Posts Tagged ‘ 1968 ’

Bobby Callendar “The Way (First Book Of Experiences)”

| Folk,Pop,Psych

The Way

An orchestral and eastern influenced psychedelic pop gem, Bobby Callendar’s “The Way” sometimes gets the shaft to “Rainbow,” but I like “The Way.”

Sometimes, when folks are asked if they could interview anybody from any time, it would be Gandhi. But, The Rising Storm chooses Bobby C. Seriously, somebody needs to get the scoop on this mysterious and intriguing record. Bobby’s intense lyrics are matched with a mix of eastern instruments, lush strings, and tambourine. I can’t say why but the tambourine sticks in my memory. Nothing says 60s pop like that wonderful percussion instrument.

Bobby C. was clearly very into the Mike Love style 60s eastern Buddhism thing. “Sitting ‘neath the bodhi tree… as one.  The Story of Rasha & Dhara is essential listening for psychedelic music fans. It’s pretty, and strange, and sports one of the smoothest basslines of the 60s.

Not to say that this record is flawless. There are a few skippable tracks, all in all it’s nothing to brag about, but there are some real nice gems in here. The opening is miraculous, while others are catchy, and others take you quite by surprise. Be prepared for religous themes and a generally trippy experience.

The lack of availability to this record is a disappointment; the sturdy digipak casing, reminiscent of some of the best vinyl record sleeves, should be a standard for CD reissues. And like I’ve been saying, this one is a real gem.

“Story of Rasha and Dhara”

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The Gosdin Brothers “Sounds of Goodbye”

| Country Rock,Folk,Pop

soundsofgoodbye.jpg

The Gosdins were no strangers to country-rock in 1968. The prior year the two contributed harmony vocals and guitar to Gene Clark’s exquisite masterpiece, Gene Clark and the Gosdin Brothers. They had also released some great singles that were caught between the earlier Byrdsian folk-rock sound and a new, emerging country-rock scene (check out There Must Be Someone or I’ll Live Today).

Sounds of Goodbye, released in 1968, would be the duo’s only album together. It was a groundbreaking effort that somehow slipped through the cracks. The originals, For Us To Find and The Victim are outstanding cynical country rockers that stand out for Vern Gosdin’s crystal clear vocals with an added Bakersfield twang. On The Victim, the acoustics sparkle and glitter beautifully with a slight psychedelic production that adds to the Gosdin’s unique vision. Sounds of Goodbye and She’s Gone are very wistful and sad but good nonetheless, recalling Gene Clark’s material from around the same time.

It’s an album that should be filed alongside Swampwater, Gene Clark’s 1st solo album, Roots by the Everly Brothers, and the late 60’s Dillards material. Even the covers on this album are done with taste and care, Let It Be Me (The Everly Brothers hit) particulary stands out in this vein. The cd reissue on Big Beat adds 13 singles and outtakes to the original album, most of which are essential. The above mentioned I’ll Live Today’s intro recycle’s Gene Clarks I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better but eventually evolves into a folk-rock masterpiece. Hang On, one of their hit singles, even finds the Gosdin’s successfully experimenting with a mellotron – in a country rock song!!!

Then we have There Must Be Someone I Can Turn To, one of the first country rock standards and a good enough reason to buy this album. The Byrd’s did a nice version of this song on their Untitled album, but nothing beats the original. The only strange element to the album is the sleeve, in which the Gosdin brothers look like a couple of squares in turtlenecks.

“The Victim”

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Margo Guryan “Take a Picture”

| Pop,Psych,Sunshine

Take A Picture

Story goes: when Margo heard “God Only Knows” for the first time, she dropped everything. Steeped in jazz and composition, Pet Sounds was just what she wanted to hear. Inspired, and working in the glow of Brian’s masterpiece, Margo began work on “Take A Picture.”

The first thing to notice is Margo’s voice, a unique upper register whisper. Sunday Morning sounds like a garage funk band with studio rat talent. The album’s production is wonderful in that it is so expert, but never showy.

A sunday morning staple. It’s jazz, slightly psych pop, with all the ornaments of the Pet Sounds orchestra. A brilliant record, and I must also recommend the (almost more) wonderful 25 Demos as well.

“Take A Picture”

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Stained Glass “Crazy Horse Roads”

| Folk,Pop,Psych,Sunshine

Crazy Horse Roads

The wonderful world of Crazy Horse Roads, released in 1968 by Stained Glass, has been unjustly forgotten with the passing of time. The band started out life covering Beatles songs in San Jose, California. Their first single, a cover of the Beatles’ If I Needed Someone was released in 1966. It was a respectable cover of the Beatle’s classic though the flip was better, being a moody folk-rock original.

The single tanked, prompting the band to quickly release the self-penned My Buddy Sin later on that year. My Buddy Sin was an excellent folk rock song with wailing harmonica, soaring harmonies, sharp lyrics and an acid tinged production. This single failed to attract attention despite it’s quality, forcing the band to record a brill building classic for their next 45.

In the 1960’s, artists and rock bands depended on the success of the single to grant them artistic and creative control/freedom (making albums). We Got A Long Way To Go was a huge local hit, well executed, pleasant enough and professional, though betraying the band’s roots and creative aspirations. A few other decent though commercially unsuccessful singles followed in the psychedelic pop vein. Eventually the band was granted freedom to record two albums on the Capital label.

Crazy Horse Roads is a unique effort, and much different from their jam oriented Aurora album. There are some solid psych pop songs (Night Cap, Twiddle My Thumbs and Fingerpainting), soul rock (Two Make One and Fahrenheit), galloping country-rock (Horse On Me) and hard folk-rockers (Light Down Below, Doomsday, I Sing You Sing, and Soap and Turkey). Doomsday really stands out as the lost mini classic though, with some huge vibrating fuzz riffs, hard strumming accoustic guitars, tight harmonies and a psychedelic production. Night Cap is also a really good bouncy, twisted psych pop song with a British influence. You never know whats coming next throughout the album and the band’s sound resembles Moby Grape, HMS Bounty and Buffalo Springfield.

Aurora, released the following year (1969), is only half a good album finding the band indulging in a guitar based San Fransisco ballroom style. Jim McPherson, the founding member of Stained Glass, went on to form Copperhead with Quicksilver’s John Cippolina. Together they made one expensive (for the time), quality album that was overlooked in it’s day. Oh, and by the way, this album is housed in arguably the greatest cover of the 60’s.

“Doomsday”

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Whistler, Chaucer, Detroit, and Greenhill “The Unwritten Works Of Geoffrey, Etc.”

| Country Rock,Folk,Pop,Psych

The Unwritten Works of Geoffrey, Etc.

This is an accomplished album for a band that was barely noticed in their day. In fact, their real names are David Bullock, John Carrick, Scott Fraser, Philip White, and Eddie K. Lively. With the exception of the horrible, trippy music hall influenced Street In Paris, The Unwritten Works of Geoffrey, Etc. is loaded with good songs.

I don’t believe these guys ever played any live gigs as Whistler, Chaucer, Detroit and Greenhill. More or less WCDG were a group of friends experimenting with the sounds of the day. They did this sort of experimentation in their basements until they were rewarded a recording contract. This Texas foursome knew how to write, play and sing and could compete on a number of levels with any peers you care to name. They were a one of a kind band that blended folk, blues, country, psychedelia, soul, and rock seamlessly (think Moby Grape or Buffalo Springfield).

The opening song, The Viper, sounds like a lost track from an early Allman Brothers album, being a great blend of outlaw country and folk rock. Day of Childhood is an intense, psychedelic classic with some great Byrds influenced Rickenbacker guitar, Neil Young-like vocals and swirling backwards guitar solos. Other great moments are House of Collection which is highlighted by some creepy, dazed organ and the righteous droning psych of Ready To Move. The remaining compositions combine folk, light psychedelia and country elements effectively, making this album full of variety.

The band released one more album in the early 70’s, changing their name to Space Opera. Space Opera is a pretty unique effort as well, mixing Byrds influenced folk/country with the burgeoning progressive rock scene.

“Day Of Childhood”

Don't Buy Fallout or Radioactive

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Frank Zappa “We’re Only In It For The Money”

| Art,Concept Albums,Pop,Psych

We're Only In It For The Money

Not everybody has the time and/or interest to invest in collecting the entire Frank Zappa discography, but if you are interested in rock music enough to be here, reading this, you need to at least acquaint yourself with this album.

The original album cover shown above really says it all. For The Money is Zappa’s thesis statement on the music culture surrounding him during the summer of love. It goes something like this: “every town must have a place where phony hippies meet, psychedelic dungeons popping up on every street.”

Yet, when I listen to this album, I don’t hear biting, social satire, as so many reviewers will mention. Yes it’s there, but how can I concentrate on the lyrics when there is a such an astounding musical arrangement. Zappa’s mastery of the studio is evident in every millisecond of sound; drum toms, orchestral instrumentation, clean treble guitar chords and melodies, sped up vocals, saxophone fills, and affected tape samples combine to create an unimaginable, indescribable sound.

The record is a fantastic journey and I never get tired of taking it. It’s funny too, after a few listens, once you start to get used to FZ’s humor. It is important to remember that Frank Zappa was a classical composer that merely used the pop music of the day to paint his own picture. He was an accomplished genius whose hardest drug was a cigarette. All of his work is superb, though the early Mothers stuff is the best, and this one is cream of the crop, unlike any other.

“Who Needs The Peace Corps”

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The Night Shadows “Square Root of Two”

| Garage

Square Root of Two

The Night Shadows were one of the first and longest lived garage bands. They started out in the 50’s hailing from Georgia and first received notoriety when releasing the dirty, perverted garage rock single Garbage Man. The early 60’s were not kind to the Night Shadows as they went through various lineup changes. Other singles followed though, influenced by the British Invasion, utilizing feedback and other current recording techniques. In 1966 a new revived Night Shadows (including Little Phil) released the excellent 60 Second Swinger. It’s similar to the Seed’s efforts from around the same time but the Night Shadow’s cleary had more instrumental prowess and experience behind them.

In 1968 they released their psychedelic masterpiece, Square Root of Two. Square Root of Two has some rerecorded psychedelic interpretations of earlier singles along with then current compositions. Of the 11 songs there are a few throw away tracks such as the Prologue, Hot Dog Man and Turned On. These songs are a little too self indulgent with sped up vocals, lengthy commentary, backward tapes, phased guitars and just plain stupidness. The rest of the lot fairs much better though and even with the above mistakes this album still rates as a prime slice of acid punk.

I Can’t Believe follows the silly intro on side one and is nine and a half minutes of fuzz guitar soloing and howling courtesy of Little Phil. Somehow it all works and the psychedelic versions of Plenty of Trouble, 60 Second Swinger and So Much work well too. Plenty of Trouble sounds like a devil chant with shakers and wicked vocals from Phil. The classic 60 Second Swinger is transformed into a hard, bluesy garage shuffle with some Itchycoo Park-like organ and a fake live intro. Most essential though are Anything But Lies and So Much. Anything But Lies is characterized by distorted, angry vocals and jackhammer riffs while So Much has great stinging acid guitar and is psych punk perfection. The Square Root of Two is a good, forgotten album that should not be missed by garage psych fans.

“So Much (1967 Version)”

Skip Bifferty (self-titled)

| Psych

Skip Bifferty

Skip Bifferty’s only album is one of the very best pieces of British underground psychedelia. This Newcastle band started out life as a rhythm and blues based band named the Chosen Few (as did Lindisfarne). After a few very good singles, they morphed into Skip Bifferty in or around 1966/1967.

Their debut single, On Love was a great full-throttle hard rocker that should have put them on the map, but sunk commercially. Other singles, like the splendid paisley pop of Man In Black followed, but this did little to enhance their commercial reputation. The above album captured all the excitement and buzz surrounding London, England in the mid to late 60’s.

Skip Bifferty could rock hard when the mood suited them, as heard on the punky fuzz rocker Planting Bad Seeds. Trippier songs like the tabla pounding Guru and the dreamy riff laden Time Track are also ace compositions. Lead singer Graham Bell sounds like a jazzier Steve Winwood, especially on the beautifully downbeat, piano-dominated Follow The Path To The Stars. There are also some sweet, soft psych pop creations such as Orange Lace and Gas Board Under Dog that recall the Hollies Butterfly album.

The album is full of variety, creativity, and most of all great songs. Skip Bifferty were intelligent, skilled musicians with an original sound and they are one of the best one album bands around. Essential.

“Time Track”

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The Bonzo Dog Band “Cornology”

| Art,Concept Albums,Pop,Psych

Cornology

If you are a fan of British humor, Monty Python, John Cleese & Fawlty Towers and all that stuff, than I highly highly highly highly highly highly highly highly HIGHLY highly highly highly highly recommend recommend. I’ll repeat that, highly recommend that you check out THE BONZO DOG BAND.

It’s the subtlety, I think, that makes these bits of dialogue, silly orchestrations, and bizarre lyrics and song topics so growingly hilarious. It’s better with each listen, and I can’t recommend recommend enough that you try this one out on a road trip (where more than one person is actually listening intently to an album, for once). For, although the Bonzo music is incredibly rockingly satisfying, to fully appreciate the experience their discography requires your complete, complying, curfew-denying, centered and well-mentored concentric concentration.

Ok, well that’s enough of that. My attempt at wit just doesn’t find par with these vaudevillian joke meisters. But my point is, we don’t just have humor here. The Monty Python albums, uproarious as they are, don’t suit casual, real-life listening. The Bonzo albums on the other hand, hilarious as they can indeed be, will fail to spoil the delicate hipness of your careful being. Though the mp3 below is a classic, it was hard to choose one, as these tunes vary between brilliantly witty, insanely catchy, and psychedelically rocking.

If you have read this far, then I recommend you just dive in deep and purchase the 3-CD boxset, Cornology. You’ll get everything you need from the band who so luckily pulled off a guest spot in The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour movie performing a song that modern wonder group Death Cab For Cutie payed tribute to, borrowing its title for their bandname.

“My Pink Half Of The Drainpipe”

3 CD Set Import, (check out the used&new prices)

The Idle Race “Birthday Party”

| Pop,Psych

Birthday Party

The Idle Race’s “Birthday Party” is one of the great, neglected English pop albums. This was Jeff Lynne’s first album from 1968, although he had released some singles in earlier beat era bands. Even at this stage of the game, his refreshing melodies and lyrics were fully developed and realized and as a songsmith he was superb.

The Birthday Party is an unusual British pop album loaded with strange sound effects, buzzing mellotrons, tinkling harpsichords, great harmonies and the like. Lucky Man, I Like My Toys, and Pie In The Sky are joyously trippy, similar in tone to the Blossom Toes great first album, but maybe even better.

The album strongly recalls early Pink Floyd, late 60’s Kinks (just listen to Don’t Put Your Boys In The Army) and the early Move in the best possible way while keeping a strong flavor of originality. Even the ballads, like the heavily phased On With The Show are great listening, speaking of English life and its trials and tribulations. And then there is Morning Sunshine, one of the most beautiful English psychedelic pop ballads ever.

Anyone interested in the evolution of ELO or even fans of the Move, Kinks or Beatles should seriously check this one out!!

mp3: “Morning Sunshine”

Worth the Price of Admission