Archive for June, 2007

The Rising Storm “Calm Before…”

| Garage,Pop,Psych

Calm Before¦

Hardcore fans of unknown 60s psych and garage all search for that taste of magic once committed to rare grooves of vinyl, a glimpse into an era when any rock combo with a few fans could get enough studio time to immortalize a set of their wildest sounds, and with Calm Before.., you get the full dosage.

If you have an original copy of this record, you ought to encase it in 15 sheets of mylar and lock it up in the safe, as garage rock hounds are probably sniffing you down as you read this. Only 500 LPs were pressed in 1967, just as these six young lads from Phillips Academy in Massachusetts were graduating prep school.

Typically, impossibly rare albums tend to get seriously over-hyped, but not so in this case. Collectors don’t go nuts over this one because it’s so rare, it’s because it’s so good! The Rising Storm rocks with the controlled frenzy of The Remains (even tearing open the album with their explosive “Don’t Look Back”), but manage to layer in a thin film of psychedelia. The contemplative original numbers are the real gems on this record. “To L.N./Who Doesn’t Know,” “Frozen Laughter,” and “The Rain Falls Down” are three must-hear folk-tinged treats.

“Mr. Wind”  with it’s lovely, lilting melody and the rollicking “Bright Lit Blue Skies” were both tunes borrowed from local Boston garage rocker contemporaries, The Rockin’ Ramrods, clearly heroes to the Storm. Another laid back treat is “A Message To Pretty,” a Love cover that proves the musical taste and cool sensibility of these young preps. Simply put, the rockers on here will start up the party, but the softer tunes give it all the sparkle.

Most of my favorite records take some time invested before they begin to reward, and Calm Before is a genuine grower.  The CD reissue includes the original LP lineup and follows with a 1983 reunion concert recorded in their home town of Andover. Surprisingly, the boys play with all the same energy and a little bit of welcome slop that actually recreates an authentic garage sound.

These guys arguably had one of the best band names of the time. ; )

“Bright Lit Blue Skies”

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Check out the band’s current website.

Great Speckled Bird (self-titled)

| Country Rock,Folk

Great Speckled Bird

The Great Speckled Bird was lead by Ian and Sylvia Tyson. The above album was recorded and released in 1970. The record company pulled the album from store shelves within months, making this album rare and thus sought after. It’s not uncommon for a copy of the Great Speckled Bird to exchange hands for hundreds of dollars, if not more!

The album itself was a great mixture of early country-rock and folk. At the time it was a bold move for the Tysons to break free from their folk straight jackets. The Great Speckled Bird was supposed to signal the beginning of something new for this famous folk-rock duo. The band was very tight from live gigging, containing some good musicians such as the Remains’ N.D. Smart. Amos Garrett (lead guitar) and Buddy Cage (steel guitar) play with an added venom, incorporating different tones and textures to their guitar playing that work just brilliantly.

The concept of the Great Speckled Bird was to change the direction of folk as well as add electricity and rock n roll power to contemporary country music. The songs speak for themselves, just listen to the power in Ian Tyson’s Calgary. Both he and Sylvia are in great voice, adding a compelling and courageous element to this landmark album. Some of the songs such as Love What You’re Doing Child have that funky rural vibe while others (Rio Grande) recall their folk past. Flies in the Bottle is a beautiful country song and one cannot help but think how this album predates the Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris collaborations. At times this album rocks hard too, as heard on Bloodshot Beholder.

Definitely worth your time, the Great Speckled Bird is the best album this duo has ever released.

“Calgary”

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The Zombies “Odessey and Oracle”

| Pop,Psych,RnB,Sunshine

Odessey and Oracle

Forty years ago today, if you were listening to music, Sgt. Pepper was on the turntable. It’s the album that fueled the 1967 Summer of Love and it’s the true nexus of all of this music. The hard working Zombies were in the studio at this time, beginning work on their intentional swan song LP, the beautiful, unforgettable, essential Odessey and Oracle. There’s no doubt these boys were spinning Lonely Hearts while they were recording at Abbey Road.

From the Mellotron, brass sections, to Argent’s other keyboard work, the interesting (and warmly sparse) production overall, Sgt. Pep’s impact on music is crystal clear from the very beginning; these are the days when the studio became an experimental playground. But enough about the monster. The truth is, it owes more to Pet Sounds anyways.

Care of Cell 44 is a sleeper hit, and a beautiful opener. The kind that makes you flip it back to Side 1 when it’s over. The best part about the Zombies, they’ve got soul. This isn’t an experimental record, there are rhythm & blues roots in it. Even the softer fare takes it home like in Brief Candles and Maybe After He’s Gone. Tunes like A Rose For Emily (named after a short story by perhaps our best American writer) would hint at the masterpiece to come shortly after from lead singer, Colin Blunstone, whose voice is unmatched.

I wont go on much more, except to say that if you haven’t heard this, you are in for a treat. Maybe you won’t love it at first, but one day you will miss it dearly. It deserves a digipak reissue akin to that of the new Kinks VGPS package. Honestly, I would listen to any millisecond recorded at these sessions! Would love to see that for next year. But just get it any way you can.

“Changes”

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Scott Walker “Scott 4”

| Art,Baroque,Pop

Scott 4

Scott Walker sure has an interesting career going. Starting as a teen pop idol in the early sixties, moving to session work on electric bass with Jack Nitzsche, Scott later formed the fabulous Walker Brothers (neither of which were Walkers, or brothers for that matter), broke away to a solo career that is the focus of this review, and in recent years has been recording acclaimed experimental music, his The Drift making Pitchfok Media’s top 10 albums of 2006.

Scott Walker’s albums from 1967 to 1969, Scott, Scott 2, Scott 3, and Scott 4 are all great and consistently satisfying records. Walker is kind of a psychedelic crooner, a deep tenored and dramatic singer backed with a full orchestra and groovy rock combo. His tunes almost sound kitschy, but should you choose to pay attention, you’ll find the words and images that no ordinary voice-man would dream to play with. It’s clear why David Bowie was so inspired by Scott; reading along with the lyric sheet is a mind wrenching exercise.

But I have to recommend treating this album as a series of poems. It’s obvious that the lyrics came before, and are tantamount to, the melodies and accompaniment. But that’s not to say that you won’t be singing along to Get Behind Me or any other great melodies on this record. On all of Scott’s earlier solo albums, Jacques Brel is a prominent songwriter, but on 4, Scott takes complete control.

There’s a new box set out but I think it would be cooler if you bought each separately and chronologically. Let us know when you get to 4.

“The Old Man’s Back Again (Dedicated To The Neo Stalinist Regime)”

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