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TOM EAGLES ( ) "Short Affairs" 1978 (no label 32736)
Straight-forward pastoral singer-songwriter
and country-rock, with fairly well-written songs hampered by Eagles´ amateurish
vocals and one-man-band arrangements. Sounds like a demo album done while
waiting for another, superior version. A couple of good tracks in the middle,
including the fuzz-rocker "Vanilla Man". Worth checking out if found cheap. [PL]
"Seek Opposites" 1982 (Touch) [lyric inner, inserts]
Zappaesque proggy weirdness.
"Eargasm" 1981 (Earresistible ear-1101)
Mix of AOR and prog recorded at the Playboy Resort in Lake Geneva,
Wisconsin!
"Featuring Billy Pendleton" 1975 (no label 101)
A cover band for hire doing FM favorites of the day, classic soul, early
rock-and-roll and one original monster funk song called Louisiana Funk.
"Getaway Train" 1969 (Solid State 18064) [promos exist]
Black group instrumental funky psych.
"'72 Tour LP" 1972 (Century 40970)
X-ian hippie folk with mixed vocals.
Back cover of the debut LP has photos of them in monks robes. No relation to
the "Hard Rock" group.
"We Must Survive" 1969 (Philips phs 600-340) [gatefold] Environmental concept produced by Kim Fowley.
"World Citizen" 1978 (private) Not to be confused with the high ticket
prog LP, this is spineless late '70s Mr Van Driessen singer-songwriter with
ridiculous hippie-dippy lyrics. Includes caribbean moves, mellow jazz moves
(including a guesting female vocalist) and occasional vocals in Spanish and
Hindu. Reminiscent of the worst tracks on Rhythm & Bliss.
"East" 1972 (Capitol 11083) [inner] Japanese
exile band playing ethnic psych rooted in their home country and
instruments.
"The Tiger and the Lamb" 1968 (Uni 73032)
Heavy psych rock.
STEVE EATON (Boise, ID) "Hey Mr. Dreamer" 1974 (Capitol ST-11245) "Steve Eaton" 1979 (Mountain Bluebird SE 46753)
Eaton was previously in the horn band Fat Chance and wrote songs that were
covered by better known artists (including Art Garfunkel and Glen Campbell). His
solo LPs are in a folk-country singer-songwriter vein, and the Capitol album is
as hard to find as the privately pressed second album. He continues to perform
and has several subsequent releases.
"Echoes And A Dream" 1973 (no label)
Seldom seen 1970s folk-psych.
"Eclipse" 1983 (Third Avenue) [1000p]
Heavy guitar rock.
"Environment/ Evolution" 1970 (Happy Tiger ht-1008) Goofy environmental rural sound, studio production psych concept with Val
Stoecklein and Jerry Cole involvement.
"Eden's Children"
1968 (ABC 624)
[mono; gatefold; wlp also exists] [1-2] "Sure Looks Real"
1969 (ABC s-652)
[gatefold] [1]
Bluesy psych power trio in Cream style with echoed vocals.
"Edge" 1970 (Nose nrs-48003) [gatefold] [1]
Bluesy fuzz psych with organ. Nice balance of trippy and wasted sounds.
"It Aint Easy To Be An Eezy Rider" 197 (Trash) Described
as strange but not overly impressive mix of rock, pop and country. The
cover is worth admiring, though.
"Looking For The Answer" 1971 (Audio Fidelity AFSD 6247)
Christian flower psych, soul and bluesy
moves. Also released in Italy and Israel. Formerly garage band Jerry & The
Others who appear on the WONE compilation LP from 1966.
"Electric Eels" 1980 (Geffenburg) [1] Wild dual lead hardrock like Full Moon.
Not to be confused with the early Cleveland punk band. [RM]
"Switched-On Hits from America's First Tribal Love Rock Musical" 1969 (Evolution 2013) Songs from the musical "Hair" get the exploito moog
treatment. Fun cheese with a great hippie dippy cover. [RM]
"Electric Junkyard" 1969 (RCA 4158) Exploito psych.
"Psychedelic Seeds" 1967 (Bell 6007) Shelby Singleton sham Nashville studio psych.
Great instro
rock covers with kitchen sink effects, treated piano, bumblebee fuzz, wyld
phasing! [RM]
"Working the Electric Screwdriver" 1968 (Spar)
Studio group exploito mess with a couple interesting moody folkrock tracks.
"Guitar Explosion"
1967 (Premier p-9060)
[mono]
Exploito. Tripped out cover and song titles but the music is jazzy rock
lameouts.
"Moog Groove" 1969 (Limelight ls-86070) "Electric Love" 1969 (Limelight ls-86072)
Moog rock exploito. There were more LPs.
"Elephant" 1973 (Capitol ST 11154) [gatefold] Obscure
one on the label, with a melodic '70s westcoast sound, some singer/songwriter
ambitions, and the main attraction two strong psych-flavored tracks. Worth
checking out. There was an Elephant on Moontower/Big Tree, possibly an
unrelated outfit.
"You Color My Life" 1976 (EM) Christian folk rock with rural songs and some pop-ish and soft rock moves and mixed male-female vox. Not terribly memorable.
"Thank You All Very Much"
1970 (International Artists IA-LP-12) Lame psych, worst on the label next to Boyles Brothers.
The highpoint is re-recordings of two tracks from a non-LP 45 by Lost &
Found, but these were better in their original versions. The band went
on to record an even more innocuous effort as Potter St Cloud (1971, Mediarts
41-7). Formerly with garage heroes the Iguanas, Alan "Endle" Melinger later
became a shrink in Colorado and put together an LP of mental patient
recordings in the mid-1980s, "Art Of The Gifted", which has become a bit of
a cult item. [PL] ENERGY PAK ( ) "The Answer" 1968 (Sound Associates)
Grand Rapids, Michigan label. Mixed gender Christian folkrock
teens. Nice psychedelic collage cover.
"Esperanza Encantada" 1970 (Certron 7016) Young Hispanic vocal group doing mixed English and Spanish language material, about half covers of the Beatles, Stones, and Tim Hardin. The rest is originals with crystal clear teenage female vocals. Highly rated by some. The trio is backed by a pick-up band who provide some fuzz on "Gimme shelter" among the folkrockers.
"A Euphonious Wail" 1973 (Kapp KS-3668) Heavily influenced by San
Francisco bands, the Santa Rosa, California-based A
Euphonious Wail was roughly five years behind creative and popular
tastes. While "A Euphonious Wail" had a couple of nice
moments, for the most part the LP was surprisingly lame and uninspired.
As lead vocalists Rey and Tracy had decent, if unexceptional voices
(though Rey tended to screech in the higher registers). The same type of
limitations were true of the band as songwriters (all but Hoffman
contributing material). Taken individually guitar and keyboard propelled
rockers such as 'Pony', 'We've Got the Chance', 'When I Start To Live'
and 'F#' weren't bad, but stretched over an entire album, there simply
wasn't much that really stood out. The band were even less successful
when they tried slowing things down - check out the lame ballads 'Did
You Ever' and 'I Want To Be a Star'. The Michael Hawes cover drawing
was interesting. Depending on how you looked at it you saw something
completely abstract, or possibly obscene. [SB]
"The Ballad Of" 1969 (Amos) "The Ballad of Evergreen Blueshoes"
offered up an odd hodge-podge of musical genres. Skip Battin (here spelled
'Battyn') and Al Rosenberg were responsible for the majority of the 12 songs,
which bounced all over the musical spectrum. Jug, country and western, pop,
psych, etc. were frequently dumped together on tracks such as "Life's Railway To
Heaven" and "Amsterdam In 1968". Connected by a series of spoken word segments,
the results were frequently maddening, though these guys simply had too much
talent to turn in a complete dud. "The Hedge Hog's Song" and their cover of
Dylan's "Walking Down the Line") were all quite good. Amos also saw fit to
release a truly bizarre cover of "Johnny B. Goode" b/w "Walking Down the Line"
as a single (Amos #115). Unfortunately, as a small label, Amos lacked much
promotional clout, effectively guaranteeing the set would enjoy limited sales.
The back and inner sleeve photos are pretty funny. [SB]
"The Exit" 1969 (XPL) A sampler from this New Haven club with
folk and blues locals, on the same label as D R Hooker. It’s notable mainly for
two garage psych tracks by Better Daze, whose lead guitarist earlier had been a
member of Nova Local. A sticker on the front cover promotes Tony Mason who made
a semi-interesting bluesy folk LP a few years later.
"Live" 1972 (Cegep 1652) Seedy hard fuzz bluesrock with English
vocals. Sells for good money at times, but for bluesrock genre fans primarily.
"Ex-Ta-C’s" 1966 (no label) Primitive teenbeat/garage.
"We’re In It Together" 1978 (Quiet Canyon) [lyric inner] Melodic hardrock AOR with Jeff Cannata
(Arc Angel, Jasper Wrath) and James Christian (House Of Lords). Searing guitar
work and great vocals up there with Alpha Centauri.
"Fairchild" 1978 (Flight FR 1706)
Midwestern pomprock in the common Styx style. They had two more
LPs.
"Fallen Angels" 1968 (Roulette r-25358) [mono; wlp
exists] This first album shows promise but
barely hints at what was to come. Overall it’s a slightly above
average poppy psych/garage mix with “Room At The top” being the
standout. Some of this is kind of goofy, but in an appealing way. [AM]
"Family Times Band" 1976 (Casey Records)
[500p] Local band of two brothers and two sisters doing amateur CSN/America '70s folkrock with a humble vibe. Some people seem to rate this highly but I found it disappointing, with a insipid, spineless feel. "She's Gone" and "Sitting By The Ocean" are usually rated as the best tracks, but even those didn't strike me as terribly interesting. My personal reservations aside, this is a rare album that has sold for good $$$ and should have been in the Acid Archives 2nd Edition book, but was omitted due to a printing error. It's housed in the same generic cover as the Asylum LP. [PL]
"Miss Butters" 1968 (RCA Victor LSP-3955) Long time fans of singer/guitarist
Bob Segarini, we only stumbled across this portion of his early career by
accident. This is also one of the few LPs we've heard that is truly
deserving of the description Beatlesque. The early-1960s found Segarini
living in San Francisco. Along with bassist Bill Whittington, Segarini had
been a member of The Brogues who managed to record a couple of obscure 45s
before calling it quits in 1965. Having recruited rummer Newman
Davis and keyboard player Mike Olsen (aka Lee Michaels), the quartet
attracted the attention of Mira Records (best known for The Leaves).
Signed to a contract, the band debuted with 1967's "Prince Of
Dreams" b/w "Live Your Own Life" (Mira 228). The
single attracted considerable local attention, leading Mira to finance
further recording sessions for a planned LP. Unfortunately, Mira lost
interest in the LP, subsequently shelving all of the recorded
material. Expanded to a five piece, by the time the group signed with
RCA Victor, the line up consisted of Segarini, keyboardist Jim DeCocq,
guitarist Michael Dure, drummer Vann Slatter and bassist Bill Troachim.
Following the release of the 1967 single "Do You Have The Time?"
b/w "Keepin' A Secret", the band returned to RCA's Hollywood
Music Center to record an LP. Built on a series of Segarini-penned songs
written and recorded during the earlier Mira sessions, 1968's Rick Jarrard
produced "Miss Butters" was an interesting concept piece. While
the plotline's not particularly obvious to us, tracks such as "Mrs.
McPheeny", "Simple Life" are full of wonderful melodies,
gorgeous vocal harmonies and Beatles-inspired production tricks - check
out the "Penny Lane" styled horns on "Butter's
Lament". Sure, it may not be the year's most original offering, but
most band's would have killed to release something half as good. RCA
pulled "Slippin' Thru My Fingers" b/w "Miss Butters"
(RCA Victor catalog number 9565) as a single, but it failed to attract
much attention. Similarly, the parent LP did little commercially. RCA
financed one non-LP follow-up single "He Spins Around" b/w
"She Had To Fly", before dropping the band from it's recording
roster. The band also managed to record a one shot 1970 45 for the small
Paula label "Terry Tommy" b/w "Electric Kangaroo".
DeCocq and Segarini subsequently reappeared as members of Roxy. Segarini
and Troachim also reunited in The Wackers. Segarini also recorded a number
of solo LPs. Credited to Lee Michaels, original keyboardist Olsen also
recorded a string of solo albums. [SB]
"Fantasy" 1970 (Liberty lst-7643) [gatefold; lyric sleeve] [1] Experimental hard rock album by Florida band with a 16-year-old
female singer who can really let it rip (and sounds at least 30). The songs
go in a lot of directions, not all of them successful, but most of them
interesting. They actually had a minor hit with the good instrumental “Stoned
Cowboy.” The best song, though, is the hard rocking “Understand.”
Definitely a mixed bag of an album with a few cringe-worthy moments, but it
is original. The band minus the female singer would become Year One and
release an interesting 2-LP concept album that’s quite rare. [AM]
"An Open Heart" 1978 (Akashic)
Eastern mystical swami sounds with sitar,
flute, female backing vocals and percussion.
"Fat City Jug Band" 1968 (Custom Fidelity 2015)
Retro jug band music (unsurprisingly) on
this LP, which is obscure even by Custom Fidelity standards. Few people are
interested in this style today, although it's not bad for what it is. They
occasionally drop out of the good-timey mood for a slightly moodier approach,
but still remain firmly in the trad/roots corner. Imagine 40 minutes of the US
Kaleidoscope in a basement rehearsing only their jug band material and
you get the idea. [PL]
"Fat Water"
1970 (MGM se-4660)
[ylp exists] Heavy organ guitar blues rocker with female
vocal, typical Big Brother & Janis-sound, some minor folk and psych
moves. Not bad for the genre with
strong vocals, some cutting leads, and not overly dull with the blues
moves. Worth checking out if you find it cheap.
"The Night's a Song" 1979 (Wolf) Garagy folkrock with deep thought singer songwriter moves.
[RM]
"Faxx" 1977 (Faxx no#) [500p] Hard rock.
"Fifth Avenue Band" 1969 (Reprise rs-6369) [wlp exists] Previously known as the Strangers, the Fifth Avenue Band
were signed by Reprise in the late 1960s. The band's self-titled 1969 debut was interesting for a
number of reasons, including the fact it teamed them with Lovin Spoonful
alumni Jerry Yester and Zal Yanvosky (Lovin' Spoonful producer Erik Jacobsen
handling five tracks). Certainly a result of the Lovin' Spoonful connection,
numerous reviews and references have compared "The Fifth Avenue
Band" to the Lovin' Spoonful catalog. To our ears, with the exception
of 'Nice Folks', the comparison isn't really there. With Altman and
Gallway responsible for the majority of material, the set was actually quite
diverse. The opener 'Fast Freight' recalled The Band-styled of rural rock;
'One Way or The Other' 'could haven been mistaken for The Fifth Dimension
(not kidding) and 'Good Lady of Toronto' sported a pretty country-rock
melody. Elsewhere, 'Eden Rock' sounded like something you would have heard
at a Sade concert. Sure, this LP won't change your life in any form or
fashion, but it's surprisingly engaging. [SB]
"Ding Dong the Witch is Dead"
1967 (Jubilee jgm-8005) [mono] As
was standard marketing practice, Jubilee rushed the group back into the
studio to record a supporting album for their unexpected hit 45 (the title
track). Co-produced by Steve and Bill Jerome, the LP proved surprisingly
accomplished with offered up an entertaining mix of styles. Clearly aimed
at a top-40 audience, the collection found the band taking more than
capable stabs at Lovin Spoonful styled folk-rock ('It's Waiting There for
You' and 'No. 1 Hippie On the Village Scene'), early country rock (a nifty
cover of Neil Diamond's 'I'm a Believer' - anyone know if their cover
pre-dates The Monkees version?) and an okay slice of blue-eyed soul
('Midnight Hour'). Interestingly, to our ears the band was at their best
on harder, more experimental numbers including the fuzz bass powered
psych-influenced 'Tomorrow Is My Turn', early social commentary ('Lost
Generation') and the Byrds-styled jangle rocker 'That's Love'. Not exactly
the year's most exciting release, it's still an interesting set that we
routinely pull out for a listen. [SB]
"Final Solution" 1967 (Dynarange 01)
Rare teenbeat & garage from Puerto
Rican college band in a cool cover. Not an over¬whelming musical experience,
but a neat moody ‘60s amateur guitar & organ trip that has been compared to
August and Flat Earth Society. It’s band originals all through. The LP was
pressed in the US.
"Emmett Finley" 1971 (Poison Ring PRR 2241) This LP offers up a decent mix of acoustic singer/songwriter
material ("So Easy", "Where He Cried Last Night" and
the pretty ballad "Paula's Song") with an occasional nod to
more rock oriented numbers ("Gospel"). While Finley turned in
a couple of nice guitar licks (check out "Monster"), the set's
most interesting feature is probably Finley's voice. It took a couple of
spins before we could place the resemblance, but then it struck us.
Finley has a kind of nasally/echo clad delivery that sounds like
"Walls and Bridges" era John Lennon. Nothing monumental, but
certainly worth a couple of spins and better than a lot of the higher
priced rarities being hyped by so many dealers. Noted CT area producer
Doc Cavalier handled this one, as with several Poison Ring releases. [SB]
Psychotic Reaction 1967 (GNP
Crescendo 2034) [mono]
Some great snotty fuzz exploitation
here. The cover says the group is from the San Francisco area, but this is
actually a Hollywood studio project, with arrangements credited to Michael
Lloyd. It’s half cover tunes including two Seeds tracks, one Music Machine
and one Count V. Interestingly, the stereo mix includes an instrumental
version of Thee Midniters’ “Love Special Delivery”, while the mono mix has
vocals. A Canadian pressing exists. As with most GNP Crescendos, the album
was reissued several times in runs very similar to the original. However,
mono versions are always original 60s pressings. [RM]
"Performance One" 197 (Sugar) Decent loner vibe, but a bit monotonous after a while. Nice spare use of steel guitar. [MA]
"The Cold Cathedral" 1969 (F.E.L. Records 362) 60s
era Christian folkrock LP with a fairly modern/secular sound, a Simon
& Garfunkel influence undermined by the somewhat froggy vocals, and
some mild psychy vibes on a good track like "Born to die".
Lowkey folkrock setting with electric piano.
"An Evening with Wildman Fischer" 1968 (Bizarre 2xs-6332) [2LPs; gatefold] [1] Raving lunatic psych.
He recorded a handful of LPs for Rhino in the late 1970s;
"Wildmania", "Pronounced Normal" and "Nothing
Scary". [RM]
"Food For Thought" 1976 (Kats Eye CS 8106)
Rootsy busker folk. Fishel relocated to the Mediterranean Islands in the late
1970s. He has several more albums after this.
"Heartbreak" 1975 (JSR)
Singer-songwriter divorce rock
obscurity that is beginning to raise some interest among genre fans.
"Next Exit" 1968 (Paula lps-2202) "Next
Exit" offered up a mix of the band's earlier singles and new studio
material; mainly cover versions. The wonderful 'Too Much Tomorrow' was the one exception
and also provided the stand out track making you wonder how good the album
would have been if they'd been given a little more creative freedom. Clearly
determined to maximize commercial potential, the set covered virtually every
musical niche imaginable including competent stabs at blue-eyed soul ('Soul
Man'), conventional top-40 pop, and frat rock (their earlier 'Shake a Tail
Feather' rave-up). Best of all were the band's stabs at psych oriented
material. Their raw cover of Joe South's 'Hush' easily put Deep Purple's
better known cover to shame. Similarly 'Nothing You Do', their wild take on
Love's '7 and 7 Is' (be sure to check out the re-channeled stereo with a
good pair of headphones), and the sitar propelled cover of The Sir Douglas
Quintet's 'She Digs My Love' were all worth hearing. [SB]
"Sneakers"
1968 (Snazz r-2371) [10"] [2] Notable for being the first really well-known self-released album, this 10-incher is also the Groovies album most likely to appeal to psych fans, with plenty of fuzz guitar. They’d get better, but this is still an enjoyable artifact with a few really nice songs. [AM] "Supersnazz"
1969 (Epic bn-26487) [1] The first major label Flamin Groovies album is a mish mosh of ideas, from retro 50s-style rockers to twisted pop to acoustic folk-shuffle songs. Most of it works, though as would be the case throughout their career, the excess of cover versions is a turnoff. Among the early classics here are “Laurie Did It” and “Around the Corner”. [AM] "Flamingo"
1970 (Kama Sutra ksbs-2021) [gatefold; pink label] [1] The album that established the Groovies as a no-nonsense rock band who didn’t give a crap about the scene around them, FLAMINGO is long on energy though somewhat short on songwriting. The high energy sound of Roy Loney’s band here gives no clue of the pop band they’d become in the 70s. The rough edges are appealing and it's a nice ride if you don't pay too much attention, but there aren’t any really killer songs on this album. [AM] "Teenage Head"
1971 (Kama Sutra
ksbs-2031) [pink label] [1] Easily
the best album from either incarnation of the Groovies, they here
perfected their mix of roots rock, high energy R&B and witty youth
anthems. What made all of the difference was not just improved
songwriting, but an expression of rage and angst previously missing from
their music. Often compared (favorably) to the Rolling Stones, but they
sound more like what would have become of 50s rockers if the Stones had
never happened. Stolen ideas abound, but that’s the point. The title
track is the perfect distillation of the teenage anger that came in the
wake of the 60s: “peace and love” turned into random violence. The
“head” of the title probably has nothing to do with sex *or* drugs,
but rather the barrage of disturbing thoughts in the singer’s cranium.
There’s humor here, but lots of depth and darkness as well. Both sides
of the album end with emotions flaring. More than the sum of its
considerable parts. [AM]
"Bite the Baby!" 1975 (Votsmouski) Avant garde anything goes freakout reminiscent of early
Mothers of Invention. [RM]
"Floating Opera" 1971 (Embryo sd-730) [die-cut gatefold; wlp exists] [1] The first two songs here are absolutely killer, making the rest
of the album pretty disappointing by comparison. “Song of The Suicides”
is a pained masterpiece with a stunning guitar solo and a melodic sound
that feels like Zerfas. “The Vision” is a hot powerful rocker with
some relentless organ playing by Carol Lees (many reviews of this album
mistakenly claim that she’s a singer. Apparently some people review
the album by just looking at the cover and not by listening to it, as
all of the album’s vocalists are male.) The other songs are lesser
variations on these two styles, without all that much inspiration,
though the playing is strong throughout. Contains a song called “Age
of Onan,” for those of you who collect odes to masturbation. [AM]
"Flow"
1970 (CTI 1003) [wlp exists] Jazzrock
with Don Felder (Eagles) on guitar. Recorded in New Jersey in late 1969. CTI
released mainly jazz.
FLUID OUNCES (NC) "Picked Green" 197 (Atteiram api-l 1501) Obscure release from local club band with soul and rock covers and a few possible originals. Some dealers have tried to hype it with little success. The label is Georgia-based, but the band seems to have been from North Carolina.
"Zoo Road" 1980 (Maniac) [lyrics insert] Hardrock/AOR/pomp-rock that has raised some interest with genre specialists.
"Trying To Escape" 1984 (no label 001) [5 inserts; poster] Avant garde/industrial
soundscapes, pre-Catharsis.
"For Friends" 1969 (Austin Records AHS 33-6902)
Yet another behind the times folk-boom
combo from Texas, performing mid '60s-sounding romantic folk material with
some brief glances towards the westcoast (a Buffalo Springfield cover).
Mostly originals, in a light folkrock setting plus an unspecified instrument
that sounds almost like an accordion. The quartet is Bob Webb, George
Crosby, Gary Parker and Hawkins Menefee.
"Cumulo Nimbus" 1975 (Fable F-101) [2-3] Hippie
jazz/funk rock guitar-led jamming.
“Illusions Of Hope” 1972 (RPC AZ 66401)
Live recording of vocal harmony
folk-group, in the same generic sleeve as the second Fenner, Leland &
O’Brien.
"Love is Alive and Well"
1967 (Tower t-5080) [mono] [1] "Born to Be Wild"
1968 (Imperial lp-12413)
[1] "Outrageous"
1969 (Imperial lp-12423)
[1] "Good Clean Fun" 1969 (Imperial lp-12443) [1] "I'm Bad" 1972 (Capitol st-11075) "International Heroes" 1973 (Capitol st-11159) "Automatic" 1974 (Capitol st-11248) "Animal God of the Street"
1974 (Skydog sgkf-001, France) Far more important as a producer, scenemaker, and talent scout
than as a performer. His 60s lps on Imperial are fine examples of the Sunset
Strip exploito psych sound with trippy organ and guitar effects. By the 70s,
his own music had lost much of his edge as he struggled vainly to latch on
to the latest trend. As a producer, often with considerable help from
Michael Lloyd, Fowley was an always interesting, if heavy-handed, exploiter
of garage, psychedelic, and heavy rock music during the 60s and 70s. [RM]
"Conception"
1970 (Lizard a-20103) [gatefold;
wlp exists] Like
their Lizard labelmates Jamul, these guys play a relentless form of hard
rock that works in spades. There’s a strong garagey/punky feel, though the
guitar distortion is definitely of its time. There are covers of three very
recognizeable songs, and while those are powerful and done in a distinctive
way, the original songs are so good that it’s disappointing the album
couldn’t have been filled with them. Strong, solid, tough vocals and loud
guitars dominate. A good one. [AM] "Relax
Your Mind" 1994 (CD Collectables COL-CD-0570) "Where am I? / Up in the
sky / Should I be this high? / If my brain should sever, / I’d be here
forever...". Sounds like a sixties punk band making a move into a
more progressive sound stoked out of their minds on strong acid. This is
an unsung masterpiece, dating from 1968, with a crazed under current to
the whole experience. The tragically poor sound quality barely detracts
from its brilliance, the CD is sourced from a cassette tape. If a better
source exists, the Department of Psychedelic Archaeology needs to find
it. Effects abound, every track exists in the blissful netherworld
between snot-punk and prog/hard rock. They know they can’t just sing
about girls and cars anymore, so they heavy up the sound and wax
philosophical. Empirical evidence for my ‘theory’ that the only
progressive bands worth hearing possess virtually no “technical”
expertise and definitely no degrees in Astrophysics or Fine Art. [RI]
"Permanently Stated" 1969 (Paula lps-2201) His
pop psychy one. Quite good for the faded pop act trying to trip out for the
new generation ala The Five Americans' "Progression". [RM]
"Kites Are Fun"
1967 ('Project 3' pr-5019-sd)
[gatefold; also exists as wlp] [1] "You Could
Be Born Again" 1968 ('Project 3' pr-5031-sd)
[gatefold] [1] "Heaven
/ Earth" 1969 ('Project 3' pr-5037-sd)
[gatefold; also exists as wlp] [1] "Stars/ Time/ Bubbles/ Love"
1970 ('Project 3' pr-5045-sd) [gatefold]
[1] "Sing For Very Important People"
1970 ('Project 3' pr-4006-sd) [gatefold]
[1] "One by One"
1971 ('Project 3' pr-5061-sd) [gatefold]
[1] "There is a Song"
1972 (Ambrotype 1016) [1-2?] A group of brothers and sisters perform saccharine bubblepop love trips that
drift into the ozone. The first lp is the trippiest, but they all are so
airy and innocent they are perfect to dream by. Chris Dedrick also recorded
an unreleased 1972 solo album. 'Project 3' records in general are becoming
popular among audiophiles for Enoch Light's innovative use of stereo
seperation. There is also a number of recent CD compilations on the Spanish
Siesta label. [RM]
"The Game of Rock and Roll" 1975 (Hideout h-1007) [game insert] Bizarre mix of grade-Z Elvis imitations and x-rated
comedy bits! Hideout was a famed garage band label. [RM] FREEZE BAND (Phoenix, AZ) "Freeze Band" 1978 (Vista 32802)
Eclectic dual guitar progressive jammers
running the gamut from rural, to Southern, to jazz and funk. The band also had a
track on the local "Arizona Dream" compilation. FRIENDS ( ) "Time For A Crossing" 1977 (R.P.C.) [insert] Basement folk on vanity label.
"Village Fugs Sing Ballads of Contemporary Protest" 1966 (Broadside 304) [lyrics insert] [2] "First
Album" 1966 (ESP Disk 1018)
[1-2] "Fugs"
1966 (ESP Disk 1028) [1] "Fugs 4, Rounders Score"
1967 (ESP Disk 2018) [1] This
entry covers their early Broadside/ESP era only. Freak folkrock lunatics.
Engaging mix of parody and countercultural
philosophy. Ed Sanders was a beatnik poet and operated the Peace Eye
Bookstore in the East Village (New York City). He joined up with like-minded
Tuli Kupferberg and some friends to form the Fugs. Peter Stampfel and Peter
Weber (both of Holy Modal Rounders) also played with the group. The Fugs
broke up around 1971 and reformed in 1984 with several reunion LPs.
There's also an archival Big Beat CD release "Live from the
60s". [RM]
"Here Comes" 1968 (RPC 47872)
Amateur teenage male & female vocal harmony
folk. Fun covers of "Light My Fire" and "The Times They Are a Changin'" and a very
odd version of "Sinner Man", possibly some originals. Not terribly
good, but may interest genre collectors and
RPC specialists. Poor, distant-sounding recording. Same generic red/white frame cover as the Gents.
The group featured one 'Rex Richardson', which may or may not be the same guy
who had the rare loner folk LP 10 years later. [PL]
"Pyromancy" 1977 (Stone Post 12)
Pro-sounding AOR from Kansas City area
band, partly recorded at Leon Russell's Tulsa studio. Sometimes listed as
"hardrock", but it's more of a melodic FM rock sound, with some good guitar
leads, occasional keyboards, tight playing and average, non-macho vocals.
May appeal to REO Speedwagon fans. Rural rock aspirations on a couple of
tunes. FREDDIE GAGE (Houston, TX) "Pulpit In The Shadows" 197 (Rainbow 1044) "Drugs
& Youth" 197 (Rainbow 2007)
"All My Friends Are Dead" 197 (Rainbow) Infamous
tough-guy "turned-on preacher" with a dubious reputation,
involved in the TX teen scene during the late 1960s-early 1970s. I've
only heard "Drugs & Youth" which is a reasonably
entertaining sermon, while "All My Friends Are Dead" has a
fabulous cover. Spoken word bible belt dementia that fits well into any
serious collection of Americana. A related LP is Sammy Tippit
"Lonely Faces" (Rainbow 2031), which comes out of Gage's
organisation and rips off the same government anti-drug brochure as
"Drugs & Youth" for the cover art.
"An Audience with the King of
Wands" 1968 (Columbia cl-2825) [mono; white label promo]
[1] Garnett’s first “rock” record spotlights her lovely deep voice but doesn’t have much kick to it. One eastern flavored song stands out amongst a pleasant but ultimately dull set. Includes an unnecessary version of Fred Neil’s “Dolphins” sung by one of the guys. These albums aren’t as likely to appeal to psych fans as the similar, but further out, excursions by Carolyn Hester. [AM] "Sausalito Heliport" 1969 (Columbia cs-9760) [360 sound label] The second Gentle Reign album is an improvement over the first. The
Digger-like philosophy espoused in the liner notes comes through in the
music, which ranges from weird family comedy-drama (“Freddy Mahoney,”
with Gale as the frustrated mom) to lovely ballads (“My Mind’s Own
Morning”) to all-out psychedelia (“Water Your Mind.”) The album’s
too long and is somewhat unfocused, but there are some really good songs on
this one. [AM]
"The Wozard of Iz, An Electronic
Odyssey" 196 (A&M sp-4156) [tan label] [1] Late
1960s electronics effects psych and moog rock. Well-played exploito.
Garson also released a number of astrology-related records on A & M
circa 1970. [RM]
"Keep On Truckin’" 1974 (Vocal EKLP 102)
Rural rock bar-band with a healthy
share of fuzzed rock covers from the late 1960s, like ”Jumpin’ Jack Flash”
and ”Magic Carpet Ride”.
"A Religious Rock Service" 197 (Covenant 6312)
Jewish x-ian rock service with garage teen backing group. Sitar
on one track (this has been comp'd), haunting melodies, femme choir, and
overblown vocals in the Ylvisaker tradition. Likely to appeal to 'real people'
fans. [RM]
"Excerpts From An Evening With" 1964 (Melody MS-101)
High school project LP behind which
lofty title one can find mostly square folk and classical music. The Simon
Gates band provide an OK garage cover of "Around And Around" (retitled) and
a guitar/organ instro, both highlighted by ambitious drumming.
"Gathering At The Depot" 1970 (Beta s80-47-1414s)
Local bands recorded live, with unique
tracks from the Litter, Thundertree, Danny’s Reasons, and others. There’s a
cover of former Minnesotan Bob Dylan’s “Dear Landlord”. The Depot was a rock
club in Minneapolis.
"It's Not About Notes Anymore" 1979 (no label) This
is occasionally pitched to psych heads, but is usually rated as an art/punk era
artifact with free jazz moves, and listed here only for reference. The Bay Area
band were going for many years and had a couple of 7-inch release.
"I Want To Hold Your Hand" 1965 (Globe 6006) Beatles
covers throughout.
"Sidney George" 1976 (no label)
Lo-fi mid 1970s rock with a sleazy real-people feel, some flute
and wah-wah guitar.
"Comes Forth"
1968 (Uni 73037) This
easy to find
debut has caught some interest lately, and is nice psych rock with all the moves; pop rock harmonies,
plastic exploito, seedy fuzz bursts, trippy hippie lyrics. The followup ("Cool
It Helios", 1969) heads a bit more into a soul rock direction.
This was yet another venture from the productive Ernie Joseph.
"Gift" 1974 (no label) [gatefold] Obscure folkrock with
Christian vibe.
"Glass Family Electric Band" 1968 (Warner Brothers ws-1776) [green label; wlp exists] The album cover shows the band as part of a huge extended
family/commune. The music within, though, is clearly from the brain of
one talented and self-directed songwriter. It veers from almost heavy
psych to guitar pop to rural rock, all of it well-written and cleverly
produced. The three heavy songs with lots of fuzz guitar will grab your
attention immediately, but it won’t take long for the rest of the
album to grow on you too. Great record, and still easy to find for a low
price. [AM]
"Glass
Harp" 196 (United Audio acetate) The acetate material remains unreleased but is an enjoyable late 60s beat-fuzz effort including a couple of Beatles covers. "Glass Harp"
1971 (Decca dl-75261) [1] Excellent psych rock with wailing leads by Phil Keaggy, orchestration,
floating vocals. John Cale pitches on electric viola. The band had two more
LPs for Decca. [RM]
"Poe through the Glass Prism" 1969 (RCA lsp-4201) "On Joy and Sorrow" 1970 (RCA) The debut is guilty pleasure organ rock versions of poetry by Edgar
Allan Poe. Engineered by Les Paul. [RM]
"Ride On" 1970 (GIA 123) Well-known Jesus music vocal harmony folkrock group led by Tom Belt with several releases, this one usually rated as their best. Contains a long song with lots of lead guitar and some spooky folky songs as well. The self-titled debut from the late 1960s (Century 34122) supposedly also has its moments. None of these LPs are expensive.
"Contact High with the Godz"
1966 (ESP Disk 1037) [mono; poster] [1] "Godz 2"
1967 (ESP Disk 1047) [1] "Third Testament"
1968 (ESP Disk 1077) [1] "Alien"
199 (ESP 3008, Germany) These
pioneer goofballs are true, um, godz, to “real people” musicians of the
70s and no-talent indie-rockers of the 80s and 90s. They claim that the
first album was recorded and written in the time it takes to listen to it
and the liner notes proclaim that they “don’t give a good goddamn” if
we like it or not. The crazy thing is that though they don’t know how to
play and don’t even try to sing in tune this stuff is reasonably engaging,
and at only 25 minutes it doesn’t have time to wear out its welcome. The
second and third album don’t seem as naturally spontaneous, and are a lot
longer, but if you’re a fan of this kind of thing you’ll probably pass
the endurance test. GODZUNDHEIT came much later, and is a “real” album,
full of rather mundane singer-songwriter stuff. It does, however, include an
earlier single, “The Whiffenpoof Song,” which is easily the coolest
thing they ever did. Jim McCarthy also released a credible solo album on
ESP, entitled ALIEN. It’s similar to GODZUNDHEIT, but better. Still, I
suspect most of you will prefer CONTACT HIGH WITH THE GODZ. [AM]
"We Need A Little Christmas" 196 (Metromedia 1012) Ten woman group
from, Dean Martin show doing soft harmony pop psych.
"The World of Good & Plenty Company" 1967 (Senate 21001) I'll readily admit that I bought
this one at a yard sale for the eye catching period piece flower power
cover. Can't say that I have a clue as to whom Douglas Good and Ginny
Plenty were, though my best guess is that this was a studio entity put
together by producers/writers Wes Farrell and Tony Romeo. Produced by
Farrell and Romeo (they also wrote, or co-wrote all eleven tracks), 1967's
"The World of Good & Plenty" was certainly a period piece.
Neither Good nor Plenty (love the names), were much in the way of singers,
but it almost didn't matter given the quality psych-lite material they
were given. Of the two Plenty's voice was the most noticeable, if only due
to the fact on tracks like 'Beautiful People' and 'Livin' In a World of
Make Believe' she displayed a rather shrill, pseudo-operatic delivery.
Good was far more anonymous, although that was particularly well suited
for the album's most commercial numbers - 'She Is the We of Me'.
Similarly, musically the album wasn't particularly original, falling in
the same general category as material by the likes of The Gentle Soul, or
perhaps early period The Mamas and the Papas. That said, Farrell and Romeo
were both accomplished writers with a knack for penning stuff that
threatened to worm itself into your head. The only real loser here was the
hideous vaudevillian-styled 'The Guy Who Did Me In' (which sounded like a
Mama Cass solo effort). [SB]
"Good Soil" 197 (Barn Recording Studio) Mainstream Christian folkrock with Marsha Rollings of Anonymous/J Rider on vocals.
"Tones" 1968 (Verve 5062) [ylp exists]
Mellow pop with one great soft psych song, “Year Of The Sun.”
They tend to get compared to the Association, but they lack the melodic
charm of that band. Mostly this is pretty bland. “Year Of The Sun” is on
one of the Fading Yellow comps, and is better heard in that context. [AM]
"Heavy Cowboy" 1970 (TRX LPS1002) Gove
Scrivenor, folkrock/singer songwriter with extended version of "Morning
Dew", on Hickory subsidiary.
"Graceful Head" 199 (Excelsior) This is a "fake original" made in the 90s and passed off as a
rarity by an unscrupulous record dealer. The material is
from 1976 tapes.
"Graduates" 197 (Renegade 1003) [1]
Semi-competent early 70s lounge rockers. Mostly covers including
"Let It Be", "Hey Jude", "Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself Again" (good one),
and a lightning rendition of "Come And Get It".
"Music For The Struggle By Asians In America "1973 (Paredon P-1020) [2 inserts] Asian American folk music lamenting
about the inhuman obstacles that prevent them form having their slice of the
American dream. The music is pretty much your standard coffee house style: a
couple acoustic guitars with up-front vocals (male & female). Some songs
pick up the pace with congas and bass, maracas and even flute on one song. Not
bad but no reason to break your piggy bank. Lyric wise, inconsistent but a few
songs are powerful testaments about the human spirit and fight to survive. The
Paredon label specializes in music, poetry, interviews and speeches that mainly
focus on socialist and communist movements around the world. [JSB]
“The Grandeurs” 196 (JH-1001) [no sleeve?]
An obscure teenbeat-club LP, possibly issued without sleeve. The
album includes covers of ”Wooly Bully” and a typical club band selection of
British beat, soul and frat numbers.
"Better Days Ahead" 1970 (Paragon 294) Rock trio doing Creedence, Janis Joplin covers plus originals, on the same label as Christmas.
"Green Lyte Sunday" 1970 (RCA Victor LSP-4327) This one gets mixed reviews across
the spectrum with a lot of reviews leaving the impression these guys were
pretty wimpy. For what it's worth, they're not that wimpy and I come down
as a fan... Singer/keyboard player Michael Losekamp had been a late-inning
member of The Cyrkle (replacing Earl Pickens). Following that group's
break-up he apparently returned to his native Dayton, Ohio where the
late-1960s found him working with Green Lyte Sunday. Showcasing the
talents of Losekamp, woodwind player Fly Barlow, singer Susan Darby,
guitarist Jason Hollinger, drummer Rick Kalb and bassist James Wyatt, the
band attracted the attention of King Records which signed them to a
contract resulting in the 1969 single 'She's My Lover' b/w 'Lenore' (King
catalog number 6178). While the single did nothing commercially, it
attracted the attention of RCA Victor, which promptly picked up the band.
Recorded in Hollywood with Peter Shelton producing, 1970's "Green
Lyte Sunday" featured an interesting mix of originals (largely penned
by Losekamp) rounded out by a series of three covers - a Joni Mitchell
effort and two Laura Nyro compositions. Musically the album offered up a
pleasant mixture of breezy pop with some nice jazzy touches ('Glen Helen'
and 'What Makes Him Happy') and tougher rock moves ('Happy Happy' and
'Woman's Blues'). Darby and Losekamp were both impressive singers (Darby
was particularly good), and while their silky smooth group harmonies drew
apt comparisons to the likes of The Free Design, or The Gentle Soul
numbers such as 'Lenore' and 'High Up in the Sky' benefited from fuzz
guitar and other rock touches. (One or two more rock songs and this would
be a four star collectable.) [SB]
"Common Time" 1978 (Euphonic) Local LP whose
most remarkable aspect is the sleeve, made out like a 10-page spiral-bound book.
Despite occasional seller hype, the music has been described as "corny love
songs".
"You
Just Can't Buy It" 197 (private)
"The
World's Filled With Love" 1968 (ABC s-634)
"Grootna" 1971 (Columbia C 31033) This one caught my eye due to
the colorful cover and the fact the producer was none other than
Jefferson Airplane/Starship's Marty Balin. That said, here's
another one I can't say I know much about. The line-up consisted of
bassist Kelly Bryan, rhythm guitarist Slim Chance (aka Austin De Leon),
former Country Joe and the Fish/Mad River drummer Greg Dewey (aka Dewey
DeGrease), singer Anna Rizzo, lead guitarist Vic Smith and keyboard
player Richard Sussman (who had previously played with Elephant's
Memory). The group came together in 1971, cutting their chops on
Berkeley, California's thriving music scene. With help from supporter
Balin, the group caught the attention of Columbia Records, which signed
them to a recording contract in 1971. Produced by Balin, 1971's cleverly
titled "Grootna" featured a surprisingly impressive set of
West Coast-styled rock. The band sported three capable lead singers in
DeGrease, Rizzo and Smith. Rizzo's bluesy voice was probably the best of
the lot, though on material such as 'Going To Canada' and 'Waitin' for
My Ship' she bore a passing resemblance to Janis Joplin. Exemplified by
tracks such as the lead off rocker 'I'm Funky' the set was full of
enthusiastic performances. Special notice to Smith who turned in a
couple of nice leads on 'That's What You Get' and 'Customs (In It All
Over)'. Sure, the set wasn't perfect. 'Young Woman's Blues' and 'Road
Fever' were pedestrian blues and boogie numbers, but the overall package
was quite impressive. Columbia also pulled a pair of instantly obscure
singles from the LP. With the album and both singles tanking Columbia
rapidly lost interest in the band and by mid-1972 they were history.
[SB]
"A Mouth In The Clouds" 1968 (Community a-101) Solid co-ed psych album that’s a lot wilder than, say, the Yankee
Dollar/Ivory/Growing Concern type of post-Airplane band. Highlight is “Hiya”,
on which the singer goes completely off the deep end. They’re pretty
goofy, but not at the expense of their songwriting. Lots of far out guitar
playing too. Entertaining album. An alternate 45 version of
"Hiya" has been comp'd on Pebbles. [AM]
“The White Barn Series” 1981 (Tetrasonics 11382) [inner]
Some people have reported liking this
album, which is yet another obscure contribution to the vast field of
Midwestern rural rock. The combined westcoast and swamprock elements typical
for these albums are present, and as such it’s reminiscent of Boaz or Sugar
Bear. However, the Grubers display a predilection for country-pop aesthetics
(with bland, predictable moods and simplistic refrains) which is hardly to
their advantage. In the right time and place, with a few Millers under your
belt, they probably sounded just right, but on vinyl 30 years later, you
have to ask yourself just how close to Dr Hook you want to stretch the
‘rural rock’ genre? The playing is very tight, as are the vocal harmonies,
and combined with the pro-sounding recording this sounds like a second-tier
major label release more than anything else. It’ll work as background music
at a barbecue, but is not even in the same universe as Modlin & Scott or
Cambridge. [PL]
"Permanently Damaged"
1969 (Straight sts-1059) [book] [1-2] Frank Zappa project featuring a female group
doing crazed novelty rock about groupie life. The Mothers of Invention and
friends provide the backing. [RM]
"Guillotine" 1971 (Ampex) [gatefold] Bluesy fuzz rock with screaming vocal and organ.
[RM] "Gypsy" 1970 (Metromedia 1031) [2LP set] "In The Garden" 1971 (Metromedia 1044) This LP features the killer track "Another Way" which has been comp'd. "Antithesis" 1972 (RCA
LPS-4775) Anyone hearing this band's
progressive moves would find it hard to believe they started out as the
Minneapolis-based garage rockers The Underbeats. With the first two albums
having vanished with little recognition, new label RCA apparently
insisted on some musical changes. Accordingly, the third all original
set found the band tinkering with their patented UK-progressive
influenced sound. As before, the album's underpinnings remained firmly
planted in a progressive mode, but this time around the band turned in a
series of compositions with shorter and more focused song structures.
While tracks such as 'Crusader' and 'Facing Time' weren't quite pop,
they were surprisingly commercial and would have sounded quite good on
FM radio - in fact two of the more commercial numbers 'Day After Day'
b/w 'Lean On Me' were released as a single. Exemplified by tracks such
as 'Young Gypsy' and 'Don't Bother Me' the set was full of strong
melodies and some interesting arrangements. Not meant as an insult, but
on tracks such as 'Travelin' Minnesota Blues (Go Gophers)' and 'So Many
Promises' the album reminds us of early David Pack and Ambrosia.
Needless to say, longstanding progressive fans were appalled by the
change in direction, while the album simply wasn't commercial enough for
top-40 radio. [SB] "Unpredictable!" 196 (Sidewalk dt-5904) 55
year-old nature boy disciple of Eden
Ahbez does his own Hollywood weirdness. [RM]
"Dance,
Sing, and Listen Again & Again" 1965 ('Dimension 5')
[2] "Way-Out Record For Children" 1968 ('Dimension 5' d-131) [2] "Electronic Record For Children" 1969 ('Dimension 5' d-141) [?] "Electric
Lucifer" 1970 (Columbia cs-9991) [lyric insert] [1] Haack went from children’s music to full-blown rock opera weirdness here. As an early rock-oriented moog album, it has its ups and downs. Some of it aims for heavy but comes off silly, but at other times the noises and effects are truly inspiring. Not in the same league as United States off America or Fifty Foot Hose, but an enjoyable listen. [AM] "Hush
Little Robot" 199 (QDK, Germany) [gatefold] Moog
and psychy electronics weirdness. His 'Dimension 5' recordings are
fascinating electronic kiddie music featuring 'Miss Nelson and Bruce'.
Miss Nelson is his partner, Esther Nelson. Ted Pandel also contributes
on the 'Dimension 5' LPs. [RM]
"One Kiss Leads To Another" 1970 (Kama Sutra 2025) Great odd album that answers the
question “what would the Velvet Underground sound like if they had
come from a folk background?” They can’t decide if they’re hippies
or artsy weirdos, and this record makes one think they could have pulled
off either if they really wanted to. It ranges from stark slow ballads
that recall the third VU album to upbeat folk-rock to moody psych
numbers with some great unhinged organ and guitar playing. Some of the
lyrics are introspective. Others are ditties about bananas, the joys of
radio, and drag races in which the driver’s girlfriend falls out of
the car window. Something here to appeal to every variation of freak out
there. Given that so many 70s and 80s music hipsters cite it as an
influence, why hasn’t this been reissued? [AM]
"Buyer Beware" 197 (no label)
Mid-70s rural rock with mixed vocals.
"Spaceship" 197 (no label) Confused
local outing that covers several styles but has new wave/power pop/AOR
moves with crazy and oddly effective synth bursts throughout, as well as
some good guitar leads. At times it sounds quite a bit like Marcus-House
Of Trax, which may say a few things about Marcus too. The title track is
fun, but the amateur vocals are a bit of a problem. Sounds like a late
70s/early 80s release.
"Cosmic Key" 197 (SRS International)
Local early 70s lounge pop from quartet
with pretty female vocalist. The sound is stripped down and somewhat
amateurish, which is not a disadvantage. Lady Jean sings OK, and shines on
the album's obvious high-point, the title track original (she wrote it),
which would have fit well on the Jade Stone & Luv album. There is one more
OK original and the rest is typical lounge combo covers, including a long
"Hair" medley, Beatles, CSNY, "Mr Bojangles" etc. Above average for genre
fans, house in a generic sun-dial sleeve (Emmaus Road Band variety). [PL]
"Kabbalat Shabbat" 1968 (TJU) Mix of folk, rock, and traditional Jewish songs.
The band's performances are part of a live 'Electric Rock Worship Service
for a Sabbath's Eve'. The record also includes excerpts from a Jewish
religious service and was issued by the temple at which it was performed.
The group went on to moderate success, recording jazzy progressive LPs on
the Philips and Bell labels. [RM]
"Hammer" 1970 (San Francisco SD 203) Anyone expecting to hear a standard set of early-1970s San Francisco psych is liable to be a little disappointed by the David Rubinson produced "Hammer", however if you give the album a chance, it turns out to be quite enjoyable. Musically the album's all over the roadmap, including stabs at pop, rock, classical (the instrumental 'Pain and Tears') and even some jazzy interludes ('Sweet Sunday Morning'). Let me warn you that as lead singer DeRoberts is somewhat of an acquired taste. On tracks such as 'Something Easy' and 'Charity Taylor' he occasionally reminds me of Journey's Steve Perry. He also has a habit of reaching for those high notes that leaves me shuddering. Obviously, that may pose a problem for some folks. On the other hand, DeRoberts is surrounded by a first rate band that churn out some first-rate performances . Among them, 'Hangover Horns' is a great rocker, the scat instrumental 'Tuane' is kind of cool and guitarist O'Brien and keyboardist Landsberg show off some nifty chops on the instrumental 'Death To a King'. Not essential listening, but certainly an interesting addition to the catalog of San Francisco-based groups. [SB] "Hammer"
1970 (Press Well Records) [test pressing] Hardrock with organ.
This test press may be the unreleased second album by the wellknown Westcoast band who had a 1970 LP on Bill Graham's
San Francisco label.
"Music
to Eat" 1971 (Columbia g-30555) [2LPs; gatefold; 360 Sound
label] Heavy tripped guitar jams like Numbers Band.
Featuring Glenn Phillips, who would later release two LPs on the Snow Star
label of hard guitar prog instros ("Lost At Sea", 1975 and "Dark Light", 1980)
and continues to record and perform.
"One Ruined Life (Of a Bronzed Tourist)" 1978 (Pine Tree Records)
After 15 years of playing in regional
bands, beginning with the Hampton Grease Band that released a 1969 album on
Columbia Records, Bruce Hampton releases his first solo album. By this time,
Hampton is on a total different trip than his days with his first band. The
freak element remains but instead of long guitar excursions, the listener
gets experiments of multifarious music that is strategically stitched
together to constitute a finished song. Material made-up of skewed styles
like eclectic freak folk with dissonant jazz jams, awkward blues grooves,
gospel r&b with an angry preacher sermon , clarinet lead New Orleans style
jazz breaks, a track of tribal hippie chants with energetic rhythms and a
few demented spoken word stories with imaginative music and loads of crazy
effects. Besides the whacked arrangements, the band occasionally plays
obscure or homemade instruments like a chazoid (small guitar), potarth,
deralator, creel and a blator. Occasionally, the music may mildly hint at
having a similarity to Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa recordings, but the
comparison would be more accurate if they both swallowed as much acid as all
members of the 13th Floor Elevators. Unforeseeably, with the support of
Generation X’s large number of Nuevo-Hippies, Hampton finally achieved
success in the early 90’s as Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit.
He continues touring as Col. Bruce Hampton or with his various bands, and
performs from private parties to mega outdoor shows like Bonnaroo. Hampton
has also been successful as an actor in movies like Sling Blade and the cult
classic Outside Out. [SLB]
"Bitter Sweet"
1967 (Monument mlp-8077) [mono] Teenbeat
including some pre-Beatle pop covers, an extended "Gloria"
and inferior re-recordings of the band's local hits "What A Girl
Can't Do" and "Faces". Despite the band's long-running
popularity the album isn't very highly rated, unlike those excellent
45s.
"Piece of Mind" 1969 (Jubilee JGS-8028) [gatefold; gimmick cover] 1969's self-produced "Piece of
Mind" is unlike anything else in the Happenings' catalog. Like many of
their contemporaries (The Four Seasons and The Tokens readily come
to mind), this album was apparently a last ditch effort to modernize
the group's sound in the hopes of expanding their rapidly dwindling
audience. The results aren't perfect, but anyone who knows these
guys for hits such as 'See You In September' and 'Go Away Little
Girl' will be amazed to hear original material such as 'Heartbeat',
'Living In Darkness' and 'Be My Brother'. With bassist Dave Libert
and guitarist Bob Miranda responsible for the majority of the twelve
tracks, the band turned in surprisingly impressive slices of
lite-psych and rock. An impressive blend of their patented harmony
vocals and some interesting studio effects, the set's high points
are probably the rocking 'Don't You Think It's Time' and the six
minute plus 'Imagine'. In addition to an interesting song structure
the latter even sports a cool Eastern-flavored Bernie LaPorta guitar
solo. One more song like that and the LP would've warranted four
stars. Besides, ever imagine you'd hear these guys singing a song
entitled 'Where Do I Go / Be In (Hare Krishna)'? Mind you, old
habits die hard and it was probably too much to expect the group to
totally abandon their old ways. 'Cold Water', 'New Day Comin'' and
the country-flavored 'Piece of Mind' were sufficiently schmaltzy to
appeal to their older fans. The bizarre cover art is almost worth an
additional half star. [SB]
"Happenings At The Gathering" 1968 (KFUO 68-4585, 3LPs)
Three-LP set from Lutheran
shindig of note mostly for containing several tracks of John Ylvisaker doing
acoustic versions of some of his Avantgarde LP favorites. The rest is a
mixed bag of Christian sounds.
"Blew Mind"
1968 (World Pacific
wp-1867) [mono] [1]
Cool jangle guitar pop rockers with harmonies and a dreamy psych title
track. With Larry Byrom (Steppenwolf, T.I.M.E.). Band member Rudy Romero
later had a solo LP on the Tumbleweed label.
"Hardwater" 1968 (Capitol st-2954) [1] The Astronauts trade in their surf licks for fuzz guitars, and the
world is for the better. Nice, if slight, jangly guitar popsike. Three songs
here are also on the Yankee Dollar album, though overall I think this is
actually a better record. It’s not the most original album, but if you’re
a junkie for the sound you’ll enjoy it. [AM]
"Harlequin Mass"
1978 (Mass Productions mas-333) Indie label prog album that sounds pretty much like the major label
prog bands of the era. Slick production, competent instrumentation and
ambitious ideas don’t make up for a lack of songwriting inspiration. There’s
some cool synth and some decent guitar, but other than the very catchy “Loss
Of A Friend” the songs tend to drag. The female lead vocalist (on about
half of the songs) has a nice voice but not a whole lot of charm. Some
regard this one highly, but then again some people like Kayak and Camel. The
CD also contains their post-LP 1982 EP (done as Stubborn Puppet). Despite
being a local release, copies seem to be plentiful at this point. [AM]
"Harper and Rowe" 1968 (World Pacific wps-21882) [gatefold]
Flower pop studio psych that came out a lot better than it should have. Fun
loungy cheese vocals and lyrics, nice trippy cover.
"Harumi"
1968 (Verve Forecast ft-3030-2) [2LPs; gatefold; mono;
wlp] [1]
Japanese psych featuring many native instruments, has attracted some minor
cult appeal over the years. Vocals in both English and
Japanese.
"Havenstock River Band" 1972 (Impress imps-1615) [gatefold] Rural guitar
piano rock, barband sound with Christian concerns. Led by Glenn
Yarbrough.
"Genuine Electric Latin Love Machine" 196 (Command) [gatefold]
Credited to Hayman it's actually Walter Sear providing the electronics and
Vinnie Bell plays sitar (gotta love those Latin sitarists!). Classic
moogertronics. BILL HAYMES (TX) "I Shall Be Released" 197 (Resist bh-101)
Houston label release from local
college student, originally from Missouri. It’s early 1970s solo guitar
folkie peace, love, and protest, with half cover versions (such as the Dylan
title track). Haymes had a second album on Resist in the mid-‘70s, titled
USA, and a more recent CD release as well.
"The Guide, Part 1" 1982 (KVH)
Guitar keyboards space progressive from ex-Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah guy.
"Heard" 1967 (Audio House acetate) [1-sided 10” acetate]
Drawing members from two local
high-school bands, this 1-sided album offers four tracks and a total of 11
minutes to get into the Heard trip. The band is a lot more energetic than
the Chosen Ones, with an obvious ambition to create a true soul groove
rather than just sanitizing Memphis numbers for the wedding crowd. Vocalist
-- none other than future Nashville music biz mogul Garth Fundis -- sounds
like he would fit better in a snotty garage band but gives it an
enthusiastic shot anyway. Apart from a charming, energetic opener ”I Dig
Girls” the tracks are played unusually slow which combined with a confident
drummer makes it sound almost late ‘60s in execution. Did I mention that
there’s a full horn section? The sound is remini¬scent of some of the more
bizarre Justice label teen acts, with a strong recording and a nice live
feel to their advantage. Not garage nor psych nor beat, this is a Midwest
horn band doing Billboard r’n’b 100 covers. The vocalist and bass player
later joined the Upside Dawne. [PL]
"At Last" 1978 (Armadillo arlp-78-1)
Hard guitar blues rock.
"Hentchmen" 1966 (Sanders no #) [no sleeve]
Teenbeat demo LP from NYC recording
studio.
"Here Comes Everybody" 1974 (Cab 101)
Westcoast sound stoner bar-band with
side-long "L' Opera: Johnny Got His Raygun", in handmade cover.
"Dope on Dope" 1970 (Cold Shot Enterprises) [2LPs; gatefold] [1] "Dope on Dope"
1971 (Enterprise ens-1022)
Goofy comic radio show about the joys of dope! Mix of spoken word and heavy
guitar tracks.
"Music From Mountains, Rivers And Oceans" 197 (no label 45640)
Eastern influenced trance folk.
"Highwind" 1980 (Forum FR 1001)
Pomprock-AOR with keyboard & guitar.
The band worked on this LP for more than a year, and had some heavy music
business names involved.
"Hill Country Faith Festival '74" 1974 (ACR-KNO-BEL 33-7427)
Moody Christian folk with a good pre-LP
Redemption track. Also has Trinity, Cliff Lockear, Glory Bound, Children of
Faith. Lo-fi recording and noisy press.
"Hillmen" 1970 (Together 1012) [1] Bluegrass folk with Chris Hillman (Byrds).
"It Takes So Long But It's Worth Waiting For" 1976 (Tiger Lily 14021) [2] One
of the most obscure titles on the infamously obscure Tiger Lily tax-scam
label, 1970s soul-rock that may have been recorded earlier than the
release year. Interestingly, a "Steven Hines" wrote most of the
tracks on another Tiger Lily album, a soul-oriented title by Clydie King
(TL 14037), and also plays keyboards on it. Hines collaborated with female
soul singer C M Lord, who wrote several tracks on this LP.
"Danny Holien" 1972 (Tumbleweed TWS 102) [gatefold; booklet] Steven
Stills-style singer/songwriter
on an indepent Denver label that had several interesting releases around
this time. This one actually made a brief entry into the album charts.
Holien also appears on the Robb Kunkel LP.
"Holding Pattern" 1981 (Savy) [mini-LP]
Mostly instrumental progressive mini-LP
with four tracks inside a weird cover of a giant hand grabbing a 747. Similar to
Yes with guitar, mellotron, moog, etc.
"Holy Modal Rounders"
1964 (Prestige Folklore 14031) [1-2] This groundbreaking debut LP contains the first known use of the word "psychedelic" on a rock/folk album, in the band's interpretation of "Hesitation Blues". "2"
1966 (Prestige
7410) [1] "Indian War Whoop"
1967 (ESP 1068)
[mono] "The Moray Eels Eat the Holy Modal
Rounders" 1967 (Elektra eks-74026) [gold label; wlp
exists] "Good Taste is Timeless" 1971 (Metromedia 1039) Acid folk comic rock. The Prestige
LPs are
acoustic folk. The ESP and Elektra LPs are electric and catch the band in
acid rambling mode, peaking on the essential "Moray Eels..." which
sounds like the Fugs crossed with Firesign Theatre. [RM]
"Holy Moses!!" 1971 (RCA LSP 4523) This is a rocking bar band with
a sense of humor and a crazy, unrestrained vocalist who’s as much of a
storyteller as a singer. The guitar playing is often pretty hot, and
most of these songs are really catchy. I don’t expect fans of straight
hard rock to necessarily take an immediate liking to this (except for
the 8 ½ minute “Bazaraza Bound,” which has some really grungy fuzz
guitar), but I get a kick out of it. Rock and roll is supposed to be
fun, right? Band members have connections to Kangaroo and Lothar &
The Hand People. Also, they’re really hairy. [AM]
"Home Folk" 1979 (no label)
Young west coast hipsters wear their
back-porch, country/folk influences on their sleeve. Six of the ten listed
songs are mostly average s/sw ballads with piano and backing band or
traditional fiddle-fueled instrumental barnyard dance music. One of the
three s/sw tracks, “Where I Want To Be”, stands above the others with a warm
rural folk sound of female vocals, acoustic guitar and generous servings of
pedal steel guitar hooks. Another friendly track featuring pedal steel is a
happy country song with dreamy female vocals and a grooving beat titled,
“Together Again”. For me, the best song that makes this record a keeper is
the impulsive west coast folk rocker, “It’s So Easy”. It’s the album’s
longest song that starts off mellow with just strong female vocals and
acoustic guitar, then it slowly builds into a climax consisting of a driving
rhythm section along with the electric guitar and fiddle jamming together as
they meld their individual lead parts effectively. Include two more
agreeable folk rock tracks and a unique version of “Orange Blossom Special”,
which opens with a haunting and mind-bending introduction that is different
from any other version of this classic song. Most of Home Folk’s material is
lacking but they do have some good tracks making their album a curiosity
worth investigating, providing the listener finds this style of music
appealing and not reasonably priced. [SLB]
"Shindig" 1966 (Palacio 6162, Venezuela) A US band with a Venezuela released record of mainly Stones covers and a
couple of originals; whether a US pressing exists is unknown at this
point. They later became the great Ladies WC.
"Every Living Thing Has a Place In God's Heart..." 1969 (Nimbus 9 NNS-104) Can't tell you anything about
this short lived Canadian duo other than Bill King wrote all eight
tracks and played keyboards. John Finley handled the vocals and Jack
Richardson produced their sole album, 1969's cleverly titled
"Homestead". So what's it sound like? Well, the first time I
played the set it simply didn't make much of an impression on me.
Conventional folk-ish duo yawn... Well the good news is that it really
isn't a folk set and I don't know why I thought it was. While Finely and
King are the only two folks credited, most of the eight tracks sport
conventional rock backings and there's little in the way of typical
folkie acoustic moves. Whoever he was, Finley had a nice voice and King
was quite a diverse writer, capable of handling all kinds of genres
including catchy rock (the blazing 'Woman'), and even
fusion-meets-Santana jazz (the instrumental 'St. Mark's Place'). Best of
the lot were the lead off track 'Anthem' (sporting a church choir that
actually works) and the pretty instrumental suite aptly titled 'Suite'.
Mind you, the activist lyrics haven't aged too well and the chorus on
the ecology-message 'Every Living Thing' sucks. There's no way this
album will change your life (or even your afternoon), but then I've
heard lots of heavily hyped stuff that's far worse. [SB]
"Out of the Clouds" 1980 (OSR)
Ethereal progressive folk with synths.
With two members of Farm (on Crusade).
"Gets It On" 1970 (Century 38672)
High school band doing stoned covers of
Led Zep and more. One of the more popular titles in this 'genre', but hard
to find.
HORDE (NC) "The Horde" 1967 (JCP C 201) A previously undocumented garage/teenbeat era album that turned up in 2010 and was promptly sold for $1700. A fairly hip line-up of covers that includes Love, Yardbirds, Stones, Blues Project (with cool fuzz/organ break) and more, and two excellent band originals, with a ballsy Animals/Them sound on one and an early psych, Electric Prunes influence on the other. The record came without a sleeve which combined with its previously unknown status suggests that it may be unreleased, beyond a few test pressings. In any event, a quite interesting addition to the already very fertile mid-60s album scene of the Carolinas. The band were students at Duke University and had a 45 out on the same label. [PL]
"Horizon" 1978 (Sweet Spirit SS1608)
Mellow Christian '70s rock with a
generic, friendly sound typical of period bands. Nothing sticks out in the
AOR mix of melodic guitar figures, overly meek lead vocals and westcoasty harmonies, and the
songwriting offers no hooks or strong choruses to grab you. Unless you're a
believer, this is mostly of interest due to a great cover of a hooded figure
on horse slaying a dragon.
"Popcorn"
1972 (Musicor ms-3243) [gimmick cover] [1] Moog rock including surf covers!
"Openers"
1970 (Rama Rama rr-78)
[gatefold; wlp also exists] [1]
"Hold Back the Reins" 1989 (Sunnyata) [lyrics; 300p] Modern
folk psych with electric guitar. Dealers like to neglect to mention the
release year when offering this.
"Been Gone Too Long" 1975 (Mark WD-1238) A
somewhat endearing one man jesus folk record with heaps of wah wah guitar and
it's principally the wah wah & the mild mannered vocal delivery that will
win some folks over. Howell's singing style recalls acts like Fenner, Leland
& O'brien or Down From Nothing - meek & mild mannered but, lord knows, i
wouldn't put him in charge of my flock were i trying to build a congregation and
yet that's probably what makes it more endearing than the overdetermined group
sing of so many jesus records. Nevertheless, the lyrics and the lightly strummed
guitar quickly become pretty derivative because they're so utterly rudimentary
& undynamic. Exceptions might be the great album closer "Judgment"
where Howell almost gets swallowed by the WAH and even ventures into an
overdubbed lead solo. Overall, a few keepers for kicks but not the sort of thing
to file away. Same custom label as Agape. [Dawson Prater]
"Hubbels" 1969 (Audio Fidelity 6221) Trippy folk pop originals with some fuzz and sitar.
[RM]
"Memories" 197 (Peon lsp-1313) Early
70s southern rural rock with Travis Wammack on guitar.
"Invasion" 1979 (Reveal RC-77-2)
Heavy space freeform psych/prog from a
group of communal heads, with fuzz and atmospheric keyboard. Not for everyone,
and not very expensive. There is also a cassette release titled "Long Awaited".
"Bless The Lord" 1976 (no label) Early
release from Christian student and composer, who would continue to record
and perform extensively. This is a low-key singer-songwriter LP with good
vocals, acoustic guitar and flute; the music is quite secular while the
lyrics are humble Jesus praise.
"Sandy's Album is Here at Last" 1968 (Verve/Bizarre v6-5064) [blue label]
Produced by Ian Underwood (Mothers of Invention). The cover has a photo of
Frank Zappa on television. She later changed her name to Essra Mohawk. HUSTLERS ( ) "Hustlers" 196 (Voice 8965) [no sleeve]
Teenbeat obscurity on Florida label.
"What If We Gave a War?" 1969 (Gigantic) [1] Midwest female country rock. She wrote "Judy" on the
Hickory Wind LP and was connected to the label owner.
"Moog - The Electric Eclectics of Dick Hyman"
1969 (ABC Command 938-S)
[gatefold] Dick Hyman's been recording since the 1940s, but most of his catalog is jazz oriented, which is an area that I don't have a great deal of interest in - guess I'm simply too dense to understand the genre's complexities. As you've probably guessed, this 1969 album is way different from Hyman's normal repertoire. Regardless, this is one I picked up for the wild cover art. It wasn't till I played it that I even knew I'd heard the track 'The Minotaur' before. Hyman's one of the first well known musicians to embrace synthesizer technology and 1969's "The Electric Eclectics of Dick Hyman" is basically a 'look at what you can do' showcase for those experiments with the new fangled technology - particularly the Moog synthesizer. Self-produced, the album showcased a series of nine Hyman originals, including the unexpected hit 'The Minotaur' (which ELP basically ripped off for their own 'Lucky Man'). All instrumental, the set bounces all over the musical spectrum from conventional pop ('The Legend of Johnny Pot'), to outright experimentation (''Four Duets In Odd Meters'). The sound's certainly somewhat dated, occasionally recalling an early Atari video game (remember this album's now some 35 years old), but the LP has a bizarre charm that's simply hard to adequately describe. Call it a personal favorite in the bizarre category ... Hyman provided great liner notes that described what he was trying to do with each composition. (By the way, I wasn't kidding. Released as a single 'Minotaur' b/w 'Topless Dancers of Corfu' actually went top-20 in the States.) The album's been rediscovered by a younger audience thanks in part to Beck having sampled it for his 1996 "Odelay" LP. I think De La Soul borrowed part of 'Improvisations In Fourths' for one of their album. Anyhow, the album's even seen a CD reissue, with a couple of bonus tracks. [SB] "The Age of Electronicus" 196 (Command) [gatefold] [1] Instrumental moog pop and rock covers. The Command
LPs have 'action
stereo' sound. [RM]
"Bootleg Music" 1971 (SSS International 22) "H.Y. Sledge was a Florida band, and some of the members had backgrounds in 60s garage bands -- Jan Pulver, for example, was in Those Five, who had recorded for the Paris Tower label. A couple members of the Outlaws were in H.Y. Sledge, so Outlaws fans have an interest in the album."
- Jeff Lemlich
"No Moon Night" 1977 (Night Wax)
This album is an obscure private press,
but has the look of a major label LP, with the album and artist title on the
spine, and some copies have a punch hole, implying some sort of nationwide
distribution. Ianni is basically a 1970s pop songwriter with a decent
songwriting sense but not a whole lot of inspiration. These songs are
pleasant but not especially memorable. Even a power pop nut like myself
finds this pretty bland. There's not much here for the psych or prog fan
either; the arrangements are tasteful but completely conventional. For some
reason this album has been mistakenly described in various catalogues as
‘soul’, ‘new age’, and ‘Beatlesque pop’. It certainly isn't the first two,
and it's too complimentary to describe it as the third. [AM]
"Inter-Dimensional Music Through Iasos" 1978 (Unity ur-700) Meditation
sounds with electronics alongside guitar, drums, flute, bells, etc.
"The Answer" 1980 (Forrest Green fgs-102)
Crude x-ian rural rock sound with some
heavy guitar on a couple tracks.
"Distances" 1976 (Northern Lights) "Sapphire House" 1978 (Northern Lights) Described
as being more new age than pop/rock.
"Iltar" 1977 (Tiwa 777) Stoned
progressive/jazz-rock a k a "new fusion". Fuzz, sitar, flute, sax.
"On Campus" 1964 (no label) Really horrible
folk with Val Stoecklein (Blue Things). [RM]
"The Great Grizzly Bear Hunt" 1969 (Poison Ring 2240) Live
hippie folk jugband. Not especially meaty, but harmless backporch fun.
”Inklings” 1971 (Century 39704) Studio
recordings out of Eastern Baptist College, in St. Davids, PA. Consists mostly of
poetry readings but is notable for Dave Bollinger’s long version of Neil Young’s
”Last Trip to Tulsa” and his pleasant-enough take on Graham Nash’s ”Lady of the
Island,” along with some nice, improvisational acoustic guitar interludes by
Lance Elko. [RP]
"Live At The Bellemont" 197 (Continental 100 484) Based on
their album cover photos, the Inn Crowd appears to be your typical seventies
hard rock band that play kick ass music! However, upon closer inspection, the
rear cover reveals they favor mostly overplayed cover songs better suited for
slow dancing at a high school prom or wedding reception. For instance, such
standards as the theme song from Love Story, With a Little Help From My Friends
and He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother. Even though they are a five piece band (
bass, guitar, organ, drums & lead vocalist), they have a sound that’s dominated
by the singer and organ player, making them sound more like a lounge act than a
desirable hard rock band. The only true rocker track with unharnessed energy and
overdue guitar leads is the bands’ version of Evil Woman. The album opens with
the Buffalo Springfield song, Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing, and sounds
nothing like the original recording. Instead of lead guitars, you get a version
that replaces most of the guitar parts with Hammond B3 organ. Not bad, but not
great either. Some hardcore Neil Young loyalists might see it as an insulting
abomination designed to incite angry fans to react by posting bitchy, child-like
messages all over the internet. They then follow with an eight-minute version of
Feelin’ Alright (Traffic) with heavy organ, loud drumming and ranting vocals. It
is an interesting interpretation but, after about five minutes into the song, it
becomes monotonous and dull. The last song on the album, Insight, is the only
original track that is nothing more than a boring drum solo and less than two
minutes long. Overall, some lounge fans may like this album but most hard rock
fans will hate it. There was another Louisiana band with the same moniker but
played garage music, recorded three singles during the sixties and no relation
to the band mentioned here. [SLB]
"Inner Dialogue" 1970 (Ranwood r-8050) "Friend" 197 (Ranwood r-8074) Soft pop floater with female vocals.
Fans
of Free Design might enjoy. [RM]
"Inner Pilgrimage" 197 (Atma) Eastern drone psychy sounds trio with
Roop Verma (sitar), Narendra Verma (tabla), and Tracy Andrews (tamboura).
[RM]
"Beginnings End" 1977 (no label) Seedy
femme-vox lounge-rock with appeal for genre fans, in a psychy cover.
"Innovation" 1970 (Birchmount 577)
Dorky-looking guys & gals folk quartet. Of interest mainly to completists, but
surprisingly hard to find.
"Insect Trust" 1968 (Capitol skao-109) [gatefold] The
Insect Trust in many ways are the only American folk-rock band to be a
legitimate US equivalent to the most successful UK folk-rock bands. They
came from a truly American musical tradition, blending every old American
musical style (folk, jazz, blues) and many different instrumental approaches
into a sound that fit their own time. The first album should appeal to any
folk-rock fan, with a great batch of songs and nice female and male vocals.
It often gets quite wild, with a few long freaky songs that are easily
worthy of the psychedelic cover design. [AM] "Hoboken Saturday Night" 1970 (Atco sd 33-313) [gatefold] [1] The
second album is even better than the first, albeit likely to alienate those
looking for another variation on a San Francisco-style folk-psych album.
They reach back to the 20s, musically and lyrically, throw in a long mostly
instrumental jazz piece, make time for a rocking feminist ode, and take the
lyrics into childish, historical and political realms. A huge mishmash, but
clearly of a holistic vision, and exceptionally well done. This is a totally
great album. [AM]
"Passing With Out Notice" 1982 (Intrusion) Symphonic keys progressive with
basement playing. ELP-style bombasticism with three percussionsists. Great
sci-fi cover, too bad they had to put a record in it. [RM]
"Sings the Songs of"
1971 (Altair akc-s107) Late
1960s open mike quality Huntington Beach, CA
folkie doing dark folk covers of Dylan, Donovan, Lightfoot, Hardin, Joni
Mitchell. The LP was also released as by "Greg Lee" with different
cover art. "Ivar Avenue Reunion" 1970 (RCA lsp-4442) This impromptu jam session is actually quite listenable, more so than, say, the Mill Valley Bunch album. Barry Goldberg, the ubiquitous Neil Merryweather, Charlie Musselwhite, and Lynn Carey are the nucleus of this batch of friends who sound very comfortable together here. A couple of excellent songs that obviously had been planned for other purposes make nice appearances here and Carey’s vocals are a pleasure as always. Slight but fun. [AM]
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