Author Archive

Poe “Up Through The Spiral”

| Concept Albums,Psych

Up Through The Spiral

This is a pretty good late period hard rock psych concept LP that few people know about. Poe originally were the Playboys of Edinburg, a McAllen Texas band who began releasing singles in 1965. The Playboys of Edinburg released 7 or 8 singles in various pop rock styles (garage, beat, folk-rock and hard rock) throughout the 1960’s and eventually relocated to Houston.

For this 1970/71 UNI release the Playboys of Edinburg changed their name to Poe and created this concept lp. Many of the songs were written and arranged by band members McCord and Williams. The album chronicles the life and thoughts of Edgar Cayce, a man who could put himself into some kind of self-induced sleep state by lying down on a couch, closing his eyes, and folding his hands over his stomach. This state of relaxation and meditation enabled him to place his mind in contact with all time and space.

No song better illustrates this theme than the great Up Up Thru The Spiral. This track opens with classic paisley guitar riffs and one of the all time great opening psych lines which refers to Cayce’s incredible ability. Up Up Thru The Spiral is also notable for a horn arrangement, distorted vocals and what sounds like tape loop experimentations. This is flat out a great psych pop track with an English sound similar to that of the Move. Other tracks like the futuristic psych of Automatic Writing, Tune In, the furious Sons of Belial, and Fallin’ Off are pretty vicious and rock hard. Fallin’ Off is more than a nod to English rock group Free, with it’s great, heavy guitar riffs, gritty vocals and sound fx explosion mid way thru the track. This song sounds like a lost classic rock radio hit and had considerable pop appeal, it’s definitely a good one! The lead off track, There Is A River reveals a strong gospel influence and has George Harrison style guitar playing and Beatlesque harmonies. Another reflective number, Debt To Pay is a really good acoustic song with sweet, sugary harmonies and a personal favorite.

This is a solid set from an unknown band who can balance soft reflective tunes with druggy, stoned hard rockers. Vinyl orginals are somewhat cheap although the album saw a cd reissue in 2006 off the Mr. Nobody record label.

“Up Up Through The Spiral”

:) Vinyl Search @eBay: Search Poe Up Through The Spiral ]

Mickey Newbury “Looks Like Rain”

| Americana,Folk

Looks Like Rain

Mickey Newbury’s 1969 release Looks Like Rain is one of the best singer songwriter country folk albums ever. It’s that rare thing of beauty, a perfect album, and could also be considered the outlaw movement’s very own Astral Weeks. Looks Like Rain is more of a folk record than Newbury’s later lps and similar to the Tim Hardin, Tim Buckley, Townes Van Zandt, and Fred Neil confessionals.

This highly desirable lp occasionally pops up on ebay though it’s somewhat hard to get and was recently reissued on cd (1998-) as part of the Mickey Newbury Collection from Mountain Retreat (box set). Newbury along with contemporaries Townes Van Zandt, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson stayed true to C&W’s traditions while adding a unique, sophisticated spin on songwriting and an emotional reach that was new to the music. Newbury’s importance to the world of Americana is still strong and deeply felt, and Looks Like Rain would be known as his first major work (his debut lp is solid and worth owning though more of a country baroque psych lp!).

One song off the above album, T. Total Tommy, clearly had commercial potential with delicate harpsichord and a catchy chorus. Each song is linked by the sound of rain and many of these tracks have clever arrangements and brilliant studio effects. The chimes and electric guitar on Write A Song A Song create an intimate atmosphere that is peerless. This is a quiet album for sure, a very personal statement that finds Newbury in superb voice, writing excellent lyrics and sounding down and out. I Don’t Think About Her No More, 33rd of August, and San Fransisco Mabel Joy are country folk masterpieces of the highest order. Every detail and nuance is so precise and well thought out, everything from the sitars that grace Mabel Joy to the distorted vocals that briefly highlight 33rd of August. The latter song has gorgeous Newbury vocals that are similar to Happy Sad era Tim Buckley.

While the studio production is a rare work of genuis and will catch your ear first, Looks Like Rain’s stories will eventually penetrate your heart and soul. It’s a very deep lp and Newbury’s tales speak of freedom, death, depression, failure, love, and happiness. This is definitely a must for country and folk fans and will proudly stand next to any of the best singer songwriter albums you care to name.

“I Don’t Think Much About Her No More”

[ Buy @ MickeyNewbury.com | Search @ eBay ]

Read the rest of this entry »

The Savage Rose “Savage Rose”

| Pop,Prog,Psych

Savage Rose

This is one of the great rock albums from 1968. Denmark’s Savage Rose are one of the greatest European experimental, progressive bands with a career that successfully spans over 40 years. Legendary rock critic Lester Bangs ranted and raved over the Rose and lead singer Anisette’s stunning vocal approach. He once described the frightening, powerhouse lead singer: “Grace Slick at 78 RPM”; “Minnie Mouse on a belladonna jag” and claimed that the band’s early 70’s album Refugee alongside 71’s Who’s Next, were a reason to believe in the magic and life force of rock & roll.

The band was formed in 1967 by songwriters Thomas and Anders Koppel (keyboards, piano and harpsichord) and drummer Alex Riel. Their sound was organ/keyboard dominated but guitarist Flemming Ostermann lent a helping hand with some wonderful jazz influenced guitar licks. This stunning debut appeared a year later featuring 11 strong tracks straight from the streets of Demark. Incredible songs like A Girl I Once Knew, You’ll Be Alright and Open Air Shop are highlighted by Annisette’s wailing vocals but it’s the arrangements that are equally brilliant and a breath of fresh air. Some people refer to this disc as psychedelic but that’s not really the case as there are no whacked out studio sound effects, phased vocals, raga guitar solos and the like. Many of the songs are strongly influenced by European folk, jazz, classical and soul music though the organ playing occasionally delves into some trippy, underwater soundscapes. Other tracks like Sleep and You Be Free are beautiful, dreamy statements that drift away in a Euro haze but are equally as good as the more intense, hard rocking numbers.

This record is strong all over with impressive musicianship, excellent tracks, diversity and of course, great songwriting. It’s also worth noting that in recent years the band as well as Anisette’s vocal style have provided a major inspiration to many of the new folk and progressive artists. The Savage Rose’s first 8 albums are all worth getting but it’s In The Plain (68-), Your Daily Gift (71), Refugee (71), the progressive Dodens Triumf (72) and this fabulous debut that are considered great Euro rock classics.

“Open Air Shop”

Below is a track from the Your Daily Gift album. Unfold deserves special attention because not only is it a great track but it shows the band taking in an experimental C&W influence. Anisette’s vocals sound weathered, wise, and fantastic and Unfold is also notable for a fine harpsichord intro.

“Unfold”

[ Buy @ amazon | Search @ eBay ]

Som Imaginario (self-titled)

| Tropicalia

Som Imaginario

This was Som Imaginario’s (Imaginary Sound) debut album from 1970. A Brazilian band that often backed the great Milton Nascimento just as Os Mutantes had backed Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso on their early albums. In fact, this album could be seen as the perfect companion piece to Os Mutantes’ 1969 masterpiece, A Divina Comedia Ou Ando Meio Desligado.

The band’s name is very fitting, Som Imaginario is an invigorating blend of folk, soul, psychedelia, brit influenced pop, rock and Brazilian homeland music. For a debut album, the band sounds extremely confident and wild, steaming and cooking thru the album (and there are no duff tracks either!!).

Morse opens the album on a funky note, with blasts of fuzz guitar and swirling organ. The next song, Super-God has some great use of wah-wah and distorted vocals. Milton Nascimento guests on the mysterious Pantera, which is another highlight with a bomb explosion intro. Nascimento’s voice is highly original and experimental and adds depth to an already good composition. The two songs in English, Poison and Make Believe Waltz, are also very good, soulful folky ballads.

An essential psychedelic album and a must for fans of Tropicalia. Som Imaginario released a few albums during the progressive rock era which are also highly recommended but reissues are criminally unavailable.

“Sabado”

[ Buy @ Amazon | Search @ eBay ]

Kak “Kak”

| Psych

Kak

Kak’s only release is a solid West Coast album with strong Moby Grape and garage rock influences. I am not totally sold on the Kak album but I feel it’s at least very good, not really a classic work by any means, although some people swear by it.

Group members included Dehner C. Patton on lead guitar, Gary L Yoder rhythm guitar and lead vocals, Joseph D Damrell bass guitar, sitar, and tambourine, and Christopher A. Lockheed drums, tabla, and harpsichord. Kak resided in San Fransisco and while their existence proved to be brief, the Yoder/Patton guitar combo was pretty potent – they could rock out relentlessly but also hit you with a certain charm. Yoder was notable for playing in the legendary garage psych band the Oxford Circle, who released the awesome Foolish Woman single in1966 and were a feared live band.

The Kak album begins with three outstanding, garage-like San Fransisco ravers that bear out Yoder’s roots. Everything Changes is a personal favorite with a classic hard charging San Fran acid rock vibe very similar to Moby Grape but it’s Electric Sailor that is often cited as a renowned psychedelic classic. This track is pure late period garage rock at its finest including pounding drums, an incredible acid solo, light feedback, childish lyrics, and a great catchy chorus. The album opener HCO 97658 is very similar and pretty good, pounding briefly for about a minute and forty seconds. Other songs like I’ve Got Time and Flowing By have more of a country folk-rock vibe that took me a while to get into, but I now appreciate these tracks and the diversity of this album. Trieulogy is the album’s longest and strangest track at 8 plus minutes, but a good acid rock suite with sitars and great psychedelic solos. A piece of this suite, Rain was released as a single and is a very good slice of speed-induced guitar psych. The last track off the album, Lemonaide Kid received lots of radio play years ago and is a good Dylan influenced folk-rocker with sitar and tabla.

Overall, this is a very good album without any dud tracks, the musicians are topflight and there are some great acid ballroom antics, though I would not recommend this disc to new psych fans. A 1999 Big Beat reissue is the easiest way to obtain this obscure record.

“Electric Sailor”

[ Buy from Amazon | Search eBay ]

Simply Saucer “Cyborgs Revisited”

| Garage,Pop,Prog,Psych

Cyborgs Revisited

Quite simply, this is one of the best proto-punk albums out there. Cyborgs Revisted is equal parts Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd garage psych raunch and early Velvet Underground art-rock sophistication, sounding well ahead of the game and almost too good to be true. It’s a fabulous record that few people have heard, and will appeal to adventurous listeners who are tired of today’s top 40 garbage.

Simply Saucer formed in Hamilton, Canada (Ontario), releasing just one single in 1978 and playing live shows throughout the region. I don’t think Cyborg’s Revisited was officially released during the mid 70’s. I do know that in 1989 an lp version appeared featuring 9 songs. In 2001/2002 a cd version of Cyborg’s revisited was reissued, containing the full album as well as live cuts, their lone single and raw demos. Most of the cuts featured on the 1989 lp (which are the first 9 tracks of the cd) were recorded in 1974. Edgar Breau was the brains behind Simply Saucer writing all the band’s material, singing lead vocals and playing guitar.

Many of these songs are highly experimental within a garage rock format using theremin, audio generators, and other primitive electronics. Electro Rock showcases this experimental aspect of the band with great results and also highlights some exceptional guitar work. Instant Pleasure is a great, brief track as well, with Syd Barrett type vocals and guitar noise mayhem. On Bullet Proof Nothing the band pulls off a great acoustic rocker that sounds like a Lou Reed Loaded era outtake. I can’t see anyone into early Pink Floyd, the Stooges, the Velvet Underground or Can not liking this record.

Simply Saucer has also proven to be influential to popular artists such as the Dream Syndicate’s Steve Wynn who quotes the She’s A Dog 45 as one of his all-time favorites. Other bands of this ilk worth checking out are Debris’, George Brigman, the Electric Eels, the Mirrors, Styrenes, and Rocket From The Tombs.

“Instant Pleasure”

[ Cyborgs Revisited | Search eBay ]

Brinsley Schwarz “Silver Pistol”

| Americana,Country Rock,Folk,Pop

Silver Pistol

This was the Brinsley’s first acknowledged classic, Silver Pistol, released in 1972. To me, Brinsley Schwarz is the best rock music Nick Lowe has ever made though I know many new wave fans will disagree with this statement, favoring his 78-79 solo material.

The Brinsley’s began making records in 1970 with more of a rambling late period psychedelic jam band approach. Silver Pistol is when the band really came into their own with some outstanding original material from Nick Lowe that recalled the intimacy of the Band. Though unlike the Band, many of these songs have more of a reckless punch and new guitarist/songwriter Iam Gomm contributes four great, driving country-rockers to this impressive set.

While 72’s Nervous On The Road is usually cited as their finest work, I think Silver Pistol is just as good with creative songwriting and wonderful songs. Tracks like Merry Go Round have a warm downhome feel with jangly McGuinn style rickenbacker guitar chords and prominent Garth Hudson influenced organ playing. Egypt even seems like it could have been a lost outtake from the first couple of Band albums, it’s that stellar and full of cerebral organ work. In Dry Land the band really nails down the American country-rock sound while sounding individual and completely original. Another song, Nightingale is a very beautiful, personal statement that features accordian and beats most U.S. bands in the Americana sweepstakes.

Following the Silver Pistol lp, Brinsley Schwarz made three other great albums and eventually broke up around 1974-1975. They, along with Eggs Over Easy, are considered the founding fathers of England’s early 70’s pub rock movement. These groups played an English version of U.S. country-rock throughout England’s numerous, local pubs. I think pub rock can be a little more aggressive at times then U.S. country-rock and most of these groups found their main inspiration from the Band. It’s also important to note that on Silver Pistol the Brinsley’s cover two Jim Ford tunes. Jim Ford released one very good solo album in the early 70’s and during the Silver Pistol sessions was a key influence to Nick Lowe and Brinsley Schwarz.

In 2004, BGO (Beat Goes On) reissued the excellent Silver Pistol along with Please Don’t Ever Change (another good one). These albums are essential to fans of roots music and country-rock and have a ragged charm that’s all their own.

“Nightingale”

[ Buy from Amazon | Search eBay ]

Aorta “Aorta”

| Art,Pop,Psych

Aorta

Aorta was a highly talented rock band from Rockford, IL that released two albums throughout 1969 and 1970. The band was originally known as the Exceptions, a popular soul rock group that played around the Chicago area and released a handful of singles. It’s interesting to note that the Exceptions had at one time included future members of H.P. Lovecraft (another great Chicago psych band), the New Colony Six, Chicago, The Buckinghams, and Illinois Speed Press. The Exceptions eventually morphed into Aorta when band members felt a more progressive direction was needed.

In 1969 Columbia released this startling record which was a mix of psychedelia, soul, jazz, folk, and rock. The album was housed in a beautiful, graphic sleeve that has always overshadowed the great music from within. Musically speaking, Aorta’s sound comes close to Boston band Listening or even the more psychedelic aspects of early Blood, Sweat and Tears during its Al Kooper phase. There seems to be some kind of concept that reoccurs under the Mein Vein theme. Aorta is solid throughout though, featuring strong musicianship, inventive studio wizardry, superb songs with a healthy dose of fuzz guitar and wonderful string and horn arrangements.

Some songs like Heart Attack and Ode To Missy Mxyzosptlk have lots of organ and are very early stabs at what would later be coined progressive rock. Ode to Missy has some intense guitar solos and a great studio psych out ending that will put your stereo speakers on overdrive. A personal favorite is the more restrained Sprinkle Road to Cork Street, which is a dramatic folk-rock track with horns and a beautiful medieval-like intro. Trippier tracks like the spooky Catalyptic with its ethereal, acid church organ work extremely well too and make it clear that these guys could play any style of music well. What’s In My Mind’s Eye is a great lost piece of psychedelic pop that has really cool disembodied vocals and a prominent horn arrangement.

Aorta may seem grandiose and even downright indulgent at times but make no mistake this really is a great lost record. Vinyl originals are easy to come by and sell relatively cheap on Ebay as Aorta was a very popular local band. Both albums have even been reissued on CD a few years back and more recently as a digital download. Conclusion: definitely pick this great album up if you’re looking for some far out, wild psychedelia with a hint of early progressive rock.

“What’s In My Minds Eye”

[ Buy from Amazon | Search eBay ]

Embryo “We Keep On”

| Prog,Psych

We Keep On

Embryo are a brilliant Krautrock band that began in the late 60’s, creatively flourished throughout the 70’s and are still making great music today. While contemporaries the Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk pioneered electronic rock and Can were content exploring the avant garde fringe elements, Embryo favored a jazzy form of space rock with very strong elements of world music.

Christian Burchard has always remained the constant throughout Embryo’s long, varied career. On this recording he is the lead vocalist and also plays mellotron, vibraphone, percussion, drums, keyboards, marimba, mellophonium, bass, guitar, and saz. We Keep On is often regarded as Embryo’s masterpiece, an overwhelming lp mining West African rhythms that reach deep into unexplored regions of your mind. Burchard’s vocals are strange and unconventional in an almost proto new-wave way. The first song, Abdul Malek, sounds like nothing I have ever heard before and should really appeal to psych fans (take note of the acoustic raga riffs) even though this is a 1973 release. Don’t Come Tomorrow is another good trancey song with understated mellotron, piano, vibes, and interesting bamboo flute courtesy of Charlie Mariano.

The lp is divided evenly between instrumentals and vocal tracks (there are 6 songs in total and 2 extra on the recent reissue by Disconforme). No Place To Go features crazed Burchard vocals and some fabulous jazz guitar playing while other tracks like Hackbrett-Dance and Flute and Saz tap into something new and totally original. In 1975 Miles Davis had this to say about Embryo, “That German hippy group where Mal Waldron used to play; they are doing interesting things. You know, man? They are good musicians, just playing good shit!” This was the ultimate compliment coming from a jazz master and a good enough reason to check out this great, lost album.

“Abdul Malek”

[ Buy from Amazon | Search eBay ]

The New Colony Six “Breakthrough”

| Garage

Breakthrough

This midwesterner is jam packed full of great songs in the classic garage tradition. The New Colony Six was founded by lead vocalist Ray Graffia but included a fine guitarist by the name of Jerry VanKollenburg, organist Wally Kemp, bassist Craig Kemp, vocalist Pat McBride and drummer Chic James.

They took Chicago by storm on their debut Centaur single I Confess (1965) which is featured on the above lp. It was a tough British Invasion powered single that reached the #2 position on the WLS Silver Dollar Survey. Confess was only kept from being a #1 local hit by Lou Christie’s “Lightning Strikes” and notable for the inventive guitar sound created by VanKollenburg feeding his instrument through a Leslie speaker.

Around the time of recording their debut lp, the band decided to release the legendary At The River’s Edge single. Although the very good flip I Lie Awake received airplay, At The River’s Edge was really their moment in the sun. It was a menacing garage punk single driven by frantic pace and wild harmonica playing, At The River’s Edge was Chicago’s version of Them’s fantastic Mystic Eyes single. At this point the New Colony Six were a popular live act throughout Chicago and were known to raise hell on stage. During the summer of 1966 Breakthrough was released, and if there was any flaw at all with the lp it came down to the two lunk headed covers of current pop rock singles Hang On Sloopy and Mr. You’re A Better Man Than I. The other 10 songs were sterling group originals ranging from tough gritty rockers to softer more melodic folk-rockers. Besides the superb singles other highlights were the Raiders-like A Heart Is Made Of Many Things and the dreamy Don’t You Think It’s Time To Stop You’re Crying which featured more ace guitar work from VanKollenburg. Another song worth pointing out is The Time Of The Year Is Sunset. Other reviewers have mentioned that this reflective gem could be a counter part to the Rising Storm’s killer Frozen Laughter.

All in all this is a very strong debut that will appeal to fans of the early Guess Who, Outburst era Wailers, and mid period Paul Revere and the Raiders. The band released some other fine singles and a respectable though less aggressive garage pop album titled Colonization before transforming into a bubblegum-hit-making act.

“I Confess”

Below is one of the highlights from their second album Colonization. Let Me Love You was one of their last true classics and underneath the psychedelic production and monstrous fuzz leads is a folk-rock song with a soft, pretty middle section and glittering 12-string guitar runs. They rerecorded a much better version of Mr. You’re a Better Man Than I that works quite well too. While not as good nor as raw as Breakthrough, Colonization is still a solid pop record that hinted at their bubblegum future.

“Let Me Love You”

[ Buy from Amazon | Search eBay ]