LSD
Documentary Records - Timothy Leary special
The Psychedelic Experience Turn On Tune In Drop Out on ESP
LSD on Pixie Turn On Tune In Drop Out on Mercury
You
Can Be Anyone This Time Around
Timothy Leary - The Psychedelic Experience
Original
release: Broadside BRX 601, US 1966
No producer credited
Narrated by Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner and (possibly) Richard Alpert
Comments: Leary's first LP is a low-budget affair on the Broadside label, consisting of readings from the 1964 "Psychedelic Experience" book. Only aural embellishment is a discreet bell chime now and then. Sound quality is a bit poor, and this was probably recorded quickly in one sitting at Millbrook. You can hear Leary & Metzner moving around and leafing through the book. The LP comes with an essential 4-page insert that explains the background for the trip. The cover has an unusual thick leathery texture that stands up well for wear and tear, unlike the paste-on, wrap-around cover slick. Rare, but not one of Leary's best. There is also a somewhat later pressing on Folkways. Bootlegged on a hard to find CD, and recently reissued on a legitimate CD from masters.
Timothy Leary - Turn On Tune In Drop Out on ESP
Original release: ESP 1027, US 1966
No producer credited
Engineered by David Hancock
Narrated by Timothy Leary
Comments: Leary's rarest LP is also
one of his best. Recorded at Millbrook and all spoken word, this is similar
to the Pixie LP but much more entertaining. Mixing recollections from
earlier experiments with thoughts on contemporary events, this is as
confrontational and subversive as he ever got. The LP title slogan later
became tired, but here it seems newly coined and is presented as a rallying
cry for the youth of America against the older generations. Hearing this
makes you realize why he was once perceived as "the most dangerous man
alive". Great LP, and still unknown to many. No reissue yet.
Note: this has the same title as the 1967 Mercury LP, but the contents are
completely different.
Original
release: Pixie CA 1069, US 1966
No producer credited
Written and narrated by Timothy Leary
Comments: This was
recorded during one of the beleaguered phases at Millbrook and is not as fun as Leary's others, all spoken word and somewhat bitter in tone. Still a fairly solid
artefact, his seductive and calm voice preaching the LSD gospel justifies
the price of admission. The release date is around September 1966 as trade
paper ads occurred then. The LP used to be rare but a lot of copies have
turned up recently. Reissued on a hard to find CD.
Timothy Leary - Turn On Tune In Drop Out on Mercury
Original
release: Mercury 21131 (mono)/61131 (stereo), US 1967
Executive producer: Henry Saperstein
Associate producer: Richard Krown
Guide/Narrator: Timothy Leary
Voyager/Narrator: Ralph Metzner
Divine Connection: Rosemary Woodruff
Original psychedelic music by Maryvonne Giercarz (veena), Lars Eric
(guitar), Richard Bond (tabla)
Comments: The most famous Leary LP
and rightly so, because it is a mindblower from start to finish. The soundtrack to a film
that had a few pre-screenings but never opened theatrically, it was obviously designed with
LSD trippers in mind. Ralph Metzner takes on the head's role and is guided,
instructed and occasionally ridiculed by an echo-laden Leary, while a
ghostly female voice appears now and then to add to the confusion. Eerie,
atonal acid music creeps in and out of the soundscape. This LP is neither
the religious/psychological exploration of Leary's earlier works, nor the
sociological commentary of the Pixie and ESP albums. It's as close to
psychedelic art as he ever came, especially the spellbinding journey through
"Genetic Memory" on side 2. Made at a time when Leary had become a
world celebrity and the LSD revolution still looked like it might happen,
this is a cornerstone in any LSD-oriented record collection. Not terribly
hard to find as an original. Stereo is preferrable. A vinyl reissue on the
Performance label exists.
Note: this has the same title as the 1966 ESP LP, but the contents are
completely different.
Timothy Leary - You Can Be Anyone This Time Around
Original
release: Douglas 1, US 1970
Produced by Intermedia Systems Corp, MA
Recording mix by USCO-Dacey
Sleeve artwork by Kelley/Mouse Studios
Comments: Only 3 years later yet an
ocean of time lies between this and Leary's earlier LPs. Ostensibly a part
of his California gubernatorial campaign (Ronald Reagan won) this could also
be seen as a reminder to the world that Uncle Tim was still around and as
far out as ever. Much has been made about the appearance of Stephen Stills
and Jimi Hendrix on the record and while that may be true, the background
music they provide is generic studio fill of no interest. One side is an
edited press-conference with Leary presenting his political program (it's
cool) before a friendly crowd. The other side is more interesting, with the
title track being a sequel to his earlier drug guide recordings (the Mercury
LP in particular), although the suggestion that "you can be John &
Yoko this time around" may turn some listeners off. Some brief musical
snips have been inserted into the ramblings, with a Pink Floyd segment
wrongly attributed to Grateful Dead -- I guess Tim preferred Dave Brubeck
anyway.
This is followed by "What do you turn on when you turn on", a
biochemical rap that presents an early version of Leary's later infatuation
with high tech, the human body being likened to a computer in a rather
inspired and fact-laden discourse. This prophetic piece is undoubtedly the
best thing on the album, which has been reissued on CD and also can be found
as an original without too much trouble.
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LamaSivartDoz 2001-2003