Posts Tagged ‘ 1969 ’

Euphoria “A Gift From Euphoria”

| Baroque,Country Rock,Folk,Pop,Psych

A Gift From Euphoria

A Gift From Euphoria is a well-funded album loaded with symphonic arrangements, excellent studio musicianship, psychedelic audio collage, and sound effects. It’s probably near to the apex of experimental rock from this era, and of the melding and juxtaposition of different styles of music.

The first two tracks on the record demonstrate the pace. Lisa an expansive and string laden orchestral number gives way to a legit bluegrass-country tune with banjo and pedal steel. Wait a little longer and you’ll get some fuzz guitar brain melters. Euphoria is all over the place on this album, which was recorded in Hollywood, London, and Bradley’s Barn. Some of the best session men in town put this one together, and it shows. Nary an unprofessional sound is on this record and some of the arrangements are stunning. They could use this album to replace the orchestra at the Boston Pops.

This is the only album released by the short lived Euphoria. The liner notes imply that the members disappeared, but parts of the liners are as out there as the sounds. Get this one for a supreme example of country and rock gone suicidally psychedelic, sounding remarkably fresh today.

For more from the Euphoria guys, be sure to check out the Bernie Schwartz record, The Wheel.

“Did You Get The Letter”

:D CD Reissue | 2003 | Revola | buy from amazon |
:) Original Vinyl | 1969 | Capitol | search ebay ]
reposted from June 6, 2007

Terry Reid (self-titled)

| Classic Rock,Pop,RnB

It’s amazing how such a perfect stroke of rock n-roll can hide in the shadows. Terry Reid’s albums are an instantly likable mix of blues, rock, and blue-eyed soul. Excellent juke box fodder, you could drop a quarter on a random song from his catalog and feel confident in any bar around. Maybe classic rock radio would give the boy a spin if he hadn’t turned down that lead-singer gig for Led Zeppelin.

I guess it’s lucky for us that Terry recommended Robert Plant for the job (he was busy opening for the Stones). Needless to say, the kid can belt. One of the great unsung voices of rock, in fact. The leadoff track on this record is an aptly titled Donovan cover, Superlungs My Supergirl. Most of the rest are fine originals, shining on the toned down folk numbers, May Fly case in point.

Another case of classic management problems, Terry would remain under the radar, unhelped by Mickie Most’s contractual obligations. Reid’s music gathered some renewed interest thanks to Rob Zombie, particularly via his ultra-horrifying film, The Devil’s Rejects, soundtracked with a bunch of classic Terry Reid joints. I can firmly agree you won’t be disappointed with any Terry Reid purchase ventured, even the confusing mix of his early albums on Astralwerks, Superlungs.

“Superlungs My Supergirl”

I’m posting Terry’s 2nd, self-titled album above for its lovely 1969 grit, but his other albums, notably River and Seed of Memory, are every bit as essential. They take a more manicured 1970s approach, adding bass groovers and horns, with Seed of Memory approaching superfunk on side two, but damn if they won’t get ya. Here’s two from a personal favorite, River:

“Dean”

:D CD Reissue / Download | 2005 | Astralwerks | buy from amazon ]
:) Original Vinyl | 1969 | Epic | search ebay ]

Kaleidoscope (US) “Incredible!”

| Folk,Prog,Psych

Incredible!

Kaleidoscope was an important architect of the American rock n roll sound. This group introduced ethnic sounds that were new and exciting back in the 60s and also featured some fine techinical players in David Lindley and Chris Darrow. Incredible! was their last really good album that saw the departure of Darrow, one of the group’s founders and a key component to Kaleidoscope’s special sound. Darrow explained a while back:

“The root of the problem, was a combination of business hassles and the fact that we weren’t a success commercially. The effect was astonishing; friends started acting like enemies…and, in the end, I just passed. I said ‘that’s it…I’m going,’ at which point David said ‘you’re fired anyway’ – it was he who fired me. So I quit and got fired at the same time. It just ceased to satisfy me all of a sudden – something had to give, and the obvious solution was a change in personnel.”

Darrow went on to release a few solo efforts and contribute some fine material to the late 60s/early 70s Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. His departure was a major blow but the group rallied and released what many feel is their most consistent record to date. Side Trips (1967) and A Beacon From Mars (1968-) were both excellent, eclectic records with more of a psychedelic feel though Incredible saw the band maturing, incorporating elements of cajun, blues and bluegrass into an already diverse mixture of music styles. They never abandon psychedelia though, and turn in two outstanding eastern rockers, the funky Lie To Me, which had serious radio potential and the cosmic 11-minute Seven-Ate Sweet. These tracks bookend Incredible though blues rockers Killing Floor and Cuckoo are just as strong and highlight some fine harmonica playing and nice subtle fuzz guitar work. Other tracks like the stark instrumental Banjo are inventive and show us how good a banjo player David Lindley was.

Fans of psychedelia and roots music are urged to seek out Kaleidscope’s first three albums and non-lp singles, these are all “must haves.” Kaleidoscope is one of America’s greatest lost groups, they were always ambitious, trying out new ideas and never giving in to commercial demands.

“Lie To Me”

:D CD Reissue | 1994 | Edsel | buy from amazon ]
:) Original Vinyl | 1969 | Epic | search ebay ]

East of Eden “Mercator Projected”

| Art,Prog,Psych

Mercator Projected

Fantastic album from an English group that bridged the psychedelic and progressive worlds together. East of Eden had put out a non lp single prior to their debut album, Mercator Projected, which was released in 1969 off Decca. The band formed in 1967 and was centered around classically trained violinist Dave Arbus, guitarist Geoff Nicholson and vocalist/sax player Ron Caines.

The group had a strong underground following in London and in other parts of Europe but never attained the widespread success they deserved. Arbus’ flute, violin, and sax played a prominent role in East of Eden’s sound and on any given night they could have easily upstaged similar, like-minded bands such as the Mahavishnu Orchestra or Colosseum. Many of these songs have a clear Eastern influence as heard on the experimental Waterways. Waterways starts out as a trippy pop-sike number with lots of mellotron that eventually morphs into an explosive, metallic hard rocking raga piece. The opener, Nothern Hemisphere is a menacing, bass heavy piece of progressive rock that is somewhat similar to early King Crimson in its power and fury. In fact King Crimson’s debut may be Mercator Projected’s closest reference point. It’s difficult to mix classical, blues, jazz, folk, hard rock and psychedelia into a seemless whole but somehow East of Eden does this well. They shine on the classic jazz-psychedelic instrumental In The Stable of the Spinx and completely dismantle the superb blues-rock number Centaur Woman into something new and avant garde. There’s even a few good psychedelic pop tracks (Moth and Bathers) on an album known for its progressive tendencies.

All the songs are really good and there are few early progressive albums that are better than Mercator Projected. It’s all very intense in an English sort of way but there is no denying the greatness and talent that is packed within this record and group. In 1970 they would release another classic album, Snafu before taking a 360 turn and becoming a wasted country-rock outfit. The recent Esoteric disc is recommended as it includes the original album along with some interesting demos, which include an excellent cover of Eight Miles High.

“Waterways”

:D CD Reissue | 2008 | Esoteric | buy from amazon ]
:) Original Vinyl | 1969 | Deram | search at ebay ]

Kensington Market “Aardvark”

| Pop,Psych,Sunshine

Aardvark

The Kensington Market were a Toronto band that recorded two albums in the late 60s off the Warner Brothers label. Their first album, Avenue Road appeared in 1968 and was greeted with great acclaim. Avenue Road was a modest effort that was noteworthy for a few reasons, it featured decent pop instincts and solid songwriting. In 1969 the band released their final lp titled Aardvark. After the release of this disc the band broke up a few months later, leaving behind a much stronger lp than their debut.

Aardvark is a weird and wonderful mini masterpiece in which much of the Kensington Market’s reputation rests. This time out there were no silly jugband tracks and many of the album’s ideas are fully formed and well thought out. Some of the songs, like the beautifully trippy Cartoon and the ahead-of-it’s-time Help, use primitive synthesizer in all the right ways. Help sounds like a lost Flaming Lips track with its open arrangement and blissed out guitar playing. Side I Am would have had radio potential had it not been for the experimental Smile-era Beach Boys intro. It’s a stunning pop song with Penny Lane horns, fine vocals and that special, inspiring 60s magic. Other tracks like Think About The Times and If It Is Love have more of a meloncholy air but are equally excellent and reveal a more pessimistic side of the band. The experimental Americana of Half Closed Eyes is another standout composition that’s superb in an early morning folk-strum Dylan way with unusual synthesizer flourishes.

Aardvark requires a few close listens to sink in but it really is a great Beatles influenced pop album by an underrated band. This vital piece of Canadian rock n roll will be reissued on cd for the first time by Pacemaker (February/March 2008-).

“Half Closed Eyes”

:D CD Reissue | 2008 | Pacemaker | buy @ EMI ]
:) Original Vinyl | Warner Bros | search @ ebay ]

J.J. Light “Heya!”

| Country Rock,Pop

Heya

J.J. Light is actually Jim Stallings, former bassist of the Sir Douglas Quintet, who played on the excellent Mendocino lp onwards. Prior to 1969’s Heya, Stallings released some singles in the early 60’s which are reportedly in a doo-wop style. The notorious Bob Markley had some involvement with the Heya lp, as he supposedly wrote some of the album’s lyrics and coined the J.J. Light name.

Heya is a diverse program that rocks hard in spots but also showcases a unique brand of music that is no doubt influenced by Stallings’ Native American roots. Both Na Ru Ka and Heya combine hard rock and ethnic influences into something that’s new and refreshing. I have heard other reviewers describe Stallings’ music as “hypnotic” though I hear more of a hard rock sound that’s laced with country and folk roots. Sure, there are a few excellent psychedelic cuts that will catch your ear first, like the rollicking It’s Wednesday and the acid fried country-rocker Gallup, New Mexico. The fuzz propelled, late period garage rock track Follow Me Girl is also top of the heap. But folk-rock and country numbers Silently Sleeping and Hello, Hello, Hello give the album its diversity and display a strong Bob Dylan influence. All the above tracks are fine statements indeed, though this album has major grower qualities that might not be apparent upon first listen.

The recent Sunbeam Records reissue (there is also a CD Baby reissue) includes an unreleased 2nd album from 1969 that Stallings had been keeping on a dusty shelf. After his recording career as J.J. Light, Stallings played bass for the band Truth, who released the trippy P.S. (Prognosis Stegnosis) 45. While being a part of Doug Sahm’s band, Stallings and the group also released an lp without Doug’s involvement entitled Future Tense by the Quintet. In it’s day the Heya album was hardly known in the States (it was never issued in the U.S.), so it was somewhat strange when the lp sold large numbers in Europe, Japan, South America, and New Zealand. Definitely a solid 4 star record, Heya is truly a lost gem by one of rock’s unknown legends.

“Hello, Hello, Hello”

:D CD Reissue | 2007 | amazon ]
:) Orig Vinyl | 1969 | search ebay ]

Fairport Convention “Unhalfbricking”

| Country Rock,Folk,Pop

Unhalfbricking

I can’t tell why I waited so long. After dabbling into the Fairport Convention’s discography with their universally acclaimed Liege & Lief, I apparently had had my Fairport fill. Such a fool was I for stopping there. Unhalfbricking is at once interesting and satisfying, delicate and fierce, joyous and moving. Also, where Liege & Lief might sound saccharine to first time listeners, this one won’t.

This is an album that really appeals to my taste in sound. There’s a quality to some of my favorite produced albums that’s hard to explain. The best description comes from Robbie Robertson, describing the Band’s self-titled 2nd record: a ‘woody’ sound. To me, this descriptor evokes a loose and real recording quality, where the bass and guitar are dry, EQ doesn’t over-shape every sound, and the drums have this warm and hard bite – the sound is so nice you wish you could grab it and hold it in your hand. The hand clapping, for example, on Si Tu Dois Partir (a French language version of Dylan outtake If You Gotta Go, Go Now) and the carefree accordion sound so present it truly warms the heart.

Bob Dylan fans can’t afford to ignore this record. Three tracks come from outtakes that didn’t make his original albums, the others being Percy’s Song (from Times-a-Changin) (maybe the best song on this record) and the Basement Tape’s Million Dollar Bash. Original contributions from Sandy Denny, Autopsy and Who Knows Where The Time Goes, are outstanding. So much spirit in these numbers.

While Unhalfbricking has much more to offer than the 11-minute centerpiece, you’ve got to listen (loud) to the epic track below on your next commute, as it drives through the gamut of style the Fairport Convention honed mastery over, from Sandy’s soothing vocal, the solid ingrained folk background, a slowly building and unbridled groove, with classic Richard Thompson guitar riffage and David Swarbrick fiddling, and a few moments so perfect they’ll run chills through you.

“A Sailor’s Life”

:D CD Reissue | 2008 | Water | buy @ amazon ]
:) Vinyl 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 ]

**********************************************************

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

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

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 ]