With the notable exception of the Zakary Thaks (both groups shared a similar sound and influence), the Liberty Bell were probably Corpus Christi’s top rock n roll group. They were talented musicians who wrote fine, original material and played with a conviction and skill that most lack.  While the Liberty Bell never recorded an album, they released 5 excellent singles on the J-Beck and Back Beat labels.  Back in the mid 90’s, Collectables issued a good compilation collecting all their singles and a couple of outtakes, titled Reality Is The Only Answer.  The sound quality and liner notes are iffy but the music is fine if underappreciated garage/psych.  Also, if you look hard enough, Reality Is The Only Answer can still be found for under $10.

The group started out life in Corpus Christi, Texas as the Zulus.  Upon manager/record label owner Carl Becker’s suggestion, they changed their name to the Liberty Bell.   Their first single (J-Beck) was released in 1967 – a rocking cover of the Yardbirds’ “The Nazz Are Blue.”  The flip side was a fine, fuzzy take on “Big Boss Man.”  This single met with some local success prompting Becker to release their second 45, “For What You Lack/That’s How It Will Be.”  Both sides of this 45, also released in 1967, are pounding slabs of prime garage punk that should have put the Liberty Bell on the map.  All the ingredients were there too, attitude, lots of fuzz guitar and an overpowering energy but no success.  Another track cut at the same session, “I Can See,” is a brash garage number that’s worth a spin as well.  Amazingly, these 3 songs were cut on one of the first eight-track machines available in the U.S.  Their third J-Beck single was a solid blues number (“Al’s Blues”) with strong guitar work.  This track was backed by another good garage pop number that probably should have been the A-side, titled “Something For Me.”

In 1968 the Liberty Bell added ex-Zakary Thaks lead singer Chris Gerniottis to the fold.  That spring they went into the studio to record some tracks that would never be released.  “Reality Is The Only Answer,” written by Chris, is perhaps the group’s finest moment.  A scintillating acid punker, this cut features ferocious Keith Moon-like drumming and creative psych guitar effects – it’s explosive.  That summer the group forged on, releasing “Thoughts and Visions” and “Look For Tomorrow.”  These cuts were solid psych numbers with diverse influences ranging from the Small Faces to the Jefferson Airplane.  The Liberty Bell closed the year out with “Naw, Naw, Naw” and the superb fuzz laden psych B-side “Recognition.”

Truly due for rediscovery.

“Reality Is The Only Answer”

CD Reissue | Collectables | at amazon ]

This Youngstown, Ohio band hit pay dirt in 1967 with their version of the Isley Brothers’ classic “Nobody But Me.”  The group featured Mel Pachuta (bass guitar), Ting Markulin (rhythm guitar), Mike Tatman (drummer) and Richard Belley (lead guitar).  Prior to Evolutions the group had released a split LP with the Mammals and a legit 1967 debut followup titled Nobody But Me.

Most of the Evolutions material was penned by producer Lex De DeAzevedo.  While the album is a bit self-indulgent in spots, overall it’s a very classy garage psych platter; a wreckless landmark for the genre.  Only the mellotron speckled pop number “Mrs Applebee” sounds dated today.  The fuzz guitar instro “April 15th” and country-rocker “Two Of A Kind” are over the top psychedelic madness but in the best possible way.  The last few minutes of “Two Of A Kind” are devoted to the group destroying a piano in-house.  The rest of the lp is given over to short compact folk-rock numbers, psychedelic pop, and menacing garage punkers.

Evolutions opens with “The Face,” an excellent psych pop track with production values (strings, horns, harpsichord and lots of fuzz) that are a good deal more sophisticated than the typical Human Beinz outing.  This cut sets the tone for the lp nicely and features a smooth mixture of acoustic and electric guitar textures.  The mellow numbers, “Close Your Eyes” and “Cement,” are solid folk-rock cuts that hint at a softer, introspective side.  “My Animal,””I’ve Got To Keep On Pushing,” and “Every Time Woman,” are worthy gems that give lead guitarist Richard Belley ample breathing room to stretch out and produce some wicked fuzztone solos.  “Every Time Woman” along with Nobody But Me‘s “Flower Grave”, may be the group’s finest moment on vinyl.  This cut features blasts of lacerating fuzz guitar and neurotic punk vocals.  Behind Belley’s fab fuzz work are the Beinz locked-in rhythm section, who whip up a storm here.  Out of control and unhinged, this performance is one of the all-time garage punk classics – mandatory listening.  Evolutions is a long way from the Human Beinz frat rock, soul influenced origins.  Listening to sounds from within and taking a quick glance at the album’s fine cover art should tell you these guys were no longer fooling around.   It’s a great album by an underrated band.

Evolutions has been reissued on cd several times (Ascension and Collectables Records are the best versions) and is relatively easy to score on vinyl.

“Every Time Woman”

CD Reissue | 2006 | Collectables | 2fer w/ Nobody But Me | at amazon ]
Original Vinyl |  1968 | Capitol | search ebay ]
Spotify link | listen ]

Minnesotan, Michael Yonkers recorded his Microminiature Love album in 1968, using an idiosyncratic approach to capture an assembly of original songs. The results are heavy! He and his group (The Michael Yonkers Band, featuring bassist Tom Wallfred & drummer/brother Jim Yunker) unleashed a new and original sound for these recordings – driven by raw alternate guitar tunings, heavy drums, mucho tape delay, unique vocal stylings & homemade electronics. The production is only part of the picture, however – the songs display original craftsmanship and are fueled by dynamic energies, pushing and pulling to high degrees. This album is built to reveal a true (& slightly dark) world inside; each new moment can draw you in deeper & it never really relents. Remarkably, the entire album was recorded in only one hour at Dove Studios in Minneapolis. Even more remarkable, perhaps, the record was not released for nearly 35 years.

Why this record went unreleased for so long is something of a mystery. Sire Records initially expressed interest in releasing it, but (according to MY, as revealed in Iker Spozio’s interview from the excellent MORNING #2 magazine) they wanted Yonkers to move to New York City and re-record the material with studio musicians, something Yonkers wasn’t ready to do. Local label Candyfloss Productions (who had recently released the excellent Trip Thru Hell LP by another MN act, C. A. Quintet) also reportedly expressed interest. Further complicating matters, Michael was still in college at the time & legally unable to sign his own record contract.

Thanks to Clint Simonson & Di Stijl records, the LP was finally released in 2002 as it was intended – seven tracks on vinyl. Sub Pop followed up with a CD release in 2003 that included 6 bonus tracks – all of which sound as if they were recorded at the same 1968 studio sessions (though they were home recorded the following year). Sub Pop did an excellent job selecting & mastering these extra tracks to fit the feel of MML.

A powerful record & one-of-a-kind.

“My House”

CD Reissue | 2003 |Sub Pop | at amazon ]
Vinyl Reissue | 2002 |De Stijl | search ebay ]

The Jelly Bean Bandits were the premier teen freaks of New York’s Hudson Valley; just look at them on the LP’s great front cover!  Most of the group members hailed from the Cornwall/Newburgh/New Windsor area, packing local night clubs regularly: New Windsor’s Trade Winds, Poughkeepsie’s Buccaneer Nightclub, and Burlington, Vermont’s Red Dog.  Bob Shad’s Mainstream label released their only album in 1967.

Some collectors refer to the album as a psych punk cult classic and I’d have to agree with them.  Originally known as the Mirror, the Bandits signed a three album deal with Mainstream on the strength of a three song demo.  They had one week to write the album’s songs, which would eventually be recorded in a 12 hour stretch at Columbia’s Studio “A”.   There’s lots of greasy rock n roll to be found on the Jelly Bean Bandits’ sole offering.  Tracks like “Tapestries”, “Say Man” and ‘Plastic Soldiers” are full of trippy organ work and the occasional sound effect but for the most part this LP is more garage than psych.  “Generation” is probably the album’s classic cut and has been featured on the popular garage compilation, Pebbles.  This menacing garage rocker has searing feedback and distortion, snotty vocals and thunderous drums.  I can live without the one jugband tune but overall everything else is pretty good.  For my money the best tracks are “Happiness Girl”, “Neon River” and “Poor Precious Dreams”, three terrific garage punkers with plenty of attitude and fiery guitar/organ interplay.  So overall, The Jelly Bean Bandits is one of those garage platters that’s definitely worth owning.

“Salesmen” and “Superhog”, two late 60’s outtakes that are in more of a psychedelic vein have been comp’d on Psychedelic Crown Jewels Volume 2 and Psychedelic States: New York Volume 1 respectively. The Mainstream album has been reissued on both vinyl and cd as well.

“Happiness Girl”

Vinyl | 1967 | Mainstream | search ebay ]
MP3 Album | download at amazon ]
Spotify link | listen ]

The Enfields were one of the countless garage bands competing for airplay in the 1960s. They released a series of quality local 45s before morphing into the more progressive Friends of the Family, of which by that time, principal songwriter Ted Munda was the only surviving member. The Enfields hailed from Wilmington, Delaware, where they were unquestionably the area’s top group.

“In The Eyes Of The World” was their first Richie 45 released in late 65/early 66. This track is really a teenbeat gem with the great reverbed hollow-body guitar work of John Bernard and plenty of ghostly harmonies via Ted Munda and Charlie Berl. “In The Eyes Of The World” did not have a B-side but sold well locally, making Wilmington’s top 40 and established the group as a force to be reckoned with. The Enfields’ next number, “She Already Has Somebody/I’m For Things You Do” was a #4 local smash and perhaps their finest moment on vinyl. Very similar to the Dovers’ material from around the same time, “She Already Has Somebody” is a minor key folk-rocker with solid hooks, lots of nervous energy and fine guitar work. By the release of their third single the Enfields began branching out into harder, more aggressive sounds. “Face to Face,” another near classic from 1966, opens with a toggle switch guitar sound (probably influenced by the Who), features tough Taxman-like riffs and a brief psychedelic guitar solo. The single’s A-side, “You Don’t Have Very Far” is musically very strong but represents somewhat of a throwback to the 1965 folk-rock sound. This is definitely a “must own”45 from 1966!

After the Enfields broke up in 1967, Ted Munda formed Friends of the Family. He recruited Wayne Watson and Jimmy Crawford from local group the Turfs. They released one disappointing 45 in 1968 but thankfullly made it into the studio for two recording sessions. Munda and his new group recorded throughout 1967 and 1968, amassing about an album’s worth of material (11 songs). While these recordings barely reached the demo stage, the music is accomplished and worth your time. Tracks like the excellent “Last Beach Crusade,” “Together” and the 6 minute “Hot Apple Betty” are progressive and sound like a jazz influenced Left Banke. These three tracks were recorded in 1968 and show the Friends experimenting with lots of keyboards, challenging guitar solos, Zombies/Beatles’ influenced vocals and complex song arrangements. “Funny Flowers,” one of the earlier songs recorded in 1967, is just as appealing but more song-based (jangly folk-rock). “You See I’ve Got This Cold,” another highlight from the 1968 sessions, is a personal favorite that reminds me of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention. It’s full of psychedelic weirdness; check out the bizarre lyrics, tinkling piano, and trippy wah-wah. The band forged on into late 68 opening for The Who and Pink Floyd at the Philadelphia Music Festival. Eventually, Friends of the Family broke up and some years later Ted Munda formed Hotspur, who released an album on Columbia in 1974.

The best way to hear the Enfields/Friends of the Family saga is through Get Hip’s superb 1993 cd reissue, Classic Sounds of the 60s. Normally a patchwork reissue like this doesn’t work but Ted Munda rarely recorded anything bad, making The Enfields/and early Friends of the Family a very impressive release.

Update: Ted Munda is currently seeking financing to record a new album of original material. Get in touch with Ted here.

“In The Eyes Of The World”

CD Reissue | 1993 | Get Hip | at Get Hip | at amazon ]
Original Vinyl | search ebay ]