Author Archive

J.K. & Co. “Suddenly One Summer”

| Concept Albums,Pop,Psych

Suddenly One Summer

This is a good, semi well-known psych album, indeed there aren’t too many 60s rock fans that dislike J.K. & Co.’s Suddenly One Summer.  It’s the only album this group would release.  Prior to Suddenly One Summer, Jay Kaye had been in the Loved Ones, though I don’t think this band released any singles.

Jay Kaye was only 15 years old when he recorded this album in 1968.  The lyrics, vocals, songs and musicianship are remarkably advanced for someone who was so inexperienced in the studio.  Jay Kaye made the trip from Las Vegas to Vancouver, Canada to record the lp with top flight session musicians (among them members of noted Vancouver band Mother Tucker’s Yellow Duck).  The album was inspired by recent Beatles’ masterpieces and of course LSD, so it’s not surprising that much of this record is full of orchestral psychedelia and heavy studio effects – music with a spiritual slant.  Another teen, Robert Buckley aided Jay Kaye with many of the album’s arrangements and psychedelic effects.  It was he who created the decaying backward effects on the masterful “Fly,” a track that sounds well ahead of its time and similar in feel to prime-era Radiohead (though 30 years prior).

Suddenly One Summer was conceived as a concept album and briefly featured in Billboard claiming “to depict musically a man’s life from birth to death.”  At least half the album is full of great psychedelia.  “O.D.” features wild guitar playing, great drug addled madness, and soaring vocals, “Fly,” as mentioned before, is an all-time psych classic, and “Magical Fingers Of Minerva” is a great sitar based rocker that usually ends up on trippy compilations.  Other compositions of note are the gorgeous acoustic track “Nobody,” a great pop rocker titled “Christine,” and the dramatic finale, “Dead.”  The LP plays from strength to strength and never falls off into the deep end.

J.K. & Co.’s album was a decent size underground hit in California, leading White Whale to release a single to capitalize on the group’s popularity.  They chose the 36-second album opening intro which at the time was seen as a major marketing disaster.  In the end, White Whale’s terrible management blunder would halter the career of Jay Kaye and also hurt the company’s ability to market J.K. & Co as a serious group.   After the record’s release Kaye had even put together a band with his Cousin John (bass) and friend Rick Dean (drums) to promote the LP’s songs live but success eluded them.  In 2001 Sundazed released this great conceptual acid album through their BeatRocket label.

“Fly”

:) Vinyl Reissue | BeatRocket | 2001 | buy from sundazed ]
:D CD Reissue | BeatRocket | 2001 | buy from sundazed ]

The HiFis “Snakes and HiFis”

| Pop,Psych

Snakes and HiFis

The HiFis were a wonderful mid 60s  London-based group that would eventually relocate to Germany and release the above Star-Club lp in 1967.  Prior to the LPs release, the HiFis (also known as the Hi-Fi’s) also released a series of singles.  These singles were more in a soul beat style though some of them are pretty good and worth seeking out.  Their lineup consisted of Brian Bennett (vocals and keyboards), Mike Douglas (vocals and guitars),  Malcolm Lenny (vocals and lead guitar), Gary Unwin (bass), and Mel Wright (drums).

Many UK groups would relocate to countries such as Germany or Italy because being a British Invasion group that played original rock n roll was seen as something special abroad.  Many of these groups like the Rokes, the Primitives, and the Sorrows (a really excellent group) would see great success and sell lots of records.  The HiFis did pretty well in Germany and were a popular live group.  This success allowed them to record their only album, Snakes and HiFis.  I have seen other magazines describe the lp as “a brilliant mixed bag of an lp” or “one of the finest examples of the beat-bands-go-bonkers syndrome.”  I have even heard some compare the HiFi’s guitar and rhythm section to that of the legendary Monks (a funhouse effect in which everything seems about ready to fall apart but the band pulls thru in the end to keep things together).  I agree with all these comparisons though it’s really hard to put a label on the HiFis, they were pretty unique.

There are several great tracks on Snakes and HiFis: Tread Softly For The Sleepers (a great chunky mod psych track that reminds me of late period Action), Snakes and Ladders, What’s A Bulb, I’m A Box, Calorie Ann (soaring vocals and whacked out lyrical concerns), Odd Man Out, You’re Haunting Me, My Cards Numbered 17, and the awesome but strange Uwe Aus Duisburg.  Just by looking at these titles one can tell that this music is NOT the typical beat psych fare.  As mentioned before, this lp was recorded at a time when beat groups were experimenting with different sounds and turning to psychedelia, so there’s a bit of an advanced mid-60s sound – short 2 minute pop songs with a freaky edge.  For those of you who love the Kinks, the Idle Race, the Move, the Tages and the Ro-d-y’s (a great group from the Netherlands), you’ll love this reissue (the 2008 Wooden Hill cd version to be exact).  Standout picks on my end are the buzzing organ psych of What’s a Bulb, which is an absolutely brilliant track, and Uwe Aus Duisburg.  The latter track vaguely reminds me of The Move with its galloping tempo and gonzoid lyrics – it’s a track that would fit in well with today’s modern indie radio stations.  Other good ones are the Pet Sounds influenced You’re Haunting Me and the truly bizarre I’m A Box.  Both of these tracks carry a unique mellow buzz and one may also note that I’m A Box was strangely released as a single (this track had no hit potential whatsoever).  Wooden Hill reissues are usually limited, so pick one up if you can.  Snakes and HiFis is definitely an obscure gem and a must hear for fans of Brit psych.

“What’s A Bulb”

:D CD Reissue | 2008 | Wooden Hill | google shop ]
:) Original Vinyl |  1967 | Star-Club | ebay ]

Odds n Ends | Lost singles and forgotten tracks…

| Garage,Psych,Punk

Zakary Thaks – Face to Face
Zakary Thaks came from Corpus Christi Texas, an area that was considered a hotbed for such groups. Much of their reputation rests on 1966’s Bad Girl, an incredible single notable for its jaunty start-stop tempo. They managed to release 6 great 45s throughout the decade, some of which were local hits. Most of their 45 releases are originals and cut while the group were still in their teens (they covered just one Kinks track, I Need You – a good version too). Face to Face, their second J-Beck single released in 1967 was arguably the group’s finest moment. It begins with one of the all time great guitar intros and is no doubt one of Texas’ prime garage punkers. The intro sounds like swirling police sirens but Face to Face is also anchored down by a good chaotic fuzz guitar solo and an uplifting chorus. This single was a huge regional hit (selling over 6,000 copies) giving the Thaks major local popularity and momentum to break into other regions/states. The group was poised for a major breakthru but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. All the group’s singles and outtakes have been compiled on BeatRocket’s excellent Form The Habit.

It’s almost unfair to call the Zakary Thaks a garage rock group. Their sound was definitely raw but they were great musicians, well above the typical garage band standard. Also, their sound was constantly evolving and changing throughout the 60’s – just listen to all of their singles. The first time I heard Face to Face my head was blown off clean, it’s a terrific song from a group that were ahead of their time.

“Face To Face”

:) Vinyl Reissue | “Form The Habit” | Beat Rocket | buy from sundazed ]

The Mind’s Eye – Help, I’m Lost
This group was short-lived and from San Antonio Texas but their single is excellent and worth the search. The B-side had come from Louis Cabaza, Steve Perron and Chris Holzhaus’ prior group, the Argyles. Bill Ash played guitar for the Mind’s Eye briefly and prior to this was a member of the Stoics. The Stoics released a double sided garage rock gem in Enough Of What I Need/Hate – suitably underproduced and menacing. The Mind’s Eye’s only A-side, Help, I’m Lost, is a primitive garage psych classic. Perron’s vocals are mad while the string arrangement adds a sophisticated texture to the swirling organ and acidic raga guitar solo. This single was recorded in 1967 and released off the Jox label. As with many great singles from this era, it received very little commercial feedback and sank without a trace. Many of the Mind’s Eye members went on to form the Children, who would release a good psych pop record in 1968 (all the above tracks were released on Gear Fab’s Rebirth reissue by the Children).

The Stoics:

“Enough Of What I Need”

The Mind’s Eye:

“Help I’m Lost”

:D CD Reissue | 2002 | Gear Fab Records | buy from amazon ]

Morning Disaster – Black Leather Books
This track was never released. Morning Disaster were from Colonial Heights Virginia (a Petersburg suburb). They recorded two other good psych pop tracks that also went unreleased at the time: Song of Innocence and Urban 44. All three tracks appeared on Aliens, Psychos & Wild Things Volume 3 ( a great compilation of local Virginia garage psych bands). Not much is known about the group but I believe these tracks were recorded in 1968 with Black Leather Books/Urban 44 as a projected single. Stanley Rose, vocals and guitar, had written all three tracks and been in prior garage bands the Lost Cause and Fugitives. Black Leather Books is his finest 3 minutes, a demented masterpiece of spacey psychedelia with compelling lyrics “all of your children, waiting in slumber, sad golden children, waiting in slumber.”

“Black Leather Books”

:D CD Compilation | 2003 | Arcania Int’l | buy from amazon ]

Thor’s Hammer – The Big Beat Country Dance
One of Iceland’s finest groups, Thor’s Hammer (in Iceland they were known as Hijomar) released singles, eps and a few albums then eventually morphed into progressive rock group Trubrot. The late 60s albums were more in a pop-rock/psych-pop mode though perhaps their best work was the 1966 ep titled Umbarumbamba. This disc featured four hard hitting rockers: My Life, I Don’t Care, Better Days and the Big Beat Country Dance. My Life, Big Beat Country Dance, and I Don’t Care are acknowledged killers but Better Days is also pretty good. Big Beat Country Dance sizzles from the intro and forges on with a skull crushing intensity that never lets up – these guys knew how to raise hell. The group recorded these sides in London’s Lansdowne studios. Every song is full of frenzied drum work and walls of guitar distortion. This ep is essential for fans of freakish mid 60s beat sounds.

“The Big Beat Country Dance”

:D CD Reissue | 2004 | Big Beak UK | buy from amazon ]

The International Submarine Band “Safe At Home”

| Country Rock

Safe At Home

This was Gram Parsons’ debut album, the eternally underrated Safe At Home.  Prior to this he had recorded solo demos, music with an early folk band the Shilohs and a few singles with the International Submarine Band – all worthwhile stuff.  Parsons formed this group after he had dropped out of Harvard and moved to New York City.  While he was no stranger to the recording studio, critics and music fans unfairly label Safe At Home as a tentative early album that showed signs of greatness. While it was nowhere near as influential as Gilded Palace of Sin, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, or Parsons’ two solo discs, time has shown Safe At Home to be much more than an early throw away.

The remaining members consisted of rhythm guitarist Bob Buchanan, bass player Ian Dunlop and drummer Jon Corneal.  The album is disappointingly short at 9 songs but all the performances are memorable and Gram’s talent as a bandleader is clearly on display.  Even so early on in his career Parsons’ vocal and songwriting abilities were obvious and on the money.  The rest of the group is tight and engaging, reminding me of a garage band playing country music – reckless playing and soulful harmonies.  There are four originals: an early version of Do You Know How It Feels To Be Lonesome which is sparse but very effective, Luxury Liner, Strong Boy, and Blue Eyes.  The latter three tracks are country rock classics, kind of like early benchmarks for the genre.  Luxury Liner charges hard like a freight train and is probably the most popular track off the original lp.  Without a doubt the album’s most rock oriented number, this track is essential listening.  Just as good is Blue Eyes and Strong Boy which are closer to pure country and show off great Parsons vocal performances.  Strong Boy is one of the true country rock classics, an absolute must hear.

The remaining tracks are wisely chosen covers, all great renditions too.  Satisfied Mind is notable for its powerful drum work, Folsom Prison Blues has great stinging guitar leads and I Must Be Somebody Else You’ve Known sports a gorgeous, catchy chorus that’s worth the price of admission.  The original lp was released off Lee Hazlewood’s LHI Records in 1968.  At the time it was praised widely by the likes of Glen Campbell and Don Everly though sales were pretty poor.  There is really much more to this story that I’m leaving out but my main objective was to comment on the strength of the songs and general quality of performance.

Parsons left the group before the lp’s release and remained inactive for a few months before joining the Byrds.  Many of you know this record, so in a sense it’s not really a lost album like The Wheel (Bernie Schwartz) or Morning.  But taken as a whole, Safe At Home is a fresh, groundbreaking record, that at least in my mind is a classic.  The best cd version is on Sundazed, orignal artwork and all.

“Strong Boy”

:) Vinyl Reissue | 2004 | Sundazed | purchase ]
:D CD Reissue | 2004 | Sundazed | purchase ]
8-) Spotify link | listen ]

Click Horning “Click”

| Americana,Folk,Psych

Click Horning Click

This album is officially out of print though I bought a cdr copy off Click Horning’s website.  I think Click burned the music on this cdr directly from an original vinyl copy of Click, which was originally released on ABC records in 1968.  Prior to this he had released a worthwhile single or two, none which I have ever seen or heard before.  There had been rumors of a cd reissue which would include the album and singles/oddities, possibly by Sunbeam Records, though nothing has resurfaced since writing this review.  The album was recorded in New York City although Click is a native of New England and somewhat of a local legend in his hometown.  He currently lives in New Hampshire and plays every Saturday afternoon at Peter Christian’s Tavern in New London (try to check him out one night).

So what of the album?

In a day when all kinds of mediocre folk and acid-folk albums are being reissued by the dozen, Click holds up remarkably well for it’s quality songs, mysterious aura and unique originality.  Click’s lyrics are strange, eccentric and soul searching, just listen to Many Times Jimbo, perhaps the lp’s highlight and most well-remembered song.  This track is an acoustic number with lots of sitar and deep mystical lyrics:  “moonlight serenaders solemnly they sing” and “the ghosts of memories they haunt you.”  This is a remarkable song that’s very pastoral and exudes a strong sense of self-awareness: it’s one of the all-time great acid folk classics.  This track is followed by My Precious, a beautiful spacey ballad with flute and piano.  On this track Click’s voice closely resembles that of Nick Drake.  Most of the other tracks are less psychedelic but well performed and always interesting.  Crazy Hannah would be another one of the lp’s highlights.  This is a driving, playful number with fiddle, drums, piano and bizarre lyrics: “Crazy Hannah, yes, I knew her, so thin and frail, you could read a book right through her.”  Another track, Find It For Yourself, sounds remarkably like Beck (from the 90s) while For Judith, To Paris and See That My Children Got Warm Clothes are striking if unconventional folk-rock ballads.

If you’re into esoteric late 60s folk-rock this is a great unknown album.  Click Horning is a true original, it’s a shame none of his material has been made available for a wider audience.

“Crazy Hannah”

:D CDR Copy | clickhorning.com ]

Them “Time Out! Time In For”

| Garage,Psych

Time In! Time Out For

After Van Morrison’s departure from the group in 1966, Them relocated to Los Angeles, California and released a string of worthwhile efforts.  The group completely revamped their image and sound behind Jim Armstrong’s accomplished guitar work and Ken McDowell’s vocals; the only hold over from the Van Morrison era was guitarist Alan Henderson.  Now And “Them” and Time Out! Time In For are by far and away the best LPs the post Van Morrison Them ever produced.  The liners from the Rev-Ola reissue written by notable British rock historian Jon Mojo Mills take it almost too far, stating “they mastered West Coast psychedelia like no other Irish band.  And quite why Van Morrison gets all the credit is beyond me.  Which songs are better?  Gloria and Here Comes The Night or Dirty Old Man and Time Out Time In?”

Let me get this out in the open right here: the psychedelic era Them is nowhere near as good as early Them, particularly Them’s first LP and the early singles with Van Morrison (I’m sure psych fans will take issue with this!).  Early Them was a hard edged British R&B group who was both innovative and revered in their day.  Van Morrison is a legend, however, and Them’s early work is considered some of the best pure rock n roll from that time frame (64-66).

That being said, this album is a pretty good psychedelic record though not the masterpiece dealers and rock critics make it out to be.  This is the kind of album you get after you’ve heard a few hundred or so classics and are thirsting for more UK psychedelia.  The musicianship is way above average, particularly Jim Armstrong’s guitar work.  Mean lean fuzz leads are painted all over this album.  The opening cut “Time Out For Time In” is very good with jazzy time signatures and effective sitar work.   Some of the tracks are marred by dramatic vocal phrasing and pretentious lyrics but that’s a minor complaint.  Exotic numbers like “The Moth” and the lyrically bizarre “Waltz of the Flies” work best, employing a variety of instruments (mandolin) and strange sounds.   Another highlight, “Black Widow Spider,” is a classic sitar headswirler while the boys give a good blues psych reading of “I Put A Spell On You” (titled here “I Put A Hex On You”).

Once again, if you expect the unexpected and enjoy classic psychedelia, this record is for you.  It’s not the original Them but not many bands are.  The Alan Henderson/Jim Armstrong/Ken McDowell lineup was a very underrated group and while this LP may not be an essential purchase, the music is still very good and full of mysticism.  During this era, Them also had a good live reputation throughout the LA area and released some fine singles including the excellent garage punker “Dirty Old Man.”  Icing on the cake is the original vinyl album sleeve’s beautiful psychedelic collage.

“Waltz Of The Flies”

:D CD Reissue | 2004 | Rev Ola | buy from revola ]
:) Original Vinyl | 1968 | Tower | search ebay ]

These Trails “These Trails”

| Folk,Psych

These Trails was an acid folk group who released a very rare record in 1973.  The lp was released by Sinergia and is probably one of the best Hawaiian lps along with Mu.

Prominent members of the group were Margaret Morgan (vocals, guitar and dulcimer), Patrick Cockett (guitar, slide guitar and vocals) and Dave Choy (arp synthesizer, recorder, arrangements and final mix).  Margaret Morgan handles most of the lead vocals with Patrick Cockett occasionally chiming in.  Morgan’s vocals are dreamy and ideally suited for this kind of organic music (acid folk).  Comparisons that come to mind are Linda Perhacs, though Morgan’s vocals are more innocent and angelic and the music on this lp clearly betrays a Hawaiian influence.  Many of the songs are relatively pop friendly; this isn’t difficult, challenging music that has to be listened to closely – ie folk guitar virtuousos spinning off long, complex guitar solos or intricate passages with finely tuned arrangements – it’s not that kind of record.  The synthesizers give tracks like Of Broken Links an otherworldly sound, unlike anything you’ve ever heard.  El Rey Pescador is graced by some light sitar touches and close harmony singing.

Each track stands out on its own but Psyche I & Share Your Water is a tremendous favorite.  This 5 minute track begins with a calm, soothing folk feel highlighted by some fine acoustic guitar work.  Eventually it descends into bad trip territory with ghastly vocals and spooky electronics – an outstanding track, very trippy and worth the price of admission alone.  Garden Botanum is another strong hightlight that hits like a ray of Hawaiian sunshine, the arrangements are free and green with lots of interesting twists, the vocals are beautifully exotic.  This lp is one of the most relaxing listening experiences I’ve ever come across, an album to savour.  The songs are full of simple beauty and the power of the performances will never diminish over time.

If you’re looking for something different, These Trails could be the right tonic.  It’s one of the hidden gems from the early 70s and has been reissued on cd but is somewhat hard to come by these days.

“Psyche I & Share Your Water”

:D Reissue | 2011 | Drag City | buy from drag ]
:) These Trails | google search | ebay search ]

The Master’s Apprentices “1965-1968”

, , , | Garage,Prog,Psych

If the Easybeats were considered the Beatles of Down Under than the Master’s Apprentices were surely Australia’s answer to the Rolling Stones.  They released 5 records during their 65-72 heyday, including the above debut and their classic hard rock album, A Toast To Panama Red.  In between this period the group released a few unfocused but interesting lps and several good singles.  The Mick Bower era (65-68-) is usually considered the group’s highwater mark, even though Panama Red is an excellent progressive hard rock album.

The Master’s Apprentices started out in the mid 60s as the Mustangs.  This group played raucous RnB, covers of 50s rock standards, a few originals and some instrumentals.  Eventually the group would develop into something more original, under the leadership and guidance of guitarist/songwriter Mick Bower and vocalist Jim Keays.  In 1966 the group released their debut Astor 45 Undecided/War or Hands of Time.  The A-side was a powerful, raw RnB track that had cruching guitar riffs and a unique chord progression.  As great as Undecided was, War or Hands of Time was even better.  This unique anti-war track captured the original group at their peak with a powerful, reverberating guitar intro, hard hitting drum fills and a fractured acid solo.   Even today most Aussie rock aficionados agree that this was one of the most exciting singles to ever come out of Australia.  Their next Astor 45, released in 1967,  was Buried and Dead.  This was another classic single and one of the most explosive acid punk numbers ever recorded.  Mid way thru there’s a strong punkoid psych solo although it should be noted that the flip side, featured on their debut album, is rather weak.

The debut, made up of Bower originals and a handful of covers was released in 1967.  Admittedly there are five weak tracks – She’s My Girl, the feedback laden Beatles’ cover I Feel Fine, Chuck Berry’s Johnny B Goode, My Girl, and Don’t Fight It.  The rest of the album is rock solid and full of driving garage rockers and early psychedelia.  Undecided, War or Hands of Time and Buried and Dead are all featured on the lp though Theme For A Social Climber and the raga influenced But One Day were strong psychedelic numbers too.  Hot Gully Wind is a razor sharp bluesy garage rocker that recalled Ireland’s Them while Dancing Girl featured some slightly freaky guitar work that made it a worthy tune.  The good tracks (7 of them) were great, so based on this, the Master’s Apprentice lp comes highly recommended.

The Masters would release two other classic 45s during the Mick Bower era.  In 1967 Astor released one of their biggest hits, Living In A Child’s Dream.  This single hit the Aussie top ten and is often considered one of the greatest psych singles of all time.  There are no guitar freakouts or wild solos (though Rick Morrison’s guitar solo is tasteful and imaginative), it’s a mellow, spacey pop tune with flower power lyrics and a radio friendly sound.  The single’s B-side, Tired Of Just Wandering was another great Bower penned psych track.  In 1968 the group released Elevator Driver.  By then both guitarist Rick Morrison and Mick Bower had left the group.  Bower leaving the group was equivalent to Syd Barrett exiting the Floyd: nobody thought the Masters would recover such a devastating blow.  Against all odds they released their last great early 45 and to these ears it may edge out Child’s Dream as the better single.  Elevator Driver was originally titled Silver People and is another ace psychedelic track with vocal distortion and a good guitar friendly arrangement.  Ascension released a great cd back in 2000 that combines the Master’s first lp with all their early singles.  True, there are a few weak tracks and the disc is rather hard to find but it’s a great buy from one of rock’s lost bands.

If you’re into the Pretty Things, Outsiders or Q65, the Master’s Apprentices’ 1965-1968 is absolutely mandatory listening.

“Buried And Dead”

:D CD Reissue | search amazon ]
:) Orig Vinyl | 1967 | Astor | search ebay ]

The Byrds “Younger Than Yesterday”

| Country Rock,Folk,Pop,Psych

If Mr. Tambourine Man, Notorious Byrd Brothers, and Sweetheart of the Rodeo are acknowledged Byrds’ masterworks, Younger Than Yesterday isn’t far behind.  There’s a few tracks that haven’t held up, Mind Gardens – Crosby’s psychedelic folk-rock opus is a bit unfocused but not as terrible as the critics make it out to be.  C.T.A. 102, a track that must’ve sounded cool when this album was released in 1967, has dated space-age sound effects.  These are interesting experiments by all means but the 9 remaining cuts were prime mid 60s Byrds.  At this point Gene Clark had been out of the group for some time, knowing this Hillman and Crosby pitched in big time with some of their best ever compositions.  Younger Than Yesterday is one of the great American rock classics, very close in sound to the Beau Brummels Triangle, Moby Grape’s self-titled debut, and Buffalo Springfield’s Again. 

The two hits that anchored the lp were pretty great.  So You Wanna Be A Rock N Roll Star blasted out of radio speakers in 1967 sounding unlike anything else with a strong latin feel, great lyrics, and a killer groove.  The other major hit off the album was a cover of Bob Dylan’s My Back Pages.  This was one of their best Dylan covers yet and had a trademark, classic McGuinn twelve-string guitar solo.  Crosby offered up one of his best songs, Everybody’s Been Burned, a masterpiece of psychedelic folk-rock highlighted by his exquisite, crooning hippie vocals and drowsy acid guitar work.  Renaissance Fair was another Crosby psychedelic folk-rocker with strong acid imagery and shifting time signatures plus some more fine 12-string from McGuinn.  McGuinn and Crosby contributed great material to Younger Than Yesterday but for me it was Hillman’s contributions that have stood the sands of time best.  Hillman’s Have You Seen Her Face, Time Between, Thoughts and Words, and The Girl With No Name were all superb songs.  Have You Seen Her Face saw the Byrds in garage mode while Thoughts and Words was one of their best straight-up psych numbers.  Prior to Younger Than Yesterday the Byrds had flirted with a kind of proto country-rock sound on Mr. Spaceman and Satisfied Mind.  With Time Between and The Girl With No Name, that flirtation came to fruition.  Hillman had played in bluegrass bands prior to the Byrds, so the said experiments were just an extension of his roots – no gimmicks, completely genuine stuff here.  Both tracks rock pretty nicely and feature some fine guitar work by Byrd-in-waiting Clarence White.  Time Between and GIrl With No Name do not have a heavy Nashville sound but so what, this was the Byrds version of country music and probably a purer fusion than anything else they have done ever since.  Just as the Byrds had broken new ground with psychedelia a year earlier, their move into country represented an advancement of musical frontiers.  The album ended with McGuinn’s Why, a great rocker with a riveting space guitar solo.   This track had been released much earlier as the B-side to Eight Miles High in 1966. 

In the mid 90s Columbia rehauled the entire Byrds catalog, reissuing all their classic albums with plenty of extras.  The Younger Than Yesterday reissue includes two lost Crosby gems, It Happens Each Day, which is an outtake, and Lady Friend, one of their best mid 60s non-lp tracks.  Younger Than Yesterday is an important part of the Byrds evolution.  It’s a classic album that saw the group at the forefront of pop music – The Byrds were always three steps ahead of the game. 

“The Girl With No Name”

:) Vinyl Reissue | Mono | Sundazed | buy from sundazed ]
;) MP3 Album | download at amazon ]

Can “Delay 1968”

| Prog,Psych

Along with a handful of tracks featured on Unlimited Edition, Delay represents some of Can’s earliest recordings from 1968 when the band’s lead singer was sculptor Malcom Mooney.  According to legend these tracks were supposed to form the backbone of a Can debut album which was tentatively titled Prepare To Meet Thy Pnoom.  It never happened but thankfully these prehistoric gems were rescued from the vaults and officially released in 1981 – well after the group’s prime.

The Mooney era tends to be forgotten by most casual fans but I think Monster Movie is just as good as any of the Damo Suzuki era classics.  Delay is less polished than Monster Movie but also a really swell garage avante-garde psychedelic album.  Some of their early works even have strands of distorted R&B – listen closely and you can hear this.  Early Can looked to the Velvet Underground for their primary influence, especially the feedback laden monster that was 1968’s White Light/White Heat.  Free Jazz was also a vital reference point as heard on the brief 26 second PNOOM and the deranged Man Named Joe.   So if experimental German rock is your bag, these recordings are an absolute must, something that enriches the legacy of this most illustrious band.  I’ve never heard anything like Uphill.  It churns and twists violently while Malcom Mooney nervously spits out lyrics as if someone’s breathing fire into his ass.  There’s a nice thick, stinging guitar solo midway thru and the group locks into one nasty groove that’s really hard to beat.  Check out the lyrics too,  Mooney rants away and goes on a memorable lyrical journey in which he mentions “hot rods” and a certain “velvet touch,” this is classic 60s rock at its finest.  Butterfly hits the same kind of emotional nerves and is just as good but sounds very mechanical and frost bitten.  Another killer is Thief, a track that Radio Head regularly plays in their live set and possibly Can’s greatest stab of pure psychedelia – space trance with fabulous melting fuzz guitars and tribal rhythms.   These performances are loaded with high energy, aggression and  experimentation – this music was meant to be played loud.

Back in the 60s and early 70s Can used to blow people’s minds on a regular basis.  When I hear records like Delay, Monster Movie, Future Days and Tago Mago I can understand why.  Can outtakes and aborted albums are better than most band’s best material.  Delay is very worthy stuff.

“Uphill”

:D CD Reissue | 2006 | Mute | amazon ]
:) Original Vinyl | 1981 | Spoon | search ebay ]
;) MP3 Album | amazon ]
8-) Spotify link | listen ]