Mad River “Mad River”
Mad River were one of the truly unique Berkeley/Bay area groups. In their brief lifetime they released one ep and two lps but have proven to be a durable psychedelic group. People often compare Mad River to Country Joe and the Fish or the Quicksilver Messenger Service but it’s important to point out that the River’s sound was much more neurotic and darker in mood.
Lawrence Hammond was the lead vocalist, principal songwriter and bass player of Mad River. Hammond was born in Berkeley but spent his childhood in the Mid-West where he was exposed to a diverse mixture of country and folk music. In the mid 60s he attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. It was here he began studying medicine and met the future members of Mad River. The group performed in dives all throughout Ohio and in 1965 they were one of the few rock n roll groups around. To make a long story short, the group became frustrated with their efforts and eventually packed up and moved to the more progressively minded Berkeley, CA. In Berkeley the group’s lineup looked something like this: David Robinson (lead guitar), Thomas Manning (vocals and 12 string guitar), Gregory Dewey (drums), Rick Bochner (2nd lead guitar and vocals) and Lawrence Hammond (bass guitar and lead vocals). Mad River lived a meager lifestyle in Berkeley but were able to record an excellent ep off a local label in 1967. Two of the songs would end up on their self-titled 68 album albeit in different versions. One song, Orange Fire can only be heard on this great ep and is one of its highlights. Orange Fire is a minor key protest rock gem, with explosive guitar noise and cutting, angular riffs. It was both Robinson’s unique, abrasive guitar style and Hammond’s strange, quavering vocals that made people sit up and take note. Robinson’s guitar style was similar to the Magic Band of the late 60’s and much later, Television’s Tom Verlaine/Richard Lloyd on their classic Marquee Moon lp.
In 1968 the group were signed to Capital (along with the Steve Miller Band and the Quicksilver Messenger Service) and afforded the luxury to record the above debut. Disaster struck though, by way of an old recording engineer who knew nothing about current rock music. Thus, the recording and playback speed were not the same, so everything on the album came out faster and higher than Mad River had played it. When the record came out in 1968 it was savaged by Rolling Stone and hated by many rock critics alike.
Today, the Mad River lp sounds fantastic, unlike anything from the time and often considered a dark, ominous masterpiece of psychedelia. Amphetamine Gazelle is the gem of the album, with hard charging guitar riffs and a pulsing rhythm section that really captures the essence of speed. In Wind Chimes, they created an excellent rock instrumental that’s pure psychedelia and highlighted by dreamy eastern scales. Other tracks like High All The Time and Eastern Light are classic Bay area acid blues notable for Hammond’s piercing vocals and Robinson’s fine, sleazy guitar tones. Summary: Once again Rolling Stone proved to be wrong in their judgment and the Bay area produced another classic album of American psychedelia. Mad River would go on to record one more album in 1969, titled Paradise Bar and Grill. This album has much more of a roots rock vibe but is also highly recommended.
“Amphetamine Gazelle”
Vinyl Reissue | Sundazed | 2008 | preorder at sundazed ]
CD Reissue | 2001 | Collectors Choice | 2fer | buy at amazon
Also Recommended
There is something almost disturbing about this music (yes, also compelling… most compelling). It is as if they are exploring the darker side of the cultural fabric of their time. Intentionally exploring it. I have listened to their first album, Mad River, and believe that it most likely repelled many listeners. It doesn’t linger at the surface, but reaches into the wounds and fear that was inhabiting the shadows of the late 1960’s. I enjoy it greatly. Oddly enough, I find it somehow honest. Does this make sense? I don’t know. Anyway, I have ordered their second album…
Thanks for the springboard…
mark September 21, 2008 @ 8:37 pm
Mark,
Thanks for the comment. Yes, It makes sense, I think this record’s dark unsettling feel is no doubt what makes it so good and unique. I think this has the edge over their second album which is more rootsy and relaxed – still a rewarding listening experience but somehow lacks the edge that Mad River has.
Jason September 21, 2008 @ 8:55 pm
thanks for drawing attention to this one, it’s my favourite album of all time. a rambling drug-maimed sickness aching with wild vivid imagery and an overwhelmingly tragic sense of fever and decay. i wouldn’t change a single damned note on this labyrinth.
tom March 17, 2009 @ 4:30 am
In my opinion, one of the finest psych albums . Really a unique synthesis of influences that sounds like nothing else from that time or since. Comparisons to the Magic Band and Country Joe don’t really ring true to me. The level of musicianship is quite high-everybody is a standout in this group (Lawrence Hammonds bass playing is superb).This record rewards repeated ,careful listening.
Strongly recommended for those with an open mind.
richard May 29, 2009 @ 11:08 am
Thanks for the insightful notes on this sadly negected avant ’60s band. Especially insightful is comparing Robinson’s guitar work to Television–his tone similar to Cippolina, but the note-bending is “further out”, sometimes deliberately dissonant. Verlaine (reluctantly)cited Cippolina as an influence, also mentioned Moby Grape & the Elevators, but no mention of Mad River #1–well I’m sure he heard it because the ‘68 disc has Television-type moves all over it:: histrionic vocals (which also bring to my mind Jeffrey Lee Pierce), guitar counterpoint, free jazzy drumming, weird words.
Mad River #1 was ahead of its time like the first 2 Velvets albums. However, MR didn’t know Andy Warhol so their legacy shall remain obscure.
I first heard MR #! in late ‘69 on my sister’s boyfriend’s “Heathkit” stereo–sounded great. I never forgot it. The distribution blew, I heard it in NYC & couldn’t find it back home in CT.
jim ra November 3, 2009 @ 10:24 am
Thanks for caring about these lost souls! The first album has always been a great treasure to me. I think some of its strangeness may come from the fact that these guys were working against their natural inclinations. According to the notes in The Berkeley EPs CD, Robinson was a bluegrass flatpicker, Bockner fingerpicked ragtime, and both were pretty much learning electric guitar as they went. Technically advanced no wave? And back in the Jurassic I remember reading about some brainstorming session where they were supposed to be working out the finer points of their psychedelic onslaught and ended up sitting around listening to Merle Haggard. This kind of creative tension can be really useful. For instance, I always thought Chris Hillman was a great rock bass player, but apparently he would have rather been left to his mandolin. Maybe it’s just that bluegrassers can turn into visionary beasts when you plug ‘em in, Clarence White being another case in point. The Verlaine comparison is on the money, too. As for this decades-old controversy about the LP being mastered at the wrong speed, I dunno. I bought the Edsel CD when it came out and returned it when I realized it was dubbed from vinyl. The Capitol two-fer sounds the same as well. I think maybe it’s just that Hammond sings like a rabid squirrel (not a complaint) and the others are jacked into the stratosphere. Some members claim to have been chemically naive compared to their Bay Area comrades, but Amphetamine Gazelle is a pretty convincing look into the heart of that particular subculture. Finally, there are two pieces of the puzzle I’ve been trying to track down for years. There’s a long-dead torrent – West Coast Psych : Mad River – live and demos:
DR. SUNDAY’S MEDICINE SHOW, PEOPLES PARK,
SANTA CLARA, OCTOBER 8TH 1967.
01. INTRO
02. WIND CHIMES +
03. SNITSON (cut) @
04. THE WAR GOES ON *
1967 DEMOS
05. JERRY’S TUNE
06. YOU JUST DON’T LEAVE HER
07. TIMOTHY
08. WIND CHIMES
ANTIOCH COLLEGE, JUNE 1966
09. LOVIN’ CUP
10. I JUST WANT TO MAKE LOVE TO YOU
11. A MAN LIKE ME
And there’s a second Lawrence Hammond solo LP called To Know A Man, from the German label Line. Does anybody have a line on these long lost artifacts??
To prime the pump, here’s an unfamiliar tune (the only Mad River track) from a hippie fest in Alameda on 68-10-28 that was recently posted on Dime.
http://rapidshare.com/files/323741097/mad.rar
Hammond is really trying to sound normal here. Just remembered another long lost Mad River title – Divide And Conquer (That’s What She Said To Me).
This whole comment strives to show what a discerning listener I am, but really I’m just groveling for paths to the stuff I haven’t been able to find. Kudos to ALL the commenters for their insights.
Charlie December 20, 2009 @ 11:32 pm
Here’s a link that adds a blast of Tom Verlaine at his most hair-raising, Clear It Away from 87-04-03 Berlin, to the Mad River track:
http://rapidshare.com/files/323749905/mad.rar
Exploring the future from the distant past…
Charlie December 20, 2009 @ 11:55 pm