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(Review #1)
DAMON: Gypsy Eyes
(CD
Daily Bread US 1999)
Rating: 8 out of 10
Sounds best on: Opium,
Expensive wine
Info and/or Purchase
from: http://www.damonthegypsy.com/index.htm
After being located a
couple of years back and being informed that his 1969 LP
"Song Of a Gypsy" traded hands for $3500 on the
collector geek market, David del Conte aka Damon has
delighted his 200 fanatic fans with appearances at record
conventions and a legal CD reissue of his claim to fame (see
review #2). Then when rumors of brand new recordings surfaced
the enthusiasm gave way to a certain uneasiness among elder
acidheads, unable to shake terrifying memories of Moby Grape
& Bent Wind "reunions", not to mention burnout
1980s hippie anthems & John Lennon tributes by Gandalf
The Grey, Faine Jade et al. So despite some excited third
party ramblings it is with a certain steel-faced nonchalance
this spanking new artefact, housed in a rather cheesy drawing
of a gypsy girl's eyes, gets plopped onto the CD tray.
But the 1999 Damon hits you
right away, right between the eyes and into dark regions of
the cortex where old psychedelia is perpetually spinning. The
soundscape is almost identical to the 1969 instalment,
floating acid fuzz licks on top of Arabian rhythms, and on
top of that Signore D:s deep mysterious voice, part crooner
part head. His songwriting skills are amazingly intact,
moody chords shifting back & forth with each syllable
perfectly matching the underlying melodic structure. To cap
it off, the track sequencing matches the first LP with an
admirable sense of continuity, kicking off with a program
declaration and ending with half-spoken wisdom from the gypsy
annals, taking the listener through all kinds of changes
& situations inbetween. Especially the 2nd track is an
awesome trance journey from the halls of psychedelic
perfection.
In relation to "Song
of a Gypsy" an anally retentive nitpicker may argue that
the songs here are longer for no particular reason, and that
his voice occasionally takes one step too many on the red
velvet carpet of loungism, but that's just bread crumbs
fallen from the table of this musical feast, and may in fact
turn out to be limited comprehension from the listeners side.
Spring 2007 update: Damon is currently working
on an updated version of "Gypsy Eyes", to be released on vinyl.
Stay tuned.
(Review #2)
DAMON: Song Of a Gypsy
(reissue CD Daily Bread US 1998)
Rating: 9 out of 10
Sounds best on: Opium,
Dawamesk, LSD
Info and/or Purchase
from: http://www.damonthegypsy.com/index.htm
For the full beginner's
guide to Damon you're gonna have to look elsewhere, as I'm
gonna play the elitist and assume you're already familiar
with this LP. It's certainly a weird world where a local 1969
100-press of introspective California drug music 30 years
later resurfaces as a household name but then weird is what
psychedelia is all about. Four different reissues during the
1990s should give you an indication of the sheer heaviness of
Damon's vision, and apart from a few narrow-minded guitarrock
fans, everyone in the "scene" (=acidheads turned
record collectors) agrees that this is one of the Big Ones,
perhaps even the Real Biggie.
The first reissue, a vinyl
press single sleeve issue of 400, came courtesy of Phillipe C
back in '94 or so, followed shortly by a CD issue from the
same tapes with an approximate reproduction of the gatefold.
Recently came a deluxe legal German vinyl issue with faithful
textured gatefold sleeve, overbearing liner notes from Clark
Faville and a bonus 45 with great non-LP material. And
finally Damon/David del Conte himself has put the whole thing
out on CD with the single sleeve design. All four reissues
sound good but the two recent ones are from the master tapes
and therefore have an edge, apart from the obvious benefit of
putting green into Damon's own wallet rather than the
numbered Swiss bank account of some European record
collector.
But why only a '9', you
ask. Weeeellll, "Funky funky blues" just doesn't do
it for me, no matter how many times I hear it. Apart from
that, this LP is flawless.
(Review #3)
JAKE HOLMES: The Above
Ground Sound (Tower US 1967)
Rating: 7 out of 10
Sounds best on:
50s-style roach
Info at: http://www.furious.com/perfect/jakeholmes.html
Availability: No
reissues yet
Since both Vernon Joynson and Ron
Moore omitted Jake Holmes in their tomes, I'll try to set the
record straight. Originally one of a zillion talented young
Village troubadors caught in the shadow of the three Tims, J
H got his break in 1967 in the unlikely form of LA-based
teen-beat peddlers Tower. Stranger still they gave him free
reins, limiting their commercializing to the very clever
"underground" inversion of the title. The whole
thing was packed in a nice period-style sleeve and shipped to
unsuspecting consumers.
Holmes was no wimpy Simon &
Garfunkel bi-product however, something this undeservedly
obscure debut proves. Now, before getting into the full trip,
here's the question you've all been asking: Yes, "Dazed
& Confused" is on board, and yes, it sounds almost
exactly like the Led Zep version; only Jimmy Page's hard rock
riff and a few Keith Relf lyric alterations set them apart.
Page has claimed in recent interviews that he hasn't heard
the original and only knows it from Relf, but ex-Yardbird Jim
McCarty says otherwise: "We played with Jake Holmes in
New York and I was struck by the atmosphere of 'Dazed and
Confused'. I went down to Greenwich Village and bought his
album and we decided to do a version. We worked it out
together with Jimmy contributing the guitar riffs in the
middle." (read more at http://www.furious.com/perfect/jimmypage.html)
What Jimbo M doesn't tell you is that Holmes'
original is much better than Zep's "classic", with
a doomy intense atmosphere fuelled by his world-weary,
un-Plantesque vocals, and a killer acid fuzz break. It is the
centrepiece of the LP, but around it revolves several more
reasons why Page chose to mortgage his Crowley castle to
settle out of court.
The opening track "Lonely"
kicks in with breakneck guitar strumming while Jake raps on
most poignantly in NYC street fashion, after which guitars of
all shapes and colors enter the soundscape. Introspective
folky soulsearchers & everyday light-jazz observations
follow suit, all nicely highbrow and confident, a few strands
of coffee house masturbation redeemed by Jakeys unusually
atmospheric voice, which sounds not unlike DEEP-era Rusty
Evans. The 45 pick "Genuine Imitation Life"
is especially good, a fact that didn't escape the eagle eye
of Frankie Valli who based a bizarre Four Seasons 1968 Sgt
Pepperish LP extravaganza around it. The two garage acid
excursions are the best, however. All over a really good LP,
had it been on Elektra Holmes would've been running neck to
neck with Tim Buckley.
(Review #4)
JAKE HOLMES: A Letter
to Katherine December (Tower US 1968)
Rating: 6 out of 10
Sounds best on:
Absinthe spiked with a few drops of LSD
Info at: http://www.furious.com/perfect/jakeholmes.html
Availability: No
reissues yet
After the non-success of his debut,
the record execs must've had a collective cow when Jake
Holmes strolled into the office with the tapes for this
follow-up LP under his arm. Indeed, one wonders what kind of
secret Hoover files Holmes held on the Tower guys, who
previously had recorded entire Chocolate Watchband LP sides
with session men, but allowed Holmes complete artistic
freedom and strange, uncommercial 45 picks to boot.
Again, the front sleeve is very
nice-looking and what you might expect from a would-be Tim
Hardin, but over on the back a reference to Poulenc amidst
fluffy poetry should set alarm buzzers ringing. Drop the
vinyl on the turntable and... yes, Mr Holmes has decided to
do a Zappa, get serious, and create like, satire, you know.
So what you get is acute observations on topics like
"High School Hero" and "Saturday Night"
set to music which sounds like what you'd expect to hear at a
Paris art gallery in 1915. I shit you not; this is early
modernist classical with Chuck Berry lyrics. Whew! Except
with Chuck B you never got the vibes of a bitter outsider
getting back at jocks & bullies from the elevated
position of the Artist, which is what Jake delivers. After
the triumphant 'He didn't graduate!' that concludes
"High School Hero" you can almost see the ugly
smile on Holmes face, like if the Cheshire Cat had
paid a visit. Despite the freak value this stuff essentially
sucks, proving the once-promising J H guilty on charges of
taking too little acid and falling in love with his own
ideas.
But like a suede-clad James Bond he
then finds salvation at the very brink of death, opening side
2 with what is not only the high-point of the LP but of his
entire career, or anyone's career (we're talking Scorpio Tube
levels here); viz, the extended LSD-drenched showstopper
titled "Leaves Never Break". Some may know this
from the "Growing Slowly Insane" CD compilation and
can proceed right to the end of this review, those that still
remain should consider the prospects of a 2nd bardo merger
between C A Quintet and the Deep at the operating table. The
celebrated "Dazed & Confused" seems a mere
sketch for this desperate slab of torment, as Jakey mutters
and yells about the disintegration of his mind while evil
dual fuzz guitars impatiently lurk in the wings. Surely a
dispatch from the lands of utmost psychedelia, this track
almost - but only almost - makes the LP. You owe it to
yourself to hear it, anyhow.
Holmes would release a couple of
more LPs on Polydor and CBS, and compose an entire LPs worth
of material for Frank Sinatra in 1969 (true). Jake's mid-60s
NYC band-colleague Tim Rose concludes our saga: "Jake
Holmes did all right. He's been voted into the Songwriters'
Hall of Fame - he's the top commercial jingle writer in New
York City and has been for the past twenty years, so he did
OK."
(Review #5)
13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS:
Easter Everywhere (MONO reissue no label US? 1999)
Rating:
9 out of 10
(Mono)
10 out of 10 (Stereo)
Sounds best on: LSD,
dude
Info at: Roky
Erickson official
website
Availability:
Out of print, alas
As hinted at in my Elevators Reference File, the
elusive mono "Easter Everywhere" has been a Holy
Graal for jug-heads since the dawn of time, with white label
promo copies pulling in $400 while blue label official issues
have remained hearsay of rumors of a Vg- copy mentioned in
the backroom at the Austin record convention. Now someone out
there in bootleg-land decided to do the world a favor with
this nice-looking counterfeit, original label and all, though
I have to object to the very 1985-ish glossy texture of the
colorwise authentic gold sleeve. No lyric sheet, naturally.
Now "mono" was something
they had before they invented "stereo", OK kids?
During a brief period albums would appear in both formats,
and as it happens this period coincided with the early stages
of the golden era of psychedelia, which means that a lot of
really good albums exist in both mono & stereo. And often
there's a huge difference, not only because of the basic
aural improvement (most would think) of two channels over
one, but also cause clever people realized that you had to
remix the schmaltz you'd laid down in stereo before entering
mono-land. Check out Goldmine or some dorky hi fi enthusiast
mag for the full tech crap and ghastly tales of rechanneled
stereo and what have you, meanwhile I'll suggest that a lot
of acidheads still fail to grasp the significance of these
alternate mixes, which can make familiar LPs sound brand new
and alien. "Blonde on Blonde" is one famous
example, and there's cases ranging from the Deep to Pink Floyd to July all within the narrow frame of
psychedelia. Sometimes the mono mix sounds better, sometimes
not.
The Elevators' debut LP
"Psychedelic Sounds" is a case of mono clearly
having the upper hand. So too, has it been suggested, is
"Easter Everywhere". Rather than making some broad
lazy-ass rock critic style statements on how the
"general vibe" changes, I'll take the full
consequences of a gaping hole left in the first edition of my book and do a
track-by-track rundown of the mono vs stereo
"Easter", which is far less painful than it may
appear.
SLIP INSIDE THIS HOUSE - This
8-minute encounter with a higher intelligence certainly left
little room for improvement in its stereo incarnation, and I
can't say the mono mix adds anything. The enchanting,
mystical air is somewhat lost with the loss of rich layers of
reverb, and with headphones on it's clear why stereo was
considered such a significant upgrade. Roky's vocals stand
clearly at the forefront, but this cannot balance the
stripped down, way more traditional nature of the mono
soundscape, which reveals much more of the melodic skeleton
and even suggests monotonousness at times. Though the mix is
less elaborate than some others on the LP, stereo wins this
first round hands down. SLIDE MACHINE - Much of the same
applies on Powell St John's great track, though the mono mix
has a strong identity of its own. The layers of acoustic
guitars and lyrical guitar figures that were beautifully
woven into the stereo mix have been pushed back, removing the
psychedelic layers of the production and revealing a rawer,
more basic structure. I prefer stereo. SHE LIVES IN A TIME OF
HER OWN - Different from the mono 45 mix, with rhythm gtr
lower while other instruments have been brought up, giving
the fuller mono LP variety a definite edge. Roky´s
doubletracked lead vocals have been mixed down into one
channel, producing an odd effect. However, neither of these
versions can match the awesome stereo LP mix which is one of
the best jobs of the entire LP. Hearing it on headphones I
discovered that even the fucking jug is doubletracked and
channel separated. As psychedelic as it gets! Stereo wins
again. NOBODY TO LOVE - What works against the mono mix
elsewhere is possibly an advantage on this Stacy track, as
his lowkey introvert vocals tend to drown in the stereo mix,
making his great lament seem a bit undistinguished at first.
In mono the vocals are clearer and more central in the
soundscape, now at the expense of acoustic rhythm and what
sounds like congas (check it out), which are almost
completely lost in mono. This track fits better on the mono
LP, and some may prefer this mix all over, though not me.
BABY BLUE - The Elevators went for mood and jams on this one
and the psychedelic mixing board wizardry was not a key point
when laying down the finishing touch. Therefore the
difference between stereo and mono is less pronounced and
most notable in the loss of an acoustic rhythm guitar (again)
and the general depth of the soundscape... the stereo version sounds
better.
EARTHQUAKE - side two opens with a
celebration of physical love that was given an intense,
close-sounding stereo mix appropriate to the subject matter.
As an effect the distance between stereo and mono isn't that
huge and while I again prefer the wider sound of stereo, the
mono version could have its' advocates. Stacy's
"earthquake" fuzz guitar may have a slight edge in
the mono mix. DUST - No contest. The stereo mix is way beyond
the pale, narrow sound in mono. However, the official stereo
mix pales in turn next to the unofficial alternate stereo mix
available on a couple of bootlegs (see my book), which is a
few precious minutes in the presence of the ultimate godhead.
Dig it out, crank it up and ask yourself how a bunch of Texas
kids barely out of their teens could create a statement of
such intense beauty and knowledge. LEVITATION - As with
"She Lives", this John Ike-era recording offers
three official versions to consider. I championed the mono 45
mix in my book, but am pleased to inform that this mono LP
mix is even better; retaining the awesome drive of the 45
sound - best defined by Stacy's recurring rock'n'roll riff -
while adding the full bottom bass, drums and jug from the
stereo LP mix, which when separated from the entire LP
actually is the least brilliant in the trinity. Mono wins
this round, but try to dig up all three versions for an
instructive lesson in mixing board philosophy. I HAD TO TELL
YOU - Same objection as on "Dust" though on a
lesser scale. The harmonica that wails lyrically far away in
the right stereo channel is loud and upfront in mono,
projecting a '64-era Dylan sound at times. Also, the blending
of Roky´s and Clementine's vocals work better in stereo.
POSTURES - As with "Baby Blue", the edge of the
stereo version essentially derives from the basic difference
between one channel and two; the former sounds somewhat dry
and stiff compared to the sensual flow and groove of the
latter, even though no specific remixing can be detected.
Love this track, which is unique in the Elevators catalog.
Dan Galindo digs it too!
CONCLUSION: Hearing this LP in mono
makes you realize how much of the "Easter
Everywhere" magic that actually resides in the
production and mixing phases, with Tommy's advanced theories
on music and psychedelic sound skillfully applied. The
average psych fan can be content with the stereo version,
while really fried Elevator heads ought to dig up this mono
issue and add a couple of more fine points to the
understanding of the eye-pyramid enigma.
(Review #6)
SPIFFYS: Spiffys
(no
label US 1967)
Rating: 5 out of 10
Sounds best on: A tall
cool one
Info at: http://www.flash.net/~jemini/bst/john.htm
Availability:
Uh,
eBay now and then. No reissue.
Military school rock'n'roll bands
occupy a special niche among local 60s garage LPs. Only a
handful such items have been found, among which the US Naval
Academy's pride the Spiffys occupy an elevated position,
being alone to lay down not one but two snazzy-looking LPs
between social functions and nightly Code Red
sleeping barrack raids. Prep rock fans will reckognize Uncle
Sam's r'n'r deal, wherein an "official" academy
rock group has musically inclined recruits pass through its
ranks, creating entirely revamped line-ups every three years
or so, and executing every known form of dance and pop music
in the process.
The Spiffys name had been going a
good ten years before someone decided a vinyl imprint of
their artistic vision was in order. A decent budget was
apparently allocated, as the sleeve job is one of the most
impressive ever on this type of LP, a blue-filter photo of
euphoric cadets throwing their sailor caps in the air
combined with great gold & silver graphics. There's even
a photo of the musicians - drawn from classes '67-'70 - on
the back. As for the music, one should bear in mind that
these are Annapolis, Maryland boys, which means that there's
gonna be a beach music (look it up) influence. This blue-eyed
soul bastardization tends to sound better at a Myrtle Beach
club after several jugs of beer than in the privacy of your
hi-fi room, and the optimistic, lightly brassed tacklings of
Memphis Stax/Atlantic material offered by the Spiffys are no
exception. Beige-toned Motown and Limey Invasion stuff like
"Satisfaction" and all soldier boys' special
favorite "Gloria" fare better, as do a few
early-60s type ballads of unknown origin.
Saving the best for the last,
there's an excellent "Walk Away Renee" where Mike
Brown's suave baroque wizardry is replaced by genuinely
heartfelt teenage woes. Well, aren't there any group
originals, you ask? Sure there is, but never more than one,
and true to form it is the highlight of the LP. "No
Pain" is a great uptempo number in the garage-soul mold
(less scary than it sounds), well-played and well-sung
archetypal local pre-hippie garage band fodder. All over, the
Spiffys debut is a mid-level artefact sliding neatly between
the more famous preprock and Justice label scenes.
(Review #7)
SPIFFYS: Spiffys '68
(no label US 1968)
Rating: 6 out of 10
Sounds best on: Another
tall cool one, plus one tiny joint split five-ways
Info at: http://www.flash.net/~jemini/bst/john.htm
Availability:
eBay now and then. No reissue.
With a couple of members graduated
and shipped off to the exotic beach resorts in Vietnam, the
Spiffys phased in some freshmen cadets and decided to really
get with the changing times. Unfortunately, they didn't lose
the ambitious senior member - possibly the guy credited as
"band leader" on the sleeve - who enjoyed his soul
music so much that he insisted the leadoff spot on
"Spiffys '68" belonged to his incredibly bad
reading of "Testify". You're not gonna believe the
vocal job here, which has all the subtlety and precision of a
drunken sailor yelling insults to a barman having thrown him
into the street. Too bad, as the Spiffsters otherwise are
pretty much on a roll on this 2nd LP, losing the brass and
doing numbers better suited to their whitebread constitution;
in some cases even surpassing the originals.
First of all there´s two
Buckinghams numbers, which may not send shivers down most
spines but sound fine like wine to someone who's already
rotted away most of his brain on deep analysis of the Justice
LP catalog. Then two staples of the burgeoning FM rock scene
get the Spiffy treatment, namely "Light My Fire" -
long version, mind you - and "Whiter Shade Of
Pale". And they both rule! The Doors hit is given a
loose, almost jazzy reading, substituting the uptight LA
studio sheet music with a hopeful Bay Area ballroom trip,
complete with Pigpen-ish organ and Garcia-esque guitar
plonking. Just as enjoyable is their deconstruction of Procol
Harum's pseudo-Bach meets pseudo-Dylan "classic",
which strips away the intellectual polish to reveal the song
for what it ultimately is: a 1961 last dance type tune,
perfectly suited for Dion or Little Anthony & the
Imperials. As fun, though completely different, as Smokin'
Willie's insane biker treatment a few years later.
"Spooky" is on board too, a strong atmospheric
version rivalling the original and reminding you what a great
song it is.
The Spiffys then reach an ultimate
peak in the form of "Dreams", a marvellous group
original capturing the magic of '67-era Byrds or the first
Reprise LP by West Coast Pop Art. Someone wisely put this
track on the Oil Stains compilation way back if you want a
sample. Unfortunately the joke is turned once again on the
listener, as this impressive string of songs is followed by a
bad version of the always awful "99½". Why do
garage bands play these crappy soul tunes? Neither a decent
closing version of "The Letter" or the once-again
excellent navy blue/gold (midshipmen gang colors) sleeve
design can make amends for these two sweaty soul poopers. An
almost great LP courtesy of 5 rockin' crewcuts in gala
uniforms.
(Review #8)
JOHN YLVISAKER: Cool
Livin' (Avant Garde US 1967)
Rating: 8 out of 10
Sounds best on: Two
tabs of acid downed with communion wine
Info at: http://www.ylvisaker.com/
Availability:
Partial reissue is long OOP. Originals aren't terribly pricey.
With the recent advent of
the "Archivist" collector guide and the "Holy
Fuzz" compilation the pagan world may be prepared to
discover what a handful of open-minded collectors already
know, namely that the seemingly unhip field of 1960s-70s
Christian psychrock contains some of the greatest records
ever made. I'm not gonna tally that amazingly heavy roster
here - see the aforementioned book for that - but ask you to
simply take my Word for it.
Before boarding the X-ian
(dealer spelling to make it seem cooler) Ark one should bear
in mind the genre's original visionaries, a decent
churchgoing couple who cut fully realized integrations of
swinging folkrock with verbatim Luke & Matthew lyrics at
a time when secular rock groups were still debating the
prospect of going 12-string. I'm talking, of course, about Mr
John Ylvisaker and his lovely wife Amanda. Though I'm kinda
low infowise on the Ylvises it seems they came out of Minnesota,
and from that Gomorrah-ish vantage point spread the Logos
across the Nation - at least that's what the liner notes to
this debut LP indicates. John writes the songs, sings and
plays guitar while Amanda plays keyboards and Strawberry
AC-ish flute and session pros provide the rhythm section.
To prepare yourself for the
full Ylvisaker experience, contemplate the idea of Elvis
ditching his mid-60s Hollywood crap and reinventing himself
as a TV evangelist, then recruting P F Sloan and Curt
Boettcher to provide songs in a Greenwich Village-meets-Southern-sermonizing style. And no clichéd comments about
dorky Christians please, cause John Y is smart, suave and has
a clearer view than most atheists. He also has a wonderful
rich tenor voice which does whatever he asks of it. The
arrangements are atmospheric and varied with acoustic guitars
and flute on top of a typical upscale Grassroots folkrock
soundscape, while the performances are classy and tasteful.
Forget Jello Biafras incorrect sarcasms about sloppy playing
in the "Incredibly Strange Music" book, seems Jello
had had one Heino record too many when uttering that
nonsense.
Wrapped in an early 60s
style blue filter photo sleeve, side 1 of "Cool
Livin'" deals almost exclusively with problems of urban
life from a realistic and intelligent modern religious
perspective, culminating in the marvy "Who cares for the
city", which is like Bohemian Vendetta backing Scott
Walker tackling P F Sloan at his peak - this track is gonna
floor you, christian or heathen. Best remain horizontal and
pop a DMT joint in yer mouth to prepare for the next track,
"Do you know what I have done", a musically
advanced and almost chaotic acidpunk dramatization of a
New Testament episode (forgot chapter & verse, sorry) -
yer not gonna believe this piece of tormented
confusion.
Over on side 2 we get a
more mixed bag, with J Y mocking modern ways in an ultracool
NY nightclub comedian fashion, an atypical ballad, and two
jubilant rockers on the virtues of leading a x-ian life - dig
those hypnotic flute ornaments and garage Vox organ riffs. We
also get another acidtinged excursion in "Highly
polished tin" whose strange complex mood approaches
Peter Grudzien-land, especially when a sentimental carousel
organ sails into the soundscape. All over a solid,
sophisticated early x-ian folkrock LP with three awesome
tracks the top attraction. No exact reissue exists, but an
excellent vinyl compilation of the first two Ylvisaker LPs
appeared a few years ago on the Mystic label, bearing the
title of this debut while utilizing the sleeve design for the
follow-up (see review #9).
This record is not for
sissies, but for men and women who want to have peace with
God.
(Review #9)
JOHN YLVISAKER: A Love
Song (Avant Garde US 1968)
Rating: 8 out of 10
Sounds best on: Holy
mushrooms and Dry Martinis
Info at: http://www.ylvisaker.com/
Availability:
Partial reissue is long OOP. Originals require some searching.
This follow-up album was
recorded in April 1968 when the hippie dream was collapsing in smack and teargas out in the streets, though by the look
of our Lutheran couple you'd think Ike Eisenhower was still
in office. The actual vinyl shows John & Amanda in as
good, or better, shape as on "Cool Livin". A little
more sophisticated this time around, with jazzy drum licks
& organ embellishments restating the Manhattan nightclub
mood with greater force - I can't imagine these sounds going
over too well in Bible Belt redneck communities, actually. To
fans of the strange and psychedelic it sounds swell though.
Mr Y's lyrical skills also
reach new heights, whether he deconstructs Old Testament
claims of prophetic powers - this track borders on heresy -
or gives a new slant to the tale of Pharaoh and the infant
Moses, ending with the memorable exclamation 'He must be of
mixed race!'. Side 1 also brings 'Noise Of Solemn
Assemblies', an awesome piece of organ-led psychedelia as
good as anything you'll find on Gandalf or Freeborne. In
fact, this might be the right tune for a lot of decadent 2002 druggies to jump-start their new, Christian way of life.
Side two brings a couple of more traditional hymn-like tunes
- perfectly listenable and given an odd vibe by John's
flawless red velvet crooner vocals - but then the urban
sarcasms kick in again on 'The Camel Swallowers', dissing Joe
Schmoe as well as x-ians with equal precision. It's like if
Dylan had gone religious way back in 1965 when the sarcastic
genie was still with him.
Things reach a glorious
peak with yet another moody psych masterpiece in 'Palm
Sunday' with its perfectly balanced soundscape of organ,
flute and eerie guitar figures. 'Blessed be the King who
comes in the name of the Lord' indeed. And they say the devil
has the best music - well maybe if you're a Freddie Mercury
fan. Me, I'll be in church on Sunday. You should be there
too. A good upbeat fuzzrocker closes the LP, which ranks at
least on par with the more garagey "Cool Livin",
and is a more consistent and elaborate affair. The
aforementioned Mystic label reissue unfortunately omits 'Palm
Sunday', though it does recycle the great purple
nightclub-vibe sleeve design of "A Love Song".
John Ylvisaker later cut a
children's record, and two live private LPs I'd love to hear,
one of which may actually precede these two Avant Garde
efforts. An interesting x-ian 60s garage LP, the Wanderers
from Connecticut, features two Ylvisaker covers, so he must
have been as big as Sky Saxon on the church dance circuit.
And he's still around!
(Review #10)
PERRY LEOPOLD:
Christian Lucifer (CD/LP Gear Fab US 1999)
Rating: 7 out of 10
Sounds best on:
Psilocybe shrooms, holy water
Info at: Perry Leopold's Christian Lucifer
Availability:
Both
Gear Fab pressings are still in print
In the upcoming Hollywood
epic on great acid music talents lost in the haze of
mismanagement, record label idiocy, bad timing or just poor
luck it is reasonable to expect that Mr Perry Leopold of
Pennsylvania will take a centre stage position. His legendary
1970 LP "Experiment in Metaphysics" breathes with a fiery vision unusual for the "acid
folk" genre, a handle otherwise reserved by unscrupulous
record dealers to hype bad James Taylor imitations.
Undeterred by the
non-success of his debut, Perry entered a Philly studio in
1973 to cut this follow-up which had enough of a budget to
feature an elaborate production and rich, tasteful
orchestrations. But as the man himself dryly observes in the
liner notes, the market for psychedelia was rapidly
collapsing under the nightmarish ascension of glam rock,
disco and 70s punk in the haywire public mind. Not wishing
the degradation of having to compete with Chicory Tip and
Elton John, Perry shelved the tapes for 25 years until an
archealogical team led by Gear Fab's Roger Maglio unearthed
them recently.
And some pretty damn good
stuff it is. Mr Leopold, who in 2000 still refers to his
music as "acid folk", uses the really big brush -
think D R Hooker or Damon-size - when depicting his visions
of drugs, religion and more; beginning with a Book Of
Revelation quote we enter a spellbinding 9 minute
"Sunday Afternoon in the Garden of Delights" which
is everything you ever wished for in dark epic folkpsych,
then withdraw into the private meditations of "The
Windwill", and continue to shift between the prophetic
and the personal throughout the album. As on the 1970 LP, the
authority and presence is absolute, untouchable. Perry sounds
as big a star as Tim Buckley.
Far from being a rehash of
the earlier LP, "Christian Lucifer" shows a clear
change in both sounds and structures. Perry's remarkable
voice has grown more lyrical and while some might miss the
earlier beatnik touches, others will appreciate the smooth
rich vocals which are similar to another great folk vocalist,
Sal Valentino of the Beau Brummels (especially on their
"Triangle" LP). Another album that springs to mind
is UK troubador Amory Kane's underrated "Just To Be
Here" (circa 1970) - those who enjoy AK:s enchanting
song suite on side 2 will certainly nod in approval of Perry
L:s moods and arrangements.
But for all its qualities
and talent, I still rate the debut LP higher than
"Christian Lucifer". A couple of the seven tracks,
like the final "Vespers", are a little too close to
standard singer/songwriter fare for me. Some of the
originality, or even dementia, from 1970 seems to have
fizzled out three years later. It may be a deliberate try for
backdoor commercial appeal, or it may be an effect of the
more expressly Christian orientation evident here. Or maybe
he just got tired from playing world class folk music for
sub-100 audiences. In any event, this is a much-deserved,
though three decades overdue, second chance at a wider
audience for a significant acid folk artist.
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