Author Archive

The Twilights “Once Upon A Twilight”

| Pop,Psych

Once Upon A Twilight

The Twilights were an Australian 60’s rock group that had a guitar oriented pop sound pitched somewhere between the Beatles and Hollies. Down under they were a pretty popular band, releasing two albums and several charting singles. In the mid 60’s they mixed 50’s rock and British Invasion covers with garage pop/beat originals. Terry Britten, the groups guiding light, began focusing on writing group originals during the second half of the decade. With help from Norman Smith, the Twilights recorded in England, eventually releasing a string of acid pop gems.

Cathy Come Home is arguably the best of these singles and is usually cited as the group’s high-water mark. Other 45’s like Time And Motion Study Man, and Comin’ On Down were near classic efforts though, with a sound rooted in Australia’s burgeoning psychedelic culture. In 1968, the Twilights released their final album, Once Upon A Twilight. Once Upon A Twilight was a critical success though sales were very low, signaling the beginning of a downward spiral for the group. The album is consistent and full of brilliant production quirks, being one of the very few Aussie albums to have a classic British psych-pop sound.

It’s loaded with great songs, standouts being the minor key gem What A Silly Thing To Do (complete with Ringo drum fills and phased wah-wah) and the classic Stop The World For A Day. Even the softer numbers like Bessemae, Tomorrow Is Today, and Mr. Nice work really well, highlighted by very pretty string arrangements and strong melodies. Other worthy numbers are the sitar drenched Devendra, which sounds like a lost Dave Mason Traffic track from 1967, and the dramatic psychedelia of Paternosta Row. On the latter track the band feeds its vocals through Leslie cabinets. The lp’s only daft moment is the horrible cockney country-rocker, The Cocky Song.

Once Upon A Twilight is a classic pop-art album, that’s warm, friendly, and well worth a spin. A near mint original copy can cost you between $150 to $300 and was notable for its elaborate pop-up gatefold art. In 2006, Aztec Music released this great album on cd for the first time, in both mono and stereo sound.

“Stop The World For A Day”

:D CD Reissue | 2006 | Aztec Music | amazon ]
:) Original Vinyl | search ebay ]

Los Brincos “Mvndo Demonio Carne”

| Pop,Prog,Psych

This band hailed from Spain and started releasing singles and albums in the mid 60’s beat era. Some of their songs are sung in English but for the most part Los Brinco’s vocals and lyrics are Spanish. Some fans prefer the Contrabando pop album but I personally think Mvndo Demonio Carne (World Devil Body) is their best and one of the great, unsung Spanish progressive psychedelic albums.

Carne found the band experimenting with a different sound and is one of the earliest Spanish albums of its kind. Many good experimental albums came out of Spain throughout the early to late 70’s, in the wake of this great record. Brincos made it possible for these artists to experiment with different forms of pop/rock music and be taken seriously . The album’s lead off title track is an engulfing psychedelic opus that goes through all different kinds of movements before its 12 and a half minutes has ended (with English lyrics/vocals). It’s an excellent piece of music and probably Los Brincos’s greatest achievement.

There are a trio of superb Spanish folk songs in Hermano Ismael, Carmen and Esa Mujer. The later two are notable for beautiful mellotron and string passages while Hermano Ismael is so wonderfully unpretentious and simple that it almost sounds out of place on the lp. Other winners are the funky progressive rock of Emancipacion and Jenny, La Genio (Jenny, Miss Genuis), a neat slice of Beatles inflicted power pop.

Mvndo Demonio Carne has been released on cd many times but the 2001 BMG disc is highly recommended. This disc has the original album along with alternate tracks sung in English and rare singles.

“Jenny Miss Genius”

More info:

There are three versions of this album and all are terrific. The BMG release is the Spanish lp with a bunch of bonus tracks, some of which are on the other two releases. The English version of World Devil and Body has a different cover and trades Butterfly, Kama-Sutra, Jenny, Miss Genuis, Carmen, Hermano Ismael, and Vive La Realidad for 4 different tracks – Promises & Dreams, If I Were You, Misery and Pain, and Body Money Love/Cheap, Cheap, Cheap. All four tracks are excellent, particularly the beatlesque power pop of Body Money Love and the hard charging raga rocker, If I Were You. Once again, this album is certainly mandatory listening for fans of psychedelia and progressive pop.

“Body Money Love”

:D CD Reissue | 2001 | BMG Spain | Search Amazon ]
:) Original Vinyl | 1970 | Search ebay ]

Bernie Schwartz “The Wheel”

| Country Rock,Folk,Pop

Bernie Schwartz The Wheel

Bernie Schwartz’s first classic single, Her Name Is Melody was released off Warner Brothers in late 1966 under the name Adrian Pride. This record is an excellent, early stab of raga rock that was perhaps too adventurous for pop audiences though its interesting to note that both Don and Phil Everly produced this fabulous single.

Even prior to this, Schwartz had been releasing obscure singles under the stage name Don Atello in 1963/1964. Around 1967/1968 Schwartz joined psychedelic pop band Comfortable Chair who released a solid lp in 1968. The Wheel, released in 1969 off Coburt/MGM was quite a departure from Schwartz’s earlier psych pop leanings. The Wheel is an excellent album, mixing hard rock, country-rock and folk-rock into something similar to Euphoria’s sole album or Neil Young’s Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. The Euphoria duo of Wesley Watt and Bill Lincoln actually appear on this disc and one can hear Watt’s wild fuzz guitar playing on Schwartz’s epic cover of Sunshine Woman. There are also a few more ace fuzz rockers in Follow Me and a brutally intense reading of Fred Neil’s Candy Man.

Everything about this album is on target from Schwartz’s superb vocals to the songwriting, production and tight musicianship. This is one of the best 60s albums never to make it onto cd without a doubt. The Wheel’s leadoff track, Where Can I Hide is a country folk-rocker with lyrics that deal with disillusionment, depression and escapism. It’s a brilliant track that had strong hit potential though its deep, world weary tone could have thrown off more than a few listeners. Another track with similar lyrical concerns is the awesome country-rocker Lost My Wings. It’s a classic of the genre with wonderful steel guitar playing and a righteous bridge that symbolizes everything that is great about 60s rock n roll. Other mellower tracks such as Randy Newman’s Think It’s Gonna Rain Today, Don’t Make It Bad, Can’t Go On, and the beautiful rural rocker Peace On Earth are just as good and grow on the listener with repeated plays.

Sometime after the release of the Wheel, Bernie Schwartz quit rock music to focus on writing psychology books. The Wheel is proof that there are many rare, great recordings that have not been reissued on cd. I found a near mint copy on ebay for about $25 and would recommend this lp to anyone with an interest in 60s rock.

mp3: Where Can I Hide
mp3: Peace On Earth

:) Original Vinyl | 1969 | Coburt/MGM | search ebay ]

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Adrian Pride

mp3: Her Name Is Melody

Euphoria’s 1966 single No Me Tomorrow proved this Texas duo was great from the start. This was an early excursion into psych rock with an unusual dark edge, trippy lyrics and bizarre vocals. Euphoria recorded quite a bit during the 60s though most of these sessions were shelved or released under a different band name. Supposedly these lost recordings will see a 2 volume cd release sometime in 2008.

mp3: No Me Tomorrow

Bob Martin “Midwest Farm Disaster”

| Americana,Folk

Midwest Farm Disaster

Bob Martin is a highly talented singer songwriter from Lowell, Massachusetts who released Midwest Farm Disaster in 1972. Martin is still making records today but this one is generally acknowledged as his masterpiece and is perhaps one of the finest singer songwriter albums ever recorded.

Martin’s voice is gravelly and weathered but soulful. Think of a strange Kevin Coyne, Van Morrison, and Bob Lind blend and you’d be right on target. The lyrics are top shelf too, the equal or better of most major or critically acclaimed artists out there. The album’s sound is very close to Gene Clark’s White Light or Bob Lind’s Since There Were Circles LP, a stark, beautiful blend of folk and country that reveals its depth with repeated listens. Each song has something new to offer, and Bob brings us into his working class world with great American stories about local drunks, small town farm life, hard times, prison convicts, and working on the mill.

“Blind Marie” is a moving singer songwriter track that sounds like a classic, it also happens to be the album’s most accessible song that should have gained Martin commercial notoriety. Tracks like the Woody Guthrie influenced “Third War Rag” and “Frog Dick, South Dakota” are coloured by a distinct sense of humor but are also packed with good, catchy melodies and wonderfully sarcastic lyrics. Other songs like the intense “Mill Town” and the title track are dark tales that relate to Bob’s earlier life on the farm and are superb examples of real Americana. The album ends with “Deer Island Prison,” which might be thought of as the album’s centerpiece. Martin turns in a stunning vocal and lyrical performance that must surely rank as one of the great, unsung confessionals.

This is an excellent and unforgettable LP full of rich drifter music and mandatory listening for those who are into deep, rustic singer songwriter albums. In 2007, Midwest Farm Disaster was reissued by Bob’s own Riversong Records and can be purchased on the CD Baby website.

“Deer Island Prison”

:D CD Reissue | 2007 | RCA/Sony | Buy @ CDBaby ]
:) Original Vinyl | RCA | Search eBay ]

The Contents Are “Through You”

| Folk,Garage

Through You

The Through You lp was little more than rumor til a copy mysteriously appeared at a 2005 Austin record show. Contents Are were a garage folk-rock band from Quad City, Iowa that released two good 45’s and this 1967 private press album. It’s remarkable that the band were still in high school when they cut this lp as both the lyrics and musicianship are quite advanced.

In true DIY fashion the band pressed 100 copies of Through You and gave the lp’s away to eager fans who came to Contents Are live events. It’s a solid record to say the least, with influences coming from early Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds and Rubber Soul era Beatles. Through You is full of good, 3 minute pop songs and it’s the kind of record that saw the beat/garage and folk-rock sounds merge. One song, Peace At Last, has complex lyrics and a wonderful mid period Beatles-like chorus. No Chance To Choose is another excellent, dark folk-rocker that strongly recalls John Lennon’s Rubber Soul compositions and hints at psychedelia. There are a few hard rocking tracks such as the opening, fuzzy Country Roads but most of this record is predominately folk-rock. Other good standouts are the folk-rock downers Dream Of My Predictions and Reccuring Changes, which feel like lost Gene Clark compositions in lyrical content and sound.

For many the highlight was In Trouble. This track is notable for beautiful back porch harmonies, jangly guitar and a distinct, rural Buffalo Springfield sound. It’s the kind of song that makes searching for private press records worth all the trouble and grief. Through You’s sound quality is a little muddy and probably will not be of interest to those who like clean, sparkling major label glitz. But to those wanting to explore buried local sounds, this is a great record that’s bound to grow on you.

In 2007/2008 Shadoks thankfully released both vinyl and CD versions of this long forgotten album.

“In Trouble”

:D CD Reissue | 2008 | Shadoks | Through You @ Amazon ]
:) Vinyl Reissue | 2007 | Shadoks | Contents Are @ ebay ]

The Blue Things (self-titled)

| Folk,Garage,Pop

The Blue Things
The Blue Things were a great band from the Midwest. They had a Beau Brummels Volume 2/From The Vaults sound crossed with some Gene Clark era Byrds. While they were extremely popular in the Midwest, the Blue Things never reached fame at a national level despite a great folk-rock album and some groundbreaking early psychedelic singles.

The band started out releasing singles on independent (private) labels around 1964/65 with a strong Searchers/early Beatles flavor. Some of these singles such as Pretty Things-Oh! were very strong and deserved more attention. Eventually they evolved into a tight folk-rock band that strongly recalled Help/Rubber Soul era Beatles.

Val Stocklein wrote most of the compositions and his vocals are a world weary mixture of Gene Clark and Help era John Lennon. They released their only self-titled album (commonly referred to as Listen & See) in 1966 and by this time, the band had already been experimenting with a psychedelic sound. The album is one of folk-rock’s highlights. A singled released from the album, Doll House/Man On The Street was spectacular. Both songs dealt with subjects uncommon for rock in that era (or any era), prostitution and social injustice.They are both characterized by glittering guitars, thoughtful lyrics, great harmonies, tambourine and a driving beat. There is no doubt that this was one of the defining moments of the folk-rock revolution. Other album tracks highlighted the group’s influences. Honor The Hearse was very Dylan-like but still effective while High Life, I Must Be Doing Something Wrong, It Ain’t No Big Thing Babe and Now’s The Time were also really strong, classy folk-rockers.

There were a few raw covers of old rock standards as well, that recalled their club and bar days. Ain’t That Lovin’ You Babe is particularly noteworthy for a blistering guitar solo. Desert Wind, an outtake from this era, is another great melancholy folk-rock winner. The Blue Things would eventually release two classic psychedelic singles before Val Stocklein left, effectively putting an end to the original group. Orange Rooftops Of Your Mind was their creative zenith, an explosion of sound, featuring violin-like fuzz guitar tones, echoed vocals, a great folk-rock bridge and an organ rave up. The B-side, One Hour Cleaners, was almost as good, with some strange lyrics and a good beat. This single was released in 1966 just when psychedelia was beginning and may have been the first genuine Midwest acid-rock single. You Can Live In Our Tree, another good A-side paired with a great psych version of Twist and Shout was more of the same.

The inability to sell records or become commercially viable frustrated the group and left them bitter. One more single was released in 1967 after Val’s departure and without his involvement. Yes My Friend paired with Somebody Help Me did not recall the band’s heyday in any way and was actually pretty weak. The Blue Things soldiered on for a while playing live but eventually decided to call it a day before the end of the decade.

“Doll House”

:D 2CD Reissue | 2008 | Cicadelic | Buy @ Cicadelic Records ]
reposted from March, 2007. Check out the brand new 65-song reissue.

Maffitt/Davies “The Rise and Fall of Honesty”

| Americana,Country Rock,Folk,Pop

The Rise And Fall Of Honesty

Maffitt/Davies was a short lived duo who released one album off Capitol in 1968. Judging by the cover you’d expect psychedelic fireworks but The Rise and Fall of Honesty is really an Ameriana folk-rock record. This is another good one that never saw release in the cd era. I found a vinyl copy in the Boston area for only $15 dollars though lately this lp has been somewhat hard to come by. While labelmate lps by the Common People and Food attract more attention I think that Maffitt/Davies was a much, much better group.

The record starts off with a brilliant version of Bob Dylan’s Just Like A Woman. Maffitt/Davies transform this standard into a heartbreaking orchestrated folk track that must surely rank as one of the best versions of this song. Forest Lawn, the album’s failed single, has a distinct Face to Face Kink’s sound though it’s notable for its dobro and freaky church organ. Tom Thumb’s Blues is the other Dylan cover on this record and shows the band taking a Byrds/Everly Brothers vocal harmony approach. The playing is topnotch throughout the record (check out instrumental Lungi Dal Caro Beni) and the duo’s vocal harmonies are tight if a bit unconventional. This is a quiet, tranquil record that never bores and reminds me of prime late 60’s Dillards on their folk-rock outings.

One of my favorite tracks on the album is Landscape Grown Cold. This is a visionary slice of American music that predates the alt. country/folk boom with dark lyrics, strings, phasing towards the end, and a vibe similar to Texas band Euphoria. More noteworthy tracks are Kingswood Manor which is a good folk-rock track that flirts with psychedelia by way of tabla (and drug references within the lyrics) while country-rocker City Sidewalks is very trancey and will appeal to any true Byrds fan. About 3 or 4 tracks on the album include drums though electric guitar fans should note with caution that most of this disc is acoustic.

The music is time worn, ancient and has that lived in feel but always inventive and never short on ideas. What ever happened to these musicians? Does anyone know? Anyway, if Americana or folk-rock is your bag, prepare yourself for a really good one.

“Landscape Grown Cold”

:) Original Vinyl | Search eBay for Maffit Davies ]

The Insect Trust “The Insect Trust”

| Psych

The insect Trust

The Insect Trust’s only two albums are a great example of what today would be called wyrd America. Back then, such terms did not exist and even still, it’s unfair to label this individualistic band.

They were often compared to San Fransisco bands such as the pioneering Jefferson Airplane, although this comparison really doesn’t do them justice. Hoboken Saturday Night (1970), the band’s sophomore effort usually gets the nod, or at least the most attention. Though it must be mentioned that most fans forget about this startling, groundbreaking debut.

They were a classic east coast band taking in a multitude of influences from folk, blues, psychedelia, rock n’ roll, country, jazz, ragtime and bluegrass. Nancy Jefferies had a strong, clear voice while Bill Barth and Bob Palmer were always experimenting with exotic instruments. Skin Game is typical of their approach, starting off as a country blues shuffle then exploding into a slide guitar freakout that is quite marvelous. Miss Fun City is a trippy slice of Americana with some great hypnotic banjo, a most excellent composition! Be Here And Gone So Soon, has to be the most classic track on this legendary album. It opens up with some classic hippy dialogue, then bursts into a magical folk-rock song.

Anyone searching for a good organic slice of authentic American music along the lines of the Dillard and Clark Expedition, Robbie Basho’s Zarthus or Bob Dylan and the Band’s Basement Tapes will love this classic from 1968.

“Miss Fun City”

:) 180G Vinyl Reissue: Capitol 2007 | search ebay for Insect Trust ]
reposted from March 21, 2007, check your local shop for the reissue

COB “Spirit of Love”

| Folk

Spirit of Love

COB stands for Clive’s Original Band and Spirit of Love was their first album released in 1971 off CBS. Clive Palmer is a well known British folk musician that started out as one of the original Incredible String Band members. Palmer played on their groundbreaking debut lp and shortly left the band thereafter for reasons unknown to me. Palmer spent some time playing with legendary folk-jazz guitarist Wizz Jones then went on to form the Famous Jug Band. This group released one lp with Clive Palmer on board entitled Sunshine Posibilities which came out in 1969. COB found Palmer making some of the best music of his career while teamed up with top flight musicians Ralph McTell and Mickey Bennett.

Spirit of Love has a hymal, rural English vibe that is more folk than folk-rock. Palmer’s vocals are very calm and soothing and this disc is completely acoustic in nature. Tracks like Music of the Ages and Serpent’s Kiss are simply spellbinding, sounding hundreds of years old and only getting better with the passage of time. Some of these songs have exotic instruments like the Harmonium and Dulcitone while the banjo instrumental Banjoland has unexpected ocean wave sound effects. At times, Palmer and company sound completely lost in space, as heard on the excellent Evening Air. But it’s this naive charm and willingness to sound different that makes Spirit of Love such a great, ancient folk album. Other tracks such as the beautiful Wade In The Water and When He Came Home seem to have biblical references within the lyrics and a strong gospel influence.

Although maybe too low-key for some, I feel this is one of the best English folk albums out there. The band effectively hit a rural english country folk-psych sound that’s visionary and highly original, completely different to Palmer’s prior band, The Incredible String Band. This disc was recently reissued on the BGO label though originals are pretty hard to come by. The follow up to Spirit of Love, 72’s Moyshe Mcstiff and the Tartan Lancers of the Sacred Heart is just as good and highly recommended as well

“Music Of Ages”

:D CD Reissue: 2001 | Spirit of Love ]
:) Original Vinyl | Search eBay for Spirit Of Love ]

Gal Costa “1969”

| Tropicalia

Gal 69

This is an insane album that is more experimental than the Beatles’ psychedelic work while each song still retains a catchy pop flavor. This self-titled album was Gal Costa’s second effort and is commonly referred to as Cinema Olympia or 1969.

“Cinema Olympia” is also the first song on this album and it’s a catchy rocker that opens the program up with heavily distorted guitars reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix. In fact, many of the songs off 69 have blazing fuzz guitars that bludgeon and assault the listener’s ears. Only “Pas Tropical” has that typical folk bossa nova sound that is so often associated with the Tropicalia movement. And even this track is really good and is somewhat of a Tropicalia standard, notable for its pretty vocals and mellow atmosphere. The second song on side A, “Taureg,” is an outstanding track with eastern tones, exotic instruments and heavy vocal echo.

Each song on this album is completely unpredictable, always trying a new vocal style or production trick. Costa expands on the studio freedoms granted to fellow Brazilian music pioneers Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Milton Nascrimento. None of the above artists ever made anything this far out though, just listen to the cat screams that end “Meu Nome E Gal” or the funky, sexually charged psychedelia of “Empty Boat” (the one song on the album with English lyrics).

The Velvet Underground’s first album gave us an experimental work that was stoic and full of wisdom but Gal Costa’s 69 is junky, trashy, and sleazy but still somehow full of depth and meaning. Costa’s vocals are wonderfully out of synch with conventional pop and this disc is more whacked out than the U.S. and U.K.’s best groups. The five albums that succeed this lp are also very good and worth investigation. Gal Costa/1969 frequently goes in and out of print but readers are urged to search for a copy on ebay.

“The Empty Boat”

:D CD Reissue | 2008 | Dusty Groove | order @ Dusty Groove ]
:) Vinyl Search [ @eBay: Search Gal Costa ]