. Atmospheric, with a<br />
strong band presence. Response to this has been<br />
mixed, I think it a keeper. Packaging is a step up<br />
from the label's preceding releases. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Light Rain<br />
WALKENHORST BROTHERS (MO)<br />
"The Last Adventure" 1977 (Chapie 7113) [4]<br />
MIKE WALKER (WA)<br />
Obscure post-Phantasia LP in a song-oriented<br />
direction, retaining the more commercial ambitions of<br />
Trizo 50 mixed up with "angst", to quote one of the<br />
Walkenhorsts. "Autumn Song" is a possible high-point.<br />
~~~<br />
Here's a comment from Bob Walkenhorst from a web<br />
forum: "Phantasia morphed into Trizo 50 when I had<br />
been in college a couple years. Our interest had<br />
shifted to T-Rex and David Bowie and the whole glamrock<br />
thing. We wore brightly colored satin tuxedos<br />
and makeup, and did a lot of home recording. I left<br />
my hometown buds and my songwriting partners in 1974<br />
and went back to college. And that's when I really<br />
got serious about songwriting. My brother Rex and I,<br />
appropriately called The Walkenhorst Brothers,<br />
performed around Maryville MO, St. Joseph, and KC. We<br />
recorded a homemade album "The Last Adventure". It<br />
was a bit angst-filled, but had some good ideas in<br />
it, and included "Autumn Song", which I still play<br />
now and then."<br />
"Mike Walker" 197 (no label)<br />
Obscure country-rock with a strange vibe on tracks<br />
such as "Mr Pruitt's Apple Farm".<br />
MARTIN WALL (Canada)<br />
"Metaphysical Facelift" 1977 (no label MW 1) [1]
Keyboard-driven progressive rock in crude packaging.<br />
Moog & synthesizers, mellotron, string ensemble,<br />
drums.<br />
WALNUT BAND (Boston, MA)<br />
"Go Nuts" 1976 (Appaloosa Records csl 452) [1]<br />
WANDERERS (CT)<br />
"Go Nuts" is one of the best Grateful Dead-style<br />
rural jammers. The Walnut Band had to be the only<br />
band of the type in Boston, especially in 1976 when<br />
punk had already taken hold there. Maybe being so out<br />
of place made them work all that much harder, but<br />
even so they're as relaxed and comfortable as you<br />
would expect from a top band in the genre. And the<br />
New England influence allows for one major benefit:<br />
there's no pedal steel or other overt nods to country<br />
music here. The sharp guitar playing is matched by<br />
some tasty organ, and there even a few creative<br />
bursts of synthesizer. The only problem is the<br />
vocals, which aren't lazy like the Dead, but just<br />
plain tuneless. Even so, this is a few notches above<br />
bands like, say, Timbercreek. The long jam on "Seat<br />
Belt" is especially good. The cool album cover<br />
implies Residents-style weirdness. Imagine the<br />
surprise of the unsuspecting early new wave fans who<br />
bought this… [AM]<br />
"Sing To The Lord... A New Song!" 1968 (Allen 108) [3]<br />
WANKA (Canada)<br />
This Christian teenbeat band has a few things going<br />
for it, including an opening program declaration<br />
spoken in a weak, nerdy voice similar to Mr van<br />
Driessen of Beavis & Butthead. The title track that<br />
follows is a blatant "Twist & Shout" ripoff despite<br />
its lofty theme. In order to get the kids to dance<br />
there's also "Knock on wood", "Testify", "Midnight<br />
hour" and so forth, all done in a limp, heavyhanded<br />
sub-Young Rascals style similar to the more mediocre<br />
Justice label acts. A highpoint is a revamped version<br />
of John Ylvisaker's classic "Who cares for the city"<br />
with the lyrics altered in a more explicitly<br />
Christian direction, while Jimi Hendrix' "Fire" with<br />
fuzz leads is a surprising choice. The album's legend<br />
rests mainly upon the closing "BSRS", a remarkable,<br />
spooky 9-minute acidrock excursion which sounds like<br />
"Spare Chaynge" as done by a group of depressed 14<br />
year-olds. If they'd skipped the Memphis soul covers<br />
and done more folkrock/psych numbers this would have<br />
been a cult LP, but there are still about 3 tracks on<br />
it worth checking out. [PL]
"The Orange Album" 1977 (Axe 520) [1]<br />
WARD 6 (Canada)<br />
Progressive hardrock with guitar/organ interplay and<br />
strong vocals. Neat cartoon cover.<br />
"Ward 6" 1971 (Cynda 1007)<br />
WARLOCK ( )<br />
Obscure male vocal harmony folk with covers of Tim<br />
Hardin, Beatles, James Taylor, Woody Guthrie and a<br />
few originals. Cool cover.<br />
"Warlock" 1972 (Music Merchant mm-102) [promos exist] [1]<br />
Proggy funky blues rock, possibly from Michigan.<br />
WARPIG (Woodstock, Canada)<br />
"Warpig" 1970 (Fonthill 103) [unipak] [2-3]<br />
"Warpig" 198 (Fonthill) [bootleg]<br />
"Warpig" 2000 (CD Mason, Europe)<br />
Heavy metallic album with some Deep Purple influence.<br />
It sounds pretty good one song at a time but has a<br />
tinny production style that tends to grate. Prog<br />
aspirations make a few songs drag on longer than is<br />
necessary. A favorite of some, but this one didn’t do<br />
much for me. Also released by London Records (#13582)<br />
in the US 1971. [AM]<br />
JOHN WARREN (Winston-Salem, NC)<br />
"Land Of New Hope" 1973 (Icthus)<br />
Mix of rural rock and christian folk.<br />
WASHINGTON APPLES (WA)<br />
"Fresh Country Apples" 1970 (Delicious s-2430) [1]<br />
After starting their careers cutting a series of
adio commercials in support of Washington apples,<br />
the band got a chance to record some more<br />
conventional material and saw the release of a 1970<br />
album on the Seattle-based Delicious Records<br />
label. "Fresh Country Apples" is definitely<br />
different. The first side offers up a series of<br />
expanded versions of their earlier commercial<br />
jingles. Powered by excellent vocals, material such<br />
as the title track isn't half bad, the only major<br />
mis-step being the hokey "Applecore - Baltimore" (the<br />
title says it all). The flip side features the band<br />
in a more contemporary setting and is actually quite<br />
good. Highlights include a bluesy cover of<br />
"Summertime", "Blues for J" and Hadlock's pseudojazzy<br />
"Another Day". While some dealers have hyped<br />
the album as being a psych classic, most of the set<br />
sports a far more commercial orientation. The one<br />
exception is the extended closer "Ode To Cory".<br />
Complete with thunderstorm effects, squealing guitar<br />
and a dirge like tempo, this one sounds like it was<br />
torn out of some acid-tripping San Francisco band's<br />
catalog. Quite impressive. [SB]<br />
WASTED RANGERS (Portland, OR)<br />
"Wasted Rangers" 1978 (no label) [2LPs; insert; bonus 7"] [1]<br />
WATERFALL ( )<br />
Rural rock jams in a Dead/Little Feat direction,<br />
issued in plain cover with song info pasted on. Press<br />
size report vary between 500 and 1000 copies.<br />
"Comin' Down" 1974 (USR 9533) [2]<br />
1970s folk, highly rated by some.<br />
DICK WATSON 5 see Dick Watson 5<br />
ALAN WATTS (UK / CA)<br />
"This Is IT" 1962 (MEA 1007) [3-4]<br />
"This Is IT" 2004 (CD Locust)<br />
"This Is IT" 2004 (Locust 048)<br />
Legendary underground counterculture artefact from<br />
the famous author, lecturer and LSD philosopher.<br />
Often referred to as "the first psychedelic LP", this<br />
is an extraordinary session of improvised free-form<br />
music, chanting and a few bizarre Watts monologues.
Recorded at a time when Watts' interest in<br />
hallucinogens was at its peak (documented in his<br />
"Joyous Cosmology" book), the mood is tribal and the<br />
energy level very high. Timeless testament from a<br />
wayout era, connecting the 50s beatnik and 60s freak<br />
eras. Watts had several other LPs that fall outside<br />
the scope of our Archives, mainly concerned with<br />
Eastern spirituality. [PL]<br />
WAX WIZARDS (Philadelphia, PA)<br />
"From Rock Mountain" 1982 (Buffalo Wings) [mini-LP]<br />
This mini-album (6 songs in about 23 minutes) wins<br />
the prize for most inaccurately described album by<br />
rare record dealers. It has a cool fantasy drawing on<br />
the front cover, so everyone hypes it as a prog<br />
album, which it is not. The album was put together by<br />
songwriter E.D. Ward to showcase his songs, though<br />
unlike a lot of albums of this type, he assembled an<br />
excellent band and the songs are very well played.<br />
However, since his songwriting style is all over the<br />
map, there are a few semi-hard rock songs, a reggae<br />
song, and some ballads, a mix that isn’t going to<br />
make the kind of people who buy it for the cover too<br />
happy. One song has some really nice dual lead<br />
guitars, but overall this is a pretty mild AOR album.<br />
[AM]<br />
KENNY WAYNE & THE KAMOTIONS (Texarkana, TX)<br />
"Kenny Wayne & the Kamotions" 1970 (Candy 1023) [2]<br />
"Kenny Wayne & the Kamotions" 200 (Candy)<br />
Rootsy bar-rock covers of Free, Ides Of March,<br />
"Stormy Monday", alongside a handful of originals in<br />
various styles, not rated very highly. The group had<br />
lots of 45s too and may be best enjoyed in that<br />
format.<br />
W D FISHER (Montreal, Canada)<br />
"W D Fisher" 1970 (Trans-Canada 1447) [1]<br />
Melodic rock and progressive moves with one extended<br />
track and extensive use of keyboards, as on many<br />
Canadian LPs from the era.<br />
WEDGE see Orange Wedge<br />
WEEKENDERS (Needham, MA)
"Spring Weekend '65" 1965 (Vogt 2015) [2-3]<br />
Obscure pre-garage item from the preprock circuit,<br />
Lawrence Academy to be specific. The title track has<br />
been reissued on a couple of comps and is a cool<br />
fratty original with one of the most deadpan vocal<br />
deliveries ever. The rest of the LP is mostly covers<br />
and more conventional in style, mixing pre-Invasion<br />
frat, surf and ballads, with a solid entertainment<br />
value. Closing original invokes the Spring break<br />
party mood once more, sure sounds like these rich<br />
WASP kids were on top of the world. Great cover. [PL]<br />
WEIGALTOWN ELEMENTAL BAND (Erie, PA)<br />
"Don't Hurt Yourself" 1976 (Old Ridge 761) [300p; insert;<br />
mailing coupon] [1]<br />
Underrated local charmer in the "East Coast Dead"<br />
1970s style, with a blue collar vibe that makes for<br />
an interesting marriage with the laidback westcoast<br />
rural rock. Opens with excellent 1960s-style<br />
folkrocker and maintains an appealing quality and<br />
directness despite the bold mix of styles. The<br />
tongue-in-cheek material is unusually strong and<br />
there's a dark, folky track with violin closing side<br />
2 in an excellent manner. A couple more tunes like<br />
that and the opener and this would have been a great<br />
mid-70s LP, but it's still strong enough to be worth<br />
hearing for genre fans, my main objection being the<br />
short playtime. Pressed in 300 copies, even though<br />
the handwritten numbering may indicate a bigger run.<br />
To cap things off, these guys were in wellknown<br />
teenbeat band Arkay IV a whole decade earlier. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This plays like a "battle of the bands" with just<br />
about every song a new genre. It opens with a really<br />
nice jangly folk-rocker, and most listeners will wish<br />
similar songs would follow. Instead, it moves to<br />
country-rock, slow blues, old-style rock n' roll, and<br />
acoustic balladry. The closing moody ballad with<br />
drony viola is probably the highlight; this album is<br />
bookmarked by two songs you'll all like. The rest may<br />
not be exactly up your alley style-wise, but much of<br />
it is quite cool. All is in good spirits and good<br />
humor; this is a fun record. The recording is very<br />
crude, but the mix is smartly done: the vocals and<br />
guitars are loud. This is the epitome of a versatile<br />
but quirky local band making their own album for<br />
their small but devoted group of fans. Collectors<br />
tend to forget that most bands are this<br />
"normal." [AM]<br />
WEIGHT (Walnut Creek, CA)
"Music Is The Message" 1970 (Bertram International 104)<br />
DAVID WELSH (OH)<br />
Live garage lounge-rock from Rick's Lounge, half<br />
ludicrous Beatles covers. For genre fans only.<br />
"Blue Lightning Accent" 1980 (Blue Ash) [2-3]<br />
Half downer folk with idiosynchratic amateur vocals,<br />
half electric rocking sounds with a biker vibe.<br />
Overall a bit like a primitive DIY variant on the<br />
Michael James LP.<br />
WENDY & BONNIE (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Genesis" 1969 (Skye 1006) [1]<br />
"Genesis" 199 (CD Sundazed 11089) [+5 bonus tracks]<br />
Much admired femme vocal harmony hippie pop LP from<br />
young San Francisco sisters. While obviously a<br />
pleasant and atmospheric experience I've never quite<br />
fallen for it -- the lack of personal expression<br />
creates a blanding effect, no matter how pretty the<br />
surface. Songwriting is fine as is the vocal blend,<br />
but I think this required a rich and elaborate<br />
Boettcher/Brian Wilson studio production on top.<br />
Instead it's bordering on generic top 40 material in<br />
my ears, but this seems to be the minority opinion<br />
out there. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is one of those albums I really expected to like<br />
but found quite dull, with the songwriting not taking<br />
any risks and with singing starting to grate after a<br />
few songs. It's no better than a lot of less<br />
expensive albums (for instance, Laurie Styvers'<br />
"Spilt Milk" or Mary Catherine Lunsford's album). The<br />
CD has bonus tracks and interesting liner notes. This<br />
album definitely has its fans, but you wont' find me<br />
among them. [AM]<br />
WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band" 1966 (Fifo M101)<br />
"Legendary Unreleased Album" 1980 (Raspberry Sawfly) [altered<br />
cover; partial reissue]<br />
"West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band" 199 (no label)<br />
"West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band" 199 (Sundazed, 2LPs)<br />
[altered cover; +bonus tracks]<br />
"West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band" 199 (CD Sundazed)<br />
[+bonus tracks]
This is the score collectors dream of -- a previously<br />
unknown early LP by a major 60s group. Only a dozen<br />
or so originals have been found, and even a<br />
sleeveless copy goes for $1500, while a copy with<br />
sleeve sold for not less than $11.000. First hints of<br />
its' existence came via the odd "Legendary unreleased<br />
album" issue (from the band themselves) which<br />
unfortunately excludes some of the best tracks,<br />
although it does include some obscure 45-only tracks.<br />
There was also a magazine article around 1981 where<br />
the discovery was announced, but it wasn't until the<br />
1990s that people really became aware of the Fifo<br />
album. The music is dominated by crude Sunset Strip<br />
folk-garage cover versions, with some psychy moves<br />
added via early versions of two tracks from their<br />
fabulous Reprise debut. One of my all-time favorite<br />
groups, this is mandatory for WCPAEB fans, though<br />
admittedly not as outstanding and mature as their<br />
later albums. There was a Fifo 45 released with a<br />
non-LP B-side ("Sassafras"). After being taken under<br />
the bizarre wings of Bob Markley, the young band<br />
followed this debut with an outstanding run at<br />
Reprise including a couple of all-time classic psych<br />
LPs, but anyone reading this is likely to know those<br />
already. [PL]<br />
WESTFAUSTER (Cincinnati, OH)<br />
"In A King's Dream" 1971 (Nasco 9008) [1-2]<br />
"In A King's Dream" 199 (no label) [bootleg]<br />
DANA WESTOVER (CA)<br />
Dreamy UK-influenced eclectic psych-artrock with<br />
classical and jazz ambitions and a Moody<br />
Blues/Beatles vibe. Woodwinds and keyboards upfront.<br />
Not bad, with light almost feminine vocals and good<br />
production value. A bit dorky when the flutes get<br />
going but I prefer this over their Nasco buddies the<br />
Whalefeathers. [PL]<br />
"Memorial To Fear" 1972 (Wolf Music) [2]<br />
WE THE PEOPLE ( )<br />
Acoustic loner folk LP. Supposedly he was a draft<br />
dodger and released this LP in Canada.<br />
"We The People" 1972 (United Sound) [1]<br />
Christian folk, no relation to the great 60s Florida<br />
band.<br />
WHAIL (Fostoria, OH)<br />
"Fresh Air" 1974 (Luv 701)<br />
Lounge rock with a wide range of styles from Gordon<br />
Lighfoot covers to a couple more psych tracks.
Occasional use of synth. The band, with roots in the<br />
60s garage era, was known as Fresh Air but changed to<br />
Whail to avoid confusion with another group, instead<br />
this became the album title. Pricing of this tends to<br />
be all over the map, but it's really a marginal item.<br />
A number of 45s and unreleased recordings exist.<br />
WHALEFEATHERS (Cincinnati, OH)<br />
"Declare" 1969 (Nasco 9003) [2]<br />
"Declare" 199 (no label) [bootleg]<br />
Ambitious (or pretentious) psychrock in a UKinfluenced<br />
Moody Blues/Procol Harum school with a bit<br />
of Vanilla Fudge thrown in. Some strong guitar leads,<br />
dramatic (or bombastic) keyboard changes, making the<br />
vocals sound a bit weak in context. Good production<br />
and mixing like on all Nasco albums. Has a bad halfspeed<br />
take on Moby Grape's "Omaha". The best track<br />
has been comp'd if you want a sample. The band had<br />
the same management as Westfauster. [PL]<br />
"Whalefeathers" 1970 (Nasco 9005) [1-2]<br />
Second LP has been described as "bluesier", including<br />
a cover of St Steven's "Bastich". Also released in<br />
England on Blue Horizon and in Germany by Vogue.<br />
WHEATSTONE BRIDGE (Kankakee, IL)<br />
"Bad Connection" 1976 (Sanron 200) [1]<br />
This impressive hard rock album was recorded in just<br />
17 hours and had a fresh, inspired feel to it. They<br />
obviously perfected these songs through many live<br />
performances, so this album is tightly played and<br />
professional sounding despite the quick recording.<br />
The sound is sharp: metallic rhythm guitar, upbeat<br />
rhythms, spastic leads, no keyboards, unpretentious<br />
vocals. The album has six rockers and two ballads.<br />
The only annoyance is that the lead guitarist<br />
overdoes it with the speed; some subtlety and variety<br />
would have been welcome. Otherwise, this is good<br />
stuff. The songs aren't especially complex, but they<br />
have hooks, are structured in occasionally surprising<br />
ways, and are short and to the point. It's not<br />
especially heavy, but it avoids most of the pitfalls<br />
of 70s hard rock and is quite a bit better than most<br />
of the albums I've heard in the genre. Weird album<br />
cover, by the way. [AM]<br />
TIM WHEELER (Dallas, TX)<br />
"Blues-Rock Fusion" 1980 (Duke 809-123) [1]<br />
Bluesy guitar-driven hardrock from young guy who<br />
credits Hendrix and Johnny Winter among his<br />
influences.
WHISTLER, CHAUCER, DETROIT & GREENHILL (Fort Worth, TX)<br />
"The Unwritten Works Of Geoffrey, Etc" 1969 (UNI 73034)<br />
RUTH WHITE (CA)<br />
This is one of the best albums on the Uni label, and<br />
it’s surprising that it has yet to get its due. It’s<br />
the pinnacle of the post-Buffalo Springfield/Moby<br />
Grape style (i e: somewhere between folk-rock and<br />
west coast rock), with completely solid songwriting,<br />
nice guitar playing and interesting arrangements. A<br />
bunch of songs sound like they could have been hits.<br />
There are some nice popsike moments too. The stereo<br />
production style is several years behind its time<br />
(vocals are to one speaker like on old Beatles<br />
records), which lessens the impact a little bit, but<br />
still this is a big winner. Every collection should<br />
have a copy. This album also gets major points for<br />
being the most obscure choice in “The Mojo<br />
Collection” and subsequently being mentioned on the<br />
US TV show “Gilmore Girls.” The band names are<br />
pseudonyms, but T-Bone Burnett is one member, and a<br />
few others went on to form Space Opera, who released<br />
a unique and occasionally wonderful album in the<br />
early 70s. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
This is one of those LPs (like the first Perth Co<br />
Conspiracy) that pretty much everyone who hears is<br />
impressed by, and yet remains overlooked in the big<br />
picture. From 1969 it's actually pretty advanced for<br />
its time, with a sound that would become more popular<br />
in the early 1970s, a mix of westcoast, folk and<br />
singer-songwriter. It opens with two killer tracks,<br />
the Fred Neil-ish folkblues of "The Viper" and the<br />
psychy "Day Of Childhood", which sounds like a lost<br />
track from the Bob Smith LP ("House Of Collection"<br />
has a similar sound). The rootsy folkrock sound<br />
dominates the album, with strong, world-weary vocals,<br />
appropriate use of violin and harmonica, and good<br />
songwriting. A couple of tracks that look back to the<br />
"Sgt Pepper"-era are hardly the highpoints but the<br />
album is strong enough to handle this diversity. For<br />
an unknown band the maturity and selfconfidence on<br />
display is remarkable. Essential... and not rare!<br />
[PL]<br />
"Seven Trumps Of The Tarot Card: Pinions" 1968 (Limelight<br />
86058) [promos exist; unipak] [1]<br />
"Flowers Of Evil" 1969 (Limelight 86066) [1]<br />
Avant garde electronics from unacknowledged, selftaught<br />
synth pioneer. The first LP is an occultelectronic<br />
impression of the Tarot deck. "Flowers Of<br />
Evil" contains readings from the poetry of Charles<br />
Baudelaire with electronically treated vocals, tapecollages,<br />
spooky synth drones, and dissonant<br />
electronic backdrops. There is also an LP "Short<br />
Circuits" on Angel where Ms White interprets various<br />
classical music themes.<br />
WHITE BOY & THE AVERAGE RAT BAND (Baltimore, MD)
"White Boy & the Average Rat Band" 198 (Tradewind) [3]<br />
WHITE HARVEST (OH)<br />
This is stretching the limits of the Archives here --<br />
it's an 80s album and sounds much closer to the kind<br />
of post-punk hard rock that got college airplay in<br />
the late 80s than it does like anything else reviewed<br />
on this website. That said, it's speedy not-quitemetal<br />
hard rock with a pulverizing distortion sound<br />
(to call it "fuzz guitar" is to understate it by a<br />
mile). One song is acoustic, but mostly this is just<br />
an in-your-face blitzkrieg, and it's really great.<br />
[AM]<br />
"White Harvest" 1976 (Rite 36528) [insert] [3]<br />
Almost passed this one up at a flea market when I saw<br />
it contained the hymn "When The Roll Is Called Up<br />
Yonder". With no band pics on the cover it could just<br />
as easily have been some old-time gospel thing.<br />
Fortunately I risked my two bucks anyway, unaware of<br />
the way cool hard rock gem that lurked within. With<br />
female vocals, organ/synth backing and an overall<br />
exultant tone, White Harvest is similar in some<br />
respects to Servant or The Sheep, yet with a rougher<br />
quality. Not quite Earthen Vessel but darn close on<br />
slow boogie jammers like "I Can’t Understand" and<br />
"Let Him In", both of which display a fair amount of<br />
distortion and fuzz soloing. Other songs have more<br />
the direction of west-coast rock, sometimes managing<br />
a light psych edge. One ballad - other than that the<br />
electric angle is present throughout (no folk or<br />
acoustic stuff in here). All original material save<br />
their heavy rendering of the aforementioned hymn<br />
(which I’m sure ruffled a few feathers in their<br />
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio community). Very attractive<br />
sleeve art of a 16th century black-on-white woodcut<br />
print. [KS]<br />
WHITE LIGHT (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"White Light" 1970 (Century 39955) [2-3] [1st version]<br />
"White Light" 1971 (Century 40136) [2-3] [2nd version]<br />
"White Light" 198 (Vanita)<br />
"White Light / Mississippi" 2000 (CD Two Of Us 001, Germany)<br />
[two-on-1]<br />
Crude local barrock/hardrock that reminds me somewhat<br />
of Butterfingers, which is not a good thing. Reissued<br />
many years ago and thus a fairly wellknown title<br />
(apparently many people incorrectly thought they were<br />
related to the "William" 45 band), although it<br />
strikes me as rather marginal. Primitive recording<br />
with lots of fuzz, heavy Hendrixy riffs and growling<br />
vocals. Mainly cover versions including some odd<br />
choices such as Velvet Underground and the Fugs,<br />
along with soul, blues, crooner moves and even<br />
"Heartbreak Hotel". As a testament from a local scene<br />
this has its moments but if the main priority is good<br />
music, I would look elsewhere. Two different versions<br />
of this LP exist, the first with 11 songs including<br />
"Heartbreak hotel", the second with 9 tracks,
omitting "Heartbreak" and replacing some others. The<br />
LP has the same generic Century sleeve as the<br />
Philosophers LP. Most of the White Light album songs<br />
were recorded in 1970-1971 in the Perron<br />
brothers' (Joel & Kurt) basement. "But I Don't Know<br />
Why" and "Always Always," however, were recorded in<br />
New York in 1968 with vocalist Gary "Mississippi"<br />
Abram's earlier band members. [PL]<br />
WHITE LIGHTNING see Lightning<br />
WHITE NOISE (AZ)<br />
"Different" 1981 (WN 1001) [inner sleeve] [1]<br />
WHITE SUMMER (MI)<br />
This mixed gender hard rock band (the woman not only<br />
does half the singing, but plays half of the lead<br />
guitar) is the only band I know that are both<br />
skateboarders and bikers. Most of this album has<br />
cheap production, tuneless vocals, a lack of hooks,<br />
aimless lead guitar, pedestrian lyrics and a lack of<br />
melodic inventiveness, and after the first song<br />
you'll want to shut it off for good. Don't give up on<br />
it completely, though, because the songs written and<br />
sung by Susan Vickers not only rock harder than the<br />
guys' songs, but have a mildly sinister edge that<br />
makes up for a lot of the above-mentioned<br />
deficiencies. The 9 ½ minute suite that ends side one<br />
blows away everything here: it has hooks, hot solos<br />
and part two of it has a cool dramatic intensity. Too<br />
bad she can't sing any better than the guys, though.<br />
This is typical of private press hard rock; you have<br />
to overlook a lot of inadequacies to find the good in<br />
it. If you're willing to make the effort, about half<br />
of this is pretty enjoyable, but if you're expecting<br />
anything a millionth as good as, say, Bitch's<br />
Damnation Alley, you'll be disappointed. [AM]<br />
"White Summer" 1976 (no label 60343 N7) [3-4]<br />
"White Summer" 199 (no label)<br />
"White Summer" 199 (no label) [marble vinyl]<br />
"White Summer" 2004 (Void 026] [500p]<br />
Local hardrock not without ambitions, similar to<br />
Sorcery as a transition piece from the early 70s<br />
hippie/dope era into the metal sounds of the early<br />
80s. Opens with a psychy westcoast track, rest is<br />
pure guitar hardrock with minor prog moves; good<br />
vocals is a plus, while the drumming is a bit wrong<br />
both in terms of sound and playing. Closing epic is<br />
full of Led Zep drama and inane teen fantasy/SF<br />
lyrics. For 1970s fans only. Recorded at Uncle<br />
Dirty's. [PL]
WHITE WING (SD)<br />
"White Wing" 1976 (ASI 212) [insert] [1]<br />
WHITEWOOD ( )<br />
Layered guitar, keyboard and mellotron progressive<br />
and hardrock, from band who later evolved into the<br />
"other" Asia.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Asia<br />
"Whitewood" 197 (Exotic EXS-1-91172) [plain white sleeve]<br />
"Whitewood" 1999 (Rockadelic 36) [600p; +1 track] [4]<br />
One of the more obscure Rockadelics is a crude,<br />
unpolished gem that deserves time to manifest itself.<br />
A reissue of one of those "we'll put music to your<br />
lyrics" song-poem artefacts, but this one breathes<br />
with an eerie dementia unlike the usual laugh riots;<br />
imagine a suicidal Boa or Ant Trip Ceremony with some<br />
fire up their ass. Title track is an instant classic,<br />
and 2/3rds is local late 60s garage psych the way you<br />
want it. The instrumental fillers include a roomclearing<br />
polka-rock fusion that could have been left<br />
off, though it does add to the spooky desolate Viet<br />
Vet vibe, as does the new front cover design. The<br />
bonus track comes from an inferior second LP from<br />
this same unsuccesful songwriter. [PL]<br />
DAN WHITLEY (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"In Search Of Justus" 1969 (no label) [1]<br />
BILL WHYTE (MA)<br />
Pop/orch psych with mostly originals, a sitar cover<br />
of "Nature Boy" and some fuzz. Most of the originals<br />
are songwriting collaborations with one Bobby<br />
Morphis. Housed in a crude cover design, possibly a<br />
demo LP only.<br />
"Cold Sunshine" 1973 (Hub) [insert]<br />
WIDSITH (NJ)<br />
Hippie folk with psychedelic cover.<br />
"Maker Of Song" 1972 (Aleithia) [lyric insert] [1]<br />
Rural rock with some westcoast psych wandering. Great<br />
songs and vocals with mainstream appeal. Like if the<br />
Band had Van Morrison on vocals. "Singer in the<br />
market place" is a cool ripoff of the Moody Blues'<br />
"Nights in white satin"! [RM]<br />
~~~
This two man band produced a unique item here, a<br />
folk/folk-rock record with influences from every<br />
possible genre, finally sounding something like an<br />
American Van Morrison, or Graham Parker if he'd been<br />
reared on folk instead of soul. A couple of songs<br />
have some really effective spacy fuzz guitar, some<br />
others have a good-timey feel, and some a busker<br />
feel. About half have drums, and some have a mild<br />
jazzy influence as well. All are well-played and sung<br />
and this is a good LP that grows on you. Not hard to<br />
find for a private press; it must have sold pretty<br />
well. [AM]<br />
DAVID WIFFEN (Vancouver, Canada)<br />
"Live At The Bunkhouse" 1965 (International Records) [4]<br />
"David Wiffen" 1971 (Fantasy 8411) [1]<br />
JACK WILCOX ( )<br />
Wiffen was in 3’s A Crowd with Brent Titcomb and<br />
other Canadian folkies in the 60s. His rare<br />
coffehouse folk live album preceded that band. The<br />
1971 effort was the first from his incarnation as a<br />
70s singer/songwriter, and it’s terrific. Unlike his<br />
later albums, this is quite hard to find, as<br />
purportedly only promo copies were distributed. Word<br />
has it that some of the album’s backing tracks and<br />
the final mix were done without Wiffen’s involvement,<br />
which is surprising because this album has such a<br />
personal, intimate feel to it. Wiffen has a powerful,<br />
deep voice somewhere between Tim Hardin and Lee<br />
Hazlewood, and he’s equally comfortable singing folkrock,<br />
mellow blues and straight old-fashioned<br />
ballads. His songwriting is intelligent and direct,<br />
again recalling Hardin. Among the highlights on this<br />
excellent record: “Never Make A Dollar That Way,”<br />
which has some eerie moog from Bernie Krause, and<br />
“Driving Wheel,” an instantly unforgettable song with<br />
a killer arrangement, including light fuzz guitar and<br />
perfect, tasteful use of horns. Wiffen (or whoever<br />
finished the mix) has an odd habit of fading songs<br />
out in the middle of verses, giving the illusion that<br />
his stories are unfinished. His most well-known song,<br />
“More Often Than Not,” especially benefits from this<br />
effect, due to its subject, alcoholism. This album is<br />
worth hunting down. Wiffen had one more LP on Fantasy<br />
in 1973. [AM]<br />
"A Marriage Of Clocks And Highways" 1977 (no label) [1]<br />
Melancholic introspective downer folkrock with angry<br />
guitar picking, desperate vocals and dark<br />
lyrics, recorded in an empty bar.<br />
WILCOX, SULLIVAN, WILCOX (NM)<br />
"An Album Of Original Music" 1973 (Golddust) [2]<br />
Hippie folkpsych/singer songwriter with Eastern
moves, housed in tremendous acid cover. There is a<br />
second LP, "Tomales Bay" (Goldust, 1975) which is not<br />
as good. Apparently some players here also appeared<br />
on the "I Love You Gorgo" LP from El Paso several<br />
years earlier.<br />
WILDFIRE (Laguna Beach, CA)<br />
"Smokin'" 1970 (Primo) [plain sleeve with sticker; 1000p] [4]<br />
"Smokin'" 1996 (OR 011) [500p; new sleeve; sides reversed]<br />
Guitar-driven early hardrock rarity.<br />
WILD OLIVE BRANCH BAND (KY)<br />
"Through A Glass Darkly" 1977 (Lifesongs LSR-001) [1]<br />
Christian folkrock with some fuzz leads.<br />
WILD & UNTAMED BLUES BAND ( )<br />
"Wild & Untamed Blues Band" 197 (no label)<br />
Described by one fan as: "...ultimate kingpin White<br />
trash real people biker rock with male/female vocals,<br />
guitar, bass and drums. One of the crudest covers<br />
ever with a black and white photo collage of the<br />
greasy fat band members and the unattractive female<br />
singer wearing a "Spoiled Rotten" T-Shirt.<br />
"Motorcycle Rider" "Hey, Good Lookin Mama", "Baby",<br />
"Don't Ya Throw It Away" "Sunday morning Blues". This<br />
is the real deal and one of the scariest private<br />
pressings I have ever come across."<br />
WILKINSON TRICYCLE (Long Island, NY)<br />
"Wilkinson Tricycle" 1969 (Date tes 40016) [insert] [1]<br />
"Wilkinson Tricycle" 2005 (CD Synton, Austria)<br />
This album has a stark production style -- it’s<br />
basically the band’s live sound without overdubs,<br />
kind of like the albums by Help. In a way it doesn’t<br />
do the band justice, because they have definite<br />
leanings in an ambitious Beatlesque direction, as<br />
well as some hard rock moves. The songwriting is<br />
good, though not really top-notch. The best song is<br />
“What Of I,” which was effectively covered by<br />
Yesterday’s Children on an album even more obscure<br />
than this. [AM]
V.A "WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA" (PA)<br />
"Williamsport, Pennsylvania" 1968 (Empire 513/14) [1-2]<br />
Typical sound for these local late 60s PA samplers<br />
(there's at least a half-dozen such) with covers of<br />
Hendrix, Steppenwolf, Beatles, a couple of originals<br />
such as Something Else's "Caldwell Purple Wren".<br />
There's also a version of "Girl from Ipanema" to<br />
screw things up.<br />
WILLIE & THE BUMBLEBEES (Minneapolis, MN)<br />
"Honey From The Bee" 1976 (SJL 4107) [1]<br />
Raw bluesy & funky barband rock with horn section and<br />
a cover to match, and titles like "After my hard-on<br />
is gone". Willie Murphy went on to start the Atomic<br />
Throy label and is producing other artists, and also<br />
recorded a couple solo projects.<br />
WILSON McKINLEY (Spokane, WA)<br />
"On Stage: Live At Pender Audiotorium" 1970 (no label 27057)<br />
[1]<br />
Recorded live in Vancouver BC, "On Stage" sounds like<br />
it’s about one notch above an audience recording. The<br />
vibrant energy of the Jesus movement still shines<br />
through each song, making the album a cherished<br />
classic, even if it does check in well behind "Spirit<br />
Of Elijah" and "Heavens Gonna Be A Blast". The<br />
group’s brand of west coast guitar psych seems rooted<br />
in the San Francisco Haight-Ashbury culture. They’ve<br />
been likened to Quicksilver but also have some of the<br />
country direction of The Byrds and The Grateful Dead.<br />
One of their favorite tricks was to take songs from<br />
secular artists and subtly alter the lyrics to a<br />
Christian perspective. Examples from "On Stage"<br />
include un-credited re-workings of "He Was A Friend<br />
Of Mine" and "You Ain’t Going Nowhere". Groovin’<br />
bongo action on the latter, as well as on "The Love<br />
Of My Savior", "I Know The Lord" and "He’s Coming To<br />
Take His Children". The primitive electric guitar<br />
riffs, the loose spirited harmonies, the impromptu<br />
acclamations of “thank you Jesus” and “hallelujah<br />
Jesus!” - all of it contributes to that enthusiastic<br />
garage-rocking hippie Jesus freak vibe. The packaging<br />
is definitely unusual: the album originally came<br />
housed in white pie boxes hand-stenciled with a color
and logo and a one way Jesus sign. There are a<br />
number of variations of this version which is<br />
sometimes referred to as Jesus People Army. Later the<br />
album was released in an oversized regular cover with<br />
orange and brown illustrations of the four band<br />
members’ longhaired heads. [KS]<br />
"Spirit Of Elijah" 1971 (Voice Of Elijah 27977) [2-3]<br />
Their really good one, west coasty Christian rock<br />
reminiscent of the best tracks on the Rainbow Promise<br />
LP and solid all through. Well-written songs combine<br />
perfectly with the jammy S F ballroom sound popular<br />
among the Jesus Music bands, recalling the mellow<br />
aspects of Moby Grape in particular. The epic, spinechilling<br />
title track is especially good. A loose,<br />
understated live in the basement recording adds to<br />
the appeal. I personally rate something like Kristyl<br />
even higher, but this album is undoubtedly one of the<br />
classics from the era. The band sells a CD<br />
compilation of their 3 albums, with the "Elijah"<br />
tracks reportedly losing some of their magic in their<br />
cleaned-up state. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This isn't just the best Christian album I've heard.<br />
It may possibly be the best album in the laid-back<br />
West Coast late 60s/early 70s style I've heard,<br />
period. The crude recording style works in its favor,<br />
making it sound fresh and vital, like a great live<br />
recording (which it basically is.) While the fidelity<br />
isn't great, the instruments and vocals are<br />
completely clear, proof that expensive recording<br />
technology isn't necessary as long as something is<br />
recorded with common sense. The occasional bum note<br />
from the singers isn't enough to detract from the<br />
heartfelt and warm singing style, and the band really<br />
gets a groove going on every single song. The songs<br />
aren't heavy at all, but they rock with an energy and<br />
confidence that's completely arresting. A few songs<br />
are stolen (how un-Christian of them!) from wellknown<br />
sources (Moby Grape, Moody Blues) but are given<br />
new, Christian lyrics. It's an interesting and<br />
successful gimmick, and these songs fit nicely in<br />
with a batch of killer originals. There's a mixture<br />
of slow and fast songs, but my personal favorite<br />
moment is the rave up in "Tree of Life." My favorite<br />
overall song, though, is the ballad "I Need A<br />
Savior," with its harmonies and lead guitar playing a<br />
perfect ringer for Let It Be-era Beatles.<br />
Unfortunately no direct reissue exists. A self-made<br />
best of CD contains much of this album, but it's<br />
definitely best heard as one coherent piece. [AM]<br />
"Heaven's Gonna Be A Blast" 1972 (Voice Of Elijah 29005/6)<br />
[oversized day-glo cover] [1]<br />
Although nearly killed by a production snafu that<br />
sets the bass way out in front, this album happens to<br />
contain some of the group’s best songs. "Standin’ At<br />
The Crossroads", "He Made Us Free" and "Then I Fell<br />
In Love" all show the group in top form with lots of
ock & roll energy and enthusiasm for Jesus, along<br />
with touches of CSN vocals and Grateful Dead boogie.<br />
Same spunky attitude on the lively title track which<br />
features an electric bass solo followed by a drum<br />
solo. "I’m Only Smilin" includes some jamming piano,<br />
while the heavy percussive angle of "On Stage"<br />
returns for "I Wish I Had The Words To Tell You". The<br />
electric piano introduced on "Spirit Of Elijah"<br />
returns for several songs including a couple of<br />
ballads. "Almighty God" closes the album with a<br />
hypnotic 6/8 jazzy psych groove. As for the cruddy<br />
production, I’ve gotten to love this record so much I<br />
don’t even notice it anymore. Besides, the sound is<br />
still better than on their first LP. The oversized<br />
Day-Glo cover with the colorful exploding graphics is<br />
certainly an eye-popper. Both red and yellow label<br />
copies have been found. The group had two later<br />
cassette-only releases: "Country in the sky" and<br />
"Yesterday/Forever", and also backed up Frank Starr<br />
on his LP "You Can't Disguise Religion" (1971).<br />
Earlier some members appeared on an exploito<br />
California Poppy Pickers LP. [KS]<br />
BILL WILSON (Austin, TX)<br />
"Songs From the Catalog of Sonosong Music Company" 196<br />
(Sonobeat WEJ 285M / WEJ 286M) [about 100 pressed] [3]<br />
Texas folk songwriter's demo. The music is just Bill<br />
and acoustic guitar. Cindy Reynolds sings harmony<br />
vocals on one track. The sound is similar to Bob<br />
Dylan's "Another Side of" LP - imagist deep thoughts<br />
lyrics including a couple songs about the Vietnam<br />
War. Good LP with a behind the times sound. No label<br />
would have been interested at the time but it would<br />
have been a good release for Elektra or Verve<br />
Folkways in late 1966 or so! The front cover is plain<br />
with a small title stamp. The back cover is blank and<br />
came with a photo or info sheet taped on. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Mariani<br />
GARY WILSON (Endicott, NY)<br />
"You Think You Really Know Me" 1977 (Gary Wilson/MCM Records)<br />
[b & w cover; inserts] [2]<br />
"You Think You Really Know Me" 1990 (Cry Baby bh 03) [color<br />
cover]<br />
"You Think You Really Know Me" 2002 (Motel Records) [remix;<br />
color cover]<br />
"You Think You Really Know Me" 2002 (CD Motel Records) [remix]<br />
Gary Wilson is one of the most oddly endearing of all<br />
70s oddballs. This album is a stark mix of funk, pop<br />
and prog, a mix that could be a disatser but works<br />
very well here as Wilson is obviously doing what<br />
comes naturally to him. It's cool, but what really<br />
makes him so memorable are his lyrics. He's young<br />
here, and horny beyond belief, but afraid of girls at<br />
the same time, and his obsessions are unbearably real<br />
and often scary. Unique, unforgettable album and an<br />
absolute landmark in 1970s weirdness. When Gary was<br />
found 25 years later, sure enough, he was working in
WINDFLOWER (Alaska)<br />
a porn shop. Wilson had an earlier LP, "Another<br />
Galaxy" (GTW Records, 1974), which is in a DIY freejazz<br />
direction, including music taped from Coltrane &<br />
Miles records with Wilson's own piano overdubs! The<br />
1978 "Wedding Gown" EP is rated highly among fans.<br />
There's also a 2003 CD called "Forgotten<br />
Lovers" (Motel), a compilation of unreleased 70s<br />
stuff, and Wilson recorded a new album in 2004. [AM]<br />
"Windflower" 1974 (no label 2827) [insert] [1]<br />
WINDFLOWER (PA)<br />
This is somewhere between genuine acid folk and<br />
cringeworthy up-with-people commune folk. Over the<br />
full album the sweet, passionless, vocal style (some<br />
female) really starts to grate. A song or two at a<br />
time, though, this can be pretty appealing, and there<br />
are a few haunting tunes here. Not really<br />
recommended, but if you can get past the singing<br />
style you will probably like it. The group was<br />
connected to the Baha'i church and included Eskimo<br />
members. [AM]<br />
"Dreams" 1976 (McKee 36442) [500p] [1-2]<br />
"Dreams" 199 (Ton Um Ton, Austria) [new sleeve; 300p]<br />
WINDOW (Dallas, TX)<br />
Listenable but not more typical local mid-70s rock LP<br />
with some moog, AOR guitar and moody vocals. A couple<br />
of enjoyable songs but a far cry from the "heavy<br />
guitar monster" this has been described as. The loud,<br />
dishonest hype on this bland album caused a<br />
substantial backlash in which it came to signify the<br />
general overheated bullshit nature of the mid-late<br />
1990s rare record scene, when it was first<br />
"discovered". The reissue has a new cover design as<br />
the original was just a title sleeve. Not to be<br />
confused with the Alaska band of the same name. [PL]<br />
"Window" 1974 (New Life 0001) [booklet] [2]<br />
"Window" 2005 (CD Radioactive 144, UK)<br />
Mainstream femme vocal hippie-folk/singer songwriter<br />
with 2-3 excellent tracks with psych moves; some<br />
minor Christian concerns.<br />
WINDWORDS (Cleveland, OH)
"Shootin' The Breeze" 1979 (WW 1001) [1000p] [1-2]<br />
This Cleveland private isn't easy to figure out,<br />
which is usually a good sign. The basic trip is a bit<br />
like if the McKay "Into You" LP had been recorded by<br />
two angry Christians. Well-played and skillfully<br />
arranged in the typical 70s Dead/CSNY bag, but the<br />
usual breezy westcoast mood is charged with an<br />
atypical late-night intensity, as if the guys are<br />
getting impatient. This emotional input spills over<br />
into the lyrics which occasionally (as on "Fire") go<br />
into Fraction fire & brimstone domains, even as the<br />
music remains smooth and in control. As part of the<br />
commitment the guys tend to oversing a bit,<br />
especially David Arberman, although I suspect this to<br />
be a subjective call for each listener. Opening track<br />
"Wisdom" is a high-point with strong songwriting and<br />
hooks, and all over side 1 is superior, although the<br />
whole album displays an unusually finalized and<br />
clearcut style for a local LP. Guitarplaying is<br />
superb throughout, with obvious Garcia aspirations.<br />
Should appeal to fans of Ark, although that band<br />
never were this pissed off. The sound of Christian<br />
insomnia! The band also had a local non-LP 45. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is supposedly a Christian record, but it sure<br />
doesn’t sound like one. It’s got a pretty typical<br />
laid-back west-coast feel (despite the Midwest<br />
origins.) Most of it is acoustic, though the best<br />
couple of songs have significant amounts of electric<br />
lead guitar. A few surprisingly vicious lyrical<br />
moments add some appeal. This isn’t as good as the<br />
best stuff in this bag (i.e. it’s certainly no Wilson<br />
McKinley), but it is pretty distinctive. I think it<br />
would have been better if the songs were more concise<br />
and rocked a little harder, but this is still a<br />
worthwhile record. For years this went undiscovered<br />
by collectors, maybe in part because of the genericlooking<br />
cover. [AM]<br />
V.A "WINNIPEG" (Winnipeg, Canada)<br />
"Winnipeg" 1969 (Franklin 1000) [1-2]<br />
MARK WINOKUR (VT)<br />
Bluesy fuzz psych with local Manitoba hippie bands,<br />
including The Fifth, the Mongrels, Good Fortune,<br />
Triad, and others. Covers and originals, some tracks<br />
have female vocals.<br />
"God Fearin' Man" 1971 (no label) [2]<br />
Seldom seen debut LP from fringe outsider guy, here<br />
on a freaky DIY acoustic folk bender a la ESP label<br />
sounds. Liner notes declare: "Idiots of the world<br />
unite, you have nothing to lose but your illusions".<br />
A mono recording.<br />
"Jesus Christ Super Stoned" 1973 (Revolution) [1]<br />
Druggy guitar folk with crazed lyrics, hardly a
Christian outlook despite the title. Songs like "I'm<br />
addicted" and "The trip".<br />
WINTERHAWK (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Electric Warriors" 1979 (Mother Earth 4) [3]<br />
"Electric Warriors / Dog Soldier" 2003 (CD Mother Earth) [2on-1]<br />
High-priced but unexceptional hard rock from Native<br />
Americans. Tom Bee of Lincoln St Exit/XIT produced.<br />
The band had a second LP in 1980, "Dog<br />
Soldier" (Mother Earth).<br />
WINTERHAWK (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Revival" 1982 (Lamda) [1-2]<br />
Power trio jamming bordering on metal, with no<br />
relation to the band above.<br />
WIT'S END (Garland, TX)<br />
"Rock And By God Roll" 1979 (Snowdrop) [1]<br />
WIZARD (Tampa, FL)<br />
This rare hard rock album fits squarely into 1979<br />
with the high vocals, phased guitars and manic punky<br />
intensity of the time period. It’s too stark to be<br />
classified as AOR, but with a little more polish this<br />
certainly could have appealed to mainstream audiences<br />
of the early 80s. My first thought upon hearing it<br />
was that these guys can’t actually be Christian<br />
rockers, as it rocked way too hard and had too much<br />
speed. They are... but you have to pay pretty close<br />
attention to tell, and a most of the lyrics cover<br />
standard rock themes. The rhythm guitarist’s nickname<br />
is “Bitch,” for what that’s worth. The songs are as<br />
fast as any punk of the era, which really makes this<br />
stand out among all the sludgy hard rock of the 70s<br />
and 80s. This isn’t earth shattering, but it’s fun<br />
stuff. [AM]<br />
"The Original" 1971 (Peon 1069) [3]<br />
"The Original" 199 (Peon) [bootleg]<br />
"The Original" 1999 (Akarma 070, Italy)<br />
"The Original" 2000 (CD Gear Fab 124) [+bonus tracks]<br />
Low-fi 70s hard rock with a rather generic sound. OK<br />
if you’re a huge fan of the style, but this isn’t<br />
especially original, nor is it wild enough to be very<br />
memorable. There is also a 45 with a non-LP track.<br />
[AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Clearly a reflection of the trio's roots as a working<br />
band. Sporting a live sounding mix (there's minimal<br />
post-production work), tracks such as the opener
WIZARD (FL)<br />
"Freedom" offered up standard hard rock moves with<br />
then trendy lyrics -- anti-war, anti-mainstream<br />
society, religious philosophy, drugs (the non-toosubtle<br />
"What Do You Know About Mary?"). That said,<br />
the album's surprisingly diverse and enjoyable. The<br />
band had decent singers and effectively avoided the<br />
plodding white-boy blues that plague so many early-<br />
1970s' power trios. So what are the highlights? "Come<br />
and See the Bride" with its nod to The Who's<br />
"Pictures of Lily", the martial "Killing Time" and<br />
the country flavored "Going Away" are all great<br />
tunes. [SB]<br />
"The Spell Is Cast" 1977 (Illusion) [1-2]<br />
WIZARD (CA)<br />
An unknown LP on the Mike Pinera tax scam label. Nice<br />
wizard cover and musically in the<br />
hardrock/progressive vein with mostly (or only)<br />
versions of tunes by AC/DC, Sabbath, JUdas Priest,<br />
etc. They also had a second, similar LP on the<br />
Illusion label. The band was actually called Critical<br />
Mass, but were dubbed "Wizard" by Pinera for the<br />
album releases. No relation to the earlier Tampa<br />
band.<br />
"Wizard" 1979 (Future Track) [1]<br />
Hardrock/early metal trio. There was also a 45 on the<br />
same label.<br />
WIZARDS FROM KANSAS (KS)<br />
"Wizards From Kansas" 1970 (Mercury 61309) [wlp exists] [2]<br />
"Wizards From Kansas" 199 (Mercury) [bootleg]<br />
"Wizards From Kansas" 1993 (CD Afterglow 006, UK)<br />
"Wizards From Kansas" 2003 (Radioactive 009, UK)<br />
"Wizards From Kansas" 2003 (CD Radioactive 009, UK)<br />
Recently receiving a lot of interest and rightly so,<br />
cause these Midwest boys blow most Bay Area groups<br />
away on their own turf. Took me a while to get into<br />
it, now I rate it among the best late 60s psych-rock<br />
LPs. Powerful hippierock with prototype heavy moves,<br />
strong songwriting and brilliant performances - the<br />
rhythm section is awesome. There are many good albums<br />
in the epic psych genre but this one is charged with<br />
a special spirit that creeps upon you over time. And<br />
"Country Dawn" has to be one of the best rural<br />
rockers ever. [PL]<br />
"Still in Kansas" 2003 (Rockadelic) [insert]<br />
Previously unreleased 1968 pre-Mercury tapes from<br />
when they were still called Pig Newton. Contains<br />
several tunes also on the subsequent album but these<br />
earlier versions are clearly from another era, with a
lighter and airier sound that's very appealing.<br />
Vocals and some arrangements would later be improved,<br />
but a couple of tracks such as the opening "Flyaway<br />
daze" are superior in this embryonic stage, with a<br />
marvy Midwest/westcoast '68 blend comparable to the<br />
best aspects of HP Lovecraft. Also has a good take on<br />
"All along the watchtower" and a great closing<br />
original that's not on the Mercury LP at all.<br />
Essential to fans of Wizards and/or the late 60s CA<br />
sound. Packaging is pretty good, 3-D computer<br />
graphics may turn some off but I don't mind. [PL]<br />
WOLFMAN JACK & THE WOLFPACK (New York City, NY / Minneapolis, MN)<br />
"Wolfman Jack & the Wolfpack" 1966 (Bread 1070)<br />
"Wolfman Jack & the Wolfpack" 2004 (Bread) [bootleg]<br />
Border DJ and cultural icon supported by local<br />
Minneapolis band Jesse J & the Bandits, recorded at a<br />
time when the Wolfman was DJ:ing at KUXL in<br />
Minneapolis. Raw garage-frat in great cartoon cover.<br />
JOHN WONDERLING (NY)<br />
"Daybreaks" 1973 (Paramount 6063) [2-3] [inner]<br />
This is ridiculously rare for a major label LP, and<br />
as luck would have it is maybe the most interesting<br />
album on an interesting label. Psych fans know<br />
Wonderling because of the oft-comped single "Man Of<br />
Straw" (which, 5 years later, is here on this LP),<br />
and will be glad to find that the album is more of<br />
the same: singer/songwriter music with a druggy feel<br />
(lyrically and musically), acoustic rhythm guitars<br />
with electric lead guitars, and Wonderling's strong<br />
voice up front. The opening "Long Way Home" is an<br />
intriguing blend of hippie psychedelia and mainstream<br />
70s rock (for example, a female backing vocal chorus<br />
appears when you'd least expect it). Elsewhere spacy<br />
strings and drony sitars hold hands with poppy horn<br />
arrangements. As a whole it is the kind of elaborate<br />
production you would think the label wouldn't waste<br />
on an album if they were only going to distribute 10<br />
copies. This is one weird sucker, and overall very<br />
good, a singer songwriter album as distinctive as<br />
those by, say, John Braheny, Marc Jonson and Rex<br />
Holman. Wonderling earlier wrote "Midway Down",<br />
covered by Brit mod legends the Creation. [AM]<br />
V.A "WONE - THE DAYTON SCENE" (Dayton, OH)<br />
"WONE - The Dayton Scene" 1966 (Prism 1966) [2]
WOODBINE (WI)<br />
As with "Hillside '66" this teenbeat and garage<br />
sampler has received wide attention from compilers,<br />
the top number on it being Jerry & the Others frantic<br />
"Don't you lie to me". Other high-points include<br />
tracks by the Xcellents and the Gillian Row. Issued<br />
by the local WONE record station as part of a Battle<br />
Of The Band contest.<br />
"Roots" 1971 (Blue Hour 1-1010) [booklet]<br />
"Roots" 1978 (Tool Room 104) [reissue]<br />
WOODEN ELEPHANT ( )<br />
Obscure live recording from Milwaukee, semi-electric<br />
folk with long tracks from quartet with standard rock<br />
setting. Band member Bill Camplin was involved with<br />
lots of other local music projects, and had several<br />
solo releases in a Dylan-inspired singer/songwriter<br />
style.<br />
"Wooden Elephant" 1978 (Jeree 771237) [insert] [1]<br />
ROBIN WOODLAND (CA)<br />
CSN/America style folk and rural rock from trio with<br />
drums and keyboard added for the album. The label<br />
indicates a North-east origin.<br />
"One Golden Moment" 1978 (no label, no #) [2 inserts] [1]<br />
WOOLY BEAR ( )<br />
Fund raiser project LP of 70s rural melodic folkrock<br />
and singer/songwriter with electric leads and a happy<br />
hippie mountain air vibe. Some use of banjo, flute,<br />
violin. Opinions differ on it, and it may be one for<br />
genre fans mainly.<br />
"Wouldya" 1974 (Stereolab Sound) [1]<br />
THE WORKS BROS (AZ)<br />
Laidback hippie rural rock like Grateful Dead, with<br />
mandolin, flute, autoharp, and piano.<br />
"Meditation Works" 197 (no label)<br />
WORKSHOP ( )<br />
Spiritual hippie folk oddity in primitive green cover<br />
design.<br />
"Workshop" 1972 (no label xpl-1030)
WOULD (NY)<br />
Sixteen member collective with mix of jazzy rock and<br />
deep folk. Mixed vocals, amateur moves worthy of the<br />
"Tool Shed" LP. At least half should appeal to fans<br />
of homemade, introspective folk LPs.<br />
"Would" 1971 (Perception 24) [2]<br />
Mysterious second release on Jimmy Curtiss' label of<br />
the Velvet Night LP in a new cover and title and with<br />
one new number replacing the "Velvet Night" track.<br />
See Velvet Night review for details on this<br />
disappointing album.<br />
DAVID WRIGHT'S ORIGINAL HOME BAND (AR)<br />
"David Wright's Original Home Band" 1975 (Own Spun) [1]<br />
Local electric folkrock with some psych moves. Labels<br />
state "yin" and "yang".<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
XEBEC ( )<br />
"Calm Before The Storm" 1981 (Desire)<br />
Oklahoma label. Southern hardrock with excellent dual<br />
and slide guitar work, housed in an atypical cover<br />
drawing of a schooner at sea.<br />
XENOGENESIS (Miami Beach, FL)<br />
XIT (NM)<br />
XXX ( )<br />
"#1 - I Am That I Am" 1973 (no label) [gatefold]<br />
Philosophical psych spoken word realness, sampling,<br />
sound effects. One of the freakiest in this style.<br />
The artist name is sometimes listed as<br />
Sexxenogenesis.<br />
"Entrance" 1974 (Canyon 7114)<br />
"Entrance" 2005 (Sound Of America 145)<br />
Retrospective release of 1967-68 recordings by wellknown<br />
Native American band Lincoln St Exit, who had a<br />
couple of albums out in their later incarnation as<br />
Xit. This is good early melodic psych in a Love "Da<br />
Capo"/Strawberry Alarmclock direction, rated highly<br />
by many. Highpoints include "Orange benevolence" and<br />
their 45 psych classic "Sunny Sunday dream"<br />
Contemporary releases in the 1970s include "Plight Of<br />
The Red Man" and "Relocation".<br />
---<br />
see -> Lincoln St Exit<br />
"Live - The First Legal Bootleg" 1973 (no label 73-101)<br />
Mix of rural and heavy drug rock, primitive and<br />
trashy. Later became the Elmer City Rambling Dogs.<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
YA HO WHA 13 (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Kohoutek" 1973 (Higher Key 3301) [insert; 500p]<br />
"Kohoutek" 1994 (Higher Key, UK) [bootleg]<br />
"Kohoutek" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD box-set]<br />
This is their very first LP and not a bad one to<br />
start with if you want to get into their drugged out<br />
L.A runaway kids acid cult basement guitar jams.<br />
Inspired by the appearance of the comet "Kohoutek",<br />
the family's bearded, middle-aged guru/leader Father<br />
Yod digs deep into his bag of tricks: "It's a thought<br />
projection from God". Father raps and howls in his<br />
unrestrained manner as the music goes through its<br />
typical raw acid-rock chameleon moves, building<br />
towards a nice climax with a doomy fuzz riff as the<br />
truth is laid down from above. Although mandatory to<br />
Yahowans, this is hardly their best album, and not<br />
one of their rarest either. The LP was issued as by<br />
Father Yod & the Spirit Of 76; original copies have<br />
'3301' on the insert and '18574' in the matrix. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
The first album by Father Yod & co is an appropriate<br />
introduction to their music. I’ll be completely<br />
honest here -— I find his off-key, hysterical<br />
“singing” to be really annoying, and how much you<br />
enjoy this music (and which of the albums you’ll<br />
prefer) depends to a very large extent on your<br />
tolerance for him. A lot of times he’s not singing,<br />
but ranting and raving (almost preaching), but even<br />
in that context his voice is hard to take. The early<br />
albums were apparently recorded in the time it takes<br />
to listen to them. They all feel improvised,<br />
obviously, but the better ones sound as if a lot of<br />
thought and rehearsal was put into them before the<br />
recording session. The band really could play, and<br />
got better with time. There’s a neat combination of<br />
tight and loose in the music, and cool moments,<br />
whether they be female backing singers, hot guitar<br />
licks, or unexpected bursts of keyboards, abound.<br />
"Kohoutek" has lots of Yod and not really as much<br />
musical inventiveness as the next few albums, so it’s<br />
not high on the list, quality wise. It ends with a<br />
rather jarring emergency alert-type tone that should<br />
wake up anyone who hadn’t been paying attention. [AM]<br />
"Contraction" 1973 (Higher Key 3302) [color cover; 500p]<br />
"Contraction" 198 (Swordfish, UK) [b&w cover; 500p]<br />
"Contraction" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD box-set]<br />
"Contraction" 2006 (Swordfish, UK) [color cover]<br />
Of all the freaky Yahowha LPs nothing can match the<br />
dual mindfuck of "Contraction" and "Expansion". A<br />
really evil feel dominates as Yod pushes you through<br />
the stages of a Messianic acid trip, summing it up<br />
with "doesn't a lightbulb burn the brightest just
efore it goes out?". This must have destroyed a few<br />
young psyches and caution is definitely recommended.<br />
The music is aggressive, ominous and creative,<br />
constantly evolving and occasionally intense like<br />
nothing else I've heard. Incredible stuff. Issued as<br />
by Father Yod & the Spirit Of '76, and like all the<br />
early LPs sold only at "The Source", the family's<br />
health food restaurant on Sunset Boulevard. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Again, lots of Yod here, but the music behind him<br />
shows a huge leap in creativity and inspiration. I<br />
love the female backing chorus. Sometimes this is<br />
funky, sometimes just plain freaky. The band gets a<br />
terrific groove going here, and while Yod’s squeaks<br />
and squeals knock it off kilter, they somehow seem to<br />
have a feel for where he’s going. This feels to me<br />
like I’m watching a really interesting movie and some<br />
annoying guy in front of me is wearing a large hat,<br />
won’t take it off, and spends half of the movie<br />
talking on a cell phone. Not surprisingly, the<br />
hottest moment of the album is the instrumental<br />
section that closes side one and opens side two, with<br />
some really great guitar noise that hits all of the<br />
right spots. When Yod starts singing again, in the<br />
middle of this mania, he’s thankfully at his most<br />
restrained and it takes a few minutes for him to kill<br />
the mood. The music is so intense that he doesn’t<br />
completely destroy it even when he starts calling<br />
some kid a “scaredy cat” and says “nyah nyah nyah<br />
nyah nyah nyah.” It ends with a gospel-influenced<br />
section of peacefulness. [AM]<br />
"Expansion" 1973 (Higher Key 3303) [color cover; 500p]<br />
"Expansion" 198 (Swordfish, UK) [b&w cover; 500p]<br />
"Expansion" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD box-set]<br />
The companion piece to "Contraction" is equally scary<br />
though less of a throat-attack, more like Yod trying<br />
to assemble what's left of his and your mind. Lots of<br />
the trademark raw acidrock but also some Grudzienstyle<br />
piano and ghostly female voices lurking in the<br />
background as Father continues his sexual/religious<br />
exploration into places you don't really want to go.<br />
Issued as by Father Yod & the Spirit Of '76. The<br />
1980s reissue is sourced from a noisy original. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
The ante is upped a little here as it’s the first of<br />
their albums to surpass half an hour (at 34 and a<br />
half minutes it’s almost ten minutes longer than the<br />
previous two albums.) Whereas "Contraction" is the<br />
guitar freakout album, this is the keyboard, backing<br />
vocal and feedback freakout album (though eventually<br />
there’s plenty of guitar too). There are at least as<br />
many great moments here as on the predecessor, and<br />
again they hit a really hot groove and push it for<br />
all it’s worth. The use of piano is surprisingly<br />
intense. The good news is that there’s not as much<br />
Yod this time, but the bad news is that his vocals<br />
are even worse, if that could be possible. The<br />
“destroy to build again” chant is pretty wild and<br />
hypnotic, but the whole point of Yod’s existence is<br />
stated early on with “in and out and in and out and<br />
in and out... is what it’s all about” and stuff about
ultimate climax and ultimate orgasms. Skeptics out<br />
there who think charismatic commune leaders like Yod<br />
are in it only for the sex are vindicated, to be sure<br />
(not that the obviousness of it scared away any of<br />
his free-loving disciples.) On the Yod-meter, this is<br />
a little less intense and a little more rambling than<br />
its predecessor, but is pretty comparable, qualitywise.<br />
[AM]<br />
"All Or Nothing At All" 1973 (Higher Key 3304) [500p]<br />
"All Or Nothing At All" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD<br />
box-set]<br />
Here’s a change of pace: a folky singer/songwriter<br />
album by Yod’s disciples, who revel in the Yod<br />
experience. The female singing (only on a couple of<br />
songs) is pretty nice and the songs are reasonably<br />
tuneful (some are very catchy, actually.) However,<br />
the sparse acoustic (guitar on some songs, piano on<br />
others) accompaniment doesn’t really make for a fully<br />
exciting listening experience, and the six and a half<br />
minute “Renaissance” is particularly tedious. At<br />
least Yod doesn’t sing. The goofy, upbeat “Party<br />
Song” is kind of cute. I think it’s nice to see that<br />
these folks actually have a sense of humor, but that<br />
song is certain to annoy some less tolerant listeners<br />
(this is not to suggest that intolerant listeners<br />
would even attempt to check out Yod albums!) Nice<br />
back cover photo of the whole clan. The CD from the<br />
box set includes four quite good bonus tracks in a<br />
pop/soul vein, and with a full band. One entitled “Do<br />
Me” is sung by Yod’s women. Does anyone know how and<br />
when these songs were first released? [AM]<br />
"2" 1974 (Higher Key no #) [inner bag; 5000p]<br />
"2" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD box-set]<br />
A k a "Ya Ho Wa 13" or (inaccurately) "Savage Sons of<br />
Yahowa" - this shows a big pic of Father wearing a<br />
robe and medallion on the cover, staring into the<br />
camera. He's on vocals and the LP is pretty freaky in<br />
a song-oriented style with a gritty 70s Stones-sound,<br />
crude and uncompromising. Not one of their finest<br />
hours, but certainly an unusual experience. According<br />
to band member Djin, this may have been pressed in<br />
5000 copies, unlike the others. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This album, like "All Or Nothing At All", consists of<br />
actual songs. This time they're rock songs, with an<br />
obvious debt to the Rolling Stones. Some of them are<br />
kind of cool ("Because," with its minimalist rip on<br />
"Honky Tonk Woman," the hypnotic "Magical Lady," and<br />
the choppy, almost proto-punk, "Little Doggie" are<br />
the best), but the songs get less interesting as they<br />
go along. Most importantly Yod's singing is even more<br />
annoying in the context of attempted melodies than it<br />
is in the land of free form. Here I find him utterly<br />
unlistenable. [AM]<br />
"Penetration" 1974 (Higher Key 3307) [500p]<br />
"Penetration" 198 (Higher Key)<br />
"Penetration" 199 (CD)
"Penetration" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD box-set]<br />
"Penetration" 2003 (Swordfish, UK)<br />
This tribal acid fuzz monster trip seems to be many's<br />
favorite YHWH item (including some of the band<br />
members themselves). Intense, evil ritual scenes are<br />
projected as Yod pounds out the beat of the time on<br />
his kettle drum while Djin, Octavius and Sunflower<br />
elaborate brilliantly on top. In terms of sheer<br />
"music" this is probably the best and most ambitious<br />
of all theirs, and can be lined up against any German<br />
spacerock or S F acid jam with flying colors. I<br />
challenge anyone to come up with a more tortured,<br />
mindpiercing guitar tone than Djin delivers on both<br />
sides. Excellent recording with stereo effects and<br />
spooky vocal overlays, unlike their usual garage<br />
improvisations. What came across as "silence" on the<br />
old vinyl boot was in fact low-volume feedback<br />
ambience that contributes to the controlled, eerie<br />
mood. A deep and challenging artistic statement<br />
worthy of great respect. Has a superb sleeve of<br />
Father in full action as well. The 1980s bootleg is<br />
pretty close, but the label writing on the boot is in<br />
slightly less black ink than the (black) original<br />
writing. On the bootleg the names of Octavius and<br />
Djin have been cut off by the sleeve opening. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is the easiest Yod album to recommend, partly<br />
because Yod is barely on it at all, but mostly<br />
because it really is a great, powerful piece of<br />
music. There are four long songs, mostly<br />
instrumental, with a dark feel, heavy atmosphere and<br />
absolutely killer guitar playing. The opening song<br />
builds for several minutes; the sense of control they<br />
have as a band is second only to the lack of control<br />
Yod has as a singer. A few moans and mumbles and even<br />
some whistling from Yod are relatively inoffensive,<br />
thankfully. This album may not have the same kind of<br />
freak value as "Contraction" and "Expansion", but it<br />
has every bit as much musical strength. The<br />
monotonous pounding drum does grate a bit, though.<br />
[AM]<br />
"I'm Gonna Take You Home" 1974 (Higher Key 3309, 2LPs) [500p;<br />
gatefold]<br />
"I'm Gonna Take You Home" 1987 (vinyl) [bootleg; single LP; no<br />
gatefold]<br />
"I'm Gonna Take You Home" 199 (CD)<br />
"I'm Gonna Take You Home" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD<br />
box-set]<br />
"I'm Gonna Take You Home" 2002 (Swordfish, UK) [single LP;<br />
gatefold]<br />
Perhaps the most wellknown Ya Ho Wa-LP and one of the<br />
first to be reissued, you need only look at the<br />
unparalleled sleeve to know you got your money's<br />
worth! Some rate this very highly but musically I<br />
think it's only about mid-region for their LPs, it<br />
has the usual ripping basement Frisco-style jams and<br />
Yod howling, humming and whistling but can't really<br />
sustain the grip for a full 60 minutes. The total<br />
package is so freaky that the artefact value is high<br />
enough to make it essential anyway. Despite of being<br />
a double album, the playtime is short enough that the<br />
first bootleg compressed the music onto a single<br />
disc, and (unfortunately) removed the gatefold. The<br />
recent Swordfish release is a nice job. [PL]
~~~<br />
This album starts with lots of Yod, and with a 50<br />
minute length, it appears that it could become an<br />
endurance test, but he mellows out quickly and most<br />
of this is instrumental. It’s not as good as<br />
"Penetration", but it certainly has its moments. At<br />
one point, some wacked out guitar backs Yod making<br />
buzzing noises, which is really intense, even when<br />
the buzzing morphs into some out of key screaming.<br />
The second song, in particular, has an almost<br />
mainstream heavy sound to it, kind of a 70s update of<br />
the best work of Quicksilver Messenger Service. It<br />
may be their best song of all, and it’s an easy one<br />
to play for newcomers because it doesn’t have a<br />
moment of Yod on it! [AM]<br />
"To The Principles, For The Children" 1974 (Higher Key 19393)<br />
[500p]<br />
"To The Principles, For The Children" 1994 (Higher Key, UK)<br />
[bootleg]<br />
"To The Principles, For The Children" 1999 (CD Captain Trips,<br />
Japan) [CD box-set]<br />
Last Yahowha outing with Father Yod in charge, not<br />
absolute top level for me but still essential for<br />
purveyors of the scene. Yod spells it all out for you<br />
on three long cuts with crude acidrock mixed with<br />
some quiter moments, and even the Ya Ho Wa family<br />
children get to pay tribute to Father on the closing<br />
track. Another great sleeve with Yod in full<br />
millionaire gear heading for his Rolls on the front<br />
and dressed up as Santa Claus on the flip. The family<br />
believed that the only thing that attracts people in<br />
LA is money, which explains the show-offy nature of<br />
these mid-period releases. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This one begins with a spoken word Yod bit that<br />
cracks up his disciples, and goes on to have not only<br />
lots of Yod singing but also a whole bunch more of<br />
the pounding drums that were "Penetration"’s one main<br />
fault. Musically a bit mellower than past albums, and<br />
while the guitar work is still pretty cool, there’s<br />
not much of an edge here. The cutting, menacing<br />
guitar tone is here replaced by a phase shifter. Best<br />
lyrical moment: Yod singing about how you should<br />
never abuse a woman. Best musical moment: a gaggle of<br />
kids singing “oh ya ho wa we love you.” But basically<br />
this one is much more irritating than entertaining.<br />
[AM]<br />
"Savage Sons Of Yahowa" 1974 (Higher Key 010) [500p; inner<br />
sleeve]<br />
"Savage Sons Of Yahowa" 198 (Higher Key 010) [legit 2nd<br />
press?]<br />
"Savage Sons Of Yahowa" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD<br />
box-set]<br />
The most "commercial" or "normal" of their LPs though<br />
these terms are used in a strictly relative manner.<br />
Yod isn't here at all, instead we get vaguely Neil<br />
Young-influenced ramblings on 70s "aware" topics like<br />
environmental concerns and Red Indians. This has less<br />
freaky jams and is more song-oriented than their<br />
others with some really good tracks, plus the broken<br />
lament "I thought I was Jesus" over and over lets you<br />
know hanging out with Father Yod wasn't all fun and
games. At least two cover variants exist. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
More actual songs! This time Yod doesn’t sing, and<br />
the results are much more listenable. This is<br />
straightforward 70s rock, somewhere between Neil<br />
Young, Dr. John and the Stones. Basically, it’s<br />
decent but not great music with some excellent guitar<br />
playing in spots and an appealing sleazy vibe in<br />
others. Most of them get a nice groove going, even if<br />
the (probably one-take) feel of the thing is a little<br />
slipshod. Not their most interesting album, but<br />
probably their most listenable. [AM]<br />
"Golden Sunrise" 1975 (Higher Key) [8-track format only]<br />
"Golden Sunrise" 1982 (Psycho 2, UK) [marble vinyl; 300p]<br />
"Golden Sunrise" 199 (CD)<br />
"Golden Sunrise" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD box-set]<br />
Originally issued only on 8-track as by Fire Water &<br />
Air, Psycho picked this up for their first non-comp<br />
release. Probably recorded after Father left his body<br />
via a hang-gliding accident in Hawaii mid-1975,<br />
leaving Arelich/Sky Saxon, Djin and the guys free to<br />
elaborate on Red Indians, pollution, Atlantis and<br />
more in a great basement hippie psychjam context. On<br />
the Ya Ho Wa scale this lands somewhere between<br />
"Savage Sons" and "Take you home", in other words<br />
it's song-oriented yet pretty freaky. Those familiar<br />
with Sky Saxon's 70s work will recognize the moods<br />
and style, although the tracks here are longer and<br />
more acidrock-influenced. Some outtakes from this<br />
session appear as bonus tracks on the Yahowha CD box<br />
set. See also "Masters Of Psychedelia" under the Sky<br />
Saxon entry. Some copies of the Psycho release came<br />
with the original 8-track sticker attached. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Due to the original release being on an 8-track tape<br />
only, this is the longest of all of the Yahowarelated<br />
albums, at 60 minutes. Since there’s no Yod<br />
on it, there aren’t any really awkward and earshattering<br />
moments, but whoever sings on this one<br />
isn’t exactly “tuneful” either, and it’s still a lot<br />
to stomach at once. The basic sound is pretty heavy,<br />
in the same manner as the tougher songs on "I'm Gonna<br />
Take You Home". Djinn truly is a guitar wizard, and<br />
the dark tone of this album really shows him off at<br />
his best. The nine-minute opener, “Time Travel,” is<br />
almost as good as the killer second song on "Take You<br />
Home", at least until it morphs into “Food For the<br />
Hungry” and the singing comes in. It even sounds<br />
(dare I say it) like they rehearsed it! Elsewhere the<br />
great moments are more thinly dispersed, but they’re<br />
there. Patient listeners will find a lot to like<br />
here, though it’s not consistent enough to match<br />
their very top works and gets less interesting as it<br />
goes along. Some songs here are surprisingly poppy.<br />
They’re not exactly mainstream, but could probably<br />
have gotten some radio play without freaking anyone<br />
out. [AM]<br />
"Yod Ship Suite" 1976 (Father) [no sleeve]<br />
"Yod Ship Suite" 199 (no label, UK) [new sleeve]<br />
"Yod Ship Suite" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD box-set]<br />
Their last one, this includes Sky Saxon on vocals.<br />
Sounds like a lament/tribute to the (deceased) Father
in a burnt out hippie folk-psych setting with flutes<br />
and acoustic guitars and the usual trancey flow,<br />
another nicely freaky LP although decidedly low-key<br />
in mood, and perhaps mainly for the already<br />
initiated. This is the rarest of all Yahowha LPs,<br />
only a couple of copies are known to exist. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
The inclusion of Sky Saxon on this one obviously<br />
makes it (theoretically) of interest to a wider<br />
audience. Unfortunately, though, the music is in a<br />
flute-heavy folky mystical mode, rather than the<br />
guitar-heavy stuff they do best. Even more<br />
unfortunately, most of the vocals are pretty awful.<br />
Saxon doing a Yod impression? Most of this is<br />
rambling and chant-heavy, and while the lyrics may<br />
have been partially written ahead of time, the<br />
“melodies” were obviously improvised in a stream-ofconsciousness<br />
way. Music to try to meditate to except<br />
that much of it is so strident that you’d keep losing<br />
your focus. At one point a female backing chorus<br />
moans over a guitarist practicing his scales. It<br />
sounds to me like a rehearsal, not a performance. In<br />
case I haven’t yet made my point, this one is<br />
dreadfully dull. [AM]<br />
"Yod Ship Suite, pt 3" 1976 (Father) [1-sided LP]<br />
This obscure one-sided LP was left off the Japanese<br />
box-set, probably because noone remembered it. I was<br />
surprised to find a considerably more aggressive<br />
sound than the preceding LP. "Part 3" consists of 14<br />
minutes of music, the first half which is a<br />
successful variation on Yod sounds such as<br />
"Contraction", with a full-on psychedelic rock sound,<br />
evil guitars and Sky Saxon rambling like Fathers'<br />
lost son. The second half (crudely spliced on) is<br />
somewhat more introspective, like the mellower tracks<br />
on "Golden Sunrise". Djin Aquarian recently revealed<br />
that the "Part 3" recordings, although not released<br />
until 1977-78, were actually laid down in 1973 with<br />
the original Spirit Of '76 band, which explains their<br />
vintage sound. All over a very appealing piece<br />
despite its short play-time, hopefully to be reissued<br />
some day. The few copies found come in a crude psychy<br />
sleeve. [PL]<br />
"The Operetta" 2004 (Swordfish UK) [2 LPs]<br />
Spread over four sides of album this singular<br />
occurrence (recorded 1974) features some of the most<br />
crazed output from Father Yod and The Family. I was<br />
wary of this issue as I suspected the sound quality<br />
might be poor and that the barrel was being scraped.<br />
The sound quality is very good and the music<br />
definitely in the same league as their other<br />
releases. The gatefold LP comes with a pseudotranscript<br />
of the events in the San Francisco
warehouse where this was recorded early in the<br />
morning, documenting some of the spontaneous lyrics.<br />
So it is possible, although perhaps not desirable, to<br />
attempt to ‘make sense’ of it all. As the LP<br />
progresses the sound becomes increasingly liquid,<br />
pounding and intense. The sensation when listening is<br />
of becoming completely lost in the sound, utter<br />
dissolution occurs. There is always form in the<br />
chaos. However, all form is regularly lost, only to<br />
be pulled back from the edge by Father Yod mustering<br />
the might of His Sons from the Good Ship Yod. These<br />
fellows sail some dangerous high seas. The wild<br />
drumming really makes this recording stand out as it<br />
is right at the forefront. Hallmark feedback and<br />
demonic guitar solos vie with Father Yod on superb,<br />
raving, form. I would rate this somewhere between<br />
“Penetration” and “Golden Sunrise”. The demented<br />
trumpet of Golden Sunrise is deployed to devastating<br />
effect here, just where you least expect it.<br />
Occasionally, it sounds like a more ‘live’ version of<br />
“I’m gonna take you home”. And so, it only remains to<br />
be said: “It is time for a mating.” “Get it on with<br />
the tree.” [RI]<br />
YAMA & THE KARMA DUSTERS (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Up From The Sewers" 1970 (Euphoria Blimpworks/Manhole 1)<br />
[1000p]<br />
Pro-level mix of urban Dylan & Zappa-inspired<br />
counterculture and rootsy Dead '70 rural moves.<br />
Appealing sound with a fully electric folkrock<br />
setting, strong vocals, fine arrangements and<br />
ambitious lyrics. A bit left-field for fans of<br />
basement garage/psych, but should appeal to anyone<br />
with an ear for major label-style early 70s<br />
singer/songwriter sounds. Clearly superior to LPs<br />
such as Drnwyn or Nosy Parker. There are a few<br />
variants of this LP; a 'first version' with handmade<br />
covers in circa 150 copies; a version with a printed<br />
fist cover (350p); and a slightly later press with a<br />
rose image cover (500p). [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is a pretty appealing folk-rock/rock album. The<br />
lyrics are smart and often funny, and the singer’s<br />
straightforward approach suits the song-stories<br />
within. There’s some nice restrained lead guitar and<br />
a laid-back hippie feel throughout. My favorite<br />
moment: the singer introducing a violin solo with<br />
“blow your harmonica, son”. This has a similar feel<br />
to the Greenwood, Curlee & Clyde album, but some of<br />
it rocks quite a bit harder and these guys seem more<br />
likely to actually join the revolution rather than to<br />
merely sing about it. No truly great songs here, but<br />
overall it’s pretty solid. [AM]<br />
YANCY DERRINGER (Madison, WI)<br />
"Openers" 1975 (Hemisphere 104)<br />
"Openers" 1999 (CD Gear Fab GF-129)<br />
"Openers" 2001 (Gear Fab Comet GFC 410)<br />
This ridiculous stoner hard rock album on the same
YANKEE DOG (CA)<br />
label as Clicker and Tongue has attracted attention<br />
because of the 7-minute “Weedburner”. It really is a<br />
great song (albeit with dodgy lyrics), with an eerie<br />
chord progression, some hot slide guitar and a<br />
terrific long spacy ending. The rest of the album is<br />
less heavy, more in a bar-band mode, with occasional<br />
boogie beats and pianos, and lots of lyrics about<br />
partying. They definitely have the feel of a<br />
massively popular local band. Though the guitar and<br />
keyboard solos are mostly pedestrian, the overall<br />
arrangements are clever and unpredictable, and the<br />
album spans a wide range of hard rock styles which<br />
fit together nicely. Most of the album rocks quite<br />
convincingly. The most peculiar song is “Rocket<br />
Roll.” It has a poppy melody and high vocals<br />
reminiscent of Rick Derringer’s “Teenage Love<br />
Affair,” but breaks the mood for a bizarre spacy<br />
interlude in the middle, probably just to make sure<br />
that there’s something druggy on every song. This may<br />
not be smart (though they claim pot gives them<br />
“insight”), but its rock and roll instincts are<br />
excellent, and overall this is a surprisingly solid<br />
album, without a dud in the bunch. [AM]<br />
"Yankee Dog/Aphazia" 1978 (no label) [insert]<br />
Obscure jammy westcoaster with guitar and organ.<br />
Formally a split LP, but the bands are basically the<br />
same except for a keyboard player. Crude cover with<br />
paste-on sheets front and back. The labels are blank.<br />
YANKEE DOLLAR (San Luis Obispo, CA)<br />
"Yankee Dollar" 1969 (Dot 25874) [mono promo]<br />
"Yankee Dollar" 1969 (Dot 25874) [stereo]<br />
"Yankee Dollar" 2000 (Action Records 305, UK)<br />
"Yankee Dollar" 2002 (Akarma 233, Italy)<br />
"Yankee Dollar" 2002 (CD Akarma 233, Italy)<br />
CHRIS YATES (NJ)<br />
Yet another early Airplane-Mamas & Papas tribute,<br />
though this one's better than most with a classy,<br />
powerful soundscape, fuzz and tough chick vocals on<br />
some (too few) tracks and a nice cheesy Vox organ<br />
used throughout. Folk influences and rich harmonies<br />
summon a Growing Concern spectre. Not a classic, but<br />
several good tracks, and the album is given<br />
additional boost by the strong sonic qualities of the<br />
Dot mastering/pressing. Only promo monos exist. A<br />
mysterious later release/bootleg from Peru exists,<br />
using Dot labels with track titles in Spanish. The<br />
non-LP 45 is pretty good too. [PL]
"New Born" 1977 (I.L.S.M)<br />
YAYS & NAYS ( )<br />
Basement dreamy organ melodic folk rock. Copies have<br />
been around for years, not an expensive LP.<br />
"Yays & Nays" 1968 (Neo)<br />
YEAR ONE ( )<br />
Extraordinary exercise in turned-on 60s cool from odd<br />
band with 3 guys and 3 gals performing a tongue-incheek<br />
Men vs Women thematic duel on most of the 12<br />
tracks. Takes obvious inspiration from the Lee &<br />
Nancy duets but with a tough garage folkrock edge<br />
added and bends the gents vs ladies concept at<br />
precisely the right places to create a unique, clever<br />
and funny experience. The women come out on top, at<br />
least the way I heard it. The gals sing ensemble,<br />
while the guys (or the main guy) is typically solo<br />
and often moves into a "manly" Elvis/Lee H crooning<br />
that's just right for the trip. Great, varied<br />
songwriting. Hard to describe accurately, needs to be<br />
heard by everyone. Cool cover shows the band clad in<br />
vintage gear in a swamp, probably some sort of<br />
subliminal message. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
"Year One" 1976 (no label yo-52347/8) [2 LPs; gatefold]<br />
Apparently this is Fantasy without the female singer.<br />
Why that band would jettison its best asset is beyond<br />
me, but she would have given some nice energy to this<br />
sprawling prog/jazz/rock concept piece. There’s a lot<br />
going on here and a lot of energy was put into this<br />
album, and it gets points for being an uncompromising<br />
mix of styles. Some of it works and some doesn’t;<br />
surprisingly a few jazzy instrumental pieces are<br />
highlights while the few bits of space rock don’t<br />
fare as well. Not a great album, but not a dull one<br />
either. [AM]<br />
YELLOW AUTUMN (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Children Of The Mist" 1977 (Vala vc 4599) [insert]<br />
Impressive late hippie folk album with male/female<br />
vocals, acoustic guitar, flute, violin - all the<br />
right ingredients. Raga-influence on several tracks<br />
including a spellbinding meditation on suicide that<br />
alone makes the LP, which also brings in some UK<br />
trad-folk. Comparable to Modality Stew but better,<br />
with obvious psych remnants. Band leader Gary
Creighton passed away from a heart condition only a<br />
few years after making this. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
As American approximations of UK folk go, this is one<br />
of the best. There’s an appealing hippie/gypsy vibe<br />
to it, and the long song about suicide is truly<br />
horrifying. Excellent acoustic guitar playing adds to<br />
the appeal. [AM]<br />
YESTERDAY's CHILDREN (CT)<br />
"Yesterday's Children" 1969 (Map City 3012)<br />
"Yesterday's Children" 2001 (Akarma 179, Italy)<br />
"Yesterday's Children" 2001 (CD Akarma 179, Italy)<br />
This is a good one for fans of really hairy, greasy<br />
hard rockers. The guitars are grungy as hell and the<br />
production style is appealingly loud. Two of the<br />
highlights are covers, Wilkinsons Tricycle’s “What Of<br />
I” and a short version of Spooky Tooth’s “Evil<br />
Woman,” but the originals are strong too. A good one.<br />
Highly recommended to fans of the first two Blue<br />
Cheer albums. The band had a good 45 in their earlier<br />
"garage" phase. An original Italian pressing of the<br />
LP exists. [AM]<br />
YETTI-MEN (Minneapolis, MN)<br />
"Yetti-Men / Uppa Trio" 1965 (KAL 4348) [split LP]<br />
Somewhat legendary 1-sided spooky Midwestern<br />
surf/garage album, the other LP side wasted on folk<br />
group the Uppa Trio. Three of the six Yetti tracks<br />
have been reissued on Hipsville Vol 3, giving you a<br />
taste of their unique understated vision - "High<br />
Himalayas" is too much, and there's some prototype<br />
garage moves on "My baby left me". Sounds like early<br />
Index on a freezing Winter night gig in Minneapolis.<br />
[PL]<br />
YEZDA URFA (Portage, IN)<br />
"Boris" 1975 (Universal Studios)<br />
"Boris" 200 (CD Syn-Phonic)<br />
Legendary local rarity with an interesting mix of<br />
styles. Opens like a late 60s westcoast folkrock LP,<br />
then moves into Yes-style symph/prog sounds with<br />
tempo shifts, moog leads and frantic playing.<br />
Basement recording with a live feel and plenty of<br />
enthusiasm saves this from the usual prog-rock traps,
JOHN YLVISAKER (MN)<br />
and the tongue-in-cheek, showtune feel that runs<br />
through it is an advantage in this context.<br />
Excellent, high-pitched vocals is another plus. Side<br />
1 is impressive throughout, while some of the unique<br />
dementia is missing on the too-proggish side 2. While<br />
no great fan of the style this is an LP I'll probably<br />
return to in the future. Their second LP "Sacred<br />
Baboon" unfortunately is prog at its worst and loses<br />
all the positive aspects of "Boris". Some unreleased<br />
tapes in the "Boris" style are in circulation. CD<br />
reissue is from master tapes. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This private press prog album has a really<br />
professional sound, with ultra-high male vocals in a<br />
Yes mode (actually, they most resemble the singer<br />
from the obscure prog band Facedancers). A really<br />
cool, powerful synth sound is highly effective early<br />
on but gets used a bit too much without variation,<br />
and over the whole album the constant tempo and<br />
rhythm shifts fall into the usual prog trap: they’re<br />
trying too hard and sucking the life out of their<br />
(mostly instrumental) melodies. That’s not to say<br />
that this album doesn’t have merit, though. Despite<br />
its faults it’s one of the most interesting albums in<br />
the genre, and the first five minutes or so should<br />
blow away even the most jaded listener. Too bad they<br />
didn’t write a couple of actual songs to give the<br />
listener some breathing room between the epics. [AM]<br />
"Cool Livin'" 1967 (Avant Garde av-107)<br />
One of the first LPs by this celebrated Christian<br />
crooner, whose rich tenor voice makes for a<br />
remarkable experience when delivering well-written<br />
Lutheran messages over Grassroots type folkrock. This<br />
finds him in a more rocking context than "A Love<br />
Song", with excellent garage/psych tracks such as "Do<br />
You Know What I Have Done" plus lots of penetrating<br />
wisdom. Might be too far out for some, though<br />
everyone I know thinks it great. He was sort of<br />
ridiculed in one of the Re/Search books but I don't<br />
regard him as a joke at all -- in my ears his LPs are<br />
more clever and enjoyable than the average "real"<br />
psych LP. There is a sampler reissue on the Mystic<br />
label (circa 1997) with about ½ this LP and ½ "A Love<br />
Song", which is pretty well selected. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
"A Love Song" 1968 (Avant Garde av-112)<br />
The rarer second Avant Garde LP has fewer standout<br />
tracks but is more consistent so I'll call it a draw.<br />
The Christian lounge-folkrock-psych eclectics are<br />
brought to their conclusion with mindboggling results<br />
- sorta like if Elvis had returned as a TV reverend.<br />
Ylvisaker is a sharp guy with a clearer view than<br />
most, which combined with the pro-level music and<br />
powerful vocals create an impressive experience.<br />
"Noise Of Solemn Assemblies" and "Palm<br />
Sunday" (omitted on the Mystic sampler) are flowing<br />
studio psych-folkrock of the highest order, recalling<br />
the organ-led Northeast '68 sound in particular.
American culture at its finest. There is also a<br />
British release on Liberty. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
"Don't Cut The Baby In Half" 196 (no label S6-6687)<br />
One of Ylvisaker's rarest, "assorted biblical<br />
narratives" according to the sleeve. The LP was<br />
recorded live at a seminary gathering, and includes<br />
versions of some tracks also on his Avant Garde LPs.<br />
This may actually pre-date the Avant Garde run. Other<br />
Ylvisaker LPs include "Contemporary Sounds" with the<br />
Carillion Singers (early 1970s); "Praise The<br />
Lord" (Avant Garde 102, 1967); "Follow Me" (Avant<br />
Garde 111, 1968). He also appears with several<br />
acoustic tracks on the 3 LP set "Happening At The<br />
Gathering" (1968) and other LPs, going back to the<br />
early 1960s. He's still active today.<br />
"Recorded At A Housewarming For Fritzie" 1972 (Soular Module<br />
sm-251)<br />
Live-in-living room jamming with guitarist Blakeley<br />
and their friends pitching in for a homemade<br />
hootenanny. An intriguing mix of folk blues and<br />
spirituals. [RM]<br />
MICHAEL YONKERS (MN)<br />
"Microminiature Love" 2002 (De Stijl 028) [500p]<br />
"Microminiature Love" 2003 (CD Sub Pop sp 508)<br />
The discovery and phoenix-like ascension into cult<br />
status of Michael Yonkers is one of the more<br />
remarkable stories in the music underground of recent<br />
years, and one that few people could have missed.<br />
Yonkers appeared with two old tracks on the "Free<br />
Flight" sampler (1997), which is what put DeStijl on<br />
his trail. The 1968 recordings found on<br />
"Microminiature Love" are mandatory in outsider<br />
circles. Yonkers' 1970s releases are as follows:<br />
"Grimwood" (1974), "Michael Lee Yonkers" (1974),<br />
"Goodbye Sunball" (1974), "Borders Of My<br />
Mind" (1974), "Thy Will Be Done" (1976); all on his
YOUNG BROTHERS (IL)<br />
own self-titled label. Much of the material was<br />
recorded earlier than the release year. There is also<br />
a recent recording, "It's Only Yonkers".<br />
"High Energy Rock" 1978 (GDS 781136) [yellow vinyl]<br />
Midwest Christian fuzz hardrock with three brothers<br />
on guitars and Kenny Mooney on drums.<br />
YUKON RAILROAD CO (CA)<br />
"Yukon Railroad Co." 197 (Big Hole 75-001)<br />
Rural hippie rock and country-rock in a New Riders-<br />
70s Dead-Nitty Gritty Dirt Band direction. Possibly<br />
from Tustin.<br />
"YOUNG PROPHECIES '68" (KS)<br />
"Young Prophecies 68" 1968 (Audio House ah-9068)<br />
The 'official' record from the same teen music camp<br />
that Smack came out of. Directed by Bill Cline who<br />
also co-wrote several tracks. Mostly moody folk and<br />
light rock with a couple tracks touching on the<br />
Vietnam War experience. The highlight from an<br />
underground perspective is Phil Brown's "Super Sam",<br />
a druggy hipster cool, from a teenage prism, rewrite<br />
of Donovan's "Season of the Witch". Phil was a member<br />
of Smack. [RM]<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
ZAHARAS (Hickory, NC)<br />
"Livin' Ain't Easy" 1977 (Vegas 9739)<br />
This hard rock album dates to the mid-70s but sounds<br />
more modern, almost 80s. On the first few songs, two<br />
of which are slower and more deliberate than your<br />
typical hard rock/southern rock fare, the songwriting<br />
and guitar playing are surprisingly subtle for this<br />
style of music. The hooks aren't exactly original,<br />
but they're effective. When they veer towards more<br />
common boogie stylings, though, they're less<br />
interesting, and the quality of songs disspates<br />
pretty quickly after the first three. Most of the<br />
lyrics are love song drivel, unfortunately. For an<br />
album that starts so well, the end result is kind of<br />
disappointing. [AM]<br />
"Blackbird" 1978 (Vegas) [plain cover]<br />
The seldom seen second LP is purportedly similar but<br />
with more personal and interesting lyrics, and<br />
according to a band member deals with death and<br />
occult themes on several songs.<br />
V.A "ZEBRA SELECTION" (IL)<br />
"Zebra Selection" 1967 (Drocer no #) [b&w paste-on]<br />
Mix of garage pop and soul. Produced for the local<br />
Junior Achievement chapter. The title refers to the<br />
fact that there are two white and three black groups<br />
represented. Bands are the Nightriders, the Junior<br />
Jive Kings, Johnny & the Impalas, the Cavaliers and<br />
the Knights Of Soul. [RM]<br />
ZENITH EFFLUVEUM (Rochester, NY)<br />
"Almost Made It In The USA" 1978 (Separate)<br />
This new wave era psych album has the feel of<br />
unrestrained teenagers getting stoned and recording<br />
everything they've ever written in one day. It's six<br />
songs that take up 48 minutes, and the messy<br />
arrangements include clarinets, synthesizers and<br />
unidentified noise. The songs ramble (the closing 13minute<br />
song is a suite of sorts, but doesn't exactly<br />
feel carefully structured.) The vocals are unmelodic
in the mode of 70s bands like MX-80 Sound or Debris,<br />
or 90s bands like Pavement and Built To Spill. The<br />
long guitar solo on "Opie" is a definte highlight,<br />
and the wild feel of this will appeal to some. I<br />
think a producer might have helped, though, and a 35minute<br />
album minus the entire closing song/suite<br />
would have been a more listenable record. [AM]<br />
ZERFAS (Indianapolis, IN)<br />
"Zerfas" 1973 (700 West LH 730710) [500p]<br />
"Zerfas" 1994 (700 west) [several inserts; 500p]<br />
"Zerfas" 199 (Atlas, Europe) [bootleg]<br />
"Zerfas" 2004 (CD Radioactive 050, UK)<br />
"Zerfas" 2004 (Radioactive 050, UK)<br />
One of the top local jobs in the 1970s epic psychrock<br />
bag with an awesome westcoasty panorama<br />
soundscape, strong vocals and brilliant late-Beatle<br />
style songwriting. The first side is as good as the<br />
A-side on Marcus and the vaguely progressive moves on<br />
the flip talented and focused as well, with a peak in<br />
the tremendous "Piper" closing track. The album sides<br />
open with what are arguably the two weakest tracks,<br />
which may turn some listeners off, but patience will<br />
pay off most gloriously. A Midwest masterpiece with<br />
wide appeal, firmly on my personal 70s top ten. I<br />
recommend the first, legal reissue from tapes for the<br />
best trip on this outstanding "Abbey Road" out of<br />
Indy. Unfortunately 125 copies of this reissue were<br />
defective so only 375 went into circulation. The<br />
Radioactive reissues have a poor mastering job and<br />
are not recommended. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
Stunning psych album can only be described as what<br />
might have happened if the Beatles had pushed the<br />
psychedelic experiments of Revolver into late<br />
60s/early 70s territory and re-discovered their youth<br />
at the same time. An album that is so chock full of<br />
ideas, great songwriting, and clever production<br />
tricks that I discover something new on every single<br />
listen. This is an example of ambitious kids setting<br />
out to make the world's greatest record, and pretty<br />
much succeeding. Among the many things to love about<br />
this album is the lead guitar sound, the most perfect<br />
I've ever heard. An album that pretty much blows away<br />
everyone, and that rare proof that with enough time<br />
and attention a private press can match any major<br />
label recording. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
ZETA RETICULI see Elliot, Walter & Bennet
LORRI ZIMMERMAN (Canada)<br />
ZINI (MO)<br />
"Lorri Zimmerman" 1969 (Crescent City)<br />
Zimmerman was a member of Life, but left before they<br />
recorded their album, opting instead for this solo<br />
LP. The result has been lost in space and time,<br />
missing from reference books and rare record dealers’<br />
catalogues, and rarely mentioned by collectors or<br />
Canadian rock aficionados. Why it’s so unknown is a<br />
mystery, since it’s a completely terrific album, one<br />
of the very best 60s rock albums by a female singer.<br />
Think about all of those post-Airplane bands who<br />
jumped on the bandwagon by hiring a female singer and<br />
buying a fuzzbox. Then imagine that all of them<br />
pooled their best songs, had the good sense to let<br />
the woman sing all of them, and left out the acoustic<br />
ballads and wanky blues jams. Then they hired a<br />
producer who didn’t go overboard trying to be trendy<br />
and trippy. This is pretty much what you’d have.<br />
Zimmerman has a voice that’s alternately powerful and<br />
affecting; she’s as suited to folk-rockers like<br />
“Paint Me A Picture” as she is to tougher rock like<br />
“Bidin’ My Time.” The latter is an appropriate<br />
metaphor for her singing style, as she hits the high<br />
notes and brings on the power exactly when it’s<br />
needed most. The arrangement of these songs, and her<br />
timing as a singer, is ace. She’s not a songwriter,<br />
but the majority of these excellent songs were<br />
written by her collaborators, so there’s a feeling of<br />
consistency and comfort. Some of the guitar playing<br />
will hit the right spots for psych heads, but mostly<br />
this is just great unpretentious rock and roll<br />
without much experimentation. Needless to say, highly<br />
recommended. In the 70s, Zimmerman would join the<br />
bilingual group Toulouse. [AM]<br />
"Better Than A Kick In The Teeth" 197 (Cabin 38074) [500p]<br />
"Better Than A Kick In The Teeth" 2000 (Synoptik, Europe)<br />
"Better Than A Kick In The Teeth" 2005 (Breeder Backtrack 266,<br />
Austria)<br />
Obscure and somewhat underrated rural mullet-rock<br />
westcoasty AOR LP with good harmony vocals and a<br />
professional sound all around. Strong songwriting a<br />
la early Eagles and Poco with a Neil Young vibe on<br />
the best tracks; 2-3 wimpy tracks suck but all over a<br />
pretty good trip into 1970s Camaro cruising sounds.<br />
The excellent opening track gives a good idea about<br />
this album's strengths. Release year has been listed<br />
as both 1974, 1977 and 1980; could well be the<br />
latter. [PL]<br />
ZIPPER (Portland, OR)<br />
"Zipper" 1975 (Whizeagle 0001) [poster]<br />
"Zipper" 199 (Way Back, Germany) [+2 bonus tracks]<br />
Fred Cole’s mid-70s album is as uncompromising as<br />
anything he’s done. His vocal style is especially
ZIPPYR BAND ( )<br />
strident on these hard rock songs, which don’t have<br />
the garage-style feel of Dead Moon or the occasional<br />
subtleties of Lollipop Shoppe. The first song is a<br />
bunch of raunchy double-entendres. Pretty twisted.<br />
There’s a kind of saminess as this album moves along,<br />
probably due to uninspired songwriting. Still, this<br />
is worth hearing. It’s unique and wild. The cover is<br />
handmade to the extreme. [AM]<br />
"Early Sunday Mornin'" 1977 (Castle TZB 10177)<br />
ZODIACS ( )<br />
Midwest Allman Bros-style guitar rock with heavy<br />
moves.<br />
"Breaking Out" 1965 (Space 12-1965) [no cover]<br />
ZOLDAR & CLARK ( )<br />
Seldom seen sleeveless teen-beat LP with guitars &<br />
piano.<br />
"Zoldar & Clark" 1977 (Dellwood 56013)<br />
I'm not a fanatical progressive collector so it's<br />
kind of a surprise that this rather obscure album has<br />
managed to worm its way into my heart. Propelled by a<br />
sea of synthesizers, musically the set's firmly<br />
entrenched in the progressive camp (check out the<br />
extended instrumental "Luner Progressions"), though<br />
tracks such as "Touch the Sky" and "The Ghost of Way"<br />
are surprisingly accessible. The group certainly had<br />
a knack for crafting catchy hooks and whoever handled<br />
the lead vocals had a nice and quite commercial<br />
voice. In fact with a little bit of editing, several<br />
songs would have given bands like Ambrosia, Kansas,<br />
Styx and even Yes a run for their FM radio play.<br />
Sure, it wasn't the year's most original offering,<br />
but give me these guys over Starcastle any day! Man,<br />
side two of this album seems to go by in a flash.<br />
[SB]<br />
~~~<br />
The second of the two Jasper Wrath albums secretly<br />
released by Guinness/Dellwood is the better and more<br />
experimental of the two. It has a similar prog/AOR<br />
sound with a very obvious Yes influence (including a<br />
few blatant thefts). It has more synth, more<br />
mellotron, and more special effects than the Arden<br />
House album, and unlike Arden House, all seven songs<br />
here sound like they were recorded in the same<br />
sessions. The album may not appeal to fans of the<br />
Jasper Wrath album, or to psych fans, but as 70s US<br />
progressive rock goes, this is one of the best albums<br />
out there. Highlights include the truly awesome<br />
“Ghost of Way”, an epic with killer mellotron and an<br />
amazing host of instruments and structural surprises.<br />
It’s the kind of creative experimentation that I
think of when I call music “progressive” in a<br />
positive way. Elsewhere are unusual uses of time<br />
signatures, terrific guitar playing and complex ideas<br />
done so smoothly as to sound simple. This is a really<br />
great record. As with the Arden House album, the<br />
songs are arranged haphazardly, with side one 21<br />
minutes and side two 12 minutes. Jasper Wrath<br />
released a non-LP single, “You/General Gunther,” in<br />
1976 and it has the same production sound as these<br />
albums. Seeing as these albums were released without<br />
Jasper Wrath’s knowledge (and the fake names assured<br />
that Jasper Wrath wouldn’t have an easy time<br />
discovering them), it’s interesting to speculate why<br />
they had 80 minutes (including both albums and the<br />
single) of professionally produced material just<br />
sitting around gathering dust. Did they plan two<br />
albums? A double LP? [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Arden House; Jasper Wrath<br />
ZOO (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Presents Chocolate Moose" 1968 (Sunburst 7500)<br />
"Presents Chocolate Moose" 198 (no label)<br />
"Presents Chocolate Moose" 1993 (CD Big Beat wik-123, UK)<br />
"Presents Chocolate Moose" 2002 (CD Radioactive 010, UK)<br />
Sunset Strip club rock with soul and r'n'b moves,<br />
solid guitarwork and some psychy tracks on side 2.<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Mad Dog<br />
Acid Archives Main Page
The Attic<br />
JOHN HOWARD ABDNOR INVOLVEMENT (Fort Worth, TX)<br />
"Intro To Change" 1969 (Abnak ABST-2072) [ylp exists]<br />
Without trying to sound snooty about it, John Howard Abdnor probably owes his<br />
brief musical career to the auspices and generosity of his father. John Howard<br />
Abdnor Sr. was a well to do Fort Worth-based business who had made a killing in<br />
the insurance business. By the early 1960s Abdnor Sr. had turned his attention to<br />
music, where as the founder and owner of AbnakRecords, he enjoyed quite a bit<br />
of local success with acts such as soulster Bobby Patterson (who attended<br />
college with Abdnor Sr.'s son) and The Five Americans. Like a good dad, Abdnor<br />
Sr. also financed son John Howard Abdnor's own musical aspirations, which<br />
included a myriad of mid-1960s releases credited to a slew of alias including Jon<br />
and Robin (Robin being his wife), Jon Abnor, Jon and the In Crowd, Jon Howard,<br />
H. Rabon and The John Howard Abdnor Involvement. Much to my surprise,<br />
1969's self-produced LP is a fairly interesting affair. Backed by what are<br />
apparently sessions players and friends, Abdnor had a decent voice that<br />
combined with the album's sporadic horn arrangements, occasionally recalled<br />
Blood, Sweat and Tears David Clayton Thomas. If you doubt the comparison,<br />
check out the opening song 'How Do You Teach a Turtle To Fly' or 'Maintain'.<br />
Musically the set was all over the spectrum, including stabs at R&B ('I'll Come<br />
Running To You'), singer/songwriter ('J.D.') and country-rock ('Sandy, I'm Your<br />
Man'). Easily the weirdest (and longest) track was the psych-influenced<br />
'Relaxation'. Love the bizarre nuclear explosion ending. Barely clocking in over<br />
20 minutes, in length the album sported a likeable low tech sound and feel.<br />
Abnak also released a single off of the album - 'I'll Come Running To You' b/w<br />
'Sandy I'm Your Man' (Abnak AB-147). [SB]<br />
ABRAHAM'S CHILDREN (Toronto, Canada)<br />
"Time" 1973 (Gas 2001) [gatefold]<br />
"Time" 2004 (CD)<br />
Having listened to this one a half dozen times, I've got to tell you these guys<br />
barely qualify as a rock band, let alone a psych act. Quality pop outfit yeah, but<br />
psych? Definitively not... Guitarist Ron Bartley, bassist Jimi Bertucci , drummer<br />
Brian Cotterill and keyboard player Bob McPherson got their start in the late<br />
1960s with the Toronto-based Just Us. That outfit subsequently morphed into<br />
Captain Midnight's Dirty Feet (great name), but ran into a problem with Captain<br />
Midnight's publishers. The threat of legal action was enough to see the quartet<br />
opt for another name switch - this time around Abraham's Children. Signed to the<br />
small Toronto-based G.A.S. Records, the band enjoyed a Canadian top-40 hit
with their debut 45 'Goodbye-Farewell'. Their 1973 follow-up 'Gypsy' went top-10,<br />
leading G.A.S. to finance an LP. Unfortunately, by the time the group started<br />
recording the album, musical tensions had begun to flare. G.A.S. executes<br />
demanded the band continue to work in a commercial pop vein, while the band<br />
members were interested in a harder-rock sound. Guess which side won the<br />
fight? Produced by Paul Gross (who contributed a couple of tracks to the LP),<br />
1973's "Time" offered up a mix of the earlier singles and new studio material.<br />
Boasting three lead singers in Bartley, Bertucci and Contterbill, the entire set was<br />
enjoyable, with tracks such as 'Children's Song' and 'How To Be A Lady'<br />
showcasing the group's knack for writing and performing commercial pop.<br />
Imagine a Canadian version of Pilot, or The Raspberries and you'll get a feel for<br />
most of the album. The group also enjoyed a third Canadian hit with the bouncy<br />
'Thank You'. It's interesting that the two best songs are also the least<br />
commercial. Both 'Woman 'O Woman' and the group-penned 'Workin' for the<br />
Man' are thumping rockers, albeit with harmony vocals that make radio stations<br />
so happy.Following the album's release the band underwent an ongoing series of<br />
personnel changes that saw Bertucci, Cotterili and McPherson all quit. With<br />
replacements the band struggled on for three more years, during which time they<br />
shortened their name to 'The Children''. They also released one final non-LP<br />
single - 1974's 'Goddess of Nature' on Rampage. The group finally called it quits<br />
in 1976. Bartley, Dinardo and O'Shea subsequently formed Bang. Bertucci<br />
continued to record under the name 'Jimi B'. The band has reformed and<br />
continues to tour to this day, along with a retrospective double CD titled "30".<br />
[SB]<br />
ABSTRACTS (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Abstracts" 1968 (Pompeii SD 6002)<br />
One of the first (and last) acts signed to Atlantic's short-lived Pompeii subsidiary,<br />
the band's LP offered up a weird hybrid sounding like Association-styled MOR<br />
crossed with ARS Nova styled Baroque-psych. Yeah, we know it sounds odd.<br />
Exemplified by Peluso-penned material such as "Rich Young Heir", "O.D.D.<br />
Clown" and "Matter of Life and Death", the deep, thoughtful (aka pompous) lyrics<br />
were certain to have appealed to closet intellectuals. The album was also notable<br />
for including the year's oddest Gershwin cover ("Summertime"). In spite of those<br />
comments, the set wasn't acomplete waste. Peluso tended to over sing, but he<br />
had a decent voice and on songs with strong melodies, notably "See the Birds"<br />
and "Smell of Incense" the band proved quite listenable. [SB]<br />
THE AFFECTION COLLECTION (ID)
"The Affection Collection" 196 (Evolution)<br />
Here's one gaining attention of late that was always ignored and always rare to<br />
begin with, kind of like the now highly prized Afterglow album on MTA. The cover<br />
and liner notes suggest something very square, and not hip. Perhaps the music<br />
reflects that but transcends it, or sounds like an enjoyable albeit not outstanding<br />
period piece. The farfisa organ and garage pop vibe of both The Strawberry<br />
Alarm Clock and The New Colony Six are to the fore on most tracks, and while<br />
unlike the Alarm Clock they don't leave me wishing I'd never heard it unlike The<br />
New Colony Six or British North American Act they don't quite fulfill the promise<br />
shown here. There is some heavy fuzz, and some light psych touches, but for the<br />
most part this sounds more like an album that would appeal to fans of "sunshine"<br />
pop with a slightly creepier vibe. This is a good album don't get me wrong. The<br />
songs are good and the organ sound is very pleasant. However, like the sleeve<br />
this feels more like a rough draft of something interesting than a fully realized<br />
album. Worth investigation, but not a lost treasure. -- Ben Blake Mitchner<br />
SHAMIM AHMED (India)<br />
"A Web of Sound" 1969 (Monitor)<br />
Eastern sounds trio tanpura, tabla, and sitar. Three long tracks. [RM]<br />
LEE AKERS & ELECTRIC GENERATION ( )<br />
"Heavy, Heavy, Heavy" 1969 (Crown cst-608)<br />
Exploito bluesy rock fun with cheesy organ and basement guitar. [RM]<br />
ALBERT ( )<br />
"The Albert" 197 (Perception 4) [gatefold] [1]<br />
"The Albert" 197 (Perception 9)<br />
-- different LP from above<br />
Jazzy proggy funky rock with horns, conga. These LPs have appeal to both odd<br />
hippie jam fans and funky jazz collectors.<br />
The second LP (perhaps both?) recorded at Electric Ladyland Studios. [RM]
DICK & ANNE ALBIN (KY)<br />
"Mahathma Gandhi Spat Here" 1973 (Phonygraph ADA-1)<br />
"Que Asco!" 197 (Phonygraph ADA-2)<br />
"Red Roses, Green Briars and Milk-White Steeds" 1974 (Phonygraph ADA-3)<br />
[gatefold]<br />
"No Commercial Appeal" 1976 (Phonygraph ADA-5) [insert]<br />
Mid-1970s hippie folk with trad and bluegrass moves and various acoustic<br />
instruments used. There were several more LPs released, all on their own label.<br />
ALEXANDER RABBIT ( )<br />
"Hunchback of Notre Dame" 1969 (Mercury 61291) [wlp also exists]<br />
Ostensibly a “band,” but the album cover appears to be four very different photos<br />
of the same guy. This guy had a vision, and this psych-prog mix is appealing on<br />
many levels. Lots of ideas here (some stolen), good mix of experimental, poppy,<br />
folky, and heavy sounds. The Otis Redding cover is way out of place, but the<br />
other styles mesh surprisingly well. Occasional mystical lyrics hint at some sort of<br />
concept that the album doesn’t explore in depth. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Recorded in New York's Associated Recording Studios, the LP was co-produced<br />
by Irving Spice and Max Ellen, the eccentric Jerry Samuels (aka Napoleon XIV)<br />
engineering. In spite of the goofy title, the collection of original material (a rote<br />
cover of Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long" being the one<br />
exception), was diverse and surprisingly engaging. While the extended title track<br />
bogged down in Procol Harum-meets-Tolken art-rock mysticism is not a pretty<br />
combination, elsewhere the band displayed considerable versatility, capably<br />
polishing off nifty rockers (the scorching "Goin' Down"), Association-styled<br />
ballads ("My Woman") and decent pop-rock ("Faraway Man"). While it wasn't the<br />
year's most consistent release, the fact it was so diverse was part of its charm.<br />
Well worth looking for and you can still find the LP at a decent price... [SB]<br />
ALIVE 'N KICKIN' (NY)<br />
"Alive 'N Kickin'" 1970 (Roulette 42052) [wlp also exists]
"Alive 'N Kickin'" 199 (CD Collectables)<br />
The Tommy James-penned “Tighter Tighter” was a hit (and still gets some play<br />
on oldies radio), but the rest of the album is much tougher and more substantial<br />
than that. A nice surprise in the same way as the self-titled Ohio Express album<br />
or the Lemon Pipers’ GREEN TAMBOURINE. The guitarist is hot, and his style<br />
ranges from funk to blues to rock, with lots of wah-wah. The songs aren’t quite up<br />
to his level, but they’re not bad. “Mississippi Mud” is probably the best of an<br />
above-average lot. A great, powerful female singer is sadly underused, not<br />
singing a solo lead on any of the songs. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
Anyone hearing "Tighter and Tighter" (let along looking at the fun-in-the-sun<br />
album cover), would have justifiably concluded these guys were little more than a<br />
top-40 pop band. Wrong conclusion. Powered by Todler's tough voice (her<br />
bluesy delivery occasionally bore a startling resemblance to Joplin - check out<br />
"Kentucky Fire"), the set of largely original material rocked with impressive<br />
energy. While it may not have made for the year's most original set, tracks such<br />
as "Junction Creek" and "Mississippi Mud" saw the group displaying a penchant<br />
for above average blues-rock. [SB]<br />
AMERICAN REVOLUTION ( )<br />
"American Revolution" 1967 (Flick Disc fls-45002)<br />
Signed by the MGM-affiliated Flick Disc label, the quartet's 1968 debut "The<br />
American Revolution" found the quartet working with four separate producers<br />
(Harley Hatcher, the team of Mike Lloyd and Mike Curb, and Larry Brown).<br />
Musically the collection was all over the spectrum, including haphazard stabs at<br />
Rascals-styled blue-eyed soul ("Come On and Get It"), Beatles-styled<br />
psychedelia (the hysterically inept "In the Late Afternoon" and "Opus #1") and<br />
Buckinghams-styled horns ("Love Has Got Me Down). Unfortunately, while all<br />
four principles sang, none could really hold a tune (be sure to check-out their<br />
attempt at close-knit harmonies on "Crying Eyes and an Empty Heart").<br />
Combined with the fact they couldn't write worth a damn and their choices of<br />
outside material sucked, and you were left with an album that was largely<br />
unlistenable. Give them an extra star for the hopelessly dated album cover. Of<br />
course today the project's earnestness is hysterical. Richard Barcelona turned up<br />
in one of the later (post GNP Crescendo) line-ups of the Seeds. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Edge
ANCIENT FUTURE (CA)<br />
"Visions of a Peaceful Planet" 1980 (Beauty af-79)<br />
Eastern spiritual hippie folk with acoustic guitars, tablas, sarod, flute, and even<br />
sitar on two tracks. The band has several more releases and are still active. [RM]<br />
ANTHEM ( )<br />
"Anthem" 1970 (BuddaH BDS 5071)<br />
Signed by Buddah this trio's self-titled 1970 album teamed them with producer<br />
Stan Vincent. Musically "Anthem" offered up a fairly entertaining mix of<br />
commercial pop (the title track) and slightly more experimental numbers (the<br />
extended "Misty Morns"). While it wasn't one of the year's most original offerings,<br />
all three members -- guitarist Bartholomew guess he didn't have a last name),<br />
bassist Gregg Hollister and drummer Bobby Howe -- were gifted with decent<br />
voices and on tracks such as "Florida" and "Queen" they displayed a knack for<br />
crafting some pretty harmonies. Not sure who it was, but one of the three had a<br />
voice that sounded uncannily like The Monkees' Michael Nesmith ("Anthem" and<br />
"New Day"). Needless to say, the album sold roughly ten copies, instantly ending<br />
up in cutout bins. [SB]<br />
AORTA (Chicago, IL)<br />
"Aorta" 1969 (Columbia cs-9785) [360 Sound label; gatefold]<br />
"Aorta" 197 (Columbia cs-9785) [later red label; gatefold]<br />
"Aorta" 199 (CD Buy or Die)<br />
The first LP showcased one of the better slices of late-1960s major label<br />
psychedelia. Almost a concept piece, the individual numbers were strung<br />
together by a series of segues ("Main Vein" sections I through IV). Featuring<br />
largely original material (three of the four members contributing songs), the<br />
collection offered up a nice mélange of poppier numbers (The Buckinghamsstyled<br />
"Magic Bed" and "Sleep Tight") and harder edged, more experimental<br />
efforts ( the psych-flavored "What's in My Mind's Eye" and "Catalyptic").<br />
Columbia also chose to included a rerecorded version of "Strange" which b/w<br />
"Ode to Missy Mxyzosptik" was subsequently released as a single (Columbia<br />
catalog number 4-44870). Sure, it wasn't a major creative statement or<br />
something that would drastically change your life, but full of nice fuzz guitar,<br />
interesting melodies, and weird studio effects, it made for a solid player; every
track worth hearing. Besides, when's the last time you heard such a glowing<br />
review? A minor chart success, the album peaked at # 167. [SB]<br />
"Aorta 2" 1970 (Happy Tiger ht-1010)<br />
-- a Canadian pressing exists<br />
The second album also saw the band undergoing a major change in musical<br />
direction. All but abandoning their earlier psych leanings, track such as "Willie<br />
Jean", "Little Bonnie" and "Sandcastles" offered up a mix of lighter pop and<br />
country-rock sounds. Curiously, several of the compositions including "Beg For<br />
His Forgiveness", "His Faith In Man" and "Devil, Maggot & Son" featured rather<br />
blatant Christian-oriented lyrics. Taken on their own those efforts weren't half<br />
bad, full of of nice harmony vocals and engaging melodies, but when compared<br />
to the debut the results just didn't come close. This time around it was the<br />
atypical numbers that provided the highlights. The furious rocker "Beg for His<br />
Forgiveness" probably came the closest to recapturing the debut's meltdown<br />
sound, while "Pickin' Blues" was an okay boogie/blues number. [SB]<br />
ARCHITECT ( )<br />
"Architect" 1978 (private) [2-3]<br />
Obscure 1970s progressive rock.<br />
ARNOLD (Seattle, WA)<br />
"Arnold – Cut The Crap" 1980 (First American)<br />
This obscure hard rock/AOR album has quite a sense of humor. Arnold looks<br />
absolutely demented on the album cover and his vocals (I wouldn’t exactly call<br />
what he does “singing”) are a mix of shouts, growls and interjections. He rants<br />
and raves to the left and the right of the melodies, which are all carried by a<br />
chorus of backing vocals. The style does eventually wear thin, but it’s a short<br />
album (25 minutes), so for the most part, it works. The music isn’t especially<br />
heavy (and some of it is old-style 50s-ish rock and roll) but it’s full of energy. It’s<br />
fast and raucous, has plenty of lead guitar and some funky bass here and there.<br />
There’s backwards guitar on one song. Kind of a novelty, but fun. [AM]<br />
ARNOLD BEAN (GA)
"Cosmic Bean" 1970 (SSS International 21) [promos also exist] [1]<br />
Here's one that almost makes it. It's got a perfectly nice folk-rock/pop feel, lovely<br />
arrangements with lots of well-placed organ and jangly 12- string guitars, and a<br />
fabulous psychedelic album cover. The vocals are a little weak, though, and<br />
rarely improved with harmonies. And while the songs are all pretty good, they<br />
lack that extra step that would take them toward greatness. A little more creativity<br />
might have helped: a wild guitar solo, unexpected tempo change, vocal<br />
histrionics, anything other than the albums's one attempt at a rave-up, the<br />
unfunny "Daddy's Got The Clap." So, while Arnold Bean show plenty of promise,<br />
this album is missing spark and intrigue. Just when you're ready to give up on it,<br />
though, the last three songs, "I've Got The Key," "Captain Marvel," and "Nature<br />
Boy," are the three best, so you put the album away thinking maybe it was pretty<br />
great. COSMIC BEAN is destined to disappoint those who get their hopes up and<br />
to be a pleasant surprise for those who don't. [AM]<br />
ARS NOVA (New York City, NY)<br />
"Ars Nova" 1968 (Elektra EKS-5002) [gatefold]<br />
"Ars Nova" 2004 (CD Sundazed)<br />
Classically training musicians living and working in New York City, in 1967<br />
drummer Maury Baker, guitarist Wyatt Day, bass Bill Folwell, guitarist Giovanni<br />
Papalia, vocalist/horn player John Pierson and bassist John Raskin decided their<br />
future (and their fortunes) lay in rock and roll. Several months of intense<br />
rehearsals and a series of well received concerts led to a deal with Elektra<br />
Records. Teamed with Doors producer Paul Rothchild, the band's 1968 self-titled<br />
aptly debut displayed the sextet's virtuosity. Musically diverse, "ARS Nova" found<br />
the band equally at home with classical inspired ballads (the Baroque-influenced<br />
single "Pavan for My Love"), precursor Blood, Sweat and Tears horn<br />
arrangements ("General Clover Ends a War") and prototype heavy rock ("And<br />
How Am I To Know"). With Day providing the majority of material (much of it cowritten<br />
with either Pierson or non-band member Gregory Copeland), the group's<br />
efforts to blend classical and rock elements was interesting, if occasionally a tad<br />
pretentious. Imagine a less bubble gummy version of The Left Banke and you'll<br />
get a feel for the set. Personal favorite, the popish single "Fields of People." In<br />
spite of decent reviews, including an extensive write-up in the June 1968 edition<br />
of Life, the set failed to sell. [SB]<br />
"Sunshine and Shadows" 1969 (Atlantic SD-8221)<br />
"Sunshine and Shadows" 1994 (CD Repertoire)<br />
In the wake of the album's release the band was torn apart by musical and<br />
personal disagreements. When things finally settled down, Day and Pierson
stood as the only survivors. Supported by a brand new lineup consisting of<br />
keyboardist Warren Bernhardt, guitarist Sam Brown, drummer Joe Hunt, Art<br />
Koenig and horn player Jimmy Owens the revamped band signed with Atlantic.<br />
Released in mid-1969, "Sunshine and Shadows" found the band working with<br />
producer Arthur Gorson. With Day providing the majority of material (trumpet<br />
player Owens contributed the instrumental "You Had Better Listen"), numbers<br />
such as the title track, "I was Once" and "She Promises Everything" retained the<br />
band's "arty" leanings, though with less impressive results. Pastorial melodies,<br />
folkish harmonies and thoughtful lyrics made for a decent album, though<br />
stretched over most of the first side, it began to sound alike. "Well, Well, Well"<br />
was far better, if only due to the atypical rock tempo and Brown's screaming fuzz<br />
guitar solo. Another commercial nonentity, the collection vanished without a<br />
trace. (In case anyone cared, Jon Borgzinner, who had authored the earlier piece<br />
in Life, contributed the liner notes.) Shortly after it's release the group called it<br />
quits. [SB]<br />
ASSEMBLAGE (Detroit, MI)<br />
"Assemblage" 1971 (Westbound wb-2004)<br />
Cool hippie jamming on renowned soul label with fuzz, funky moves, femme<br />
backing vocals, and crashing organ. [RM]<br />
ATOMES (Canada)<br />
"Va T'En Maintenant" 1967 (Capitol 70016, Canada)<br />
French-Canadian garage pop. [RM]<br />
AUM (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Bluesvibes" 1969 (Sire 97007)<br />
Led by singer/multi-instrumentalist Wayne Ceballos, the little know Aum stand as<br />
also-rans in the lexicon of '60s San Francisco bands. With drummer Larry Martin<br />
and bassist Ken Newell rounding out the trio, the group's initial reputation<br />
stemmed from their jam-oriented concerts. Initially signed by the Londonaffiliated<br />
Sire label, as one would expect from the title, the group's 1969's<br />
"Bluesvibes" found them working in a distinctively blues-vein. Reflecting the<br />
band's live act, the Richard Gotthrer produced debut featured a series of seven
extended jams, (the shortest song clocking in at 4 minutes). With Ceballos writing<br />
the majority of the material, in spite of period excesses (e.g. aimless soloing),<br />
originals such as "Mississippi Mud" and "Chilli Woman" weren't half bad.<br />
Moreover, Ceballos proved a decent singer, injecting considerable energy into<br />
his performances. Among the few missteps, the band's ponderous cover of John<br />
Loudermilk's "Tobacco Road" would've been suitable for Vanilla Fudge.<br />
Commercially the set proved a non-entity; quickly vanishing into cutout bins. [SB]<br />
"Resurrection" 1970 (Fillmore F-30002)<br />
One of the first acts signed to Bill Graham's Fillmore label, 1969's "Resurrection"<br />
teamed the band with producer David Rubinson. As one might have guessed<br />
from the album title (let alone the back cover which showed three crosses), their<br />
sophomore effort found the band pursuing a pseudo-religious agenda. In spite of<br />
occasionally clunky lyrics and an irritating degree of echo, Ceballos-penned<br />
material such as "God Is Back In Town," the ballad "Only I Know" and " Today<br />
and Tomorrow" wasn't half bad. Boasting a nifty Ceballos guitar solo, the stately<br />
title track was our nomination for standout track. Elsewhere, the driving "Bye Bye<br />
Baby" and "Little Brown Hen" recalled Quicksilver Messenger Service. Certainly<br />
not likely to get top-40 airplay, but San Francisco certainly turned out worse<br />
sounding bands. Commercially the set did nothing; the trio calling it quits shortly<br />
thereafter. [SB]<br />
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
BABY (TX)<br />
"Baby" 1974 (Lone Starr 8670)<br />
Described as average southern rock, sometimes hyped.<br />
BAG ( )<br />
"Real" 1968 (Decca dl-75057) [white label promo] [1]<br />
"Real" 1968 (Decca dl-75057)<br />
We've always wondered about this quartet (keyboardist Joe Di Marzo, singer<br />
Danny Mahony, guitarist Jay Saving and drummer Al Esposito). A number of<br />
reviewers have categorized the band's sound as psychedelic, but to us they<br />
sound like Young Rascal clones. Released by Decca, 1968's "Real" teamed the<br />
quartet with producer Jim Curtiss. Showcasing a mixture of originals (Di Marzo,<br />
Mahony and Savino all contributing material) and two covers, the collection
offered up an enjoyable set of blue-eyed soul. Propelled by Mahony's crusty<br />
voice (baring an uncanny resemblance to Felix Cavaliere), tracks such as "I Want<br />
You By My Side", "Got Away" and "I'm Sitting By the Wayside of My Life" were<br />
melodic and highly commercial Okay, back to the psych label for a moment:<br />
admittedly "Red, Purple and Blue" had a nifty freak-out fade, while "It's All Over"<br />
benfitted from a tasty lead fuzz guitar. A commercial non-entity, the set vanished<br />
without trace. Within a matter of months the band followed suit. [SB]<br />
BALDWIN AND LEPS ( )<br />
"Baldwin and Leps" 1971 (Vanguard vsd-6567) [gatefold] [1]<br />
"Baldwin and Leps" 2001 (Akarma-Vanguard, Italy) [gatefold]<br />
"Baldwin and Leps" 2001 (CD Akarma-Vanguard, Italy)<br />
These two "buskers" recorded their album pretty much as they played in the<br />
street (or subway): just violin, guitar and vocals. Side one is a semi-rock-opera<br />
about some drug dealing drifters. Interesting once, but not musically compelling<br />
enough to make it stand up with time. Unfortunately the best two songs on the<br />
album are the two where they augment their routine: one with a rhythm section<br />
and one with a bunch of sound effects. You gotta give credit to Vanguard for<br />
signing such an obviously uncommercial band, but the album is nothing special.<br />
[AM]<br />
BAMBOO ( )<br />
"Bamboo" 1969 (Elektra EKS-74048)<br />
Music is a tough business and if you want to make a living in it, you have to be<br />
willing to adapt to the public's ever-changing taste. That said, Bamboo stands as<br />
one of the more dramatic changes I'm aware. Singer/guitarist Dave Ray had<br />
previously been a member of the folk and blues outfit Koerner, Ray and Glover.<br />
In the wake of that trio's collapse he built a recording studio in Minnesota and<br />
(judging by the album cover photo), decided to become a hippy. He also decided<br />
to get back into recording via a collaboration with singer/guitarist Will Donicht.<br />
While the cover of 1969's "Bamboo" only shows Ray and Donicht, this was<br />
apparently a full scale band with bassist Daniel Lee Hall contributing several<br />
songs to the collection. Produced by Allan Emig, the album finds Ray and<br />
company opting for a much more rock oriented sound that his earlier catalog.<br />
Tracks such as 'Girl Of The Seasons' (which sounds like something David<br />
Crosby might have written and recorded), 'Treehouse' and the rocker 'Blak Beri<br />
Cheri Blooz' offer up a competent, if pedestrian mix of rock, country-rock, lite jazz<br />
and even psych touches. There's nothing really wrong here, but by the same
token, there's nothing really right. I was going to give it three stars, but decided to<br />
dock it one for Donicht and Ray's horribly dated wardrobes. [SB]<br />
BANTAMS ( )<br />
"Beware" 1966 (Warner Brothers w-1625) [mono]<br />
"Beware" 1966 (Warner Brothers w-1625) [stereo]<br />
Preteen kiddie garage covers. Fun basement raveups. [RM]<br />
STEVE BARON QUARTET (NY)<br />
"The Mother Of Us All" 1969 (Tetragrammaton T-123)<br />
This is one of many interesting releases on the Tetragrammaton label. It’s a<br />
distinctive mix of folk, rock and jazz and sounds like nothing else I know. In an<br />
obvious attempt to challenge the listener, the album starts with the album’s<br />
sparsest, moodiest track. About half of the songs are drumless acoustic<br />
numbers. They’re good, but the full band songs are even better, some with<br />
surprisingly poppy hooks. The 6-minute “Don’t You Hate The Feeling” and 11minute<br />
“Shadow Man” break out into excellent extended jazz guitar solos that<br />
work amazingly well in the folk-rock context. These songs blow away any of the<br />
bluesy guitar jams on the heavy psych albums of the era. Intriguing work that<br />
could have heralded a new, successful blend of genres had anyone heard it.<br />
Produced by jazz musician Mike Berniker, who would also work folk-rock<br />
wonders on the great album by Susan Pillsbury. [AM]<br />
"Sessions With Jef Lowell" 1971 (Otherway Records 101) [1]<br />
Here are some details from bass player Jef Lowell, who plays with Steve Baron<br />
on this little-known, privately released sequel: "... Steve and I had just come off<br />
the road from a four month tour as the opening act for a production of Jesus<br />
Christ Superstar. We thought it would be fun to invite a bunch of our Superstar<br />
friends, and do what would be basically a live album in the studio. They were all<br />
very talented musicians, and they joined in for chorus vocals on a couple of the<br />
songs, as well as contributing ambience. Their sax player played on a song<br />
called "Magic Magician". It was mostly sold by mail order, and never had any<br />
serious promotion. We sometimes sold copies at concerts, but never made a big<br />
thing of it. I suppose Steve had hopes that some record company might pick it up<br />
and release it, but that never happened. Musicly, it's a pretty straightforward<br />
presentation of what we sounded like as a live duo. But, in it, the jazz flavor is<br />
unfortunately gone. That element was largely the influence of Bill Davidson, the
lead guitarist, and Tom Weiner, the keyboardist. What remained was the two<br />
'folkies', so the album is strongly bent toward progressive folk."<br />
LYNDON BARTELL (MN)<br />
"I Feel A Strange Excitement In The Air" 197 (Eagle no #)<br />
Late 1970s Christian obscurity, details invited.<br />
BEAR (NY)<br />
"Greetings Children of Paradise" 1968 (Verve Forecast)<br />
Produced by Appletree Theatre's John Boylan, Bear featured the talents of<br />
keyboardist Eric Kaz, singer Steve Soles and guitarist Artie Traum (backed on<br />
their album by Autosalvage bassist Skip Boone and drummer Darius Davenport).<br />
In spite of the cheesy cover and title (thank Mr. John's Palace of Fashion for the<br />
cover photo), 1968's "Greetings Children of Paradise" was actually pretty good.<br />
With all three prime members writing (Soles penning most of his material with<br />
brother Michael), the ten tracks were varied, including competent stabs at<br />
country-rock ("The Hungry Dogs of New Mexico"), fairly conventional pop ("Don't<br />
You Ever Want To Think About Them?"), rock, psych and even jazz ("What<br />
Difference?"). Soles had a nice voice (occasionally recalling Squeeze's Chris<br />
Difford - we're not kidding, check out "It's Getting Very Cold Outside"). (Actually,<br />
on reflection, the set's quirky charms actually compare nicely with Squeeze.)<br />
Sure, it won't change your life, but it's an album we keep in the occasional play<br />
pile. A commercial non-entity, the band quickly called it quits, with Kaz<br />
reappearing in a series of bands, including The Blues Magoos, American Flyer,<br />
Mud Acres (with Traum) and with a solo career (see separate entries). All three<br />
members also became in-demand sessions players. [SB]<br />
BEAST (Denver, CO)<br />
"Beast" 1970 (Evolution 2017)<br />
Beast featured the talents of drummer Larry Ferris, keyboardist Gerry Fike,<br />
woodwind player Mike Kearnes, bassist Kenny Passarelli. singer David Raines,<br />
trumpet player Dominick Todero and former Super Band guitarist Robert Yeazel.<br />
Following the loss of horn player Todero and bassist Passarelli (replaced by<br />
Roger Byrant), 1970's cleverly-titled "Beast" was released on the Evolution label.
Continuing their partnership with producer Norman Petty the album was again<br />
recorded at Petty's Clovis, New Mexico studios. Musically the collection wasn't<br />
too different from the debut. Anyone familiar with Lighthouse or Sugarloaf styled<br />
horn rock will be pretty comfortable with most of the material. Slightly more varied<br />
than the debut, the flute propelled "Communication" and "Don't You Think It's<br />
Time?" reflected a quasi-jazzy feel, while the harmony rich "Inlook" sounded like<br />
an Association-styled slice of pop and "Move Mountain (You Got It)" found the<br />
band taking a stab at conventional hard rock. The overall effect was professional,<br />
if a little short on originality and inspiration ... Packaged in one of the year's uglier<br />
covers (credit to Charles E. Murphy), the set vanished without a trace, followed in<br />
short order by the band. Following the band's break up Ferris and Yeazel joined<br />
Sugarloaf, while Pasarelli hooked up with Joe Walsh in Barnstorm, followed by<br />
an extended career as an in-demand sessions player (see separate entry). [SB]<br />
DENNY BELLINE & THE RICH KIDS (Long Island, NY)<br />
"Denny Belline and the Rich Kids" 1966 (RCA lpm-3655) [mono]<br />
"Denny Belline and the Rich Kids" 1966 (RCA lsp-3655) [stereo]<br />
Garage and frat rock mostly covers. Good LP mostly uptempo ravers 'recorded in<br />
front of a dancing teen crowd at the Shore Club in Sayville, Long Island'. Denny<br />
is Perry Como's nephew. [RM]<br />
BELSHANNY MEN ( )<br />
"Take It All In" 196 (Orco)<br />
Folkrock mix of acoustic and electric. [RM]<br />
BEETHOVEN SOUL (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Beethoven Soul" 1967 (Dot dlp-3821) [mono] [1]<br />
"Beethoven Soul" 1967 (Dot dlp-25821) [stereo] [1]<br />
Most “reviews” mistakenly list this forgettable soft-rock album as having female<br />
vocals. The woman pictured on the cover actually plays strings, which are the<br />
most interesting sounds on the album. Not quite bubblegum, not quite soft rock,<br />
but not really distinctive either. [AM]
BENGALI BAULS (India)<br />
"At Big Pink" 1969 (Buddah bds-5050)<br />
Purna and Luxman Das, the guys on the cover of Bob Dylan's "John Wesley<br />
Harding", play Indian soul music that should appeal to eastern psych fans.<br />
Produced by Garth Hudson and recorded at the Band's house in Woodstock.<br />
[RM]<br />
VINCENT BELL ( )<br />
"Pop Goes the Electric Sitar" 1968 (Decca 74938)<br />
-- an Australian pressing on Festival exists<br />
Exploito sitar rock covers from noted session musician. He plays a Coral Electric<br />
Sitar which produces fuzztone; the design was named after him. [RM]<br />
JOHN BERBERIAN (NY)<br />
"Expressions East" 1967 (Mainstream 56023) [mono]<br />
"Expressions East" 1967 (Mainstream S-6023) [stereo]<br />
-- a Canadian pressing exists<br />
"Oud Artistry" 1967 (Mainstream 56047) [mono]<br />
"Oud Artistry" 1967 (Mainstream s-6047) [stereo]<br />
"Ode To An Oud" 1974 (Mainstream 802) [2LPs; gatefold]<br />
"Ode To An Oud" 2000 (MS 6023/6047, Europe) [2LP box-set; insert]<br />
-- these reissues combine the Mainstream LPs "Expressions East" and "Oud<br />
Artistry"<br />
"Music of the Middle East" 1968 (Roulette sr-25306)<br />
"Music of the Middle East" 2001 (Universe, Italy)<br />
"Music of the Middle East" 200 (Akarma, Italy)<br />
These early LPs go mainly in an ethnic Middle Eastern direction. The later LPs<br />
are listed in the main Acid Archives.<br />
BERETMUSIC (CT)
"Beretmusic" 1970 (Aries XPL-1011)<br />
From the liner notes I know their names were John Alvarez, Chip Navarro and<br />
Joe Salazar. Their sole album, 1970's "Beretmusic" was apparently recorded in<br />
New Haven, Connecticut with production by Martin Kugell and Samot Arikios.<br />
Largely written by Alvarez, this one's a challenge to adequately describe.<br />
Material such as 'On the Road', 'Back Roads of My Mind' and 'Yes I Love Her' is<br />
pretty poppy, but the album has a strange vibe to it, complete with occasional<br />
effects laden vocals and some of the most irritating backing vocals you'll ever<br />
hear (I was wondering if they were pulling people's fingernails out). Apparently a<br />
live track (it sounds like they were playing for about three people), the ballad 'My<br />
Woman' seems to confirm that these guys were really a lounge act at hearts.<br />
They also get a nod for turning in the lamest cover of 'Woodstock' I've ever<br />
heard. Hard to believe, but these guys manage to make it sound like a salad<br />
dressing commercial. Mind you, it's real person potential I would have earned it<br />
three stars, but there are horns on a couple of the tracks and 'Yes I Love Her'<br />
sports one of those irritating country twangs that sounds like a Commander Cody<br />
rip-off (guess they actually pre-date the Commander.). [SB]<br />
BERMUDA JAM ( )<br />
"The Bermuda Jam" 1969 (DynoVoice DY 31907)<br />
If you go by the liner notes, this late-'60s quartet was a multi-national affair, the<br />
four members coming from Australia (James O'Connor), England (Paul<br />
Muggleton), Portugal (Glen Mello) and the States (Andy Newmark). In spite of<br />
the accents, one got the feeling this was little more than a goofball studio project,<br />
probably masterminded by Bob Crewe, whose DynoVoice label released their<br />
sole LP. Produced by Andy Denno, 1969's "The Bermuda Jam" was one weird<br />
affair. Complete with sound effects and spoken word snippets, musically the set<br />
found the quartet all over the spectrum. "Hold Me" and "Who Put the Sun In Your<br />
Eyes (Who Put the Fly In Your Soup)" offered up harmony rich top-40 pop; "Up<br />
Down, Turn Around" found the band turning in a decent blue-eyed soul effort,<br />
while "Forever Young" had a C&W feel. Nothing here was terribly wrong, nor with<br />
the exception of the meltdown "Good Trip Lollipop" was there anything<br />
particularly right. Back to "Lollipop" - complete with meltdown keyboards, LSD<br />
drenched vocals (the hysterical laughter and nursery rhyme fragments were a<br />
sweet touch) and crunching guitar, it was easily the most psych-oriented effort<br />
and the standout track, it's too bad the rest of the LP wasn't as memorable. As<br />
you'd expect, the set vanished without a trace, followed in short order by the<br />
band. (Nice pajamas guys ...). Within a couple of years Newmark reappeared as<br />
a member of Sly and the Family Stone. [SB]
KAREN BETH ( )<br />
"The Joys Of Life" 1968 (Decca DL 75148)<br />
First album by new age singer-songwriter who is still active today is unlike<br />
anything she’d do again. The opener, with an annoying horn arrangement, is an<br />
obvious attempt at a hit, but the rest of the album is grade-A downer folk. Her<br />
odd voice is an acquired taste, but suits the material, some of which has the<br />
loose feel of Tim Buckley’s experimental phase or Van Morrison’s ASTRAL<br />
WEEKS. The longest songs are the best on the album; the title track and<br />
“Nothing Lasts” are both up there with the best in the genre by anyone. This<br />
album has subtle, dark, unexpected power. Possibly from New York state. [AM]<br />
BIG 3 (New York City, NY)<br />
"Big 3" 1964 (FM lp-307) [1]<br />
Rather good bluesy harmony folk with Cass Elliot (Mamas and Papas). Denny<br />
Doherty does not appear on this LP. [RM]<br />
BISCUIT DAVIS ( )<br />
"Playing on the Moon" 1973 (Amsterdam/Flying Dutchman am-12014)<br />
Bob Thiele Jr.'s band. Rural hippie rock Deadish sound. Bob's dad ran the<br />
Impulse and Flying Dutchman labels. [RM]<br />
BITTER BLOOD STREET THEATRE (Cincinnati, OH)<br />
"Vol. 1" 1978 (Vetco lp-701) [1]<br />
Both Bitter Blood Street Theatre albums show up for sale often (as do those of<br />
their less “rock” offshoot band Blacklight Braille), so they must have had a pretty<br />
big local fan base. The band’s name implies some kind of cult ritual or<br />
performance art, but the “theatre” is limited to a couple of brief monologues and<br />
one song that’s recited rather than sung. This is straightforward rock with a few<br />
quirks (wild singing, some sax, a band member who plays a saw, which sounds a<br />
lot like a theremin.) Some of the guitar is pretty heavy; the rhythm guitars have a<br />
great punchy distortion sound that reminds me of the Stones’ “Monkey Man.”
There are three vocalists, two men and a woman. All of them are reasonably<br />
distinctive, and the woman sounds pretty eerie when she sings backup. All of the<br />
elements are there for this to be a cool band. With maybe two exceptions,<br />
though, the songwriting is uninteresting. In the end, this is one of those albums<br />
that seems like it’s going to be really great but just isn’t. [AM]<br />
"Vol. 2" 1978 (Vetco lp-703)<br />
Heavy rock. [RM]<br />
BIZ (Canada)<br />
"A Matter Of Time" 1981 (Bent WRC1-1749) [gatefold]<br />
Melodic hardrock/AOR with guitar and keyboard.<br />
ANNA BLACK ( )<br />
"Meet Anna Black" 196 (Epic) [wlp also exists]<br />
Femme folk psych. [RM]<br />
BLACKWOOD APOLOGY ( )<br />
"House of Leather" 1969 (Fontana)<br />
Odd rock concept album about the Civil War. Pretty good considering. [RM]<br />
BLADES OF GRASS ( )<br />
"Are Not For Smoking" 1968 (Jubilee jgs-8007)<br />
Airy pop lite folk psych. [RM]<br />
CHARLIE BLEAK (IN)
"Let Me In" 1976 (Pickwick PIP)<br />
Solo LP from post-Hoi Polloi guy with minor hit title track, about 1/3rd is solid<br />
rural rock/singer-songwriter with pro sound and excellent arrangements, while<br />
most other tracks have unsuccessful soulrock moves with a Stevie Wonder<br />
influence. Worth checking out at the current (low) going rate. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Hoi Polloi<br />
DAVID BLUE ( )<br />
"David Blue" 1966 (Elektra EKL-4003)<br />
"David Blue" 2002 (CD Collector's Choice)<br />
Produced by Arthur Gorson, 1966's "David Blue" is fascinating, if only for the fact<br />
it shows someone laboring with an overwhelming Dylan fixation (geez even<br />
Blue's haircut looks like mid-'60s Dylan). There's no doubt Blue was a talented<br />
performer. Unfortunately, those talents included being blessed (or cursed) with a<br />
gruff voice and a half-sung/half spoken delivery that bore more than a passing<br />
comparison to Dylan. As a writer Blue wasn't bad, but in the shadow of Dylan's<br />
best work, originals such as "So Easy She Goes By" and "Midnight Through<br />
Morning" simply couldn't compete. On the other hand, his debut is better than<br />
99.9% of material released by Dylan-wannabes. So what makes it so good? Give<br />
Blue credit for hiring a first rate backing band (including bassist Harvey Brooks,<br />
guitarist Monte Dunn and keyboardist Paul Harris - all had previously played with<br />
Dylan), and having the smarts to rock out. Up tempo numbers such as "The<br />
Gasman Won't Buy Your Love", "If Your Monkey Can't Get It", The Byrds-do-<br />
Dylan-styled "It Ain't the Rain That Sweeps the Highway Clean" and "It Tastes<br />
Like Candy" are great and literally save the album from the typical annoying<br />
angst of Dylan-inspired singer/songwriters. Anyone into Dylan circa "Blonde On<br />
Blonde" or "Highway 61" will be impressed (and have to wonder if these aren't<br />
simply Dylan outtakes). [SB]<br />
BLUEBEARD (CA)<br />
"Bad Dream" 1979 (Parliament 3661)<br />
Dual-lead hardrock with colorful fantasy death cover. [RM]<br />
BLUE BEATS ( )
"Beatle Beat" 1964 (A.A. 133)<br />
Exploito Merseybeat sound. [RM]<br />
BLUE SHOES (AZ)<br />
"Put on Blue Shoes" 1980 (Living Room) [12" EP] [1]<br />
Local powerpop. The band also had some 45s and an unreleased album.<br />
BODINE (Seattle, WA)<br />
"Bodine" 1969 (MGM se-4652) [gatefold]<br />
Great westcoast sound wide-open guitar rocker. mix of heavy riffs and dreamy<br />
rural tracks. Post-Daily Flash and post-Fantastic Zoo. [RM]<br />
JAY BOLOTIN (KY)<br />
"Jay Bolotin" 1970 (Commonwealth United 6002) [wlp only?]<br />
Loner folk. Bolotin is today a visual artist of some repute. [RM]<br />
BONNEVILLES (Milwaukee, WI)<br />
"In Action" 1963 (Drum Boy) [1-2]<br />
"Meet the Bonnevilles" 1964 (Drum Boy 1001) [1]<br />
-- same LP, repackaged and retitled<br />
Pre-Beatle sounds, mostly instrumental with a 12-year old lady guesting on<br />
vocals on two tracks.<br />
BORBETOMAGUS (NY)<br />
"Borbetomagus" 1980 (Agaric)
"Work On What Has Been Spoiled" 1981 (Agaric)<br />
"III" 1982 (Agaric)<br />
Experimental progressive avant jazz. The band had several LPs.<br />
BOSTON TEA PARTY ( )<br />
"Boston Tea Party" 1968 (Flick Disc 45000)<br />
Cheese teen lyte-psych with good track "We have already died".<br />
---<br />
see -> Highway Robbery<br />
TERRY BOYLAN (CA)<br />
"Alias Boona" 1969 (Verve Forecast fts-3070) [wlp exists]<br />
-- a UK pressing exists<br />
Boylan was half of Appletree Theatre and is doing fragile folk rock introspection<br />
here. [RM]<br />
BOYLES BROTHERS (Stevens Points, Wisconsin)<br />
"Introducing the Boyles Brothers" 1968 (International Artists iasc-6801)<br />
Hideous supper club lounge vocals only listed here because of the label (a<br />
vanity/custom job). The only International Artists LP not reissued with the box<br />
set. [RM]<br />
J D BRENNAN & GOLD FEVER (Boston, MA)<br />
"A Christmas Present" 1984 (Scyne VPA-LP-3012) [as Gold Fever only; 200p]<br />
Weaker but still haunting effort by J.D. Brennan and his gang. [SK]<br />
"Pot of Gold" 198 (Scyne) [200p]
By the mid 1980s Brennan was already in his mid 50s when he decided that his<br />
calling was to become a rock star. Gathering up a collection of similarly selfdelusional<br />
musical misfits, as J.D. Brennan and Gold Fever, they began playing<br />
the local Boston club circuit. 1984's self-produced "Pot of Gold" (the LP was<br />
reportedly recorded in Brennan's basement), is an odd collection of mostly 1950s<br />
covers, rounded out by four period sounding originals and a cover of Bruce<br />
Springsteen's 'Pink Cadillac'. Rather than try to describe the album, here's what<br />
the back cover liner notes say: "...'Pot of Gold' is a collection of some of our<br />
favorites tunes that we have played and liked over the years. Early artists like<br />
Elvis Presley, Jimmy Reed, [...] and Rochelle and the Candles influenced our<br />
style as well as that of perhaps Bruce Springsteen, whose "Pink Cadillac" has a<br />
definite fifties ring to it. We hope to flash to the past and our own tunes, "Ninety<br />
Pound Weakling", "See Me Tonight" and "Gold Fever Rock" will let you know<br />
without a doubt: "Chantilly Lace" is here to stay." Gawd only knows how the<br />
collaboration came to pass, but Grammy winning guitarist Luther Johnson<br />
provides a nifty solo on 'Be Bop a Lula'. Having listened to this set a dozen times,<br />
I can't decide whether Brennan's simply goofin' around (especially on tracks such<br />
as 'Is It So Strange' and 'It's Only Make Believe' when he kicked into his pseudo-<br />
Elvis vocal mode), or if he was deadly serious ... Definitely different and should<br />
appeal to real people aficionados even if it's a little outside of the typical<br />
timeframe! [SB]<br />
"Stratosphere" 1987 (Scyne VPAG-LP-4196) [200p]<br />
"The Unknown Soldiers of Vietnam" 198 (Scyne) [200p]<br />
"Thru The Years" 198 (Scyne) [200p]<br />
"Guitar Slinger" 1990 (Scyne VPAG-LP-5283) [200p]<br />
Amazing 50 year old "real people" rocker who manage to sneak in a powerful<br />
psychedelic edge to his echoed rockabilly twist that only adds to the overall<br />
haunted lysergic feel. Mr. Brennan plays a mean guitar and sings and is backed<br />
by a full band called Goldfever. This is real emotional, the guy really puts himself<br />
on the line and sings and plays as if every note would be his last. The LPs were<br />
done in pressings of 200 copies only. [SK]<br />
BRETHREN (NY)<br />
"Brethren" 1970 (TFS-0013)<br />
1970's "Brethren" teamed the band with producer Jay Senter. With three of the<br />
four members contributing material (Cosgrove was the mainstay composer), the
album featured a mix of what a friend has labeled "white boy blues" ("Hitchin' To<br />
Memphis" and "Everybody In the Congregation") and country-rock numbers (a<br />
nice cover of James Taylor's "Don't Talk To Me Now" and "Mississippi<br />
Freighter"). Cosgrove had a nice raspy voice, well suited to the up tempo<br />
material. He was also a capable guitarist (check out his sterling performance on<br />
the funky "Outside Love" and the meltdown instrumental "Success Brand of Oil").<br />
While much of the set recalled something out of the early-'70s Bobby Whitlock, or<br />
Delaney and Bonnie catalogs, nothing here was particularly original or<br />
commercial. To our ears, the Gospel-influenced rocker "I've Been Provided For"<br />
provided the album's highlight. The album's also interesting for it's bizarre mix of<br />
guests - The Blossoms (providing backing vocals), Dr. John and Poco's Rusty<br />
Young. [SB]<br />
---<br />
This debut has attracted some attention as the track "Outside Love" has been<br />
heavily sampled in recent years. The band had a 2nd LP, "Moment Of Truth".<br />
BRITISH CASUALS (UK)<br />
"Hour World" 1968 (Mainstream 6124)<br />
-- the British release was on Decca as by the Casuals<br />
Weak pop psych, one of the least desirable rock LPs on the label. Listed here as<br />
they're often assumed to be from the US. They also recorded singles on<br />
Mainstream as "The Casuals". [RM]<br />
JEANNIE BRITTAN ( )<br />
"Gentle Explosion" 1969 (Decca dl-75054) [also exists as mono wlp]<br />
Described as orchestrated AM pop.<br />
B BROCK & THE SULTANS ( )<br />
"Do the Beetle" 1964 (Crown 399)<br />
Exploito beat by a really good group. [RM]<br />
TERRY BROOKS & STRANGE (Orlando, FL)
-- for Brooks' earlier work, see Acid Archives "B" section<br />
"No Exit" 1980 (Rock City rcr-88001, Germany)<br />
"Blastin' Through" 1980 (Rock City rcr-88003, Germany)<br />
"Star People" 1980? (Star People spr-0005) [yellow vinyl]<br />
"High Flyer" 1981 (Criteria) [test pressing; gold vinyl; 75#d] [2]<br />
-- autographed demo with the 'Space' side of the LP on both sides. Issued in an<br />
orange cover with gold 'Criteria' logo.<br />
"High Flyer" 1981 (Criteria) [test pressing; orange vinyl; 100#d) [2]<br />
-- this demo has the full lp. issued in an orange cover with gold 'Criteria' logo.<br />
"High Flyer" 1981 (Star People spr-0013) [colored vinyl]<br />
"Criteria Demo Album" 198 (Criteria) [red vinyl; autographed by Terry; 100<br />
pressed] [2?]<br />
BROTHER FOX & THE TAR BABY (Boston, MA)<br />
"Brother Fox and the Tar Baby" 1969 (Oracle ors-703) [gatefold; wlp exists]<br />
"Brother Fox and the Tar Baby" 1969 (Capitol st-544)<br />
We've seen this item show up on a number of high priced psych lists, but if you're<br />
expecting oodles of Fender feedback and drug scorched personas, this one's<br />
going to be too pop oriented to appeal to you. One of the era's isolated bi-racial<br />
bands, the group were signed by the small Oracle label, the result an odd hodgepodge<br />
of musical styles. Quite diverse, the set includes stabs at conventional<br />
hard rock ("We All Love Him"), Tom Jones-styled MOR ballads ("I Start To Cry")<br />
and the plain bizarre ("Maxie the Meanie"). The first time I listened to it, I was a<br />
little underwhelmed, but repeated playing reward the listener. Clearly not the<br />
year's most innovative album, there are still numerous tracks worth hearing. To<br />
my ears the highlights included "Metal Soldier", "Three Tots and a Man" and their<br />
most psych-oriented track "Mr. Sleepy". The band has ties to a couple of other<br />
wellknown Boston area outfits. [SB]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Pugsley Munion<br />
BOB BROWN ( )<br />
"The Wall I Built Myself" 1970 (Stormy Forest sfs-6007) [promos exist]
"Willoughby's Lament" 1971 (Stormy Forest sfs-6008)<br />
Dreamy guitar and cosmic keys folk. [RM]<br />
SCOTT BROWN & THE TEMPESTS (Portland, OR)<br />
"Tenspeed" 1975 (Fish Creek 4002)<br />
Rural guitar rock from band that had been going since the early 1960s. [RM]<br />
"Rattlesnake Joe" 1975 (Fish Creek 4003)<br />
-- released as by Scott Brown only<br />
BROWNSTONE (TX)<br />
"Brownstone" 1973 (Playboy)<br />
Heavy blues rock with acid leads and fine vocals from Barbara Lopez. [RM]<br />
---<br />
Barbara Lopez has a powerful voice but doesn’t know how to do much with it,<br />
and that’s the best that can be said about this album. It’s essentially hard rock,<br />
with Barbara belting it out for all she’s worth, but it comes off as awfully wimpy<br />
anyway, and there isn’t a memorable tune here. The FM-friendly sound doesn’t<br />
help any. Weak. [AM]<br />
BUBBLE GUM MACHINE ( )<br />
"Bubble Gum Machine" 1967 (Senate) [1]<br />
This seems to have been a studio project for producer/writer Wes Farrell.<br />
Released by the ABC affiliated Senate label, their self-titled 1967 album featured<br />
a decent mix of Farrell-penned originals ("Wha'Cha Gonna Do For Me Now" and<br />
"I Wonder") and popular covers (Beatles, Buffalo Springfield, The Bee Gees,<br />
whose "To Love Somebody" was mis-credited to Robert Gibb). To be honest,<br />
"The Bubble Gum Machine" isn't going to drastically change your life. The<br />
uncredited male vocalist had a decent enough voice, while their attractive female<br />
singer ('Vicki' - no last name) had a voice that bore a passing resemblance to<br />
Cass Elliott. Unfortunately, as far as mid-1960s music goes, nothing here is<br />
particularly original or inspiring. 'Bout the best you can say is that "The Love of a
Woman" has a certain top-40 charm and they would have made a great bar<br />
cover band. [SB]<br />
BURTON & CUNICO ( )<br />
"Strive, Seek, Find" 1971 (Family Productions pas-6013) [promos exist]<br />
-- a Dutch pressing on Philips exists<br />
Rural rock with Sneaky Pete guesting, has been compared to Brewer & Shipley.<br />
JOE BYRD [& THE FIELD HIPPIES] (Tucson, AZ / Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"The American Metaphysical Circus" 1969 (Columbia Masterworks ms-7317) [1]<br />
"The American Metaphysical Circus" 1996 (One Way 26792)<br />
"The American Metaphysical Circus" 199 (Columbia) [bootleg]<br />
"A Christmas Yet to Come" 1975 (Takoma c-1046)<br />
"Yankee Transcendoodle" 1976 (Takoma c-1051)<br />
Experimental acid psych, electronics pastiche with female vocals on the debut;<br />
one of the few "rock" LPs released on Columbia's classical/art music imprint. The<br />
Takoma LPs are less acidic but still into proggy, experimental stacked synth<br />
explorations. [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
This is harder to find that the United States of America album, and while it's got a<br />
bunch of interesting experimentation on it, it's mostly disappointing. Dorothy<br />
Moskowitz' vocals are sorely missed, and the songwriting is pretty bland. The<br />
lyrics are reasonably evocative, but the tunes just aren't memorable. The addition<br />
of guitar to the mix actually works against the electronics, making this sound a lot<br />
more ordinary than United States of America. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> United States of America<br />
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
CALDERA ( )<br />
"Moog Mass" 1970 (Kama Sutra ksbs-2020)
The appeal of this one is obvious and it is somewhat hard to find. Their later LPs<br />
had some commercial success and are not nearly as interesting from an<br />
underground perspective. [RM]<br />
---<br />
This is avant/synth, more than underground pop/rock.<br />
CALIFORNIA POPPY PICKERS (WA)<br />
"Honky Tonk Women" 1969 (Alshire) [1]<br />
"Honky Tonk Women" is known to feature members of the group Wilson<br />
McKinley and is quite good exploito hippie underground rock. 'Sabre Dance' uses<br />
envelope follower to great effect and 'Brick Walls' is an outstanding anti-war<br />
anthem. The CPP also released a "Hair"-sploitation LP on Alshire with Beatles<br />
and Desmond Dekker covers! [RM]<br />
"THE CAMBRIDGE CONCEPT OF TIMOTHY CLOVER" ( )<br />
"The Cambridge Concept of Timothy Clover - A Harvard Square Affair" 1968,<br />
Tower st-5114) [tan label]<br />
And what a concept it is, Boston as a hippie haven! Studio psych laugh-along fun<br />
for whimsical flower popsikers. [RM]<br />
CANNIBAL & THE HEADHUNTERS (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"Land of 1000 Dances" 1965 (Rampart rm-3302) [mono]<br />
"Land of 1000 Dances" 1965 (Rampart rs-3302) [stereo]<br />
"Land of 1000 Dances" 1965 (Date tem-3001) [mono]<br />
"Land of 1000 Dances" 1965 (Date tes-4001) [stereo]<br />
Frat soul rockers who hit with "Land of 1000 Dances". The album is rather weak<br />
overall. [RM]<br />
CAPTAIN MATCHBOX WHOOPEE BAND ( )<br />
"Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band" 1973 (ESP Disk esp-3009) [gatefold; quad]
Backporch hippies cosmic bluesy jamming. [RM]<br />
CARGOE ( )<br />
"Cargoe" 1972 (Ardent ads-2802) [laminated cover]<br />
Here’s another power pop treasure on the same label as Big Star and the Hot<br />
Dogs. Cargoe feels much more “Southern” and laid back than either of those<br />
groups, but have much more melodic vocals than most “rural rock” bands. The<br />
arrangements are creative and thoughtful, including some mild psychedelic<br />
touches and some tasty backwards guitar. Overall, it feels like they were<br />
reaching for greatness and only falling a rung or two short. The laminated album<br />
cover is annoying and usually peels the second you touch it. [AM]<br />
ALVIN CASH & THE REGISTERS (St Louis, MO)<br />
"Twine Time" 1965 (Mar V Lus 1827) [1]<br />
Alvin Cash's big break came in late 1964 when producer Andre Williams asked<br />
him to provide some nonsense vocals for a track he was working on. Hoping to<br />
capitalize on the public's current interest in various dances, including the Twine,<br />
Williams had Cash record "Twine Time" with support from his own backup band<br />
The Nitelighters. Released by One-der-ful's Mar-V-lus subsidiary, and credited to<br />
Alvin Cash and the Registers, the single became a national hit, eventually selling<br />
close to a million copies. More than anxious to capitalize on the unexpected hit,<br />
the label rushed Cash into the studio to cut a supporting album. Released as the<br />
cleverly titled "Twine Time" the set offered up a hastily recorded set of sound<br />
alikes ("Twine Awhile" and "Bump"), supported by isolated covers (Sam Cooke's<br />
"Shake" - the credits listing 'Sam Cook' as the writer) and a couple of throwaway<br />
instrumentals ("Do It One More Time" and "Burn Just a Hair", the latter sporting a<br />
hysterically inept attempt to edit in after-the-fact audience sounds). As a singer<br />
Cash wasn't a major presence; most of his performances limited to groans and<br />
screeches, brief spoken word segments and call and response sections with a<br />
female backing chorus - check out "You Shot Me Thru the Grease" for a perfect<br />
example. The whole affair had a loose, throwaway feel sounding something akin<br />
to a hybrid of Archie Bells and the Drells meet Junior Walker. Released as a<br />
single, 1965's "The Barracuda" b/w "Do It One More Time" saw Cash repeat his<br />
earlier success, though on a much smaller basis. All told, it wasn't something that<br />
would drastically change your life, but made for an interesting addition to the mid-<br />
'60s Chicago music catalog. It's also increasingly hard to find... [SB]
MICHAEL CASSIDY [& JOHNSTON] ( )<br />
"Nature's Secret" 1977 (Golden Lotus gl-1)<br />
-- there are two different covers. One features a large crystal ball and the other<br />
shows Michael holding a rabbit.<br />
"Take Me Back" 1979 (Golden Lotus)<br />
Eastern folk psych floaters with some heavy rock tracks too. "Nature's Secret" is<br />
a good one for the guru love rock bag. [RM]<br />
CATCH (CA)<br />
"Catch" 1969 (Dot DLP-25956)<br />
Here's another unknown late 1960s outfit... Apparently a California-based quintet,<br />
their self-titled 1969 album doesn't even provide performance credits. Produced<br />
by J.R. Shankin, "Catch" has it's moments. With the 11 tracks credited to M.<br />
Collings and R. White, most of the set sports a modest country-rock feel. In this<br />
case that's meant as a compliment since tracks such as 'Amber' and 'Come Near<br />
Me' emphasize the genres' best characteristics - tight harmonies and some<br />
catchy melodies. 'Storm' and 'The Dandelion and the Butterfly' offer up more<br />
orchestrated pop, but are just as good. Unlike anything else on the album, 'Crash<br />
and Burn' is a take no-prisoners slice of fuzz guitar rock. It's easily the stand out<br />
track. Also worth hearing is the moody eight minute 'Nine Roses'. Too bad they<br />
didn't have more of these in their catalog. Two 45s were also released from the<br />
album. [SB]<br />
PETER CHALMERS (Canada)<br />
"From There To Just About Here" 1975 (Old Road 375)<br />
"The Lady And The Stranger" 1976 (Old Road 33976)<br />
"Sooner Than Today" 1978 (Moonshine MS 101)<br />
Obscure folk guitarist with mix of originals and covers.<br />
CHAMELEON CHURCH (MA)
"Chameleon Church" 1968 (MGM se-4574)<br />
"Chameleon Church" 2000 (Akarma 130, Italy)<br />
"Chameleon Church" 2000 (CD Akarma 130, Italy) [digipak; +2 tracks]<br />
Soft-rock Bosstown album that hasn’t attracted much attention from collectors,<br />
despite the Chevy Chase involvement. Generally it’s pleasant but uninspired,<br />
listenable but safe. The album’s few trippy moments seem like an afterthought. A<br />
few good melodies on side two tend to float away beneath the overall blandness.<br />
Orpheus fans might like it. Not horrible, but not memorable. Members of this<br />
band were in the Lost and the later version of Ultimate Spinach (on their third<br />
album). [AM]<br />
LES CHANCELIERS (Quebec, Canada)<br />
"Les Chanceliers" 1967 (Citation cn-16010) [1]<br />
Garage pop featuring Michel Pagliaro who went to a successful career as a pop<br />
vocalist. Mostly French vocals. One band original. The band released several<br />
45s and a 1968 EP.<br />
CHARITY ( )<br />
"Now" 1969 (Uni 73061) [gatefold]<br />
Mix of rock, psych, and even funky moves.<br />
CHARLATANS (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"Charlatans" 1969 (Philips phs-600-309) [wlp also exists] [1]<br />
"Charlatans" 198 (Eva, France)<br />
"Charlatans" 199 (CD Beggars Banquet)<br />
"Charlatans" 199 (CD One Way) [+2 non-LP 45 tracks]<br />
"Charlatans (unrel LP)" 1979 (Groucho, Italy)<br />
-- also pressed as picture disc<br />
"Alabama Bound" 198 (Eva, France)<br />
"Charlatans/Alabama Bound" 199 (Eva, France) [2-on-1]<br />
-- the Groucho and Eva releases both contain the band's unreleased 1966 Kama<br />
Sutra tracks; the Groucho also has two live tracks from 1969
"The Amazing Charlatans" 1996 (CD Big Beat 138, UK)<br />
-- the Kama Sutra tracks + lots of other material<br />
Rootsy folkrock and jugband. Terribly overrated though they did record a few<br />
trippy cuts. The group was far more important historically than musically, for<br />
planting the seeds of the psychedelic revolution. [RM]<br />
BOBBY CHARLES (MI)<br />
"Bobby Charles Invades The Wells Fargo Lounge" 196 (Fenton fs-321) [2]<br />
Live recording of local lounge act, with Danny Gatton. Ethnic jazz guitar versions<br />
of "Malaguena", "Zorba The Greek" etc, incl brass section. Of interest because<br />
of the label.<br />
LOS CHIJUAS (Mexico)<br />
"Los Chijuas" 1968 (Musart) [300p] [2]<br />
-- the Musart pressings are US pressings with English vocals. There was also a<br />
Mexican and Guatemalan pressing of the first album with vocals in Spanish.<br />
"Los Chijuas, Vol 2" 1970 (Musart) [2]<br />
-- actually their third LP; there was a second one only released in Mexico on<br />
Trebol<br />
Melodic teen garage like a lesser Summer Sounds. Organ, jangle guitar,<br />
harmonies. Two excellent teen-garage tracks from the first LP appear on the<br />
"Psychedelic Moods pt 2" compilation. [RM]<br />
CHIMPS ( )<br />
"Monkee Business" 1967 (Wyncote SW 9199) [1]<br />
"Monkeys A-Go-Go" 1967 (Wyncote SW 9203) [1]<br />
Exploito Monkees covers and pop fuzz originals. One track from the 2nd LP was<br />
reissued on the "Lyte Psych" compilation on Arf Arf, which lists the band as being<br />
from PA.
RON CHRISLOCK ( )<br />
"Ode to A Warrior" 1977 (Silent Thunder c-1007)<br />
Moody folk rock singer-songwriter. Acoustic and electric guitars, piano, drums,<br />
cello, congas. [RM]<br />
CHROME (San Francisco, CA)<br />
"The Visitation" 1976 (Siren demo) [two inserts] [2]<br />
-- demo version issued in a plain cover with titles spray painted on. One insert<br />
has lyrics and the other just reads "Chrome?".<br />
"The Visitation" 1976 (Siren) [1]<br />
"The Visitation" 199 (Dossier, Germany) [clear vinyl]<br />
Garage psych throwback. On later LPs, they became more of a noise outfit. This<br />
LP was not included in their box set. [RM]<br />
C K STRONG ( )<br />
"C.K. Strong" 1969 (Epic bn-26473)<br />
Lynn Carey’s first group, pre-Carrie Nations. Pretty standard blues rock, which at<br />
first seems better than it is because her vocals are so hot. Three songs sung by<br />
one of the guys fall into the “what were they thinking” category. Includes some<br />
entertaining lyrics and a mildly ambitious suite about “John The Baptist”. Neil<br />
Merryweather haters should pick up this album because it’s Lynn’s only one<br />
without him. [AM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Mama Lion; Ivar Avenue Reunion<br />
CLIQUE (Houston, TX)<br />
"Sugar On Sunday" 1968 (White Whale wws-7126)<br />
One of the few 60s bands to cover the 13th Floor Elevators, Clique later had<br />
some chart success with their light UK-style pop-psych sound. Only the first two
singles feature the original band, the White Whale material is just Randy Shaw<br />
singing over L.A. session musicians.<br />
CLOCKWORK ( )<br />
"Clockwork" 1973 (Greene Bottle) [gatefold]<br />
Clockwork is an album that will undoubtedly remain obscure and rise and rise in<br />
value when more people hear what is in these grooves. The band, probably from<br />
the American westcoast, number 7 members, but there is no horn rock or soft<br />
commercial trite pop here. This album may be the record that is the last rural<br />
heavy psych into rural melodic intense rock/prog crossover to come out before<br />
the 60s were more than just a memory. The sound is killer throughout, with lots<br />
of heavy wah-wah/fuzz guitar blasts, strong melodramatic harmonies and a lead<br />
voice that are very similar to Wizards From Kansas, and 3 clever rearrangements<br />
of cover tunes including a storming heavy psych version of "Hazy Shade Of<br />
Winter." The few tracks that head off into a mellow acid CSNY vibe are done<br />
tastefully and when the harpsichord comes to the fore reminiscent of The<br />
Mandrake Memorial. With every track at least really good and a bit over half of<br />
this totally killer this album lives up to the amazing creepy die cut sleeve. I<br />
recently saw this for 125 on an online list, I also saw it gone when I wanted to<br />
check about it again, so this will be one that climbs up fast ala the also excellent<br />
and slightly similar LP by Fresh Air. For progressive fans who also want hooks<br />
and melody, and for psych heads who want a late flash of the westcoast vibe this<br />
is essential. -- Ben Blake Mitchner<br />
BILL COMEAU ( )<br />
"Gentle Revolution" 1969 (Avant Garde avs-122) [gatefold]<br />
"Fragments From an Unknown Gospel" 1970 (Avant Garde avs-123) [gatefold]<br />
Christian flowery dreamy folk pop on "Gentle Revolution" including Beatles,<br />
Byrds, and Joni Mitchell covers. On "Fragments From an Unknown Gospel" Bill<br />
recites his poetry with odd piano backing by Carmel Signa. One of those<br />
Christians that is kind of 'out there' with hippie crossover appeal. [RM]<br />
COMFORTABLE CHAIR ( )<br />
"Comfortable Chair" 1969 (Ode z12-44005)
What little attention 1969's "The Comfortable Chair" has gotten seems to stem<br />
from the fact The Doors' Jim Morrison discovered them, while John Densmore<br />
and Robbie Kreiger served as producers for their sole 1969 album. That's<br />
unfortunate since this set is actually quite impressive in its own right. Featuring<br />
all-original songs (virtually every band member contributing to he writing chores),<br />
the album bounces all over the musical spectrum. Lead singers Bernie Schwartz<br />
and Barbara Wallace are both quite good, navigating through the different genres<br />
without any trouble. Highlights include the opening rocker 'Ain't No Good No<br />
More', the sweet ballad 'I'll See You' and ''Let Me Through. Exemplified by 'Some<br />
Soon, Some Day' and 'Stars In Heaven' much of the set features a lazy, dreamy<br />
aura that's quite captivating. Had it been a little more original and the band<br />
churned out a couple more rock numbers, and the album could have been a<br />
classic. As is, the album makes for a fascinating game of 'spot theinfluence'. My<br />
ears hear bits of David LaFlamme and It's a Beautiful Day (luckily without the<br />
violins) and even The Jefferson Airplane ('Be Me'). Ode also tapped the album<br />
for a pair of instantly obscure singles. [SB]<br />
COPPERHEAD (CA)<br />
"Copperhead" 1973 (Columbia KC-32250)<br />
Wow! I guess I wasn't expecting all that much from Quicksilver Messenger<br />
Service's lead guitarist John Cipollina. I was wrong... By the late 1960s Cipollina<br />
had grown increasingly dissatisfied with his role in Quicksilver Messenger<br />
Service (QMS). Friction with Dino Valenti and a desire to stretch out beyond the<br />
constraints imposed within the band (specifically a lucrative sideline playing<br />
sessions) saw Cippolina finally strike out on his own in 1970. Copperhead started<br />
out as a fairly unstructured enterprise; essentially Cipollina and friends jamming<br />
on the local club circuit but by 1972 the line-up consisted of Cipollina, ex-Stained<br />
Glass bassist Jim McPherson, former Freedom Highway guitarist Gary Philippet<br />
and drummer David Weber. Word of mouth support led Michael Lang to sign the<br />
group to his newly formed Just Sunshine Records. The band actually began<br />
recording material for an album tentatively entitled "Sealed For Your Protection".<br />
Unfortunately, the label's lack of financial resources doomed the project and by<br />
late 1972 they'd been picked up by Clive Davis and Columbia Records (for what<br />
was then a reportedly staggering five year, $1.5 million contract). Released in<br />
1973 (with the line up expanded to include bassist Hutch Hutchinson), the selfproduced<br />
"Copperhead" offered up an excellent set of west coast rock. With<br />
material such as 'Roller Derby Star' and 'They're Making a Monster' spotlighting<br />
Cipollina's instantly recognizable sinewy fret work, the set was quite a bit more<br />
focused and commercial than QMS's latter stage releases. With Cipollina,<br />
McPherson and Philippet responsible for the majority of the album, the collection<br />
had a fairly varied sound, including straightforward rockers ('Pawnshop Man'),
country-rock (the wonderful 'A Little Hand') and even a touch of Steely-Danesque<br />
jazz-rock ('Kamikaze'). Elsewhere, Columbia tapped 'Roller Derby Star'<br />
b/w 'Roller Derby Star' as a single (Columbia 4-45810). Unfortunately, the band<br />
lost their prime mentor when Davis was unexpectedly fired from Columbia. The<br />
group had already recorded a follow-on set, but Columbia executives promptly<br />
shelved it, dropping the band from the company's recording roster. The band<br />
subsequently called it quits. [SB]<br />
CORBETT & HIRSH ( )<br />
"Mike Corbett & Jay Hirsh with Hugh McCrackin" 1971 (ATCO SD 33-361)<br />
Here's another example of the old adage about judging a book by its cover ... I<br />
found this one at a yard sale, but was so put off by the Hirsh-drawn cover (is it a<br />
turkey?) that I put it back. I eventually went back to get it. Thank goodness it was<br />
still there. Mike Corbett and Jay Hirsh had previously recorded an album as part<br />
of Mr. Flood's Party and while some references describe this as Mr. Flood Part 2,<br />
it's anything but. Co-produced by the pair, 1971's cleverly-titled "Mike Corbett &<br />
Jay Hirsh with Hugh McCrackin" abandoned the formers' mild psych moves in<br />
favor of a first-rate collection of CSN&Y-styled folk rock. Largely penned by Hirsh<br />
(Corbitt's credited with co-authoring two tracks), tracks such as 'Gypsy Child',<br />
'Uncut Diamonds' and 'The Mighty Emerald' were full of great melodies and<br />
wonderful vocal harmonies that withstood a comparison to such stalworths as<br />
CSN&Y. Hirsh had a voice that was quite attractive and even the trio's occasional<br />
forays into country-rock such as 'Seashore' and 'Goodnight My Lady' were<br />
enjoyable. The secret ingredient may well have been guitarist McCrackin whose<br />
tasty guitar ensured that the other two never got overly goopy (okay 'Swan Song'<br />
was kind of lame) - check out his slide work on 'Sweet Virginia' and the blazing<br />
rocker 'Agatha's Raven'. One of my favorite recent discoveries and (at least to<br />
my ears) better than their Mr. Flood work. [SB]<br />
CORNBREAD ( )<br />
"Cornbread" 196 (Mega 31-003) [wlp exists]<br />
Heavy guitar bluesy rural rock. [RM]<br />
CORPORATE BODY ( )<br />
"Prospectus '69" 1969 (MGM SE-4624)
Well, one look at the cover on this obscurity is all you need to figure out that<br />
these guys weren't a mob of drug dependent draft dodgers... Featuring a line up<br />
consisting of keyboardist Bob Jacobs, singer Peter James, drummer Rob<br />
Mathebey, bassist Rick Riccobono and guitarist Walt Meskell, the band debuted<br />
with the 1968 single 'Soul Owner's Song' b/w 'Nickels and Dimes' (Music Factory<br />
MU-416). While the single did nothing commercially, it attracted the attention of<br />
MGM Records, which subsequently signed them to a contract. Produced by Mike<br />
Post, 1969's "Prospectus '69" isn't a half bad set of blue-eyed soul and<br />
commercial pop. Largely written by guitarist Meskell and propelled by James'<br />
likeable raspy voice, material such as 'Sunshine Grove', 'World Full of Changes'<br />
and the fuzz guitar drenched 'Wait and See' is quite catchy. Elsewhere, the<br />
album includes the earlier 45 'A" side 'Soul Owner's Song'. Written by Meskell the<br />
song features some nifty acoustic slide guitar (also courtesy of Meskell) and is<br />
probably the album's standout song. The LP's also notable for some exquisite<br />
harmony vocals. Their performances on tracks like 'Every Thursday Evening' and<br />
'What You Need' are simply great. MGM also tapped 'Annabelle' b/w 'Wait and<br />
See' as a single. Had the band been able to avoid Post's occasionally suffocating<br />
production touches and lost a couple of the more pedestrian and MOR songs<br />
(the previously mentioned 'Annabelle') and this could have been a real treasure.<br />
As it is, to my ears it's better than most of the material recorded by such<br />
contemporaries as mid-career Association, The Marshmallow Way, or Orange<br />
Coloured Skies. Can't say I know much about their follow-on efforts other than<br />
Meskell went on to enjoy some mid-1970s success as a producer and<br />
songwriter, placing material with the likes of The DeFranco Family, C.W. McCall,<br />
and The Outlaws. Riccobono spent almost twenty years working for BMI<br />
including a stint as a vice president for the organization, and now works for an<br />
outfit called Supertracks. [SB]<br />
LARRY CORYELL (WA)<br />
"Coryell" 1969 (Vanguard Apostolic VSD 6547)<br />
I'll be the first to tell you that my knowledge of Larry Coryell is pretty limited. I've<br />
heard some of his later career jazz-rock offerings and while quite accomplished,<br />
most of it doesn't do much for me. What I didn't realize is that Coryell also had<br />
some rock roots in his past. As a teenager growing up in Washington State, he<br />
played in a number of rock bands and by the late 1960s he'd become an admirer<br />
of Cream and Jimi Hendrix. All hyperbole aside, his second solo endeavor,<br />
1969's "Coryell" is a guitar players dream. Produced by Danny Weiss, tracks<br />
such as "Sex" and the blazing instrumental "The Jam with Albert" serve as a<br />
wonderful showcase for Coryell's instantly recognizable playing. It's hard to<br />
describe, but he's incredibly versatile, able to effortlessly handle all types of<br />
genres. He also plays with what may be rock's most biting tones. Full of razor
sharp, machine guy bursts, even at this early stage of his career, material such<br />
as "Beautiful Woman" and the pretty "Elementary Guitar Solo #5" displays a<br />
jazzy-orientation, but it's never overwhelming and never without attractive<br />
rhythms and melodies. The album also sports a couple of Coryell vocal<br />
performances. As a singer he won't shake your world, but on selections such as<br />
"No One Really Knows" he's much better than most reference works would have<br />
you believe. Besides, backed by an impressive catalog of jazz buddies, including<br />
Bernard Purdie and Chuck Rainey, this is easily the most rock-oriented effort in<br />
his catalog. Certainly not a typical Coryell offering and not meant to tell anyone to<br />
go out and buy his whole catalog, but an interesting, early career side trip. [SB]<br />
"At The Village Gate" 1971 (Vanguard VSD 6573)<br />
I am a long-time fan of Larry Coryell and have a good solid crate of LPs by him or<br />
LPs with his involvement. While the bulk of that catalog falls outside the interest<br />
of this site, there are some early recordings from the 1968-71 period that fans of<br />
Jimi Hendrix and Robin Trower psychedelic guitar excess will find of enormous<br />
pleasure. The other two reviewed here are quite good from that perspective, but<br />
if there's only one you're going to pick from the dollar box (which is where you'll<br />
find most of these, other than the Free Spirits there aren't any real Coryell<br />
"rarities") I want to strongly recommend you make it this one. Recorded January<br />
21 and 22, 1971, four months after Jimi Hendrix's death, this New York club date<br />
recorded live before an enthusiastic audience is more a psychedelic rock power<br />
trio outing than anything else. The rhythm section of Harry Wikinson on drums<br />
and Mervin Bronson on bass are totally reminiscent of Mitch Mitchell and Billy<br />
Cox-era Experience. Side one is just about a perfect non-stop display of this<br />
across the three tracks, Coryell's "The Opening" (6:10), "After Later" (5:45) and<br />
Chick Corea's "Entardecendo En Saudade." Coryell's guitar, warmly distorted<br />
and with regular forays into wah-wah territory, drives the proceedings really well<br />
and at no point do you find yourself thinking, "Hey! Wait a minute... this is jazz!".<br />
Side two begins with Coryell at the mike, "Now we'd like to do a tune by the<br />
Scottish composer, Jack Bruce." "Can You Follow?" starts with Harry Wilkinson<br />
playing solo and channeling Ginger Baker for about 40 seconds before the bass<br />
and guitar enter. This is Coryell at his "jazziest" on this LP, but that translates to<br />
lightening quick single note lines always anchored by the rock solid rhythm<br />
section. As Coryell adds distortion and a wah-wah pedal the track sounds like<br />
what the live disc of "Wheels of Fire" might have sounded like if it had been<br />
recorded at a club gig. Larry backs off a bit and the track becomes introspective<br />
for a moment again, but these shifts in dynamics work in its favor and help hold<br />
your attention throughout the 9:20 length. The LP closes with "Beyond These<br />
Chilling Winds" composed and sung here by Larry and his wife (and sometimes<br />
writing partner), Julie Coryell. The lyrics have a nice cosmic bent to them and the<br />
vocals are fine, but the bulk of the 7:50 length is spent in a pretty furious work out<br />
in power trio mode. Fans of "heavy psych" guitar rejoice. This is the real deal.<br />
[SD]
“Barefoot Boy” 1971 (Flying Dutchman FD-10139)<br />
In addition to the 1969 “Coryell” LP, Larry at his most Hendrixy can be found on<br />
the 1971 LP “Barefoot Boy.” Produced by Bob Thiele (who also produced the<br />
1967 Free Spirits LP), engineered and mixed by Eddie Kramer (who engineered<br />
every Jimi Hendrix Experience LP), and recorded at Electric Lady Studios. The<br />
album has 2 tracks on side one and one on side two (rarely a bad sign when<br />
searching for psychedelic guitar excess). Side one opens with Larry’s 11:50<br />
reading of Gabor Szabo’s “Gypsy Queen” and Coryell’s solo that enters about a<br />
third of the way in is an explosion of distortion and phenomenal speed. Rocksteady<br />
soul bassist, Mervin Bronson (also bassist on the 1969 “Coryell” LP) is<br />
added to the rhythm section of Roy Haynes (drums), Lawrence Killian (conga)<br />
and Harry Wilkinson (percussion) for “The Great Escape” (8:39) that features<br />
Larry working with a wah-wah pedal for his extended solo. The real gem here is<br />
the 20 minute “Call to the Higher Consciousness” that takes up all of side two.<br />
The guitar soars and dives while remaining connected to the other players<br />
throughout, never falling into the fusion trap of technique-for-technique's-sake.<br />
The interplay between Coryell, Haynes and Bronson keeps the track from ever<br />
getting bogged down regardless of its length. [SD]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Free Spirits<br />
DEBBY CRISS ( )<br />
"Plant Bones" 1980 (Shadrack Studios lp-1280) [1?]<br />
Bisexual hippie femme deep amateur folk get back to nature sound with several<br />
excellent, moody introspective tunes. [RM]<br />
CROWE BROS BAND ( )<br />
"Crowe Bros. Band" 197 (TCB)<br />
Hillbilly southern rockers with covers of "Cocaine Blues" and "The Breeze",<br />
housed in cool cover of spooky crow.<br />
CRUSADERS (CA)<br />
"Make A Joyful Noise With Drums And Guitars" 1966 (Tower t-5048) [mono]<br />
"Make A Joyful Noise With Drums And Guitars" 1966 (Tower st-5048) [stereo]
Southern California Christian beat, twang and punky riffs. Underrated funfest, this<br />
is Love Exchange sans the female vocalist. [RM]<br />
V.A "THE CYCLE SAVAGES" (CA)<br />
"The Cycle Savages" 1970 (American International st-a 1033)<br />
-- original movie soundtrack<br />
B-movie soundtrack with Orphan Egg and Boston Tea Party.<br />
CYMARRON ( )<br />
"Rings" 1971 (Entrance 30962)<br />
Rural psych rock. [RM]<br />
CYNARA ( )<br />
"Cynara" 1970 (Capitol st-547) [green label]<br />
Santana sound heavy percussion, keys, soulful rock. Ex-Listening. [RM]<br />
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
DAMNATION OF ADAM BLESSING (Cleveland, OH)<br />
"Damnation of Adam Blessing" 1970 (United Artists 6738)<br />
"Damnation of Adam Blessing" 2000 (Akarma, Italy)<br />
This first album is more of an introduction than a fully formed album. Adam<br />
Blessing’s vocals are among the best in the hard rock genre, versatile, powerful,<br />
and full of true passion. The original songs here are only OK, and a cover of<br />
“Morning Dew” attracted most of the attention. The production style suits them<br />
very well; it’s hard but doesn’t resemble heavy metal at all. [AM]<br />
"The Second Damnation" 1970 (United Artists 6773)<br />
"The Second Damnation" 2000 (Akarma, Italy)
Damnation reached their peak on this second album, one of the great hard rock<br />
albums of all time. The band’s performance and the songwriting match the<br />
quality of Blessing’s vocals, and the production is 100% suited to their strengths.<br />
The guitar hooks, the cymbals and the vocals all shimmer and shine. Side one is<br />
aces all the way, closing with the masterpiece “Back To The River,” a song with<br />
perfect hooks, a perfect guitar solo, and, of course, perfect vocals. Side two isn’t<br />
quite up to the same level, ending with two long songs that are only OK, one<br />
merely a guitar workout and one merely a bluesy vocal workout. But for what<br />
came before, this is on par with anything you can name in the hard psych field.<br />
[AM]<br />
"Which is the Justice, Which is the Thief" 1971 (United Artists 5533)<br />
"Which is the Justice, Which is the Thief" 2000 (Akarma, Italy)<br />
Perpetually in name confusion, they shortened their moniker to Damnation for<br />
this third album, which finds them experimenting with ambitious songwriting,<br />
strings and a less heavy sound. Some of it is excellent, but overall it doesn’t<br />
really work, muting the obvious strength of their sound and Blessing’s vocals.<br />
Had it not followed such a masterpiece this album would seem pretty good. As it<br />
is, it feels like a disappointment. [AM]<br />
"Glory" 1973 (Avalanche AV-LA148-F) [released as by GLORY]<br />
Akarma reissued this album as a Damnation album, but by this time they had<br />
changed their name completely to Glory, and the original LP obviously tries to<br />
present them as a “new” band. The material, however, isn’t new at all. It’s trite,<br />
lyrically dumbed down, and without a spark of any kind. Even Blessing (here<br />
using his real name, Bill Constable) lacks energy. Despite the return to hard<br />
rock instrumentation, this album sounds “soft” in all of the wrong ways. “Hot<br />
Momma” is probably the nadir. It’s hard to tell if this was an attempt at<br />
commercial acceptabilty because it’s a failure even on that level. [AM]<br />
DAMNATION ARMY BAND (Beloit College, WI)<br />
"Damnation Army Band" 1969 (no label)<br />
Comic folkrock.<br />
DAN AND DALE (CA)<br />
"Sensational Guitars" 1966 (Tifton 8002) [mono; inner sleeve] [1]
"Sensational Guitars" 1966 (Tifton 78002) [stereo; inner sleeve] [1]<br />
-- The inner sleeve has the same graphics as the front cover.<br />
"Sensational Guitars" 2001 (Universe)<br />
"Sensational Guitars" 2001 (CD Universe)<br />
Actually Sun Ra on keys backed by Blues Project guys. Instro rock exploito<br />
themed around the hit Batman TV show. There are a few other Dan and Dale<br />
LPs on Diplomat, it is unclear if Sun Ra and crew were involved with those<br />
releases. [RM]<br />
BARBARA DANE ( )<br />
"FTA! Songs Of The GI Resistance" 1970 (Paredon p-1003)<br />
Noted leftwing folk blues singer. This LP was recorded at military bases with<br />
active duty GI's protesting the military effort in Vietnam. Dane had several LPs, of<br />
which this one is the rarest.<br />
DAVE & THE SHADOWS (Grand Rapids, MI)<br />
"Two Sides Of Christmas" 1963 (Fenton 961) [2]<br />
Weak early instro rock sound and Christmas tunes. Not garage at all, only listed<br />
here because of the label.<br />
DAUGHTERS OF ALBION ( )<br />
"Daughters Of Albion" 1969 (Fontana 67586) [3 inserts]<br />
Possibly a lost pop masterpiece, and at the very least an irresistable twig on the<br />
McCartney/"Pet Sounds"/Move tree, with 12 songs as clever, elaborate and wellwritten<br />
as any of the big guys. Like all classic pop its nature is essentially<br />
timeless, and the abundance of psychedelic studio tricks are there as a signpost<br />
of the times, not the album's raison d'etre. If you imagine an LP that takes the<br />
snappy 45 picks from the Millennium and Sagittarius albums and grow those into<br />
a full-blown LP, skipping the sleepy interludes and fillers, and then charges the<br />
music with unusual and occasionally razorsharp lyrics, this could be it. Excellent<br />
female vocalist keeps the songs from collapsing under the influx of ideas, and the<br />
arrangements manage to both make sense and surprise. Vaudeville, easy
listening, Spector girlsounds, the Beatles, Brian Wilson, JFK conspiracy theories,<br />
Mamas & Papas, parodies of Dylan & Lennon -- it's all in there, tightly wrapped<br />
and neatly packed. A splendid time is guaranteed for all. [PL]<br />
~~~<br />
see full-length review<br />
DEADLY NIGHTSHADE ( )<br />
"Deadly Nightshade" 1975 (Phantom blp 1-0955) [gatefold]<br />
Femme trio rural folkrock with nice vocals. Produced by Felix Cavaliere.<br />
DECAYES (New Zeeland / Long Beach, CA)<br />
"Ich Bin Eine Spigelei" 1978 (Imgrat 2400-001) [100#d; sprayed cover; 4 inserts;<br />
fake obi] [2-3]<br />
-- each sleeve was individually decorated<br />
"Accidental Musik" 1979 (Imgrat 2400-002) [sprayed/stamped cover; inserts;<br />
300p] [2]<br />
-- each sleeve was individually decorated<br />
"Not Yet" 1980 (Imgrat 2400-003) [insert] [2]<br />
-- the covers were decorated individually with stamps and stencil<br />
"horNetZ" 1981 (Imgrat 2400-004) [300p; no cover; 2 inserts] [2]<br />
-- inserts sometimes pasted on the plain cover as artwork<br />
Avant garde electronics freakout, given additional boost by their inclusion on the<br />
Nurse With Wound list of inspirators. Imgrat stood for 'immediate gratification'.<br />
DEEP SIX ( )<br />
"Deep Six" 1966 (Liberty lrp-3475) [mono]<br />
"Deep Six" 1966 (Liberty lst-7475) [stereo]<br />
"Deep Six" 2003 (CD Rev-Ola, UK) [+bonus tracks]<br />
Melodic rock covers with female vocal. Nice version of "Paint it Black". [RM]<br />
~~~<br />
see -> Dunn & McCashen
DEEP WATER [aka DEEP WATER REUNION] (St. Paul, MN)<br />
"DWR" 1969 (Jerral 1009)<br />
Mellow pop folkrock covers, male and female vocals. Several Dylan songs. As<br />
“Deep Water Reunion.” The album cover is the info sheet from the master tape<br />
box. [RM]<br />
"Deep Water" 197 (Deepwater 161)<br />
More folkrock covers, from a slightly later vintage. This album was recorded live<br />
and apparently has two different cover variations. [RM]<br />
CLAUDE DENJEAN ( )<br />
"Moog" 1970 (Phase-4)<br />
Cheesy moog rock with some psychy electric guitar parts. [RM]<br />
DEL-COUNTS (Minneapolis, MN)<br />
"Del-Counts" 196 (Dove Recording Studio acetate) [4]<br />
-- no vinyl pressing exists<br />
Mid-1960s acetate of album from band with several 45s, reported to be excellent.<br />
PRAHBA DEVI (Seattle, WA)<br />
"Sitar Goes International" 1968 (Kaybee kxls-110) [1?]<br />
Female sitarist of Indian (?) descent. Mix of ragas and 60s pop hits including<br />
Dylan, Rolling Stones, and kiddie songs! [RM]<br />
DEVILED HAM ( )
"I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night" 1968 (Super K 6003)<br />
Exploito-feeling psych/garage album. Side one is full of unnecessary cover<br />
versions, while all of side two is devoted to a medley of the title tune, the theme<br />
from “Rosemary’s Baby,” and Poe's "The Raven." This bizarre suite is pretty fun<br />
stuff, and is as far a departure from the Super K label’s spirit of bubblegum as is<br />
the Queen’s Nectarine Machine’s album. A full side’s worth of it eventually gets<br />
pretty dull, but before it does it’s a kick. [AM]<br />
CHERYL DILCHER ( )<br />
"Butterfly" 1973 (A & M A&M FLY-003) [unipak; die-cut cover]<br />
With two tremendous late 60s style femme-psychrock tracks this is Dilcher's most<br />
interesting LP, and while the rest of the album goes in an eclectic<br />
singer/songwriter direction the entire LP is enjoyable with excellent lyrics and a<br />
cool attitude. Packaging is apex for 70s fans too. Dilcher made several LPs that<br />
fall outside the scope of the Archives although it should be noted that her debut<br />
"Special Songs" from 1971 marks the first known appearance of Bette Midler!<br />
[PL]<br />
~~~<br />
This is by far Dilcher's best album, and due to the inclusion of the two hot funkrock<br />
songs "All Woman" and "High" on the "Hippie Goddesses" compilation, the<br />
one that has received the most attention. Those two songs are musically unlike<br />
the rest of the album, but still fit as part of a cohesive thematic whole. The overall<br />
musical style retains a few remnants of her folk rock debut SPECIAL SONGS,<br />
but is more electric and melodic. At times it would almost resemble bubblegum if<br />
not for Dilcher's tough, gravely voice. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though,<br />
because this is a wholly well-written and extremely catchy record, one that grew<br />
on me and stayed in regular playing rotation for a long time in my home. The<br />
blend of styles (pop and singer/songwriter) probably puzzled listeners who took<br />
themselves too seriously, which is the only logical explanation for the album's<br />
commercial failure. It's hard to imagine fans of, say, Janis Ian's BETWEEN THE<br />
LINES, loosening up and enjoying a song like "Chocolate Candy," even though a<br />
close look at the lyrics reveals intelligence and depth beyond Ian's more<br />
calculated album. Besides, Ian hadn't written a hook like that in "Good Morning<br />
World" since she was 15. Finally, the harder rocking appeal of "All Woman" and<br />
"High" give this album an edge that other singer/songwriters sorely lacked. In a<br />
way, the closest comparison is early Melanie, as she also combines a gravely<br />
voice with a sweet demeanor, and her first few albums occasionally rocked out<br />
("Uptown And Down," "Lovin Baby Girl,") Dilcher is a little bit wilder and more<br />
dangerous, though, as BUTTERFLY came after the flower child dream has been<br />
destroyed, not while it was still within reach. BUTTERFLY is one of the finest<br />
singer-songwriter albums of all, an explosion of talent where least expected.
Dilcher's other albums, most of which compromised her style in hope of<br />
achieving commercial success, are spotty and nowhere near as good as this, but<br />
all of them have an interesting moment or two. [AM]<br />
TOM DISSEVELT / KID BALTAN (Netherlands)<br />
"Song of the Second Moon" 196 (Limelight 86050) [gatefold] [1]<br />
"Song of the Second Moon" 198 (Limelight 86050) [counterfeit; gatefold]<br />
- The fine print is somewhat fuzzy on the bootleg.<br />
Melodic spacy electronics now sound action. Dissevelt cut lots more records.<br />
FRED DIXON & THE FRIDAY AFTERNOON (Canada)<br />
"Fred Dixon & the Friday Afternoon" 197 (Banff SBS 5408)<br />
Obscure local LP by countryrock band with originals all through and a couple of<br />
tracks described as having a vintage Byrds sound.<br />
TOD DOCKSTADER ( )<br />
"Organized Sound" 1966 (Owl 6) [1]<br />
"Eight Electronic Pieces" 196 (Folkways fm-3434) [1]<br />
Owl is a Boulder, Colorado label. Experimental electronic tape montages. The<br />
Owl LP was recorded in 1964. [RM]<br />
DICK DODD (Los Angeles, CA)<br />
"First Evolution of Dick Dodd" 1968 (Tower st-5142) [wlp exists] [1]<br />
Standells' drummer doing blue-eyed soul rock similar to the Boxtops.<br />
DOG OF NAZARETH ( )
"It's Not the Heat... It's the Humidity" 1975 (Unigon) [insert]<br />
Nostalgic 1930s pop moves and a few weird garagy tracks.<br />
DOGWOOD (CA)<br />
"After The Flood, Before The Fire" 1975 (private)<br />
Described as folkrock with religious moves. Not a rare LP. The band had a<br />
second LP in 1977.<br />
BRENDAN DOYLE ( )<br />
"Musical Mystical Bear" 1978 (Alba House) [insert]<br />
According to the liner notes, "a moving blend of jazz, folk-rock, Mozart and<br />
meaningful lyrics".<br />
DREAMS AND ILLUSIONS ( )<br />
"Dreams and Illusions" 1968 (Verve Forecast)<br />
Orchestrated soft psych, effects. [RM]<br />
DRED SCOTT (CA)<br />
"An Instrumental Accident" 1981 (Red Spot) [1?]<br />
Side-long tracks from CA punk band; out of place here.<br />
FRANK DUMIN ( )<br />
"Another Dawn" 1970 (Avant Garde 124)<br />
Folkrock by an ex-seminarian. [RM]
DUNN & MCCASHEN ( )<br />
"Mobius" 1968 (Capitol st-285)<br />
"Dunn and McCashen" 1970 (Capitol st-565)<br />
This duo mixes popsike and singer-songwriter folk and have put together a pretty<br />
solid album here. It’s most well known for “Lydia Purple,” which would be covered<br />
by the Collectors and the Giant Crab, but there are a number of equally good<br />
songs beside it. My favorites are “Hitchcock Railway,” (also known via a cover<br />
version, by Joe Cocker), which has a killer bass part and cool trippy percussion<br />
effects, and “Rindy,” which has lovely harmonies. A few of the songs have iffy<br />
horn and woodwind arrangements that contribute to a music hall feel that doesn’t<br />
really work. Otherwise, though, this is a strong genre piece that would be worth<br />
hundreds if it was a private press. The lyrics are a cut above the norm too. Ex-<br />
Deep Six. [AM]<br />
DUST BOWL CLEMENTINE (NY)<br />
"Dust Bowl Clementine" 1969 (Roulette sr-42058) [wlp exists]<br />
-- stock copies may be rarer<br />
Rootsy outdoors sound with counterculture concerns. With Chuck Laskowski (=<br />
Faine Jade) and Nick Manzi of Bohemian Vendetta. [RM]