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JACOB'S CREEK (NJ) "Jacob's Creek" 1969 (Columbia cs-9829) [360 label; lyric insert] Mixed
bag of early rural rock, dreamy harmony
vocal flower moves and heavier tracks with acid leads and BS & T moves. Cool long eastern
track with sitar too.
"Alone" 1975 (Yi Yi 257275)
Christian progressive rock with good
guitar. This has recently been confirmed as a work of the same guy as on the
classic Felt LP on Nasco. Jackson plays all instruments on this album, which
he followed with the major label Neon Rose, credited to ‘Mychael’ (RCA/Free
Flight, 1978).
"I Dig That West Coast Sound" 1966 (Modern Sound 561) Budget exploito surf and Mamas & Papas
covers. [RM]
"Songs Of A Songwriter" 1975 (no label) [200p]
Demo LP from melodic 1970s rock/prog
multi-instrumentalist with full rock setting, some percussion and lots of
keyboard.
"Good Times & Bad Times" 1976 (Tiger Lily 14053)
This is a rather bland Tiger Lily
album, average 70s rock somewhere between rural rock and singer-songwriter
music with just a touch of roots rock. James has a sincere deep voice that
isn’t entirely suited to the music, which is well-played but unadventurous
throughout. Unlike similarly mainstream Tiger Lily albums like, for example,
the Steve Sherman LP, there’s no one real standout song to perk things up a
bit. 'Jay James' owned the studio where hardrock legends Stonewall recorded
their Tiger Lily album, and Stonewall's drummer appears on this musically
disappointing LP. [AM]
"Jamul" 1971 (Lizard a-20101) Dirty,
hairy rockers whose music is every bit as grungy as the album cover would
lead you to believe. Gravel-voiced no-nonsense singing and dirty-sounding
rhythm guitars add to the appeal. They do cover three well-known songs here,
but change them around (different tempos, rhythms, etc.) The best songs are
the upbeat originals, but all of it is good. This is in many ways what a
hard rock album should be — honest, rough and slightly pissed off. [AM]
"First Time From Memphis"
1969 (Enterprise ens-1004) This
band is half-way between the Airplane-style psych wannabes and the
Joplin-style hard rock wannabes. It’s hard to explain why, but it just
doesn’t work. It’s got a powerfully-voiced female singer, loud guitars
and a lot of energy, but the sound is irritating rather than powerful, with
the vocals too loud and the guitars too trebly. None of the songs are
especially bad, but none are especially good either. [AM]
"Foreign Soil" 1980 (Windlord V47375)
Homemade one-man-band album primarily
in a Genesis type UK prog style, including the arch vocal style popular
among proggers. There's guitar tapestries and lots of keyboard noodling
including regular piano with classical flourishes, dramatic arrangements and
ambitious songwriting, and some pretty good guitar leads. The LP suffers
from sub-standard drumming and uneven vocals, but may appeal to people who
like Seventh Temple and such.
“Dancin’ In The Autumn Breeze” 1978 (Accent ACS 5095)
Hip yet cheesy Danish immigrant sister
trio with a versatile mix of styles and a 1960s throwback sound. “You lit
the fire” is especially memorable. No relation to the current jazz combo.
This is the same label that had the great 1960s psych 45s, as well as the F
J McMahon album.
"Jester" 1978 (no label) Prog-rock.
"Changes"
1966 (Verve Folkways ft-3001) [mono] Solid folk-rock album from a talented duo who were closely connected to Phil Ochs and Davis Blue (and cover both of them multiple times on this album.) There’s not a whole lot of personality here, as they weren’t songwriters and most of the songs are somewhat familiar, but it’s a nice period piece with strong singing and pleasant instrumentation. [AM] "People World"
1967 (Verve Forecast
ft-3015) [mono] The
change is obvious from the album cover—while on CHANGES they’re
politely-dressed, nicely groomed coffee-house types, here they’re
free-loving hippies! Musically, they retain the first album’s strong
folk-rock sense, but add a few experiments, start writing their own songs
and create a wholly enjoyable album. A few catchy poppy melodies help hook
the listener in to the moodier pieces. A long, occasionally humorous,
version of Phil Ochs’ “Rhythm Of Revolution” takes up too much space
on the album, but everything else here is ace. [AM]
"Guts" 1971 (Decca) [1]
British group only released in the US, which is why it's included here.
Bluesy hard fuzz rock like the harder Led Zeppelin tracks. JOE & BING (CT) "Daybreak" 1971 (private) Early selfreleased album from
the softrock duo, pressed up in 1500 copies and sold at live performances.
Vocal harmony folk-pop, softrock, some tropicalia moves. An expensive title
among genre specialists. It is actually a US pressing of an album released
in Brazil by their Brazilian producer as "Best Of Friends".
"Debb Johnson" 197 (Monolith MMS 7025) Basically
an all white jazz/rock group with four members named Johnson. Has about
three great cuts providing you're not hornophobic.
"The Gift Of" 1970 (Amaret ST-5003)
One of many ambitious ‘personality’
albums that record labels put out in the late 1960s, this hits some unusual
spots that may catch your interest. Stylewise it’s LA-type studio pop and
folkrock going into early singer-songwriter, with light orchestral
arrangements over a solid session band backdrop. The weirdness comes mainly
from Mr Johnson himself, who projects a cabaret influence unusual for the
field. His nasal, theatrical vocals give the album identity and coherence,
and at least some of the songs go into definite showtune domains. Others,
like the excellent opener, are more typical late 60s product from the
post-Blonde On Blonde, post-Buckley zone. All over it sounds a bit like an
early private press LP, although Johnson is still kept on a fairly tight
leash by his management, and his narrow-range drama queen singing may grate
if you’re not in the mood. Except for one track, it’s not really a psych
album (unlike Rex Holman & co), but it’s certainly different. Possible gay
interest. [PL]
"Cold Winds" 1977 (Rag Doll)
Rural Allman Bros-style rock-hardrock.
"Jokers" 196 (no label) [no cover; 1-sided]
Demo LP of garage covers.
"No Imagination" 1980 (Vinyl) Primitive electronics duo
with distorted guitar. [RM]
"Soul of a Boy and a Girl"
1967 (Abnak abm-2068) [mono] "Elastic Event" 1968 (Abnak abst-2070) Pop rock with psychy moves.
Members of the
Five Americans help out on "Elastic Event". [RM]
"You Ain't Dead" 197 (no label) Bluesrock with
sax and powerful female vocals.
"Willie and the Hand Jive" 1975 (AVI)
Boogie rock featuring Dick Dodd (Standells) and produced by Ed Cobb. overall
very forgettable but the title track is a good version. AVI was Ed's label.
"First Taste" 1978 (no label) [picture disc; insert; 550p] Various
LA 60s survivors assembled by Rainbow Michael Neal for a pro-sounding late
1970s melodic rock excursion that includes three Sky Saxon numbers, among
other things. Nice picture disc design. Not a rare LP. Much of the same gang
turned up on the Rainbow Red Oxidizer LP (Bomp/Quark, 1980) which is more
modern in style. [PL]
STEPHEN KALLESTAD (MN) "Hidden In A Way" 1974 (private folk) Midwest loner folk with unusual vocals, occasionally hyped but not an expensive album.
KANE'S COUSINS (Fort Lauderdale, FL) "Under Gum Bubble Ground" 1969 (Shove Love st-9827) This
novelty album is by a co-ed bunch of goofballs who are more in the tradition
of vaudeville/showtunes than rock and roll. Some of this is mildly shocking
for its time, and it is all good natured and silly, but it's not really all
that funny. A few songs have a garage-y edge to them, and the closing
instrumental is a surprising free form freakout, but otherwise this is
musically unexciting. The sides open with "Take Your Love And Shove
It" and "Why Don't You Go Love Yourself," and that should
give you an idea where they're coming from. One song is about Jim Morrison,
and is the only serious lyric here. The album cover is full of gags, and is
actually funnier than the record. Though the album was pressed on thick
vinyl, the sound is pretty bad. Even sealed copies make lots of noise. [AM]
"Kangaroo" 1968 (MGM se-4586) One of the weakest Bosstown albums, featuring some noisy lead guitar
that sounds cool for one song but becomes really annoying over a whole
album. “Frog Giggin’,” by the ubiquitous N.D. Smart, is as bad as any
song you’ll ever hear. The album’s saving grace is that Barbara Keith is
a member and sings lead on two very good songs. Since the album is still
cheap and these songs aren’t on a 45, it’s worth getting the LP for
them. [AM]
"Barbara Keith" 1969 (Verve) Barbara Keith’s first solo album is an enjoyable singer-songwriter effort that makes a nice showcase of her gorgeous, fragile voice, but lacks any really killer songs. She also has an excellent non-LP single from this era. [AM] "Barbara Keith"
1972 (Reprise ms-2087) [wlp; insert]
Barbara’s second solo album shows a huge gain in confidence.
Despite her amazing vocal talents, she would end up being more successful as
a songwriter than a performer, mostly due to songs on this album. “Free
the People” and “Detroit Or Buffalo,” in particular, would be covered
by many, many artists over the decade (who else can lay claim to having
songs covered by both Australian teenybopper heroes Sherbet and Swedish
all-female glam band NQB?) Barbara’s originals are the best versions,
though, by miles and miles. “Detroit or Buffalo,” in particular, is
chill-inducingly good, the very apex of the singer-songwriter genre. The
rest of the album, mostly folk-rock with a mild country twinge, is very good
but not nearly at the level of these two classics. The album also includes a
wah-wah laden version of “All Along The Watchtower,” which is why psych
dealers hype the LP, but it’s hardly the best moment here. Almost thirty
years later, Barbara would team with her husband and son and for the heavy
rock trio Stone Coyotes, an intriguing turn in the career of someone who
should have been a household name. [AM]
"Path of the Wave" 1969 (Sire) [1] Kelley's first album is less bluesy, more just plain weird rock than his second. He's got one of those voices that isn't exactly musical (in fact, he doesn't really sing), but is compelling and memorably expressive. There are some downer folk-like songs here that should appeal to psych fans. Enjoyable and unique stuff. [AM] "Dealin’ Blues" 1971 (Sire) Kelly’s second album is
basically acoustic blues with an outlaw vibe and some surprising and
effective use of moog. It’s stark, minimalist and full of personality,
though by the end it gets a little samey. [AM] RICH KENDALL (WI) "Food For Thought" 1974 (Unknown Records)
Mid 1970s rural poppy folkrock LP from
guys with Jake connection via one band member. More of a band effort than
‘loner’, with some nice electric leads.
"Kentaurus" 1981 (Wakefield no #)
Hard rock-AOR with freaky vocals that
has been hyped as metal and prog, but is neither. Despite the genre
confusion, it has raised some interest among collectors. As many local
albums from the era, the record sports an amateur drawing of a dramatic
fantasy scene that would not have passed the quality control of a major
record label.
“Godfather” 197 (Mongoose JK1000)
Mid-1970s loner folk in its own way, with songs like “Jinx man” and the
bizarre anti drug statement “Don’t blow your mind” that get way deep and
psychedelic. Early use of drum machine on some tracks. Keyes had a second
LP, “Saloon”.
"Live" 1968 (Goldust lps-153)
Dancehall organ, fuzz, r’n’b stompers. Despite the late date, a pre-Invasion
sound in the Kingsmen raucous club style.
"Khalsa String Band" 197 (no label) Communal
spiritual hippie folk and singer/songwriter from members of the 3HO Sikh
ashram. "America" is a jazzy folkrock groover, while "Song
of bliss" is higher key piano and female vocal (by Singh Kaur)
contemplation. Ultimately more new age than psychedelic, but a nice little
obscurity.
"Kick" 1980 (KM 5716) Local
hardrock.
"Starbound Lady" 1978 (Class Rock 10205) [blue vinyl]
Regional AOR/prog-rock band in a Styx
direction, led by the Fritz twins. The band gigged in Canada with some
success. The album is a ‘limited edition’.
"Kid Cashmere" 1977 (Guinness GNS36081)
Bluesy fuzz and P-funk on tax-loss
label. Possibly recorded several years earlier.
"Kinbotes" 1986 (Nix –342)
Maybe the ultimate DIY lo-fi LP in rock
history, putting Royal Trux, Sebadoh and all their 90's/2000's clones to
shame. The recording and playing is crude and inept, but the songs all have
clever lyrics and catchy melodies. The band is named after a character from
Nabokov’s ”Pale Fire” who commits suicide at the end, an irony as
tragically, one of the members later did so in real life. The opener, ”I
Love Rock N Roll”, sets the tone with its scathing sarcasm about the (then)
current state of rock music (”Today there’s more talent in rock & roll’
today’s singers sing about uplifting things.” and ”Don’t you think that
Prince is better than Little Richard; with that pompadour, he looks like
LITTLE RICHARD.”) The feedback-laden string-shredding guitar solo (if you
dare call it that) beats out any other 80's/90's VU/Lou Reed wannabes. ”Rock
& roll is worse than (arbitrary or our material). It’s excessive and it
ruins songs!” The next song, ”Hang Around”, is a jaunty Kinks-influenced
ramble with Ray Davies inflected vocals, and is as sloppy as anything the
Davies Bros ever concocted. These two songs pretty much dictate the intended
musical direction of the whole album - VU lo-fi sleaze melded with Kinkdom
melodic sensibilities on the slower and less frenetic songs, though they are
as lo-fi as the rockers. There is one other song worth singling out. A
clumsy epitaph for Ian Curtis veers into a music hall chorus about ”The King
of Comedy”. It has one of the more memorable attempts at rhyming (”Ian
Curtis was a true original. His Jim Morrison influence was so subliminal.”)
as well as a genius fragmented attempt at a piano solo that literally runs
out of gas after about 10 seconds. The cover is as lo-fi as the sounds it
contains. A wraparound slick is pasted on so it covers the LP opening and
must be slit open to remove the record. The primitive cartoon-like drawing
of the band shown as a trio even though they were a duo - the third is a
friend who is listed as a member - or is it really Charles Kinbote himself?
[MA]
"American
Avatar/Love Comes Rolling Down" 1970 (Reprise
6353) [gatefold] [1] A
sort of companion
piece to the Jim Kweskin "America" LP. This unreleased 1965
Vanguard recording by noted folk/blues vocalist Kindred was hijacked by
the Mel Lyman Family acid cult in Boston and presented as a 1970 Lyman
vehicle, even though it's for all practical purposes Kindred's album. The
LP is not a rural folk LP in the retro-rootsy style that Mel Lyman
favored, but rather an atmospheric urban afterhours scene complete with
Miss Kindred’s husky, bluesy vocals and a weary, introspective
last-cigarette type mood. Side 1 is great, with top-notch playing from
heavyweights that include Bruce Langhorne and Geoff Muldaur, a
two-fisted punch of the swampy “James Alley Blues” and a flowing
“Good Shepherd” being as good as anything within the contemporary
folk-blues style. Side 2 drives the same mood even further down into
empty bourbon glasses and desolate NYC back alleys, but doesn’t really
add anything to the already established vision. Even without the Lyman
angle this album has gained a reputation among admirers of femme-vocal
folk/blues, and rightly so. In view of the early recording date it has
an impressive modern feel, and its unrelenting darkness may appeal to
fans of Laura Nyro and Nico. [PL]
"The
In-Sound From Way-out" 1966 (Vanguard) "Kaleidoscopic
Vibrations" 1967 (Vanguard) "Music to Moog By"
1969 (Audio Fidelty
afsd-6226) [nipples
cover] "First Moog Quartet" 1970 (Audio Fidelity afsd-6234) [1] Moog rock now sound fun and electronic
effects. Nice flower power sound on "First Moog Quartet". A Pierre
Henry for the semi-cultured. [RM]
"Simplicity" 197 (Radnor 2002) Native
American a k a Tony Wright, folkrock with bluesy moves, raw vocals and some
orchestration. Same label as Lumbee.
"Russ
Kirkpatrick" 1971 (Altogether) [1] Folk and folkrock mix.
"Sing and Sync Along with..."
1965 (Challenge 12-6-64) [lyrics insert] [1-2] "Jerk and Twine Time"
1965 (Challenge ch-621) [1-2] "Lies"
1966 (Challenge ch-622)
[mono] [1] There
is also an LP compilation on See For Miles, UK (1987), a CD compilation
on Big Beat, UK (1995) and two CD samplers of best and unreleased tracks
on Sundazed.
"Down In The Village" 1970 (Paramount PAS 5023)
The oddball album in Knight’s extensive
discography is this heavy effort, featuring plenty-of Hendrix-like lead
guitar. The ten-minute “Give you plenty lovin” is a room-clearer, as his
repetitive screaming and the endless guitar noise goes way beyond the bounds
of good taste. Some of you will really love it, obviously. Elsewhere it’s a
solid set of soul and rock, given an edge by the heavy guitar playing and
Knight’s street vibe. A worthwhile album. [AM]
"Scarlet
Lady"
1977 (Rocking Horse 55) "Terry Knight and the Pack"
1966 (Lucky Eleven le-8000) [mono] [1] "Reflections"
1967 (Lucky Eleven le-8001) [mono] [1] Garage pop.
"Reflections" adds fake hippie moves. 'Dimestore Debutante', on
"Reflections", is a hilarious ripoff of Dylan's 'Like a Rolling
Stone'. 'Love Goddess of the Sunset Strip', on the same album, is classic
plastic psych worthy of Kim Fowley. Pre-Grand Funk Railroad.
"Knowbody Else"
1969 (Hip his-7003) [mono promo] [1] Southern hippie rock.
Pre-Black Oak
Arkansas.
"K.O. Bossy" 1968 (Toya tstlp-2003) Stoned blues folkrock.
"Passion Creek" 1981 (Rave Records) [500p]
Though from the early 1980s, it sounds
like a mid-1970s pop album, with acoustic rhythm guitars, electric leads and
a mild folk-rock feel. It’s not energetic enough to classify as ‘power pop’.
The best songs are the two lengthy side-openers, one with a strong guitar
hook, and the other with lots of noise from synthesizers and backwards
guitars. There are some other nice pop songs scattered about, as well. The
album is a bit spotty, and on the lesser songs, an experienced producer
would have helped. Some backing vocals and harmonies would have improved the
songs, for example. This is a one man band album, which works for and
against the material. In particular, it would have behooved him to hire a
drummer. Despite the minor faults, the album is of interest because the good
stuff here is quite a bit better than most in the style. Recommended to
those who prefer erratic moments of greatness to consistent OK-ness. [AM]
"Hello World" 1979 (Limp Records 1002) This
local album has been listed as "hard rock" elsewhere, but is
in fact a 100% recognizable late 1970s punk LP in a Ramones style.
Enjoyable if approached correctly, but listed here mainly for reference.
"Songs of the Soul" 197 (Joy 103) [1] Mid-1970s
LP from wellknown guru and spiritual community doing
dreamy, eastern drone folk. Mixed vocals, tabla, tamboura.
"Indeterminacy" 1978 (Five To One) Described
as flipped out basement folk.
"Krystals" 1971 (Fourmost 8943) Late
beat/pop with keyboard-led covers of Hollies, Simon & Garfunkel, Chicago,
and some originals. The release date has been listed elsewhere as 1968,
which is obviously incorrect from the track list.
"The 1st Reels" 1980 (Reel Records 1980) [lyric inner sleeve] Recently unearthed private pressed
album of plugged in folk and folk rock that includes some subtle rural
influences. According to the liner notes, the recordings occurred at three
different studios around Ohio from 1974 until 1980. When Alex wasn’t playing
all of the instruments and recording the material alone, he was recording
other songs with the addition of one, two or three multi-talented musicians.
The musical styles include stripped down folk with soothing harmonies to
guitar jamming folk rock with a full band sound, impressive vocals and
guitars combining intricate patterns of tasty music together along with an
occasional lead guitar solo break. After six years of various recordings at
different venues, I’m impressed that the mixing succeeds at making all the
songs sound completely compatible without losing the mild basement aura
associated with a few tracks. I honestly feel this record’s a private
pressed bargain and still selling around $30 to $40. I’m sure once the
record becomes scarce, the price will rise substantially!
"Chitlin' Circuit" 1976 (De Vine)
Guitar-driven Southern rock with a ZZ
Top influence. The guitar playing has a strong fuzz edge, but the mixing
with loud piano holds the music back from the wanted driving underground
feel. The use of synthesizers in places is unusual for the style. There’s a
cover of "Back door man".
"A Song Of Gods Gone Mad" 1980 (Daystar 0001)
Here’s a
1980 folk album that is more weird than good. It’s not exactly satanic, but
definitely pagan and strange. It includes a bass-and-vocals-only version of
David Crosby’s “Triad” which makes an already creepy song even creepier.
Some songs have pretty wild moog and others have twisted lyrics, but overall
the musical sound is actually quite tame. It’s interesting when someone with
this kind of sensibility heads towards folk rather than heavy metal, and
this album is definitely a curiosity. It’s not really that good, though, as
little moments (a phrase here or there, some synthesizer noise) stick in my
memory more than do any of the songs as a whole. Nicodemus fans might
appreciate it. [AM]
"No Deposit, No Return" 1968 (ESP-Disk) [gold vinyl]
Urban edge
folk from wellknown Fugs freak.
"America"
1971 (Reprise 6464) Folk/jugband
legend whose vast output should need no introduction; however this
obscurity has some interesting Incredibly Strange aspects apart from
being an excellent, somewhat spooky folk-roots LP with great playing
& vocals. Kweskin had fallen under the spell of Boston acid guru Mel
Lyman and this album is essentially a vehicle and tribute to Lyman and
his strongly felt ideas about the spiritual rebirth of traditional
American values. The astrology-laden liner notes are unbelievable. [PL]
"Mayan Canals"
1981 (Flatdisk 1037)
[translucent red vinyl; insert] Basement fuzz
weirdness from guy who also published several books and collaborated
with Kim Fowley and R Stevie Moore. Ends with a long, windy monologue about the Mayan canal system!
"A Double
Shot of" 196 (Sidra)
"A Legend in His Own Mind" 196 (Uni 73076) Late
1960s psychy rock with
studio horns and a loungy vibe. Described as "terrible" by one
connoisseur.
"Last Day" 1972 (New Creation)
Familiar-sounding Christian melodic rock with a radio-friendly '70s
westcoast sound, and better male lead vocals than the genre usually offers.
The mellow, folkier tracks are probably the best. There's an unusual
crossing over into old skool cool jazz via a skillful sax player, although
this means that there are sax breaks where most people would have wanted
guitar breaks. Christian specialists and Oregonians should nevertheless find
this pro-sounding and friendly album worth checking out. There's a version
of "One In The Spirit" which makes for an instructive comparison with local
colleagues Wilson McKinley as to what separates major league Jesus Rock with
the more mundane offerings.
"Last Ritual" 196 (Capitol skao-206) [gatefold; rainbow label] Late
1960s weak horn rock with
trippy lyrics.
"George Law" 1977 (Bongwater) Rural folkrock.
"Conversations With The Heart" 1966 (Matchbox MRSA-1) Veteran
female folk artist & songwriter (originally from Missouri) with a backup band including Van
Dyke Parks and Steve Mann. Sound has been described as intimate mid-60s
folk with piano and harpsichord. She ran a coffee-house in West
Hollywood and had several more releases.
"Led Balloon Jug Band" 1967 (no label) Preppies folk blues jug band goof
LP from Mount Hermon school. [RM]
“Chubby Lee & Wild Country” 197 (Wild Country LP-1001) Scary
looking lounge quartet from Texas, in and out of tuxedos. Side 1 is their
rocking side, leading off with a very soulless version of “Shaft” which
inexplicably tails off into the “Mission Impossible” theme. Following is
“Honky Tonk Women”, which has pretty much the same rhythm and harmonies as
“Shaft”. A couple of r& b misfires leads to the side’s finale, a totally
unpsychedelic version of “Magic Carpet Ride” with a long inept guitar &
organ jam. Side 2 finds them going back to their country roots & the less
said here about it the better. The band had another LP that is reportedly
not bad rural/country-rock. [MA]
"Life Goes On" 1979 (Globe Export) AOR
private press done on the cheap (I'm sure the three solo acoustic
guitar/voice and piano/voice songs would have had a full band if they had
more recording time.) The opening title track bodes well, as it has a cool
little synth interlude and some great layered wah-wah guitar, but nothing
else really matches it. A lot of the album is mellow and meandering, and the
slower the songs the more the vocal weaknesses are exposed. It's no accident
that the best songs are the four upbeat ones. A spastic proggy keyboard
interlude on one song is a pleasant shock and a mild new wave influence on a
couple of others is nice. And at least they had the good sense to go for
clear, distinct cheap production rather than muddy cheap production. This
would have made an enjoyable 4-song EP, but it's a mostly dull album. One
song is ignorantly titled "Your A Part Of Me." It's hard to believe that
nobody in the band, recording studio, or pressing plant knew their grammar.
No, wait a minute...in the rock and roll world that's not hard to believe at
all.[AM]
"Betsy Legg" 197 (no label)
Unexceptional, fairly straightforward acoustic female folk on this LP, with
covers of Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Hardin, Lightfoot. She looks and sounds
sullen.
"Woman
In The Sun"
1968 (Epic BN 26383) Weird
bluesy folky album with Indian themes. It was released with two different
album covers, one a cheap-looking drawing and the other a rather
unattractive photo. It’s pretty bizarre for a major label album, but
musically not especially interesting. [AM]
"Blend" 1972 (Trim tlp-1972) [4pg insert] Latenite
mixed vocal trippy folk by real natives. Flowing guitar, harpsichord, hand
drums, bells... includes Neil Young and Phil Ochs covers. Good one! [RM]
“Let's Spend The Night Together” 1968 (Arc 728)
Canadian exploitation with six Rolling Stones covers, plus some Yardbirds,
Small Faces, Troggs etc.
"Leviathan" 1974 (Mach-London) [lyric inner sleeve] While the thought of a three
keyboard-propelled progressive-oriented line up is likely to turn off
lots of potential listeners, in this case the results are actually worth
hearing. Leviathan" has a distinctive progressive sheen though
material such as the opening rocker 'Arabesque', the pretty ballad
'Angela' and 'Angel of Death' give the album a surprisingly commercial
sound. The keyboardists prove surprisingly light-of-touch throughout the
proceedings allowing guitarist Trimble to turn in some nice solos.
Curiously, while various reviews we've seen compare lead vocalist
Richardson to Robert Plant - don't believe it. Richardson's certainly a
capable and professional singer, but he's nothing spectacular. At least
to my ears the band's at their least interesting when pursuing their
progressive interests. Tracks like 'Seagull' and the droning 'Endless
Dream' sound like early Kansas throwaways. Mach was a Hi label
subsidiary. [SB]
"Levi Strauss Salesman LP 1967" 1967 (Levi Strauss) [10"; paper sleeve] [4] Features
radio ads by Jefferson Airplane, Pacific Gas & Electric, and Sopwith
Camel.
"Leviathan: In the Heart of the Beast" 1980 (New Clear) [insert] [1] Rural folk with
blues/jazz moves and prominent environmental concerns. Deep or breezy depending on your affinity
for his outlook. Levy has released many more albums including "Risin
Wind" (New Clear, 1981); his later work falls into various non-pop
styles.
"Lewis
& Clarke Expedition" 1967
(Colgems com-105) [mono] [1]
Pop/rock on the same label as the Monkees, and while this never
sounds as slick as the Monkees, it also lacks the personality and
songwriting that made the Monkees enjoyable. I'm a big fan of 60s
pop/rock, but find a lot of this too silly and good-timey for my tastes.
There's a tad bit of fuzz guitar and a "memorial to the American
Indian," but really this is very lightweight. A few meodies catch
the ear, but overall it's nothing special. [AM]
"Lexia" 1972 (MGM mv-5086) [gatefold] [2] Soft pop psych floater.
[RM]
"Just a Taste" 1979 (Big Dog 1001) Moronic hardrock.
"Cross the Border" 1967 (Kama Sutra) Bubblepop cheese.
[RM]
"Disciples" 1981 (private)
Generic-sounding, fairly competent Jesus folk and singer-songwriter with
ballads, dull male vocal harmonies and a 'mature' mood. One track has a
child singing. Completely unexceptional to my ears.
"Lifer" 1980 (Ribbon Rail) Local
AOR/pomprock obscurity, highly rated by some genre fans. Comparisons have
been made to Kansas and early Styx.
"Keys" 1981 (Abintra AR 13731) Lush keyboard dominated soft progressive in the French
style, with some sax. Shawn Phillips
guests. Nice Roger Dean type fantasy cover.
"Heya" 1969 (Liberty
LST-7634, Germany) This one initially attracted our
attention due to the fact that Jim Stallings (aka J.J. Light) played
bass on several classic Sir Douglas Quintet albums. At some point in
time Stallings became friendly with West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band
front man/resident eccentric Bob Markley. The result was 1969's
Markley-produced "Heya!". Credited to 'J.J. Light", the
solo project's quite good. Light wrote all 14 (!) selections, showing a
nice touch for balancing commercial moves with more experimental
touches. Anyhow, before going on any further, here's what the back cover
liner notes say: "From the mold of 'early Dylan' comes this young,
Navajo Indian - J.J. Light. His songs are unique and although they are
not "message" songs, they show deep concern for the plight of
his people and our society." Luckily the liner notes aren't exactly
accurate. There are a couple of nods to his Navajo heritage (the title
track and " Indian Disneyland"), but in spite of the illusions
to sappy singer/songwriter moves, exemplified by tracks such as the fuzz
guitar propelled "Follow Me Girl", "It's Wednesday"
and "On the Road Now", Light's main interest is in rocking
out. The opening rocker "Na Ru Ka" bares an uncanny
resemblance to something from Tjinder Singh and Cornershop (though it
was penned some three decades earlier). Elsewhere, to our ears there's
no Dylan comparison (good thing), rather Light occasionally recalls a
young Arlo Guthrie, albeit with a rock-ish edge ("Silently
Sleeping"). [SB]
"You've Got a Friend" 1968 (Jewel) "Fantasy and Reality" 197 (Jewel lps-142) "Carry On" 197 (Jewel lps-211) E-z
folk psych trio with 12-string guitar. Soft folk rock on "Carry
On". Bob Morley also had a breezy folk LP on the label. [RM]
"Presenting the Links" 1967 (Link 501) "Once Again and Again" 1967 (Link 503) Funny
bad lounge rock cover band with lots of accordion that's been criminally
hyped as ‘garage’ and ‘folkrock’ by deaf record dealers in the past. They
had five album releases in total.
"Liquid Smoke" 1970 (Avco Embassy ave-33005) Good heavy
guitar rockers with growling vocals and a funky edge. [RM]
"Solo" 1973 (Dharma d-801)
Somewhat
puzzling reissue pick from the old Breeder label, as "Solo" is neither rare nor particularly good, has proggy
bluesy guitar workouts some might enjoy but isn't what most 1960s-70s fans would be interested in.
"Trusting fool" may be the best track and sounds like early Rush. Harvey Mandel's involvement may
attract some. The follow-up "Leanin'
On The Bar" (Dharma, 1976) is rural rock/bar-rock.
"In the Woodland of Weir"
1968 (Fontana mgf-27578) [mono; light blue label] [1] Moody
bluesy rock with interesting halting rhythms and fuzz. [RM]
”Little Caesar & The Consuls” 1966 (Red Leaf 1001) A
teen-beat LP from long-running band with goofy Roman soldier image, on the
same label as the British Modbeats. Covers of ”Hang On Sloopy”, ”Dancing in
the street”, ”Shout”, ”Just Like Romeo & Juliet”, etc. Like many Canadian
mid-‘60s albums it’s a frat/club band throwback, more than 1966 garage. They
had a national #1 hit in 1965.
"Mr. Guitar" 196 (San/ Don) Christian rock, part
instrumental with wailing guitars. [RM]
"The Guardian" 1982 (Solidarity) Mainly
late 1970s recordings of freaky fringe blues-rock-anything sounds from DIY
Polish guy who played Chicago street corners and clubs; has garnered many
fans over the years. The name isn't too far-fetched, he really does sound
like a slightly smaller (even at 6 ft 9) variation on the old blues legend
at times. Comparisons have been made to both Albert Ayler and Abner Jay,
take your pick. The guy supposedly did more than 30 45s, from which the two
albums were assembled. The Heresee label has released some retrospective
CDs. This artist (James Pobiega) shouldn't be confused with another Little
Howlin' Wolf, a black guy named Jesse Sanders.
"Little Joe" 1982 (private)
S F hardrock with Led Zep cover, original was on red vinyl while the boot is
on black.
"Little Village" 1977 (Quiet Cannon) Dual guitar bluesy hardrock.
"Live At Club Zayante" 1973 (Red) Mellow
acoustic folk of note for a Jerry Miller (Moby Grape) track, "One
hand clapping".
"The Amazing Adventures of the Liverpool Scene" 1969 (RCA lsp-4189) [gatefold] Poets doing bluesy
folk and satire. [RM]
"San Franciscan Nights" 1968 (Camden) Studio hack
exploito. Many LPs are credited to this 'group', this one is of particular
interest for being a sitar psych cash in. Cool trashy covers of Jefferson
Airplane, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Procol Harum... [RM]
"Locomotive" 1969 (MGM se-4653) Psych
rock with good heavy guitar.
”Lodestar” 1979 (no label)
AC/DC-style hardrock with wild vocals, wailing leads and a very real-looking
group photo on the front cover. Good one. No relation to the El Paso band on
”I Love You Gorgo”. A Rite pressing, for those who track that plant.
”Mainstreet” 1974 (LD 101) Rural
bar rock sound with harmony vocals.
”Lodestone” 1981 (Lodestone 7268)
Hardrock with metallic edge, highly rated by genre fans. Good guitar. Some
melodic ballads also.
”Fightin’ Society” 1981 (Star Struck Records TDS 020559) Local
hardrock/heavy metal led by Dino Livingston. The band later became Icon.
This expensive, highly rated album seems to have been adopted by metal fans,
so it falls outside the Acid Archives perimeter.
"The Lotus Palace" 1969 (Verve Forecast v6-8711) [gatefold]
Exploito e-z raga rock with sitar, tabla, tambura, and strings going nuts
including two Beatles covers. LORD SITAR (UK) ”Lord Sitar” 1968 (Capitol st-3916) [rainbow label] Session
musicians featuring Big Jim Sullivan on sitar. Fun lounge instro rock with
lead sitar, organ, and some bumble¬bee fuzz. Covers of the hip songs of the
day including three Beatles’ covers. This is actually an English album, and
included here only for reference.
"Journey To The Land Of Forgotten Dreams" 1973 (no label) [insert] Private press instrumental electronic excursion especially designed for late-night listening. Eerie, slightly atonal synthesizer sounds hover and float by. It's quite atmospheric and eerie, and reminds me of some of the space-themed early electronics albums from the 1950s-60s -- not aggressive noise, but a futuristic sense of things slowly drifting out of control and taking on their own life. Cool stuff, and a must for genre fans. [PL]
"Paradise Lost" 1970 (Rare Earth rs-518)
Swirling organ and fuzz with tribal drumming. Ex-Unrelated Segments.
"Presenting"
1968 (Capitol st-2997) [rainbow label] [1] "Space Hymn" 1969 (Capitol st-247) [green label] [1] "Spores"
198 (TAKRL 1937)
[bootleg; insert cover]
Cracked sci-fi electronics folkrock featuring Lothar, a theremin.
Classic stuff as good as Silver Apples and fun.
"The Oneness Space" 1975 (Living Love llc-1) [gatefold; insert] This is
one of the dullest hippie commune-type records, with bland new agey folk
with pretty but unemotional vocals and uninteresting songwriting. It was
rumored that the HOUSE OF TRAX Marcus was involved in this record, but he
was not. They are, however, mostly the same band as The Reunion Band. The
naked drawing on the cover has probably inspired lots of folk/psych fans to
buy this album. You have to be really willing to scrape the bottom of the
barrel of hippie peace and love stuff to enjoy this. It makes the New
Troubadours seem like geniuses. [AM]
"Love Generation"
1967 (Imperial lp-9351) [mono] "A Generation of Love"
1968 (Imperial lp-12364) "Montage" 1968 (Imperial lp-12408) Psychy soft pop
rock. [RM]
"Live at Santa Claus" 197 (no label) [no cover] Mid-1970s
avant goof
weirdness with Zappa, Fugs, and Jethro Tull moves. [RM]
"Black Mass"
1971 (Uni 73111) [inner sleeve] In
spite of the goofy title which leaves one wondering whether the band's name
was 'Black Mass' or 'Lucifer', 1971's "Black Mass/Lucifer" is
actually a Mort Garson solo effort. An all original and instrumental
set composed on then state-of-the-art Moog synthesizers, it's kind of hard
to decide whether Garson was trying to make an artistic statement about the
dark arts, or was simply having fun showing off the technology's potential.
The set's attracted a significant cult following over the years but to be perfectly honest, it's hard to see
what all the excitement's about since the early-1970s technology sounds
rather quaint and dated today. That in turn diminishes the set's
longstanding reputation as being sinister and forbidding. Being stoned
probably helps the ominous side a little bit. Material such as the title
track, 'Solomon's Ring' and 'Exorcism' is certainly interesting (in a time
warp kind of fashion), but this stuff isn't atmospheric enough to make it on
a video game soundtrack. Elsewhere the title track sounds like it served as
an inspiration for Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells", while 'The
Rider of Aida (Voodoo)' sounds like a Kraftwerk outtake. [SB]
"Mary Catherine Lunsford" 1969 (Polydor 244051) Mary
Catherine is clearly a Joni Mitchell wannabe, but nonetheless she put
together a very nice folk-rock album. Her vocals are like Joni’s without
the annoying high notes, and there’s a sparklingly clear acoustic guitar
sound that suits them extremely well. M.C. is a pretty good songwriter too,
and this is a pleasant surprise, a one-off singer/songwriter album that’s
much better than most in the genre. [AM] [COUNTRY] JOE MACDONALD (Berkeley, CA)
"Goodbye Blues"
1968 (Custom Fidelity
cfs-2348) [blank back; 200p] [4] "The Early Years"
1978 (Piccadilly)
[2]
"Bruce MacKay"
1967 (ORO 1) Singer-songwriter and documentary
filmmaker gets some
studio help including Richard Tyler (Holy Modal Rounders). His wife,
Tanya, plays melodica and pitches on with background vocals. Six long tracks
with smokey, operatic vocals and keyboards, flute, atmospheric folkrock/early s-sw
sound with a Dylan influence. On ESP-Disk offshoot label.
"Bug Cloth" 1968 (Uni 73026) "Passing Through" 1969 (Uni 73064) "Passing Through" is odd
folky rock with backporch hippie moves and cover of Dylan's "John
Brown". [RM]
”Advice & Company” 1974 (Wandra 1000)
Coffeehouse folk and singer-songwriter
with occasional band backing, including second guitar, bongos, violin,
dobro, bass and drums. Has sold for decent money on occasion.
"The Rise And Fall Of Honesty" 1968 (Capitol) This
is a case of an album that is better than the Common People and in a
much better sleeve, but one where "Subtle" and
"delicate" are the words to sum it up and not the heavy freak
out you'd expect from the insane cover art of the duo amidst armageddon
and a haunted house. With nearly all the songs cover versions including
two by Dylan, but most old country standards you are instantly surprised
when you hear what is done to the songs. The music on this record is very
soft and extremely ancient sounding folk-psych with slight country tinges
and sound effects. The music gets better with age and has the same dreamy
quality of the wonderful Gandalf although in a different setting
altogether. "Just Like A Woman" and "Tom Thumb's
Blues" are done brilliantly, and this is a solid album. The gentle,
spooky vocal approach is very nice and so are the arrangements including
some backwards tapes and ringing 12 string guitars. For fans of soft folk
psych and also fans of early country rock this is a rare and a really good
one. -- Ben Blake Mitchner
”Magic” 1966 (no label 147606)
No relation to the ”Enclosed” band,
this is obscure teenbeat with organ.
”Magik” 1981 (Rayne)
Progressive hardrock/metal in a
primitive cover.
"In New York" 1974 (F.R. Dickinson frd-102) Femme lounge quintet taped live March, 1974 at Le Jockey
Club at the Hotel Americana in New York City. Mostly typical standards but
also has goofy, smooth covers of Doobie Brothers "Long Train
Runnin'", John Lennon "Give Peace a Chance", and Yes
"Roundabout"! [RM]
"Journey Through An Electric Tube" 1969 (Solid State 18049) Trippy electronics effects.
The LP is usually categorized as "jazz". Manieri had many more
releases.
"Compendium Maleficarum" 1981 (Physiocrat 100006A) Basement avant prog spacy trip
from Michael A Lucas (Phantom Surfers), with electronics, noise,
synth. Lucas followed this with "Preacher From The Black Lagoon"
(Physiocrat, 1983). Parody?
"Attention"
1969 (Canusa 113) [1] This
is the L'Experience 9 "Freakout total" LP with English titles. The
LP was recorded in Nice 1968, and released in Canada after the main artist
behind it moved to Quebec. Since it was recorded in France by a French
artist, it doesn't quite make it into the main Acid Archives. It's a mix of
experimental electronics, easy listening, exotica pop, and anything you
want.
”Maltshoppe Gang” 197 (Fleetwood fclp-5100) [red label]
Early 1970s group doing retro 50s rock
and doo wop like a local Sha Na Na. Good, primitive guitar sound for
crossover garage appeal.
"Mandrake" 1977 (Crazy Cajun cclp-1097) Heavy bluesy guitar rock recorded 1973.
Features the Valerio
Brothers, Vinny and Danny. Vinny is an incredible left-handed guitarist and
his brother Danny is a very capable bassist. Produced Huey P Meaux. [RM]
"Straight Life" 1967 (Custom Fidelity CFS-1675)
Mann was a session guitarist of some
repute (Jorma Kaukonen has cited him as an influence) when he recorded this
acoustic blues album. Taj Mahal assists on harmonica and banjo. The LP is
quite pro-sounding and may have been intended for a major label release, but
came out on a custom imprint. It's mainly trad numbers including "Cocaine"
and "Highway 61", plus some Mann originals in a rootsy style and with
counterculture lyrics. In addition to the fine guitar-playing, Mann has a
pretty good, mellow voice. Well worth investigating for genre fans. He's
still an active musician. [PL]
"Derek Scott Markel" 197 (no label RH 074601)
Rural folkrock and singer-songwriter
with full setting, piano, even accordion, the Band moves and some raw
guitar. Highly rated by some.
”Vol 1” 1965 (Rusticana CKL 1225)
Obscure teen-beat LP in neat sportscar
cover.
”Mystery Of Love” 1979 (MSP 3001) [1000p]
Accurately described as ‘sparse cosmic
female real people’ by the magus who invented this type of descriptions. Her
voice is somewhat arch and lofty, but the refined, serious mood is
effective. Acoustic guitar and autoharp, some songs, some spoken poetry with
musical backing and occasional sounds of nature such as rain and thunder.
"Marshmallow Way" 1969 (United Artists) Described
as mediocre bubblegum/soft-rock. Pre-Sainte Anthony's Fyre!
“Desiderata” 196 (Ambassador S98104)
Weird late 1960s poetry-set-to-music
album that peaks on the overblown “I Am Music”, where Charles actually sings
with full blown acid rock backing.
"Dewey Martin and Medicine Ball" 1970 (Uni 73088) Mainstream
countryrock of no particular merit. They also had another LP.
”Someday Soon” 1975 (Mascanta)
Folk and folkrock with acoustic and electric backing and powerful vocals.
”Today” 1969 (Venus MS 001)
Very obscure folk quintet looking like they’re about 5 years behind the
times, and reportedly sounding that way too, except for some appealing
female vocal harmonies. Mix of originals and covers.
"Maiden Voyage" 197 (WGE lps-1007)
Early 1970s odd mix of MOR and rock with some fuzz breaks.
"Shape Of Things To Come" 1968 (Tower 4147) Ed Cobb cash-in venture with the title
track a minor hit from the "Wild in the
streets" teen exploitation movie, so an entire album was
promptly created. This has been referred to as a Davie Allan & the
Arrows side project, but according to recent info, it is in fact Michael
Lloyd & the Harris brothers from WCPAEB, on yet another LA music biz
moonlighting trip. In any event, the Standells and the Leaves are better exponents of the Sunset Strip
teen-punk
sound.
”For The People” 197 (Catalyst 1111)
Early 1970s black group. Soul rock with some fuzzy jamming similar to early
Parliament, but less interesting. Matthews had several other releases.
"Los Mayans" 197 (Musicmex)
Hispanic group mix of heavy rock and psych.
"The Man Who Ate The Plant" 1973 (Tumbleweed TWS 105) [gatefold] Obscure
hippiefolk/singer-songwriter on the same label as Robb Kunkel; like most
Tumbleweeds a rich, upscale production with heavy session names involved. Delightfully
stoned vibe and excellent lyrics, with strong opening track and more winners
scattered about. Underrated, or even unknown. McCabe also pops up with a
track on "Colorado Folk, vol 2". [PL]
"Alien"
1973 (ESP 3008) [quadrophonic] Solo album from Godz-member is a routine singer/songwriting effort
given a bit more interest by McCarthy’s weird lyrical sensibilities. It
sounds nothing like the Godz, but not really like any well-known singer
either. Not as interesting as, say, Mayo Thompson’s solo album, and not
particularly tuneful, but a few close listens offer enjoyable bits here and
there. [AM]
"Bob McKenna & Stash" 197 (no label) Midwest
1970s private, details invited.
”R P M” 1978 (Starfish 7801) [1000p; blue vinyl]
Rural rock and folkrock with guitar-keyboard demo recordings gathered over a
period of time, with songwriting contributions from all members. A couple of
tracks go in a prog-rock direction.
"David McNeil" 197 (Canada) McNeil
has turned out to be a fairly wellknown French artist, and should thus be
removed. But here he still is! He cut two singles in English before focusing
on French language material.
”Meat Phredd” 1986 (Phreddhead)
Instrumental avant guitar progressive
trio similar to Viola Crayola, plus some classical guitar. Recorded at
Columbus’ long-running Musicol studios, and housed in an odd cartoon cover.
The release year is 1986, contrary to what you may read elsewhere.
”Like Trolls” 1978 (no label, no #)
Seldom seen local folky prog-rock with
high-pitched male vocals and female harmonies, housed in nice pencil-drawn
cover.
"Stranger In The Mystery" 1979 (Energy) "Migration Of The Snails" 1980 (Energy) Spacy electronics prog.
"Fire Burn, Cauldron Bubble" 1971 (Ampex A-10111) Phil Walden was apparently the money behind
this group, helping to
arrange for a contract with the small Ampex Records label. The album was
also recorded at Walden's Capricorn Studios. That connection's mildly
interesting in that this group's sound is about as far away from
Southern rock as you can get. Produced by Johnny Sandlin, 1971's
"Fire Burn, Cauldron Bubble" basically sounds like a bunch of
Blood, Sweat and Tears clones who traded David Clayton Thomas for Joe
Cocker. Okay, okay that's kind of a mean-spirited description and to be
honest it isn't particularly accurate in that this short-lived outfit
actually boasted three lead singers in the form of Dick Gentile, Kenny
Tibbets and Bill Witherspoon. On tracks such as 'Why Be Lonely' Gentile
recalled Chicago's Robert Lamm (I'll leave it up to you to decide if
that's good or bad). Tibbets' frantic deliveries recalled Cocker - check
out 'Tell the Truth' and his seemingly endless cover of Traffic's
'Feeling Alright'). That left Witherspoon with the most versatile and
rock-oriented voice. His performance on 'As I Lay Dying' almost allowed
you to overlook the horn irritating horn arrangement. Guess you can tell
horn rock isn't high on my list of life's pleasures... [SB]
"Merry-Go-Round"
1967 (A&M LP-132) [mono] Excellent melodic Byrdsy pop folkrock with Emmitt Rhodes.
There's also a "Best Of" sampler on Rhino, and "Live"
appears on their Nuggets Box.
"Les Mersey’s" 1967 (DSP 417)
Well-produced French-Canadian pop & beat produced by Michael Pagliaro, sung
in French. Several Beatles covers. The band also had many 45s.
"Messendger" 1982 (Jab 111)
This one is
hyped as one of the best 80s rock albums, and usually described as sounding
like a 70s band. That’s just dealer hype, as it sounds completely 1980s to
me. The songs and playing are pretty good, but the guitar tone is annoyingly
of its time and there’s nothing here good enough to make it really rise to
the top of the heap. [AM]
"Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John" 1969 (Elektra eks-74052) Overlooked major label psych album has a lot of terrific guitar
playing and some very strong songs. The concept is kind of silly, but this
is listenable from start to finish. Not a masterpiece, but better than a lot
of records that sell for ten times as much. [AM]
"Paper Tigers" 1984 (Raven RR-XO/1984)
Imagine if Dylan had never come to New
York and signed with Columbia, but rather languished in Hibbing. However, he
did come, so instead we have this incredibly off the wall Minnesota
singer-songwriter writing possibly the most non-sequitur lyrics in his own
attempt to travel down Highway 61 (”Tin foil teardrops ropes for the meter
man; Pool hall police play mumbly peg; Horseshoe hopes on loan from the
bleeding hand; Four scores later just like Lincoln said.”). There are songs
about robots on death row, electric high heels, Metsa also rips off a couple
of barely tonal guitar solos al a Bob (think ”Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat”).
Throughout the entire LP, I can picture the backup band and singers giving
each other weird looks and mouthing ”what the f***?”, and their after hours
cheaper rate level of playing would seem to bear this out. Metsa is still
active in the local music scene. [MA]
"One Voice Many" 1971 (Columbia c-30686) [wlp exists] Great
folk-rock album, led by “Angel,” who plays the autoharp like one.
Several instrumentals are given meat by some very hot guitar playing, and
for once the male vocals are actually as appealing as (or more than) the
female vocals. “Son,” which integrates drug abuse, Vietnam, parents who
don’t understand their kids, and that same old three-chord structure you’ve
heard a zillion times, is transcendent. Some mellower folky songs are very
lovely. Overall, one of the very best major label folk-rock albums. A real
sleeper. [AM]
"Rocket to Stardom" 197 (Home Cooking) Early
1970s over-the-top gay porn rock group. Mix of ballads and heavy rock.
The art cover depicts the group riding on a penis-shaped spaceship! [RM]
"Live! More Than Rock'n'Roll" 197 (private)
Cover band doing medleys of Led Zep,
Stones, ZZ Top, and Bob Seger. The music mixes with moderately funny raps,
and there's also some banjo interludes. If suitably drunk, it was probably
considered passable Friday night entertainment in whatever hick town they
were from. The band is tight and there's some strong guitarleads. The crowd
noise is quite fake-sounding.
”Milkweed” 1978 (CCL 33-114)
Dark atmospheric prog that has been
compared to Morse Code. One of the more obscure Canadian albums in the style.
”Another Sunday” 1979 (no label)
Folk with 12-string, flute and mixed
male-female vocals.
”Millennium” 1973 (Shekinah 1512)
Christian quartet in a prog-rock
direction with lots of keyboard.
"Casting Pearls"
1973 (Verve v6-8825) [wlp also exists] [1] Various
artists assembly including lots of Bay Area legends, coordinated by Mike
Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites. Standout track is Richard Dey's psychy
"Letting Go Ain't Easy" in the great early 70s SF style, while the rest is competent
but unexceptional bluesrock & nightclub r'n'b. For completists mostly. This is
the only release to feature female SF 1960s band the Ace Of Cups, although
their earlier unreleased recordings are superior to the number present here.
[PL]
"Milwaukee Iron" 1978 (private) Femme biker country rock.
"What's Happening"
1967 (Dot dlp-3773) [mono]
Groovy exploito-psych instrumentals,
closer to Mesmerizing Eye than Animated Egg, though without the obvious
comedy. It’s most notable for use of a really weird set of instruments,
including Panther Combo Organ, Chinese Bell Tree and “two ashtrays.” Fun
liner notes. Pretty awful, to be honest, but as always with this kind of
thing, a reasonably good time.
The mono is somewhat rarer.[AM]
"Mind Garage" 1969 (RCA lsp-4218) "The Mind Garage Again! The Electric Liturgy" 1970 (RCA lsp-4319) Late
60s mainstream psych/rock with some brass. The non-LP track "Asphalt
Mother" is the best thing they did.
"To All My Friends" 1976 (no label)
Strange folkrock-rock with wah-wah and
organ by army veteran in a crude paste-on cover. He doesn’t look too hip.
This LP may appeal to fringe fans. Today he performs burlesque club material
with a Sesame Street type puppet called ‘Grovor’.
"Mint Tattoo" 1969 (Dot dlp-25918) [die-cut gatefold cover]
Jazzy rock symphony excess on the a-side, pedestrian hard rock on the flip.
The band split up after two members left to join Blue Cheer.
”Everything’s Just Fine... Or Is It?” 1967 (Catholic Relief Services)
Four Catholic priests with electric
guitars! The LP was issued to raise money for the Catholic Relief Overseas
Aid Fund Appeal. Notable for the atypical closing track “Reconciliation”, a
garage psych beast. There is a second LP with folkrock and probing
discussion of the lyrics, ”Disco-Teach” (Celebrities, 1969). [RM]
”It’s For You” 1977 (Ilmo)
This album looks like it’s going to be
really sleazy, as it’s obviously the work of drunken rural dudes who are
more in love with their shotguns and whiskey than their girlfriends, but
unfortunately it’s rather bland and not very well played bar rock. It lacks
the kind of heavy guitar that would have given the sleazy lyrics some bite.
I wouldn’t say it to their face, but this music is disappointingly wimpy.
Illinois label. [AM]
"Missouri Woodland" 1978 (Missouri Woodland S80-1553) [2500p; inner] Described as duo playing hippie folk
with lots of string instruments and some good tracks.
”Hell’s Fire” 1981 (no label CPI 1280) Hardrock/metal. The band also had a
45 on the well-known 700 West label.
”Mizzouri Foxx” 197 (no label) Hard guitar/organ bar-rock with a
Deep Purple sound from band who moved to SoCal from small-town Missouri. The
second LP is recorded live and was released on the same label as Chakra. The
band has taken well care of their legacy and are selling retrospective CDs.
"Mo's Album" 1976 (700 West) [200p] Vanity project by Mo Whittemore, who ran '700 West
Studios'. One side is publisher's demos with other artists on the label and
the flip is annoying clarinet noise by Mo, in an Ornette Coleman style. The Zerfas
brothers help out. [RM]
”Mobius Strip” 1982 (Nervous) Basement AOR/ hardrock with high
pitched vocals.
”Send A Message” 1979 (no label) Obscurity from Hawaii with funky
progressive rock, some hard guitar, flutes and female vocals.
"Mojo Magic" 196 (GRT 10003) [wlp exists] Co-produced by David Hassinger and
Les Brown Jr., 1968's "Mojo Magic" is an interesting time piece.
While lots of reviews compare them to the Mamas and the Papas, or Spanky and
Our Gang, those comparisons aren't entirely accurate. Showcasing Alaimo and
Errico as the band's primary creative source (they penned nine of the ten
album tracks), the band's earlier R&B orientation is completely
abandoned. In it's place there's a likable, but largely unoriginal mix of
lite psych and sunshine pop. Propelled by Errico's crystal clear contralto
voice, the group are at their most impressive on the most psych-oriented
numbers, including the single ''Candle To Burn' and 'Free Ride'. That said,
even their more commercial leanings are interesting. Tracks like 'Beside Me'
and 'Evelyn Hope' sport Mamas and Papas-styled harmonies, but incorporate
fuzz guitars, Baroque-ish arrangements and other trappings the former would
never touch. Okay, okay I'll admit that 'Make You At Home' and 'New York
City' are shamelessly commercial. Still, there are enough winners here to
warrant a couple of spins. One final non-LP 45 (which I've never heard) and
they were history. [SB]
"As Your Kingdom Falls" 1983 (private) Described
as hardrock with prog/psych moves in nice cover.
"Reality"
1969 (Vanguard 79291) [wlp exists] Solo
LP from ex-lead singer of legendary acidpunks Third Bardo, described as
mainstreamish rock with orchestrations and cool Jaggeresque vocals. The LP
features a remake of one song from the Third Bardo days, "I can
understand your problem".
“Beat ‘N’ Hits” 1965 (Royal International 3507) Seldom seen low-budget beat
exploitation LP. There's 3 Beatles numbers, among other things.
"Chris
Moon Group" 1970 (Kinetic) Obscure
LP by ex-Third Bardo vocalist Jeff Monn (nee Jeff Neufeld) under yet another
alias. Kinetic was a CBS subsidiary that also had an LP by Third Bardo's old
mentor Rusty Evans/Marcus Uzilevsky.
”An Evening With” 1964 (Century 29132) Alvin
High School lounge prep rock instrumentals with trumpet from the Century
vanity label.
“Enchanted Mesa” 1978 (Goldust lps-174) Rural
rock/country-rock with flowing guitar housed in a striking color fantasy
cover. The cover says ‘Daince’ rather than ‘Dance’. The band had a second
album Flower In The Sand in 1982 which again spells it ‘Daince’, so be it. A
popular live act locally.
"Life is a
Constant Journey Home" 1967 (ESP)
"Autumn's Coming" 1969 (Legend)
Loner folk.
"More Psychedelic Guitars" 196 (Custom cs-1096) Solid exploito trash psych.
"#2 Son" 197 (no label) Seldom
seen folk/singer-songwriter LP.
"Morning" 1970 (Vault 138) In
the sweepstakes of laid-back rock and roll that straddles the country,
folk and psychedelic fences, this is right up near the top of the heap.
Top-notch harmony singing, clever songwriting, creative instrumentation,
unexpected twists and turns, and bits stolen from the masters combine to
make every song a winner. Morning’s just-plain-mellow side takes
center stage with the the lovely piano work on “Angelena.” Their
mellow-but-rocking side peaks with the Crosby, Stills, And Nash-style
“doo doo doo” chorus on “Tell Me A Story” and the stunning
build-up on “Early Morning.” The album’s finest moments, however,
are when their really-wasted-mellow side arises on “Sleepy Eyes” and
“And I’m Gone.” The former’s slow fuzzed-out rise-and-fall
guitar and the latter’s overpowering organ flashes take the listener
straight into dreamland. This album is so great that even the
(mercifully short at about 40 seconds) drum solo can’t spoil it. The
liner notes read “thank you to Jack and Greg for allowing us complete
control in putting this album together.” Obviously this is a case
where a band had a vision and we’re all rewarded because they were
allowed to see it through. [AM]
”Growing” 1972 (Toya tstlp-2001)
Harmony-rich rural rock with some mild blues tendencies. Pleasant and well
done but not especially exciting or memorable. Recommended to fans of the
genre, but unlikely to appeal much to others. [AM]
“Sea Of Dreams” 1976 (SP 1110) A
self-released album from a jazz-rock band with flute and female vocals. The
LP is sometimes listed as “folk” or “prog”, but the band themselves
described it as fusion, and the members continued as jazz musicians. It
sells for pretty decent money.
"Listen To A Sunrise" 1974 (Morning Song Records CSA7871) [insert] There’s a very strong
Dead/CSNY influence on Side 1 of this LP with most tracks written by
Frederick Curdts. There are some strong harmonies and clear vocals with
little evidence of the Christian message you might expect from the cover
and general vibe. ”Look at me” and “Ontario” are stand out
tracks, with the latter featuring some good violin and soaring vocals.
Side 2 is less interesting, although some floating guitar effects on “There’s
a light” almost make it psychedelic. However, towards the end the
track is sabotaged by a very nasty ‘Captain & Tenille’ style
synthesizer ‘incident’. Cool soaring bird cover with woodcut image
of mountain and bridge on the back. [RI]
"Philosophical Songs" 1969 (no label) Odd home-made album of mostly
topical '60s Village folk done in an amateurish manner. The LP opens with
two strange songs where Morriale affects a operatic-yodelling vocal style
that doesn't connect very well with the music, lyrics, or common sense.
Worth hearing once, but maybe not more than once, unless you specialize in
fringe novelty records.
"Mortimer" 1969 (Philips phs-600-267) Underrated pop/popsike album with strong Hollies-like harmonies
and a nice jangly guitar sound. A real find for fans of the genre, and
it has enough trippy moments to appeal to psych fans as well. [AM]
"Living with the Animals" 1968 (Mercury SR-61194) Today Tracy Nelson's largely
known as a solo artist. Her mid-1960s work with the San Francisco-based
Mother Earth having been largely forgotten. That's unfortunate, since
Nelson and Mother Earth turned in some excellent material. Co-produced
by Dan Healy, Mark Naftalin and the band (Barry Goldberg was listed as
the executive producer), 1968's "Living with the Animals" is a
true band effort. Showcasing a mixture of originals and covers, the
predominant sound is blues, though there are elements of soul and even
rock scattered throughout. The focus is clearly on Nelson, whose deep
bluesy voice literally tears apart material such as the 'Mother Earth',
'Down So Low' and 'Cry On'. Powell St John handles a couple of
tracks ('Marvel Group', 'Living with the Animals' and 'Kingdom of Heaven
(Is Within You)'), but his voice just can't hold up next
to Nelson. This may sound heretical, but to my ears Nelson's actually at
her best when she loosens up, abandoning the blues for a more soulful
turn - check out 'I Did My Part' and 'It Won't Be Long'. Elsewhere
Michael Bloomfield provided guitar on 'Mother Earth' (under the name
Makal Blumfeld). [SB]
"Angel Food" 1978 (Sonrise Mercantile 11) [insert] Jesus rock primarily in a
country-rock/gospel rock direction, with bloodless, dorky male vocals that
will have you cringe. The band gets into OK stuff on 2 tracks at the end of
side 1 and "The Watchman" on side 2, with UK prog moves and nice guitar leads somewhat like Fantasy.
However, even there the vocals suck, and all over this is 3rd tier Christian 1970s rock (a field where
already the 2nd tier is dubious), and one really has to wonder why some
people insist on pushing $5 titles like this.
"Direct From Nick Fink's" 197 (Universal Audio UAS 850-62153)
Strange mix of styles on this album, which presumably features a mid-1970s
lounge/easy listening band getting creative and experimental. Tracks range
from a meaningless "In The Mood" to a couple of OK funky rock tracks to an
epic and quite bizarre exploration of the "2001" Theme (aka Also Sprach
Zarathustra) that goes into freaky echoplex noise a la "Ruler Of The
Universe" by the Strange! An electric piano instrumental seems to flirt with
ambient/new age stylings. Unfortunately the loungey brass and keyboard
dominate the soundscape, and the end result is a little too slick and mature
and not enough rock and underground. Check it out if you find it cheap.
"Live At The Continental" 1974 (Greekiwop) Self-released album from lounge-rock
duo (w/ additional musicians) playing adept but unexceptional piano-rock
versions of '50s oldies, ballads, "Upon Cripple Creek" and such. The vocals
are kind of flat and average, and it's neither amateurish nor odd enough to
win any incredibly strange points -- in fact their version of Elton John's
"Daniel" gives an idea what Silk & Silver would have sounded like if they
had been a normal cover band. The amusing label name is about as far out as
Moxie went. However, this LP features a band original "Take It, Take It
Easy" in a driving '70s rock style, which is good enough to be worth
checking out.
"Mud" 1971 (Uni 73110) This obscure Uni album has
really ugly album cover and a bizarre mix of music within. It begins
with a soulful cover of part of the Beatles’ ABBEY ROAD melody, then
goes to horn rock, soulful rock and hard rock. Most of it is only OK,
but two songs are of particular interest. The highly disturbing “Smacking
Cowboy” ends the album with 9 minutes of the “Hey Joe” riff taken
to painful extremes, with some excellent guitar work, a powerful groove,
and unpleasant lyrics about heroin. “Who Owns The Park” is a spoken
word history of the American government (and others) stealing land from
Indians and citizens, narrated by a Crispin Glover soundalike. As 70s
hard rock band songs about the plight of the Indian go (and there are a
lot of them), this is one of the most compelling. Not really a
recommended album, but interesting. [AM]
"Multiplication Rock" 1973 (Capitol sja-11174) Educational rock songs done for the children's
television show, Sesame Street. There is a definite hippie vibe to the
tunes! [RM]
"Freedom You’re A Woman" 1978 (Vulcan v-911)
Brooklyn hardrock recorded at The
Record Plant, in nice toadstool cover.
”A Revolutionary Revelation” 1970 (Metromedia) [wlp exists]
Exploito concept with a narrator asking
in a God-like voice how to make the world a better place. The ‘answers’ are
these studio pop psych ditties with all sorts of gratuitous sound effects.
The LP is seldom seen, but with limited appeal.
”Mustard Seed” 1971 (Spectrum lps-3501) [plain cover with sticker]
Here’s a weird one. I’ve listened to
this multiple times and I’m still not sure what to make of it. I think I
like it. Not quite sure how to describe it either. There are some simple
acoustic ballads, melodic rock with low-key psychy organ, pop horns on a
couple tunes, an unusual psychedelic moody piece with wah-wah electric,
trumpet, and reverbed vocals. “Free people” has a nice Doors-ish organ solo
(sort of a poor man’s “Light my fire”) and a brief token drum solo that all
hip albums from this period were required to have. Has flashes of brilliance
and edge that hearken to the ‘biggies’ that sell in the 3-digit figures, but
overall it’s not quite up there with the rest. Well produced. [KS]
”Mystery Revealed” 1972 (Creative Sound 666/777)
Christian rock compilation with tracks
by Mike Johnson, Harvest Flight and Paul Clark, the reported highlight being
a number by unknown Jay Larremore.
"Mystic
Astrologic Crystal Band"
1967 (Carole 8001) [wlp exists] The band name, the song titles, the clothing, wow, talk about a period timepiece... The LP offers up an interesting mix of psych and what you'd call sunshine pop. Ive seen a couple of reviews that compare the LP to The Yellow Balloon and the comparison's not too far off, though the affection for the sitar and the production give this a far more distinctive psych edge. Musically the collection's pretty much divided between the two genres, though with interesting production touches to virtually every track - "Early Dawn" shifts from great harmony rich pop to a weird phasing segment and then back. At least to our ears the psychier tracks provide the highlights. Among the more interesting numbers are the sitar propelled "Factory Endeavor" (with an odd series of right to left and back fades), "Barnyard Philosophy" and "Publicly Inclined (To Blow Her Mind)". [SB] "Clip Out, Put
On The Book"
1968 (Carole 8003)
[gatefold; cutouts insert] [1] Rarer
second LP is similar in style. There is a CD compilation with most or all
of their recordings, "Flowers Never Cry" (Dropout, 1993).
"Performing Musical Interpretations of the Paintings of Paul Klee" 1968 (Philips phs-600-26) [insert] The insert includes reproductions of a number of Klee paintings,
and each song attempts to match the mood of one of the artworks.
Occasionally, it seems like they’re trying too hard, but the music is
pretty good, with lots of cool fuzz guitar. There’s an air of real
innocence about it, like they decided to make “psychedelic music”
after listening to some, but they have no idea what “psychedelic”
actually means. It’s kind of charming. Lightweight fun. Some of
the tracks appear in jazzed-up versions on the Gap Mangione LP from the
same year. [AM]
"Rootin'" 1972 (ABC ABCX-757) We found this one at a flea
market and initially picked it up for the striking cover (how many
times do you see a close-up of a warthog?). The fact that it cost a
dollar and featured Steely Dan's Walter Becker and Donald Fagen
arranging much of the LP, playing on a couple of tracks, as well as
contributed one selection ("Canyon Ladies") made for an offer we
couldn't refuse. Recorded at Los Angeles' Village Recorders with
Dennis Collin and Gary Kannon producing, most of 1972's "Rootin'" is
best described as bluesy-rock. Powered by Ray Pawlik's growling
vocals, group-penned tracks such as "Western Boots", "$2 Bill" and
"That's How It Is (Playin' In a Rock & Roll Band)" are tight and
fairly commercial, though they don't exhibit a great deal of
originality. Far less impressive are the bands' stabs at
country-rock. Complete with pedal steel and whistling solo, "Ballad
of a Young Man" is outright embarrassing. As for the Fagen-Becker
number, well it's okay though the lyrics are largely indecipherable.
This one album appears to be Navasota's entire catalog. Baxter went
on to a stint with The Doobie Brothers before continuing his
collaboration with Becker and Fagen in Steely Dan. [SB]
”Retrospective 1965–1968” 1976 (Lodestone) [200#d; gatefold] Very
obscure collection of 1960s jazz-avant recordings from band who played the
legendary 1966 Trips Festival in Vancouver. A variety of instruments used
including a ‘vortexorola’. Although there were some ties to the underground
'rock' community, this is usually classified as jazz. A CD reissue exists.
"Sons Of The Morning" 1970 (World Library 1953) Odd Christian folk with
a couple of electronic experimental tracks mixed with sombre liturgical
sounds.
”In The Following Half-Light” 1981 (R.E.M./ Silver rem-4441) [insert]
Pretentious prog that strives for something great and comes off sounding
like a poor cousin of many better and more well-known bands. The songs are
complex in an annoying way: they shift gears every time a hook or good
melodic idea begins to take hold. The last song attempts to be horrific, and
ends up being almost laughable. There are some decent synthesizer bits
scattered about and some of the album is reasonably heavy, but this isn’t a
pleasant listen by any stretch of the imagination. [AM]
"Hiway Child" 1973
(Astra) [gatefold] This is a folky singer
songwriter album, the first of several by Neufeld in the 70s. One song
is about various better known Canadian singer-songwriters, and he
obviously wished to follow in their footsteps. His band is pretty
talented; there’s a solid rhythm section and some nice acoustics and
pedal steel. There’s also some effective orchestration. This is
sincere and put together with care, but a bit too country for some,
probably. It’s a good album if you like the style, but not nearly as
impressive as, say, David Wiffen or Paul Seibel. [AM]
”For What We Are” 1980 (Erect 1000) Mainstream AOR
album with some proggy moments. It sports decent musicianship but lacks
personality and charm and is ultimately forgettable. It is similar to the
private press by Minnesota band Solenoid. The proggy cover is much more
interesting than the album itself. The label had a few more releases.
"Half a Month of May Days" 1970 (Verve Forecast FTS-3087) [wlp exists] This album has drawn attention
because he's backed by members of Kaleidoscope, but it's a pretty
interesting folk-rock album in its own right. Newbury has a warbly voice
that's an acquired taste, but musically he mines a variety of folk rock
styles with relative success. Some people like this album very much. I have
a hard time with his voice and the trebly production sound. If you can get
past those two obstacles, you'll like it more than me. A set of 2 acetates
from 1970 with three alternate mixes and one unreleased song, "Private
Jackson regrets", also exists. [AM]
"Newbury Park" 1970 (Cream cr-9003) [wlp exists] Soft rock with cover
of "Green
Tambourine".
"New Legend" 1971 (Band’n Vocal 1269) This is shown in one of the
"Collector Dreams" books, but is probably a fake/joke item, which doesn't
exist.
"Sings The Sidehackers" 1969 (Amaret st-5004) Soundtrack to a motorcycle
racing b-movie. Low rent garagy rock with some fuzz. Same label (MGM sub) as
Fresh Air.
"Broken Heart" 197 (private) Live-recorded before an enthusiastic
crowd, this obscure LP contains sincere and quite generic '70s Christian
folk and singer-songwriter with some gospel overtones. Between the songs we
get jokes, parables, and testimonies. Inoffensive and unmemorable, may work
for true believers.
"New
Mix" 1968 (United Artists uas-6678) This album is very well-regarded
among popsike fans, and it does have a nice post-Beatles feel to it, kind of
like the Smoke. The arrangements and vocals are very appealing, but the
songs aren’t all that memorable. I’m an aficionado of the genre, and
this one does a lot of the right things musically. However, unlike, say,
Mortimer or J.K & Co, both of which have significant variety and
ambitious songwriting, it doesn’t have enough personality for me to give
it a wholehearted recommendation. [AM]
"New World
Singers" 1966 (F.H.S.) [handbill] Northeast basement moody folk, female vocals.
NEXUS (NJ) "First Lite: A New College Experience" 1982 (Nexusonics) A strange LP with an eclectic mix of
electronics, straight singer-songwriter, jazzy instros and one track with a
psychedelic feeling. Titles include "The Wabe", "Galaxy", "The Beckoning".
Odd, non-descript cover photo looks like someone cut a postcard in half and
blew it up in size. An album for the bold and the bored. Sometimes listed
with the band name as First Lite.
"Time Loop" 1972 (Kama Sutra 2057) This is an obscure major label album that collectors and dealers
keep claiming is “about to be discovered”. What that means is that
they’re desperately hoping its price will jump from $20 to $100. All
but one song is just acoustic guitar and voice, and the album sounds
like a bunch of demos. The one song with a full band shows that Nichols
songwriting style has real rock strength. The rest of the songs range
from pretty good to very good, and all of them sound like pale versions
of what they should be. The same songs, recorded with full arrangements
and rock energy, would have made an excellent album. Some of them have a
really unique sensibility and a neat spacy feel to them. Frustrating.
[AM]
”Introducing The Nightwalkers” 1968
(Inca, Puerto Rico)
The first LP is laden with weak covers.
”El Gordo” is better, half English vocals melodic jangle beat and harmony
folkrock with nice twelve string and fuzz shadings. A fun pop beat Byrdsian
charmer. [RM]
"Earth Days and Astral Nights" 198 (Aiwass 313131) Odd,
cosmic lounge dreamer
mixed duo. Looks like a late 1980s release.
"Our Centennial Album" 1976 (2 LPs, Mayhams Collegiate 40904) A rather unique double album from
the song-poem dimension, featuring the underground music biz veteran
Norridge B Mayham. As the many 45s he released, this album is all over the
map, but at its freakiest it sounds like a parody of "Context '70", if you
can imagine that. It's sort of tongue in cheek, but in so strange ways that
it will undoubtedly find a fan-base.
"North Star" 198 (private) [12" EP] Early 1980s progressive hardrock
with excellent vocals
and blasting guitar.
"Northern Star" 1975 (Harry Records 142)
An obscure title that looks like it
could be rural rock, but actually contains an awkward mix of bad, sub-Barry
Manilow MOR pop and jazzy instrumentals. The violin player is pretty good,
as heard on the atypical instrumental prog epic that closes the album. Lord
knows who they thought would buy this.
"Notes From the Underground" 1968 (Vanguard vsd-6502) Druggy, comic, mostly acoustic folkrock similar to
early Country Joe and the Fish. The band had a local EP which is
somewhat legendary but clearly the weakest of the 4 classic 'Berkeley EPs'.
"La
Nouvelle Frontiere" 1970 (Gamma GS 137)
Sometimes described as "dreamy folkrock" or such, this is in fact very
French-flavored chanson pop with strong focus on the highpitched female
vocals. Entirely commercial and completely MOR, there's likely to be an audience
for this, but you'll probably find it in the easy listening/adult
contemporary section next to Celine Dion. There’s a Leonard Cohen cover, but
the bulk of the material was written by guitarist Robert Letendre. There is
a less expensive second LP, L’Hymne Aux Quenuilles (Gamma, 1970). The Seguin
twins would go on to various music projects during the 1970s.
"October Palace" 1979 (no label) [paste-on cover; insert] Basement edgy
folk. Noyes is the
female vocalist.
”Ljubimo” 1970 (Amato SLP 1) Fringe fun in the ‘nun-folk’
category, female vocal harmony folk with offbeat vibe and vague psych moves.
Appealing and gentle, worth hearing for femme fans. The title is Croatian
for ‘let us love’.
"The Unpredictable Nu Sett" 196 (Inntimate 1001) Lounge prep rock.
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