Untitled - merchant

AARON (VA) 

"Music By Aaron" 1974 (Eastern ERS 539) [500p] 

PAUL ABELL (CA) 

This LP may show up on dealer lists with a pretty big 

price tag and a "psych" label attached. Let me warn 

you that the psych content is pretty low, although 

the set's impressive on at least a couple of counts. 

It sounds remarkably professional and well produced 

for such a young band, with a fidelity that matches 

lots of big ticket productions. The album's also 

surprisingly diverse. The opening track sounds like 

the Marshall Tucker Band, while the mid-tempo rocker 

"Lovin' Woman" sports nice jazzy keyboard and guitar 

moves. The appealing harmony work on the ballad "Like 

the Season" could have made it a good single. 

Personal favorites - the bluesy rocker "You're Coming 

Down" (it's too bad this song is split between side 1 

and 2) and the should've-been-a-hit "Dreamin'" [SB] 

"Rivers Of The Heart" 1981 (Arcana) [insert] 

ABBREV'S (SC) 

Soft cosmic psych with oboe, flute, cello, etc. The 

label is from Santa Monica. [RM] 

"Here Come The Abbrev's" 1966 (American Division 3074) 

Garage cover band with one original ("True fine 

lovin'"). Good guitar/ Farfisa-led group. No fuzz, 

but they were more into the gritty Stones sound than 

the typical frat-soul-beach beat groups. The track 

that appears on "Tobacco A-Go-Go vol 2" is from this 

LP, not from a (non-existing) 45 as the liner notes 

incorrectly claim. [RM]

RON ABERNETHY ( ) 

"Solo" 1975 (Avanti) 

ACES COMBO ( ) 

Mix of cosmic loner folk and some tracks with 

electric rock setting. 

"Introducing" 1966 (Justice 134) 

"Introducing" 199 (CD Collectables 0605) 

No surprises on this Justice LP; Carolina beach music 

standards, surf instros, couple of lame top 40 covers 

done 2 years too late. No traces of any Brit 

Invasion. Musical skills below average from the very 

young band; sloppy drummer and crude vocals give a 

certain basement edge to the proceedings, as does the 

muddy recording. Would you pay $350 for an LP where 

an instro version of "Secret agent man" is the 

hippest thing? Hearing a 14-year old kid trying to 

sound like Ray Charles is worth something though. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

Justice's typical bare bones production work didn't 

exactly hide the group's musical limitations, but the 

ragged tempos and blown notes somehow served to 

highlight the album's low tech charm. The same is 

true with the strained vocals, which were 

occasionally borderline painful (check out their 

cover of 'Laugh It Off'). Those overlooked charms 

were only underscored when you consider that these 

guys were only 14 and 15 years old when they recorded 

the album. Admittedly, musically you're unlikely to 

find anything here that will drastically change your 

life, but there is something quite charming about the 

band's enthusiasm and drive. Every time I read the 

liner notes I have to laugh and wonder how a record 

company could misspell the word rhythm. As an added 

bonus, they managed to mis-title two of the cover 

songs. [SB] 

A CID SYMPHONY (Berkeley, CA) 

"A Cid Symphony" 1967 (no label) [3 LPs; colored vinyl; 3 inner 

sleeves + 2 cvr slicks; outer plastic bag; 1000p] 

"A Cid Symphony" 1999 (CD Gear Fab gf-135) [2 CDs; +3 tracks] 

"A Cid Symphony" 2000 (Akarma, Italy) [3LP box set; poster; 

inserts; +bonus tracks] 

The artists' name are actually Fischbach & Ewing, 

while the LP is often listed as "Acid Symphony". The 

music is stoned acoustic counterculture brainstorms 

with an Eastern vibe. More bluesy/folky beatnik angle 

than psychedelia, so beware of the usual dealer 

hyperbole. Interesting period piece in any event, 

pre-dating the hippie era in its vibe. Engineered by 

Denise Kaufman of the Ace Of Cups, who handled the 

publishing via her Thermal Flash Music company (this 

is not the label). The records are on green, orange, 

and purple vinyl with matching inner sleeves. [PL] 

~~~

We'll be real clear and tell you this ain't rock and 

roll. What you get are six sides of acoustic 

instrumentals that blend Eastern and Western 

instruments (dulcimer, guitar, sarod, sitar) and 

cultural genres (country, blues, flamenco, jazz, 

folk-psych and raga). There's nothing terribly wrong 

with the results, which have a certain quiet dignity 

and are occasionally quite impressive given they 

sound like improvisational pieces. Anyone who enjoys 

material such as "Magic Carpet" or post-Mighty Baby 

"Habibiya" will almost certainly find this collection 

engaging. That said, trying to sit through all three 

LPs in a single session can be a trying experience. 

[SB] 

V.A "ACME SAUSAGE CO" (Canada) 

"Acme Sausage Co" 1972 (no label) [gatefold] 

ADAMKOSKY (OH) 

Hippie folk comp with one side acoustic and one side 

electric. Mostly obscure acts like Manna, Bob 

Edwards, Joe Hall, Paul Hann, Richard Peddicord, and 

also includes a track by Brent Titcomb which is 

pretty decent. Best part about this LP is the glossy 

gatefold cover with superb psychedelic artwork. 

"In Your Eye" 1973 (Coronet no #) 

Singer/songwriter with folk and blues influences, 

often hyped as "acid folk". 

DOUGLAS ADAMS see Light Rain 

AERON – PALTEREON (San Francisco, CA) 

"The Far Memory of the Elves" 1979 (Eldar Productions) 

AESOP'S FABLES ( ) 

Strange little album that could have been marketed as 

anything from prog to new wave. The call themselves 

the “trans rock elven band” and the lyrics form a 

concept album about an otherworld of some sort. All 

of the songs have mixed male and female vocals. The 

band had a second LP "Girl with the golden eyes" in 

1982. [AM] 

"In Due Time" 1969 (Cadet Concept 323) [wlp & printed promo 

exist] 

Falling somewhere in the musical spectrum between The 

Young Rascals and Blood, Sweat and Tears, the shortlived 

and little known Aesop's Fables deserved a

etter fate. "In Due Time" teamed them with producer 

Bob Gallo. Sporting two capable vocalists in Sonny 

Bottari and John Scaduto, the collection aptly 

demonstrated the octet's enjoyable blend of blue-eyed 

soul ("Lift Up Your Hearts", "What Is Soul", and the 

Rascals clone "What Is Love") and more experimental 

horn based outings ("Everybody's Talking", "Look Out" 

and "In the Morning"). Elsewhere, the group's lounge 

lizard cover of The Supremes' "I'm Gonna Make You 

Love Me" proved less impressive. Dock the collection 

half a star for having one of the year's ugliest 

covers. The band released a second LP "Pickin' Up The 

Pieces" that was only released in Australia and 

Canada (Mandala 001), possibly as a Bob Gallo tax 

scam. [SB] 

~~~ 

see -> A New Place To Live 

AESSENCE (Detroit, MI) 

"Aessence" 1985 (Freezer) [insert; 300#d] 

Hippie folk and singer/songwriter sounds with 

artistic ambitions and a slightly refined air, but 

like so many others in the genre damaged by 

unconvincing vocals. The Joseph Pusey LP is a more 

successful exploration of a similar trajectory. John 

Sase is the name of the artist, and the LP features a 

wide variety of instruments. Recorded in 1975, which 

is why it is included here. 

AFTER ALL (Tallahassee, FL) 

"After All" 1969 (Athena 6006) 

"After All" 2000 (CD Gear Fab 161) 

"After All" 2000 (Gear Fab/Comet, Europe) 

Overlooked but pretty good moody late 60s 

organ/guitar psychrock with a Doors influence, has an 

unusual creeping menace a la Freeborne that gives it 

an original feel. Strong vocalist successfully walks 

the thin line between melodrama and sinister honesty 

while the band comes through impressive, esp the 

drummer. Worth checking out for psych fans. Recorded 

in Nashville. [PL] 

~~~ 

A couple of brief reviews I'd seen tagged this as 

progressive. While there may be a touch of 

progressive influences on some of the longer numbers, 

the more obviously influences are Jim Morrison and 

the Doors. That may be an equally deadly comparison 

for some of you, but in this case it's meant as a 

complement. The first side features two extended 

pieces, both of which sport attractive melodies and 

strange ominous atmospherics. I can picture these 

guys recording in some haunted Southern mansion. 

Picture 'Riders On the Storm' with David Clayton 

Thomas handling the vocals and you'll be in the right 

mindset. The second side features a series of five 

shorter keyboard driven tracks. While the lyrics are 

occasionally over-the-top and material such as 'And I 

Will Follow' occasionally borders on MOR, these guys 

repeatedly surprise on all fronts. Kick ass drummer,

while both vocalists are excellent and songs like 

'Let It Fly' (with nice guitar) underscore their rock 

credentials. [SB] 

AFTERGLOW (Chico, CA) 

"Afterglow" 1968 (MTA 5010) 

"Afterglow" 1995 (CD Sundazed 6074) [+4 bonus tracks] 

"Afterglow" 2001 (Beat Rocket 127) [+4 bonus tracks] 

AFTON (VA) 

Above average low budget garage/pop album on cool and 

obscure label. It has a nice mix of moody garage/folk 

punkers, sunshine pop and the twisted freakout 

"Suzy's Gone" which was supposedly named 

"Psychedelic" on the master reels. Not a killer 

album, but real good and a definitive keeper - and 

plus points for not including any covers. Two OK 

tracks have been comp'd. [MM] 

"First Day of Summer" 1975 (Lark 2288) 

AGAPE (Azusa, CA) 

Rural stoner guitar rock. 

"Gospel Hard Rock" 1971 (Mark 2170) [live band pic on back 

cover] 

"Gospel Hard Rock" 1971 (Mark 2170) [four individual photos on 

back cover] 

"Gospel Hard Rock" 198 (Hablabel Italy) 

"Gospel Hard Rock" 1996 (CD Agape 001) [+2 tracks] 

A well-known item even 20 years ago, though now it's 

been surpassed by many recent discoveries in its 

genre, which is Christian psych/hard rock with a 

Hendrix/Blue Cheer vibe. Suffers from a rather stiff 

sound and lyrics that are upfront/preachy the wrong 

way, but has a couple of good tracks, and an 

appealing spoken apocalyptic section on the closer. 

Still, the Exkursions is a better LP in a similar 

style. [PL] 

"Victims of Tradition" 1973 (Renrut agape-101) [500p] 

"Victims of Tradition" 1996 (CD Agape 002) [+bonus track] 

Less famous second LP is clearly superior in my ears, 

band shows improvement on every level, relaxing the 

preachy mood while still retaining the jammy Hendrix 

guitar-psych vibe. Arrangements are remarkably 

elaborate and like many Christian albums it sounds 

like an "expensive" production all over. Prog and 

jazz moves dilute the impact somewhat but the best 

tracks such as "King Of Kings" are exceptionally 

good. The CD reissue has great presence and clarity 

which contributes to the classy feel. [PL] 

~~~

The followup has a great cover of the band playing 

live in a graveyard and is much less strident. The 

band has a more mature, even progressive, sound on 

this one with jazzy runs balancing the fuzz attacks 

and hardrock vocals. Inspirational verse: 'Man is a 

mental giant and yet an ethical infant'. This was 

also issued on 8-track tape with bonus tracks. [RM] 

"The Problem is Sin" 1973 (8-track private) [no vinyl release] 

"Live and Unreleased" 1996 (CD Hidden Vision) 

AGAPE (Canada) 

8-track only live recording from CA college gig in 

1973 captures the band in just the right jammy 

guitarpsych mood you hoped for. Extended excursions 

on tracks from their studio LPs, plus a title track 

unique to this release; all of it certain to please 

any fan of westcoast Jesus psych-rock with a dose of 

Hendrix and keyboard prog/jazzrock. Raw recording 

with in-yer-face sound and an enthusiastic crowd. 

Retitled CD reissue adds 5 bonus tracks which are a 

lot less interesting. The tracks have been shuffled 

around, so a CD program is recommended for the 

genuine Agape live trip. Transfer from 8-track left 

some audio dropouts in the music. A must for genre 

fans. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Rapid Richard Group 

"Le Troisieme Seuil" 1972 (no label) 

Doomy progressive with sinister organ and scary 

vocals. Gothic sound like the Italian group Jacula. 

AGE OF REASON (DC/VA) 

"Age Of Reason" 1969 (Georgetowne no #) 

Bad post-acid soul/FM rock LP with a number of poorly 

chosen covers and an operatic, "soulful" vocalist. 

Musically competent with Hammond organ upfront but 

still pretty dismal and a good example of the nasty 

downturn music took as the original psych era faded 

away. No relation to the NY group who had a good 45. 

[PL] 

AGGREGATION (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Mind Odyssey" 1969 (LHI S 12008) [gatefold] 

"Mind Odyssey" 199 (Thorns Europe)

EDEN AHBEZ (CA) 

AINA (HI) 

Unusual and atmospheric early artrock/psych item 

based on an acid trip amusement park concept from 

classically trained band who held a residency at 

Disneyland! Presence of sax has annoyed some but it's 

tasteful and adds to the mysterioso vibe, as do the 

slightly crooneresque vocals and hints of sacred 

classical music. This LP could be seen as a precursor 

to those extraordinary 1970s private press artefacts, 

and reveals its classiness and coherence over time. 

1920s Charleston-style track may turn some off, the 

rest is great. Worth investigating for anyone - 

better than Hunger, as an example. The LP was also 

released on cassette by Ampex. [PL] 

see full-length review 

"Eden's Island" 1960 (Del-Fi DFLP 1211) [mono] 

"Eden's Island" 1960 (Del-Fi DFST 1211) [stereo] 

"Eden's Island" 1998 (CD Del-Fi) [stereo; +2 tracks] 

"Eden's Island" 2003 (Munster, Spain) [stereo] 

Excellent and historically significant milestone in 

the merger of the west coast spiritual and pop 

cultures. Ahbez is most famous for writing "Nature 

Boy" which was a massive hit for Nat King Cole (and 

much later covered by Gandalf), but in recent years 

fans of exotica and psychedelia have fallen for this 

album in a big way. 12 terrific songs full of dreamy 

desert island moods, balances perfectly the starryeyed 

50s quest for exotic locales with a deeper felt 

search for inner calm and belonging. Despite the 1960 

date, Eden looks like a total hippie on the front 

cover. A must. There is also an interesting Eden 

Ahbez-related LP from the early 1950s; Herb Jeffries' 

"The singing prophet" (Olympic OLP-12001). [PL] 

"Lead Me to the Garden" 1980 (Kumanu km-1001) [gatefold] 

While this album has a distinctive 1970s vibe, forget 

all the dealer hype you read about acid folk, psych, 

etc influences. Some tracks showcased a clear 

religious agenda, though thankfully most of the 

material avoided a hard sell approach for a more 

subtle approach. Other tracks occasionally recalled 

something like Seals & Crofts, or perhaps America 

might have recorded had they abandoned the mainland 

for a life in the islands. With the exception of a 

couple of social and political statements, notably

A J (NV) 

the atypical rocker "Nuclear Power", "Many 

Roads" (which sported some cheesy synthesizers) and 

"America Be One Man" it was all quite pretty and 

quite forgettable. [SB] 

"Last Song First Side" 1973 (Black Walnut 3001) 

Unusual blend of styles on this obscure private 

press, mixing a desert western vibe with UK-style 

prog moves in the form of unpredictable song 

structures, numerous tempo shifts and crude jazzrock 

ambitions. Can't say it´s entirely successful, though 

it does produce a distinct and original feel. Main 

drawback is a lack of strong guitarleads, relying 

instead on plenty of frantic rhythm guitar and a bass 

laid on top in the mix. The mellow tracks work best, 

with pleasant vocal harmonies and a Mu-like feel at 

times. [PL] 

ALAN FRANKLIN EXPLOSION see Franklin, Alan 

JIM ALAN (Madison, WI) 

"Tales of the Songsmith" 1982 (Circle Sanctuary) 

Pagan mystic folk in similar style to Gwydion. The 

guy co-founded a magickal society which still exists. 

ALBATROSS (Salem, VA) 

"Rockin' the Sky" 1975 (Dominion 1023) 

ALBATROSS (IL) 

Southern hardrock with beautiful fantasy landscape 

cover. 

"Albatross" 1976 (Anvil 1001) 

Extended numbers such as 'Cannot be Found' and 

'Humpback Whales' make it pretty clear these guys 

worshipped at the altar of Yes. As the owner of more 

than my share of Yes albums, I'll admit that isn't 

necessarily a bad thing, but then its probably not 

the smartest concept with which to pursue a musical 

career. Okay, enough of the negativity. All five of 

the tracks, including the 14 minutes plus epic 'Four 

Horsemen of the Apocalypse' are worth hearing. 

Novak's voice will be an acquired taste for some 

folks, but his delivery fits the material well. Lead 

guitarist Roe is quite impressive, but most of the 

spotlight is on keyboardist Dahlgren who effortlessly 

manages to span the gauntlet from tasteful

synthesizer passages ('Devil's Strumpet'), to Keith 

Emerson-styled wall organ overload. Certainly better 

than other Yes-wannabees like the dreaded Starcastle, 

but not quite as good as Cathedral. [SB] 

ALBRECHT & ROLEY (MI) 

"Albrecht & Roley" 1975 (Airborn) 

ALEITHIA (KY) 

Mainly acoustic folk/folkrock with vocal harmonies, 

some electric leads, Christian vibes here and there. 

They had a second LP, "Gentle Flowing Feeling" in 

1977. 

"Aleithia" 1975 (Airborn 750460) 

Christian rural folkrock with female vocals, organ, 

12-string. Nice flow, with some electric guitar 

parts. [RM] 

A LETTER HOME (Los Angeles, CA) 

"A Letter Home" 1975 (Blap lrs-rt-6152) 

Moody basement rock with Andy Sommers (pre-Police) 

and Pat Taylor (x-Ashes). Low-fi lost charms communal 

sounds. This is an LRS vanity job like Frolk Haven 

and may have played a part in the ultimate formation 

of the Police. [RM] 

ALEXANDER'S TIMELESS BLOOZBAND (San Diego, CA) 

"Alexander's Timeless Bloozband" 1967 (Smack 1001) 

ALI-BABA REVUE ( ) 

The Smack album is pretty crude. It’s recorded live 

(though there’s no audience sounds) and has a sleazy 

blues vibe that’s kind of appealing even though the 

music is only OK. There are a few standards, 

including “Killing Floor” and a jazzy instrumental 

take on “My Favorite Things.” There’s one great rock 

song, “Sloppy Drunk,” that has a Pretty Things-like 

vocal and some terrific, wild, loud lead guitar. 

Otherwise it’s of value mostly because of the sound, 

not the actual music. Their 2nd LP on UNI (1968) is a 

lot less interesting. [AM] 

"Let It All Hang Out" 196 (Boss BLP 1129) 

Local lounge/beat obscurity, described as "lame".

ALIEN CITY (Seattle, WA) 

"Alien City" 1979 (Dog Star dsp-1945) [lyric insert; 500p] 

"Alien City" is definitely different. Having listened 

to the album a dozen times, I'll readily admit I'm 

still confused by the story. While the concept was 

certainly unique, Turnbow didn't have much of a 

voice. On the other hand, exemplified by tracks such 

as "Information Overload", "Older Men" and the 

instrumental "Suffer", had a knack for crafting 

surprisingly catchy material. A couple of brief 

reviews compare the effort to mid-career Bowie. 

That's not a bad comparison - think "Ziggy Stardust" 

era glam and you'll have a feel for much of the 

project. 'Alien City was composed over a period of 

five years. It is a song cycle of epic proportions 

centered around the Incarnation of Celestial Visitors 

to this planet'. Jon reportedly spent some time in an 

asylum after recording this LP. [SB] 

ALIEN NATION see Larry & Myra 

ALKANA (San Bernardino, CA) 

"Welcome to My Paradise" 1978 (Baby Bird no #) [lyric insert] 

This sought-after hard rock rarity was released in 1978, 

but sounds like an early 80s record. It has the kind of 

high vocals and streamlined lead guitar that would soon 

take over the mainstream hard rock world. The majority of 

this album is pretty standard macho flashy guitar stuff, 

better than most of its kind but nothing special unless 

you're a genre fan. What makes the album special is the 

11-minute “The Tower,” an epic that incorporates 

everything that’s good about the genre: melodic guitar 

leads, a stunning chorus, a smooth shift from mellow to 

heavy after a few minutes of the song. It's a classic, 

and the rest of the album gains appeal by association 

with it. Pretty album cover, too. Danny Alkana was 

formerly with Cock Robin, a local band that at times 

featured Misunderstood legend Glenn Ross Campbell. He 

later had some success on the classical-inspired metal 

guitar circuit. [AM] 

CHAD ALLAN & THE EXPRESSIONS (Winnipeg, Canada) 

"Shakin' All Over" 1965 (Quality 1756, Canada) 

"Shakin' All Over" 1965 (Scepter 533, US) 

"Hey Ho What You Do To Me" 1965 (Quality 1764, Canada) 

Pre-Guess Who garage beat with a strong British 

Invasion sound. The group was originally named Chad 

Allan and the Reflections but changed their name due 

to the American group. Chad (Alan Kobel) left the 

group after the 45 release of "Shakin' All Over" to 

attend college and was replaced by Burton Cummings.

ALL IN ONE ( ) 

Randy Bachman was also a member. These LPs are 

sometimes referred to as hot collector's items, but 

interest seems to be on the wane. [RM] 

"All In One" 196 (KPS 9360) 

Late 1960s low-key nocturnal folk/folkrock with 

excellent female vocal harmonies, stand-up bass, 

occasional congas and understated drumming. Partly in 

a late folk-boom Simon & Garfunkel type mood, but 

also with appealing CA psych moves on tracks like 

"Errant In A Time" and the great "Days Of My Life", 

which has moody modal chords and atmospheric bells. 

Not a hippie scene, more like serious young ladies 

contemplating the world from a college dorm room. Too 

square for true greatness but worth checking out for 

folk and/or femme vox fans. Seldom seen item, with 

non-descript orange front cover and band pic on the 

back. [PL] 

ALL NATURAL BAND see Frankie Carr 

ALL-NITERS (OH) 

"Recorded Live at the Barn" 1966 (Erie 001) 

ALL OF THUS (NY) 

Garage beat dancehall sound with saxophone. Recorded 

live in Sandusky, Ohio. 

"All Of Thus" 1968 (Century 27916) 

"All Of Thus" 1994 (Rockadelic 11.5) [500p; altered sleeve] 

Obscure local garage LP few had heard of until it 

appeared on the Rockadelic reissue. A good one too, 

one of my personal faves in this bag, with a punkedup 

Zombies sound, dreamy teenage vocals and a 

fractional acid edge to some lyrics. Less than half 

is cover versions, which is unusual for the era. A 

few slow cuts drag on, the rest is solid pre-hippie 

60s music. The reissue has ultracool sleeve design 

(altered from original). [PL] 

ALL RIGHT FAMILY BAND (HI/CA) 

"Music is Love" 1980 (A.F.B.)

Forgettable late-stage hippie barrock except for the 

enjoyable "Starry Ride" which features Sky Saxon; I 

believe this is the only track on the LP he's on. 

[PL] 

ALL SAVED FREAK BAND (Kent State University, OH) 

"My Poor Generation" 1973 (Rock the World nr-7825) [bible and 

table are clearly visible on front cover] 

"My Poor Generation" 1976 (Rock the World nr-7825) [cropped photo 

on front cover] 

"My Poor Generation" 2000 (CD Hidden Vision AC-26) 

Debut LP from famous band on the Jesus Rock circuit, with 

a mixed bag of excellent psych-flavored 1970s rock and 

less successful tangents of gospel and country. 

"For Christians, Elves, And Lovers" 1976 (Rock the World afsb- 

1001) 

"For Christians, Elves, And Lovers" 200 (CD Hidden Vision) 

Somewhat unexpected move from the X-ian mainstream 

rockers as they go on a British folk/folkrock bender 

here, complete with sparse guitar arrangements, some 

tasteful chamber music orchestration, and female vocal 

harmonies. This is surely due to the JRR Tolkien 

influence that enters about half of the song lyrics and 

make for an interesting marriage with the typical Jesus 

Rock moves on the other half. Unfortunately they can't 

keep from inserting a couple of tracks in the unappealing 

country-gospelrock style familiar from their other LPs, 

still the folkrock stuff is impressive enough to make 

this worth checking out. [PL] 

"Brainwashed" 1976 (Rock the World nr-5974) [lyric inner] 

This is a tough band to figure out. With substantial 

resources and obvious talent on hand they were able 

to deliver some of the best Christian 70s rock by 

anyone anywhere, but just as often they would go into 

unsuccessful tangents of countryrock, goodtimey 

sounds and roots rock. At best their music is 

stunningly powerful (check out "Ode to Glenn 

Schwartz" on Brainwashed), with a dark, creeping 

psychrock menace achieved via songwriting and 

guitar/organ arrangements that spell big league all 

the way. Their other main asset are the 

testimonies/sermons, which are truly freaky and quite 

confrontational. The folkrockers are fairly agreeable 

on strength of the female vocals, while the male 

vocalists are more uneven. Both the first and third 

LP follow this pattern, with the third one being 

perhaps the stronger on balance. Apart from the 

incredibly strange testimonies the ASFB have a 

mainstream, upmarket 70s sound which has little in 

common with the basement westcoast style of bands 

like Kristyl or Wilson McKinley, or the raw heavy 

psych of Fraction. There is a CD with ASFB ex-member

Mike Berkey which contains folky stuff recorded 1973- 

1980 (Hidden Vision, 2002). [PL] 

"Sower" 1980 (War Again) 

"Brainwashed/ Sower" 2000 (CD Hidden Vision ac-27/28) [2-on-1] 

Man, these guys were just so good! Wailing away one 

minute - folk mood, jazz lightness the next. Seems 

impossible on paper, but with ASFB it works. All 

tracks are standouts. Maturity in sound and lyric. 

Many changes in tempo and very effective use of 

keyboards. Full of smoking guitar from Glenn 

Schwartz, wonderful use of solo violin, co-ed vocals. 

‘Beautiful Morning’ is pretty psychy with that organ 

outro. And a soulified killerized cover of ‘Old 

Rugged Cross’. All their albums are treasures with 

layers of interest both musically and lyrically. Dig 

deep. Bizarre liner notes describing prophesies to 

mate horses. The band has one track from "Sower" on 

the excellent "Holy Fuzz" compilation. [Bob Felberg] 

~~~ 

see -> Lynn Haney 

ALL THAT THE NAME IMPLIES ( ) 

"Side 1" 1968 (ESP-Disk/ Oro 4) [lyric insert; bumper 

sticker] 

Hippie communal folk. There's also a non-LP 45 track. 

TANDYN ALMER (Los Angeles, CA) 

"New Songs Of" 196 (Davon demo 2257) [no sleeve] 

Songwriter's demo LP with unknown performers, 

showcasing recent compositions by mysterious 

Boettcher associate Almer, who wrote "Along comes 

Mary" for the Association, among other things. 

Includes "Menagerie of man", "Face down in the mud", 

"Sunset Strip soliloquy", "Alice Designs" and other 

promising titles. The latter was recorded by Pac NW 

band Mr Lucky & the Gamblers in early 1967, which may 

indicate a 1966 date for this demo album. 

ALPHA CENTAURI (Canada) 

"Alpha Centauri" 1977 (Salt 003) 

ALSHIA (WI) 

Hard prog-rock dedicated to Tommy Bolin, described as 

"lame" by one critic. 

"Alshia" 1980 (no label) 

This is another 80s private press hyped as "psych" by

deceptive or deluded dealers. Alshia are better than 

Child's Art, but don't let anyone mislead you as to 

the style, which sounds like low-budget version of 

1980 FM radio fare. They were obviously kings of 

their small local scene, but were left to release 

their album on their own because everyone beyond 

their loyal fans saw them for the average act they 

were. Slow tempos and tons of really nice acoustic 

guitar (even on the quasi-heavy songs) make them more 

distinctive than your typical AOR or hard rock band. 

Nonetheless, the songwriting is average and the 

singing is very weak, especially when they try to 

harmonize. The highlights of the album are 

instrumental, and, indeed, the instrumental that 

closes the album is easily the best song. A female 

singer is wasted, given only one lead vocal, but 

she's not much better than the guy anyway. Lyrics 

occasionally reach toward Christian and meaning-oflife 

themes, but are mostly banal. This album was 

recorded and mixed in two days, and sounds like it. 

It's not a terrible album, but not an especially good 

one, and not psychedelic or even "prog" at all. 

Mostly it's illustrative of the desire of rare record 

dealers to keep finding new product to hype. [AM] 

~~~ 

Here are some comments we received from Alshia band 

leader Paul Barlament, with reference to the review 

above: "I agree with much of your assessment of the 

album. It does sound like it was recorded in two 

days, although I think Andy Watermann did an 

admirable job with the time allotted and limited 

budget, as well as the relative inexperience of the 

musicians. It was actually Andy's idea to feature the 

acoustic guitar throughout much of the album, which 

did give it a rather distinctive sound. The Jefferson 

Airplane/Starship comparisons I've seen are 

interesting. There was a significant age difference 

between the bass player (Greg) and the rest of the 

band. Greg took up the bass after seeing the Airplane 

in concert and being floored by Jack Casady. I was 16 

when I saw Jefferson Starship in support of Red 

Octopus, which is the only Starship album I owned. I 

would never consider anything they did in the same 

league as Volunteers or Surrealistic Pillow. My 

influences on guitar were Jerry Garcia from the Dead 

and Pink Floyd's David Gilmour. Jim, who played 

acoustic guitar on the album, was influenced a lot by 

the Dead's Bob Weir. In summary, I would say the 

sound we were going for was a kind of 

Dead/Floyd/Airplane fusion. The album doesn't quite 

capture that, though it does have its moments. On our 

best nights, we were a pretty good jam band." 

ALTER EGO & FRIENDS (MI) 

"Obsessional Schizophrenia" 1972 (C Schneider) 

Vanity release from mental patient (real one) at 

Mercywood Hospital. The "friends" are probably 

alternate personalities of the guy, one Charles 

Schneider. He plays piano and sings, with material 

ranging from 1920s schlagers to the Rolling Stones, 

with some Thelonius Monk inbetween. Not blatantly 

crazy but with a creeping weirdness. Nice cover shows 

Schneider posing in the old nuthouse garden.

V.A "ALTOONA '68" (Altoona, PA) 

"Altoona '68" 1968 (Empire) 

Local sampler with some neat garage/folkrock 

originals by bands like the Young Lords, Society's 

Children and Showmen, weighed down by a couple of 

lame blue-eyed soul numbers. Covers include Doors, 

Cream and an obscure track from the first Human Beinz 

LP. All bands are unknowns. "Graduate" by Day After 

is an excellent, weird moody acid tune that sounds 

like a 1970s private press LP track, and has been 

reissued on a couple of modern comps. Although one of 

the better local PA samplers, it's still mainly a 

concern for completists. [PL] 

AMBROSE (Cooksville, TN) 

"Bust Your Nose" 1978 (ARC 3661) 

AMBUSH ( ) 

This is southern rock that's heavier than the usual. 

The production is very thin, but the guitar playing 

is quite good and the genre's trademark, dual lead 

guitars, is in evidence throughout. The long solo on 

the last song is great, definitely the highlight of a 

decent but not consistently good album. The real 

issue here is whether or not you'll like the throaty 

Molly Hatchet-style vocal growl. I hate it, and it 

ruins the album for me, but if you're OK with that 

type of thing this is a pretty good genre piece. [AM] 

"Ambush" 1981 (no label) 

PAT AMENT ( ) 

Hard rock/AOR, highly rated by some. There are at 

least 5 different private releases called Ambush from 

the hard rock/metal era, so make sure you get the 

right one. This has a white cover with the band name 

in black on the front cover. 

"Songs by" 1971 (Signet) 

Relaxed electric folkrock. [RM] 

AMERICA IS HARD TO FIND ( ) 

"America Is Hard To Find" 1970 (Multi-Trax zb-176) 

Half anti-war spoken word poems by radical priest 

Daniel Berrigan, half Christian freak anti-war 

psychedelic rock mass. The mass is great fun for its 

ludicrous excess and tripped-out bohemian jamming.

Berrigan's history as an activist is rather 

remarkable and worth checking out. In 1972 Berrigan 

published some of these poems in a book with the same 

title. [RM] 

AMERICAN BLUES (Dallas, TX) 

"Is Here" 1968 (Karma 1001) 

"Is Here" 198 (Karma) [bootleg, says 'repro' on back cover] 

"Is Here" 198 (Microdot AB-1) 

"Is Here"/"Do their thing" 199 (CD Afterglow UK) [2-in-1] 

"Is Here" 2000 (10" Akarma, Italy) 

"Is Here" 2000 (CD Akarma, Italy) 

Pretty good Texas bluesy psych, well-known due to the 

ZZ Top connection. Opens with three psych killers but 

becomes more average as it progresses. Still, an OK 

item and worth checking out, at least in the reissued 

format. [PL] 

"Do Their Thing" 1969 (Uni 73044) 

"Do Their Thing" 1987 (See For Miles see-99, UK) 

"Is Here"/"Do Their Thing" 199 (CD Afterglow, UK) [2-in-1] 

Released by MCA's Uni subsidiary, 1969's "The 

American Blues Do Their Thing" was a major 

improvement over their debut. Self-produced, the 

collection found the band opting for a major change 

in direction. Written by the Hills, material such as 

the lead-off "You Were So Close To Me", "Captain 

Fire" and "Just Plain Jane" found the band attempting 

to capitalize on San Francisco-styled psychedelics. 

Elsewhere, the collection found the group mining a 

more conventional rock format; "Wonder Man" and 

"Shady" reflecting a distinctive Cream-influence, 

while the blazing "Comin' Back Home" (complete with 

Beard and Rocky Hill meltdown solos) offered up a 

nice Hendrix imitation. Sure, it was largely 

derivative, but that didn't lessen the enjoyment 

factor. [SB] 

AMERICAN BLUES EXCHANGE (Hartford, CT) 

"Blueprints" 1969 (Tayl 1) [1000p] 

"Blueprints" 1985 (Heyoka 204, UK) 

"Blueprints" 199 (CD Flash 55, Italy) 

"Blueprints" 1998 (CD Gear Fab 120) [+3 bonus tracks] 

"Blueprints" 1999 (Void 16) [blue vinyl; insert; 500p] 

"Blueprints" 2000 (Akarma 136/2, Italy) [3-sided set w/ bonus 

tracks; gatefold] 

"Blueprints" 200 (CD Akarma) [+3 tracks] 

Another one that's been known many years on the 

obscure LP circuit, though essentially a local white 

bluesrock LP and not the psych/hard rock winner some 

may claim. Has some decent numbers and a welcome 

moody, non-macho approach but all over not really

that interesting. The band came from Trinity College 

and mostly played college parties in the area. 'Tayl' 

was their friend, Nancy Taylor, who paid for the 

pressing. [PL] 

AMERICAN PEDDLERS (TX) 

"Once Upon a Rock" 1977 (AmPed ap-1003) 

Southern rock. Eric Johnson (Mariani, Electromagnets) 

guests on one track. [RM] 

AMERICAN STANDARD (NY) 

AMIGO ( ) 

"American Standard" 1970 (no label) [2 LPs; gatefold] 

College project. Inept psych and spoken word. [RM] 

"Stepping Stones" 1977 (Vee-Jay International) 

AMROD'S BRAND (NY) 

Here’s a sleeper of an album, a late 70s release on a 

lost old label by a band that once backed up El 

Chicano and wrote for Malo and Santana. Between the 

odd, nondescript album cover and the band’s Latin 

rock past (as detailed in the liner notes), you’d 

never guess that this is actually a mix of San 

Francisco-styled guitar rock and Los Angeles-styled 

folk-rock/rural rock with excellent harmonies and 

sharp instrumentation. At times it slightly resembles 

Tripsichord. As the notes point out, these guys could 

really play, and there’s plenty of hot lead guitar 

here. The closing “The Clown” is the key song, a 

dreamy ballad with harpsichord and evocative vocals 

that builds to a stunning closing battle of fuzz 

guitars. The songwriting here isn’t always up to the 

level of performance, but there’s plenty to like on 

this cool record. [AM] 

"Live On The Playground" 1971 (BT Puppy 1024) 

AMULET (IN) 

Obscure one on noted label, pretty cool eccentric 

folk with a freaky guy in overalls on the cover. 

"Amulet" 1980 (Shadow 00084) 

"Amulet" 199 (Off the Beaten Path) [300p] 

"Amulet" 1995 (Shadow) [paste-on cover; blank back]) Amulet 

"Amulet" 2000 (CD Monster mcd-003)

Indiana hardrock with outstanding rhythm guitar. 

V.A "ANAHEIM HIGH SCHOOL" (Anaheim, CA) 

"The Original Rock'N Popsenanny" 1970 (Band 'n Vocal) [2 LPs] 

Mostly horrible vocal numbers but the last side 

features a psychy rock group. 

ANAL MAGIC & REV DWIGHT FRIZZELL (KS) 

"Beyond The Black Crack" 1976 (Cavern Custom 6104 12) [200p; 

booklet] 

"Beyond The Black Crack" 1998 (CD Paradigm, UK) [+bonus 

tracks] 

Avantgarde freakout LP of some notoriety and a truly 

disgusting album cover. 

V.A "A NEW HI: DALLAS 71" (Dallas, TX) 

"A New Hi: Dallas 71 - Part 1" 1971 (Tempo 2) [poster] 

Local sampler famous for the two excellent psychrock 

tracks by the Mint reissued on Endless Journey, as 

well as two tracks by Cast Of Thousands, featuring a 

teenage Stevie Ray Vaughan. 

A NEW PLACE TO LIVE (Canada) 

"A New Place To Live" 1972 (Mandala 14003) 

This interesting pop album with a complex storyline 

and a few psychy and prog moments is as notable for 

the mysterious figure behind it as it is for the 

music on the LP. It's a Bob Gallo (aka "Robert John 

Gallo") project. Gallo pops up on a massive amount of 

records almost always associated with tax scam labels 

and oddball releases, starting in the mid 60's when 

he produced the strange beat LP "You Know Who Group" 

with no mention of any band members whatsoever. "A 

New Place to Live" was released on the Mandala Label, 

which was owned by Gallo. Other releases on this 

label include the very rare LP "Canada - What's So 

Bad About Feeling Good" which was only released in 

Australia, probably as a tax write off, and the 

second LP ("Pickin' Up The Pieces") by Aesop's 

Fables, which was released in Canada and Australia. 

The label also put out two solo LP's by Robert John 

Gallo: "Painted Poetry" and "Compositions." Gallo

later released various other solo projects including 

two LPs on the Guinness Label as Robert John and one 

on Guinness as Snowball. Some songs appear on more 

than one of his albums, though not always with the 

same names. All of these albums are pretty good, 

especially the Guinness release entitled "A Place To 

Live." He should not be confused with the Robert John 

who had a 70s hit with "Sad Eyes," though that Robert 

John has an equally long and complex musical history. 

[AM] 

V.A "ANGELS FROM HELL" (CA) 

"Angels From Hell" 1968 (Tower 5128) 

-- original soundtrack 

ANIMATED EGG (CA) 

Includes rare tracks by Peanut Butter Conspiracy and 

Lollipop Shoppe, among others. 

"Animated Egg" 1967 (Somerset 32700) [mono] 

"Animated Egg" 1967 (Alshire 5104) [stereo] 

Exploito organ and fuzz psych, and folkrock instros. 

One of the best studio hack expressions, wildness 

from budgetland. LA session pro Jerry Cole has 

recently confirmed that the original tracks were laid 

down during sessions for the Id "Inner Sounds" LP on 

RCA in 1966, then later sold to Alshire. A European 

pressing exists on the Europa label. These tracks, 

and others from the same sessions, appear on several 

LPs credited to different artists including: "Young 

Sound '68"; 101 Strings - "Astro-Sounds"; Bebe Bardon 

& 101 Strings - "The Sounds of Love"; Black Diamonds 

- "A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix"; Haircut & the 

Impossibles - "Call it Soul"; Generation Gap - "Up, 

Up an Away", and the jawdropping, Modern Sounds - 

"Famous Songs of Hank Williams". Undoubtedly, that's 

just the tip of the iceberg for these clowns. [RM] 

~~~ 

see -> 101 Strings; Id; Black Diamonds 

ANONYMOUS (Indianapolis, IN) 

"Inside the Shadow" 1976 (A Major Label 1002) [blue/white cvr, 

black/white label; booklet; 500p] 

"Inside the Shadow" 1981 (A Major Label 1002) [2nd press w/ 

altered cvr in black/white, red/white label; no booklet] 

"Inside the Shadow" 1996 (OR 015) [insert; 375 #d] 

"Inside the Shadow / J Rider" 2000 (CD Aether/OR 0009) [2-on- 

1] 

"Inside the Shadow" 2001 (Akarma, Italy) [no insert] 

Fabulous guitar-driven 60s-inspired folkrock and 

westcoast, firmly placed on my personal 1970s top 10 

list. Comparable to Third Estate or Relatively Clean 

Rivers but deeper and earthier in a San Francisco 

sense, balances perfectly the album-oriented approach 

of the mid-70s with the magic and drive of the late 

60s westcoast sound. Marvellous blend of male/female

vocals, strong songwriting with roots in the Beatles 

& Buffalo Springfield, and some extraordinary guitar 

passages. One of the big ones to me. Actually post- 

Sir Winston & the Commons, if you can belive that. 

All reissues are vinyl-sourced as the original master 

tapes are lost; furthermore the Aether/OR CD reissue 

accidentally used an unfinished master complete with 

vinyl pops and surface noise. The Akarma reissue 

sounds very good, but omits the insert and distorts 

the original sleeve color somewhat. [PL] 

~~~ 

There are very few albums where a 60s Beatlesinfluenced 

songwriting sensibility moves seamlessly 

into the 1970s without sounding overly derivative or 

awkward. Zerfas and Michael Angelo are the only 

others that are in the same league as this amazing 

album, which, in terms of songwriting and execution 

is as good as anything released in the 70s by anyone. 

It suffers a tad from low budget production, but 

everything else about it is spotless, from the great 

male and female vocals to the intelligent and 

surprisingly complex songs, to the shimmering jangly 

guitars, to the stunning drumming on the closing jam. 

Had the world still been embracing great 

straightforward rock bands with pop sensibilities, 

Anonymous would have ruled the world, along with more 

well-known bands like Big Star and the Raspberries. 

[AM] 

~~~ 


~~~ 

see -> J Rider; Good Soil 

ANOTHER WORLD PRODUCTION (WI) 

"The End of the Age" 1980 (no label, no #) 

X-ian prog guitar rock with Tolkien-inspired cover. 

Nice varied lp with melancholy downer strums, proggy 

hardrock with xian concerns, and winsome melodies 

with symphonic elements. [RM] 

ANTHEM (San Francisco, CA) 

"Anthem" 1978 (no label) [1-sided test press] 

Folkrock. Flowing westcoast sound with female vocals. 

Similar to the British group, Trees. [RM] 

ANTHONY AND SCOTT (Ann Arbor, MI) 

"Anthony and Scott" 1977 (Midwest MCR 1300) [500p] 

Weird mid-70s duo somewhere between folk-rock and 

post-Badfinger pop. Nice harmonies and an occasional 

dark lyric (the downer folk song 'Late Night Losers 

Dreams' is definitely the highlight of the album) add 

interest to a quirky but so-so collection of songs. 

Sparse arrangements make the vocals stand out front 

and keep the songs from sounding like power pop.

Dealers hype this one as an acid folk masterpiece 

because of the totally ridiculous (and great) lyrics 

to "Pink Octopus", the second-best song here. An 

enjoyable album for the right listener, and some of 

the lyrics are way off the wall, but don't be misled, 

as this is not psychedelic in any way. [AM] 

ANT TRIP CEREMONY (Oberlin College, OH) 

"24 Hours" 1968 (CRC 2129) [black vinyl; thick cover; 300p] 

-- the original has 'CRC-2129A STEREO' etched in the dead wax 

"24 Hours" 1983 (C.R.C.) [close counterfeit; vinyl is bluish 

under bright light] 

"24 Hours" 198 (C.R.C.) [counterfeit; thin cover, thin vinyl] 

"24 Hours" 198 (Resurrection) 

"24 Hours" 1995 (Psychedelic Archive, UK) [paste-on cover; 

300p] 

"24 Hours" 1995 (CD Anthology, Italy) 

"24 Hours" 1999 (CD Collectables) 

ANVIL see Boa 

Odd late-night psychy folkrock that sounds like it 

was recorded at 4 AM by a bunch of guys on their way 

down from an acid trip - still turned on, but tired 

and reflective. Instruments ramble on each in its own 

time frame (perhaps more jazzy than sloppy), 

supporting anemic, almost apathetic vocals sometimes 

fed through weird filters. A few covers, some Deadtype 

instros, but mostly early spooky hippie 

folkrock. Not a real fave of mine but still an 

interesting LP, and sleeve too - note the hookahs. 

[PL] 

A PASSING FANCY (Canada) 

"A Passing Fancy" 1968 (Boo 6801) 

"A Passing Fancy" 1988 (Breeder, Austria) 

"A Passing Fancy" 199 (CD Afterglow, UK) 

"A Passing Fancy" 2002 (CD Pacemaker) 

Decent garage/pop-psych from Toronto notable mostly 

for an amazing psychedelic sleeve. Has more of a top 

40/swinging London sound than American garage/psych, 

a common feature of Canadian LPs from '67-'68. A

couple of good punky tracks including a Music Machine 

cover but all in all too lighweight and a 

disappointment in my ears. The Pacemaker CD is a 

master tapes re, but mastered far too slow, enough to 

render it virtually unlistenable. [PL] 

~~~ 

The album compiled tracks from four earlier singles, 

along with four new tracks. As a compilation the 

album's quite diverse with the band showcasing an 

almost chameleon-like adaptability. Tracks such as 

the slashing "I'm Losing Tonight" and "People In Me" 

are first-rate garage rock. The title track, the 

annoyingly catchy "I Believe In Sunshine" and 

"Island" showcase a top-40 pop feel, while "You're 

Going Out of My Mind" and "Spread Out" find the band 

immersed in wild psychedelics. Frequently diversity 

equates to lack of focus, but in this case it simply 

makes a great album even better. In fact, the only 

real disappointment is the bland and tame ballad 

"Sounds Silly". [SB] 

APHAZIA see Yankee Dog 

APOSTLES (Andover, MA) 

"On Crusade" 1965 (MG 79909/10) 

Northeast prep rock r&b raveups, dual guitar, horns. 

"An Hour Of Prayer" 1965 (Sound Rec 1245) 

Preprock band from the same school (Phillips Academy) 

as the Rising Storm and the Ha'Pennys. "An hour..." 

supplies one track to a Garage Punk Unknowns. Haven't 

heard these though it seems to be all covers. Great 

primitive sleeve designs. 

V.A "A POT OF FLOWERS" (CA) 

"A Pot Of Flowers" 1967 (Mainstream s-6100) 

Highly rated sampler of local talents, some of who 

would go on to bigger things. Excellent tracks by 

Euphoria (the non-LP 45) and Harbinger Complex are 

among the highlights. Wild Flower and the Other Side 

are also featured. [PL]

~~~ 

This sampler is a more consistent listen than most 

Mainstream albums, compiling a number of light psychstyled 

pop songs. The four bands have a surprising 

stylistic consistency, and while nothing on this 

album reaches the heights of the best songs on, say, 

the Bohemian Vendetta or Growing Concern albums, 

overall this is one of the most enjoyable Mainstream 

LPs. [AM] 

JON APPLETON (CA/NY) 

"Appleton Syntonic Menagerie" 1969 (Flying Dutchman fds-103) 

"Human Music" 1970 (Flying Dutchman) 

Avant garde electronics. The 2nd LP was a 

collaboration with noted jazz musician Don Cherry. 

There was also a 1974 LP on Folkways with some 

overlap with the earlier LPs. Jon Appleton had 

several more releases that fall outside the scope of 

the Archives. 

APPLETREE THEATRE ( ) 

"Playback" 1968 (Verve Forecast ft-3042) [mono] 

"Playback" 1968 (Verve Forecast fts-3042) [stereo] 

Somehow, this popsike concept album found its way 

into the late 70s book "Rock Critics' Choice: The Top 

200 Albums." It's the brainchild of John and Terry 

Boylan, and is a concept album mixing spoken words, 

song-stories and songs. It's a much more enjoyable 

listen than most similar records (i e: Family Tree) 

because the songs themselves are so strong. It's 

grade-A sunshine pop with occasional psychedelic 

arrangements, dipping occasionally into hard-edged 

soul and music-hall. Jaded Beach Boys or Sagittarius 

should like it. John Boylan later formed Hamilton 

Streetcar, on whose interesting but less successful 

concept album he would re-record a few of these 

songs. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Terry Boylan; Hamilton Streetcar 

AQUINOS (Hannibal, MO) 

"Aquinos" 1967 (IT 2318) 

"More Adventures with the Aquinos" 1968 (Saint Thomas 100) 

ARCESIA (RI/CA) 

Instrumental prep rock surf covers by seminarians at 

the Saint Thomas Seminary!

"Reachin'" 1968 (Alpha 103) [blank back] 

"Reachin'" 1997 (Little Indians 9, Germany) [altered sleeve; 

400p] 

ARCUS (NJ) 

Insane loungepsych blowout by a middleaged crooner 

who dropped acid in the 1960s and decided to make a 

psychedelic (well, sort of) LP with mindboggling 

results. For a professional vocalist he sings 

remarkably bad, though this doesn't stop him from 

filling every line with overwraught passion. The 

music varies between orchestrated extravaganzas and 

more rockin sounds including some fuzz - the songs 

aren't half-bad actually and the lyrics appropriately 

OTT, though it takes several plays to get past his 

voice. Imagine Del Shannon's "Charles Westover" LP 

with Father Yod on vocals and you're halfway there. 

Recently a 45 on Alpha with a non-LP track has been 

found. [PL] 

~~~ 

Johnny Arcesi was a 1940s big band singer in the 

northeast. In his 50s, he moved to Los Angeles, 

discovered LSD and recorded this otherworldly acid 

lounge real people LP with Doorsy organ and his 

sincere crooning way out front. A must for real 

people aficianados, everyone else duck and cover your 

ears! [RM] 

"Launching No 1" 1973 (HNP) [paste-on cover] 

ARDEN HOUSE ( ) 

Bluesy club rock and Santana groove guitar organ 

jamming. [RM] 

"Coming Home" 1977 (Dellwood) 

Dellwood is a subsidiary of the famous tax scam label 

Guinness (or vice versa), and this is one of the 

better releases on either label. Side one is 

mainstream 1970s rock with a little bit of 

synthesizer. Side two veers into more complex prog 

territory. "Streakin'" is an embarrassing novelty 

period piece, but otherwise this is quite good and 

the two long songs at the end (one of which, 

"Somewhere Beyond The Sun," was clearly recorded a 

few years before the rest of the album) are 

excellent. In true indifferent tax scam label 

fashion, side one runs 11:20 while side two runs 

21:08. The big surprise here is that this band is 

actually Jasper Wrath, as is Zoldar & Clark (whose 

album on Dellwood is similar to this, but 

significantly better.) [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Jasper Wrath; Zoldar & Clark 

ARICA (New York City, NY) 

"Arica" 1972 (Woo Soo a-1001) [2 LPs; gatefold; brown cover)

ARK (SC) 

"Arica" 1972 (Audition a-1001) [2 LPs; gatefold; magenta-pink 

cover) 

Mystic trance with tablas, acoustic guitar, piano, 

and creepy voices. On the Woo Soo releases sides 1-3 

are meditative instro trance sounds, side 4 is free 

jazz. On the Audition version all four sides are 

meditative instro trance sounds. The WooSoo version 

appears to be first and is rarer. The side-long free 

jazz track is titled "Water: Reception of the 

Buddha"! [RM] 

"Heaven" 1973 (Just Sunshine jss-1) [gatefold] [1?] 

"Voyages" 1978 (no label 810-70) [100p] 

"Voyages" 1994 (Fanny 070194, Belgium) [paste-on cover; 500#d] 

A pretty good Christian effort in a mellow late-60s 

westcoasty psychrock style despite the vintage. 

Consistent throughout, with a relaxed and reflective 

late-night mood that makes it seem unexceptional at 

first, then it creeps upon you. Not a killer, but 

appealing enough to check out. Often compared to the 

Doors, but I honestly don't hear much of that. The 

very small press size figure comes from a band 

member. [PL] 

ARKANGEL (Houston, TX) 

"Warrior" 1980 (Joyeuse Garde jgr-001) [gatefold; insert] 

ARKAY IV (Erie, PA) 

Recorded in Oklahoma, heavy guitar and synth-led 

Christian prog with a medeival edge and tons of 

different instruments. Produced by Jimmy Hotz. Ex- 

Redemption, after a relocation from San Antonio. 

Kemper Crabb later went on to a solo career with more 

recordings. 

"For Internal Use Only" 1968 (Marion 22595) [100p; insert] 

"The Mod Sound Of" 1988 (Cicadelic 1003) 

"Battle Of The Bands" 199 (CD Collectables 0519) [parts of 

orig LP +bonus; 2-on-1] 

1966-style beat-garage with frat, folkrock and some 

Brill Building pop moves, more competent and prosounding 

than the genre average. Originals all the 

way, though their songwriting isn't that impressive. 

Some good tracks but not really top of the heap. An 

original copy with cover and insert sold for almost 

$5000 in 2001. The CD re is shared with the PA

ARMPIT (CA) 

Outcasts, whose half actually is superior. [PL] 

~~~ 

Melodic garage beat. Clean teen dance-o-rama fun with 

ringing surf-styled leads, fuzz, pounding drums, 

Hammond organ, and warm vocals. [RM] 

~~~ 

see -> Weigaltown Elemental Band 

"The Armpit Album" 197 (Monroe PU 101) 

"Thursday Afternoon at Bob's House" 1977 (Monroe PU 102) 

"Burned Out" 197 (Monroe PU 103) 

"Bizarro Album 104" 197 (Monroe PU 104) 

It's hard to believe that these albums actually 

exist, but they do. As you can guess from the band's 

name and the records' catalogue numbers, this is 

drugged out and deliberately offensive goofy comedy. 

I mixes spoken word sections with sound effects and 

"songs." The music is basically funny voices backed 

with solo guitars, probably done in one take. 

Apparently the material on these records was recorded 

over a span of several years, dating back to 1971, 

and assembled and "mastered" quickly for the LP 

releases. The liner notes and cover photos are all 

pretty funny (and twisted: one actually has a photo 

of a hard porn magazine in the back cover collage.) 

Anyone could have done this, but these guys actually 

had the balls to release four albums of it (though 

they didn't use their real names.) Some of the more 

amusing liner note bits are one that says the 

material within is "tedium," and another calling them 

"The world's most popular foursome." Wild Man Fischer 

appears on two songs on "Burned Out", which makes 

that the most valuable of the four albums, though all 

are quite rare. [AM] 

ARROGANCE (Greensboro, NC) 

"Give Us A Break" 1974 (Sugarbush 103) 

"Give Us A Break" 200 (CD Dixon Archival 003) 

The first Arrogance album works against their rock 

strength, with a full drum set on only one song. The 

rest feature bongos, which don't mix especially well 

with the mostly acoustic folk/county sound they 

develop here. The best songs just beg for electric 

guitars and powerful drums, and fall flat without 

them. Overall, the songs are decent and the vocals 

appealing, but this feels like a collection of demos 

and is just a shell of what they were capable of. On 

the 1976 album "Rumours", they would remake one of 

these songs, showing just how good it could be with a 

rock arrangement. The next album, "Prolepsis", with a 

full band, a higher recording budget, a less 

backwoods sound and a major leap in songwriting 

quality, is miles and miles better than this. [AM]

"Prolepsis" 1975 (Sugarbush 112) 

"Prolepsis" 200 (CD Dixon Archival 004) 

ARROW (PA) 

Arrogance were called "North Carolina's Beatles", not 

because of their sound, but because even into the mid 

1970s they were the only regional band popular enough 

to draw large crowds while playing original material. 

There's no doubt that by the time they made this, 

their second album, they had achieved an amazing 

level of professionalism and confidence, and 

"Prolepsis" certainly compares well with any major 

label album of the period. Their sound is that of 

mainstream America in 1975, a blend of rural rock, 

guitar pop and folk-rock, equal parts vocal harmonies 

and dynamic lead singing. While it has none of the 

heavy or freaky aspects of the Greer album, it's an 

even better LP. The album is full of terrific songs, 

exciting moments, sharp instrumentation and 

thoughtful arrangements. Side one is practically 

perfect, side two merely great. Anyone who was in NC 

at the time will tell you these guys were the best, 

and hearing this album, it's easy to imagine that 

they could have been hugely successful if the stars 

were aligned the right way. Bass player Don Dixon 

would eventually achieve that commercial success as a 

producer and occasional performer, but he never did 

anything better or more inspired than this. Arrogance 

would release a few major label albums of which the 

1976 album "Rumours", on Vanguard, is the best, just 

a level below "Prolepsis". The band also recorded 

tracks for a prospective LP called "Night Of Dreams" 

in 1970 that never came out; some of the tracks 

appear on the subsequent 1972 LP by Michael Greer. 

There was a non-LP 45 by Arrogance from 1970 which 

has been comp'd and has a tough rock sound that's 

unlike any of their other work. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Greer 

"Coming Attractions" 1977 (JAMA) 

ART (Alaska) 

Melodic xian rock. Rumbling electric guitar, subdued 

drumming, with the vocals way out front. The singing 

is really special on this LP, high and clear akin to 

Robert Plant crossed with All of Thus! The primitive 

'recorded in a tunnel' production only adds to the 

creepy moodiness. The record does have a notable xian 

component but the songs are more about being 'down 

and out' than evangelizing, so downer fans should go 

nuts. Highlights: 'Reach Out' with gurgling, ringing 

wha-wha and the creepy lostness of 'Drum Fever'. [RM] 

"Art Is Whatever You Can Get Away With" 1972 (Oosik) 

Zappa/Fugs-like stoned goof basement folk, a live 

performance by Rudy Palmtree and his Exotic Fruits.

ARTHUR (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Dreams and Images" 1968 (L.H.I. 12000) [mono] 

"Dreams and Images" 1968 (L.H.I s-12000) [stereo] 

"Dreams and Images"/"Love is the Revolution" 2002 (CD Papa's 

Choice) [2-on-1] 

Remarkably successful chamber-music folkpsych trip, 

blows most of the similar L A producer-pop LPs away. 

Wistful, dreamy, nostalgic - you name it. Reason it 

works so well is that every song is a completely 

realized idea, and that all songs stay within the 

clearly defined boundaries of the album. Beautiful 

woodwind arrangements, strong songwriting, and the 

right type of lyte-psych vocals. Takes a cue from 

Donovan, but explores a branch of its own. To my ears 

clearly superior to his Nocturne LP. Main objection 

is that the playtime is so damn short. Released in 

March 1968; note that the Kitchen Cinq LP has an 

almost identical catalog #. [PL] 

~~~ 

Quiet and beautiful folk/psych singer/songwriter LP 

produced and released by Lee Hazelwood. This is high 

quality stuff - trippy and melancholic with purely 

acoustic instrumentation spiced up here and there by 

the odd leslie fx etc. There's no drums whatsoever on 

the album, which makes it quiet in an almost Linda 

Perhacs way. Much better than his second album. [MM] 

~~~ 

see -> Arthur Lee Harper 

ARTHUR [on Two:Dot & RD Records] see -> Arthur Gee 

ARTIFICIAL HORIZONS (GA) 

"Artificial Horizons" 1974 (Horizons hs-01) 

ART OF LOVIN' (MA) 

Electronic prog with synth, dulcimer, flute, 

echoplex. Sometimes listed credited to Tom Behrens. 

"Art Of Lovin'" 1968 (Mainstream 6113) 

"Art Of Lovin' / Velvet Night" 200 (CD Hipschaft) [2-on-1] 

Light Airplane-meets-Mamas&Papas hippie-pop/rock LP, 

a genre which seems to contain an infinite number of 

mostly so-so's. Similar to Neighb'rhoood Childr'n or 

Yankee Dollar though more faceless than both. 

Songwriting is unexciting and the standard Graceclone 

occasionally operatic. Some good guitar and a 

strange ethnic folk art sleeve I dig. There was also 

a non-LP 45 on Mainstream. [PL] 

BILL ARTZ & HIS RHYTHM KINGS ( )

"Variety Time" 1965 (Justice 101) 

DAVE ARVEDON (MA) 

First LP on famous Southern garage label. Eastcoast 

club band with early 60s dancehall sound. Of interest 

mainly to folks running the label. [RM] 

"Best of Dave Arvedon" 1971 (Wrecked 81474) [200p] 

"In Search of the Most Unforgettable..." 1996 (CD Arf Arf aa- 

053/54) [2 CDs] 

Crazed garage basement goof with low-rent humor and 

songwriting rivalling the Shaggs. CD Includes all his 

recorded material plus a bunch of unreleased tracks. 

[RM] 

V.A "A SEA FOR YOURSELF" (Los Angeles, CA) 

"A Sea For Yourself" 197 (Rural) [2LPs; 1st pressing; 

gatefold with color paste-ons] 

"A Sea For Yourself" 197 (Rural) [2LPs; 2nd pressing; b & w 

gatefold] 

ASHBURY (AZ) 

Two-LP soundtrack from the 1970s surf underground is 

all over the place, but pretty interesting. 

Highlights are some spacy instrumentals from the 

Dragon Brothers and some surprisingly solid songs 

from Rockin Foo, whose LP on Hobbit is usually poorly 

rated. Has been compared to the Farm "Innermost 

Limits" LP which features some of the same guys 

including the Dragon brothers. An Australian pressing 

with a laminated sleeve exists. The Farm entry 

contains details on the Dragons and related 

musicians. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Farm 

"Endless Skies" 1983 (private) 

Hardrock ripper with a progressive edge. Issued with 

a gorgeous fantasy cover. [RM] 

BILLY ASHE (Salado, TX) 

"You-In-You" 1974 (Frigate) [300#d; plain cover; booklet]

Basement folk live from his living room. Issued in 

plain cover with handwritten title. Comes with 19pp 

of mimeographed lyrics and weird drawings! 

ASHES (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Featuring Pat Taylor" 1971 (Vault 125) 

Apparently the group, which played most of its live 

shows in 1966 or so, reunited to record this album in 

1968, with Pat Taylor in place of original vocalist 

Barbara Robison. It has some similarities to related 

outfit Peanut Butter Conspiracy, but mostly it’s 

closer to 70s soft rock than 60s folk rock. As such, 

it’s very nice, though. Taylor’s vocals are crystal 

clear, similar to Susan Jacks of the Poppy Family. 

Haunting harmonies shape the best songs, most notably 

“Return Home.” A few songs sung by the guys are less 

interesting. In line with the confused time warps 

around this band, the LP wasn't actually released 

until 1971. The Ashes also appear with four 45 tracks 

in unique stereo mixes on the "West Coast Love-In" 

sampler from 1967 (Vault). [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> A Letter Home 

ASHLEIGH BRILLIANT (San Francisco, CA) 

ASIA (SD) 

"In the Haight-Ashbury" 1967 (Dorash 1001) 

Hippie druggy street poet. Documentary of a 

'happening' spoken and sung to hippies in Golden Gate 

Park so you know it's the real deal. 

"Asia" 1978 (no label, no #) 

"Armed To The Teeth" 1980 (no label) 

ED ASKEW ( ) 

Early 70s-influenced progressive guitar and 

mellotron rock in a Purple/Captain Beyondschool 

from band formerly known as White 

Wing; no relation to the more famous band, 

naturally. 

"Ed Askew" 1968 (ESP Disk 1092) [reverse-negative cover of a 

riot scene) 

"Ed Askew" 199 (CD ESP 1092, Germany) [art cover] 

"Ed Askew" 200 (CD) [+bonus track] 

This is a unique acid folk item, even by ESP 

standards. Askew plays the tiple, an acoustic

instrument in the same world as mandolin, dulcimer 

and autoharp. The effect isn’t a whole lot different 

from guitar-and-voice, but it’s just exotic enough to 

have curiosity value. The instrument takes a lot of 

energy to play, and the effort gives Askew a strained 

vocal style that actually gives his music an 

appealing edge. The songs are odd enough (and good 

enough) to keep the listener’s interest despite the 

sparse arrangements. The lyrics are quirky and 

occasionally mystical, but quite effective and 

affecting. Askew has a bizarre sense of romanticism 

that fits his street poet mentality. Supposedly some 

of these lyrics address his homosexuality, making him 

way ahead of his time. He does so, though, in such 

abstractions that the words can be interpreted in 

other ways. Like all purely solo albums, after 43 

minutes there’s a saminess to this, but this really 

is one of the best albums of its type, and is 

recommended highly to fans of loner folk and oddball 

singer-songwriters. there is apparently also a 

reissue retitled "Ask the unicorn" in an altered 

cover. [AM] 

THE ASTRAL PROJECTION (NY) 

"The Astral Scene" 1968 (Metromedia 1005) [wlp exists] 

"The Astral Scene" 2000 (Gear Fab) 

"The Astral Scene" 2001 (CD Gear Fab 153) 

ASYLUM (VA) 

"The Astral Scene" is an oddity falling somewhere 

between Curt Boetcher-styled sunshine pop, 

Association-styled top-40 and Animated Egg styled 

exploito. Thematically tracks such as 'The Sunshine 

Seekers' and 'Plant Your Seeds' were highly 

orchestrated tying together as a full-fledged concept 

piece. If you waded through the extensive back panel 

liner notes, the plot line had something to do with 

the concept of escaping the physical body to 

experience spiritual embodiment. In spite of the 

goofy titles and lyrics (' Today, I saw The Sunrise') 

and the fact the arrangements were full of rather 

spacey instrumentation, virtually all of the songs 

were quite commercial. It's easy to imagine stuff 

like 'Overture The Airways Of Imagination' or 'The 

Happening People' having been adopted for some sort 

of 1960s television theme song. Note: this is 

sometimes listed with the band name and LP title 

reversed. [SB] 

"First and Last" 1973 (no label nr-3217) 

"First and Last" 2005 (World In Sound rfr-20, Germany) 

[insert] 

On the back cover of this Military Academy rarity is 

a list of the band's influences which seems OK until 

the names Carole King and Roberta Flack jump out at 

ya. Further proof is in the grooves, where several 

tracks are female singer/songwriter laments with 

piano, well-written, well-sung and well-played and 

therefore completely misplaced on what is elsewise a

typical local 70s rural melodic rocker. Also, there 

is only 1 guitar solo on the whole LP, and even that 

one is brief. I sort of liked this as an artefact and 

some nice westcoast grooves & it would have been cool 

on a CD-R with a cover scan, but I have to question 

whether it was worthy of a reissue, even though it is 

a very nice reissue job (as usual) from World In 

Sound. WIS spent a whole lot more $$$ on reproducing 

and texturing the generic cover than the band once 

did! [PL] 

ATLANTICS (Detroit, MI) 

"Live at the Nite-Lite" 1971 (Hashish) 

ATLANTIS (MN) 

Lounge wah-wah rock with female vocals. 

"Atlantis" 1972 (Tektra) 

Lounge blues rock with horns and fuzz. Good version 

of 'Down by the River'. 

ATLANTIS PHILHARMONIC (OH) 

"Atlantis Philharmonic" 1974 (Dharma) 

While we've seen the album show up on various psych 

lists, musically the collection's best described as 

progressive. For better or worse, propelled by Joe 

DiFazio's synthesizers, original material such as 

"Atlantis" and "Fly the Light" bore more than a 

passing resemblance to ELP. To be honest, anyone into 

mid-'70s progressive bands was likely to be familiar 

with DiFazio's blend of AOR moves (the Styx-meets-ELP 

"Death Man"), Yes-styled keyboards (watch out Rick 

Wakeman) and occasional classically-inspired 

interludes ("Woodsmen"). Those comments weren't 

intended to slam the LP. Taken as a package, it makes 

for a fairly impressive debut. Even more so when you 

consider it was recorded independently and with 

minimal financial resources. Besides, we'd rather 

hear this than "Tarkus" any day. Certainly worth a 

spin if you can find it for a reasonable price. [SB] 

~~~ 

Top-notch private press prog record that works 

because it has the usual prog elements (mellotron, 

organ, snyth, heavy guitar licks, sci-fi/mythological 

lyrics) but is more geared towards songwriting than 

wanky soloing. The songs are long but don't branch

off into a million different directions; this is very 

well-conceived and not "difficult" to listen to. They 

(I should say "he," as the band is basically a duoone 

guy plays drums and another does everything else) 

probably couldn't have done a bunch of showoffy solos 

even if they wanted to, and the music ends up being 

very high on hooks, and, of course, drama. The 8 ½ 

minute closing song is especially intense. The only 

problem here is the mediocre vocals. He's not 

pretentious or macho; he just plain can't sing very 

well. With a real singer this would have been a 

masterpiece. As it is, this is still one of the very 

best in the genre. [AM] 

ATTENTION SPAN (Richmond, IN) 

"Crucible" 1975 (no label) 

AUGUST (PA or NJ) 

Actually a various artists assembly from Earlham 

College with amateur folk, bluesy rural moves, and 

some fuzz rock. 

~~~ 

see -> Sequoiah Stream 

"August" 1968 (Nise Sound 31) 

"August" 2001 (Shadoks, Germany) [450#d] 

UK-influenced late beat sounds with an introspective 

New England-type mood for most part, has a couple of 

goofy music hall-type numbers but also one deep 

killer and a dedicated feel about it. A Christian 

group though they hide it well, breaks through only 

on one track. Another cut has pantsy effeminate 

vocals raising the question of what the hell is going 

on. OK teen-sound LP with several originals and some 

oddball cover choices, but unexciting and 

unbelievably overpriced in relation to its limited 

musical merits. Funny sleeve design. [PL] 

AUTOSALVAGE (New York City, NY) 

"Autosalvage" 1968 (RCA LSP 3940) [stereo] 

"Autosalvage" 1968 (RCA LPM 3940) [mono] 

"Autosalvage" 1988 (Edsel 286, UK) 

"Autosalvage" 199 (RCA) [bootleg]

"Autosalvage" 199 (CD RCA) [bootleg] 

AUTUMN PEOPLE (AZ) 

Frank Zappa discovered this unique band, whose 

unusual arrangements and experimental songs make this 

a memorable LP that rewards multiple listens. The 

metallic guitar tone and odd song structures may 

throw a listener at first, but in the long run are 

what makes this record so compelling. It’s 

“progressive” in the best sense of the word. The 

bootleg RCA CD has been reported as having inferior 

sound and a screwed-up track list. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Bear 

"Autumn People" 1976 (Soundtech so-3020) [gatefold] 

"Autumn People" 2003 (CD Radioactive 030, UK) 

AVENGERS VI (CA) 

Didn't like this much at first but must admit its 

basement charm and rough edges makes the AOR progrock 

aspects easier to swallow. Skillful guitar/keyboard 

interplay on songs that go through a lot of changes 

but usually retain a sun-baked Southwest feel, like 

cruising in mid-70s Arizona with the radio tuned to a 

local battle of the bands broadcast. Vocals are 

amateurish and enthusiastic while the FM rock guitars 

and thick keyboard layers make for a Marcus-House Of 

Trax sound at times. Occasionally truly atmospheric 

local prog-rock that is never too self-indulgent. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

This is hyped as prog, but it’s not complex or adept 

enough to earn that tag. It’s mainstream AOR-ish 70s 

hard rock, not bad, but cheap sounding, with 

uninteresting vocals and with too many 80s-style 

synthesizers. A few songs rise above: “See It 

Through” sounds like it could have been an FM radio 

hit and has clever backing vocals and solid guitar 

hooks. They try to repeat the same formula on a 

number of other songs, less successfully. Not bad, 

but despite a few silly sound effects, not exactly 

the kind of thing Acid Archives readers crave. [AM] 

"Real Cool Hits" 1965 (Mark 56 no#) 

AWAKENING ( ) 

Surf beat LP issued as a promotional tie-in for Good 

Humor Ice Cream similar to how Flat Earth Society's 

'Waleeco' was sold. Some outstanding tracks for genre 

fans. 

"God Come Down" 197 (Christos cs-1001) 

Half oversung and half moody deep Christian folky 

group. A couple of heavier tracks including a great 

one with distorted electric guitar. Nice homemade

project vibe going on here, introspective latenite 

winner. The sleeve offers no clues on their identity 

or origins. [RM] 

AZITIS (Sacramento, CA) 

"Help" 1971 (Elco 5555) [500p] 

"Help" 1996 (no label, Austria) [bootleg; 300#d; altered 

cover] 

"Help" 199 (CD Synton, Europe) 

"Help" 2001 (CD Orchard 8532) 

AZTECS ( ) 

A highly rated title in the Christian psychrock bag, 

mellow and reflective which is the way these LPs 

should sound. An organ-based post-1960s sound with 

moody vocals and quality song writing, consistent all 

through. "The prophet" is a personal fave, but the 

across-the-board strength is what makes this LP stand 

out. They also had a non-LP 45 as Help, but changed 

their name due to the band on Decca. [PL] 

~~~ 

One of the very best Xian records. This album reveals 

hidden depths with each listen. The dreamy, laid-back 

vibe will appeal to psych fans, but at first hides 

the abundance of melodic ideas. After a few listens 

you'll be drawn in by the excellent vocals, 

consistent sound and thoughtful (not preachy) lyrics. 

It's often quite dark, but the groove isn't 

depressive. The organ/guitar-based sound isn't 

exactly original but the overall feel is unique. 

[AM] 

"Live At The Ad-Lib Club In London" 1964 (World Artists wam- 

2001) 

AZURITE (CA) 

Beat covers, not terribly good but plenty of 

adrenaline! Cover has a shameless Beatles tie-in 

showing them promoting the club. [RM] 

"Azurite" 1979 (private) [500p] 

Collectable late 70s hard rock rarity (the cover 

specifies only 500 copies pressed) contains a lot of 

acoustic guitar and some really moody passages, which 

shows they were going for more than just headbanging. 

Unfortunately, a really annoying lead guitar sound 

(and solos that go nowhere) pretty much undermine 

even the good moments on this album. A few boogie 

rockers are especially bad. The lyrics are typically 

dumb, which is not unexpected for this genre. They 

take themselves really seriously; it would have been 

nice if they lightened up a little. [AM]

Acid Archives Main Page

BABY see Sidetrack 

BABYLON (St Petersburg, FL) 

"Babylon" 1977 (Mehum 4641) 

"Babylon" 199 (CD Synphonic) 

BACHS (Chicago, IL) 

Genesis-style progressive rock with lots of keyboard 

and long tracks, rated highly by genre fans. Oddly 

housed in a cover that looks like a punk/skinhead LP; 

this design was transformed into a space alien on the 

CD reissue. 

"Out Of The Bachs" 1968 (Roto no #) [500p] 

"Out Of The Bachs" 1992 (Del Val 007) [350p] 

"Out Of The Bachs" 199 (Flash 43, Italy) 

"Out Of The Bachs" 1997 (CD Flash 43, Italy) 

"Out Of The Bachs" 2004 (CD Gear Fab) [+bonus track] 

One of the most legendary US garage-era LPs. Strong 

all through, in a crude garage folkrock style with 

some psychy edges and no covers, which is unusual. 

The band emits a rather unique, timeless vibe, with a 

middle third that is particularly impressive. Takes 

time to get into, but ultimately one of the truly big 

pieces among 1960s private pressings. Unfortunately, 

none of the reissues reflect the presence and punch 

of the original. The Del-Val reissue and the 

subsequent bootlegs of it are all mastered 1.5%-2.0% 

too slow. The legit Gear Fab reissue is the correct 

speed but has clearly inferior sound and digital 

skips. You need to hear an original (or a CD-R 

thereof) to understand the full magnitude of the 

Bachs experience. According to a band member, 500 

copies were pressed. [PL] 

~~~ 

Chicago jangle guitar downer garage psych with 

gorgeous aching vocals. Masterful guitar work 

covering the spectrum from Beau Brummels chiming to 

anarchic Litter runs. Haunting poetic originals full

BACK POCKET (CA) 

of lost love and broken dreams - even moving into 

stream of consciousness territory on 'Minister to a 

Mind Diseased' and 'Tables of Grass Fields'. The 

closer, 'I'm a Little Boy', is an otherworldly dark 

feedback monster. Literally every track is a winner! 

Recorded in a butcher's shop by this high school 

group late 1967 and released January 1968. This group 

had a maturity and presence way beyond their years. 

For me, it comes down to this and the Litter's 

"Distortions" for best US garage LP. [RM] 

~~~ 

In the world of private press, original song, garage 

psych The Bachs is one of the 2 or 3 best. Along with 

"All Of Thus", this LP is a great example of the 

transition from garage rock to psych that happened 

all across suburban America in `66-'67. The LP was 

recorded in a Butcher Shop on a cheap tape machine so 

the sound isn't quite up to major label quality, but 

the LP has a charm that truly captures the teen angst 

and emotion that so many of these type of LP's lack. 

In the scheme of things, if any LP is worth four 

figures, it's this one. [RH] 

"Have A Nice Day" 1971 (Allied Records AL-1971) [sticker] 

Los Angeles-area obscurity with a Dead-like rural 

sound. 

BACKSTREET BOOGIE BAND (AZ) 

"Southbound Freight" 1981 (Platt & Klum) 

Dual guitar hard rock with a Southern vibe, has been 

compared to Wabash Resurrection. 

BAD AXE (Riverside, CA) 

"Bad Axe" 1976 (Earth Breeze) 

"Bad Axe" 2004 (Hexamon 002) [500p; poster; insert] 

Teenage hardrock pointing towards metal with little 

or no residues of the stoner era to be found. Solid 

guitar-work as you would expect, with doubletracked 

axe-men battling it out Ritchie Blackmore-style. The 

band works the best during the instrumental temposhifts 

when the ace drummer kicks in the overdrive 

and they really take off into headbanger heaven. 

Unfortunately the songwriting is unexceptional, and 

the vocalist seems lacking in selfconfidence. Lyrics 

are mostly of the bonehead variety, and putting this 

all together you come up with an LP that early metalguitar 

fans will love, while those looking for a bit 

more needn't bother. Some nice use of phasing and 

some prog moves here and there. It appears the LP was 

pressed for demo purposes only in a tiny run. There 

is also a 45 from 1977 with a PS on the Progrezzive 

label. [PL]

BADGE & CO (KS) 

"Badge and Company" 1977 (Wilmarco lps-1) [1000p] 

"Badge and Company" 2000 (no label, Europe) [bootleg] 

Bluesy power trio with ZZ Top sound. The counterfeit 

has a whitish label, while the original label is more 

beige; otherwise they're very close. 

V.A "BADGER A-GO-GO" (WI) 

"Badger A-go-go" 196 (Night Owl KTV-3) 

KALI BAHLU (CA) 

15 teen-beat tracks from local WI bands housed inside 

a silly sleeve. Bands include Dave Kennedy & 

Ambassadors, the Mule Skinners, Jerry & Continentals, 

Grapes Of Wrath, and others. The psych-flavored 

"Salem Witch Trial" by Kiriae Crucible is probably 

the highpoint. 

~~~ 

see -> Mendelbaum 

"Cosmic Rememberance" 1967 (World Pacific wps-21875) 

[gatefold] 

ISABEL BAKER ( ) 

Eastern meditation exploito with sitar and jarring female 

narration. 

~~~ 

see -> Lite Storm 

"I Like God's Style" 196 (Romco HF-101) 

Side One starts out with the title track and is far 

out there, Christian Garage Rock-A-Billy with vocals 

straight from the depths of Hell. Imagine the 

illegitimate daughter of Hasil Adkins and Mrs. Miller 

and you have an idea of what this sounds like. The 

second cut "The Gaderian" is PSYCHO-delic with

Isabel's rockin' guitar ever present. All of Side One 

is Real People Heaven that will appeal to everyone 

from Billy Miller to Jimmy Swaggart. Side two kinda 

sucks. [RH] 

GARY BALDWIN & MASS MURDER ( ) 

"If I Only Could Play Piano" 1979 (Airhole 00001) [100p] 

Described as primitive DIY freakouts with one side 

being garage rock and the other hippie folk trance, 

plus 10 minutes of silence! The band is listed as 

Wombat Suicide on the label. 

V.A "BALTIMORE'S TEEN-BEAT A GO GO" (MD) 

"Baltimore's Teen-Beat A Go Go" 1966 (Dome sr-4007) [2000p] 

"Baltimore's Teen-Beat A Go Go" 1997 (Get Hip) [500p] 

"Baltimore's Teen-Beat A Go Go" 1997 (CD Get Hip 5009) 

BANCHEE (Eastcoast) 

Only recently discovered comp of local Battle Of The 

Bands winners and runners-up that's an eye-opener for 

those blase with 60s samplers. A generous 16 tracks 

from unknown groups with great names. It's a 

consistent '65-66 ride through frat, dumb sax 

instros, beat, punk ballads, Stonesy garage and some 

all-out primitive '66 garage, such as the championed 

Bobby J & the Generations track. All originals with a 

New England-type sound, and for a Maryland comp it's 

surprisingly (and thankfully) light on soul-oriented 

material. As is often the case with these samplers 

many bands have a similar sound. Side two is solid 

from start to finish. Despite its scarcity, the press 

size has been reported as not less than 2000 copies, 

with two sleeve variants; the earlier version has no 

label info at the bottom of the back cover. [PL] 

"Banchee" 1969 (Atlantic sd-8240) [lyric insert; wlp exists] 

"Banchee / Thinkin'" 199 (CD Lizard, Europe) [2-on-1] 

Solid late 60s hard rock album with a definite pop 

influence (as many great melodies as there are long 

guitar solos). Vintage 1969 sound with lots of 

different effects on the guitars. There are three 

songwriters, but they’re all equally good, and the 

mix of writers lends variety. Ends with a terrific 9minute 

blow out. Side two is completely solid. [AM] 

~~~ 

Like much late-'60s product the debut displays some 

psych influences (the leadoff, mid tempo number "The 

Night Is Calling" has a distinctively trippy feel), 

but the predominant sound is heavy, guitar-powered 

rock. With all four members contributing material, 

original numbers such as "Beautifully Day" (sic), the 

fuzz guitar-propelled "Evolmia", "I Just Don't Know" 

and the extended "Tom's Island" offered up a series 

of high energy guitar powered rockers that were both 

tuneful and structurally interesting. That said, the

album was surprisingly diverse. "Train of Life" 

sounding like Mike Nesmith after a week of speed, 

"Hands of a Clock" had a pseudo-jazzy feel, while the 

Latin-tinged "As Me Thinks" recalled early Santana. 

Overlooking the pompous back cover liner notes, it's 

a great if hard to find debut. [SB] 

"Thinkin'" 1971 (Polydor 244066) 

"Banchee / Thinkin'" 199 (CD Lizard, Europe) [2-on-1] 

Released two years after their debut, "Thinkin'" 

found the band aiming for an even tougher rock sound. 

Unlike the debut which was a largely democratic 

project, this time around singer/rhythm DeJesus was 

responsible for the majority of the material. Kicked 

along by squealing lead guitar, Latin percussion and 

their "group" lead vocals, songs such as the blazing 

opener "John Doe", "Willya" and the title track made 

for hard rock that was still tuneful and commercial. 

At least to our ears the results recall Santana at 

their most rocking. [SB] 

~~~ 

Second album has a fantastic psychedelic sleeve. The 

sound is much less poppy this time around, in favor 

of Latin rhythms and relentless screaming lead 

guitars. The solos are overlong, unfocused, and all 

sound the same, making this weaker than the debut, 

but the new style is pretty powerful until the songs 

start blending together. Quite a bit rarer than the 

first album. [AM] 

BANDOLERO (Puerto Rico) 

"Bandolero" 1970 (Eclipse erc-5-m37925) 

"Bandolero" 199 (Eclipse) [bootleg] 

"Bandolero" 199 (CD Que Diablos) 

The record was pressed in Florida for export to 

Puerto Rico. A mix of basement fuzzed hardrock and 

jazzy funk Santana moves. Moody church organ and 

driving fuzz. Disjointed rhythms on many tracks with 

weird tempo changes within songs. The vocals, mostly 

in English, are obnoxiously bad. The closer, 'Truth 

and Understanding', gets a nice anthemic tension 

going only to dissolve into a formless funk jam. A 

pretty weak effort, really. [RM] 

BARBARA [aka Barbie] (NJ) 

"Journey to Jesus" 1971 (Bond 101) 

The first album by Barbie Sipple (credited simply to 

'Barbie') is pure folk, unlike the more varied folkrock 

of the second. It's pretty good, as her 

songwriting is catchy and heartfelt. Her singing has 

a little too much of the Joan Baez-style vibrato, 

though, and isn't as appealing as on SINGS FOR LIFE. 

A backing chorus of children on a few songs is 

probably intended to be joyous, but comes off as 

creepy. Neat album cover could be mistaken for 

something Satanic if you didn't know better. The 

album came with a lyric/chord booklet. [AM]

"Sings For Life" 1973 (Lazarus Records) 

BARBARA & ERNIE ( ) 

This obscure Christian folk-rock record is dedicated 

to the “National Youth Pro-Life Coalition.” Barbara 

has a beautiful and commanding voice and there are a 

bunch of really good songs here. She’s comparable to, 

but more mature than, Marj Snyder and Linda Rich. The 

highlight is “Hold On,” with an eerie loner folk vibe 

helped along by a great bassline and snaky acoustic 

lead guitar. Unfortunately this album includes two 

songs sung to and with a chorus of children. They’re 

not as hard to take, however, as “Song Of The 

Unborn,” which comes complete with a heartbeat and 

narration from the point of view of a fetus. It’s 

sincere beyond belief, and she plays the dirty trick 

of surrounding the propaganda with a truly haunting 

melody and arrangement. It hardly gets more surreal 

than turning to side two after this song and 

immediately finding Barbara joking with a gaggle of 

brainwashed young Christians-in-training. Did I 

mention that she can really sing? Her version of “He 

Ain’t Heavy” would be better than the Hollies’ if it 

weren’t for her inept drummer. I dig the picture of 

her with a Bert (from Sesame Street) puppet on the 

back cover. It can be framed and put on your mantle 

next to the famous picture of Osama Bin Laden and 

Bert. Oh, and isn’t it wrong for a “pro-lifer” to 

sing “I’m so happy I could die?” [AM] 

"Prelude To" 1971 (Cotillion sd-9044) 

This is a really odd album, beginning with the cover 

photo, which shows a tall, sexy black woman and a 

short fat stoned-looking hippie (somewhat 

reminiscient of Bunky & Jake if Jake went off the 

deep end.) The music is a mix of soul, rock and 

dreamy folk. Some of it is truly excellent, and the 

styles mix surprisingly well. "Listen To Your Heart" 

is a classic, the kind of thing that blows away most 

"Hippie Goddess" type psych/folk. This is an album 

that's too weird for soul fans, too R&B for folk fans 

and too 70s for psych fans. In short, it's unique. 

And it's wonderful. [AM] 

BARBARA THE GREY WITCH (CA) 

"Barbara the Grey Witch" 196 (DEA 1d-1001) [gatefold] 

BARBARIANS (MA) 

Classic with chants, rituals, and sexpot Barb giving 

you the straight dope on 60s grrrl power! "A 

fascinating trip through the world of modern 

witchcraft". 

"Are You a Boy or a Girl?" 1966 (Laurie 2033) [mono] 

"Are You a Boy or a Girl?" 1966 (Laurie 2033) [stereo] 

"Barbarians" 1979 (Rhino 1008) [LP + "Moulty"]

"Barbarians" 1981 (Line 6.24351, Germany) 

"Are You a Boy or a Girl?" 199 (CD One Way) 

"Are You a Boy or a Girl?" 199 (CD Sundazed) 

Perhaps due to the majority of the LP being popular 

covers, to our ears the album was a mild 

disappointment. Understanding that mid-'60s marketing 

demanded a band include covers in their repetoire, 

there wasn't anything terribly wrong with their work 

(save a really lame "House of the Rising Sun and a 

rote remake of "Mr. Tambourine Man"). Elsewhere, 

largely written by producer Morris, tracks such as 

"What the New Breed Say" and "Take It, or Leave It" 

were stronger, benefiting from Moulty's raw vocals 

and the band's considerable energy. Curiously, in 

spite of all of the resulting publicity, including 

numerous appearances on ABC's "Shindig" television 

program, the parent set failed to chart. The band's 

pre-LP 45 is often considered the best thing they 

did. [SB] 

BARDS (Moses Lake, WA) 

"Bards" 1980 (Piccadilly 3419) 

"The Moses Lake Recordings" 2002 (Gear Fab 183) 

"The Moses Lake Recordings" 2002 (CD Gear Fab 183) 

The Piccadilly LP is garagy pop containing singles 

and unreleased tracks recorded through 1969. The 

album was released without the band's knowledge. The 

Gear Fab title reissues an unreleased 1968 LP, 

produced by Curt Boettcher and Keith Olsen and is 

more adventurous with some experimental psych 

leanings. [RM] 

BARONS (San Antonio, TX) 

"Barons" 1970 (Solar 101) 

"By Request" 1972 (Solar) 

Melodic lounge rock and pop soul. "By Request" has a 

decent cover of Buffalo Springfield's 'Mr. Soul', 

otherwise this band is pretty forgettable. [RM] 

BAROQUES (Milwaukee, WI) 

"The Baroques" 1967 (Chess 1516) [mono] 

"The Baroques" 1967 (Chess 1516) [stereo] 

"The Baroques" 198 (Chess, Greece) [bootleg; +2 tracks] 

Milwaukee's finest 1960s band had a taste of the bigtime 

with this good early (recorded March 1967) psych 

LP but never really made it. A unique dark 

intellectual vibe and odd moody vocals give them a 

distinct identity coupled with some monster fuzz 

tracks I hope everyone's familiar with by now. The LP

admittedly has some weaker spots but is all over 

essential and still easier to find than many lesser 

trips. As far as I can tell, this is the very first 

psych LP from the entire Midwest. The stereo mix is 

considered to be superior. Their privately released 

non-LP 45 is superb. [PL] 

~~~ 

Good early US psych album with one foot still firmly 

planted in the garage. Nice mix of serious 

introspective moodiness and druggy fun. The 

psychedelic air-raid fuzz rave-up in "Iowa, A Girl's 

Name" never fails to deliver. The mono mix is 

somewhat muddy and lacks the dynamics and clarity of 

the stereo mix. The 80's boot sounds OK and includes 

their rare non-LP 45 as a bonus. [MM] 

"The Baroques Are In" 1989 (Baroque 9005) 

"Purple Day" 1996 (CD Distortions) 

The Baroque release is unreleased material of varying 

quality. Most or all of this is also on the CD 

release, which includes most of the Chess LP as well 

and is recommended. 

BARRACUDAS (Highland Springs, VA) 

"A Plane View Of" 1967 (Justice 143) 

"A Plane View Of" 1995 (CD Collectables 0606) 

Opens on excellent beat/garage note with strong 

original followed by tough Stones cover, rest of the 

LP is similar with mainly Brit Invasion numbers done 

in an agreeable manner, even has Beatles and Byrds 

covers plus a fuzz rave-up take on "I'm a man" that 

has been comped. Only the awful closing "Shotgun" 

drags the LP down, rest is fine by local US mid-60s 

LP standards with cool teen vocals, nice undistorted 

rhythm guitar and occasional sax. I've seen this cut 

down in more than one place but it sounds pretty good 

to me, along with the Tempos the most "normal" (as in 

1965-66) sounding of all Justice albums. Released in 

early 1967, the album went on to sell more than 700 

copies locally. The band cut a good psych 45 in 1969. 

[PL] 

YANK BARRY (Montreal, Canada) 

"Diary Of Mr Gray" 197 (McConnell Records Ltd. 2-001) [2 LP 

box-set; inserts; bonus 7"] 

An odd release by a somewhat infamous charlatan whose 

story may remind one of an upscale Palmer Rockey. A 

"Yank Barry" search produces stories about Federal 

scams and imprisonment, friendship with Muhammad Ali, 

claims to writing "Louie, Louie," of Vietnam 

activism, of being a CEO and creator of a large 

corporation, etc. The opening track here, "Mr Gray", 

is the same song as on the Stone Circus album (on 

Mainstream) but this very similar version is credited 

to... you guessed it, Yank Barry. The packaging of 

this release is stunning: a faux brown leather 

box that opens like a book with gold leaf printing

with black & white photos on the inside. The contents 

consist of various inserts (pictures, sheet music, 

notes, cards, lyrics), a one-sided 7-inch 78 labeled 

as "Introduction To The Diary Of Mr. Gray" and two 

full length albums -- one is in stereo with lyrics 

(Acts 1 & 2), the other the instrumental version 

(Acts 3 & 4) in quadraphonic. Musically, it's pop 

psych with heavy orchestration. I find it interesting 

with two or three memorable tracks. Sort of a glitzy, 

poor man's version of the Sidetrack album. Yank Barry 

was only the vocalist on this work, which was 

masterminded by ex-Stone Circus member Larry Cohen 

aka Jonathan Caine, and the material was released 

again, now credited to Stone Circus, in 2001 ("Diary 

Of Mr Gray", Mcconnell, Canada). [JSB] 

AL BASIM see Revival 

BASKERVILLE HOUNDS (Cleveland, OH) 

"Featuring Space Rock Part 2" 1967 (Dot dlp-3823) [mono] 

"Featuring Space Rock Part 2" 1967 (Dot dlp-25823) [stereo] 

Recorded to capitalize on a minor 45 hit, this 

collection offered up a then-typical mix of popular 

covers and originals. While all five member were 

credited as singers, the absence of a distinctive 

vocalist was a major distraction. Similarly, covers 

such as The Beatles "Penny Lane" and Neil Diamond's' 

"I'm a Believer" weren't particularly impressive. On 

the other hand, original numbers such as the fuzz 

guitar-propelled "Sad Eyed Lady", "Please Say" and 

the title track instrumental were all worth hearing. 

Hardly one of rock's "pretty boy" combos (the liner 

notes described Rossi as having a "comic 

appearance"), the doubled breasted brown suits sure 

didn't help their appearance - they looked like an 

exhausted burial party. [SB] 

JOHN BASSETTE [with DAYBREAK] (OH) 

"John Who" 1978 (private) 

JON BATSON (DC) 

Messed-up real people folk. Bassette, a black folkie, 

guy had several more local LPs, all of which are 

reasonably interesting, but this is the strangest and 

most enjoyable. 

"Just Can't Lose" 1970 (Rising) [plain stamped cover] 

East coast loner protest deep folk from 

Scientologist, still active today. 

"BATTLE FOR THE MIND" see Willard Cantelon

V.A "BATTLE OF THE BANDS" (HI) 

"Battle Of The Bands" 1964 (Star SRM-101) 

Hawaiian rarity which is more frat/surf than garage 

punk, as the release year may suggest. One track by 

the Duplex has been reissued on Pebbles. 

V.A "BATTLE OF THE BANDS" (Westchester, NY) 

"Battle Of The Bands, Vol 1" 1967 (Ren-vell 317) 

Obscure New York City BOTB artefact with an unusually 

professional sound for the genre and a gritty urban 

vibe. Fairly unique as it does not contain one single 

Brit Invasion cover, but an equal mix of 

Byrds/Raiders/Spoonful and r'n'b/soul. The most 

famous track is the brilliant "High on a cloud" by 

the Traits which has appeared on a couple of comps, 

but the Henchmen are just as good with the fuzzdriven 

garage ace "Say", and the LP as a whole is 

above average. The Mystics had a non-LP 45 on Ren- 

Vell. [PL] 

V.A "BATTLE OF THE BANDS" (Lawrence, MA) (1) 

"Battle Of The Bands Recorded Almost Live" 1967 (Onyx 80689) 

"1966 Battle Of The Bands Recorded Almost Live" 198 (Star 

Rhythm) 

BOTB testimony on the same label as Lazy Smoke. Kind 

of short with only nine tracks and a couple of odd 

choices alongside the usual covers. No originals, 

lowkey and sorta samey in sound, not all that 

exciting. Re-recorded after the actual contest with 

applause dubbed in. This was reissued in its entirety 

in the 1980s, this reissue is sometimes peddled as an 

"original". Some people have questioned the existence 

of an original 1967 release altogether, but it did 

come out and differs slightly from the repro, which 

has '1966' added to the front cover design and a 

different label color. [PL] 

V.A "BATTLE OF THE BANDS" (MA) (2) 

"Battle Of The Bands" 1967 (Normandy 30867) [2 LPs] 

Sub-title is "Live at the 1967 National Finals, in 

Ridge Arena, Braintree, Mass". Over 11,000 bands all 

over the country competed in this contest! There is 

supposedly also a loose third LP that was only given 

to band members. 

~~~ 

see -> Tony's Tigers 

PAUL WAYNE BEACH ( )

"On Down the Road" 1977 (Aesthetic Artist) [100p] 

One-man band moody rural acoustic loner. 

BEAD GAME (Cambridge, MA) 

"Welcome" 1970 (Avco Embassy ave-33009) 

"Baptism" 1996 (American Sound as-1004) [1000#d] 

Featuring all original material, tracks such as 

'Punchin Judy' and the fuzz guitar propelled 'Wax 

Circus' showcase an engaging mix of hard rock with 

occasional jazz touches. That may not sound 

particularly original or appealing, but their 

performances were actually quite attractive. Jim 

Hodder had a voice that was well suited to the 

group's attack (anyone into early Steely Dan will 

instantly recognize him). Highlights include the 

rocking 'Amos & Andy' and 'Mora'. For fanatics, 

there's a non-LP single 'Sweet Medusa'. [SB] 

~~~ 

Lots of excellent guitar here, and the jazz influence 

separates it from the rest of the Bosstown scene. 

Collectable value has risen greatly in recent years, 

usually a sign that a major label album has stood the 

test of time well. There's a professional sheen that 

makes the Steely Dan connection unsurprising, but 

that's not to say that this sounds like something 

you'd hear on 70s AM radio. Distinctive and strong. 

The "Baptism" material was recorded in 1970 and 

predates the Avco LP. The band also had two excellent 

tracks on the soundtrack "People Next Door" (1970, 

Avco Embassy 11002). [AM] 

BEAR MOUNTAIN BAND (Wickenburg, AZ) 

"One More Day" 1975 (Predator) [1000p] 

Local mountain air rocker with psychy westcoast 

flashes on the excellent title track and elsewhere. 

Shifts between wellwritten, more melodic numbers and 

a rootsier rural rock vibe, with a couple of extended 

jams showing good playing and a nice atmosphere all 

around. One of the better in the hippie/barrock 

crossover zone - superior to Travelers Aid to these 

ears. Not everyone is impressed with this album, 

though. [PL] 

~~~ 

Trashy 70s not-quite-hard-rock private press with an 

appealingly stupid sleazy vibe (one song is called 

"Crotch Crickets," another "tihsllub"). Excellent 

opening song has a nice flowing dreamy feel to it, 

but the promise of the album ends there abruptly, as 

the rest is pedestrian and dull. One can picture 

these guys going over pretty well at a biker rally or 

in a truckers' bar, but there's a difference between 

sleaze and real menace, and this lacks the dangerous 

edge of, say, the Burnt River Band. [AM]

BEAT OF THE EARTH (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Beat Of The Earth" 1967 (Radish as-0001) [500p] 

"Beat Of The Earth" 199 (Radish, Europe) [60p; bootleg; 

plain white labels] 

"Beat Of The Earth" 2004 (CD Radioactive, UK) 

The sleeve says "If you're looking for psychedelic 

music, do not buy this album unless you're looking 

for psychedelic music", a fair summing up of this 

demented cerebral acid-vibe journey. One of the big 

discoveries of the late 1980s and it certainly is 

one trancey organ/guitar tribal surfpsych jam trip 

stretched over two full sides. Warning: this is too 

far out for many, though I certainly dig it - close 

to the heart of the LSD experience, even while the 

main creative force behind it was opposed to drugs. 

Essential. Phil Pearlman was the main creative force 

behind the band, and went on to several related 

projects. [PL] 

"Electronic Hole" 1970 (Radish as-0002) 

"Electronic Hole" 2004 (CD Radish) 

The most recent discovery in the amazing Phil Pearlman 

back catalog is this late 1960s drone psych extravaganza. 

Shorter tracks with clear song structures yet threatening 

to dissolve into atonal chaos at any moment. Hard to 

compare to anything else, but Velvet Underground and 

Zappa influences can be detected, alongside typical 

westcoast psychedelia with sitars and backwards tapes. 

Vibe is a bit like Mad River or 50 Foot Hose, true freak 

sounds from a freaky era, except more garagey. Some 

melodic moves clearly point towards Relatively Clean 

Rivers, although six years and another complete 

metamorphosis lie inbetween. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Relatively Clean Rivers; Joyride 

"Our Standard Three-minute Tune" 1994 (Radish 0001½) [500p; 

gatefold] 

The main Beat guy Phil Pearlman issued this previously 

unreleased recording in a 60s style FOC. Many avoided it 

due to the exceedingly high price but it was actually 

worth it for anyone with an ear for true 60s underground 

psych sounds. A variation on the same basic track as the 

first LP, maybe not as coherent but with clearer vocals

and some devastating Mystic Tide-style acid guitar. So on 

balance almost as awesome as the first one. The liner 

notes refer to a 1967 live gig but the actual recording 

is studio, from the first LP sessions. [PL] 

BEAUREGARD AJAX (Oxnard, CA) 

"Deaf Priscilla" 2005 (Shadoks no #, Germany) [350p] 

"Deaf Priscilla" 2006 (CD Shadoks, Germany) [+bonus tracks] 

Terrific unreleased album recorded for Del-Fi in 1968 

by unknown quintet; melodic Beatle-psych with 

advanced songwriting, some tough fuzz edges and an 

impressive range of moods and moves. Like Fredric 

with heavier guitars, or what the HMS Bounty LP would 

have sounded like if it had been a true killer. A 

must for any fan of classic 60s-style psychedelia. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

Showcasing drugged vocals, lots of fuzz guitar, great 

melodies and some interesting lyrics, material such 

as "Loneliness Is a Sometime Thing", "Is Tomorrow 

Thursday" and "Blue Violins" features all of the 

ingredients that should make this a sought after set 

among psych collectors. Elsewhere while I'm always 

reluctant to compare something to The Beatles (since 

most of the time such comparison fall flat), tracks 

such as 'I Will Be Looking Away' and the title track 

actually recall something out of the Fab Fours' 

"Revolver" catalog. Mind you the set's certainly not 

perfect. The poppish "Happy Brontosaurus" and the 

ballad "Take You Faraway" are both pretty lame and 

forgettable. Gawd only knows what condition the 

source tapes were in but be aware that sonically this 

release isn't exactly state-of-the-art. [SB] 

BEAUREGARDE (Portland, OR) 

"Beauregarde" 1971 (F-Empire no #) 

"Beauregarde" 198 (F-Empire) [bootleg] 

"Beauregarde" 200 (CD Zeno) [actually a CD-R] 

"Beauregarde" 2004 (Jackpot) 

The interest in this LP seems to build on the 

appearance of guitarist Greg Sage (later of the 

Wipers) rather than its musical merits, which aren't 

too impressive in my ears. Has a laidback, bluesbased 

sound with melodramatic vocals, organ and some good 

guitar licks. Beauregarde was a local wrestler and 

looks real neanderthal on the sleeve. There was also 

a pre-LP 45 with two album tracks on the NWI label. 

The label for the original is sometimes incorrectly 

listed as "Sound Productions". The Jackpot CD is a 

legit re from masters. [PL] 

BOBBY BEAUSOLEIL & THE FREEDOM ORCHESTRA (CA)

"Lucifer Rising" 1980 (Lethal 8031, Canada) [1000p] 

"Lucifer Rising" 2004 (CD Arcanum/White Dog 0001) [2CDs] 

JOE BECK (PA/NY) 

Soundtrack to legendary magick Kenneth Anger film, 

originally pressed in Canada only. Beausoleil had 

been linked to the 1969 Manson murders and recorded 

this while in a federal prison in the 1970s. The 

music is atmospheric instrumental space-rock with 

guitars and electronics and a strong ritual and 

visual quality, impressive in a way that recalls the 

better German 1970s cosmic psych albums. The 2 CD set 

has some terrific bonus material and is recommended. 

There are earlier vinyl reissues of "Lucifer Rising" 

not listed here. 

~~~ 

see -> Orkustra 

"Nature Boy" 1971 (Verve Forecast 3081) 

"Nature Boy" 2002 (Breeder Backtrack, Europe) 

Jazz guy goes rock here with impressive results. The 

album starts with a wonderful heavy version of the 

title tune, with tons of wah-wah soaked guitar. The 

rest of the album offers plenty more wild lead 

guitar, though none quite as sublime as on this 

initial song. Fans of this kind of Hendrix-inspired 

playing could do much worse; I think this is more 

interesting and satisfying than better-known genre 

artists like The Road, Peter Kaukonen and John 

Ussery. If you’re not a fan of the style, you may 

still find it a worthwhile album, as the arrangements 

vary, with a few solid ballads (one heavily acoustic) 

and some tasteful horns on a couple of tracks. 45 

minutes is probably a bit too much, and the 

songwriting is only average, but this works because 

Beck is such a great guitarist and because his music 

isn’t beholden to any particular hard rock style. 

[AM] 

~~~ 

see -> John Berberian 

JACK BEDIENT & THE CHESSMEN (Wenatchee, WA) 

"Where Did She Go" 1967 (Satori 1001) 

Obscure local album by Northwest frat/lounge/pop band

of the tuxedo dancehall variety. Seemingly patterned 

on the Raiders' "Here they come" with half crooner 

ballads & half teen rockers. The charming Orbisonstyle 

smoothies are a bit cheesier than the Raiders' 

but the garage fuzz tracks (I counted 3½) are good 

with a fat rocking NW sound and neato teen vocals. 

Bizarre closing Dylan cover. One track has been 

comp'd. [PL] 

"In Concert At Harold's" 1969 (Chessmen) 

Their LPs are typically a mix of supper club pop with 

dramatic arrangements and the occasional garagy 

guitar raver. "In Concert" has grade-Z covers of 

Creedence, "Light My Fire", "Purple Haze" and more, 

as the band moved into the FM rock era. Earlier LPs 

include "Two Sides Of" (Trophy 101, 1964); "Songs You 

Requested" (Chessmen no #, 1965); "Live At 

Harvey's" (Fantasy mono & stereo, 1965); "Jack 

Bedient" (Executive, 1966?). [RM] 

V.A "BEE-JAY SAMPLERS" (Winter Park, FL) 

"12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands" 1966 (Tener 154) 

First LP in this series of demo LPs, all of which 

featured local bands available for live bookings. 

Includes the Starfires, Swinging Temptations, Wrong 

Numbers, Nation Rocking Shadows, and others. The 

label was based in Winter Park, but the bands came 

from a bigger area. 

"Bee Jay Demo vol 2" 1967 (Tener 1014) 

This second LP from the the BJ Booking Agency 

contains a generous 21 tracks. High points include 

originals by Willie & the Adolescents, New Generation 

and Hard To Believe, while Bad Pages, Consolidation 

and State Of Mind deliver excellent covers. The sound 

is pre-psychedelic with an equal mix of Brit Inv, 

r'n'b & contemporary US groups - classic garage in 

other words. Teenage vocals and sloppy drummers 

across the board. Hard to beat as a local garage 

testament, though it'll hardly change anyone's life. 

The tracks by Beau Jests and Hard To Believe have 

been comp'd. [PL] 

"Bee Jay Video Soundtrack" 1968 (Tener 1014) [1-sided textured 

color cover] 

-- same catalog # but different contents from above 

Includes Rovin' Flames, Wrong Numbers, Ron & the 

Starfires, the Enticers, and others. More soul moves 

on this sampler.

"Bee Jay Sampler" 1970 (Tener 1055) 

The 1970 LP includes We The People (two weak tracks 

in their blue-eyed soul style), the Barons, 

Soultenders, Missing Links, and others. Covers of 

Neil Young, Chicago TA, soul, and more. This should 

not be confused with the two very rare Bee-Jay EPs 

from the late 60s with the same title; Tener 1038 and 

1039, or Tener 1070 below. See Jeff Lemlich's FLA 

discography "Savage Lost" for details. There is also 

a recently discovered third EP, Tener 1040. 

"Do It Up Right! 1971 (Tener 1067) 

The Brewed, East Coast Supply, Oxford Blue and 12 

other bands. These later Bee Jay samplers are less 

attractive and feature horn-rock, soul and covers of 

Simon & Garfunkel, Creedence, etc typical of the era. 

"Bee Jay Sampler" 197 (Tener 1070) 

As several others in the series, this album has no 

actual title. East Coast Supply do reasonable 

basement hardrock with "Love machine". Other bands 

include Raintree County, Wooden Spoon, Brewed, plus 

something listed as "Moog Synthesizer Show". 

"Bee Jay Does It Again" 197 (Tener 1081) 

The Brewed, In The Beginning, East Coast Supply, and 

15 other tracks. 

"Gettin' It On Again" 1973 (Tener) 

Features Wysper, Skydancing, The Brewed, Ricky & 

Tightrope, East Coast Supply, and others. 

WILLIAM C BEELEY (TX) 

"Gallivantin'" 1972 (North Park 101) [1000p] 

Lost folk very Dylanesque sounding. Warm and lyrical. 

IRIS BELL ADVENTURE ( ) 

"Iris Bell Adventure" 1969 (Rubaiyat) 

Live jazzy hippie blues trio recorded in Ann Arbor.

RICH BELL (HI) 

"Rising Son" 1980 (Money Maker s-7780) [orange vinyl] 

Guitar rock with a gorgeous fantasy cover. 

BENT WIND (Toronto, Canada) 

"Sussex" 1970 (Trend t-1015) [300p] 

"Sussex" 1984 (Heyoka 201, UK) 

"Sussex" 1992 (Del Val 007) [+2 tracks; 350p] 

"Sussex" 199 (Acme, UK) [altered b/w paste-on sleeve; +1 

track; lyric insert] 

"Sussex" 199 (CD Kissing Spell, UK) [+2 tracks; altered 

sleeve] 

"Sussex" 199 (CD Green Tree) [+5 tracks] 

"The Lost Ryerson Tapes" 2005 (CD Psychedome) [+6 tracks] 

BEO WULF ( ) 

"Sussex" is one of the original Holy Grails of the LP 

collector scene and a wellknown artefact due to a 

number of reissues. The most expensive of all 

Canadian rarities with a $5000+ price tag. The music 

is heavy underground psychrock with a killer basement 

sound and some awesome tracks like "Riverside", 

"Hate" and "The lions". Not the greatest LP ever to 

me, but definitely essential. According to the band, 

only 300 copies were pressed, while the non-LP 45 was 

pressed in 500. Modern recordings include "The Fourth 

Line Is" (1989) and "Shadows On The Wall" (1996). The 

Psychedome CD is a complete reissue of the original 

LP in strong sound, plus 4 excellent live tracks from 

1970, and the two 45 tracks. There is also a bonus CD 

with modern recordings featuring main guy Marty Roth. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

A little overhyped, but still a worthwhile album. The 

overall sound is a neat cross between garage rock and 

heavy psych. It has a real basement (as in “that’s 

where they buried the bodies”) vibe, with tons of 

fuzz guitar and reverb, desperate vocals, and often 

disturbing lyrics. The highlights are the album’s two 

grisliest songs, “Riverside” and “Hate.” While the 

other songs aren’t quite at that level, there aren’t 

any real duds either. It sounds like it was recorded 

far earlier than the usually accepted 1969 or 1970 

release date. The CD reissue contains a strong B-side 

and also some surprisingly good 90s recordings. [AM] 

"Too Late To Turn Back Now" 1972 (Crown CST-632)

Unlike most exploitation Crown releases this is a 

real band, with some excellent tracks such as "The 

movement". 

JOHN BERBERIAN [& ROCK EAST ENSEMBLE] (New York City, NY) 

"Middle Eastern Rock" 1969 (Verve Forecast fts-3073) [wlp 

exists] 

"Middle Eastern Rock" 1999 (Verve Forecast) [bootleg; textured 

sleeve] 

"Middle Eastern Rock" 2003 (CD Acid Symposium 006, Italy) 

This is Berberian's key album for 1960s psych fans, a 

tremendous East-West amalgamation with both the oud 

and Joe Beck's fuzz given plenty of space. It's hard 

to imagine this trip being done better; strongly 

recommended to fans of Orient Express and the US 

Kaleidoscope. Berberian is an oud master of Armenian 

descent. Prior to this cross-over LP he did several 

LPs that are more traditional ethnic-folky, as 

follows: "Expressions East" (Mainstream 6023, 1967), 

"Oud Artistry" (Mainstream 6047, 1967), and "Music Of 

The Middle East" (Roulette, 1968). "Ode To An Oud" is 

a 2LP repackage of the two Mainstream LPs from 1974. 

Some of these albums have been reissued in recent 

years. Another Verve LP features Berberian's playing 

as a backdrop to poetry readings by DJ Rosko ("Music 

and Gibran", 1968). [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Joe Beck 

"Mid Eastern Odyssey" 1971 (Olympia olp-1001) 

"Mid Eastern Odyssey" 200 (CD Olympia) 

"Echoes of Armenia" 1972 (Olympia olp-1002) 

ERIC BERGMAN (NY) 

Berberian continued to record and release albums 

through the 1970s, via his own private Olympia label. 

These albums are harder to find than his 60s works, 

and while they are not "rock" genre-wise they attract 

some collectors. Another LP on Olympia is "The Dance 

Album". 

"Modern Phonography" 1978 (Patron Saint ps-1) [gatefold; 

insert; 100p] 

Lost basement folk and folkrock sound from leader of 

Patron Saints, with slide guitar and some acoustic 

solo tracks. There is also a second LP from 1982, 

"Sending Out Signals". 

FATHER PATRICK BERKEREY ( ) 

"Prayers For a Noonday Church" 1969 (Glasgow 1500)

Intense xian recitations with rock backing by Spur. 

Even the priests were flipped out way back when! 

~~~ 

see -> Rite of Exorcism 

BERMUDA TRIANGLE (Long Island, NY) 

"Bermuda Triangle" 1977 (Winter Solstice 3338) 

Ambitious late hippie folkpsych LP with lounge 

aspects, transcendental female vocals and elaborate 

keyboard arrangements/production, not bad at all for 

those into eclectic 1970s sounds. Unexpected covers 

of Aerosmith and Circus Maximus are a plus while the 

Moody Blues track could have been left off. Fine 

originals. Would make a neat double bill with Jade 

Stone & Luv. The second LP has been described as a 

less effective dreamy keyboard rock effort. Ex-Roger 

& Wendy. [PL] 

~~~ 

Truly bizarre folk-psych album that's more enjoyable 

than a lot of "better" records. Two of the first 

three songs are weird loungy covers of "Nights In 

White Satin" and Aerosmith's "Dream On," neither of 

which sound like anything else on the album. For 

surprise value alone, "Dream On" works the better of 

the two, since the Moody Blues tune was dangerously 

close to lounge to begin with. Most of the other 

songs are full of fiddle-style violin and autoharp, 

the latter of which is often treated with phasing, 

flanging and other effects. It feels like the songs 

are at a normal speed but the backing tracks are sped 

up. Some of the melodies are pretty speedy too. 

Spastic, cymbal-heavy drumming adds another layer of 

intrigue. One song sounds like a twisted take on 

funk, another like a hoedown. Both the male and 

female vocals are agreeable and work well in the 

context of these strange songs. The closing 

"Wind" (the Circus Maximus song) is another total 

departure, again not resembling anything else on the 

album, and sounding uncannily like a Linda Perhacs 

outtake. This album is kind of a shock on first 

listen, because at least to these jaded ears it's not 

often I discover something so original and bizarre. 

[AM] 

"Bermuda Triangle" 1983 (Sterling Sound) [two 12" acetates] 

[?] 

"Bermudas II" 1984 (Tribecket tr-0999) 

This may be the same material as on the Sterling 

Sound acetates. [RM]

BOB BERRY (San José, CA) 

"Heavy Berry" 197 (no label) [100p] 

JOHN BERRY (GA) 

BEST (NJ) 

Demo album with good westcoasty guitar/organ psych 

rock. Berry was formerly with San José band 4th St 

Exit, released an AOR solo LP in 1976, and rose to 

prominence (as Robert Berry) in the 1980s when 

working with various big name prog/AOR bands. The 

covers were individually hand silk screened and 

sealed with a gold sticker. 

"In the Night Time" 1981 (Clear Sky) 

Rural loner folk. 

"More Of The Best" 1967 (RPC n-69852) [no sleeve] 

"The Gents/The Best" 1996 (no label) [split LP; partial 

reissue] 

Very obscure sleeveless garage era LP on the infamous 

RPC custom label; music is typical local '66 teenbeat 

with a bit more "punk" edge than usual. Several 

strong originals in the classic moptop style, fake 

British accents and a boomy lo-fi gymnasium sound 

adds to the overall charm. Nothing for purveyors of 

"acid fuzz" like the Litter or Nightshadow, but among 

local Northeast '66-67 LPs this isn't bad at all; 

like what Rasputin & the Monks would have sounded 

like if they hadn't been such losers. Three Stones 

and a funny misinterpreted Kinks number round out the 

set. Half this LP was reissued along with the Gents, 

but the reissue actually excludes some of the best 

tracks from the original. One track is included on 

the Oil Stains vol 2 comp. [PL] 

V.A "THE BEST OF FRANK'S BANDSTAND" (Canada) 

"Do You Wanna Dance - The Best Of Frank's Bandstand" 1965 (Arc 

669) 

Compilation related to CBC TV show aired from 

different Canadian cities. Bands on this comp include 

the Offbeats, the Raindrops and the Brunswick 

Playboys. Contents are teen-beat/pop. 

V.A "THE BEST OF THE GREATEST" (Canada) 

"The Best of the Greatest" 1969 (Birchmount bm-535) 

Features the 49th Parallel (excellent tracks), Guess 

Who, Beaumarks. The same label also released

"Strictly Canadian". 

V.A "THE BEST OF THE HIDEOUTS" (Detroit, MI) 

"Best of the Hideouts" 1966 (Hideout hlp-1002) [1000p] 

"Best of the Hideouts" 199 (Hideout) [bootleg] 

A rare sort of companion piece to the "Friday At The 

Cage-A-go-go" LP with several enjoyable tracks by 

local folkrock/garage wizards like the 4 Of Us, Suzi 

Quatro's Pleasure Seekers and the Underdogs, most of 

which also came out on 45s. A couple of numbers have 

been comp'd as well. An equal mix of folkrock, moody 

garage and soul covers. The Underdogs are perhaps the 

stars of the show with some classy tunes. All over 

not quite as good as "Friday At The Cage" but an 

appealing snapshot of a legendary scene nevertheless. 

Nice sleeve with band photos. The 1990s bootleg may 

have been a counterfeit attempt; it's an old-style 

cardboard sleeve with paste-on slicks and exact label 

repros. The sleeve photo repros have some wear 

residue from the original copy used, and there is no 

title on the spine. The true original has 

'XCTV121245-1A' in the dead wax. [PL] 

V.A "THE BEST OF TWIST-A-RAMA USA" (NY) 

"The Best Of Twist-A-Rama USA" 1965 (TAR 1000) 

"The Best Of Twist-A-Rama USA" 2003 (Norton 275) [altered 

cover; +2 tracks] 

"The Best Of Twist-A-Rama USA" 2003 (CD Norton 275) [+2 

tracks] 

BETTY (CA) 

Local sampler of 14 Mohawk Valley teen bands put out 

by the "Twist-a-rama" TV show. Crude mix of instros, 

frat and "the new sound from England". Unlike most 

similar albums, this one seems to be group originals 

all through, even though some of them are quite 

derivative. Bands include Andy & the Classics, the 

Originals, the brilliantly named Merseyside 5, while 

the King Beats provide a moment of brooding folk 

reflection. The original cover shows a bunch of 

famous artists, none of which are to be found on the 

actual record, naturally. The pressing is notoriously 

poor. 

"Handful" 1971 (Thin Man afp-703) [200p] 

"Handful" 2001 (Shadoks 019, Germany) 

Unpretentious get down-boogie barrock/rural rock with 

strong guitar leads throughout that lifts it above 

the usual trucker tattoo six-pack rockers. Not bad, 

though for hardcore 1970s fans mostly. Terrible, 

clichéd sleeve unfortunately. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is a grungy bar band with some sleaze appeal, 

but it’s hardly a monster hard rock album. The 

rhythms are boogie and the spirit is beer-belly. Some 

of the lead guitars are suitably fuzzy, and a few

BEYOND (TX) 

songs have a heavy edge to them, but this is pretty 

mainstream and pretty weak. Lots of roundhouse piano 

underneath the drunken singing. Pick hit: “Just For 

Fun,” a “Foxy Lady” ripoff that’s the raunchiest 

thing here. The lead guitar is simple, but plentiful 

throughout. The title track is as sexist as the album 

cover. No surprise. [AM] 

"Music And... Beyond" 1979 (Tuhlotte Sound) 

Cosmic hard rock with lots of spacy guitar effects. 

This is pretty cool stuff for the most part, with 

energetic hard rockers and adventurous guitar 

playing. A few songs are perhaps a bit too proggy for 

some, but they’re full of ideas. “Dirge Overature” is 

an 11 and a half-minute instrumental with jazzy 

moments, an unusual time signature, classicalinfluenced 

interludes, nimble bass playing, long 

guitar solos and closing two-minute vibe solo! “It’s 

Over” is packed with wacky stops and starts. 

Throughout, the experimentation level is creatively 

high. The lyrics leave something to be desired, and 

the singing isn’t much better (something they must 

have known, as more than half of the album is 

instrumental) but for overall feel and mood it works 

well. More enjoyable and unpretentious than, say, 

Jimmy Hotz. [AM] 

V.A "BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS" (CA) 

"Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls" 1970 (20th Century Fox 

10311) 

"Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls" 199 (CD) [bootleg; unrelated 

bonus tracks] 

"Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls" 2002 (CD Soundtrack Classics) 

[+bonus tracks] 

One of many excellent soundtracks from 1967-70, even 

more enjoyable if you've seen Russ Meyer's totally 

great film. This has some non-LP (and so-so) 

Strawberry Alarmclock tracks, some studio instro 

fillers, and six brilliant hippie chick AM blowouts 

by the Carrie Nations which is what makes the LP. 

Powerful girl vocals (although not by Lynn Carey, who 

is heard in the movie), great material and lots of 

fun all through, the perfect remedy after someone's 

forced you to listen to Janis Joplin. Beautiful 

sleeve too. Apparently the recent CD re also includes 

the real soundtrack versions with Lynn Carey. [PL] 

BEZALEL & THE SABRAS (New York City, NY) 

"Folk Rock Israeli Style" 1966 (Tikva t-128)

"Bezalel and the Sabras" 1966 (Tikva t-134) 

"Jerusalem Of Gold" 1967 (Tikva t-122) 

Jewish garage band featuring melodic guitar folk 

instros and reverb rockers, some fuzz. One track from 

the "Jerusalem" LP (released as by the Sabras only) 

appears on the "Riot City" compilation. 

B F TRIKE (Evansville, IN) 

"B F Trike" 1988 (Rockadelic 1.5) 

"B F Trike" 1995 (CD Rockadelic no #) 

Post-Hickory Wind demo LP recorded in 1971 for RCA. 

Rated highly by some, though not really top-level in 

my opinion, with a commercialized FM rock sound and 

dull fuzz riffs. I find this less original and 

atmospheric than Hickory Wind. First LP on the 

Rockadelic label, this caused quite a stir upon 

release. [PL] 

~~~ 

The more mainstream hard rock sound may make this 

less interesting than Hickory Wind to some, and it 

certainly lacks the variety and just plain weird vibe 

of that album. Nonetheless, this is a more 

accomplished set of songs, straightforward fuzzy hard 

rock that hits far more than it misses. To my ears, 

this is an excellent example of the genre as it 

transitioned from the 60s to the 70s. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Hickory Wind 

BHAGAVAN DAS (Laguna Beach, CA) 

"Ah" 1972 (Bhagavan Das rd-1) [2LPs; gatefold; book] 

"Ah" 2002 (CD Dharmaware) [+bonus CD-Rom] 

Neither psych nor folk but spiritual Indian trance 

chanting; recommended mainly to those with a special 

interest in this 70s cosmic community scene, which 

also involved Ram Dass/Richard Alpert (who wrote the 

liner notes). Bhagavan Das, then a young ex-surfer 

guy from Laguna Beach, is today known as "the Jimi 

Hendrix of kirtan". In addition to this release, 

there is a 1978 single-LP pressing which appears to 

be disc 2 & 3 from the double set. [PL] 

"Swaha" 1974 (no label) [2LPs; gatefold; book] 

"Swaha" 200 (CD Dharmaware) 

The rarer second LP is credited to Bhagavan Das and 

Amazing Grace and more Western-oriented with some

communal hippie folk and blues vibes, not bad at all. 

About 2/3rds is traditional Indian chanting while two 

moody, trancey Blind Willie Johnson covers should 

appeal to anyone, and there's also a downer 

singer/songwriter tune. Partly recorded live at 

Winterland. [PL] 

~~~ 


BIG BROTHER [feat Ernie Joseph] (Santa Barbara, CA) 

"Confusion" 1970 (All American 5718) 

"Confusion" 1989 (All American) [bootleg] 

"Confusion" 1998 (Akarma 013, Italy) 

"Confusion" came as a major change in direction to 

anyone familiar with Ernie Orosco/Joseph's earlier 

pop/lite-psych moves with Giant Crab et al. Material 

such as "Heart Full of Rain", "L.L.A. (Lubricated 

Love Affair)" and the bluesy "Heavy Load" offered up 

a set of Hendrix-styled guitar pyrotechnics. 

Elsewhere, the heavily phased "E.S.P." (a strange 

reworking of The Pretty Thing's "L.S.D.") was 

actually a rehash of Giant Crab's final single. Given 

the abundance of guitar rockers, at least to our 

ears, the standout track was the atypical ballad 

"Wake Up In the Morning". Sweet and sincere, its a 

beautiful effort. Sure, it ain't the most original LP 

you'll hear this year and parts of the percussion 

heavy closing suite "Gravus Delictum" drag, but the 

performances were enthusiastic, and it's an album we 

play on a regular basis. [SB] 

~~~ 

Mostly first rate hardrocker with a mix of blistering 

fuzz raveups and bluesy melodic tracks. Ernie 

Joseph's lead guitar and soaring vocals are exemplary 

throughout. The lengthy closer is a bohemian 

embarrassment however, unless you live for drum 

solos. [RM] 

~~~ 

see -> Indescribably Delicious 

"South East Tour" 1998 (Akarma 036, Italy) 

Supposedly "South East Tour" was originally released 

in 1971 under All American catalog number AA-5773- 

LPD. The title and packaging give you the impression 

this is a live set, but that's not really the story. 

Half of the ten tracks are pulled from Joseph's 

earlier band - A Giant Crab Comes Forth. The other 

five selections are billed as previously unreleased 

efforts, but tracks such as "Keeping the Faith" and 

"How Many Times" don't sound like concert recordings 

to our ears. In terms of quality, the new stuff 

varies from ponderous boogie ("Satisfied Woman") to 

mildly entertaining ("Truthfulness"). Giant Crab 

tracks such as the fuzz guitar propelled "Hotline 

Conversation" and the blue-eyed soul-ish "Save Me 

(Save Me)" provide the highlights. [SB] 

"An All American Emperor" 1999 (Akarma 042, Italy) 

To be honest "An All American Emperor" came as 

somewhat of a surprise to me. Judging by the cover I

was expecting to hear a set of guitar powered rockers 

similar to Joseph's Big Brother catalog. Instead 

material such as 'You Let Me Live', 'I Guess I Never 

Knew You' and 'I Can't Help Being Yours' features a 

much lighter and top-40 oriented commercial sound. 

Offering fair warning to all potential buyers, 

heavily orchestrated tracks such as 'Cleo' and 

'Welcome To the World' have more in common with Mark 

Lindsay (perhaps even Gary Lewis) than a rock band. 

That's not meant as a criticism since stuff like 

'Mary Jane' and 'What Became of Yesterday's Hero' 

stands as first rate pop. If I'd bought this knowing 

it was a pop album I probably would have given it an 

added star. Just don't buy this expecting to hear 

hard rock or something psychedelic. The material 

comes from a circa 1968 pre-Big Brother acetate. [SB] 

V.A "BIG HITS OF MID-AMERICA" (MN) 

"Big Hits Of Mid-America, vol 1" 1965 (Soma mg-1245 / Garrett 

201) 

"Big Hits Of Mid-America, vol 2" 1966 (Soma mg-1246) 

Samplers of Minnesota bands with local hits and flops 

emanating from the wellknown Amos label nexus. 

Contains healthy doses of the swinging frat and teenbeat 

for which the region has become famous. Vol 1 

has Gregory Dee & the Avanties, Underbeats, Accents. 

Vol 2 has Castaways, Gestures, High Spirits, 

CHancellors. Canadian pressings on the Apex label 

exist. See also the "Top Teen Bands" series. 

BIG LOST RAINBOW (CT) 

"Big Lost Rainbow" 1973 (no label 6364) [white/black label; 

two inserts] 

"Big Lost Rainbow" 1973 (no label 6364) [blue/silver label; 

two inserts] 

"Big Lost Rainbow" 1998 (CD Gear Fab gf-118) [+4 tracks; 

black cover] 

"Big Lost Rainbow" 1998 (Gear Fab gf-118) [black cover] 

"Big Lost Rainbow" 2000 (Akarma, Italy) [insert; black cover] 

Pastoral singer/songwriter LP with an archetypal 

sound for the style. Many people seem to hate this, 

but revisiting it now I can't really see what all the 

fuss is about. There's nothing "psychedelic" or "acid 

folk" about it for sure, but taken for what it is I 

find it reasonably enjoyable. Drawing on CSN roots 

(without the "Y") with some James Taylor and maybe 

Cat Stevens on top, the main Big Lost Rainbow guy 

Ridley Pearson delivers a string of well-written and 

skillfully arranged songs with unassuming, somewhat 

weak vocals, light rock backing and frequent use of 

piano. Lyrics deal with hippie concerns, but the 

music is mainly in a sophisticated s/sw direction. 

The extended "Sail" goes all the way out into jazzy 

violin/flute/piano improv, which isn't bad but still 

one of the weaker aspects to the LP. Side 2 lays on a 

sombre, reflective mood with a typical post-60s feel, 

which combined with good use of flute makes for an 

agreeable period sound. Well worth checking out for

fans of things like Wilcox-Sullivan-Wilcox and 

Greenwood, Curlee & Thompson, never mind the bullshit 

"psych" hype you may see on it. The original pressing 

is somewhat noisy and comes in two variants, both 

have a silkscreened front cover and paste-on back. 

One cover is black and one is white. The total press 

size is probably upwards 1500. Pearson went on to 

fame as a novelist. [PL] 

BIG TOWN BOYS (Toronto, Canada) 

BIKE (IN) 

"Big Town Boys" 1966 (Capitol t-6168) [mono; gatefold] 

"Big Town Boys" 1966 (Capitol st-6168) [stereo; gatefold] 

Teenbeat & pop from popular band in the famous 

Capitol 6000 series. 

"Bike" 1978 (no label 34160) 

DON BIKOFF ( ) 

Hardrock with Don Pierle. Don is Ray Pierle's brother 

(McKay, Rhythm of the Highway) but did not play in 

the Pierle Brothers Band. 

"Celestial Explosion" 1968 (Keyboard k711-s) 

New York City label. Instrumental guitar tracks with 

a cosmic edge. 

BILL HOLT'S DREAMIES see Dreamies 

BILLY (Minneapolis, MN) 

"Persephone" 1972 (Orion s80-462-2823s) [promo exists] 

Laid-back druggy folk from Billy Hallquist. This LP 

is typically listed as Persephone Billy. "Persephone" 

is one of the songs and promo copies make it clear 

the artist is "Billy". About 2000 copies were 

pressed, according to the man himself. There's also a 

second LP, "Travelling". Ex-Thundertree. 

EDWIN BIRDSONG (Philadelphia, PA) 

"Supernatural" 1973 (Polydor 5057) 

"Supernatural" 200 (Polydor) 

"Supernatural" 200 (CD Polydor) 

Guitar/keyboard driven soul/funk/rock hybrid LP with 

some great moments. The playing becomes a bit too

accomplished and almost jazz-rocky at times though 

and it's the groove that suffers from it. Also the 

guitarist can't seem to calm down and go with the 

groove, he plays about twice as much and half as 

soulful and funky as Eddie Hazel or Hendrix. It's a 

pretty good album, but the "rock" element takes over 

too much and it's not near as good as the '75 one. 

[MM] 

"Dance Of Survival" 1975 (Bam-boo GR 004) [gold foil 

gatefold] 

"Dance Of Survival" 1975 (Bam-boo GR 004) [silver foil 

gatefold] 

"Dance Of Survival" 200 (Bam-boo) 

Spacy keyboard driven psychedelic funk, housed in a 

great looking sleeve. The guitars on this album are 

strictly clean sounding rhythm ones, the leads are 

handled by Edwin himself on freaky sounding moog etc 

fed through analog filters that gives those wonderful 

"whooshy" sounds. I'm usually no big fan of keyboard 

driven songs, let alone albums, but here it works 

surprisingly well. Good songs, great grooves, weird 

lyrics and a warm'n'spacy sounds makes this into one 

of the best and most original afro american 

funk/psych albums of the 1970's. [MM] 

BIRDWATCHERS (Tampa, FL) 

"The Birdwatchers" 1980 (Florida Rock 4001) [1000p] 

This popular, long-running Florida band didn't have 

any albums released in the 1960s, but a whole bunch 

of 45s under their own name and in various related 

outfits. The retrospective 1980 LP collects many of 

their recordings, although there's more out there. 

"Mary Mary" is an alternate, previously unreleased 

version, while "Turn Around Girl" is listed on the 

cover but missing from the vinyl. The LP is seldom 

seen today, and oddly no other samplers of the band 

exist. A band member joined Magic of "Enclosed" fame 

in the late 1960s. 

BIRMINGHAM SUNDAY (NV) 

"A Message From" 1968 (All American 5718) 

"A Message From" 1999 (Akarma, Italy) 

Super-rare LP on this infamous label, has been hyped 

as a "psych monster" but is more of a typical LA 

vocal harmony lytepsych artefact. Past this initial 

let-down the album still has things going for it that 

makes it worth checking out. There's 3-4 tracks in a 

Growing Concern-alike style that fits the band 

perfectly; mid-tempo minor chord folk-tinged tunes 

such as the great "Wondering What To Feel". The rich 

vocal harmonies work both ways, on the strong tracks 

they provide a powerful feel, while the weaker tracks 

sound bland and exploitative. There's some fuzz 

leads, unexpected use of saxophone, delightfully 

silly "drug" lyrics, and an overall feel of a vocal

RANDY BISHOP ( ) 

harmony group who tried injecting a "freak" factor 

into their music as the times were a-changing. On the 

westcoast scale it lands somewhere between Mamas & 

the Papas and Yankee Dollar. [PL] 

"Sing A Soft Song" 197 (Liquid Stereo 1) [100p] 

Demo press of pro-sounding, somewhat eccentric 

singer/songwriter material with lounge aspects. 

Recorded in Vancouver. It's the same Randy Bishop who 

was in the Wackers, etc. 

BILL BISSETT & THE MANDAN MASSACRE (Vancouver, Canada) 

"Awake in the Red Desert" 1968 (See/Hear #3 ST 55580) [500p; 

insert] 

"Awake in the Red Desert" 2001 (CD Gear Fab gf-169) 

Wild avant garde ensemble with electronics, caveman 

percussion, ranting vocals and a freaky psychedelic 

stew over what is essentially an audio book 

recording. The LP was issued in conjunction with a 

book of the same title published by Talon Books. 

Bissett went on to enduring fame as a poet and 

painter. [RM] 

~~~ 

see -> "See/Hear" 

BIT A SWEET (Long Island, NY) 

"Hypnotic 1" 1968 (ABC s-640) 

DAVE BIXBY ( ) 

This popsike album gets points for early willingness to 

experiment, and it includes some very primitive 

electronics. The opening track starts out sounding like 

mediocre orchestrated AM pop, but then moves into an 

unexpected and cool sitar interlude. The rest of the 

album follows suit, with most songs being both bad and 

good. For example, the second song, “2066,” mixes a pop 

melody that would make Herman’s Hermits proud with some 

somewhat random synthesizer or theremin and sci-fi 

lyrics. If they’d never heard "Sgt Pepper", they would 

have been a second-rate Association wannabe. As it is 

they’re a second-rate Head Shop or Aggregation wannabe. 

Fans of Beatles covers might get a kick out of their 

version of “If I Needed Someone,” which dispenses with 

the song’s best asset, the jangly guitars. This may seem 

like a negative review, but this album is actually pretty 

fun and has some catchy songs. That said, as this kind of 

thing goes, there are dozens of better albums. The mix of 

guitar pop, soft rock, trendy psychedelia and occasional 

soul brings to mind the Sundowners. A long orchestrated 

instrumental has the feeling of not being done by the 

band at all, a la the Chocolate Watchband. Pick hit: the 

dreamy “With You”. [AM]

"Ode To Quetzalcoatl" 197 (D-24 700320) 

BLAC DOG (LA) 

Highly rated by the few who have heard it, this 

tormented religious loner/downer folk LP has to rank 

as one of the ultimate incarnations of the genre. The 

opening "Drug Song" sets the tone perfectly as a 

supremely world-weary, echo-laden guy laments on how 

he screwed himself up with dope; "I'm no longer a 

person, I can't even feel". The resolution is (of 

course) Christ, who is serenaded in the following 

tracks, although the despairing, suicidal mood is 

strangely unchanged. Salvation or none, it seems most 

things are still a mess for Bixby. Numbers such as 

"Mother" and the Grudzien-level "666" confirm such 

suspicions. Musically it's a wellwritten lo-fi 

recording of steelstringed acoustic and a single 

voice, much like Christopher Montgomery, but 

undoubtedly more tortured and intense. Frantic guitar 

strumming is used to tighten up the tension in an 

effective way a la Perry Leopold, while more lyrical 

moods are supported by swift fingerpicking. The 

vocals are amateurish and somewhat uneven, and in 

fact work best when most charged with emotion. The 

organic correspondence between lyrics, playing and 

arrangements is impressive and makes the LP seem more 

alive and artistically aware than most in this often 

disappointing genre. Must be heard by any fringe fan. 

[PL] 

"Backwoods Boogie" 1978 (Crazy Horse 2001) 

Swamp fuzz rock, harmonica. Heavy southern rock 

boogie sound. 

TERRY BLACK (Vancouver, Canada) 

"The Black Plague" 1966 (Arc 5001) 

"The Black Plague" 2005 (CD Unidisc 2313) 

BLACKBIRD ( ) 

Canadian teenybopper who moved to LA to collaborate 

with Sloan-Barri. The LP is often referred to as a 

collectable, but is mainly teenbeat with some 

tentative garage moves. This is the same guy who 

would make the Terence: "An Eye For An Ear" album. 

"Blackbird" 1974 (Vinnick Studios var-122) 

Moody acoustic folkrock with hippie vibe.

JOHNNY BLACKBURN & MARY LAUREN (TN) 

"Echoes of Love's Reality" 1981 (Wind's Eye Music jb-5463) 

[booklet] 

Despite the 80s recording and release date, this 

album has a wonderful mid-70s acid folk vibe. The two 

voices blend together beautifully, and the occasional 

fuzz guitars give the music an appealing floating 

quality. It's dreamy and occasionally meandering, 

kind of like a lazy day at the park. The only obvious 

80s nod is the use of string synthesizers. Unlike 80s 

rarities like Alshia or Child's Art this one just 

plain sounds good. The neat arrangements include 

oboe, a unlikely but wholly effective instrument for 

this type of music. There's not a lot of melodic 

variety; it's a long album that maybe could have been 

trimmed a bit, but that's a minor complaint. This is 

a good one. Most copies are missing the large 

booklet, which may have been sold separately from the 

album (it was not included inside sealed copies). 

[AM] 

~~~ 

Most would probably agree that this is one of the 

very best psych-style LPs from the 1980s. Not retro 

at all but (like Bobb Trimble) a piece of the late 

1960s preserved from time's rust. Male/female vocals 

lament and serenade "the quest for knowledge of love 

and beauty" in an appealing soundscape, with lyrical 

guitar leads throughout, good use of mellotron, 

occasional tablas, flute and bells. The recording has 

a definite 1981 sound but (again like Bobb) this 

somehow becomes an advantage. The vocal blend is 

superb and may recall Anonymous and Bermuda Triangle, 

while the wistful mood and beautiful melodies is a 

bit like British band Ithaca or the melodic sides of 

Seventh Dawn. Moments such as "Beautiful Dreamer" go 

truly deep and there's not a questionable song on it. 

Obviously superior to "collectable" 1970s hippie 

couple albums like Susan & Richard Thomas, this is 

recommended to anyone open for a folkpsych trip 

inside the melancholy and bliss of romance; starryeyed 

as a Valentine Day card written on LSD. [PL] 

BLACKBURN & SNOW see S F O Music Box 

BLACK DIAMONDS ( ) 

"A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix" 1971 (Alshire s-5220) 

This is a repackaging of the Animated Egg album. It's 

exactly the same songs, but in a different order and 

with new titles that evoke Hendrix songs (i.e. "Hazy 

Color," "Experienced You"). B-movie trash psych with 

fuzz, reverb, and cheesy go-go organ. 

Related/overlapping LPs also include Purple Fox and 

Jeff Cooper & Stoned Wings, none of which seem to 

have had US pressings. A Spanish pressing exists. 

J D BLACKFOOT (Columbus, OH)

"The Ultimate Prophecy" 1971 (Mercury sr-61288) [wlp; photo; 

insert] 

"The Ultimate Prophecy" 1971 (Mercury sr-61288) [insert] 

"The Ultimate Prophecy" 199 (Mercury) 

"The Ultimate Prophecy" 199 (CD Tokala) 

Remember those "hip" clothes you wore when you were a 

young teen, that now, years later in retrospect, made 

you look like a complete dork? And how you used to 

try to acheive some sort of "oneupmanship" over your 

buddies by "discovering" that great unknown or 

obscure LP or artist that was really cool??. I bet 

that J.D. Blackfoot's "Ultimate Prophesy" was one of 

those "cool" LP's for alot of people back in the day. 

It was given FM radio play in isolated markets across 

the midwest, including heavy play in St. Louis. 

Unfortunately, some 30 years later, it's exposed as a 

shallow attempt at rural prog rock. Now I must admit 

that 15-20 years ago I thought this album was the 

shit, one of the best. So I may have entered this 

with high expectations... maybe too high. "One Time 

Woman" is a mediocre mid-west bar rocker with a dumb, 

tiresome chorus. The next cut "Angel" was/is still my 

fave on the LP. Sounds like a stoned Pure Prairie 

League/Ozark Mtn. Daredevils meets Arthur Lee & 

Love... brilliant!! By the third and fourth cuts I 

began to realize just how one dimensional the guitar 

playing was, not bad, just boring. "Good Day 

Extending Company" features more than a few of J.D.'s 

patented shouts of "Ugh!!" or somesuch... decent use 

of echoed vocals and effects... one of the better 

cuts on the LP. "I've Never Seen You" has a 

countrified/Byrdsy flavor and sounds like what I 

always hoped the "Spur" LP sounded like. "The 

Ultimate Prohesy" begins a 5 cut "song cycle" that 

describes the process of birth and death as if 

narrated by an American Indian with a profound olde 

english accent... HUH!!!??? (plenty of hath's, doth's 

and thou's). Lots of time changes, acoustic and 

electric dispersed pretty evenly, and I am a sucker 

for J.D.'s vocals when run through various effects. 

But overall it's GOOFY!!! Almost a parody of itself. 

I can certainly understand why I was once a fan of 

this LP, and why many folks, upon first listens will 

dig it as well. But like those red, white and blue 

bellbottoms and the t-shirt with Nixon/Agnew tap 

dancing across the front of it that I wore in the 7th 

grade, this LP just doesn't hold up in 2002. And by 

the time I got through side two I swore that if I 

heard him yell "Ugh" just one more time I was gonna 

send Mr. Blackfoot some Ex-Lax. [RH] 

~~~ 

This album was once a collectors' darling, now a 

collectors' joke. As is usually the case, the truth 

is somewhere in the middle, and while the rantings 

and ravings on side two are laughable, they're never 

dull, and the songs rock with a manic intensity (the 

drumming is truly insane) that makes it easy to see 

how this became an underground classic on St Louis 

radio. One side of the craziness is enough, and in 

the long run it's the solid rural rock on side one 

that will stick with you. "Angel," in particular, is 

gorgeous, but their melodic sense is strong 

throughout. No, this isn't a masterpiece, but it's an 

album I enjoy every time I listen to it. J D 

Blackfoot would release two more LPs on Fantasy, and 

a local 2LP live set in 1982. The band continued on

BLACKHORSE (TX) 

as Osiris after he left the group. A UK pressing 

exists with a different cover. [AM] 

~~~ 

see another full-length review 

"Blackhorse" 1979 (DSDA 1) 

"Blackhorse" 1993 (Limited Edition, Italy) 

Southern style hardrock trio on Dallas label. 

BLACK MERDA aka MER-DA (MS; Detroit, MI). 

"Black Merda" 1970 (Chess lps-1551) 

"Black Merda" 199 (reissue) [altered cover] 

Early psych/funk mix that has a great sound and lots 

of cool (acoustic and electric) guitar. Songwriting 

isn’t as strong as the overall vibe, though, and the 

vocals are lousy. A few instrumentals would seem to 

remedy that problem, but they’re among the least 

interesting songs on the album. Interesting but 

frustrating. This album achieved notoriety when the 

song "Cnythy-Ruth" was included on the outstanding 

funk/psych compilation Chains And Black Exhaust. [AM] 

"Long Burn The Fire" 1972 (Janus) [as Mer-Da] 

This second album is, for some reason, credited to 

“Mer-Da.” The overall vibe is similar to the debut 

but the production is smoother, which unfortunately 

dulls the effect of the guitars. The songwriting is 

better this time around, but the harmonies are the 

most out-of-tune you’ll ever hear, so flat that 

you’ll think they’ve invented a new style of singing. 

If you can get past the singing the lyrics are quite 

interesting, with a post-"There's A Riot Goin' On" 

depressive feel. [AM] 

BLACK ORCHIDS (Charleston, WV) 

"AWOL" 1972 (Black Orchid) [no cover; 200p] 

Hard psych two-sided instrumental jam. 

BLACK VELVET (Las Vegas, NV) 

"Black Spirit" 1973 (Krio 01052) 

Lounge rock funky realness. 

BLACK VOY ALLEY (El Paso, TX)

"Black Voy Alley" 1972 (Black Voy Alley Records BVA 82172) 

BLACKWELL (TX) 

Obscure 70s cover band doing several Three Dog Night 

numbers, mixed with Deep Purple, Traffic, Blue Oyster 

Cult. 

"Blackwell" 1970 (Astro 9010) 

Psychy bluesy rock. 

HAL BLAINE (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Psychedelic Percussion" 1967 (Dunhill d-50019) [mono] 

"Psychedelic Percussion" 1967 (Dunhill ds-50019) [stereo] 

BLAZERS (GA) 

Famous L.A. session drummer dons the studio psych hat 

and gets real. Spaced-out drum rock with Paul Beaver 

(Beaver & Krause) contributing electronics! 

"On Fire" 1967 (Perfection Sound Studios 5022/23) 

Obscure Southern teen-band club LP. 

BLESSED END (Philadelphia, PA) 

"Movin' On" 1971 (TNS J248) [1000p] 

"Movin' On" 1992 (TNS, Austria) [bootleg] 

"Movin' On" 1998 (CD Gear Fab 112) [+1 track] 

"Movin' On" 2000 (Akarma 118, Italy) [+1 track] 

Have to state right away that I don't like this LP, 

I've heard it many times but always found it 

mediocre. It's biker psych-rock with Doorsy vocals 

and "heavy" outlaw moods, but the songs are 

simplistic and boring and the sound unfulfilled and 

claustrophobic. A depressing LP to my ears, some 

people love it though. The original pressing is 

apparently noisy. [PL] 

~~~ 

Among the few folks who've actually heard this, the 

album comes off as either a wonderful slice of Doorsstyled 

rock, or utter and complete derivative crap. 

For some reason, moderation doesn't seem to exist 

with regard to this set. So where do we stand? Well, 

we'll cast our lot with the former group. While the 

Doors influence is unarguable, most of the ten 

originals are actually pretty good. While the 

vocalist occasionally overdoes the Jim Morrison vibe, 

overall he's a pretty impressive performer, kicking 

considerable energy into tracks such as the lead off 

rocker "Nighttime Rider", "Someplace To Hide" and the 

title track. At the other end of the spectrum, the 

set occasionally bogs down amidst the band's penchant

for doom and gloom lyrics, and the band simply can't 

match Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger in terms of 

compositional skills or instrumental prowess. [SB] 

ARTHUR BLESSIT (Hollywood, CA) 

"Soul Session at 'His Place'" 1970 (Creative Sound css-1530) 

Self-proclaimed 'Minister to Sunset Strip'. 'His 

Place' was an all-night nightclub where Blessit 

preached his psychedelic take on the gospels. Hippie 

street preacher wierdness. On "Soul Session", one 

side is Blessit's goofball sermon and the other 

features a bizarre play and garagy jamming by exaddicts, 

The Eternal Rush! [RM] 

FREDDY BLIFFERT (WI) 

"You'll Like Bliffert" 197 (no label 1) [insert] 

BLIND OWL (Canada) 

Stoner folk blues and singer/songwriter. Bliffert was 

in 1960s band Freddy & the Freeloaders. 

"Blind Owl" 1973 (KC 1010) 

1970s folk from little-known act. 

BLIND RAVAGE (Montreal, Canada) 

"Blind Ravage" 1972 (Crescent Street cs-1874) 

BLISS (AZ) 

Rhythmic guitar and organ hardrock with growling 

vocals. 

"Bliss" 1969 (Canyon 7707) 

"Bliss" 2002 (Void 023) 

One of our favorite recent discoveries, "Bliss" was 

released by the L.A.-based Canyon Records. Musically 

the LP offered up a mix of originals (all three 

members contributing material), and blues covers. 

Based on the cover which shows a chalice and a young, 

angry looking priest, our initial expectations were 

that this might be a Christian-rock LP. Those 

thoughts were reinforced by the opener "Ride the Ship 

of Fool" which blended a nice melody with sweet 

harmonies and a pseudo-religious lyric and "Cry for 

Love". While those characteristics are enough to send 

a large segment of the population running for cover, 

in this case the results aren't half bad. The

eligious sentiments are kept in check throughout and 

are wrapped in a series of tasty rockers. With 

powerhouse drumming and strong fuzz guitar (check out 

"Visions" and their cover of Joe Tex's "I Want To be 

Free"), this is simply a great LP! [SB] 

BLITZ (Cleveland, OH) 

"Oga Erutuf" 1975 (no label) 

BLOODY MARY ( ) 

This hard rock band performed in makeup that was 

similar to, but more tribal than, Kiss, making them a 

real product of their time. There is one truly putrid 

song here, “Don’t Wanna Be Bussed,” which couples an 

annoying speak-sing vocal with a horrid attempt at 

social commentary. Bands this dumb shouldn’t make 

attempts to be meaningful; they dare to insult some 

girl’s intelligence in one lyric, while elsewhere 

they think that the song title “Holden Me Down” is 

spelled correctly. An obvious explanation for their 

lack of brainpower can be found in the massive 

amounts of references to a stoner lifestyle. That 

said, considering the gimmick and the low IQ, other 

than that one song, the music on this album is very 

good, a pleasant surprise. It’s melodic, hooky, even 

tasteful hard rock. A few songs verge on good power 

pop and none of them are bogged down by slow paces or 

tedious soloing. The dreamy, spacy “Mr. Natural” is 

fantastic. So, as long as you skip track two on side 

one and don’t pay too much attention to the words, 

this is recommended. [AM] 

"Bloody Mary" 1974 (Family Productions fps-2707) 

BILL BLUE ( ) 

Oddly, this LP has almost no credits, and the listing 

of "John Bradley" as an engineer has many speculating 

that the ex-Sir Lord Baltimore drummer/ singer is in 

this band. If so, he's certainly lost that je ne sais 

quoi that made him so amazing, because the vocals 

here are strident without being exciting. The band 

plays guitar/organ heavy rock that's relatively 

undistinguished, though the closing song on side one 

is pretty great. This album has an odd not-quitefunky 

hard rock sound that's hard to describe, but 

it's likely that a listener will either immediately 

like it or immediately hate it. Yet another bizarre 

album on the Family label. [AM] 

"Indian Summer Blues" 1975 (Feather) 

"Street Preacher" 1975 (Feather 7001) 

Acoustic folk blues with slide guitar and occasional 

piano, second LP has full rock setting.

BLUEBIRD (Seattle, WA) 

"Country Boy Blues" 1980 (Piccadilly 3382) 

Early 1970s recordings rural folkrock sound with 

harmony vocals. The band recorded a still unreleased 

LP in 1972, including a live version of "Cantaloupe 

Island", also famously covered by Seattle colleagues 

Daily Flash. 

~~~ 

see -> Grand Theft 

BLUEBYRD (Bernidji, MN) 

"Bluebyrd" 1975 (no label) 

Introspective folk trio with psych leanings. Acoustic 

guitar, flute, hand drums. 

BLUE JOHN see Thrower Spillane & McFarland 

BLUE LIGHT (HI) 

"Reflections Of The Inner" 197 (BLPC) 

Obscure progessive folk from Hawaii. 

BLUE MAX (Amherst, Canada) 

"Limited Edition" 1976 (Solar 2011) [1000p] 

"Limited Edition" 2003 (CD Gear Fab 203) 

BLUE MONEY BAND ( ) 

Local Nova Scotia teenage hard-rock with band 

originals all through. 

"No Money Down" 1977 (Money Master) 

"Do Your Duty!" 1979 (Money Master 1273-2) [blue vinyl] 

Mix of blues, hardrock, and psych with stinging 

leads. Ex-Woolies guys. 

BLUE MOUNTAIN EAGLE (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Blue Mountain Eagle" 1970 (Atco 33324) 

As far as music per $ value goes this is one of the 

best scores out there. A 2nd-tier supergroup of 

sorts, these guys put together an LP of ballsy psych-

hard rock transition tunes that ranks with any 

private press. Fat production with dual guitar leads, 

awesome bass runs (by Randy Fuller!) and tight 

ensemble singing. Occasional X-ian concerns in the 

lyrics and it does have an Agape/All Saved Freak Band 

feel. The sound is a consistently balanced mix of 

westcoast rock, British hard rock and early Southern 

rock; it would have fit well on the Nasco label. To 

nitpick some, the male ensemble singing creates a 

somewhat detached feel and the production is too 

slick in places, but if on a private label and with a 

female vocalist this would have been a $500 LP. Great 

opening track gives a good idea of the album's sound. 

Judging by the catalog number the LP was released in 

the Spring 1970. A French pressing exists, and there 

is also a non-LP 45 track. 

BLUE RIDGE (Long Island, NY) 

"Blue Ridge" 1974 (no label r-2025) [100p] 

Rural x-ian rock sound with a loose amateur feel. 

Several of the tracks have heavy guitar breaks worthy 

of Joshua. The vocals are charmingly bad and some of 

the lyrics are downright strange like on the trippy 

"My Love's Alright" and the amazing anti-abortion 

ditty "Unborn Baby". Not a great LP but an 

interesting obscurity. The drummer, John Hauser, went 

on to play on the Danny & Lynda LP. According to the 

band, as few as 100 copies were pressed. [RM] 

BLUES CLIMAX see Alan Franklin (Explosion) 

BLUES IMAGE (Tampa, FL) 

"Something to Say" 1977 (Illusion cm-2006) 

"Leavin' My Troubles Behind" 1977 (Illusion cm-2007) 

"Ride Captain Ride" 1977 (Illusion cm-2008) 

"Can't You Believe in Forever" 1978 (Illusion) 

"Clean Love" 1978 (Illusion) 

BLUES SPECTRUM (PA) 

Bluesy guitar rock featuring Mike Pinera (Iron 

Butterfly, Thee Image) on his own tax-scam label. The 

band had an earlier hit on Atco with "Ride Captain 

Ride". The Illusion LPs are rather difficult to find, 

although musically they are a bit too much in the 

mainstream roadhouse bag to attract significant 

collectors attention. Hopney and Charmer members 

provide the backing. The band's earlier wellknown LPs 

on Atco are not listed here. [RM]

"We Were the Blues Spectrum" 1969 (no label db-8970) 

BLUES TRAIN ( ) 

High school group. Rough, garagy blues jams with 

horns and fuzz. One of the border pieces from garage 

into stoner rock. 

"Blues/Train" 1969 (Condor 2465) 

"Blues/Train" 200 (CD Gear Fab 158) 

"Blues/Train" 200 (Gear Fab/Comet 406, Italy) 

Jammy blues-rock with possible Johnny Kitchen (Crazy 

People, Victims Of Chance, etc) involvement. 

BLUES UNION (Houston, TX) 

"Blues Union" 1980 (Lunar 2) 

Blues rock and Texas shuffle with wailing guitar 

courtesy Michael Heyman, early 1970s sound. A 45 was 

also released. 

BLUE THINGS (Hays, KS) 

"Blue Things" 1966 (RCA LPM 3603) [mono] 

"Blue Things" 1966 (RCA LSP 3603) [stereo] 

"Blue Things" 2002 (RCA) [bootleg] 

If you know them from the good psych 45s, beware as 

this is for the most part unexceptional Beau Brummels 

style folkrock. Admittedly has some good tracks but 

is a far cry from their best efforts to my ears. Nice 

sleeve design though. An exact vinyl repro now 

exists, and all tracks are also available on the 

Cicadelic 3-LP set, also issued on CD by 

Collectables. The third volume in the series features 

their excellent psych-oriented material from 1967. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

Due to inclusion in Ritchie Unterberger’s "Unknown 

Legends" book, they’ve gotten quite a bit of 

attention. A series of CD reissues have mixed up the 

album, single and unreleased tracks in a rather 

haphazard manner, which in my opinion detracts from 

all of them. The actual album is a very enjoyable 

folk-rock record with great vocals and a bit of a 

rocking garage edge here and there. Most of the 

melodies are stolen from somewhere (a “You’ve Got To 

Hide Your Love Away” rip is the most blatant), which 

keeps this from being completely top shelf, but the 

album isn’t packed with filler like most relics of 

its time. It has aged surprisingly well. The post-LP 

psychedelic singles, which are completely different 

from the album, similarly have a great sound to them 

but are a tad short on ideas. The same backwards 

guitar sound runs through all of them and one of them 

steals the Monkees’ “Last Train To Clarksville” 

melody. [AM]

BOA (MI) 

"Wrong Road" 1971 (Snakefield 001) [circa 500p] 

"Wrong Road" 199 (Snakefield) [bootleg] 

"Wrong Road" 1998 (CD Gear Fab 113) [+2 tracks] 

"Wrong Road" 1998 (Gear Fab 113) [+2 tracks] 

This cool early hardrock item has every bit as much 

garage attitude as the best '66 LPs. An enjoyable 

energizer with wild stories about murder and 

infidelity in a raunchy basement guitar/organ 

setting. Crappy press and one of the least 

professional band photos ever on the sleeve. A minor 

classic within the field. A 10" acetate recorded as 

Anvil in 1970 has also been found. [PL] 

~~~ 

This late garage album has a rough sound, cheesy 

organ, simple hooks, and lyrics about the singer 

murdering his girlfriend. I like the cymbal-happy 

drummer and the fact that the bass is way too high in 

the mix. I can’t say the same about over-loud backing 

vocals, though. Overall, this is a decent garagebordering-on-hard-rock 

album where the cheap 

production works both for it and against it. The 

songs and playing are decent; the energy level is 

high, the singer is appealing. The closing song rocks 

particularly hard. The only problem is that the “oh 

oh” vocals in the last couple of minutes are horribly 

out of tune, ending things on a sour note. That issue 

aside, most of you will enjoy this quite a bit. [AM] 

~~~ 

Here's some more Boa details, from ex-band member Ted 

Burris: "The first time we went to the recording 

studio (and made the acetate) was in 1970. It was 

Anvil's first attempt at recording. The guy that 

recorded us was a cerebral palsey victim and worked 

the controls with the back of his knuckles. The next 

time we got together we did it ourself in a 

Tupperware warehouse owned by Brian the keyboardists' 

dad. It was all done live, so if we made a mistake we 

had to start over." 

BOA CONSTRICTOR & A NATURAL VINE (Baltimore, MD) 

BOAZ (WI) 

"Boa Constrictor and a Natural Vine" 1968 (Vanguard Apostolic 

vsd-6511) [promo exists] 

Dark bluesy underground folk. Primitive strummed 

guitar sound with moody sax and downer lyrical 

concerns. Like down and out country blues 78s 

filtered through a hippie seeker's prism. The LP was 

also released in Canada & UK. [RM]

"Three of a Kind" 1978 (Blue Moon) 

Heavy guitar trio bluesy swamp rock mixed with rural 

Deadish sound. 

BOBBY'S BLUES BAND ( ) 

"Gold Dust" 1978 (Royal Rose) 

Inept real people guitar rock and keys with backwards 

parts and long wayward jams that sound like its the 

first time they've ever played together. "My love is 

like an island in the sun" brings in weird caribbean 

atmospheres for a memorable experience, approaching 

some of the sleepier Grateful Dead clone bands from a 

novel angle. [RM] 

BOHEMIAN VENDETTA (Long Island, NY) 

"Bohemian Vendetta" 1968 (Mainstream 56106) [mono] 

"Bohemian Vendetta" 1968 (Mainstream S-6106) [stereo] 

"Bohemian Vendetta" 1997 (Mainstream) [bootleg] 

"Bohemian Vendetta" 199 (CD Mainstream) [bootleg] 

"Bohemian Vendetta" 1998 (Distortions) [+bonus tracks] 

"Bohemian Vendetta" 199 (CD Distortions) [+bonus tracks] 

Interest in this has surged recently and quite 

rightly too, as this is one of the best acid-punk LPs 

ever. Clearly inspired by "Electric Comicbook"-era 

Blues Magoos, these Long Island kids definitely had a 

problem with both drugs and their attitude! Their 

originals are excellent Vox organ/fuzz teen garage 

psych and the covers pretty demented as well. The 

cough syrup highschool play vibe of "Deaf, Dumb & 

Blind" must be heard to be believed. Not a perfect 

album, but the highs are higher than on almost any 

other LP of this kind. Possibly the best on the 

label, at least if you prefer the 60s teen-garage 

approach over hippie longhairs. A Canadian pressing 

exists. [PL] 

~~~ 

Easily one of the best on the label with lots of 

classy psychpunk originals and a truly unique vibe 

all through it. These guys must've been left pretty 

much on their own in the studio, probably accompanied 

by large amounts of weed and cheap beer! You can 

almost hear the degeneration taking place, from the 

almost straight punky performance of "Riddles & 

Fairytales" to the utterly demented "Satisfaction". 

They even manage to re-write "Gloria" into "(She 

Always Gives Me) Pleasure" and give it way dirtyer 

lyrics. The whole album must be heard to be believed 

- a truly unique LP, especially for a major label!

BOLD (MA) 

One of the few genuine US garage/acid punk LP's from 

the 60's no doubt. The pre-LP 45 ("Enough" / "Half 

The Time" on United Artists) is also an essential 

killer. [MM] 

~~~ 

see -> Dust Bowl Clementine; Faine Jade 

"The Bold" 1969 (ABC s-705) 

"Lullaby Opus 4" 2003 (CD Misty Lane 067, Italy) [album +6 

tracks] 

Overlooked psych-era album from band with famous 

garage 45s; the LP is an appealing mix of floating 

dreamy Northeast organ psych a la Freeborne and early 

rural rock, has some really good psych tracks and is 

worth checking out. Three wellknown covers lessen the 

impact but not enough so to ruin the LP. Vinylsourced 

CD reissue has the band's garage-era 45s as 

bonus. [PL] 

~~~ 

This Bosstown album probably failed to attract 

attention because it came a few years after the hype. 

Looking at the cover and seeing three familiar cover 

versions, you’d expect something unremarkable, but 

this is a real find, an original, highly creative 

album that stands with the best from the city. Lots 

of cool organ, interesting experiments (including a 

shimmering guitar instrumental that anticipates 

ambient music), jazzworthy chops, hooks that sneak up 

on you. Should appeal equally to psych and prog fans. 

Even the cover versions are great. Despite being on a 

major label, this rarely shows up for sale. [AM] 

BOLDER DAMN (Fort Lauderdale, FL) 

"Mourning" 1971 (Hit 5061) [500p] 

"Mourning" 1991 (Rockadelic) [altered cvr; insert; 300p] 

"Mourning" 1997 (CD Rockadelic) 

"Mourning" 2001 (Void 21) 

Underground teenage hardrock LP in the typical early 

70s bag with realistic lyrics about Vietnam. Strained 

pseudo-macho vocals may be seen as drawback, though 

probably appear charming to others. Often compared to 

Black Sabbath which is a fair analogy, though this 

has a more rural sound. Also shows some other 

ambitions on the long track on side 2. A classic 

among local hardrockers. As often, ridiculously low 

estimates of the pressing size have been in 

circulation, while the band has reported a more 

normal run of 500 copies. The vinyl reissue has 

altered track order. [PL] 

~~~ 

This band's popularity was almost entirely due to 

their Alice Cooper-inspired stage show, something 

that obviously is missing from the LP. The result is 

that whatever excitement they generated just isn't 

apparent to the listener, and the result is an 

enthusiastic but not particularly distinguished hard 

rock album. [AM]

BONDSMEN ( ) 

"Bondsmen" 1966 (Austin) 

BONNEVILLES (NC) 

Quite obscure teenbeat LP. 

"Bringing It Home" 1967 (Justice 146) 

"Bringing It Home" 1967 (CD Collectables 0623) 

Perhaps the archetypal Justice LP, even has a ballsy 

statement declaring the death of the "Liverpool 

Sound" and the "Tottenham Sound", and the coming 

victory of the blue-eyed frat-soul Justice sound. The 

lame-ass Billboard R'n'B 100 covers and uninspired 

playing found on the actual record stand in stark 

contrast to this bravado. Usual fare for the label, 

the hippest things being an incorrectly interpreted 

"96 tears" and a closing instro. Organ upfront, 

sloppy drummer, harmony vocals with lyric mistakes 

left intact; everything you can ask for. Band are 6 

shorthaired dorks, 2 with glasses. [PL] 

BONNIWELL MUSIC MACHINE see Music Machine 

T S BONNIWELL (Los Angeles, CA) 

BOOT (FL) 

"Close" 1969 (Capitol st-277) [green label] 

Dark crooner LP from Music Machine main guy. Held in 

low regard by MM fans but in fact well worth checking 

out for fringe/downer lounge LP fans. Bleak and 

introspective interiors from the acid hangover era: 

"Candles at noon, still shining/Poetry cold, 

unrhyming." [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Music Machine 

"Boot" 1972 (Agape lp-2601) 

This hard rock album by some down home Southern guys 

has an amusing album cover and some excellent music. 

Side one has four winners : they’re hooky, the guitar 

playing is hot, the rhythm section is tight and the 

singing is very good. There are no keyboards on this 

album, but the guitars provide plenty of variety, 

with slide guitar, lots of wah-wah, acoustic to add 

color, and two nice side-ending washes of feedback. 

The sound is hard without being heavy; the tempos are 

upbeat, the vibe is bar band rock and roll. Side two 

adds a hint of a rural edge (after all, these guys 

are Southerners), and while it’s not quite as 

consistent as side one, it’s strong enough to make

this album a definite keeper. It’s comparable to, as 

professional sounding, and better than, major label 

bands like Jukin’ Bone and Stray Dog, etc… The label 

is “Agape,” but there are no Christian lyrics, as far 

as I can tell. [AM] 

"Turn the Other Cheek" 1977 (Guiness gns-36002) 

This shows typical second album “growth,” moving from 

the first album’s straight hard rock into melodic 

guitar rock, bluesy southern rock and a side-long 

suite with prog leanings. Mostly it’s quite good and 

the guitar playing continues to be effective and 

varied. The great opening song “It’s All Comin’ Down” 

beats the best songs from the first album. Too bad 

about the five minute drum solo near the end of side 

one. It’s full of trippy sound effects, but it’s 

still a drum solo. Otherwise, this is recommended 

just a tad less strongly than their self-titled 

album. As is usually the case with tax scam label 

releases, it has not been determined when this music 

was recorded, but it’s unlikely that the distance 

between the two albums really is five years. [AM] 

BOOTH, DAVIS & LOWE (AZ) 

"Prototype" 1978 (Titicaca) 

BOREALIS (Canada) 

Heavy progressive guitar rock with synth and 

glockenspiel(!). Excepting the chunky, finger-flying 

fusion guitar, not terribly memorable. [RM] 

"Sons Of The Sea" 1972 (Audat 477-9025/6) 

"Sons Of The Sea" 199 (Audat, Germany) [bootleg] 

"Sons Of The Sea" 200 (Void 23) [500p] 

"Sons Of The Sea / Professor Fuddle's" 2005 (CD Beatball, South 

Korea) [2-on-1] 

Obscure and not that exciting bluesy organ-led 

psychrock from Canada, similar to side 2 on Jarvis St 

Revue. Two or three standout tracks like "Tomorrow 

morning" while the rest is sort of average. The 

reissue might be worth checking out. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is heavier than most Canadian keyboard-led rock 

of its time, but not a whole lot more memorable. It 

sounds pretty good on first listen but once you get 

used to the songs you realize there's not much there. 

[AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Professor Fuddle's

BORN AGAIN (CA) 

BORUK ( ) 

"Born Again Pagan" 2002 (Rockadelic 42) [600p] 

"Born Again Pagan" 2005 (CD Shadoks 073, Germany) 

Previously unreleased 1970-71 tapes from Marin County 

band who flirted with success in L A. Cool, 

convincing early Southern rock exposé with 

inspiration coming from the Faces and heroin-era 

Stones rather than Memphis, I would think. Strong 

songwriting and solid grooves with standard rock 

setting plus piano and appropriate bourbon-soaked 

vocals. It's All Meat at their rootsiest is one point 

of reference. Nice gatefold cover with a big pic of 

Pat Boone (don't ask), my only gripe being the 

compressed and tinny soundscape on some tracks. A 

neat trip for those who dare think outside the 

garage/psych box. [PL] 

"Blackhole Boogie" 196 (no label bg-0606) 

Beat poetry and sampling (Beatles, Stones, etc) 

collage. Has a strong sexual component. 25 tracks! 

V.A "BOSS DANCE HITS" (HI) 

"Boss Dance Hits" 1966 (Teen 1001) 

Hawaii sampler of local surf and frat. Side 1 is 

Telstars, side 2 is Mopptops, Casuals Of Waikiki, and 

more. 

BOULDER BROTHERS ( ) 

"A Period Of Time" 1975 (Sheepeater 000-1) 

BOUNTY (CA) 

Obscure rural/countryrock with nice double exposure 

front cover. 

"Bounty" 1981 (Harts 755) 

Synth-led progressive. Including ARP Odyssey, Solana 

string ensemble, Steinway piano, guitar, bass, drums. 

BOW STREET RUNNERS (Fayetteville, NC)

"Bow Street Runners" 1970 (BT Puppy 1026) 

"Bow Street Runners" 1995 (T.U.T, Austria) [300#d; bootleg; 

altered sleeve] 

"Bow Street Runners" 1996 (Sundazed 5029) [green vinyl] 

"Bow Street Runners" 1996 (CD Sundazed 6112) 

A legendary LP, for long rated as the rarest psych LP 

on a "real" record label. Unfortunately some tracks 

are in a blues/jugband style I doubt anyone will 

enjoy. Side 1 is good with a youthful 1967-68 classic 

psych sound, while side 2 is clearly weaker. 

"Electric star" is sheer perfection with its female 

vocals, spaced-out lyrics and wild fuzz breaks, while 

"Another face" is drowsy pot-psych with an amusing 

one-note "solo". These two are the standout tracks, 

with the opening "Watch" a strong organ/guitar 

garage-psycher also worth hearing. That's about where 

the good stuff ends to my ears, and like the New 

Tweedy Bros it's a case of the legend overshadowing 

the actual music, once you sit down and actually 

listen to the album. Beware of the Austrian bootleg, 

which has a lame new sleeve. An original 1971 Mexican 

pressing on Panamusic/Sol exists, with altered cover 

design. [PL] 

KENT HARRISON BOYLES (MD) 

"Kent Harrison Boyles" 1973 (no label) 

Local obscurity described as 1970s basement 

folkrock/singer-songwriter with UK pop angles. 

J LELAND BRADDOCK (MS) 

"Evil Is On My Mind" 1975 (Live Bears no #) 

This occasionally shows up on dealer lists as a rare 

psych effort. The rare part is probably true since 

less than 500 copies were reportedly pressed. In 

contrast, the psych label is pretty far off target as 

his format is fairly straightforward blues. Backing 

himself on acoustic guitar and harmonica, nothing 

here is particularly original, though to my ears he 

occasionally bares a resemblance to a bluesy (if 

bizarre) cross between Joe South, Leon Redbone and 

some 80 year old blues guy ('The New Willie Brown' 

and 'Diamond Ring'). Another big drawback is the fact 

that much of the material has the same kind of sound. 

A guy strumming an acoustic guitar and playing 

harmonica has certain aural limitations and those are 

clear on Braddock's set of acoustic, mid-tempo 

numbers. It's simply hard to tell where something 

like 'Hometown Blues' ends and 'Lucy's Debut' starts.

Bottom line is this one didn't do much for me, but 

might find some interest in 'real people' devotees. 

Sides 1 and 2 are reversed between the liner notes 

and the actual playing sequence. [SB] 

"That Second Mile" 1976 (Live Bears) 

DON BRADY & THE LAST EARTHBOUND BAND ( ) 

"Mostly Live" 1977 (Lizard) 

VICTOR BRADY (NY) 

Wasted rural jams. 

"Brown Rain" 1970 (Polydor) [wlp exists] 

"Brown Rain" 2005 (CD Syn-Ton, Austria) 

JOHN BRAHENY ( ) 

You'll never hear another album like this one -- 

seriously heavy rock with the lead instrument being 

steel drums. Brady's band is really hot, and for a 

song or two this unlikely combination of sounds is 

exhilarating. A full listen to the LP, though, shows 

that it doesn't really work; it clashes and seems 

more like a novelty than a truly good idea, 

especially on a few long jams. Recommended to the 

brave among you. [AM] 

"Some Kind of Change" 1968 (Pete s-104) [gatefold] 

Braheny is remembered mostly as the writer of the 

Stone Poneys’ “December Dream,” but his talent ran 

much deeper than that, and this is a great album 

worthy of rediscovery. About half of the songs are 

excellent laid-back rural folk-rockers, including 

“December Dream” and the sublime “Grey Day.” The rest 

of the album is experimental, highlighted by the 

electronics on the title track and the long free-form 

instrumental that closes side two. Though marred by a 

six-minute track mixed below a monologue from an LA 

tour bus driver (mildly interesting on first listen, 

highly irritating thereafter), this album is near the 

top of the psychedelic singer-songwriter heap. [AM] 

BRAIN POLICE (San Diego, CA) 

"Brain Police" 1968 (K.B. Artists wr-4767) [no sleeve; 

insert] 

"Brain Police" 1997 (Rockadelic 26) [diecut sleeve; insert; 

600p] 

"Brain Police" 2000 (Akarma 174, Italy) [altered gatefold 

sleeve] 

"Brain Police" 2000 (CD Akarma 174, Italy) 

"Brain Police" 2000 (CD Shadoks 8, Germany) [+bonus tracks]

Nicely done reissue of little-known (at the time) 

demo LP. Energetic organ/guitar psych-rock with a 

Brit/top 40 influence, pretty solid but slightly 

overrated to my ears; songwriting is good but not 

exceptional and loud simplistic drumming is a minus. 

Basically the vibe of a solid club band having 

rounded up enough originals to get with the new and 

more creative times. 50 copies of the Rockadelic 

release came on green vinyl. Reissued again to meet 

popular demand, this 2nd press is less ambitious in 

the packaging. [PL] 

~~~ 

Demo LP from San Diego '68, with lotsa variation from 

folkpsych/pop and west coast/Moby Grape influences, 

to full-on fuzz blasters. It might sound a bit dull 

at first, but grows with repeated listening. One of 

the better Rockadelic reissues in my opinion. [MM] 

BRAMANTE & CROSS ( ) 

BRAT ( ) 

"When The Music's On" 1972 (private) 

Male & female duo doing hippie folkrock with basic 

band setting in homemade sleeve. 

"Brat" 1973 (no label r-2826) [1-sided; no cover; 150p] 

Guitar rock, includes covers of "The Nazz are Blue" 

and "The Kids are Alright". 

BRAZDA BROTHERS (Canada) 

"Brazda Brothers" 1972 (Dominion 93077) [5000p] 

"Brazda Brothers" 2001 (Void 29) 

"Brazda Brothers" 2002 (CD Hallucinations) 

Appealing rural hippie folkrock with short, succinct 

tunes and a Neil Young vibe. Songwriting is good, and 

the vocals relaxed and soulful. The setting is 

acoustic guitars, drums and occasional keyboard, 

while one atypical rocker has raw fuzz-leads. Good LP 

with atmosphere, though they don't look too hip on 

the cover. Well worth examining for genre fans, while 

others may think it unexceptional. One of the better 

in the style from Canada, a lot stronger than the the 

Folklords or Jeremy Dormouse. Despite its relative 

rarity, a band member reports the press size as no 

less than 5000 copies. There was also a non-LP 45. 

[PL] 

J D BRENNAN & GOLD FEVER (Boston, MA)

BREW ( ) 

Brennan's work falls outside the Archives timeframe 

but should appeal to some readers, at least those of 

an Incredibly Strange persuasion. Six LPs from 1984- 

1990 have been logged, done in pressings of 200 

copies on his own Scyne label. The music has been 

described as "amazing 50 year-old 'real people' 

rocker who manages to sneak in a powerful psychedelic 

edge to his echoed rockabilly twist." 

~~~ 

see -> J D Brennan (in the Attic) 

"A Very Strange Brew" 1969 (ABC 672) 

BRIDGE (Canada) 

This is a pretty solid garage rock effort. Though no 

one song really stands out and it's not especially 

original, it's enjoyable straight through. Pre-Impala 

Syndrome. [AM] 

"Bridge" 1971 (Vintage Records) 

Bridge answer the question, for anyone who wishes to 

know, what happened to the Canadian band David after 

their lone record on Sound Canada in the late 60s. 

Guitarist Francis Webster, bassist John Webster, and 

drummer Tony Lecallion from David make up Bridge who 

recorded this ultra obscure and rare record at the 

same Sound Canada studios in 1971. Next to each song 

is a brief description of the musical genre of each 

ranging from "Ego Trip" to "Country" to "jazz 

shuffle." What this album is differs drastically from 

what you'd expect from David. The best way to 

describe Bridge's album would be "Sweetheart Of The 

Rodeo" on tons of acid! There is no fuzz guitar, but 

a clean westcoast shimmering tone on all tracks, 

bizarre vocal effects on the tripped out "It's My 

Life" and plenty of weirdness present for the whole 

album. The tracks that are labeled "Country" all have 

a strange bent to them despite being early back-tothe-roots 

country rock influenced by Graham Parsons 

and "real" country artists like Hank Williams. The 

long "Ego Trip" version of Little Richard's "You're 

My Girl" is great fun and the only good version I've 

heard of one of his songs. There is something here 

very enjoyable for anyone looking for a bizarre 

twisted record of fun music, especially "Brand New 

Day" with echoes of Spirit and a bit of Freeborne. 

Very rare and a good one. - Ben Blake Mitchner 

THE BRIDGE (Greensboro, NC) 

"Just For You" 1971 (Crescent City Studios 1226) 

"Hallelujah" 1972 (Crescent City Studios 1241) 

"Unto The Lord" 1973 (Custom PRP 44552)

"Best of the Bridge" 2001 (CD Hidden Vision) 

BRIDGES ( ) 

Christian melodic folkrockers rated highly by some. 

The CD is a selection of tracks from all three LPs. 

"Tradewinds" 1978 (no label) 

Communal hippie folk. 

BRIGADE (Portland, OR) 

"Last Laugh" 1970 (Band 'n' Vocal 1066) [inner sleeve; 100p] 

"Last Laugh" 1991 (Del-Val 003) [insert; 350p] 

"Last Laugh" 2000 (Shadoks 11, Germany) [insert] 

"Last Laugh" 200 (CD Shadoks 11, Germany) 

The charm of the amateur comes rolling off this 

record in waves. The recording quality is marginal, 

but the playing fits that like a glove. The vocals 

have a strident character that floors me whenever I 

hear this and the way the organ dominates the sound, 

the way the bass and drums struggle to hold things 

together, the harmonies on "Desert Song (You're Not 

Alone)", the almost jazzy quality the guitar takes on 

the killer opener track "Change In Me", the monster 

that opens the second side ("Self-Made God"), the way 

the band just shoots for moves they have no chance of 

pulling off... These guys must have fallen into a 

glacier in 1966 and were defrosted moments before the 

LP was recorded. Where most European, Latin American 

and Asian rarities are professional-grade rock 

records that never found the market to sell in 

numbers so we'd all be familiar with them thirty 

years down the line, the best of the lost & obscure 

American records are those that, like this one, are 

performed by young people more earnest than capable. 

It's that enthusiasm the pours from the speakers when 

I play this and that "charm of the amateur" collects 

in puddles on the music room floor. Highly 

recommended. [SD] 

~~~ 

Moody organ-led garage by high school seniors with 

proggy tendencies in the compositions and lyrics. 

Really annoying warbling vocals and meandering songs. 

Of interest mainly for the organ textures and "Self 

Made God", which has some bite and the trippy 

reverse-negative cover. A good example of a band 

reaching way beyond their grasp and crashing to the 

earth in a disfigured heap. Some sealed originals 

actually contained the wrong record, a bonus I'd say! 

The atypically small press size has been reported by 

the band. [RM] 

~~~ 

This album has the same low-budget reverby charm as

Mystery Meat or the Bachs, though the music is 

somewhat more complex than those garage bands. The 

songs are longer, the solos more extended, the organ 

jazzier and much more prominent than the guitar. 

Despite the more ambitious music, there’s a definite 

ragged feel here, from the straining vocals to the 

occasionally sloppy rhythms to the guitars, which 

don’t always sound in tune. There are some really 

good songs here, and the overall feel of a garage 

band that’s desperately trying to be something more 

has its charm. Other reviews of this album appear to 

be either really positive or really negative. I think 

the true value of this album falls somewhere in 

between. It’s likeable, has its moments, and grows on 

you, but isn’t the very best in the genre. My 

favorites on the album: the dirge-like “Desert Song,” 

which has lots of eerie organ, the subtly powerful 

“Self-Made God” and the catchy title track. [AM] 

BRIGG (Danville, PA) 

"Brigg" 1973 (Susquehanna 301) [1000p] 

"Brigg" 1988 (Hablabel 1002) 

"Brigg" 199 (CD Mind's Eye) 

Been I while since I heard this though it didn't make 

much impact on me, sorta standard rural hippie 

folkprog that's OK listenable but not much more. 

Never heard anyone being too excited about it either. 

"Hey Mister" is a catchy track. [PL] 

~~~ 

Dreamy stoned psych recorded for a high school winter 

term project. Brigg was conceived by Rob Morse and 

Jeff Willoughby. Rusty Foulke was added on and Hybrid 

Ice Company (including Willoughby and Foulke) played 

on three tracks to fill out the album. The back cover 

photos of Rob Morse and Rusty Foulke were 

inadvertently switched. Hybrid Ice reappeared with a 

local indie hit AOR LP in the early 1980s. [RM] 

GEORGE BRIGMAN [& SPLIT] (Baltimore, MD) 

"Jungle Rot" 1975 (Solid 001) [1000p] 

"Jungle Rot" 199 (Solid) [bootleg] 

"Jungle Rot" 200 (CD Synton, Austria) 

"Jungle Rot" 2005 (CD Radioactive, UK) 

"Jungle Rot" 2005 (Anopheles 009) 

"Jungle Rot" 2005 (CD Bona Fide) [+3 tracks] 

"I Can Hear The Ants Dancin'" 1994 (OR 004) [paste-on; white 

label; 225#d] 

"I Can Hear The Ants Dancin'" 1994 (OR 004) [printed cover; 

stock label; 1000p] 

"I Can Hear The Ants Dancin'" 2005 (CD Bona Fide) [+10 tracks] 

Local Maryland legend that's been popular almost 

since day one with collectors due to his 

uncompromising underground attack. He has an amazing 

voice full of snarl and venom plus layers of murky 

fuzz and phasing in the background. The overall feel 

of "Jungle Rot" is like looking out at a 70s ghetto 

street full of garbage and car wrecks from the window 

of a basement crash pad. Stylistically interesting as

it contains elements of both psych, hardrock and 

1970s punk/DIY, and has garnered fans in all three 

fields. The recording has a crude demo sound which 

isn't entirely to its advantage, and it could be 

argued that the music would have been even more 

effective with a more stringent drummer. Nevertheless 

this is an important document of 1970s inner city 

despair. Lyrics hit the same renegade vibes as the 

music, even on the softer songs. Among Brigman's 

other releases are a 45 from 1977 and a 5-track EP 

for Bona Fide in 1985. The "Ants" material was 

recorded in 1976 and originally released on cassetteonly 

in 1982 (300 copies). [PL] 

BRIMSTONE (Youngstown, OH) 

"Paper Winged Dreams" 1973 (Peppermint Productions PP-1022) 

[color cover] 

"Paper Winged Dreams" 198 (Peppermint Productions, Europe) 

[bootleg; b&w cover] 

"Paper Winged Dreams" 199 (CD no label) 

"Paper Winged Dreams" 199 (CD Camellia) 

Rather irresistable melodic prog/artrock LP with a 

light, airy feel throughout. The band belongs at the 

dreamy Moody Blues/Camel end of the prog spectrum, 

with flawless vocal harmonies, long classicalinspired 

keyboard excursions and plenty of nonaggressive 

guitar interplay. Side one is shorter 

structured song with a highpoint in the opening "Dead 

sleep at night" which is almost Beatleish in its 

directness and appeal. Side 2 is a sidelong suite in 

five movements and mainly instrumental, and fairly 

successful at that. The album's emotional range isn't 

terribly wide and the band skirts daringly along the 

edge of blandness, but the end result is superbly 

realized and charming in its harmonious mood. This is 

one of the least pretentious local prog LPs, and also 

one of the least preaching Christian albums around, 

and what might have been a dog turns out to be 

something of a surprise winner. There is also a non- 

LP 45. [PL] 

BRITISH MODBEATS (Saint Catherine, Canada) 

"Mod Is... the British Modbeats" 1967 (Red Leaf 1002) 

"Mod Is... the British Modbeats" 1998 (CD Flash, Italy) 

The album compiles the band's four earlier singles, 

along with three previously unreleased tracks. Other 

reviewers have said the same thing, but in light of 

the stunning cover photo (those are some pretty 

friggin' amazing bell bottoms), the band's set of 

popular covers is somewhat disappointing. There's

nothing particularly wrong with any of the material, 

but tracks such as 'Whatcha Gonna Do About It', ' The 

Price of Love' and 'No More Love' sound surprisingly 

tame and even bland, seldom rising above the level of 

competent bar band fodder. Best of the lot are the up 

tempo 'Somebody Help Me' and The Pretty Things cover 

'L.S.D.'. Interestingly, Loveman's vocals sound like 

he suffered from a lisp. [SB] 

BRITISH NORTH AMERICAN ACT (Montreal, Canada) 

"In The Beginning" 1969 (Now rss-6700) 

"In The Beginning" 1987 (Antar 7, UK) 

"In The Beginning" 199 (CD Afterglow UK) 

"In The Beginning" 2004 (Akarma, Italy) 

One of many pop-psych LPs from Canada, most of which 

are only so-so. I kinda like this, there are flashes 

of real talent and a solid consistency throughout, 

with the typical London/LA '67 mix, good vocals and 

excellent use of organ. "Don't run away" is perhaps 

the best track and has been reissued on Echoes In 

Time. Neat sleeve design. The LP is surprisingly 

expensive. [PL] 

~~~ 

This album sounds earlier than it is; it's closer to 

British Invasion pop, or at least mid-60s Paul Revere 

& The Raiders-type garage rock, than to late-60s 

rock. The band's name is quite appropriate. It's a 

nice little pop album, unpretentious but confident, 

with consistently good songwriting and singing. Some 

of it is in a fine dreamy folk-rock mode with lots of 

reverb and echo and a strong backdrop of organ and 

choral backing vocals. Very nice. [AM] 

JAIME BROCKETT (Boston, MA) 

"Remember the Wind and the Rain" 1968 (Oracle ors-701) 

"Remember the Wind and the Rain" 1969 (Capitol ST 678) 

"Remember the Wind and the Rain" 2005 (CD Collector's Choice) 

BROKEN BOW (WI) 

Rural folk drifter with a notable, long story-song 

"Legend of the USS Titanic". The Capitol pressing is 

easy to find. Brockett had a second LP "2" on Capitol 

and a third LP in 1977. 

"Arrival" 1980 (Couderay) 

Good drifting folkrock. [RM] 

BROKEN BOW & IDABELL (Shreveport, LA) 

"This Album Is Different" 1976 (Broken Bow & Idabell no#) 

[gatefold; lyric sheet; sticker] 

Psych fans and dealers seem to hate this album,

partially because when discovered it was immediately 

given an outrageous multi-hundred dollar price tag 

and inaccurate descriptions by several dealers. I may 

be in the minority, but I completely enjoy it. The 

back cover describes it as “one garage, one album, 

two fools, three years,” and it clearly is a labor of 

love. These two guys lovingly put together sixteen 

elaborately arranged songs on a 16-track machine. 

They pulled out all of the stops—some songs have 

horns, chorales, pedal steel, synth, etc, giving 

variety to a number of 70s melodic (not hard rocking) 

pop/rock styles. A strong sense of comedy is apparent 

throughout, which may be what put some people off 

(the album is most easily compared to Northern Front, 

though this is much better, or R. Stevie Moore, 

though this is nowhere near as good). Despite the 

oddness, the music itself is straightforward and of 

its time, with only a few dreamy ballads and one 

backwards bit to attract psych fans, and a tad bit of 

snyth to attract prog fans (i.e. it’s no surprise 

that both types of collectors reacted negatively to 

it.) The songs are well-written and tightly 

performed, though, and you have to give credit to a 

band that can pull off a calypso song with a country 

middle section. If the above descriptions haven’t yet 

sent you fleeing, I recommend it despite the 

naysayers. For a private press, this has very 

professional packaging. [AM] 

BRONIN HOGMAN BAND (Manchester, NH) 

"Bronin Hogman Band" 1976 (Gamut) [insert] 

Mainstream 70s prog with mild heavy moves. Very 

professional and competent for what it is, but I 

can't see it appealing to psych fans the way, say, 

Homer or Chirco sometimes do. Heartfelt lyrics, 

complex songs, and a large number of band members 

(with liner notes that detail exactly how and why 

this band was constructed) show that a lot of thought 

and effort went into this record. Of course, that was 

probably also the case with Styx and Kansas, who had 

equally annoying singers but a lot more hooks. Still, 

there's enough going on here to open new doors with 

multiple listens and I recommend it to serious fans 

of the style. [AM] 

TERRY BROOKS & STRANGE (Orlando, FL) 

"Translucent World" 1973 (Outer Galaxie 1000) [poster] 

"Translucent World" 1984 (Psycho 34, UK) 

First LP by legendary (in some quarters) Ohio/Florida 

drug prophet determined to conquer the world with 

endless space rock guitar attacks. The 11-minute 

"Ruler of the universe" is as notorious as "Dead man" 

and I have to admit I enjoy it quite a bit, the 

echoplex solo is unbelievable. The rest of the LP is 

a mix of hard fuzz Hendrix workouts and dreamier 

psych stuff. Operatic hardrock vocals and a crude 

recording may be off-putting for some, but to fans of 

local 1970s guitarpsych this is mandatory. [PL] 

~~~

Brooks' first album (actually credited to "Strange") 

is one of a kind, a completely insane space rock 

guitarfest that will leave you dumbfounded. Brooks 

has one of the most annoying guitar styles on earth, 

playing endless solos that have no melody or 

direction at all, just a ton of ridiculously fast 

picking. On this album, though, he comes up with a 

truly memorable side one, with "Jimi" (a tribute to 

you know who), on which his singing style is as 

unhinged as his playing, and "Ruler Of the Universe," 

which trades the speed for echoplex, which has never 

been used with such abandon and lack of taste. It 

sure makes me wish more people would dispense with 

any common notion of "songs" and milk the noise 

factor for all it's worth as Brooks does. Brooks 

comes off like a guy who just discovered a 

synthesizer and wants to show all of his friends the 

very weirdest sounds he can make. Side two pales in 

comparison, but this album is a must own for fans of 

extreme rock insanity. [AM] 

"Raw Power" 1976 (Outer Galaxie 1001) 

"Raw Power" 1976 (Psycho 21 UK) 

They don't make them like this any more. If you want 

to contort your face into a penile-fixated frenzy of 

fret picking at the speed of light then step this 

way. The phasing on "Are you my friend" is so extreme 

and raw it sounds right out of the basement. This is 

the best moment to me, but "To the far side of time" 

and "Raw Power" are equally extreme in their own 

ridiculously fast space rock way. I've not played the 

backwards passages forwards, so mark me down. "Life 

Jam" is a bit of an endurance test, but has some 

moments, probably needs a huge GM reefer to fully 

appreciate its meaning. The thesis that 'they' were 

putting something in the water in mid-70s Florida 

just gets stronger and stronger. Intriguingly, Terry 

thanks a very long list of people on the cover. [RI] 

"To Earth With Love" 1980 (Star People spr-0005) 

This is the easiest Brooks album to find, and probably 

his most mainstream effort. What that means is that it 

isn't full of echoplex and sound effects, not that it 

would ever sound anything but bizarre on the radio. 

Though the songs are reasonably brief, they're full of 

Brooks' trademark fast-picking lead guitar style. The 

album's most memorable song, "It's A Beautiful Day," 

starts out a gentle ballad with wimpy lyrics and 

deteriorates into endless soloing. It's funny, and 

compelling in its own weird way. Brooks may be more 

convincing when he's not trying to write "normal" songs 

(which have derivative chord progressions and mindless 

lyrics) but this album has an odd charm, and his squeaky 

high voice subverts any AOR aspirations he may have had. 

Most people actually rate this as Brooks' best album, 

which is arguable. I'd suggest that straight hard rock 

fans start here, while people with more adventurous taste 

start with "Translucent World". The LP was pressed on 

various colors of translucent vinyl as well as on black 

vinyl. [AM] 

~~~ 

Brooks' later work is listed in -> The Attic

BROTHERHOOD (OH) 

"Stavia" 1972 (Rite BH 501) 

"Stavia" 1995 (no label, France) [300p; +2 tracks] 

Obscure mellow hippie rock with organ and flute, 

similar to Borealis soundwise, plus some Santana 

moves. Listenable OK but hardly the stuff private 

press heads crave. The original was issued through 

the Rite recording plant, famous for dozens of great 

60s punk 45s. Oddly, two tracks on the reissue 

actually are lifted from the UK "Psychedelic Salvage 

Co" comp and have nothing to do with the Brotherhood. 

Can anyone explain this? [PL] 

BROTHERHOOD OF PEACE (NC) 

"Cuttin' Loose" 1975 (Avanti 12003) 

Brotherhood Of Peace, despite the hippie name, are a 

straightforward mainstream 70s rock band. The album 

has a couple of hard rockers that will appeal to fans 

of bands like Magi or Sweet Toothe, but for the most 

part it's straightforward rock without distorted 

guitars. It does have a crude production style that 

might appeal to fans of garage rock. For the genre, 

it's not bad, but not great. Don Dixon produced. It's 

one of his earliest and most primitive productions. 

Greer fans won't find nearly as much songwriting 

talent or creativity on display here, but it's still 

a reasonably enjoyable album. [AM] 

BROTHERS & ONE (New Waterford, Canada) 

"Brothers & One" 1970 (Audat 477 9038) 

BOBBY BROWN (CA) 

Little-known item on same label as Borealis, 

longhaired sextet with sax playing funky basement 

psych/rock. 

"Enlightening Beam of Axonda" 1972 (Destiny 4002) [booklet] 

"Enlightening Beam of Axonda" 197 (Destiny 4002) [re-press] 

"Enlightening Beam of Axonda" 2004 (CD Akarma, Italy) 

As you probably guessed from the title, "The 

Enlightening Beam of Axonda" is pretty spacey, but in 

a surprisingly laidback and agreeable fashion. Brown 

had a nice voice (technically I think he'd be called 

a basso-profundo), that lent itself well to 

atmospheric tracks such as "I Must Be Born", "My 

Hawaiian Home" and "Mama Knows Boys a Rambler". 

Brown's liner notes claimed he had a six octave 

range. Lyrically Brown's hippy-dippy lyrics were 

pretty hysterical. Complete with between-the-songs 

narratives, the album almost qualifies as a concept 

piece with a plotline apparently having to do with 

Brown's search for fulfillment, though I'm not quite

sure how the space aliens and space travel fit into 

the storyline. That said, be warned that nothing here 

exactly rocks. Most of the ten tracks are quite 

melodic, tough in a new age kind of way. In fact, 

stuff such as "Tiny Wind of Shanol" and "Axonda" 

would be right at home playing as background music in 

something like the Nature Store. There are a couple 

of exceptions. "Mamba Che Chay" was pretty 

experimental and did little for our ears, while 

"Preparation Dimension of Heaven" sounded like a bad 

lounge act effort. Still, the set's goofy enough to 

be intriguing. Later pressings lack the booklet and 

have ordering info on back cover; the price differs 

between the re-pressings. Brown's later LPs 

"Live" (Destiny, 1978) and "Prayers Of A One Man 

Band" (Destiny, 1982) are less interesting than 

"Axonda". [SB] 

BROWN COUNTY BAND (IN) 

"Brown County Band" 1980 (Programme Audio Gold) [1000p] 

An extremely obscure private LP that's been adopted 

by the Swiss collector mafia who favor music that 

straddles the fence between Americana and 

psychedelia. A traditional bluegrass band that moved 

into more progressive directions for their first 

album, adding drums and electric bass to standard 

bluegrass instrumentation and vocal harmonies. The 

best moments veer into Modlin-Scott territory ("Far, 

Far Away" "Brown Paper Bag Rag") but the banjo 

dominates almost all tracks and all feet are squarely 

in the zone of contemporary bluegrass. What a handful 

of collectors hear here will likely evade most 

listeners. The band returned to traditional bluegrass 

and changed their name to Pine Mountain (after a song 

on this record) after this album, eventually 

disbanding in 1989. [SD] 

CHARLES BROWNING (DC) 

"A Choirboy's Lament" 1976 (SRI) 

1970s folk with percussion, bass and female vocal 

harmonies and a surprise appearance by Emmylou 

Harris. Cover versions of Joan Baez and "Codine", 

rest is originals. 

BRUNSWICK PLAYBOYS (New Brunswick, Canada) 

"Looking In" 1965 (Excellent esp-109) 

Pop beat with covers and originals. Cover shows the 

band sitting on a gigantic 45 floating in space. 

~~~ 

see -> Best Of Frank's Bandstand 

BRUTE FORCE (Los Angeles, CA)

"Extemperaneous" 1971 (B.T. Puppy btps-1015) 

"Extemperaneous" 2004 (Rev-Ola, UK) [+bonus tracks] 

He's most well known for his "I Brute Force" album on 

Columbia, a novelty item that still has some fans. A 

few years later he was slated to put out a single on 

Apple, but it never happened and the resulting album 

ended up in that neverland of limited edition (tax 

scam?) B.T. Puppy rarities. It's a messed-up live in 

studio recording with the notorious 'Fuh King,' 

dollops of unwanted political commentary and x-rated 

lyrics. Pretty terrible record from any perspective 

but virtually impossible to find, hence the value. 

What were the Tokens thinking? [RM/AM] 

DAVE BRYAN (Columbus, OH) 

"Synthesis" 1978 (private) [insert; poster] 

Eclectic bag of tricks including psych moves, doomy 

rock, some synth, a few tracks with female vocals. 

Great psychy sleeve with a landscape tinted crimson. 

BUBBLE PUPPY (Houston, TX) 

"Gathering Of Promises" 1969 (IA 10) [wlp exists] 

"Gathering Of Promises" 1978 (IA 10) [reissue; board-printed] 

"Gathering Of Promises" 1993 (CD Collectables 0558) 

"Gathering Of Promises" 199 (CD Eva b-41, France) 

"Gathering Of Promises" 199 (Get Back 537) 

BUCCANEER (IN) 

I.A:s second big act along with the Elevators, the 

Puppy enjoyed respectworthy chart success with their 

distinct high-energy AM hippierock sound and also had 

some good non-LP 45s. The LP is far from the deep 

acid psych of "Easter Everywhere" or Golden Dawn but 

still enjoyable; this type of freshfaced guitar sound 

was uncommon to the era. The original had cover 

slicks with a gold sticker on the shrink promoting 

"Hot Smoke and Sassafrass". As for all IA albums, the 

reissues are vinyl-sourced as the mixdown masters are 

lost. The IA box set reissue is close to the orig but 

has a matrix # that begins with 'Ach 7P V45...'. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Demian; Ring of Power; Sirius 

"Buccaneer" 1980 (Blunderbuss) [demo; brown cover; gatefold; 

sticker; lyrics inner] 

-- inferior demo mix with one less song than the final 

commercially distributed black cover version 

"Buccaneer" 1980 (Blunderbuss) [black cover; gatefold; 

treasure map, lyrics inner, 2 bonus 45s] 

Indiana progressive hardrock pirate concept. 

Apparently the whole thing was performed on stage in 

Indy. Ex-Primevil.

BUCCANEERS ( ) 

"In Duane's Pirate Cavern" 1965 (Custom Recorded lp-101) 

Early fratrock sound, very weak. 

ROY BUCHANAN & THE SNAKESTRETCHERS (AR / DC) 

"Buch and the Snakestretchers: One of Three" 1971 (Bioya Sound 

mm-519) 

"Roy Buchanan" 1972 (Polydor) [remix] 

"Buch and the Snakestretchers" 1992 (Adelphi 75192) 

"Buch and the Snakestretchers" 200 (CD Genes) 

Garagy blues rock on the Bioya Sound LP, which was 

issued in a plain cover enclosed in a brown burlap 

bag. The Polydor release is a retitled 2nd press with 

different mix and song order. Prior to this he 

recorded with David Denver with whom he did two 

obscure country-oriented LPs in 1969 and 1970. Roy 

went on to record extensively for major labels. 

DEL BUCKINGHAM (West Alexandria, OH) 

"No Gimmicks" 1974 (no label) 

Odd melodic rock with occasional acid guitar. 

BUCKINGHAMS (Chicago, IL) 

"Kind of a Drag" 1967 (USA 107) [1st version with 'I'm a 

man'] 

-- the rare "I'm a Man" version must be played to verify as the 

song is not listed. It extends across two bands in the vinyl! 

Only mono copies of this variation are known to exist. 

"Kind of a Drag" 1967 (USA 107) [mono; 2nd version without 

'I'm a man'] 

"Kind of a Drag" 1967 (USA 107) [stereo; 2nd version without 

'I'm a man'] 

"Kind of a Drag" 200 (CD Sundazed 6126) [+2 tracks] 

First rare version of the LP includes extended "I'm a 

man" raveup. The LP is actually pretty good garage 

pop even without "I'm a Man". The band's other 

(unexciting) releases fall outside the scope of our 

archives. 

RUSTY BUDDE BAND (TX) 

"Main Man Stan" 1980 (FX 1000) [1000p] 

Jacksonville, Florida label. Heavy bluesy rock with 

fuzz. Proceeds from sales of the record were devoted 

to the 'care and therapy' of Rusty's friend, Stan 

Smith, in a Florida rehabilitation center.

BULBOUS CREATION ( ) 

"You Won't Remember Dying" 1994 (Rockadelic 13) [300p] 

BULL (Richmond, VA) 

BUMP (MI) 

1970 recordings of great jammy downer hardrock/psych 

with an intense atmosphere, far-out vocals and only 

one weak cut. Lyrics deal with smack, 'Nam, satanism 

and more; a merciless snapshot of the post-flower 

power era. In my opinion among the very best of all 

the Cavern Sound Studios stuff (Stoned Circus, 

Crank/Thump Theatre, Phantasia, Trizo 50) that has 

appeared. The reissue has the usual Rockadelic sleeve 

obsession with heroin and death, which is well 

matched by the sounds inside. The label was unable to 

locate the band which explains the lack of info. [PL] 

"It's A Rock'n'Roll World" 1979 (Wheels Records) 

Southern rock and hardrock with macho vocals and 

guitar action. The band leader later made an LP as 

the Ray Pittman Band ("Getcha Some", 1981) which has 

been raising some interest. 

"Bump" 1970 (Pioneer prsd-2150) [5000p] 

"Bump" 199 (Pioneer) [bootleg] 

"Bump" 2000 (CD Gear Fab gf-142) [+2 tracks] 

"Bump" 2000 (Akarma, Italy) 

"Bump" 200 (CD Mind's Eye) 

Surprisingly good LP in the post-Fudge guitar/Hammond 

psychrock style. Vocals are appealing with a slightly 

quirky folk edge unlike the usual macho bombast, and 

there is a good sense of melody throughout. Apart 

from the shorter UK-influenced tunes there are two 

extended trip-outs, the doomy "Spider's Eyes" with 

excellent use of swirling organ and fuzz, and the 

closing epic "Lifelines" which goes through many 

moods and changes, including art-rock classical as 

well as cerebral soundscapes a la Mandrake Memorial. 

Reminsiscent of certain "heavy" Mainstream albums 

such as Tangerine Zoo, but clearly better, and 

predating the less successful Whalefeathers LP as 

well. For fans of this style Bump must rank as one of 

the top scores, and its skillful avoidance of the 

usual traps makes it enjoyable for others as well. 

There was also a good non-LP 45. Both the Gear Fab 

and Akarma reissues suffer from inferior sound 

processing. [PL] 

~~~ 

Melodic swirling organ fuzz psych with a bit of a 

Swinging London sound at times. Beautiful vocals like 

New Tweedy Brothers. Meat mix of delicate melodicism 

on "State of Affairs", ringing guitar and shimmering 

church organ on "From My Slot", and the mysterious 

trippiness of "Spider's Eyes". There's even some 

heavy cavern fuzz moments. [RM]

WILBURN BURCHETTE (IA) 

"Occult Concert" 1971 (Amos 7014) 

"Opens The Seven Gates Of Transcendental Consciousness" 1972 

(Ebos 6d-0001) [with booklet] 

"Guitar Grimoire" 1973 (Burchette Brothers bb-001) 

Laid-back Middle Eastern-flavored guitar trance 

instrumentals with occult concerns. New agey sound 

but he uses homemade instruments and gets some really 

exotic sounds going. The "Seven Gates" LP has a cool 

cover and booklet, while "Guitar Grimoire" is 

musically interesting with an orchestra of 

synthesized instruments blended on together on sidelong 

tracks 'Yin' and 'Yang'. Burchette would 

continue to record and release records on his own 

Burchette Brothers label, such as "Psychic Meditation 

Music" (1974), "Music Of The Godhead" (1975), 

"Transcendental Music" (1976), and "Mind 

Storm" (1977). [RM] 

BUREMAN & O'ROURKE (Independence, MO) 

"Strawberry Pickins" 1974 (Pearce 42550) 

Country-rock and folk, one side rocking and the other 

folk/bluegrass. 

ABNER BURNETT & THE BURNOUTS (Odessa, TX) 

"Crash and Burn" 1975 (Worpt) [500p] 

"Old McDonald" 1979 (Worpt) 

First LP is freaky DIY basement rock, second is more 

folky acoustic with some cover versions. A CD sampler 

exists with these early recordings from Abner ("1975- 

79", Worpt, 1997), although it's apparently a poor 

mastering job. 

BURNT RIVER BAND (Cleveland, OH) 

"Live at the Carlton - Harley Davidson Annual Swap Meet 

1981" (Wild Turkey 1000) 

Ultimate sleaze biker artifact, complete with naked 

pictures of biker groupies on the back cover, a "fuck 

you" song and completely offensive racial and 

homophobic epithets in the song lyrics and liner 

notes. Musically it's average boogie rock 

(predictable cover versions include "Going Down"), 

not very heavy but with plenty of jammy lead guitar. 

I wouldn't want to mistakenly knock down one of these 

guys' bikes in the parking lot. More "interesting" 

than "good," but far more disturbing than Coven's 

"Witchcraft" or Manson's album if you ask me. [AM]

BURNT SUITE (East Hartford, CT) 

"Burnt Suite" 1972 (BJW css-9) 

"Burnt Suite" 199 (no label) [bootleg; 300#d] 

This is pretty bland, and suffers from the usual weak 

vocals. The cheap production buries the rhythm 

section and puts the mostly jangly lead guitars way 

up front. A few songs are in a lame country style, 

though a few have a mild hard rock sound. Some of the 

songs are pretty good (“Lightning” has a tough sound 

and some nice backwards guitar, and “Got Time” has a 

sly, memorable overlapped melody), but even those 

fall a bit flat in the execution and suffer badly 

from the vocals. There’s a weird sluggishness to this 

album. Oddly, many of the songs fade out when they 

don’t appear to be finished. [AM] 

~~~ 

Strangely subdued and understated LP that will go 

right past you unless you pay close attention. It's a 

genreless early 1970s sound which could be called 

rustic folkrock for want of a better term, with some 

heavy/hard aspirations on a few tracks. Everything 

about this album is withdrawn like a turtle under its 

shell, with low-key, humble vocals, an unusual lack 

of strong instrumental leads, and a very basic 

guitar-band setting, like a 60s garage group. At 

times a Creme Soda-like 60s throwback sound will 

emerge, or some bars of frantic rhythm guitar (mixed 

very high), and then it's back to the mumbled, almost 

embarrassed style. A couple of tracks show melodic 

promise, and there are some unexpected lounge moves. 

A weird experience, if nothing else. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> "Sunny Spring Fever" 

JERRY BUSCH (Cleveland, OH) 

"The Demo Tapes" 1976 (Midwife) [inner] 

"The Demo Tapes" 200 (CD Midwife) 

BUSHES (IL) 

Local prog-rock/AOR with dual guitars and light 

soulful vocals a la Rush, recorded and released for 

demo purposes only, although some tracks got regional 

airplay. About 2/3rds guitar rockers, mixed with some 

ballads. Very much a local refraction of what was 

going on nationally at the time. Busch followed this 

with "City Boy" (1980), appeared on the "Pride Of 

Cleveland" sampler (1981) and is still active. [PL] 

"Assorted Shrubbery" 1968 (Growth 200-08) 

Disappointing soul-rock/early FM rock LP with a 

Vanilla Fudge influence; despite occasional dealer 

hype no traces of psychedelia can be detected. I have 

a hard time seeing anyone enjoying this and put it on 

the same tape as Age Of Reason, for burial in the 

"never-play" drawer. With Ron Stokert (Three Dog 

Night). [PL]

BUSTIN' LOOSE (Spirit Lake, ID) 

"Bustin' Loose" 1981 (Cisco) 

BUTCH (CA) 

Rural rock, very countrified but has good heavy lead 

guitar. 

"The Bitch of Rock and Roll" 1977 (Sundial) 

BUTTERFINGERS ( ) 

Eastcoast hardrock with a primitive vibe. 

"Butterfingers" 1970 (Pot 457) [plain cover; inner] 

"Butterfingers" 1998 (Little Indians, Germany) [400#d] 

"Butterfingers" 2001 (CD Shadoks, Germany) 

Hilarious hard rock nonsense with soul-heavy vocals 

(no one knows for sure if these guys are black or 

white) and some over-the-top psych effects. They 

definitely spent more time screwing around with sound 

effects than they did writing these songs. Bad, in 

fact very bad, but not boring. The best moment is 

when he sings about feeling like an elephant trying 

to stand on top of a football. They'd get high points 

in any stoopid metaphor contest. The original came in 

a plain white cover and had an innersleeve with 

handwritten lyrics; the label was beautiful 

gold/yellow very different from the Shadoks release. 

All songs are BMI and there is no mention of 'demo' 

or 'test press' anywhere. [AM] 

~~~ 

Cartoonish hard rock comes to mind with 

Butterfingers. Whoever he was, the lead singer had a 

decent voice, though he also exhibited an irritating 

habit of trying to sound overly soulful and 

continually injected needless 'whoops', 'screeches' 

and other sound effects into the mix. We've seen at 

least one review that says he sounds like a female 

Janis Joplin. To us a more apt comparison is a cross 

between Randy Bachman and Tony Joe White. Musically 

the set bounces around between conventional hard rock 

("Has the Buggerman Got You" and "5 O'clock Trip"), 

more commercial pop sounds ("Key" and the oddball MOR 

ballad "In the Shade of the Night") and some pseudoblue 

eyed soul moves ("Look Out Now"). There's quite 

a bit of fuzz guitar throughout (the instrumental 

"High Walkin'" is actually quite nice) and the set 

(particularly the second side which sports three 

longer titles), boasts a certain stoned vibe that 

will probably appeal to some folks. "I Feel Like An 

Elephant" is worth hearing for the dumb lyrics, while 

the closing number "Bootleg" boasts some super cheesy 

studio production effects. Nothing great, but we've 

heard far worse. [SB]


MICHAEL CACY (TX) 

"Gathering" 1972 (no label) 

Pretty good rural hippie rock with a slightly druggy 

vibe in the Grateful Dead vein, housed in an 

impressive thick cover depicting a snake. 

CAIN (Minneapolis, MN) 

CAL (NY) 

"A Pound Of Flesh" 1975 (ASI 204) 

This record is known mostly for its cover, which as 

of the 1975 release was possibly the most disgusting 

in rock history (how times would soon change!). The 

music is nowhere near as wild, but is definitely 

noteworthy. They obviously had FM radio aspirations 

but other than the high-pitched vocals their sound is 

decidedly uncommercial, and that’s a good thing. The 

guitars have a shimmering, metallic sound to them, 

and the massed muted guitars on the ballad “Katy” 

really hit all of the right spots. A few songs are 

unmemorable, but as mid-70s hard rock goes, this is 

good stuff. For what it’s worth, this album also has 

one of the funniest masturbation songs this side of 

Skyhooks' “Smut”. There is also a second LP from 

1977, "Stinger" (ASI 214). [AM] 

"Rock and Roll - Homegrown" 1980 (no label) 

Despite the 1980 release date, this upstate NY album 

feels like vintage 70s stoner music. It's mostly mild 

hard rock with some psych and prog moves. It features 

some effective moog, decent guitar playing, and good 

songs with idiotic lyrics. The album's highlight is 

probably "Courageous Cat" (based on the children's 

cartoon of the same name), which is slower and 

moodier than most of the album. The album's lowlight 

is definitely "Party Party," as bad an attempt at a 

rock anthem as you will ever hear and possibly the 

worst song on any album I own. Otherwise, the lack of 

brains on this album is perversely appealing. [AM] 

CALLAHAN & NAZ (Albany, NY)

"Callahan & Naz" 1981 (no label) 

EDDIE CALLAHAN (CA) 

Early 80s private press album from Albany, NY really 

has the feel of the era. It's a mix of mainstream 

rock and hard rock with female vocals. Jackie 

Callahan has a pleasant voice and unlike basically 

everyone else in the genre has no Joplin pretentions. 

A few songs really rock out. It's a short album 

without a whole lot of melodic variety, but is very 

enjoyable anyway. They also released two albums as 

"Nazjazz." These albums are unexceptional mellow jazz 

rock and probably won't interest fans of Callahan & 

Naz. [AM] 

"False Ego" 1976 (Ocean) 

BOBBY CALLENDER ( ) 

This wonderful album has been described as “loner rock,” 

an interesting distinction since so many of these 

thoughtful, quirky songwriters make folk records that, 

um, don’t rock. Within about two minutes of the first 

song, I was eternally hooked. It starts abruptly, almost 

in the middle of a conversation with Eddie, acoustic 

guitar in hand, asking some of life’s bigger questions to 

an unnamed echoed respondent. After a few verses, the 

rhythm section comes in, followed by the most perfectly 

realized batch of synthesizer noises you’ll ever hear. 

The songs ends in waves of sound effects and at this 

point you’ll already be ready to proclaim Eddie a genius. 

The good news is that most of the album keeps pace, with 

gorgeous pop (“Just Across The Line”), power pop with 

backwards guitar (“Don’t You Know”), stunning acid rock 

(“Paper Rain”) with a Stranglers-type synth break, and 

all sorts of surprises. This album has a timeless 

quality, like the very best pop, and only the talk box on 

one song places it firmly in 1975/1976. Otherwise it 

could just as likely have been from 1970 or 1979, and in 

fact has a bit of a new wave feel to it. It’s not exactly 

“psych” or “power pop,” and genre fans might not be sure 

what to make of it, but it’s just plain too good for 

classification. Even a music hall ditty with comic snyth 

bleats and a funky rock song with a talk box manage to 

work. Callahan is a Hare Krishna, which explains the 

mystical questioning of many of the lyrics. He’s also a 

bit of a chameleon, sounding like three or four different 

singers over the course of the album (which, along with 

the unusual arrangements, makes this album fresh and 

unpredictable in ways few pop albums are.) The last three 

songs are a bit of a let down, as they’re merely good. If 

they had been as good as the rest for the album, it would 

be an eternal masterpiece. As it is, it’s still one of 

the finest and most distinctive private press albums I’ve 

ever heard. Great album cover, too (despite being a cheap 

paste-on), and an even better label design. [AM] 

"Bobby Callender" 196 (Music Factory mfrs-20) [2LPs; no 

cover] 

Presumably issued to promote "Rainbow", this set

includes recordings and conversation between Bobby 

and producer, Tom Wilson. 

"Rainbow" 1968 (MGM se-4557) [lyric insert; ylp exists] 

"Rainbow" 2000 (Akarma, Italy) [2LPs; gatefold] 

This is highly pretentious pseudo-poetry with sitars. 

The lyrics are certainly not uninteresting, but 

they're not exactly high art either. He's obsessed 

with sex, for what that's worth. The music creates a 

nice mood but is pretty monotonous over 40 minutes. 

The Akarma reissue has three sides of music. [AM] 

"The Way (First Book of Experiences)" 1971 (Mirtha saab-932) 

[2LPs; gatefold] 

"The Way (First Book of Experiences)" 2000 (CD Akarma, Italy) 

Black artist doing sorta trashy middle-Eastern 

influenced sounds including fuzz, sitar, and 

chanting. 

"Le Musée De L'Impressionnisme" 1975 (Philips 6318 043, 

Holland) 

Bobby Callender's third and best LP, released only in 

Holland and credited to Robert Callender, is a 

tribute to Impressionism. All the songs tell the 

history of the movement and sing the praises of its 

key practitioners: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Claude 

Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, and so forth. 

It's an art history lesson done as psychedelic soul! 

Callender delivers a funky mid-70's psychedelic soul 

sound, with several tracks that would perfectly suit 

the dance floor. The lyrics are intricate, sung in 

his soulful, haunted voice, and there's lots of 

flute, exotic percussion, mystical vibe and 

strangeness. 

TIM CALLANDER (Minneapolis, NN) 

"Future" 1979 (no label) 

CAMBRIDGE (PA) 

Obscure private press with a spacey Progressive Rock 

sound, a bit earlier in style than the release year 

indicates. 

"Share A Song" 1977 (Green Dolphin 6024) 

Absolute cream of the crop for private press rural 

rock. The vocal harmonies are in the best CSN 

tradition and the sharp instrumentation is more 

Allman Brothers than Grateful Dead. Unexpected 

honkytonk piano and raga-style guitar solos add to 

the fun. The best two songs are in the middle of side 

two. “Cowboy On The Trail” is the closest thing to a 

pop song here, with an irresistible melody and tight 

harmonies, and “Faithless Lady” has a great guitar

CAMERON (FL) 

hook and long, exciting jam in the middle. The only 

criticisms are that occasionally they force harmonies 

when one voice might have worked better, and two 

ballads to end side one may be one too many. 

Nonetheless, this is a great album. Note to obsessive 

collectors: virtually every known copy of this album 

has ringwear on the front cover. [AM] 

~~~ 

Regarded by many as the best local countryrocker from 

anywhere, this album has a lot going for it including 

strong songwriting, tight playing and an overall 

friendly mood guaranteed to break the ice at your 

next barbecue. The style has been perceptively 

defined as "East Coast Dead/New Riders", which means 

an upbeat and snappy vibe like a clear day in June, 

with little of the dreamy westcoast feel or weepy 

Nashville style. In my ears not really rural rock but 

more of country pop with steel guitar and honky tonk 

piano, and none the worse for it with plenty of 

character and creativity. Opening title track is 

sheer perfection and a solid groove is maintained 

throughout with a few extended jam passages and 

surprising use of keyboard among the succinct 3minute 

creations. This LP is the one to beat in the 

style, and would have made the band famous if on a 

major label. [PL] 

~~~ 

Some comments on the LP from ex-member Dan Vogan: 

"...the album was recorded in 1977 and the band had 

been together about 1 and a half years. We played all 

over the US and decided from the beginning to do all 

original music.This put us at an advantage to cover 

bands and catapulted us to a higher level of venues.I 

have always been inspired by the group POCO.Cambridge 

would practice and jam 6-8 hours per day and took 

great pride in our long jams.A song on the album 

"highs and lows" was actually a 12 minute song that 

had to be edited to what it is today.If you listen 

near the end of the song you can detect the edit 

during a drum lick on the tomtoms". Vogan is today 

continuing in the same music tradition with Deuble & 

Vogan. 

"Cameron" 1975 (Home Groan) 

This Florida bar band was popular enough locally that 

they made this record just for their fans. The liner 

notes say that the songs are demos, but they sound 

complete. Their style is good-time rock and roll with 

a few twists. There are a few ballads and some weak 

boogie, but about half of the songs rock pretty well 

and have some nice guitar playing. The 

instrumentation is diverse, with one band member who 

plays sax, flute and synth. This isn’t a great album, 

but much of it is worthwhile. The dreamy ballad 

“Mystery Wind” and the opening “Illusions,” which has 

a nice, sly buildup, are both excellent. [AM] 

"Keep On Movin'" 1976 (Home Groan 002) 

Lane Cameron, presumably the guy the band was named 

after, is no longer a member of the band here, but 

the album cover gives no clue why. I’ll assume that

DICK CAMPBELL (WI) 

the Joe Cocker-like singing on one of the first 

album’s long slow songs was by him. Just to further 

the illusion that he never existed, the song is redone 

on this album in a shorter, less gruffly sung 

version. Elsewhere this has the same uneven mix of 

styles as the first album. The title track has some 

sizzling slide guitar and is even better than the 

opening song on the debut. Unfortunately the slide is 

used sparingly thereafter, and its brief return on 

one of the ballads makes the listener wish there was 

a lot more of it. It’s an up and down album with some 

low spots, but at least one song that makes me glad 

the record exists. Hilarious album cover; you’ve got 

to hand it to any band who seems to be having so much 

fun. [AM] 

"Sings Where It's At" 1965 (Mercury) [mono; black label] 

"Sings Where It's At" 1965 (Mercury sr-61060) [stereo; gold 

label] 

Campbell has been dismissed by most as a Dylan 

wannabe, and he is, right down to the instrumental 

backing from the Butterfield Blues Band, who sound 

exactly like they did on "Highway 61 Revisited". They 

steal a guitar riff from “Like A Rolling Stone” and 

use it on every single song! Trust me, folks, the 

Rutles are nowhere near as entertaining as this great 

album, an absolute lost treasure of the early days of 

folk-rock. The songs are simple and repetitive, but 

completely catchy, not a dud in the bunch. There’s a 

little bit of fuzz guitar, and a much poppier sound 

(with “nicer” vocals) than Dylan's. Adding to the fun 

are the arrogant liner notes (most of which paint his 

girlfriend as intellectually inferior to D.C., as he 

calls himself), and a semi-serious song in which he 

proclaims himself the “Don Juan of the Western 

World.” None of it seems like a put-on to me, and 

Campbell’s just literate enough to pull off his “I 

know everything, I’m smarter than you, I have a way 

with words and you don’t” routine. The Butterfield 

Blues Band provides the backing, predating their 

debut LP and perhaps their first appearance on vinyl. 

[AM] 

EL CAMPO JADES (El Campo, TX) 

"13th Song" 1967 (Golden Eagle 101) 

Rather weak teen-beat and R&B/soul covers. "Good Guys 

Don't Wear White", "Ain't too proud to beg", "Mr. 

Pitiful", etc. One or two originals. The album title 

refers to a bonus "mystery" track, which turns out to 

be a cover of "Roadrunner". 

CANADA see "A New Place To Live" 

CANADIAN BEADLES (Sarnia, Canada)

"Three Faces North" 1964 (Tide 2005) 

CANARIES (Spain) 

Merseybeat and frat from Canadian trio looking like 

teddy-boys. Although often presented as a Beatle 

take-off, there's not a single Fab Four number 

present. The LP is surprisingly expensive. 

"Flying High With The Canaries" 1970 (BT Puppy BTPS 1007) 

"Flying High With The Canaries" 198 (Cocodrilo, Spain) 

CANNABIS (MA/RI) 

Canary Islands group recorded and released in the US, 

which is why it's included here. Late beat with no 

garage or psych traces. A couple of good tracks. 

"Joint Effort" 1972 (Amphion Seahorse) 

"Joint Effort" 1998 (CD Gear Fab 114) 

"Joint Effort" 199 (Gear Fab) 

Disappointing LP for anyone expecting psych as this 

is fairly mainstreamish hippie 1970s rural 

rock/folkrock in the popular CSNY/America school, 

reminiscent of RJ Fox/Oasis at times. Pro-sounding 

but unexciting. [PL] 

~~~ 

In spite of the band name and marketing hype, "Joint 

Effort" was hardly the psych masterpiece that one 

would have hoped for. Instead tracks such as 'Take It 

Easy', 'You Don't Get a Ride for Free' and 'It's Only 

Rock 'n Stock' showcased a mixture of bar rock boogie 

and Dead-styled jams. The vocals are pretty good and 

the rest of the band quite accomplished musicians, 

but with the possible exceptions of the atypical 

pretty ballads 'See You In the Morning' and 'Smiles' 

the Byrds-styled jangler 'Once Again' the ensemble 

never really caught fire. Gawd only knows why the 

Gear Fab label decided to reissue the album. [SB] 

FRANCES CANNON (The Singing Psychic) (Dallas, TX) 

"Music From Cannonville (A Brand New Sound)" 198 (no label) 

Lunatic woman who was hit by a lumber truck and 

'acquired' psychic powers. She claims to have found 

thousands of lost children with her special powers 

including several hundred in a cave in Alaska! She 

lives in her own messed up fantasy world a la Lucia 

Pamela and sings nutty songs about aliens and the 

like. The first LP has a stripped down folky acoustic

guitar and vocal sound. There is a second LP, "The 

Singing Psychic" from 1987, credited to Frances 

Cannon & the Extraterrestials, which is electric with 

more production and is psychedelic in a nightmarish, 

lost soul fashion. [RM] 

WILLARD CANTELON ( ) 

"LSD - Battle for the Mind" 1966 (Supreme m-113) 

"LSD - Battle for the Mind / Instant Insanity Drugs" 2002 (CD) 

[2-on-1] 

Spoken word ties LSD in with spirituality in oldschool 

paranoia propaganda. Drop some acid, laugh and 

learn about the 'dark and terrifying national 

menace'. Early, well-known title for spoken word drug 

LPs, with outstanding front cover art. 

see full presentation 

CANTERBURY MUSIC FESTIVAL (NY) 

"Rain & Shine" 1968 (B T Puppy 1018) 

"Rain & Shine" 2002 (CD Air Mail Recordings, Japan) 

"Rain & Shine" 2003 (CD Rev-Ola, UK) 

"Rain & Shine" 2004 (CD Beatball 005, Korea) 

"Rain & Shine" 2004 (Merry Go Round/Beatball 006, Korea) 

Apparently a quartet, this group was signed by The 

Tokens' short-lived B.T. Puppy label. Musically the 

set's kind of hard to describe. Imagine The 

Association singing with a distinctive British lilt 

and you'll be in the right ballpark. Much of the set 

consists of sensitive ballads. While there isn't 

anything wrong with material such as "First Spring 

Rain", "Sunny Days" and "Why Does Everybody Run To 

Home", these tracks don't offer up anything 

particularly original or memorable. Far better were 

up-tempo numbers such as "Sharin" and 

"Angelina" (both which would have made dandy top-10 

singles), the fuzz guitar propelled "Super Duper 

Trooper" and the Sgt Pepper-inspired slice of lite 

psych "Mr. Snail". Certainly not the year's most 

original effort, it was still far better than 

anything label mates The Tokens or The Happenings 

ever did. [SB] 

~~~ 

Beatles-influenced pop that for the most part falls 

into the realm of sunshine pop, though with a few 

excursions into psychedelia. B.T. Puppy released the 

LP at this point in an inexplicable pressing run of 

150 copies. About half the songs are written by band 

members, with several written by the Tokens foursome. 

Legendary label mate Brute Force is credited with 2 

songs, though Brute says one of those is not his. 

Musically, the first song, “First Spring Rain” (the 

45 release) establishes the mood of most of the songs 

on the LP with its fragile upper register harmonies 

and light orchestration. “Super Duper Trooper” is the 

closest they get to psychedelia, and sounds very much 

like a "Revolver" outtake. “Mr. Snail” could be 

mistaken for UK freakbeat, complete with a backwards 

flute riffing throughout and lyrics & melody

eminiscent of some of the Syd’s lighter “Piper” 

ditties. The one non-label related song is an 

exploito instrumental cover of “Son of a Preacherman” 

with a distorted electric sitar taking the melody 

line over occasional wah-wah rhythms. Clocking in at 

just over 25 minutes, a very short, but sweet LP. 

[MA] 

V.A "CANTON HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTS" see "Sunny Spring Fever" 

CAPSTAN PLAYERS (Milton Academy, MA) 

"Capstan Players of Milton Academy" 1967 (Transradio tr-990) 

[no sleeve] 

Garage covers from prep-rock band, including Remains 

and Standells numbers. 

C.A. QUINTET (Minneapolis, MN) 

"Trip Thru Hell" 1969 (Candy Floss 7764) 

"Trip Thru Hell" 1983 (Psycho 12, UK) [back cvr altered] 

-- due to a mishap in mastering, this re has one channel 

missing and sounds completely different from the original 

"Trip Thru Hell" 1993 (CD Eva, France) 

-- copied from the Psycho re, which means that one channel is 

again missing 

"Trip Thru Hell" 1995 (Sundazed 5037) [2LPs; +14 tracks] 

"Trip Thru Hell" 1995 (CD Sundazed 11021) [+12 tracks] 

Ah yes, the "Trip", an LP so packed with talent and 

originality it alone justifies the existence of the 

underground collector circuit. You can pick just 

about any major 60s LP and this will blow it away on 

all counts. I assume most people reading this already 

knows Ken Erwin's conceptual acid psych monster, 

which sounds like nothing else done before and hardly 

since; a strongly cinematic exploration into weird 

and often unpleasant mental spaces, using only 

standard rock instruments -- and a surprising trumpet 

-- to get there. The legendary Psycho "channeling" 

screwup was rectified with the nice (though vinylsourced) 

Sundazed re's, but it should be pointed out 

that none of the reissues show the original back 

cover design. The band also appeared on the rare 

"Money Music" compilation. [PL] 


"Live 1971" 1984 (no label) [500p] 

First the good news. Given the primitive conditions 

under which this album was recorded, the sound is 

surprisingly good. According to Ken Erwin's liner 

notes, 'This recording was made simply by laying down 

two microphones on the floor in front of the group. 

They just happened to be in the best location for the 

circumstances.' Now the bad news. Capturing the band 

at what was to be their final performance at Lake 

Pepin High School, "C.A. Quintet Live 1971" sounds

like a band drawing its last creative gasps which was 

pretty much the situation. 'Bayou Jam' is a needless 

side-long mixture of popular rock hits including 

snippets of CCR's 'Down On the Bayou' and The Stones' 

'Satisfaction'. It's listenable, but nothing you 

couldn't hear on any Friday evening at your local 

brewpub. Best thing I can say about it is that the 14 

minutes go by quickly (okay the drum solo slows 

everything down for a couple of minutes). The Ken 

Erwin original 'Country Boy' is actually pretty good, 

though the country-rock sound is a little bit 

unexpected. Judging by this track these guys weren't 

bad in a live setting. The extended cover of Spirit's 

'Fresh Garbage' also has it's moments - notably for 

giving guitarist Tom Pohling a chance to stretch out. 

Certainly not essential, but I've heard far 

worse. [SB] 

CARDBOARD VILLAGE (Boston, MA) 

"Sea of Change" 1969 (Cardboard Village Records CVST 4) 

[lyrics insert] 

Trio with acoustic cosmic folk concept LP about the 

ocean. Guitars, congas, flutes. 

CARDINALI BROTHERS (CA) 

"More Than Luck" 1971 (Windi wlps-1008) 

Rural hippie folkrock in the early 1970s Dead style, 

on the same label as Merkin and Creation Of Sunlight. 

CARGO (Toronto, Canada) 

"Front Side, Back Side" 1969 (Trend 1006) 

Dreamy, jazzy psych rock that's not particularly 

well-known by collectors. It has a spaced out feel 

that should appeal to some, though the songs aren't 

especially memorable and a few long instrumentals are 

pretty dull. Unusual arrangements include woodwinds. 

The drumming is heavy on atmospheric cymbals, the 

songs are mostly at slow tempos and the vocals are 

heavily reverbed. The low budget production 

(sometimes the backing vocals are louder than the 

lead vocals) makes this sound quite different from 

their next album. Has a nice feel and a few good 

moments but certainly isn't worth its current $500+ 

tag. [AM] 

~~~ 

For some reason there exists a bunch of obscure 

Canadian LPs with a similar sound, a late-night jazzy 

psychrock mood like the loungier side of the Doors, 

usually with keyboards upfront and understated guitar 

picking. This is a typical expression of that sound, 

with flute instead of organ, moody yet expressive 

vocals, and long tracks that seem to find their path

as they go along. Recorded live in parts or wholly, 

which adds to the organic basement feel -- one track 

actually has lounge ambience with people chatting and 

ordering drinks louder than the music! Songwriting 

isn't elaborate, yet the persistent mood and refusal 

to compromise makes for a memorable experience, with 

a couple of snakey instrumental excursions developing 

into hypnotic 3 AM Canadian Rye hallucinations. 

Comparable to Papa Bear's, while south of the border 

Ant Trip Ceremony and Feather Da Gamba spring to 

mind. [PL] 

"Simple Things" 1970 (Ringside 104) 

FRANKIE CARR (MA) 

The second Cargo album is much more produced than the 

first, and it works in its favor, emphasizing the 

inherent heaviness of their sound, strengthening the 

sound of the guitar and organ. Still, too much of 

this record is given over to jammy instrumentals of 

little originality, which really drags it down. A 

couple of the actual songs are quite good, though, 

with “Geordy,” a terrific moody slow-burner, being 

the best. There’s also a bizarre song about how happy 

they are for their friend who fell out of a window to 

his death. [AM] 

"Frankie Carr" 1976 (Tiger Lily) 

Collectors know about the really good Tiger Lily 

albums, and tend to forget that most records on the 

label are like this one: poorly produced recordings 

(demos?) of undistinguished music. This is a very, 

very, very poor man's variation on the John Scoggins 

album, if Scoggins had tried to jump on the various 

commercial bandwagons of the mid 70s (some songs have 

a disco-like rhythm to them.) In other words, 

Scoggins is timeless, this is dated. A couple of 

songs have some nice jangly guitar and memorable 

melodies, but mostly this is weak and forgettable. 

[AM] 

"Frankie Carr's All Natural Band" 1977 (Tribute 1001) 

Poorly done pre-Tea Company 1960s recordings by the 

Naturals, released as a tax-scam in the late 1970s. A 

couple of tracks have been described as garagey, 

others folkrocky. 

CORKY CARROLL & FRIENDS (CA) 

"Laid Back" 197 (Rural rr-001) 

Corky is a world-renowned surfer. Hippie folk jamming 

by a variety of artists who were all friends. 

Produced by Corky and Dennis Dragon. 

~~~ 

see -> Farm

JIMMY CARTER & DALLAS COUNTY GREEN ( ) 

"Summer Brings The Sunshine" 1973 (BOC 2002) 

Obscure album on Missouri label which has garnered 

fans among the psych in-crowd, described as 

outdoors/rural rock with an appealing quiet vibe. 

There is a retrospective CD with Carter's material, 

"Set Me Free", which has a few tracks from this LP. 

DAN CASAMAJOR (Chico, CA) 

"My Family" 197 (Eskay WA 1054) 

CASCADES (CA) 

CASE ( ) 

Little-known folk/folkrock with a vibrant 60s feel, 

mixes acoustic and electric tracks. 

"What Goes on Inside" 1968 (Cascades ad-6280) 

Vocal group legends. This private press LP will 

appeal to flower psych collectors, much more so than 

their Valiant or Uni LPs. Ben Benay arranged and this 

one has a cool flower pop hippie love edge and a nice 

trippy art cover. [RM] 

"Taking Time" 197 (private) 

Custom press in same generic sleeve as Birmingham 

Sunday, described as westcoast-sounding. 

CASHMAN-VAQUERO BAND ( ) 

"In Memory of Berry Oakley" 1979 (Walnut West) 

Most references describe the album as being Allman 

Brothers-styled Southern rock. That's not quite 

right. I certainly hear Allman-influences, 

particularly in some of the Cashman-Sadus guitar 

interplay, but the set's far more diverse than that. 

With the exception of a mildly-jazzy cover of John 

Mayall's 'California', the set boasts original 

material that finds the band taking stabs at 

conventional boogie ('Down In the Belly'), countryrock 

(the pretty ballad 'Driving Me Crazy') lite-jazz 

('View from a Mountain Peak') and even Santana-styled 

Latin rock ('Security'). Cashman and Sadus share 

vocal duties and they both have pretty good voices.

CASUALS (CA) 

Judging by the liner notes Sadus apparently died 

while the album was being made, but between his work 

and that of guest guitarist Robert John Guziejka (who 

contributed a couple of songs and played with Cashman 

and Oakley in their garage band days), there are 

quite a few tasty lead guitars scattered throughout 

the set including some Duane Allman-styled runs on 

'Good Days' and some jazzy scatting on 'There's No 

Tellin'. Curiously, at least to my ears the 

biographical tribute title track is the least 

impressive effort. There's also a pre-LP 45 on the 

small Bridgeville label. [SB] 

~~~ 

Here's some more info on the band and LP, from main 

guy Cashman himself: "Bob Guziejka (ga-j-ka) 

(guitar), Ron Sadus (drums), Berry Oakley (guitar), 

and Jerry Kokus (bass) had a band together (The 

Vibratones). I didn't play in that band, but Bob, Ron 

[then on bass] and myself playing drums had a trio 

called "Satish-chada" from 1968 to 1971. I moved to 

California in 1971 and Ron and Bob came out in 

February of 1972. We went into Wally Heiders Studio 

in LA and did a few recording sessions. The only 

tunes that sounded good were 'Good Days', 'Drivin Me 

Crazy' and 'Security.' Ron and Bob went back to 

Chicago and those tapes sat in the can until 1975. I 

met James Vincent in San Francisco where I was 

working as a street artist in 1975. We got together 

and rehearsed some of my tunes in Marin. In April 

1975 we went into Wally Heiders with the other 

musicians and recorded [what was to become] side 2 of 

the album live. The lead guitar on 'California' and 

'Down In the Belly were later overdubed by Joel 

Manchak in Chicago. The lead guitar on 'Security', 

the twin leads on 'Good Days' and all of the leads on 

side 2 were by Vincent. 'Vaquero' or cowboy is the 

name I picked after we put out the 45, because James 

Vincent got signed to Caribou Records and I couldn't 

use his name. I decided on Vaquero because I had 

worked on a cattle ranch and [had done] some bareback 

bronco riding in Utah. As for the album title track, 

Ron Sadus the bassist wrote the instrumental tune and 

I added the lyrics. The instrumental tune has a 

beautiful twin guitar solo throughout the tune. When 

we did it in the studio, I had completely rearranged 

the tune and that was the last time I performed that 

tune. The 45 had just a slight difference in the 

final mix. Sadly, Sadus passed away in July 1978. He 

was 30 years old. The album was released in 1979." 

"Absolutely 100% Live" 1981 (private) [#d; insert] 

CATALINA (CA) 

Jammy blues-rock with fuzz leads, recorded in San 

Francisco. 

"Live from the Chi Chi Club" 1970 (Avalon) 

Bluesy sleazy club rockers, cover versions all

through. 

CATHEDRAL (PA) 

"Sing Me a Song" 1974 (Sky Piece) 

Melodic rock with rural AOR moves. 

CATHEDRAL (Long Island, NY) 

"Stained Glass Stories" 1978 (Delta drc-1002) [insert] 

"Stained Glass Stories" 1989 (Delta) [bootleg] 

"Stained Glass Stories" 1991 (CD Syn-Phonic) 

Complex progressive with guitar and keys, including 

loads of mellotron. Superb playing with a strong King 

Crimson and Yes influence. Well-liked in spite of the 

arch vocals. Guitarist Rudy Perrone later made a 

private solo LP that may be worth searching out for 

Cathedral fans ("Oceans Of Art", 1981). [RM] 

~~~ 

This is obviously very well played and conceived 

progressive rock, but to someone who's not especially 

inclined toward the genre, I find it a bit tedious, 

lacking the hooks of bands like Atlantis Philharmonic 

or Zoldar & Clark, and without the more outrageous 

experimentation of bands like Yezda Urfa or 

Polyphony. Like another well-liked prog album of the 

era, Brimstone's "Paper Winged Dreams," this is 

recommended more to genre fans than to the average 

Archives reader. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Odyssey 

CATHERINE'S HORSE (Taft School, Watertown, CT) 

"Catherine's Horse" 1969 (Jay-Put 5001) [no cover; 500p] 

Obscure, sleeve-less late 60s garage-bluesrock LP a 

la American Blues Exchange; may not appeal to 

everyone but I find it rather charming. No macho 

vocals or Clapton guitar showoffs, just local teens 

finding comfort in the nocturnal honkie blooz as 

represented by the Blues Project and Paul 

Butterfield, both of which are covered along with an 

unexpected "Rocket 88". Also one of the few LPs I 

know of with a clear influence from the first 

Grateful Dead LP, especially the Dead-derived take on 

"Good morning little schoolgirl". The downer tracks 

work the best; somehow these guys win me over. Not 

recommended for fans of the Ten Years After-type

guitar-hero "blues". The LP was recorded as a school 

project (a study of the blues) in New York City 

during Spring Break 1969, and all band members were 

Taft students. "Sun goin' down" is a band original. 

[PL] 

JOANNA CAZDEN (Seattle, WA) 

"The Greatest Illusion" 1973 (Sister Sun) [insert] 

Little-known female singer/songwriter with psych and 

Eastern moves and an unusual cerebral edge. Mainly 

piano and a serious feel like Carole King on acid, 

title track is a high point with trip-praising 

lyrics. More comments will follow. Cazden's second LP 

"Hatching" is reportedly similar but not as good. 

CEDAR CREEK SOCIETY (Odessa, TX) 

"Cedar Creek Society" 1971 (no label) 

Melodic folk/rock with violin and occasional 

orchestration. 

CELLUTRON & THE INVISIBLE (Northfield, VT) 

"Reflecting on the First Watch, We Uncover Treasure Buried for 

the Blind" 1978 (Green Mountain gms-4015) 

CENTER LINE ( ) 

Spacy experimental sound effects from Robert Greely, 

featuring machine noise, some poetry and guitar. 

Sometimes compared to Intersystems. 

"Sayin' It... Together" 196 (Vanco 1008) 

CENTURIONS ( ) 

Late 1960s Northwest rural lounge rock on the same 

label as Easy Chair. Memorable for a 'so bad it's 

good', nearly side-long, Beatles' medley. 

"Louie Louie" 1965 (private) [10" 1-sided LP; no cover] 

Hot guitar frat rock with surfy leads. This is 

probably a different band from the surf group. 

CEPHAS (Pittsburgh, PA) 

"Teen Challenge Presents Cephas with Jeff Cogswell" 197 (No 

Label 32217/8)

CEYLEIB PEOPLE (CA) 

Circa '73 Pittsburgh moody xian garage folk sponsored 

by the christian youth group "Teen Challenge". 

Acoustic and electric guitars, bass, farfisa organ, 

drums, teen femme backing vocals. Several originals 

but perhaps most notable for the nearly nine minute 

version of "Jesus Is Just Alright" with a long organ 

and guitar jam. Rite pressing. [RM] 

"Tanyet" 1968 (Vault 117) [mono] 

"Tanyet" 1968 (Vault 117) [stereo] 

"Tanyet" 199 (Vault) [bootleg] 

"Tanyet" 1993 (CD Drop Out, UK) [2-on-1] 

DON CHAFEY ( ) 

Eastern psych instrumentals featuring Ry Cooder and 

other luminaries from the LA studio mafia. Has a good 

reputation and goes beyond the cash-in exploitation 

sounds one might expect. Very short playtime though. 

Great psych sleeve. There is an original German 

pressing with completely different cover art. They 

also made a good non-LP 45. The CD has both the mono 

and reprocessed stereo versions of the entire LP. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

Studio group with Ben Benay, Larry Knechtel, Ry 

Cooter (=Cooder). East meets west instrumentals 

guitars, sitar, tabla, violin. Very short but a good 

one for Saddhu Brand fans. Exploito cash in but with 

this much talent it's a monster! Very trippy Rick 

Griffin cover art. The boot has a thin, board printed 

cover unlike originals. [RM] 

~~~ 

see -> Friar Tuck and his Psychedelic Guitar 

"Blue Iron Crown" 197 (private) 

Late 70s/early 70s local release of freaky folk/blues 

with pagan elements. 

CHAIND (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Live at the Topanga Corral" 1972 (no label) [2LPs] 

Westcoast blues rock sound that has been compared to 

Canned Heat, with lengthy guitar excursions. Band 

member Peter Klimes made a private press solo LP in 

1974 in a more rural direction.

CHAKRA (Redondo Beach, CA) 

"Chakra" 1979 (Brother Studio bs-15) [lyric insert] 

CHALIS ( ) 

Driving guitar keys progressive rock with great 

vocals like Rush. 

"One Small Chance" 1975 (Ellen Abbey 25389) [gatefold] 

Symphonic progressive. 

CHALLENGER'S (Puerto Rico) 

"Challenger's" 1968 (Mariel lps-104, Puerto Rico) [gatefold] 

DAVID CHALMERS (CA) 

Swirling organ, some fuzz, English vocals. Mix of 

folkrock, bluesy garage, and Latin moves. With some 

7-Up cola commercials thrown in to pay the bills. 

"Primeval Road" 1976 (Same Old Label 64109) [gatefold] 

"Primeval Road" 1976 (River srr-1000) [some tracks replaced; 

gatefold] 

Chalmers is known as a hot guitarist, but his first 

album is a refreshing departure from the “guitar 

hero” mold. His vocals are soft and appealing, the 

songs are subtle, the guitar playing is terrific (but 

tasteful and subdued), and the arrangements include 

plenty of acoustic guitar and piano. At times this is 

more like a folk-rock or singer songwriter album than 

a heavy guitar record. The often moody songwriting is 

as strong as the performances. Highly recommended. 

The first version of the album starts with two hot 

guitar rockers that are missing from the second 

edition, making the softer songs on side two a bit of 

a surprise. The second edition replaces these two 

songs with a gorgeous, dreamy ballad that’s probably 

his best song of all. Since this song comes first, 

this edition of the album has a completely different 

feel than the first. If "Primeval Road" is ever 

released on CD, hopefully all songs from both 

versions will be included. [AM] 

"Looking For Water" 1977 (River srr-1001) [inner sleeve] 

Chalmers’ second album feels like it was released 

before he was ready for a full LP. Its 8 songs total 

just under half an hour, and half of them are filler: 

two covers and two remakes of earlier songs. The 

album is heavier and funkier than "Primeval Road", 

with a weird mix of styles including a quasi-disco 

song (intended sarcastically?) and one great dreamy

allad that evokes the first album. Somewhat 

disappointing, but it has its moments, and the 

excellent guitar playing is more to the forefront 

this time. [AM] 

"All Night Long" 1977 (River Records) [no cover; 100p] 

The rare third Chalmers album is the kind of 

discovery collectors dream of, with a pressing of 100 

copies, none actually sold commercially. It was 

produced only for demonstration purposes and as such 

actual album covers were never pressed. The music 

within shows Chalmers in a mellow, introspective 

mood. It's similar to side two of "Primeval Road"; 

there's not a heavy song here. The listener might 

keep waiting for a hot guitar solo to come and be 

disappointed that they just aren't there (the last 

song, especially, seems designed to end in a flourish 

of lead guitar, but does not). The quality and mood 

of the album almost make up for it, though, as this 

album is quite good. It's deep and melodic album that 

showcases tasteful guitar playing, sharp songwriting, 

mysterious lyrics, some dreamy arrangements, and 

excellent singing. It's a bit bland here and there, 

which makes it a less successful album than "Primeval 

Road", but it's still a worthwhile LP. Records were 

distributed in shrinkwrapped cardboard boxes, 

including cover slicks and lyric sheets and 

promotional stickers that optimistically read 

“includes hit single Zig Zag”. [AM] 

LES CHAMPIGNONS (Quebec, Canada) 

"Premiere Capsule" 1972 (GG 1) 

"Premiere Capsule" 2004 (CD Radioactive 089, UK) 

Bluesy prog and psych fuzz jammer with trippy dayglo 

mushroom cover. Highlight: 11+ minute "Le Chateau 

Hante" (The Haunted House) - great twisted Halloween 

music. [RM] 

CHANGES (Chicago, IL) 

"Fire Of Life" 1996 (CD Storm/Ctulhu) 

"Fire Of Life" 2002 (Hau Ruck!, Austria) [750p] 

"Fire Of Life" 2002 (CD Hau Ruck!, Austria) 

Previously unreleased 1969-1974 recordings from 

occult folk duo with ties to the infamous Process 

Church. The music is acoustic folk with arch, deadserious 

vocals and apocalyptic lyrics. As often with 

spiritual folk albums, the dedication works to its 

advantage, but is best enjoyed in small doses or a 

mind-numbing effect will follow from the uniformity 

of mood and monotonous songwriting. Nice spooky feel, 

like the Incredible String Band on belladonna. [PL] 

CHAPARRALS (Glen Rock, PA) 

"Times To Remember" 1968 (DB 21768)

Stereotyped slice of garage rock, propelled more by 

sheer enthusiasm than talent. Blown notes, rough 

tempos and strained vocals ("Stag-O-Lee"), abound. 

That said, to our ears the LPs interesting on two 

counts. The album's surprisingly accomplished given 

the lowtech production and the band's relative youth. 

The other surprise is the band's musical repertoire. 

Sure, cover bands weren't exactly rare in the mid- 

60s', but these guys concentrated on soul covers. Not 

what you'd expect from a Pennsylvania-based outfit. 

They also had great tastes, taking on material by 

George Clinton, Eddie Floyd and Otis Redding. In case 

anyone's interested, there are two originals. The 

leadoff soul instrumental and the closer doomy 

"Empty", which was written by former member Kent 

Rehrbach and is unlike anything else on the LP. [SB] 

CHAPIN BROTHERS (NY) 

"Chapin Music!" 1966 (Rock-Land rr-66) [mono; gatefold] 

"Chapin Music!" 1966 (Rock-Land rr-66) [stereo; gatefold] 

Charming basement folkrock in a definite nonpsychedelic 

style, sounds like a bunch of Kingston 

Trio fans discovering the alluring sounds of the 

Grassroots. Recording and performances reek of 

amateur enthusiasm, which makes the back cover's 

predictions of the coming victory of square US 

folkrock in general and "Chapin Music" in particular 

seem an outrageous pipe dream. The album clocks in at 

an overlong 40 minutes and would have benefitted from 

2-3 tracks being removed, especially those that go in 

a crooner pop direction. Mostly originals, with the 

best stuff holding a middle ground between the NE 

prep rockers and the Holy Ghost Reception Committee 

#9. Worth hearing as an artefact, but ultimately a 

little too bloodless and squeaky clean for my tastes, 

although the third track has a nice Ylvisakerish 

sarcasm to it. Harry Chapin later became famous, sort 

of. [PL] 

CHAPLIN HARNESS (Camden, NJ) 

"Chaplin Harness" 1970 (M.O.D Sounds 8069) [plain sleeve; 

insert] 

"Chaplin Harness" 2004 (Void 34) [new sleeve; bonus track; 

600p] 

CHARIOT ( ) 

Local demo LP of jammy guitar/organ hippie-rock with 

some prog moves, unknown to exist until the Void 

reissue appeared. Supposedly only 50 copies pressed. 

"Chariot" 1969 (National General 2003) [promos exist] 

Heavy psych-rock typical of the era, with Cream 

influence.

CHARISMA (FL) 

"Charisma Is Raptured" 197 (Rite 29556) 

Charisma’s two LPs are probably the most low-budget 

rock recordings I’ve ever heard. It appears on this 

one that the master tape even dragged for a second on 

the first song when the record was being pressed! But 

the cheapness of the recording cannot mask the 

enthusiasm and strong songwriting of this teenage 

Florida band. Liner notes describe the sound as 

“Afro-jazz, pure folk, country, acid rock, and 

ballad”. Well I don’t know if there’s anything on 

here I’d call “Afro-jazz” or “acid rock”, but what I 

do hear I like: lots of piano-based rock (recalling 

early Elton John) and folky cuts, with lead vocals 

shared by James Dudley (composer of 9 of the 11 

songs) and Marijean McCarty, whose beautifully 

expressive voice brings me close to tears. Overall 

the folkrock sound predominates, but the rocky 

moments are there (“screaming crashing dissonance” 

the liner says) foreshadowing the group’s second 

release. [KS] 

"Last Days" 197 (Rite 32700) 

Wait a minute. I do believe you could classify this 

as... yes... here comes the "p" word... progressive! 

Well, OK, maybe more like garage rock with some prog 

influences. Whatever you call it it's miles above 

their debut. Charges off from the start with the 10minute 

groovin' jam feast 'Down At The 

Crossroads' (not the Cream/Clapton cover) with 

guitar, piano, organ, and flute all getting their 

turn at lead, not to mention a lengthy drum solo at 

the end. 'Last Days' is a creative mysterious 

apocalyptic piece, percussion heavy with time changes 

and psychy guitar. 'Jesus The Messiah' is rather 

dramatic and includes a cool prog mid-section that 

has flashes of the sacred Vindication LP. A couple 

bluesy cuts: the upbeat 'Nowhere Blues' with slide 

guitar and piano and the moodier 'Blue Woman'. A few 

nice piano-led ballads in the neighborhood of the 

first lp. Real low-tech sound again, especially that 

organ - but it's far from irritating, more often 

giving the set a wonderful homegrown basement charm. 

Every track strong. One of my faves. Both these 

albums are bigtime rarities. Nice bellbottoms fellas! 

[KS] 

ROBERT CHARLEBOIS (Quebec, Canada) 

"Charlebois/Forestier" 1969 (Gamma 120) 

This is considered to be the most significant French- 

Canadian album of the psychedelic era. Charlebois, a 

big star in the province, shocked Quebec by following 

up a few mellow folk albums with this wildly 

experimental effort, going places he never went 

before and never would again. Listening all these 

years later, it doesn’t sound particularly freaky, or 

even all that “rock,” due to the formal sound of the

French language, Charlebois’ loungy voice, and his 

theatrical bent. With bits of novelty, and more horns 

and organ than fuzz guitar, it sounds more like 

vaudeville-meets-swinging-London than psychedelia. 

That said, it’s pretty great. Louise Forestier duets 

with him on side one, and her various oohs, aahs, 

shrieks and crazed asides (this album created as much 

of a stir for her muttering of “Christ” on the hit 

song “Lindberg” as it did for the style of music) add 

quite a bit to the overall atmosphere. This album 

sure isn’t heavy, but the Forestier scream and 

resulting frantic sax solo on “California,” or the 

lunatic ravings of Charlebois on the 7-minute 

“Engagement” pack just as much of a much as any wild 

guitar solo could. This album is always inventive and 

surprising, and while it certainly won’t shock a 

modern listener, it’s sure to entertain. [AM] 

CHARLEE (Montreal, Canada) 

"Charlee" 1972 (RCA Victor 4809) [orange label; textured 

cover] 

"Charlee" 1972 (RCA Victor 4809) [brown label] 

"Charlee" 1976 (Mind Dust mdm-1001, US) [altered 'cartoon' 

cover] 

Killer hard rock dominated by guitar wizard Walter 

Rossi. The vocals are only OK, but this album rocks 

with a vengeance. It’s powerful, hooky, and full of 

surprises. Rossi gets some great noises out of his 

guitar, culminating in the awesome “Wheel of Fortune 

Turning.” Most Hendrix worshipers are at best obvious 

copies and at worst unimaginative imitators without a 

zillionth of Hendrix’s talent. Rossi is one of the 

few to use Hendrix as a springboard for his own 

original ideas. Easily one of the best of its kind. 

The Mind Dust version was issued with a sticker on 

the shrink reading "Charlee featuring Walter Rossi", 

and was also released on 8-track with a non-LP track. 

[AM] 

CHARLIE NOTHING (Los Angeles, CA) 

"The Psychedelic Saxophone of Charlie Nothing" 1967 (Takoma c- 

1015) 

"Inside Outside" 1969 (no label) 

CHARMER (FL) 

Hollywood bohemian. Freaky sax noise on the 

"Psychedelic Saxophone..." LP. Instro flute and bongo 

jamming on "Inside Outside". There was also an EP 

titled "We Are You", and a 45 with a picture sleeve 

called "X-tra Hot Selections". [RM] 

"Your Presence Requested" 1977 (Jazz Forum cm-1068) 

"Your Presence Requested" 1977 (Illusion 1070)

"Your Presence Requested" 199 (no label) [bootleg] 

An unrelated Charmer recorded at least two LPs for 

the Rapides label out of Alexandria, Louisiana. Jazz 

Forum is a Hollywood, Florida label likely connected 

with the tax-loss Illusion label. 

CHUBBY CHECKER (Philadelphia, PA) 

"New Revelation" 1981 (51 West) 

Recently brought to light obscurity in the king 

twister's back catalog, circa 1970 recordings mostly 

in a hard Hendrixy guitar funk/psych style, useful 

for samples or just to marvel at its strangeness. No 

whiffs of twist to be found in neither the garagey 

fuzz-funk-ploitation backing nor Chubby's raw vocals. 

The lyrics are far out too, and contain several 

references to the moon landing. There's also a heavy 

ballad called "Goodbye Victoria". The album was only 

belatedly released by a budget/scam label in the US, 

but given more contemporary releases in Europe: as 

"Chubby Checker" in Spain (Ariola, 1971) and France 

(MFP, 1976); as "Chequered" (London, 1971) in the UK; 

as "Slow Twistin'" (MFP, 1976) in Belgium. The 

Spanish (and other?) issue contains two tracks not on 

the US version. Read all about it in Ugly Things #23, 

where it was first introduced. Chubby himself has 

declined comment on this particular work. 

CHECK-MATES, INC (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Live At Harvey's - Too Much" 1965 (Ikon IER S 121/122) [2LPs; 

gatefold] 

CHECKMATES ( ) 

Recorded live at Harvey's Resort Hotel & Casino in 

Nevada (where Jack Bedient also recorded). A racially 

integrated club act that was originally formed by 

soldiers serving in the US Army. Typical mix of frat, 

r'n'b and soul: "Louie Louie", "Kansas City", "Turn 

On Your Lovelight", "Hang On Sloopy", etc. The album 

was a custom job by the Ikon label in Sacramento, 

home of a number of legendary garage 45s, and was a 

stereo pressing that was unplayable on mono equipment 

due a technical screw-up! The band went on to have 

success as Checkmates Ltd, and later hooked up with 

Phil Spector. 

"Meet the Checkmates" 1967 (Justice 149) 

"Meet the Checkmates" 1996 (CD Collectables 0617) 

Generic chesspiece sleeve actually gives the band 

name as "Checkmate". One of the worst Justices with 

3-man horn section & dorkylooking semi-pro band 

running through standards that are unhip even by the 

genre average. The fact that the band is fairly adept 

is actually a drawback in this context. Don't let

anyone tell you this is garage; even calling it 

"rock'n'roll" is a bit of a stretch. Best track is a 

slightly mysterioso sounding "Gypsy woman". One group 

original. [PL] 

V.A "THE CHEETAH - WHERE IT'S AT" (NY) 

"The Cheetah - Where It's At" 1967 (Audio Fidelity AFLP 2168) 

[mono] 

"The Cheetah - Where It's At" 1967 (Audio Fidelity AFSD 6168) 

[stereo] 

CHELSEA (NY) 

Exploito teenbeat and soul from the Esquires, 

Thunderfrog Ensemble, and Mike St Shaw & the 

Prophets. Covers all through, lots of Stones, some 

James Brown, Young Rascals etc. The LP is sometimes 

hyped, but not a rarity. Also out on reel-to-reel. 

"Chelsea" 1972 (Decca dl-75262) 

-- also released in Australia 

CHENANIAH (MN) 

This album has become collectable mostly because it 

contains a pre-Kiss Peter “Cris”. Some of it is 

uninteresting boogie rock, and at least one song 

(“Hard Rock Music,” which prints bizarre fake lyrics 

on the back cover, probably to disguise the real 

song’s stupidity) is truly atrocious. A few songs 

rock convincingly, though, and a few others are great 

orchestrated dreamy psych. Despite the variety of 

styles, the odd production creates a thematic 

consistency. All of the rhythm guitars are acoustic, 

and the leads are trebly and often ear-piercing, 

moreso because the rest of the instruments form a 

wall of sound. On the good songs the overall effect 

is pretty powerful, but on the weaker ones it’s just 

strange. The “hard rock” songs, lacking electric 

rhythm guitars, rely on lots of lead guitar, loud 

drums and crazed vocals, not really to the music’s 

advantage. This is a spotty album, but it’s weird and 

distinctive and has its moments. [AM] 

"Chenaniah" 1977 (no label 7071-n-11) [1000p] 

Little-known Christian 1970s melodic folkrock at the 

commercial westcoast end of the spectrum, comparable 

to Harvest Flight. Opens with excellent psych-vibe 

track, rest is a little too much feel-good hippiedippy 

for my tastes. Nice arrangements with guitar 

tapestries and smooth CSN/America vocal harmonies, 

some countryrock moves, listenable OK with a relaxed, 

non-preaching attitude, although the lead singer is 

sort of dorky. A few lowkey folk tracks with acoustic 

guitar and strings project an appealing Tim Hardin 

feel. [PL]

CHICKEN AND THE EGG ( ) 

"Word of Mouth" 1974 (Gramex g-101) [paste-on cover] 

Mix of hippie funk and rural rock weirdness. Pressed 

by GRT in Nashville. Issued in a plain cover with a 

paste-on front listing the band name and title. A 

paste-on back labeled 'Reference Data' lists the 

songtitles and credits. 

CHILDREN (San Antonio, TX) 

"Rebirth" 1968 (Cinema 1) [gatefold; gold title sticker on 

cover] 

"Rebirth" 1968 (Atco sd-33-271) [remix; mono wlp] 

"Rebirth" 1968 (Atco sd-33-271) [remix; stereo] 

"Rebirth" 2003 (CD Gear Fab GF 187) [+16 bonus tracks] 

This co-ed soft psych album (produced by Lelan 

Rogers) is one of those records that seems like it’s 

going to be great, but falls a bit short. Even on the 

songs that “rock,” it’s all very twee, with flutes, 

harpsichords, falsetto backing vocals, wimpy vocals 

from the guy (as usual, they should have let the 

woman sing all of the songs), and occasional garish 

orchestration. The arrangements are certainly 

creative and elaborate, though word has it that the 

original mix is more colourful than the more commonly 

available version. “Sitting on a Flower,” which 

sports unexpected chord changes and punchier guitar 

than the rest of the album, and the long, drony 

“Pictorial” are probably the best songs. Mono stock 

copies may not exist. The band had an excellent non- 

LP 45 in a different style from the LP and were 

related to legendary garage bands the Mind's Eye, 

Argyles and Stoics. The Gear Fab reissue has a ton of 

interesting bonus tracks from their various 

incarnations before and after this album. [AM] 

CHILDREN OF ONE (NY) 

"Children of One" 1969 (Real r-101) 

CHILD'S ART (CT) 

Eastern acoustic trance psych eastern sounds with 

femme vocals. 

"Un-Cut" 1982 (Gold) 

This one has been hyped by dealers as one of the 

truly great 80s psych albums, but I have no idea what 

they were thinking. It has a horrible-sounding 80s 

production style with way too much snare drum and 

acoustic guitar reverb, and ugly squealy lead guitar. 

The end result is somewhere between heavy metal and 

new wave. Anyone who says this sounds like the 60s is 

either lying through their teeth or out of their

mind. The male vocals are macho and unappealing and 

the occasional female vocals too tentative to work in 

this context. A few songs show some promise, but even 

those are ruined by the messy sound and overambitious 

song structures. This has become 

collectable, but even the worst of the Paisley 

Underground bands run circles around it. [AM] 

CHIRCO (Westchester, NY) 

"The Visitation" 1972 (Crested Butte cb-701) [booklet; lyric 

inner; wlp exists] 

"The Visitation" 1999 (Gear Fab gf-130) 

"The Visitation" 2000 (Akarma, Italy) [insert] 

CHI-RHO (IL) 

Interesting and ambitious album, though more prog 

than psych. A really great, crisp guitar sound 

compensates for the fact that this occasionally 

sounds somewhat like Styx. What Homer is to guitar 

rock, this is to keyboard rock. Barry Tashian of the 

Remains produced and contributed one of the better 

songs. Some of the songs are arranged into suites, 

and flow together nicely, just falling short of the 

kind of pretense that could sink something like this. 

[AM] 

~~~ 

While we've seen the LP advertised as a high priced 

psych outing, it ain't! There are splashes of fuzz 

guitar and occasional progressive moves, but 

propelled by vocalist Anvil Roth's AOR-styled pipes 

and delivery, these guys probably have more in common 

with 1970s hard rockers. The label and the overall 

Western motif left us with the impression this shortlived 

early-'70s outfit was from Colorado, but it was 

recorded in New York and Connecticut. Sonically the 

album's surprisingly impressive and offers up a nice 

mix of 1970s hard rock and Styx-styled progressive 

moods. Several tracks sport a vague new age-styled 

spiritualistic message, but have interesting 

arrangements and a couple actually rock out. To our 

ears, highlights are the opener "Sound of the Cross" 

and "Golden Image". [SB] 

"Chi-Rho" 1972 (Aslan 0100) 

Christian obscurity with horns and deep vibe, like 

the missing link between Khazad Doom and the more 

spiritual tracks on Search Party. Brass arrangements 

are in a classical/liturgical style that fits the LP 

well, and the male/female vocals have the right eerie 

sacred feel. Not really a "rock" sound, yet with 

obvious influences from contemporary folk and 

psychedelia. Lack of guitar leads and the overall 

weirdness makes this an aquired taste, but I found it 

rather interesting. All originals except for oddball 

version of "Jesus Is Just Alright". The LP was 

recorded in Illinois as an 'outreach of Jud Youth 

Ministries'. The front cover has a gold negative 

photo of the band. The back has a black and white 

photo of the band walking down train tracks looking

very hippie. [PL] 

CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND (San José, CA) 

"No Way Out" 1967 (Tower t-5096) [mono; tan label] 

"No Way Out" 1967 (Tower st-5096) [stereo; tan label] 

"No Way Out" 1994 (CD Sundazed) [inserts; +3 tracks] 

"No Way Out" 199 (Big Beat wik-118) [+8 tracks] 

"The Inner Mystique" 1968 (Tower t-5105) [mono; tan label] 

"The Inner Mystique" 1968 (Tower st-5105) [stereo; tan 

label] 

"The Inner Mystique" 198 (Tower) [bootleg] 

"The Inner Mystique" 1981 (Raven 1001, Australia) 

"The Inner Mystique" 198 (Eva, France) [+2 tracks] 

"The Inner Mystique" 1994 (CD Sundazed 6024) [+4 tracks] 

"One Step Beyond" 1969 (Tower st-5153) [wlp exists] 

"One Step Beyond" 198 (Tower) [bootleg] 

"One Step Beyond" 1994 (CD Sundazed 6025) [+4 tracks] 

"The Inner Mystique/One Step Beyond" 199 (CD Big Beat wikd- 

111) [2-on-1] 

Legendary teen-punks with ace Jagger clone on vocals 

and an archetypal garage look and vibe. "No Way 

Out" (also released in Canada and Germany) is garagy 

fuzz with a mix of covers and great originals. "The 

Inner Mystique" retains some of the r'n'b and garage 

and adds a quite different yet appealing dreamy 

lounge-psych element via studio tracks such as "Dark 

side of the mushroom". "One Step Beyond", the weakest 

of the lot, has a more coherent group sound in a 

flowing late 1960s westcoast rural sound. Originals 

of this LP have 'printed in U.S.A.' clearly legible 

at the bottom of the back cover. Many of the tracks 

on the first two LPs were recorded by session 

musicians. They're nevertheless essential, although 

the band is best understood as a 45 outfit. They also 

have two killer non-LP tracks on the Tower soundtrack 

"Riot on Sunset Strip" (1967, Tower t-5065 mono, st- 

5065 stereo) and a track on the sampler 

"Underground" (1969, Tower st-5168). There's plenty 

of retrospective samplers from the 1980s onwards, in 

case anyone still needs an introduction to this 

seminal band at this late stage. [PL] 

CHOSEN ONES (Topeka, KS) 

"Chosen Ones" 1966 (Audio House AH267) [1-sided] 

Young band with horn section doing typical 

wedding/high school dance material, and not exactly 

tearing the roof off at that. Members were apparently 

selected via audition which accounts for a reasonable 

(but not overwhelming) musical proficiency, the most 

interesting attribute being female vocalist Angel who 

sings quite well in a sophisticated style and 

breathes good atmosphere into "As Tears Go By". The 

other 5 tracks are typical soul/r'n'b covers of the 

era, with a solid groove on "Turn On Your Love Light" 

and a nervous "Harlem Shuffle" highpoints. The guitar

is barely present. This inoffensive album probably 

succeeded in getting the band plenty of local gigs, 

but is far removed from what today is considered 

"garage" or "60s teenbeat". 1-sided album with 6 

tracks. The band also had a local non-LP 45. [PL] 

CHRIS, CHRIS & LEE ( ) 

"Chris, Chris, and Lee" 1970 (C C & L) 

CHRISTBEARER (NC) 

Delicate folk/folkrock covers and some originals. 

"Thank you" has nice vocal harmony arrangements and 

an upbeat flow, like the Chapin Bros 4 years down the 

line. 

"Songs And Friends" 1977 (Christbearer CR-1001) 

Like Majesty and Uncle John’s Band, Christbearer is 

one of a few groups headed up by Chris Hughes in the 

‘70s. They also happen to be the heaviest of the 

bunch. Psych enthusiasts will immediately want to 

take note of ‘Look’ and ‘Into The Light’, both of 

which rock slowly with some of the loudest droning 

fuzz guitar on record – enough that "Songs And 

Friends" could easily earn a modest “monster” 

status. On the softer end of the spectrum is 

‘Twilight’, a mesmerizing acoustic ballad with dreamy 

background synthesizer. A number of the remaining 

songs appeared on the Majesty album in the acoustic 

duo format but are re-interpreted here as spirited 

electric pop/folk, some of the best I’ve heard. 

Light horn accompaniment on a couple of these blends 

in perfectly. Several folkrock tunes as well - airy 

and jangly on ‘Fly’, bluegrassy with banjo on ‘Come 

To The Banquet’. Members include Chris Hughes, Kay 

Woodard, Jimmy Rea, Jeff White and Lee Carpenter. 

Great album! Custom press from Durham, NC. [KS] 

CHRISTIAN ASTRONAUTS (Fremont, OH) 

"Beyond The Blue" 1971 (Gospel Empire no #) 

"Beyond The Blue" 2004 (CD Companion) [CD-R] 

Christian family outer space concept act, "naive folk 

art" in great cover with homemade sound fx and offkey 

vocals. One for the incredibly strange fringe, 

needless to say. Some copies come with a promo photo. 

CHRISTIAN YOGA CHURCH (Virginia City, NV)

"Turn On!! Music for the Hip at Heart" 1967 (Memorare ess101) 

A 50-minute tribal spiritual organ/percussion 

improvisation with occasional sanskrit chanting, as 

much a product of the beatnik seeker era as a 

precursor of 1970s communal tripouts. Not really a 

"rock" record, more a unique early psychedelic fringe 

artefact along the lines of Alan Watts' legendary 

"This is IT", less intense, more eerie, and just as 

interesting. An unplugged version of Beat Of The 

Earth also springs to mind. One of my personal 

favorites in the off-the-beaten-path category. [PL] 

~~~ 

This record was connected to the Himalayan Academy 

Research Center in San Francisco (what an amazing 60s 

town!!) and the label address was a P.O. Box at the 

Los Angeles airport. It's definintely in the 'real 

people' zone, basically an acoustic no-fi hippie 

freakout. Musical improvisations with church organ, 

some sitar, chanting, flutes, and even a kazoo. Fans 

of trancy Krautrock excess might go for this. There 

are no track listings on the LP. [RM] 

~~~ 


CHRISTMAS (Oshawa, Canada) 

"Christmas" 1969 (Paragon 18) 

"Christmas" 198 (Paragon) [reissue; altered sleeve] 

-- the reissue has a b&W cover 

"Christmas" 2005 (CD Pacemaker 043) 

Their first LP has an intense westcoast sound similar 

to the second, although less evolved. One side is a 

long Bay Area-inspired (esp "Spare Chaynge") 

instrumental, other side is more conventional. Worth 

checking out. 

"Heritage" 1970 (Daffodil 16002) [gatefold; insert] 

"Heritage" 1970 (no label, Europe) [bootleg; no gatefold or 

insert] 

"Heritage" 1993 (CD Lazer's Edge) 

The most relevant of theirs for my purposes, a really 

good intense westcoasty trip with a distinct sound 

all through. You can hear that these guys knew what 

they were doing, especially ex-Reign Ghost whiz kid 

guitarist Bob Bryden. Moving towards prog in the 

advanced chord progressions and restless flow of 

ideas, not terribly varied in mood yet its 

inventiveness and energy makes for an impressive 

consistency. Around this time the band also appeared 

on a sampler "Proven Blooms" (Daffodil) with a track 

unavailable elsewhere. [PL] 

"Lies To Live By" 1974 (Daffodil 10047) [gatefold; insert] 

-- released as by Spirit Of Christmas 

"Lies To Live By" 198 (Daffodil, Europe) [bootleg] 

"Lies To Live By" 199 (CD Lazer's Edge) 

Warm flowing prog psych rocker. Superb vocals and 

playing. Chaotic guitar runs, surging rhythms. [RM]

"Live ´71" 1989 (Remember The Alamo) [300#d; booklet] 

"Live ´71" 199 (CD Unidisc AGEK 2168) 

Legit release of rare live show from 1971, with some 

45 only tracks added. First released as cassette. 

CHRISTOPHER (Houston, TX / Los Angeles, CA) 

see interview 

"Christopher" 1970 (Metromedia 1024) [wlp] 

"Christopher" 1970 (Metromedia 1024) [black stock label] 

"Christopher" 1989 (Amos, Italy) [bootleg] 

"Christopher" 199 (CD Buy Or Die) 

"Christopher" 1998 (CD Gear Fab 108) 

"Christopher" 199 (Akarma 408, Italy) 

One of the better LPs in the popular subgenre of 

proto-heavy westcoast hippierock, Airplane and Cream 

being the obvious influences. Classy stuff, solid and 

uncompromising and with lots of strange lyrics. A 

mean looking trio too, from the crashpad sleeve photo 

looks like they hung out more with bikers than flower 

children! Originally a Texas band known as United 

Gas, they also had connections to Josefus. Anyone who 

digs "Crown Of Creation" will love this. Stock copies 

are considerably rarer. An Italian original pressing 

exists. [PL] 

~~~ 

A decidedly mixed experience. Clever and thoughtful 

songwriting and an excellent drummer wage war with 

lots of inconsequential lead guitar and vocals that 

often veer towards the macho (and sound just as bad 

in this not-quite-hard rock as they would in heavy 

blues rock.) As annoying as the lead singer can be, 

the predictable harmonies are much worse, creating an 

odd and uncomfortable combination: too wimpy and too 

he-man at the same time. This album definitely works 

better when the lyrical subject is “Magic Cycles” (a 

leisurely, formless song that keeps threatening to 

break out into rock and roll, but thankfully does 

not) than when it’s “Beautiful Lady,” which wastes a 

nice bass part and sounds like an FM radio reject. 

Many of the arrangements are cool; on “Wilbur Lite” 

you can ignore the boring lead guitar and enjoy the 

chunks of feedback from the rhythm guitar. The pace 

is always slow; a blast of energy would have added 

something to the record, but other than the drummer 

they don’t seem like they could have done it. 

Besides, Christopher are more successful when they’re 

just sitting back and feeling it than when they’re 

trying really hard. Any attempt to rock out here (as 

in the song “Disaster”) is quickly snuffed by a 

mellow middle eight or more lead guitar that doesn’t 

go anywhere. They do a better job of creating a 

menacing atmosphere with the grisly Biblical-themed 

lyrics to “Lies.” Others like this album much more 

than I do; if you’re amenable to this vocal style you

probably will too. [AM] 

CHRISTOPHER (Columbia, SC) 

"What'cha Gonna Do?" 1969 (Chris-Tee 12411) [circa 1000p] 

"What'cha Gonna Do?" 1990 (Animus Ochlus/Rockadelic 102) [b & 

w cover; altered track order; 350#d] 

"What'cha Gonna Do?" 199 (Atlas, Europe) [b & w cover] 

"What'cha Gonna Do?" 1999 (CD Scenesof 1003) 

"What'cha Gonna Do?" 2004 (Lion 101) 

CHRYSALIS (NY) 

I’ll have to admit that I can’t figure out what 

people see in this one. The first song has a 

beautiful fuzz guitar sound, but that’s the first and 

last highlight here. The vocals are really weak, and 

the songs forgettable. The long jam that ends side 

one is absolutely endless, one of the dullest I’ve 

ever heard. The upbeat songs on the album still feel 

soft, as if the energy vibe was low during the 

recording session. The LP was released in August 

1969. Of the reissues, the Lion has been reported as 

being best soundwise, while the Atlas repro may be a 

boot of the Rockadelic release, as none of these 

reproduce the orange monochrome of the original 

sleeve. [AM] 

~~~ 

Most of the songs on this South Carolina band’s LP 

are great. They’re played with considerable vitality 

and with cool lyrics about the key concerns in life, 

such as drugs, death and the passage of time. The 

highlight has to be “Holiday” with fuzzed up guitar 

and lots of snarling about their trip being “like a 

book, a real good book, it’s nice but not quite 

true”. “The Great Clock” and “Death Song” are superb 

tracks with weary, wasted vocals lamenting the 

passage of time. The title track clocking in at over 

12 minutes is not the highlight (and it starts the 

CD). However, it’s good enough not to mar the whole 

experience. The original LP usually sells for way 

into four figures. [RI] 

"Definition" 1968 (MGM e-4547) [mono; ylp] 

"Definition" 1968 (MGM e-4547) [mono] 

"Definition" 1968 (MGM e-4547) [stereo] 

"Definition" 1993 (MGM) 

"Definition" 2005 (CD Revola 094, UK) [+8 tracks] 

One-shot masterpiece from genius songwriter Spider 

Barbour. His songs show remarkable lyrical and 

musical depth. Acoustic rock (not quite folk-rock) 

songs dominate, but the album is full of surprises, 

from searing fuzz guitar to the whacked-out fantasy 

“Dr. Root’s Garden” that closes the album. There are 

spots of jazz, prog (way before its time) and music 

hall, all of which can ruin psychedelic records, but

CHURLS (Canada) 

work incredibly well here because they’re part of 

Barbour’s vision, not just attempts to be trendy. 

Favorite lyric: “God is a ring of smoke, wrapped 

around my finger, a wasp without a stinger, buzzing 

in my ear." Other lyrics veer towards the 

psychological and emotional with equally memorable 

results. Barbour’s voice is soothing and appealing. 

Nancy Nairn is used sparingly but effectively (two 

and a half songs) as the other lead vocalist. Her 

unhinged performance on “April Grove” adds to the 

appeal and strangeness of the album but is effective 

precisely because it’s not overused. Some other songs 

are stunningly beautiful and tragic. One of the alltime 

greats. [AM] 

"Churls" 1969 (A&M SP 4169) [wlp exists] 

Canadian band merges the garage band sound of the 

Ugly Ducklings and the Haunted with a more up-to-date 

hard rock vibe. There are too many songs, and most of 

the lead guitar work doesn’t go anywhere, but there’s 

also a youthful energy and solid vocal style that 

wins out in the end. The trippy “Time Piece” blows 

away everything else on the album but there are lots 

of pleasures that reveal themselves with multiple 

listens. They also released a second album on A&M, 

"Send Me No Flowers," which is less collectable and 

more mainstream in sound (though still pretty good.) 

[AM] 

CINCINNATI JOE & MAD LYDIA (Cincinnati, OH) 

"Cincinnati Joe & Mad Lydia" 197 (River Witch 001) 

[gatefold] 

An obscure item in the fringe sub-category of local 

lounge-rock bands with a stage musical "Hair" 

influence. Cincy Joe is a Sly Stone look-a-like who 

delivers some mediocre funk-rock tracks that are 

clearly lacking in groove. Mad Lydia is a selfappointed 

Cincinnati witch and some of her tracks is 

what makes the LP, with a rather irresistable 

backwater perspective on the American dream, as heard 

on "Jesus is our color man" and most of all "Plastic 

Rose", a heartfelt tribute to salt-of-the-earth women 

that becomes effective simply because of its slighly 

misguided and amateurish feel. Other enjoyable tracks 

include Lydia's witch testimony "900 years" (the 

psychiest track) and the hometown tribute "Cincinnati 

Soul". Glitzy period production details like female 

backing vocals, electric piano and flute help put you 

right in a half-empty Holiday Inn in Ohio 1973. A

CIRCUIT RIDER (CT) 

meaningless collage of live-recorded "Hair" songs 

close the LP on a confusing note. Only about half the 

album works, yet clearly a must for genre fans (like 

me) and probably a complete mystery to others. Nice, 

ambitious packaging adds to the vibe. There were also 

non-LP 45s by both of them on the same label. [PL] 

"Circuit Rider" 1980 (C.R 666) 

"Circuit Rider" 199 (no label, Germany) [bootleg; inferior 

sleeve job] 

I initially wrote this off as yet another Blessed End 

but further plays revealed more interesting aspects. 

Still sort of goofy in places but has some truly 

freaky biker/Cpt Beefheart late night explorations. 

The tracks where they break out of their 

swampy/bluesy mood are the best, such as "Limousine 

Ride" and "Chinese", which project visions of a biker 

high on PCP driving over a cliff at 100 MPH, laughing 

and screaming all the way. Songwriting is essentially 

non-existent, and the same riffs and rhythms are used 

throughout, which creates a sameyness that will grate 

if you're not in the mood. The "Billy The Kid" song 

is a goofy macho lowpoint not unlike Blessed End, and 

all over this is an LP likely to appeal to some while 

others may be puzzled. A late Doors influence can be 

detected. Several sources claim that it was recorded 

in 1971, but not released until 1980. [PL] 

CIRCUS (Cleveland, OH) 

"Circus" 1973 (Metromedia LPS 7401) 

Circus were one of those bands who were huge stars 

locally but never made it anywhere else. In Cleveland 

they were even more popular than the Raspberries and 

this album's "Stop Wait Listen" still gets local 

airplay. They were a hard rock band with major 

Badfinger-styled power pop leanings and minor prog 

leanings. There are at least three killer songs here, 

though the album as a whole tries to do too many 

things and doesn't fully work, especially on the 

longer songs. The recorded a number of songs after 

this LP, but couldn't find another label. Members of 

the band would form a number of other bands, 

including American Noise. [AM] 

CIRCUS (Stevens Point, WI) 

"Circus" 1974 (Hemisphere ks-6679) 

"Circus" 2000 (Gear Fab gf-162) [+2 tracks] 

CIRKUS ( ) 

Jammy keys and heavy, distorted leads rockers 

including a 12-minute track, produced by Corky 

Siegel.

"Cirkus" 197 (private) 

CITY BLUES (CA) 

CLAP (CA) 

Early 70s garagy sound soul rock high energy covers 

with mixed vocals. "Get Ready", "Spill the Wine", 

"River Deep Mountain High". 

"Blues For Lawrence Street" 1967 (Nouveau nr-5001) 

Fullerton, California label. Lo-fi garage blues by 

16-18 year olds. Raw dual guitar, harmonica lo-fi 

action. Originals on side 1, covers on side 2 

highlighted by a ten minute "Smokestack Lightning". 

[RM] 

"Have You Reached Yet?" 1972 (Nova-Sol 1001) [175p] 

"Have You Reached Yet?" 1990 (Phaze II) [bootleg] 

"Have You Reached Yet?" 2005 (CD Skyf Sol) 

Appealing exercise in cool by lost-in-time pool party 

rockers. Genuine teenage punk that sounds more '66 

(or '64 even when the sax player honks away) than '72 

with snotty Jagger vocals, basic garage tracks and a 

real attitude. Recommended to fans of local Stonesinspired 

rockers, whose unglamorous lifestyle is 

clearly audible in the grooves. Originals all 

through, and not bad ones at that. I like this at 

lot, a good one to play when fed up with psychedelic 

pipe dreams. [PL] 

TODD CLARK GROUP (Butler, PA) 

"We're Not Safe" 1979 (World Theatre TC-102) [300p] 

"Nova Psychedelia" 2005 (CD Anopheles 010) [2CDs; bonus 

tracks] 

Todd Clark's second and somewhat more well-known LP 

after the Eyes delivers similar suburban sci-fi 

stoner visions, with a less progressive and more 

garagey feel, including a (good) cover of the 

Raiders' "Hungry". The recording has a basement sound 

which is probably to its advantage, and the vocals 

are less idiosynchratic, with a definite influence 

from snotty "punk" stylings. All over a step towards 

a more contemporary underground rock sound, which 

probably explains the attention it has caught over 

the years, with an intense, sometimes chaotic sound. 

"X-ray X-tasy" sounds like a 1979 classic with a 

catchy chorus and demented glamrock postures, while 

making "I had too much to dream" sound like a Todd 

Clark composition is a remarkable feat. This early 

Prunes cover is a blast and suggests a more 

productive path than the "Nuggets" cover bands of the 

1980s. The album closes with an ambitious 14-minute 

suite that looks back to the conceptual strangeness 

of the debut, but still fits with the more in-yerface 

nature of "We're not face". The band had a 2nd

LINDA CLARKE ( ) 

LP "Into the vision" in 1984 with dissonant sci-fi 

sounds. The CD was released as by Todd Tamanend Clark 

and contains both the 1979 and 1984 albums. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Eyes 

"Yes, Indeed! 1976 (Tiger Lily 14035) 

CLAUDE & SHERRY ( ) 

CLAW (IL) 

Another mysterious album on Tiger Lily. Folkrock and 

soul, a bit in a Carole King vein with full backing 

band. 

"Claude & Sherry" 1976 (Tiger Lily 14057) 

Here’s one of the weirdest Tiger Lily albums of all. 

Who are these people? What in the world was their 

audience? This duo plays 50s-style roots rock, slick 

AM pop, ballads, soul, and UK-sounding folk with 

equal energy. At first this sounds like a big mess, 

and I was ready to file it after two listens. But I 

gave it another chance, and sure enough it grew on me 

and I really enjoy this record. Sherry has a 

beautiful voice, equally suited for the ballads and 

the folk, and Claude is funny and high-spirited. Most 

of the songs on this short album are quite catchy. 

The ungodly mix of styles makes it obvious why they 

were doomed to obscurity, but this album was an oddly 

pleasant surprise for me. Nice obscure cover art, 

too. [AM] 

"Diggin' In" 1978 (GDS 2051) 

Crude hardrock boogie. Back cover notes "Play this 

Ass Kicker Loud!", in case you were in doubt. Ex- 

Eighth Day, who had two songs on the much earlier 

"Psychedelic Six Pack of Sound" comp. 

DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS (Toronto, Canada) 

"And The Shays A-go-go" 1966 (Roman 101) 

"Sings It Like It Is" 1966 (Roman 102) 

These early LPs from the future Blood Sweat & Tears 

vocalist are both moderately desirable teenbeat/r'n'b 

rarities. 

The first LP was "reissued" with overdubbed horns by 

Decca in the 1970s, beware! 

CLEARING (Newton, MA)

"Who Is In My Temple" 197 (Unitarian Universalist) 

"Clearing" 1973 (Aberdeen Acme 6673) [insert] 

Little-known 70s folk with female vocals and mix of 

covers and originals. 

CLEFS OF LAVENDER HILL (FL) 

CLICK KIDS (OR) 

This popular Florida 1960s band had a number of 45s 

and a taste of success, but it appears that their 

rumored demo/acetate album never reached beyond the 

tape stage. Several of their 45s can be found on the 

"Everywhere Interferences" compilation. 

"Jesus Is A Soul Man" 196 (CLS 001) 

BILL CLINT (CA) 

Christian teen quartet playing amateurish DIY Jesus 

pop, somewhat legendary among incredibly strange 

fans. 

"The Crying Of A Generation" 1975 (Joint Artists 332) 

[gatefold; poster insert] 

Rural folk weeper with an unnerving tortured feel 

like Bobb Trimble. Vocally, he resembles John Denver, 

with some oversinging thrown in for good measure. The 

highlights are: "Angels Don't Need Friends", an 

amazing downer track where he breaks down crying, and 

"Babe Is It Easy" which continues the crying theme 

and adds running water and a music box to the mix. 

There's also some creepy sounding xylophone in 

places. There are two cover variants. On one the 

opening for the record faces the spine, on the other 

it is at the outside edge. The insert reads: "I'm no 

longer afraid to admit I'm an insane animal"! [RM] 

CLOSELY WATCHED TRAINS (RI) 

"Closely Watched Trains" 1975 (Follie's Bazaar nr-5666-1) 

[blank back; insert] 

Northeast communal group. Low-key rural folk with 

backporch progressive jamming. 

~~~ 

see -> Follie's Bazaar 

V.A "CMU SENIOR BANQUET" (PA) 

"Another Carnegie Mellon University First!" 1969 (AIP)

Collegians. Bagpipe group on one side and a basement 

folkrock group on the flipside. 

STEVIE COCHRAN (Long Island, NY) 

"No Need to Worry" 1983 (no label) [plain black cover w/ info 

sheet; 100p] 

RON CODEN (MI) 

Hardrock cruncher like Truth and Janey, demo-only 

release. 

"Live at the Raven Gallery" 1968 (Hideout 1003) 

Folk LP recorded live, on noted local label. 

DAVID ALLEN COE (Akron, OH / Nashville, TN) 

"Requiem for a Harlequin" 1973 (SSS International) 

"Requiem for a Harlequin" 200 (CD SSS) 

JOE COHEN ( ) 

If it isn't a law then it should be: sooner or later, 

everybody makes a psychedelic record. This sequel to 

his 1968 debut LP, "Penitentiary Blues," sounds like 

a cross of "Rubber Room" era Porter Wagoner and the 

more experimental tracks on Peter Grudzien's "The 

Unicorn." Not so much a collection of songs as it is 

an album-length poem about an "asphalt jungle" 

populated by junkies, thieves, whores and misfits 

with a musical bed that runs from blues rock to 

psychedelic soul to jazz to avant-garde. Utterly 

unlike anything else this king of the racist red-neck 

outlaw bikers has ever done, and, while Coe's debut 

is a rare and expensive LP, "Requiem" is next to 

impossible to find and sells for mid-three figures 

whenever a copy surfaces. In the first five hits of a 

web search for information three different release 

dates are offered, 1969, 1971 and 1973. This is an 

amazing and unique record. The rest of Coe's vast 

output falls outside the scope of the Archives. [SD] 

"Pages" 1975 (Friendship Music) [photo & letter inserts] 

MIKE COHEN ( ) 

Rural hippie folk with two electric wah-wah tracks. 

Possibly the same guy who had an LP out in 1982, 

"Writings on my wall". 

"Mike Cohen" 1973 (Diadelphous Stamens) [insert]

Basement folk from guy with lots of hair. 

COLD SUN (Austin, TX) see interview 

"Cold Sun" 1973 (Sonobeat acetate) [only 1 copy made] 

"Dark Shadows" 1990 (Rockadelic 2) [insert; photo; 300#d] 

"Dark Shadows" 199 (Atlea, Europe) [bootleg; no inserts] 

Incredible 1960s-vibe teen guitar-psych featuring 

autoharp wizard Bill Miller, later of Roky's Aliens. 

Best Rockadelic LP ever, and in my opinion the best 

Texas LP after "Easter Everywhere" and "Power Plant". 

The recordings were made in Austin 1970-71, the 

acetate was pressed by a band member years later just 

to be able to listen to the music. The Rockadelic 

release was mastered from the original Sonobeat 

tapes, not from the acetate which only features about 

2/3rds of the band's material. Two completely 

different inserts exist for the Rockadelic release, 

150 copies had one credited to Mike Ritchey, 150 

copies had one credited to Arthur Bloch. [PL] 

~~~ 

Austin band with an obvious 'Elevators influence 

recorded this amazing psychedelic demo LP in '70. 

There's no hints of prog or hard rock on this beast 

though, just 100% psychedelia. Truly inspired 

original and uncompromising stuff, it actually sounds 

like the logical next step after Easter Everywhere 

and Bull Of The Woods - great Texas desert psych! 

Most songs are long and winding, full of echoey fuzz, 

Roky-inspired vocals, autoharp and some harmonica. It 

never gets into boring hippie jams though. It's more 

like entering a state of mind than listening to a 

regular album. The lyrics are also some of the best 

I've ever heard, managing to be totally 

strange/psychedelic without getting the least 

pretentious. Not only the best Rockadelic release, 

but possibly one of the best and most important psych 

reissues ever. Roky's first backing band, Bleibalien, 

were essentially made up of members from Cold Sun. 

Fantastic LP! [MM] 

STUD COLE (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Stud Cole" 1973 (Pacific Atlantic Tribune PAT 1123) 

"Burn Baby Burn" 2002 (CD Norton Records) [LP +4 bonus tracks] 

"Stud Cole" 2004 (Loopden) [exact reissue; insert] 

One of the more notable discoveries of the third 

millennium, this previously unknown demo LP has a 

unique sound not easily described. Tag-lines such as 

"Elvis backed by '66 Yardbirds" go in the right 

direction but don't fully capture it, as Stud (real 

name Patrick Tirone) is a lot weirder than Elvis ever 

was, and the backup band sounds more like '68 

exploito-psych than the Yardbirds. "Hasil Adkins 

backed by the 31 Flavors" may be closer to the actual 

sounds inside the non-descript sleeve. Some tracks 

have a strange karaoke-like soundscape, with Cole's 

vocals upfront and perfect in sound, while the music 

is way in the back, compressed and muffled. On a few 

occasions the vocals or a guitar solo come in ½ a 

beat too early or too late, creating a weird Shaggs-

"COLLAGE '75" (NJ) 

like effect seldom found on record. Cole's vocals are 

in an obvious 1950s mode, while some of the lyrics 

come from an Ed Wood Jr type universe, and all this 

with a generic Hendrix-fuzz support. This LP and its 

unparalleled mix of styles may be too esoteric a trip 

for many 50s/60s fans, while those who enjoy the 

incredibly strange aspects of the Haze or Charlie 

Tweddle need to check it out. [PL] 

~~~ 

Totally enjoyable album that is the perfect mix of 

60s garage and 50s hipness. The weird out-of-timesynch 

vocals and muffled backdrops add to the overall 

effect, which is something of a cheesy exploitation 

horror movie for Las Vegas denizens. Along with the 

much less outrageous Dane Sturgeon, this is the apex 

of 50s-into-60s insanity. Stud really can sing, too. 

Utterly wonderful. [AM] 

~~~ 

Here's some new Stud Cole info, supplied by original 

LP discoverer Scott Bubrig: "As expected, Stud Cole 

lived in a nocturnal world of stripper girlfriends, 

endless cocktails and dreams of becoming a successful 

recording artist. I was told he was very popular with 

the ladies and always had one by his side. I know 

most Stud Cole fans always wondered if he had a band 

or if he recorded the record alone with little or no 

assistance. Well, he had lots of help which is good 

because I was told Stud was a horrible guitar player. 

The bass player I'm in contact with already had a 

local band that Stud convienced into helping him 

record his album. For the record, Stud had six other 

musicians working with him (lead guitar, rhythm 

guitar, drums, bass, keyboards and a percussionist)." 

"Collage '75" 1975 (BCC-1975) [gatefold] 

College project album from Brookdale Community 

College, including the usual mix of styles. 

Instrumental psychedelic rock, poetry, funk, hippie 

folk, bluegrass and an awkward soul-searching singersongwriter. 

"Bands" include North Star, To Be 

Continued, Eric Marcusson, Maryann Sabanskas, 

Watchful Waiting, and more. 

COLLECTIVE STAR (New York City, NY) 

"Music Of The Mantric Wave, vol 2" 1974 (Unanimous 

Anonimous UNAN 999) 

Manhattan guru and his astral soul-mate deliver 

slick, sophisticated new age meditation sounds with a 

production value that exceeds the yearly income of 

many a rural hippie homestead. Although it could be 

described as "cosmic folk", the vibe is closer to 

that of 70s space-jazz such as Alice Coltrane, with 

urban jazzy trumpet and flute ornaments and a suave 

nightclub vibe. I can imagine these people offering 

tantric self-realization classes for confused NYC 

rich people, and it certainly is a change of climate 

from the typical rural commune sounds. The

instrumental passages have a trancey drone flow and 

makes good use of dramatic chord and key changes, but 

it's difficult to reconcile the worldly, inner city 

feel of the music with any type of spiritual 

excursions. There is not much of actual singing, more 

like chanting and mantra-style instruction. The whole 

thing has a staged feel, making the listener a 

spectator rather than a participant. "God Of Beauty" 

brings in a raga sound and is perhaps the most 

psychedelic of the four lengthy tracks on offer here. 

This is not an expensive LP, after hearing it you 

will realize why. No "Vol 1" has ever been found. 

[PL] 

"Garuda" 1975 (Unanimous Anonimous UNAN 1001) 

The second LP moves in an unwanted downtown direction 

that brings in slick 1970s studio funk by adept but 

ill-fitting session musicians, with congas, sax and 

flute for that special studio hack latin groove. The 

amateur vocals of Mr Star and his chick urging for 

your spiritual breakthrough makes for an uneasy mix 

with this backdrop, to put it mildly. "Cosmic Boogie" 

is a useful example of how not to do your new age 

music, unless you're aiming for the Incredibly 

Strange bag. Things do get more cosmic psychedelic on 

side 2 with two extended kraut-style floaters with 

eerie femme voices and a sound fx-processed jew's 

harp on the first, and raga and kirtan moves on the 

second. If you want to know just how weird things 

were in NYC in 1975 I guess this is as good a street 

map as any, but I wouldn't want to listen to it too 

often. [PL] 

COLLECTIVE TOOLS (NY) 

"Collective Tools" 197 (Silver Crest Custom nt-5272) [insert; 

blank back] 

Circa 1970 upstate New York collaboration on a NYC 

label. Features the groups Eon, Silverwood, and other 

musicians from a drug rehabilitation clinic. Moody 

basement folkrock and fuzz sounds. On the surface 

this is a terrible record, but amateur fans will go 

nuts over the loose playing, warbling female vocals, 

no-fi production, and downer vibe throughout. Similar 

to "Tool Shed" and the Earlham College comps but 

murkier. Highlights: the murky take on "40 & 20 

Years" (sic), the thud fuzz instro "Clear Silver", 

and the mournful "Sail to Maine" which is about 

scoring cocaine. Real people with real damage. [RM] 

~~~ 

This mix of rock, folk and jazz is a lot more 

interesting when you discover the background behind 

it. Knowing that it was made by people in a drug 

rehabilitation clinic/mental hospital, it just plain

creeps me out, starting with the mournful trumpet and 

out of tune harmonica on the opening instrumental, 

moving through the chilling “Sail To Maine” (in which 

the singer seems to have the attitude that she can’t 

beat drugs so she’ll just snort cocaine until she 

dies) and some really stark loner folk. About half of 

the songs are covers. “Two of Us” is especially 

chilling, with the heavily echoed vocals and abrupt 

ending making my own mind turn this hopeful song into 

something completely different, where the “home” they 

seek is the clinic... or death. I’m probably reading 

too much into it, but given the feel of the rest of 

this album I might be on the right track. Despite the 

basement production and a certain kind of sloppiness, 

most of this is reasonably well played and sung. The 

ones that aren’t (i.e: “Get Together”) have a weird 

urgency that’s compelling. Every song here sounds 

like a last gasp. Very interesting stuff. [AM] 

V.A "THE COLLEGIATE SOUND 1968" ( ) 

"The Collegiate Sound 1968" 1968 (Allen Associates GCS-120) 

Highlights from a collegiate folk concert featuring 

groups from 10 northeastern colleges. Most do choral 

versions of pop and folk songs (with some acoustic 

guitar accompaniment), including the well-known 

Vassar G-Stringers, who perform “Get Together”. By 

far, the standout is the group from Smith College who 

go by the name of Maggie’s Farm performing what is 

presumably a late 50s or early 60s song called 

“Stubborn Woman” which has been transported forward 

to the 60s garage. This is totally primitive electric 

sound with drums bashing away, a crude guitar solo 

and retro-50s singing & harmonies. By the way, did I 

mention this was an all-female quartet? If this had 

been a private label single, the garage fiends would 

all be going “Denise Who?” [MA] 

V.A "COLORADO FOLK" (CO) 

"Colorado Folk, vol 1" 1973 (Biscuit City Enterprises) 

First volume has folk and singer/songwriters, 

including one good sitar-tablas track "Legend of the 

Washeen". Second volume from 1974 is similar but more 

bluegrass-oriented, and features a track by 

Tumbleweed artist Pete McCabe. 

COLOURS (Lubbock, TX) 

"Colours" 1969 (Century 36550) 

Folk and melodic rock covers Dylan, Stills, etc. Has 

a bizarre, uncredited track where the engineer fools 

around with backwards looping for about two minutes! 

The front cover has a beautiful green acid splatter 

design, the back is black and white with band photos 

and song titles. [RM]

COLUMBUS CIRCLE (CT) 

"On Saint John's Eve" 1976 (Pharoah) 

Collegians doing avant-garde jazzy progressive 

weirdness with a side-long track. 

COLWELL-WINFIELD & FRIENDS (Boston, MA) 

"Live Bust" 1971 (Za-Zoo 1) 

"Live Bust" 2004 (Akarma 272, Italy) 

"Live Bust" 2004 (CD Akarma 272, Italy) [+3 tracks] 

Progressive bluesrock recorded live at the Phoenix 

Coffee House. The band had an earlier major label LP 

in the same style ("Cold Wind Blues", Verve Forecast, 

1968). 

COMMON PEOPLE (Baldwin Park, CA) 

"Of, By, For The Common People" 1969 (Capitol st-266) [green 

label] 

"Of, By, For The Common People" 198 (Mr G, Canada) [bootleg] 

"Of, By, For The Common People" 2000 (CD Ascension 022, 

Australia) 

"Of, By, For The Common People" 2003 (CD Radioactive, UK) 

An interesting piece with an unusual edge for a major 

label LP, uses a farout singer and some amazing 

string arrangements to create a pretty unique sound. 

Good album, particularly side one which is killer all 

the way, while it sounds like they ran out of money 

over on side 2 with a demo-feel club sound. The 

terrible vaudeville track must be skipped at each 

play, unfortunately. An original Canadian pressing 

exists. The 1980s boot used a worn sleeve and should 

be avoided. This used to be a "mystery" band but 

their origins have finally been cleared up via two 

pre-LP 45s on the private CA Flodavieur label, and 

reportedly excellent 45s at that. [PL] 

~~~ 

This has become one of the more well-known major 

label psych items, and deservedly so. Some listeners 

wish that the awesome orchestration of the first 

three songs ran throughout the album (alas, the 

budget ran out quickly), but I think that the 

resulting mix of garagy rock, soul and folk makes for 

a more interesting album. The gruff singer comes as a 

shock when you first hear this, but once it all 

clicks you can't imagine these songs sung by anyone 

else. The "Funeral" song that opens side two is a 

complete piece of garbage, an unfunny novelty song 

thrown in to earn the producer extra royalties. It 

very nearly ruins the (already short) album, but on 

LP at least it's easy to skip. [AM] 

~~~ 


COMMUNICATION 1 (MI)

"Communication 1" 1971 (Grotesque GS 101) 

COMPANION (TN) 

Acoustic downer folk duo Rob Carr & Bill Kahl with 

flute and wind chimes, mostly instrumental with some 

vocal tracks; described as "psychedelic John Fahey". 

"Reap the Lost Dreamers" 1974 (RAV) [insert] 

"Reap the Lost Dreamers" 2003 (Gear Fab) 

COMPANION (CA) 

The title is appropriate here, because this is 

definitely dreamy, ethereal music. It’s American, but 

the closest comparison I can come up with is Ithaca, 

(or, at their most melodic moments, the Alan Parsons 

Project.) The album oddly begins with a cover, a 

version of “Blackbird” that omits the familiar guitar 

parts and places the emphasis on the vocals. It’s a 

good lead-in to what follows. The vocals are soft and 

sensitive, the many keyboards layered like clouds, 

and the songs slow and carefully constructed. Spacy 

sound effects here and there work well with the 

memorable melodies. A few songs are a bit heavier, 

with some fuzz guitar, others have some Eno-like 

electronics. The songs on side two are a bit less 

inspired and drag a little, but it still all sounds 

very nice. A distinctive album. By the way, this is a 

Christian record, but you’ll never know it unless you 

pay very close attention. [AM] 

"On The Line" 1977 (Sleepy Eye) 

COMPANION (CA) 

Rural 1970s rock from Bay Area band; presumbaly no 

relation to the guys below. 

"Mr Head Live" 1980 (Akashic) 

"Mr Head Live" 2005 (CD Syn-Ton, Austria) 

Dead/Allman Bros-style guitar jammers. 

BURT COMPTON & STEVE MELE (FL) 

"Rock n Roll Genius" 1977 (Wizard 1303) [500p] 

This one is a guilty pleasure. The first couple of 

songs are pretty heavy with an ahead-of-its-time-butstill-annoying 

squealy guitar sound (this is a year 

before the first Van Halen album opened the 

floodgates so that it would soon be the only guitar 

sound on FM radio). After that, though, the music is 

more mainstream, but quite appealing, radio pop/rock. 

They can’t sing too well, and they aren’t so 

original, but they have a sense of humor (one song is

CONAN (CA) 

about how in the music business helps them earn 

“literally hundreds of dollars a year”) and the songs 

are catchy. There’s a surprisingly faithful cover of 

“Open My Eyes” and two showoffy instrumentals that 

are short enough to work. I like it, but don’t expect 

most of the people reading this review to agree. 

Supposedly there are only 500 copies, but it seems to 

show up for sale pretty often. [AM] 

"Tell 'Ol Anita" 1973 (Earthchilde ercd-101) 

The artist is Conan R.H. Dunham. Conan is a horrible 

singer but writes interesting, moody introspective 

tunes. Mostly folky offbeat singer-songwriter sound 

but three good heavier tunes with seedy fuzz and 

synth. Sacramento label. [RM] 

CONCERN (Las Vegas, NM) 

"America, Where Are You?" 1973 (no label clp-813) 

Credited to Concern, this recording takes the best 

half of Guitar Ensemble's "The You-N-You" (the Bob 

Rivas tracks) and adds some cool new topical ones by 

Eloy Montoya with electric guitar and moody organ 

moves. Rarer than either of the Guitar Ensemble LPs. 

CONCRETE RUBBER BAND (Alden, KS) 

"Risen Savior" 1974 (American Artists Custom aas-1164-lp) 

"Risen Savior" 200 (CD Hidden Vision) 

"Risen Savior" 2004 (CD Radioactive 0108, UK) 

Amazing murky basement lo-fi headtrip from the 

furthest depths of the Christian underground. While 

the lyrics are typical for the genre, the music is as 

un-holy as anything I've heard; droning psychedelic 

DIY excursions with a strong ritual undercurrent, as 

though recorded by some primitive society who 

practice REAL Christianity, which is not angelic 

choirs and cleancut folkies. Untrained male/female 

vocals half-sing liturgical Jesus movement praise and 

occasional damnation, while arhythmic drums, halting 

harpischord and spooky organ provide the backdrop. 

The real star of the show is Duncan Long's 

synthesizer, which ranges from piercing and oddly 

melancholic 3-D soundscapes to mindbending moog 

glissandos. The roots of the music is folk and blues, 

somewhere, but it really transcends genres. This is 

what Stone Harbour might have sounded like if they'd 

dropped enough acid to actually meet Jesus in person, 

and returned to their cavern studio on an even 

smaller budget. "Wicked" which opens side 2 is the 

peak for me, with an (accidental?) oscillator effect 

that sounds like a bat flapping its wings around your 

head, coupled with eerie, ominous vocals and music 

that sounds like 50 Foot Hose pleading for Thorazine.

CONDELLO (AZ/CA) 

The last couple tracks are somewhat more 

straightforward and almost garagey in style. Only 

album of its kind in the world. [PL] 

~~~ 

There isn’t anything else like this one, which mixes 

cheesy ballads, heavy guitar workouts, and freaky 

synth-heavy space rock. The production is so awful 

that you can barely hear the vocals or rhythm 

section, though, which masks the amateurishness 

somewhat but renders even the good songs (“Wicked” 

being my hit pick) something of a chore to sit 

through. I’d recommend this more to real people fans 

than to psych or xian fans, though it’s unusual 

enough and so musically outrageous that it should 

give pretty much any listener a kick for a listen or 

two. The LP was recorded in a band member's living 

room via bouncing tracks on a 2-track, and the simple 

artwork was due to the band not being able to afford 

a generic custom sleeve. Most copies were given away 

after they failed to sell out. [AM] 

"Condello: Phase 1" 1968 (Scepter srm-542) [mono] 

"Condello: Phase 1" 1968 (Scepter sps-542) [stereo] 

C1 C2 see Mad Dog 

This fascinating album moves from sparkling pop to 

near heavy metal, almost like a compilation album by 

one man. Condello is an interesting figure, being 

connected to diverse figures like Lynn Castle and 

Warren S. Richardson, so it’s not surprising that his 

album runs the gamut. The popsike songs near the 

beginning of the album are the strongest tracks, but 

all of it is interesting and worthwhile. A neat 

artifact of a time when such diverse styles of music 

sat nicely side by side on radio, and here, on LP. 

Condello also released a number of 45s and EPs 

including the "Soggy Cereal" track of Pebbles fame. 

[AM] 

LARRY CONKLIN & JOCHEN BLUM (Seattle, WA) 

"Jackdaw" 1980 (no label 11233) 

Little-known local album of haunting UK-style folk 

with 12-string and violin. 

V.A "CONNECTICUT'S GREATEST HITS" (CT)

"Connecticut's Greatest Hits" Conn 1966 (Co-Op 101) 

Bands include the Van Dykes, Chosen Few, Majenics. 

Some acts are doo wop/vocal groups. 

CONSCIOUS EFFORT BAND ( ) 

"Conscious Effort Band" 1981 (no label) [gatefold] 

Basement folkrock. 

CONSTELLATION (Chattanooga, TN) 

"Constellation" 1978 (Pyramid 1590) 

CONTENTS ARE (IA) 

"Constellation" is a pretty amazing effort; even more 

so given that creative mainstay Punkin Crye wasn't 

even old enough to legally play in a nightclub. In 

addition to handling lead vocals (he sure didn't 

sound like a 14 year old) and lead guitar, Crye wrote 

or co-wrote all nine tracks. Exemplified by tracks 

such as the blazing opener "8 O Clock Monday", 

"There's Talk" and "Sell Out" the trio's take-noprisoners 

brand of hard rock certainly won't appeal 

to everyone, but at least to out ears the LP's got 

more hooks and heart than a truck load of Slayer 

releases. Among the highlights were the sweet and 

atypical ballad "Little Things" and the chugging 

rocker "Always Be the Same". The album did little 

commercially and Crye relocated to L.A. where he 

enjoyed minor success playing in a number of local 

metal bands. Unfortunately, Crye also picked up a 

nasty drug habit. By the time he was in his early 20s 

he'd returned to Tennessee where he ended up 

homeless, living on the streets of Chattanooga. [SB] 

~~~ 

The biggest clue as to the age of the songwriter here 

comes from the lyrics, which obviously refelect a 

horny teenager (or even pre-teen) view of dating. 

This album has a nice hard rock sheen, driven by a 

metallic but clean rhythm guitar sound. The 

performances are strong, the energy level high and 

the songs engagingly brief. It lacks riffs, though, 

and has a surprisingly sparse amount of lead guitar. 

They sound like a band with a lot of promise, but 

this album never really takes off. [AM] 

"Through You" 1967 (Rok) [100p; blank back cover] 

Previously unknown LP from beat/folkrock/psych band, 

only sold at shows. The band was still at highschool 

when they cut this LP, which is remarkably advanced 

for the time and place. Only a few copies are known 

to exist. 

V.A "CONTEXT '70" (Long Island, NY)

"Context '70" 1970 (no label MP 4-1) 

COOKIN' MAMA (CA) 

Very obscure DIY high school project LP of which only 

a few copies are known to exist. High points include 

two long fuzz/organ instrumental freakouts, a girl 

garage band, and some folk moves. Jug-band stuff, 

bizarre poetry and crude classical round out the set. 

There's also a funny spoken introduction proclaiming 

it to come courtesy of "WTHC" radio. Interesting LP 

with plenty of 1970 NYC zeitgeist and a high freak 

value, though schizophrenic and local to the max. The 

college project "Tool Shed" album is somewhat similar 

and perhaps provides more good music than this 

one. [PL] 

~~~ 

Here is the ultimate in the realm of reality known as 

the 60s/70s stoned high school student project LP. 

Hailing from the Island of Long, these suburban 

stonees definitely pulled some wool over the eyes of 

the faculty. Beginning with a mock broadcast from 

radio station WTHC (!), the drug references flow 

through a pastiche of psych, folk, jugband, some 

"classical music is great stoned" (courtesy of Igor 

Stravinsky), and a few truly bent poems including the 

Shakespearean ode to McDonald's, "Cheeseburger 

Lament" from Omlette. Highlights are Adam's Rib, a 

girl garage band performing a great pop-psych/punker 

"Hide Your Love"; the proto-roots sound of The 

Amalgamated Pickle Plant and Home Brew Distillery 

(whose repertoire includes David Peel's Happy 

Mother's Day) and most uniquely, one Emmanuel Angel. 

Angel performs 2 lengthy instrumentals on which he 

plays everything - guitar, keys, bass, drums - and 

quite well. The sounds are berzerk progressive 

psychedelia via early Zappa/Mothers filtered through 

distorted, fuzzed, speeded up guitars and organs. 

Finally, the last track is titled The End and lasts 1 

second. The LP is housed in an incredible pink and 

black psychedelic cover. There are plenty of pics of 

our student stonees on the front. The back is a great 

abstract design. [MA] 

"New Day" 197 (Rock Bottom cfs-3007) 

"Cookin' Mama" 1980 (Piccadilly 3376) [boot reissue] 

website version: 

This is a pretty original and exciting West Coast 

rock album, very hard to classify. It's too 

structurally complex to be blues and rocks way too 

hard to be rural rock. It's got horns, but they're 

integrated into the overall sound in a way that makes 

this no horn band. There are some similarities to the 

Screaming Gypsy Bandits, though this band doesn't 

cover as much stylistic ground and are more 

consistently good. The guitar playing on this record 

is powerful, and is what takes this way beyond the

ealm of most commune-type albums. This isn't 

literally a commune, but the band has about a dozen 

members, the songs have chorus vocals, and they're 

definitely hippies. Sherry Foxx, from Oasis and R. J. 

Fox, is in this band and top billed (which leads to 

record dealers inaccurately hyping this as a female 

vocal album), but actually only sings lead on most of 

one song (she sings the verses). That's a shame, 

because though the chorus vocals are fine, the guys 

who sing lead don't have half the personality or 

excitement as Sherry. It's a blown opportunity, 

because albums that rock this hard, have no cover 

versions, and have female lead vocals are rare as 

hen's teeth. If she had sung all of the songs this 

would be something special indeed. As it is, it's 

still a pretty cool album, recommended to people like 

myself who wish that most of the jammy west coast 

bands had more upbeat energy. Steve Miller is listed 

as one of the album's three producers, by the way, 

and it's quite impressive how many instruments and 

voices are in the mix without sounding messy. For 

some reason the liner notes say "no thanks to the 

Illnois Highway Department". Two original pressings 

exist with different label designs. [AM] 

~~~ 

book version: 

This is a pretty original and exciting West Coast 

rock album, very hard to classify. It's too 

structurally complex to be blues and rocks way too 

hard to be rural rock (the guitar is very exciting.) 

There are horns, but they're integrated into the 

overall sound in a way that makes this no horn band. 

They're something of a hippie commune, as the band 

has about a dozen members and the songs have chorus 

vocals. Sherry Foxx, from Oasis and R. J. Fox, is in 

this band and top billed (which leads to record 

dealers inaccurately hyping this as a female vocal 

album), but actually only sings lead on part of one 

song. That's a shame, because though the chorus 

vocals are fine, albums that rock this hard, have no 

cover versions, and have hot female lead vocals are 

rare as hen's teeth. Steve Miller is listed as one of 

the album's three producers, by the way, and it's 

quite impressive how many instruments and voices are 

in the mix without sounding messy. For some reason 

the liner notes say "no thanks to the Illnois Highway 

Department". Two original pressings exist with 

different label designs. [AM] 

V.A "COOL AID BENEFIT" (Vancouver, Canada) 

"The Cool Aid Benefit Album, volume 1" 1970 (Arthfor 4001) 

Local psych and rock groups including tracks by Hydro 

Electric Streetcar, Mock Duck, Papa Bear's Medicine 

Show, Spring, Route 9 and Black Snake. The Papa 

Bear's track also appears on their rare LP, while the 

Mock Duck track is on the Gear Fab reissue. Vancouver 

Cool Aid provided legal assistance and other aid for 

wayfaring hippies in the late 60s. Mike Harcourt, 

future British Columbia premier, was one of their 

lawyers. [RM]

BILL COOLEY & ALAN MUNSON (Santa Barbara, CA) 

"In Debt" 1972 (Studio West 2874) 

PAT COPALELLO (IL) 

Much of this album is gentle folk, with a sound 

similar to the early Chuck & Mary Perrin albums, if 

they didn’t have female vocals. Japanese collectors 

crave it for those songs, though psych collectors 

will be more interested in “Sightly Sue,” which has 

bizarre use of guitar vibrato, and “I Need a Change” 

and “Where Is The Change,” which have a bit of mild 

fuzz guitar (the latter has maybe the shortest and 

most unlikely wah wah break ever.) A few other songs 

have some jazzy lead guitar and complex chord 

progressions. Overall, somewhere between stark hippie 

folk and folky singer/songwriter. Loner folk fans may 

enjoy it, as a couple of songs are pretty dark in 

tone. [AM] 

~~~ 

"There are nine original songs on the "In Debt" 

album. The music style is predominately psych rock, 

but also includes songs which have both a folk rock 

and a bluesy acoustic feel. Instruments on the album 

include electric and acoustic guitars, electric and 

acoustic bass (guitarone), drums and other percussion 

instruments. Effects used in the Psych rock songs 

include guitar solos with distortion/wah-wah, and 

some soaring echoed vocals. The album has strong lead 

vocals and background harmonies (with many stacked 

vocal harmony parts on the title cut). The production 

objective was to record an album with Pop-rock 

arrangement sensibilities applied to Psych music and 

experimental sounds." (description supplied by Alan 

Munson) 

~~~ 

see -> Alan Munson 

"Daybreak" 1977 (Kerygma 1001) 

Nice Christian singer-songwriter with a very varied 

style range. Ranges from folk (including a Dylanesque 

talking blues) and country-influenced rock to heavy 

fuzz rock and progressive AOR. All quite excellent. 

[MA] 

RUTH COPELAND (UK / Detroit, MI) 

"Self Portrait" 1969 (Invictus) 

"Gimme Shelter: Invictus Sessions" 200 (CD Castle, UK) [2-on- 

1] 

Copeland produced the first Parliament album and 

wrote a few of its songs. As to her own album, what 

can you say about a record that starts with a spokenword 

religious manifesto and ends by combining an 

opera aria with an acid rock guitar solo by Eddie 

Hazel? In between are all sorts of goodies. Listen to 

Copeland screech horribly without conviction on the 

hard rocking “I Got A Thing For You Daddy.” Drop your

jaw in awe as you hear her cry on the children’s tune 

“Music Box.” Feel her pain as she reveals the pits of 

masochistic self loathing on “No Commitment.” This 

album has all this and much, much more! It goes in so 

many directions, and Copeland’s sincerity is so 

painful, that all the listener can do is scratch 

his/her head and thank goodness Ruth got a chance to 

put it on plastic. Totally ridiculous, and totally 

compelling!! As proof that she could be as good as 

she could be crazy, her version of “Silent Boatman,” 

which she wrote, is even better than Parliament’s. 

The CD reissue sadly omits the opera song. [AM] 

"I Am What I Am" 1971 (Invictus snmas-9802) [gatefold] 

"Gimme Shelter: Invictus Sessions" 200 (CD Castle, UK) [2-on- 

1] 

COPS LTD (WA) 

For her second album, Copeland went for a more 

straight hard rock/soul feel. Her singing is powerful 

but uncontrolled, and despite the comparative 

“normalcy” there are moments as bizarre as those on 

the debut. Sample lyric: “Hare Krishna/right on 

baby/straight ahead/far freakin’ out”. Two Rolling 

Stones covers give her a chance to exercise her 

lungs. The whole album really rocks, but the opening 

“Medal” is probably the highlight. A unique and 

bizarre figure in rock history, whose histrionics and 

sexual appeal (the gatefold cover has the best bellybutton 

photo of any rock album, ever) seem to have 

disguised the fact that she was a true pioneer as a 

female producer. [AM] 

"Play Old, New" 1975 (Tell International) 

Weirdo fringe LP of some notoriety as it was featured 

in one of the "Incredibly Strange Music" books; this 

is real live cops playing covers from the 1950s- 

1970s, incl "Knocking On Heaven's Door" and "Memphis 

Train". Cover pics are priceless. For freak 

collectors mainly. 

FRANK CORBIN (Austin, TX) 

"One Fell Swoop" 1976 (Prelude NS 10022) 

Obscure local album from guy who apparently was dying 

of cancer, which gives a chilly edge to the front 

cover drawing of a hooded executioner holding a 

guitar! Being Corbin's testament of sorts it's odd 

that it opens with an instrumental track that is the 

only thing he didn't write himself. The rest is 

fairly appealing melodic mainstream rock with a 1970s 

nightclub vibe I like. A couple of tracks have good 

female vocals that give it a loungey westcoast edge 

not unlike Titus Oates or T-Kail. Pro-sounding 

throughout with a bit of sophistication in jazzy 

piano embellishments, and suave guitar leads. 

Corbin's singer/songwriter aspirations drag it down 

but the overall moody vibe and a superb back cover

photo of the gang hanging out in true 1970s style 

makes for a neat break inbetween this psych monster 

and that psych monster. [PL] 

CORILLIONS (Springfield, MO) 

"Songs Of Divine Inspiration" 1977 (Corillions no #) 

"Double Album" 1981 (Corillions no #) [2 LPs] 

Basically the work of the seriously disturbed Marlin 

Wallace, the Corillions LPs feature adept yet strange 

singer/songwriter music based on Wallace's unusual 

experiences of being tortured by communists with 

invisible rays, as well as thoughts on the yeti, 

jungle women, space travel, dinosaurs, and more. The 

liner notes describe his background and the overall 

threat of communist conspiracies in greater detail 

than is really wanted. The 2-LP set is a classic of 

the mid-period fringe/incredibly strange domain and 

mandatory for genre fans, while the debut LP is 

strange in its own way, with religious-spiritual 

material. Various names are credited as performers on 

the LP, but it appears that they're all actually 

Wallace using pseudonyms, along with one Mildred 

Morris. Supposedly only 100 copies were pressed of 

the albums; there was also some 45s. 

CORPORATION (Milwaukee, WI) 

"Corporation" 1969 (Capitol st-175) [rainbow label] 

-- also released in England and France 

"Corporation" 1995 (CD Repertoire) 

Bluesy fuzz rock. Their two Age of Aquarius LPs ("Get 

On Our Swing; "Hassles In My Mind) are forgettable 

but the earlier and superior Capitol LP features a 

fine extended jam to John Coltrane's "India". [RM] 

CORPUS (Corpus Christi, TX) 

"Creation A Child" 1972 (Acorn 1001) [banded tracks] 

"Creation A Child" 197 (Acorn 1001) [2nd press; green/pink 

label; unbanded] 

"Creation A Child" 1986 (Breeder RPR 007-3C-567, Austria) 

[bootleg] 

"Creation A Child" 199 (CD Flash 45, Italy) [digipak] 

"Creation A Child" 2000 (Akarma 113, Italy) 

"Creation A Child" 2000 (CD Akarma 113, Italy) 

Underrated, partly outstanding ballsy 1970s rock 

album in the Texas style, which means good 

production, strong vocals, and solid playing all 

around. Some of it is rootsy blues-rock which wins 

out on pure class and power, but the highlights are 

undoubtedly two psych-flavored epics that could 

easily slide onto the Garrett Lund or D R Hooker LPs; 

the nocturnal, moodily jazz-tinged "Mythical dream" 

and the even better "Joy", whose combination of 

soaring vocals and superbly controlled feedback licks

will have any fan of 70s private press sounds flip 

out. About 2/3ds of the LP is truly great, 

unfortunately the band starts running out of gas on a 

couple of less inspired and pedestrian bar-rockers. 

The LP is given additional appeal by realistic lyrics 

about relationships and fatherhood, planned and 

unplanned, that retain a male perspective without 

degenerating into macho clichés. I bet these guys 

were local heroes among kids cruising around Corpus, 

and in another time and place they would have hit the 

big time. Despite reservations, impressive and a must 

hear for 1970s rock fans, while undoubtedly too much 

of "classic rock" for 1960s guys. A marvy cosmic yet 

primitive sleeve adds bonus points. [PL] 

CORVAIRS (Montreal, Canada) 

"Corvairs" 1964 (Olympia 106) 

Obscure teenbeat with frat, instros and r'n'b. This 

is their second LP. 

COSMIC DEBRIS (Oklahoma City, OK) 

"Cosmic Debris" 1980 (Non Compos Mentis 3-7K) 

"While You're Asleep" 1983 (Non Compos Mentis 4-6K) 

The debut is spacey avant/prog/psych with acid 

guitar, moog and flute, mid-1970s sound. The followup 

is not nearly as adventurous. Despite the locale and 

similarity in name, the band had no connection to 

Debris. 

COSMIC MICHAEL (New York City, NY) 

"Cosmic Michael" 1969 (Bliss no #) [paste-on cover; poster] 

The first LP perhaps looks greater than it sounds, 

but is still an appealing item for its compounded 

freak value. One of the least "cosmic"-sounding 

cosmic LPs around, with a loose urban soundcheck vibe 

using equal parts Vox organ, piano and crude guitar, 

on top of which Michael semi-improvs lyrics to a 

steady basement boogie beat. Not downer folk or such, 

but a 60s DIY r'n'r feel rare for Real People albums. 

Top attraction is Cosmic Michael's "Theme" which 

describes in third person the acid-induced 

transformations he's undergone: "some kind of 

chemical change is going on in poor Michael's 

brain..." set to a rockin' garage fuzz beat. Has a

female bluesy Joplin clone on one track, the extended 

"Mother Earth", which could have sucked but wins on 

rawness and realness. Unusual LP that falls between 

any genres you can think up; he would have made an 

excellent double bill with Bob Edmund. The poster is 

a larger version of the paste-on xeroxed front sheet. 

The LA album is considered inferior by most. A rare 

45 featuring a track from each LP also exists. [PL] 

"After A While" 1970 (Bliss) [wraparound cover slick] 

The followup is stoned acoustic folk psych and was 

done in Los Angeles. It's not as jawdropping as the 

debut but "Woodstock Nation" is hilarious. 

COSMIC SOUND OF GANDHARVA (a k a Gandharva) (CA) 

"Energy" 1977 (Saddhu) 

"The Money Box" 1978 (Saddhu 522 516) 

Cosmic trance/meditation folk. "Energy" is not bad 

for the genre; a moody echoey soundscape and slightly 

eerie vibe rather than starry-eyed peace & love 

ramblings. Acoustic guitars, deep vocals, semiimprovised 

jammy songs with some crude sound 

experiments; imagine the Acid Symphony guys 10 years 

down the line. Brief spoken bit featuring a phonysounding 

Indian guru. "The Money Box" has one side of 

spoken word with background music, and one side of 

trancey folkpsych songs with acoustic guitars and 

tablas. Short playtime. [PL] 

COSMIC TRAVELLERS (Los Angeles, CA / Oahu, HI) 

"Live At The Spring Crater" 1972 (Vulcan ct-00004) [poster; 

1000p] 

"Live At The Spring Crater" 2002 (Dodo, Italy) [poster] 

-- the poster is 18"x24" and features 24 black and white live 

shots 

"Live At The Spring Crater" 2004 (CD Dodo, Italy)

Top-level guitar blowout in the form of a Hawaii live 

recording featuring 4 great musicians, ex-Raider 

Drake Levin among them. Long, intense jams on a mix 

of covers and originals, the total impression being a 

fine blend of vintage Quicksilver and Sly & the 

Family Stone. Essential to any fan of west coast acid 

rock jam bands. Great cover, and a cool poster that's 

included with the classy (bootleg) reissue. The band 

was formed for this concert while Drake Levin and 

Joel Christie were vacationing in Hawaii. The 

festival was a big deal with several bands (incl 

Little Feat) and an estimated crowd of 55.000. The 

recording and release of the LP wasn't pre-planned 

but happened as a consequence of the band's terrific 

performance. Christie was formerly with Orange 

Colored Sky and together with Levin plays on Lee 

Michaels' 6th LP, while Dale Loyola play on the Hook 

LP. I've been unable to document any other recordings 

of the superb lead guitarist Jimmy McGhee. [PL] 

COUNTRY WEATHER (San Francisco, CA) 

"Country Weather" 1969 (no label, no #) [no cover; 1-sided; 

50p] 

"Country Weather" 2005 (RD Records 015, Switzerland) [2LPs; 

booklet; bonus tracks] 

A much anticipated reissue of some historical 

importance featuring this mythical Bay Area band. 

Side 1 is studio recordings from a later (1971) phase 

in the band's career, leaning more towards rural CA 

early 70s rock than westcoast psych, pretty good and 

with brilliant sound. Side 2 is the original 1-sided 

demo LP from which the whole CW legend sprang, much 

better in sound than the old Italian "California Acid 

Folk" bootleg (which omits 1 track). Dominated by two 

extended psych/jam tracks with lots of originality 

and atmosphere, this remains a great 20-minute album, 

with a '67-68 Bay Area vibe and even a Yardbirds 

cover. Side 3 of the reissue is a live recording from 

Walnut Creek 1970 in terrific sound, which will send 

you back to "Happy Trails" in its jam mood and 

audience participation. Hits the prerequisite SF 

Ballroom vibe where the improvisation is organic, not 

some lame showoff. Couple of long jams on covers & 

originals. Side 4 is more from the same show(s), and 

continues in the same excellent acidrock style, 

although I personally don't go for the bass & drum 

solos on the closing "Wake me shake me". So: 1 OK 

side studio, 1 great side studio, and 1.5 good side 

live. All in superb sound. The historical importance 

of this Country Weather release shouldn't outshine 

its musical merits, but given the Rolls Royce 

pricetag I think some people should wait for a CD 

version (if there is one), while diehard westcoast 

fans will want to get the 2LP set. This is the first 

but hardly the final word on the band -- there's 

still plenty of unreleased material out there, 

including 3-4 tracks (such as "Confusion") that are 

superior to what this RD set delivers. Around the 

time of these recordings the band also backed up 

Terry Dolan on his excellent, unreleased Terry & The 

Pirates recordings from 1970, and Greg Douglass went 

on to play with several noteworthy Bay Area outfits. 

[PL]

COUNTS FOUR (Montreal, Canada) 

"Counts Four" 1965 (London eb-87) 

COUNTS ( ) 

Obscure teenbeat album in goofy cover showing the 

members as "counts". Geared towards non-Invasion 

dance hits such as The Monkey, The Swim, The Watusi, 

and so forth. 

"Introducing!" 1965 (Reliable 12048) 

Teen-beat and blue-eyed soul in generic-looking 

cover. 

BILLY R COUVSON (S F Bay Area, CA) 

"Bongo Sensational Soul" 1977 (private) 

COVEN (IN) 

There’s nothing else like this one, a mixture of 

bongos, vibes and Billy’s incoherent ranting, all 

bathed in deep reverb. It’s not really soul, or jazz, 

or anything recognizable (or even classifiable as 

“music”). It is, however, a blast. You’d think that 

something so simple would get boring over the course 

of entire album, and it kind of does, yet Billy is so 

far out and the beat so hypnotic that it mostly 

works. Once in a while he starts blowing a harmonica 

or laughing hysterically for no obvious reason. 

Mostly he just sounds like he’s talking to himself. 

If you make it through the first six songs you’re 

rewarded with a completely different arrangement on 

the seventh and eighth: heavily echoed piano, about 

four thousand unidentifiable percussion instruments 

(or whatever he found in his kitchen), and something 

actually resembling melodies. This album is a “real 

people” classic! Billy has recently resurfaced and 

has recorded a number of new albums, so his madness 

can spread to a new generation. [AM] 

"Witchcraft" 1969 (Mercury sr-61239) [gatefold] 

"Witchcraft" 2003 (CD Hardrock Yankees) 

"Witchcraft" 2006 (CD Akarma, Italy) 

This is the same band who had the hit "One Tin 

Soldier" from the "Billy Jack" movie. They claim that

at the time of this first album they were 

legitimately interested in Satanism. Whether it's 

real or not, I defy you not to laugh at the scream of 

"kiss the goat" during the black mass that takes up 

most of side two. This isn't especially musically 

interesting; it's collectable because it's an oddity 

and for the creepy picture of a topless Jinx Dawson 

on the inner sleeve. An unfortunately timed Esquire 

magazine cover photo of Charles Manson holding the 

album cover in his hands assured that the label would 

bury it without hype. Coven did release two more 

albums, though neither of them are of interest to 

collectors. [AM] 

COXON'S ARMY (Richmond, VA) 

"Live From Sam Miller's Exchange Cafe" 1972 (Trace) [black 

label with orange picture of Phil Coxon] 

"Live From Sam Miller's Exchange Cafe" 1972 (Trace) [purple 

label with no picture] 

COYOTE (MD) 

Funny bad lounge rock barband featuring a teenaged 

Pat Benatar. The album is taken from a soundtrack to 

a one hour television special produced by WCVE-TV and 

Sam Miller Exchange Cafe. Ten member group (nine guys 

and Pat) with four on horns. The purple label version 

was only sold at the club and only a handful are 

known to exist. [RM] 

"Coyote" 1973 (Chariot CH-500) 

COYOTE ( ) 

Silly mid-1970s hard rock album that wastes almost 

seven minutes on a goof of a song called “Horney 

Coyote” and also includes an ode to a “Flat Chested 

Woman.” Even the straight hard rockers here include 

lyrics like “I think he’s a turd.” This would all be 

well and good if the novelty songs were funnier, or 

if they rocked, but they’re as lame musically as they 

are lyrically. There are also a few throwaways 

(including an organ-heavy instrumental). All of the 

above is just side one. It’s hard to imagine why 

anyone ever would turn the record over, but 

surprisingly there are some decent hard rock songs on 

side two. The rhythm section is solid, and the 

keyboardist is quite good too. The style’s a bit 

prog/AOR, though, and the album ends with a terrible 

attempt at a soul ballad. You’ve been warned. The 

album cover is pretty twisted, by the way. [AM] 

"Cast Off Your Old Tired Ethics" 1975 (Old Dog no #) 

Biker hardrock from bearded quintet, "Peter Gunn 

Theme" is an unexpected cover among the band 

originals. Housed in appropriate primitive cartoon 

cover. No relation to the Coyote on Chariot.

CRACK ( ) 

"Day Of Doom" 1976 (Tiger Lily tl-14048) 

"Day Of Doom" 2004 (CD Radioactive 083, UK) 

CRAFTSMEN (OH) 

Classy mid-1970s melodic prog sounds from 

multiinstrumentalist duo with a completely 

professional, urban sound like many Tiger Lilys. 

Opening track is a pretty lame rootsy bar-rocker, 

after which it gets more adventurous. Good guitarleads 

throughout, prog-rock keyboard, some flutes and 

agreeable non-operatic vocals. Reminiscent of 

Thunderpussy at times, which is meant as a 

compliment. "Andrea" is a weird swamp-rock twilight 

zone excursion with burbly synth sounds, while the 

title track has some psych vibes. Side 1 rocks hard, 

while side 2 gets more introspective and spooky. 

Lyrics hint at Christian concerns, as also suggested 

by the title. The 1970s gasoline rationing is taken 

as a sign of the impending "day of doom". Very 

clearly from the post-psychedelic era, yet strong 

enough to be worth checking out for open-minded heads 

and 70s prog fans in particular. [PL] 

~~~ 

This Tiger Lily album actually has credits, so it’s 

presumable that this really was at one point intended 

for a regular release. It’s mainstream 70s rock and 

hard rock with an occasional prog edge. It has plenty 

of keyboards and a significant amount of flute, but 

also some hot lead guitar. It’s nothing especially 

unusual or innovative, but it’s quite good. The 

playing is solid, and the arrangements are creative 

(dig the crazy piano playing on “Early Riser” and the 

weird synth section in “Evil And Cruel.”) The 

occasional Christian lyrics are more interesting than 

the usual…there’s a definite sense of urgency here 

that works in Crack’s favor. A couple of songs border 

on cheesy (“Earth” is somewhere between MOR and jazzrock), 

but this is a very cool mid-70s artifact. Just 

to prove this is, indeed, a tax scam record, the 

closing instrumental sounds unfinished. [AM] 

"What Can We Say?" 1966 (Zap 3009) [100p] 

MIKE CRAIG (AZ) 

Mix of fratrock and Beach Boys covers. The cover is 

an oversized mailing envelope with band photo, song 

listings, and bio. 

"Daughter Of The Moon" 197 (MM Records)

CRASH COFFIN (OH) 

Circa 1974 obscure private pressing in a downer folk 

vein with a slight hippie troubadour vibe. 

"Crash Coffin" 1974 (Mus-I-Col cc-69) [plain cover w/ label 

logo] 

This wellknown LP has a couple of great moody psych 

tracks with excellent vocals like "Alone together" 

and "God loves the loser", but also some less 

appealing stuff and is a rather inconsistent 

backwoods trip all over. "Amazon women" is a pretty 

funny 1950s b-movie throwback. Many sleeves come with 

artistic embellishments by Crash himself. Contrary to 

popular belief there were no "original covers" 

destroyed in a mythical fire, but simply a case of 

real sleeves being too expensive to print. A 1980s 

followup (Cuyahoga, 1984) is reportedly more in a 

hippie jugband style. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is true oddball loner stuff. The mix of styles 

is unlikely to make anyone enjoy this from start to 

finish, but there are some great moments 

nevertheless. A few songs are straight ahead rock and 

roll, one is a completely offensive anti-feminism 

song (“Mama, get back in the kitchen”), three are 

goofy novelties with kazoos, a few others are cool 

folky psych tunes, and “Alone Together” is an 

absolute semi-heavy psych monster. Most copies of 

this are in hand-decorated covers, but some have a 

plain white cover with a Mus-I-Col label (after a 

while, Coffin got tired of decorating!). [AM] 

CRAZY PEOPLE (Canada) 

"Bedlam" 1969 (Condor 2457) 

"Bedlam" 200 (CD Gear Fab 156) 

"Bedlam" 200 (Gear Fab/Comet 404, Italy) 

Late 60s freaky psych-rock of some notoriety, with 

Johnny Kitchen. The music is partly reminiscent, 

perhaps even overlapping, with Wildman Fischer's 

debut LP on Bizarre, but the story remains obscure. 

Shortly after this Kitchen was involved with the 

folk/protest-oriented Trio Of Time (Condor 2460). 

CREATION OF SUNLIGHT (Long Beach, CA)

"Creation Of Sunlight" 1968 (Windi 1001) 

-- a Brazilian pressing from the mid-1970s exists 

"Creation Of Sunlight" 199 (Windi, Europe) [bootleg] 

"Creation Of Sunlight" 1997 (CD Mystic) 

"Creation Of Sunlight" 2002 (Void US) 

"Creation Of Sunlight" 2005 (CD Lion) 

Despite the reissues many are still unfamiliar with 

this Sunset Strip-style psych wonderama, so full of 

60s summer charm you'll play it over and over. 

Strawberry Alarmclock's first two LPs are the obvious 

reference for these guys and they pull it off with 

equal talent and class, hardly a dull moment as 

"midnight travels to Mulholland Drive" are projected 

with swinging Hammond/guitar interplay and upbeat 

vocal harmonies. To me, one of the most essential 60s 

rarities. Original's on the same label as Merkin. 

They also did a non-LP 45 as Sunlight's Seven, as 

well as an acetate for the LP. According to the legal 

re on Void the band's name was actually just 

"Sunlight" but it will be time before this gets 

around; furthermore a 45 taken from the LP clearly 

lists the band as Creation Of Sunlight. [PL] 

~~~ 

The perfect summer album. With harmonies to die for, 

colorful arrangements that highlight great organ and 

guitar playing, and, most of all, an album full of 

hit-worthy songs, this is an all-time classic. Like 

the similar SAC, at times the oh-so-happy sound veers 

towards the cheesy, but never quite pushes it too 

far. Instantly memorable, but also with a lot of 

depth. Every song is a winner. In a better world they 

would have been superstars. [AM] 

CREME SODA (Milwaukee, WI) 

"Tricky Zingers" 1975 (Trinity CST 11) [group pic cover] 

"Tricky Zingers" 1977 (Trinity CST 12) [2nd press; paste on 

'titles' cover] 

-- this later pressing in a new sleeve has fewer tracks, 

removing "Numero Uno" from side 1 

"Tricky Zingers" 198 (no label, Austria) [bootleg; 385#] 

"Tricky Zingers" 199 (Trinity, Italy) [bootleg; gold vinyl] 

-- several tracks on this boot reissue suffer from surface 

noise, there's also dropouts in the opening track 

"Tricky Zingers" 1993 (CD Cosmic Mind, Italy) 

An impressive and unfairly overlooked LP. Despite the 

vintage this has a strong 1966/67-sound, I'm in 

particular reminded of 2nd-tier Sunset Strip bands 

like Fenwyck or Fifo-era West Coast Pop Art. Strong 

folkrock/early psych songs with hooks and 

originality, while a lo-fi recording adds some garage 

ambience. Two experimental tracks with drone effects 

and backwards guitars are perhaps the highpoint, 

while a couple rootsy r'n'r numbers are a bit 

misplaced. Two tracks from the LP appear on Endless 

Journey vol 2. Member Billy Tanon made an LP in 1982 

("Free man's rainbow", Trinity). [PL] 

~~~ 

1975, not a year you might associate with 

psychedelia, overblown ELP "synth-workouts", maybe. 

Then up popped Creme Soda in Milwaukee. Their songs 

perfectly combine pop harmonies with a harder sound, 

every track is good. "Tonight", "Keep it Heavy" and

"Roses All Around" are moving and brilliant. "Numero 

Uno" features a "debate" between kind man and nasty 

man which makes for an interesting, menacing song. 

Billy Tanon was arrested for broadcasting to the 

world from the fifth storey ledge of a building that 

"Creme Soda is more than just soda pop". So you know 

it must be good, nearly 30 years on their efforts 

still stand up. The LP sports one of the best "local" 

sleeves, with the band looking beyond cool sitting on 

the sidewalk. Dig Jim Wilson's sideburns and Ron 

Juntunens hard-nut stare. Style wise these guys give 

Zerfas and Rayne a run for their money. [RI] 

~~~ 

Despite the fact that everyone seems to like it, this 

great latter day psych album has yet to get its due. 

They could do pretty much anything, from ballads to 

melodic soft rock to crazed rockabilly to wasted 

psychedelia with Iggy-like vocals. A few songs here 

tread in truly untested waters. Flat production dulls 

the impact a little, but this a major album worthy of 

a high-quality reissue. This is another band that 

lends credence to the theory that the very best 

psychedelia was made in the 70s. [AM] 

CRISTAL WEBB (Baltimore, MD) 

"Misty Morning" 1973 (no label) 

CROMAGNON (CT) 

Recently discovered obscurity with dreamy 

folk/folkrock. 

"Cromagnon" 1969 (ESP Disk 2001) [color cover] 

"Cromagnon" 1969 (ESP Disk 2001) [b&w cover] 

"Cromagnon" 199 (Get Back) 

"Cromagnon" 199 (CD ZYZ) 

"Cromagnon" 199 (CD Caliber, Holland) 

An aural stew of experimental vocal sounds (tribal 

chanting, eerie whispering, animal-like screeching, 

monster sounding growls, ghostly howls, outright 

screaming, violent puking sounds, etc), various 

effects (over-dubbed sound bites played backwards, 

old sirens, common household sounds, manipulated 

electronics, field recordings) and the occasional use 

of a conventional instrument (spooky bagpipes, 

frantic rhythm guitar, scratchy fiddle) that are all 

meshed and held together with various forms of 

primitive percussion. A couple tracks have no rhythm 

instruments and are simply gravity defying acts of 

freeform music. Surprisingly, after being subjected 

to over 30 minutes of unintelligible voices, 

Cromagnon finally reap the benefits of evolution and 

use coherent words from the English language on the 

final two songs on the album. Cromagnon is ominous 

and experimental tribal music for the bad acid trip. 

An acquired taste that most will have trouble 

swallowing. [JSB] 

CROME SYRCUS (Seattle, WA)

"The Love Cycle" 1968 (Command rs-925-sd) [gatefold] 

This appears to be another mainstream pop band who 

got caught up in the psychedelic craze, resulting in 

a far out album cover and a side-long epic. The 

soulful vocal style and slow tempos make this hardly 

something I expect most psych fans to like. The epic 

has its moments, but like all side-long tracks from 

so-so bands it could have put all of those moments 

into one solid single. Not an especially interesting 

album. [AM] 

CROSSCURRENT COMMUNITY (Toronto, Canada) 

"Let The Cosmos Ring!" 1970 (Avant Garde AVS 131) 

CROSSCUT SAW (FL) 

Interesting experiment here as Presbyterian ministry 

from Toronto seeks to discuss spiritual questions 

with people from a variety of backgrounds (including 

non-Christians) through the medium of music. The end 

result is sort of a musical equivalent of a rap 

session, with lyrics that reveal a search for meaning 

yet also express the Christian response. Don’t let 

the word “community” scare you off – this isn’t a big 

massive choral production or anything. There are 

eleven people listed in the instrumental credits, 

plus another five providing the vocals. The Avant 

Garde label certainly lives up to its name on this 

release with not only rock and folk styles, but also 

jazz, psychedelia, and bizarre poetry readings (check 

out the hip ‘The Wart Where It Was’). Horns are used 

effectively in parts, though thankfully they’re 

usually playing second billing to the organ and 

electric guitar. Psychedelic guitar noodling 

intermingles with spacey washes of organ on the 

album’s centerpiece: the thirteen-minute ‘Genesis’, 

an avant-garde ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’-influenced 

composition structured around three cosmic spoken 

passages identified as Fluctuations 1, 2 and 3 (note 

how they work in the melodies from ‘Jesus Loves Me’ 

and ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’). [RM] 

"Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know" 197 (Surprise 0001) 

"Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know" 2005 (CD Akarma 133, Italy) 

CROSSRODE (SC) 

Blues-rock and boogie with lots of guitar and 

harmonica, like the Groundhogs and Johnny Winter. The 

release year has been given as 1975, but looks to be 

a bit later from the sleeve design. 

"Crossrode" 1980 (Strawberry Jamm lp-801) 

Rural Southern hardrock with dual leads.

CRUCIBLE (Richmond, IN) 

"Shaggy Joe" 1971 (Earlham Crucible) 

"Crucible Two" 1972 (Earlham Crucible) 

V.A "CRY 3" 

Local coffeehouse folk various artist-assembly from 

the same college scene that spawned "Attention Span", 

"Sequoiah Stream", and the Hoi Polloi LP. Solo and 

band performances, some UK trad folk, etc. The second 

LP is the more interesting and features Charlie 

Bleak, one of the main guys behind Hoi Polloi. 

"Cry 3" 1975 (Clearlight cl-102) [envelope format cover] 

Soundtrack to a x-ian multimedia presentation with a 

variety of musicians participating including Mike 

Johnson (Exkursions). Features a couple fine spacy 

instrumentals with synth and covers of Stephen Stills 

and Cliff Richard songs. Decent but not too 

memorable. [RM] 

CRYSTAL CIRCUS (Santa Barbara, CA) 

"Crystal Circus" 1968 (All American test press) [no cover] 

"In Relation To Our Times" 199 (Akarma 134, Italy) 

"In Relation To Our Times" 199 (CD Akarma 134, Italy) 

Yet another obscure LP in the ridiculously entangled 

web that surrounds the All-American label. This band 

features Greg Mumford who sang on "Incense & 

Peppermints" and unsurprisingly aims for a total SAC 

sound on several tracks, while others move in a 

generic late 1960s psychrock domain. Good news is 

that it's pretty good; songwriting, vocal and playing 

all deliver and while not up to SAC levels it 

surpasses all the other All-American albums. Band 

also had an official 45 release as "Strawberry SAC". 

[PL] 

CRYSTAL HAZE (Decatur, IL) 

"Crystal Haze" 1977 (no label erk-5207) [plain cover with info 

sheet; 100p] 

Guitar/keys hardrock with terrific wailing leads and 

weak vocals. Mostly rages but some delicate westcoast 

moments in there as well. [RM] 

CRYSTAL IMAGE (Lodi, CA) 

"Crystal Image" 1974 (Dream lrs-rt-6070) [insert]

"II - Rock and Roll" 1975 (Dream) 

"II - Rock and Roll" 2001 (CD Red Lounge Records) 

This is the second and most well-known of this band’s 

three albums, all on their own Dream label. They also 

released 25 singles between 1968 and 1982! Crystal 

Image was the quintessential small town bar band. The 

music ranges from boogie to mild hard rock to funky 

rock to countrified rockabilly; they have both male 

and female singers, and songs are about roadies, 

hoping to be a star, and about desperately trying to 

get radio play. The feel is of a band who played 

covers for years and years and had enough local 

popularity to occasionally slip a few originals into 

their shows. The songwriting is so-so, and often kind 

of silly (lots of references to “dropping drawers”), 

and the production is crude, but the band has the 

kind of professionalism that comes with years and 

years of playing oldies. The funkified bass player is 

especially good, though his overenthusiastic playing 

doesn’t always fit in that well. I can’t honestly say 

that this is good, but it has a certain kind of 

nostalgic appeal (and historical value) to people 

like me who often went to see bands like this in the 

70s and early 80s. As is often the case, the songs 

with the female singer are highlights; she doesn’t 

have much style but her voice is pretty sexy. The CD 

contains, as bonus tracks, half of their first album, 

which is similar in style and quality to the second. 

[AM] 

~~~ 

If you look beyond bonehead descriptions of this as 

"Airplane style psych" and take it for what it is, 

Crystal Image's second LP is a rather enjoyable 

showcase for a local 70s smalltown bar-band with 

above average aspirations. The band is supremely 

tight, which can't help but impress, and a couple of 

tracks with mixed male/female vocals and serious 

lyrics are quite respectworthy. Other facets to their 

output is more of a predictable 70s bar mentality and 

less enjoyable, but made passable by the performances 

and excellent recording. If nothing else, the LP 

works as a yard stick for the style, and may appeal 

to those who like Titus Oates and T-Kail, although 

this is a more humble affair. Being stuck in a Lodi 

isn't all bad, apparently. [PL] 

"Sure Feelin' Loose" 1976 (Dream) 

More barband guitar rock with rural edge and female 

vocals. 

V.A "CTV'S AFTER FOUR" (Canada) 

"CTV's After Four" 1968 (Yorkville yvm 33003) 

CYCLE (Canada) 

Sampler of bands who played on the TV show, including 

Ugly Ducklings (non-LP track), Big Town Boys, Terry 

Black, and others.

"Cycle" 1970 (Tamarac 1003) 

"Cycle" 199 (Tamarac) [bootleg] 

Yet one more UK-influenced Canadian poppsycher, a bit 

later in sound than the others but still in a 

Swinging London mood, comparable to '68-era Small 

Faces, the Herd etc. Strong vocals and a tight band, 

though parts may be too loungey/top 40:ish. The 

extended "God" track has a good fuzz riff and 

interesting lyrics. [PL] 

~~~ 

Canadian popsike band fall into the same boat as the 

Sundowners. They seem to either be a studio 

concoction or a band whose natural instincts were 

torn into several directions by their record company. 

So you start with a fuzz-guitar pop tune, end with a 

killer semi-heavy psych track called “God,” and in 

between is a bunch of soulful mainstream pop that’s 

nowhere near as interesting. There are a few more 

nice guitar moments and some catchy tunes, but most 

of it is disposable. Somehow, it feels like the 

mediocre stuff is what these guys were really all 

about and the fuzz guitar and trippy finale are 

producer-inspired experiments. Horn-laden B-side of 

the “God” single seems to confirm this theory. Either 

way, it’s not a great album but if you just listen to 

the first and last songs and sleep through the middle 

you’ll think it is. The 45 version of “God” is 

heavily shortened. [AM] 

"Magic Music" 1973 (Tamarac) 

Obscure 2nd LP with lots of keyboard and some heavier 

aspirations. 

CYKLE (Lumberton, NC) 

"Cykle" 1969 (Label 59-261) [500p] 

"Cykle" 1988 (Label, Austria) [bootleg; 385p] 

"Cykle" 1994 (CD Flashback, Austria) 

"Cykle" 1997 (CD Gear Fab 106) [+7 tracks] 

"Cykle" 199 (Gear Fab 203) [+bonus tracks] 

Opinions divide on this, some think it an absolute 

monster while others (like me) are less impressed. 

Sure, there are 2-3 awesome fuzz garage tracks here,

some of which have been comp'd, but like Mystic Siva 

there's also a fair share of slow numbers and pop 

tunes that seem to go nowhere. High point is the 

incredible "Lesson to learn", a work of sheer garagepsych 

perfection, with great acid lyrics to boot. 

Drummer/band leader Jimmy Sossamon is about 3 times 

as good as any other band member, with amazing fills 

and grooves that contrast with the rather primitive 

songwriting. The "production" is unusually clear for 

a garage band and makes liberal use of stereo 

separation, which isn't always to the Cykle's 

advantage as it reveals the less developed aspects of 

their artistry and vocals. Cool cheesy sleeve. [PL] 

~~~ 

Local teen garage album that sounds/looks more like 

'67 than '69, so don't let the release date scare 

you. Maybe the band had been going for a coupla years 

before finally deciding to make an LP so some of the 

songs might've been written as early as '67? Liberal 

doses of fuzz, vox organ and snotty Sky Saxon vocals 

in the punkpsych tracks makes for great listening. 

The slower tracks are moody, but don't quite match 

the quality of the punkers. On side two the quality 

drops somewhat and the ending 7:26 track gets a bit 

tedious, to say the least. About 50% of the LP 

delivers all the way and the rest is definitely 

weaker. All originals though, which is a plus. One of 

the better-sounding Gear Fab reissues. [MM] 


DADDY WARBUCKS ( ) 

"Daddy Warbucks I" 1976 (Tiger Lily) 

This typically obscure Tiger Lily LP has something 

most do not: accurate credits. Members of this band 

were previously in Goodthunder and would later form 

the melodic hard rock/AOR bands L.A. Jets and 1994. 

Daddy Warbucks are cut from the same cloth, but with 

some added prog moves (despite short songs.) This 

album is chock full of wonderfully used synthesizer 

and has its share of tricky rhythms/time signatures. 

It also has a bunch of catchy tunes. Check out the 

frantic bass playing on "Blue Eyes" or the atonal 

synth on "There's a time" and you can see that these 

guys had serious pop smarts. In fact, if it wasn't 

for the typically early 70s bluesy male vocals, this 

would be a grade-A power pop album. As it is, it's a 

grade-A mainstream rock album. In a similar fashion 

to the first two Cars albums, it shows that 

synthesizers need not be used only to make 

"synthesizer music," but can be beautifully 

integrated into a rock band as lead and rhythm 

instruments. It's a bit mainstream for psych fans, 

but if Crack and Steve Drake can be highly sought 

after by collectors, it stands to reason that this 

equally (maybe more?) rare album should be too. Note: 

A song from the Goodthunder album is remade here with 

a new title and new lyrics. In usual hilarious tax 

scam fashion, the back cover lists a song that's not 

on the album and the total time is a scant 21 minutes 

and 53 seconds, not a second of which is wasted. [AM] 

DAILY FLASH (Seattle, WA) 

"I Flash Daily" 1984 (Psycho 32, UK) 

"I Flash Daily" 199 (CD Flash 60, Italy) [bootleg; +2 tracks] 

DAISY CHAIN (CA) 

The only album release from a historically 

significant and occasionally brilliant folkrock/psych 

outfit that travelled up and down the west coast in 

1966-67. Contains their 45 tracks, a couple of 

unreleased studio tracks, and two stunning live 

numbers on side 2 including the ahead-of-its-time 

acidrock magnum opus "Cantaloupe Island". A must for 

any fan of early psych. A recent CD boot titled "SF 

Odds & Ends" contains more tracks from this Seattle 

concert. [PL]

"Straight Or Lame" 1967 (United International lpm-13001) [mono 

cover, mono record] 

"Straight Or Lame" 1967 (United International lpm-13001) [mono 

cover, stereo record] 

"Straight Or Lame" 200 (CD Sundazed 6200) [mono mix] 

Somewhat legendary all-girl lyte-psych/top 40 album; 

its status perhaps due more to its unique nature than 

the perceived quality. The sound is typical So Cal 

sunshine product with harmony vocals, cheesy organ 

and occasional brass, reminiscent of Birmingham 

Sunday in parts. At best it approaches vintage 

Strawberry Alarmclock in its mix of easy listening 

and dreamy psych; the track "Zzotto" is an excellent 

example of this. The LP has some weaker moments of 

fake soul and bouncy pop but enough winners (I 

counted four) to be worth checking out for pretty 

much anyone. Reportedly 500 covers were made. All 

covers say "mono", but mono discs are considerably 

rarer. The stereo discs are binaural 'fake stereo' 

and rather badly done. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is one of the holy grails of femme psych, 

terribly rare and with a fantastic sleeve design. 

About half of the album is quite trippy, with great 

use of swirling organ and just a bit of garagy 

sloppiness. The other half is commercial pop, with 

occasional horns. The mainstream songs are pretty 

good, though clearly this album would have been more 

fun if all of it was in the style of "Zzotto" and 

"Love Them All." Not the masterpiece insane 

collectors of female psych would hope for, but a 

worthwhile album with a few killer songs. [AM] 

DA KINGFISH BAND ( ) 

"Tennessee Feelin'" 1975 (JJ Sound Records) 

RAY DALAN (Canada) 

A four piece band (keyboards, guitar, bass & drums) 

unleash a strange concoction of countrified rock. 

"For Mature People" 1974 (Sky) 

DALLAS (TX) 

Acoustic, introspective folk. 

"Casualty of Love" 1979 (Shimmer Bros. 97-15) 

Nice acidic folk with originals and Byrds and Neil

Young covers. 

KAREN DALTON (NY) 

"It's So Hard to Tell" 1969 (Capitol ST-271) 

Unique, magical downer folk album that stands 

stranded in time (sounds like it could have been 

recorded in 1948, or 1998.) On these starkly recorded 

folk songs, Dalton sounds just like Billie Holiday, 

with the same power and resonance. She wasn't a 

writer, which is probably why she's a cult figure and 

not a household name. Even so, her singing style and 

obvious conviction makes this a completely coherent 

listening experience. Two of the songs are by her 

pal, Fred Neil, and his sad lyric about watching 

hotel lights blinking on and off is a perfect 

encapsulation of the feel of this album. The CD 

contains extended liner notes about her mostly 

unhappy life; all of it makes perfect sense when you 

hear the music. This is quickly approaching 

labelmates like Gandalf and Euphoria in 

collectability value, and in many ways is a better 

album. [AM] 

"In My Own Time" 1972 (Just Sunshine/Paramount pas-6008) 

DON DALY (TX) 

Dalton's second album was a disappointment to fans of 

the first. It lacks the same coherence and conviction 

of the Capitol LP, and the more rock-oriented 

arrangements don't suit her particularly well. Even 

so, she still has a voice like nobody else in the 

genre and this is intermittently fascinating. [AM] 

"Matilda" 1971 (Matilda's Child 710 820) 

DAMASCUS ROAD ( ) 

Busker folk with 2-chord songs and loud vocals. 

Acoustic guitar, bongos. "Sodomy With a Carrot" is a 

memorable title. 

"Damascus Road" 1973 (Icthus) 

DAMASCUS ROAD (GA) 

Acoustic rural rock with some heavy garagy moments. 

"I Am The Light" 1982 (Damascus grp-1105) [500p] 

No sugar on this cool custom Skynyrd-type hard rock 

ripper from Georgia trio. If you like zippy loud 

slide guitar you’ll not be disappointed as they pound

through titles like ‘Outer Darkness’ and ‘Hell’. 

Good production, no keyboards, an occasional flash of 

Byrdsy guitar. Southern rock saw a handful of 

releases on Christian labels; unfortunately most just 

weren’t quite there or blew it by tossing in token 

fluffola ballads - but these guys are the real McCoy. 

[KS] 

DAMIN EIH, A.L.K & BROTHER CLARK (Minneapolis, MN) 

"Never Mind" 1973 (Demelot 7310) [orange/white back cover; 

lyric insert; 500p] 

"Never Mind" 199 (Demelot) [bootleg; thin cover with b&W 

back] 

"Never Mind" 2003 (Orange Double Dome) [300#d] 

One of those elaborate Midwestern headtrips that will 

send you into an aural space you didn't even know 

existed, like CA Quintet or side 1 of Yezda Urfa. The 

longer suites are particularly impressive, while the 

shorter tunes less so. A unique mix of multilayered 

acoustic guitars, treated vocals and extensive use of 

cymbals creates a piercing yet enjoyable high 

frequency soundscape that demands your attention, 

while some moog and fuzz bass round out the bottom. 

Someone spent a lot of money on this one and I would 

deem it largely successful, with parts that are truly 

spellbinding, even though the "message" remains 

obscure. Pretentious and rather Euro-proggish in its 

sensibility, yet playful and exotic enough to appeal 

to more adventurous psych fans. The band's 

ridiculously unwieldy moniker and the lack of a high 

profile reissue keeps this one buried. [PL] 

~~~ 

One of a kind album from a truly warped, unique 

sensibility. It's a tough to describe mix of acoustic 

guitars, pop melodies, folk, prog, and just plain 

weirdness. Often brilliant (i.e. the truly classic 

"Thundermice") but just as often impenetrable. Those 

who "get it" seem to instantly place this in their 

personal all-time top tens. I can't say I'm one of 

those privileged ones, but on every listen I do 

discover something new and enjoy bits and pieces of 

it. The album is constructed to feel like one 

continuous whole rather than a collection of songs, 

which actually makes it harder to enjoy-other than 

"Thundermice" the individual songs don't really 

distinguish themselves. It reminds me of the better 

Gong albums, where you wade through a couple of 

minutes of forgettable jamming, and hit a great 20 

seconds or so, thinking "wow... if they just 

developed that into a complete song rather than 

noodling around so much this would be an amazing 

record." The problem, though, is that they really 

don't have enough focus or fully-formed ideas to do 

so even if they wanted to, and my instinct is that 

Eih (whoever he really is) has the same problem. The 

good moments make you want to forgive the dull spots, 

thinking they're over your head, but I suspect 

they're just Eih rambling rather than Eih in the 

midst of inspiration. Of course, those chosen few who 

"get it" would certainly say I'm wrong about this. 

[AM]

DAMON (CA) 

"Song Of A Gypsy" 1969 (Ankh 968) [textured gatefold, blank 

back] 

"Song Of A Gypsy" 1969 (Ankh 968) [single sleeve] 

"Song Of A Gypsy" 1993 (Fanny, Belgium) [single sleeve; 400#d] 

"Song Of A Gypsy" 1994 (CD no label) 

"Song Of A Gypsy" 1994 (CD Afterglow 13, UK) 

"Song Of A Gypsy" 1998 (CD Daily Bread) 

"Song Of A Gypsy" 2000 (3 Little Indians, Germany) [gatefold; 

bonus EP; insert] 

"Song Of A Gypsy" 2004 (Guerssen, Spain) [gatefold; bonus EP] 

DAMON (ND) 

One of the classics of the field, not without 

detractors but a great and special experience in my 

ears. Sometimes described as folk or folkpsych it is 

in fact tranced out gypsy Arabian acid fuzz crooner 

psych with deep mysterious vocals, an amazing 

soundscape and excellent songwriting. The tracks may 

at first seem too similar, and several plays are 

suggested before making your call. Unique, though 

Darius is a distant relative. The inner gatefold 

design was used for the single sleeve front and back. 

Of the reissues, most are vinyl-sourced bootlegs; the 

Daily Bread CD was done by Damon himself from taoes, 

and the Guerssen album is legit. He had several 45s 

including one great non-LP 45 track, and a 

surprisingly good comeback album in 1999 with sound 

and vibe close to 1969 LP, recommended to any Damon 

fan ("Gypsy Eyes", CD Daily Bread). [PL] 

~~~ 

Mystic eastern sound fuzz psych with prominent 

rhythms and haunting vocals. You can dance to the 

beast! Hipster crooning vocals in Darius territory 

put to mystical lyrics which, for the most part, are 

about sex. Surgical fuzz leads and trippy effects 

throughout. One of the few eastern trippers with a 

backbeat. Similar to the British monster, Sam Gopal. 

The single sleeve version is somewhat more common. 

The front and back cover match the insides of the 

gatefold design.[RM] 

~~~ 

Eastern/gypsy inspired psych with lots of finger 

cymbals, fuzz guitar and sincere crooner vocals. All 

the songs are in the same key though, and almost the 

same pace as well. Individually almost every song 

sounds like a winner, but it doesn't really work as 

an album for me as it quite frankly gets downright 

boring with the lack of variety. [MM] 

~~~ 

see -> Atlee, Highway Robbery 

~~~ 

see full-length review

"Feeling Alone" 197 (Witherspoon 30522) 

DANIEL (IN) 

This Damon was a DJ in North Dakota who was kind 

enough to record his deep thoughts for posterity in 

the early 70s. The record is a strange mix of hip 

spoken word and loner folk. The music is mostly 

acoustic and deeply personal with lost soul lyrics. A 

couple of tracks have fuzz guitar as well. [RM] 

"Phoenix" 1978 (no label) 

"Phoenix" 2002 (CD World In Sound, Germany) [+2 tracks] 

Obscure 1970s singles bar macho rock LP by pompous 

classically trained cellist who recorded this en 

route to Hollywood, where he proceeded to make 

softcore movies. Much of this borders on 

unlistenable, the soulful "Debra" and a nightmarish 

calypso track in particular. Interest in this is 

based on two extraordinary psychish tracks where all 

his confused ambitions unexpectedy fall into place - 

these must be heard. He's a good cello player, too 

bad he wanted to be a rock star. Recorded in AZ and 

NY. [PL] 

DANNY & LYNDA see First Revelation 

D'ARCY (Canada) 

"Back At The Beginning" 1972 (Polydor/Absolu 33001) 

Canadian obscurity in a nice color sleeve, poppy soft 

rock and CSN-type folkrock. 

DARIUS (Cleveland, OH / Los Angeles, CA) 

"Darius" 1968 (Chartmaker 1102) 

"Darius" 1986 (Breeder 565, Austria) 

"Darius" 199 (CD Flashback 009, UK) 

"Darius" 2000 (World In Sound 010, Germany) [500p; +3 tracks] 

"Darius" 2000 (CD World In Sound 1001, Germany) [+3 tracks] 

A desert island LP for some guys I know and a 

splendid time for just about everyone else, this 

emotional LA folkrock/psych/r'n'b blowout rips 

throughout with ten strong tracks. Heavy macho 

postures mix with transcendental folk-psych and you 

can tell by the sleeve photo this guy already was a 

star in his own head. Unfortunately few agreed back 

then. Uncredited backing by session pros also in 

label-mates Goldenrod. The unreleased material that 

appeared in 2002 ("Darius II", World In Sound 11) was 

more in a soul/nightclub direction, with a few good 

tracks. Some copies of the LP came with a bio insert. 

There was also a non-LP 45. [PL] 

~~~ 

Darius sounds something like Tommy James with a 

messiah complex. These are basically pop songs, but

they're great ones, and more importantly are chock 

full of drama and elaborate arrangements. He easily 

could have crossed the line to parody, but he holds 

it all together, and the results are powerful and 

compelling. A great one. [AM] 

DARK SHADOWS see Cold Sun 

DARKSTAR (Toronto, Canada) 

"Into The Heartland" 1978 (Ariel) 

This hardrock/AOR trio had a series of subsequent 

LPs, but this debut LP is the one collectors seek and 

reportedly has a less mainstream sound with some 

psych and prog moves. There is another unrelated 

Darkstar from Canada, who cut a selftitled AOR LP in 

the early 1980s. 

DAVID (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Another Day, Another Lifetime" 1968 (VMC v-124) [mono; also 

exists as mono promo] 

"Another Day, Another Lifetime" 1968 (VMC vs-124) [stereo] 

"Another Day, Another Lifetime" 1993 (CD Eva b-34, France) 

"Another Day, Another Lifetime" 1995 (CD Flashback, UK) 

"Another Day, Another Lifetime" 2001 (CD Jamie/Guyden) 

"Another Day, Another Lifetime" 2005 (VMC/Scorpio) 

DAVID (Canada) 

If you can handle some lavish L A easy listening type 

horn and string arrangements then this LP is well 

worth checking out. Uplifting flowerpsych sounds with 

great production value and strong songwriting that's 

often compared to Strawberry Alarmclock. They had 

some good 45s as well. [PL] 

~~~ 

Even with the horrible remix of the 2001 CD reissue 

(it was mixed by someone who'd never even heard the 

original LP), the brilliance of this album shines 

through. It's gotten plenty of praise elsewhere, all 

of which is deserved. To put it simply, these guys 

had not only a genuis ear for melody, but were able 

to perfectly match the right experiment to the right 

song. There are more ideas here than on ten other 

albums. Even all of the horns and strings work. 

Practially a how-to of American popsike. [AM] 

"David" 1969 (Sound Canada) 

"David" 2000 (CD Gear Fab 163) 

"David" 2000 (Gear Fab/Comet, Italy) 

Obscure Canadian late 60s top 40/psych LP with female 

vocals and a fairly professional sound. An even mix 

of UK & US influences, the worst part being a "Hey 

Jude" cover while a couple of Neighb'rhood 

Childr'n/Birmingham Sunday-style gems can be found on 

side 2. Listenable. [PL]

~~~ 

see -> Bridge 

MOSSY DAVIDSON (Alaska) 

"North Wind Calling" 1977 (Northwoods MD 101) [2 LPs] 

JEFF DAVIS (TX) 

Mellow rural femme hippie folk LP with Alaskan 

themes, samey in sound but highly rated by some genre 

fans. Acoustic guitar, flute, piano, steel guitar. 

"Dear Jeff" 1977 (Tap 0030) 

Mostly acoustic Christian folk on Houston label, 

originals all through, some use of female harmonies 

and environmental sounds. 

DAVY & THE BADMEN (Lawrenceville, NJ) 

"Wanted!" 1963 (Gothic wa-63054) 

Primitive instro rock covers leaning into garage r&b, 

one of the earliest eastcoast LPs in this direction, 

from prep kids at Lawrenceville School. 

~~~ 

see -> Toads 

TIM DAWE (San Diego, CA) 

"Penrod" 1969 (Straight STS-1058) [wlp exists] 

"Penrod" 2004 (CD Radioactive 0095, UK) 

I had a great time listening to this album, even 

though it's not necessarily an outstanding piece in 

my ears. It's a bit of a paradox, with a terrific, 

lively sound thanks in no small part to 

arranger/producer Jerry Yester, and no matter where 

it goes it grabs your attention. However, it does go 

in two or three directions too many, and while almost 

every track sounds either good or great on its own, 

there is a weakening at the centre which begs the 

question exactly what Tim Dawe (who is not the same 

person as Jerry Penrod) was trying to do. There are 

moves into goofy Kingston Trio folkpop, raga 

psychedelia (the great "Sometimes alone"), UKinfluenced 

artrock and, on more than one occasion, 

schlocky showbiz balladry with Neil Diamond 

overtones. This LP may have been intended as an 

eclectic, egocentric Tim Buckley type showpiece for 

Straight, but to me sounds more like Rex Holman on a 

$20.000 budget. Of course, Rex Holman is great and

DAWSON (KY) 

"Penrod" is undeniably entertaining, but I'd say that 

at least half its greatness lies in the excellent 

studio embellishments it was awarded, which holds 

together an album that threatens to dissipate into 

directionless zeitgeist. Special mention must be made 

of Chris Kebeck's brilliant guitar leads; possibly a 

more famous player under pseudonym. The LP was 

assigned a Warner Bros catalog # (WS 1841), but this 

appears never to have come out. Dawe released two 

obscure LPs in 1976 and 1978. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is a rarity: a singer/songwriter album that's 

"rock" and not "folk." Often Dawe strives for a dark, 

grungy feel, most successfully on the album's 

centerpiece "Junkie John". Elsewhere some clever 

organ and guitar arrangements give the songs solid 

rock strength. Side one is great straight through, in 

my opinion as good as any obscurity in the genre. 

Side two isn't bad, but not quite at the same level. 

Highly recommended, especially to fans of weird 

singer-songwriter characters (i.e. the Rex Holmans, 

Bill Jerpes and John Brahenys of the world.) [AM] 

"Can You Feel It" 1975 (Bridges) 

JOHN DAY (NC) 

Side one is mainstream 70s AOR-style rock at its 

best: great tunes, nicely constructed arrangements 

that build in intensity, solid harmonies, melodic 

lead guitar. The title track would have been a huge 

hit if on a major label. A bit of silly talkbox 

guitar goes by harmlessly at the end of the side, and 

there's a brief backwards bit on side two that 

confirms their willingness to experiment a bit. The 

lyrics on side two, though, cover every lame 70s 

cliche. Respectively: horny rocker, hardworking (and 

horny) roadie, hardworking rocker whose life was 

saved by rock and roll, and prog geek mythological 

fantasy. The music on this side is reasonably good, 

especially the Sweet-like chorus of the roadie song 

and most of the prog song, but overall it's nowhere 

near the level of side one. Still, half of a great 

album. Cool album cover with shiny metallic silver 

(similar to the gold on the Cambridge album cover, 

and like the Cambridge album this is extremely prone 

to ring wear). [AM] 

"John Day" 197 (no label 4123N12) 

Pastoral folkrock with full band including congas, 

mellotron, steel guitar, harmonica, housed in nice 

appropriate artwork. 

DAY BLINDNESS (San Francisco, CA) 

"Day Blindness" 1969 (Studio 10 101) [promo; plain cover; 

insert] 

-- promotional copies were issued in a plain white cover with

usiness card attached and an insert promoting the label's acts 

"Day Blindness" 1969 (Studio 10 101) 

"Day Blindness" 198 (Studio 10) [bootleg] 

"Day Blindness" 1997 (CD Flash, UK) 

"Day Blindness" 2005 (Studio 10/Scorpio) 

Unexciting teen psych-rock with an obvious Doors 

influence similar to those many 1969-70 Canadian LPs. 

Parts are so lame that it sounds almost like a Doors 

parody album, the deadpan sub-Lizard King vocals in 

particular. Lead guitarist has a nice garage fuzz 

sound but doesn't show much creativity, despite 

plenty of "jams" with equally cool-sounding and 

equally clueless Vox organ guy. "Heavy" lyrics about 

"squares" add entertainment / embarrassment factor. 

Songwriting doesn't account for much, and while they 

do achieve a nice cheese epic doom vibe on the last 

track, Ultimate Spinach did these dumb teen dope 

sounds much better. [PL] 

DAYBREAK (Pearl River, NY) 

"Daybreak" 1971 (RPC az-97731) [400p] 

Obscure LP with two raw basement psych winners, also 

a "Down By The River" cover, a Steppenwolf medley, 

and more. Haven't heard the whole LP, but those two 

originals seem to be the highpoints. 

DAYBREAK (Richmond Hill, NY) 

"A Celebration Of The Individual" 1974 (Dome 51374) [two 

posters; lyric insert] 

This high school project album is typically 

amateurish rock, folk, soul and even jazz, with the 

drummer and lead guitarist both being way 

overenthusiastic and the many lead singers (both male 

and female) ranging from terrible to adequate to 

charming. Give them credit for trying awfully hard. 

The gospel-styled chorus that backs the guy on 

“Proclamation 1” steals the show from him. 

“Loneliness” moves from stark folk into a pseudo 

jazz/flamenco guitar solo that must be heard to be 

believed. “Black Child Speaks To God” has a flute-sax 

duel that’s equally entertaining. There are so many 

styles here that if weren’t for the consistent 

sloppiness, out of tune guitars and piano, and absurd 

fast guitar runs, it would sound like a various 

artists’ album. Some of the lyrics are funny, but I 

can’t tell if it’s intentional or not. One of the 

singers sounds awfully old for a high school kid; I 

wonder if the music teacher is responsible for the 

terrible piano-and-voice ballad “I Strive To Make You 

Happy.” These high school records have a certain 

perverse charm, and since this is one of the very few 

not to have any cover versions, it’s probably a good 

one with which to satisfy your curiosity. [AM] 

D-DRIFTERS 5 (Canada)

"Sing And Play Beatles Songs" 1965 (V-Records 3025) 

Beatles songs plus a couple of other Invasion numbers 

sung in Ukranian by a Canadian band. Lord knows why. 

Label is the same that had Neil Young's legendary 45 

with the Squires. 

MICHAEL DEACON (Omaha, NE) 

"Runnin' In The Meadow" 1975 (Mustard Seed S80-1008) 

"When You Know It's Home" 1977 (Mustard Seed S80-1512) 

Folky singer/songwriter obscurities. 

HARRY DEAL & THE GALAXIES (Charlotte, NC) 

"I Feel Good All Over" 1966 (Lotus 6-7116) 

Mostly frat circuit soul rock, covers "My Girl", 

"Midnight Hour". Similar sound to Jack Bedient and 

the Chessmen but with a beach beat influence. Two 

cover variations exist, one red and one black. [RM] 

"United" 1968 (Eclipse) 

DEAN BROTHERS (NY) 

All originals this time straddling the frat and 

garage beat sounds. Harry Deal later ran his own 

studio, which recorded the May Street Tops among 

others. 

"As They Are" 1976 (Pilgrim DB1002) 

This is a private press, but has a professional sound 

and easily could be mistaken for a major label singer 

songwriter album. The obvious influence is Elton 

John, though there Are a few country-influenced songs 

that give away their rural roots. About half of the 

album is quite good, with some nice acoustic ballads 

and a terrific long song about wanting to live on 

Mars. Not a killer album by any means, but enjoyable 

for genre fans and a nice semi-rarity you can still 

pick up cheap. [AM] 

DEBRIS (Chickasha, OK) 

"Static Disposal" 1976 (Pig 0000) 

"Static Disposal" 1999 (CD Anopheles 004) [+10 tracks] 

"Static Disposal" 1999 (Anopheles 006) [1000p; +1 track] 

Freaky yet accessible mid-70s psych/avant-punk 

crossover album from a most unlikely spot on the map; 

talent, originality and good clean fun present

throughout. I'm not too hip on this era & style but 

enjoyed it just the same. The band has no relation to 

fellow Okies Cosmic Debris. [PL] 

~~~ 

Great '76 proto-punk private press, kinda similar to 

Cleveland scene of the same time. Basement trippy and 

freaky with obvious Beefhart and Stooges influences, 

it also includes a more unexpected Hawkwind vibe due 

to the quite massive use of electronic sound fx, 

echos, tape loops and such, to a great druggy effect. 

Not really your typical psych LP but definitely 

rewarding after a few spins, especially if you're 

into early Pere Ubu, Electric Eels and such. Maybe 

experimental, but never arty, this is a great LP. 

When you wake up in your living room at 04.00 in the 

morning, totally confused because someone obviously 

spiked your cough syrup with acid, this might be the 

perfect soundtrack. [MM] 

DECADENCE (Chicago, IL) 

"Savagery and Grace" 1980 (Daystar dslp-8001) [1000p; bonus 

45; booklet] 

Basement hard guitar progressive with female vocal. 

Only 500 of the 1000 copies came with the bonus 45 

and booklet. The band had a couple of 45s also, one 

under the earlier name Doublecross, and released a 

second LP "Je Ne Sais Quoi" in 1982. CD reissues 

supposedly exist, but we have no details. 

DECEMBER'S CHILDREN (Cleveland, OH) 

"December's Children" 1969 (Mainstream s-6128) [wlp exists] 

Another interesting Mainstream release. Like many of 

the albums on the label, this has both male and 

female vocals, and a mix of Airplane-light 

psychedelia and heavier bluesy rock. The guitar 

playing throughout is creative. The album starts 

slowly but improves as it goes along, closing with 

what are probably the two strongest songs. Nothing 

phenomenal, but worthy of investigation. [AM] 

THE DEEP (New York City, NY) 

"Psychedelic Moods" 1966 (Cameo Parkway p-7051) [mono] 

"Psychedelic Moods" 1966 (Cameo Parkway sp-7051) [stereo] 

"Psychedelic Moods" 1989 (Cicadelic) [remix] 

"Psychedelic Moods" 1993 (CD Collectables 0521) [remix] 

"Psychedelic Moods" 199 (Thorns, Europe) [remix] 

"Psychedelic Moods" 2004 (CD Radioactive 074, UK)

"Psychedelic Moods" 2004 (Radioactive 071, UK) 

Something of a psych head's dream, this LP dates from 

August 1966 when conceptual acid albums was still 

uncharted territory. Consequently Rusty Evans and his 

NYC ex-folkie pals managed to create an LP that 

sounds fresh and unique even 40 years on. The 12 

tracks are essentially a series of musical trip 

reports covering the whole emotional spectrum from 

chaos and euphoria to introspection and melancholy 

with an intense, challenging atmosphere. The three 

tracks that have been comp'd give you an idea of the 

LP's full lysergic madness. Due to the bad remix 

originals used to be mandatory for this one, but 

finally the original trip became available via the 

exact Radioactive bootleg. Stereo copies are 

preferrable in my opinion, although the mono is 

enjoyable too, with a garage edge. An original 

Canadian pressing with Quality labels exists. 

Collectables' "Psychedelic Moods" series (vol 2-5) 

has some session outtakes and an interview with 

Rusty; vol 2 is an excellent garage psych sampler 

featuring Hydro Pyro which was a Deep-related 

project. [PL] 

~~~ 

This groundbreaking album is widely misunderstood. It 

may have originally been intended as an exploitation 

record, but all these years later it sounds like the 

best NUGGETS-era garage album ever. Rusty Evans' 

songs are great, spanning snotty garage, melodic pop 

and thoughtful experimentation. Regardless of the 

reason, he sure was inspired when making this album, 

and while maybe the purposely awkward phrasing on 

"Psychedelic Moon" comes off as a gag, it's a 

fascinating one. Beyond that, it's hard to find any 

fault with killer songs like "Turned On," "Trip #76," 

"It's All A Part Of Me" and "On Off Off On." While 

the Shadows of Knight and Blues Magoos and everyone 

else were packing their albums with filler, here's a 

1966 record full of creative, diverse originals. This 

is the kind of great record that could only have 

happened before the genre had any established 

"rules." Evans' creativity shines bright. [AM] 

~~~ 

Killer LP from '66 ranging from punk psych, folk 

psych to true madness, it sounds like a missing link 

between the beatnik/prankster era and full on 

psychedelia. Just one year later this album would 

probably have been impossible to release on a major 

label - I don't think the A&R's at Cameo had a clue 

to what this was about at all! Titles like "Trip 

#76", "Turned On", "Color Dreams" and "Crystal Nite" 

should give a hint. It may look like an exploitation 

album, but it's much more than that. The songwriting 

is inspired and the recording/instrumentation is full 

of spontaniety and variation. It sounds like they had 

a blast recording this album. Lots of it actually 

sounds like it was recorded in early mornings, after 

nights of tripping, and it's full of all sortsa sound 

fx in the mix! The stereo mix is widely panned and 

reveals some mad soundscapes - one of the more 

successful examples of early stereo. The mono mix on 

the other hand has more punch in the bottom end, and 

sounds more "garagey" over all. Some songs are 

totally different in mono and stereo. [MM] 

~~~ 

see -> Freak Scene; "Fifth Pipe Dream"; Marcus

DEERFIELD (Houston, TX) 

"Nil Desperandum" 1971 (Flat Rock frs-1) [envelope; letter] 

"Nil Desperandum" 199 (Flat Rock) [bootleg] 

"Nil Desperandum" 2000 (CD Gear Fab 148) 

This is a solid LP. It's somewhere between acoustic 

west coast rock and late-period Beatles (esp George 

Harrison). The songwriting is strong and reasonably 

ambitious, including a well-realized Kak-like suite 

on part of side two. The album has a fresh, summery 

feel to it. Originals (pressed on thick vinyl, in 

thick covers) come with a clever insert, an envelope 

that has some of the song lyrics written into letter 

form. The bass player of this band was in 1960s 

Austin band Bryan's Blokes, whose members would 

occasionally fill in for absent 13th Floor Elevators 

members on live gigs. [AM] 

"Live" 199 (Flat Rock) [#d] 

1972 live recordings in Houston with four songs not 

on the LP. 

JAMIE DEFRATES (Jacksonville, FL) 

"Pegasus in Flight" 1976 (Sweet Appaloosa jd-123) [3000p] 

The first Defrates’ album is just guitar and voice, 

but quite accomplished singer-songwriter fare, with 

the opening “Illinois Central“ being the highlight. 

The tone is serious throughout and the songs are 

relatively long, so after a while fuller arrangements 

would have been welcome, but this is a solid album in 

the style. Just don’t expect “acid folk". Defrates’ 

acoustic guitar playing is excellent throughout. One 

song has a repeated lyric about “Fruit of the mother 

and semen spray” that paints a pretty vivid picture, 

for better or worse. Defrates has been active in the 

Florida music scene for many years and has won 

numerous awards for composition (he has done scores 

and soundtracks, in addition to his own career as a 

singer/songwriter. He also has a number of impressive 

credits as a producer. He has several further 

recordings that fall outside of the scope of this 

book, but will be of interest to fans of these two 

albums. [AM] 

"Son of Dust" 1978 (Sweet Appaloosa jd-333) [3000p; 

gatefold]

DEL-PHONICS ( ) 

The second Defrates’ album is a much more elaborate 

production, something that could be characterized as 

progressive folk. There are synthesizers, a solid 

rhythm section, flutes, and the guitars are laced 

with effects. The opening “Ride” is a stunner, with 

soaring falsetto vocals and a powerful arrangement. 

There are a couple of short instrumental interludes, 

and overall this has the feel of a loose concept 

album. As with the previous album, the lyrics are 

personal and evocative (and occasionally religious.) 

As the album moves along there are some songs with 

sparser arrangements, and while it continues at the 

same level of quality as the first album, it doesn’t 

again match the same level of musical passion and 

complexity of “Ride.” Nonetheless, this is quite 

worthwhile. [AM] 

"Del-Phonics" 196 (Edgewood Recordings Studio no #) [1sided] 

DEMIAN (TX/CA) 

Recently discovered circa 1966 one-sided demo LP from 

Edgewood Studios in Washington DC, featuring an 

unknown teenbeat/garage band with organ. Five tracks 

including an excellent Zombies-style original and an 

inspired frat/medley called "Farmer Louie". Cover is 

plain except for the band name. 

"Demian" 1971 (ABC 718) [gatefold; wlp exists] 

-- a Japanese pressing exists with a different cover 

"Demian" 199 (CD TRC, Germany) 

This album ranks up there with Jericho; it's a wholly 

successful transformation from psychedelia to hard 

rock. The obvious hard rock tendencies they showed as 

Bubble Puppy are tightened and sharpened, and the 

group harmony vocals are dropped. There's an 

unnecessary remake of a Bubble Puppy song, but 

there's not much else to quibble about. There are 

enough tempo and rhythm variations to keep the 

formula from getting dull. [AM] 

DEMIAN (East Moline, IL) 

"Rock Star Farm" 1974 (Starburst arc-33-01) [insert] 

DENNIS THE FOX (WA) 

A non-Texas group that recorded their LP in Austin, 

also into heavy guitar rock. [RM] 

"Mother Trucker" 1975 (Musart 801) 

Priceless loungerock extravaganza like if Jade Stone 

& Luv had John Ylvisaker on vocals. Lengthy review is

DESERT ESKIMO ( ) 

being prepared. 

"Desert Eskimo" 1982 (North Star) 

California label. Aggressive 70s sound power trio, 

good LP. 

BOB DESPER (Portland, OR) 

"New Sounds" 1974 (Rose City Sound) 

The Pacific Northwest is a dark, dank place, with a 

suicide rate higher than Keith Richards on a four day 

binge. Even their most articulate native son, Kurt 

Cobain, drowned in the sea of despair and offed 

himself. And what's the cause of this environmental 

depression??? It may be the constant grey skies and 

rain, it may be the extremely high runaway and 

homeless rate or it just may very well be the music 

of Bob Desper. Bob recorded his "New Sounds" LP in 

one take at the local Rose City Sound studios. Just 

him, his acoustic guitar and an amazing insight to 

the dark side of the human psyche. So dark in fact, 

that only a blind man can see it. Bob is that man, 

and on this LP he taps into a place that very few 

people have visited. His voice is quiet with an edge 

sharper than a Ginzu knife. His lyrics reflect a 

lonely man who recognizes the shortcomings of human 

kind. This LP gives me goosebumps each and every time 

I play it. Side one starts off with "Darkness Is Like 

A Shadow". A spooky, echoey tune where Bob introduces 

a topic that becomes a re-occurring theme throughout 

the entire LP, the fact that people with eyesight are 

blind to the things that are truly important in life. 

"It's Too Late" and "Lonely Man" follow and continue 

the introspective soul search, all accompanied by 

Bob's extraordinary guitar playing. The fourth and 

last cut on side one is "To A Friend Of Mine". This 

is where I usually start thinking about going into 

the bathroom and slitting my wrist with a razor blade 

just to prove to Bob that I could begin to understand 

what true suffering is. This 15+ minute journey is, 

in my opinion, the most flawless chunk of 

downer/loner folk music ever recorded. Side two is 

good, but pales in comparison to it's flip side. 

Songs are "Let It Shine For You", "Don't You Cry For 

Me", "Liberty" and "Time Is Almost Over". [RH] 

DETROIT (Detroit, MI) 

"Detroit" 1979 (no label) 

This youthful hard rock album isn't great but has its

charms. Among them are high energy songs (all but the 

ballads are fast), amusing use of talkbox and 

electronics, and spastic bass and lead guitar 

playing. Certainly there's more enthusiasm than 

talent here, but it's fun nonetheless. The snotty 

vocals are clearly inspired by another Motown hard 

rocker, Alice Cooper, but lack his sense of theater 

and irony. Eventually they become annoying, 

especially on the otherwise enjoyable ballads. Side 

one has five medium length songs, side two three long 

songs, including the two ballads, which respectively 

have nice reverbed lead guitar and crazy dual leads. 

Often this album is reported as having a lot of 

synthesizer, but actually it's only a small amount on 

two songs. [AM] 

EDDY DETROIT (Phoenix, AZ) 

"Immortal God's" 1982 (Pan) 

"Immortal God's" 2005 (CD Majora) 

Real-people two-chord voodoo folk craziness of some 

notoriety, with nasal vocals, percussion, fiddle and 

more. The songs deal with Vampires, Beelzebub, the 

god Pazuzo, and Mephisto Cigars. The cover shows a 

horseback Eddy holding his own head in his hand. He 

released more albums during the 1980s, such as 

"Philosopher's Journey" (1987). 

DEVIL'S ANVIL (New York City, NY) 

"Hard Rock From The Middle East" 1967 (Columbia cl-2664) 

[mono] 

"Hard Rock From The Middle East" 1967 (Columbia cl-9464) 

[stereo] 

"Hard Rock From The Middle East" 199 (Fantazia, Europe) 

"Hard Rock From The Middle East / Psychedelic Psoul" 199 (CD 

Collectables) [2-on-1] 

Early Middle-Eastern trip from Columbia's NYC office 

(just like Freak Scene, from around the same time). 

This mixes reasonably authentic ethnic sounds with 

"rock" moves, and is less exploitative and more 

genuine than one might expect. A couple of mid-tempo 

Arabian excursions get truly trancey, while the 

ballads suffer from over-length and foreign language 

vocals. The mix of prominent bass and piercing string 

instruments is familiar from the Freak Scene album, 

and like that LP this is a partly successful 

exploration that should have been given more thought 

and time. Worth checking out, though clearly inferior 

to John Berberian on Verve. [PL] 


DIALOGUE (Philadelphia, PA) 

"Dialogue" 1972 (no label dm-68425) [orange cover; lyric 

insert] 

"Dialogue" 1974 (Cold Studio) [white cover; lyric insert; no

address on back cover] 

"Dialogue" 1974 (Cold Studio) [white cover; lyric insert; 

address on back cover] 

DICK WATSON 5 (NJ) 

Obscure, pretty impressive local studio-pop LP in the 

early 1970s post-Beatles style; songwriting as good 

as any major act, solid vocal harmonies, charming 

California Sunshine pop arrangements with extensive 

use of keyboards. One really bad track, rest of the 

LP is enjoyable to anyone with an ear for a clever 

McCartney/Boettcher/Emitt Rhodes excursion; 

comparisons to Left Banke have also been made. 

Although the original "no label" pressing is 

supposedly rarer, most copies sold seem to be that 

version. Recorded in Alabama. There was also a non-LP 

45. [PL] 

~~~ 

Peculiar 1970s pop album that is a product of its 

time but really doesn’t sound like anything else. In 

other hands these songs would have a quasi-McCartney 

feel but there’s a dreamy, dark aura that would never 

have made it on 70s radio. Takes a while to sink in; 

the songs are thoughtful and moody but not especially 

catchy. Wall of sound may have more to do with low 

budget production than intent. One goofy song with 

fake children’s vocals spoils the mood, but this is 

an interesting record nevertheless. [AM] 

"Baker Street" 1966 (United Int'l 1001) 

Haven't heard the entire LP which is very rare, 

however a pretty interesting folk-garage track has 

appeared on a comp where the group was mistakenly 

placed in Kentucky. They also had a 45 and were 

supposedly regulars at a local Jersey TV show. The LP 

is based on a Sherlock Holmes theme. The LP title has 

also been listed as "The World Of Dick Watson". After 

seeing the Fugs play live in NYC, two members left 

this band and started ESP legends the Godz. [PL] 

LES DIFFERENTS (Chambly, Canada)

"Differents" 1967 (Disque Monde 65001) 

"Soyons Differents" 2005 (CD Disques Mérite 22.962) 

The seldom seen Les Differents LP is usually rated as 

one of the best French-Canadian 60s LPs, and it's 

easy to see why. The band shows a Stones-inspired 

"punk" edge on most tracks, with several uptempo 

garage/r'n'b originals using fuzz riffs and a snotty 

attitude. The opening 3-chord snot-fest of "Je ne 

veux plus" sets the tone perfectly. The mid-tempo 

tracks work well too, although the language barrier 

may be more noticable for non-French speakers here, 

at least on the 6-minute "Je partirai". Good, soulful 

vocals and effective, minimalist guitar band 

arrangements give the music a timeless quality which 

impresses. The super-cool sleeve provides the final 

clue -- these guys were the Chocolate Watchband of 

Quebec. The CD reissue contains the whole LP with the 

running order changed. [PL] 

DIMENSIONS (Chicago, IL) 

"From All Dimensions" 1966 (no label 1666) 

"From All Dimensions" 1983 (Eva 12018, France) [altered cover] 

"From All Dimensions" 1999 (CD Collectables) 

Celebrated Chicago frat-garage LP that's also one of 

the real rarities of the local mid-1960s LP scene. 

For those who find the North-East preprock LPs too 

lowkey this is the remedy - a solid party mood 

similar to the Raider's best albums with some Stones 

thrown in. The tape splice in "Mary Lou" derives from 

the original LP, apparently. A solid dose of mid-60s 

fun, all covers naturally. [PL] 

DIMITROFF, BURGESS & FRIENDS (Canada) 

"Dimitroff, Burgess & Friends" 1970 (no label) 

Basement covers and a freakout track. 

V.A "DIRECT FROM THE RAINBOW BALLROOM" (Edmonton, Canada)

"Direct From The Rainbow Ballroom" 196 (Pace Records RS-101) 

DIRT ROAD (AZ) 

Obscure teenbeat LP featuring local Edmonton groups 

circa 1967, produced by one Ray Schwartz. Bands 

include the Lords, It's Us Inc, Southbound Freeway. 

"A Sunny Days Dream" 1977 (Compassion Records) 

Local obscurity on Phoenix label, described as good 

70s psych-rock with only one weak track. 

V.A "DIRTY FEET" (CA) 

"Dirty Feet" 1965 (Fink 1007) [booklet] 

Soundtrack to an underground surf film. The music is 

primarily folk, however, with singers Tim Morgon, 

Vicki Arthur, and some eastern style instro 

wanderings as well. Phil Pearlman of Beat Of The 

Earth was involved with the crew behind this, but 

does not appear on the actual LP, which was released 

on the same label as his first 45. 

DIRTY JOHN'S HOT DOG STAND (MA) 

"Return From The Dead" 1970 (Flying Dutchman/Amsterdam AMS 

12004) [gatefold] 

DISCIPLE ( ) 

Heavy fuzz rock, some horns. "Growing old" is the 

psychiest track. Due to a pressing flaw many copies 

are virtually unplayable on side 2. Ex-Ill Wind.

"Come and See Us As We Are!" 1971 (Avco Embassy ave-33015) 

DIXIE DREGS (GA) 

Fun co-ed rock band who for once don’t sound west 

coast at all. The cover versions on the album are the 

first clue that they’re more into the Beatles and 

Motown than the Airplane, and the power-pop styled 

shouts of “hey” and punky guitar riffs confirm that 

these are not necessarily hippies. The dreamy, catchy 

title song shows up in a few incarnations (once 

backwards) and frames the album nicely. A few duds 

are scattered about, and the soul cover doesn’t work 

really well, but an upbeat energetic take on “Got To 

Get You Into My Life” will grow on you and two or 

three of their own tunes will stick in your head for 

days. An underrated album, probably ignored by 

collectors because of the lame drawing on the album 

cover and the lack of freak appeal. [AM] 

"The Great Spectacular Dixie Dregs" 1975 (no label) [500p] 

This one is more of a wild, garagy raveup than their 

later, more commercial releases. 

DIXIE PEACH (Dayton, OH) 

"Dixie Peach" 1975 (Raintree SP-827) 

Allman Brothers influenced rockers with searing dual 

leads. Despite the name the band came from Ohio and 

had roots in 1960s garage band the Pictorian 

Skiffuls. 

V.A "D M A FANTASTIC FIVE" (Detroit, MI) 

"D M A Fantastic Five" 1976 (DMA) 

Booking sampler of five heavy rock groups, including 

Badge. [RM] 

MICHAEL DOBBINS (ID) 

"Music For The Seeker" 197 (no label) 

Amazingly pompous acoustic folk with overblown 

Ceasar's Palace-style vocals. The guy presents his 

Eastern (Eckankar) philosohopy in the most

uncompromising manner, with several references to the 

"Sugmad" whatever that is. Not really a "seeker" 

hippie LP, more like Charlton Heston narrating the 

Rig-Veda. I like this, though it's certainly not for 

everyone. Custom press in generic sleeve. [PL] 

~~~ 

Lost monotonic religous seeker folk with sincere 

crooning in Dino Valenti / Arcesia territory. 

Unfortunately, the music is uniformly boring aside 

from the mystic trip "Two Keys". [RM] 

DOC ROCKIT (Spokane, WA) 

"Doc Rockit" 1979 (P.S. ps-0002) [750p; two covers exist] 

Raging hardrock with superb metallic guitar. The band 

had another LP in the late 1980s, titled "Azugi" 

which is more mainstream hardrock. 450 copies had the 

silver cover, while 300 copies had the white cover. 

DOCTOR FEELGOOD (MA) 

"Something to Take up Time" 1971 (Number One) 

"Something to Take up Time" 2005 (CD Synton, Austria) 

DOHTERS (NY) 

Jazzy rock. Heavy saxophone, guitar, flute. No 

relation to Piano Red's group. Three members came 

from Teddy & the Pandas. [RM] 

"Dohters" 197 (no label MSTRS-1) [no cover] 

Female choral group from upstate New York female prep 

school. “Sing around the campfire” real people 

quality duets of Byrds, Cat Stevens, Neil Young and 

more. They are accompanied by either piano or 

acoustic guitar. The highlight is their haunting 

cover of "Wooden Ships" with a very spooky organ. 

This would fit well on a future Hippie Goddesses 

compilation (and will). I would call this the most 

garage sounding female high school/college folk group 

LP I’ve heard. Two known copies; neither with a 

cover. [MA] 

"Dohters '70" 1970 (RPC AZ 60871) [no cover] 1] 

This one features more contemporary covers ("Coming 

Into L.A", "Morning Dew", "Helplessly Hoping", "White 

Bird"). Straighter choral versions with acoustic 

guitar accompaniment. Still charming, but lacks the 

real people edge of the other LP. Again no cover. 

This only known copy came in a blank textured gold 

cover with “Dohters ‘70" hand written on it; not sure 

if this was done by whoever did the pressing or the 

owner of the copy (there is a girl’s name in the 

upper corner - could be one of the group - the 

lettering is much different than on the title). [MA]

DO IT NOW FOUNDATION (Los Angeles, CA / Tempe, AZ) 

"First Vibration" 1969 (Do It Now) 

Amphetamine-themed antidrug LP with songs donated to 

the organization. Includes "The Dancer" by Things To 

Come, the non-LP "Long Road" by (the LA) Genesis, and 

famous bands up to and including the Beatles. This is 

all music, no spoken word. Two cover variations 

exist; one with a big "Speed Kills" logo. The 

organization went on to release more LPs, tons of 

pamphlets, and is still around today. 

"Do It Now - A Realistic Drug Education Album" 1972 (Do It 

Now) [2 LPs; blank gatefold w/ sticker; insert] 

Educational production in radio show format partly 

based on the mass market release above, including 

several of the same songs such as the excellent non- 

LP Genesis track. The commentary is pretty cool too. 

It's not one of those fire & brimstone anti-drug 

records, but rather an attempt to relate on a cool 

level to their intended school-age audience. The 

insert contains all the vital info. There is also a 

single LP mass market release called "Do It Now" from 

the same era featuring again some of the same songs, 

plus Neil Diamond and others. This should not be 

confused with the rare 2LP set. [MA] 

JEREMEY DORMOUSE see Jeremy Dormouse (under "J") 

DOUG & DONNA ( ) 

"Abide In Me" 197 (DD-1001) 

DOUGLAS FIR ( ) 

Mid-1970s Christian folk obscurity. 

"Hard Heartsingin'" 1970 (Quad qus-5002) [wlp exists] 

"Hard Heartsingin'" 2000 (CD Gear Fab 149) 

"Hard Heartsingin'" 2000 (Akarma, Italy) 

Recorded in Portland, Oregon. Mystic folkrock and 

bluesy, roots sounds. A bit Doorsy at times with the 

moody vocal and organ backing. 

"DOWN A DIFFERENT ROAD" (Long Beach, CA) 

"Down A Different Road" 197 (Living Sound) 

Early 1970s project LP with one side choral work from 

the Long Beach State A Capella Choir, the other 

freaky vocal and electronic experiments with an eerie

vibe. Rated as one of the more worthwhile school 

project LPs by some. 

DOWN FROM NOTHING (Chicago, IL) 

"Down From Nothing" 1971 (no label 23309-01) 

DRAGONFLY (CO/CA) 

Jazzy prog/psych with sax. 

~~~ 

see -> Pound 

"Dragonfly" 1970 (Megaphone 1202) [gatefold] 

-- a gold title sticker was attached to the shrink wrap 

"Dragonfly" 1992 (CD Eva b-27, France) 

"Dragonfly" 2004 (CD Gear Fab 208) 

Well-loved heavy psych album is worthy of the hype, 

for the most part. No one song stands out and blows 

you away, but it’s solid throughout, and the 

occasional trippy effect adds to the fun. It includes 

a Who ripoff even more obvious than that on the 

Morgen album, but stealing from the classics is what 

hard rock is all about, right? [AM] 

~~~ 

"Dragonfly" offered up an excellent set of fuzz 

guitar-propelled psych/hard rock. Strong melodies and 

searing vocals made original material such as 'Blue 

Monday', 'Enjoy Yourself' and 'I Feel It' well worth 

hearing. Personal favorites were the fuzz and 

backward guitar drenched 'Crazy Woman' and the 

extended closing number 'Miles Away'. The set wasn't 

perfect; several numbers on the flip side found the 

band occasionally incorporating C&W elements into the 

mix, but overall the collection was nothing short 

than great. [SB] 

DRAGONWYCK (Cleveland, OH) 

"Dragonwyck" (1st LP) 1970 (Pama no #) [85p: no cover] 

"Dragonwyck" (1st LP) 1990 (Rockadelic 4) [400 #d; sides 

reversed] 

"Dragonwyck" (1st LP) 1996 (CD Rockadelic) 

"Dragonwyck" 2004 (World In Sound RFR 023, Germany) [+10" w/ 5 

tracks; poster] 

"Dragonwyck" 2004 (CD World In Sound 023, Germany) [+5 tracks] 

Demo only LP of intense Doorsy hard psych/rock that's 

become somewhat legendary over the years. The LP 

retains some of the appealing cheesiness of the 

style, yet is charged with enough presence and fire 

to transform itself into a winner before your eyes, 

with recurring feedback leads its strongest asset. 

One of the best of all the countless "Morrison Hotel" 

excursions around. The wide appeal and small press 

has made it one of Rockadelic's more famous releases, 

although their CD version has poor sound and is not 

recommended. The tape-sourced WIS reissue reinstates 

the original running order and adds 5 tracks from a

1968 studio session which yielded the band's pre-LP 

45 (released as by Sunrise), but the 1970 material 

seems to lose a bit of the trebly garage intensity of 

the Rockadelic LP. The band was also known as Speed, 

Flying Turns and Fun at various stages in their 

career. There was another 45, "The music" on the 

Peckar label, and a later one "Lovin' The Boys" as 

part of the "Fun" project. [PL] 

"Dragonwyck" (2nd LP) 1973 (Cleveland Recording Company no #) 

[acetate] 

"Dragonwyck" (2nd LP) 1995 (Fantasia, Europe) 

"Chapter II" 2006 (CD World In Sound, Germany) 

"Chapter II" 2006 (World In Sound, Germany) [+ 7"] 

Pretentious proggy album that works surprisingly 

well. Professional recording job and relatively 

mainstream arrangements makes it sound like they 

could have easily gotten a major label contract. 

Grows on you and has plenty of cool moog action. 

Their songwriting and performance instincts are good. 

Albums like this usually have lots of highs and lots 

of lows; there are very few dull spots here. [AM] 

"Fun" 1976 (acetate) 

Contrary to popular belief, the band name was still 

Dragonwyck at the time of this acetate, while "Fun" 

was the project name and album working title. The 

band did adopt the name Fun later on. After the 

impressive prog-rock of their 2nd album, this shows 

the band retaining some of the prog aspects while 

bringing in AOR and glam elements, as well as a 

humorous Zappa-inspired twist, which undermines the 

impact of the music. The end result is confused and 

confusing, and it seems this ambitious band were 

unsure of their direction at this point. The 

recording quality is clearly inferior to the prolevel 

sound of the 1973 acetate. Even at this late 

stage, the late 60s "Music" track was still part of 

their repertoire. The band eventually became 

Moonlight Drive, a Doors cover band with at least one 

release. The "Fun" acetate copy I've heard had some 

skips. [PL] 

STEVE DRAKE BAND (Long Island, NY) 

"Cold Sweat" 1976 (Odyssey) 

"Nature Intended" 1976 (Tiger Lily tl-14054) 

Unbelievable "karaoke rock" with Long Island wizard 

dubbing his own vocals onto existing, official 

recordings by various obscure and famous 

rock/hardrock bands, mostly from UK import albums. 

The story behind this is unbelievable, and since 

"Drake" had good taste when selecting his karaoke 

targets, the records are quite enjoyable too. "Cold 

Sweat" has the excellent "Earthworm" (Stackridge) as 

well as Bebop Deluxe and Orpheus numbers, to name a 

few. Apart from the "karaoke" concept, several tracks 

have been fiddled with in terms of speed, edits, 

fadeouts, etc. The Tiger Lily album has some Babe

DRAMA (Canada) 

Ruth tracks along with more Bebop Deluxe, and it 

appears that Drake (or whoever put it out) here 

didn't even bother to dub on new vocals, but simply 

taped the tracks from the original sources. Pretty 

enjoyable collections of 1970s rock even without the 

bizarre background, but bear in mind what you're 

listening to before getting too impressed with 

Drake's "talent". 

~~~ 

see -> Steve Kaczorowski 

"Loneliness" 1979 (Psycho) 

DREAM (MI) 

This synth record straddles the line between 70s 

Kraftwerk-styled experimentation and 80s new wave 

synth pop. Side two is entirely instrumental. Both 

sides are pretty good, with some compelling moods and 

catchy riffs. Mysterious album cover gives no 

information of any consequence at all. Ex-VIIth 

Temple. [AM] 

"Living in a Dream" 1979 (Dreamusic Ltd. 5354) [lyrics insert; 

300p] 

DREAMIES (DE) 

Light mystic proggy folk floater. Delicate 12-string, 

piano, flute, baroque shadings. 

"Auralgraphic Entertainment" 1974 (Stone Theatre 68481) 

[insert] 

"Auralgraphic Entertainment" 199 (Stone Theatre, Europe) 

[bootleg; blue vinyl] 

"Auralgraphic Entertainment" 2000 (Gear Fab gf-206) 

"Auralgraphic Entertainment" 2000 (CD Gear Fab gf-146) 

Headphone tripout concept LP with two extended 

Lennonesque folk tracks upon which has been imposed 

all kinds of electronics, tape loops of old radio 

broadcasts (JFK, Ali, and more), moogs and stereo 

effects. Elaborate sorta stoned college artefact, 

interesting for its freak value and pretty clever; 

could be seen as an analog precursor to the ambient 

artists of the 1990s. [PL] 

~~~ 

This experiment was intended to redefine people's 

notions of "pop music." Bill Holt, just past the age

of 30, quit his job and devoted an entire year of his 

life to this ambitious musical collage, which at more 

than 50 minutes is alternately fascinating and 

tedious. There's no question that even the most 

random-sounding bits and pieces here were planned 

very carefully and put together painstakingly. There 

are only three real "songs," which are surrounded by 

and interrupted by spoken news clips and sound 

effects. The lack of drums dulls the impact of these 

songs, which are otherwise excellent Beatles-inspired 

soft-rock. Headphones help; this is not background 

music and for full effect each album side needs to be 

listened to without interruption. The long series of 

Moog bleeps and blips on side two can be really 

hypnotic if you're in the right frame of mind. Like 

Kraftwerk, Holt had an understanding of how 

repetition can be used to alter your concept of what 

music is. Fans of the Church of the Subgenius should 

love it. This is one of those albums that you won't 

listen to often but will really experience in a new 

way every time you do. Its success is arguable, but 

its uniqueness is unquestionable. [AM] 

JOHN DRENDALL, B A THROWER & FRIENDS (MI) 

"Papa Never Let Me Sing The Blues" 1972 (Deacon no #) [500p] 

DRNWYN (Salem, OH) 

This is an extremely accomplished private press 

album. They play acoustic and electric blues-rock, 

psych/funk jams, snappy acoustic folk, honky-tonk, 

and moody near space-rock, all with great success. 

The guitar playing is excellent, the vocals worldweary 

and evocative, and the arrangements clever 

(listen to the way the organ swoops in and out of 

“Old Man Gibbs,” for instance). A solid album, very 

worthy of reissue. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Thrower Spillane McFarland 

"Gypsies In The Mist" 1978 (Wilderland 31778) [insert; 800p] 

Ambitious but rather disappointing hippie folkrock 

LP, has an appealing garage sound like Gandalf The 

Grey, but vocals suck in the bad 1970s street 

troubador melodrama style, and the basic vibe is that 

of overreaching without the necessary real people 

charm. Some neat arrangements and guitar leads, 

fairly consistent but unlikely to be anyone's 

favorite LP. Sounds more NYC/Village than Ohio. [PL] 

D R S & FRIENDS (WI)

"From Me to You" 1977 (Safari sa-77001) 

Eastern sounds hippie folk with sitar, tabla, 

dounbek, woodwinds. Long flowing tracks. D.R.S. was 

led by Dennis R. Schultz. 

"DRUGS: INSIGHTS & ILLUSIONS" ( ) 

"Drugs: Insights & Illusions" 1971 (Scholastic Records FS 

12010) 

One of the more entertaining spoken word drug 

education LPs, with several hilarious segments such 

as "Reaching Out To A Glue Sniffer". Heads, doctors 

and judges speak out on the terrible drug menace 

sweeping across the nation. A corresponding book 

exists. 

DRUIDS OF STONEHENDGE (NY/LA) 

"Creation" 1968 (UNI 3004) [mono] 

"Creation" 1968 (UNI 73004) [stereo] [promo labels exist] 

"Creation" 199 (UNI) [bootleg] 

"Creation" 199 (CD Synton, Europe) 

DRYEWATER (CA) 

The originals on this album are terrific, mixing 

garage-punk, folk-rock and some raga rock with punky 

Jagger-influenced vocals in a powerful Ugly 

Ducklings, Shadows Of Knight, Chocolate Watchband, 

etc, fashion. “Earthless” is an especially effective 

blend of the above-mentioned styles. Unfortunately 

the album contains four familiar cover versions that, 

while they allow the singer to really belt it out, 

interrupt the flow of the album. Even so, this is one 

of the best albums in the late garage style, and 

highly recommended to fans of the bands mentioned 

above, and also bands like the Jellybean Bandits and 

Lollipop Shoppe. Also released in Canada, both mono 

and stereo. [AM] 

"Southpaw" 1974 (JTB 122) [1000p] 

"Southpaw" 1974 (JTB 122) [no cover] 

"Southpaw" 1996 (Void 04) [lyrics insert; photo; 350#d] 

There are many evocations of cold, bleak landscapes 

in this 1974 rural rock LP that is a cut above the 

rest and reveals something new with every listen. The 

playing is frantic and wonderfully emotive, in parts 

it is utterly brilliant. The band mash together drums

DRY ICE (MA) 

and guitars in a dense soundscape with alternately 

delicate and strident vocals flowing over the 

surface. ‘Winterground’ starts a strong downer theme 

that runs through the whole LP. They sound like 

Hickory Wind grown up, grown wiser, after having 

taken some hard knocks. They have transformed a back 

porch sound into something much bleaker and darker. 

The first side is full of powerful hard rock riffs 

with subtle country influences. The second is slower 

and more reflective. They have a unique sound that I 

would guess is borne out of rural small town 

ambitions to ‘make it big’. It’s a formula for 

success because they avoid the clichés of ‘normal’ 

rock and tell us something about their own lives 

worth hearing. [RI] 

~~~ 

Appealing local hardrock in the melodic style, mixing 

CA roots/rural influences a la Zini with a tight 

British mainstream hardrock sound like Fuzzy Duck and 

vintage Deep Purple. Very skillful band with fluent 

fuzz and good use of keyboard, but Dryewater's 

strongest asset lie in the vocals which are way above 

average, full of soulful teenage smalltown dreams not 

unlike similar LPs like Felt and Top Drawer in 

particular. Good songwriting with hooks and riffs; 

borders on UK prog bombast at a few turns but comes 

out unscathed. Recommended to pretty much anyone into 

local early 70s rock sounds. Fewer covers than 

records were pressed, and many copies were destroyed 

by the band when they failed to sell out. [PL] 

~~~ 

"Southpaw" is a highly professional sounding hard 

rock album: tight rhythm section, solid heavy guitar 

playing, excellent backing vocals, strong lead 

vocals. There are echoes of well-known bands, 

including Cream and Led Zeppelin, but the pieces come 

together in a way that makes it more than just a 

genre piece. The songwriting is varied and clever. 

The trebly guitar patterns, poppy choruses, brief 

song lengths and speedy tempos show that they’re not 

beholden to any idea of what hard rock should or 

shouldn’t be. Keyboards are used sparingly, but to 

nice effect, and there’s a refreshing limit to the 

soloing here. Satisfying throughout, with the 

possible exception of “Thunder,” which has 

pretentious vocals, and constant and annoying phased 

lead guitar runs. Like great albums should, it ends 

with its most powerful song. A great one. [AM] 

"Mary’s Meth Dream" 2005 (American Sound) [300p] 

This archival release collects everything this lost 

Boston-area band ever did. There wasn’t really enough 

to fill a whole LP, so there are three versions of 

one song, two versions of two others, and a few 

uninteresting cover versions. Scrap the filler, 

though, and this would make a very nice side of an 

LP. The overall sound is very British, akin to some 

of the better popsike bands of the era. Fans of 

Kaliedoscope, July, etc... should like this quite a 

bit. Lots of sound effects, wah wah, fuzz, spacy 

vocals, and phasing here. The thrice-included “Mary 

Is Alone” is a real killer, and the other originals 

aren’t too far behind. Some of the best tracks

DRYWATER ( ) 

appeared earlier on the New England Teen Scene 

Unreleased CD from Arf Arf. [AM] 

"Backbone of the Nation" 1973 (R.P.C.) [lyric sheet] 

Primitive crude inept garage rock with a solid 70s 

sound. Highlights are "Airplane Rider" and the title 

track. Though not everyone rates this highly, it is 

exactly the sound a lot of private press fans crave, 

and is a personal favorite. Somewhat reminiscient of 

the excellent JC & The B's LP. [Mike Krafcik] 

DU-CATS (Port-Aux-Basques, Canada) 

DUCK (NY) 

"Du-Cats" 1965 (RCA pc-1018) [mono] 

Teenbeat with instros and several Stones covers from 

band looking square in crewcuts and plaid jackets. 

"Duck #1" 1968 (no label) [500p] 

THE DUO ( ) 

Three tracks, two are spoken word beatnik poetry with 

jazzy background music, one is a good blues jam. One 

of those "Why does this exist? What were they 

thinking?" specimens. Credited to "Jerry & Mike". 

[RM] 

"The Duo" 1967 (Saxon) [10-inch] 

Primitive electric folk rock guitar and organ, mixed 

vocals. They are actually a trio! 

RICHIE DUVALL & DOG TRUCK (CA) 

"Richie Duvall and Dog Truck" 197 (United Sound usr-5825) 

DYNAMICS ( ) 

Early 1970s (?) hippie jazz and rock underground 

oddness. 

"Dynamics" 1966 (Quintet 2004) 

Obscure beat/blue-eyed soul on North Carolina label.


EARLYWINE (CA) 

"The Long Journey Home" 1977 (Award) 

Rural rock guitar jams. 

EARTHEN VESSEL (Lansing, MI) 

"Hard Rock" 1972 (NRS 2587-slp) 

-- the label lists the title as 'Life Everlasting' 

"Hard Rock" 1999 (CD Gear Fab 127) 

"Hard Rock" 1999 (Akarma 098, Italy) [insert] 

It’s hard to figure why this album is so sought after 

by collectors. It’s inept Christian rock with 

unappealing, soulless vocals and a rhythm section 

that can’t keep time. The only thing it has going for 

it is the over the top lead guitar, which is really, 

really heavy. Maybe guitar fans can tune out 

everything else and focus on the fuzz, because I 

can’t imagine any other way to enjoy this mess. A 45 

with a pic sleeve also exists featuring two cuts from 

the album. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> U.S. Apple Corps 

EARTHEN VESSEL (Lafayette, CA) 

"'72 Tour LP" 1972 (Century 40970) 

"Earthen Vessel" 1973 (Century 41978) 

EARTH FREE (NY) 

X-ian hippie folk with mixed vocals. Back cover of 

the debut LP has photos of them in monks robes. No 

relation to the "Hard Rock" group. 

"Conjerti, Morreale & Dibley" 1972 (Sundance no #) 

Recently discovered Christian hippie 1970s folkrock 

LP with a nice, loose vibe. Sound is typical for the

EARTHRISE (NJ) 

style, rooted in a melodic CSNY sensibility, 

recalling Stills' melancholic moves in particular. I 

also catch an Eastcoasty "Big Pink" vibe here and 

there. Opening track is deceptively soft and poppy, 

after which the LP gradually increases its depth, 

ending up with some truly great numbers that rate 

alongside the best of the genre. Overall this is less 

SF jammy than Wilson McKinley or Last Call Of Shiloh, 

yet it clearly has a more personal, earthy vibe than 

things such as Harvest Flight or Chenaniah. Vocals 

are not remarkable but fit the overall reflective 

mood well, while the band plays loose (sometimes very 

loose) and laidback, with a bass unusually high in 

the mix for added groove. Comparisons made to Kansas 

City Jammers are useful, if you imagine this LP as 

the dark mirror image of the upbeat KCJ. There was 

also a 45 from the band. [PL] 

~~~ 

This obscure folkie private press seems to have 

escaped notice for thirty years or so. The reason is 

probably that it took that long for psych dealers to 

get desperate enough to “discover” mainstream westcoast 

acoustic folk and folk-rock with lousy singing. 

This album has a few long, solo acoustic pieces, and 

some slightly more ambitious rural folk-rock tunes. 

The solo songs border on the tedious, but have some 

emotional depth to them. The full-band songs, by 

relying on harmonies, actually expose the band’s 

weaknesses more. The “dit dit dit” backing vocals on 

“I Lost My Love” are beyond absurd. A few songs have 

a powerful sadness to them, and the weak singing 

actually contributes to it, as with Neil young's 

shaky voice. This album definitely has its fans, but 

I can't recommend it. [AM] 

"Earthrise" 1977 (Arcedem) 

Progressive trio. Dynamic synths, solid drumming, 

effects. Nice complex jazzy quality and the few vocal 

interludes are suitably soaring. Excellent LP. Press 

size has been reported as 400 copies. [RM] 

EASTER ISLAND (Louisville, KY) 

"Easter Island" 1979 (Baal 999) ['gold eye' cover] 

"Easter Island" 1979 (Baal 999) ['silver eye' cover] 

"Easter Island" 1997 (Void vlp-05) [altered cover; lyric 

inner; photo; 350#d] 

Complex heavy progressive rock like Yes. Mellotron, 

organ, guitar. A total of 300 records were pressed. 

Early demo copies came in the 'gold eye' cover. 

EASTFIELD MEADOWS ( ) 

"Eastfield Meadows" 1968 (VMC 133) 

The predominant sound is harmony-rich country-rock ala 

Gram Parsons era Byrds. "Travelin' Salesman" and

"Cowboy Song" actually sound a little like something 

Michael Nesmith might have penned for The Monkees. 

Less typical, "Only Girl" and "Silent Noght" sport 

more of a rock/psych-oriented sound, while "Young 

Love" sounds like a Buffalo Springfield effort and 

the ballad "Helpless Is a Feeling" recalls The 

Association. [SB] 

V.A "EAST SIDE REVUE" (Los Angeles, CA) 

"East Side Revue, vol 1" 1969 (Rampart) [splash vinyl] 

"East Side Revue, vol 2" 1969 (Rampart) [splash vinyl; 

poster] 

"East Side Revue" 1969 (Rampart 3303, 2LPs) [2LPs] 

Mostly East LA Chicano bands on these classic comps. 

First volume is mainly pre-Invasion r'n'b, and 

includes Cannibal & Headhunters, Premiers, Ronnie & 

Pomona Casuals, Ambertones, Romancers, and others. 

The second volume is more garage/teenbeat incl Thee 

Midniters, the Premiers fuzz classic "Get On This 

Plane", Romancers, Ambertones, Sunday Funnies, East 

Side Kids and more. 

V.A "EAST VILLAGE OTHER" (New York City, NY) 

"East Village Other" 1966 (ESP 1034) 

"East Village Other" 199 (CD ESP-Disk 1034) 

"East Village Other" 199 (Get Back, Italy) 

Aural montage with music and spoken word tracks 

dubbed over a broadcast of Luci Johnson's (the 

president's daughter) wedding. With Fugs, Velvet 

Underground, Ginsberg, Warhol. [RM] 

EASY CHAIR (Seattle, WA) 

"Easy Chair" 1968 (Vanco 1004) [1-sided; photo; handbill] 

Hallowed 1-sided westcoast LP with Jeff Simmons 

(Mothers of Invention); mature post-flower power 

psych sounds that are every bit as good as the legend 

would have you believe. Opens with 9-minute epic 

psychrocker that sounds quite a bit like D R Hooker, 

then a shorter track with dual fuzz/wah-wah raga 

interplay, and finally another extended moody 

tripout. Comparable to Bob Smith and Wizards From 

Kansas as a transition piece from the great ballroom 

60s sound into the equally great epic early 70s big 

ego-psych style of D R Hooker, Garrett Lund, etc. 

Strong, understated vocals and some of the best use 

of piano around gives a 1970s flavor, while the 

guitars and overall feel is moody 60s acidelia. 

Recorded as early as April 1968. Each copy came with 

one of four different promo photos. Press size 

reports differ. In a combination of status, rarity 

and quality this is probably the heaviest title out 

there that has never been reissued. Lord knows why.

[PL] 

EASY STEAM (Duluth, MN) 

"To Be Alive" 1976 (Conglomerated) [red or blue peacock cover; 

lyric insert; photo] 

"To Be Alive" 1976 (Conglomerated) [paste-on or blank cover] 

Rather dull melodic jazzy progressive. A total of 600 

records were pressed, but the silk screen machine 

used for the cover design (alternately done in red or 

blue) broke before all covers were completed. The 

rest came in a paste-on cover approximating the silk 

screened original, or were sold without the cover at 

all. 

STEVE EATON (Boise, ID) 

"Hey Mr. Dreamer" 1974 (Capitol ST-11245) 

"Steve Eaton" 1979 (Mountain Bluebird SE 46753) 

EBBANFLO (Kent, WA) 

Eaton was previously in the horn band Fat Chance and 

wrote songs that were covered by better known artists 

(including Art Garfunkel and Glen Campbell). His solo 

LPs are in a folk/country singer-songwriter vein, and 

the Capitol album is every bit as hard to find as the 

privately pressed second album. He continues to 

perform and has several subsequent releases. 

"Spectre Of Paradise" 1980 (Harmonic Tremor Records) 

Though this co-ed folk duo's album was released in 

1980, the back cover lists dates next to each song, 

and those dates range from 1969 to 1979. There's no 

way of knowing if the dates refer to the year the 

songs were written or the year they were recorded, 

but the sparse arrangements (acoustic guitar, some 

congas, some flute) and unfettered production 

certainly don't scream out "1980." They also have a 

very 70s hippie aura to them. The album is heartfelt 

and energetic, but there's nothing to separate it 

from a hundred other albums of its type, and it 

really could have used some kind of edge (and the 

flute, which I find annoying, isn't that edge.) The 

title track is by far the highlight of the album, a 

jazzy folk-rock tune that has the album’s only drum 

track, and is the only song with a remotely dark mood 

to it. Susan Smith's vocals are quite nice. Overall, 

this is well-meaning but not distinctive, only 

recommended if you're truly in love with the style. 

[AM] 

ECHOES AND A DREAM ( )

"Echoes and a Dream" 1973 (no label) 

ECLIPSE (IN) 

1970s folk/psych. 

"Eclipse" 1983 (Sweetwood 1010) 

ECLIPSE (MA) 

Biker power trio. 

"Eclipse" 1983 (Third Avenue) [1000p] 

Heavy guitar rock. 

BOB EDMUND (New York City, NY) 

"I See No Colors" 1970 (Rabo) [500p] 

EDSELS ( ) 

Bob is backed by the organ-led group Byrth. Rhythmic 

folk aggression. Dylanesque vocal, churchy organ, 

jangle strumming, and a strong anti-war component. A 

good record with the vocals and rhythmic organ 

playing being the highlights. [RM] 

"At Last" 1965 (no label co-1761) 

Garage/teen-beat. 

808 RIDGE (Allegheny, PA) 

"808 Ridge" 1969 (Gateway aip-1119) 

"'71" 1971 (CH Records 01195) 

Garagy folk psychy school project recorded in a local 

coffeehouse by students of the Community College of 

Allegheny County. The debut is rated as one of the

ELDERBERRY JAK (WV) 

best in the "genre" by some, with several strong 

tracks. Their second album is more into hippie 

commune backporch folk rock. 

"Long Overdue" 1970 (Electric Fox ef-lp-555) 

"Eldeberry Jak" 1977 (Forrest) 

"Long Overdue" 2002 (Comet/Gear Fab, Italy) 

"Long Overdue" 2002 (CD Gear Fab) 

ELDERS (OH) 

This band was the early 70s pride of West Virginia, 

that rare rock band in backporch country heaven. They 

position themselves as something of a band of all 

trades, as if their status as the area’s only ace 

rock band compelled them to master every possible 

rock style in order to attract wider audiences. So, 

this album includes stark acoustic ballads, organheavy 

hard rock with occasional Led Zeppelin-inspired 

vocals, breezy westcoast folk-rock with CSN-style 

harmonies, etc. They can sure play and do each of 

these types of music very well, but it’s a bit 

brainless and faceless, making this a solid but not 

exceptional album. My pick hit is “Mr. Sun,” which 

combines a bunch of styles: folk-rock, straight-out 

rock, ballad, guitar pop. For some reason, the tax 

scam company Album World bootlegged this album (they 

probably mastered it from vinyl) and released it on 

the fake “Forrest Records” label about seven years 

later with informative liner notes. This re-release 

spelled the band’s name wrong (“Eldeberry Jak”), 

presumably so that the band wouldn’t instantly find 

out about it? [AM] 

"Looking For the Answer" 1971 (Audio Fidelity) 

Christian flower psych, soul and bluesy moves. Also 

released in Italy and Israel. Formerly garage band 

Jerry & the Others who appear on the WONE 

compilation. 

ELECTRAS (St. Paul's School, Concord, NH) 

"Electras" 1962 (Electra elt-201) 

Instro guitar raveups and surf covers. No relation to 

the Minnesota group. A custom pressing by RCA. This 

band featured 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry 

on bass! 

ELECTRIC TOILET (Memphis, TN) 

"In The Hands Of Karma" 1968 (Nasco 9004) 

"In The Hands Of Karma" 1983 (Psycho 8, UK) 

"In The Hands Of Karma" 1996 (CD Golden Classics) 

"In The Hands Of Karma" 200 (Akarma, Italy) 

"In The Hands Of Karma" 200 (CD Akarma, Italy)

Mixed bag with four OK songs and two killers. "Within 

Your State Of Mind" is a long brooding psych number 

with fantastic swirling organ, an absolute classic. 

The almost gospel-like "Goodbye My Darling" is great 

too despite the last three minutes of it being 

basically the same thing over and over. They're from 

the south, and though "Mississippi Hippy" laments 

their location, the lesser songs here are in a rural 

rock/bar band style that doesn't seem unlikely at 

all. [AM] 

ELECTROMAGNETS (Austin, TX) 

"Electromagnets" 1975 (E.C.M. sd-1001) [green front cover; 

1000p] 

"Electromagnets" 1975 (E.C.M. sd-1001) [red front cover; 

3000p] 

"Electromagnets" 199 (CD, Italy) [bootleg] 

"Electromagnets" 1998 (CD, Rhino) [+2 tracks] 

Jazzy guitar rock with Eric Johnson. Heavier than 

most bands of this ilk, with a strong Return to 

Forever influence. 

~~~ 

see -> American Peddlers; Mariani 

THE ELECTRONIC HOLE see Beat Of The Earth 

ELEPHANT PATCH (NC) 

"Elephant Patch" 1979 (JTO) 

Unusual-sounding LP with female vocals. 

ELIZABETH (Philadelphia, PA) 

"Elizabeth" 1968 (Vanguard 6501) [gold label] 

"Elizabeth" 199 (no label, Holland) [bootleg] 

"Elizabeth" 2001 (CD Akarma/Vanguard 6501, Italy) 

"Elizabeth" 2001 (Akarma/Vanguard 6501, Italy) 

Enjoyable trip through East Coast psych reminiscent 

of the 2nd Fallen Angels LP, not quite as outstanding 

with a couple of weak cuts, but mostly classy 

songwriting and execution; get this if you dig the 

melodic-neurotic NY/PA psych sound at all. Still 

unknown to many. Great psychy collage sleeve. Also 

released in Germany and Canada. [PL] 

~~~ 

Strong major label effort which ranges from folkpsych 

to heavier stuff. Nice mix of styles, 

surprising feedback on one song, good songwriting. If 

it were a private press it would be worth a bundle. 

One of many interesting acts on Vanguard in the late

PETER ELIZALDE (CA) 

60s/early 70s. Has been reissued but originals aren't 

very hard to find. [AM] 

"Winter Playground Mystery" 1982 (no label) 

Elizalde is to Todd Rundgren what the Leopards are to 

the Kinks: an absolute dead-on soundalike of the 

artist's classic period, and with songwriting more 

interesting and inspired than the artist's thencurrent 

work. Unlike, say, the Rutles, there's no 

hint of parody. It's either a heartfelt tribute or an 

unbelievable natural resemblance in both voice and 

songwriting style. Mostly this album is pretty 

mellow, eschewing Rundgren's hard rock and electronic 

leanings in favor of songs that would sound at home 

on side one of "Something/Anything" or on "Hermit Of 

Mink Hollow." There are two exceptions, though: 

"Passion Play," an unpleasantly spiteful fast song 

that sounds completely musically and vocally 

different from the rest of the album, and the 7minute 

"Day Dreamer," which has an exciting 

synthesizer/heavy lead guitar duel that brings the 

album to a memorable close. A couple of songs in the 

middle of the album are so-so, but at least half of 

this album is excellent. Anti-80s collector types 

will like the old-fashioned production style. Fool 

your friends: play the album's best song, "Winter 

Reflexions," to them and tell them it's a lost 1972 

Todd demo. It's more convincing than the stuff on 

side one of Rundgren's "Faithful." By the way, either 

this album has a vague lyrical concept to it or 

Elizalde just loves to write about winter. [AM] 

ELLIE POP (Detroit, MI) 

"Ellie Pop" 1968 (Mainstream s-6115) 

Simply said, Ellie Pop's self-titled 1968 album 

stands as a lost mid-'60s pop classic. Whoever these 

guys were, they definitely had a thing for Anglo-pop, 

tracks such as "Some Time Ago" and "Caught In the 

Rain" literally dripping Beatles influences. To many 

folks that's probably the kiss of death. Normally 

they'd be right, but not in this case. Exemplified by 

material such as "Seven North Frederick", "Seems I've 

Changed" and "Watcha Gonna Do" (love the "yeah, yeah, 

yeahs"), the Dunns avoided the usual clichés, turning 

in a wonderful set that was catchy and commercial, 

but retained an innovative edge that made ever 

selection worth hearing. One word of warning; while 

the set's occasionally been billed as psychedelic, in 

spite of isolated distorted guitars and a few oddball 

time signatures, to our ears it's simply too 

mainstream to be considered anything other than pop. 

[SB] 

~~~ 

This album doesn’t get as much attention as most of 

the Mainstream releases because it’s a straight post- 

Beatles pop album lacking the heavy, psychedelic, and 

folk-rock aspects of the better-known albums on the 

label. That’s too bad, because it’s actually one of

the label’s best: a solid, unpretentious effort with 

excellent singing and catchy songs. The only problem 

is that there’s no one song that really stands out 

above the others; nothing sounds like it could have 

been a hit, but all of it is good. [AM] 

STEVE ELLIOT (New York City, NY) 

"Steve Elliot" 1969 (no label SE 1000) [handpainted cover] 

Folk/singer songwriter with session musicians 

backing. Acoustic guitar, piano, flute, sincere 

seeker lyrics. A CD-R "reissue" exists. 

ELLIOTT, WALTER & BENNETT (Houston, TX) 

"Zeta Reticuli" 1977 (Jam 106) 

Subtitled “a science fiction love story,” this 

concept album is a true labor of love. No doubt these 

guys thought they’d produced a masterpiece. If you 

can imagine a synth-heavy prog album with country 

crooner vocals, spoken sections and several really 

cheesy ballads, you might have an idea what to expect 

here. Even so, I doubt anyone could be prepared for 

just how weird the clash of styles can be. By the 

time an operatic female vocal appears on side two you 

won’t be surprised by anything. When they remember to 

rock (basically the first song on each side), this is 

pretty interesting, but by the end it’s so cheesy and 

humorless that it’s almost unlistenable. Comparisons 

are hard to make, but it sounds to me like low-rent 

backwoods Alan Parsons, if he’d hired cowboys instead 

of the Hollies to sing for him. A real headscratcher. 

[AM] 

STEVE ELLIS & THE STARFIRES (Pipestone, MN) 

"Steve Ellis's Songbook" 1967 (IGL 105) 

"Steve Ellis's Songbook" 1994 (CD Arf Arf) [bonus tracks] 

"Steve Ellis's Songbook" 1994 (Get Hip 5003) [+4 tracks] 

Legendary Midwest folkrock LP originally done as a 

tribute to bandleader Ellis who died in a motorcycle 

accident in 1967. Consists of eight good (but not 

outstanding) basement Love/Nightcrawlers style 

folkrockers interspersed with interviews with band 

members which not only shows Ellis to be a real cool 

guy and talent but also gives full technical data of 

his souped up 1938 DeSoto. An interesting and unusual 

snapshot of a time and place, but far from the 

masterpiece it's sometimes described as. The band 

also had a track on a local comp from the era. [PL] 

ELLISON (Quebec, Canada) 

"Ellison" 1970 (Supreme 2900) 

"Ellison" 199 (vinyl, France) [300p; insert] 

"Ellison" 1999 (World In Sound 003, Germany) [gatefold]

"Ellison" 199 (CD) 

French-Canadian Doorsy hardrock with psych leftovers. 

Those into the style swear bigtime by it but there's 

too many slow cuts for my tastes. Most original 

copies have press defects. [PL] 

EMBERS (Raleigh, NC) 

"The Embers Roll Eleven" 1965 (JCP Recording 2006) 

Fratrock beach beat r&b stompers with guitar, organ, 

sax. The first LP is the one of interest to garage 

collectors, the later ones head more in a lounge 

direction. Despite being a white beach music combo, 

some of the band's 45s are sold as "Northern Soul". 

[RM] 

"Just For the Birds" 1966 (JCP Recording 2009) 

"Burn You a New One" 1967 (EEE 1069) 

Released by the Raleigh, North Carolina-based EEE 

label, 1967's "Burn You a New One" is likely to 

appeal to anyone with a fetish for stuff on the 

Justice label. Musically this wasn't a major change 

in direction from the band's first two collections. 

Like the earlier albums, this one offered up a set of 

popular pop and soul covers. What was truly 

interesting was how four of the nerdiest white guys 

you've ever seen (check out the back cover photos), 

could turn in such impressive performances. Sure, 

covers such as Get Ready', 'Groovin', 'Wish You 

Didn't Have To Go' didn't offer anything to improve 

on the originals. Still, vocalist Jackie Hamilton 

Gore displayed a truly amazing chameleon-like talent 

and the rest of the band turned in stellar backing. 

The results make for a wonderful set of 1960s beach 

music. In addition to sporting a classic album title, 

I've always loved the throwaway album cover design. 

The Embers have several subsequent albums and, 

amazingly, are still performing. [SB] 

EMERALD CITY (Montreal, Canada) 

"Waiting For The Dawn" 1976 (Hippopotamus hlp 97202) 

"Waiting For The Dawn" 1996 (Hippopotamus, US) [bootleg] 

Canadian hardrock with keyboard and guitar, opinions

EMERALD WEB (CA/FL) 

differ on its merits. 

"Dragon Wings And Wizard Tales" 1979 (Stargate 4230) [lyric 

insert] 

TIM EMERY (KY) 

New agey folk electronica opera from male/female duo 

with Tolkien based fantasy theme. Synth, flute, and 

hippie femme vocals. The couple had several later LPs 

and achieved some success composing soundtracks. 

"Alias Red Garrett" 1979 (Ros Sound 130) [1000p] 

EMMANUEL (Canada) 

Hardrock power trio guitar showcase. Half heavy and 

Hendrixy, half bluesy and rural outlaw. 

"You Color My Life" 1976 (EM) 

Christian folk rock with rural songs and some pop-ish 

and soft rock moves and mixed male/female vox. Not 

terribly memorable. 

EMMAUS ROAD BAND (NJ) 

"This Could Be The Beginning" 197 (Trutone tr-520573) 

I gave this a lukewarm review at first but it has 

grown on me a bit; the ferocious guitar-leads and 

upmarket production make for a powerful sound, 

although I still prefer the west coast-inspired X-ian 

style of Kristyl or Wilson McKinley over this 

mainstream mid-1970s Southern rock/AOR trip. Prosounding 

female nightclub vocalist is a bit misplaced 

but adds to the classy vibe. Long title track is 

great. [PL] 

~~~ 

It’s pretty strange hearing such blatant Christian 

lyrics over what is essentially 70s redneck rock. The 

opening “Gospel” has guitar fills that come straight 

from the catalogue of any competent but unimaginative 

cover band of the time, but just when you start to 

think it’s lame the closing guitar solo goes into 

territory (and volume levels) that you aren’t 

expecting. The rest of the album follows suit, 

sneaking up on you only when you really pay

attention. This isn’t usually a subtle style of 

music, but the songwriting here is sly and tasteful, 

and the two long songs at the end are powerful and 

deep, almost reaching classic status. A couple of 

songs are out of place, though: a so-so country 

rocker and a schlocky ballad. They’re not awful, but 

they do interrupt the guitar-heavy mood that builds 

impressively throughout the rest of the album. A 

female vocalist on a few songs sounds nothing like 

the stereotypically “pretty” Xian folk singer, but 

more of a cross between a soul singer and an angry 

torch singer. Odd, but effective. The album closes 

with a brief version of “Jesus Loves Me,” sung by a 

child. It definitely wipes away the intensity of mood 

left by the two epics that precede it. Ack. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Maranatha 

EMORY ALMANAC see So It Goes 

EMPORIUM (IA) 

"I'm So Glad" 1970 (Peace no #) 

ENERGY PAK ( ) 

Clean teen mixed vocal jangle guitar Christian 

collegians turning the corner and getting 'real' with 

rock covers. Highlights are a great 6 minute trippy 

"Jesus Jesus/ Trails of Your Mind", an insane go-go 

rumbling "I'm So Glad", and a really bizarre 

doubletime "For What It's Worth". Great fun, high 

'real people' quotient, warp ten strumming, and 

stunning acid cover design. [RM] 

"The Answer" 1968 (Sound Associates) 

GEORGE ENGLER ( ) 

Grand Rapids, Michigan label. Mixed gender Christian 

folkrock teens. Nice psychedelic collage cover. 

"The Inside of the Outside or the Outside of the Inside" 1965 

(Serenus sep-2010) 

ENGLISHMEN ( ) 

Representation of avant and electronic sounds 

encountered on an outer space voyage! Creepy sounds 

and tape effects like a sci-fi movie soundtrack. A 

CD-R "reissue" exists. 

"Summer Is Here" 1967 (Justice 155) 

"Summer Is Here" 1995 (CD Collectables col-0609) 

If you believe everything you read, this is one of 

the "best" Justice albums. In the real world it's the

same lame standards, surf, frat and beach music with 

weak vocals and a sleepy 1962 mood, making the band's 

hip name seem a mystery -- unless the Shadows is your 

idea of Brit Invasion. Title track original could be 

seen as a whiney New England type ballad if you're in 

a generous mood, but the only really appealing aspect 

of this LP is a superb drummer who is given plenty of 

space on "Penetration" and the band's "Theme". 

Hippest things are covers of "96 tears" and "Catch 

the wind", both done in an incorrect manner which 

suggests the band played from sheet music and never 

actually had heard the tunes. Stunning low-point is 

an instro "Girl from Ipanema". [PL] 

V.A "EPITAPH FOR A LEGEND" (TX) 

"Epitaph For A Legend" 1980 (International Artists 13) [2LPs; 

5000p] 

"Epitaph For A Legend" 198 (Decal UK) [2 LPs] 

"Epitaph For A Legend" 199 (CD Collectables) [2CD] 

"Epitaph For A Legend" 200 (Get Back, Italy) [2 LPs] 

CARL ERDMANN ( ) 

Compilation of 1960s odds and ends from the IA 

vaults, plenty of unreleased tracks with a few 

winners and some garbage. Some obscure teen/garage 

acts plus disappointing rarites from the Lost & Found 

and Red Krayola. Also has one side of blues including 

spoken word bits with Lightnin' Hopkins (originally 

intended for the IA 1968 Lightnin' LP), and about 1 

sides worth of Elevators-related material, some of 

which is unique to this release. The original plans 

for the 2 LP set were very ambitious, but as the IA 

revival didn't catch the full momentum Lelan Rogers 

hoped for, the end result is pretty stripped down. 

The album is sometimes referred to as "rare", but the 

press size tells you it isn't. This was the last 

release from the revived IA label, after which Lelan 

sold the rights to Charly Records in England. The 

Decal reissue replaces two Spades tracks with two 

Elevators 45 tracks. On the Collectables CD the 

Spades tracks are back, but the mastering is bizarre, 

with some unexpected jumps in volume and occasionally 

poor sound. [PL] 

"Bizarrophytes" 1980 (no label) 

WENDY ERDMAN ( ) 

Excellent later day hippie gets lost in eastern Acid 

Symphony trip. Instro guitars, sitar, kalimba, tabla, 

percussion, sax, even some flute. [RM] 

"Erdman" 1970 (Audio Fidelity) 

This surprisingly scarce album is oddly appealing. 

Erdman has a warbly, classical-styled voice that’s 

pretty strange in the context of the folk-rock and 

piano-based soft rock on this record. Somehow it 

works, though, and these deceptively simple songs

ERIC (OH) 

grow on the listener. In her own way, she’s as out 

there as Essra Mohawk or Sally Eaton. Recommended 

more to fans of quirky singer-songwriters than to 

fans of folk-rock. Ex-Monkee Peter Tork played bass 

on most of this album. [AM] 

"Eric" 1970 (CEI 11047) 

MARK ERIC ( ) 

Mostly soft folk psych with a couple of songs that 

get a bit on the heavy side with fuzzed out passages. 

"A Midsummer's Day Dream" 196 (Revue 7210) 

"A Midsummer's Day Dream" 200 (CD Revola 18, UK) [+bonus 

tracks] 

Inaccurately hyped as psych, this is basically a 

Beach Boys imitation, which still makes it appealing 

to collectors. It’s comparable to Billy Nicholls, as 

Mark Eric has a very similar voice, but it lacks the 

songwriting talent and diversity of arrangements of 

the Nicholls album. Some of the album too soft and 

sweet to work, but about half of it is quite good, 

peaking on “Night of the Lions,” which proves even 

wimps can have a healthy sex drive. [AM] 

RIN ERIC (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Soundtrack To The Movie In Your Mind" 197 (no label) 

[booklet] 

Mighty obscure fringe/loner folk LP. According to Rin 

Eric himself, only 50 copies were pressed. 

ERICA [Pomerance] (Canada) 

"You Used to Think" 1968 (ESP Disk 1099) 

"You Used to Think" 199 (ESP Disk) 

"You Used to Think" 199 (CD ESP 1099, Germany) 

"You Used to Think" 199 (CD ZYX) 

Housed in an album cover that's shocking today, never 

mind for its time, this fits in perfectly with all of 

the other weirdness on ESP. It's as unmusical as the 

Godz, and as confrontational as the Fugs. It's not 

exactly all that listenable, though, but it's a 

pretty amazing period piece. Erica and most of her 

band dropped acid after the three short songs on side 

one, and it's worth noting that even those songs,

while having some "structure" and sense of melody, 

are as messed up as the long, meandering 

improvisations that follow. I'll be straightforward 

here -- I find this to be a self-indulgent mess that 

has freakshow appeal, but it's awfully hard to listen 

to. Admittedly, it is full of inspired moments. Erica 

starts singing in French half way through "The 

Slippery Morning" for no apparent reason. The 

competing vocals on the title track are effective, 

whether she can "sing" in the traditional sense or 

not. The album's most accessible song (OK-that's 

stretching it a little, you won't be hearing it on 

mainstream radio any time soon), "The French 

Revolution," is pretty great (and groundbreaking-one 

of the first uses of the f-word in a rock setting.) 

And when you can keep your attention long enough to 

pick up the lyrics, they're pretty amusing, and 

occasionally ingenious. The whispered/spoken moments 

and falsetto intro to "Anything Goes" have an 

appealing beat-poet feel to them. All that is well 

and good, but the monotonous "drumming" on "We Came 

Via" is headache-inducing, and on the long songs the 

memorable moments are spread awfully thin between the 

dull spots. Trevor Koehler, of Insect Trust, plays 

some sax here and seems as comfortable screwing 

around as he does playing it straight on the Trust's 

much more well-conceived albums. [AM] 

ERIC & THE NORSEMEN (Manhattan, KS) 

ERIK ( ) 

"Live" 1966 (Audio House) 

Garage/teen-beat from popular club band formed at 

Kansas State University. The LP contains overdubbed 

crowd noise that the band was dissatisfied with. 

There are no originals except for a brief "Norsemen 

Theme". The band also had a local 45 and some 

unreleased recordings. 

"Look Where I Am" 1968 (Vanguard vsd-79267) 

"Look Where I Am" 2004 (CD Radioactive 0061, UK) 

Most of this album is decent folky hippie stuff, but 

side one ends with a killer fuzz guitar downer tune 

that blows away everything else. The rest of the 

songs sound pretty samey except for one jaunty 

British-styled folker. Neat colorful album cover. Not 

a great album, but decent, and another cool Vanguard 

obscurity. [AM] 

~~~ 

Obscure one on the label and not bad, with a psychy 

Eastcoast folkrock sound, sort of like where Jake 

Holmes might have gone after his debut LP. The guy's 

crooner nightclub moves and ambitious arrangements 

recall Darius, although a slightly flat voice and the 

two-chord "drone" songwriting fall short of such 

promise. Instrumentation includes bells, muted 

trumpets, flutes and strings over flowing basement 

folkrock. The LP could be hyped as "great" but 

ultimately the vocals and lack of strong melodies 

keep it from true greatness. Still, the middle third

is strong with a couple of killer psych tracks with 

fuzz and backwards bits, and as a period piece with a 

distinct sound worth checking out. Nice crude psychy 

cover art. Who was this guy? [PL] 

ESCORTS (Richmond, VA) 

"Bring Down the House" 1966 (TEO lp-5000) [mono] 

"Bring Down the House" 1966 (TEO lps-5000) [stereo] 

Judging by the LP, The Escorts were your typical mid- 

'60s frat band. Produced by guitarist Colleran, 

"Bring Down the House" consists of a dozen popular 

rock and soul covers (Beatles, Otis Redding, Stones, 

Them, etc.) with a couple of lesser known tracks 

thrown in. Lead singer Faber won't exactly knock you 

over (check out his out of tune performance on 

"You're Going To Lose That Girl" - understandable 

given the band didn't have any feedback speakers), 

nor will you be awed by the rest of the band's 

technical merit, though they do bring an admirable 

sense of enthusiasm to their performances and 

Colleran turns in several nice performances (he 

nail's Roger McGuinn's 12 string performance on their 

cover of Drylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man"). Highlights 

included a nice "These Arms of Mine" and an 

enthusiastic "Turn On Your Love Light". In spite of 

the fact it was recorded live with extremely 

primitive equipment (four microphones recorded 

straight on to a two track tape), the sound's 

surprisingly crisp. At least to our ears, musically 

the set compares favorably to better known frat acts 

such as The Ace's Combo, The Englishmen, The Invaders 

or any group signed to Justice Records. [SB] 

~~~ 

With a massive thank you to singer/lead guitarist 

Nick Colleran for all of the wonderful information, 

here's a quick bio on the band. As a 16 year old 

attending Richmond's Douglas Southall Freeman High 

School, Colleran formed the band in 1961. The 

original line up included bassist Bob Buhrman, 

Colleran on guitar, sax player Buzz Montsinger and 

singer Sam Owen. The call of college saw Buhrman 

replaced by Richard Parrish, with Tom Hill taking 

over for Montsinger. The line up was eventually 

rounded out by drummer Richard Eastman. In spite of 

the band's relative youth, they became fixtures on 

the Richmond music scene, playing school dances, 

proms and local beer joints. The band continued to 

perform through college, although in 1964 Owen and a 

date were killed when the car they were driving was 

crushed by a 15 year old engaged in a drag race.

Singer Jimmie Faber was subsequently brought in as a 

replacement. When the Army draft claimed drummer 

Eastman, Sandy DeWitt was added to the line up. 

Perhaps reflecting the fact Colleran was taking 

accounting courses at the University of Virginia, the 

band proved themselves business trendsetters. Having 

formed their own label - TEO Records (The Escorts 

Operation), a 21 year old Colleran borrowed $1,200 

from a local bank. Having long promoted their own 

events, the funds were used to rent Richmond's Mosque 

Ballroom, where the LP was recorded on June 24, 1966. 

Giving new meaning to the word independent, the band 

rented and set up the recording equipment, sold their 

own tickets, ran the show's concession stand, 

designed and prepared the album cover art work 

(Hill's father took the cover photo), wrote the liner 

notes (Colleran's father set the hot type for the 

back cover), hired the recording engineer, and 

arranged for mastering, pressing and final assembly. 

ESPERANZA ENCANTADA (Chicago, IL) 

"Esperanza Encantada" 1970 (Certron 7016) 

ESTES BROTHERS (OH) 

Young Hispanic vocal group doing mixed English and 

Spanish language material, about half covers of the 

Beatles, Stones, and Tim Hardin. The rest is 

originals with crystal clear teenage female vocals. 

Highly rated by some. The trio is backed by a pick-up 

band who provide some fuzz on "Gimme shelter" among 

the folkrockers. 

"Transitions" 1971 (Edcom 7101) 

"Transitions" 1995 (Rockadelic 17) [300p; altered sleeve; 

bonus track] 

"Transitions" 2002 (CD World In Sound 1013, Germany) [+bonus 

tracks] 

Solid underground stoner blowout which is the way you 

wish all hardrock LPs were, relentless guitar jamming 

with a loud basement sound, punky vocals and a 

druggy/wasted attitude, only a few weak moments. Not 

slick or overpowering, but the sound of local nocounts 

letting it rip with no thought of the 

consequences. Strip-joint piano adds an unusual 

touch. They also had a pre-LP 45 with PS. The 

original sleeve was a generic/custom ocean image, 

which is reinstated for the CD reissue. [PL] 

~~~ 

The Estes Brothers sound pretty much like the stoned 

kids next door, for better and for worse. They have 

average chops and are sloppy with them, which means 

the guitar solos are too long and the drummer does 

too many rolls. The grooves aren't bad, though, and 

this has a kind of earthy appeal. The vocals are 

hardly professional but don't have any of the usual

annoying hard rock tendencies either. The album loses 

steam toward the end; they have a likeable sound but 

didn't have too many ideas. I think this album is 

overrated by collectors, but can see why people like 

it. It's a refreshing alternative to the pretense and 

posturing of so many other hard rock albums. The 

World In Sound CD has a ton of mostly worthwhile 

bonus tracks, including their best song, the non-LP 

45 "Tomorrow's Sunlight" (also on the Rockadelic LP). 

GENE ESTRIBOU & JEAN-PAUL PICKENS (San Francisco, CA) 

"Intensifications" 1966 (Scorpio MIA #CL-1) 

"Intensifications" 2004 (CD Locust) 

Split LP of guitar/banjo avant/improv instrumental 

folk with the guys getting one side each to strut 

their stuff. Pretty interesting experience with trad 

material reshaped beyond recognition, long tracks 

with plenty of raga moves and an intense live 

atmosphere. Can't really decide who wins this unusual 

battle of the bands, very solid playing that has been 

compared to Sandy Bull. A historically significant 

artefact from the early S F scene, and a must for 

genre fans. [PL] 

~~~ 

Acoustic acidic edgy folk and banjo psych. Homemade 

meandering quality similar to Acid Symphony. Gene 

Estribou recorded the first Grateful Dead single that 

came out on Scorpio. [RM] 

~~~ 

see -> Serpent Power 

ETERNAL SAVINGS & TRUST COMPANY (Acton, MA) 

"Wind and Spirit" 1972 (Amphion Modern) 

ETERNITY ( ) 

Christian folk with mixed vocals, using electric 

instruments and flute, percussion, harmonica. 

"Eternity" 1981 (Band of Gold 004) 

Dual lead hardrock with early 1970s sound. 

ETERNITY'S CHILDREN (Biloxi, MS) 

"Eternity's Children" 1968 (Tower t-5123) [mono] 

"Eternity's Children" 1968 (Tower st-5123) [stereo] 

"Eternity's Children" 1999 (CD Revola 062) [+bonus tracks] 

The Curt Boettcher-produced first Eternity’s Children 

album is orchestrated pop that’s even more far 

removed from rock and roll that the Sagittarius 

albums. Like a lot of the records Boettcher was 

involved with, this is hardly a coherent band effort 

or an honestly presented record, with a number of 

inaccurate songwriting credits and with two songs not

even actually performed by the Eternity’s Children. 

The mixed vocals recall lightweights like Spanky & 

Our Gang. Occasional there are some surprising 

moments (i.e. the fuzz guitar and rave up at the end 

of “Lifetime Day”) but this is cloying and lacks 

soul. A few catchy songs win out nevertheless. One 

song that’s played as a straight ballad with a lead 

vocal from the woman (as opposed to the harmony leads 

elsewhere) is a standout. The LP was also released in 

Canada by Capitol. The Revola CD contains both LPs 

and some additional material. [AM] 

"Timeless" 1968 (Capitol 6302, Canada) 

"Timeless" 2005 (CD Revola) [+bonus tracks] 

The second album, sans Boettcher, was definitely a 

coherent band effort. Since the US release was 

scrapped (Tower #5144 was allocated but never used) 

and the small Canadian release went unnoticed, it’s 

become one of the rarest and most sought-after major 

label records of the era. It’s still a zero in the 

soul area, but is a more consistent listen and a more 

inspired work than the first album. Lots of catchy 

songs here. No fuzz guitar, though. There is also a 

Gear Fab CD from 2004, "The Lost Sessions". [AM] 

JEFF EUBANK (Kansas City, MO) 

"A Street Called Straight" 1983 (Dorothea Records) 

EUCLID (ME) 

This singer-songwriter LP was discovered by 

collectors some twenty years after its release. 

Eubank was a bit later on the Kansas City scene than 

Michael Angelo and the great late-70s power pop bands 

that gave the city its reputation as a 70s pop haven. 

Rare record dealers will probably try to compare him 

to Michael Angelo anyway, because that's what they do 

every time they have a scarce singer-songwriter album 

that they don't know how to sell. This is better than 

most that fall into that bag, but it’s not 

particularly unusual; it’s folky in feel with about 

half of the songs being just voice and guitars (which 

are electric as often as they’re acoustic.) The album 

cover and some of the lyrics evoke outer space, and a 

couple of songs are very spacy in feel with echoed 

flutes, sound effects, martian voices, drony 

soundscapes and otherworldly falsetto vocals. 

“Kamikaze Pilot,” in particular, is excellent, the 

kind of song that would really turn heads if it was 

on a compliation. Eubank is a strong singer and the 

album is well-produced, but the solo songs drag and 

you’ll wish he went freaky more often or tried to 

rock out once or twice. For the most part, side two 

is better than side one, so stick with it despite the 

dull spots. If you’re a fan of mellow dreamy folk and 

folk-rock you’ll certainly like at least half of this 

album. It’s a shame, though, that there aren’t more 

hooks here and that the arrangements aren’t all as 

effective as on “Kamikazi Pilot.” [AM] 

"Heavy Equipment" 1970 (Flying Dutchman ams-12005) [wlp

exists] 

EUPHORIA (CA) 

Well-regarded psych/hard rock transition LP and 

undoubtedly one of the better LPs in that often 

disappointing genre. Obvious influences from the UK 

mod scene, covers two tracks from that era with 

fairly good results. Tight, pro-sounding affair with 

the token macho vocals a minus and a good modernsounding 

drummer a plus. Not 100% up my alley, but 

respectworthy. Ralph Mazzola of Lazy Smoke plays 

guitar, while other members came from the Ones and 

the Cobras, making this a New England "supergroup" of 

sorts. [PL] 

~~~ 

It's understandable why this has become one of the 

most collectable hard rock albums of the period. A 

couple of ace songs on side one veer from the 

straightforward heavy sound towards a moodier psych 

sound, and the rest rock hard and true without 

succumbing to boring guitar solos or bluesy 

posturing. Great rhythm section--the bass playing on 

their cover of "Gimme Some Loving" is powerful and 

chill-inducing. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Lazy Smoke 

"A Gift From Euphoria" 1969 (Capitol 363) [green label] 

"A Gift From Euphoria" 1996 (CD See For Miles, UK) 

"A Gift From Euphoria" 2004 (CD Rev-Ola, UK) 

"A Gift From Euphoria" 2005 (Capitol/Scorpio) 

This ridiculously rare album begs the question: why 

was Capitol squandering such huge production budgets 

to create records that no one would ever hear? I 

suppose it wasn't the world's easiest marketing job. 

Who would expect the public to latch on to an album 

that alternates heavily orchestrated dream-state 

music with country rock with fuzz-guitar freakouts, 

not to mention lyrics that are equal parts 

spirituality and suicide? There's nothing else quite 

like this. The orchestration is as heavy as on the 

Food and Common People albums, but sounds completely 

different. The country songs sound "authentic," but 

also don't really sound like any other country or 

country-rock artist. The fuzz-guitar blowouts manage 

not to sound "heavy." The piano playing is equal 

parts Paul McCartney and honkytonk. The highly 

disturbing lyrics could either signal the apocalypse 

or treat suicide as a joke, and either way it's 

riveting. (By the way, most reviews of this album 

mention lyrics about drugs, but unless I'm totally 

misinterpreting something, I don't see them.) This is 

one instance where two madmen threw everything they 

had against the wall, and it pretty much all stuck. 

At its best this is the kind of record that will 

remind you why you got into psychedelic music in the 

first place-there's so much originality, so much 

willingness to experiment, and so many ideas here 

that whether it all works or not it's bound to be a 

completely fascinating listen. They also had a non-LP 

45, a few tracks on "A Pot Of Flowers" and some 

unreleased stuff recorded during their spell in 

Houston, all of it ranging from good to great. [AM]

~~~ 

see -> A Pot Of Flowers; Bernie Schwarz 

~~~ 


EUPHORIA (Milwaukee, WI) 

"Lost in Trance" 197 (Rainbow 1003) [blank back; group photo 

insert] 

"Lost in Trance" 199 (Rainbow) [bootleg; b & w cover] 

"Lost in Trance" 200 (CD Mason) 

Obscure biker guitar psych with long tracks and acid 

lyrics, I was impressed with this at first but 

further plays revealed it to be a bit sterile in a UK 

prog sense, all the right local underground psych 

moves but no real warmth or personality. Still it's 

listenable throughout and has some great guitar 

passages. This has the same generic rainbow cover as 

Skydog's LP. [PL] 

~~~ 

I find this LP a frustrating listen. The guitar is 

meaty with lots of effects and there is some good 

heavy pounding drumming. However, it’s all let down 

by the vocalist who insists on some very silly vocal 

intonations. Pronouncing words in a ponderous, 

affected way does not add any gravity to them. What’s 

especially annoying is that the lyrics are good and 

meaningful enough not to need this bizarre treatment. 

The high sung vocal parts would have had me tossing 

this in the bin when I was a youngster, now I just 

shift uneasily wondering if I’ve descended too far 

into the world of prog. ‘Just for a Moment’ is the 

stand out track for me, it could have been 

‘Brotherhood’, but then singing United Nations as 

Natoooons just blew it! [RI] 

EVERPRESENT FULLNESS (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Everpresent Fullness" 1970 (White Whale ww-7132) [promos 

exist] 

"Fine And Dandy" 2004 (CD Rev-Ola, UK) 

Released 4-5 years after the material was recorded, 

several tracks such as the instrumental "Yeah!" come 

off as little more than demos. Featuring a mix of 

originals and cover material, the album's pop-rock 

sound recalled a cross between The Lovin' Spoonful 

and The Turtles (checkout their cover of John 

Sebastian's "Wild About My Lovin"). The lead singer 

had an engaging voice and tracks such as "You're So 

Fine" and "Leavin' California" offered up radiofriendly 

top-40 melodies. The set was also 

interesting for including an early Warren Zevon cover 

("The Way She Is"). Less impressive was the band's 

penchant for quirky numbers; the vaudeville-styled 

"Fine and Dandy" and the C & W-ish "My Girl Back 

Home". All-in-all not half bad, particularly if you 

can pick it up for a couple of bucks. The LP is 

sometimes referred to as "rare" but actually sells 

pretty cheap. The remixed Rev-Ola CD contains all 

tracks from the LP except one, plus other material. 

[SB]

~~~ 

see -> The Moon; Rocket Science; Thorinshield 

EVERYDAY PEOPLE (SC) 

"Born Too Soon" 1976 (United Music World) 

Mixed bag of sounds including one killer track, 

"Stepping out of the darkness" with acid leads and 

messed up vocals. There were at least two other 

unrelated bands with this name. 

V.A "THE EXIT" (New Haven, CT) 

"The Exit" 1969 (XPL) 

Sampler from New Haven club with folk and blues 

locals. Same label as D R Hooker. Notable for two 

garage psych tracks by Better Daze. Lead guitarist 

for Better Daze played with Nova Local. Sticker on 

front cover promotes Tony Mason who made a semiinteresting 

bluesy folk LP a few years later. 

EXKURSIONS (Chicago, IL) 

"Exkursions" 1971 (no label) 

"Exkursions" 199 (Hidden Vision) 

"Exkursions" 200 (CD Hidden Vision) 

Pretty irresistable Christian bluesy guitarpsych 

exkursion featuring the prolific Mike Johnson in his 

younger days as a bible-carrying Hendrix epigon. Has 

to be one of the coolest x-ian LPs of all time, with 

a confident powertrio groove, laidback Jimi-style 

vocals, and several truly great tracks like "Third 

Eye". Despite being a private press originals aren't 

difficult to find. Two tracks can be found on the 

"Holy Fuzz" compilation if you want a sample. [PL] 

~~~ 

If you weren’t paying attention, you wouldn’t notice 

that this is a Christian album, which is a good sign. 

Mike Johnson is a truly talented guitarist and a few 

songs here have a fuzz sound to die for. The 

songwriting doesn’t match the performances, and there 

are a few bluesy/hard rock clichés, but for the most 

part this is solid hard rock and one of the best in 

the Christian realm. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> "Cry 3"; Mike Johnson 

EXPANDING CIRCLE (GA) 

"Conscious" 1980 (no label 75251) [500p]

Cosmic folk with piano, 12-string guitar and vocal 

harmonies, housed in weird brain cover. 

EXPEDITION (Montreal, Canada) 

"Live" 1971 (Cegep 1652) 

EX-TA-C'S ( ) 

Seedy hard fuzz blues rock with English vocals. [RM] 

"X-Ta-C's" 1966 (no label) 

Primitive teenbeat/garage. 

EYES (Cleveland, OH) 

"Stroke a Horse's Navel" 1977 (Eyes 710206) 

EYES (Butler, PA) 

This album is often mistakenly listed as "rural 

rock," when in fact it's light power pop in an Emmit 

Rhodes/Paul McCartney vein. There are lots of 

keyboards, especially piano, and very little guitar. 

It's unlikely to appeal to too many psych fans, but 

it's quite good for those who like pop. The harmonies 

are weak, but the melodies are strong and the songs 

are zippy. They grow on you. It's a mysterious 

record--the credits (including songwriting credits) 

don't mention any band members' name, though they do 

list a producer and recording studio. I wonder if the 

two Ohio bands named Eyes were aware of each other? 

[AM] 

~~~ 

I've seen this one hyped on high priced dealer lists 

as a psych masterpiece, a Beatlesque triumph, and as 

a slice of mind-warping hard rock. You probably won't 

be surprised to learn that it isn't any of the 

above. Musically this is slightly under-produced 

power-pop that will probably appeal to folks who like 

other mid-1970s Cleveland-based outfits like The 

Choir and Eric Carmen and the Raspberries. Originals 

such as 'Mornings' and 'Oh, To Be a Child Again' 

boast nice top-40 melodies that with a little bit of 

clean-up could've been massive radio hits. That 

comparison isn't 100% accurate since tracks like 

'Probate Me Baby', 'Yesterdays' and 'Such Is Life' 

are more rock-ish than what you'll find on the 

formers releases. I'll also tell you that it took a 

couple of spins for this to click with me. The first 

couple of times I played the album I focused on the 

set's shortcomings (notably the lead singer's 

occasionally quivering voice and the less than 

perfect production), but by the third spin the 

album's low-tech charms caught my ear making this one 

of the few albums I've bothered to put on CDR. [SB]

EYES ( ) 

"New Gods: Aardvark Through Zymurgy" 1977 (World Theatre TC- 

1/2) [photo insert; 200p] 

"Nova Psychedelia" 2005 (CD Anopheles 010) [2CDs; bonus 

tracks] 

Rather amazing teenage suburban prog/proto-punk 

science fiction concept epic with a garage psych feel 

in the fuzz leads and Vox organ, while moogs and 

oscillators galore add a mid-70s Ohio avantgarde 

layer. The listening experience is difficult to 

describe as the LP deflates any "good/bad" 

dichotomies and comes across as an irresistable piece 

of zeitgeist, straight out of home-made drugs, bad 

sci-fi TV re-runs and hazardous bedroom science 

projects. Musically quite competent with solid 

playing and inventive prog hardrock arrangements, yet 

Todd-O:s half-sung deadpan teen vocal style spells 

"incredibly strange" across the board. You haven't 

truly lived until you've heard morose recitations 

such as "My eyes blazing like a death ray/When the 

new gods unite in me/I shall conquer the universe". 

With a regular vocalist this would have been a 

completely different but not necessarily better LP. 

What is it all about? Not sure but it involves a new 

evolution of the human brain, somehow. Do not miss. 

Todd Clark has hung around the psych scene for many 

years and made several more recordings. The Anopheles 

CD was released as by Todd Tamanend Clark and 

contains the entire Eyes album. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Todd Clark Group 

"We're In It Together" 1978 (Quiet Canyon) [lyric inner] 

EZEKIEL (WA) 

Melodic hardrock AOR with Jeff Cannata (Arc Angel, 

Jasper Wrath) and James Christian (House of Lords). 

Searing guitar work and great vocals up there with 

Alpha Centauri. 

"Inspired At The Cross" 1977 (Cross 75-101) [plain white 

cover; insert] 

Christian 1970s rock and hard rock.


FACEDANCERS ( ) 

"Facedancers" 1972 (Paramount pas-6039) 

FACTS OF LIFE (TX) 

Early crossover album headed in a prog direction but 

before the ground rules for that genre had been 

established. Some uninteresting solos, but mostly 

creatively designed songs that show thoughtful 

experimentalism. The lead singer claims that he hits 

the highest note ever recorded by a man on a rock 

record, and it’s hard to dispute that claim. Indeed, 

the girly-sounding vocals work well in this context. 

A few songs are pretty creepy, with one called 

“Nightmare” being a stand-out. Interesting album that 

rewards a few close listens. [AM] 

"Facts Of Life" 1970 (Sevens International 1038) 

Mostly garage and AOR covers with great original "All 

Strung Out". The front cover is a black and purple 

negative image of a Drive In Theater. The album is 

exceedingly rare and hard to put an accurate value 

on. 

FAINE JADE (Long Island, NY) 

"Introspection" 1968 (RSVP 8002) 

"Introspection" 1983 (Psycho 13, UK) 

"Introspection" 198 (RSVP) [bootleg; b & w labels] 

"Introspection" 1996 (CD Sandiland) 

"Introspection" 1996 (CD Big Beat wikd-141, UK) 

Well-known and well regarded Eastcoast psycher, 

recorded with acidpunk legends Bohemian Vendetta as 

backup band. Although not exceptional and somewhat 

derivative, this is an enjoyable trip through UKinfluenced 

1967 landscapes with the Long Island 

garage roots showing now and then. "People games 

play" is a highpoint to me, with a genuine tribal 

psych feel and above-average acid lyricism. There is 

also an outstanding non-LP 45 that has been comp'd 

many times. Faine made a comeback recording in the 

1980s. There is a sampler of unreleased tracks "It 

Ain't True" (Distortions, 1992). [PL] 

~~~ 

Jade sounds and even looks British, and this wellproduced 

LP could easily pass for a UK major label 

popsike album of the era. It’s all very groovy and 

mod and full of sound effects, trippy arrangements 

and eastern-flavored lead guitar; the far out album 

cover prepares you perfectly for what’s within. The 

songwriting, which spans pop, folk-rock, minor-key

FAIRCHILD (MN) 

ballads and garage rock, is reasonably good, but this 

strikes me as one of those albums that people love 

more for how cool it sounds than for the actual 

content. Oddly, despite the attention paid to the 

musical arrangements, there’s a scarcity of backing 

vocals. The few there are noticeably improve their 

songs. In the album’s favor, there are no dud songs 

(though some may not be so thrilled about the freaky 

instrumental at the end), so it’s a continually 

enjoyable listen. Better than most in the genre, but 

not top of the heap. [AM] 

"Fairchild" 1978 (Flight FR 1706) 

FALLEN ANGELS (DC) 

Flashy progressive rock in Yes style. 

"It's a Long Way Down" 1968 (Roulette sr-42011) [gatefold] 

-- also released in Germany 

"Roulette Masters, part 2" 1995 (CD Collectables vol-5446) 

-- reissue of the second LP 

"It's a Long Way Down" 2004 (Roulette sr-42011) 

TYLER FAMULARO (WI) 

One of the ultimate examples of the East Coast psych 

sound; moody, intricate, with a peculiar intensity. A 

long time favorite of late 60s collectors and no 

wonder as it has the makings of a masterpiece. Hard 

to pinpoint really, but some parts are like a highbrow 

Common People, others like a folkrock Mandrake 

Memorial. Arrangements and songwriting are most 

impressive, with "A Horn Playing On My Thin Wall" 

being a personal favorite. Often compared to the 

equally rare Morning Dew LP but this is deeper and 

more original. The Sgt Pepper of DC, though of course 

much better! [PL] 

~~~ 

From the depths of despair and angst comes this 

masterpiece, a howling wail of pain and discomfort 

that sounds like nothing else. Somewhere in here are 

elements of loner folk, Beach Boys-style pop and 

psychedelia, but all are used in a unique way that 

makes this as personal an album as I know, despite 

being recorded by a “group”. Great songwriting and 

solid performances throughout. By the time the upbeat 

pop of the title song appears (it’s the second to 

last song) it just drips with irony. A truly great 

album that justifies the high price tag. Very hard to 

find for a major label release. The band's common 

first LP (also on Roulette) is poppier and less 

interesting, with a good track in "Room at the top". 

[AM] 

"Down Deep" 1975 (Audiofex ax-7081) [plain cover; red label] 

"Down Deep" 1976 (Audiofex ax-7081) [plain cover; yellow 

label]

Probably the best of those mid-70s “Advance reviewer 

copy” albums that were sold through ads in Rolling 

Stone. Mostly a solid power pop album with minor hard 

rock moves, a bit of wah-wah. Nice vocals. One ballad 

with a lot of moog veers in the direction of 

cheesiness, but still works reasonably well. Like 

most of the albums in this series, "Down Deep" is 

very short —- about 25 minutes. This Audiofex LP and 

others on the label were issued in plain, disco-style 

covers (labels exposed) and stamped "Advance Reviewer 

Copy -- Confidential". [AM] 

MERRELL FANKHAUSER (Los Angeles, CA / Maui, HI) 

"Things" 1968 (Shamley 701) 

"Things" 1985 (Time Stood Still 2, UK) 

"Things" 1997 (CD Afterglow 015, UK) 

"Things" 1997 (CD Sundazed 6094) [+3 tracks] 

Fankhauser fans will naturally go on at great length 

about the qualities of this LP (released as by 

Merrell Fankhause & HMS Bounty) but to others it may 

seem no more than a decent flowerpsych LP with strong 

UK influences. A couple of really good tracks like 

the sitar trip of "Ashiya" and fuzz-psych of "Driving 

Sideways", but also a bit of the mid-60s pop stuff I 

found hard to dig on the earlier Fapardokly album. 

Hardly the stuff of legend, but a good one for genre 

fans. [PL] 

"Merrell Fankhauser" 1976 (Maui 101) [lyric inner] 

"Maui" 1997 (CD Xotic Mind, Sweden) [album +7 tracks] 

A k a "The Maui Album", this has some great melodic 

psych and some weaker pop. Not quite on level with 

the MU albums. The CD contains several bonus tracks, 

at least one of which is a psych killer. Modern 

recordings, some of which are considered to be quite 

good, include "Dr. Fankhauser" (1986, Full Blast/ 

Line, Germany); "Message to the Universe" (198?, One 

Big Guitar); "Flying to Machu Picchu" (1992, CD 

Legend, France); "Further On Up the Road" (CD/2LP 

200?, Akarma, Italy). [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Fapardokly; Mu 

FANTASTIC DEE-JAYS (McKeesport, PA) 

"Fantastic Dee-Jays" 1966 (Stone 4003) 

"Fantastic Dee-Jays" 1984 (Eva 12028, France) 

-- the spine lists the title as 'Fight Fire' 

"30th Anniversary" 1996 (CD Millenia) [altered sleeve] 

"30th Anniversary" 1996 (Millenia) [altered sleeve] 

Above-average local beat-garage LP by Pittsburgh 

maniacs who later transformed into the Swamp Rats. 

Two killer tracks (also out on 45) have been comp'd 

on Hipsville vol 1 but there's some other good stuff

FANTUZZI (NY) 

too, though more beat than garage. Some tracks have a 

lo-fi dawn of man feel, such as "Apache". They had 

several 45s as well. The old boot reissue has some 

sleeve wear from the copy that was used. [PL] 

"An Open Heart" 1978 (Akashic) 

FAPARDOKLY (CA) 

Eastern mystical swami sounds with sitar, flute, 

female backing vocals and percussion. 

"Fapardokly" 1967 (UIP 2250) [1000p] 

"Fapardokly" 1983 (Psycho 05, UK) [300#d; altered cover] 

"Fapardokly" 198 (5 Hours Back, UK) 

"Fapardokly" 1995 (CD Sundazed sc-6059) [+3 tracks] 

A legendary LP, both for its (supposed) rarity and 

the appearance of future Mu-wizard Merrell 

Fankhauser. This is mid-60s pop/folkrock rather than 

the psych dealers might it hype it for; the hazy 

"Gone To Pot" excluded. Pretty classy stuff with 

traces of the Byrds and Beatles but also obvious 

remnants of an earlier, pre-Invasion pop era of Buddy 

Holly and the Everly Brothers. Merrell's talent is on 

clear display even at this early stage, with each 

track being a finely tuned and completely realized 

pop song. Fave tracks include the dreamy opener 

"Lila" and the inspiredly weird "Mr Clock". Quite 

enjoyable all through as long as you don't expect 

Lemurian hippie psych magic. A retrospective Merrell 

& the Exiles LP titled "The Early Years 1964-67" 

exists on the American Sound label with the same 

lineup as the Fapardokly LP and collects earlier 

tracks. [PL] 

~~~ 

This early Fankhauser album feels like two eras of 

recordings stuck together on one album (and 

apparently is a mix of recordings from a few 

different years). There are great moments from both 

the pop/folk-rock songs and the more experimental 

psychedelic tunes, but not enough to make this worth 

the $300 price tag it commands (even after a box was 

unearthed in the 80s). “Super Market” is the best 

song, a sparkling folk-rock tune with surprisingly 

effective horns. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Merrell Fankhauser; MU 

FAR CRY (Boston, MA) 

"Far Cry" 1968 (Vanguard Apostolic vsd-6510)

"Far Cry" 2000 (Comet/Vanguard, Italy) 

"Far Cry" 2000 (CD Akarma/Vanguard, Italy) 

GLENN FARIA (KY) 

A true mess of an album, psychedelic jazz freakout 

that must be the strangest thing released on the 

Vanguard label. The singer is utterly unhinged and 

unable to carry a tune. He makes Fred Cole of the 

Lollipop Shoppe and the guy from the Hampton Grease 

Band sound mellow and in control. The long songs are 

boring, even the moody slow one. Some people like 

this but it’s more remarkable for its weirdness than 

for the quality of the music, which I find 

unlistenable. Recommended to people who like the 

Erica Pomerance album but wish the songs were more 

well-played. [AM] 

~~~ 

Geez, ever heard the phrase something is "an acquired 

taste"? Well, it's certainly an applicable 

description for the Boston-based Far Cry. An early 

entry to the horn-rock sweepstakes, this seven piece 

outfit was signed by the short-lived New York-based 

Vanguard Apostolic Records, and the band's selftitled 

debut teamed them with producer Daniel Weiss. 

Imagine Blood, Sweat and Tears locked into a closet 

with Captain Beefheart and Quicksilver Messenger 

Service's John Cipollina... Largely original (the 

lone exception being a cover of Riley King's 'Sweet 

Little Angel'), the album featured a strange blend of 

jazz, fusion and psychedelic rock moves. While it may 

not have sounded particularly promising, the 

combination of styles was actually intriguing. 

Whiting's bizarre and wild voice (on tracks such as 

'Shapes' and 'Hellhound' it sounded as if he were 

about to suffer a terminal stoke), Martin's free form 

sax (sometime it sounded as if he were reading the 

charts for a different song) and Lenart's fluid 

guitar (check out the introduction to 'Earthlight') 

made for an album we play on a regular basis. [SB] 

"Glenn Faria" 197 (Tiger Lily 14058) 

"Glenn Faria" 2002 (CD World In Sound 1007, Germany) [+7 

bonus tracks] 

Wellwritten rootsy folk/blues recorded in the early 

1970s and performed in an agreeable manner. Best 

tracks have a Perry Leopold quality, and it's 

perfectly listenable all through. He speaks of 

learning from "older musicians", and for a white guy 

his gritty down home sound is unusually convincing. 

Good voice too - strange he never got a real 

recording contract. Worth checking out, though it's 

not psychedelic in any way. [PL] 

~~~ 

Faria’s album, credited to “Glen Faria,” is one of 

the most valuable Tiger Lily releases, and unlike 

many on the label appears to have been a complete 

album intended for actual release (probably on 

Roulette). It took a good five years from completion 

of the recording to the release of the record (and 

more than thirty before a legitimate release.) One of 

the quirks about a label like Tiger Lily is that it 

creates a situation where major label-quality 

recordings end up on records that as rare as any

FARM (IL) 

private press. In other words, this is no “real 

people” recording. Faria’s album is a highly 

professional mix of and electric rock and acoustic 

folk/blues. On a couple of songs he adopts a macho 

growl that doesn’t appeal to me, and the album is 

somewhat sluggish at times, but otherwise it is very 

good. It has a cool mellow sound, thoughtful songs 

and some nice understated lead guitar. Recommended to 

singer-songwriter fans. The CD includes seven okay 

demo-sounding bonus tracks, six of which are acoustic 

recordings that the CD claims are from 1964 but sound 

much later than that. Interestingly, the one song 

that would be re-recorded for the album is much 

faster in the original version. The other bonus track 

has the exact same melody as Bob Seger’s well-known 

“Turn The Page,” but the CD claims it was recorded in 

1969, which is before the Seger song was released. 

[AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Headstone Circus 

"Farm" 1970 (Crusade Enterprises 465) [500p] 

"Farm" 1995 (Crusade Enterprises, Austria) [bootleg; gatefold; 

300p] 

"Farm" 2000 (Akarma, Italy) [10"; brown vinyl] 

Seen some excited ramblings on this but was 

disappointed upon hearing it as it's straight boogie 

for most part, has about two decent tracks in a 

westcoast style while the rest sucks. Maybe I'm 

missing something here but I can't recommend it to 

anyone. [PL] 

~~~ 

Featuring largely original material, the set's fairly 

varied. The opening instrumental "Jungle Song" and 

"Sunshine In My Window" are both strong guitarpropelled 

numbers that sound heavily influenced by 

both The Allman Brothers and Santana. Elsewhere, 

'Cottonfield Woman' was a nice slice of blues-rock, 

while as you'd probably expect from the title "Let 

the Boy Boogie" and a cover of "Statesboro Blues" 

were okay slices of boogie. [SB] 

~~~ 

see -> Gene Hood 

FARM (Los Angeles, CA) 

"The Innermost Limits of Pure Fun" 1976 (Series 2) [swirl 

label] 

"The Innermost Limits of Pure Fun" 1976 (Dendra) [red label;

plain cover with title sticker] 

"The Innermost Limits of Pure Fun" 1976 (Series 2) [red label; 

plain cover with "Farm" stamped] 

Soundtrack to great obscure surf flick, mostly 

instrumental jams in a psychy 1970s surf style. One 

track has been comp'd. Also released in Australia in 

a laminated sleeve (Rebel label), and the movie does 

include Australian footage. Apart from the many surf 

soundtracks the Dragon brothers were involved in a 

ski movie called "Winter Equinox". 

~~~ 

Here's some info on the band collected by Mike 

Cooper: "The lead guitarist Denny Aaberg was a keen 

surfer and well known surf writer from Pacific 

Palisades ("Big Wednesday" was based on Denny 

Aaberg's surfing youth, with Bill Pritchard who is 

also in this soundtrack band), while others in the 

band have been Beach Boys-connected in the 1980s-90s. 

Ernie Knapp briefly played bass with the Beach Boys 

before getting thrown out, while Dennis Dragon did 

sound work for them. The Dragon brothers hailed from 

Hollywood and Doug and Dennis (drums and organ on 

this soundtrack) were brothers to Daryl Dragon of 

"Captain and Tenille" (Daryl was a 

friend/collaborator of Dennis Wilson), and Daryl is 

an additional musician on this soundtrack, which was 

one of 30 produced by Dennis and Daryl in Dennis's 

Malibu bedroom. Movie producer George Greenough is a 

surfing legend for his many films with cameras "onboard" 

and his surf philosophy. He financed the 

making of "Pure Fun" entirely from the proceeds of 

his fishing business, and resides in Australia 

today". 

~~~ 

see -> Corky Carroll and Friends; A Sea For Yourself 

FARM BAND a k a TENNESSEE FARM BAND; STEPHEN & THE FARM BAND (TN) 

"Farm Band" 1972 (Mantra 777) [2LPs; gatefold; lyric 

innersleeves; poster] 

"Farm Band" 2004 (Akarma 287, Italy) [2LPs; gatefold; poster] 

"Up In Your Thing" 1973 (Farm fe-1776) 

Religious communal group with westcoast jammy sound, 

led by noted hippie activist/philosopher Stephen 

Gaskin. The debut double is usually considered the 

best. The 1973 LP is credited to Stephen and the Farm 

Band. Later LPs include "On the Rim of the Nashville 

Basin" (Farm 1001, 1976; reissued by Akarma) and 

"Communion" (Farm 1013, 1977), credited to Tennessee 

Farm Band. They also recorded as Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission (1970s; Official 1180). 

J.W. FARQUHAR (Philadelphia, PA) 

"The Formal Female" 197 (no label) 

Early 1970s fringe art-avant/psych obscurity, highly 

rated by the few who have heard it.

FAT (western MA) 

FATE (ME) 

"Fat" 1970 (RCA lsp-4368) 

"Fat" 2005 (CD Radioactive 138, UK) 

"Fat" 2005 (RCA Victor) [bootleg?] 

Somewhere between the Bosstown psychedelic sound and 

a more mainstream 70s rock sound, these guys put 

together a pretty solid album. The pick hit is the 

very catchy “Shape I’m In,” but all of it is 

worthwhile. The last song has a painfully out of key 

or out of tune harmonica (I can’t believe nobody in 

the recording studio noticed!), which closes the 

album off on an appealing, if unsettling, freaky 

vibe. A Canadian pressing exists. There is also a 

more mainstream-sounding 2nd LP released by the band 

themselves, "Footlose" (Dream Merchant, 1976). [AM] 

"Fate" 1969 (no label, no #) [test pressing] 

"Sgt Death" 1999 (Rockadelic 37) [insert; booklet; marble pink 

vinyl] 

"Sgt Death" 2001 (CD Shadoks 017) 

One of the few 1960s-era titles in the Rockadelic 

catalog, this piece of zeitgeist plays like a 

completely finalized album that could, and probably 

should, have come out back then. Archetypal ambitious 

mainstream psych with a New England slant a la St 

Steven while extensive use of keyboards recalls the 

1st Mandrake Memorial; the all-bases-covered approach 

could appeal to fans of Food as well. Vocals are a 

bit too Morrisonesque/operatic, while the production 

and arrangements are impressive. Not a bad LP but 

spread a bit too thin for my tastes; the sarcastic 

anti-Vietnam title track is what makes it stand out. 

Die-cut sleeve design makes the reissue look like a 

local heavy metal LP. Band (or main guy) recorded a 

rare garage 45 as Euphoria's ID prior to this. Here 

is a description of the original album: "a no info 

test pressing, other than the words FATE SIDE 1 and 

FATE Side 2 written on it. Side one dead wax says "6 

25 68 a 1", side 2 dead wax "2 1 69 b 1". The reissue 

rearranges the track order and has a somewhat 

different (less compressed) sound than the original 

disc. [PL] 

FATHER YOD & THE SPIRIT OF '76 see YA HO WHA 13 

FAUN (San Francisco, CA) 

"Faun" 1969 (Gregar gg-70000) [wlp exists] 

DIDI FAVREAU (NY) 

Odd mix of pop psych and swing band sounds. Ex- 

Frumious Bandersnatch.

FAXX (AK) 

"Rebirth of Wonder" 1968 (RSVP es-8004) 

Jazzy trippy femme folk with some avant jazz moves 

somewhat in Erica Pomerance camp. Same label as Faine 

Jade. 

"Faxx" 1977 (Faxx no#) [500p] 

Hard rock. 

FBC BAND (Fort Wayne, IN) 

"Worth a Fortune" 1982 (no label, no#) 

FEAR ITSELF (CA) 

Heavy progressive rock guitar/keys with high pitched 

vocals and a mid-1970s sound. Side 2 was recorded 

live. The album title is of course wishful thinking. 

[RM] 

"Fear Itself" 1969 (Dot 25942) 

Overlooked Big Brother/Janis-style psychrock LP with 

wailing femme vocals, crude guitarleads and two very 

good acid freakout tracks the main attraction. 

Attains some genuine intensity and the band 

definitely was more at home among freaks than 

teenyboppers. Three unimaginative blues/soul covers 

keeps this from being a classic. A French pressing 

with a different sleeve exists. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is Ellen McIlwaine's first recording, and one of 

the very few female-led rock bands of the time. 

McIlwaine would soon make her name as a bluesy folk 

artist who plays a mean slide guitar, but here she 

tried to get heavy. Supposedly Led Zeppelin ripped 

off "In My Time Of Dying" from this record. The 

band's name refers to McIlwaine's feeling of being a 

woman in the male-dominated rock business, and 

admittedly there are moments where a certain kind of 

uncertainty shows through here. The album has some 

excellent moments and a nice tough sound, but feels 

like it was recorded before they were entirely ready. 

Nonetheless, it's quite listenable and a solid album 

that rivals the male heavy psych records of the era. 

[AM] 

FEATHER DA GAMBA (LA) 

"Like It or Get Bent" 1971 (D.G 7743) 

"Like It or Get Bent" 2000 (Void) 

Lo-fi basement swamprock obscurity covering an 

eclectic field of Ant Trip Ceremony late-night 

jazzrock, quirky jugband moves, murky Stone Harbour

FEDERAL DUCK ( ) 

rock with funny lyrics - doesn't appear to be 

entirely serious, but hard to tell the jokes from the 

seriousness. Organ and what sounds like a clarinet 

(?) upfront, lack of strong guitarleads may 

disappoint some. Plenty of atmosphere, closing track 

in particular is good. Not a great LP, but a cool 

trip for an open mind. [PL] 

"Federal Duck" 1968 (Musicor mm-2162) [wlp exists] 

"Federal Duck" 2004 (CD Radioactive, UK) 

Underrated album whose silly cover gives no clue to 

the moody, late-night sounds inside. Comparable to a 

more structured Freeborne, with a mild jazz 

influence, great bass playing and a dark vibe. A few 

upbeat songs break the mold (one sounds just like the 

Holy Modal Rounders), but this is consistently good, 

much better than a lot of albums with ten times the 

price tag. [AM] 

FELLOWSHIP CHRISTIAN CHURCH ( ) 

FELT (AL) 

"Man Of Sorrow" 197 (no label) 

Moody xian folk psych. Acoustic and electric guitar, 

piano, some synth. Nice lost downerdom in the 

biographical 'lost musician finds God' title track 

and the downright weird "The Prostitute" which brings 

to mind Peter Grudzien's "Redemption". Pretty female 

vocal on "Rose of Sharon". [RM] 

"Felt" 1971 (Nasco 9006) 

"Felt" 2000 (CD Akarma 127, Italy) [digipak] 

"Felt" 2000 (Akarma 127, Italy) 

Strong Southern psychrock LP that's probably the best 

thing on the label. Excellent teenage vocals and a 

wide-ranging spectrum of influences including late 

Beatle-psych, mellow west coast-jamming and early 

1970s hardrock, held together by a tight band who 

obviously put a lot of effort into this album. 

Strange that this took so long to get reissued, 

although the bizarre cover may have contributed. [PL] 

~~~ 

Solid album that goes from Beatlesque pop to bluesy 

hard rock, this one gets everything right. The tenminute 

song that starts side two has an awesome riff 

and maintains a fantastic level of intensity. Sounds 

awfully mature for the work of a supposedly 17-yearold 

singer/songwriter. A really good one. The album 

was mastered a little off-center, and the Akarma 

reissue was mastered from the vinyl. The last song on

oth orig and re has an annoying wavery sound to it. 

A reissue from the master tapes would be very 

welcome. [AM] 

~~~ 

This album is unexpectedly diverse and impressive. 

The opener 'Look At the Sun' served as an atypical, 

but gorgeous ballad. It sounds kind of strange but 

the song actually benefits from Jackson's somewhat 

quivery vocal performances. Couple with some great 

lead guitar at the end of the track, it's also the 

most commercial song on the album. Sporting an antidrug 

lyric 'Now She's Gone' starts out with a pseudojazzy 

flavor complete with scat segments before 

mutating into a bluesy segment and then going back 

into jazz mode. It probably doesn't sound very 

promising on paper, but somehow these guys make it 

one of the album's most entertaining pieces. 

Musically 'Weepin' Mama Blues' is a pretty standard 

keyboard and guitar propelled blues workout that 

sports some killer drum work and a lead guitar and 

scat vocal combination that won't quit. It may also 

have Jackson's best vocal performance. He sure 

doesn't sound like a 17 year old on this one. 

Clocking in at over ten minutes and going through 

numerous time changes, "The Change" is an 

entertaining mix of progressive and hard rock moves. 

As for the two other tracks; "World" was a decent 

hard rock number that's knocked down a notch by 

Jackson's strained falsetto vocal (though part of the 

problem may explained by a pressing defect that saw 

the album mastered slightly off center). The final 

selection "Destination" was simply bland. All in all 

a real surprise with great songs, great performances 

and surprisingly clean and sophisticated production 

work. [SB] 

FEMININE COMPLEX (Nashville, TN) 

"Livin' Love" 1969 (Athena 6001) 

"Livin' Love" 2000 (Teenbeat TB-196) 

"Livin' Love" 2001 (CD Gear Fab) [+bonus tracks] 

"Livin' Love" 2001 (Gear Fab) 

"Livin' Love" 2004 (CD Rev-Ola, UK) [+bonus tracks] 

"Livin' Love" 2004 (CD Beatball 13, South Korea) [+bonus 

tracks] 

Legendary femme psych album that, like the Daisy 

Chain album, mixes horn-led pop with some much more 

interesting experimental songs. It opens and closes 

with screaming fuzz guitar blowouts, and nothing in 

between (except maybe the catchy pop tune "I Won't 

Run") is anywhere near as good. Would have made a 

great single or EP. For years it was questioned 

whether they really existed but the reissue confirms 

that they were an actual band, though session 

musicians helped with the album. The reissue CD has 

tons of bonus tracks of dubious value, making the 

album seem endless. [AM] 

~~~ 

Nashville's little known The Feminine Complex have to 

be seen as groundbreakers (albeit some twenty years 

ahead of popular tastes). As an all girl, selfcontained 

band, simply having had the talent, skills 

and fortitude to record an album in the late-'60s 

stands as an amazing accomplishment. The fact the set 

is as good as it is, makes it all the more

impressive. "Livin' Love" was a strange effort. 

Largely penned by Mindy Dalton, musically the set 

offered up a weird mix of raw rockers and 

surprisingly tame MOR ballads. On one hand, fuzz and 

feedback propelled rockers such as the leadoff 

stomper "Hide and Seek", the feedback paced "It's", 

"Time Slips By" and the soulful, horn-propelled "Run 

That Thru Your Mind" were apparently a true 

reflection of the band's live act. At the other end 

of the spectrum, backed by studio musicians and 

elaborated arrangements, "Now I Need You", "Are You 

Lonesome Like Me" and "I Won't Run" reflected 

Kilpatrick and Powell's desire to give the band a 

more polished and commercial sound. With the latter 

material recalling the Petula Clark school of top-40 

success (check out "Forgetting"), guess which numbers 

were more impressive? Ironically, by the time the 

record was released, falling victim to parental 

pressure to complete school, Napiers, Stephens and 

Williams had all quit the band. That probably 

explains why Dalton and Griffith were the only two 

band members shown on the back cover. [SB] 

HANS FENGER & LANGLEY SCHOOLS CHORUS (Langley, Canada) 

"Hans Fenger & Glenwood Region Group" 1976 (no label) 

"Hans Fenger & Wix-Brown Elementary School" 1977 (no label EPN 

7259) 

"Langley Schools Music Project - Innocence & Despair" 2001 (Bar 

None) [2LPs; gatefold] 

"Langley Schools Music Project - Innocence & Despair" 2001 (CD 

Bar None) 

The title of the reissue (a compilation from the two 

albums) is perfect, as these high school recordings 

beautifully portray the exuberance and innocence of 

an age when everyone loved to sing. The stark and 

heavily reverbed production, combined with the huge 

wall of voices, give the songs a certain kind of 

eerie sound that would be awfully hard to duplicate. 

This is the kind of album that some people will 

absolutely fall in love with. An objective opinion, 

though, is that it’s really cool for a couple of 

songs but doesn’t really need to be a whole album. 

Klaatu’s “Calling Occupants” is an inspired song 

choice. The highlight, though, is undoubtedly 

“Desperado”, with a heart-wrenching solo vocal from 

one young girl. It makes me think that an entire 

album like this, but with children singing the lead 

vocals rather than in chorus form, would be 

spellbinding. Of the original LPs, the first one 

includes things like "Space Oddity" and "Band On The 

Run", while the second has "Venus & Mars", "In my 

room", etc. Only a few hundred copies were pressed of 

each. [AM] 

FENNER, LELAND & O'BRIEN (Hamilton, NY)

"Peace In Our Time" 1969 (RPC AZ 41771/41772) [laminated 

cover; 50p; insert] 

"Fenner, Leland & O'Brien" 2003 (CD Wild Places) [2-on-1 re w/ 

2nd LP] 

Superrare debut LP only known to exist in a handful 

of copies. More of a demo vibe than the 2nd, with 

flubbed lines left intact and a DIY attitude. Opens 

with a great but atypical 10-minute fuzz/organ 

folkrock excursion, while rest of the LP is lowkey 

and intimate hippie folk. Excellent unpretentious 

vocals reminiscent of the guy in Shadrack Chameleon, 

while lyrics address 'Nam concerns and other 

counterculture themes of the era, plus some 

introspective laments. Has a NYC college dorm vibe 

similar to Patron Saints, although the band was from 

upstate (Colgate University). A solid trip for genre 

fans, holds up well to the sequel. Generic tree 

foliage/sunlight sleeve. [PL] 

"Somewhere, Someday, Somehow" 1970 (RPC AZM 70402) [250p] 

"Somewhere, Someday, Somehow" 2000 (Wild Places) [altered 

sleeve] 

"Fenner, Leland & O'Brien" 2003 (CD Wild Places) [2-on-1 re w/ 

1st LP] 

-- 3 tracks from the original LP are omitted on the reissues 

Obscure hippie folkrock/singer-songwriter LP on the 

mythical RPC custom label, discovered and reissued 

only recently. A good one too, with a CSN&Y influence 

typical of the genre, consistent and with quality 

songwriting. Some tracks utilize an electric setting 

+ organ, others are more lowkey acoustic. I'm 

reminded of Timmothy and Brigg here and there, even 

has some Patron Saints vibes. Admirably relaxed and 

unpretentious vocals recall some of the more famous 

UK rural hippiefolk rarities. Worth checking out. 

Generic sky/clouds sleeve. [PL] 

FERRON (Vancouver, Canada) 

"Ferron" 1977 (Lucy Records no #) 

"Backed Up" 1978 (Lucy Records) 

FIELDS (CA) 

Lesbian singer/songwriter with a long career; her 

first two albums contain downer folk moves with 

earthy vocals. Several tracks from these two privates 

were re-recorded for her first commercial release, 

"Testimony" in 1980. 

"Fields" 1969 (Uni 73050) [unipak]

MIKE FIEMS (AZ) 

"Fields" is kind of an oddity; especially for a 

record label that's best known for a more poporiented 

catalog. The album's overall feel is very 

blues-rockish. A number of reviews we've seen draw 

comparisons to Cream. In this case the comparison 

isn't bad, with tracks such as the leadoff rocker 

'Elysian Fields', 'Take You Home' and 'Jump On It' 

baring more than a passing resemblance to Clapton and 

company. Exemplified by tracks such as 'Bide My 

Time', the performances are quite raw. Personal 

favorite - the bizarre, sidelong 'Love Is the Word'. 

With backing from Motown singer Brenda Holloway, the 

song offers up a weird blend of rock, psych and soul 

influences. Stretched out over nearly 20 minutes, it 

has to be heard to be believed. [SB] 

~~~ 

Decent hard rock effort by a band with a Cream 

fixation (but thankfully no drum solos). Lots of lead 

guitar on the normal length songs on side one. Side 

two is one 20-minute song that has a lot of creative 

ideas and builds in intensity. It's much better than 

most side-long songs of the era and is an actual 

composition, not just an excuse for jamming. Overall, 

a good but not great album that is interesting enough 

to be recommended to fans of the style. [AM] 

"I Would Dream" 1974 (Vermillion V-1974W) 

Little-known singer/songwriter produced by Ray Vernon 

for his label. Fiems collaborated with Vernon on 

another production around the same time. 

15:60:75 a k a NUMBERS BAND (Kent, OH) 

"Jimmy Bell's Still In Town" 1976 (Water Brothers no #) 

"Jimmy Bell's Still In Town" 2005 (CD Hearpen Records 112) 

This is a cool, unique record. The standard Grateful 

Dead-meets-Velvet-Underground description isn't 

accurate at all, if you ask me. These guys peppered 

their soulful rock with jazzy jamming and a streetpoet 

style of vocalizing to create a distinctive 

sound. Lots of saxophones, but plenty of guitar too. 

The long songs are well-thought out and the live 

recording is very crisp and clear. They project 

coolness throughout. They're legends in Cleveland and 

some think they were one of the best live bands ever. 

It's likely that this live LP is better than anything 

they could have done in the studio, and later records 

don't come close to it. Other LPs include "2" from 

1982 and "Among The Wandering" from 1987, both on the 

Water Brothers label. They also recorded a cassetteonly 

live show, "Blues" (1991, Reedurban). [AM] 

~~~ 

Amazing droning urban 1970s guitar/sax underground 

rock outside of any known genre, with the tightest 

groove section since Bubble Puppy. A melting pot of 

inner city sounds grabbing you by the throat and 

shaking you down until you've forked over the $$$ 

needed to keep the Numbers Band party going with 

cocaine, women and Sly Stone records all night. Blows

FIFTH FLIGHT ( ) 

95% of all "psychedelic" LPs off the map. [PL] 

"Into Smoke Tree Village" 1970 (Century 39398) 

Unexceptional lounge rock covers with fuzz and organ, 

including heavy version of Neil Young's "Sugar 

Mountain". Beautiful generic mill wheel cover. 

V.A "FIFTH PIPE DREAM" (San Francisco, CA) 

"Fifth Pipe Dream" 1968 (SF Sound 11680) [1st issue with b/w 

cover; gatefold; sticker inserts] 

"Fifth Pipe Dream" 1968 (SF Sound 11680) [2nd issue with color 

cover; gatefold; sticker inserts] 

"Fifth Pipe Dream" 198 (SF Sound) [bootleg; color cover; no 

gatefold] 

While many obscure San Francisco LPs are 

disappointing, here's one that delivers in full. 

Tripsichord and It's A Beautiful Day turn in some of 

their best tracks ever and the obscurer acts are 

great too, particularly Indian Puddin & Pipe who 

contribute heavily to the aura surrounding this comp 

with "Hashish" and "Water or Wine" (both comp'd). 

Black Swan are also featured. This was an attempt 

from notorious scoundrel Matthew Katz to cash in on 

the S F scene and as far as music goes, he succeeded. 

Produced by Rusty Evans of The Deep under his real 

name. Most tracks were recorded in 1967. The band 

logo stickers are quite rare and may have been promo 

only. [PL] 

FIFTY FOOT HOSE (San Francisco, CA) 

"Cauldron" 1967 (Limelight 86062) [lyric inner sleeve; ylp 

exists] 

"Cauldron" 1995 (CD Weasel Disc) [+3 tracks] 

"Cauldron" 1996 (CD Big Beat wikd-158) [+bonus tracks] 

An old cutout bin staple and underrated for many 

years, has been revaluated and is now seen as a 

pinnacle for the true acid sound. Fillmore-style 

guitar jams mix with garage electronics and strong 

songwriting to create a truly unique and essential 

experience. The epic "Fantasies" is as good an 

approximation of an LSD trip as you'll ever find. I 

rate this among my personal top 20 60s major label 

LPs. Something of a mystery group as they didn't play 

live much, even in their native San Francisco. An 

original UK pressing on Mercury exists. Opinions on

their early 45 and unreleased pre-"Cauldron" material 

(issued as "Ingredients", Del-Val 1997) differ, 

personally I found it a bit too arty and 

unpsychedelic. There is also a "Live and unreleased" 

CD on the Jaspac label featuring 1995 recordings. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

Fantastic electronic album that really pulls out all 

the stops. It’s experimental, but not at the expense 

of great songs. The obvious comparison is the United 

States of America, and this album is better in some 

ways, weaker in others. Most notably, the United 

States of America succeeded in integrating their 

sound effects, synthesizer noise and other 

electronics directly into their compositions in 

logical ways, while here much of the noise and 

electronics sounds random. They’re still fun and 

exciting, but don’t have the same power as the more 

carefully thought out U.S.A. arrangements. The result 

is that the best songs here don’t match the best of 

U.S.A. On the other hand, unlike that album’s three 

or four weak songs, there aren’t any duds here. Nancy 

Blossom isn’t half the singer Dorothy Moskowitz is, 

but she also takes more risks, with the eerie, freaky 

title track being a wholly successful example. The CD 

adds the earlier “Bad Trip” single, which has to be 

the most abrasive and free-from song to have been 

recorded in 1966. It’s not exactly “good,” and is 

more enjoyable when heard separately from the album 

as a whole, but it shows this ahead-of-their-time 

band’s willingness to try just about anything without 

letting “good taste” get in the way. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Leland 

FILET OF SOUL (Thorp, WI) 

"Freedom" 1970 (Moniquid 4857) 

"Freedom" was different from a lot of era albums in 

that it showcased a largely original set of material. 

Largely penned by member Mike Peace, the album 

showcased an interesting mix of blue-eyed soul 

("Treat Her Right"), top-40 pop ("Here's Where I Get 

Off") and tougher rock material ("Come To Me"). As 

lead singer Peace had a great voice that was more 

than capable of handling the band's diverse 

repertoire. It was all performed with the kind of 

naive enthusiasm that more than compensated for 

whatever performance short comings the band had and 

for the somewhat low-fi sound and production. 

Interestingly virtually every one of the twelve songs 

had commercial potential, but these guys were at 

their best when playing straight ahead rock - the 

wah-wah guitar propelled title track, "Big City USA", 

the fuzz-driven "Standin At the Wrong Machine" and 

the raging garage screamer "Steppin Into You Fire". 

There was also a nice cover of the Zombies' "Tell Her 

No". Certainly not the most original album you've 

ever heard, but thoroughly charming and one that I 

continually spin. The b & w cover is due to a color 

sleeve being beyond the band's means, after 

purchasing the rights to the album from Chess, who 

chose not to release it. [SB]

FINCHLEY BOYS (Champaign, IL) 

"Everlasting Tributes" 1972 (Golden Throat 200-19) [1000p; 

some copies w/ sticker] 

"Everlasting Tributes" 1983 (Golden Throat) 

"Practice Sessions" 1984 (Eva ev-102, France) [altered sleeve; 

bonus tracks] 

"Everlasting Tributes" 1993 (CD Eva b-28, France) [+3 tracks] 

"Everlasting Tributes" 2004 (CD World Psychedelia, Korea) 

PETE FINE (NY/AZ) 

Wasted bluesy album that has its moments, especially 

“It All Ends.” This is best when they veer from their 

bluesy base, but overall it’s a pretty solid heavy 

rock album. The material was recorded in 1968-69 but 

not released until 1972. Contrary to popular belief, 

there was no 'indistinguishable repress' by the band 

in the 1980s. The numerous copies that turned up then 

was due to someone connected to the band buying the 

remaining 500 copies that were held by the 

manufacturer. All these copies are originals, with or 

without the sticker. The 1983 reissue has a '1983' 

copyright on the label and a slightly thinner sleeve. 

The Eva CD reissue stupidly changes the running order 

and inserts mostly mediocre bonus tracks in between 

the songs from the album proper. If you listen to it 

in this context, you’ll really underestimate the 

quality of the original LP. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Don Thompson 

"On a Day of Crystalline Thought" 1974 (no label 4374) [100p; 

insert] 

"On a Day of Crystalline Thought" 2001 (Shadoks, Germany) 

[insert; 450#d] 

"On a Day of Crystalline Thought" 200 (CD Shadoks, Germany) 

Post-Flow fullblown acid orchestrations, closest 

thing to a hippie symphony you can find. Covers a 

track from the Flow LP though you'll hardly recognize 

it in this context. Don't know how he could afford it 

all, and stranger still it actually works - the total 

effect is like walking around in a summery national 

park on acid. Only LP in this direction I've heard, 

interesting and worthwhile. The reissue has somewhat 

inferior sound to the original. [PL] 

~~~ 

Massive production full of strings and classical 

themes. Must have cost a fortune for a record Fine 

knew would never make him back his investment. If 

you’re in the right mood it sounds like a 

masterpiece, but really it’s overblown and tries way 

too hard. Clearly Fine is a unique voice with a lot 

of ideas, though this album feels kind of like the 

Damin Eih album, in that it’s too personal and quirky 

for more than a few bits and pieces to work unless 

you’re on Fine’s wavelength. A couple of songs from 

the Flow’s album are re-done here in a completely 

unrecognizeable form. [AM] 

"Northstar" 2004 (Shadoks, Germany)

Previously unreleased 1976 recordings with female 

vocals, reportedly not very exciting. 

FINGLETOAD, STRANGE & SIHO (IL) 

"Fingletoad & Strange" 1969 (IRC acetate) [plain white sleeve; 

inserts and photos] 

Recently discovered acetate from Chicago area guys 

which lead to the find of the great "Mazzola" LP 

detailed below. This first album is enjoyable with a 

demo-like feel; most tracks are in an introspective 

rural folkrock style, reminiscent both of westcoast 

and British bands of the era. Use of flute and a 

loose, moody vibe recalls Traffic, while other parts 

show a Flying Burrito Bros embryonic countryrock 

influence. Extended last track on side 1 is great 

while the rest is either listenable or good. Reissued 

as disc 2 of "Mazzola" on Shadoks, below. [PL] 

"Mazzola" 1970 (Zut 1147) [plain cover with band photo 

attached] 

"Mazzola" 2004 (Shadoks 055, Germany) [2LPs; 350#d; lyric 

insert] 

Unlike the debut album this was properly released 

although in such a limited pressing that it was 

unknown to exist until recently. The moody 

westcoast/early rural rock moves from the 1969 effort 

are explored further and given a full "rock" sound on 

this superior album. New band member "Siho" 

contributes some of the best tracks, like the 

brilliant opener "Marshland". The influence from 

"Everybody Knows"-era Neil Young is obvious and like 

similar albums (Shadrack Chameleon springs to mind) 

the derivation is successful. Recorded more or less 

live in the studio the sound is appealingly warm and 

organic, with talent on display across the board. The 

band temporarily breaks out of the rural CA mood on 

"Screaming Spiders" which has some remarkable acid 

guitarwork. Not all tracks are equally great although 

the band shows a lot of class in letting the three 

(by my count) killers run on, while some less 

remarkable countryrockers are kept short and sweet. 

All over one of Shadoks' best reissue picks by my 

ears, not a killer all through but with moments of 

outstanding greatness and a whole that works fine. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

The 2004 re-release of this previously unknown album 

was met with hype that's impossible to live up to. 

But if you don't expect it to be one of the top few 

psych albums ever, you're sure to find it worthwhile. 

They have a very interesting mix of influences, with 

a Beatlesque bit here (especially the McCartney-style 

bass playing), a CSN-style harmony there, some San 

Francisco style guitar here and some jazz there. Most 

of this is mellow and languid, with "Marshland" being 

particularly beautiful and dreamy. One pure country 

song falls a bit flat, but otherwise it's all very 

good or better. The absolute highlight is "Screaming 

Spiders," with stunning walls of feedback-heavy 

guitar. The songwriting has depth and this album gets 

better with multiple listens. The cheap production 

will appeal to some of you, but I think it detracts

from the quality of the music. [AM] 

FIRE & ICE, LTD (Los Angeles, CA) 

"The Happening" 1966 (Capitol t-2577) [mono] 

"The Happening" 1966 (Capitol st-2577) [stereo] 

FIRE & SNOW ( ) 

All bases covered on this early psych & soul 

exploitation. This band included noted musician John 

Greek, known for "City Jungle" by the Beautiful Daze 

as well as session work that included Lollipop 

Shoppe, the Seeds' "Wind blows your hair", the "LSD" 

album on Capitol, a classic garage 45 by the Puddin' 

Heads, and more. 

"Reflections of a New World Order" 1969 (Baha'I Publishing 

Trust CBF 2009) 

FIREBIRDS ( ) 

Not exactly Jesus music since it was recorded by the 

Baha'i Publishing Trust, but in terms of concepts and 

enthusiasm for the cause it actually fits in the same 

category. A compilation featuring 16 tracks with 

material from eight artists. Most of the performers 

are allotted two songs, though Phil Lucas is credited 

with four selections. The material is largely 

acoustic folk with religious oriented themes running 

through it, though such themes are more apparent in 

some selections than others. I'm assuming all of the 

performers were/are members of the Baha'i faith. Most 

of the tracks are at least mildly entertaining in a 

weird, dated kind of way. Probably because they 

reflect an Eastern influence, tracks like 

'Baha'u'llah' and 'Baha'u'llah, The Nightingale' are 

the most interesting efforts (Mighty Baby fans might 

find those tracks worth hearing). To my ears the 

standout track is Chris Ruhe's 'Blues for Jere'. A 

rather personal narrative of his trek to preach the 

Baha'i faith in Honduras, it's funny and touching at 

the same time. Best voice probably goes to Joany 

Lincoln, though her crystal clear voice is wasted on 

two rather bland tracks. [SB] 

"Light My Fire" 1968 (Crown cst 589) 

"Light My Fire" 2002 (CD Radioactive 003, UK) 

This is as cool as exploito gets. Other than the 

opening instrumental version of the title song, it's 

pure grungy hard rock with heavy guitar, spastic 

drums and pained vocals. It's one of the best heavy 

albums of the 60s and sounds like nothing else. That 

is, it sounds like nothing else except the 31 Flavors 

album, since that's the same band from the same 

recording sessions (and actually includes two songs 

that are mistakenly listed on this album's front 

cover.) Great album cover, too. A 4-track format 

version on Flair exists with no band name credited 

and additional tracks, presumably the 31 Flavors

FIRE ESCAPE (CA) 

material. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Underground Electrics 

"Psychotic Reaction" 1967 (GNP Crescendo 2034) [mono] 

"Psychotic Reaction" 1967 (GNP Crescendo 2034) [stereo; wlp 

exists] 

"Psychotic Reaction" 198 (GNP Crescendo 2034) [reissue; 

orange label] 

"Psychotic Reaction / Raw & Alive" 1991 (CD Demon, UK) [2-on- 

1] 

Some great snotty fuzz exploito. Cover says group is 

from San Francisco area but this is a Hollywood 

studio project with arrangements credited to Michael 

Lloyd. Half cover tunes including two Seeds tracks, 

one Music Machine and one Count V. Thee Midniters 

cover "Love Special Delivery" is pretty cool. 

Produced by Hank Levine. A Canadian pressing exists. 

[RM] 

FIRST CHIPS (Chicago, IL) 

"Clay Pidgeon vol 1" 1972 (Clay Pidgeon SFCV1) 

"Clay Pidgeon vol 1" 199 (Clay Pidgeon) [bootleg] 

Raunchy guitar rock wasted jamming. Not really a 

group but a collection of Vyto Baleska's recordings 

made at Clay Pigeon Sound Unlimited and at Crown 

Studios. One track dates back to 1964. Vyto produced 

and is backed by a variety of musicians on these 

tracks. [RM] 

~~~ 

see -> Vyto B 

FIRST FRIDAY (Notre Dame school, South Bend, IN) 

"First Friday" 1970 (Webster's Last Word S 2895) [500p] 

FIRST LITE (NJ) 

Recorded September 1969 at Golden Voice in Illinois 

and released by Chuck Perrin's local Indiana label, 

this was the work of Notre Dame's other recording act 

(apart from the Shaggs), and is a mix of heavy blues 

rock and rural folk. 

"A New College Experience" 1982 (Nexusonics) 

Strange LP with eclectic mix of electronics, straight 

singer/songwriter, jazzy instros and one track with a 

psychedelic feeling. Titles include "The wabe", 

"Galaxy", "The beckoning". Odd, non-descript color 

cover photo looks like someone cut a postcard in half 

and blew it up in size. An album for the bold and the 

bored.

FIRST REVELATION (Long Island, NY) 

"Gospel" 1972 (Revelation dl-4045) 

Credited to Danny & Lynda, this is a X-ian rock 

husband and wife team with drummer John Hauser (Blue 

Ridge). Half the LP is relatively normal soft rock 

praise and hymn material but on the remainder Danny 

goes into freakout distorted rubber band wah-wah 

riffs that are bizarre and heavy. The hard-rocking 

numbers include "Show Me One Place", "Keeper Of My 

Soul" and "Sing It Out". [RM] 

"This Side of Eternity" 1973 (Revelation d-5051) [first 

version] 

"This Side of Eternity" 1973 (Revelation d-5051) [second 

version; different recordings] 

What’s cool about the Danny & Lynda/First Revelation 

albums is that Danny is a hot guitarist in about ten 

different styles, with or without distortion and 

effects, slow, fast, country, 1950s style rock 

ballads, hard rock, bluegrass, you name it. He’s just 

fantastic, and he’s equally adept at the banjo. Lynda 

has one of the stronger voices in the genre—capable 

of real power. Unfortunately, like a lot of Christian 

singers she’s very precise and not very passionate. 

The few times she almost busts loose it’s obvious she 

could have been really great, as cool as Danny, if 

she lost a few inhibitions. This album offers a 

little of everything, for better or worse. (I could 

have done without “Jesus Loves Me,” for example.) “As 

Long As you Listen,” among others, rocks convincingly 

and the guitar gets pretty far out. An unexpected 

highlight is the world’s only banjo/moog duet, an 

instrumental version of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” 

of all things. My kids, 1 and 5 when they heard it, 

danced like crazy to the song and asked me to play it 

again. Not the most consistent album in the world, 

but that’s part of its charm. It’s worth it for the 

good parts, and there’s nothing else really like 

Danny & Lynda. The re-recorded second version with 

new drummer Bob Argirio is superior. The copies from 

the band find were this version. [AM] 

"Upon This Rock" 1975 (Revelation d-6736) 

Danny and Lynda are back and a bit more convential

(read: solemn) but there are still some fine moments 

of Danny's flash guitar and Lynda's moog on "Upon 

This Rock", which has a more pastoral edge. 

"First Revelation Of Danny And Lynda" 1999 (World In Sound 

rfr-001, Europe) [500#d] 

A useful sampler of material from their career, 

focusing on the harder guitar stuff. Hidden Vision 

has released a CD featuring two live recordings from 

1975 ("Alive in New York", 2005). 

FIRST VIBRATION see Do It Now Foundation 

ERNIE FISCHBACH & CHARLES EWING see A Cid Symphony 

DAVID FISHEL (PA) 

"Food For Thought" 1976 (Kats Eye CS 8106) 

KEVIN FISHER (CA) 

Eccentric lost folk. 

"First of Fisher" 1977 (P. Pan p-101) [75p] 

-- issued in a black and white silkscreened cover with blank 

back. The band members' autographs are around the border. 

JEF FISK (MI) 

Clearly a home grown vanity project. Technically the 

album has a fairly primitive sound, but in musical 

terms it's all over the spectrum. The acoustic ballad 

"Lullabye" has a heavy classical feel (Pentangle came 

to mind the first time we heard it), while "Flying" 

sports a 1950s' vocal group feel and the hornpropelled 

"Pirate's Song" recalls a post-David 

Clayton Thomas Blood, Sweat & Tears. The second side 

sports some mundane progressive moves in the form of 

"Indian Dance" and "In Search". Again it's fairly 

raw, but not without it's low-keyed charms, including 

the pretty ballad "A House for Wendy". [SB] 

"It's All Rootbeer" 1974 (Bird Productions BP-61851) 

Rare loner folk LP from Michigan. It has some great 

humorous songs with titles such as "Travellin' 

Pancakes", "Peanutbutter Buddy", "Blue Jean Day" and 

"Lawnmower Boy", with gruff vocals and great offbeat 

lyrics to match. Fisk also had a rare duo LP with one 

Tom Shader which was a numbered pressing of 100 

copies. This solo LP isn't numbered, but one can 

figure it to be about as rare. Comes in great 

homemade looking cover with great handmade drawings 

of Fisk and a very crude label logo. [MA]

ED FISSINGER (MN) 

"Light Years Away" 1978 (no label) 

"Lunar Blues" 1983 (no label) 

"Lunar Blues" is loner folkrock with flute and 12string. 

Some downer fuzz psych moves as well. Sounds 

ten years earlier. These albums were recorded with 

local musicians including ex-Podipto members. 

Fissinger has released a CD sampler of tracks from 

the two albums, titled "Fishbowl", as well as a selftitled 

CD of recent recordings. [RM] 

FIVE EMPREES (Benton Harbor, MI) 

"Five Emprees" 1965 (Freeport 3001) [mono and stereo exist] 

"Little Miss Sad" 1966 (Freeport 4001) [mono and stereo 

exist] 

"Little Miss Sad" 2004 (CD Arf Arf) [+bonus tracks] 

FIVE KINETICS ( ) 

Clearly recorded in a rush, this album offered up a 

mixture of popular pop and soul hits, including a 

cover of Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions' "Mama 

Didn't Know". While there wasn't anything 

particularly original to be found here the 

performances were surprisingly engaging and 

enthusiastic. Don Cook had a surprisingly versatile 

voice that was capable of handling the band's diverse 

repetoire. Moreover, in spite of their youth and 

clean cut all-American looks, on tracks such as 

"Georgianna" and "Johnny B. Goode" the band played 

with an enjoyable garage edge. As is frequently the 

case, the best track here was the lone original, 

"Why". There were also a couple of non-LP 45s on 

Freeport and Smash. "Little Miss Sad" is a repackage 

of the debut LP to exploit their near hit. [SB] 

"The Snow Children" 1967 (RPC 81262) 

Garage covers, nothing special for the most part 

excepting a 3.5-minute cover of "You're Gonna Miss 

Me" with a jawdropping manic distortion solo for 

about a minute and a half! The band may have been 

from Michigan. [RM] 

FLAMIN' GROOVIES (San Francisco, CA) 

“Sneakers” 1968 (Snazz r-2371) [10"]

"Sneakers" 1975 (Skydog mlpfgg-003, France) [10"] 

"Sneakers" 199 (Munster, Spain) [10"; poster; 3 handbills] 

"Supersneakers" 199 (CD Sundazed sc-6077) [+10 tracks] 

Notable for being the first really well-known selfreleased 

album, this 10-incher is also the Groovies 

album most likely to appeal to psych fans, with 

plenty of fuzz guitar. They’d get better, but this is 

still an enjoyable artifact with a few really good 

songs. Later Groovies albums are outside of the scope 

of this book. "Supersneakers" is a reissue of 

"Sneakers" plus ten live tracks from 1968 at the 

Matrix in San Francisco. [AM] 

FLAT EARTH SOCIETY (Lynn, MA) 

"Waleeco" 1968 (Fleetwood 3027) 

"Waleeco" 1983 (Psycho 17, UK) 

"Waleeco / Space Kids" 1993 (CD Arf Arf 042) [2-on-1] 

Well-known local moody teen psych LP, originally sold 

as a marketing device for candy bars! There's three 

tracks with an outstanding flowing melodic westcoast 

feel and acid guitar runs, also some downer 

introspections, and a few longer instrumental 

passages which show obvious ambitions. The only nonoriginal 

is a unique deconstruction of "Midnight 

Hour". "Portrait of grey" goes on a couple of minutes 

too long, while "Satori" is an unexpectedly 

atmospheric "peak time" instro with sitars and 

backwards masking. Way cool transition item from the 

MA prep/garage scene into the Freeborne/Ill Wind 

Bosstown psych era, better than most. Stellar sleeve 

too. [PL] 

~~~ 

This album is most remembered for being sold as a 

candy bar wrapper offer. It’s hard to imagine what a 

ten-year old candy-holic would have thought of this, 

because while it has a pop sense, some of it is 

pretty freaky. A couple of instrumentals are 

particularly far out, though the rest of the album 

shows that they could write and perform tight songs 

too. A good album, one of the better Bosstown 

artifacts. "Space Kids" on the Arf Arf CD is 'a space 

opera' by another Boston area band, The Lost. [AM] 

FLOATING BRIDGE (Seattle, WA) 

"Floating Bridge" 1969 (Vault vs-124) 

This hard rock album has a few really killer tunes 

mixed in with pedestrian heavy blues and two long 

instrumentals (both are covers of well-known 60s 

songs, where the chord progressions are used as a 

basis for jamming. Different idea, but the jams are 

only OK). Overall it's a really patchy album but is 

recommended to hard rock fans for the good songs. The 

UK version apparently has two songs that are not on 

the US version and vice versa. The Japanese press has 

the same songs as the US press and is on blood-red 

vinyl. [AM] 

~~~ 

A standard mix of originals and popular covers, but

FLOOD (NY) 

FLOSS ( ) 

FLOW (NY) 

the results sported a distinctively heavy, Hendrixinspired 

sound. Propelled by Gossan's likeable voice 

and Dangel and Johansen's twin leads extended guitar 

rave-ups like "Crackpot" and their Byrds/Stones 

instrumental medley should strike a chord with the 

two hard rock fans out there reading this. Elsewhere 

another "Hey Jude" cover wouldn't have sounded like 

the year's most imaginative move, but these guys 

managed to pull it off. Envision the song redone as 

an instrumental with a heavy edge that would have 

sounded good on an early Allman Brothers album... In 

fact the only real disappointment is the routine 

bluesy closer "Gonna' Lay Down 'n Die". Much better 

than the standard references would have you think, 

and surprisingly hard to find in decent shape. [SB] 

"The Rise Of Flood" 1972 (Maple m-6005) 

"The Rise Of Flood" 1995 (no label, UK) [altered sleeve; 

300#d] 

Came with the typical dealer hype when reissued but 

is a disappointment along the lines of Farm above. 

Local mid-70s sort of barrock/basement AOR vibes with 

(God forbid) honkie funk moves. Pretty stiff and flat 

soundscape a la the first Agape as well - only 

redeeming factor is a passable consistency. Don't 

waste your money on this one. [PL] 

"Cruisin'" 1976 (Silver Crest Custom) [100p] 

New York area high school basement covers. Garagy 

guitar primitive versions of songs by Bob Dylan, 

Rolling Stones, Beatles etc. Lo-fi recording. 

Described as dull and inept by some. The small press 

size has been reported by the band. 

"Greatest Hits" 1972 (no label) [1-sided version] 

"Greatest Hits" 1972 (no label) [2-sided version] 

"Greatest Hits" 199 (no label, Europe) [bootleg; 1-sided 

version] 

"Greatest Hits" 199 (Shadoks, Germany) [2-sided; poster; 

bonus 45; 450#d] 

"Greatest Hits" 2003 (CD Shadoks 050, Germany) [+3 tracks] 

Interesting, unusual LP that stands as a missing link 

between the late 60s hard psych era and the mid-1970s 

"first wave" Eastcoast punk bands like Television. 

Plenty of intense inner city vibes which make the 

occasional acid hippie digressions seem out of 

context. Loud, in yer face soundscape is great, and

FLUID OUNCES (GA) 

the playing packs a lot of punch -- just dig that 

bass player. Some or all of it recorded live in the 

studio, it seems. With a bit more consistency on side 

2 this would have been a major classic. As few as 100 

copies may have been pressed of the original. Shadoks 

re has a bonus 45 which is pretty disappointing. [PL] 

~~~ 

Fool your friends by playing them this album and Pete 

Fine’s solo album and telling them it’s the same 

artist... they’ll never believe you. This album is 

heavy, full of chunky guitars. It has some powerful 

moments and an appealing rough sound. A few much 

quieter, more delicate songs manage to somehow fit in 

just fine. Like Fine’s solo album, it’s been a bit 

overhyped by collectors, but it’s definitely worth 

hearing. All original copies that came in plain 

covers read "1-sided" on the back, even though some 

discs have music on both sides. Some copies were 

issued with the paste-on 'amp' cover. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Pete Fine 

"Picked Green" 1972 (Atteiram) 

FLY BY NIGHT ( ) 

Obscure private press from local band with soul and 

rock covers. Some dealers have tried to hype it with 

little success. 

"Zoo Road" 1980 (Maniac) [lyrics insert] 

Hardrock/AOR. 

FLYING DOGS OF JUPITER (NJ) 

"American Dream" 1975 (Jovian jr-1213-sd) 

FLYWHEEL ( ) 

Grateful Dead sound rural rock. 

"Flywheel" 1977 (Central Sound) [500p] 

Really bad AOR/prog with horribly dumb love songs and 

a wimpy vibe. Dealers try really hard to sell this 

one, because it is rare, but don't trust anyone who 

calls it "hard rock," "psychedelic" or anything 

resembling competent. [AM]

FOLEY AND KAVANAUGH (AZ) 

"Ways to Get Through" 1973 (Merlin mk-37-167) [2LPs; 

gatefold] 

2 LP set of the never-ending kind; songs upon songs 

with the same "sincere" 60s folk vibe, half-assed 

songwriting and light guitar arrangements. What makes 

it hard to swallow are the vocals, of which one is 

unexceptional and the other a poor man's Art 

Garfunkel that becomes pretty unbearable and only 

occasionally matches the lyrical content. There is a 

distinct lack of connection between the lyrical 

topics, the accompanying melodies, and the 

presentation that gives the whole thing a phony feel, 

sometimes with an unintentional comic effect as on 

the grade A turkey "Peas, carrots and cabbages". With 

80+ minutes of playtime there will of course be some 

good tracks, although wading through 4 sides of bad 

Simon & Garfunkel to get there is hardly worth the 

effort. Apparently a Christian outfit, although I 

didn't catch much of it, except in a slight 

liturgical feel. This is the kind of album that gives 

hippiefolk a bad name. [PL] 

FOLKLORDS (Toronto, Canada) 

"Release the Sunshine" 1969 (Allied 11) 

"Release the Sunshine" 2000 (Void 14) 

"Release the Sunshine" 2003 (CD Folklords) [+2 tracks] 

"Release the Sunshine" 2005 (CD Pacemaker 047) 

Disappointing hippie folk LP with a garage sound a la 

Gandalf the Grey and the presence of an autoharp the 

redeeming factors. Opens OK with Donovan and Brazda 

Bros moves but becomes progressively predictable and 

uninspired until it's pretty unbearable towards the 

end. Bad, deadpan male vocals, sloppy drumming and 

clichéd songwriting all help define mediocrity. Not 

many people seem to like this. Nice cover though. 

There was also a non-LP 45, "Forty Second River" on 

the C.O.B (!) label. [PL] 

FOLKSWINGERS (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Raga Rock" 1966 (World Pacific wp-1846) [mono] 

"Raga Rock" 1966 (World Pacific wp-1846) [stereo] 

This is an early exploitation cash-in, instrumental 

versions of hits of the day, all performed with 

Indian instrumentation in a rock context. Many of 

them (i.e. “Norwegian Wood,” “Paint It Black,” “Eight 

Miles High”) had sitars, tablas and/or Easternsounding 

melodies in their original versions, so the 

choice of songs is pretty logical. This isn’t exactly 

“authentic,” and in a few cases there are very few 

Indian instruments at all, but rather fuzz guitars 

that have a sitar-like sound. One original is tacked 

on to the end of the album. This is reasonably well 

done, and if the description appeals to you, you’ll 

find it a fun record. The "band" had more LPs. [AM]

FOLLIE'S BAZAAR (RI) 

"Follie's Bazaar" 1977 (no label 4257) 

First LP from RIU college project is a mixed bag with 

hippie-folk, boogie and bluegrass. The cover shows a 

drawing of a castle. Some of these guys were formerly 

with Right Of Little Rest and there's also a 

connection to Closely Watched Trains. 

"Follie's Bazaar" 1978 (no label 45284) 

This appears to be untitled, like the debut, but has 

different contents and comes in a cover that shows a 

photo of a VW bus. This is progressive folkrock with 

some jazzy horn moves. There is at least one more LP, 

"No 10" from 1980. 

FOLLY'S POOL (Fresno, CA) 

"Folly's Pool" 1977 (Century 44675) 

This is an unusual album, kind of to prog what The 

Third Estate is to psych, with the same combination 

of acoustic guitars and wide-open low-budget 

production sound. It’s highly ambitious despite 

obvious recording limitations. It’s also extremely 

varied, going from California-style 70s rural rock to 

long folk songs with jig beats to flute-heavy prog 

epics. The creative approach to an otherwise 

mainstream style is intriguing, though the sound is 

really smooth, with harmonies that occasionally make 

me long for the good taste, restraint and passion of 

the Eagles and Seals & Croft. The sharp acoustic 

guitar sound doesn’t exactly mix well with the 

showoffy electric leads either. There seems to be a 

good deal of talent here to go along with the 

creative ideas, but ultimately it sounds like the 

slickest possible major label recording (but without 

a major label budget.) I find much of it irritating, 

but I think that if the basic sound of it doesn’t 

turn you off, with deep listens you’ll find a lot 

more to like here than I do. In fact, this is the 

kind of unique record that may become an absolute 

favorite to the right person. The way they turn “Jig 

in A” from an old fashioned folk tune into a prog 

epic and back is unlike anything else I’ve heard. 

Also noteable: the last song is based around the 

interesting lyric “we’re waiting on a mountain to 

die.” [AM] 

~~~ 

These guys tried hard to eat their cake and have it 

too, as they mix Eagles-style 1970s westcoast with 

musically advanced UK guitar-prog and hope that 

noone's going to complain. Few people probably will, 

as they do both styles in a surprisingly adept way 

for a vanity label band, with nice country-flavored 

melodies and strong vocal harmonies on the LA cowboy 

stuff, and adventurous and technically impressive 

guitar arrangements on the prog moves. Possibly 

originating from Jethro Tull, the end result recalls 

another Tull-influenced band, Denmark's great 

Culpeper's Orchard, although Folly's Pool don't quite

each that level of consistency and inspiration. 

Third Estate is another possible reference, although 

the dreamy psych x-factor magic of that LP isn't 

really to be found here. Still, I enjoy this LP quite 

a bit, and as a merger of two seemingly opposite 

musical styles it's a rare experience. [PL] 

FOLLOWERS OF THE WAY (MA) 

"Followers Of The Way" 1973 (Sadbird SLP-2513) 

Christian folkies, originally from MA but later based 

in Des Moines, IA. This first LP is basically 

straightforward Catholic folk/singer-songwriter with 

a sincere 60s folkboom vibe and Joan Baez school 

high-pitched female vocals, sometimes mixed with a 

male singer. Instrumentation includes piano, acoustic 

guitar tapestries, and a fullblown church organ 

instrumental. May appeal to some, but too Sunday 

School squeaky clean for me. "Community Lives" 

reflects a 1970s missionary zeal, "The humble way" 

has a nice psychy Simon & Garfunkel feel, while 

"Creator Blues" is not very successful. [PL] 

"Blessed Weakness" 1975 (NFCLC) 

The second LP from the sextet is more ambitious. 

Female vocals with acoustic and 12-string guitar, 

flute, recorder, piano, and hand percussion. Band 

originals all through. Recorded in St Louis. 

ROBERT LESTER FOLSOM (GA) 

"Music And Dreams" 1976 (Abacus) 

FOOD (Chicago, IL) 

Obscure album in a mid-70s pop/singer-songwriter 

direction with full band and some psych seasoning. 

"Forever is a Dream" 1969 (Capitol st-304) [green label] 

"Forever is a Dream" 2000 (CD Ascension, Australia) 

"Forever is a Dream" 2003 (Breeder, Austria) 

"Forever is a Dream" 2005 (Capitol/Scorpio) 

Overlooked and fairly impressive major label studiopsych 

LP in the Sgt Pepper tradition, comparable to J 

K & Co, the psych angles of Rainy Daze, and the 2nd 

Mandrake Memorial. Some ripping fuzz reveals the 

release date as 1969 rather than 1967. One of several 

good Capitol psych LPs, although a little too 

zeitgeist derivative for my ears. Vocalist Steve 

White later did an obscure Christian 45 as Vision. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

Mysterious, wondrous masterpiece that most collectors 

dismiss as the little brother to the other Capitol 

monsters (Gandalf and Common People) when it’s 

actually the best of the three. Intensely emotional 

and dramatic; these guys had a vision and multiple

FOOTCH KAPOOT ( ) 

listens begin to reveal its depth. String-laden 

ballads hold hands with fleeting blasts of power 

chords. Bits and pieces that seem to have no purpose 

blend together to create a surprisingly coherent 

whole. It’s hard to know if they even intended this 

to be a “concept album,” but it’s definitely a case 

of the whole being more then the sum of the pieces, 

good as the pieces are. [AM] 

~~~ 


"Good Clean Fun" 1978 (Cornball nr-9348) 

"Good Clean Fun" 2005 (CD Radioactive 111, UK) 

Ridiculously hyped dull rock with some progressive 

leanings. Nashville label. [RM] 

FORD THEATRE (Milford, MA) 

"Trilogy For The Masses" 1968 (ABC s-658) [gatefold] 

"Trilogy For The Masses" 200 (CD Black Rose 173, Germany) 

Trippy guitar and organ on this debut LP which is 

pretty solid and has seen some interest. The followup 

"Time Changes" (1969, ABC s-681) is common and rather 

weak. [RM] 

LOUISE FORESTIER (Quebec, Canada) 

"L.F." 1969 (Canadian Gamma 121) 

FORMULA ( ) 

Forestier followed up her work on the 

Charlebois/Forestier album with this solo album, 

which is even wilder (and, due to the topless 

picture of her in the cover collage, just as 

controversial.) The first song sounds like Edith 

Piaf, but is instantly wiped out by a wash of 

backwards instruments, heavy fuzz guitar, frantic 

bass and squawking organ. She sounds like she can’t 

keep up with the instruments and the effect is wild, 

indeed. She does seem more comfortable afterwards, 

as the songs mellow a bit to jazzy pop/rock and 

spooky ballads. This album is definitely wilder in a 

rock sense than the Charlebois album. The sense of 

“anything goes” is appealing, though this album 

doesn’t quite have the same creativity or 

consistency as that superior work. Forestier’s 

tendency to get overdramatic makes it seem that no 

matter how much she wants to experiment she’ll never 

be 100% suited to a rock setting. Still, it’s 

recommended, and doesn’t sound like any other US or 

Canadian psych-era album. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Robert Charlebois

"Formula" 197 (no label) [blank back cover] 

Very obscure early 1970s westcoast style rock with 

covers of Neil Young, Traffic etc; the highlight has 

been reported as the band original, "Berkeley Woman". 

Band member David Riordan released a major label LP 

in 1973. 

FORT MUDGE MEMORIAL DUMP (Boston, MA) 

"Fort Mudge Memorial Dump" 1970 (Mercury 61256) [wlp exists] 

Johnny-come-lately Airplane epigon with an impressive 

full & tight sound and versatile musicians enjoying 

the freer reins of 1970 while performing 1967-type 

material. Vocalist chick very much in a Grace mode 

sets things rolling nicely but is inexplicably 

scuffed aside by less impressive tunes & male singers 

as the LP progresses. Still enjoyable with good 

guitar and a real band presence like most MA hippie 

outfits; Ill Wind's promising kid brother perhaps. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

So-so Bosstown album that suffers from a lot of 

clichés of the genre, including a drum solo, boring 

bluesy numbers and the world’s most pretentious and 

annoying male vocalist. The female vocalist is good, 

though, and a few of the songs she sings are pretty 

strong. Too bad there aren’t enough of them to make 

up for the dreck that surrounds them. Not at all 

original; this album lends credence to the “Bosstown 

just wants to be San Francisco but can’t hold a 

candle to it” theory. [AM] 

FORTUNE TELLER (Baltimore, MD) 

"Inner-City Scream" 1978 (R.M.T. Studios 4956) 

Raw 70s garage rock with a rough urban edge as hinted 

by the title; obvious influence from late 60s Stones 

but with the macho posturing replaced by a bleak blue 

collar outlook that gives it a realistic presence, 

not unlike the rootsier tracks on Rayne. Minimalist 

and concise, devoid of any hippie dreams, very 

appealing in its honesty. Imagine the guys in Clap 

after a week of hard factory shifts, or Boa's older 

Viet Vet brothers. Killer 60s garage-psych moves on 

"Looking Glass World" is a highpoint with fuzz-lead 

and bass runs straight out of "Psychedelic Disaster 

Whirl"; a couple of tracks show a more sensitive 

melodic side that works well too. A mysterious "1968" 

date on the sleeve and label had people thinking the 

LP was from the late 60s, an indication of its 

timeless nature. May appeal to fans of 70s punk/DIY. 

Originals all through I think. Judging from this and 

the George Brigman LP, Baltimore was a pretty heavy 

place in the late 1970s. [PL] 

~~~ 

This album exists in a time warp. It’s from the midst 

of the first punk era, but sounds genuinely 60s 

garage the way no neo-garage band ever did. The fuzz 

guitars are everpresent, and the songs are pure 

garage pop and garage rock, rocking hard without ever

sounding remotely “hard rock.” The sound is as cheap 

as can be, which only accentuates the coolness of the 

fuzz. Despite some awkward singing, there are a lot 

of catchy melodies here, and I can imagine that 

Baltimorians who discovered “Nuggets” in the late 70s 

went nuts over this band. A few songs flirt with 

rural rock, but basically it’s teen-sounding angst, 

just as cool as their punk peers. [AM] 

49TH PARALLEL (Calgary, Canada) 

"49th Parallel" 1969 (Venture 7001) 

"49th Parallel" 1969 (Maverick MAS 7001, US) 

"49th Parallel" 199 (no label, Italy) 

"49th Parallel" 1997 (CD Flashback, UK) [album + bonus tracks] 

"49th Parallel" 2005 (CD Pacemaker 019) [album + 9 bonus 

tracks] 

FORUM (WA) 

The mix of 60s pop sounds and garagy rock works well 

here, and there are surprising production fillips 

(i.e. the acoustic guitar licks on the opening “Now 

That I’m A Man.”) A few songs flirt with soul with 

reasonable success, while others have some noisy fuzz 

guitar. I think this is much better and more 

ambitious than a lot of US Monkees-style pop albums 

(i.e. Lewis & Clarke Expedition), but it’s probably 

not unusual enough to explain the hefty price tag. 

The Canadian and US pressings seem to be about 

equally rare. The Pacemaker CD includes some 

excellent non-LP tracks as bonus. [AM] 

"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Our Tree" 1971 (Vanco) 

Early 70s organ fuzz barband AOR jams with covers of 

"Southern Man", "Evil ways" etc. Same label as Easy 

Chair. 

FOUL DOGS (Concord, NH) 

"No 1" 1966 (Rhythm Sound ga-481) 

"No 1" 1985 (Resurrection CX 1296) 

One of those rare New England prep-rock (St Paul's 

School) LPs, this has a great sleeve but musically 

little to distinguish it. Punkier than the Half Tribe 

or the Ha'Pennys, more professional than Rasputin & 

the Monks (then again, what isn't?), closest relative 

is probably the Other Half from CT. Several Stones 

covers as always, with goofy "manly" Eric Burdon 

vocals plus two good originals. Will satisfy those 

familiar with the style, others should proceed with 

caution. [PL]

FOUR OF US (CO) 

"Illusions Of Hope" 1972 (RPC AZ 66401) 

4TH CEKCION (TX) 

Live recording of vocal harmony folk-group, in the 

same generic sleeve as the second Fenner, Leland & 

O'Brien. 

"4th Cekcion" 1970 (Solar 110) 

Loungy barband rock in a cool, primitive cover. 

4TH MOVEMENT (Burlington, VT) 

"4th Movement" 1980 (Tryangle) 

"Totally" 1982 (Tryangle 10018) 

Christian black power trio, with throwback to bluesy 

funky Hendrix - Funkadelic style riffs. Has been 

hyped but none too impressive to these ears. 

FOWLE, FOSTER & BRIGGS (MI) 

"Across the Horizon" 1981 (Michigan Nickel Company) 

Mix of southern rock and progressive sound with good 

guitar. Same generic cover as the rare Asylum LP. 

JOHN FOWLER & HARPOON (CA) 

"Live" 1980 (Lightworks 0002) [10"] 

Heavy Christian bluesy rock featuring dual leads and 

harmonica. 

FOXX (Granite Falls, NC) 

“Sirens Serenade” 1979 (World Records) [inserts] 

Hardrock. Reportedly only about 100 copies pressed. 

FRACTION (Los Angeles, CA)

"Moonblood" 1971 (Angelus 5005) [die-cut plastic window cover; 

inner sleeve; 2 inserts; 1000p] 

"Moonblood" 1987 (no label, Austria) [385p; altered sleeve] 

"Moonblood" 1993 (CD Flashback, Italy) 

"Moonblood" 1995 (Angelus) [window cover] 

"Moonblood" 1995 (Cryptrock) [window cover; 500p] 

"Moonblood" 199 (CD, Italy) 

"Moonblood" 200 (CD Rockaway 01231) [+3 tracks] 

"Moonblood" 2004 (CD Radioactive 054, UK) 

"Moonblood" 2004 (Radioactive 054, UK) 

The underground heavy psych monster to conquer them 

all! A bunch of Christians on an Old Testament style 

crusade armed with long intense tracks, dual fuzz/wah 

wah guitars and the grungiest vocalist imaginable. 

There is a strong late-period Doors influence that 

extends to direct quotes from "L'America", yet the 

emotional charge and completely different band 

setting turns this into an advantage, somehow. The 

holy song trinity that make up tracks 2, 3 & 4 is 

among the most powerful music ever laid down. Many 

rate this as the best local LP anywhere, though as 

originals currently sell for $2500 you might wanna 

try a reissue. Various bullshit figures on the 

miniscule press size are in circulation, but the 

guitarist has reported 1000 copies being made. The CD 

bonus tracks are only OK -- in order to realize just 

how great the album is, you shouldn't play those 

along with the album proper. The Rockaway CD is the 

only legit reissue, and it should be pointed out that 

none of the reissues capture the sound of the 

original, which is a hi-fi recording with much 

presence and clarity. The mid-90s vinyl bootlegs on 

'Angelus' and Cryptrock reproduce the expensive "LA 

Woman"-style gimmick window cover, and may be worth 

searching out. [PL] 

~~~ 

I would be very hard pressed to name a better private 

psychedelic LP than "Moonblood". Like the CA Quintet 

album this is that very rare thing, a concept album 

that works. Where the CA Quintet floods our minds 

with images of the various hells we create on earth, 

Fraction seize on the heaven we fail to create. I 

always feel my spine tingle when listening to this 

album, it never fails to astonish me. The vocalist 

Jim Beach sounds like he is undergoing agonized 

conflicts of faith, a righteous man, growling, 

snarling and finally screaming at a world where 

seekers after truth are downtrodden. The guitars are 

so overloaded with effects that they sound like a 

storm raging on the surface of another world. The 

drums have fantastic range, at times very delicate, 

at other times, pounding with raw energy. Every band 

member gives it all they have and all the songs were 

recorded as ‘one takes’. This really works as they 

sound very fresh and alive, like the band is playing 

right next to you. There is nothing righteous or 

preachy on the LP. You can feel the inner turmoil

oiling over. The themes are broadly Christian, but 

with a very strong pagan element incorporated. The 

Son will come to birth and free Mother Earth. I find 

the lyrics deeply moving, spiritually uplifting and 

filled with apocalyptic vision: “Come out of her/ 

Come out of her/Embrace the Sons quiet warmth ever 

upward”. On the final track ‘This Bird (Sky High)’ 

Jim Beach is screaming the lyrics: “No clown on the 

ground/Tries to put me down/Since I found the Lord” 

Without the lyric sheet you could only guess at what 

he is saying, which only added to the mystery. ‘Eye 

of the Hurricane’ is amazing. Mind-bending lyrics 

spat and shouted over a haze of fuzz and wah-wah, it 

builds and builds to an impossible intensity, you 

wonder where else the vocal chords can go, the 

fingers of the guitar players must have been wrecked. 

The hazy image of the band on the front of the 1986 

Austrian boot (which was the first reissue) showed a 

band that looked beyond cool, crazy shaggy burns, 

shades and leathers. They stare down at you like some 

crazed pack of angry bikers about to ink over your 

tattooes. “Extend your thumbs and burn the darkness 

out of her” -- indeed, Brother, indeed. [RI] 

FRAGILE (Camden, NJ) 

"This Side Up" 1968 (Rubia't) [stamped front cover] 

Folk from the local Dulcimer Coffeehouse. 

FRAMEWORK (San Diego, CA) 

"Skeleton" 2000 (Rockadelic 32) [2LPs; inserts] 

"Skeleton" 200 (CD) [2CDs] 

Glossy 2LP set uncovering the story and 1968-69 

studio/live recordings of an obscure San Diego 

outfit. Touted as "the second Brain Police" by 

hopeful dealers, the connection between the bands was 

marginal and this won't gain as many fans, I think. 

The informative but longwinded liner notes refer to 

the band as a power trio and Hendrixy, but in 

actuality this is a pretty low-key, latenight bluesy 

club affair for most part. Some tracks have an Ant 

Trip Ceremony ambience, others are a bit like the 

Metromedia Christopher - you get the idea. Despite 

the generous space given the total impression is 

"ambition but no direction" for me. Their rare 45 is 

included and one of the highlights. The packaging is 

unusual and appealing but maybe this one should have 

remained a standard format single LP. [PL] 

FRANCISCO (Santa Barbara, CA) 

"Cosmic Beam Experience" 1976 (Cosmic Beam Records CBE-001) 

[1000p] 

"Cosmic Beam Experience" 2005 (CD Radioactive 112, UK) 

Based on the title and cover art, I was expecting to 

hear a collection of instantly forgettable new age 

dribble. Well, I was only partially correct. The

TERRY FRANK (WI) 

album starts out with a killer piece of pop - with 

it's catchy chorus and uplifting lyrics 'Heal 

Yourself' would have made a dandy top-40 single. The 

flip side opener 'Love Sweet Love' is almost as good. 

Spread across two extended sections (at least part of 

it recorded in L.A.'s St. Paul's cathedral), the 

title track is much more in keeping with my original 

expectations. Musically the mix of sound effects 

(waves, rain, thunder), electronics, acoustic sounds 

and choral segments is mildly entertaining. Imagine a 

mix between 1990s industrial noise and a band of 

stoned hippies deciding to take a tape recorder along 

as they enjoy a day at the beach and you'll get a 

feel for how weird it is. I'll at least admit that I 

like it more than say, Atlantis Philharmonic. By the 

same token you're not going to get up an' dance your 

ass off to any of this. The album also attracted some 

attention when composer Hans Zimmer sampled some of 

it for his work on the soundtrack to Terrence 

Mallick's film "The Thin Red Line". [SB] 

~~~ 

If someone had played this for me unseen, I would 

have guessed on a late 1980s release date. It opens 

with a strong, conventional rock song which is a dead 

ringer for the tribal "world-beat" sound that Peter 

Gabriel and others popularized in the 80s. The rest 

of the LP is electronica and ambient, mostly spooky 

and cerebral stuff without the lame new age angles. 

Parts sound like the "Apocalypse Now" soundtrack, but 

mostly I'm reminded of the more serious 1990s ambient 

artists, like David Toop. This music is currently out 

of fashion, and it's too bad Francisco missed the 

boat back around 1990, because I believe he really 

could have seen a bit of retro-rediscovery buzz at 

the time. [PL] 

"Loaded To Fire" 1981 (no label) 

"Loaded To Fire" 2005 (CD Synton, Austria) 

1970s style heavy guitar LP. 

ALAN FRANKLIN EXPLOSION (Orlando, FL) 

"Climax" 197 (Horne) 

"Blues Climax" 1970 (Horne 888) 

"Blues Climax" 1983 (Psycho 18, UK) 

The wellknown Horne 888 LP is a bluesy garage clubsound 

blowout with desperate vocals and a sidelong 

jammer. Despite the early reissue it's hardly the 

stuff collector dreams are made of, but a nice local 

basement testament anyway. A cool primitive sleeve 

adds some points. "Climax" may be a demo press 

variation of "Blues Climax", and comes housed in a 

black cover bearing only the LP title on the front. 

It reportedly contains alternate, even rawer versions 

of tracks also on "Blues Climax". An acetate has also 

been found, having some overlap with the Horne 888 

LP, and may simply be the "Climax" demo in yet 

another format.

"Alan Roy Franklin" 197 (Underground OVL 88-2) [no sleeve] 

This obscure, sleeveless LP released under the name 

Alan Roy Franklin has been described as a whacked out 

heavy guitar effort with "boogie" moves. The label 

notes a pressing defect on one side, which apparently 

makes Franklin's vocals sound even weirder. There is 

also a 1979 LP on Aladdin ("Come home baby"), 

credited to Alan Franklin, which is more refined 

electric blues rock housed in an ugly sleeve, and not 

very interesting. None of Franklin's LPs feature a 

real band, it's just him plus local session 

musicians. [PL] 

FRANKLIN & HAYES ( ) 

"Autumn To May" 1969 (no label) 

Mixed vocals loner folk/folkrock obscurity, rated 

highly by some, others are less impressed. Some Peter 

Paul & Mary numbers, Simon & Garfunkel, etc. 

FRASER & DEBOLT (Canada) 

"Fraser & Debolt With Ian Guenther" 1970 (Columbia C 30381) 

This remarkable album has left an imprint on many. 

It's hard to find another record that is so 

unanimously treasured by the rare people who have 

heard it, and has had such a huge influence on so 

many while being heard by so few. The reason is the 

same reason the record sold squat: it's full of 

gorgeous ragged edges and inspired imperfections. 

It's human and heartfelt with no pretense or gloss. 

We're talking out-of-tune violin licks, intentionally 

dissonant chord progressions, backing vocals that are 

out of time and out of sync, and a general loose 

feeling in which every experiment seems to have been 

dreamt up on the spur of the moment (though it's more 

likely that they picked and chose wisely after years 

of trial and error.) On all but one song (which adds 

sax and piano) the musical backing is merely two 

acoustic guitars and violin, often arranged with a 

punk-like simplicity. Yet every song sounds full and 

rich, each is different from the others, and the 

unique approach to dual vocals fills the songs with 

left turns, sublime beauty, and moments that will 

make the most jaded listener smile. It's been called 

"art-folk," which is as good a description as any. 

It's also rock and roll without electricity or drums, 

and acid folk without any of the daze or confusion. 

More than anything else, this is a style of singing 

that usually drives me nuts, a type of instrumental 

arrangement that usually leaves me wanting, and the 

type of duo for which I usually wish one or the other 

would just shut up and let the other sing, yet it's 

done so well that none of those thoughts ever cross

my mind. Brilliant. A US pressing also exists. Their 

second LP, "With Pleasure" (Columbia, 1973) is 

inferior. [AM] 

~~~ 


V.A "FREAKOUT USA" (CA) 

"Freakout USA" 1967 (Sidewalk t-5901) 

Good comp with various LA styles from fuzz punk to 

jangly folkrock. Bands include Aftermath, Mom's Boys, 

Hands Of Time, Glass Family (with great fuzz-punker 

"I'm losing it") and others. [RM] 

FREAK SCENE (New York City, NY) 

"Psychedelic Psoul" 1967 (Columbia cl-2656) [mono] 

"Psychedelic Psoul" 1967 (Columbia cs-9456) [stereo] 

"Psychedelic Psoul" 1996 (Head 2896, Germany) 

"Hard Rock From the Middle East / Psychedelic Psoul" 199 (CD 

Collectables) [2-on-1] 

"Psychedelic Psoul" 200 (CD Headlite, Germany) 

"Psychedelic Psoul" 2005 (Columbia) 

Rusty Evans' second classic after the Deep LP and 

pretty similar in style; industry-approved 

acidpunk/acidpsych with sound effects and weird 

lyrics. Adds a student counterculture dimension for 

further cheesiness and illumination. Underrated for 

long, but most people I know enjoy this LP quite a 

bit. My take is that almost all tracks have good 

basic ideas but often aren't adequately developed, 

and that some tunes go on too long. Nevertheless I 

prefer this over a whole bunch of turgid late 1960s 

heavy guitar LPs that sell for three times as much 

money. "Serious" progressive rock fans may not enjoy. 

Mandatory to any 60s-oriented psych collection. [PL] 

~~~ 

Some like this as much as the Deep's album, but I 

think it's much more of a mixed bag, without the 

pioneering spirit and inspired songwriting that makes 

the Deep so special. Both albums are "exploitation 

records," but only this one feels that way. 

Nonetheless, there are some cool, unique songs here 

and it's worth wading through the failed experiments 

to find them. [AM] 

FREAKY BILLY (Hollywood, CA) 

"Loose" 1969 (Nocturne nrs-906) 

This is obviously the work of studio hacks, as there 

are no musician credits. It’s pretty tame by biker 

standards, moderate blues rock with some soul moves. 

The lead guitarist, who makes liberal use of wah-wah 

and other effects (but no fuzz), is quite good. He’s 

the best thing about the album. The songs on side two 

are a bit more interesting than the fifteen minute 

“motorcycle cantata” that comprises side one, but all 

of it ends up being pretty forgettable. The album

FRED (PA) 

cover (especially the collage on the back) is cool, 

though. Released as by Freaky Billy, The Wheelie 

King. [AM] 

"Fred" 2001 (World In Sound 007, Germany) 

"Fred" 2002 (CD World In Sound 1003, Germany) 

Unreleased early 1970s recordings from band who cut a 

cool psych 45, "A love song". The LP has been 

reported as being mainly in a progressive style. 

There are two more retrospective releases, "Notes On 

A Picnic" (CD World In Sound 1016) and "Live At The 

Bitter End, 1974" (CD World In Sound 1020). 

FREDRIC (Grand Rapids, MI) 

"Phases & Faces" 1968 (Forte 80461) 

"Phases & Faces" 1993 (Medium) [bootleg; 1 track omitted] 

"Phases & Faces" 1996 (CD Arf Arf 061) [+5 tracks] 

"Phases & Faces" 200 (Medium, Germany) [laminated sleeve] 

Top notch pop album from the future David Geddes. 

This is a truly solid record, full of interesting and 

well-conceived songs, a nice mix of styles, and a few 

production moments that place it firmly into the 

psychedelic era. That may just be a product of its 

time (the liner notes to the CD confirm that the song 

"Old Fashioned Guy" is wholly sincere), but however 

the influence got to them, it's welcome. Comparable 

to the David's album in songwriting and production 

quality, though the sound is quite different. The CD 

reissue contains good bonus material, although one 

bonus track listed on the sleeve is not on the actual 

CD. [AM] 

~~~ 

We've seen various reference works describe 1968's 

"Phases and Faces" as flowery pop, leaving the 

impression these guys might be little more than 

Association clones. Having listened to the LP a dozen 

times, that's not exactly an apt description. With 

all five members contributing material, the set's 

actually quite diverse, much of it exhibiting a weird 

pseudo-English feel. While tracks such as "The Girl I 

Love" and "All About Judi" are rather commercial pop, 

the opener "Federal Reserve Bank Blues" and "Morning 

Sunshine" sport distinctive psyche influences. 

Elsewhere, "Taggin'" and "My Yellow Tree" offered up 

great slice of fuzz guitar-propelled garage rock. 

Strong melodies, some great harmonies ("Born In 

Fire") and surprisingly impressive production 

(particularly for a small label), make for an 

impressive package. [SB]

FREEBORNE (Boston, MA) 

"Peak Impressions" 1969 (Monitor 607) [wlp exists] 

"Peak Impressions" 199 (CD Aftermath 014, UK) 

"Peak Impressions" 199 (CD Arf Arf) [+bonus tracks] 

"Peak Impressions" 199 (Fantasia, Europe) [altered sleeve] 

FREE DESIGN ( ) 

Good subtle organ-led studio-psych with serious 

ambitions, similar to Mandrake Memorial's "Puzzle" 

but more low-key and spooky. Takes time to get into 

and not entirely successful, but worth checking out 

for any fan of classic psychedelia. An original 

German pressing exists. [PL] 

~~~ 

The most unusual of the Bosstown groups. Jazzy freeform 

experimentation and really far out arrangements 

make this album truly one of a kind. No song stays in 

any one direction for any length of time; they had so 

many ideas they didn’t seem to know how to cram them 

all in. Side one is fantastic from start to finish. 

Side two’s experiments aren’t quite as interesting, 

but still this is a great and unique album 

recommended to all. [AM] 

~~~ 


"There Is A Song" 1972 (Ambrotype 1016) 

"There Is A Song" 2005 (Lita 015, UK) 

"There Is A Song" 2005 (CD Lita 015, UK) 

NAT FREEDLAND (CA) 

The last Free Design album was self-produced and 

released on this small Rochester, NY label, and thus 

is significantly more valuable than the ones on 

Project 3. It has a similar airy soft rock sound with 

the usual bubbly harmonies. This contains more selfpenned 

material than their other, less obscure 

albums, which fall outside the scope of our archives. 

"The Occult Explosion" 1973 (United Artists) [2LPs; gatefold; 

booklet] 

Thee occult documentary! Probing dialogue about UFOs, 

psychic powers, witchcraft, ESP, yoga(!), Indian 

magic, satanism, etc. With an all-star cast including 

Anton La Vey, Louise Huebner, Alan Watts. Freedland 

published a book of the same name. UK band Black 

Widow provide two songs, rest is spoken word. [RM] 

FREEDOM EXPRESS (PA) 

"Brings Fresh Air" 1975 (Fresh Start RD 1) 

Deadish loose bluesy jams, mix of acoustic and fuzz, 

even some biker snarls.

FREEDOM HIGHWAY (San Francisco, CA) 

"Made In '68" 2000 (RD Records 9, Switzerland) 

"Made In '68" 2000 (CD RD Records 9, Switzerland) [+3 bonus 

tracks] 

Retrospective release of Bay Area band who played the 

ballrooms and festivals back then but never had any 

records out. This material dates from a slightly 

later area than their best stuff, as heard on a few 

live tapes, and goes in a rural/roots rock direction. 

Beautiful packaging. [PL] 

FREEDOM NORTH (Canada) 

"Freedom North" 1970 (Aquarius 501) 

FREE ENTERPRIZE ( ) 

This scarce Canadian LP is a good one in the late 60s 

co-ed sweepstakes. They may try to cover too much 

ground, mixing in some horn-heavy soft pop and 

country rock with a bunch of nice fuzz-guitar-laden 

rock songs. The album starts out wimpy, but soon 

enough a few songs really rock in a late garage 

style. The long "Lonely Man" is very strong, and "Dr. 

Tom" is even better, a should-have-been-hit with 

awesome fuzz guitar and evocative singing. (It was 

released as a single in the US and UK, under the 

band's new name "Freedom of Choice," and with a non- 

LP B-side. That was this band's only release outside 

of their native Canada.) Both the male and female 

vocals on the album are quite good. While a few songs 

end up being disappointingly out of place, even those 

kind of grow on you after a while, and a few have 

neat surprises (i.e. "Hey Carmen," which starts as 

pure country and ends in a wash of fuzz guitar.) All 

in all, pretty cool. [AM] 

"The Eye Of The Beholder" 197 (no label) 

FREE FLIGHT ( ) 

Very obscure downer folkrock duo with introspective 

vibes, housed in primitive homemade cover. 

"Night Hawk" 1976 (Pepperhead) 

FREEMAN SOUND (OH) 

A bit seedy rural Deadish guitar rock. 

"Heavy Trip" 2005 (World In Sound rfr 25, Germany) [+bonus 7"] 

"Heavy Trip" 2005 (CD World In Sound 1028, Germany) 

Unreleased recordings from obscure Ohio band with 

1970 45 on the same label as Morly Grey. Much of this

FREEPORT (OH) 

is actually modern recordings, nevertheless about 

half of it is enjoyable sinister psychrock with a 

late Doors vibe. 

"Freeport" 1970 (Mainstream s-6130) [wlp exists] 

Mix of soft pop, bluesy garage psych, and heavy rock. 

Organ, fuzz. One of the weaker albums on the label. 

FREE REIGN (Louisville, KY) 

"Live" 1973 (Rondo 119) 

"Antonymous" 197 (Bridges) 

FREE SPIRITS ( ) 

Southern sound rural rock/ roadhouse covers with 

horns like First Friday. The live LP is exceptionally 

rare but not anything to write home about musically. 

[RM] 

"Free Spirits" 1967 (ABC 693) [mono] 

"Free Spirits" 1967 (ABC s-693) [stereo] 

FREEWAYS ( ) 

Larry Coryell led this group, which made jazz rock 

before such a thing existed. It's hardly a fusion 

album; it's a garagey rock album with short, tight 

songs that just happen to have jazzy instruments and 

chord progressions. It's a unique and experimental 

record that makes the listener wonder why the two 

musical styles weren't combined in such a fashion 

again. In a way, it's an oddity, but in another way 

it's as groundbreaking as the Deep's album. The 

recording was apparently rushed and sloppy, and the 

songwriting is up and down, so the album is by no 

means a masterpiece, but it is an interesting and 

enjoyable listen with some excellent moments. 

Coryell's LPs on Vanguard and Flying Dutchman are 

also of interest to guitar-rock fans. [AM] 

"Last Roundup" 1965 (private) 

FREE WILL ( ) 

Prep rock with horns. 

"Free Will" 1977 (Guiness gns-36041) 

This is one of the most interesting albums on 

Guinness. It's not great all the way through, but the 

good stuff on it is probably the best music to be

eleased on the label. Side one comprises an intense 

Yardbirds cover, some really hot boogie rock and a 

few jazzy pop/rock songs that sound like what the 

Zombies may have been in the 70s if they added a sax 

player and great lead guitarist. Best of all is the 

first song on side two, "Are You Gone?," 7:39 of 

heavy riff rock, jam packed with fantastic lead 

guitar patterns and powerful drumming. So far, a 

truly great album. Too bad the next song is a ten 

minute Chuck Berry medley. It's unusual, to be sure, 

and something of a tour de force, as they turn his 

songs into just about every rock genre you can 

imagine, but it's basically a novelty that becomes 

annoying with multiple listens. The album ends with a 

sax-heavy jazz instrumental that's almost as 

unexpected as the disco song on the T. Kail album. 

There really isn't anything you can compare this 

weird album to. As good as it is, it sounds like an 

unfinished rough mix. It occasionally seems like they 

hadn't finished all of the overdubbing, and here and 

there certain instruments are mixed too loud or too 

soft. Unlike a lot of Guinness records, the back 

cover does list full band credits. [AM] 

FREEZE BAND (Phoenix, AZ) 

"Freeze Band" 1978 (no label) 

Eclectic dual guitar progressive jammers running the 

gamut from rural, to Southern, to jazz and funk. THe 

band also had a track on the local "Arizona Dream" 

compilation. 

FREIGHT TRAIN (Philadelphia, PA) 

"Just the Beginning" 1971 (Fly by Nite fbn-1001) 

FRENCH LICK (CA) 

Heavy blues rockers doing classic blues covers 

similar to Chicken Shack. Songs by Jimmy Reed, T-Bone 

Walker, Sonny Boy Williamson (II), Willie Dixon. [RM] 

"Glider" 1976 (Fric Frac) [blank back; insert] 

"Glider" is a smorgasbord of 70s prog and AOR 

clichés, but they're assembled in a rather likeable 

way, as is the case with, say, Oz Knozz, though this 

isn't nearly as heavy. There are plenty of synths 

here, high male vocals, tempo shifts, and funky 

rhythms. Each side ends with a lengthy three-part 

suite. There's also an acoustic ballad, some obvious 

Yes influences, and a ridiculous synth instrumental 

that brings to mind 70s moog novelties like 

"Popcorn." All of it is very well-played and sung; 

they have a good youthful spirit and enough ideas for 

two albums. Not all of the experiments work, and the 

instrumental suite on side one falls a little flat, 

but if you’re inclined to like this kind of album 

it’s recommended. I don’t expect it to convert 

skeptics, though. Pick hit: “Talk About Love,” which

has backwards drum bits and a haunting hook/melody 

line. Some copies of this album came with the cover 

already pasted on while others came in a white sleeve 

with front and back cover both included as inserts. 

[AM] 

FRESH AIR (Los Angeles, CA) 

"A Breath Of" 1970 (Amaret st-5005) 

"A Breath Of" 2004 (CD Radioactive 076, UK) 

Obscure band on MGM subsidiary caught in transition 

from west coast psych to west coast rock with 

keyboard/guitar mix. Not rated that highly but I 

think it's pretty solid, with 2-3 great psychy tracks 

and a "heavy" cover of "For What It's Worth". Should 

appeal to fans of the '69-70 style of Sugar Creek or 

Wizards From Kansas. Pro-sounding affair with nice 

use of organ throughout. The band was originally 

called California Grassfield and competed locally in 

Ventura County with psych legends Children Of the 

Mushroom. [PL] 

~~~ 

Standard semi-heavy rock with prominent organ, a 

soulful singer, and a pretty mainstream sound. If 

this album wasn’t so rare, no one would notice it. 

It’s not bad for what it is, but not particularly 

distinctive either. The LP was also released in 

Australia. [AM] 

FRESH BLUEBERRY PANCAKE (Pittsburgh, PA) 

"Heavy" 1970 (no label, no #) [no sleeve; stickers; 50p] 

"Heavy" 2001 (Shadoks 022, Germany) [new sleeve; 450#d] 

"Heavy" 200 (CD Shadoks, Germany) 

Local hardrock/guitar-psych jammer in the typical 

post-acid OH/PA bag, with a bluesy feel and a few 

lyrical jazzy elements. The sound is echoey and 

somewhat chaotic a la Brigade minus the organ. Should 

appeal to genre fans, although the vibrato vocalist 

may be a turnoff for some. Even after several plays 

the album sounds rather flat to me with no obvious 

depth or personality, but it's consistent and has a 

raw feel. The opening "Hassles" gives a good taste of 

the entire LP, and is probably the best thing on it 

if you want a sample. [PL] 

~~~ 

Bluesy heavy psych rock. Mix of ferocious fuzz 

sustain and ringing, flowing leads. Incredible 

quavering vocals like Perry Farrell. World weary 

songs, a couple jazzy psych tracks, and a xian 

element sneaks in. The monstrous "Hassles" brings to 

mind Phantasia's "Transparent Face"! [RM] 

FRIAR TUCK & HIS PSYCHEDELIC GUITAR (CA) 

"Friar Tuck and his Psychedelic Guitar" 1967 (Mercury mg- 

21111) [mono] 

"Friar Tuck and his Psychedelic Guitar" 1967 (Mercury mg- 

61111) [stereo]

Studio psych exploito with half covers, featuring 

Mike Deasy and Ben Benay, produced by Curt Boettcher. 

Highly rated by genre fans. According to some there's 

actually some overlap in the music tracks with the 

Goldenrod LP. [RM] 

V.A "FRIDAY AT THE CAGE A-GO-GO" (Detroit, MI) 

"Friday At The Cage-A-Go-Go" 1965 (Westchester 1005) 

"Friday At The Cage-A-Go-Go" 1988 (Hide The Sausage) [new 

sleeve] 

A rare local LP that was first issued as above, but 

as the Cage-A-Go-Go went out of business the 

remaining copies were retitled "Long Hot Summer". One 

of the better local comps, this has some cool 

R'n'B/dance covers by the Lourds and the Individuals 

as well as four great folkrock originals by the 

Fugitives and the Oxford Five. Enjoyable stuff, 

despite a new cheesy psych sleeve the reissue is 

worth checking out. Very short playtime, though. Some 

tracks have been comp'd. [PL] 

RUTHANN FRIEDMAN ( ) 

"Constant Companion" 1969 (Reprise rs-6363) [wlp exists] 

FRIENDS ( ) 

Superb moody femme folk psych with fragile singing 

and delicate acoustic guitar playing. stark and deep 

meditations on lost love, topsy-turvy moons, ringing 

bells. [RM] 

~~~ 

Loner folk album with just voice and acoustic guitar 

throughout. She's got an unusual vision and writes 

some strong songs here, but it's hard to listen to 

this without wishing some of the songs had more 

elaborate arrangements. Worth it for fans of the 

genre, especially since there are so few women who 

made albums like this. Friedmann also did the music 

for a biker movie called "The Peacekillers". [AM] 

"Time For a Crossing" 1977 (R.P.C.) [insert] 

Basement folk on vanity label. 

FRIENDSOUND (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Joyride" 1969 (RCA LSP-4114) 

"Joyride" 200 (Joyride 01-1, Europe) 

"Joyride" 200 (RCA) 

Anyone expecting to hear something in the Paul Revere

or Brotherhood vein is going to be in for one major 

shock! Self-produced, 1969's Friendsound makes 

absolutely no attempt to go down the commercial road 

and to our ears may deserve to be noted as one of the 

first real "jam" albums. It's also one of those rare 

instances where the liner notes are dead-on: "We 

rounded up all our musician friends in the area and 

headed for a recording studio to have a musical freefor-all." 

That pretty much says it all. Exemplified 

by material such as the title track and "Childhood's 

End", the six extended numbers were largely 

instrumental in nature. Credited as group 

compositions, songs such as "Childsong" and "Empire 

of Light" are full of studio experimentation, 

including backward tapes, sound effects and acidinfluenced 

ramblings. Some of it's mildly 

interesting; some of it simply a bunch of guys too 

stoned for their own good. Luckily Raiders members 

Levin, Smith and Volk were too grounded in top-40 pop 

to totally abandon such concepts as rhythm and 

melody, but it's pretty clear late night parting 

imbued them with a lot more freedom and creative 

latitude than your typical Paul Revere & the Raiders 

session. Not for the faint of heart, or top-40 

junkies, but worth checking out for the more 

adventuresome of you out there. This band featured 

one Ron Collins, reportedly of Beat Of The Earth, on 

organ. The LP is sometimes listed with band name and 

LP title reversed. British and Australian pressings 

exist. [SB] 

~~~ 

see -> Cosmic Travellers 

JOHNNY FRIGO QUARTET (Chicago, IL) 

"Afro-American Jazz Dance" 196 (Orion lp-115) 

The one to have by this group. Black group bohemian 

jazz meets rock with long tracks and no horns. Loads 

of fuzz and wah wah churning over the bongos, bass, 

and drums underbelly though you'd never know it from 

the world music looking cover. [RM] 

FROGGIE BEAVER (Omaha, NE) 

"From the Pond" 1972 (Froggie Beaver dsi-7301) 

"From the Pond" 1999 (CD Gear Fab gf-132) [+5 tracks] 

"From the Pond" 2000 (Akarma, Italy) [+bonus 45] 

These guys have a keyboard/guitar sound as shimmering 

and peaceful as the pond on the album cover. There 

isn’t a lot of variety here, but the sound is very 

appealing, the vocals are solid, and the mood set by 

the album is strong. A grower. The nine-minute “Away 

From Home,” with some great melodic lead guitar, is 

particularly good. Most reviews call this a prog 

album, but it’s farther from Yes and ELP than it is 

from, say, a less experimental version of Spirit. 

[AM] 

FROGS (Valley Stream, NY)

"For Everybody" 1976 (Lily Pad lp-68) [insert] 

Self-produced and released on their own Lily Pad 

imprint, "Frogs for Everybody" was a rather low-keyed 

and surprisingly charming set. To be perfectly honest 

anyone expecting to hear Mr. Flood, Part 2 was 

probably disappointed by the collection. On the other 

hand, almost all of the dozen songs were quite 

tuneful and commercial, though widely diverse in 

musical styles. With Toscano responsible for most of 

the material, the opener 'For Everybody' offered up a 

nifty slice of folk-rock. 'Drivin' On' mixed a rock 

base with some great jazzy leads from Prezioso. ' 

Floatin'' and 'Crashin'' were pretty if unoriginal 

acoustic ballads. Personal favorites included the 

goofy 'Been So Long' and the bar rocker 'Shakey Dave 

McCoy'. My only real complaints are the absence of 

one true killer track and the fact that my copy of 

the album has a somewhat flat, thin and tinny sound. 

[SB] 

~~~ 

see -> Mr Flood's Party 

FROLK HAVEN (Berkeley, CA) 

"At The Apex Of High" 1972 (LRS 6032) [blank back; two 

inserts; circa 500p] 

"At The Apex Of High" 1995 (LRS) [bootleg] 

I've seen some inaccurate descriptions of this 

("Yahowa-style psych" etc) but it is art school 

experimental music with atonalities, free-form 

rhythms, and more. Parts are too much like amateur 

avant jazz, others are inspired and trancey; could be 

compared to the most farout aspects of the first 

Velvet U or vintage Krautrock. Mostly instrumental 

with some bent vocals. From Berkeley, where the 

freaks are in majority. Note: this is not psych, much 

of it isn't even rock. Features Stuart Copeland, 

later of the very un-psychedelic and non-freaky 

Police. Some copies had one of the inserts pasted to 

the back cover. [PL] 

~~~ 

One has to assume the reason this 1972 set continues 

to attract attention has to do with the fact the line 

up included a young, pre-Police Stuart Copeland, or a 

lot of folks just enjoy hearing minimally talented 

California kids thrash their way through 30 minutes 

of vinyl. First off, let us warn you, we've seen 

various sales list advertise the LP as psych. It 

ain't! While it's hard to provide an accurate 

description of the album, just imagine hearing 

guitar, clarinet and drums in a free fashioned jam 

and you'll get a feel for much of the album. 

Exemplified by "Idiomatic Interlude" and "Zonation of 

Galactic Cosmoidal Entities" (the latter recalling 

something out of Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music"), 

most of the seven tracks are experimental

instrumentals, full of oddball sound effects, but 

lacking much in the way of melody or rhythm. While 

the instrumentals were challenging, the LP included 

several vocal performances (we use the term loosely). 

None of the principals had much of a voice; a fact 

that wasn't hidden when they joined together in a 

sing-song effort to power their way through material. 

At least to our ears, the overall effect is of three 

art college kids with too much time and money on 

their hands. [SB] 

FROM BRITAIN WITH BEAT ( ) 

"From Britain with Beat" 1966 (Modern Sound 544) 

Southern fake Merseybeat studio cash-in covers. One 

of the best in the style, so obnoxiously bad its fun! 

FRONT PAGE REVIEW see Saint Steven 

FRUMIOUS BANDERSNATCH (Berkeley, CA) 

FRUNK ( ) 

"A Young Man's Song" 1999 (CD Big Beat, UK) 

"Golden Songs of Libra" 2002 (Get Back) [purple vinyl] 

Legendary Bay Area outfit that should need no 

introduction. The rare EP is the only thing they 

released during their original era, but both 

retrospective releases contain brilliant unreleased 

material; perhaps the "Libra" album most of all. 

There's also several live tapes in existence, so more 

may be to come. 

"If At First..." 197 (RPC Z69821) 

A real people masterpeice, this is a candidate for 

the weirdest release on the legendary vanity label. 

Five possibly stoned and/or drunk young women hang 

out in someone’s den with a TEAC reel-to-reel and 

sing their favorites. At first, it sounds like a very 

poor recording with their accompaniment mixed way too 

low in the background. However, as they are singing 

“El Condor Pasa” and you can hear Paul Simon singing 

with them, you realize their “accompaniment” for each 

song is the original recording itself. Thus, you hear 

them singing along with Karen Carpenter on “Close To 

You”, Maureen McGovern on “Morning After”, etc. They 

are often not very well in synch and even more 

frequently, you can hear the original singer 

“soloing”. It comes in a very primitive cover with 

11" x 11" slicks paste on front and back. The labels 

are tan, which was the color used toward the end of 

RPC’s production in the late 70s & early 80s. [MA] 

FUGITIVES (Detroit, MI)

"At Dave's Hideout" 1965 (Hideout 1001) 

Great local mid-60s r'n'r from Detroit legends with 

several Kingsmen covers and some swell originals. The 

LP captures perfectly the exciting but brief post- 

Invasion, pre-garage era, when bands would freely mix 

frat, instros, soul and "the new sound from England", 

and getting kudos for it. Recorded in the Quackenbush 

parents' basement in 1965, the tapes were played back 

at Dave Leone's Hideout club, where applause and 

teenage ambience were ingeniously recorded on the 

second track. It's interesting to note that "Louie 

Louie" is met with greater crowd enthusiasm than "A 

Hard Days Night". There's also a couple of originals, 

including alternate versions of scene staples like 

"Friday at the Hideout" and "You're Gonna Be Mine". 

One of the best local '64-65 LPs around, to my ears. 

According to Hideout owner Dave Leone, 300 copies 

were pressed, although a 500 and 1000 press have also 

been mentioned. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> SRC 

FUGITIVES (Richmond, VA) 

"On The Run With The Fugitives" 1967 (Justice 141) 

"On The Run With The Fugitives" 1996 (CD Collectables col 0613) 

Title track is classic garage (comped on Hipsville 

vol 2) with crude fuzz and untrained teen vocals. 

Rest is more of a club/frat affair with energetic 

sax-lead takes on things like "Lovelight" and 

"Tossing and turning", plus some echoey ballads for 

that special last dance. Superb take on "Bo Diddley 

is a gunslinger" is a high-point. Very much a 1963 

Otis Day & the Knights trip with no Brit Invasion 

audible, but within the genre this is fun and with 

plenty of atmosphere. Excellent drummer, neat organ 

and good raw vocals, best party LP on Justice along 

with the Knights 5 + 1. Unusually punchy recording 

too -- not bad for a bunch of white teens from 

Richmond. [PL] 

~~~ 

The Fugitives easily fit in the top-5 Justice LPs in 

terms of talent and enthusiasm. It isn't radically 

different from most of the Justice catalog, including 

a soundscape as if it had been recorded at the bottom 

of a toilet. That said, this set has two things going 

for it. First, overlooking a couple of the lame top- 

40 covers (a painfully out of tune "Until" and yet 

another needless cover of "Ebb Tide"), the band plays 

with considerable enthusiasm which usually makes up 

for their limited technical skills. Blown notes and 

off-key vocals abound, but on material such as "Turn 

On Your Love Light" and "Bo Diddley" it just sounds 

like these guys were having fun. The other winning

FULL MOON (PA) 

factor is the album's high self-penned content. Four 

of the album's twelve selections are originals, with 

the roaring fuzz-propelled title track (which was 

apparently intended as a never-to-be-released 

single), and "Kidding Around" standing out among the 

most impressive performances. A worthy addition to 

any garage rock collection. [SB] 

"Full Moon" 1980 (Montagne) [lyric insert; 1000p] 

"Full Moon" 1996 (Monster) 

"State of the Artist" 2000 (CD Monster) [+5 tracks] 

FUN see Dragonwyck 

Obscure private press 1980 hard rock album that 

really delivers. Occasional pig-squeal guitar and 

histrionic vocals place it firmly in the 80s, but 

this is one of the very best of its kind. These guys 

obviously spent tons of time perfecting their dualguitar 

hooks and solos, and all seven of these songs 

are full of great guitar work and memorable riffs, 

with the harmony guitar parts comparable to the best 

work of Boston or Thin Lizzy. Better than Tailgunner, 

Winterhawk, Sorcery, or any other latter-day hard 

rock rarity you can think of. The retitled CD reissue 

has a number of good bonus tracks that show they 

might have developed in some very interesting ways 

had they stuck around. [AM] 

FURNITURE STORE see Northern Front 

FYTER (AR) 

"Fyter" 1978 (FMP) [500p] 

Hardrock with dual leads. 


GABLES (MA) 

"Snake Dance" 1966 (Fleetwood gab-1) 

Garage beat teens. 

GABRIEL GLADSTAR (Bellingham, WA) 

"Garden Song" 1973 (Flying Guitar no #, Canada) [color art 

cover] 

"Garden Song" 1981 (Flying Guitar no #) [reissue; b & w photo 

cover] 

GALAXY (FL) 

Mostly acoustic flowing cosmic folk. The album was 

recorded at Haveaniceday Studios in Seattle and 

received some local airplay. 

"Day Without Sun" 1976 (Sky Queen 1677) 

"Day Without Sun" 1989 (Sky Queen, Europe) [bootleg] 

"Day Without Sun" 1997 (CD Flash, Italy) 

"Day Without Sun" 1999 (Akarma 008, Italy) [+2 tracks] 

"Day Without Sun" 1999 (CD Akarma 008, Italy) [digipak; +2 

tracks] 

Pretty late in the game but rooted firmly in the late 

1960s sound, with female vocals and hippierock moves 

mixed with heavy riffing and spacerock ambitions. Has 

some pretty good tracks, the reissues might be worth 

checking out. The 1989 counterfeit is close, but can 

be recognized via the fine print on the back cover 

which is blurry, and the cover is of thinner stock 

than originals; furthermore in the dead wax the 

figure '7' is written the European way, i e crossed. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

1970s spacerock rarity by a heavily female band (the 

keyboardist is named “Space Mama Geiger"!) It’s the 

only album I know to have a drum solo by a woman... 

but it’s still a drum solo. The songs are long and 

somewhat tedious, but there are some neat ideas here 

and overall it’s a pretty enjoyable record for 

something so uneven. The band recorded two later 

unreleased LPs in 1976 and 1984, which are reissued 

in the Akarma set "Very 1st Stone" (LP and CD, 

Italy). These LPs are more in a traditional blues 

rock style and are less interesting.[AM] 

BOB [ROBERT] GALLO see A New Place To Live

JAMES GALYON ( ) 

"James Galyon" 197 (no label) [test pressing; no song titles; 

300p] 

GAMES (CA) 

Loungy singer-songwriter with cheesy synths. Ex- 

Mason. 

"Stargazer" 1977 (Cascade Court DAT-LP211) 

Melodic synth progressive pop with delicate female 

vocals. Too pop for some on the love songs but the 

synth textures, sweet vocals, and lively production 

are quite distinctive for a local LP. [RM] 

~~~ 

Take this review in context, because there may be 

nobody who likes this album as much as I do, and it's 

possible that this album could send a pure psych fan 

off of a bridge. But... for what it is, this is an 

amazingly accomplished record. It's possible to 

describe it as the world's only disco/prog merger, as 

it has dance beats, keyboard textures and high female 

vocals that could only have come from 1976/1977, but 

also long complex songs with elaborate structures and 

clever synth playing. Fans of Abba (or early 

Cardigans, for that matter) will love the vocals and 

the melodies. The unusual jazzy chords and sweet 

vocals definitely have the same feel as the first few 

Cardigans albums, but the long songs, keyboard-heavy 

arrangements (there are no guitars on this album) and 

occasional rhythms straight out of Broadway put this 

somewhere else entirely. Disco that you can do a 

chorus line dance to? Every song has an infectious 

melody, yet at the same time the songs are 

complicated and unusual enough to reveal new depths 

multiple listens. The vocals are lovely (even the 

cheesy backing vocals), but show real strength when 

necessary, and it's clear that tons of time was put 

into perfecting these songs. Lead singer Colleen 

Fitzpatrick is very, very talented. Every vocal 

nuance is perfectly suited to the songs. For a 

private press, this is very well produced, too. Your 

friends will make fun of you for playing this, but 

collectors should be brave, no? [AM] 

GANDALF (Greenwood Lake, NY) 

"Gandalf" 1968 (Capitol st-121) [rainbow label] 

"Gandalf" 198 (Amos, Europe) 

"Gandalf" 1991 (CD See For Miles see-326, UK) 

"Gandalf" 199 (Fantazia am-121, Europe) 

"Gandalf" 200 (Capitol/Scorpio) 

"Gandalf" 2002 (CD Sundazed 6152) 

"Gandalf" 2003 (EMI-Capitol 121) [blue vinyl] 

"Gandalf" 2003 (Radioactive 15, UK) [picture disc; 500p] 

Moody melodic studio psych classic which most 60s 

fans dig. Predominantly covers and some seemingly odd 

choices at that, looking back to 1940s-50s easy

listening on things like the opening "Golden 

earrings" and Eden Ahbez' "Nature boy". The Gandalf 

guys run these songs through their own sophisticated 

baroque organ/guitar machinery with compelling 

results, bringing out a rare reflective mood from 

this meeting. Still, the band original "Can you 

travel in the dark alone" is clearly the best cut, 

and the album is in a sense a victim of its own 

cleverness, since you can only squeeze so much head 

action from old crooner hits. Some unreleased tracks 

exist that have not yet been made available. [PL] 

~~~ 

Clearly a case of sound/mood over material (there are 

only two originals here), this album has achieved 

true classic status over the years. It's not actually 

a rare LP, but every collector wants one, and as with 

Morgen or Linda Perhacs the quality and uniqueness 

has allowed the value to stay high despite a copy 

being offered on eBay virtually every week. There 

really isn't anything else that has a comparable 

feel. From the spooky vocals to the heavy reverb and 

phasing to the unusual use of strings, this is just 

plain otherworldly. Essential to any comprehensive 

psych collection and easy to obtain as it has been 

reissued several times. [AM] 

~~~ 


GANDALF THE GREY (New York City, NY) 

"The Grey Wizard Am I" 1972 (GWR 007) 

"The Grey Wizard Am I" 1986 (Heyoka hey-207, UK) 

"The Grey Wizard Am I" 2003 (Gear Fab 208) [+bonus tracks] 

"The Grey Wizard Am I" 2003 (CD Gear Fab 202) [+bonus tracks] 

Fashioning himself after a Tolkien figure (with a 

cape and hat no less), this NYC wizard cut a rare DIY 

folkrock trip that's been known for decades on the 

private press scene. I love the title track and a 

couple of other hobbit-oriented numbers, while some 

of his neighborhood observations sound less 

interesting and more typical Village product in my 

ears. Nice basement sound is a plus in this context. 

Opinions diverge a bit on this one, but the reissue 

is worth checking out. He made a rare pre-LP 45 under 

his real name (Chris Wilson) and even a comeback 45 

in the 1990s. [PL] 

~~~ 

Some people love this, but to these ears it’s an 

amateurish, monotonous, poorly played folk rock 

record. Knowledge of Tolkien will help the listener 

to enjoy the lyrics. Otherwise all of the songs sound 

the same. Recent reissues include some bonus tracks 

in the same vein, making it an even more tedious 

listen. This gets points for having been discovered 

really early in the collecting world: it was wellknown 

back in the early 80s. [AM]

GANDHARVA see Cosmic Sound Of Gandharva 

GANIMIAN & HIS ORIENTAL MUSIC ( ) 

"Come With Me To The Casbah" 1959 (Atco 33-107) 

JULIANA GARZA ( ) 

Rather amazing late 1950s forerunner of the Orient 

Express and John Berberian east-west amalgamations. 

Very good LP with superb Middle-Eastern belly-dance 

vibe, not dry or academic but as real as a hazy party 

night of spicy food and liquor at the local kebab 

parlour. Personal fave falls out of most psychedelic 

timeframes yet belongs in here with flying colors. 

Guy also had some 45s under various names, and 

probably more album releases. One track pops up in a 

cover version on the great John Berberian LP on Verve 

10 years later. [PL] 

"Communion Muse" 1973 (NALR 31607) 

This one was recommended to me by some trustworthy 

parties but I was initially put off by Sister 

Juliana's vocals, which are lacking both in terms of 

hitting the right notes and staying with the beat. 

Repeated plays reduced this stigma and brought the 

album's qualities more into light, such as a charming 

basement folkrock sound with harmonica, flute, organ 

and even some light wah-wah guitar. Songwriting isn't 

bad at all and fittingly goes in a John Ylvisaker 

direction, with a definite leftover 1960s folk-boom 

vibe, and even some psychy minor chord moves. The 

lyrics seem to be a mix of trad psalms, prayers, and 

self-penned meditations. Sister J is joined by a male 

singer on the best track who sings a lot better than 

she does, which makes for an odd effect. All over 

worth checking out for fans of local 1970s sounds 

with some unusual aspects. Possibly recorded in 

Cincinnati. A few copies came with a booklet. Sister 

Juliana did a Catholic folk LP in 1967 on the Audio 

Recording label. [PL] 

GATES OF DAWN (Alberta, Canada) 

"Keep On Truckin'" 197 (Vocal) 

Rural rock barband with a healthy share of fuzzed 

rock covers from the late 1960s, like "Jumpin' Jack 

Flash" and "Magic Carpet Ride".

GATES OF FREEDOM ( ) 

"A Religious Rock Service" 196 (Covenant) 

Jewish x-ian rock service with garage teen backing 

group. Sitar on one track, haunting melodies, femme 

choir, and overblown vocals in the Ylvisaker 

tradition. Likely to appeal to 'real people' fans. 

[RM] 

V.A "GATHERING AT THE DEPOT" (Minneapolis, MN) 

"Gathering At The Depot" 1970 (Beta s80-47-1414s) 

Local bands recorded live, with unique tracks from 

the Litter, Thundertree, Danny's Reasons, and others. 

V.A "GATHERING!" (Madison, WI) 

"Gathering" 1969 (Coliseum lp-711-dm) 

Local bands including Wizzard, I D E C, Danny & the 

Aces, Parabolic Rush and Myrckwode. 

GATORS (Nashville, TN) 

"In Concert" 1965 (Bulletin 27981) 

Obscure teenbeat LP from band featuring Dan Folger on 

keyboards, who later became a successful songwriter. 

Line-up includes piano and sax and the sound is 

mainly non-Brit Invasion, with instros, frat, pop and 

soul covers; not terribly exciting. Front cover is a 

cool live shot of the band. 

GATSBY (Philadelphia, PA) 

"Life Goes On" 1977 (Maxfield) [insert] 

Basement hardrock and loungy progressive covers. 

Dedicated to the Moody Blues. 

ARTHUR GEE (Toronto, Canada / CA / Denver, CO) 

"The End Is The Beginning" 1969 (Two:Dot) [1-sided] 

"In Search Of Arthur" 2004 (RD Records 13, Switzerland) 

[+bonus tracks; insert] 

Ron describes this better than I can, see below. The 

last track is a killer deep guilt-trip on level with 

Perry Leopold, re-done in a less effective way on the 

Tumbleweed LP. Arthur Gee was originally from Canada 

but spent some time in Colorado and in California 

where this 1-sided demo LP was recorded for a small

label in Ojai. After this he returned to Colorado 

where he put together the Arthur Gee Band. The 

Canadian link is obvious from the Canada BMI 

registration on the label. This 1-sided demo contains 

a track with the exact same (unusual) title as a 

number on the Fraser & Debolt LP from Canada, but 

oddly it is a completely different tune. Bonus tracks 

on the reissue include unreleased material and a pre- 

LP 45 he made in Canada. [PL] 

~~~ 

Dark, damaged acoustic strum folk in Perry Leopold 

style but a bit stronger vocally. Missed notes, 

stream of consciousness lyricism, and obsessions with 

mystic and biblical imagery. Saddened reports on the 

lost state of the planet. A great loner mini-LP, 

although you really can feel too much. The label was 

a contract service in Ojai, California. Unlike his 

later LPs, this (as well as the reissue) was credited 

only to "Arthur". The label has no title but the 

sleeve shows the album title "The End Is The 

Beginning". Some copies came with promo photos. [RM] 

"Dawn Of Time" 197 (Marcus 2502) [no cover] 

Recently discovered demo LP that seems to date from 

between the Two:Dot demo and Arthur getting signed 

with Tumbleweed. Several track titles overlap with 

both the preceding and subsequent LPs, but since the 

production credit (Marcus Demerst) differs from 

these, it may be alternate mixes or alternate 

versions altogether. This LP has 10 tracks. 

"Arthur Gee" 1971 (Tumbleweed TWS 101) [gatefold; booklet] 

GENERATIONS (NC) 

Gee's real debut LP is also the first release on the 

Tumbleweed label, and a fine start for both. Upscale, 

intricate production typical of the label with 

Arthur's atmospheric voice given an appropriate 

context that involves a full folkrock setting plus 

bells, violin, even jew's harp. Opens on a strong 

psych vibe, then goes through various chameleon 

tricks including outlaw country, Tim Hardin folk, and 

some obvious Dylan "Blonde On Blonde" moves. It's all 

quite appealing and held together by the expensive, 

elaborate arrangements. The LP has obvious 60s 

remnants and is less singer/songwriter than most 

Tumbleweeds. Two tracks from the Two:Dot demo LP 

appear in more elaborate versions, although I prefer 

the sparser 1969 sound of "Meditations". Easy to find 

and well worth checking out. Gee's second LP for 

Tumbleweed ("City Cowboy", 1972) is inferior in a 

countryrock direction. [PL] 

"Meet the Generations Combo" 1967 (Justice 158) 

"Meet the Generations Combo" 1994 (CD Collectables 0614) 

The last of the label's rock'n'roll/r'n'b releases 

does suggest a sort of development for the 

Justice/Southeast scene, but needless to say it's not 

in the right direction. Nope, this is a mission 

statement from 7 white Durham teenagers that Las 

Vegas lounge-soul is the way to go, with fake ID

crooner vocals and seducto assembly hall sax up the 

wazoo. The limited funds and lack of reality checks 

puts a Twilight Zone spin on things, like seeing 

expensive stock footage inserted into an Ed Wood Jr 

movie; there's glitzy female harmony vocals but the 

drummer can't keep time! Eerie psych version of 

"Don't let the sun catch you crying" is a high-point, 

and the organist likes to do Procol Harum "acid" runs 

on his keyboard, even on James Brown tunes. There's 

also an apathetic, pedestrian "Walk away Renee", and 

an uptempo track where the entire rhythm section 

falls apart. What a mess, like the Checkmates on 

cough syrup. Closest of all Justice releases to 

Incredibly Strange domains, this needs to be heard at 

least once. The Collectables CD reissue displays tape 

damage at a few spots, this may or may not derive 

from the original album. [PL] 

GENESIS (Los Angeles, CA) 

"In The Beginning" 1968 (Mercury sr-61175) [textured cover; 

red label; gold label promos exist] 

"In The Beginning" 197 (Mercury sr-61175) [2nd press; nontextured 

cover; skyline label] 

"In The Beginning" 2001 (CD Black Rose BR 137) 

GENTLE SOUL (CA) 

Most of this album is pretty typical post Jefferson 

Airplane co-ed psych/folk-rock, better than most but 

not exactly stunning. But they really shine on the 

16-minute blowout on side two, which follows up a few 

haunting verses with a long guitar solo that's 

exactly the opposite of what you'd expect: it's 

carefully constructed, like a set of short guitar 

solos and repeated hooks strung together rather than 

one long jam. Not a note of it appears to be 

improvised. It's not at all complicated, but that 

means that no time is wasted showing off, and it ends 

up being one of the best long solos you'll hear. The 

rest of the album pretty much pales in comparison, 

but for the one song alone it's worth owning. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Do It Now Foundation 

"Gentle Soul" 1969 (Epic bn-26374) 

"Gentle Soul" 2003 (CD Sundazed 11123) [+9 bonus tracks] 

"Gentle Soul" 2004 (Epic 26374) [legit reissue] 

Light drifting psych rock produced by Terry Melcher. 

With Ry Cooder, Van Dyke Parks, Bill Plummer, Mike 

Deasy, Larry Knechtel, and other session pros helping 

out. [RM] 

~~~ 

Nice, pleasant folk duo featuring noted songwriter 

Pamela Polland. Some slide guitar from Ry Cooder on 

one track and some dreamy moments help make it a 

little more appealing to adventurous listeners than 

many others of its ilk. It probably would have 

benefited from drums, though, and it’s hardly in the 

league of, say, the two Kathy Smith albums with which 

Polland was closely connected. [AM]

GENTS (CT) 

"We Gotta Get Outa This Place" 1966 (RPC 70481) [mono] 

"We Gotta Get Outa This Place" 1966 (RPC 70481) [stereo] 

"We Gotta Get Outa This Place / The Best" 199 (no label) 

[partial reissue] 

GEOFFREY (MD/NY) 

Connecticut Coast Guard Academy students who paid for 

this vanity LP and sold it at gigs. 12 tracks in 

total, mostly Brit Invasions covers with a few 

instros. Great version of "Don't let the sun catch 

you crying" is a highpoint, but mostly it's very 

familiar ground for Eastcoast teenbeat LPs. The 

partial reissue is on a split LP, with other side by 

the Best (see entry) and uses the Gents front cover. 

"Geoffrey" 1972 (Concert Arts CA 7506) [gatefold; 500p] 

"Geoffrey" 1996 (Psychedelic Archives 1004, UK) [no gatefold; 

295p; insert] 

SIDNEY GEORGE ( ) 

I've done my best to get into this but it's still soso 

singer/songwriter stuff rather than the 

"mindblowing" "acid folk" dealers hype it for. 

Consistent and wellwritten but no real depth or 

freakiness. Has that UK troubador vocal style that 

ruins so many local 1970s LPs. Neat sleeve photo of 

the weird-looking guy. [PL] 

~~~ 

Similar musically to Perry Leopold but not as dark. 

Sensitive guy acoustic folk psych with flowery 

lyrics. Different textures and changing tempos within 

songs. His vocals are quite beautiful and delicate 

but all-in-all this is a good record to sleep 

through. [RM] 

"Sidney George" 1976 (no label) 

Lo-fi mid 1970s rock with a sleazy real-people feel, 

some flute and wah-wah guitar. 

WINSTON GEORGE (London, Canada) 

"Any Direction" 1970 (Ergo 7001-S)

"City Wilderness" 1976 (Ergo 7602-S) 

GEORGE EDWARDS ( ) 

First LP is highly rated basement folkrock/singersongwriter 

with organ and a moody Dylanesque feel. 

The recording is pretty primitive. The second LP is 

more conventional with bluesy moves, a bit like 

Philip Lewin. Privately made reissues on CD-R exist. 

"38:38" 1977 (no label) [blank cover] 

Seldom seen melancholic basement folkrock with 60s 

psych overtones, nice echoey fidelity, spooky 

mellotron. A track such as "Wintertime" is similar to 

Kath in sound and atmosphere, while the obvious 

hippie remnants and nice melodic feel on other tracks 

recalls a nocturnal Michaelangelo. This is the work 

of a band rather than a single guy, which is why it's 

listed under "G". From LA or Detroit, I'm told. 

GEORGIA PROPHETS (GA) 

"Fever" 1971 ('Custom 8') 

Local hippie bar-rock groove band, with an unusual 

mix of funk and soft westcoast moves. Half is covers 

including a memorable "Down by the River", while the 

originals aren't very exciting. The LP's mix of 

styles has seen it offered as both "garage", "psych" 

and "Northern Soul". You have been warned. Supposedly 

less than 200 copies pressed. 

JOHN GILBERT / MEADE RIVER (KY) 

"John Gilbert/Meade River" 1972 (AV) 

Posthumous tribute LP to 17-year old Gilbert who died 

in a car crash; crude home recordings of basement 

guitar-rock with plenty of atmosphere and a couple of 

killer tracks. Side 1 is unaccompanied instro guitar 

workouts; side 2 is partly full band psych-rock, 

partly sparse basement folk. Not for everyone, but 

for purveyors of the most buried local sounds, this 

is one of the big ones, with an unusual context on 

top. [PL] 

~~~ 

Moody psych and folkrock. The LP is a memorial to 

John Gilbert put out by his parents. Some tracks are 

John's solo recordings and some feature his group, 

Meade River. Great amateur live-in-living-room

ambiance, the tracks range from garage folk to fuzz 

blues with raging guitar heading into Alvin Lee 

territory at times. The second side has some 

wonderful acoustic tracks with basement vocals and 

downer lyrics. If you ever wondered what acoustic 

guitar shards sound like, check out the revelatory 

"Travelin' Free". No-fi beast that conjures up 

memories of lost hours clanging away in friends' 

garages before reality held her sway. [RM] 

~~~ 


RICHIE GILBERT ENSEMBLE (CA) 

"Richie Gilbert Ensemble" 1978 (Chestnut) 

Soft rural folkrock with mixed vocals and off-key 

Dylan moves on Gilbert's part. A couple of good 

tracks with femme vocals. The recordings seem to date 

from an earlier era than the release year. 

GINGER (Minneapolis, MN) 

"Ginger With Bob Edwards" 1973 (Cheap Swank no #) [no cover; 2 

inserts; 100p] 

Obscure Minneapolis album released as a posthumous 

tribute to vocalist Bob Edwards, who is featured on 

side 1 of the LP, which is live recorded 1970-71 

barrock with westcoast moves and Hammond upfront, a 

bit like side 1 on Soup or a lo-fi Short Cross/Sweet 

Toothe. Side 2 is more interesting and features 1972- 

73 studio recordings of the band without Edwards and 

is a more esoteric rural rock/singer songwriter trip 

with a Band/Hickory Wind vibe. Main attraction is an 

unexpected acid sound collage straight out of 1967, 

apart from that this is an average local early 1970s 

artefact, although some people rate it highly. The 

record was not issued with a cover. Some covers were 

made up recently by a dealer, utilizing the inserts 

and a concert flyer for the design.[PL] 

~~~ 

Except for tragedy, we would never have had this most 

essential human real people experience. Lead singer 

tragically dies in a car wreck and group reforms with 

his twin brother on vocals/lyrics. Side one is crude 

bar band rock recorded live, never intended for 

release. The magic is on side two with unbelievable 

emotion and tortured lyrics. "He'll Talk To You" says 

that if you don't think of him he will talk to you, 

and on "The Early Morning Rehash," he does! That song 

is a truly strange and eerie psych masterpiece. A 

glimpse into humanity [Mike Krafcik]

GLORY (Houston, TX) 

"Glory: A Meat Music Sampler" 1969 (Texas Revolution cfs-2531) 

"Glory: A Meat Music Sampler" 199 (Texas Revolution, Europe) 

[bootleg] 

"Glory: A Meat Music Sampler" 2000 (Akarma 114, Italy) 

"Glory: A Meat Music Sampler" 2000 (CD Akarma, Italy) 

This has caught some attention of late but should be 

considered an aquired taste only. The basic feel is 

of late-night spontaneous blues-based studio jams 

revolving around main guy Linden Hudson who sings, 

plays percussion and also coordinated the session, 

which was partly recorded at Andrus Studios of 

"Easter Everywhere" fame. A rootsy Southern all-night 

bar feel evolves with a certain appeal, but the 

tracks are really hit and miss affairs, for example 

the vocal riffs on "Wish ta heck" are so annoying I 

can barely listen to it. Despite trying hard Hudson 

isn't good enough a vocalist to make it memorable, 

though jazzy wee hours keyboard improvs add the right 

touch. There isn't much songwriting to talk of, more 

like excursions from basic mood riffs. Any attempts 

to sell this as a "guitar killer" should be 

considered dishonest hype. With a strong female 

vocalist such as Lisa Kindred this would have worked 

better, but still remained a marginal item. Not sure 

why this was reissued, really. [PL] 

GLORY (San Diego, CA) 

"On the Air" 2002 (Rockadelic 40) 

GLORY ROAD (AZ) 

Personal fave among the Rockadelics of the new 

millennium; a no-frills teenage hardrock blast cut 

live afterhours at a radio station in San Diego in 

June 1970. No traces of flower power whatsoever as 

the remarkably tight band blows through their Ya-Ya's 

era Stones/Led Zep club set of ½ covers and ½ great 

originals. Vocalist is right on, lead guitarist won't 

quit, but the real show is the stunning interplay 

between the rhythm guy and the drummer. Perfect loud 

soundscape with 100% presence, the whole thing 

recalls Oda and the rootsier side of the Estes Bros. 

Cover is disappointing - bring back the old skulls 

and needles! A future meat & potatoes hard rock 

classic... this is not psych. The band recorded 

several 45s and more material may be released. In the 

1980s they resurfaced as popular combo the Beat 

Farmers. [PL] 

"Exit" 1977 (Hand In Hand HHGR-1000) 

GOD UNLIMITED ( ) 

Christian proggy melodic rock.

"Ride On" 1970 (GIA 123) 

Wellknown Jesus music vocal harmony folkrock group 

led by Tom Belt with several releases, this one 

usually rated as their best. Contains a long song 

with lots of lead guitar and some spooky folky songs 

as well. The self-titled debut from the late 1960s 

(Century 34122) supposedly also has its moments. None 

of these LPs are expensive. 

GOLD (San Francisco, CA) 

"Gold" 1996 (Rockadelic RRLP-20) [600p] 

Yet another Rockadelic discovery, "Gold" is one of 

those projects that takes a little effort to get 

into. Apparently recorded and shelved in 1969, the 

set has a distinctive late 1960s West Coast feel to 

it. It's certainly not the most ground breaking LP 

you'll ever buy, but is kind of interesting for the 

decent male/female singers and it's mix of musical 

styles. bouncing between rather conventional hard 

rock (the crazed opener "No Parking" and "Summer 

Dresses"), Latin-rock influences (the instrumental 

"Conquistadore"), and an occasional soul touch thrown 

in. [SB] 

"Mission Rock" 2002 (CD World In Sound 1014, Germany) 

This 1971 live set has been described as 

disappointing, but does include two rare Country Joe 

tunes, as he was collaborating with the band at the 

time. 

"San Francisco Origins 1970" 2003 (World In Sound RFR 019, 

Germany) [+bonus 7"; poster] 

"San Francisco Origins 1970" 2003 (CD World In Sound 1018, 

Germany) [+bonus tracks] 

The LP has a 1970 live set from Fillmore West with 

raw version of their 45 track "No parking", plus the 

flipside from the 45. The CD adds the Rockadelic LP 

material (see above). Gold's unreleased material are 

good examples of the Bay Area sound of the early 70s, 

with Santana and horn-rock moves creeping in and 

psychedelia creeping out. There's even more live 

stuff in the vaults, including a pretty good tape 

from a live radio broadcast circa 1971. 

GOLDEN DAWN (Austin, TX) 

"Power Plant" 1968 (International Artists 4) [wlp exists]

"Power Plant" 1978 (International Artists 4) [IA box-set 

reissue] 

"Power Plant" 198 (International Artists) [bootleg] 

"Power Plant" 1988 (Charly lik-24, UK) 

"Power Plant" 1992 (CD Eva b-26, France) 

"Power Plant" 199 (Get Back, Europe) 

One of my (and many people's) personal top 20 1960s 

LPs. Killer garage-folkrock-psych sounds with Tommy 

Hall-inspired lyrics and great melancholic vocals. 

The emotional range is remarkable for such an early 

album, going from the snotty acidpunk of "Evolution" 

over the classic psych of "My time" into the brooding 

introspection of "Reaching out to you". "This Way 

Please" is one of the ultimate acid introspections of 

all time. Add to that a killer cannabis/shroom dayglo 

sleeve and you've got a major classic on your hands. 

Almost everyone loves this, essential to any decent 

psych collection. The LP was recorded July 1967 but 

not released until the turn of the year in order for 

IA to focus on the 13th Floor Elevators' "Easter 

Everywhere". Originals have cover slicks and "IAS 4 

Side 1 IA" in the dead wax on side 1, while the boxset 

reissue is boardprinted and has a matrix # that 

begins "Ach...". The mid-1980s reissue is close but 

has less bright front cover colors than the original. 

There are probably more reissues & bootlegs. "George 

Kinney's post-Golden Dawn band Headstone saw a 

retrospective CD release of circa 1970 material in 

2002 (Splash 2, UK). [PL] 

~~~ 

Most people rate this as second best IA album after 

"Easter Everywhere", and I'd agree. The Elevators 

comparisons are warranted, especially in the vocals, 

but most of the album has a really garagy feel. They 

seem more youthful and energetic than the Elevators - 

- "Fire Engine" and "Earthquake" are the Elevators 

songs that have a similar feel to Golden Dawn. Good 

variety of songs, with just enough effects and trippy 

moments to keep it interesting. Lots of hooks... if 

stuff like "Pushin Too Hard" and "Psychotic Reaction" 

could have been hits, these should have been too. The 

Get Back vinyl reissue has poor sound and even a 

couple of dropouts. None of the reissues including 

the legal 1978 one are from master tapes, as these 

were lost in the early 1970s. [AM] 

GOLDEN DRAGON (San Francisco, CA) 

"Golden Dragon" 1981 (no label) [handmade cover] 

Heavy fuzz psych rock with riffing Hendrix sound. 

There is also a 12" single from 1983 with paste-on 

covers in different designs, the song is "Too Late" 

in an entirely different version from the LP. There 

is also a 45 (again with varying sleeve designs) with 

"Highway Child" in the same version as the LP, but 

with a non-LP B-side. However, some copies of the 45 

are 1-sided with only "Highway Child". 

GOLDENROD (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Goldenrod" 1970 (Chartmaker csg-1101)

"Goldenrod" 198 (Heyoka 205, UK) 

"Goldenrod" 199 (CD World In Sound, Germany) [+bonus tracks] 

"Goldenrod" 2000 (World In Sound 011, Germany) 

GOLDEN THROAT (HI) 

A one-off congregation of LA session heavyweights who 

also perform on Darius' classic LP, this is long 

heavy psych instrumentals in an acid context. 

Opinions differ on this, I think it's pretty 

interesting & trippy. Has a great sleeve too. [PL] 

"Golden Throat" 197 (Trim tlp-1981) 

Early 1970s jammy folk, organ, mixed vocals. 

GOLDTONES (Riverside, CA) 

"Live At The Teenbeat Club In Las Vegas" 1965 (La Brea 8011) 

[mono] 

"Live At The Teenbeat Club In Las Vegas" 1965 (La Brea 8011) 

[stereo] 

GOLGOTHA (NJ) 

Club rock r & b pounders including "Gloria" and good 

moody original "I'll love her". With Randy Seol (pre- 

Strawberry Alarm Clock). An earlier incarnation of 

the band featured Glenn Ross Campbell (Misunderstood) 

and made a very good surf 45 in 1963. 

"Old Seeds Bootleg" 1973 (no label) [paste-on cover; 200p] 

GOLIATH (IN) 

Westcoast sound rural guitar rock that has been 

compared to a mellow Little Feat. This is a remake of 

an unissued LP recorded for Jubilee. The small press 

size has been reported by the band. 

"Hot Rock & Thunder" 1972 (Bridges bg-2704) 

GOOD CHEER (IN) 

Progressive hardrock effort with standard rock 

setting plus moog. This album was quite plentiful and 

sold cheap for several years, but the price is 

finally rising again. Virtually all known copies have 

a minor edge warp. Same label as the much rarer album 

by Dawson. 

"Good Cheer" 1972 (ORS 1007) 

Basement rural rock with covers and some psych moves. 

Organ-led sound is somewhat similar to Hickory Wind.

GOOD DOG BANNED (CA) 

"Good Dog Banned" 197 (no label dm-1001) [paste-on cover; 

500p] 

"Good Dog Banned" 2002 (CD Gear Fab 125) 

GOOD SOIL (IN) 

A rural rock obscurity that covers every Marin County 

cliché in the book to the point of sounding almost 

like a parody of the genre. "Smokestacks" is a nice 

hippie folkrocker with ringing guitars, but the rest 

ranges from mediocre to outright infuriating in its 

weedsmoking easygoingness. The key to this genre is 

songwriting, vocal harmonies and guitar arrangements, 

and these guys underperform in all three. Featuring 

an ex-Sons Of Champlin member, some tracks sport 

Sons-style sax and could be seen as an anti-urban 

variation on that band. Obviously derived from 1970 

Dead, but disappointing even to genre fans. Worst 

track features a dialogue between a band member and a 

tree (!). Not all rare albums are good. [PL] 

"Good Soil" 197 (Barn Recording Studio) 

Mainstream Christian folkrock with Marsha Rollings of 

Anonymous on vocals. 

GOODY TWO SHOES (Canada) 

"Come Together" 1969 (Allied/Paragon 237) 

JON GORDON ( ) 

Rural and rustic bayou rock with guitar moves, mix of 

originals and covers like "Come together". Two 

members were formerly with A Passing Fancy, and there 

is a version of "I'm losing tonight" on this LP. 

“Jon Gordon” 1976 (Tiger Lily 14008) 

There’s quite a bit of variety here: folk rock with 

12-string guitars, guitar-heavy blues rock, rural 

rock, mild prog, old-style rock and roll and even a 

violin hoedown. Gordon has a decent pop sense and 

there are several catchy songs here, as well as some 

nice guitar hooks and solos. At least two songs steal 

blatantly from the Beatles. Amusingly, the album’s 

one ballad is a love song to his television. This 

certainly isn’t an unusual or freaky record in any 

way, but as mainstream 70s rock goes it’s pretty 

enjoyable. In typical Tiger Lily fashion, the cover 

and label omit mention of one song, and there are a 

few obvious mastering glitches. Unlike a lot of tax 

scam records, though, it has a substantial running 

time. [AM]

GRACED LIGHTNING (IL) 

"Side" 1975 (no label GL-1) [1-sided album; paste-on cover; 

inserts] 

Three tracks of instrumental heavy guitar progressive 

with Gary Gand. Recorded at Golden Voice Studios. 

GRADUATES (Memphis, TN) 

"Graduates" 197 (Renegade 1003) 

GRAFFITI (DC/NY) 

Semi-competent early 70s lounge rockers. Mostly 

covers including "Let It Be", "Hey Jude", "Thank You 

For Letting Me Be Myself Again" (good one), and a 

lightning rendition of "Come and Get It". 

"Graffiti" 1969 (ABC s-663) [gatefold] 

This is a very good major label psych album that’s 

hard to define. It has a few semi-heavy moments, some 

fuzz guitar, soulful vibe, lots of effects, and 

occasionally crazed singing. The songwriting and 

playing are solid all around, and the album opens and 

closes with very strong songs. Worthy of close 

listens—there’s a lot going on inside this one. Some 

copies of this album are incorrectly mastered, with 

one song repeated and another missing. [AM] 

~~~ 

Interesting and somewhat underrated late 1960s 

psych/artrock transition piece, one of several 

respectable ABC albums from the era. Each song is 

jampacked with ideas and sounds, a sizable amount of 

$$$ must have gone into this. The overall style is 

reminiscent of the more highbrow Bosstown trips (like 

Freeborne) with a bit of UK Moody Blues/Procol 

Harum/"Abbey Road" classical and jazz ambitions. The 

second track has all the pieces fall into place 

including lyrical fuzz leads, while the band 

elsewhere often fall victim to an inability to get 

their ideas sorted. Bringing in Association/Boettcher 

highpitched vocal harmonies doesn't work that well, 

while several instrumental passages are so elaborate 

that the songwriting goes AWOL. This is an album 

where each of the elements is appealing by itself but 

when put together the puzzle seems a bit contrived 

and due to its overly complex nature, impersonal. 

Still worth checking out at the current low price, 

just like label-mates Ill Wind and Bold. The band 

also had a non-LP 45. [PL] 

GRANDEURS (Los Angeles, CA) 

"The Grandeurs" 196 (JH-1001) [no sleeve?] 

Obscure teenbeat/club LP, possibly issued without 

sleeve. Covers of "Wooly Bully" plus various Brit 

Invasion, soul and frat numbers.

GRANDMA'S ROCKERS (IA) 

"Homemade Apple Pie & Yankee Ingenuity" 1967 (Fredlo 6727) 

"Homemade Apple Pie & Yankee Ingenuity" 1993 (Del-Val 009) 

[350p] 

Some were disappointed with this addition to the Del- 

Val reissue roster and while it ain't no DR Hooker, I 

think it's pretty enjoyable. A local garage LP on the 

famous Fredlo label with mostly '67 top 40 covers all 

done in a convincing manner plus one monster fuzz 

original, "Blue peppers". One of the better local 

teen-beat cover LPs but not much for those who want 

psych. Silly name & title, great sleeve. According to 

the band, about 300 copies were pressed. [PL] 

GRAND THEFT (Mercer Island, WA) 

"Grand Theft" 1972 (no label GT-1) [no cover] 

"It's Eating Me Alive" 198 (Hablabel, Italy) [new sleeve] 

"Hiking Into Eternity" 1996 (CD Epilogue ep-1004) [+6 bonus 

tracks] 

This LP sounds like a gang of crazed teenagers 

causing audio-induced subsidence in the 

neighbourhood. If you enjoy instruments being sledge 

hammered to within an inch of their lives to the 

sound of top quality high pitched screaming vocals 

(and let’s face it, who doesn’t), this might be the 

ticket. The sound is so extreme it will make you grin 

and finally fall around laughing. Any LP with a 

10’12” track about buying a burger, fries and a 

milkshake is well worth having, in my world anyway. 

Just marvel at the deepest lyric from “Closer to 

Herfy’s”: “Went driving by the lake...lookin’ for a 

milkshake”. Better than “Stairway to Heaven”, 

certainly more relevant. If ponderous, meaningless 

guitar based rock is your thing, then you may feel 

the finger of mother fun poking rather hard at your 

ribs. “Scream/It’s eating me alive” introduces side 1 

with patent super-screaming and wasted, 

reverberating, guitar riffs. “Log Rhythms/Meat 

Midgets” chugs along with a cool, almost punk vibe. 

Faux mystic chanting on Ohms with lyrics like “they 

used to put strychnine in that stuff, we had a 

reeeaaal good time” cannot fail to make you laugh out 

loud. As we all know (now) it was ‘just a joke’, and 

a very funny one it is too. The sheer commitment to 

making something so extreme ends up producing a genre 

classic. The folkrock group Bluebird made it to make 

fun of Grand Funk. The original plain sleeve is 

stamped "Made in Canada". Both reissues are retitled, 

for some reason. [RI] 

GRANICUS (Cleveland, OH)

"Granicus" 1973 (RCA apl-0321) 

"Granicus" 1997 (CD Free, Europe) 

GRANMAX (MO) 

Far out 1970s hard rock album by some American 

Indians who just hated Ohio, and maybe everything 

else as well. They're not very fond of their own 

record, feeling that the major label production 

stripped them of their energy. Though much of it is 

sloppy and chaotic, some is unexpectedly smooth as 

well. It's hard to imagine just how heavy they think 

it should have been, though, because it has some 

excruciating moments as it is. The singer is really 

crazed, screeching at a high level that could hurt 

the ears of Led Zeppelin and Leafhound fans. Hell, it 

could even go too far for Rush or Pavlov's Dog fans. 

The songs ramble to good and bad effect. The 11minute 

"Prayer" is incredibly powerful despite 

(because of?) being very repetitive, but the long 

songs on side two aren't nearly as interesting. A 

stupid song insulting their home city of Cleveland 

assured that they blew their only chance to sell any 

records anywhere. The album's "ballad" is an 

instrumental with lots of mellotron. Some think this 

is a lost classic, and during moments of the first 

side, maybe it is. But not much else here hits the 

mark the way "Prayer" does, and the band's own 

assessment of the album as promising and unique, but 

heavily flawed, is on the mark. [AM] 

"A Ninth Alive" 1976 (Pacific 1001) 

"A Ninth Alive" 1976 (Panama prs-1001) [white vinyl] 

"Kiss Heaven Goodbye" 1978 (Panama 1023) 

Fans say that the addition of Nick Christopher is 

what made this such a leap forward from their less 

interesting (and much easier to find) first album. 

The band sure gels here, but Christopher's warbly, 

nasal voice is an acquired taste. I defy anybody to 

listen to him screeching "I am the prince" without 

chuckling. Maybe that's the point, though, and 

there's no denying the musical power of this record. 

It's hooky, full of energy and speed, the songs are 

concise and the band is tight. The tone is varied by 

excellent use of acoustic and slide guitars and 

tasteful phasing. Once you get used to the voice 

you'll find plenty of melody too. Highly recommended 

to fans of 70s semi-metal hard rock. [AM] 

GRAPES OF RATHE (PA) 

"Glory" 1969 (Tarus) 

A mixed bag of sounds that mixes dreamy psych with 

bad top 40 and horns. Has a good reputation but is 

actually a fairly weak album with no real identity 

and some nonsense. Full review once I get around to 

playing it again.

GRAVITY ADJUSTERS EXPANSION BAND (Fairfax, CA) 

"One" 1973 (Nocturne nrs-302) 

Spacy experimental cosmic trance. Communal trip of 

homemade instruments, sound generators and 

percussion. 

GREAT AMERICAN DREAM ( ) 

"Home And Free" 1975 (Audifex) [blank, stamped cover] 

This is another one of those "Advance reviewer copy" 

releases that were sold via ads in Rolling Stone. 

This time the fake label is "Audifex." Side one is 

mostly soulful 70s rock, and is pretty good. The band 

is tight and there's some cool lead guitar (played 

through Leslie speakers.) The album's best song is 

the proggy "You Can Fly," which has excellent 

harpsichord/flute interplay. Side two, unfortunately, 

only continues the style for one song. The others are 

two blues tunes and a rock/soul ballad, none of which 

are very interesting. Like a lot of the records in 

this series, it's quite short: 9 songs, 26 minutes. 

The production is raw and demo-like. [AM] 

GREAT LOOSE BAND & OK CHORALE (CA) 

"Stone Crow" 1976 (Blue Bong no #) [150p] 

The "Stone Crow" album was a musical play recorded 

live around 1975 at he University of California in 

Irvine. The original recording has narrative between 

all of the tracks telling their story of seeking the 

ultimate THC induced high. The leader of the band, 

guitar player Brook Meggs, had a strong tie to 

Capitol Records through his dad, Brown Meggs, a high 

level excutive famous for signing the Beatles to 

Capitol for state side distribution. According to 

Brook, the album was a custom Capitol press of 150 

copies. Unfortantly, the recording was too long for a 

single album so all of the spoken parts between all 

the tracks were edited. Without the narrative, the 

album is still very longwinded which is why all the 

songs run into each other without any dead space 

between the tracks. Musically, it's an enjoyable 

record and unlike most other albums that deal with 

the same subject matter, this one has a low "goof 

factor." Being that it's a live recording by 

musicians that obviously already found the ultimate 

high backstage before the show, they truly live up to 

their name and have a good time sharing their buzz on 

stage. [JSB] 

GREATRIX FREEDOM BAND (Canada) 

"Better Days Ahead" 1970 (Paragon 294) 

Rock trio doing Creedence, Janis Joplin covers plus 

originals, on the same label as Christmas.

GREEK FOUNTAINS (LA) 

"Take Requests" 1967 (Montel Michelle 110) 

GREEN (Dallas, TX) 

Popular local garage/teen-beat band with several good 

non-LP 45s. This LP, released as by the Greek 

Fountain River Front Band, was made when the band was 

essentially history already, and is a disappointingly 

stiff affair and not the frat garage blowout you 

might hope for. An all-covers lineup mixes jugband 

folkrock, blue-eyed soul and two Beatles covers for 

bad effect. The band sounds uninspired, the drummer 

sucks (strange for a club act), and the recording is 

flat and unexciting. I have to rate this one of the 

least interesting albums from the era that I've 

heard; comparable to the weakest Justice label titles 

and several notches below something like the first 

Spiffys LP. "For No One" is the highpoint, mainly 

because it's such a great song that not even these 

guys could screw it up. A 45 was released from the 

LP. [PL] 

"Green" 1969 (Atco SD 33-282) 

"Green" 2003 (CD) 

Psych fans hate horns, which is the only possible 

reason that this ace album has been ignored for so 

long. The horns here aren't your typical soulful 

saxes, trumpets and trombones, but a large variety of 

instruments, used to add color and mood. There's no 

bombast at all. Strong songs have the ante upped by 

the unusual arrangements and a variety of cool 

production tricks. A few songs on side two cover the 

same ground as better ones on side one, but the 

majority of this record is terrific. Their 2nd LP 

("To Help Somebody", 1971) is considered much 

inferior. [AM] 

~~~ 

Obscure title receiving some interest of late, and 

deservedly so. An easily accessible late beat/psych 

LP that nevertheless has a lot of odd angles going 

for it that keep surprising you. The overall style is 

late 1960s McCartney/Odyssey & Oracle pop channeled 

through the high-IQ east coast psych sensibility that 

produced albums such as the second Fallen Angels and 

Elizabeth. Use of horns is remarkably good and an 

asset to the album, as are the moody teen vocals. You 

can tell the release date by some raw guitars and the 

inventive rhythm section playing, but a charming 

Anglo '67-68 vibe is retained throughout. It's too 

early to be retro and comes off more like a testament 

to the tight grip the Beatles maintained on many 

musicians across the US, even as they were falling

apart. "Sgt Pepper" is explicitly mentioned in the 

lyrics, which combined with four bars of Dick Dale at 

the end of the fuzz-laden title track indicates the 

fun and artistically conscious nature of this LP. 

Judging by the catalog number the LP was released in 

the Spring 1969. The band came out of the North Texas 

State University in Denton. [PL] 

~~~ 


GREENWOOD, CURLEE & THOMPSON (St Paul, MN) 

"One Time, One Place" 1972 (no label gc-72105) [insert] 

GREER (NC) 

Local communal hippiefolk artefact with a couple of 

really good psychy tracks and the rest passable 

singer/songwriter sounds. In general the guitar-based 

songs are good, while I think the piano tracks drag 

the album down. On level with the similar-sounding 

Big Lost Rainbow, although most people seem to rate 

this LP higher than I do. My favorite track has the 

entire commune joining in on a mix of 1970s "aware" 

lyrics with raga acoustic and flute, like a 

politically correct Manson Family. [PL] 

~~~ 

Cool counterculture artifact from well-meaning 

hippies who spent two years perfecting their craft. 

Most collectors lament that there's too much piano 

here but even the overlong ballads are good. This is 

a great album. The intelligent lyrics are foulmouthed 

in a wholly appealing way, and the mellow 

music is very well-played. Nice little guitar parts 

come when you least expect them, giving energy to the 

quieter songs, and the vocals are confident and laidback. 

[AM] 

"Between Two Worlds" 1973 (Sugarbush sbs-109) 

Obscure artefact out of a local scene that produced 

cult music for a 15-year period; this is a powerful 

trip in a song-oriented 1970s British rock/hardrock 

style, with psych moves on the two long epics. Plenty 

of raw guitar, some piano and synth, heartfelt 

vocals, all wrapped in a consistent package that

displays talent and self-confidence. May be too much 

of a 70s mainstream sound for some, and indeed it 

would have deserved to come out on a major label. 

Should appeal to fans of Felt on Nasco. According to 

an article in Kicks #1, some of the songs had been 

recorded for a 1971 LP by related band Arrogance that 

never came out. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is one of those albums that gets hyped as 

"psych" or "prog" when in reality it's mainstream AMstyled 

1970s rock, made more collectable by rarity 

and pedigree. As such, though, this is very good. 

It's heavy when necessary, melodic when necessary, 

and has a crude enough production sound to appeal to 

those who would never listen to, say, a BTO album. 

The opening song could pass for heavy power pop, 

which should please fans of new wave-era NC rock. 

This is not as good as Arrogance's outstanding 

"Prolepsis," but due to the longer songs and less 

professional sound, it may be preferred by readers of 

this book. [AM] 

SPARKY GRINSTEAD (Oakland, CA) 

"Won Out" 1978 (Sparlene Records) 

Here’s a charming little pop album, 25 minutes of 

peppy melodies, acoustic guitars, simple 

arrangements, and lyrics about gurls. The best song 

by miles and miles is the opening “Fall On Me,” which 

has a lovely melody and some really cute-sounding 

fuzz guitar. It’s a triumph of low-budget recording, 

and by comparison makes early Shoes or the Toms sound 

like they were recorded at Abbey Road. The rest of 

the album isn’t as fantastic, but it’s fun straight 

through and Sparky has a really nice voice. The CD 

reissue doesn’t list the memorable “Big Ass” (he’s 

attracted to them), but includes it as a surprise 

bonus track. I wonder what his svelte girlfriend 

(pictured on the back cover) thought about that one. 

This is certainly not an album for psych or even folk 

collectors, but it’s recommended to pop fans and also 

fans of “real people” who can actually sing and 

write. [AM] 

GRODECK WHIPPERJENNY (OH) 

"Grodeck Whipperjenny" 1970 (People ps-3000) 

-- a Canadian pressing exists 

"Grodeck Whipperjenny" 199 (People, Austria) [bootleg] 

"Grodeck Whipperjenny" 2003 (CD Radioactive 0017, UK) 

I've returned to this LP for a second look as 

opinions differ so much on it. It certainly doesn't 

sound like the Airplane much, but I do find it a bit 

tough to swallow. The playing and arrangements are

mostly fine, but the vocals mess it up a bit, both in 

terms of sound and mixing. It's almost as if the LP 

had been recorded with another set of vocals in mind, 

or that the overdubs were made in a rather hurried 

manner. The opening track may in fact have been 

intended as an instrumental. In any event, the 

unusual, almost Eartha Kittish femme vox don't blend 

well with the adept psych-funk-rock fuzz/keyboard 

groove tunes, and on several occasions they fall out 

of step with the beat. Added reverb and echo effects 

make the awkward soundscape seem worse than it had to 

be. About half the LP is still very good, with a peak 

in the long track on side 2 where everything falls 

into place for a few minutes. The CD reissue has good 

sound and is worth checking out, due to the LP's 

esoteric nature and the individual responses it 

triggers. [PL] 

~~~ 

Utterly unique album that has aged extremely well. It 

was released on James Brown's label, and is awfully 

funky, but it also has ideas from all different 

musical worlds. Great playing abounds, and the 

strange female singer, who isn't feminine in any way 

whatsoever, has an understated power. A long jam on 

side two suffers from a few blues/jazz/hard rock 

clichés, but otherwise this is wholly original and 

impossible to describe. I can't for the life of me 

understand why everyone lumps this one in with the 

Airplane-soundalike bands, as there's absolutely zero 

resemblance to West Coast rock. There is also a 

"second" LP credited to James Brown, with 

instrumental groove funk-rock ("Sho' is Funky Down 

Here", King 1971). [AM] 

THE GROOP (Los Angeles, CA / Vancouver, Canada) 

“The Groop” 1970 (Bell 6038) 

The Groop had a single release and also a song on the 

“Midnight Cowboy” soundtrack, but for some reason 

their album’s release was cancelled. Though there was 

no actual release and cutouts never appeared, 

mysteriously a few sealed copies surfaced, all in the 

same spot, in a record store in the early 90s. 

Apparently no other copies have yet to be found, 

making this possibly the rarest of all major label 

releases. It’s quite good too, a top rate harmony 

soft rock album, with a nimble rhythm section, co-ed 

vocals and horns. It’s a bit funkier/more soulful 

than similar examples of the genre like Roger Nichols 

and the Free Design. Like a lot of west coast bands, 

the Mamas and Papas were an obvious influence. [AM] 

RICK GROSSMAN (Northbrook, IL) 

"Hot Romance" 1978 (Thunderbolt) 

This labor of love private press is as bad as the 

cover photo would lead you to imagine. It feels like 

the work of a horny 12-year-old, but Grossman’s chest 

hair proves it’s the work of a horny adult (or overly 

mature teenager?) He’s a truly terrible singer, 

unable to hold any of the three notes in his range,

and projecting absolutely zero personality. When his 

vocals are backed by equally inept instrumentation 

(shooting for mellow jazz rock or music-hall styled 

pop), it is enjoyably comic. This is most true on the 

songs where the “congos” are way up in the mix for 

added faux-romantic effect. Sax and vibes give an 

indication that he got a few cues from porno movies. 

As bad as this record is, Grossman has a reasonably 

developed pop sense, and the upbeat songs have a 

contagious energy. “Mellow Heaven Clout, in 

particular,” is really catchy, especially the echoed 

handclaps. The ballads, however, are deadly. This 

isn’t nearly at the level of prime real people 

artists like Kit Ream or Kenneth Higney, and in the 

long run two sides are a bit much. For a song or two, 

though, it’s a kick. Best lyric: “Up all night, ya, 

we roll in the sack/just the kind of place she’d like 

to do you at.” [AM] 

GROUND ZERO (Wheaton, IL) 

"Ground Zero" 1979 (Retread) 

GROUNDSTAR (CA) 

This gets hyped by dealers as a hard rock album, but 

don’t go expecting anything heavy or fuzz-happy. It’s 

actually hard power pop, decently played and sung, 

but not especially inspired or creative. There’s also 

an acoustic Latin-flavored song, a couple of weak 

funky rockers and, towards the end, a complete 

abandonment of harmonies and melody. There’s some 

cool lead guitar here and there, but this isn’t 

anything special. The closest comparison in the 

private press world is the album by Roundhouse, 

though that is better than this. [AM] 

"Forced Landing" 1980 (Stellar sr-2549) 

"Forced Landing" 1980 (Stellar) [2nd press; altered cover] 

GROWING CONCERN ( ) 

By 1980 AOR was all over the airwaves, but within the 

genre this is a bit of an oddity and is rather 

special. Bits of hard rock, prog, space rock mix with 

a pure pop sensibility, and the powerful heliumvoiced 

woman and poppy-sounding man are much more 

appealing than the eunuch-like wailers who ruled the 

genre in the 80s. The songs are reasonably short and 

the rockers are fast. The kind of pomp and arrogance 

that gave the genre a bad name are nowhere to be 

found here. This doesn’t resemble heavy metal at all, 

even on the power ballads. The album has been 

compared to Styx and Yes in their poppier moments, 

but this is much more (pardon the pun, given the 

album title and cover) down-to-earth. This ranks just 

a notch below Marianus for me as top of the heap 

early 80s AOR private press fun. The second pressing 

altered the cover art a bit, changed the song order, 

and re-named a few of the songs. [AM]

"Growing Concern" 1968 (Mainstream 56108) [mono; wlp exists] 

"Growing Concern" 1968 (Mainstream s-6108) [stereo] 

"Growing Concern" 199 (Mainstream) [bootleg] 

"Growing Concern" 1996 (CD Golden Classics Rebirth) 

"Growing Concern" 2004 (CD Radioactive 069, UK) 

One of many bands rooted in the melodic sides of 

early Airplane and Mamas & the Papas, this mystery 

group brings a crystal clear vocal sound and more 

reverb than Dick Dale ever dreamed of to create a 

cathedral type sound which has blown many minds. 

Several cover versions but mostly good ones, such as 

the outstanding opening Hollies interpretation, and 

their own tracks are enjoyable too. Not a total 

classic, but a winner on charm and impressive 

surface; one of my Mainstream label faves along with 

Bohemian Vendetta and Orient Express. [PL] 

~~~ 

Most people consider this top of the Mainstream heap, 

and for the length of side one they're close. 

Beautiful, haunting instrumentation (great use of 

harpsichord) and an excellent set of songs makes for 

very pleasant listening. The male singer has a voice 

that gets cloyingly sweet though, moreso with each 

listen, and by the end of the album it gets downright 

irritating. Side two also suffers from the 

unnecessary inclusion of some very common cover 

tunes, and on the whole this is only half of a great 

album. [AM] 

PETER GRUDZIEN (New York City, NY) 

"Album No.1 (in two sides): The Unicorn" 1974 (P.G 101) [500p] 

"The Unicorn" 1995 (CD Parallel World cd-2) [+6 bonus tracks] 

If you want to go as far out as it gets, this 

underground cult album from a gay hillbilly NYC 

visionary provides a map. One of the more remarkable 

LPs I've heard, or to quote its original advocate 

Paul Major's classic description: "Johnny Cash and 

Gandalf the Grey drop acid and meet under the altar 

to discuss religion while perfoming weird sex acts." 

One track is like stumbling into a Salvation Army 

meeting while tripping, another is a 9-minute lament 

with incredible lyrics. There's ripped off choral 

music, basement electronics, lots of bluegrass, and 

more. The primitive recording and occasionally 

unfinished arrangements should not obscure the fact

GRYPHON (MI) 

that "The Unicorn" is an artistically aware statement 

from a unique artist, inhabiting a unique world -- 

the van Gogh of 1970s folk. Grudzien has plenty of 

more recordings waiting to be reissued, and has 

achieved a cult fame in recent years including TV 

features. [PL] 

~~~ 

Eccentric country psych with bluegrass picking, 

religious imagery, and gay concerns. very special 

'real person'. Home studio compilation with tons of 

claustrophobic sounds in the thick, Trimblesque mix. 

Some of the material dates back to 1956! A dreamy 

psych aura hovers over the essentially country 

playing which tends to stagger rhythmically. Amazing 

songs about hard-luck gay romance and hallucinatory 

religious visions with an upfront sincerity that's 

breathtaking. The vocals are something else too, 

spoken-sung in a nasal baritone. This is a very 

special work of art that's almost too complex and 

otherworldly to grace mere vinyl. [RM] 

~~~ 

This one of a kind blatantly gay psychedelic country 

album deserves pretty much all of the praise it gets 

in collectors circles. There’s nothing even remotely 

like it, and it works not because of the “real 

people” appeal, but because Grudzien is a fantastic 

songwriter with a bunch of great ideas and a wholly 

distinct personality. It’s insulting to speak of him 

in the same breath as the many talentless “incredibly 

strange music” folk he’s usually lumped in with. 

Truly great stuff that stands the test of time. Even 

the 90s bonus tracks (with drum machines) on the CD 

reissue are great. Everyone needs to own this. [AM] 

"Gryphon" 1975 (no label nr-12487) 

GUILD (Seattle, WA) 

Dual-lead hardrock and prog with melodic moves. 

"Susurrus" 1978 (KM 2381) [500p] 

First LP by introspective folkrock duo, Renee and 

Daryl Redeker, with mixed vocals, rock setting, 12string 

guitar and some synth. Mostly originals but 

also a "cover" of John Cage's "Silence", which scores 

points in the humor department. 

"Musik" 1980 (no label) 

Second LP is similar in style with short songs, some 

fuzz breaks, and lyrics concerning mental illness. 

GUITAR ENSEMBLE (Las Vegas, NM)

"Have Faith" 1970 (no label) 

Charming Christian strum folk teens, harmony vocals. 

Seven acoustic guitarists, two bassists, two 

"rhythm"(!), and godsend Mary Kay Johnsen on organ 

and vocals. This first LP is more in the folkrock 

direction with less of Mary Kay's vocals and a 

somewhat more primitive feel. 

"The You-N-You" 1971 (no label lps-812) 

The followup is a special latenite beast that sneaks 

up on you with its aching sincerity and visionary 

lyrics, the creepy ones by Bob Rivas. This manages to 

be clean cut and way lost simultaneously... like an 

acoustic New Dawn with better vocals! Inspirational 

verse: "It is you seeing others as you would have 

them see you. It is you seeing you in others. It is 

others seeing you in them." [RM] 

~~~ 

Despite that everyone who hears it seem to like it, 

this is still one of the most underrated local LPs 

around. Enjoyable all through in its introspective 

light-folkrock moodiness, with superb peaks in tracks 

like "The Answer" and "Lamb of God". Back cover 

photos of the band in very goofy school yearbook type 

photos adds to the appeal. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Concern 

~~~ 


"GUITAR PICKS & ROACH CLIPS" ( ) 

"Guitar Picks and Roach Clips" 1973 (Stoneybrook) [2 LPs] 

Mostly instrumental jams in a psych/prog style. This 

is a various artists LP featuring Gordon Alexander, 

Bob Jameson, Road Apples among others, and also 

Alicia May who did "Skinnydipping In The Flowers". 

The album is a movie soundtrack for an obscure 

animated feature which briefly played theatres. 

SANDY GURLEY & THE SAN FRANCISCO BRIDGE (CA) 

"Sandy Gurley and the San Francisco Bridge" 1968 (Tower st- 

5135) 

Gurley has a great voice and though most songs have 

horns, there are a couple with wild fuzz guitar too. 

Kind of a mixed bag, but enjoyable. Oddly, the 

version of "Can't Buy Me Love" is exactly the same 

backing track as that by Neighb'rhood Childr'n, just

MARGO GURYAN (MA) 

with Gurley as lead singer. Produced by Larry 

Goldberg & Leo Kulka (Afterglow, Maze, Mesmerizing 

Eye...) [AM] 

"Take A Picture" 1968 (Bell 6022) 

"Take A Picture" 2000 (Siesta, Spain) [altered sleeve] 

"Take A Picture" 2001 (CD Franklin Castle/Oglio) [+bonus 

tracks] 

Guryan is one of the few female songwriters to claim 

a heavy "Pet Sounds" influence, and while this 

doesn't touch, say, Billy Nicholls, it's a lot better 

than, say, Marc Eric. Psych fans dig it for the 

closing "Love," which has a freakout section, but 

pretty much all of the album is easy to like. The 

songwriting is complex and thoughtful, and while it 

lacks the inspiration of the classic that inspired 

it, it's one of the better soft rock albums of its 

time, and blows away stuff like Wendy & Bonnie or 

Lily & Maria. Unreleased material has appeared on CD 

in recent years, such as "25 Demos" (Franklin 

Castle). [AM] 

GWYDION (Oakland, CA) 

"Songs For The Old Religion" 1975 (Nemeton 101) [insert] 

"Songs For The Old Religion" 1995 (Psychedelic Archives, UK) 

[insert] 

This is an LP that sounds pretty good under special 

circumstances, but the other 364 days of the year it 

sounds like what it is, namely a piece of mediocre, 

derivative Northern California pagan hippiefolk. The 

style is Brit-trad:ish with mostly selfpenned 

material and female vocals on a few tracks, which 

incidentally also are the best. The lack of 

originality and a dull, non-dynamic recording makes 

this hard to enjoy, except as an odd artefact from a 

poorly documented scene. The most appealing aspect is 

the cover, with Gwydion doing his best to convince us 

that he is a Glastonbury/Stonehendge druid - even has 

the costume act down, although a big spliff in his 

hand blurs the impression. Gwydion's story is still 

somewhat mysterious, and there is a strange tribute 

website done by his lady disciples which paints him 

as a man of Father Yod-like stature, unlike the Pig & 

Whistle talent contest reject this LP radiates. The 

second LP ("The Faerie Shaman", 1981) is inferior. 

Gwydion passed away shortly after, thus fulfilling a 

premonition of premature death that he had in England 

a few years earlier. [PL]

GYE WHIZ see Dave Lamb & Gye Whiz 


ROSEMARY HADDAD (Tabor, NJ) 

"Coming Hohm" 1975 (Hohm ll-136) 

DAVE HALFORD ( ) 

Hohm commune cool psychy watercolor cover, the music 

is flowing female vocal eastern religion meets hippie 

socially concious commune folk with acoustic backing 

guitars, flute, percussion, sax. Nice latenite 

sounds. [RM] 

~~~ 

One of the best hippie commune albums. Rosemary even 

includes a photo of her guru on the back cover. 

Rather than being new agey dullness like, say, The 

Oneness Space, this music is strong folk-rock with 

Rosemary's lovely voice to the forefront. She seems 

truly at peace with her lifestyle; the album has a 

comforting vibe to it. Some of the songs are only OK, 

but the album ends with a bang. The last two songs 

are the fantastic "Kitchen Floor Song," full of 

purposely funny pseudo-psychology and chaotic backing 

vocals, and the utterly gorgeous reprise of the title 

song. [AM] 

"Tulesburg" 1973 (no label) [100p] 

"Second LP" 197 (no label) [100p] 

"Tulesburg" is amateurish DIY folkrock with an 

undercurrent of drug themes, as on "Ride on your 

horse". The actual title and contents of the second 

LP are unknown. From Oregon or California. 

HALF TRIBE (Reading, PA) 

"Only Startin'" 1965 (Frank Webber Productions FW-1) [500p] 

"Only Startin'" 1985 (Resurrection CX 1386) [bootleg] 

One of the original North-East preprock artefacts, 

though more in an Astronauts-inspired surf/frat-bag 

than the usual Stones clones. The extremely

BRUCE HAMANA (AZ) 

moody/low-key approach adds a mysterious dimension 

that I enjoy. Some psych fans rate this LP very 

highly. All covers but one, with a cool sleeve photo 

a bonus. Some guys went on to the somewhat punkier 

Other Half combo. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Other Half 

"Hamana" 1974 (Canyon c-7111) [inner sleeve] 

"Hamana" 2006 (CD World In Sound 1029) [+2 bonus tracks; 

booklet] 

"Hamana" 2006 (World In Sound) 

Although it took a long time to get reissued, it's 

easy to see the debut "Hamana"'s appeal, but it also 

has a few problems. A couple of weak Nashville-style 

country numbers drag the middle third of the album 

down, and there's a few weaker moments on side 2 as 

well. Apart from these it is a very appealing and 

atmospheric rural rock/westcoast excursion, the usual 

Neil Young, CSNY and even Eagles influences on clear 

display. The band (actually Bruce Hamana himself) is 

good with an organic garage edge here and there, and 

Hamana adds a DIY feel when his soulful vocals fall 

out of synch with the backing; possibly the tunes 

were all written on acoustic guitar and the studio 

arrangements were done rather fast. The overall 

acoustic/electric mix is very tasty a la Relatively 

Clean Rivers, the songwriting is strong and full of 

hooks, and there's some snakey SF guitar excursions 

although it is essentially a song-oriented album. Too 

bad the playtime is pretty short, else this could 

have been transformed into a killer simply by 

removing two of the weaker tracks. In any event it is 

worth hearing for pretty much anyone into local early 

70s melodic rock sounds. Bruce Hamana is a Hopi 

Indian, and reportedly later became chief of his 

tribe. [PL] 

~~~ 

No album gets the feel of drunken reservation life 

down quite like this one. A few pure country songs 

are duds, but the rest of the album is good 

folk/rural/roots rock with hard-living, heartfelt 

vocals from Hamana. The rhythm section is a bit 

sloppy (and the bass is mixed too loud), which is 

either distracting or charming, depending on your 

point of view. The lyrics, which aim to proselytize, 

are a little awkward and obvious in some places, but 

since it's authentic (the album was originally 

intended to be sold on reservations), it's 

forgivable. Interestingly, he blames his "maker" for 

his personality faults. The first two songs are the 

strongest ones. A much later (and much less 

enjoyable) second album by Hamana goes further in the 

country direction, almost to the point of parody

("Indian Dream", Mother Earth 49-7). [AM] 

LYNN HANEY (Cleveland, OH) 

"Rebirth" 1972 (Tribute fr-2395-sm) 

Early 70s Christian folk beat flower vibes from ASFB 

vocalist, with Glenn Schwartz guesting on one track, 

also some use of harpischord and flute. 

~~~ 

see -> All Saved Freak Band 

HANG MANN 5 (Norfolk, VA) 

"Sounds Of The Sixties" 1967 (Century fv-23815) 

Typical Mid-Atlantic seaboard teen club band of 

mostly soul covers and a couple of white-boy tunes, 

including Young Rascals, Dylan ("Like a rolling 

stone") and Animals. Tuxedo-clad 5-piece group with 

organ, released on celebrated custom label. The cover 

and the label actually credit the band as 'Hang 5 

Mann'. 

HA'PENNYS (Andover, MA) 

"Love Is Not The Same" 1966 (Fersch 1110) 

"Love Is Not The Same" 1985 (Resurrection CX 1331) 

The band that preceded the Rising Storm as school 

rock group at Phillips Andover. These guys took a 

more lowkey approach to their LP, which is mostly 

British Invasion covers fed through a basement 

folkrock sound with some rave-up aspirations. I like 

it, especially the whiney title cut original, but as 

usual with prep rock/local teen-beat LPs you should 

be aware that it sounds nothing like the Litter or 

Nightshadow. Great sleeve design. [PL] 

HAPPY DRAGON BAND (MI) 

"Happy Dragon Band" 1978 (Fiddlers Music Company 811015-1157) 

[200p] 

"Happy Dragon Band" 199 (Fiddlers Music Company) [bootleg] 

"Happy Dragon Band" 2004 (CD Radioactive, UK) 

Surprising about-face from the Phantom "Divine 

Comedy" guys, this avant-flavored basement late 1970s 

trip mixes synth-led proto-new wave songs with social

HARBINGER ( ) 

commentary lyrics and a sense of a lot of things 

being possible. Vocal effects are in an abundance 

while several moogs seem to play off against each 

other, yet the whole thing is tight and controlled 

enough never to degenerate into freeform chaos. 

Strange "Eraserhead"-like moods creep into your skull 

as eerie vocals serenade a fucked-up world much like 

sardonic space aliens might. The band achieves an 

impressive effect by playing big, moody chord 

sequences and harmonies on crude analog synths, which 

enhances the experience of alienation and 

telescopation. Some 70s glam-pop and raw guitar riffs 

can also be picked up among the electronics and drum 

machines. Very clearly a product of its era 

(including some tentative reggae backbeats), I find 

this an enjoyable LP and for all its weird, angular 

sounds, a lot less challenging than much of the lame 

"rock" stuff that was being released at the time. 

Psychedelic in its use of contradictory and unusual 

moods, but even more likely to appeal to fans of 

1970s synth-punk/avant in the Ohio/Eastcoast style. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

This bizarre freaky rock album is as different from 

the Phantom album as Relatively Clean Rivers is from 

Beat of the Earth. It mixes several 70s styles and 

buries them under sound effects, synthesizers and 

weird vocal arrangements. There are a few electronic 

instrumentals, some lyrics that are as obtuse as the 

arrangements, and some very faint nods to the 

disco/funk trends of the time. Despite an occasional 

"Dark Side Of The Moon" influence, they are more 

psych than prog or space rock, and at times they have 

the same feel as some early new wave synth bands 

(i.e. the Units, Assassin Of Silence.) It takes a 

number of listens to grasp the actual songs because 

they're so disjointed and because the melodies are 

somewhat hidden behind the walls of noise. Once the 

songs finally sink through, it's almost a surprise to 

discover that they're very good, and the electronics 

enhance them rather than mask their weaknesses. Like 

the U.S.A album, even the most insane synth noises 

here have been well integrated into the flow of the 

songs and don't sound random at all. This is my idea 

of a synth album! [AM] 

"Second Coming" 197 (AE 100) 

Excellent acoustic lost folk psych with 12-string 

that sounds like a sitar at times, harmony vocals. A 

strange little beast full of murky strum darkness, 

cosmic imagery, and rich vocals. Hard to know what 

this group was aiming for with an equal mix of cosmic 

and biblical references. Musically, this has more in 

common with Leopoldian despair than any Jesus Music 

counterparts. They even appropriate the melodies to 

Bowie's "Space Oddity" and the Beatles' "You Can't 

See Me"! File under: Tripping For Jesus. ...'the 

psychedelic sounds of the dirty circus grounds'. [RM] 

HARDIN & RUSSELL ( )

"Ring Of Bone" 1976 (no label) [insert] 

Male/female duo with countryrock/bluegrass setting 

including banjo and fiddle and weird, dark lyrics. 

HARD KNOX (East Haven, CT) 

"Roughcut" 1981 (RC 1001) 

Self-released hardrock/AOR mini-LP in primitive 

cover. There was also a pre-LP 7". 

JACK HARDY (New York City, NY) 

"The Mirror Of My Madness" 1976 (no label) [plain cover] 

Well-known 70's/80's Greenwich Village folk scene 

mainstay. The LP has a few great whacked out songs, 

the Dylanesque “Murder” being a crack-up fave ('you 

know he wasn't out there just to dig some clams"). 

Fellow scenesters The Roches are featured on some 

backing vocals. His 2nd LP, this was a homemade 

private press that came in a plain white cover with 

name and album title hand-written in pencil (the few 

known copies are all like that). [MA] 

RAY HARLOWE & GYP FOX (MN) 

"First Rays" 1978 (Waterwheel wr-711) 

JEFF HARMON (CA) 

Enjoyable local stoned hippie barrock Dead groover 

with peak in druggy epic "Getting Keyed". True psych 

vibes from "the bar at the end of the world" to quote 

one of the album's original advocates. Excellent 

musical value in relation to the low going rate. The 

weather always keep changing... [PL] 

~~~ 

One of those albums that’s known almost exlusively in 

collector’s circles. Despite the 1978 recording date, 

this is wasted late 60s/early 70s-style guitar rock 

in a West Coast bag. The guitar playing is pretty 

good and the songs have hooks buried here and there. 

An album that makes you feel like you’ve wandered 

into a swamp by mistake, but the water is warm and 

comfortable. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Ghostdance 

"To The Core" 1979 (Avocado) [plain stamped cover; insert] 

Very obscure LP recorded in Lakeside CA, described as 

"odd basement McCartney vibe, with some spacey 

keyboards and Christian/seeker overtones." 

ARTHUR LEE HARPER (Los Angeles, CA)

"Love Is The Revolution" 1969 (Nocturne 905) 

"Love Is The Revolution" 1998 (Synton 9806) 

"Dreams & Images / Love is the Revolution" 2002 (CD Papa's 

Choice) [2-on-1] 

SHAUN HARRIS (CA) 

I'm a bit puzzled by all the raves I've seen on this 

singer/songwriter artefact -- I've heard it many 

times but never found much. A couple of good psychy 

tracks with gypsy violin and odd production tricks in 

the background but also lots of wimpy James Taylor 

laments; I can think of about a hundred LPs that blow 

this away. Still, some reliable people rate it 

highly. As few as 250 copies were reportedly pressed. 

This is the same Arthur that had a Donovanish LP on 

the LHI label, which I prefer over this. There is 

also a retrospective album "Memories" (RD Records 11, 

Switzerland 2003) with modern, or at least updated 

recordings, according to the comments I've seen. 

Arthur Lee Harper passed away right around the time 

of the 2003 LP release. [PL] 

~~~ 

Recorded with his backup band 'The Second Coming'. 

Bent flower power love tunes and war concerns. Much 

better than his earlier 'Arthur' LP with more of a 

beat (bass upfront) and gorgeous melodies throughout. 

Mix of acoustic and subdued electric guitar, violin. 

Superb delicate vocals worth of Donovan or Don 

Thompson. [RM] 

~~~ 

see -> Arthur (LHI) 

"Shaun Harris" 1973 (Capitol st-11168) [red label] 

"Shaun Harris" 2005 (CD Revola/Cherry Red 127, UK) 

Ex-WCPAEB member Harris goes all out for 70s pop 

stardom here, failing miserably because no matter how 

smooth the melodies and vocals, he’s just too 

freakin’ weird. At first you’ll think these are just 

dumb love songs, but soon you’ll notice that half of 

them are about suicide and self-loathing, and those 

stupid melodies will start to grow on you. A guilty 

pleasure, and proof that talent will defeat any 

attempt to sell out. Harris also released a number of 

non-LP 45s during this era. [AM] 

~~~ 

Produced in association with Michael Lloyd, to be 

perfectly honest, the first time we played this one 

the pop orchestration had us double checking to 

ensure we hadn't put a Lobo album on by mistake. 

Luckily we were willing to give this one another spin 

and, as is so often the case, it turns out our 

initial impressions were largely off base. 

Admittedly, anyone expecting WCPAEB-styled psych is 

probably going to be disappointed by this set. Harris 

originals such as "Empty Without Her", "I'll Cry Out" 

and "Underachiever" were considerably more poporiented 

than his earlier catalog, but the top-40 

sheen was punctuated by some of the year's darkest 

and self-abusive lyrics. Tracks such as

BOB HARRISON ( ) 

"Underachiever", "Color of Your Eyes", "Today's a 

Day" and the glistening ballad "Love Has Gone Away" 

showcased a young man with more than his share of 

personal demons. [SB] 

~~~ 

see -> West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band 

"Yellow Moon" 1975 (Bobco) 

HARVEST FLIGHT (CA) 

Sort of the garage reverb take on the lost Elvis 

impersonator angle. A couple of jumpsuit big ballads 

but mostly atomic age rockabilly throwback moves with 

deep thoughts. J.D. Brennan meets Stud Cole? Housed 

in a terrific cover. His nickname is "Li'L Elvis". 

[RM] 

"One Way" 1971 (Destiny D-3303) [inner sleeve; individual 

photos on back] 

"One Way" 1972 (Destiny D-3303) [inner sleeve; group photo on 

back] 

"One Way" 200 (CD Dodo, Italy) 

Very pro-sounding 1970s Christian hippie folkrock LP 

with a slicker sound than universally loved Jesus 

rock monsters like Kristyl et al. Impressive vocal 

harmonies manage to convey a wide range of emotions 

within the realm of an elaborate production. Other 

notable features include typical 70s keyboard 

wizardry, some good guitar, and intricate Third 

Estate-style arrangements that occasionally stray 

into the overambitious. Includes a cover of "One in 

spirit", rest is group originals. May be too much of 

a mainstream studio Steely Dan trip for some, but 

apart from one atypical country track I think it's 

pretty good. Release year seems to be 1971 but it 

actually sounds more like 1975-76 to me. Apart from 

the back cover difference, the original press has a 

different font on the front cover logo, and the label 

logo in the left corner instead of the right. [PL] 

HARVEST OF DREAMS see Bobb Trimble 

HAUNTED (Chateauguy, Canada) 

"Haunted" 1967 (Transworld 6701) [mono] 

-- 

"Haunted" 1984 (Psycho 9, UK) [altered sleeve] 

"Haunted" 1995 (CD Beat, UK) [+6 bonus tracks] 

Inconsistent Canuck rarity with some good tracks,

some covers, and blatant ripoffs of "Season Of The 

Witch" and "Security". "1-2-5" is a different version 

from 45. The printers failed to use the color yellow, 

and as a result both yellow and green are missing on 

the cover print on all original Haunted albums. Apart 

from the LP the band cut several 45s, some under 

pseudonym, and have been fully covered via 

retrospective releases on Voxx (LP and CD). No stereo 

pressing exists. 

HAYMARKET RIOT (Berkeley, CA) 

"Live '67" 199 (RD Records 7, Switzerland) [gatefold] 

First ever release of live recording from this 

somewhat legendary Bay Area underground band, 

recorded at the F.U.C.K centre in late 1967. Crude 

teen garage jams with some extended numbers. 

Essential to any vintage S F aficionado. 

HAYMARKET SQUARE (Chicago, IL) 

"Magic Lantern" 1968 (Chaparral CRM-201) 

"Magic Lantern" 1987 (Osmose, Europe) 

"Magic Lantern" 1996 (Sacred Temple 2001, UK) [400p] 

"Magic Lantern" 1996 (CD LSD 007) 

"Magic Lantern" 2001 (Gear Fab/Comet GF-176) [gatefold] 

"Magic Lantern" 2001 (CD Gear Fab GF-176) 

BILL HAYMES ( ) 

More famous for its rarity than musical quality, this 

is yet another Airplane meets Cream hippierock 

workout. Unlike most similar groups these guys 

couldn't really play much, which gives their jams an 

odd garage edge, and may sound tedious. The reissue 

may be worth checking out, but don't expect another 

Wizards From Kansas. A ten minute track has been 

reissued on "Psychedelic Patchwork" if you want a 

sample. According to the band, as few as 80 copies 

were pressed. Great sleeve, so the reissues might be 

worthwhile. Beware though: the Osmose issue has a 

skip in the first track from the vinyl transfer. [PL] 

~~~ 

Crude hard rock with decent female vocals and 

ridiculously overlong songs. Long jams are dull 

enough when played by Cream or Blind Faith, but when 

the band has no skills to speak of they're even 

worse. A few songs show promise, if only they'd been 

held to three minutes. Another high-priced rarity 

that leaves me scratching my head. Perhaps it appeals 

to jaded collectors who prefer a bargain basement 

rough production and performance style to anything 

that evidences any talent. [AM] 

"I Shall Be Released" 197 (Resist bh-101) 

Houston label. Early 1970s solo guitar folkie peace, 

love, and protest. Half covers. Haymes also had a 

second LP on Resist, titled "USA", and a recent CD

elease as well. [RM] 

V.A "HAZLETON '68" (Hazleton, PA) 

"Hazleton '68" 1968 (Empire 868-577) 

Teen garage cover bands. About half pop with some 

nice primitive garage psych tracks. Highlights: the 

Lost Dimensions' worst ever "Purple Haze", the 

Pedestrians pedestrian fuzz-o-rama "Sunshine Of Your 

Love", and the Boston T's "Hold On I'm Coming". Also 

covers of Critters, Doors, Young Rascals. [RM] 

ROY HEAD & THE TRAITS (San Marcos, TX) 

"Roy Head & the Traits" 1965 (TNT 101) 

Local pre-Invasion sounds from wellknown r'n'r & pop 

performer, released to cash in on his rise to fame 

with the "Treat her right" 45; this track is not 

included, instead we are treated to Head's 1959-61 

recordings, some of which have been "updated" with 

mid-1960s stylings such as tambourines. An oddball 

release of interest mostly to Texas completists. 

HEAD OVER HEELS (MI) 

"Head Over Heels" 1971 (Capitol ST-797) 

Another surprisingly rare Capitol release; this is 

first-rate power trio hard rock. The ballad "Right 

Away" will rip your guts out. Two songs recorded live 

succumb to annoying blues-rock clichés, but otherwise 

this album is hot, and has an appealing variety for 

an album of its type. The strident vocals work 

perfectly in this context. Better than just about any 

of the 70s hard rock bands who actually sold a few 

records. Too bad the song "In My Woman" didn't take 

advantage of the obvious opportunity for doubleentendre. 

Both green and red 'target' labels are 

considered originals as the LP was released right at 

the design switch. [AM] 

HEAD SHOP (New York City, NY) 

"Head Shop" 1969 (Epic BN 26476) [yellow label] 

"Head Shop" 199 (Epic) [bootleg; dark label] 

"Head Shop" 1998 (CD Synton DR9856) 

"Head Shop" 2004 (CD World In Sound 1024) [+7 bonus tracks] 

"Head Shop" 200 (Epic BN 26476) [legit re?] 

Average late-60s psych album, full of sound effects, 

fuzz guitar and creative arrangements, but without 

the songs to elevate it to keeper status. A couple of 

Beatles covers are particularly ill-advised. The 

heavier songs are probably the highlights. Good but 

not great. The LP was apparently masterminded by 

Milan, a k a The Leather Boy. An original Dutch 

pressing exists. [AM]

HEADS OF OUR TIME (Toronto, Canada) 

"The Subtle Art of Self-Destruction" 1970 (Goodgroove GS-7001) 

[foil cover] 

This LP offered up a mix of original material and 

contemporary pop and soul hits done in an exploito 

fashion that you'll either love, or curse. Musically 

the album could serve as a primer for studio psych 

effects - it's all here including waves of fuzz 

guitar, sitar, backwards tapes, channel panning, tons 

of sound effects and hysterical over-the-top belly 

button gazing insight such as that found on 

"W.O.R.D.S" ("a burning desire for a woman with a 

blank look on her face, who will assist you in the 

subtle art of self destruction"). These guys just 

didn't waste a single trick in pulling the album 

together. Highlights included the blazing opening 

instrumental "Airhead" and the weirdest cover of 

"Wichita Lineman" you'll ever hear. Less impressive, 

but still worth hearing were a couple of the covers, 

including a lame 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy', a heavied-up 

"With a Little Help from My Friends" and one of the 

stranger Hendrix covers I've ever heard "Crosstown 

Traffic". Sure it may not have been great art, but 

the LP was a load of fun! [SB] 

~~~ 

Cool exploito-rock with stereo tricks, sound effects, 

fuzz guitar, groovy organ, phasing, cosmic spoken 

word bits, and backwards instruments. It mixes soul 

and rock covers with far out instrumentals. The cover 

versions have plenty of horns, and the oddest thing 

here is probably the soul take on “Crosstown 

Traffic”. It’s hard to think that the jazzy/soulful 

stuff will appeal to the same people as the guitar 

freakouts, but sometimes the two styles mix on the 

same songs, creating a rather odd effect. If you’re 

an exploito fan you’re sure to get a kick out of 

this. As with most exploito, it’s well played and 

sung. It’s cool, but there aren’t as many thrills 

here as on, say, the first Aorta album. The silver 

album cover is neat. A US pressing on Audio Fidelity 

exists, credited to Jay Jackson & Heads of Our Time. 

[AM] 

HEADSTONE (Columbus, OH) 

"Still Looking" 1974 (Starr slp-1056) 

"Still Looking" 1988 (Starr) [bootleg] 

-- this is a very close counterfeit. The color of the carton 

inside the cover is clear gray on the original and more 

brownish on the reissue. The label of the original is slightly 

clearer and has visible circular lines. 

"Still Looking" 1997 (CD Anthology, Italy) 

The opening seven minute title track is a killer 

journey through local underground guitar psych, and 

there's plenty more good stuff aboard including some 

more lyrical moves. Underrated LP, solid all through, 

better than many $1000 LPs. Great generic sleeve of 

eagle "still looking". The band also had three non-LP 

45s which are pretty good. [PL] 

~~~

Ohio was full of obscure hard rock bands in the 70s, 

and it’s surprising how many of their self-released 

albums have stood the test of time. Despite 

relatively simple songs, this album has real power. 

The long title track is the highlight, but the rest 

of the album comes close to the standard. The songs 

carry on a bit too long, but the solid guitar/organ 

sound is backed up by an energetic rhythm section and 

the overall feel of this album is strong, and gets 

better with repeated listens. They don’t seem like 

they were particularly talented, but they made the 

most of what they had. [AM] 

HEADSTONE CIRCUS (DC) 

"Headstone Circus" 2004 (Shadoks 061, Germany) [350#d] 

Unreleased 1968-70 tapes from band featuring Glenn 

Faria, in a CSNY/Buffalo Springfield style. No 

relation to any other Headstone Circus. 

HEARD (Lawrence, KS) 

"Heard" 1967 (Audio House acetate) [1-sided 10" acetate] 

Drawing members from two local high-school bands, 

this 1-sided album offers four tracks and a total of 

11 minutes to get into the Heard trip. The band is a 

lot more energetic than the Chosen Ones, with an 

obvious ambition to create a true soul groove rather 

than just sanitizing Memphis numbers for the wedding 

crowd. Vocalist -- none other than future Nashville 

music biz mogul Garth Fundis -- sounds like he would 

fit better in a snotty garage band but gives it an 

enthusiastic shot anyway. Apart from charming, 

energetic opener "I Dig Girls" the tracks are played 

unusually slow which combined with a confident 

drummer makes it sound almost late 60s in execution. 

Did I mention there's a full horn section? Sound is 

reminiscent of some of the more bizarre Justice label 

teen acts, with a strong recording and a nice live 

feel to their advantage. Not garage nor psych nor 

beat, this is a Midwest horn band doing Billboard 

r'n'b 100 covers. Vocalist and bass player later 

joined the Upside Dawne. [PL] 

GERALD HEARD (England / Los Angeles, CA) 

"Explorations vol 2 - Survival, Growth & Rebirth" 1961 (World 

Pacific 1413) [3LP box set] 

Heard is one of the Founding Fathers of psychedelia

through his work on LSD during the 1950s/early 1960s, 

often in collaboration with his friend Aldous Huxley. 

He was also an eminent lecturer, philosopher and 

author, and his writings cover many fields apart from 

the psychedelic experience. From an acid perspective 

the 1961 box set is the most interesting as the third 

disc contains the world's first LSD trip guide, 

inspired by the Tibetan Book Of The Dead and later 

blatantly copied by Tim Leary for his "Psychedelic 

Experience" book and record. This disc contains some 

spooky organ music and classical vocalizing, while 

the rest of his recordings are all spoken word. As 

the trip is peaking towards the end Heard chants out 

cosmic wisdom in a way that is quite psychedelic. 

Recommended and likely to become as desirable as 

Aldous Huxley's recordings over time. There are two 

different versions of disc #3, which is the key 

"psychedelic" one. Presumably Heard was dissatisfied 

with the first version and went to the trouble of rerecording 

it (with some minor changes) and having a 

new run pressed of only disc #3, which was then 

inserted into the existing box sets. Therefore many 

copies found contain 4 discs, including both versions 

of disc #3. The re-recorded version can be identified 

with a "-2" extension to the matrix number. Heard's 

earlier, non-psychedelic album releases include 

"Explorations" (Pacifica, 1957), "Reflections" (World 

Pacific, 1959) and "Indications" 1959 (World Pacific, 

1959). [PL] 

~~~ 


HEARTS & FLOWERS (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Now is the Time" 1967 (Capitol t-2762) [mono] 

"Now is the Time" 1967 (Capitol st-2762) [stereo] 

"Now is the Time" 1986 (Bam Caruso, UK) 

Excellent early country-rock album with terrific 

harmonies. The album relies too heavily on covers, 

but is really a very solid record, being very well 

played and having a distinctive feel. [AM] 

"Of Horses, Kids, and Forgotten Women" 1968 (Capitol st-2868) 

"Of Horses, Kids, and Forgotten Women" 1986 (Bam Caruso, UK) 

"Now is the Time / Of Horses, Kids, and Forgotten Women" 199 

(CD Edsel, UK) [2-on-1; bonus tracks] 

HEATHER BLACK (TX) 

The second Hearts & Flowers is similar to the first, 

but more produced, and benefits from having one truly 

wonderful dreamy psych song that isn't "country" at 

all, but somehow still fits in well with the rest. 

Both albums are recommended to fans of country rock 

or rural folk rock. CD samplers of the band's output 

have also been released by Collector's Choice and 

Rev-Ola. [AM] 

"Heather Black" 1970 (American Playboy 1001) [2LPs; promoonly; 

different cover] 

"Heather Black" 1970 (American Playboy 1001) [2LPs; gatefold; 

photo]

HEAVEN (NE) 

Live barband melodic rural guitar jams with organ. 

Roots covers of 1950s & 60s staples mostly, some weak 

ballads. Produced by Huey Meaux. The rare promo 

variant has a cover with a drawing of a fat man, 

while the regular version shows a cover design with 

lots of illegible scribblings. There is also an easy 

to find single LP on the Double Bayou label, also 

self-titled and possibly a condensed version of the 

2LP set. The band included Gaylan Ladd who did some 

garage recordings in the 1960s. 

"Heaven" 1970 (W.W. 8701) [insert] 

HEAVEN & EARTH (IL) 

Guitar and keyboard-led bluesy horn rock jammer. Very 

much in the garage, even some fuzz in spots. 

"Refuge" 1973 (Ovation 1428) [wlp exists] 

Great female hippie folk-rock duo with some nice 

psych touches. Echoplexed flute on one song, a dreamy 

wavey vocal mix on another give the album some oomph. 

The two voices sound great together, and this album 

was put together with great care. A few songs in the 

middle of the album don't quite match up with the 

rest, but the LP begins and ends with very strong 

songs (side one ends strong as well). One of the best 

female psych albums, this is a quadrophonic release 

from the industry's brief flirtation with that 

format. Great album cover too. Most (all?) copies 

seem to be wlp:s. They also did a non-LP Christmas 

single that sounds much more country than folk. [AM] 

HEAVY BALLOON (New York City, NY) 

"32.000 Pound" 1969 (Elephant V Ltd evs-104) [wlp exists] 

HEAVY CRUISER (CA) 

Exploito heavy rock/blues with songs like "Lead 

Zeppalin" and "Owed to Sgt. Pepper". "Barnyard Blues" 

is a pretty good original with a stoned biker vibe. 

"Heavy Cruiser" 1972 (Family fps-2706) 

"Heavy Cruiser" 1976 (Tiger Lily) [remix; altered cover] 

This is the same situation as the Velvert Turner 

album -- the "real" Heavy Cruiser album was on the 

Family label, and Morris Levy somehow got acccess to 

the master tapes and released a variation on it on 

Tiger Lily. Heavy Cruiser is a Neil Merryweather 

project, basically Mama Lion without Lynn Carey's 

vocals (though she did co-write a few songs.) It's 

70s hard rock that isn't especially good or bad but 

is weird enough to be worth a listen or two. As with 

all Merryweather projects it contains a couple of

HEAVYFEATHER (TN) 

terrible, pointless cover versions. Canadian and 

Spanish (on Philips) pressings exist. [AM] 

"Soft, Hard, and Heavy" 1972 (Ace of Hearts 0226) [wlp 

exists] 

HEITKOTTER ( ) 

Here's a review from a knowledgable source: "Truly 

awful harmony vocal loungy pop with cheesy lyrics and 

occasional string orchestra backing. Only winner here 

is the last track on Side 1 " Can You help" which is 

a short 2 minute fuzz rocker. There is also a 5 

minute track on side 2 which is decent with plenty of 

swirling organ and dreamy vibes but ends in a bad 

drum and bass solo. Judging by their outfits (bright 

smiles, ties, leather jackets and matching sideburns) 

they appear to be a Nashville lounge outfit releasing 

this LP to showcase their many "talents" (soft, hard 

and heavy) in hope of securing as many gigs as 

possible at the local Holiday Inns. I'd stay clear of 

this LP". It's a noisy pressing. 

"Heitkotter" 1971 (Ego) 

HELENE & MARC ( ) 

Intense real people/fringe LP popular among psych 

mafiosos, a 3-man band with guitar, bass and drums 

led by Steven David Heitkotter, presumably recorded 

inside the mental institution where the guy has been 

for decades. Track titles include "Hangin' All 

Night", "Quaker, Dog Got Away" and the 14-minute "Fly 

Over The Moon". The vibe is intense and feverish like 

a nightmare, unique LP that lives up to its 

reputation. This may have been a test press only and 

comes in a blank cover, except for the handwritten 

title. He was also in a garage band in the 1960s that 

released a few 45s. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is a truly disturbing record... so far out-there 

it goes beyond what could be classified as "genius". 

At times all three musicians sound like they are 

playing different songs and somehow you're able to 

groove along on three different levels. This is not 

for everyone, but if you've been down every "psych" 

road out there and enjoyed each and every one of 

them, Heitkotter might be for you. I can see 20-25 

people thinking this is the greatest LP ever recorded 

and everyone else thinking it was a piece of trash. 

[RH] 

"The Beginning" 1971 (Veritable) 

Downer folk with mixed vocals and unsettling suicidal 

vibe on Helene's tracks. Cover artwork has amateur 

drawing of the couple with gigantic eyes and freaky 

long necks. More comments will follow. [PL]

HELGESON SCRANTON (OR) 

"Black Bootleg" 1971 (Rex RL 5071) [1-sided; plain cover] 

Obscure one-sided custom pressing of local hippie 

folk; a mono recording housed in a white cover with 

handwritten title. 

HELLERS (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Creative Freakout" 1967 (no label) [10"] 

Extraordinary exercise in zany 60s cool of the kind 

that is almost forgotten today, projecting images of 

hip guys driving sports cars, reading Marshall 

McLuhan, and sipping dry martinis -- preferrably all 

at the same time. It's a showcase for the Heller- 

Ferguson ad firm, presenting a long string of their 

(often brilliant) radio ads tied together in a 

hilarious concept about a suave ad man strolling 

around among hippies and folkies on the westcoast. 

LSD parties, civil rights, square protesters & groovy 

Sunset Strip chicks all flash by while narrator 

"Johnny Spots" manages to turn it into inspired 

tongue-in-cheek jokes related to the tough 

advertising business. Incidentally one of the ad 

voices sounds exactly like John Rydgren. Various 

songs are parodied to great effect, "What have they 

done to the rain" becomes "What have they done to my 

line" (i e: his ad copy is distorted by manager and 

client), etc. The whole thing is very modern in its 

mindset and obviously done with a lot of work put 

into it. The sheer talent on display has an 

invigorating effect that may cause you to see ad 

people in a new light, and in any event is a reminder 

of just how cool the pre-hippie 1960s were. [PL] 

"City Songs" 1967 (no label) [10"] 

"Brief Bouncers" 1967 (no label) [10"] 

All three 10-inchers above were released as a 3-disc 

set in an elaborate foldout cover, but it appears 

that at least "Creative Freakout" also came out as a 

standalone item. The other two have been described as 

being similar in style. There's more releases under 

the Hellers name, including a 45 for a client in 

Vancouver, BC. 

"Singers, Talkers, Players, Swingers and Doers" 196 (ABC 

Command rs-934-sd) [gatefold] 

"Singers, Talkers, Players, Swingers and Doers" 2002 (no label) 

This more wellknown Hellers LP on a real record label 

is appealing too, but feels more dated than "Creative 

Freakout". Partly an early moog LP, partly a 

McLuhanesque collage of "now" sounds with softpsych 

songs, soundbites, gags and parodies. The vibe is a 

bit weird and subdued, and not everything hits home, 

with a few 3-minute jokes terminating in halfassed 

punchlines. There is a recurring space exploration 

theme typical for the era. Housed in an eye-popping

HELP (CA) 

color cover it's a fun artefact from the era. [PL] 

"Help" 1970 (Decca dl-75257) 

"Help / Second Coming" (CD Free Records, Europe) [2-on-1] 

Help's first album hasn't attracted as much attention 

as their collector-friendly second, but it's by far 

the superior record. It's a solid mix of rural rock, 

folk rock and pop, and rocks really hard despite 

there not being any distortion on the guitars. There 

appear to be no instrumental overdubs, just a trio of 

guitar, bass and drums, yet the excellent 

musicianship (especially the rock-solid rhythm 

section) makes the sound full and rich. Side one is 

full of energy, melodic songwriting, and excellent 

vocals, and is solid all the way through. Side two is 

somewhat less inspired, but still pretty good, and 

the album is definitely recommended. [AM] 

"Second Coming" 1971 (Decca dl-75304) 

"Help / Second Coming" (CD Free Records, Europe) [2-on-1] 

This much heavier second album is the one that most 

collectors know, due to lots of fuzz and wah wah on 

the guitars. The sparse trio format is the same as on 

the first album, except that the clean guitar is 

replaced by distortion and effects. Strangely enough, 

that makes the sound less full than on the debut. It 

admittedly sounds pretty cool, but after a few 

listens it becomes apparent that the songwriting is 

actually pretty weak, with only two or three songs at 

a high standard. Worth listening to for those songs, 

but overall a patchy record. [AM] 

HENDRICKSON ROAD HOUSE ( ) 

"Hendrickson Road House" 197 (Two:Dot hrh-81-670) 

Mega-rare light psych item is one of the few in the 

genre in which the creative force is a woman, Sue 

Akins. This isn't really much like all of the 

Airplane-wannabe bands, either; Hendrickson Road 

House has a distinctive sound with mildly jazzy 

arrangements, subtle lead guitar, a tad of autoharp, 

smooth vocals and a definite late-night feel. The 

guitar playing has a bit of a West Coast influence, 

though it's not the least bit heavy. The closest 

comparison would be the Serpent Power songs with Tina 

Meltzer on lead vocals. One jazzy instrumental with a 

lot of sax manages not to sound out of place. 

Otherwise Akins sings all of the songs, and the album 

has a coherence not often felt in the genre. Not a 

masterpiece, but quite good, and the lack of a

MARK HENLEY (MN) 

reissue is truly puzzling given its quality and 

rarity. [AM] 

~~~ 

Remarkable femme-vox folkrock/psych that must rank as 

one of the best local LPs not yet reissued. Draws on 

1960s Bay Area vibes but adds a jazzy nightclub 

sophistication that places it in a slightly later 

area. Femme vocals are superb whether solo or in 

tandem (possibly doubletracked), soaring in full 

control over a sparse backing with classical inspired 

acoustic guitar. The best tracks have a folkrock 

setting yet retains an intimate nocturnal feel. Apart 

from a superior variation on Serpent Power (as Aaron 

suggests above) I am reminded of These Trails, though 

this is less rural exotica and more of an urban 

afterhours scene. Tracks such as "Tomorrow your 

sorrow" and the opening "Forget about you" are likely 

to blow anyone's mind. An atypical saxophone medley 

towards the end breaks the mood on what is otherwise 

a very well-crafted and consistent album that would 

have fit better on Elektra or Vanguard than an 

obscure contracting service in rural CA. Two:Dot had 

a couple of other interesting releases, including the 

rare Arthur. [PL] 

"Riversong" 1976 (Sanskrit SR 0763) 

"Riversong" 2005 (CD Small Town, UK) 

Mellow acoustic hippie folk with a variety of 

stringed instruments, credit shared with one Michael 

Johnson. Henley and Johnson also collaborated on 

Johnson's "Aint Dis Da Life" (Sanskrit, 1977). 

HENRY TREE (Cleveland, OH) 

"Electric Holy Man" 1969 (Mainstream s-6129) [wlp exists] 

This is one of the “lesser” Mainstream psych albums, 

though it’s more interesting than you might expect. 

It’s a pure power trio with no overdubs (not even 

backing vocals), but the song structures are complex 

enough to make up for the simple arrangements. They 

mix rural rock ,blues, jazz, acoustic ballads and 

some Xian lyrics, and it’s rather an odd result. At 

its best it’s quite challenging. “Mr. Fear,” in 

particular, has a lovely melody and is an evocative 

work. All of side one is pretty good, actually, 

though some fast noodly guitar leads are a bit 

bothersome. The long songs meander, recalling Nucleus 

(also on Mainstream), but it’s much better: the worst 

bits sound much more like failed experiments than 

stoned indifference. Side two is quite a bit less 

interesting than side one, though, and this ends up 

being half of a promising album. [AM] 

HENSKE & YESTER (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Farewell Aldebaran" 1969 (Straight sts-1052) [wlp exists] 

"Farewell Aldebaran" 2005 (CD Radioactive)

HENTCHMEN ( ) 

I am less impressed than most by the "Aldebaran" 

title track, but numbers such as "Lullaby" and "Three 

Ravens" have an appealing icy acid-folk edge. Hard to 

understand all the brouhaha around this album, 

though. Both Jerry Yester and Judy Henske had long 

careers with several noteworthy aspects, none of 

which fit into this archive. The LP is sometimes 

listed as by 'Yester & Henske'; a 2nd pressing on 

Reprise (RS 6388) has been listed but appears never 

to have come out. [PL] 

~~~ 

Noted folksinger Judy Henske (originally from 

Wisconsin) and her husband, Jerry Yester. There's 

three great and radically different songs on 

"Farewell Aldebaran": the hard fuzz "Snowblind"; the 

medeival stomper "Raider"; and the keys and effects 

on the title track are riveting. The remainder is 

pretentious mixed duo folk with pretty playing, 

ludicrous hipster lyrics, orchestral backing, and a 

dreamy carnival organ sound. [RM] 

~~~ 

This album's inclusion in Ritchie Unterberger's first 

book sent collectors scurrying everywhere, trying to 

dig up lost copies. Too bad he hadn't written about 

some of those lame psych albums that no dealer can 

get rid of instead; that would have caused a laugh or 

two. While this album's reputation has become a 

little overstated in the wake of the book, it still 

stands up as one of the better and most creative 

folk/psych albums of the period. Henske made the 

transition from her earlier career as a comedian/folk 

singer/torch singer to a rock singer with no problem 

at all. She has an amazing talent, and her throatripping 

vocal on the opening "Snowblind" is an eyeopener. 

That particular singing style is not 

revisited, but from bubblegummy pop to morbid dirge 

to psychedelic hoedown to wicked social commentary to 

electronic freakout this album really shows what can 

happen when willingness to experiment is high and 

talent is ripe. A few songs in the middle don't 

really live up to the rest, which is what keeps this 

from being an eternal masterpiece, but still it's 

close. Henske and Yester's next collaboration, as 

"Rosebud," sadly shows little of the inspiration of 

this album. [AM] 

"Hentchmen" 1966 (Sanders no #) [no sleeve] 

Teenbeat demo LP from NYC recording studio. 

HERE COMES EVERYBODY (OK) 

"Here Comes Everybody" 1974 (Cab 101) 

Westcoast sound stoner barband with side-long "L' 

Opera: Johnny Got His Raygun", in handmade cover. 

HERMON KNIGHTS see Knights

DANNY HERNANDEZ & THE ONES (MI) 

"Back Home at the Brewery" 1972 (Spirit 52003) 

Funky jams in Sly & the Family Stone style. The cover 

notes all proceeds will be donated to a marijuana 

legalization fund. No doubt that plan went up in 

smoke. 

JAMES HERSCH & TIM MILLER (MN) 

"Butterman's Ball" 1975 (no label) [300p] 

Folk/folkrock with mellotron, recorded in 1974 in Jon 

Burrell's studio in Brooklyn Park and mastered at 

Sound 80 in Minneapolis. James Hersch released a solo 

LP in 1980, "Audition" (Whitewater). 

CAROLYN HESTER COALITION (TX/NY) 

"Carolyn Hester Coalition" 1969 (Metromedia md-1001) [wlp 

exists] 

First LP is fine westcoast style hippie fuzz 

folkrock/pop with Hester singing in a decidedly nonfolky 

acid bubblegum style, a few tracks such as the 

great "East Virginia" excepted. Solid all through, 

should appeal to any fan of Neighb'rhood Child'n, 

Birmingham Sunday, Daisy Chain and similar semi-light 

trips. For whatever reason, both CHC albums sport 

some of the ugliest covers of the era. Carolyn Hester 

recorded extensively as a pure folkie from the early 

1960s on. [PL] 

~~~ 

Traditional folkie moves confidently into folk-rock, 

complete with fuzz guitars and Buddha references. The 

opening “Magic, Man” is well-known due to its 

inclusion on the Hippie Goddesses compilation, but 

there are plenty of other treats in store here as 

well. The more standard folk songs are as good as the 

psychy ones, especially if Hester’s clear, girly 

voice is your cup of tea. Housed in one of the 

absolute ugliest album covers ever, despite (or, in 

part, due to?) Carolyn’s brave display of cleavage. 

[AM] 

"Magazine" 1970 (Metromedia md-1022) [wlp exists] 

Hester’s second venture into folk-rock is equally as 

good as the first, if not better. How far you go with 

these albums depends on how you feel about her voice, 

but if you like her this is definitely recommended.

MARK HEYES (CA) 

Nice folk rock sounds abound here, with just a little 

bit of fuzz guitar to keep things interesting. A 

cover of “Dock of The Bay” is pointless, but the two 

other covers, “St. James Infirmary” and “Swing Low 

Sweet Chariot” are made quite interesting by the 

addition of topical political lyrics. Another cool 

record and another terrible album cover! [AM] 

~~~ 

"Magazine" is a bit harder to find than the CHC 

debut, and perhaps due to this usually written off 

blindly as "not as good". Actual hi-fi encounter with 

it suggests otherwise, as this is highly enjoyable in 

a style similar to the first; a small step or two 

towards moody folkier sounds all over and a little 

less Sunset Strip bubblegumish - some may consider 

this an improvement. Setting is unchanged with a 

stripped down teen guitar/organ sound supporting 

Hester's candy acid vocals. There are a handful of 

covers including the album's one dud, a useless take 

on "Dock Of The Bay", while the acid fuzz rework of 

"St James Infirmary" with modernized political lyrics 

is very good. Personal faves include opening psycher 

"Rise Like The Phoenix" and the superb introspective 

folkpsych of "Just Follow Me", while "Calico Sky" 

should appeal to fans of soft femme vocal pop. [PL] 

"Words and Music of Mark Heyes" 197 (Good Sounds jat-101) 

PAUL HIBBETS (GA) 

Early 1970s teen organ blues rock produced by John 

Tartaglia. Hal Blaine, Joe Osborne, and Larry 

Knechtel help the 17-year old Heyes out, presumably 

out of the Heyes Sr pocket. Housed in spooky cover 

photo of Heyes staring blankly into space. 

"Childhood Dream" 1974 (Ascension) 

HICKORY WIND (IN) 

Good dreamy Christian psychrock with fuzz and 

keyboards backing from the band Ascension, has been 

compared to Azitis and Joe Peace. Nice double 

exposure color cover. 

"Hickory Wind" 197 (Gigantic 1104) [black and white cover; 

100p] 

"Hickory Wind" 1996 (Gigantic/T.U.T, Austria) [bootleg; purple 

cover; 300p] 

"Hickory Wind" 1999 (Void 11) 

"Hickory Wind" 200 (CD Beatball 06, Korea) [+4 bonus tracks]

GARY HIGGINS (CT) 

Rural rocker with lots of rootsy Band-type numbers 

and country-influences; as you guess pretty far from 

the usual psych/guitarrock. Quite unusual LP that can 

sound vastly different depending on the listener's 

mood, although at the end of side 2 I usually 

conclude that it's an enjoyable and wellstructured 

piece. Vocals are a bit flat and the playing often 

unexciting, but somehow this contributes to the 

album's earthy, realistic feel, like strolling into 

an Indiana bar one afternoon and finding a band on 

stage rehearsing. One track has fuzzed rock 

aspirations and there are a couple of good slow 

numbers with organ as well. The closing ballad is a 

personal favorite. Moves in the same Americana roots 

and bar-rock regions as Riley and Traveler's Aid but 

is stronger all over, with an appealing smalltown 

charm and grower qualities. [PL] 

~~~ 

The most well known song here is garagy fuzz screamer 

that's hopelessly out of place among a batch of 

country-influenced rock songs. About half of them are 

pretty cheesy and weak (the nadir being a song about 

begging a police officer not to give the singer a 

speeding ticket), but a few of them have an eerie 

out-of-place-and-time quality that's quite effective. 

"Father Come With Me" is the highlight, with spooky 

organ and heavily echoed vocals. The album-closer 

"Judy" is lovely folk-rock, as out of place on this 

record as the one fuzz rocker. I think this is only 

half good, even if you're intrigued by the thought of 

a basement recording of a stoned country crooner, but 

the good half is unique and memorable. The Void 

reissue has been described as inferior in sound. The 

Korean CD has bonus tracks by B F Trike. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> B.F. Trike; Lee Hyatt 

"Red Hash" 1973 (Nufusmoon 3673) [lyric insert; 2500p] 

"Red Hash" 199 (CD Flashback, UK) 

"Red Hash" 2005 (CD Drag City 295) 

Highly enjoyable smalltown hippie folk/folkrock with 

a professional sound, good vocals and songs full of 

hooks and strong melodies. A dreamy melancholy 

dominates, but the sharp arrangements and elaborate 

production keeps it from ever drifting off. Lyrics 

deal with dope and being in prison, which is a true 

story & probably what kept him off major labels. 

Higgins received a severe 2-year-9-month sentence for 

possession of weed, but had time to record this album 

shortly before going to jail. "Red Hash" is a 

nickname he aquired when being in custody. Underrated 

LP is a personal fave and better than almost all the 

overpriced items in this genre. To illustrate 

Higgins' qualities I'm picking two different fave 

tracks than Aaron does below; "Stable the Spuds" and 

the closing "Looking for June". Do not miss this. 

Some copies came with promo sheets with newspaper

clippings about Higgins' trial. [PL] 

~~~ 

To these ears this is one of the best loner folk 

albums. Apparently recorded before Gary went to 

prison, which gives it an extra edge. Higgins is a 

great songwriter, and has an appealing soft-but-gruff 

vocal style. The lyrics reach into some pretty 

unusual places, and the melodies and hooks are full 

of unexpected left turns. He even uses moog to nice 

effect here and there. Pick hits are the beautiful 

“It Didn’t Take Too Long” and the pissed off “Down On 

The Farm.” [AM] 

HIGH MOUNTAIN BAND ( ) 

"Music From Mountains, Rivers And Oceans" 197 (no label 45640) 

Eastern influenced trance folk. 

HIGH TREASON (Philadelphia, PA) 

"High Treason" 1971 (Abbott ABS 1209) [gatefold with plastic 

window and rolling papers] 

"High Treason" 2002 (CD Gear Fab gf-165) 

"High Treason" 2002 (Akarma, Italy) 

Somewhat bizarre concept of a loungy nightclub jazz 

band tackling the mid-era Airplane sound and coming 

off a lot different than they had intended, I would 

think. Lady vocalist makes up for her lack of Grace 

by yelling at the top of her lungs, while cocktail 

organist and supperclub guitarist "jam" on long 

tracks, including an unsuccessful Dylan cover. Didn't 

like this much though others may find some appealing 

angles on it. Several of the musicians also played 

with Perry Leopold. [PL] 

HIGHWAY (Mankato, MN) 

"Highway" 1975 (no label 854) [500p] 

"Highway" 1996 (no label) [bootleg; paste-on cvr; 300#d] 

"Highway" 200 (CD no label) [+4 tracks] 

One of the better finds of the 1990s to my ears, 

guitar-driven rural rock/west coast trio similar to 

the harder sides of Homer or the melodic sides of 

Morly Grey. Opens with two killer tracks and a good 

2/3 of the LP is excellent, some instrumental 

passages veer too much towards jazzrock for me 

though. The LP was recorded in Iowa and remained 

unknown among psych fans until the 1990s. Some 

original copies included promotional handbills. The 

CD reissue is from master tapes. [PL] 

~~~ 

Unusual power trio album that's one of the best of 

its kind. It's hard but not heavy; there's not a 

single distorted guitar to be heard. What you get 

instead are intricate, complex riffs and hooks aplenty 

in which speed and agility take precedence 

over pure noise. The drums and bass compensate by 

being loud and frantic. At times it appears that

they're overreaching their grasp, but the feeling of 

them teetering over the edge of a cliff is actually 

kind of exhilarating. The two instrumentals are 

especially hot. The production, on the other hand, is 

thin and trebly. It's arguable that a more 

professional job could have given them a richer and 

less chaotic sound, but it's equally likely that the 

individual performances would have had less impact. 

As it is, the rumbling drums on "Just To Be With 

You," for example, sound something like a landslide. 

That's mostly a good thing. As usual with this kind 

of band, lyrics are not their strong point, but the 

vocals are quite agreeable, not macho or obnoxious at 

all. It simply appears that these guys were doing 

their own thing without caring whether they fit into 

any genre or if they appealed to the kids. Great 

album. The folks who reissued the album pressed more 

LPs than covers, so occasionally it turns up in a 

plain white cover or with just a non-pasted-on front 

cover. [AM] 

HIGHWAY ROBBERY (CA) 

"For Love and Money" 1972 (RCA lsp-4735) 

HIGHWIND (KY) 

Great early 70s hard rock. Two soft pop songs sneak 

their way onto the album, and somehow sound fantastic 

next to the noisy guitars and in-your-face vocal 

style of the rest. Funny lyrics, out of control slide 

guitar and high speed put this miles ahead of your 

average hard rock album. A keeper. Michael Stevens 

was previously in Boston Tea Party. Atlee Yeager also 

played with Atlee and Damon. [AM] 

"Highwind" 1980 (Forum FR 1001) 

KENNETH HIGNEY (NJ) 

Pomprock/AOR with keyboard/guitar. 

"Attic Demonstration" 1976 (Kebrutney 516) 

"Attic Demonstration" 197 (Kebrutney 516) [2nd press] 

New Jersey open wounds real person basement psych 

damage strums with buzzfuzz bursts. Mix of Spencian 

floaters and warped rhythm ravers. At times sounds 

like 1/2 Japanese doing Cale-era Modern Lovers 

outtakes. Way lost no-fi monsterdom. The repress used 

left over covers and labels. There's a sticker on the 

cover and the label, over the address, listing a

Lyndhurst, New Jersey address. The first press shows 

a Bayonne, New Jersey address on cover and label. 

[RM] 

~~~ 

Many years after this album had become a cult 

classic, Higney came clean and admitted that the 

sloppy performances and off-rhythm singing weren't 

his natural sensibility, but actual mistakes. Since 

he had recorded the songs to shop them to other 

artists, not to showcase himself as a performer, he 

wasn't too concerned with the quality. That said, 

there's still no question that something is bizarre 

and "off" with his world view. This is one "real 

people" album that really is enjoyable, because he 

has just enough songwriting talent to make the songs 

listenable, and there are enough quirks and goofy 

moments to push it one step further into its own 

unique realm. Occasionally this music seems like 

ahead-of-its-time proto-punk. There's definitely no 

shortage of energy here. Lots of people love this 

album, and for good reason. [AM] 

HI HOPES (Anaheim, CA) 

"Ability" 1970 (Band 'n' Vocal bvrs-1200) 

"Hi Hopes" 1971 (Activity ar-696) [booklet] 

BILL HILL ( ) 

The band is Hi Hopes (from Hope School) but some 

releases are credited to High Hopes. Basement rock 

from adult students at the school which cares for the 

'trainable mentally retarded'. The first LP is a 

legend in Shaggs' territory with four CCR covers and 

"Wipeout" taken to their minimalist extremes. Their 

later LPs ("Play Along, Sing Along", 1975 and "To You 

With Joy", 1978) have less interesting songs. 

"Free Advice" 1983 (no label) [insert; 200p] 

HILLARY BLAZE (AZ) 

Burnout paranoid hippie new wave psych with a couple 

of worthwhile tracks like "In Control". The small 

press size has been reported by Hill himself. Some 

unreleased stuff from 1985 appeared in 1996 on the 

Swiss RD label ("Maps & Signs"). 

~~~ 

Inventive metallic guitar mystic rocker with quirky 

bouncing rhythm new wave keys. Great multi-textured 

leads and effects, industrial leanings. [RM] 

"Exposure" 1977 (30th Century Fox) 

Distinctive and strange hard rock/space rock. Two 

cover variations exist. The first pressing is b & w 

and the second has the word "Exposure" in orange.

V.A "HILL COUNTRY FAITH FESTIVAL '74" (TX) 

"Hill Country Faith Festival '74" 1974 (ACR-KNO-BEL 33-7427) 

HILLOW HAMMIT (DC) 

Moody x-ian folk with good pre-LP Redemption track. 

Also has Trinity, Cliff Lockear, Glory Bound, 

Children of Faith. Lo-fi recording and noisy press. 

"Hammer" 1969 (House of the Fox hof-lp-2) [mono wlp] 

"Hammer" 1969 (House of the Fox hof-lp-2) [stereo] 

"Hammer" 1978 (L & BJ) 

Excellent hard guitar rock produced by Lelan Rogers 

of IA/Elevators fame. Recorded at Sounds of Memphis 

Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. Stock mono pressings 

may not exist; it also appears that many or all 

'mono' promos actually play stereo. The band name 

incorrectly listed as 'Hillow Hammet' the House Of 

Fox version. The 1978 release corrects the spelling, 

while the cover is different and has incorrect song 

listings. One track has been replaced. The sound has 

been reported as inferior to the 1969 pressing. 

V.A "HILLSIDE '66" (Columbus, OH) 

"Hillside '66" 1966 (Hillside 18036) [no cover] 

Not less than five tracks from this local 

teenbeat/garage sampler have found their way onto 

various comps, so maybe someone will reissue it in 

its entirety some dat. Cover versions all through I 

think, though with enough dumb teenage charm to make

for acceptable listening. Bands include the Possums, 

Grim Reapers, King's English, Eggs, Deadlys, and 

more. The LP has also been listed as 'Hillside Album' 

and 'Hillside Sampler'. There is a later "Hillside 

'67" EP with four bands doing one track each. 

HILLTONES see Universal Ignorants 

HILSS & LABLANC ( ) 

"A Time Lost" 1974 (AR 3939) 

Private press of melodic 1970s folkrock in the same 

generic sun-dial sleeve as Emmaus Road Band. Rock 

setting with organ plus piano and flute; the main duo 

has a couple of guys helping out. Originals all 

through. 

HITCH-HIKERS (Portage, IN) 

"Thank You For Your Love" 196 (H-H Records HHMR 113) 

Obscure mid-60s teenbeat from goofy-looking guys with 

older vibe. One even has a moustache. Plenty of group 

originals with mix of rockers and ballads, plus cover 

of "Stormy Monday" and a track called "Five to 

one" (!). The band also had two 45s out. 

H M S BOUNTY see Merrell Fankhauser 

HOI' POLLOI (Richmond, IN) see interview 

"Hoi' Polloi" 1972 (Custom Fidelity CFS 2899) [insert; blank 

back cover; 500p] 

Recently discovered melodic rock/s-sw/psych delight 

from students at Earlham College. Excellent 

songwriting, dreamy vocals and skillful arrangements 

combine to make for a trip with wide appeal, in 

contrast to the crude packaging. Somewhat similar to 

the Dialogue LP from PA, but really needs to be heard 

on its own merits. Side 1 is great from start to 

finish. Band member Charlie Bleak later had a minor 

hit and cut a solo LP for Pickwick in 1976. [PL] 

~~~

Here's proof that great finds are still out there 

awaiting us. This is a truly excellent early 70s rock 

and roll album. Collectors may miss out on records 

like this because they lack any heaviness or fuzz 

guitar (though there are a few trippy sound effects 

here and there), but if you're looking for great 

songwriting, creative arrangements, reasonably 

complex chord progressions and solid performances 

this sure fits the bill. For a home production made 

by college students it sounds remarkably self-assured 

and rich. The keyboard-based soft-rock sound can be 

most closely compared to Dialogue, but this album is 

significantly better. Obvious (and admitted) 

influences are McCartney and LOW SPARK-era Traffic, 

with a bit of jazz and even flamenco thrown in 

unobtrusively. The occasional horn is used in a truly 

likeable way. The album starts very strong, and the 

best song, the moody "Old Bootstrap" comes early, but 

even the slightly lesser second side has plenty to 

offer. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Crucible 

JON HOLBROOK EXPERIENCE ( ) 

"Miserable You" 1976 (Tiger Lily 14046) 

Bluesy guitar rock amateur moves. Covers of Young 

Rascals, Steven Stills, James Gang, and Dick Dale. 

RANDY HOLDEN (Los Angeles/San Francisco, CA) 

"Population II" 1970 (Hobbit 5002) [green label] 

"Population II" 1982 (Line 5211, Germany) 

"Population II" 198 (Hobbit, Europe) [counterfeit] 

"Population II" 2005 (Hobbit/Scorpio) [signed & #d] 

Holden could have/should have been a major guitar 

hero, but it was not to be. His decision to highlight 

his playing by creating the world's first power duo 

(the drummer played the bass part on pedals with his 

feet) doomed this album to deadly slow tempos, though 

his fans don't seem to mind. Power and volume are 

here in abundance; no one played louder than Holden, 

and no one made better use of a whammy bar. Still, 

these are not really songs, but vehicles for his 

soloing, which could have benefited from a few 

faster, more energetic moments. This is an enjoyable 

album, but it's not the step forward hoped for by 

fans of his two great songs on the third Blue Cheer 

album. A great case of "what could have been". Most 

or all originals seem to be cut-outs. Original A-side 

matrix # is '6-137-I-D Stereo / B 1'. The cover for 

the bootleg has a cutout hole visible in the photo 

reproduction. The retrospective CD sampler "Early 

Works" (Captain Trips, Japan 1997) contains surf & 

garage tracks from 1964-66 with Randy's previous 

bands "Fender IV" and "Sons of Adam" [AM] 

~~~ 

"Population II" is simply a hard rock guitar lovers 

dream. The album's essentially a one man show with 

Holden producing, writing all of the material, 

handling lead vocals, as well playing most of the

instruments - former Kak percussionist Chris Lockheed 

handles drums. The emphasis is on guitar and anyone 

looking for musical subtlety need not bother. 

Exemplified by tracks such as the opener "Guitar 

Song" (perfect for this album), "Between Time" and 

"Blue My Mind" the predominant sound is heavy blues, 

albeit propelled by an almost endless stream of 

monster Holden guitar solos. Elsewhere the album 

includes a remake of "Fruit and Iceburgs" (sic) which 

was one of three Holden contributions to The Cheer's 

"New! Improved!" album. This molten version (divided 

into two distinct parts) kills the original. In the 

interest of being perfectly honest we'll also point 

out nothing here is particularly melodic. The rhythm 

section's kind of clunky. Holden's not exactly the 

greatest singer you'll ever hear and spread across 

the entire album the constant onslaught of mind 

melting wailing leads starts to blur together. That 

said, it's still a killer album and it's easy to see 

why there's such demand for it. [SB] 

~~~ 

see -> Kak; Other Half 

HOLDING PATTERN (CT) 

"Holding Pattern" 1981 (Savy) [mini-LP] 

"Majestic" 1991 (CD Art Sublime) [album + bonus tracks] 

Mostly instrumental progressive mini-LP with 4 tracks 

inside a weird cover of a giant hand grabbing a 747. 

Similar to Yes with guitar, mellotron, moog, etc. 

HOLLIN'S FERRY (Baltimore, MD) 

"Hollin's Ferry" 1977 (Port City) 

HOLLINS & STARR ( ) 

70s power pop album that isn't top of the heap, but 

perfectly enjoyable for fans of the genre, especially 

those who like Badfinger's softer side. Several 

songwriters all on the same wavelength give the album 

an appealing consistency, but it could have used a 

few rough edges and more uptempo songs. Released in 

1977, but probably recorded a bit before that, as, 

unlike other 1977 power pop albums, it shows no 

influence whatsoever from the world of punk. [AM] 

"Sidewalks Talking" 1970 (Ovation ov-1407) [wlp exists] 

REX HOLMAN ( ) 

Unique blend of folk, jazz and soft rock with a 

lovely dreamy, drifting vibe. Lots of flute, too much 

for people who aren’t huge fans of the instrument, 

but still this is a really interesting and 

experimental album. A guest female vocalist adds 

lovely harmonies to the album’s best song. Same label 

as Heaven & Earth. [AM]

"Here In The Land Of Victory" 1970 (Pentagram 1001) 

[gatefold] 

"Here In The Land Of Victory" 2005 (CD Synton, Austria) 

Undiscovered gem for Eastern Donovan '67 folkpsych 

with acid-flavored cheese and dramatic vocals, like 

an whole album's worth of Bill Plummer's "Journey to 

the East", or Pat Kilroy and Mark Fry discussing the 

Rubaiyat while eating dawamesk on a magic carpet 

circling Las Vegas. Strong songs, trancey tabla flow, 

deep lyrics. The cover artwork has inspired some to 

interpret this as a recovering alchoholic acid 

project, which if nothing else adds another 

interesting dimension to the experience. Can still be 

found relatively cheap but destined to climb the 

price ladder eventually. Holman was a prolific TV 

actor and also had some movie parts, including "Star 

Trek, part V" in the 1980s. He must have been upwards 

40 when he made this LP, making the LP an affordable 

-- and more listenable -- kid brother to Arcesia. 

Pentagram was a Jubilee subsidiary. A Canadian 

pressing also exists. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is an utterly fantastic folk-psych oddity. You 

know you're in for something special as soon as you 

see the back cover photo of a cross-legged 

(meditating?) Holman in a park, ignoring a nearby 

passed out drunken bum. There isn't an ounce of humor 

on this record, but Holman's vibrato-heavy voice 

(think Gordon Lightfoot with a head full of 

mysticism) suits the depth and mystery of the songs. 

There are moments of blues (especially the despairing 

"Red Is The Apple"), but mostly it's Eastern-flavored 

folk. Instrumentation includes some nice sitar and 

tabla, trance-like flute, and sparing but demented 

lead electric guitars. The songs themselves aren't 

really that strange, but Rex's delivery, the 

intensity of the arrangements and a few oddball chord 

progressions make them unique and special. The lyrics 

create poems that a hack like Jim Morrison could only 

dream of. And there's not one dud song on the album. 

[AM] 

JAKE HOLMES (New York City, NY) 

"The Above Ground Sound Of" 1967 (Tower t-5079) [mono] 

"The Above Ground Sound Of" 1967 (Tower st-5079) [stereo] 

"The Above Ground Sound Of" 2003 (Radioactive 049, UK) 

"The Above Ground Sound Of" 2003 (CD Radioactive 049, UK) 

"The Above Ground Sound Of" 2004 (CD It's About Music) [+bonus 

tracks] 

Currently in vogue typical 60s folk-freak transition 

LPs from guy famous for writing "Dazed & Confused". 

The first one (with "Dazed") is pretty good NYC 

folk/folkrock with fuzz and world-weary vocals, while 

the second LP fails to live up to its lofty 

pretensions in my opinion. It does however contain 

the acid killer "Leaves Never Break", which has been 

comp'd. His third LP on Polydor has been reported as

weak country-rock. [PL] 

~~~ 

The first album as a whole, of course, is 

overshadowed by its inclusion of "Dazed And 

Confused," which truly is a brilliant psychotic 

folkpsych song. "Lonely" is even more frantic, and 

both will have you in disbelief that such intensity 

can be reached without drums. For 1967, it's pretty 

mindblowing stuff, and later folk/psych would sound 

nothing like it. The rest of the album ranges from 

jazzy to maudlin, none nearly as unusual as these two 

songs. All of it has something to offer in the way of 

a catchy melody or sharp lyric, though, and while it 

may be a disappointment that the intensity dies down 

after the first song on each side, there's plenty to 

like throughout. [AM] 

~~~ 


"Letter To Katherine December" 1968 (Tower st-5127) [stereo] 

"Letter To Katherine December" 2004 (Radioactive 104, UK) 

"Letter To Katherine December" 2004 (CD Radioactive 104, UK) 

"Letter To Katherine December" 2004 (CD It's About Music) 


A lot of people don't like Holmes' second album, but 

as a whole, I find it even more interesting than the 

first. The addition of drums and a fuller overall 

production sound allows him to go in a lot of 

directions, and while they're not all successful, 

they're never less than fascinating. "High School 

Hero" is the song all of us who were picked on in 

10th grade wish we could write, except that I'm not 

sure the rest of us would have the same kind of 

whacked out stream-of-consciousness Holmes shows 

here. His jazzy tendencies show up more than on the 

first album, and that may put a few people off, but 

his sensibility is so peculiar that every failed 

experiment on the album seems to somehow make sense. 

Side two begins with "Leaves Never Break," the most 

disturbed song in his repertoire, and one of the alltime 

great folk/psych songs. Flawed, but unique, and 

it grows on you. [AM] 

~~~ 


HOLY GHOST RECEPTION COMMITTEE #9 (New York City, NY) 

"Songs For Liturgical Worship" 1968 (Paulist Press p-04425) 

[lyric inner] 

"Songs For Liturgical Worship" 200 (Void 26) [insert; 500p] 

"Collected Works" 2001 (CD Void/Hallucinations 03) [2-on-1] 

Some of the reviews we've seen label this as 

throwaway pop, while others describe it as a lost 

psych classic. Well, we'll try to set you straight by 

telling you it's neither. The album featured 12 

original numbers, though roughly half of the tracks 

were apparently written by non-band member fellow 

class members. Though some listeners might be 

bothered by the set's overt religious orientation, to 

our ears one of the biggest surprises stems from how 

progressive selections such as "Day After Day" and 

"Pray" are. Sure, there's lots of mention of God, but 

for the most part the sentiments are subtle, rather

than in-your-face. Musically the collection's also 

surprisingly impressive. Given all four members were 

still in their teens, they play with considerable 

confidence - the addition of a "guest percussionist" 

certainly helped. On tracks such as "Hand On Your 

Shoulder", "Step Into the Wind" and "That Day", the 

band's affection for Byrds-styled folk rock is quite 

apparent. Among our favorites, the rocking "The Magic 

Ice Cube", "There's a Voice Inside" and "Pray" which 

sports a nice social commentary lyric and psych-ish 

feel to it. Sure the results aren't perfect (witness 

the out of tune vocals on "The Resurrection"), but 

the set's sense of innocence and raw sound are quite 

appealing. [SB] 

~~~ 

This is one of the very few “Xian” bands to have a 

true early garage feel, and it’s a nice alternative 

to all of the zillion folky and heavy Xian albums. 

It’s a little bit sloppy, and the songwriting is only 

OK, but it has a pure heartfelt vibe that works. 

Enjoyable but slight. The Void CD contains both LPs. 

[AM] 

"The Torchbearers" 1969 (Paulist Press p-04426) 

"The Torchbearers" 199 (Void 02) [lyric insert; 500#d] 

HOME AGAIN ( ) 

Regis High School x-ian folk psych trio with a 

charming lost sound. The first LP is soft folk but 

"The Torchbearers" is especially memorable with a 

great mix of sounds - rhythmic Byrdsy ringing guitar 

and delightfully nasal vocals out front. "Them's a 

Comin'" is a great soulful take on segregation, "Hey 

Lord" is a rhythm punker worthy of Out of Darkness, 

"Magnificat '70" dives into the tripped downer zone, 

and "Jesus H. Clown" is just plain wierd. The Void LP 

reissue has an inferior sleeve job. [RM] 

"Home Again" 1973 (Balloon BS-501) 

Seldom seen local LP, a mix of Hootch-style wah-wah 

jams with crude hippie folk and garage exploito 

vibes. 

HOMER (San Antonio, TX) 

"Grown In U.S.A" 1970 (URA 101) 

"Grown In U.S.A" 1986 (Breeder 568, Austria) 

"Grown In U.S.A" 199 (CD) [+2 bonus tracks] 

"Grown In U.S.A" 200 (Akarma 210, Italy) [+2 bonus tracks] 

"Grown In U.S.A" 200 (CD Akarma 210, Italy) [+2 bonus tracks] 

Westcoasty Texas classic with some early rural rock 

leanings, as heard on a track like "Dawson's Creek". 

Despite the awesome dual guitar work on the best 

tracks, this isn't really a guitar-driven LP but more 

of a strongly played melodic hippierock delight in 

the vein of Kak or Mother Tuckers. Several excellent 

tracks, good vocals and no duds or misplaced ideas. 

The group also had some very good non-LP 45 cuts. 

[PL]

~~~ 

This Texas rarity comes from a bunch of places 

(mellotron-heavy prog, mainstream AM rock) that could 

have made it a piece of crap, but somehow it's great. 

Chalk one up for great songwriting, tastefully brief 

songs and the kind of eerie underground vibe that 

permeates private press records. It's AOR for psych 

heads! The first CD reissue has digital skips. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Stardust; Ultra 

HOMESTEAD & WOLFE (Cupertino, CA) 

"Our Times" 1975 (Topo HB-100) 

"Our Times" 2004 (CD Anopheles 008) [+6 tracks] 

HONEYBEE RIDGE (IL) 

Despite being recorded at Gold Star in LA and 

featuring heavy session names such as Hal Blaine and 

Al Casey, this irresistable femme-vox melodic 

folkrock/psych delight has remained mysteriously 

unknown for 30 years. You'll be hard pressed to find 

faults with its mix of various late 1960s California 

styles, ranging from lyte Neighb'rhood Child'n top 40 

psych over Carolyn Hester Coalition/Yankee Dollar 

folk moves into all-out westcoast acidrock a la Ill 

Wind. The songwriting and arrangements are excellent 

throughout and come courtesy mainly of the remarkably 

talented JoAnn Avery, although the entire group 

contributes most skillfully. The blend of the female 

vocalists works well in a manner similar to Mamas & 

the Papas, and indeed the album as a whole plays like 

something out of one of John Philips' more inspired 

daydreams. The release year of 1975 seems almost 

impossible, although traces of a more sombre 1970s 

mood can be found in the "Soldier Blue"-inspired 

Indian (and Vietnam) massacre lament of "See The 

Children Die", and the Nashville-flavored "Rhythm of 

the wind". I also have to throw in a word for the 

super-catchy "King Of The Mountain" which is the 

musical equivalent of a giant smiley face and will 

send you right back to 1974 and upbeat children TV 

shows of the era. In general the psychiest stuff such 

as the twofisted punch of "Your Freedom's In 

Question" and "I Am Cain" is the best, but the 

lightest and tradiest moves are agreeable too. "The 

beat of the drum" is perhaps the ultimate marriage of 

the band's all strengths into one superb piece of 

music, including hard raga leads straight out of 

1968. Any psych fan not enjoying this album needs to 

come up with a creative explanation why. [PL] 

"Honeybee Ridge" 1979 (Beaver Creek Revolution) [2 inserts] 

Communal hippie folk and stoned country with full 

setting plus accordion and piano. "What's Gonna 

Happen To All Us Old Hippies" is a telling song 

title. 

HONEY, LTD. (Detroit, MI)

“Honey, Ltd.” 1968 (LHI 12002) 

GENE HOOD (IL) 

Though the band remembers Lee Hazelwood at one point 

telling them the album was pressed, in boxes, and 

ready to be distributed, to this day less than a 

handful of copies have ever been located, and this 

album goes on the very shortest list of rarest major 

label releases, along with “The Groop” and The 

Tokens’ “Intercourse.” The album itself doesn’t have 

the appearance of something intended for actual 

release, as it is in mono and has only 8 songs 

(totalling barely over 20 minutes.) Nonetheless, it’s 

excellent, as good a girl group record as I’ve heard, 

one that has enough of a rock edge to appeal to fans 

of garage rock and light psych. They later changed 

their name to Eve, and released a less interesting 

but much easier to find album for the label. 

Hazelwood, notoriously silent and difficult, has 

never shed any light on the reason for this album’s 

rarity. [AM] 

"Out of the Clouds" 1980 (OSR) 

D R HOOKER (CT) 

Ethereal progressive folk with synths. With two 

members of Farm (on Crusade). 

~~~ 

see -> Farm 

"The Truth" 1972 (On/XPL 1029) [lyric insert] 

"The Truth" 1993 (Del Val) [lyric insert; 350p] 

"The Truth" 1997 (Xotic Mind, Sweden) [lyric insert] 

"The Truth" 1997 (CD Xotic Mind, Sweden) [+bonus tracks] 

"Armageddon" 1979 (On) [insert; cover slicks; 500p] 

"Armageddon" 198 (Hadan, Europe) [bootleg; boardprinted] 

"The Truth" is one of the big private press classics, 

reissued enough times that most people should know it 

by now. Covers all the bases in an impressive manner, 

the songwriting, his awesome voice, the elaborate 

psych-rock soundscape, even the lyrics are excellent. 

The thematic range is truly mind-boggling, going from 

ambivalent drug songs into pastoral hymns and ending 

up in fullblown Jesus praise. A good LP to play for 

your non-collector friends, although it's not without 

detractors among mainstream psych heads, who probably 

can't handle the ego-mania and lounge moves that are 

part of what makes these 70s albums so great. 

Recorded in 1974 but not released until '79, 

"Armageddon" retains much of the greatness with some 

minor UK progrock moves added, but not enough so to 

damage the trip. There was also a cassette-only 

release ("Rain On The Moon") from the 1980s which 

again contains some good tracks. [PL] 

~~~ 

Heavily hyped 70s private press album that mostly 

lives up to its lofty reputation. Hooker’s singing is 

a little to the lounge side of center, and here and

HOOTCH (WI) 

there it comes off as either overly sincere or not 

melodic enough (the ballads hardly qualify as rock at 

all). Still, he has an appealing warmth that works 

especially well on the heavier songs. The synthesizer 

effects on “The Sea” get the album off to a 

rollicking start, and much of the rest live up to 

that high standard. If the softer songs are your cup 

of tea, this album will be an all-time favorite. If 

not, it’s still a must-own for the rest. The Xotic 

Mind CD reissue contains all tracks except one from 

his proggier second album, which is also quite good. 

[AM] 

"Hootch" 1974 (Pro-Gress 4844) [blank back cvr; 500p] 

"Hootch" 1994 (Rollocks, Belgium) [400p] 

Obscure high school-project westcoasty heroin vibe 

guitar jams, mostly instrumental with two good vocal 

cuts; the rest is laidback snakey Garcia-type 

workouts with a slightly eerie vibe. One of the 

better LPs in this bag, recommended to those into 

non-heavy early 70s psych. "Arabian Style" is a 

personal fave. Primitive purple silkscreened sleeve. 

[PL] 

HOOVER HIGH STAGE BAND (San Diego, CA) 

"Gets It On" 1970 (Century 38672) 

HOPE (LaCrosse, WI) 

High school band doing stoned covers of Led Zep and 

more. 

"Hope" 1972 (A&M sp-4329) [unipak; wlp exists] 

The most absurdly hyped 'psych' record in recent 

years. Dull rural Christian guitar rock with 

harmonies, violin, some fuzz. Too poppy and straight 

on the rockers and too rural for Jesus Music fans. 

Add on the glossy production and this should put most 

everyone to sleep. The LP was also released in Canada 

and Japan. [RM] 

~~~ 

We bought this at a yard sale, slapped it on the 

turntable and thought it was one of the dullest LPs 

we'd heard in a long time. It ended up in a pile of 

stuff that was destined for Goodwill. Fast forward a 

couple of years and we start seeing the album pop up 

on several high priced sales lists. Produced by Jack

HOPI KLANSMEN (NM) 

Richardson (of Guess Who fame), the quintet's selftitled 

debut is hard to get a handle on, but little 

of the material is remarkable. Clearly interested in 

making a grand statement, material such as "Where Do 

You Want To Go", "One Man" and "Find Him" boasts a 

Christian agenda. Unfortunately, for the most part 

the band just couldn't deliver the goods. Exemplified 

by material such as Croegart's "Deliverance", weak 

vocals, inane lyrics and hackneyed arrangements 

combined to make the album professional, but 

plodding. Hard to imagine saying this, but give us 

the Moody Blues any day. [SB] 

"Hopi Klansmen" 1965 (Indian Arts Of The Americas R3003) 

Native American teen band doing typical '65 pre- 

Invasion mix of instros and frat/50s. The sleeve 

shows an Albuquerque address. Apparently the band had 

at least one more album. 

HOPKINS & BRADLEY ( ) 

"Hopkins & Bradley" 1973 (H & B 7310) [plain sleeve] 

HOPNEY (FL) 

Folk psych duo downer action with echoed vocal and 

moody Beatlesque ballads. 

"Ends And Means" 197 (Illusion cm-1032) 

"Perils Of Love" 197 (Illusion cm-1033) 

"Cosmic Rockout" 1977 (Illusion cm-1034) 

"Cosmic Rockout" 2001 (CD Dodo 513, Italy) 

The first two LPs contain only cover versions, while 

"Cosmic Rockout" is a blues psych rocker with strong 

guitar and bent vocals. Produced by Mike Pinera 

(Blues Image), who released all three LPs on his 

mysterious Illusion label. Patrick Hopney was 

originally from New York.

HORIZON (FL) 

"Horizon" 1978 (Sweet Spirit SS1608) 

HORSES (CA) 

Christian mellow rock reported as unexciting, but 

housed in a great cover of a hooded figure on horse 

slaying a dragon. 

"Horses" 1969 (White Whale WW 7121) 

"Horses" 2003 (CD Gear Fab 201) 

"Horses" 2004 (CD Revola 041, UK) [+bonus tracks] 

HORTON ( ) 

Westcoast psych-rock that features pre-Miami Vice 

actor Don Johnson in a Carter/Gilbert-mastered bid 

for teen-idol success. The other band members later 

turned up in Dead-related outfit Kingfish, and 

reportedly have no fond memories of their spell with 

Johnson. The LP has been compared to label-mates the 

Rockets, and is worth checking out. The LP also came 

out on 8-track, and an Australian vinyl pressing 

exists. 

"Dance Hall for Midgets" 1976 (Horton BH 1000) 

Messed up hard blues psych from obscure trio, with 

demented vocals similar to George Brigman or Circuit 

Rider. Cool cover of stoner guy in a giant eye. 

HOSANNA (Green Bay, WI) 

"Hosanna... In the Morning" 1974 (Diversified Media 740607) 

Mix of rural xian rock and dreamy introspection. Some 

heavy fuzz moves a la Rainbow Promise. 

HOT DOG (Memphis, TN) 

"Hot Dog" 1977 (Guinness) 

Hot Dog is the same band who released an LP and 

single on the Ardent label as the Hot Dogs. They have 

connections to Terry Manning and Big Star. The Ardent 

recordings were moody 70s rock with powerpop 

tendencies. This time around they're less poppy, rock 

quite a bit harder and use more straightforward 

arrangements. It's a solid but unexceptional 

rock/hard rock album, not especially heavy and with 

rather pedestrian lyrics. The singing and rhythm 

section are excellent throughout, which elevates some 

of the more mundane songs. The best song is "You 

Can't Live," which has a strong guitar hook and 

powerful, driving organ. This is one of the toughest

HOT FLASH ( ) 

Guinness albums to find. [AM] 

"First Attack!" 1977 (Rockwell RW876101) 

HOT POOP (CA) 

Progressive obscurity comparable to Lift, Fairchild 

or Zoldar & Clark. Long tracks with complex 

arrangements and keyboard, flute, heavy guitar 

interplay and some dreamy passages. Highly rated by 

some genre fans. 

"Does Their Own Stuff" 1971 (Hot Poop hps-3072) [lyric insert; 

500p] 

JIMMY HOTZ (OK) 

Like Cain’s "A Pound Of Flesh", this album is more 

famous for the cover than for the music within. The 

front shows the band in a barn, with three of them 

shooting up, one passed out (or dead), and another 

taking a dump. On the back cover they’re all nude, 

except that the woman has a dick and the guys don’t. 

Unsurprisingly, the lyrics are equally ridiculous, 

mostly about sex and cars. Collectors should know 

that other than some noisy fuzz guitar, there’s 

nothing psychedelic about this. The music is more 

like a combination of surf and roots rock played by 

people who just learned their instruments last month. 

A ridiculous falsetto vocal on a couple of songs 

sends it into novelty territory. As sloppy and inept 

as this is, it’s still pretty listenable, and 

definitely gets points for grossness. It’s hard to 

imagine that in 1971 or 1972 this album could have 

been made at all. Sealed copies still show up today, 

but since the band themselves hoarded them and sold 

them to rare record dealers, the claim that there are 

only 500 copies could be true. [AM] 

"Beyond the Crystal Sea" 1980 (Vision vl-777) [gatefold] 

Hotz is a producer and electronics wiz, kind of the 

Christian version of Tom Scholz. The list of people 

he's worked with (or who have used his gadgetry) is 

pretty impressive. His own album is considered my 

many the pinnacle of Christian Prog, and 

unsurprisingly his techological knowhow is to the 

fore throughout. To be honest, I think it's a lot 

more impressive than listenable. The songwriting 

isn't the primary focus, but rather a vehicle for a 

slick production style that, unlike most of the late 

70s and early 80s recordings reviewed here, sounds 

completely of its time. Also, his vocal style is 

really pretentious in a Brit-prog-wannabe way.

Amusing cosmic fantasy cover art typical of the 

genre. Jimmy also produced Arkangel. [AM] 

LES HOU-LOPS (Montreal, Canada) 

"Off" 1967 (Apex 1591) 

"Les Hou-Lops, vol 1" 1998 (Merite 22-918) 

A popular beat combo from Quebec comparable to the 

Easybeats, this is their only album with vocals in 

English. They released five albums in total 1964- 

1968, but are generally considered inferior to the 

top French-Canadian bands of the era. The Merite 

reissue combines "Off" with the preceding LP, "C'est 

Chip". 

H P LOVECRAFT (Chicago, IL) 

"H P Lovecraft" 1967 (Philips phm-200-252) [mono; wlp monos 

exist] 

"H P Lovecraft" 1967 (Philips phm-600-252) [stereo] 

"This Is H P Lovecraft" 1972 (Philips 6336, UK) [altered 

cover] 

"II" 1968 (Philips phs-600-279) [gatefold] 

"II" 2003 (Radioactive 018, UK) [gatefold] 

"At the Mountains of Madness" 1988 (Edsel, UK) [2-on-1; bonus 

tracks] 

"This is H.P. Lovecraft" 1997 (CD Britonic 00010, UK) [2-on-1] 

"H P Lovecraft I + II" 200 (CD Collectors Choice) [2-on-1] 

While quite wellknown among psych fans, HP 

Lovecraft's importance and qualities still remain 

misunderstood. To begin with, their truly great LP 

wasn't the debut, which is occasionally brilliant (as 

on the classic "White ship") but patchy and 

unfocused, but the eternally underrated "II"; a deep 

pot-psych trip of the highest order. The band's 

unique, dreamy European moods are superbly caught on 

"Moebius Trip" and "Spin Spin Spin", and David 

Michaels' classically trained vocals gives them a 

rare edge. A more celebrated psych LP such as Wizards 

From Kansas clearly owe a lot to HP Lovecraft, who 

along with the Baroques were the first Midwest band 

to adapt the new westcoast style. Respect. The debut 

LP was released in September 1967 (a UK pressing also 

exists), the follow-up 12 months later. There was 

also an inferior third LP in 1969 ("Valley Of The 

Moon", Reprise), and a reunion LP for Mercury in 

1975. [PL] 

"Live - May 11, 1968" 1991 (Sundazed 5004) 

"Live - May 11, 1968" 1991 (CD Sundazed sc-11008) 

I've seen this retrospective live release praised in 

many places, but have to say that apart from the 

extremely good recording quality it's a mixed 

experience. One of the things that worked so well on 

their studio LPs, namely the blend between the two 

vastly different vocalists, here threatens to 

dissolve the music into schizophrenia. The voices

HUCKLE (Canada) 

aren't well-synched and seem to be competing rather 

than harmonizing. Musically it's solid with an 

energetic and tight sound from musicians not afraid 

to challenge the Fillmore bands on their own 

hometurf; the rhythm section is terrific. Opening 

instrumental jam is adventurous and impressive, 

although the band tends to favor organ over guitar as 

lead instrument. The material is drawn mainly from 

their first LP, including several mid-60s folk covers 

that were beginning to sound dated at this point. "At 

The Mountains Of Madness" from the 2nd LP is a 

highpoint, and "White Ship" works surprisingly well 

live. All over it sounds like what it is, a second 

tier SF Ballroom act along the lines of Crome Syrcus 

or Initial Shock having a pretty good night. The 

infamous tension inside the band may be what keeps 

them from delivering the appealing, ahead-of-theirtimes 

vibes from their LPs in full. [PL] 

"Upon A Once Time" 1974 (Homespun FO 2128) 

"Wild Blue Yonder" 1976 (no label) 

The second LP has been described as cosmic psych, 

with Sky Sulamyth on guitar. 

~~~ 

see -> Sodbusters 

LOUISE HUEBNER (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Seduction Through Witchcraft" 1969 (Warner Bros ws-1819) [wlp 

exists] 

"Seduction Through Witchcraft" 1996 (CD Infinite Zero) 

Sexy witch incantations and rituals with background 

sounds, like Barbara the Grey Witch. Huebner is the 

officially appointed Witch of Los Angeles. 

HUMAN BEINZ (Youngstown, OH) 

"Nobody But Me" 1967 (Gateway glp-3012) 

"Nobody But Me" 199 (Get Back, Italy) 

Credited to 'Human Beinz/Mammals' with two thirds of 

the tracks by the Mammals, including the title track 

which of course was a big hit for the Human Beinz; 

unfortunately Capitol owned the rights to that 

version. Gateway owned the rights to some of the 

(cool) pre-hit Beinz material and put this scam 

together to cash in from unsuspecting buyers. The LP 

is sometimes hyped as rare, which it isn't. 

"Nobody But Me" 1968 (Capitol st-2906) 

"Nobody But Me" 199 (CD See For Miles, UK) 

"Nobody But Me" 1993 (CD Collectables col 0547) 

Produced by one "Lex De Azevedo" (who also 

contributed four songs), "Nobody But Me" found the

and finally making it to the big time via a contract 

with Capitol. Musically the set was diverse and 

pretty good. While their cover of "Foxy Lady" wasn't 

anything special, elsewhere "The Shaman", "Turn On 

Your Love Light" and "Dance On Through" were all 

strong garage rockers. Blessed with a suitably taunt 

and raw voice, Belley proved well suited for the 

material, while the rest of the members displayed 

more competence than expected from your average club 

band. Elsewhere "Flower Grave" and the bizarro "It's 

Fun To Be Clean" were interesting in that they found 

the band taking tentative steps towards a more 

psychedelic-oriented sound. With the aid of Capitol's 

substantial promotional department the parent album 

eventually hit #65. The LP was also released in Japan 

on red wax. [SB] 

"In Japan" 1968 (Capitol 8737, Japan) [gatefold; obi] 

"In Japan" 199 (CD Cosmic Mind, Italy) [+bonus tracks] 

"In Japan" 199 (CD) [+bonus tracks] 

"In Japan" 199 (H.B.) 

Rare Japan-only release from the famous "Nobody But 

Me" guys, this shows them to be a tight, impressive 

club act with a tough fuzz edge as shown by killer 

takes on "Foxy Lady" and their own "Gotta keep on 

pushing". Some remnants from a pre-psychedelic 

dancehall sound make for an odd mix with the hard '68 

material. Well worth hearing - they were the real 

thing. Another Japan-only LP release from the band 

was "The Golden Album" on Capitol 8596 from circa 

1968. [PL] 

"Evolutions" 1969 (Capitol st-2926) 

"Evolutions" 1987 (Decal, UK) 

Absolutely one of the best albums from a Nuggets-type 

band. People remember them for "Nobody But Me," but 

on this second album they wrote their own songs and 

showed all sorts of growth. Great pop, garage and 

proto-hard rock, including an absolute monster 

instrumental blowout at the end. If it wasn't for two 

utterly dull minutes where they destroy a piano with 

an axe, this one would be killer from start to 

finish. [AM] 

~~~ 

Impressive late 1960s beat that shows the band 

further refining their characteristic mix of acoustic 

guitars, fuzz, subtle orchestrations and Beatlesstyle 

songs. Nothing here is quite as brilliant as 

"Flower Grave" on the debut, but all over it's 

clearly a stronger LP, delivering in all the key 

areas including some above average lyrics. Hendrixy 

hardrock aspirations creep into a few songs but the 

end result is closer to power-pop than anything else. 

The piano destruction is surprisingly effective 

because it's so graphic -- no cheapo sound fx library 

snips here, the Human Beinz smash a piano to pieces 

and you can hear it! Appealing title from a band who 

certainly deserve to be remembered for more than just 

a hit 45. [PL] 

HUMANIST ADVENT CONCEPT (Canada)

"Invasion" 1979 (Reveal rc-77-2) 

"Supra Surge" 1980 (Reveal rc-77-3) 

HUMAN ZOO (CA) 

Heavy space freeform psych/prog from communal heads, 

with fuzz and atmospheric keyboard. Not for everyone, 

and not expensive. 

"Human Zoo" 1971 (Accent 5055) 

K C HUMPHREY ( ) 

Mixed bag of era sounds with the occasional fuzz, 

rare but disappointing LP on legendary label. 

"For A Smile" 1975 (MSS-1106) 

Loner/troubador folk and folkrock LP with mandolin, 

keyboards and effects, housed in a typial period 

front cover DIY pencil drawing of a young man sitting 

under a tree playing guitar for his girlfriend. 

HUNGER! (Portland, OR) 

"Hunger!" 1969 (All American) [test pressing] 

"The Lost Album" 199 (Void 08) [500#d] 

"The Lost Album / Strictly From" 199 (Akarma ak-045, Italy) 

[2 LP box-set] 

"The Lost Album / Strictly From" 199 (CD Akarma, Italy) 

The "Lost Albums" is an earlier version of the 

"Strictly From" LP that was discovered in the 1990s. 

Although more guitar-oriented and possibly superior 

to the Public label release it's still not really a 

killer in my book as the basic problems (inability to 

jam, so-so songwriting) are the same, no matter what 

the tiresome hype tried to convince you. As far as I 

can tell, the takes are all the same but they are 

unedited, which means far lengthier instrumental 

excursions on several tracks. As an example there is 

a 2-minute section in the middle of "Workshop" that 

was cut out from the Public label release; however it 

is just mechanical riffing that couldn't be mistaken 

for true acid-rock jamming. Various stories exist on 

the origins of this variation, none of which seems 

entirely correct. My personal theory is that the 

band/label simply were dissatisfied with the original 

(acetate) mix, and edited the LP down into the 

official version, accidentally losing a few guitar 

leads in the process. The oft-mentioned appearance of 

Ed King on this LP is dubious, at least King himself 

had no recollection of it and did not recognize 

Hunger when hearing the music recently. The Akarma CD 

omits a few tracks from the test press due to 

playtime limitations; the vinyl box-set contains all 

the music. [PL] 

"Strictly From Hunger" 1969 (Public 1006)

"Strictly From Hunger" 1983 (Psycho 14, UK) [altered sleeve] 

"Strictly From Hunger" 1993 (CD Afterglow, UK) 

"Strictly From Hunger" 199 (CD Belgium) 

"The Lost Album / Strictly From Hunger" 199 (Akarma ak-045, 

Italy) [2 LP box-set] 

"The Lost Album / Strictly From Hunger" 199 (CD Akarma, Italy) 

A longtime legend of the scene though I have to say 

it's a bit too patchy to be a real biggie in my ears. 

Starts off like it could be the greatest LP ever but 

loses its vision somewhere during the third track and 

never regains it. Apart from the two opening psych 

classics songwriting is mediocre, and the rhythm 

section is lamentably unable (bassist) or unwilling 

(drummer) to follow the druggie jam paths gloriously 

laid out by organ & lead guitar, making the end 

product halfhearted. The reissues might be worth 

checking out so you can decide for yourself. The 

group had a couple of 45s as well. An interesting 

aspect is that the 8-track version of the Public 

label LP features yet another mix of the album. [PL] 

HUSTLERS (Columbus, OH) 

"Their Finest Album" 1965 (Caronet 850C-9455) 

HUSTLERS ( ) 

Collegians doing loungey covers of the Beatles 

(several), r'n'b standards, and ballads. Standard 

rock setting with no horns. 

"Hustlers" 196 (Voice 8965) [no sleeve] 

Teenbeat obscurity on Florida label. 

ALDOUS HUXLEY (UK / Los Angeles, CA) 

"Human Potentialities, vol 1" 1969 (Gifford Associates A- 

101) 

The first volume in a projected series dealing with 

"the human situation", issued posthumously by Laura 

Huxley. In this 1962 live recording of a lecture 

Huxley considers man's potentialities for rationality 

and creativity, and makes some interesting 

observations and suggestions concerning education. 

Unlike vol 2 below, this contains no reference to 

psychedelic drugs and is mainly for Huxley fans, but 

then again, who isn't one? 

"Visionary Experience, vol 2" 1969 (Gifford Associates A-102) 

"Visionary Experience" 197 (All-Disc LHA 23768) 

Huxley is in great form on this 1962 lecture before a 

Los Alamos scientist crowd, speaking of the visionary 

experience and how it relates to the history of art 

and religion. Substantial time is spent on 

psychedelic drugs, covering something like half of 

side 1, and this is the best audio document of

Huxley's thoughts on LSD and mescaline around. The 

non-hallucinogen talk is equally interesting and 

thought-provoking, and the mood is upbeat and 

progressive in a typical early 60s manner. The 

recording isn't perfect, but who cares? Terrific. 

[PL] 

"Sum and Substance" 197 (Modern Learning Aids 5602) 

A "dialogue on contemporary values" from a TV show of 

the same title 

"Speaking Personally" 1973 (Caedmon 74-750212) [2LPs] 

"Speaking Personally" 2003 (CD Artifacts ARTSW001) [+bonus 

tracks] 

HYDE (Canada) 

One of the founding fathers of psychedelia left a 

handful of LP recordings behind. The posthumous 

Caedmon 2LP set features a 1961 London interview 

including a great 6-minute section towards the end 

where Huxley praises LSD and mescaline, among other 

things -- a good place to score samples. The LP was 

released by Lansdowne in the UK. Contrary to what you 

may read, the interview was not conducted by Alan 

Watts. Huxley's other LPs and recordings (not listed 

here) deal with literature and philosophy. [PL] 

"Hyde" 1969 (Quality sv-1832) 

This derivative folkrock LP is sometimes inaccurately 

described as the "second Rockadrome album". Hyde was 

a solo artist who recorded in the same studio as the 

Rockadrome album, using Rockadrome members as back-up 

band. There was no creative input from Rockadrome on 

the Hyde LP. 

HYE STARS (Chicago, IL) 

"'70-'74" 1974 (no label) 

Obscure primitive fuzzed bar-rock with Led Zep, 

Beatles and Chicago covers done by Armenian guys, 

also some band originals. 


FRANK IANNI (Cleveland, OH) 

"No Moon Night" 1977 (Night Wax) 

ICE (Chicago, IL) 

This album is a rare private press, but has the look 

of a major label LP, with the album and artist title 

on the spine, and some copies have a punch hole, 

implying some sort of nationwide distribution. Ianni 

is bascially a 70s pop songwriter with a decent 

songwriting sense but not a whole lot of inspiration. 

These songs are pleasant but not especially 

memorable. Even a power pop nut like myself finds 

this pretty bland. There's not much here for the 

psych or prog fan either; the arrangements are 

tasteful but completely conventional. For some reason 

this album has been mistakenly described in various 

catalogues as "soul," "new age," and "Beatlesque 

pop." It certainly isn't the first two, and it's too 

complimentary to describe it as the third. [AM] 

"Melting Your Mind" 1972 (Bonny 20446) 

The title of this album is not even remotely 

accurate. There are no psychedelic sound effects, 

blazing hard rock, or any other kind of mind-melting 

madness here. It's merely lameass folky, bluesy and 

countrified rock, badly produced, performed and 

conceived. The occasional female vocals are kinda 

sultry at times, I suppose, but really this is the 

kind of thing that makes you understand why all of 

these private press artists had no choice but to 

release their records themselves. If this record is 

valuable, then start raiding the thrift shops now, 

because absolutely any rare record will sell for $200 

some day. At least it has a fun generic album cover. 

[AM] 

ID (Los Angeles, CA) 

"The Inner Sounds Of The Id" 1967 (RCA lpm-3805) [mono] 

"The Inner Sounds Of The Id" 1967 (RCA lsp-3805) [stereo] 

"The Inner Sounds Of The Id" 199 (Fantazia, Italy) 

"The Inner Sounds Of The Id" 2005 (CD World In Sound 1026, 

Germany) [+bonus tracks] 

"The Inner Sounds Of The Id" 2005 (World In Sound 1026,

ID (TX) 

Germany, 2LPs) [+bonus tracks] 

Mysteriously ignored album that would have been 

groundbreaking if anyone paid attention. The eastern 

influences and long experimental album closer were 

unlike just about anything else in 1967, and while 

they’re not wholly successful, this album is 

interesting at worst, compelling (the crazed “Boil 

The Kettle Mother”, one of the greatest garage 

rockers ever) at best. The Id project was recorded as 

early as mid-1966 and consisted of studio pro:s also 

connected to the infamous Custom label exploitation 

sweatshop; some of the Id backing tracks appear on 

the Projection Company's "Give Me Some 

Loving" (Custom CS-1113) as well as the wellknown 

Animated Egg and 101 Strings LPs. Appropriately, the 

bonus tracks on the WIS reissue are from the 

Projection Company album. [AM] 

"Where Are We Going?" 1976 (Aura 1000) 

"Where Are We Going?" 199 (Aura) 

"Where Are We Going?" 199 (CD Flash 53, Italy) 

IGUANA (MD) 

Fronted by multi-instrumentalists David and Gary 

Oickle, this Id survived long enough to record one 

blazing slice of spacey, meltdown guitar. Recorded in 

New York, the LP is largely instrumental and clearly 

intended as a concept piece, with "Sunrise (A New 

Deal)" and "Solar Wind" both having a wild sci-fi 

flavor to them. While the plotline's wasted on us, 

the front cover mushroom cloud and back cover UFO 

probably have something to do with the story. Neither 

band member were much in the way of singing, probably 

helping to explain why the emphasis is clearly on 

Gary's roaring, feedback guitar. The latter part of 

"(Part One) Where Are We Going" briefly recalled the 

theme from "Dr. Who". It makes for one of those great 

"headphone" listening experiences. [SB] 

~~~ 

If you want to make the case that the live Terry 

Brooks album is the wankiest guitar album ever, your 

only argument is that it's a double album and this 

one is just 44 minutes. "Where Are We Going" is 44 

full minutes of a guitarist picking as fast as he 

possibly can with no attempt whatsoever at melody or 

finesse. Back the guitar with mellotron, play loud 

enough to create some feedback, put the guitar 

through a phase shifter, and voila, you have 

spacerock for those stoned enough not to notice that 

for three quarters of an hour basically nothing 

happens and nothing changes. Somewhere in here are a 

couple of minutes of singing, and there are three 

songs listed, but really you'd be just as well served 

by taking ten seconds of the Mariani album, backing 

it with a mellotron, phasing the guitar and making a 

tape loop of it (or putting it on an 8-track tape.) 

Recommended to fans of "Metal Machine Music". [AM] 

“Winds of Alamar” 1975 (Quadratrack A101) [quad sound]

I.H.S. BAND ( ) 

Professional sounding album released on the band’s 

own label in quadraphonic (starts with a voice saying 

“front left, front right, back left, back right.”) 

It’s a progressive version of the kind of west coastflavored 

laid back rock that was popular at the time, 

with lovely crisp acoustic guitars, CSN-styled 

harmonies and intricately arranged songs. Despite the 

use of backwards instruments, violins and pedal steel 

guitars, the arrangements are thoughtful but not 

challenging. The songs are pleasant, but only the 

last two have any bite to them, and only one song on 

the album even attempts to rock out. You’ll come out 

of a listen feeling better about the album than you 

should, since the best songs are at the end. It’s 

good but not great. It should appeal to the same 

people who like, say, Folly’s Pool. In 1977, they 

were signed to a major label (UA) and the album was 

released with an inferior cover, two additional 

songs, and minus the quadraphonic sound. The UA 

version of the album comes a lot cheaper than this 

one. [AM] 

"The Answer" 1980 (Forrest Green fgs-102) 

ILIAN (CA) 

Crude xian rural rock sound with some heavy guitar on 

a couple tracks. 

"Love Me Crazy" 1977 (Kitty AW #14051) 

ILLUSION (HI) 

This is probably the best of all of the Album World 

releases. In usual tax scam fashion, the cover has an 

incorrect song listing that promises two songs more 

than there really are, there's a weird mix of styles 

that almost sounds like more than one band, and the 

album is quite brief. The basic sound is late 70s 

mainstream rock with some quirks and an occasional 

jazzy edge. It's mellow but not wimpy. Melodic stuff 

like "Hey Denise" and "Tell Me" are highlights, but 

the more experimental stuff is cool too. The spacy 

fuzz guitar on the title track, for example, is weird 

and exciting. An acoustic song and a couple of 

instrumentals sound like demos but are still pretty 

good. As is usual with this kind of thing it's 

erratic, but for the most part this album is very 

worthwhile. [AM] 

"Illusion" 1974 (Sinergia 7654) [insert] 

Soft rock with a couple good anti-war tracks like 

"Not Yet" (with loud fuzz break) and a stunning 

reverse-negative cover. Same label as These Trails, 

but not at all on the same level.

ILL WIND (Boston, MA) 

"Flashes" 1968 (ABC 641) [mono; wlp] 

"Flashes" 1968 (ABC s-641) [stereo] 

"Flashes" 199 (Flash) 

"Flashes" 199 (CD Afterglow aft-012) [+bonus tracks] 

"Flashes" 2001 (Akarma AK 162) [+bonus tracks] 

"Flashes" 2001 (CD Akarma AK 162) [+bonus tracks] 

Westcoasty hippiepsycher that has to rank as one of 

the best Airplane epigons from anywhere. The group 

played the club circuit before making the LP, giving 

them a solid rocking backbone most of their 

comptetion lacks - great fluid guitar jams. The 

opening track is a wasted jugband tune, but after 

that they kick in with a 4-minute guitar solo. Mostly 

female vocals and an appealing live feel, a simple 

yet attractive sound with effective chord 

progressions. One track takes on a "heavy" Kantner 

feel, there's also some early rural rock moves and a 

Music Emporium style spinechiller. One of the best 

from Bosstown, with spaced out poetry typical of the 

area, while the musical style is essentially 

Californian. One of my favorite versions of "High 

Flying Bird" too. The rare promo-only mono mix has a 

notably clearer sound with better instrument 

isolation and rivals the stereo mix on the more 

folkrocky tracks, while the heavier numbers come off 

less well. The mono version of "Hung up chick" has a 

Mystic Siva-style mixing error where the wrong 

channel (rhythm instead of lead guitar) is raised for 

the duration of the solo! Furthermore, there are two 

different stereo pressings of this LP, one with a 

'drop-out' moment of silence during "High Flying 

Bird" and one without. Visually, if the edge of the 

vinyl has ridges cut into it, the pressing does not 

have the drop-out. ABC didn't display much care in 

their handling of this fine band. The reissues have 

some worthwhile bonus cuts. [PL] 

~~~ 

Here's yet another cool Bosstown album from an 

Airplane-wannabe band. The first song on the album is 

a terrible cheesy country-rocker, but it picks up 

from there, and pretty much everything else is 

worthwhile. Some freaky moments and creative 

songwriting make up for somewhat inept performances. 

The female singer is appealing (when by herself), and 

her dreamy ballad "Dark World" is the album's 

highlight. The warped "L.A.P.D." is also extremely 

cool in a screwed-up Ultimate Spinach vein. Side two 

begins with yet another version of "High Flying 

Bird," and while it would have been better to hear 

something that hadn't already been done by 100 

similar bands, some manic vocals at the end give it a 

unique energy. The production of "Flashes" is weirdly 

stark, sounding almost like a CD-era mixing job. The 

lead vocals appear to be entirely without reverb; it 

feels like it was recorded in a small room without 

insulation. No other 60s album sounds like this one. 

Like the Linda Perhacs album, it's a notoriously poor 

press. Even "mint" copies play with surface noise, as 

do the boot reissues. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Dirty John's Hot Dog Stand 

V.A "I LOVE YOU GORGO" (El Paso, TX)

"I Love You Gorgo" 196 (Suemi 1090) [100p; wlp exists] 

"I Love You Gorgo" 199 (no label, Austria) [300p] 

ILTAR (PA) 

Atmospheric late 60s El Paso comp that's clearly 

better than the average local sampler. Three groups 

are featured with four tracks each; Intruders who are 

late beat, Lode Star who are west coasty garagepsych, 

and my personal faves Truth, who do bent folkpsych 

like the Patron Saints. Originals throughout and all 

three groups are obvious talents. Lodestar later 

evolved into Swift Rain who recorded for Hi. Classy 

reissue. [PL] 

"Iltar" 1977 (Tiwa 777) 

IMAGINE (Tampa, FL) 

Stoned progressive/jazz-rock a k a "new fusion". 

Fuzz, sitar, flute, sax. 

"Images, Clear Skies, and Rainbows" 1980 (Light Horse) 

"Images, Clear Skies, and Rainbows" 2001 (Akarma 160, Italy) 


"Images, Clear Skies, and Rainbows" 2001 (CD Akarma 160, 

Italy) [+bonus tracks] 

Melodic guitar prog, produced by David Peel, 

featuring ex-members of Peel's band. Same generic 

cover as Euphoria's "Lost in Trance". There is also a 

second LP, “Playin’ Around” 1981 (Light Horse) which 

is similar to the first album, and has a John Lennon 

tribute. 

IMMIGRANTS (NJ/NY/KS) 

"Immigrants '66" 1966 (Starburst SRA 9837) 

"Immigrants '66" 199 (Starburst) [bootleg] 

"Immigrants '66" 200 (CD Starburst) 

One of the more obscure local garage LPs, recorded in 

Kansas by a group of NY/NJ college boys. Has a cool 

sleeve like most albums in the genre and some pretty 

decent sounds inside; two cool beat-garage originals 

and some unusual covers (like the Beatles' "Run for 

your life") all fed through a whiney New England type 

sound. The recording is lo-fi and not exactly 

dynamic. It ain't the Sonics but it sure beats the 

Rolling Stones! The band also had a 45. [PL]

IMPALA SYNDROME (Venezuela / Chicago, IL) 

"Impala Syndrome" 1969 (Parallax p-4002) 

IMPECCABLE (TX) 

They were an excellent garage beat group previously, 

Los Impalas. Fuzz beat flower psych infectious 

tripper with both heavy and flower moves. Great 

guitar throughout and amazing acid cover. The LP was 

also released in Spain, Venezuela and Brazil. [RM] 

~~~ 

Musically diverse, the band managed to successfully 

dip their collective toes into a number of genres. 

"Love Grows a Flower" stood as a pretty Associationstyled 

flower power ballad. "New Love Time" 

demonstrated they could handle blue-eyed soul (with a 

nice Latin touch). The closing number "Run (Don't 

Look Behind)" sported a then-trendy Eastern-flavored 

aura. More impressive to our ears were fuzz guitar 

propelled rockers "Too Much Time" and "Let Them Try". 

Seriously, there isn't a bad track here, though it 

barely clocks in at 30 minutes. [SB] 

"Live on the Rox" 1979 (G.B.C. no #) 

Hardrock with strong Van Halen and Judas Priest 

influence. Cover is primitive with just the title and 

a small drawing of an Impeccable fan declaring that 

disco sucks. 

INDESCRIBABLY DELICIOUS (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Indescribably Delicious" 1969 (All American AA-5743) [test 

pressing; no cover] 

"Indescribably Delicious" 1994 (Fanny, Belgium) [paste-on 

cover; 500p] 

"Indescribably Delicious" 1999 (Akarma 046, Italy) 

"Indescribably Delicious" 1999 (CD Akarma 046, Italy) 

INDEX (Detroit, MI) 

Legendary but to my ears musically disappointing 

artefact from the infinitely complex All-American 

label web. Only three tracks on the album feature the 

real I.D band, the rest was some studio demos 

featuring one member of the band, plus some SACrelated 

guys. The whole story can be found on the 

internet. The music is a mixed late 60s bag with 

mellotron, but suffers from soulrock moves and 

unconvincing vocals, much like later-day SAC. [PL] 

"Index" 1967 (DC Records no #) [black sleeve w/ photo; black 

label; mono] 

"Index" 1983 (Voxx 200.023) [altered sleeve]

One of the major legends of the private press 

collector scene, known already in the early 1980s 

when Greg Shaw reissued it in "Paisley Underground" 

type re-packaging and kept it in print for many 

years. The lo-fi sound, amateur vocals and smokethick 

atmosphere have an instantaneous jaw-dropping 

effect, and it's a good one to play for "square" 

friends. Incredible primitive surf-garage-psych with 

off-key teenage vocals and an unreal soundscape; 

imagine Dick Dale jamming with 1966 Velvet 

Underground in an airplane hangar after a night of 

booze & quaaludes. Great band originals share the 

stage with unparalleled Byrds deconstructions, while 

some of the feedback and drone passages are bordering 

on avant noise. A true missing link item bridging the 

early and late 60s sounds. Beware of the "Index 

Anthology vol 1" CD as it omits most of the best 

tracks (the covers) from this. The band formed at the 

University of Detroit and recorded in Grosse Point, 

Michigan. [PL] 

"Index" [2nd LP] 1968 (DC Records no #) [black sleeve W/ 

drawing of heads; red label; stereo] 

"Index" [2nd LP] 1991 (Sears) [altered sleeve] 

"Index Anthology 1967-68" 1997 (CD Top Jimmy) 

Obscure isn't the word for this very rare 2nd LP 

(again self-titled) which few people knew existed 

before the reissue appeared. Only three or four 

original copies have been found. It contains basement 

surf-folkrock-psych sounds similar to their classic 

1st LP, but also some uninspired blues and Bee Gees 

covers. The super-atmospheric basement sound of the 

debut is gone due to normal recording facilities now 

being used. All over not the mindblower the above is 

but a pretty insteresting artefact anyhow, with a 

couple of great tracks on side 2. Some copies came 

without sleeve, others have been found inside the 

sleeve for the first LP. Both their LPs are well into 

the four figure realm. The 'Sears' bootleg has a 

reverse negative of the original front cover. The CD 

contains the 2nd LP plus selection of tracks from 1st 

LP. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Just Us 

INFINITE COMPANIONS (OH) 

"Sanity Rests In The Ability To Fly" 1972 (no label 30102) 

[insert] 

INN CROWD (LA) 

Obscure spacey folk/prog led by Glenn Saiges, with 

keyboard and sax. 

"Live At The Belmont" 1968 (Continental 100 484) 

Local club act with Hammond organ and covers of 

Buffalo Springfield, Beatles, etc.

INNERVISIONS ( ) 

"Beginnings End" 1977 (private) 

INNOVATION (Canada) 

Seedy femme-vox lounge-rock with appeal for genre 

fans, in a psychy cover. 

"Innovation" 1970 (Birchmount 577) 

INSIDE OUT (IA) 

Dorky-looking guys & gals folk quartet. 

"Bringing It All Back" 1968 (Fredlo 6834) 

This little known garage/club LP on the famous 

Midwest label has to be one of the very last local 

Top 40 cover band albums in the whole USA, at least 6 

months after Granma's Rockers and the final Justice 

releases. Sound and vibe is all 1966 with teen 

vocals, nice Vox organ and jangling guitar, which 

makes for an interesting marriage with '68 covers 

such as Blue Cheer's take on "Summertime blues" and 

"Jumping Jack flash" (both have good fuzz). Band is 

solid and enthusiastic and still have several '65-66 

numbers on their set list despite the late date. 

Version of "Pictures of matchstick men" is charming. 

No group originals. [PL] 

INSTINCTS (Wallingford, CT) 

"The Loving Sandwich" 1967 (The Choate School tcs-3952) [split 

LP] 

A prep-rock LP from the Choate school with the 

Instincts on one side and the (forgettable) Maiyeros 

school chorus on the other. Two Instincts tracks have 

been comp'd, one of which amazingly is a Savages 

cover. Standard New England garage covers of "Hold on 

I'm comin'", "Gimme some lovin'", "Don't look back" 

etc, with jangly guitar and organ, in a great 

primitive psych sleeve. [PL]

INTERNATIONAL SUBMARINE BAND (NY/CA) 

"Safe At Home" 1968 (LHI s-12001) [multi-colored label] 

"Safe At Home" 198 (LHI) [bootleg w/ fake wlp design] 

"Safe At Home" 1991 (CD Magnum CDSD 071) 

"Safe At Home" 2000 (Sundazed LP 5112) [+bonus track] 

"Safe At Home" deserved immediate notice as one of 

the first true country-rock outings. Offering up a 

mixture of covers and original material (penned by 

Gram Parsons), tracks such as "I Must Be Somebody 

Else You've Known", "Folsom Prison Blues" and "I 

Still Miss Someone" left no doubts as to the the 

band's country roots and interests. That shouldn't 

scare anyone off, since the combination of Parsons' 

melancholy voice and a rhythm section with one foot 

firmly in the rock camp, made for a thoroughly 

entertaining effort. Parsons-penned originals such as 

"Blue Eyes" (first song we're aware of to make 

reference to getting stoned) and "Luxury Liner" were 

genre standards. While the album generated a buzz 

among critics and with musicians themselves, it was 

simply too odd for mainstream radio - too rock for 

country audiences and too country for rock audiences. 

Sales proved non-existent. The band also had a very 

good non-LP track, "Sum up broke". Watch out for the 

1980s white label bootleg; legitimate promo 

copies had stock labels and were stamped. 

[SB] 

INTERSYSTEMS (Toronto, Canada) 

"Number One" 1967 (Allied 1) 

"Number One" 2001 (Cortical 25) [+bonus 45; gatefold; comic 

book; 500p] 

The debut LP from these noted avantgarde freaks is 

basically a spoken word album with sound effects. A 

narrator who sounds like a college student parodying 

JFK rants and rambles poetry and surreal short 

stories while primitive synth and oscillator noises 

pass through the soundscape. There is not much 

"music" per se, but it has a certain psychedelic 

feel. The connection between the words and the sound 

fx isn't consistent, and it seems that both elements 

were at least partly improvised. The last track gets 

into some interesting eerie "ambient" moods, while 

the mannered, one-note narration is a drawback over 

the full duration of the LP. A testament of the 

freaky arty 60s with happenings, music concrete and 

"why not?" aesthetics, but ultimately I guess you had 

to be there. Respectworthy, but for genre fanatics 

mainly, and a somewhat inauspicious start for the 

label that would later bring us Plastic Cloud and 

Reign Ghost. [PL] 

"Peachy" 1968 (Allied 2) 

"Peachy" 199 (CD Streamline 1010, Germany) 

More comments will come on this second LP, sometimes 

referred to as "#2". 

"Free Psychedelic Poster Inside" 1968 (private) [poster]

"Free Psychedelic Poster Inside" 1994 (CD Streamline 1007, 

Germany) 

This privately released LP is a clear improvement on 

the debut, both in terms of narration and overall 

artistic coherence. Originally created as a 

soundtrack for an art installation in Montreal 1968. 

More comments will follow. The band leader would 

later form Syrinx, who cut two LPs of progressive 

electronics on the True North label in the early 

1970s. 

TOM INTONDI (New York City, NY) 

"City Dancer" 1976 (no label TI-1) 

Greenwich Village folk scene mainstay. Pleasant tenor 

voice; mixed folk bag, at times jazzy, often minor 

key downer vibe. The lyrics have a slightly nonsequiterous 

feeling to them. Credits are given to 

fellow Village scensters Jack Hardy (inspiration & 

song) and Terre Roche (drawing - I presume referring 

to the paste-on cover picture). I'm not sure if this 

is the actual LP release or a test pressing. There is 

no mention of the album title anywhere. The record 

has blank white labels. The cover has only the 

picture pasted on the front. There is an insert with 

credits and the lyrics of the title track. [MA] 

JACK INTVELD (Irondale, MN) 

"I'll Sing of Life" 1978 (Art 9048) [insert; 200p] 

INVADERS ( ) 

Yes-influenced basement progressive from high school 

kid multi-instrumentalist. 

"Golden Hits" 1965 (RPC 1272) 

Local teen-beat with sax on famous custom label. 

INVADERS (Richmond, VA) 

"On The Right Track" 1967 (Justice 157) 

"On The Right Track" 1994 (CD Collectables 0608) 

Opens with OK beat original with tough fuzz break,

INVADERS (Bermuda) 

then immediately starts sucking with brassy soul and 

beach music covers. Vocals are really weak and the 

band isn't terribly tight either, in spite of 

ambitious arrangements. You need a strong stomach to 

sit through the off-key horn takes on various Memphis 

standards that make up the bulk of the album. Bizarre 

interpretation of "Summertime" with the melody wrong 

and a tortured harmonica solo is worth hearing for 

its oddness, but apart from the passable opener this 

LP's only redeeming factor is a neat Farfisa organ 

sound. Don't be fooled by the cool cover, this is a 

real stinker. [PL] 

~~~ 

Pretty standard garage/frat party faire. Backed by 

horns, the focus was on popular pop and soul covers 

such as "Midnight Hour", "Double Shot" and "Shotgun". 

At least one reviewer's deemed the album 

unlistenable, but to our ears their ragged, haphazard 

performances are a big part of the charm. Check out 

their lumbering cover of "Summertime" and the moreenthusiasm-than-talent 

cover of "Knock On Wood". 

Personal favorite is Steve Pollock's what's-the-nextnote 

guitar solo on "Hold On". That said, the set's 

highlights came from the pair of band originals "Have 

You Ever" and "Just for Kicks". [SB] 

"Spacing Out" 1970 (Duane 1101) 

"Spacing Out" 1997 (no label, Europe) [500#d] 

Rare instrumental jazzy funky rock groove with brass, 

on the same NJ label as the Savages. Highly rated in 

some circles. 

INVICTAS (Andover, MA) 

"The Invictas" 1962 (no label MBOP 5817) 

Early prep-rock album, and the first known rock LP 

from the Phillips Academy in Andover (Rising Storm, 

Ha'Pennys, etc) and thus of some historical 

importance. The music is pre-Beatle, pre-surf 

instrumentals straight out of Ventures and Johnny & 

the Hurricanes-land, with a classic guitar-band 

covering "Wild weekend", "Sleepwalk", "Bullwhip rock" 

and so forth. Occasional use of sax and piano while 

one track has vocals, a version of "Hully Gully". Not 

bad at all for the era with a solid band who must 

have played quite a bit live judging by their 

confident interplay. Highpoints include a dynamic 

"Walk don't run" and a minimalist "Apache". One track 

may be a band original. Some fake crowd noise added 

here and there for live ambience. An RCA custom 

pressing. [PL] 

INVICTAS (Rochester, NY)

"A-Go-Go" 1965 (Sahara 101) 

"A-Go-Go" 1983 (Eva 12016, France) 

Local bigwigs from upstate N Y who enjoyed some chart 

success with "The Hump". More frat/dance than garage, 

enjoyable for those who dig the Dimensions and 

similar. Great snotty vocals and an energetic sound, 

with a number of fine originals. Along with the 

Tormentors one of Eva's rarer reissues. A rare case 

of bearded garage rock. [PL] 

~~~ 

Standard mix of popular covers and originals 

performed with considerable enthusiasm, if with a 

decidedly low-tech sound, the collection's actually a 

blast to listen to. The lead singer wasn't anything 

to write home about in the way of range and 

occasionally recalled a dog yelping in pain ("The 

Hook"). Still, there was something attractive about 

the way these guys blew their way through popular 

covers such as "Hang On Sloopy", "Land of a 1000 

Dances" and "Satisfaction". The five originals 

weren't particularly impressive (the closer "Do It" 

being the best), though "The Hump" was apparently a 

large regional hit (liner notes: "the biggest selling 

record in the New York state area, exceeding sales of 

those English Mop Tops, The Beatles"). It won't 

change your life, but makes for a great party LP. 

[SB] 

IOTA (El Paso, TX / Memphis, TN) 

"Iota" 2002 (Rockadelic 46) 

"Iota" 2003 (CD Shadoks 042, Germany) 

I.O.U (MI) 

1969-72 recordings from El Paso band who moved to 

Memphis mid-career. Their best track "Within these 

precincts" is also available on the "Growing Slowly 

Insane" comp. Rest is competent but to my ears mostly 

unexceptional fuzz/Hammond club hardrock with funk 

moves, highpoints being covers of two tracks off the 

earlier "I Love You Gorgo" sampler which was released 

by the same management team that handled Iota. All 

four 45 sides by Iota are included. Packaging is nice 

though the fantasy front sleeve gives off a very 

different vibe from the sounds inside. [PL] 

"I.O.U." 1977 (no label) 

Hard guitar rock. 

V.A "IOWA EAR MUSIC" (IA) 

"Iowa Ear Music" 1976 (Corn Pride 28155) 

Compilation of Iowa State University 1967-76 

avantgarde Cage/Tudor style aural experiments with 

members of Tree. A CD-R "reissue" exists.

IRON LUNG (IL) 

"High Bail" 1975 (KDR 1063) 

"High Bail" 1994 (Casket, Belgium) [400#d] 

Hilarious teenage suburban loser blues, like a 1970s 

equivalent of those whiney New England 60s groups. 

Great sleeve of them in jail and lyrics like "I've 

been thinking/About my drinking" lets you know this 

ain't no rocket scientists. Can't really recommend 

it, though it's fun to listen to once in a while. 

Warning: this is pretty lame basement stuff rather 

than the hard guitar blues some might hope for. [PL] 

~~~ 

Rhythm fuzz rocker with warm bluesy and xian vibes. 

Some good world weary crying for help from above 

songs. The slower bluesy tracks are sabotaged by some 

hideous vocals but there's fine playing throughout 

this record. [RM] 

IT'S ALL MEAT (Toronto, Canada) 

"It's All Meat" 1970 (Columbia 374) 

"It's All Meat" 199 (no label, Italy) 

"It's All Meat" 199 (CD Fingerprints) 

"It's All Meat" 2001 (Void) 

"It's All Meat" 2001 (CD Void) [+bonus tracks] 

Stones-influenced hard rock with psych remnants, has 

a great immediacy to it thanks to a typical classy 

Columbia recording. Dynamic band with lots of ripping 

fuzz; only problem for me is a sometimes operatic 

singer a la British LPs like Open Mind and Ghost. If 

you have no problems with that this will rank as one 

of the best albums in the style. "Crying into the 

deep lake" is an epic Doorsy psych trip, "Sunday 

love" is somewhat similar with raga leads, while the 

rest of the album is more hard rocking. The early 

bootleg re's have cover wear residue from the 

originals that were used. The band also had a non-LP 

45 track. [PL] 

~~~ 

In that uniquely Canadian way (think Ugly Ducklings, 

Churls), these guys manage to seamlessly make the 

leap from 60s garage to a sort of Stones-influenced 

late 60s rock sound and do so in a truly exciting, 

powerful way. A couple of drawn out psych monsters 

are surrounded by cool hard rock, making this one of 

the best of many great albums from up north. [AM] 

V.A "IT'S A REVOLUTION MOTHER" ( ) 

"It's A Revolution Mother" 196 (KW Records 001)

Fake soundtrack for probably non-existing movie, 

contains hip "now" collage of biker and freak 

counterculture snips, plus Steppenwolf-type music by 

a band called Mandarin Gate. The Aliens biker gang is 

featured. Nice cover with the right AIP 1-sheet look. 

IVORY (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Ivory" 1968 (Tetragrammaton t-104) 

"Ivory" 2002 (CD Gear Fab 182) 

Another good co-ed Airplane-influenced band. Decent 

fuzz guitar on most songs, though a few ballads are 

highlights (“Losin’ Hold” is the best song here). 

This isn’t as experimental or as varied as, say, Ill 

Wind, but the songwriting is quite good and the sound 

very appealing. If you’re a fan of stuff like Yankee 

Dollar, Art of Lovin, Genesis, etc… you’re sure to 

like this. [AM] 

IXT ADUX (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Brainstorm" 1982 (Madame X) [insert] 

In some ways, this private press album is pretty 

impressive. The songs are quite complex and the 

guitar playing throughout is challenging and 

unpredictable. In typical amateur prog fashion, 

though, the instrumentation is often usurped by the 

lousy vocals and melodies (this is a case where the 

"singer" doesn't really even try to sing, hoping that 

weirdness will work.) There's enough of interest here 

to keep prog fans satisfied, most likely, but it 

sounds much more like some promising experimentation 

than an actual set of real songs. It's to prog what 

Zenith Effluveum is to psych. Unlike most prog, this 

is entirely guitar-based. It has the same kinds of 

odd song structures, time shifts and speed shifts as 

traditional prog, but without the keyboards. [AM] 


J A BLUEZY (Detroit, MI) 

"J.A. Bluezy at the Delta Lady" 1980 (ERK) 

JACKAL (Canada) 

Live heavy blues rock trio with earlier vibe and 

stinging metallic guitar sound. The recording was 

direct miked, so there's barely any audience sound. 

"Awake" 1973 (Periwinkle 7309) 

"Awake" 199 (Periwinkle) [bootleg] 

"Awake" 199 (CD Lazer's Edge) 

"Awake" 199 (CD Labyrinth) 

In my ears rather unexceptional 1970s mainstream 

AOR/progrock popular among collectors on that scene. 

Definite post-acid sounds and not garagey or freaky 

enough to arouse my interest, the teen Jaggeresque 

vocals being the strongest asset. [PL] 

JACKPINE SAVAGE (NY) 

"Together" 1971 (Dimension-5 151) 

MIKE JACKSON ( ) 

Freaky kiddie psych LP with electronic effects, 

narration and treated vocals. Fuzz and swirling organ 

on some tracks. Actually Bruce Haack. 

"Alive" 1975 (Yi Yi) 

BOB JACOBS ( ) 

X-ian progressive psych with good guitar. 

"Ray Bradbury's Dark Carnival" 1969 (Tower ST-5172) [insert] 

The spoken intro to this album gives you an idea what 

you're in for: the works of Ray Bradbury 

(specifically, the short stories from his collection 

"The October Country") turned into music, sort of in 

the same fashion as Paul Klee's art and the album by 

the National Gallery. Some of this is soft AM pop, 

but there are some baroque pop songs with occasional 

fuzz guitar and plenty of creepy moments. The most 

memorable song is "The Jar", in which Jacobs recites

the poem in a weird poetic speak/sing style over a 

series of eerie and intense sound effects. Jacobs' 

singing is a bit overwrought throughout, though it's 

not entirely out of place. Bradbury's work is intense 

and imaginative enough to make for a lot of 

interesting lyrics. This is an unusual album that 

won't appeal to everyone, but it's pretty cool and 

will really be enjoyed by the right listener. 

Bradbury wrote the liner notes for the album. [AM] 

JACOB'S REUNION (VT) 

"Jacob's Reunion" 1975 (Chelsea House chr-2001) [500p] 

Nice rural folk by Vermont hippies, very well 

conceived, performed and recorded. It's an intriguing 

mix of styles, from British-type folk to a variety of 

old American musical genres (not just folk but blues 

and vocal jazz.) The mix of all things Americana 

evoke the Insect Trust and the laid back vocal style 

and violin sound a bit like Fraser & Debolt, but 

Jacob's Reunion is nowhere near as strange as either 

of those artists (and, admittedly, not as exciting.) 

It probably won't appeal to strict psych fans, but 

it's a good album, with the highlights being the two 

long, dreamy, almost eerie side-closers. Mix of male 

and female vocals. No full drum set, but there are 

quite a few instruments and arrangement ideas. The 

album is about 48 minutes, yet is diverse enough not 

to feel overlong. [AM] 

JADE (Cincinnati, OH) 

"Faces Of Jade" 1970 (General American 11311) 

This came to me with an "underrated?" tag attached, 

and I'm inclined to agree. It's late 60s Britpsych/pop 

of the McCartney/Roy Wood variety 

transplanted to 1970s Cincinnati, serving up plenty 

of innovation, fun and a fair amount of label $$$ on 

hand. Opens with dreamy psych mini-epic that recalls 

the 2nd Fallen Angels album, the rest holds a middle 

ground between London'68 and the clever pop that Ohio 

would become famous for, leaving the listener to 

decide if this is a late 60s lytepsych LP or in fact 

an Anglo-retro 70s trip. Lots of piano, "Penny Lane" 

fanfares, high-pitched teen harmonies and unexpected 

studio tricks including a high-point which has vocals 

sung backwards then replayed forwards for an eerie 

"Twin Peaks"-style effect. A couple of tracks are too 

poppy for me, but a worthwhile experience all over; 

should appeal to fans of Lazy Smoke in addition to 

the pointers already suggested. [PL] 

~~~ 

This starts out with a long dreamy ballad and 

includes a cool backwards experiment (the music 

played backwards while the singer uses stilted, 

strange phrasing in order to keep up, an idea that 

would be used more popularly by the Stone Roses 

twenty years later.) Otherwise, though, it's 

basically a Beatles-inspired pop album. It's not 

unusual at all, but it's very good, one of the best 

in the style. It's highly recommended to fans of

JADE (OK) 

bands like Grapefruit, Ellie Pop, Sleepy Hollow, etc. 

Some pressings are missing the song "My Honey," which 

is the oddball song on the album anyway (and a 

complete steal of the Beatles "Honey Pie"). 

Strangely, even copies without the song have a 

sticker that says "includes the hit 'My Honey.'" [AM] 

"Crossfire" 1980 (Gem Stone 102) 

JADES (Dallas, TX) 

Rural rock/hard rock with a 1970s sound, half harder 

sounds with searing dual leads, and half more mellow 

with light AOR moves. Good songwriting. "Sister 

Sawbuck" is usually cited as the best track. 

"So Tough" 1964 (Ching) 

Pre-invasion greaser rock from Dallas teens whose 

legacy has been poorly taken care of, despite leaving 

two albums behind. This isn't exceptional but 

enjoyable for what it is, and may in fact surpass the 

second LP. 

"Live At Disc A Go Go" 1965 (Jarrett 21517) 

Live recording of local club band, classic r'n'b & 

Brit Invasion covers like you'd expect. Excellent 

drummer, nice ringing undistorted rhythm guitar and 

an enthusiastic live feel, reminiscent of the TC 

Atlantic album, although a couple of non-rock 

selections like a nightmarish "Hello Dolly" lower the 

batting average. "House of the rising sun" is in an 

unusual arrangement and with different lyrics, sounds 

like they picked it up from outside the regular 

sources. Last track provides background music for the 

go-go girls to demonstrate the Monkey, the Swim etc 

for the crowd, and is thus wasted on vinyl, unless 

you have a strong visual imagination. A reasonably 

entertaining half-hour for teen-beat completists. 

[PL] 

JADE STONE & LUV (Austin, TX / Nashville, TN) 

"Mosaics, Pieces Of Stone" 1977 (Jade 4351) [circa 1500p; some 

copies w/ poster] 

Interest in this is on the rise and rightly too, 

cause this is one cool ultra-1970s artefact by a 

couple decked out in full period regalia including a

JAIM ( ) 

JAKE (WI) 

handlebar moustache (Jade Stone), hot pants (Luv), 

and a psychedelic VW bus. The music is notoriously 

hard to describe, but projects scenes of all-night 

cruising through Edge City in a stolen Cadillac, 

downing reds with cheap sparkling wine that you refer 

to as "champagne", with the 8-track blasting 

"Mosaics" at full volume. Neon sign singles bars, 

pool halls and re-opened nightclubs flash by while 

Jade Stone sings like the rock star he hopes soon to 

be. Not metropolitan hip, but dreams of stardom and 

glamour from the American underbelly, two renegade 

souls zooming down the highway between Austin and 

Nashville. Well-produced, with some fantastic tracks 

like "Man", featuring great keyboard and fuzz 

interplay, and soulful-loungey vocals. "Trailer-park 

music" someone called it. Major personal fave, but 

hardly for everyone, and the cover shot alone will 

scare a lot of potential buyers off. The poster 

(which is great) has only been found in a handful of 

copies and is worth almost as much as the album 

itself. Most copies have a promo sticker on the front 

cover. They also had some non-LP 45 tracks. [PL] 

~~~ 

Like Darius (to whom his voice has been compared), 

Jade Stone wanted to be a big star! It was obviously 

not to be, and the world is left with this unique 

album, which is a mixture of 60s hippie, 70s country 

and timeless lounge rock, jacked up by inspired 

songwriting, Jade's overwhelming personality and 

tremendous arrangements. The closing "Reality" is 

packed with killer wah-wah guitar, and that should 

hook most of you, but the rest of the album, while 

mellower, is terrific too. Jade really has a flair 

for the dramatic, and comes off sounding quite 

important indeed. Songs like "Waiting For The Rain" 

have an elegant power. Luv doesn't sing lead, but she 

adds to the album cover's goofball appeal. [AM] 

"Prophecy Fulfilled" 1969 (Ethereal 1001) 

Moody orchestrated pop duo with harpischord, may 

appeal to Gentle Soul fans. 

"Dedication" 1973 (Banana 5179) [500p; insert] 

Melodic rural rock from locally popular Midwest band 

housed in goofy dog cover. Opens with a heartfelt 

Graham Nash type lament to a dead dog which seems to 

be seriously intended. The rest makes more sense, 

with a professional sound, competent songwriting and 

good harmony vocals. The band were apparently big 

Beatles fans but it sounds more 1970s westcoast than 

anything else. Recurring countryrock moves work OK 

but are occasionally too squishy, while the stronger 

tracks go in a harder guitar-oriented direction, with

STEVE JAM ( ) 

Bay Area and progrock aspects on things such as the 

droning "Can tell" and the dramatic "May Day". The 

album has a mature, self-confident feel that 

compensates for the familiarity of the style. The LP 

was pressed privately and sold out immediately to 

fans at their shows. Previously they released two 45s 

as "SELTAEB" - (read it backwards). There was also a 

45 released from the 1973 album. Banana was a 

subsidiary to the wellknown regional Cuca label. The 

band also had a lesser second LP in 1983. [PL] 

~~~ 

If you think the picture of the dog on the front 

cover is odd, wait until you hear the opening and 

closing odes to him! Those lyrics are weird, but for 

the most part this is nothing a collector would 

normally care about. Some countrified rock and 

ordinary ballads share space with mildly heavy westcoast 

sounding excursions and mainstream 70s rock. 

Overall, it's competent but unexceptional with the 

usual imperfect vocals, the kind of LP that would be 

ignored if it were on a major label. The best songs 

(which are basically the heavier and longer ones) are 

more "promising" than they are "successful", with the 

exception of one great song, "Can Tell". This is one 

more in the trend of recent "discoveries" of 

mainstream albums that had been ignored by collectors 

for years because there's nothing unusual or 

exceptional about them. [AM] 

"Songs Of A Songwriter" 1975 (no label) [200p] 

GRAHAM JAMES (NE) 

Demo LP from melodic 1970s rock/prog multiinstrumentalist 

with full rock setting, some 

percussion and lots of keyboard. 

"What is Me?" 197 (Rene 1141) 

JAY JAMES ( ) 

70s hippie folk with a couple of interesting tracks. 

"Good Times & Bad Times" 1976 (Tiger Lily) 

MICHAEL JAMES (MN) 

Obscure one on Morris Levy's infamous tax-loss label, 

has been described as "rural loser roots honky tonk 

country rock with the usual quirky blandness the 

label seemed to pick up on".

"Runaway World" 1978 (no label het-1857) [1000p] 

Oddball pro-sounding local late 1970s artefact that 

is not easily described; recurring spoken Guatemala 

theme will have you puzzled, as may the mix of downer 

ballads, generic studio fill instrumentals and moody 

fuzz psychrock with an occasional D R Hooker or 

Marcus slant. Good vocals, the guitars may be too 

metal for some, but the echo-fx "Sleepers" psych trip 

and a closing atmospheric acid lullaby about death 

should appeal to anyone. Album opens poorly, then 

becomes increasingly appealing, worth checking out 

for open-minded heads. A lot of time and some $$$ 

obviously went into this one. Cool 50s flying saucer 

cover. James had a cassette-only release in 1985 and 

is still around playing and releasing music. [PL] 

JAMESON (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Color Him In" 1967 (Verve v-5015) [mono; ylp exists] 

"Color Him In" 1967 (Verve v6-5015) [stereo] 

JAMRA (CA) 

The first “real” album by the guy who masqueraded as 

Chris Lucey. This album is way more commercial than 

the Lucey album, with female harmonies and poppy 

melodies, but it’s actually equally as good, and 

actually pretty weird when you get past the more 

mainstream sound. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Chris Lucey 

"The Second Coming" 1972 (Stygian) 

Satanic cult. Doomy organ, spooky effects, and creepy 

invocations by Jamra. Recorded live at Audio Genesis 

Studios. [RM] 

JAN & DEAN (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Save For A Rainy Day" 1967 (J&D 101) [mono] 

"Save For A Rainy Day" 199 (CD Sundazed) 

Private press obscurity from surf/hot rod kings, put 

together by Dean Torrence and session pros while Jan 

was in a coma after his car crash. All tracks deal 

with rain, making this one of the odder concept LPs 

around. Mostly covers. A solid LA '67 top forty pop 

LP a la the lighter sides of Strawberry Alarmclock. I 

like it. CD has lots of remixed bonus tracks which is 

good as the original has a pretty muddy sound.

JAN & LORRAINE ( ) 

Needless to say, Jan & Dean released tons of records 

that fall outside the scope of these archives. [PL] 

"Gypsy People" 1969 (ABC s-691) [gatefold] 

JANDEK / UNITS (TX) 

This is about as good a 60s femme psych album as 

you'll find. It's wholly original and unlike a lot of 

singer/songwriter types of the era, the women with 

their names on the album cover had considerable 

creative input. The duo wrote seven of the ten songs, 

and the other three were written for them. They play 

all of the guitars on the album, and also some 

keyboards, and are credited with "ensemble 

arrangements." It's a reasonable cross between 

British folk-rock and American psychedelia (with a 

strong Indian influence), and is the most interesting 

and successful album by a folk-psych duo, male or 

female. It also rocks with conviction, and while it 

does contain two off-the-wall experiments it doesn't 

lose its focus. More importantly, unlike virtually 

every late 60s/early 70s album by women, there's not 

a song here with a bland or simplified arrangement. 

In other words, there's no song or arrangement that 

seems to have been thrust upon them by a sales-happy 

label or producer. They never opt for the easy way 

out, erring on the side of daring rather than on the 

side of omission. Even the two orchestrated ballads 

avoid the traps of mainstream pop, as the strings 

create an eerie atmosphere not far off from the 

sitars and effects elsewhere. The women's voices are 

high and a little thin when apart, but rich and 

evocative together, even when one or the other hits 

an unlikely note here or there. They're full of 

substance. Throughout there's an exciting "anything 

goes" feel that makes the album more than the sum of 

its excellent parts. The band covers Spikedrivers and 

Perth County Conspiracy tunes and appears to have had 

a Michigan/Canadian connection to Richard Keelan who 

was a member of both those bands. [AM] 

~~~ 


"Ready For The House" 1978 (Corwood) 

"Ready For The House" 198 (Corwood) [insert] 

Notorius "cult" artist of the outsider/fringe type 

whose two dozen albums are popular topics for 

discussion. Most of it falls outside the scope of the 

Archives on ground of not being psychedelic in any 

way, so this rare debut LP will work as a proxy for

J-ANN-C TRIO (MO) 

the rest. It's just the guy's voice and amateur 

picking on an electric guitar; a loner late-night 

mood persists, and the lyrics are unusual and fairly 

interesting. Supposedly 8 different tracks, but it's 

really like one and the same throughout, and more 

like a spoken word record with incidental music than 

actual songs. May be worthwhile for hardcore 

downer/loner folk enthusiasts, while others can 

settle for a few attentive needle drops to decide 

upon its merits. This LP was released as by the 

Units. The 2nd press has an insert that refers to 

later Jandek albums. [PL] 

~~~ 

If this is the first artist you've looked up, you're 

reading the wrong book. Obviously opinions vary about 

the enjoyability (not to mention the purpose) of 

Jandek's music. While I've always believed that he's 

way more intersting to read about than to listen to, 

unquestionably his music makes more sense over his 

entire ouvre than on just one record. That said, of 

the many Jandek albums I've heard this is undoubtably 

the most boring, just the same bloody out of tune 

chord strummed the same way for forty minutes. Later 

albums would throw in a bit of variety, all of which 

sounds way more compelling in context than out of it 

(i.e. after half an hour of one chord, a song with 

four sounds like the most melodic thing you've ever 

heard). This album doesn't even have that, and you 

will never get this 40 minutes of your life back. 

[AM] 

"At The Tantara" 196 (Burdland 3300) 

Square-looking mid-1960s trio with female bass-player 

doing r'n'b, surf and more, popular title among 

Incredibly Strange aficionados. 

JARVIS ST REVUE (Thunder Bay, Canada) 

"Mr Oil Man" 1970 (Columbia ES 90020) [gatefold] 

"Mr Oil Man" 198 (no label, Italy) [bootleg; 340p; insert] 

"Mr Oil Man" 199 (CD) 

"Mr Oil Man" 2000 (Void 12) [gatefold; +bonus 7"] 

"Mr Oil Man" 200 (CD Pacemaker 033) [+bonus tracks] 

Pretty good psychrock sounds from a bunch of Thunder 

Bay pothead environmentalists. Ecological concerns 

mix with relaxed hippie reflections in a style 

similar to the Borealis LP, though the heavy acid 

guitar excursions and spooky whispered vocals on the 

13-minute title track is what makes this trip 

worthwhile. The sleeve shows Christ holding up an 

earth globe covered in toxic slime - these guys 

weren't joking. The band had 2 non-LP 45s. [PL] 

~~~ 

Give them points for ambition. The 13-minute title 

track is rife with wacky singing, strange 

arrangements, sound effects and wonderful fuzz bass, 

and the environmental lyrical theme rings loud and 

clear throughout the album. The mellower, moodier 

songs are as successful as the heavy, fuzzy ones. A

few blues/boogie rockers threaten to be kind of 

pedestrian, but rise above, mostly due to nice drifty 

fuzz guitar that buzzes in your ear. This is a 

distinctive and innovative album, of similar quality 

to other excellent Canadian major label rarities like 

It's All Meat and the Rabble. The CD reissue contains 

an early single (much poppier than the album), and 

six tracks that were intended to be part of their 

never-completed second album. This second album 

dispenses with the fuzz and finds them in an upbeat 

rural rock and singer-songwriter acoustic pop/rock 

mode. It's also pretty good, but due to the style 

would certainly have been a disappointment to fans of 

"Mr. Oil Man." [AM] 

JARVO RUNGA (Chatham, NJ) 

"Jarvo Runga" 1972 (no label) [100p; info sheet] 

JASPER WRATH (CT) 

Local basement rock with DIY vibe and Neil Young and 

Creedence influences in there somewhere, wrapped up 

in a stripped down urban Eastcoast sound. The 

unpolished vocals and no-frills directness are 

reminiscent of Odyssey, but this is not a hardrock LP 

but more like a bunch of auto mechanics playing bars 

in their spare time and ending up with an album. The 

drummer has an unusual homemade style where each song 

is given a particular drum arrangement to which he 

then sticks no matter what. Some non-heavy guitar 

jams but mostly song-oriented with originals all 

through, I think. May appeal to fans of Neutral 

Spirits and Fortune Teller, which means that I like 

it. Apparently recorded on LSD, though if true this 

must rank as one of the least acid-sounding acid LPs 

around. Short demo LP with some 22 minutes 

playtime. There is a handwritten band name on the 

front cover and an info sheet taped on the back. 

Other cover variations may exist. According to the 

band, most copies were given to labels in an attempt 

to get signed. Only a couple of copies are known 

outside the members. [PL] 

"Jasper Wrath" 1971 (Sunflower snf-5003) [insert; wlp 

exists] 

"Jasper Wrath" 2005 (Sunflower/Scorpio) 

"Anthology 1969-76" 1996 (CD Oxford Circus 001) [2CDs; book] 

The 1971 LP is an intriguing psych/prog crossover 

item should appeal to just about everyone. It has 

excellent songs, lots of fuzz guitar, soaring 

harmonies, hooks and loud drums, and for the prog 

fans a few flutes and a long pretentious fantasy epic 

to close things off. Cool album cover too. "Look To 

The Sunrise" was a near-hit, and in some places is 

listed as a bubblegum (!) song. It's not, but it is 

awfully catchy. Ten years later members of the band 

would front successful AOR bands, though the most 

intriguing chapter of their career (the Arden House 

and Zoldar & Clark albums) almost disappeared without 

trace in the mid-70s. The anthology finally gave a

ABNER JAY (GA) 

legitimate release to some songs from both of those 

records, as well as many unreleased live and studio 

tracks. [AM] 

~~~ 

Brit-influenced melodic artrock with psych remnants. 

Skillfully produced and arranged with a classy major 

label feel; lots of ideas going in different 

directions as is typical for the style and era. 

Songwriting is fine with hooks and memorable moments, 

vocals are OK (but not great) in the Moody Blues 

style, often sung ensemble, and there's atmospheric 

piano and good fuzz throughout. So what's the 

problem? Well, there is an abundance of flute that 

casts a dork spell on things (much like Westfauster), 

and the pompous UK artrock spectre means a lot of 

emphasis on the surface and too little on personal 

expression. A more tangible psych feel would have 

helped, and that is precisely what we get on the 

superb "Odyssey" with its dreamy Strawberry 

Alarmclock afternoon tripout textures. The album as a 

whole is impressive and enjoyable but unlikely to be 

anyone's desert island pick. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Eyes; Arden House; Zoldar & Clark 

"Abner Jay Sings & Plays Stephen Foster" 197 (Plantation 

Records 5628) 

"True Story of Dixie" 197 (Brandie 1002) 

"Swaunee Water and Cocaine Blues" 197 (Brandie 1001) 

"Swaunee Water" and "Terrible Comedy" are rated as 

Abner's best LPs by most aficionados. 

"Terrible Comedy Blues" 197 (Poison Apple 3420) 

The word “terrible” isn’t a comment on the comedy or 

the music, but a word he uses over and over in all of 

his jokes, most of which seem to have been stolen 

from Redd Foxx. They take up maybe 20% of this album, 

the rest of which is his usual one-man-band electric 

blues. Even if some of the jokes are corny, this is 

very enjoyable, as are all of his albums. Jay’s voice 

is warm and real, and I find him way more 

entertaining than just about any of those heavy blues 

rockers with wanky lead guitar players and macho 

singers. My dream double bill would be Hasil Adkins 

and Abner Jay! Terrrrrrrrr-ible!!! [AM] 

"The Backbone of America is a Mule and Cotton" 1976 (Brandie 

122161) [Abner with guitar cover] 

"The Backbone of America is a Mule and Cotton" 197 (Brandie 

122161) [Abner lying down cover] 

If this one doesn't fit under the weird/real people 

category, then nothing in my collection does. That 

poses a number of problems, including trying to 

describe an album as plain strange as "The Backbone 

Of America Is A Mule And Cotton". This isn't rock, 

progressive, or psychedelic, rather a very strange

mixture of blues, country, Gospel minstrel and freakout. 

Starting to see how odd this album is? Next, 

making Leon Redbone sound like a young choir boy, 

Jay's voice is definitely an acquired taste. All 

hyperbole aside, this is one of those albums that can 

clear a party out in record time. Released on his own 

Memphis-based Brandie Records, the LP is a little 

different than most of his other releases in that it 

largely forgoes original material (the rambling title 

track being the lone exception). Call this Jay's 

covers album in that it finds him taking on a series 

of classic American songs like 'Way Down Upon the 

Swanee River and 'Amazing Grace'. Propelled by his 

deep growl and electrified banjo, the results are 

definitely strange in that Jay slows every one of 

these songs down to a funeral pace that will either 

drive you crazy, or make want to check the results 

out time after time. It's not clear which "Backbone" 

cover came first. The first variation is subtitled 

"This is Real Show Nough Bicentennial Music", so 1976 

is an educated guess for the release year. [SB] 

"One Man Band" 2003 (CD Subliminal Sounds, Sweden) 

Abner Jay is a blues artist, regarded by some as the 

last in the line of original Southern minstrel 

performers. However, many of his most ardent fans 

seem to be of an esoteric mind-set, which is why he 

belongs in these Archives. I've only heard the recent 

"One Man Band" sampler CD, which is remarkable and 

recommended. You've never heard Georgia blues this 

way before, mixing hilarious spoken rants with high 

intensity one-man-band numbers and lyrics that deal 

with 'modern' topics (hippies, LSD, Vietnam) as seen 

through the eyes of an original Dixie bluesman. Jay 

is a strong vocalist and performer, and some numbers 

achieve a startling intensity, after which you're 

thrown into burlesque jokes like an X-rated WC 

Fields. As pure and invigorating as the Swaunee river 

water, an essential piece in the Americana puzzle. 

There is a brochure that came with some of the 

records with additional information. In addition, 

there are a couple of early 45s, probably from the 

1960s. [PL] 

J B & THE PLAYBOYS (Montreal, Canada) 

"J B & the Playboys" 1966 (RCA 1086) 

J C & THE B's (PA) 

Pre-Freedom North beat. The band also cut a 1-sided 

LP of Coca-Cola jingles for the Hallmark label. 

"1st and 10" 1975 (Essay sa-325) [paste-on front; blank back; 

200p] 

Mixed bag of 1970s sounds ranging from pop to soulful rock. 

J D BLACKFOOT see J D Blackfoot

JELLY BEAN BANDITS (Newburgh, NY) 

"Jelly Bean Bandits" 1968 (Mainstream 56103) [mono] 

"Jelly Bean Bandits" 1968 (Mainstream s-6103) [stereo] 

"Jelly Bean Bandits" 199 (CD) 

"Jelly Bean Bandits" 2003 (CD Bandits) 

JEREMIAH ( ) 

Teen dorks' (just look at them on the cover) album is 

about half good fuzzpsych and half Young Rascals type 

Eastcoast teen-beat, all over one of the more 

enjoyable Mainstreams. Given another 6 months they 

probably could have made a really good LP, but such 

quality control was not part of the Mainstream 

agenda. The priceless "heavy" gluesniffer epic about 

a "Caterpillar's eye" must be heard to be believed, 

and there's good fuzz drive on "Generation". Fun and 

dumb, worth checking out. There is also a 

retrospective CD from a 1967 live show titled "Mirror 

Music", and a CD of newly recorded material titled 

"Time and Again" that contains 5 unreleased bonus 

tracks from the original era. [PL] 

~~~ 

Upstate NY group with great garage punk sound. One of 

the best on the label. Fun bouncing church organ, 

wailing fuzz from the cavern Mystic Siva sounds, 

trippy dippy lyrics, and snotty vocals like a 

grittier Music Machine. The occasional studio cheese 

moves only add to the Nuggets punk psych sing-along 

style. Inspirational verse: "The bandits love your 

mind and what remains of society is manure.". The LP 

was also released in Canada, and in France (Vogue) 

with a slightly altered sleeve. [RM] 

"Blowing Your Mind" 1977 (Wong 14068) 

This is Johnny Kitchen doing messed-up lounge-go-go 

fuzz 10 years too late. 

~~~ 

see -> Tarots; Victims of Chance 

JEREMY DORMOUSE (Ontario, Canada) 

"Toad" 1968 (no label t-13) 

"Toad" 2001 (CD Hallucinations/Void) 

"Toad" 2003 (Void 31) 

Obscure folk LP with a transition sound from 60s 

coffee house into 70s downer/loner moves. Lost in 

time atmosphere and idiosynchratic singing and 

playing makes for a trip with a clear identity, yet

the connection between the arrangements, vocal 

mannerisms and underlying tunes seems random and "for 

the hell of it", rather than conscious explorations. 

Some tracks work, others don't, and all over it's 

pretty inconsistent. Covers of Dylan, Cohen and Bo 

Diddley (!) come off more like insults than bold 

interpretations, while the Lynda Squires led take on 

"High Flying Bird" is pretty cool. Of the originals 

most is average contemporary folk, with a high-point 

in the only track not by "Dormouse" (Cris Cuddy) or 

Marcus Wattington, Don Tapscott's sublime "Just To 

Hear The Bells". The album is semi-acoustic with 

electric bass and occasional percussion. Oddly, the 

LP has a similar sound (minus the autoharp) and the 

precise same problems as the Folklords. The album was 

recorded in 1967, and precedes the Rejects LP 

sessions. The Hallucinations CD is titled 'The Toad 

Recordings' and shows traces of vinyl press noise and 

high-end distortion in a few spots. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Reign Ghost; Rejects 

BILL JERPE (Utica, NY) 

"Bill Jerpe" 1970 (Shortwheel sw-100) [insert] 

Jerpe’s only album is an odd duck in the 

singer/songwriter world. Unlike most of the genre, it 

is clearly rock rather than folk. Nonetheless, 

despite electric arrangements, the production 

(heavily reverbed vocals mixed so high that the 

instruments sound almost muffled) keeps these songs 

from reaching their full rock potential. Jerpe is 

obviously influenced by Dylan (The voice is Dylan 

circa "Nashville Skyline"), but I could see this 

album appealing to Velvet Underground or Bowie fans 

(it doesn’t sound like either of them, but has a 

certain underground vibe.) The songs aren’t exactly 

hooky, but have enough weird moments with pianos, 

slide guitars and falsetto vocals to make them 

memorable. Despite the low budget production, this 

music is quite colorful. Add all of this to the 

mildly eerie cover photos/art and this album is as 

distinctive as anything in the genre. The songwriting 

is decent to very good, and this neat record will 

appeal to a wide variety of quirky tastes. Jerpe had 

some earlier 45s with his last name spelled "Hjerpe". 

[AM] 

JESSE J & THE BANDITS (Minneapolis, MN) 

"'65 Top Teen Hits" 1965 (Re-Car 2001) 

Garage frat sound typical of the region. They also 

backed Wolfman Jack on his local LP. 

JESTERS (Kansas City, KS) 

"Jesters" 1966 (Audio House ah-466) [no cover] 

Garage/teen-beat covers on this demo LP with instros,

Kingsmen and Beau Brummels tunes. 

JESUS GENERATION (TX) 

"A Thief In The Night" 197 (Gospel World 467) 

WILL JIMA ( ) 

Primitive oddball folkrock from young Jesus movement 

band doing originals and Beatles covers, including 

"Yesterday" with the title word changed to "Calvary". 

Not for everyone. 

"The UFO Message" 1974 (Jima AE-1974) 

"Revelation 666" 1975 (Jima AMD-1975) 

Very whacked spoken word; the guy was transformed 

into an evangelist by Aliens who told him the secret 

meaning of the Bible, but apparently Will didn't take 

notes and seems to have gotten a mite confused along 

the way. Lots of stuff about the importance of the 

number "3" and "11". The record sounds as if the 

engineer who mixed it had Will on 1 track and this 

weird dark spooky synth on the other, and as he did 

the mix he was reading a book or something and every 

once in a while he'd bump the synth WAY up high in 

the mix at totally random moments. [SD] 

J K & CO (Las Vegas, NV) 

"Suddenly One Summer" 1969 (White Whale wws-7117) [promos 

exist] 

"Suddenly One Summer" 2001 (CD Beat Rocket 126) 

"Suddenly One Summer" 2001 (Beat Rocket 126) 

"Suddenly One Summer" 2001 (Akarma 2015, Italy) [10"] 

On first listen, this sounds like a masterpiece, but 

after you get used to it you’ll probably notice a few 

blah songs in the middle. Still, this is a cool moody 

pop/psych album that aims to be the Beatles at their 

most down and out. A consistent lyrical theme about 

addiction is kind of surprising considering that the 

album is said to be the work of a teenager. 

Backwards guitar, sound effects and bleak-sounding 

acoustic guitar are all used to good effect. The 

Akarma reissue is on a 10” LP, though this isn’t an 

especially short album. The LP was recorded in 

Vancouver BC with members of Mother Tuckers helping 

out.[AM]

JO JA BAND (GA) 

"Cold Winds" 1977 (Rag Doll) 

RENE JOHN (MI) 

Rural Allman Bros-style rock/hardrock. 

"On The Road To My Cathedral" 1975 (no label M1001) 

There are less than five known copies of Rene John's 

"On the Road to My Cathedral," a 100-press holy grail 

for collectors of Michigan rarities. The record 

certainly looks promising, a classic home-made 70s 

loner folk vibe all over it, and one of the really 

great LP titles in the genre. Musically the quickest 

reference point is a mid-period Neil Young LP with Ed 

Sanders on vocals. And, while that may sound 

promising, go make a list of the first hundred things 

that makes Ed Sanders interesting and then check it 

to see if "vocalist" is on there. The Neil Young 

reference is also really stretched. John's writing 

has a few flashes along the way that grab your 

attention -- 3rd song on side one, the solo acoustic 

"Material Disease" has some promise -- but the back 

up band sure isn't Crazy Horse and Rene isn't Neil by 

any stretch of anyone's imagination. If it's possible 

to break free of the gravitational pull of the "ultra 

rare private press LP" radiation coming off the 

record in waves and listen as if it were just another 

record, "On the Road..." comes off like a C grade 

local LP, not at all horrible, but thoroughly 

undistinguished and one I doubt I'll pull out to 

listen to again. [SD] 

JOHN BUNYAN'S PROGRESSIVE PILGRIM'S (CA) 

"Apricot Brand and Albatross" 1969 (Alshire S-5154) 

Apparently aimed to cash in on British "rock" sounds 

of the era, the cover claims the set was recorded in 

London. A doubtful claim. In all likelihood 1969's 

"Apricot Brandy and Albatross" was recorded by 

anonymous, cash starved studio musicians - perhaps 

the same group responsible for the label's earlier 

rock exploitation releases. Like the earlier albums, 

the set offered up a mixture of popular hits and 

similarly-styled originals. An all instrumental 

collection, the covers weren't half bad, though the 

rote performances really didn't add much to tracks 

such as Fleetwood Mac's "Albatross" or The Who's 

"Summertime Blues". Originals such as the freak out 

"Mozart's Dilemma", "Spaced Out" and "Winter Draws 

On" were full of fuzz guitar solos and screaming 

organs, making them surprisingly good for what were 

clearly throwaway efforts. All told one of the better 

exploitation LPs out there... [SB] 

JOHNNY & THE HURRICANES (Toledo, OH) 

"Live At The Star Club" 1965 (Atila alp-1030)

DEBB JOHNSON (MN) 

Monster early garage sound as they move from their 

teen dance roots to ferocious guitar rockers. It is a 

studio LP with applause overdubbed. Their previous 

LPs are of an earlier dance rock style. All except 

one of the original members were gone at the time of 

this LP. One track can be found on the "Ho-Dad 

Hootenanny" compilation. [RM] 

"Debb Johnson" 197 (Monolith MMS 7025) 

MIKE JOHNSON (IL) 

Basically an all white jazz/rock group with four 

members named Johnson. Has about three great cuts 

providing you're not hornophobic. Not a rare LP. 

"Happy And Alive" 197 (Freedom Light ns-2036) 

Credited to "Mike & Karen", this is the rarest known 

LP from ex-Exkursions main guy Mike Johnson. Eclectic 

rock with folk, rural and jazz inflections, with both 

acoustic and electric guitars. The highlight is the 

psych track "City!" with its fast and furious rhythm 

and ripping fuzz guitar leads climaxing in a multitracked 

jam. There is also the rather strange ditty 

"I'm High", with slurred vocals that make it sound 

like he really was high, although it's actually Jesus 

praise. Johnson has recorded many albums over the 

years, including "Lord Doctor" (Freedom Light, 1972), 

"The Last Battle" (Creative Sound, 1972), "Gentle 

Spirit" (Newpax, 1974), "The Velvet Prince" (Freedom 

Light, 1973) and more. [MA] 

JOINT EFFORT (Canada) 

"Final Effort" 1974 (Little Records 101) [insert] 

"Final Effort" 2005 (CD Radioactive, UK) 

JOINT EFFORT (MI) 

Obscure rural rock LP which opens with two trad 

bluegrass numbers, then goes into unexceptional 

westcoast country-rock with a mix of covers like 

"Tequila Sunrise" and band originals. "Winter" is the 

highpoint of the album, with a good riff, fine vocal 

harmonies and an SF Bay Area feel. The last third of 

the LP has them breaking out their "rock" gear and 

sounds almost like a different band, with crude 

rootsy fuzz-rock including a basement take on "Horse 

with no name". The LP is a lo-fi live recording done 

as a farewell present to whatever fans they had, 

housed in a nice Escher-style sleeve drawing. Despite 

enthusiastic dealer hype, a lack of creativity and 

the uninspired playing makes this one a concern for 

rural genre fans and Canadian completists only. [PL] 

"Two-sided Country... Blues" 1971 (Home Made 11034)

"Two-sided Country... Blues" 2002 (CD World In Sound 1094, 

Germany) [+4 bonus tracks] 

Not to be confused with any other Joint Effort, this 

is a rare acoustic hippiefolk LP featuring two guys. 

Sympathetic and enjoyable, a Dylan spectre on some 

songs and vocals are a drawback, though others are 

dark and trancey; counterculture lyrics on drugs and 

more. Not bad. Some later recordings have been 

released on LP as by the Jones Family band (WIS 015), 

these have been reported as less impressive. [PL] 

JOINT EFFORT see Cannabis 

JOKERS ( ) 

"Jokers" 196 (no label) [no cover; 1-sided] 

Demo LP of garage covers. 

JOKER'S MEMORY (Canada) 

"Joker's Memory" 1976 (Marc Studios 11843) [paste-on; 1-sided; 

100p] 

Genesis style melodic keyboard prog with basement 

sound and arch vocals. 

MICHAEL JON (Canada) 

"Michael Jon" 197 (Trend T1009) 

Obscure one on the same label as Bent Wind and Cargo; 

Tim Buckleyish folkrock with Hammond and piano and 

cover of "Season of the witch", plus originals. 

Reportedly only 200 copies pressed. 

JON & JODI (Dover, DE) 

"Two Sides Of Jon & Jodi" 1971 (Del-Ray Records) 

This lovely and unusual folk record is a small 

treasure. Jon & Jodi were two undeniably sweet kids 

from Delaware who charmed some local businessperson 

enough to finance this record. The best songs, like 

the opening "Ladybug," are haunting ballads, with a 

dreamy production sound and forlorn harmonies; they 

really have beautiful voices. A few songs have a bit 

of a country/bluegrass edge (with banjo, steel guitar 

and "dobrow"), but even on these the vocals have the 

loner folk feel to them. The upbeat songs don't quite 

match the moodier ones, but there really aren't any 

duds here. Most albums that sound like this are 

Christian, but this is not, despite their innocence 

(from the liner notes: "In this freaked out world, 

Jon & Jodi seem almost unreal. For example, neither 

smokes, drinks, uses drugs or marijuana. They do have

one minor vice, they chew gum!") All songs on this 

album are originals. [AM] 

JONATHAN & CHARLES (VA) 

"Another Week to Go" 1968 (InterVarsity lps-02498) 

"Another Week to Go" 2004 (CD Gear Fab 210) 

British-American duo on Simon & Garfunkel or Chad & 

Jeremy wave-length. Chiming guitar/organ fragile 

Christian folkrock with slight psych moves and 

beautiful vocals. On some copies, the song "Why" was 

replaced by "Colors and Shades". Also released in 

England by the Herald label. 

DEL JONES' POSITIVE VIBES (Philadelphia, PA) 

"Court is Closed" 1973 (Hikeka) [first 'psych' mix; group 

photo cover] 

"Court is Closed" 1973 (Hikeka) [second 'soul' mix; Africa map 

cover] 

"Court is Closed" 1999 (Loopden 2P-001) ['psych' mix; insert] 

The first version of this album (sans the overdubbed 

horns of the second pressing) is a great document of 

true inner city grit. While the anger is surprisingly 

subdued, these guys obviously know the down and dirty 

life of which they sing. Despite all of the lyrics 

about drugs and being put down by the man, there’s an 

essentially positive message here. A few of the songs 

stretch out into long jams that build in intensity 

and really stand up well to multiple listens. There’s 

a lack of real “singing” here, with most of the 

stories being told in a kind of matter-of-fact singspeak, 

and the few times real melodies break out make 

you wish there were more. Nonetheless, this is a 

killer LP: powerful, memorable, uncompromising and 

full of life, and it doesn’t sound like any soul/funk 

album you’ve heard. If "Maggot Brain" is "Superfly", 

this is "Sweet Sweetback's Badasssss Song". [AM] 

~~~ 

Extraordinary eyewitness report from the Philly 

ghettoes surprisingly packaged in a non-aggressive 

funk/jam rock grooooooove that surpasses pretty much 

everything else in the genre, especially the opening 

title track with a westcoast jazzrock feel that just 

kills. Supported by the best housing project funk 

band anywhere Del Jones raps about the terrifying 

state of America '73, while the flipside deals 

directly with heroin use and how to get out of it. 

One of the top funkrock LPs ever, blows most of your 

starry-eyed white-boy psych LPs away. Del Jones is 

still active in the African-American cause as evident 

from the insert he penned for the honkie reissue. 

"You've got to liquidate your assets". [PL] 

GEORGE M JONES (Dallas, TX) 

"George M. Jones" 196 (OA no#) 

"Contrasts" 1972 (Gambit gam-12-001)

Noted songwriter. Dylanesque folk with studio psych 

fills on the debut, a cool record in the Del Shannon 

"Charles Westover" style. "Contrasts", released on a 

Nashville label, is reportedly good as well, in a 

singer/songwriter direction. [RM] 

JOSEFUS (Houston, TX) 

"Dead Man" 1970 (Hookah 330) [3000p] 

"Dead Man" 1983 (Eva 12010, France) 

"Dead Man" 199 (Texman tex-1001, Germany) 

"Dead Man" 199 (CD Sundazed) [+bonus] 

"Dead Man" 199 (Akarma, Italy) 

“Dead Man” is a professional sounding outlaw hard 

rock album, a bit ahead of its time. The rhythm 

section is solid and the songs have lots of energy. 

The singer strains for all he’s worth but it sounds 

pretty genuine. A cover of “Gimme Shelter” is a waste 

of 4 minutes, and the 18-minute title song has the 

expected boring spots. Otherwise, though, this is a 

good one. The vibe is similar to Jamul, though it 

sounds a bit more youthful. A brief rip from “I Want 

You (She’s So Heavy)” in one song is a cool surprise. 

The Sundazed CD contains the early version of the 

album, which is similar in quality. It’s definitely 

of interest to fans because it includes four songs 

not on “Dead Man". This early album version was also 

released as a stand-alone LP on the Epilogue label in 

the 1990s, title "Get Off My Case". The original 

Hookah LP is a classic rarity but actually sold 

several thousand copies locally. [AM] 

"Josefus" 1970 (Mainstream s-6127) [wlp exists] 

"Josefus" 198 (Mainstream) [bootleg; white label] 

"Josefus / Dead Man" 200 (CD Alcinous, Russia) [2-on-1; +2 

tracks] 

JOSEPH ( ) 

Recorded in Miami's Criteria Studios, the follow-up 

teamed the band with Mainstream producer Bob Shad. 

Originally interested in re-recording their debut, 

Shad instead insisted on new material, sending the 

band into a frantic creative spasm. Exemplified by 

material such as "Bald Peach" and "America" musically 

the set wasn't much different from the debut. Once 

again Bailey remained a marginal singer who had 

consistent trouble staying in tune ("Feelin' Good"). 

Making up for that, Mitchell was a wonderful lead 

guitarist, turning in several exceptional 

performances (check out his leads on "I'm Gettin' 

On"). Unfortunately, the overall results were mixed; 

much of the set coming off as sonically flat and 

creatively uninspired; "Sefus Blues" was simply 

dreadful. The bootleg reissue of the promo has a thin 

cover and no spine printing. [SB] 

"Stoned Age Man" 1970 (Scepter sps-574) [wlp exists] 

The cover drawing of a cave man is completely apt. 

Joseph sings like he’s about to hit you in the head

with a club. His gruff, gravely voice is completely 

perfect for songs with titles like “I Ain’t Fattenin’ 

No More Frogs For Snakes” and “Cold Biscuits and Fish 

Heads.” The backing is solid bluesy organ and guitar, 

with a few surprising moments here, like “Mojo Gumbo” 

speeding up at the end. While a bit of Howlin’ 

Wolf/Captain Beefheart shows through here and there, 

he’s really one step behind those guys on the 

evolutionary chart. His lead guitar playing is 

equally as crude as his vocals. This is a short 

album, with 9 songs in 29 minutes, and not a second 

is wasted, except maybe for the cover of “House of 

The Rising Sun.” Really cool! [AM] 

ERNIE JOSEPH see Big Brother 

RON JOSEPH & LOJO MUSIC (New York City, NY) 

"Rainbow Rings" 1975 (R.P.C.) [insert] 

JOSHUA ( ) 

X-ian folk and singer/songwriter with piano, on noted 

custom label. The songs were recorded in churches. 

"God Spoke... And Said 'Lead My People'" 1973 (Impact r-3228) 

[black label] 

"God Spoke... And Said 'Lead My People'" 197 (Impact r-3228) 

[red label] 

Surprisingly good Christian psychrock with strong 

vocals and blistering guitar, consistent throughout 

and still unknown to most. Utilizes the "California" 

sound popular among x-ian bands across the US, with a 

bit of Brit hardrock influence as well, esp from the 

Who. Perfect CSN/America-style vocal harmonies may 

annoy some though I don't mind. Not deep like Search 

Party but enjoyable, a lot better than Earthen Vessel 

as an example. The band was from the Southwest, while 

the label was based in Tennessee. The LP was also 

released on the British Key label (self-titled), on 

Impact in New Zealand, and in Canada. [PL] 

JOSHUA (Sacramento, CA) 

"Opens Your Mind" 2004 (Rockadelic 50) [insert] 

An early 70s band of local longhairs who flirted with 

the SF ballroom scene and have some of those vibes 

entering their sound. The basic style is jammy rural

CA hardrock with a bit of an r'n'b groove and vibe. 

The LP opens strongly with a track that sounds like 

it could have gotten some airplay, succeeded by the 

excellent title track. A couple lesser tracks follow, 

before the side closes in strong fashion. Side 2 is 

similar and the band has a distinct sound and 

identity obviously born out of plenty of regional 

live gigs. While the songwriting isn't overwhelming 

there's still a fair sprinkling of hooks, and the 

playing is raw and enthusiastic throughout. Edgy 

vocalist and the gritty blue collar sound may recall 

Fresh Blueberry Pancake, although this is somewhat 

looser. Last track opens with an anti-war speech and 

has some ferocious guitar excursions. It should be 

noted that although the sound is good it's not a 

perfect hi-fi recording with lots of high-end and 

less bottom. For me the most memorable aspect of 

Joshua are the above-average lyrics which avoid the 

usual cars & chicks clichés and deal with reality 

issues such as the Vietnam draft and doing time for 

drug possession. This in combination with the honest, 

straightforward face the band presents makes for a 

genuine local 1970 feel that is appealing. The album 

fits in well with Rockadelic's earlier Northern 

CA/Pacific NW releases, slightly better than Sleepy 

John but not as good as Stone Garden. Nice gatefold 

cover with a spooky Rick Griffin type drawing on the 

front and info/photos inside. [PL] 

"JOSIE'S CASTLE" ( ) 

"Josie’s Castle" 1972 (Mascott) 

This is a soundtrack for a movie which was originally 

titled "The Grass Is Always Greener," and in fact the 

album cover has the new title pasted on a sticker 

over the old one on both the front and back covers. 

The original title makes plenty of sense, given the 

pot plant on the front cover and the drug themes in 

the movie. The music is basically soft rock with 

horns, very mainstream in a "groovy" way. About half 

of the songs are instrumentals and have some decent 

wah-wah guitar and a few sound effects. For fans of 

the softest soft psych. Not especially good but 

interesting, and a rare LP. [AM] 

"JOURNEY OF PERSEPHONE" (Newtown, PA) 

"Journey Of Persephone" 1973 (private) [insert] 

Obscure high school play LP from the George boarding 

school (Quaker), a concept album based on the Greek 

myth with off-key female vocals and amateur musicians 

playing folk and some crude hippie-rock jams with a 

high entertainment factor, should interest genre 

fans. 

JOVE (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Sweeter Song" 1974 (Pax Records J777)

"Into The Shrine" 1977 (Aleph Records No#) [1000#d; white 

vinyl] 

JOYFUL NOISE (IL) 

Poet turns singer/songwriter and covers a lot of 

stylistic ground. Jove dabbles in folk & folk rock, 

country, rock-n-roll, pop but most of all, it's 

middle of the road singer/songwriter fluff usually 

with just piano or acoustic guitar accompaniment. 

Jove does manage to create some material that's 

pleasantly appealing when he breaks from the 

singer/songwriter mode and gets the backing band more 

involved. A decent wordsmith, but I can't recall any 

lyrics that were truly memorable or even slightly 

stimulating. Of the two albums, "Sweeter Song" is the 

better one. "Into The Shrine" has a couple good 

tracks, but "Sweeter Song" has by far Jove's better 

and more unusual material. Songs like a nice grooving 

rural rocker ("Thief"), hard garage rock with 

restrained fuzz guitar ("What's So Special") and some 

honky-tonk country tracks ("Circus" and "The Judge"). 

With both albums having disturbing front cover art 

(Jove as a Centaur with bow and arrow on the first 

album, and as a haunting figurine that was pieced 

together from non-matching parts on the second 

album), rear cover slicks full of mystical 

symbols/cryptic notations and trumped up liner notes, 

you would anticipate music that's strange & 

intriguing folk psych but instead, you get mostly 

sobering material by a singer/songwriter. According 

to the liner notes and credits, Jove traveled a lot 

and some tracks on these albums were recorded outside 

of the States implying Jove might be a foreigner. 

However, a majority of the recordings took place in 

Los Angeles and both records were printed in the USA. 

[JSB] 

"Nativity" 1975 (no label LPS 20038) [insert] 

Christian 1970s melodic rock, not terribly 

interesting despite the hype you may see. Two cover 

variations exist. 

"No Room In The Middle" 1976 (Christ Is The Answer) 

JOYFUL NOISE (FL) 

The rare second LP is similar to the first, 

mainstream 1970s melodic rock with a gospel feel, 

full band setting including Hammond and guitar leads. 

Basically a poor man's All Saved Freak Band, 

suffering from weak male vocals and a distinct lack 

of edge. One track has operatic female vocals, while 

the title track and "Lay down your life" are 

agreeable hippie-rock excursions. Slightly better 

than the debut, but we're still miles away from the 

likes of Kristyl or "Spirit Of Elijah". Stunning full 

color cover depicts the difference between the 

Christian and the secular world. There is also a 

collection of 1977 recordings titled "Songs For 

Soldiers" in a mellow westcoast/MOR style and with 

better vocals. [PL]

"Electric Gospel" 197 (Noise tc-1155) [500p] 

Oddball mix of styles on this Christian obscurity, 

one of many in the genre that strives to show how the 

devil's music can be used for something good. 

Southern accent preacher man vocalizes over a musical 

landscape ranging from 50s popabilly through typical 

Jesus folkrock into tentative 70s funk moves. While 

unusual this didn't really strike me as weird as 

reputation has it, simply because the gospel root of 

the title makes a lot of musical tangents possible. 

Still, the use of incongruous wah-wah guitar 

throughout casts a strange shadow across the ten 

tracks. Lyrics are feel-good salvation stories and 

musings upon the Savior. Would make a good double 

bill with Juliana Garza. Earlier LPs from this 

particular Joyful Noise include "The Sounds 

Of" (Classic, 197?) and "The Greatest Day" (Noise, 

197?), both of which are less out-there variations on 

the trip above. [PL] 

JOYRIDE see Friendsound 

JR & HIS SOULETTES (Oklahoma City, OK) 

"Psychodelic Sounds" 1971 (no label) 

"Psychodelic Sounds" 199 (no label) 

"Psychodelic Sounds" 199 (CD no label) 

Black pre-teen group led by Harold Moore Jr, age 10, 

who is songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist for the 

group. His sisters Vinita Marie, age 9, plays bass 

and organ, Denise Marshall, age 7, plays drums, and 

Jacquelin Carol, age 6, plays Waw-Waw organ (!) and 

sings. Amazing real people funky psych with non-stop 

wah-wah guitar throughout and most tracks have rhythm 

(Waw-Waw) and lead organ. Approaches that cheesy 

Sunset Strip b-movie exploito psych sound but this is 

the real thing. When they sing, this beast approaches 

Shaggs' territory. Great tunes like "Momma, Love 

Tequila", "Waw-Waw Rock", and "Rock 'n Roll Santa". 

The incredible cover shows three shots of them in 

action including one with Jr in a failed split 

playing licks behind his head! Approximately 500 

copies were pressed but most were destroyed from 

being shrink wrapped on a meat packing machine. [RM] 

J RIDER (Indianapolis, IN)

"No Longer Anonymous" 1996 (OR 016) 

"Anonymous / No Longer Anonymous" 2000 (CD Aether-OR 0009) [2on-1] 

"No Longer Anonymous" 2002 (Akarma 176, Italy) 

J TEAL BAND (SC) 

Great post-Anonymous 1977 tracks from Midwest genius 

Ron Matelic's vault, the best stuff is guitar-driven 

westcoast folkrock as good as the awesome Anonymous 

with a similar sound and male/female vocal mix as on 

"Inside The Shadow", main difference being a more 

professional recording. Much more interesting than 

the average unreleased LP. Matelic recorded a new 

round of (unreleased) demos in the 1990s, again of an 

outstanding quality. [PL] 

~~~ 

This set of demos, intended to draw major label 

interest, is slightly slicker-sounding than the 

Anonymous album, but essentially more of the same, 

with continued excellent songwriting. It's not really 

a full album, lasting about 30 minutes and including 

a remake of an earlier song, but it's still a mustown. 

It's not in the same league as "Inside The 

Shadow," but what is? It's good enough not to be a 

let-down, which is saying a lot. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Anonymous 

"Cooks" 1977 (Mother Cleo mcp-lp-7721) 

Hot Southern guitar-rock album that blows away 

everything else in the genre. It’s not “rural rock” 

at all. There’s a tad of funk influence, but 

certainly no country. The vocals are snotty and 

nasal, which actually gives the music a dangerous 

edge more genuine than the usual throaty he-man 

voices that go with this kind of thing. Lots of great 

lead guitar and a real backwoods sleazy vibe. You get 

the impression these guys’ days are numbered, and 

they play with that kind of urgency. In the meantime, 

you wouldn’t want them getting anywhere near your 

sister, but you’d be honored to let them borrow your 

guitar. [AM] 

JUICY GROOVE (Los Angeles, CA) 

"First Taste" 1978 (no label) [picture disc; 550p] 

Various LA 60s drug survivors assembled by Rainbow 

Michael Neal for a pro-sounding 70s hippierock 

excursion that includes three Sky Saxon numbers, 

among other things. Nice picture disc design. Not a

JULIUS VICTOR ( ) 

rare LP. Much of the same gang turned up on the 

Rainbow Red Oxidizer LP (Bomp/Quark, 1980) which is 

more modern in style. [PL] 

"From the Nest" 1970 (AJP) [gatefold] 

"From the Nest" 2001 (CD Dodo 517) 

This organ-rich heavy rock album has the sound 

collectors like, but is pretty average without any 

one song standing out. The lyrics try hard to be deep 

and don't really pull it off. It's more "heavy" than 

"hard," and has a few powerful moments. Recommended 

only to genre fans. [AM] 

JUNGLE (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Jungle" 1969 (no label 3027) [no cover] 

"Jungle" 1997 (Little Indians 8, Germany) [760#d] 

"Jungle" 1998 (CD Little Indians 8, Germany) 

JUPITER (CA) 

This and Victoria were reissued simultaneously, using 

some of the most overblown hype ever. The packaging 

is beautiful, but the music is mostly loungy (in the 

wrong sense) psychrock/AOR with offkey vocals and 

unimpressive songwriting. Two good tracks in a Bob 

Smith/DR Hooker direction close the sides but the 

rest of the LP is pretty weak in my ears. Others are 

more enthusiastic. Originals are ultrarare, possibly 

a demo press only. 400 copies of the reissue came in 

a blue velvet embossed cover, 260 in a black 

variation on the same design. Other cover variations 

exist. [PL] 

~~~ 

Overly serious singing mixes with a slightly heavy 

guitar-and-organ base and some bizarre frantic 

drumming to make this a completely unique listen. 

It’s certainly not the masterpiece some have claimed, 

but it grew on me. The weird-ass drumming style may 

be inept, but somehow it fits in this context, and a 

few hooks sneak up on you. The songs are very long 

and meander a bit, but they’re not exactly boring. A 

strange one that’s gotten more attention than it 

deserves, but if you don’t get your hopes up too high 

you might enjoy it. [AM] 

"Multiple Choice" 1980 (Jupiter j-1005) 

JUST US (MN) 

Power trio with a garagy sound and some more mellow 

folkrock moments. 

"Just A Thought" 1978 (no label 80 1526) [insert] 

I was undecided at first on this one, but after

JUST US (MI) 

several plays I concluded that it sucks. Basically 

it's an example of the late 70s jazzy westcoast 

sound, when the last hippie psych remnants had been 

replaced with unfortunate funky Steely Dan studio 

moves and even more unfortunate caribbean rhythms and 

feel-good vibes. Castanets and steel drums are just 

around the corner, no doubt. The sound is 

professional with overlays of acoustic and electric 

guitar-picking, amateurish but passable vocals and 

some nice harmonies. That's the good news. The rest 

is all bad news, including a halting mock-Jamaican 

rhythm employed on almost every track, a dull 

whitebread "blues" excursion, and a painful disco 

flirtation with terrible lyrics. The LP was recorded 

in LA but pressed in Minnesota, and it really sounds 

like some Midwest nerds trying to get David Geffen's 

attention. The Windwords LP from Ohio is a much more 

successful exploration of this style. Don't let the 

nice cover fool you; unless you're a fan of bloodless 

LA '78 cocktail sounds this is the pits. [PL] 

~~~ 

This folky band has jazz ambitions, instantly 

apparent by the acoustic guitar gymnastics on the 

first song. It's pretty well-played and sung 

throughout but is awfully precise... you know, no 

soul. They definitely have the feel of a college 

coffee-house band who think they're pushing the 

envelope by combining so many disparate styles. It 

works OK for a song or two (the title track is pretty 

enjoyable, and a catchy one with an "mmm" chorus near 

the end is pretty neat), but wears thin quickly, 

especially as they start trying on styles as if they 

were hats. Admittedly, they're much more talented 

than a lot of the other acoustic-heavy bands listed 

here in the Archives, but their album isn't really 

any more listenable. I'm not going to go out on a 

limb and say I'd rather listen to something as 

amateurish as, say, Virgin Insanity, but I suspect 

that most of you would go right out there on that 

limb. The disco and old-time rock/blues songs are the 

last straw for me. The lyrics are terrible, by the 

way. Sample: "anticipation eyes, you need a shot of 

visene." [AM] 

"The U.S.A. From the Air" 1969 (Valord 2630) 

"Index Anthology II" 1997 (CD Top Jimmy) [2 CDs] 

Melodic rock covers with garage execution. With Jim 

Valice and John Ford of Index. The CD reissue was 

credited to Index and has 28 tracks including 1969 

sessions and the entire Just Us LP. 

JUVENILES (Norman, OK) 

"Bo Diddley" 1980 (Piccadilly 3371) 

Frat rock organ & garagy guitar 1960s tracks 

originally recorded for Jerden, recycled in the same 

series as Magic Fern, P H Factor etc, although less 

desirable than these. The title track is a classic,

super-raw version. 


STEVE KACZOROWSKI (NY) 

"What Time Are You?" 1970 (UA Records 20842) 

Recently discovered obscurity on private Long Island 

label, pro-sounding guitar/organ psychy rock mixed 

with introspective moments. The story on this album 

and its possible connections to certain "name" 

musicians is very weird and currently being unfolded, 

but most of the tracks consist of Kaczorowski adding 

his own vocals to existing LP recordings by 

mainstream rock bands, such as Stackridge! While this 

gives a very high reading on the Incredibly Strange 

scale, the LP could also be enjoyed as an obscure 

piece of post-psychedelic rock. Kaczorowski would 

explore his "karaoke rock" scheme further on the two 

Steve Drake albums. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Steve Drake 

KAK (Sacramento, CA) 

"Kak" 1969 (Epic 26429) 

"Kak" 1987 (Dino, Italy) 

"Kak" 199 (CD Israphon, Europe) [bootleg] 

"Kak" 199 (CD Epic) 

"Kak" 1998 (Epic, Europe) [bootleg] 

"Kak-Ola" 1999 (CD Big Beat 187, UK) [LP+bonus tracks] 

Much loved mountain air hippie psychrock classic, 

though I remember being disappointed when first 

hearing it due to the rootsy Moby Grape-type rockers 

on side 1. The album has major grower qualities 

however and tends to sound better with each passing 

year, plus the two extended psych killers on side 2 

deliver instantly. Still not among the top 

westcoasters for me, though I'm sure a lot of people 

disagree. The Big Beat CD includes the Gary Yoder 

non-LP 45 and the rare pre-LP version of "Rain". [PL] 

~~~ 

Wonderful heavy guitar bluesy psych rocker. warm 

vocals, chugging rhythms, and gritty, inventive leads 

throughout. The slower tracks have a murky darkness 

to them that's quite arresting. One of the classic 

westcoast guitar LPs. Gary Yoder also played with

Blue Cheer and Randy Holden. [RM] 

~~~ 

A true classic, a great guitar rock album that mixes 

a lot of different styles successfully. My favorite 

track, “Electric Sailor,” has a chorus that could 

actually pass for 70s punk rock, but elsewhere the 

West Coast late 60s feel is strong. Supposedly its 

rarity is due to cutout copies being destroyed, 

rather than sent to stores. [AM] 

~~~ 

I'll readily admit that "Kak" took a little while to 

warm up to. The first couple of times the set's 

musical diversity kind of put me off. That said, by 

the third spin I was converted. The musical diversity 

I originally found disconcerting is actually 

endearing. In fact this is one of those albums that's 

fun to play 'spot-the-influence' with. My ears hear 

lots of Moby Grape including the country-influenced 

'I've Got the Time', a bit of The Seeds ('Electric 

Sailor') and even a little Donovan (the acoustic 

ballad 'Flowing By'). Yoder may not have been the 

most accomplished singer, but was never less than 

professional and had an almost chameleon ability to 

handle the band's different styles. Propelled by 

Patten and Yoder's dual guitars, tracks such as the 

blazing 'Hyco 97658', 'Everything's Changing' and 

'Lemonade Kid' are simply first rate West Coast psych 

charms. Personal favorites are the extended 

'Trieulogy' and 'Disbelievin'. [SB] 

MAITREYA KALI see Maitreya Kali 

KALLABASH CORP (Greensboro, NC) 

"Kallabash Corp." 1970 (uncle Bill kb-3114) 

KAMMERZELL (OK) 

Drifting bluesy guitar rock with organ and a comic 

edge. Gorgeous psychy cover but the music is 

mediocre. Recorded at Mega Sound Studios in Bailey, 

North Carolina. [RM] 

"Hot For Your Love" 1979 (Artco-Alpha) 

KAN-DELS ( ) 

Barband guitar rock with supposed Marble Phrogg 

connection. The band also cut a demo 8-track which 

precedes the album. 

"Our Most Requested Songs" 1965 (Capatone 1001) 

Obscure teenbeat in the pre-Invasion style. Crewcut 

action on fratrock staples such as "Shout", "Ooh poo 

pah doo", "Green onions", etc. 

KANSAS CITY JAMMERS (Columbus, OH) see interview

"Got Good If You Get It" 1972 (no label, no#) 

Highly enjoyable CSNY/Dead-style westcoasty mix of 

uptempo folkrockers and more introspective numbers; a 

couple of bluesy rock moments with raw guitar leads 

point in another direction but all over definitely 

worth checking out and underrated at this point, with 

a classy late Beatle feel. The band cut a couple of 

non-LP 45s and also had connections to local 

colleagues Owen-B. [PL] 

~~~ 

Accomplished folk-rock and blues-rock from Ohio 

college students. A few dreamy songs will appeal to 

collectors, but the strong vocals and songwriting 

throughout make this a solid, enjoyable listen for 

all. [AM] 

KAPLAN BROTHERS (IL) 

"Universal Sounds" 1969 (Kap) 

The debut from the kings of lounge-rock predates the 

other two by several years and is from a completely 

different era, yet quite enjoyable and in fact "their 

best" according to one specialist within the field. 

Although only two (not three) brothers at this point, 

the whistling and congas are already in place. The 

very humorous back cover photos promise a wide range 

of sounds for Midwest Holiday Inn crowds, including 

"Continental" (posing with bowler hat and cane) and 

"Rock'n'Roll" (smoking a joint). A couple of swell 

Kaplan originals alongside typical lounge covers of 

Tom Jones, Bobby Hebb, etc. "A taste of honey" with 

"acid" guitar is an unexpected delight. Mandatory for 

genre fans, incomprehensible to others, and perhaps 

not their "best" to me. [PL] 

~~~ 

Released on their own Kap Records, "The Universal 

Sounds of the Kaplan Brothers" is the first of their 

highly sought after albums. Musically it offers up a 

mix of originals, popular MOR hits and the truly 

bizarre (c'mon, can you imagine the crowd bopping 

along to 'Hava Nagilia'?). Backed by bassist Jeff 

Czech and guitarist Scott Klynas, the album starts 

out with a bang. The self-penned instrumental 

'Running Scared' sounds like the brothers had been 

listening to a lot of Enrico Morricones spaghetti 

western soundtracks while stoned out of their minds 

(love the whistling segment). Their popular covers 

are equally fascinating. Bobby Hebb's 'Sunny' makes a 

congas propelled appearance that is as wrong spirited 

as you can get. Their dark and pained cover of 'A 

Taste of Honey' is equally wrong-headed though it 

sports some killer fuzz guitar (courtesy of Klynas). 

Elsewhere 'Malaguena Solorosa' offers up a bizarre 

mixture of Spanish and Balkan influences, while Jimmy 

Webb's 'Gentle On My Mind' is reworked to give it a 

lounge edge that has to be heard to be believed. 

These guys must have been a blast to hear live 

(particular after a couple of beers). [SB]

"Kaplan Brothers" 197 (Kap no #) 

The second LP from circa 1975 shows the three Bros in 

a regular lounge-band mood, yet being who they are 

this is still pretty damn entertaining. Unusual 

arrangements with the trademark spaghetti western 

whistling and LOTS of congas carry you through a mix 

of crooner standards such as "More Today Than 

Yesterday" and classic rock, including three Beatles 

covers in drastic rearrangements that are not to be 

taken lightly. What they do with "Because" cannot be 

explained in words. The family's Russian-Jewish 

heritage is on display here just as on "Nightbird", 

with an extensive interpretation of "Hava nagila" and 

odd slavic flourishes. Two originals, one of which is 

terrible and the other is an earlier version of 

"Happy" which is pretty close to the "Nightbird" 

version. Sleeve design and liner notes are excellent, 

and indicate that the LP was manufactured mainly to 

sell in conjunction with lounge performances. 

Mandatory for incredibly strange and 70s loungeband 

fans. Two different pressings exist, one with a 

yellow label, the other with a red label. There is 

also an obscure variation called "Electric Three Man 

Hebrew Band" in a plain white title sleeve, with 

'Eleanor Rigby' misspelled as 'Rugby'. A 45 was 

released from the LP. "Fun is the only way to go when 

you're with the Brothers". [PL] 

"Nightbird" 1978 (Quinton no #) 

The ultimate loungerock extravaganza sounds as good 

today as it did back in the late 1980s when word 

first got around on it. A self-proclaimed "Electric 

symphony" that mixes Ennio Morricone with King 

Crimson as recorded by a Holiday Inn/Bar Mitzvah band 

from outer space. Crooner vocals soar on top of 

overly elaborate keyboard arrangements as the music 

abruptly throws you from one intense mood into 

another in true psychedelic fashion. No ideas are 

discarded as the meaning of life unfolds in glitzy Zgrade 

fashion -- if there's a bad, cheesy move to be 

made, they'll go for it. These guys probably thought 

they'd made the greatest LP of all time and in a way 

I guess it is - even regular folks with no interest 

in this scene are blown away by the Kaplans' 

unsurpassed pretense and lack of reality checks. Must 

be heard to be believed, preferrably on acid. [PL] 

~~~ 

"Nightbird" is a real people classic. Low rent genius 

schmaltz kings with proggy ballad supperclub Holiday 

Inn moves and Arcesiaesque vocal stylings. These guys

ALAN KAPROW (NY) 

were the real thing for lounge lizard prog. This 

kitchen sink symphony with Grudzienesque cut-andpaste 

production is apparently a concept LP but 

you'll never figure it out sober. Tinkling piano, 

synth washes, flutes. Highlight: King Crimson's 

"Epitaph" segued into a rewrite of the Cascades' 

"Rhythm of the Rain"! Lots of sounds most of which 

have no business being there like the sound 

generators. [RM] 

"How To Make A Happening" 1966 (Mass Art Inc.) [gimmick 

cover] 

Spoken word pre-hippie NYC art aesthetics and 

philosophy in the form of an 11-step instruction on 

how to stage a happening. Kaprow was the leader of 

the 'Paths of Action' movement and influential in the 

evolution of "happenings" in the early 1960s. Side 2 

adds some poetry to the instructions. An important 

piece of 60s crossover culture, but today mainly for 

those with special interest in the era or modern art 

history. "A happening is a gang with a high". [PL] 

KASPER (St Louis, MO) 

KATH (MD) 

"Hammered" 1976 (Lark Ellen) 

Bluesy rural rock with good slide guitar. 

"Kath" 1975 (no label) [60p; gatefold] 

"Kath" 2005 (Rockadelic 51) [+bonus tracks; no gatefold; 500p] 

Obscure and quite impressive melodic basement 

garage/psych excursion with a lo-fi atmosphere that 

would have most purveyors flip out, hits the Ampex 

two-track echo & tinny drum sound dead on. The sound 

is a bit "Canadian" to me, with a few French language 

snips and a typical Maple Leaf sound with lots of 

keyboard and reverbed vocals, not unlike the best 

tracks on Rockadrome. As it turns out the band was 

actually from Maryland, though leader Val Rogolino 

was part-French. In any event, it's mostly originals 

with a few covers including a fuzzed-out cough syrup 

take on "Norwegian Wood" that could be the best 

version ever. The selfpenned material is good, with a 

60s teenbeat sensibility rather than heavy/hard rock. 

At times the vibe is almost like Mystery Meat or 

Index, and that's not something you run across every 

day. At the same time there are obvious hints that 

this dates from a later era, and it was in fact 

recorded over a period of several months in 1974. 

Good fuzz throughout, charming amateur vocals, and a 

late-night rehearsal space ambience. "It doesn't 

mean" is a highpoint for me. There are also brief 

snips of aural experiments for the right $15 

avantgarde touch. "Kath" appears to be a reference to

the main guy's girlfriend. The band also had a non-LP 

EP from 1978 under the name Badge, with a more 

polished version of "It doesn't mean", and a 45 

around the same time. The Rockadelic removes one 

track from the original, and adds a couple new ones. 

[PL] 

KEATNIKS (Labrador, Canada) 

"Keatniks" 1965 (Melbourne 4011) 

TODD KELLEY ( ) 

Obscure teen-beat from guys with really short hair, 

pre-Invasion cover versions mostly. 

"Todd Kelley" 1969 (ESP/ORO-6) 

RICH KENDALL (WI) 

This moody folk LP is one of the more obscure titles 

in the ESP catalog, highly rated by some. 

"Food For Thought" 1974 (Unknown Records) 

Mid 1970s rural folkrock LP from guys with Jake 

connection via one band member. More of a band effort 

than "loner", with some nice electric leads. 

DAVE KENNEDY & THE AMBASSADORS (LaCrosse, WI) 

"Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" 1965 (Coulee clp 1001) 

Farewell LP from popular local band going into army 

service, mostly pre-Invasion frat and instros, a 

couple of Beatles numbers. 

KENNELMUS (Phoenix, AZ) 

"Kennelmus" 1971 (Phoenix Internat'l 42171) [promo] 

This previously undocumented promo variant on the LP 

came in a homemade, primitive sleeve. Some or all 

promo copies also came with a 45 and insert. Only 1 

copy of this variant has been found, which provenance 

has been confirmed by a Kennelmus member. The disc is 

identical to the standard run. 

"Folkstone Prism" 1971 (Phoenix Internat'l 42171) [1000p] 

"Folkstone Prism" 1994 (Rockadelic 15) [300#d]

"Folkstone Prism" 1999 (CD Sundazed sc-6129) 

Weird desert group with mysterious guitar psych Ennio 

Morricone & middle eastern instrumentals on side 1, 

backed with equally odd vocal folkrock/garage stuff 

on the flip. Play this and something strange enters 

the room that you'll enjoy having around after a 

while. Hard to describe accurately, and certainly one 

of the more unusual albums to be reissued by 

Sundazed. The LP was pressed in two runs of 500 each 

with a minor label design difference, the "ring" 

imprint is close to the spindle hole on the first 

run, and close to the dead wax on the second run. 

Both runs are considered originals. [PL] 

~~~ 

One of that handful of truly unique psych albums. On 

side one they’re an all-instrumental freaked out surf 

band, and a fantastic one. Side two adds vocals, 

which are perfunctory song/speak, and thus these 

songs aren’t as interesting. They were way ahead of 

their time, before the surf/skate punkers of the 

early 80s, and before the sing/speak avant garde 70s 

bands like MX-80 Sound and Debris. Cool stuff, 

absolutely worth owning. [AM] 

"Beyond Folkstone Prism" 1995 (RD Records 1, Switzerland) 

[insert; 400p] 

Unreleased material from 1969-74, I found this 

disappointing and a far cry from the 1971 LP, 

although others may enjoy it. It does contain the 45only 

version of "Black Sunshine" with vocals, and 

this is a psych killer that must be heard. More 

unreleased material exists that has yet to appear. 

[PL] 

KENNY & THE KAMMOTIONS (Texarkana, TX) 

"In Motion" 1970 (Candy 1023) 

"In Motion" 200 (Candy) [bootleg] 

Post-garage bar-rock covers, mostly, plus a couple of 

band originals. The band had several 45s including a 

couple of really good ones. 

KENNY & THE KASUALS (Dallas, TX) 

"Impact - Live at the Studio Club" 1967 (Mark 5000) [500p] 

"Impact - Live at the Studio Club" 1977 (Mark 5000) [insert] 

"Impact - Live at the Studio Club" 199 (CD Flash 26, Italy) 

Legendary fake live LP famous among all sorts of 

collectors and pulling in $500 even back in the

1970s. Cover versions only, about ½ British Invasion 

and ½ US 1950s/frat. The performances are tight and 

rocking with no weaknesses and the sound is great and 

raw, though the cocktail crowd noise is as silly as 

the Elevators "Live". Very good period LP, up there 

with the Raiders' "Here they come", the Dimensions 

and the Hideout Fugitives. A couple of tracks also 

appeared on Kasuals 45s. Their non-LP 45s are 

excellent garage/teenbeat and have been collected on 

two 1980s comps by Eva Records in France. Oddly, no 

Kasuals comps have been made since then. Note: sealed 

copies of the 1977 repress are sometimes offered as 

originals; however the original run was never sealed. 

Early pressings of the reissue contain no 'Doug 

Hanners' credit; later pressings have this credit and 

an insert promoting "Teen Dreams". [PL] 

"Teen Dreams" 1977 (Mark 6000) [200p; red vinyl; handbill] 

KENTAURUS (WI) 

Supposedly from an "unreleased second LP" but in fact 

a sampler of scattered 1966-67 material. Very good 

beat, garage and proto-psych and to my ears even more 

interesting than the live LP. Originals all through, 

local hit "Journey to tyme" among them. Most or all 

copies are autographed by Kenny. The reformed Kasuals 

cut two LPs and an EP in the late 1970s/early 1980s. 

[PL] 

"Kentaurus" 1981 (Wakefield) 

Hard rock/AOR with freaky vocals that has been hyped 

as metal and prog, but is neither. 

KEN KESEY & THE MERRY PRANKSTERS (La Honda, CA) see website 

"The Acid Test" 1966 (Sound City Production 27690) 

"The Acid Test" 1982 (Psycho 4 UK) [300p] 

"Acid Test, vol 1" 1999 (CD King Mob, UK) [+bonus tracks] 

"The Acid Test" 2005 (CD UK) 

Legendary documentation of the 1965-66 Bay Area Acid 

Test scene "from 14 hours of the actual 

trip" (recorded in a studio). Shows the other side of 

acid culture which is fun, unpredictable and 

avantgarde as opposed to the Leary camp's solemn 

religious/ psychological approach. Lots of amazing 

mind games and word play with Kesey and Ken Babbs in 

good form, ad libbed poetry, fractured harmonica 

solos, tape loops and the Grateful Dead lurking in 

the background. Released in March 1966, just as the 

Pranksters were splitting for Mexico. An essential 

piece, though even the vinyl reissue is hard to find 

nowadays. There was also a super-rare promo 45 pulled

from the 1966 LP, along with a promo poster. The King 

Mob CD contains an entire album's worth of killer 

material related to the hilarious Berkeley Vietnam 

rally prank from the Fall 1965. [PL] 

"The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" 1986 (Fan-Club) 

"Acid Test, vol 2" 1999 (CD-R, no label) [self-released CD-R] 

KEVIN & CLARE ( ) 

Both the LP and the CD-R contain edited highlights 

from the S F State Acid Test in October 1966. 

Excellent trip stuff with mostly Kesey monologues 

plus some cool music, both pre-recorded and 

improvised. Wavy Gravy and Jerry Garcia are also in 

there somewhere. The CD-R contains a significantly 

longer edit, while the LP has snips from a 1980 

interview with Kesey and Garcia. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> "LSD" (Capitol) 

"All The Roads" 1975 (no label) 

Mid-1970s moody hippie folkrock duo with male/female 

vocals. 

KEYMEN (Las Cruces, NM) 

"Live" 1968 (Goldust lps-153) 

"Surf Party A Go-Go" 1996 (CD Collectables 0685) [part of LP 

+bonus tracks] 

Dancehall organ, fuzz, r&b stompers. Despite the late 

date, a pre-Invasion sound in the Kingsmen raucous 

club style. 

KHAZAD DOOM (Morton Grove, IL) 

"Level 6½" 1969 (LPL 892) [two inserts; 180p] 

"Level 6½" 198 (LPL) [bootleg; b & w cover] 

"Encore" 1995 (CD 95) [book; autographed; 600#d] 

Among the truly expensive albums few are as 

controversial as this. Hard to say why as it sounds 

no different to me than dozens of other LPs from the 

era, but maybe the ill-fitting "prog" label and 

Tolkien-inspired band name has attracted listeners 

unprepared for Khazad Doom's amateur artrock. They 

sound like a somewhat loungey, semi-professional 

teenage band who got inspired by certain late 60s 

British acts to create something out of their reach.

KICKIN' (NE) 

A song cycle with a vague theme related to "hunters" 

recurs, and the music is made more "complex" by 

unnecessary breaks and bridges. The band members' 

skill varies, which contributes to the 

basement/school project feel in both charming and 

annoying ways. The opening track contains pretty much 

all the elements of the LP, and could be used as a 

testing ground. There is a long suite on side 2 that 

isn't very successful and weighs down the album, 

while the following "Narcissus" is perhaps the best 

track, showcasing the band's number one strength, the 

vocal harmonies. Otherwise, there's lots of organ 

excursions, some fuzz interplay, and a clueless 

youthful feel. Had it been successful, it might have 

sounded like the Aggregation, but instead it's more 

akin to Day Blindness or the more boneheaded Bosstown 

bands. Serious prog fans should approach with 

caution, or not at all. The very small press size has 

been confirmed by the band. The "Encore" CD is a 

reissue of the LP plus 8 tracks; it appears that some 

parts of the original LP actually aren't included. 

[PL] 

"Starbound Lady" 1978 (Class Rock 10205) [blue vinyl] 

Regional AOR/prog-rock band in a Styx direction, led 

by the Fritz twins. The band gigged in Canada with 

some success. The album is a "limited edition". 

KICKLAND & JOHNSON (Omaha, NE) 

"Clay County" 1974 (Effenar 1000) [inner] 

KID CASHMERE ( ) 

Hippie folkrock/s-sw in a James Taylor bag with nasal 

vocals, rock setting plus harmonica and piano. J 

Clemetson is given credit on the sleeve, and wrote 

several of the songs. Not psychedelic in any way. Ed 

Johnson did a solo LP in 1977, "Homespun", with the 

same guys helping out. 

"Kid Cashmere" 1977 (Guiness GNS36081) 

KID DYNAMITE ( ) 

Bluesy fuzz and P-funk on tax-loss label. Possibly 

recorded several years earlier. 

"Kid Dynamite" 1976 (Flightstream 101) 

The same band that had a major label release on the 

Cream label. This is superior in a strong guitarcharged 

blues/boogie hardrock vein.

PAT KILROY (San Francisco, CA) 

"Light Of Day" 1966 (Elektra EKL 311) [mono; gold label] 

"Light Of Day" 1966 (Elektra EKS 7311) [stereo; gold label] 

Extraordinary and historically important bohemian 

folk/raga LP with a timeless freak quality. About 

half is swampy folk-blues that sounds like a coffeehouse 

version of early Captain Beefheart, the other 

half is stunning Eastern trance/drone folkpsychedelia 

years ahead of its time. Excellent use is 

made of various minor instruments that include jew's 

harp and bells, while Kilroy's voice goes from moody 

introspection into all-out howling, whether due to 

bad moonshine or potent peyote is hard to tell. A 

raw, improvised feeling typical of westcoast avantfolk 

is retained throughout, even as the lyrics and 

arrangements indicate that a lot of work went into 

it. Side 1 is somewhat more conventional, while side 

2 zooms into hallucinatory acid folk domains on 

things like "Vibrations" and the title track. A 

couple of numbers sound remarkably like what Kilroy's 

Elektra colleagues Incredible String Band would 

become famous for in 1967-68, but this LP predates 

them by at least a year... challenging at times, with 

some tracks not quite successful, but still a must. 

Kilroy was member of early SF folk-avant group New 

Age (seen in the movie "The Love-Ins"), and sadly 

passed away as early as 1967. A UK pressing in a US 

sleeve exists. [PL] 

~~~ 

On the front cover of "Light of Day", Kilroy looks a 

bit like a cowboy, but a look at the back will inform 

potential buyers that we're not in Hank Williams 

territory. The album begins with a song called "Magic 

Carpet," ends with one called "Star Dance" and also 

includes the titles "The Pipes Of Pan" and 

"Vibrations". The liner notes reference Hebrides' 

Islanders' chants, "Moods of Spanish gypsies," "the 

magnetic pulsations of African hypnotic drums," music 

of India, dances of the Middle East, the writings of 

Hesse, Huxley, George Gurdjieff, and, most 

importantly, the Sufi Message. In the year before the 

summer of love, he ends the notes with the single 

word "peace". It's no surprise, then, that the music 

tests previously uncharted waters, and as with an 

equally unique 1966 album, "Psychedelic Moods of the 

Deep", it goes places where no one would go again. 

The Deep's album invented psychedelic music without 

any noticeable influences, but went unnoticed when 

the genre exploded via well-known artists. Kilroy 

invented acid folk, though, unlike the Deep, he 

didn't do so intentionally. The difference is a 

significant one because there's no artifice or sense 

of exploitation in Kilroy's music. (This isn't a 

knock on the Deep's album, which I think is even 

better than this, even if it's not 100% "genuine"). 

Regardless, nobody heard this album either, and the 

wave of psychedelic folk-rock and singer-songwriter 

types who followed would come from completely 

different mindsets. Admittedly, "Light Of Day" is 

mostly more experimental than it is "good", with 

fragmented songwriting, rough singing and awkward 

rhythms, but it has moments of true inspiration and 

is a completely original work, something you all 

should hear. [AM] 

~~~

KING ( ) 


"King" 1980 (no label) 

DENNY KING ( ) 

Since the only people who ever describe this are 

dealers trying to sell it, we feel obligated to give 

you the truth about this turkey: The female singer, 

who is great, is only on one song, which is heads and 

tails the highlight of the album. Side two is 

entirely instrumental, and basically jazz-rock of a 

not particularly creative or accomplished variety. 

Side one sounds more new wave than "psych," which 

would be fine if it was particularly good, but it 

isn't. It isn't heavy, at all. It's not even 

especially weird other than that the various styles 

are an odd mix. The mysterious album cover, lack of 

credits or information, and the fact that every 

single copy seems to have ended up in the hands of 

psych dealers have added to its mystique over time, 

but don't shell out the $50-$100 it will cost you 

without listening to it first. [AM] 

"Evil Wind Is Blowing" 1972 (Specialty Records) 

"Evil Wind Is Blowing" 2005 (CD Synton, Austria) 

KINGDOM (CA) 

From Little Richard's label, here's a 1972 blues-rock 

album whose liner notes inform you that "you'll soon 

know why they call that place the high desert!" 

King's vocals are in a Beefheart-out-of-Howlin' Wolf 

mode, with Beefheart's high squeals and some very 

deep grunts and laughter. This is a very funny 

record, whether King is growling nonsensical 

gibberish on "Bottle Blues," proclaiming that he does 

"Lucille" better than Little Richard, or working the 

double meaning of "Boogie Man." Along with Beefheart, 

King makes me absolutely certain that this is the 

most apt vocal style for this type of music. Listen 

to King and realize that all those hard rock guys 

just don't have a clue. The album features cool 

harmonica and really hot slide guitar (courtesy of 

ex-Beefheart sideman Alex St. Claire.) The rhythm 

section is stellar too: check out the awesome bass 

line on "Sunday Driver". My pick hit is "Desert 

Sand," which starts with a lovely tapped-fretboard 

riff, has a wah-wah/slide guitar battle for a solo, 

and just plain feels like its title in a windstorm. 

You'll probably read about a hundred blues-rock 

albums here in the Archives. Most of them are full of 

fuzz guitar, freaky lyrics and psychedelic production 

tricks, but trust me, not a one of them is as good as 

this. [AM] 

"Kingdom" 1970 (Specialty lp-2135) 

"Kingdom" 1999 (Akarma 031, Italy) 

"Kingdom" 2000 (CD Akarma, Italy)

KINGYO ( ) 

Obscure hard rock album with heavy guitar and organ. 

It’s a cool item just because it’s on Little 

Richard’s label, but after several listens none of 

the songs have stuck with me. It’s a well-played but 

essentially generic heavy rock album that wouldn’t be 

such a hot collector’s item if it wasn’t so scarce. 

[AM] 

"Simplicity" 197 (Radnor 2002) 

Native American a k a Tony Wright, folkrock with 

bluesy moves, raw vocals and some orchestration. Same 

label as Lumbee. 

KITCHEN CINQ (Amarillo, TX) 

"Everything But" 1967 (L.H.I. 12000) [mono] 

"Everything But" 1967 (L.H.I. 12000) [stereo] 

This album has a really nice teen-style garage-pop 

charm, with enthusiastic playing and good harmonies. 

The guitars are jangly, not fuzzy. They weren’t 

songwriters, unfortunately, so while the album is 

enjoyable from start to finish it’s also somewhat 

disposable. They get extra points for turning 

“Codine” into “Needles And Pins.” [AM] 

TAYLOR KITCHINGS (MS) 

"Clean Break" 1972 (Union) 

KLANSMANN (KS) 

Mix of Dylanesque folkrock and classical inspired 

folk-prog, with a melancholic mood and good lyrics. 

"Klansmann" 1968 (Audio House 269) [no cover] 

CAROL KLEYN (CA) 

One of many obscure pressings from the Kansas-based 

Audio House custom plant, this is amateurish teenbeat 

with covers of Young Rascals, "Hey Joe", Gerry & the 

Pacemakers etc. Apparently the label photo shown in 

one of the Collector Dreams books is not of the 

original label, but a recent facsimile. 

"Love Has Made Me Stronger" 1976 (Lyra no #) 

Bobby Brown's girlfriend is equally as musically 

bizarre as him. Side one of this album is just harp 

and voice, and her warbly melodies blend with the 

instrument to make for some truly unique voicings. 

Her high voice can occasionally grate, but it suits 

her odd sensibility and romantic vision (she's a true

dreamer.) Side two of the album is just piano (or 

electric piano) and voice. The songs are as good as 

those on side one, but after almost forty minutes 

you're left wishing she'd hired a rhythm section. 

Unique but not wholly successful. [AM] 

"Takin' The Time" 1980 (Turtledove no #) 

Most people have a strong preference of one Kleyn 

album over the other, and strangely enough they seem 

to be equally split about which one. To be honest, I 

think it's a wash. This second (and rarer) album 

benefits from more instrumentation, with drums, bass, 

and electric guitar on most songs. There's still 

plenty of harp, though, and when a few sparse songs 

show up on side two they feel really good in this 

context. The songs, on the other hand, aren't much 

different from those on the first album. Same horny 

hippie romanticism, same jarring vocal trills and 

bird imitations. She's unique, and this is pretty 

cool music if you're in the right frame of mind, but 

just a few songs by her would probably be enough to 

satisfy the average listener. What fails to excite in 

the context of her own album might be a standout on a 

compilation. [AM] 

CURTIS KNIGHT (KS/NY) 

"Down In The Village" 1970 (Paramount) 

The oddball album in Knight’s extensive discography 

is this heavy effort, featuring plenty-of Hendrixlike 

lead guitar. The ten-minute “Give You Plenty 

Lovin” is a room-clearer, as his repetitive screaming 

and the endless guitar noise goes way beyond the 

bounds of good taste. Some of you will really love 

it, obviously. Elsewhere it’s a solid set of soul and 

rock, given an edge by the heavy guitar playing and 

Knight’s street vibe. A worthwhile album. [AM] 

KNIGHTS a k a HERMON KNIGHTS (Northfield, MA) 

"Off Campus" 1965 (CO 1269) 

"Across the Board" 1966 (Ace Recording Studio mg-200854) 

"Knights '67" 1967 (Ace Recording Studio mg-201302/3) 

"Hermon Knights" 1968 (Ace Recording Studio co-2323) 

Guitar, organ, horns prep cover band from the Mount 

Hermon school with mix of folk, pop, jazz, and the 

occasional raver. "Knights '67" is probably their 

strongest garage LP, though none are exceptional. 

Earlier LPs include "On The Road" (Ace, 1962) which 

is very weak with big band covers and instros,

KNIGHTS 5 + 1 ( ) 

"Expressions" (Ace, 1964) and "Cold Days - Hot 

Knights" (Ace, 1963). An annual album would be 

recorded each Spring, with the earliest known Knights 

LP dating back to 1958. The Cole brothers later 

turned up in Quill who had a pretty wellknown progrock 

LP on Cotillion. [RM] 

~~~ 

see -> Silent Cheer; Together 

"On The Move" 1967 (Justice 156) 

"On The Move" 1996 (CD Collectables 0604) 

Racially integrated Eastcoast club band unique to the 

label and era, and also one of the more wideappealing 

titles on the Justice roster. Singer and 

sax man are black, rest are honkie kids, although the 

bass player is so good he sounds black. Vocalist is 

thankfully in the cool Cooke/Gaye school rather than 

a Pickett/Redding screamer, and the sax-man's loungy 

digressions sets a mellow nightclub tone to the 

affair, especially on a number of stylish 

instrumental originals. The vocal cover selections 

are a little too obvious but the wee hours approach 

makes a lot of the Memphis standards different and 

appealing. If I was throwing a wedding party this is 

the Justice band I'd book. [PL] 

KOALA (New York City, NY) 

"Koala" 1969 (Capitol skao-176) [unipak cover; rainbow 

label] 

KOPPERFIELD (MI) 

In a weird marketing gimmick, these guys were given 

an Australian name and pretended to be Aussie 

immigrants. It didn’t work, as the album bombed and 

now takes its place among those very rare Capitol 

albums we all drool over. A few songs here have some 

really out of control fuzz guitar, and the vocalist 

is strident in a Fred Cole kind of way. For the good 

songs, it’s as exciting as hell and it’s not 

surprising that this is a highly-sought-after album, 

but the sound is pretty headache-including over the 

long haul, especially when the songwriting 

inspiration begins to wear thin halfway through each 

side. Take the two side-openers, though, and you’d 

have one whale of a killer garage/psych hard rock 45. 

[AM] 

"Tales Untold" 1974 (Kopperdisc 5014-n5) [lyrics insert] 

"Tales Untold" 198 (Kopperdisc, Europe) [bootleg] 

"Tales Untold" 199 (CD, Europe) 

"Tales Untold" 2001 (Gear Fab gf-164) [2 LPs; +9 tracks]

"Tales Untold" 2001 (CD Gear Fab gf-164) [+9 tracks] 

This heavy album with progressive moves is expertly 

played and reasonably well produced, though it 

suffers a bit from inconsistent vocals and too many 

organ solos. It occasionally veers into 70s 

mainstream AOR territory (vocals from the Uriah Heep 

school, though not worthy of a passing grade.) It 

rocks hard enough and the songs are fast enough to 

give it points for energy. "Nothing Left To Give," 

with a propulsive rhythm and a strong vocal line, is 

probably the best song, though some of the more 

ambitious arrangements (i.e. the slower, keyboardheavy 

title track) are also appealing. Side two is 

more experimental than side one. You can certainly do 

much worse in the genre, but don't buy this if you're 

looking for anything especially original or wellsung. 

The Gear Fab reissue contains a complete 

unreleased second album, which has stronger chops, 

heavier songs, and a more confident sound. It also 

experiments more with synthesizers and funky rhythms. 

For the most part, it's a bit better than the 

original album, but a terrible boogie song, titled 

"Gonna Get Stoned," really hurts. [AM] 

LOUIE KOTVA (Champaign, IL) 

"It Used To Be Not Everybody Was A Lighthouse" 1970 (Prism) 

[lyric inner sleeve] 

Loner folk private press that falls into the "count 

the number of known copies on one hand" level of 

rarity. Illinois loner folkie with a few songs with 

psych moves. Comes in a textured cover and includes a 

homemade "custom" inner sleeve with paste-on lyric 

sheets on front and back. [MA] 

~~~ 

see -> Red Herring Fall Folk Festival 

KREED (Fairbault, MN) 

"This Is Kreed!" 1971 (Vision Of Sound 71-56) 

Rare basement excursion from St James military school 

band in the lower teens, famous for how strange some 

of them look on the sleeve. Has piano rather than 

guitars upfront which is a pity as this otherwise has 

all the right moves; voice-change vocals, basic 

garage tunes and lyrics about girls and the 

environment (?!). All originals except an extended 

cover of "In a gadda da vida" which is a pretty 

faithful rendering with piano solos replacing the 

organ. All over an interesting local piece in a '66 

bag despite the vintage. [PL] 

KRISTYL (Louisville, KY)

"Kristyl" 1975 (no label #4569) [200p] 

"Kristyl" 1986 (Hype 1, UK) 

"Kristyl" 199 (CD Titanic, Germany) 

Highly regarded local Christian 1970s melodic guitarrock 

with an open late-1960s westcoast vibe, dual 

guitars and great organic playing/vocals all around. 

They have a very distinct sound which makes the 

tracks seem similar at first, but it opens up after 

some plays and remains that way. The best tracks such 

as "Deceptions of the mind" and "Valley of life" are 

truly monumental. Personal fave, one of the big ones 

in the style. Great sleeve design - note the drummers 

t-shirt. Originals were pressed on very thin vinyl, 

so most copies have slight bowl warps. [PL] 

~~~ 

Timeless pinnacle of teenage, rural, Christian 

psychedelia. The consensus seems to be that this is a 

1975 recording, but dealers always (accurately) 

describe it as sounding much earlier. The psychedelic 

playing on ‘Deceptions of the Mind’ often contrasts 

with the anti-drugs/sex lyrics: “Alcohol and sex 

unclean, copping drugs all over the scene/What is it 

that we need, Lord it’s love and it’s for free”. 

Kentucky can’t have been an easy place to strike a 

deal to have this recorded, so maybe they felt they 

needed to put an anti-drugs message in here and 

there. The music is consistently wonderful, side 1 in 

particular, with side 2 ending with the beautiful 

‘Morning Glory’. The dual guitars are laden with 

effects and full of interesting twists and turns. The 

singing is honest and clear. Not as crazed as 

Fraction, but in the same league of expressive, 

sincere musicianship. A beautiful, naïve feeling 

pervades the whole LP, like they believed anything 

could happen, the world could change as a result of 

their sounds. For me, they were right. Why is the 

drummer wearing a shirt with a hash leaf on it, 

perhaps it says “hash free zone” underneath? The 

sleeve art is also top-ten, being a monochrome 

crudely drawn snake encircling the earth. [RI] 

KRYSTALS (Montreal, Canada) 

"Krystals" 1971 (Fourmost 8943) 

KUDZU BAND (GA) 

Late beat/pop with keyboard-led covers of Hollies, 

Simon & Garfunkel, Chicago, and some originals. The 

release date has been listed elsewhere as 1968, which 

is obviously incorrect from the track list. 

"Chitlin' Circuit" 1976 (De Vine)

Guitar-driven Southern rock with a ZZ Top influence, 

has a cover of "Back Door Man". 

FRED KUHN & LIGHT (Long Island, NY) 

"A Song Of Gods Gone Mad" 1980 (Daystar 0001) 

Here’s a 1980 folk album that is more weird than 

good. It’s not exactly satanic, but definitely pagan 

and strange. It includes a bass-and-vocals-only 

version of David Crosby’s “Triad” which makes an 

already creepy song even creepier. Some songs have 

pretty wild moog and others have twisted lyrics, but 

overall the musical sound is actually quite tame. 

It’s interesting when someone with this kind of 

sensibility heads towards folk rather than heavy 

metal, and this album is definitely a curiosity. It’s 

not really that good, though, as little moments (a 

phrase here or there, some synthesizer noise) stick 

in my memory more than do any of the songs as a 

whole. Nicodemus fans might appreciate it. [AM] 

ROBB KUNKEL (Denver, CO) 

"Abyss" 1973 (Tumbleweed TWS 111) 

Obscure but surprisingly good LP on a Rocky Mountain 

independent that rode high on corporate money for a 

few years. It's one of the best, perhaps the best, on 

the label, and opens with two terrific dreamy 

westcoast psych tracks that alone makes this worth 

getting. The rest is an eclectic bag of melodic rock 

and singer/songwriter, with two weaker (but short) 

rootsy tracks, and the rest quite enjoyable. Heavy 

session names are all over this LP, which displays 

the typical Tumbleweed combination of a stoned, loose 

vibe and a classy production. When staff member 

Kunkel's album was released the label's money was 

running out, and it may have been pressed in as few 

as 500 copies. [PL] 

~~~ 

Having listened to this album a dozen times it's 

still hard to slap it with a label. Much of it has a 

laidback acoustic feel to it, but the songs are often 

punctuated by Howard Robert's jazzy lead guitar 

and/or Kunkel's percussive keyboards. 'Whispermuse' 

is a perfect example. For the first couple of moments 

in flows along as a pretty acoustic ballad before 

Kunkel and Roberts kick in at the tale end. In 

contrast, the title track and 'Turn of the 

Century' (the latter being the standout effort) are 

fairly conventional (and enjoyable) rock numbers. 

Full of pretty melodies and some nice harmony vocals, 

I can see why it's becoming somewhat of a sought 

after collectable. The only real missteps are a 

couple of country-flavored throwaways including the 

forgettable "Country Blues". [SB] 


KURT & NOAH (Canada)

"There Are Things" 1970 (Astra 1000) [inner] 

KUSUDO & WORTH ( ) 

A quintet despite the name, doing gentle folk with 

acoustic and electric guitars and harmony vocals. 

Some tracks have female vocals. The group had a 

couple of 45s including a minor hit. 

"Of Sun & Rain" 1969 (Custom Fidelity 1881/82) [200p] 

This is about as good as stark acoustic folk gets, 

with evocative songs, beautiful and versatile 

singing, unexpected acoustic raveups, and the 

addition of some eerie slide guitar on one song. The 

two voices work very well together and around each 

other. "I Would Like To Hear Your Story" is really 

intense, sort of like the side-openers of the first 

Jake Holmes album. Very highly recommended, and way 

overdue for a reissue. [AM] 


LACEWING (Kent, OH) 

"Lacewing" 1970 (Mainstream s-6132) 

LADY CHASER ( ) 

One of Mainstream's later-day releases, still mainly 

in the typical westcoast Airplane/Mamas & Papas/Big 

Brother bag but with hints of 70s things to come. 

Starts off strongly with femme-vox folkrock and psych 

and maintains a reasonably good level, with fuzz 

leads and minor prog ambitions on side 2, while side 

1 has more of a CA'68 sound. Use of piano and heavy 

drum licks betray a "Volunteers" influence, while the 

atmospheric instrumental passage during "The Storm" 

may be the most original thing on board. It took me a 

long while to figure out why it sounded so familiar, 

but to my ears the overall sound is quite similar to 

the British Julian Jay Savarin album, although less 

coherent in its structure. About 2/3rds is excellent 

femme-vox hippie-rock, with impact lessened by a 

couple of uninspired tracks and a drum solo at the 

close. [PL] 

~~~ 

In terms of collectability, this is a second-tier 

Mainstream album, but the opening “Paradox” is 

possibly the best song by any band on the label. It’s 

just a gorgeous folk-rock creation with sparkling 

male/female harmonies and a bright, summery feel to 

it. The rest of the album can’t possibly reach that 

standard, but other than a typically dull drum solo 

(at the very end—you can just turn off the record 

early), this is a nice album, and some surprisingly 

heavy bits enter into the mix. The female singer is 

very appealing. [AM] 

~~~ 

In an earlier incarnation this band was known as the 

Measles and featured Joe Walsh on guitar. The band 

was briefly called Lacewing around the time of the 

Mainstream album, which (like other OH bands on 

Mainstream such as Freeport and December's Children) 

was recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami. Vocalist 

Mary Sterpka was later drafted by Walsh to sing backup 

vocals on the James Gang hit "Midnight Man". Info 

courtesy of George Gell. 

"Lady Chaser" 1981 (private) 

Here’s an otherwise interesting private press album 

that’s completely done in by horrible vocals. 

Musically, it’s a mix of rural rock, jazzy soft rock,

LAFAUCI (LA) 

and mellow bluesy rock, quite interesting and wellplayed. 

They tend to be lumped in with late-70s post- 

Dead artists like Walnut Band and Mad Fables, but 

this is really its own animal. If the singing were 

even remotely bearable, I’d recommend it. The fantasy 

cover promises a prog album, which this most 

definitely is not. Sometimes this album is listed as 

being by “Michael Barash.” It’s not entirely clear if 

Lady Chaser is the album name or the band’s name. 

[AM] 

"Lafauci" 1978 (Uncle Meat) 

LAKOTA ( ) 

This is a pretty solid southern rock/hard rock album. 

It's got that Molly Hatchet style of singing and the 

ubiquitous dual lead guitars, lots of hooks, some 

tasteful moog, concise, tight songs. A couple of 

ballads are weak, but otherwise if you like this 

style of music this is a good one. Short album, less 

than half an hour. [AM] 

"Lakota" 1979 (JSR Records 1506) 

Rural/southern rock sound by Native American band on 

New Jersey label, highly rated by some. 

DAVE LAMB & GYE WHIZ ( ) 

"I'll Be Alright" 1971 (SYMA ad-1000) 

"I'll Be Alright" 2000 (Fanny, Belgium) 

Obscure basement hippie folkrock affair. Sound is 

somewhat reminiscent of quirky rural UK folkprog LPs 

like Gygafo or Candida Pax, especially the 

enthusiastic amateur vocals. Primitive 1970s folkrock 

setting with occasional keyboards, spirited 

atmosphere and coffeehouse folk remnants. I've heard 

some negative comments on it and while not too bad in 

my ears, it's hard to single out any particular 

appealing aspect to this LP. "Shine on me" is perhaps 

the most interesting track, with a fragmented, 

confused rural folk sound that may recall A-Austr. 

One of those private pressings where the rarity is 

more significant than the musical quality. [PL] 

PAUL LAMONT (San Francisco, CA) 

"Psychedelia" 1969 (Golden State) 

Improvisational avant hippie piano noodling, two 

side-long excursions that Lamont encourages you to 

play loud for best effect.

LANDSLIDE (NY) 

"Two-sided Fantasy" 1972 (Capitol 11006) [green label] 

"Two-sided Fantasy" 2002 (Akarma 238, Italy) 

"Two-sided Fantasy" 2002 (CD Akarma 238, Italy) 

Appealing mosaic of various early 70s styles, 

delivered with a confident smooth groove that had me 

believe this was a black band which appears not to be 

the case. Sounds more rural/west coast than NY to me. 

Traces of Dead, Santana, Airplane plus some 

harder/bluesier aspects, still with an original vibe 

and even some Christian lyrics. [PL] 

~~~ 

Here’s another Capitol rarity, and it’s a really good 

one. It’s a dual guitar hard rock album with tons of 

great hooks and some unique arrangements (“Creepy 

Feeling” has a chord progression that lives up to the 

title, the final song has an intense set of buildups, 

and many songs appear to have two drummers.) Equally 

good songwriting on the ballads and heavy songs, and 

subtle and creative guitar playing make this one of 

the best 1970s albums in the genre. Weird creepy 

album cover too. [AM] 

ROBBIE LANE & THE DISCIPLES (Toronto, Canada) 

"It's Happening" 1966 (Capitol T 6182) 

Teen-beat from popular band with several 45 releases 

and a CBC TV slot. The sound is more pop than garage. 

~~~ 

see -> "Meet The Lively Ones" 

TONY LANE & THE FABULOUS SPADES ( ) 

"Introducing" 1966 (Justice 133) 

"Introducing" 1996 (CD Collectables) 

Good opening Them cover sets the tone for a fatter 

and rockier club trip than most LPs on the label. Use 

of organ, sax and Tony's tambourine creates a 

contemporary mid-60s sound, and the big guy's vocals 

aren't bad at all, making even the token ballads 

acceptable, while a couple of energetic frat covers 

garner bonus points. "Long Tall Sally" with awesome 

bass runs is a highpoint, as is a fuzz-lead "See See 

Rider" which I'd rate as one of the best versions 

ever. Rated highly by Justice aficionado Jeff Jarema, 

this LP's main drawback is the lack of group 

originals. [PL] 

LANGLEY SCHOOLS PROJECT see Hans Fenger 

LARRY & MYRA (MA) 

"Alien Nation" 1970 (Eat the Day ls-101)

Male/female acoustic folk with pretty voices but 

forgettable songs. This is one of those albums that 

sounds really nice on first listen, but just fades 

away after that. Organ, flute, cello, guitars. 

Sometimes hyped as rare, but actually easy to find. 

[AM] 

BOB LARSON (McCook, NE) 

"Speaks Out On Rock Music" 1969 (Cornerstone CRS 4014) 

Well-known Christian radio show host doing an early 

anti-rock music sermon, except the message is 

strangely deflated by Bob pulling out an electric 

guitar and playing wah-wah solos by Cream, Iron 

Butterfly, and more. Popular title among fringe 

collectors. It was originally sold to Christians on 

reel-to-reel tape. Larson had a number of other 

albums that would not be of interest to readers of 

this book. He also wrote the remarkably paranoid 

"Larson's Book of Rock." 

LAST CALL OF SHILOH (Sandpoint, ID) 

"Last Call Of Shiloh" 1970 (Last Call src-5136) [500p] 

Christian westcoasty psych/folkrock with several 

tracks in the classic mold that fans of the genre 

love, similar to Wilson Mckinley, Steve Powell etc; 

ringing guitars, loose vocal harmonies and jammy Bay 

Area moods - just dig that bass player. Has 2-3 truly 

great tracks on level with Tripsichord with mix of 

male/female vocals, a few others are more spiritual 

in style. Only about half the original pressing came 

with covers; it appears that repro paste-on covers 

also exist. The original cover is flimsy and slightly 

oversized. Still no reissue, which is strange. [PL] 

~~~ 

Deep Christian rock with inventive playing and a 

laid-back garage seeker vibe like the darker side of 

Jefferson Airplane or the third Velvet Underground 

LP. Soulful pretty vocals with female backup and 

searching westcoast leads. Highlights: "Marriage 

Supper of the Lamb" with soaring vocals and garagy 

guitar, the delicate melancholy of "New Jerusalem", 

and "Message of the Gospel" with its intriguing murky 

rhythm. [RM] 

~~~ 

Here's an album that's desperately in need of a 

reissue. It's an early Christian rock record, which, 

like Wilson McKinley, is basically a record of its 

time with Christian lyrics rather than something that 

has true roots in any Christian musical tradition. 

Much of it is lovely folk-rock, and there are a few

very, very beautiful songs. The vocals are dreamy 

and, dare I say, heavenly. It's not as consistent as, 

say, Azitis or "Spirit of Elijah," but the best songs 

here are the pinnacle of this genre. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Living Sacrifice Band 

LAST DAYS (on Rite) see Charisma 

LAST DAYS (TX) 

"Last Days" 1975 (Crusade Studios 487) [lyric insert] 

Here’s a sleeper of a Christian folk record. The 

lyrics are often cringe-inducing (how many times do 

we need to hear the graphic details of the 

crucifixion?), but there are some terrific songs here 

and lovely male and female vocals. Best of all, at 

the very end of side one, after nothing but guitar 

and voice for four and a half songs, some searing, 

punky, fuzz guitar comes out of nowhere. It turns the 

song “His Love Is Real” into a surreal and very 

exciting masterpiece of the highest order. Some more 

heavy guitar pops up in a few places on side two, and 

the album ends with a really soulful song that’s also 

surprising and wonderful. This album works mostly in 

bits and pieces, but at times it’s transcendent. [AM] 

~~~ 

I was initially put off by the female vocals on this 

LP which seem detached and impersonal, mostly in a 

highpitched Joan Baez style. However, as the album 

progresses weird little twists begin creeping up to 

the surface. The male vocalist has a light 

androgynous tone which makes for a strange vibe on 

his tracks, as do some unexpected raw guitarleads 

that almost seem tacked on by someone else. The music 

is mainly straightforward Christian 70s folk with a 

humble, honest vibe that occasionally goes into true 

intimacy. Additional instrumentation includes piano, 

flute and light drumming here and there. On "Only His 

Few" they rock out in a delightfully fumbling way, 

and suddenly sound like Wilson McKinley for a minute 

or two before we're back in the awestruck Christian 

serenades. One track seems to rip off the 60s cheese 

garage classic "Shape of things to come". Hmm... odd 

one, with some definite surprises up the sleeve, like 

if the first Sons Of Thunder LP had been a 1970s 

album. [PL] 

V.A "LATITUDES 1973-74" (Blue Bell, PA) 

"Latitudes 1973-74" 1974 (private) 

Students from Montgomery Community County College of 

interest for some strong tracks by the prog group 

Puddleduck. Also features several more "bands" in 

various styles, guitar-rock from Tubular Chamber 

Ensemble, electric folk rock from an unnamed band, 

stoned hippy/Dead folkrock from a band called “Y”, 

trad folk from the Amber Ramblers, folk from Shack 

People, a brief jazz piece, and a closing 

electric/acoustic folk psych track.

LATTER RAIN (KY) 

"Latter Rain" 1976 (New Life 610203) [500p] 

Christian rock with churning organ, wah-wah, and 

powerful vocals. Half the LP is smoking hardrockers 

and the remaining mid-tempo tracks take on a more 

progressive turn with the organ out front. Good LP. 

[RM] 

~~~ 

Most of this is pretty standard bluesy 70s Christian 

rock, with vocals that don’t quite hit the harmonies 

and a drummer and organist who try to overreach their 

bounds. A few songs have some rather heavy guitar 

with wah wah, which is surely what attracted psych 

collectors to the album, but basically this is not a 

hard rock album. The singer desperately tries to show 

a little soul, but he just doesn’t have it. This is 

the kind of album that may seem kind of daring within 

the Xian context, but once you give it a few close 

listens you’ll realize it doesn’t do anything a ton 

of other bluesy rock albums do, and most of those do 

it better. [AM] 

ANTON LAVEY see "The Satanic Mass" 

LAZY DAY (Sioux City, IA) 

"Straight 'Atcha" 1973 (Magic) [insert] 

LAZY SMOKE (MA) 

Midwest bluesy rural piano/guitar rustic jamming. 

Laid-back Allman Brothers moves. The band later 

became Bonesteel and kept going for many years. [RM] 

"A Corridor Of Faces" 1969 (Onyx 6903) [paste-on cover; 

100p] 

"A Corridor Of Faces" 1986 (Heyoka 206, UK) [altered cover] 

"A Corridor Of Faces" 1993 (Onyx) [altered cover; 500#d; 

autographed; booklet; bonus 45] 

"A Corridor Of Faces" 1993 (CD Afterglow 003, UK) [bootleg] 

"A Corridor Of Faces" 1997 (CD Arf Arf 065) [+12 bonus tracks] 

Have to confess I've never understood all the 

brouhaha around this LP, what with several reissues 

and heavy dealer hype whenever offered. The final 

word is yours, but to me it sounds like decent Britstyle 

beat-psych with a major Beatles fixation 

including Lennonesque vocals and low budget George 

Martin production tricks. The songwriting is OK but

not great, and it's hard to catch a glimpse of any 

true originality behind the anglo facade. While 

charming and appealing in a 2nd-tier way, I've given 

this album many chances to reveal itself in a bigger 

way since the late 1980s, and have to file it among 

items that I simply do not "get". [PL] 

~~~ 

Drifting melodic Beatlesque psych. like if "Rubber 

Soul" had all the "Sgt. Pepper's..." studio tricks 

and Lennon handled all the vocals. Backwards guitar, 

floating vocals, churchy organ, and haunting lyrics 

about romance and regret. The original cover was a 

paste-on xerox of the intended cover photo and liner 

notes. The two surviving members released an album of 

newly recorded acidic folk in 1996 on the Pondicherry 

label, titled "Pictures In The Smoke". [RM] 

~~~ 

World-renowned as the great Beatlesque psychedelic 

album, but definitely overrated to these ears. The 

singer is considered by some to be a dead ringer for 

Lennon, but he lacks Lennon’s edge. There’s something 

sweet, almost corny, about the vocal tone that may 

resemble the Lennon of "Double Fantasy", but 

certainly not Lennon from the 60s. The album is 

pleasant and a few songs are excellent, but overall 

it’s hardly worthy of the awe it seems to inspire in 

some people. I’d certainly recommend Anonymous, or 

Kaleidoscope, or Los Walkers, or even Badfinger, 

first. [AM] 

~~~ 


~~~ 

see -> Euclid 

TIMOTHY LEARY (MA) see presentation 

"The Psychedelic Experience" 1966 (Broadside brx 601) [1st 

press; thick leathery sleeve; Broadside matrix #; booklet] 

"The Psychedelic Experience" 1966 (Broadside brx 601) 

[remastered 2nd press; thinner sleeve; Folkways matrix #; 

booklet] 

"The Psychedelic Experience" 1966 (Broadside/Folkways brx 601) 

[3rd press; Folkways label; Broadside sleeve; booklet] 

"The Psychedelic Experience / L.S.D (Pixie)" 2002 (CD 

Expansion, UK) [2-on-1] 

Leary's first LP was released around September 1966 

but may have been recorded much earlier. It features 

him and co-author Ralph Metzner reading from the 

"Psychedelic Experience" book from 1964. Richard 

Alpert is credited on the sleeve but may not appear 

on the actual recording. The recording is a bit lo-fi 

and is a working albeit somewhat dull introduction to 

the phantasmagorical world of acid. The booklet is 

necessary for the trip. [PL]

"Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out" 1966 (ESP 1027) 

This has the same title as the more common Mercury LP 

but completely different contents. This is Leary's 

rarest LP and also one of his best; entertaining, 

confrontational and timeless despite its heavy 

zeitgeist facade. This was made just as Uncle Tim had 

coined his famous slogan and was preparing to leave 

the academic-scientific track and target the youth of 

Middle America with his lysergic spiel. An 

extraordinary piece of counterculture history. [PL] 

"LSD" 1966 (Pixie 1069) 

"The Psychedelic Experience / L.S.D (Pixie)" 2002 (CD 

Expansion, UK) [2-on-1] 

Leary's third LP to be released in a short timeframe, 

this has a dry and somewhat bitter press conference 

vibe, the great man's fatigue with square paranoia 

and law persecution is not hard to detect. Fabulous 

cover and still a good introduction. The title is 

sometimes listed as 'Timothy Leary, Ph.D'. An odd 8track 

bootleg of this album from the late 1960s 

exists, with only the legend "LSD" and a collage 

artwork with Jim Morrison etc. [PL] 

"Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out" 1967 (Mercury mg-21131) [mono; 

wlp exists] 

"Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out" 1967 (Mercury sr-61131) 

[stereo] 

"Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out" 199 (Performance, Germany) 

"Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out" 199 (CD Performance, Germany) 

Same title but completely different contents from the 

rare ESP album above. Probably Leary's best LP, and 

one of the top spoken word albums ever made. An echoladen 

and highly inspired Leary guides Ralph Metzner 

through a rather eventful acid journey, with bad trip 

aspects and a spellbinding exploration of cellular 

memory the highpoints. There's also sound fx and lots 

of incidental music in a psychy drone East Indian 

style that's pretty cool. The movie for which this LP 

is a soundtrack opened for a few pre-screenings in 

mid-1967, but was never released theatrically and 

remains unseen. Also released in New Zealand. A 45 

was released from the LP. [PL] 

"You Can Be Anyone This Time Around" 1970 (Douglas 1) 

[gatefold; inner sleeve] 

"You Can Be Anyone This Time Around" 199 (CD Rykodisc) 

"You Can Be Anyone This Time Around" 199 (CD Ufo, UK) 

"You Can Be Anyone This Time Around" 200 (Get Back, Italy) 

[gatefold] 

After 3 years during which the mainstream psychedelic 

explosion he helped fuel exploded and fell apart, 

Leary returned with this fun and charming LP, a part 

of his gubernatorial campaign in California (Ronald 

Reagan won). Supposedly featuring Hendrix and Steven 

Stills, but the music is bland studio fill and of 

little interest compared to Leary's raps about 

legalization of marijuana, rebirth, and the central 

nervous system, the latter being a particularly 

inspired exegesis that points towards his 1970s-1980s 

work. Great Mouse packaging. A Canadian pressing

exists. Leary also recorded an amazing European 

psychrock LP, "Seven Up", with Ash Ra Temple while a 

fugitive after his prison escape. [PL] 

"The Joyful Wisdom" 1977 (Joy) [7 volume set] 

This is a series of seven long playing record albums 

in white sleeves without jackets. Produced by George 

A. Koopman for WKGB, San Diego, each record features 

an interview with Leary as well as other segments 

(news, commercials, dramatizations) written or 

performed by him. Other participants include Grace 

Slick, Lindsay Wagner and Cheech & Chong. 

Approximately 100 copies of each record were 

distributed for promotional purposes to about 30 

radio stations. No commercial release. 

~~~ 

see -> "LSD" (Capitol) 

LEATHERCOATED MINDS (OK / CA) 

"Leathercoated Minds" 1967 (Viva v-6003) [mono] 

"Leathercoated Minds" 1967 (Viva v-36003) [stereo] 

"Leathercoated Minds" 2001 (CD Acid Symposium 001) 

Ah. Early Jean Jaques (aka J.J.) Cale and a classic 

slice of exploito rock. Released on Amos "Snuff" 

Garrett's newly formed Viva Records, 1967's "A Trip 

Down the Sunset Strip" was billed as a concept piece 

- "In this album, we are trying to paint sound 

pictures of the Strip - the voices you hear above 

each recording are the actual voices of the Strip's 

inhabitants. The traffic noises are real - recorded 

on location. The songs contained in the album are 

'What's happening' - most of them got their start in 

the Hollywood area and later became national hits". 

While the covers were largely rote in nature, Cale 

and the Tillisons turned in some nice vocal 

performances. The one exception was Cale's rather 

ragged vocal performance on Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine 

Man". Cale also distinguished himself via his guitar 

work. Among the highlights, while clearly added to 

the LP as filler material, were Cale's four original 

instrumentals. Anyone hearing "Sunset and Clark", 

"Non-Stop" or "Pot Luck" will instantly know why Eric 

Clapton subsequently elected to record Cale's "After 

Midnight". Personal favorite; the rollicking "Eight 

Miles High" cover. Killer guitars throughout. The LP 

was released in the UK by Fontana. [SB] 

LEAVES (Los Angeles, CA)

"Hey Joe" 1966 (Surrey lps-3005) [mono; plain white cover with 

promo sticker] 

"Hey Joe" 1966 (Surrey/Mira lps-3005) [mono wlp; Surrey label; 

Mira cover] 

"Hey Joe" 1966 (Mira lp-3005) [mono] 

"Hey Joe" 1966 (Mira lps-3005) [stereo] 

"Hey Joe" 198 (Mira) [bootleg] 

The debut LP from the fathers of "Hey Joe" is OK but 

an obvious rush/filler job typical of the era. Apart 

from the classic title track hit there's 2-3 

worthwhile tracks like "Dr Stone" and "Too many 

people"; the rest is 2nd tier beat & folkrock 

comparable to the weaker aspects of the Blue Things 

album. The band formed at San Fernando Valley State 

College in Northridge. Also released in France, and 

in Italy with an altered cover. [PL] 

"All The Good That's Happening" 1967 (Capitol t-2638) [mono] 

"All The Good That's Happening" 1967 (Capitol st-2638) 

[stereo] 

"All The Good That's Happening" 2005 (Capitol) 

The second LP is often referred to as being superior 

and more significant, and shows the band hinting at a 

Buffalo Springfield type development. In all fairness 

this isn't terribly impressive either but it does 

have a more mature sound and some interesting tracks 

like "Twilight Sanctuary". A combination of their two 

albums would have been pretty enjoyable. There is a 

green vinyl retrospective LP from 1982 titled "1966" 

on the Panda label, including unreleased and live 

tracks. Other retrospective releases and reissues 

exist but won't be listed as the band is a borderline 

inclusion. [PL] 

V.A "LEBANON COMMUNITY THEATER" (Lebanon, PA)

"Lebanon Community Theater" 1973 (no label 7300101) 

Local obscurity with covers of Doobie Bros, Crazy 

Horse, Chuck Berry, some originals too. Bands include 

Mourning Son and the Ashley Reflection. Some copies 

came without sleeve. 

LECTRIC MUSIC REVOLUTION (Guelph, Canada) 

"Lectric Music Revolution" 1971 (Marathon ALS 331) [yellow 

label] 

"Lectric Music Revolution" 1971 (Marathon ALS 331) [red/white 

label] 

"Lectric Music Revolution" 1996 (Marathon) [bootleg] 

"Lectric Music Revolution / Sex: The End Of My Life" 1997 (CD 

Hipschaft) [2-on-1] 

Moody late beat and folkrock with an occasional dark 

psych/lounge feel, from older guys who look 

ridiculous in "hip" mod gear on the sleeve, and don't 

sound entirely comfortable with the music they're 

playing. The LP has a number of great, understated 

downer trips that are reminiscent of New Dawn and 

Mississippi, plus a few lighter pop/top 40 tracks 

that have been put down but don't sound that bad to 

me. "Tanya Canya" on side 2 is a spine-chilling 

classic, and the album as a complete package hits an 

unusual spot which makes it memorable; burnt-out c & 

w musicians trying to catch the 60s train 4 years too 

late? Some rate this very highly and the reissue's 

worth checking out. [PL] 

TERRY LEE (Pittsburgh, PA) 

"Magic Music" 1971 (Stone) 

Terry Lee was a Pennsylvania DJ who also produced the 

Fantastic Dee-Jays. Apparently a vanity project, 

"Magic Music" is surprisingly enjoyable. Produced by 

Richard Strang, musically the set's one major mess, 

offering up a hodgepodge of music, sound effects, 

spoken words segments and radio news snippets. The 

surprise is that the music part of the LP's 

surprisingly good. Propelled by Lee's nice voice, the 

set offers up a mix of garage rock originals ("It's

TROY LEE (CA) 

Not Easy" and the second half of "Kennedy Nitemare") 

with a couple of uncredited covers thrown in as 

filler ("Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'"). Elsewhere, you 

have to admire the completely tasteless cover - Lee 

apparently relieving himself in a junked toilet. [SB] 

"Life Goes On" 1979 (Globe Export) 

LEGEND (CO/CA) 

Local obscurity with appealing melodic psych/new wave 

sounds on the title track, otherwise of no special 

merit. 

"Legend" 1968 (Megaphone 101) [mono] 

"Legend" 1968 (Megaphone s-101) [stereo] 

LEGEND (CT) 

Offering up a mixture of originals and popular covers 

(Bob Dylan, The Troggs, The Who), musically the set 

wasn't particularly original. With the band credited 

with half the material, tracks such as 'The Sky That 

Is Blue', 'Zepplin's Good Friday' and 'Yesterday's 

Child' showcased a tasty blend of tight, Beatlesque 

harmonies and surprisingly commercial melodies. It 

wasn't perfect with the band occasionally drifting 

too close to Mamas & Papas-styled MOR ('Gigi'). Far 

more impressive were the band's stabs at a harder 

rock sound, including the fuzz guitar and feedback 

propelled 'Where Oh Where Is Mother' and their voxpowered 

cover of Dylan's 'Baby Blue'; always liked 

the song's sitar fadeout. All told, the results 

weren't half bad; an album I pull out from time to 

time. [SB] 

~~~ 

The non-LP 45 track "Portrait Of Youth" is an 

excellent track, other than that I'm not a great fan 

of this outfit. The LP has covers of the Who, Troggs, 

Dylan and more. The band had an earlier local 45 as 

the Obvious on the Cheetah label. The band is often 

linked to Dragonfly, but we've been unable to find 

any obvious connection except the "Portrait" track 

and the label. [PL] 

"From The Fjords" 1979 (Empire 11186) [insert] 

"From The Fjords" 199 (no label) [paste-on cover; 500#d] 

LEGEND (OH) 

Progressive hardrock medieval concept. Of interest 

primarily for its rarity, even though as many as 1000 

copies reportedly were pressed. There was also a rare 

pre-LP 45 done as Judge, and a post-LP 45 with PS, 

done as Mercenary. 

"In Their Own Time" 1979 (no label 1199)

JANE LEICHHARDT ( ) 

Obscure hardrock LP in the same generic "eagle" cover 

as Headstone from Ohio. 

"A Woman Like Me" 1968 (Metromedia 1011) [wlp exists] 

Quite scarce and rather good album on this alwaysinteresting 

label. Folk-rock that's not wimpy or 

mystical. She's definitely a hippie, but more along 

the lines of Elyse Weinberg than, say, Judy Collins. 

There's nothing really psychedelic or experimental 

here, and the generic-looking cover probably kept too 

many collectors from checking it out. Still, it's 

reasonably consistent and the singing and style are 

quite appealing. [AM] 

LELAND (San Francisco, CA) 

"Leland" 1976 (no label r-2954) [paste-on photo cover; 

inserts] 

"This Is My World" 1978 (Contempt r-2954) 

Leland is a freaky looking Asian dude who wears 

tights, a cape and black nail polish. This album was 

recorded in 1975, but it sure sounds like formative 

“new wave” to me. That’s a compliment, as Leland’s 

music has the same wild spirit and anything goes 

attitude of the earliest DIY punk records. I’d 

imagine White Boy fans liking it, for example. Most 

of these songs have some crazy lead guitar, and the 

album cover proclaims the music “hard rock,” so it’s 

not surprising that psych and garage collectors like 

it. There’s also a synth-heavy ballad with whispered 

vocals, and a song where the tempo shifts wildly and 

Leland starts unexpectedly singing falsetto. A few 

other songs have a cool low-fi garagy feel to them. 

Leland plays everything but the drums, though I think 

hiring a bass player might have been a good idea. 

When he sings it sounds like his throat is bleeding. 

All in all, very cool. This is more like an EP than 

an album, by the way, as the 6 songs clock in at 24 

minutes. The first press is said to have an extra 

song from an early single, though I can’t imagine why 

they’d make the (retitled) second pressing so short 

if another song was available. The LP was engineered 

by David Blossom (Fifty Foot Hose). [AM] 

"Live At Mabuhay Gardens, S.F." 1979 (Contempt r-2965) 

Here's one for people who thought the recording 

quality on "This Is My World" wasn't cheap-sounding 

enough. It's a mono live album with cavernous echo, 

barely intelligible vocals and "Sears special"sounding 

guitars that play spastically long after the 

songs should be over. Terry Brooks fans might like 

it. Since it's live with no overdubs, it lacks the 

extra texture of the first album's keyboards. I like 

"This Is My World" a lot, but this one is too antimelodic 

and sonically sludgy for me to take. My 

favorite "song" is the last one, where Leland plays 

random noise on his guitar, the drummer bangs

uncontrollably between guitar bits, and one of the 

producers asks Leland why he insists on turning his 

guitar up so loud. This is even shorter than "This Is 

My World," a mere 16 minutes, about a third of which 

is guitar noodling. [AM] 

D LEMIEUX & JEAN PETERS (IL) 

"Hey Jesus Christ, Welcome To This World" 1971 (Wright) 

[booklet] 

LEND A HAND (FL) 

Unbelievable homemade variation on Jesus Christ 

Superstar (different songs, similar concept); 

"misguided" is only the beginning. Sounds like a 

recovering addict project, crude in every aspect. A 

must for incredibly strange fans -- don't miss the 

"Inn-keeper"'s forceful performance. [PL] 

"Lend A Hand" 197 (Lenihan LR101) 

Lowkey Christian folk/softrock with female vocals, 

piano and flute, plus some contemporary secular 

covers. Housed in the same generic ocean sunset 

sleeve as Asylum and Quoth The Raven. 

GEORGIE 'PORGIE' LEONARD (RI) 

"One Man Band" 1971 (Cheep ch-001) 

"One Man Band" 1999 (American Sound 1006) [bonus 45; 500p] 

Also known as Georgie Porgie of local 1960s folk-punk 

45 fame, this finds the guy five years and several 

jugs of Romilar later. Essentially a so-so 

singer/songwriter LP somewhere between Geoffrey and 

Arthur Lee Harper though possibly weaker than both. 

Starved on worthwhile finds some dealers hyped this 

in the 1990s, but apart from the great closing psych 

spooker "The lake" (which exists in a different pre- 

LP 45 version), it's pretty bad and embarrassing in 

my ears. A reissue on the Belgian Fanny label was 

advertised but hasn't been seen. Half the reissue 

pressing came with the 'girls' cover, and half in 

another cover design. [PL] 

LEOPARDS (Kansas City, KS) 

"Kansas City Slickers" 1977 (Moon mlp-300) 

The Leopards are to the "Village Green"-era Kinks 

what the Rutles are to the Beatles, except that 

they're pure tribute with no sense of mockery. This 

album is a blast for Kinks fans, but it's also very 

nice for fans of 60s pop, as there are great melodies 

and clever ideas sprinkled throughout. They also 

released a few excellent non-LP singles. They were 

around during the Kansas City power pop scene in the 

late 70s and one has to wonder if Michael Angelo was

connected to them or any of the other bands in the 

area. Promo copies include a printed folder with 

press clippings. [AM] 

PERRY LEOPOLD (Philadelphia, PA) 

"Experiment In Metaphysics" 1970 (WS 1) [300p] 

"Experiment In Metaphysics" 1995 (Psychedelic Archives, UK) 

[275p; altered cover; insert] 

"Experiment In Metaphysics" 1998 (CD Gear Fab gf-122) [+3 

tracks] 

Legendary LP of twisted folkpsych/singer-songwriter 

crossover, like a Tim Hardin from hell. He has a 

great beatnik voice and plays acoustic guitar like 

noone before or since, the instrumental tracks are 

more psychedelic than ten layers of Sgt Pepper tape 

loops. The vocal stuff's even better, relating 

Perry's unique wisdom and outcast experiences. Some 

tracks go deep in a DR Hooker manner and all over 

this is an essential LP in my ears. Recorded in a 

basement studio beneath a Philly shoe store. The 

original came in a plain copper cover with small 

title sticker; not all copies have the sticker. The 

vinyl reissue has an insert with a photo of Perry 

with Bruce Springsteen! Good unreleased stuff from 

1973 was issued in 2000 ("Christian Lucifer", Gear 

Fab/Comet). [PL] 

~~~ 

Damaged solo coffeehouse folk. The "Metaphysics" LP 

is a dark folk classic. Aggressive, dark strumming 

with biblical, metaphysical concerns, and just plain 

lostness. Delicate high tenor vocals and torturous 

acoustic picking, even on the slower cuts. Depressing 

claustrophobic imagery and world weariness. The 

playing tends to wander, changing tempo and 

progressions but always retaining a sense of 

schizophrenic foreboding to match his vocals. "Cold 

in Philadelphia", a tale of living on the street, 

puts you right there with him. The last two songs, 

"When You're Gone" and "The U.S.S. Commercial", 

really puts it all together - good tunes to check out 

to. A thoroughly haunted recording. "Christian 

Lucifer", originally unreleased, continues his 

harrowing themes with an increasing concentration on 

religious imagery. He also recorded a less effective 

EP in the late 70s. [RM] 

~~~ 

see -> High Treason 

CLAIRE LEPAGE & COMPAGNIE (Quebec, Canada) 

"Claire Lepage & Compagnie" 1970 (Trans-Canada) 

Bluesy guitar psych with female vocals and a Beatles 

cover. She has a whole bunch of albums, but this is 

the one of interest to readers of this book.

LESLIE BROTHERS (MI) 

"Wanted" 196 (Cupid) 

Two hillbilly hipster brothers from Kentucky end up 

in Michigan and recorded this record. Try to imagine 

if Stud Cole had two younger inbreeded cousins that 

were inspired by Chuck Berry instead of Elvis and you 

get a good idea what this album sounds like. By the 

way, it's rarer than all the other big ones (Index, 

Mystic Siva, etc) from Michigan. The only other known 

copy is trashed and without a cover. I suspect it's 

from the late sixties and it's great! [JSB] 

LET'S SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER (Canada) 

"Let's Spend The Night Together" 1967 (Arc 728) 

Canadian exploitation with six Rolling Stones covers, 

plus some Yardbirds, Small Faces, Troggs etc. 

"A LETTER HOME" see A Letter Home 

MARK LEVINE (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Pilgrim's Progress" 1968 (Hogfat hlp-1) 

This album has the look and feel of one of the 

Columbia albums of its time. It’s long (50 minutes), 

has babbling liner notes from the artist, and Levine 

the singer-songwriter is backed by an absolutely ace 

group of musicians, including Ry Cooder and Mike 

Deasy. Dylan comparisons are inevitable: Levine 

doesn’t have much of a voice but his singing projects 

plenty of personality and humor, and his lyrics are 

complex in both personal and abstract ways. The music 

is folk-rock with a bluesy edge (courtesy of Cooder’s 

guitars.) Half the time it sounds like Levine was 

trying to make the greatest album ever, and the other 

half it just sounds like he’s having fun with his 

buddies, and the record is appealing on both levels. 

The lyrics are often obscene, and are frank and 

explicit about sex and drugs. This must have been 

quite shocking at the time and gives the album a real 

underground hippie feel. The opening and closing 

songs (two sides of the same coin, lyrically) are the 

most instantly likeable, but there’s a lot of depth 

here. This isn’t background music; you’ll want to pay 

attention to the lyrics. This is one of the most 

enjoyable and fascinating singer songwriter albums of 

the era. [AM] 

LE 25IEME REGIMENT see 25th Regiment 

PAUL LEVINSON (NY)

"Twice Upon A Rhyme" 1972 (Happysad 3000) 

Enjoyable but still fairly unknown LP of 1968-69 

Buckley/Hardin-style folkrock with stoned psych vibe 

throughout, lots of warmth and personality and 

idiosynchratic vocals. Full rock setting with 

feedback guitars, organ and druggy sound effects, 

creating a flowing “Blonde on blonde”-like feel with 

many layers and unpredictable moves. Upbeat 1960s 

vibe, rather than the usual 1970s downers. Highpoints 

include weird, dreamy tracks such as "Forever Friday" 

and "The Lama Will Be Late This Year" (my personal 

anthem). [PL] 

PHILIP LEWIN (Toronto, Canada) 

"Am I Really Here All Alone?" 1975 (Gargoyle no#) [paste-on 

cover; 300p] 

Appealing DIY hippie-folk LP with mostly acoustic 

guitar, electric lead picking on top, and Lewin's 

vocals. Relaxed and organic with an almost improvised 

feel; I can imagine him as the Tim Hardin of some 

local 70s coffeehouse scene. Not really a "downer" 

album, although a couple tracks (one with piano) 

reach into darker corners with a late-night blues 

feel. Lewin's voice isn't strong but he uses it well 

and creates an intimate presence that keeps your 

attention throughout. As on many Canadian LPs there 

is also a certain British feel which may recall Tony, 

Caro & John, Red Television and similar efforts. The 

album's main weakness may be the lack of a 

"signature" song to stand out among the 11 tracks. 

Packaging is great, a monochrome wraparound sheet 

with an excellent psychedelic drawing of Lewin, 

making this look like an old TMQ bootleg. Worth 

checking out for both genre fans and those interested 

in Canadian private press releases. Lewin's second LP 

("Diamond Love & Other Realities", Gargoyle 1976) 

comes with professional packaging and a full folkrock 

sound with flowing keyboard, jazzy moves and some 

female vocals, but is less successful as a whole. 

JEFF LIBERMAN (Flossmoor, IL) 

"Jeffrey Liberman" 1975 (Librah 1545) 

"Jeffrey Liberman" 199 (Librah, Europe) [bootleg]

The debut LP which apart from being reissued also 

supplied one track to a comp you might wanna check 

out before diving into his stuff. Mixes heavy 

feedback blowouts with mellow loungy bits. An 

acquired taste as they say, though guitarheads 

probably can dig it. [PL] 

"Solitude Within" 1975 (Librah JL 6969) 

"Solitude Within" 199 (Librah, Europe) [bootleg] 

I wasn't real sure what to expect from this one since 

folks seem to love it, or hate it. With that in mind 

I'm happy to report that I fall into the pro-Jeff 

Liberman camp. While 1975's "Solitude Within" may not 

be the most original effort in my collection, 

Liberman showed himself to be an excellent and 

extremely versatile guitarist who was equally at home 

on hard rock ("Rock or Roll Me"), jazz-rock, blues 

('The Same Old Blues') and even a little out-and-out 

experimentation (the instrumental "Myopic Euphoria"). 

While the focus was clearly on Liberman's guitar 

chops, exemplified by tracks like the leadoff rocker 

"I Can't Change" and "Life Is Just a Show" he had one 

of those gravely voices that was surprisingly well 

suited to a wide array of genres. Imagine Robin 

Trower (another reviewer used Alvin Lee as a 

comparison), but with a voice and less of a Hendrix 

fixation and you'd be in the right aural 

neighborhood. While psych and rock fans might not be 

enthused by Liberman's jazz-rock excursions, I 

actually found stuff like the instrumental Santanaesque 

title track and "'Springtime"' to be a nice 

change of pace. [SB] 

"Synergy" 1978 (Librah) [insert] 

"Synergy" 199 (Librah, Europe) [bootleg] 

"Then And Now" 199 (CD Second Battle sb-034, Germany) [2CD] 

-- collects the three Librah LPs on 2 CDs. 

LIFER (Bloomington, IN) 

"Lifer" 1980 (Ribbon Rail) 

Hardrock obscurity with a slight prog touch. 

LIFT (New Orleans, LA) 

"Caverns Of Your Brain" 1977 (Guiness gns-36021) 

"Caverns Of Your Brain" 199 (Guiness, Europe) [bootleg] 

"The Moment Of Hearing" 199 (CD Synphonic) [+bonus tracks] 

This is the most collectable rock (as opposed to 

funk) album on the Guinness label, and it's easy to 

see why, as it's one of the most accomplished 

American prog albums you'll hear. There's a definite 

Yes influence in the heavy bass playing, melodic 

vocals and use of keyboards, but also a youthful 

charm and refreshing lack of fantasy lyrical content. 

The last song gets awfully repetitive at the end 

(which makes me wonder if Guinness just used the 

master tape and didn't fade the song out soon

LIGHTNIN' (MI) 

enough), but otherwise these four long songs are 

engaging and surprising throughout. Several years 

later the band found out that "Caverns" (recorded 

1974) had been released behind their backs, and they 

decided to release the album on CD. This reissue 

includes a whole album's worth of songs they recorded 

a few years later with a female vocalist. This is one 

of the rarest albums on Guinness, reportedly a 

pressing of 500. [AM] 

"Lightnin'" 1975 (Jojacq) [blank back cover] 

Hardrock with funk and prog moves. Same songs on both 

sides. There is also a John Sinclair-produced 1973 

acetate with 5 tracks from a MI band called Lightnin' 

which is better than this, with typical Detroit rock 

sounds. It's unclear if it's the same band. 

[WHITE] LIGHTNING (Minneapolis, MN) 

"Lightning" 1970 (P.I.P. 6807) [wlp exists] 

"Lightning" 1996 (CD Anthology 38.11, Italy) 

Hard fuzz trio/quintet featuring the blazing leads of 

Zippy Caplan (ex-Litter). The band was less garagy 

and more pounding hardrock than the Litter. White 

Lightning was a slang term for LSD at the time (and 

bootleg whiskey prior to that). In this pre-LP power 

trio format the band cut a classic hard guitar-psych 

45, "William", released as by White Light on the 

local Hexagon label and picked up by Atco for 

national distribution. The group then added two new 

members and shortened their name to Lightning. They 

continued in the hardrock mode but now with dual 

leads. "Lightning" is an excellent effort, just 

missing the certain magic they possessed as a power 

trio. Recorded at Sound 80 in Minneapolis. Early runs 

mention Jimi Hendrix on the label; later runs do not. 

Posthumous releases with enjoyable pre-LP material 

include "Under The Screaming Double Eagle" and "The 

Lost Studio Album/1969", both on the American Sound 

label, combined to one CD on Arf Arf. [RM] 

~~~ 

see -> Litter 

LIGHT RAIN (Larkspur, CA) 

"Light Rain" 1977 (Magi 004) 

Douglas Adams' debut LP was released under his name, 

while the "Light Rain" title became his band name for 

subsequent albums. Rather appealing mid-1970s hippie 

folkrock/s-sw sounds with a rich instrumentation and 

lots of ethnic moves; especially into 

Mediterranean/Arabian domains. I detect an influence 

from "Desire"-era Dylan, which combines with a 

typical guitarbased period sound (incl some fuzz 

leads) a la David Sinclair on side 1, while side 2

gradually lays on an Eastern feel with flamenco 

guitars and arabian violin, making the last 10-12 

minutes quite psychedelic in feel. Hardly outstanding 

but enjoyable all through for fans of 1970s folkrock. 

Light Rain's subsequent work is instrumental Middle- 

Eastern bellydance excursions with a westernized 

feel, superb performances and high production value. 

These include "Dream Dancer" (1978), "Dream 

Suite" (1979) and "Valentine To Eden" (1983), all 

reissued on CD. Several years earlier, Adams and his 

brother were in El Paso band Wailing Wall (see 

entry). [PL] 

LILY & MARIA (New York City, NY) 

"Lily & Maria" 1968 (Columbia CS 9707) 

"Lily & Maria" 2005 (Columbia) 

I picked up a copy of the LP given I'd seen various 

references describing it as being "moody psych" and 

"acid folk". Chalk that description up to dealer 

hype. So if it ain't psych, what is it? Imagine a 

female Simon and Garfunkel. Now eliminate some of the 

songwriting talent; delete some of the vocal 

abilities; eradicate most of that pair's limited 

sense of humor and for good measure add on a mix of 

cloying lyrics and nauseating arrangements. Yup, 

that'll give you a pretty good picture of the 

results. Basically it's hard to decide what worse, 

the duo's lame stabs at making big and sensitive 

statements ('Subway Thoughts' and 'Ismene - Jasime'), 

or Neuman's little girl lost voice. To my ears the 

woman can't come within a mile of hitting a song's 

melody. Given the album vanished without a trace, 

most folks (or at least the few that heard this), 

apparently agreed. [SB] 

~~~ 

This duo became of interest to collectors when a song 

from this album appeared on the "Hippie Goddesses" 

compilation. Housed behind a photo of the two, heads 

together, naked to the shoulders, marvellous blue 

eyes shining, the album is sensual and intimate, and 

the voices blend in an appealing way. Most of the 

songs are long; they drift. That's good and bad; at 

its best the songs are passionate and delicate, but 

at worst they're aimless and over-serious. It's 

unique; I think it's a more interesting record than, 

say, Wendy & Bonnie, but I also think it'll just 

float right by a listener who isn't inclined the 

right way. [AM] 

LINCOLN ST EXIT (Albuquerque, NM) 

"Drive It" 1970 (Mainstream 6126) [rarer wlp exists] 

"Drive It" 198 (Mainstream, Europe) [bootleg; thin cover & 

vinyl, matrix# scratched out]

"Drive It" 199 (CD TRC, Germany) [+2 tracks] 

Along with Growing Concern and Bohemian Vendetta, 

this is at the top of the Mainstream totem pole (in 

terms of price), and it almost lives up to the hype. 

Excellent teen hard rock from Native Americans who 

are wise beyond their years, as good as almost any 

other bluesy hard rock album from its time. Maybe the 

best of the many excellent Mainstream album covers, 

too. The band had a killer pre-LP garage/psych 45, 

and also a retrospective EP on the Psychout label 

with a great unreleased psych epic track. A German 

pressing on London exists. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Xit 

JAMES CALHOUN LINDSAY BAND ( ) 

"Kinky Mersey" 1976 (Tiger Lily tl-14043) 

Lord knows why this album was ever recorded. It's 

covers of mostly British Invasion songs (including 

four Beatles tunes), basically done with no effort to 

distinguish them from the originals. It sounds like a 

demo for a cover band trying to get gigs on the 

oldies circuit. In fact, this was most certainly 

demos rather than completed songs, as the songs end 

sloppily, there appear to be no overdubs, and in some 

places you can hear the singer giving cues to the 

band. Side two is even less "complete" than side one 

and sounds like it was recorded accidentally without 

the band's knowledge. The only song that tries for 

something different is a long, boring, obviously 

improvised hard rock take on "Why Don't We Do It In 

The Road." It's a song that could make for an 

interesting cover version some day, but this isn't 

it. Only the most fanatic Tiger Lily collector should 

dare touch this stinker. In true tax scam fashion, 

there are no musician credits, and some of the 

songwriting credits and song titles are incorrect. 

James Cahoon Lindsay was previously a member of 

Goodthunder, and later would be a member of L.A. 

Jets. Both bands also included members of another 

(and much better) Tiger Lily band, Daddy Warbucks. 

[AM] 

LINKS (Las Vegas, NV) 

"Presenting the Links" 1967 (Link lp-501) 

"Once Again and Again" 1967 (Link lp-503) 

LIONHART (TX) 

Funny bad lounge rock cover band with lots of 

accordion that's been criminally hyped as "garage" 

and "folkrock" by deaf record dealers in the past. 

[RM] 

"Lionhart" 1977 (Hutch) [1st press; plain cover] 

"Lionhart" 1977 (Hutch) [2nd press; printed red cover]

Crunching guitar hardrockers. There is a also a 45 

release. 

LISTEN (Oklahoma City, OK) 

"Listen" 1973 (Treehouse S-12-432) 

Seldom seen Christian hippie folk trio which is above 

average, about half the tracks being strong. 

LISTENING (Boston, MA) 

"Listening" 1968 (Vanguard vsd-6504) [wlp exists] 

"Listening" 2000 (Vanguard/Akarma 050, Italy) 

"Listening" 2000 (CD Vanguard/Akarma 050, Italy) 

Good but overrated Bosstown hard rock/psych album. 

They try to do a lot, integrating jazz and blues 

touches into the music. Some of the songs don’t 

really make it, and they seem kind of self-conscious 

at times (i.e. the Dylan-esque moan of “so stoned” at 

the end of the otherwise great “Stoned Is”.) This one 

hasn’t really aged all that well, probably because 

they were trying too hard, but there are still some 

hot moments and some excellent musicianship on 

display here. [AM] 

~~~ 

Between 1966 & 1968 you could easily have divided the 

U.S. into five distinct geographic areas with each 

one having it's own stereotypical, localized style of 

rock music. The Midwest had horns, possibly as a 

result of it's rich history of High School Football 

and it's accompanying Marching Bands. The West Coast 

had laid back, flowing guitar sounds, the results of 

both the "Hippie"(drugs) and "Surf" lifestyles. The 

Southwest(primarily Texas) had a punky, bad-ass 

garage edge as a result of being... ummm... Texans. 

The Southeast was influenced by it's native R&B and 

the Justice label documents the results. And the 

Northeast had blue-eyed soul, street smarts and the 

legendary Hammond B-3 Organ. The Vanilla Fudge is the 

band that can get credit/blame for leading a whole 

barrage of organ dominated bands that played the 

clubs of the Tri-State Area (NY, NJ, Conn, Pa, 

Mass... yeah, I know there's five of `em). Most of 

these bands did simplistic cover versions of R&B and 

AM Rock hits, slowed down to barbiturate speed, with 

this giant, living, breathing, pulsating organ 

pulling the tune along like a tugboat. As stated 

above, these characterizations are stereotypes, with 

there being a considerable number of exceptions, 

exceptions that usually produced the more interesting 

music. Listening is one of these exceptions. Their 

one and only LP, released on the Vanguard label in 

1968 is certainly rooted in the Northeast stereotype. 

Keyboardist Michael Tschudin uses what appears to be

classical and jazz influences to both expand and 

explore the genre, without ever sounding pretentious. 

(And continued to do so well into the 70's... more on 

that later) The LP opens with the awesome "You're Not 

There", a tune of matured teen angst that rather than 

beg "Baby, please come back!", realizes it's way to 

late and comes to terms with it. ("~You just stare, 

Baby, you're not there~"). Great ripping guitar and 

an organ that crescendos at all the right times. 

Amazingly, this tune was covered by the NY band 

Odyssey on their obscure private press as a result of 

the band's management having heard the Listening 

version and thinking it could "be a hit". "Laugh At 

The Stars" has a very psychedelic Left Banke vibe 

with once again, great guitar leads that are subtle 

and in all the right places. The third cut "9/8 Song" 

is where we might lose a few folks as the piano is 

rolled out and used generously. Imagine The Wizards 

From Kansas jamming with Dave Brubeck. It works for 

me, it won't for everyone. Next up is the highlight 

of the LP and one of my all-time personal faves 

"Stoned Is". This is the herb smokers answer to Lou 

Reed's "Heroin". It captures such a mellow, stoned 

vibe that a mere listen may produce a contact high. 

Features a sound that's described in the liner notes 

as "Organ Wash" (This song was covered by Tschudin's 

later band "Cynara" on Capitol in the early 70's) It 

closes with the exclamation point of vocalist/drummer 

Ernie Kamanis moaning "SoooooooooStoooooonnneeddd". 

The LP is worth the price of admission for this tune 

alone, and I don't say that about too many albums. 

"Forget It, Man" and "I Can Teach You" are more 

progressive in nature and upbeat which is not the 

band's forte, but certainly tolerable. "So Happy" 

sounds like a Boyce & Hart Monkees tune, catchy but 

shallow. "Cuando" is a throwaway instrumental with a 

Latin vibe. "Baby, Where Are You" is the highlight of 

Side Two. A blues based tune that again has a Lou 

Reed vocal vibe and a stoned Young Rascals meet Sam 

Gopal musical vibe. The closer is "See You Again" and 

it has a trashy Lincoln St. Exit guitar sound, the 

hardest rocker on the LP and the tune where 16 year 

old guitarist Peter Malick gets to show off his 

chops. In my opinion this LP is the best of the more 

obscure Vanguard efforts. If keyboards aren't your 

thing, you'll think a little less of it. If you dig 

the Odyssey LP or Stark Naked on RCA this is your 

Holy Grail. [RH] 

~~~ 

see -> Cynara 

LITE STORM (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Warning" 1973 (Beverly Hills 1135) 

Hollywood breezy hippies with Kali Bahlu, one OK 

track has been comp'd. 

"God Is Love" 1973 (Beverly Hills 1136) 

"God Is Truth" 1974 (Sai Sound Sumitee) 

Obscure second and third LPs are more Eastern-mystic 

and spiritual as the band disappeared into the guru

mist (as represented by Sai Baba, pictured on both 

album sleeves). Mixed male/female vocals, indian 

instruments. Later albums were released as by One. 

~~~ 

see -> One 

LITTER (Minneapolis, MN) 

"Distortions" 1967 (Warick wm-671) [2000p] 

"Distortions" 1981 (no label, UK) [bootleg] 

"Distortions" 198 (Eva 12038, France) 

"Distortions / $100 Fine" 1990 (CD Eva b-04) [2-on-1] 

"Distortions" 1990 (K-Tel 835-1) [+2 tracks; 500p] 

"Distortions" 1990 (CD K-Tel 835-2) [+2 tracks] 

"Distortions" 1995 (CD Taxim tx-2003, Germany) 

"Distortions" 1999 (CD Arf! Arf! aa-077) [+9 tracks] 

"Distortions" 1999 (Get Hip ghas-5020) 

One of the major local LP legends which had people 

mortgaging their houses even back in the late 1970s. 

Zippy Caplan is one great fuzz guitarist and there 

are some brilliant originals here, but also several 

unnecessary UK '65-66 covers which sort of irritate 

me. Insane version of "I'm a man" is a classic, and 

the sheer perfection of "Action woman" even more so, 

but both these tracks were released on 45. So by 

today's standards this LP doesn't really deliver all 

the way in my ears, though I'm sure a lot of people 

out there disagree. [PL] 

"$100 Fine" 1968 (Hexagon 681) [1000p] 

"$100 Fine" 198 (Hexagon, Europe) [bootleg; fuzzy photo and 

fine printing] 

"Distortions / $100 Fine" 1990 (CD Eva b-04) [2-on-1] 

"$100 Fine" 1991 (K-Tel) [+1 track] 

"$100 Fine" 1991 (CD K-Tel) [+1 track] 

"$100 Fine" 1993 (CD Era 10002) 

"$100 Fine" 1995 (CD Taxim tx-2004, Germany) 

"$100 Fine" 1999 (CD Arf! Arf! aa-078) [+19 tracks] 

"$100 Fine" 1999 (Get Hip ghas-5017) 

Supposedly an acid fuzz kingpin LP from their "psych" 

phase, though several people I know agree it isn't 

really all that great. This may seem like sacrilege 

but you got to remember that this LP got its' 

reputation back in the early 80s when most of today's 

monsters hadn't been discovered and reissued yet. So 

compared to some LPs I could name (like Morgen) it is 

a slight disappointment. The band's major label third 

LP ("Emerge", Probe 1969) is in the heavy guitar rock 

camp and nowhere near the quality of the first two, 

but still better than most. Other Litter releases 

include "Rare Tracks" on the French Eva label from 

1983, which was a sampler of related (and nonrelated) 

tracks by White Lightning, the Electras and 

the Litter. "Live At Mirage" (CD on Arf! Arf! 079, 

1998) and "Re-Emerge" (CD on Arf! Arf! 080, 1998) 

both feature modern recordings. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Lightning 

LITTLE CEASAR & THE CONSULS (Toronto, Canada)

"Little Ceasar & The Consuls" 1966 (Red Leaf 1001) 

Teen-beat LP from band with goofy Roman soldier 

image, on the same label as the British Modbeats. 

Covers of "Sloopy", "Dancing in the street", "Shout", 

"Just like Romeo & Juliet", etc. Frat/club band 

throwback, more than garage. They had a national #1 

hit in 1965. 

LITTLE HOWLIN' WOLF (IL) 

"The Guardian" 1982 (Solidarity) 

"The Cool Truth" 1985 (Solidarity) 

Mainly late 1970s recordings of freaky fringe 

blues/rock/anything sounds from DIY Polish guy who 

played Chicago street corners and clubs, has garnered 

many fans over the years. The name isn't too farfetched, 

he really does sound like a slightly smaller 

(even at 6 ft 9) variation on the old blues legend at 

times. Comparisons have been made to both Albert 

Ayler and Abner Jay, take your pick. The guy 

supposedly did more than 30 45s, from which the two 

albums were assembled. The Heresee label has released 

some retrospective CDs. This artist (James Pobiega) 

shouldn't be confused with another Little Howlin' 

Wolf, a black guy named Jesse Sanders. 

LITTLE PHIL & THE NIGHTSHADOWS see Nightshadow 

V.A "LIVE AT THE BLOOD & BONES" (CT) 

"Live At The Blood & Bones" 1972 (no label) [100p] 

Acoustic folk blues with basement charms. Record has 

a purple tint under light. 

V.A "LIVE AT THE FUNNY FARM" (HI) 

"Live At The Funny Farm" 1966 (Scene 200) [gatefold] 

Local Hawaiian club sampler with lots of r'n'b and 

soul covers and a wild party mood, not bad. Bands 

include Spirits, Undertakers, Val Richards V, 

Casuals. "Rosalyn" by the Undertakers has been 

comp'd. 

V.A "LIVE FROM THE GROOVEYARD" (Vancouver, Canada)

"Live From The Grooveyard" 1967 (New Syndrome 1004) [2LPs] 

Local beat and soul ravers on this rare double set, 

with the Stages, Shockers, Shantelles, Epics, Stags, 

Soul Unlimited, Nocturnals, Night Train Revue. Much 

of the material is soul/r'n'b, but there's also 

covers of the Beatles and the Byrds. Hardly any 

(none?) band originals across the 28 tracks. It's a 

fake live recording. 

LIVING SACRIFICE BAND (ID/NJ) 

"Living Sacrifice" 197 (Living Sacrifice ls-770816) [approx 

200p] 

"Beauty for Ashes" 1979 (Praise Jesus ears-36) [black & white 

cover] 

"Beauty for Ashes" 1979 (Praise Jesus ears-36) ['flower girl' 

cover] 

"A Call to Brokeness" 1981 (Shekinah shm-3019) 

SAM LLOYD (Canada) 

Mix of acoustic Christian folk and rock with extended 

tracks and male/female vocals. The band moved to New 

Jersey and recorded as The Living Sacrifice Band on 

the latter two LPs. "A Call to Brokenness" is 

outstanding with heavy guitar and Jethro Tull 

sounding long tracks. Ex-Last Call of Shiloh. [RM] 

"Sam Lloyd" 1972 (Chart On 2001) 

LOAD (Columbus, OH) 

Basement downer folk with some fuzz. 

"Praise the Load" 1976 (Owl Intermedia st-2557) 

"Praise the Load" 1996 (CD Lazer's Edge) 

I've seen some references that leave the impression 

these guys had psych leanings. Bullshit! Musically 

the album offered up a conventional mix of rockadapted 

classical pieces (Bach's "Brandenburg #3" and 

Rossini's "The William Tell Overture") and more 

conventional rock numbers ("Flyaway" and "Dave's 'A' 

Song"). Imagine something out of the early King 

Crimson or ELP catalogs and you'll be much closer to 

the mark, though material such as the Spanishinfluenced 

"Fandango" and "The Betrayal" were nowhere 

as pompous as the ELP. Having listened to the set a 

couple of dozen times, you'll be left with two 

standing impressions. First, Hessler and the Smiths 

may not have been the most talented writers but they 

were exceptionally talented musicians. Secondly, 

you're struck by the fact the album was clearly 

lovingly made -- you'll be hard pressed to find a 

private pressing with such good sonic qualities. An 

unreleased 1977 LP appeared in the 1990s ("Load Have

Mercy", Lazer's Edge). [SB] 

LOADING ZONE (San Francisco, CA) 

"One For All" 1970 (Umbrella us-101) 

Bluesy soul rock with horns and the vocals of Linda 

Tillery. The band had an earlier self-titled major 

label LP which is easy to find (RCA, 1968). Neither 

album is very good, the Umbrella LP is mainly 

collected as a rarity. 

LOADSTONE (Las Vegas, NV) 

"Loadstone" 1969 (Barnaby 21235004) 

"Loadstone" 2004 (Barnaby 35004) 

LOCKSLEY HALL (WA) 

Features a side-long track, "Flower Pot", with wild 

effects and found sounds. This is actually Bobby 

Darin's backing group, and features a horn section. 

"Locksley Hall" 1996 (OR 013) [500p] 

While a lot of co-ed groups of the era sound rather 

generic, Locksley Hall manages to escape identity in 

a slightly different way. This album plays almost 

like a sampler of West Coast music. On various songs 

they sound like Country Joe & The Fish, Jefferson 

Airplane, The Charlatans, Big Brother & The Holding 

Company, and the Association. Despite the crudeness 

of the recordings there’s a definite sense of 

professionalism here. They’re more appealing as a 

hard rock band than a soft rock band, but the only 

real dud here is the good timey song that ends side 

one. Both the male and female vocals are quite good, 

though as is often the case they sound much better 

apart than together. There is some excellent guitar 

playing here and a few very solid songs, most notably 

a long rocker on side one. The mix of styles is a bit 

disconcerting, but overall, this is much better than 

a lot of genre albums that did end up getting major 

label releases at the time. The LP was recorded in 

Seattle for Epic in the late 1960s but not released 

at the time. [AM] 

LODESTAR (Springfield, OH) 

"Lodestar" 1978 (no label) 

LODESTONE ( ) 

Hardrock with wailing leads. Good one. No relation to 

the El Paso band on "I Love You Gorgo". A Rite 

pressing, for those who track that plant.

"Mainstreet" 1974 (LD 101) 

LODESTONE (CA) 

Rural bar rock sound with harmony vocals. 

"Lodestone" 1981 (Lodestone 7268) [textured cover] 

LOGOS (KS) 

Hardrock with metallic edge. Good guitar. 

"Firesides And Guitars" 1974 (Audio House 113 L74) [300p] 

Midwest aching folkrock with Vietnam era social 

concerns. Beautiful vocals and sparse guitar backing, 

similar sound and quality to Shadrack. [RM] 

LOLLIPOP SHOPPE (Las Vegas, NV / Portland, OR) 

"Just Colour" 1968 (UNI 73019) 

"Just Colour" 199 (Edsel, UK) [+2 bonus tracks] 

Despite "You must be a witch" of Pebbles fame this LP 

is a bit overlooked. I think it's one of the craziest 

major label LPs around and along with SAC the best on 

the label. Fred Cole's vocals are so far out you 

wonder how they ever got a contract plus tracks like 

the awesome "Underground railroad" blows even private 

press stuff away. Perhaps more eccentric than truly 

good, but should be checked out. Lord Tim Hudson 

tried a Seeds-style hype with them but it never 

really clicked. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> "Angels From Hell" 

JACK LONDON & THE SPARROWS (Canada) 

"Jack London & the Sparrows" 1965 (Capitol t-6115) [mono] 

TOM LONERGAN (NY) 

This debut LP from future Steppenwolf bigwigs is rare 

and goes in a typical mid-60s Brit 

Invasion/Merseybeat style. Unlike most Canadian 

albums from the era, this has several band originals. 

~~~ 

see -> "Meet The Lively Ones" 

"And Buddy Kelly, Donna Nylans & John Kroner" 197 (Paja's no

#) 

Rare rural folkrock and blues in the typical early 

1970s private press style, with electric guitar 

leads, flute, some female vocals. 

LONG HOT SUMMER see Friday At The Cage A Go Go 

LONG TIME COMIN' (IN) 

"Long Time Comin'" 1974 (no label) 

LOOSELY TIGHT (AZ) 

Local rural rock with steel guitar and jammy feel. 

"Fightin' Society" 1981 (Star Struck Records TDS 020559) 

LORD SITAR ( ) 

Local hardrock/metal led by Dino Livingston. The band 

later became Icon. 

"Lord Sitar" 1968 (Capitol st-3916) [rainbow label] 

LOS PERDIDOS (NJ) 

Session musicians featuring Big Jim Sullivan on 

sitar. Fun lounge instro rock with lead sitar, organ, 

and some bumblebee fuzz. Covers of the hip songs of 

the day including three Beatles' covers. [RM] 

"Los Perdidos" 1963 (LP 101) 

Obscure pre-garage LP of surf, frat and instros, 

included here as it's usually bought by garage LP 

collectors. One band original, "Race riot". Cool 

monochrome sleeve of the well-groomed band playing 

around in a doghouse. 

LOST & FOUND (Houston, TX) 

"Everybody's Here" 1967 (International Artists 3) [cover 

slicks] 

"Everybody's Here" 1978 (International Artists 3) [box-set 

reissue; boardprinted] 

"Everybody's Here" 1979 (International Artists 3) [wraparound 

slick] 

"Everybody's Here" 199 (Decal, UK)

"Everybody's Here" 1993 (CD Collectables col-0552) 

"Everybody's Here" 199 (CD Eva b-42, France) [+bonus tracks] 

One of the more famous I.A LPs but to me none of the 

best, has moves similar to the Elevators and Golden 

Dawn but no real artistic vision -- more like the 

local hipsters strutting their '66 fuzz discoteque 

act. A couple of good tracks but also some throwaway 

duds. Great sleeve though. The band was previously 

known as the Misfits but had to change their name 

after being involved in one of the earliest local TX 

drug busts of a rock'n'roll band. This, like some of 

the other lesser IA albums, sells for as much money 

today as it did back in the late 1970s! The band's 

finest moment was the non-LP IA 45; they also had 

some unreleased material on "Epitaph For A Legend". 

The 1978 reissue can be identified via the matrix 

number, which begins 'Ach...'. The 1979 bootleg has 

're-1' in the dead wax. There are probably more 

reissues than those; all reissues are vinyl-sourced 

as the tapes are lost. [PL] 

V.A "THE LOUISVILLE SCENE" (Louisville, KY) 

"The Louisville Scene" 1967 (Rod'N Custom 3001) 

Rare local Battle Of The Bands LP including 12 

showbands, soul and beat groups who were winners of 

the Rod and Custom Car Show Battle. Bands include the 

two solid garage tracks from the Rondells and 

Malibus, plus the Pas-Tels, Romers, J.C. and the 

Humans, Patriots, Sixpence, Centaurs, Vibratones and 

more. The cover shows local DJs driving cartoon hot 

rods. 

LOVE EXCHANGE (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Love Exchange" 1968 (Tower t-5115) [mono] 

"Love Exchange" 1968 (Tower st-5115) [stereo] 

"Love Exchange" 200 (CD Sundazed 6113) [+bonus tracks] 

Poppy folkrock with organ, acid leads, mixed vocals. 

A bit in the cheesy exploito bag. 

LOVE IS A HEART-ON (New York City, NY) 

"Love Is A Heart-On" 1970 (Heavy hs-111) [lyric insert] 

Silly and not especially funny obscene rock nowhere 

near as amusing as the "Let My People Come" 

soundtrack, the Hot Poop album, or even Chinga 

Chavin's "Country Porn." Some of this is pretty 

heavy, and there's a bunch of fuzz guitar on display, 

but this barely has value as a curiosity. I've yet to 

meet anyone who played it more than once. The LP was 

sold by mail-order ads in the back of Rolling Stone 

magazine. Due to a large find, the value has dropped 

considerably on this LP. [AM]

LOVE MACHINE ( ) 

"Electronic Music To Blow Your Mind By" 1968 (Design SDLP- 

282) 

"Electronic Music To Blow Your Mind By" 2001 (Design) 

COLLEEN LOVETT (CA) 

Exploitation instro "psych" with lots of sound fx and 

fuzz, rated highly by some genre fans. A Canadian 

mono pressing exists. 

"Birds With Broken Wings" 1974 (ERA) [gatefold] 

Somewhat legendary femme soft-rock with Ms Lovett 

baring her soul and heart in a way that becomes 

almost obscene in its naked honesty. She seems a 

little too adept at playing the "victim" for my 

tastes although it certainly makes for odd listening. 

Some disturbed male record collectors may listen to 

this in the wrong way, which is just as scary as 

Colleen's comparisons of herself to a sandpiper with 

broken wings. Featured on the notorious "Hippie 

Goddesses" comp. [PL] 

LOVING SANDWICH see Instincts 

GORDON LOWE & LAUREL WARD (Canada) 

"Prisms" 196 (Yorkville) 

L.R.Y. ( ) 

Late 1960s downer folk featuring guitar and bass and 

female backing vocals, on the same label as Ugly 

Ducklings. 

"The L R Y Record" 1968 (Congress of the Crow) 

Liberal Religious Youth was a nationwide youth group 

affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist 

Association. This is technically a compilation in the 

Christian teen folk style, recorded at the 

continental conference at St John's College. The 

label was in DeKalb, Illinois. [RM] 

"L.S.D" ( ) see presentation

"LSD" 1966 (Capitol TAO-2574) [mono; gatefold] 

"LSD" 1966 (Capitol TAO-2574) [stereo; gatefold] 

Extraordinary documentary on the new drug craze 

sweeping the nation, one of the best and most 

entertaining spoken word LPs of the era. Narration 

(by an uncredited Dick Clark) is superbly eloquent 

and manages to portray the whole acid wave as a game 

for con-men and loonies, without ever saying so 

openly. Allen Ginsberg, Laura Huxley and Ken Kesey 

get to see only their most bizarre sides exposed, 

while Tim Leary fares better doing his usual ritual 

spiel. There's interviews with dozens of teenage 

heads, and an unforgettable peak is reached with an 

actual trip recording of "Brian", a hipster acid head 

who unfortunately happens to have his first bad LSD 

experience while being recorded (with concealed 

microphones). The "Brian" recording is authenticsounding 

and either very funny or pretty scary, 

depending on how hard-core you are. A highly 

sophisticated anti-drug LP, and the artwork and 

photos are equally outstanding. All material 

(including the Leary and Kesey/Prankster snips) is 

unique to this LP. Judging from promo ads, the LP was 

released as early as August 1966. [PL] 

"LSD - Exclusive Open End Interview" 1966 (Capitol PRO 4153) 

[promo only; single sleeve; b & w cover] 

TED LUCAS (MI) 

This rare promo variant on the "LSD" documentary LP 

is of special interest as it has almost a whole 

side's worth of unique material. The "open-end 

interview" features the unnervingly warbling voice of 

wellknown anti-LSD spokesman Dr Sidney Cohen, with 

gaps of silence in between his responses so that any 

local radio DJ could pretend that Cohen was right 

there to answer his questions. Needless to say, 

listening to this in a lysergic state will produce an 

amazing, ghostly effect certain to drive 

inexperienced travellers up the wall. Side 2 features 

excerpts from the above-mentioned "LSD" LP and seems 

to contain only material found on the official 

release. There also exists a 3-side acetate set from 

the production of these LPs, but the exact contents 

of these are unknown; possibly they cover all the 

unique material from the two releases above. [PL] 

"Ted Lucas" 1976 (Om 5374) [insert] 

Burnout downer folk from ex-Spikedrivers guy who must 

have gone through a lot to end up with this world-

TOM LUCAS (NY) 

weary escapist testimony. High points include a very 

good raga-folk workout recorded live, while "It's So 

Nice To Be Stoned" manages to be both funny and 

scary. Should appeal to downer/loner folk fans, 

although a far cry from the spellbinding 1960s 

folkrockpsych of the Spikedrivers. Some copies come 

with a bonus 45. Housed in a beautiful Mouse Studios 

cover that features the abstract bird logo made 

famous by AOR band Journey shortly after this LP. 

Lucas passed away in the 1990s. He also appeared on a 

local MI sampler of folk artists from around the same 

time, titled "The Detroit Folk Scene vol 1" (CLS 

Archive Records). [PL] 

~~~ 

One side of this album consists of solo voice-andguitar 

loner folk, some of which is very good. The 

other side is made up of Eastern-themed guitar 

improvisations which aren’t bad, but kind of overstay 

their welcome. Not really what a Spike-Drivers fan 

would hope for, but a reasonably interesting album if 

you don’t set your hopes too high. The album cover 

would soon be stolen and used by Journey. It’s pretty 

weird to think that a stoner folk album would start a 

major mainstream prog rock trend, but since you can 

trace Journey back to Frumious Bandersnatch, 

everything eventually integrates. [AM] 

"Red Letter Day" 1975 (New Fate lp-01-500) [lyric insert; 

500p] 

"Red Letter Day" 2004 (CD Radioactive 075, UK) 

Great 1970s rock/folk-rock album. Lucas is vocally a 

Neil Young clone, which suits his low-key songs well. 

The songs are tight and well-crafted, and sparing but 

clever use of synthesizer and fuzz guitar adds 

interest. Most reviewers describe this album as 

“weird,” but it really isn’t. It’s more “clever” than 

“strange.” It definitely feels of its time, but also 

feels like he was just a little too smart or a little 

too indifferent to ever appeal to a mainstream 

audience. [AM] 

~~~ 

Professional sounding, fully realized mid-1970s 

classic rock (in the good sense) with equal nods to 

early 70s Neil Young and the Rolling Stones from the 

same era, sporting Nick Hopkins-style piano, a rich, 

lively studio sound and even some female backing 

vocals. Lucas can't really decide if he wants to be 

Neil or Jagger on the vocals, which gives an odd 

tension to songs already charged with emotion. 

Heartfelt lyrics cover a wide range of topics, and on 

a track such as "They're coming" Lucas is not far 

from the level of his heroes, while the downer ballad 

"Days numbered" hits home well. Although derivative 

and ultimately 2nd tier, it's hard to find faults 

with this album, which would have fit much better on 

a major label with some promotional push behind it. 

The mainstream nature of this may be off-putting for 

psych and hardrock collectors, but anyone who grew up 

listening to the Big Guys of Rock is likely to be 

charmed and impressed by "Red Letter Day". [PL]

CHRIS LUCEY (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Songs Of Protest And Anti-Protest" 1966 (Surrey ss-1027) 

[mono] 

"Songs Of Protest And Anti-Protest" 1966 (Surrey ss-1027) 

[stereo] 

I seem to be alone in thinking this an unexceptional 

pop/easy listening LP with folk moves, but apart from 

a couple of memorable tracks -- typically the 

dreamier ballads -- I don't find much of interest in 

it, and some of it strikes me as outright poor. In 

any event, whatever quality it has is overshadowed by 

the remarkable background story. LA artist Chris 

Ducey (of Chris & Craig with Craig Smith, aka 

Maitreya Kali) had recorded an album's worth for the 

Surrey label. Ducey being under contract elsewhere 

wasn't allowed to release it, leaving Surrey with 

album artwork and related material already completed. 

In an unprecedented move it was then decided that a 

new LP should be recorded, using the exact same 

songtitles as Ducey's, although the new tunes were 

completely different. This challenging task fell upon 

Bobby Jameson, who delivered what is now known as the 

"Chris Lucey" LP; the last name (and sleeve artwork) 

changed from Ducey to Lucey for the same contractual 

reasons. Interestingly a Canadian pressing exists 

with the "Ducey" name intact, but still with 

Jameson's music! In England a more accurate release 

credited Bobby Jameson, and retitled the LP "One Too 

Many Mornings" (Joy). Chris Ducey's original 

recordings remain unheard to this day. [PL] 

~~~ 

Considering that Bobby Jameson was given ten titles 

and asked to fill in the songs, and that the whole 

thing was essentially a throwaway quickie, this is a 

really good early folk rock album. A stark production 

sound gives it some depth and has helped it to age 

well. The constant comparisons to early Love aren’t 

really on target other than that both were ahead of 

their time as far as the way they rocked up a basic 

folk sound. That is Brian Jones flipping the bird on 

the front cover, by the way. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Jameson 

LUCIFER (Rochester, NY) 

"Lucifer" 1970 (Gallo 2869) 

"Lucifer" 2001 (Void 25) 

"Lucifer" 2001 (Akarma 044, Italy) 

"Lucifer" 2001 (CD Akarma 044, Italy) 

Heavy rock pounder with vocal harmonies. Sometimes 

compared to Grand Funk Railroad but actually more of

LUMBEE (PA) 

a typical Eastcoast post-Fudge outing. 

"Overdose" 1970 (Radnor r-2003) [with drug game] 

"Overdose" 2001 (CD Gear Fab gf-166) 

Heavy drug rock with fuzz and some vocal. Pretty weak 

but the drug game is cool, and represents at least 

half the value. 

GARRETT LUND (San Bernardino, CA) 

"Almost Grown" 1975 (no label 5113) [gatefold; insert; demo 

press w/ 'planet' label design] 

"Almost Grown" 1976 (Terra Fertilis) [2000p; gatefold; insert; 

white label] 

"Almost Grown" 2000 (World In Sound rfr-006, Germany) 

[gatefold; insert] 

"Almost Grown" 2003 (CD World In Sound wis-1006, Germany) [+5 

bonus tracks] 

Rare westcoast guitar-rocker with a late psych vibe 

and some fantastic tracks on level with DR Hooker and 

Zerfas. "The only turnaround" and "Silver sails" are 

good yardsticks for epic 1970s psych-rock. There are 

a couple of (to me) weaker tracks as well, but above 

average on balance, and rated very highly by some. A 

couple of tracks feature ex-Misunderstood legend 

Glenn Ross Campbell on steel guitar. There was also a 

pre-LP 45 with an alternate version of 'Country 

Livin' on the Tralfamadore label. "Lund" was formerly 

in garage bands the Caretakers and Trane. [PL] 

~~~ 

Progressive hardrock with tightly controlled playing 

and strong songs. Stunning, trembling high vocals, 

westcoast flowing leads and nice dynamics with a 

surging quality to much of the playing. Like a 

heavier Bobb Trimble. "Stop the World" is amazing, 

managing to be both an alienation anthem and a love 

song. The closer is likely the best cover of "(It's 

All Over Now) Baby Blue" you will ever hear. [RM] 

LES LUTINS (St Hyacinthe, Canada) 

"Les Lutins" 1966 (Carrousel crs 5401) 

The debut album from this popular Quebec band opens 

on a deceptively beat-oriented note, similar to 

Eurobeat bands such as the Mascots or Boots. Midtempo 

tunes led by heartfelt teen vocals (in French) and

somewhat crude acoustic/electric guitar arrangements 

paint them as yet another 2nd-tier "Rubber Soul" 

outfit. However, after this so-so opening the band 

begins to show both balls and chops with the dynamite 

maraccas & fuzz-led Stones-influenced rocker "Je 

Cherche", a dead ringer for the US garage punk sound, 

except for the French lyrics. The energy and snot 

factor remains high via "Pretty Girl" with powerful 

fuzz leads running through and soaring vocals, 

followed by the wild Diddley r'n'b of "Laissez-Nous 

Vivre", again lit up by raw guitar-work and ace teenpunk 

singing. After this impressive middle third, the 

last part of the album mixes the Stonesy '66 rock 

with the poppier styling of the first tracks, and 

while not bad the energy seems to fizzle out a bit. 

Overall an above average pre-psych LP from a talented 

band still searching for their identity, damaged 

slightly by a clumsy track sequencing. [PL] 

"En Orbite (vol 2)" 1968 (Carrousel crs 5402) 

"Laissez Nous Vivre" 1999 (CD Disques Merite) [2-on-1; bonus 

tracks] 

Lead off by the amusing but somewhat goofy "Monsieur 

Le Robot", the second Lutins LP successfully mixes a 

ballsy garage edge with a Swinging London, Whoinfluenced 

mod sound on many tracks. "Petit Joe" has 

a nice garage edge with atonal fuzz leads and is one 

of the best numbers on board; "Girl" (sung in French, 

despite the title) also provides an ace US 1966-style 

rocker, with loftier ambitions creeping in towards 

the end. As with most French-Canadian bands, the 

vocals are strong in a snotty teenage way, while the 

lead guitarist & rhythm section often go into Whotype 

rave-ups that highlight a track such as the 

dynamite "Les Yeux Fermes". This could have been one 

hell of a good album, but unfortunately the band 

inserts several lighter, half-jokey tunes into the 

pop art fuzz dynamics, which makes for an awkward 

mix, especially as whatever humor there is goes over 

the head on non-French listeners. Impressive 

musicianship and a strong band identity still manages 

to keep "En Orbite" together as a coherent, almostgreat 

work, with a first half that is truly 

impressive. The CD contains both albums with the 

running order completely messed-up, plus the band's 

debut 45. [PL] 

LYD (Los Angeles, CA) 

"LYD" 1970 (Sunwest Recording acetate) [1-sided] 

"LYD" 1992 (Fanny, Belgium) [400p] 

"LYD" 199 (CD Thorns, Europe) 

"LYD" 2000 (Akarma 2013, Italy) [10"] 

"LYD" 2000 (CD Akarma 913, Italy) 

LYONHILL (NE) 

Originally recorded in 1970, unreleased one sided 

acetate. Some great garage guitar psych with intense 

basement atmosphere, long fuzz excursions, and wasted 

junkie lyrics, well worth checking out. [PL]

"Lyonhill" 1977 (no label) 

Excellent mainstream rock/folk-rock private press 

album that sounds SoCal, though they’re from 

Nebraska. The album starts with a great moody folkrocker 

with some hot violin, and goes on to show a 

surprising amount of diversity. There are shimmering 

acoustic guitars, and absolutely spot-on harmonies. 

This is the rare band where the male and female 

singers sound perfect together. Highlights include a 

bluegrass song with honkytonk piano that would make 

the Dillards proud and some tasteful and effective 

synthesizer. The songs are basically short and tight. 

One song where the female singer takes on the 

personality of a man is awkward, and a dumb cocaine 

joke is a glaring reminder that the album is from the 

mid-1970s, but otherwise this is a terrific record by 

a multifaceted band. [AM] 

JOHN LYONS & THE BLUE DIAMONDS (PA) 

"Light In The Lowlands" 1979 (TNT Records BD 5805) 

This is a unique blend of bluegrass and post Dylan 

singer/songwriter music and it’s great. The sparse 

instrumentation (banjo and guitar on some songs, two 

guitars and an occasional hint of bass on others) 

effectively frames a batch of intelligent, wellwritten 

story-songs. A few of the songs are long in 

the best Dylan tradition, without repetition, and 

with stories that sustain the songs’ length. It’s all 

deceptively simple and pure. The songs are about 

mountains, freight yards and coal mines, about 

Mississippi and West Virginia, but there’s nothing 

backwoods about this music at all. The lyrics about 

hobos and drifters feel less contrived than the 

similar tales on the Modlin & Scott album, and Lyons’ 

voice is world-weary and evocative. As you may guess, 

not your usual private press folk album, this is 

really something special. [AM] 


MACARTHUR (Saginaw, MI) 

"MacArthur" 197 (R.P.C. 58932) [200p; inserts] 

"The Black Forest" 198 (R.P.C., Germany) [bootleg] [300p] 

Adventurous sweeping synth prog with guitar bursts 

featuring Ben MacArthur, very spacy with long tracks 

and echoed vocals. The LP was issued in a plain cover 

with 'MacArthur' sticker pasted on, and was only sold 

at shows. The small press size has been confirmed by 

the band. The reissue is re-titled. 

"MacArthur II" 1982 (Bay Music) [1000p; lyric sheet] 

This progressive album (with material from 1977-82) 

is adventurous but ultimately too derivative and 

uninspired to win out. It opens with an instrumental 

that resembles the first song on the Third Estate 

album, then moves to space rock and classically based 

rock. It commences with an acoustic 

guitar/piano/synth instrumental that marks them as 

obsessive ELP wannabes. This is technically wellplayed, 

though the synth use is surprisingly 

unimaginative for a band who use the instrument so 

heavily. The production is smarmingly AOR; the lead 

guitar and drums are really annoying in a purely 80s 

way. As is often the case with do-it-all indie prog 

artists like this (the much superior Atlantis 

Philharmonic comes to mind), the singing completely 

lacks personality. Most of the rhythm guitars here 

are acoustic; there's a definite attempt to create 

textures through a variety of instruments, but it's 

undermined by the way Ben Macarthur thinks speedy 

playing (on both guitar and keyboards) is both 

impressive *and* compelling listening. It's the 

first, but not the second. Without ideas, technical 

prowess is worthless. [AM] 

DOUG MACARTHUR (Canada) 

"Letters From The Coast" 197 (no label) 

"Letters From The Coast" 1976 (Rut) [2nd press] 

MACHINGBYRD ( ) 

Fragile folkpsych with sitar on one track. It seems 

the guy had another LP as well. 

"The Road to Forbidden Ecstasy" 1980 (Arro Mountian Records 

10001)

Folk and folkrock with psych moves, acoustic and 

electric guitars, some synth embellishments. 

MACKS CREEK BAND (MO) 

"Macks Creek Band" 1980 (MCB) 

Midwestern 1970s-style rock with a Southern feel. 

MAD DOG (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Mad Dog" 1969 (no label) [no sleeve; test press] 

"C1 C2" 2000 (Shadoks 031, Germany) 

"Dawn Of The Seventh Sun" 2003 (RD 12, Switzerland) [insert] 

Here's another fine mess from the private press zone. 

After releasing the "Chocolate Moose" LP members of 

the Zoo moved on to the Mad Dog project, which was 

recorded at a Hollywood Studio in 1969. A few test 

pressings were made, but nothing else came from this. 

Thirty years later one of the test pressings turns 

up, with no details available, and is reissued as "C1 

C2" as this matrix # was the only info contained on 

the record. A few years on, RD decides to reissue the 

Mad Dog test press, and in the process discovers that 

this is identical to what had come out as "C1 C2" on 

Shadoks. The main difference is that the RD release 

is legit and master tape-sourced and has the original 

sides reversed. To add to the confusion, the band was 

also known as Joyful Noise at one point. The actual 

music is good late 60s Bay Area-style guitar 

psych/rock, like a Fillmore support band. Three of 

the songs were used in the low-budget biker flick 

"The Black Angels". [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Zoo 

MAD DOG (Bay City, MI) 

"617" 1977 (Fish Head fh-7701) 

This is a weird minimalist hard rock album. The cover 

is a b/w drawing of an outer space scene with a bunch 

of headless naked female bodies, and the record is 

just as stark and mysterious. Though the cover says 

the songs were recorded between 1974 and 1976 the 

music has an early punk rock feel with thick 

distortion on the rhythm guitars and no apparent 

instrumental overdubs. The drumming is frantic but 

the songs are of medium speed. This is a curiosity 

because it's completely bleak, it sounds like nothing 

else and appears to have no specific influences, with 

one unfortunate exception. The ghost of Michigan's 

past rears its ugly head with the annoying throaty 

vocal style, a dead ringer for the Frost's Don 

Hartman, who made his presence known on the horrible 

live side of Rock And Roll Music. In any case, if it 

wasn't for all of the singer's growling, this would 

be pretty interesting stuff. As it is, it's supremely 

annoying. [AM]

MAD FABLES (NJ/NY) 

"Get Off!" 1977 (Magic 520440) [blank back cover] 

MADHOUSE ( ) 

Eastcoast loose stoner outlaw jams in Grateful Dead 

style, housed in weird cartoon cover. Most of the 

album was recorded in Bloomfield, NJ in a three day 

session. 

"Serve 'Em" 1972 (Today tlp-1010) 

Here's a cool soul/funk LP for people who are tired 

of their P-Funk albums. There's a strong Sly Stone 

influence here, but also a bit of Funkadelic-style 

lead guitar, a very heavy political message, and, on 

one song, rhythms that sound like Tago Mago/Ege 

Bamyasi-era Can. This isn't as heavy or "rock" as, 

say, Purple Image, but it will appeal to psych fans, 

especially on the two long jams, both of which are 

quite dark (one is about an overdose, the other about 

the apocalypse) and have a lot of free form 

instrumentation. Spacious arrangements highlight some 

excellent bass playing. A very good album, a sleeper 

in the genre. Today was a subsidiary of New York 

label Perception. The cartoon cover shows President 

Nixon serving the group tea. [AM] 

MADRIGAL (New York City, NY) 

"Madrigal" 197 (Spyder 136) 

If anything here in the Archives fits the term 

"underground," it's this. Supposedly only about 50 

copies were made and when one of the band members was 

found he was rude and refused to talk about his album 

or disclose the whereabouts of his bandmate. The 

record itself is a basement-sounding recording by two 

guys with no help from anyone else, and only a tiny 

bit of overdubbing. One guy plays guitar, one plays 

theremin, both sing, one of them runs a drum machine. 

The vocals are heavily reverbed. About half of the 

songs are random improvisations (including a 12minute 

mess called "Stoned Freakout") with unhinged 

screaming, feedback-laden guitar and other various 

noises. The other half are pop songs, basically done 

with just voice, guitar and drum machine. Some of 

these songs are quite good, and as awful as fake 

drums can be, something about this primitive machine 

only adds to the lonely DIY feeling here, making 

these guys sort of a cross between Suicide, Moolah 

and Index. The vocals are very good. "Ballad," which 

is so quiet that you can barely hear the singing, is 

especially eerie. The closing instrumental is really 

lame, like the instrumentals on the North County Rock 

Association album. Obviously, much of this album is 

boring and/or annoying, but some of it is pretty 

memorable too. More importantly, it's one of those 

albums that sounds absolutely like nothing else, 

which always means that someone out there will fall

in love with it. Considering the rarity and $1000 

price tag, hopefully it will be reissued so that one 

person won't go broke trying to find it. [AM] 

MAD RIVER (Yellow Springs, OH / Berkeley, CA) 

"Mad River" 1968 (Capitol st-2985) [rainbow label] 

"Mad River" 198 (Capitol) [bootleg] 

"Mad River" 198 (Capitol 038-85-882, Germany) [altered 

sleeve] 

"Mad River" 1985 (Edsel ed-140, UK) [inner sleeve] 

"Mad River" 199 (CD Edsel 651, UK) 

"Mad River / Paradise Bar & Grill" 2001 (CD Collector's Choice 

1722) [2-on-1] 

"Paradise Bar and Grill" 1969 (Capitol st-185) [green label] 

"Paradise Bar and Grill" 198 (Capitol) [bootleg] 

"Paradise Bar and Grill" 1986 (Edsel ed-188, UK) 

"Mad River / Paradise Bar & Grill" 2001 (CD Collector's Choice 

1722) [2-on-1] 

MAG-AMPLITUDE (OK) 

The debut is fine westcoast guitar psych, while 

"Paradise Bar and Grill" moves more into an acoustic 

rural hippie direction. The debut LP recordings were 

accidentally sped up during the original mastering 

phase, which means that most releases including the 

1968 original actually play at inaccurate speed. The 

recent 2-on-1 CD reissue corrects this, but many 

people still prefer the "speed" version. They 

previously recorded a wonderful EP (1967, Wee) with 

the standout "Wind Chimes". The EP was bootlegged in 

the 1980s and comped on the CD "The Berkeley 

Eps..." (Big Beat, UK 1995). [RM] 

~~~ 

Extraordinary band whose greatness has yet to be 

fully recognized. Unlike many I prefer the debut LP 

and its enticing mix of unique vocals, complex moods 

and angular sounds, as pure psychedelia as anything 

ever made in the Bay Area. "Paradise" is enjoyable 

and just as unusual but to me it seems somewhat 

disjointed in its mix of rural folkrock, bombastic 

psychrock, spoken poetry, and more. Of course, the 

1967 EP may be even better than their LPs. The band 

formed at Antioch College in Ohio and recorded some 

demo tapes before leaving for the west coast; these 

are partly excellent and have not yet been released. 

[PL] 

"Mag-Amplitude" 1983 (no label MA-1983-01) 

Strange and primitive LP that has been described as 

"the Higney of Heavy Rock". 

MAGI (IN) see article/interview 

"Win Or Lose" 1976 (no label 6102) [1000p] 

"Win Or Lose" 1987 (Breeder 560, Austria) 

"Win Or Lose" 199 (CD Flash 51, Italy) 

"Win Or Lose" 2005 (CD Radioactive, UK)

MAGIC ( ) 

Tough hardrock from popular "Michiana" region band 

with good songs, an admirably tight rhythm section 

and pretty good vocals. Despite what you may read, 

there is nothing psychedelic about this; a typical 

mid-70s Midwestern sound with Aerosmith and Kiss 

influences. A few guitar jams, one ballad, else more 

of a concise urban sound with hints of AOR and 

glamrock, but don't let that scare you. In the right 

place and time these guys could have been major. One 

song is about running out of weed. Recorded at Uncle 

Dirty's in Michigan. Expensive but still slightly 

underrated LP, to which the unfortunate front cover 

photo may have contributed. There was also a non-LP 

45 track in the same style, and some good unreleased 

material exists. The band moved to LA in 1978 in an 

attempt to make it big, but soon fell apart. Bass 

player Tom Stevens later turned up in 1980s legends 

the Long Ryders. [PL] 

"Magic" 1966 (no label 147606) 

MAGIC (MI) 

No relation to the "Enclosed" band, this is teenbeat 

with organ. 

"Enclosed" 1969 (Armadillo 8031) 

"Enclosed" 1986 (Hype 02, UK) 

"Enclosed" 199 (CD Flash 44, Italy) [digipak] 

"Enclosed" 199 (Gear Fab gf-204) 

"Enclosed" 1998 (CD Gear Fab gf-116) [+8 tracks] 

"Enclosed" is mainstreamish hippierock sounds with a 

westcoast groove and soul/funk moves, reminiscent of 

a mellow Hendrix and the later-day Bay Area bands -- 

when it's good, it's on level with Kak, but 

personally I find the blue-eyed soul Sons Of 

Champlin-type material tough to swallow. The 12minute 

Kak/QMS guitarjammer "Play" has plenty of 

admirers and rightly so, but overall I'm not as 

impressed with this LP as others seem to be. Check it 

out and decide for yourself. Recorded in Florida, 

where the band was joined by a member of popular band 

the Birdwatchers. CD has plenty of bonus tracks for 

all you soulrock fans out there. Their second LP on 

Rare Earth is generally considered much inferior. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

This seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it album, with one 

side of soulful rock songs and one that’s simply an 

extended guitar solo with bits and pieces of songs 

appearing at odd moments. Side one is OK, but the 

long solo is what makes this album essential. The way 

it’s structured into what isn’t exactly a song gives 

it a certain kind of intrigue and depth, and the 

playing is diverse and fascinating... certainly one 

of the best long guitar solos anywhere. The CD adds a 

bunch of more mainstream bonus tracks that aren’t 

very good, marring the listening experience to those 

who only know it by that reissue. [AM]

MAGIC BUBBLE (Canada) 

"Magic Bubble" 1970 (Columbia 90038) 

This album's exceptionally diverse, including stabs 

at pop, hard rock, blues moves and even what sounds 

like an attempt at a calypso rhythm. That diversity 

is simultaneously a strength and a weakness. Rita 

Rondell has an okay, if less than overwhelming, 

voice. While she has a bluesy voice that occasionally 

recalls Maggie Bell, exemplified by tracks such as 

"I'm Alive" and the ballad "If I Should Ever Love 

Again" she's largely relegated to handling the 

group's more pop oriented material. Her best 

performance happens to be her toughest vocal - "Cry 

Cry". That leaves brother Frank to handle the more 

rock-oriented tracks such as "Whiskey Fire", 

"Changes" and "Circles (Lonely Wind)". Occasionally 

sounding like a more rock inclined David Clayton 

Thomas, his performances provide the set's 

highlights, including one bizarre bluesy cover of 

George Gershwin's "Summertime". Elsewhere, there's 

only one real duet between the siblings; the funny 

"Me & Mr. Hohner". Nice product, though you might 

think once or twice before shelling out the big bucks 

for an original copy. The album didn't see an 

American release. [SB] 

~~~ 

This is yet another co-ed West-coast styled group 

with organ, some fuzz guitar and a bluesy feel. And 

yet again the half of the songs with the male singer 

are pretty awful. His gruff voice might have worked 

in some other context, but is horribly out of place 

here. The songs with the female singer are poppier 

and catchier, less hard-edged, somewhat soulful, and 

this really sounds like two different groups. There 

are two very strong songs, “I’m Alive” and “Cry Cry,” 

both of which could have been hits. The album ends 

with yet another version of “Summertime,” which is 

another minus. Not a very satisfying listen straight 

through, but it has its moments. The organ player and 

the rhythm section are pretty solid. At their best 

Magic Bubble rock convincingly without being the 

least bit heavy. At their worst they’re forgettable 

and annoying. Lots of lyrics about drugs (and some 

paraphernalia on the album cover). Between that and 

the guy’s style of singing, they seem to be trying 

really hard to be hip. [AM] 

MAGIC FERN (Seattle, WA) 

"Magic Fern" 1980 (Picadilly 3386)

MAGIK (Canada) 

University of Washington band with circa 1966-67 

tracks. Pop rock with some psych shadings. Like most 

Picadilly albums, this was released posthumously 

without the band's knowledge. 

"Magik" 1981 (Rayne) 

MAGIK DAYZE (OH) 

Progressive hardrock in a primitive cover. 

"Magik Dayze" 1978 (no label) [lyrics] 

MAGILL & YOUNG ( ) 

Hard guitar prog with moog, mellotron and Rush and 

Mahogany Rush influences. The cover has a paste-on 

front and handwritten credits on the back. Keyboard 

wiz Charles Thaxton went on to various projects. 

"Take 1" 1969 (Two:Dot) 

TOM MAHAIRAS (NY) 

Little-known title on the same custom label as 

Arthur, Hendrickson Road House and the Mystic Zephyrs 

IV. Basically it's lost in time 60s folkboom sounds 

with female vocals all through, rudimentary folkrock 

setting with two guitars and organ. The Baez-inspired 

lady doth oversingeth quite a bit, which makes for a 

strange vibe here and there, but may annoy if you're 

not in the mood. Her theatrics work best on a spooky 

cover of "Black is the color" with a sparse, 

Japanese-style arrangement and a Sally Eaton:ish 

psych feel creeping upon you. There's also a a couple 

Dylan songs and a heartfelt version of "Wayfaring 

stranger". Despite the band name the few original 

songs were written by one Karen Gross. For female 

folk completists mostly. Cool, primitive "period 

cover" to both front and back. [PL] 

"Seekers Of The Truth" 1972 (Janco 7256) [insert] 

Christian fringe-folk/incredibly strange artefact 

featuring amateur organ/guitar folkrock on one side, 

and priceless spoken word drug-head salvation stories 

on the other. Amazing front cover and funny liner 

notes. A must within the genre. [PL] 

~~~ 

One side of beautiful haunting christian psychedelic 

folk from former drug user turned preacher. Mahairas' 

voice and guitar is backed by chamber orchestration 

similar to that used on the Arthur Lee Harper album. 

The second side of the LP is spoken word featuring 

Tom and his wife giving testimony on how they turned 

from drugs to religion; plenty of talk about drug use

and someone who "went insane" on LSD. Might have some 

appeal to the fans of incredibly strange music. [MA] 

~~~ 


MAITREYA KALI (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Apache / Inca" 1972 (no label) [2LPs; gatefold; inserts; 

paraphernalia] 

"Apache / Inca" 1999 (Little Indians 2, Germany) [2LPs; 450p; 

3 inserts] 

"Apache / Inca" 1999 (CD Normal/Shadoks 005, Germany) [2 CDs] 

A very small number were made as a double LP before 

the LPs were issued separately (reviewed below). This 

package also contained a booklet, poster, feather, 

josh stick, and inserts. The German reissue imitates 

the release, except for the more exotic 

paraphernalia. Background: in 1966-67 Craig Smith 

made a bundle of cash writing songs for the Monkees, 

Andy Williams and Glenn Campbell, which is what 

financed his vast travels and subsequent 

transformation into Maitreya Kali. The unissued Penny 

Arkade recordings including several tracks also found 

on the Maitreya LPs and were released by Sundazed in 

2004. Check out the entry for Craig's old partner 

Chris Ducey for an unrelated story that is just as 

strange. 

"Apache" 1972 (Akashic 2777) 

"Apache" 1989 (Akashic) [bootleg; book; >300#d] 

This was apparently released before "Inca" but the 

recordings have a later sound. Continuing his trek 

down Latin America, this is more lowkey and 

introvert, as if the drugs caught up with him. The 

strange poetry and scribblings on the Yahowa-style 

sleeve confirm such suspicions. The album has a 

couple of marvy acid folkpsych tracks such as "Color 

Fantasy" but doesn't really live up to the hype I've 

seen on it. Beach Boy Mike Love unexpectedly pops up 

singing on a Monkees track (actually he's just 

humming along from the mixing board) that Maitreya 

wrote when he was still known as Craig Smith. 

Originals can be identified via printing on the spine 

and "masterdub" etched in the dead wax. Several other 

differences exist but these should suffice. The 

bootleg pressing is believed to be larger than the 

300 stated.[PL] 

"Inca" 1972 (United Kingdom of America cf-2964) 

"Inca" 199 (United Kingdom of America) [bootleg] 

Nominally Maitreya's 2nd album, but the material on 

it is definitely from an earlier era than "Apache".

To me superior to the more wellknown "Apache" with a 

fabulous folkrocky 1966-67 WCPAEB-sound for the most 

part, especially on side 1. There's also some pretty 

enjoyable mellow hippiefolk stuff, strange spoken 

bits and interviews with latino chicks making fun of 

this sensitive seeker-type guy. Worth checking out 

for both 1960s and 1970s heads. [PL] 

MAIYEROS see Instincts 

MAJIC SHIP (Long Island, NY) 

"Majic Ship" 1970 (Bel Ami 711) [circa 1000p] 

"Majic Ship" 1985 (Heyoka 203, UK) 

"Majic Ship" 199 (no label, Italy) 

"Majic Ship" 1993 (Afterglow 009, UK) 

"Majic Ship" 2000 (CD Gear Fab gf-107) [bonus tracks] 

"Majic Ship" 2000 (Gear Fab/Akarma 084, Italy) [2LPs; bonus 

tracks; booklet] 

Extended "Down by the river"/"For what it's worth" 

medley highlights this famous Long Island LP, the 

rest is so-so Eastcoast post-psych FM rock sounds 

reminiscent of Bubble Puppy or an earlier version of 

Odyssey. Some good guitar and nothing overly 

offensive about it, but hard to understand all the 

fuss over this album. The Italian reissue is actually 

a bootleg of the UK bootleg, while the Gear Fab CD 

contains spoken interview bits between some tracks 

and a messed-up running order. [PL] 

MAJOR ARCANA (Milwaukee, WI) 

"Major Arcana" 1976 (A Major Label 1000) [poster; lyric 

insert] 

The opening "Western wind" is a terrific folkpsych 

classic while the rest of the LP suffers a bit from 

the aggregated weight of all the different genres 

squeezed in. The vocals are strong but sometimes 

overstated in that typical 1970s troubador style, 

while the flute ornaments are a bit, uh, effeminate. 

Neat synth arrangements provide the same lounge 

multiinstrumentalist vibe as on Bermuda Triangle;

MALACHI (CA) 

this also has the odd rock musical/art school stage 

project feel that's on a lot of these mid-70s hippie 

LPs. Closing acidhead arrangement of "Greensleeves" 

sounds like the Kaplan Bros could step in any minute. 

Great psychy cover art. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is a more complex album than Jim Spencer’s solo 

work, with a lot of moods for what is essentially a 

hippie folk album. It starts with a truly gorgeous 

song, and has several highlights, including the 

voodoo inspired (and sexually nasty) “Pappa Doc” and 

the breezy “Back In The Spirit.” Not a wholly 

satisfying album, and it has way too much flute, but 

still an intriguing listen with some ace songs. One 

of the best album covers you’ll ever see, too. [AM] 

"Malachi" 1966 (Verve v6-5024) [gatefold; blue label] 

Eastern and American-Indian influenced protopsych/ethnic 

folk. Recorded at Columbus Recording in 

San Francisco in August 1966. Steve Cunningham would 

later joined Red Krayola. Although neither rare nor 

that highly rated, the LP is early enough to be 

historically interesting, and also features an early 

occurrence of the word "psychedelic" in the liner 

notes. 

MALT SHOPPE GANG (MA) 

"Maltshoppe Gang" 197 (Fleetwood fclp-5100) [red label] 

MAMMOTH ( ) 

Early 1970s group doing retro 50s rock and doo wop 

like a local Sha Na Na. Good, primitive guitar sound 

for crossover garage appeal. 

"Mammoth" 1981 (RNA) 

DeLand, Florida label. Southern rock like Lynyrd 

Skynyrd. 

MANDRAKE MEMORIAL (Philadelphia, PA) 

"Mandrake Memorial" 1968 (Poppy py-40002) [mono promo; stereo 

cover with mono sticker] 

"Mandrake Memorial" 1968 (Poppy pys-40002) [stereo] 

"Mandrake Memorial" 1996 (CD Collectables col-0691) 

"Mandrake Memorial" 199 (Poppy, UK) [bootleg] 

"Mandrake Memorial" 2005 (Poppy/Scorpio) 

The first Mandrake Memorial album is one of those 

records where the sound of one instrument so 

dominates (like the jug with the 13th Floor Elevators 

or the autoharp on Michaelangelo's "One Voice Many") 

that your assessment of the album is based almost

completely on how you feel about that one sound. Here 

the instrument is an electric harpsichord, which 

gives the songs an almost synthetic feel. I like it, 

but I can't speak for anyone else. What I can say 

with conviction is that the songs on this album are 

outstanding, and the guitar playing and singing is 

very appealing throughout. The album is full of sly 

hooks and dreamy melodies. It's simpler than the two 

albums that would follow, but is unquestionably a 

highly accomplished work from a very talented band 

who should be better known today. [AM] 

"Medium" 1969 (Poppy pys-40003) [gatefold] 

"Medium" 1996 (CD Collectables col-0693) 

"Puzzle" 1970 (Poppy pys-40006) ['wheel' insert] 

"Puzzle" 1995 (CD MM, Europe) [bootleg] 

"Puzzle" 1996 (CD Collectables col-0693) [+bonus track] 

Great, great psych band and local Philly heroes, 

underrated elsewhere to this day. The first LP is 

drawn from their club live set and goes in a 

garage/teen-psych direction, not bad at all but the 

harpsichord makes for a somewhat awkward mix with the 

overall sound in my opinion. Nevertheless, it went on 

to sell a respectable 40 000 copies. "Medium" shows 

them developing their studio psych ambitions with 

carefully crafted introspective keyboard/guitar mind 

trips while still retaining a song-oriented 

structure. "Puzzle" is a masterpiece, one of the 

truly great concept acid psych LPs on a major label, 

drawing from modernist classical like Stravinsky and 

Bartok, yet retaining a psychy headtrip feel 

throughout. Side 1 in particular is devastating and 

the LP as a whole a major personal fave. The band 

also had a non-LP 45 around the time of "Puzzle". An 

unreleased acoustic album from the same timeframe 

exists on acetate, but nothing has been released so 

far. [PL] 

MANIACS see "Soundtracks 1966" 

MANN MADE (Montreal, Canada) 

"Mann Made" 1972 (Good Noise) 

UK-sounding progressive rock with folk moves, some 

horns and synths. 

TERRY MANNING (Memphis, TN) 

"Home Sweet Home" 1970 (Enterprise ENS-1008) 

Manning may have done this album as kind of a lark. 

He's not a songwriter, and there's nothing serious 

about this record. Maybe that's why this is so good, 

the kind of record that I can't imagine any rock fan 

not enjoying. He begins with the unthinkable, a truly 

minblowing cover of "Savoy Truffle," a ten minute 

tour de force of creative arrangements that is as

CHARLES MANSON (CA) 

good a Beatles' cover as anyone has ever done. The 

fun doesn't end with just that one song. There are 

trashy rock originals, more wild cover versions, 

outrageous drum breaks, hilarious female backing 

vocals, irresistible fuzz guitar riffs, feedback and 

absurd lyrics. Side two is a notch lesser than side 

one, but this is an enjoyable romp not quite like any 

other. Manning shows equal parts reverence and 

disdain for a whole host of rock and roll traditions. 

Perhaps it's mostly a novelty, but psych fans will 

like it, roots rock fans will like it, punks will 

like it, garage fans will like it, and warped soul 

fetishists will like it. Beatles fans might even like 

it. Now let's all get down and do the trashy dog! 

[AM] 


"Lie" 1970 (Awareness 2144) [poster; 2000p] 

"Lie" 1970 (ESP 2003) 

"Lie" 1987 (Awareness 1) 

"Lie" 199 (CD Grey Matter 05) [+bonus tracks] 

"Lie" 199 (Fierce 001, UK) 

MANSON FAMILY (CA) 

It seems Charlie is bigger than ever these days and 

the fringe underground is all too happy to keep his 

shot at the charts in print. "Lie" would be a big 

item even if it was by an unknown guy, with Man-Son's 

great 50s beatnik outlaw voice and campfire folkpsych 

like "Mechanical man", "Sick city", "Ego" etc. The 

latter's my fave with a scary intensity and the 

girls' seductive Spahn Ranch harmonies. A staple of 

any reasonably twisted record collection. There was 

also an odd gatefold Spanish release on the Movieplay 

label from 1971, "12 Canciones". The poster 

represents about half the value. The ESP version is a 

legit 2nd press for Eastcoast distribution. The 

somewhat noisy 1987 repro has 'Awareness' on the 

front cover in print letters, not handwritten. In 

recent years there's been a handful of subsequent 

releases of material recorded in prison, including 

"The way of the wolf" and "The white album". The 

"Unplugged" CD features outtakes from the original 

"Lie" sessions and is worth checking out. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Manson Family 

"Sings The Songs Of Charles Manson" 1991 (no label) [white 

vinyl] 

"Sings The Songs Of Charles Manson" 1991 (no label, Europe) 

[bootleg] 

"The Family Jams" 1998 (CD Transparency) [2CDs] 

Circa 1970 tapes of the Family singing the Master's 

songs in a communal desert campfire folkpsych setting

with mixed male/female vocals - the innocent songs 

and evil lyrics make for great and spooky listening, 

superior to Charlie's own LP in many's opinion. 

Recommended, superior to most similar LPs not made my 

hippie murder cults. The Transparency double CD 

contains all material on the LP plus additional 

material from the same sessions. [PL] 

MANTIS (Montreal, Canada) 

"Mantis" 1973 (Sweet Plum 952) 

Prog and melodic rock from Quebec with liberal use of 

guitar and keyboards, mixed male and female vocals. 

MANTRA (Toronto, Canada) 

"Mantra" 1970 (MMC 301) 

MARANATHA (NJ) 

Folk/folkrock featuring steel guitar and autoharp, 

with a mellow vibe and some instrumental tracks, 

highly rated by some. 

"Soon" 1971 (no label no #) 

X-ian hippie rock with equal mix of hard guitar and 

moody acoustic numbers. Several unrelated x-ian 

groups recorded LPs under this name. [RM] 

~~~ 

Although they're from the opposite end of the 

country, New Jersey's Maranatha has that same 

longhaired homegrown west-coast guitar psych sound as 

Spokane's Wilson McKinley. In fact, I might go so far 

as to say that Soon is on equal footing with the 

classic "Spirit of Elijah" - it's that good.

MARAUDERS (PA) 

Guitarist Charlie Rizzo would later emerge with the 

more Southern-edged Emmaus Road Band, but here the 

style seems much more garage angled and hippie 

jamming. ... An insanely rare private press and 

easily one of the top US Christian monsters. [KS] 

~~~ 

see -> Emmaus Road Band 

"Check In" 1964 (PRC 64-303) [blank back cover] 

"Maraudin' 65" 1965 (no label) 

"Maraudin' 65" is a rare teenbeat LP with a mix of 

pre-Invasion instros and covers of Animals, Gerry & 

the Pacemakers typical of the era. Crude paste-on 

cover displays their hip VW Beetle convertible. The 

even obscurer first LP has been described as "hot 

guitar instro surf" and has covers of Ventures, 

Pyramids, Surfaris etc, plus one original. 

MARBLE PHROGG (Tulsa, OK) 

"Marble Phrogg" 1968 (Derrick 8868) 

"Marble Phrogg" 199 (CD Derrick, Europe) 

MARCUS (NY/CA) 

Covers only LP from local club band with Iron 

Butterfly, Cream, Hendrix, Steppenwolf, and even a 

belated Byrds number. More interesting than the 

typical late 60s fuzz cover bands, as they put a lot 

of effort in delivering and adapting the material, 

while retaining a cool teen vibe. The reissue is 

worth examining for those interested in the era, with 

obvious similarities to the Smack LP. 

"Marcus" 1970 (Kinetic 3027) 

"Marcus" 1993 (CD Collectables col-0571) [+2 tracks] 

As everyone knows, this is Deep legend Rusty Evans 

broadcasting from burnout island. Described by a 

noted record dealer as "one of the blandest records 

ever made" the 1970 LP still has a share of fans, 

though I'm not one of them. Wimpy sub-Donovan 

astrology hippie folkpsych, may appeal to Cat Stevens 

fans. "Million Grains Of Sand" in an orchestrated 

version is the best track. Kinetic was an Epic 

subsidiary. Rusty made an LP with the All Night 

Singers c1963 (Reprise R6117), and a Christian folk

MARCUS (KY/IN) 

solo LP in the late 1970s. There is a collection of 

demos/outtakes from this album on CD from 

Collectables (Col-0690). [PL] 

"From The House Of Trax" 1979 (House Of Trax nr-10788) [500p; 

'disco' cover with small blue paste-on] 

"From The House Of Trax" 199 (House Of Trax) [bootleg; 

boardprinted] 

"From The House Of Trax" 1995 (Fantasia, UK) [500p] 

"From The House Of Trax" 199 (CD House Of Trax) [bootleg] 

"From The House Of Trax" 2003 (World In Sound rfr-014, 

Germany) [+2 tracks; +bonus CD-ROM; 500p] 

"From The House Of Trax" 2003 (CD World In Sound wis-010, 

Germany) [+2 tracks; +bonus CD-ROM] 

A somewhat legendary late 1970s psych private from a 

guy still living in the cosmic acid seeker mindset, 

even as the sound is (for the time) modern, with an 

FM-rock/AOR feel that may put some off. Similar to DR 

Hooker as a "big ego" project with no resources 

spared; the songs, the performances and the 

production are flawless. Hearing this on acid is like 

walking around inside a psychedelic cathedral, with 

multilayered keyboards, dreamy female harmonies, and 

a panoramic 24-channel soundscape. The strongly 

psych-flavored A-side is awesome in my ears, although 

the Cecil B DeMille production has its number of 

detractors. I don't care - this is a longtime 

personal fave. The original press was 500 copies, but 

only about half of them came with the blue paste-ons 

with Marcus image and titles that cover the center 

hole front and back. In later years remaining copies 

from Marcus' original stash appeared on the market in 

the plain white disco sleeves only, without any blue 

paste-ons. Copies have also appeared with what are 

believed to be more recently manufactured paste-ons, 

although they're more or less identical to the 1979 

ones. The early 1990s bootleg enlarged the paste-on 

images so that they fill the entire boardprinted 12" 

sleeve space. Despite being legal reissues, the WIS 

releases are vinyl-sourced and somewhat inferior in 

sound to the original. The CD-ROM features a video of 

a 1979 acoustic live performance by Marcus from local 

TV. Only one song from the LP is performed, and the 

material is less psychedelic and more 

singer/songwriter. Marcus made a comeback LP in the 

1990s titled "The return". [PL] 

~~~ 

This is the ultimate example of an album that divides 

psych fans. Some of you will hate it, though it's not 

one of those albums whose legend comes from 

misleading dealer hype, as there are people who 

absolutely love it too. Like the best latter day 

psych albums (Trimble, Zerfas, Anonymous, etc.) it 

sounds completely of its time. Unlike those albums it 

doesn't seem to have any connection to 60s music,

though, and if anything sounds a few years ahead of 

its time. The reverbed and way up-front vocals, the 

ultra-prominent cymbals (the rest of the drums are 

buried in the mix so far they might as well not even 

be there), the cheesy synthesizers and new agesounding 

female backing vocals are hallmarks of the 

80s sound. Mixed with spacy sound effects and this 

album's most prominent feature, heavy phasing, it 

sounds like psychedelicized AOR (or, on the non-heavy 

songs, new age soft rock) sung by a mystic and 

recorded in an echo chamber. The sound is absolutely 

going to be a hard sell for most of you, and in my 

opinion the songs are only marginally more appealing. 

Some of it doesn't even sound like "rock" to me, and 

while about half of the songs are quite catchy, 

there's not a lot of musical depth here. I find this 

one more interesting for the way the confusing 

release and "re-release" were hyped by dealers than I 

do for the actual music within. This is a real 

oddball, to be sure, and doesn't sound like anything 

else. I recommend that you don't pay too much mind to 

either its fans or its detractors and check it out 

for yourself. [AM] 

ROBERT MARCUS (Corpus Christi, TX) 

"Robert Marcus" 1974 (Ankh 1001) 

Soft rock with keyboards, orchestration, some fuzz 

and wah-wah, housed in a funny cover. 

MARIANI (Austin, TX) 

"Perpetuum Mobile" 1970 (Sonobeat HEC 411/412) [plain stamped 

cover; insert with typewritten info; 100p] 

"Perpetuum Mobile" 198 (Hablabel, Italy) [150#d] 

"Perpetuum Mobile" 199 (CD Germany) [+1 track] 

"Perpetuum Mobile" 1994 (Fanny 300894, Belgium) [500p] 

"Perpetuum Mobile" 200 (Akarma, Italy) 

"Perpetuum Mobile" 200 (CD Akarma, Italy) 

There are some really big rarities whose greatness 

escapes me and I'm afraid Mariani is one of those. 

Eric Johnson is probably a technically brilliant 

guitarist but after you've been through ten minutes 

of Hendrix/Alvin Lee imitations you sorta wish he'd 

do something else, like write decent songs rather 

than just excuses for guitar solos. A few promising 

hints of psych, especially on a track like "Rebirth 

day" and a powerful in-yer-face soundscape, but all 

over I find this LP disappointing. For Eddie van 

Halen fans, Texas completists and collectors of 4figure 

legends. The group had a non-LP 45 with 

psychedelic drum solos. [PL]

~~~ 

Heavy blues psych band with sixteen year-old Eric 

Johnson on stun guitar, Vince Mariani handling drums, 

Jimmy Bullock on bass. Lead vocals are handled by 

several singers including Bill Wilson, Darrel Peal, 

and Jay Podolnick. The playing gets anthemic at times 

but the lyrics are regrettable. The recording session 

was done outside in a wooded area. The German CD is 

made from a rough copy of the LP and is very noisy. 

The bonus track is a much later Eric Johnson version 

of "Little Wing". All reissues have new sleeve 

designs as the original was plain cover. [RM] 

~~~ 

Eric Johnson the wunderkind is on display here, but 

the band was named after the drummer, and ultimately 

is as boring as, say, a Ginger Baker solo album. 

Johnson was talented but not especially original as a 

teenager, and there isn’t a solo here that wouldn’t 

have been better if it was half as long (the drum 

solo, of course, would have been better if it didn’t 

exist at all). Even with the Johnson connection, it’s 

a mystery to me why this is such a sought-after 

album. I can think of hundreds of better late 

60s/early 70s hard rock albums. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> American Peddlers; Electromagnets; Bill Wilson 

MARIANUS (Andover, MA) 

"Visions From Out of the Blue" 1981 (Jupiter) [lyric insert] 

This is hyped as a prog album (and occasionally as an 

AOR album), but defining it by that genre doesn't 

tell the whole story about this oddity. It takes cues 

from pretty much every rock style of the preceding 25 

years, even glam and new wave (those two are 

especially apparent on the irresistible opening 

track.) There's a bit of mellotron on the album, a 

spacy instrumental, a bunch of catchy choruses, 

bizarre backing vocals and a singer who is the 

missing link between Steve Harley and Geddy Lee. The 

guitar riffs on the early verses of "Man From Another 

Planet" really hit the spot. The songwriting 

throughout is creative and intelligent. This is weird 

and distinctive! I'm not sure who the audience is for 

this one, but it's pretty great. [AM] 

DEREK SCOTT MARKEL (Canada) 

"Derek Scott Markel" 197 (no label RH 074601) 

MARK IV (Canada) 

Rural folkrock and singer/songwriter with full 

setting, piano, even accordion, the Band moves and 

some psychy guitar. Highly rated by some. 

"Vol 1" 1965 (Rusticana CKL 1225) 

Obscure teen-beat LP in neat sportscar cover.

MARKLEY (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Markley: A Group" 1969 (Forward st-f-1007) 

GARY MARKS (NY) 

I may be in the minority here, but I enjoy this as 

much as any of the "proper" WCPAEB albums, as it's 

full of left turns, crazy arrangments, freaky lyrics, 

and catchy tunes. As with the first Reprise album, it 

sounds like a killer garage pop album filtered 

through the mind of a whacked out genius. Absolutely 

a must-hear for popsike fans. [AM] 

"Gathering" 1974 (ULT 74008) [booklet] 

Little-known Tim Buckleyish singer/songwriter with 

jazz moves, rated highly by some. The LP was 

originally sold via mail-order. 

MARLBOROS & JOKERS SIX ( ) 

"Real Live Girl" 1966 (Justice 126) 

"Real Live Girl" 199 (CD Collectables 0610) 

MARR'DEL (OH) 

Unusual LP with black vocal group and white club band 

joining forces to try and get a beach party 

going. Apparently the two bands toured together, the 

Jokers Six supporting the Marlboros who are an early 

60s-style vocal 4-piece. The Marlboros don't sing bad 

and some tracks may appeal to local doo-wop 

collectors, although the recording is muddy and 

tinny. The title track is a fairly good original and 

there's another original on board, the rest is mostly 

r'n'b/soul standards. While the vocal strength of the 

Marlboros gives the album an edge over pretty much 

all other Justices I find little exceptional about 

it. There's an OK surf-style instro and an energetic 

"Good loving" on side 2 but apart from that the 

Jokers Six sound like any generic club band; 

competent but dull. Embarrassed, one of the Jokers 

Six guys comes right out in the liner notes and 

admits that the Marlboros are the "up and coming 

stars of this album". [PL] 

"Mystery Of Love" 1979 (MSP 3001) [1000p] 

Accurately described as "sparse cosmic female real 

people" by the guy who invented this type of 

descriptions. Her voice is somewhat arch and lofty, 

but the refined, serious mood is effective. Acoustic 

guitar and autoharp, some songs, some spoken poetry 

with musical backing and occasional sounds of nature 

such as rain and thunder.

MARSADEES (SC) 

"Marsadees" 1967 (Justice 150) 

"Marsadees" 1996 (CD Collectables) 

Probably the rarest LP on the label, this wasn't even 

known to exist for many years. It's not bad either, 

clearly among the better in the Justice catalog, with 

a crude surf and frat approach similar to the nongarage 

stuff on the Tempos LP. Should appeal to 

anyone interested in local pre-Brit Invasion sounds, 

even though it dates from around 1967! Cool cover 

photo of the very young band. One group original, a 

sleepy surf instro. [PL] 

MARY BUTTERWORTH (South Gate, CA) 

"Mary Butterworth" 1969 (Custom Fidelity 2092) [350p] 

"Mary Butterworth" 1988 (Breeder 562, Austria) 

"Mary Butterworth" 1998 (CD OCCS) 

Inside one of the greatest private press psych 

sleeves ever you'll find pretty enjoyable LA area 

(they were not from Idaho) highschool pothead sounds 

with Hammond organ upfront and great echoey drums. 

Mixes bluesy vibe with a westcoasty outdoors feel in 

the vocals. Mellow and stoned rather than lysergic, 

despite uninspired lyrics three out of six tracks are 

excellent - check out the Gathering vol 3 comp for a 

sample. The album was sold via gigs and to friends 

and had no formal distribution. The band also had a 

pre-LP 45 on Custom Fidelity. Surprisingly, one track 

from the LP is used in the highly acclaimed "Lost In 

Translation" movie. The CD is remastered and remixed. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

Bluesy hard rock with long songs and some jazzy flute 

and sax. The lyrics are trite and uninteresting but 

the songwriting is decent and the overall sound is 

appealing: lots of reverb and echo, nice guitar 

sound, ringing cymbals and eerie organ, vocals that 

don’t fall into the usual bluesy macho trap. “It’s A 

Hard Road” is particularly good. There are moments 

where it seems pedestrian, but also moments that rise 

above. Not top of the heap, but good enough to 

recommend to genre fans. The guitar solos are pretty 

dull, though. [AM] 

CARM MASCARENHAS (Winnipeg, Canada) 

"Someday Soon" 1975 (Mascanta) 

Folk and folkrock with acoustic and electric backing

MASON (VA) 

and powerful vocals. 

"Harbour" 1971 (Eleventh Hour 1001) [paste-on yellow title 

sticker; booklet] 

"Harbour" 1971 (Eleventh Hour S-1001) [printed cover; 

booklet] 

"Harbour" 199 (Eleventh Hour) [bootleg] 

"Harbour" 199 (Gear Fab gf-137) [+2 tracks] 

"Harbour" 1999 (Akarma, Italy) [booklet] 

MASS-TERS ( ) 

Released on the local Eleventh Hour label, the album 

offered up a surprisingly accomplished set of early- 

'70s heavy metal. Acrese had a voice that was well 

suited for the genre; Hampton was a first-rate 

drummer and as a trio these guys generated 

considerable intensity. Largely written by Galyon, 

material such as the driving opener "Let It 

Burn" (imagine Deep Purple having borrowed Ian 

Anderson for a flute solo), "Tell Me" and the cool 

instrumental "Electric Sox and All" were all 

impressive. Great songs and great performances (geez, 

Grand Funk sold millions and these guys couldn't get 

arrested). Elsewhere, "Golden Sails" was a 

substantial change of pace, opting for a progressive 

song structure (it may be our favorite song). [SB] 

~~~ 

This is an interesting and diverse hard rock album, 

well liked enough to have been reissued several 

times. If you can picture slow, organ-rich heavy prog 

side by side with blues-rock, acoustic folk-prog, 

jazzy sax instrumentals, and snappy riff rockers, 

you’ll have an idea of what you’re in store for here. 

It’s all done quite well, and there’s an air of 

professionalism usually absent from this kind of 

self-made record. My favorite is the brief “Goin’ 

Home,” which sports an undeniable hook, but there’s 

enough to like here than half a dozen listeners might 

pick half a dozen favorites. “Tell Me” has a fuzz 

guitar tone to die for. The singing is strong, but 

overly macho and humorless, unfortunately, the 

album’s one major fault. First issues have paste-on 

covers. The second issue has a black and white cover 

drawing and an insert.It was remixed at Alpha Audio 

but it's unclear whether there is any real difference 

in sound. Eleventh Hour went on to release albums by 

Polyphony and Vandy. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> James Galyon 

"Today" 1969 (Venus MS 001) 

Very obscure folk quintet looking like they're about 

5 years behind the times, and reportedly sounding 

that way too, except for some appealing female vocal 

harmonies. Mix of originals and covers. 

MATILDA see Don Daly

MILT MATTHEWS, INC ( ) 

"For The People" 197 (Catalyst cas-1111) 

"For The People" 2003 (Catalyst 1111) [reissue] 

Early 1970s black group. Soul rock with some fuzzy 

jamming similar to early Parliament but less 

interesting. Matthews had several other releases. 

MAX AND I (Long Island, NY) 

"Max and I" 1976 (Western Hemisphere) 

MAX CREEK (CT) 

Rural jams with female vocals, featuring Maxine and 

Ira Stone along with ex-Elephant's Memory members. A 

Morris Levy tax-loss release. 

"Max Creek" 1977 (Quack Sound 100) 

MAXIMILLIAN (NY) 

Supposedly only 100 copies were pressed of this 

"American Beauty" style rural jam LP. The band has 

been going for decades and developed a Deadhead-type 

fan-base. Later LPs include "Rainbow" (Wranger, 1980) 

and "Drink The Stars" (Wrangers 2LPs, 1982). 

"Maximillian" 1969 (ABC 696) 

ALICIA MAY ( ) 

This is remarkably inept for a major label release. 

It's certainly wasted, and is full of fuzz guitar as 

well as some organ, but it's not exactly the funkpsych 

freakout people wish it were, as it doesn't 

really go into particularly far out places. Add that 

to the lack of chops and go-nowhere soloing, and 

ultimately it's pretty boring. [AM] 

"Skinnydipping In The Flowers" 1976 (Golden Anchor 7777) 

[lyric inner] 

Femme vocal folk that has been compared to Linda 

Perhacs. California label. 

~~~ 

see -> "Guitar Picks" 

MAYAN CANALS see Rich La Bonte 

MAYPOLE (Baltimore, MD)

"Maypole" 1971 (Colossus cs-1007) [ylp exists] 

"Maypole" 2005 (CD Radioactive 114, UK) 

Heavy psych rock that’s got a lot of ideas, but also 

has a tinny metallic sound that grates on the ears 

quickly (and this is a long record). A definite 

favorite of some fans of hard rock, but it’s one of 

those albums that sounds much better when you’re only 

hearing one song on a mixed tape or radio show. Some 

of the songs are put together in kind of a suite, 

showing some obvious prog ambitions. [AM] 

MAY STREET TOPS (NC) 

"May Street Tops" 1974 (Death Valley no #) [300p] 

MAZANTI ( ) 

Rural hardrock with dual drums, occasionally hyped. 

Recorded at the same studio (Harry Deal's) as 

Dryewater. The title is sometimes listed as "Sold 

Out". 

"Philosopher" 1979 (Mazanti Music) 

Southern hardrock with some folky tracks and Jethro 

Tull moves. 

MAZE (Fairfield, CA) 

"Armageddon" 1968 (MTA 5012) 

"Armageddon" 1989 (no label, Europe) [bootleg] 

"Armageddon" 1995 (CD Sundazed sc-6060) [+6 tracks] 

"Armageddon" 2006 (Beat Rocket) [alternate mono mix] 

The Maze seek a sense of drama, with long songs, 

prominent organ, eerie harmonies, heavy lyrics and a 

singer who becomes unhinged here and there. If you're 

in the right mood for it, it's pretty enjoyable, 

especially since there are some crazed fuzz guitar 

breaks. One truly terrible semi-novelty song, "Kissy 

Face", destroys the mood, which makes the rest a 

little harder to take seriously. The overall effect 

is similar to the album by The Phantom, though the 

best songs here, especially "I'm So Sad", are more 

worthy of semi-serious respect than anything on that 

album. The short songs take a poppier approach, and 

they're reasonably good, with the one above-mentioned 

exception. Pretty cool, though not distinctive enough 

to really stand out in the genre. The Beat Rocket 

release has a previously unreleased mono mix with 

some alternate takes, and is this not a true reissue. 

[AM]

MCALLEN (MI) 

"McAllen" 1971 (Spirit 964S-2002) [gatefold] 

Downer folk/folkrock with Woolies member helping out, 

acoustic and electric backing. Back cover shows 

McAllen next to a huge cannabis plant. 

BOB MCCARTHY (Cambridge, MA) 

"Advice & Company" 1974 (Wandra no #) 

JAMES MCCARTHY ( ) 

Coffeehouse folk and singer-songwriter with 

occasional band backing, including second guitar, 

bongos, violin, dobro, bass and drums. 

"Born a Loser" 1971 (Audio House ahs-3771) [blank back cover; 

translucent blue vinyl] 

KATHY MCCORD ( ) 

Acoustic flower folk from noted Kansas studio and 

custom label. 

"Kathy McCord” 1969 (CTI 1001) 

"Kathy McCord” 1999 (CD Vivid, Japan) 

Female singer/songwriter album that is highly rated 

among genre fans. 

MCDONALD & SHERBY (MN) 

"Catharsis" 1974 (Omniscient 80 1426) [500p] 

"Catharsis" 1992 (Rockadelic 7.5) [altered cover; altered song 

order; 300p] 

Here's an interesting obscurity that mixes two really 

long moody songs and some shorter hard-rockers. The 

long songs have definite anthemic quality, and 

there's some cool guitar, organ and synth soloing: 

plenty of wah-wah and freaky noises. Most of this is 

blues-based, most of it riff-oriented. Neither the 

short or long songs are structured in a particularly 

complex way. Both are vehicles for jamming. It's a 

pretty cool record, and more distinctive than the 

description would suggest, though it would have been

MCGRAW BROS (NJ) 

nice if a few of the songs had been developed a bit 

further. Strangely enough, the shorter, faster songs 

suffer from the repetition more than the long ones 

do, maybe because the soloing on the epics is more 

thoughtful. [AM] 

"Scotch On The Rocks" 1966 (Tore 1) 

LARRY MCHUGH (PA) 

Scottish-American group doing club band frat & Brit 

invasion covers with honking sax, dressed up as 

Scotsmen on the sleeve. A couple of band originals 

also. 

"Son Of David" 1978 (BE 845) 

A fine example of the more subdued, reflective mood 

that emerged on Christian rock LPs towards the end of 

the 1970s. Post-acid westcoasty melodic studio rock 

with a highly professional, sophisticated sound 

create a backdrop for McHugh's relaxed, unassuming 

vocals. Lyrics are typical Jesus movement concerns 

and stay close to the known path, leaving the music 

to do the peregrinations in a quite appealing way. In 

fact this album has some of the best guitar-picking 

I've heard on a private from the era, sparse flowing 

jazzy scales that fit the mood perfectly. The band as 

a whole radiates a selfconfident late-night groove, 

occasionally getting into jammy bits that flow just 

right. Keyboards and moog fx are used in a way 

similar to the more relaxed tracks on One St Stephen, 

while the overall nocturnal feel is reminiscent of 

Christian colleagues Ark and Windwords. McHugh does 

get dangerously close to the "better safe than sorry" 

repetition spectre that can haunt this type of work, 

but emerges a winner on the strength of some terrific 

dreamy tracks such as "Come to me" and "Waters of 

life". This is not a local basement trip like 

Kristyl, but a very pro-sounding affair with mature, 

jazzy moods. I was rather impressed. [PL] 

~~~ 

Folky Christian singer who can’t really hit all of 

his notes, but has a pretty solid musical backing. 

The title track is pretty great, full of phase 

shifter happy guitar solos (lots of scales), a dreamy 

chorus, and ends with a great rock guitar solo and 

some surprising moog. Terrific song! There isn’t 

anything else here that gets up as much of a rocking 

head of steam, but most of the album is decent 

acoustic folk and soft-rock with a rhythm section 

that stands out despite the quiet nature of the 

songs. The Christian lyrics are reasonably subdued. A 

few songs veer towards a jazzier direction, and 

aren’t quite as appealing. A lot of the electric lead 

guitar sounds like improvised noodling, and the weak 

singing grates after a while, but the more carefully 

constructed songs are quite good. Other than the 

title track, the oddly structured “Hold Your Love 

High” is probably the highlight, as it fits frantic 

bass runs, dreamy “ah ah” singing and a somewhat long

instrumental introduction into three surprising 

minutes. Not solid from start to finish, but a pretty 

interesting album. [AM] 

McKAY (Indianapolis, IN) 

"Into You" 1977 (no label) [300p; plain back cover] 

"Into You" 1993 (OR 001) [insert; 300#d + signed] 

"Into You... Plus" 1996 (CD OR 007) [+bonus tracks] 

"Into You" takes some time to get into but it's worth 

the effort - a laidback, nocturnal rural rocker with 

sounds ranging from country-tinged, almost Eagleslike 

brooders to uptempo guitar movers with some ace 

Jerry Garcia-style instros inbetween. Neil Young's 

"Harvest" and "Tonight's the night" may also spring 

to mind, but this is a distinctive album that needs 

to be heard, rather than imagined via semi-accurate 

comparisons. Some copies have a sticker on the back 

with personnel info. The CD reissue features 16 

unique bonus tracks, all from the same sessions as 

"Into You" and "Take Two". I was not quite as 

impressed with "Take Two", although others seem to 

like it. [PL] 

~~~ 

"Into You" has excellent sound and high quality 

performances. It could easily have been mistaken for 

a major label album of the time. It mixes acoustic 

ballads, upbeat rockers with wah wah, and laid back 

rural rock. The obvious reference points are 70s 

Grateful Dead and, to a lesser extent, The Band. That 

works for better (musicianship) and worse (vocals.) 

It rarely rocks out, but on the few occasions it 

does, it is convincing. The songwriting is pretty 

strong, and occasionally (i.e. the propulsive “This 

Road”) transcendent. I find the vocals weak (not in 

the sense that they can’t sing, but moreso that the 

singer sounds wussy), but otherwise this is one of 

the best albums of the style. The CD contains an 

albums’ worth of bonus tracks, many of which sound 

more like demos and jams that completed songs. If you 

listen to them separate from the album proper, 

they’re pretty fun, and there are a few solid songs 

mixed in too. [AM] 

"Into You, Take Two" 1995 (OR 007) [book; 375#d] 

McKay had a whole batch of unreleased recordings from 

around the time of "Into You", some of which were 

originally considered for the album. In 1995, the 

material from the vaults was dug out, remixed and 

released by OR records. The result is a collection 

just as slapdash as the bonus tracks on the "Into 

You" CD, including some jammy instrumentals and some 

brief effect-laden experiments to go along with a 

number of complete songs. Obviously this isn’t a 

consistent listen, but the quality of the songs is 

strong and even the most incomplete fragments are 

pretty interesting. The album is also intelligently

structured to make the experimental bits and songs 

fit well together. Fans of the first album are sure 

to enjoy this, and, since unlike "Into You" this is 

quite psychedelic, it could attract some new fans as 

well. Also, it has a great album cover. [AM] 

~~~ 

"Take Two" is the druggier and more interesting of 

the two fine McKay efforts, taken from mid-70s 

sessions at which time the group was going by the 

name, The Loos Band. The "Take Two" material does not 

overlap with the 1996 CD reissue at all. There is a 

CD release on OR of 1997 recordings, "Tomorrow's 

Tomorrow". [RM] 

~~~ 

see -> Ray Pierle 

MCLEISH, PETRIE, ROBINSON & FRIENDS (Canada) 

"R P M" 1978 (Starfish 7801) [1000p; blue vinyl] 

Rural rock and folkrock with guitar/keyboard demo 

recordings gathered over a period of time, with 

songwriting contributions from all members. 

F J MCMAHON (Santa Barbara, CA) see Q & A here 

"Spirit Of The Golden Juice" 1969 (Accent 5049) 

"Spirit Of The Golden Juice" 2000 (Wild Places) 

Recently discovered obscurity on the Accent label, 

otherwise known for a number of great 45s. Late-stage 

beatnik/coffee house-folk which reminds me of Fred 

Neil; worldweary, introspective sound with an early 

Viet Vet vibe. He has a good voice somewhat similar 

to D R Hooker, and plays nice guitar figures 

throughout the LP, which has a light folkrock 

backing. Not bad, though the arrangements would have 

benefited from some variation. McMahon recorded this 

coming out of the air force, and "The Golden Juice" 

refers to a brand of bourbon popular among enlisted 

men. The album features Accent colleague Jon Uzonyi 

(Peace Pipe) on bass. [PL] 

MEADE RIVER see John Gilbert 

MEAT PHREDD (OH) 

"Meat Phredd" 1981 (Phreddhead) 

Instrumental avant guitar progressive trio similar to 

Viola Crayola. Recorded at Columbus' longrunning 

Musicol studios and housed in an odd cartoon cover. 

THE MEDIUM (Montreal, Canada) 

"The Medium" 1969 (Gamma 503)

Usually this band is listed as “Medium,” but the 

album cover clearly defines them as “the Medium,” 

which takes on a whole different meaning. This 

Canadian psych album is pretty interesting, starting 

with a trippy instrumental full of organ and fuzz 

guitar, and moving on to dreamy ballads and slightly 

heavier (but never fast) songs. The guitar playing 

throughout is somewhere between jazz and angular San 

Francisco-style noodling. There seems to be little or 

no attempt at melody, which actually makes the solos 

pretty distinctive and weird. An organ/guitar battle 

on “Give Me A Peace” is especially fun. The songs 

don’t follow traditional verse/chorus structures at 

all. The singer has a deep voice but isn’t exactly 

soulful or bluesy. This album is pretty freaky, what 

may have happened if bands like Aorta and Day 

Blindness didn’t bother to tidy up their loose ends. 

The style wears a little thin by the end, as the 

songwriting on side two doesn’t really offer anything 

new. Still, this is something most of you will enjoy. 

It has some similarities to the more satirical and 

pop-oriented Rabble, also from Montreal. [AM] 

~~~ 

This one has a pretty good reputation, but I was 

somewhat disappointed with it. It opens strongly with 

some fairly complex and atmospheric UK artrock 

excursions with classical influences in the typical 

Procol Harum/Moody Blues school; skillful keyboard 

and piercing fuzz themes keep your attention. 

Unfortunately someone, probably the vocalist, decided 

that something more was needed, which means that bad 

sub-Justin Hayward crooner laments pop up where there 

should have been more instrumentals. The guy's voice 

isn't half as good as he thinks it is, constantly 

hitting the wrong notes and straining in true amateur 

night fashion. The songwriting for these numbers is 

kind of lame too, with a remarkable lowpoint hit in 

what sounds like someone's drunken halfspeed karaoke 

reworking of the Hollies' old "Yes I will". When Mr 

Wayward keeps quiet or slides into a more balanced 

approach the music regains its footing, with a 

playful inventiveness and semi-avantgardism which is 

reasonably cutting edge for 1969. All over though, an 

album such as Aggregation on LHI shows how to handle 

and overcome the traps that pour sugar in the Medium 

gas tank. Still worth checking out cheaply, and may 

appeal to fans of early prog, but I wouldn't set my 

expectations too high. [PL] 

V.A "MEET THE LIVELY ONES" (Canada) 

"Meet The Lively Ones" 1965 (Capitol DJ 100) [thin paper 

cover] 

Obscure promo-only sampler of Canadian beat bands 

including early Sparrow(s), Wes Dakus Rebels, Big

MARK MELANSON (NY) 

Town Boys, Staccatos, Barry Allen, Diane Leigh, and 

Robbie Lane & the Disciples. 

"Haunted Hearse" 1970 (Color Esoterics) [insert] 

Real people/outsider folk with "Irish gravedigger 

vocals", echo effects and more. Highly rated by some. 

MELCHIOR ALIAS (Montreal, Canada) 

"Melchior Alias" 1969 (Capitol 70024) [gatefold; insert] 

MELISMA ( ) 

Somewhat legendary French-Canadian LP with French 

vocals, electronic psych and freak-rock. 

"Like Trolls" 1978 (no label) 

MELOFIN (WV) 

Seldom seen local folk/prog, housed in nice pencildrawn 

cover. 

"Ivan Tale" 1984 (Sky Spy Studio) 

The 1984 date belies the sound of this interesting 

and unique record. Influences come from UK folk, UK 

prog and US folk-rock. The singer sounds very 

British, like a mixture of Roy Harper, John Lennon 

and an oboe. A wide range of instruments including 

mandolin, tasteful synthesizer, and many percussion 

devices color the sound of the music, which is about 

half acoustic, half electric. The lack of lead guitar 

on most songs makes the few solos and guitar hooks 

more powerful than they might be in another context. 

A couple of the songs are overlong (everything here 

has a leisurely pace to it), but for the most part 

this is lovely and ethereal. I've seen comparisons to 

the Strawbs and Jethro Tull, and that's not too far 

off. How much you like it will depend on how you 

respond to the unusual singer, but this is a pretty 

neat album with a timeless feel. The back cover photo 

shows the four least likely looking rock and rollers 

you'll ever see. [AM] 

DAVID & TINA MELTZER (San Francisco, CA) 

"Poet Song" 1969 (Vanguard sd-6519) 

"Poet Song" 1999 (Akarma 054, Italy) 

"Serpent Power/Poet Song" 1999 (CD Akarma 053/054, Italy) [2on-1] 

Obscure follow-up to the Serpent Power LP by the main

duo, like that band still somewhat underrated. He 

reads some of his poetry which may turn some off 

though the poems are brief and enjoyable (he's a 

published poet with roots in the 1950s beat era), and 

do not detract from the excellent folkpsych songs 

that make up the bulk of the LP. Less poppy and more 

meditative than the earlier album, some tracks are 

truly great. Worth checking out. A Canadian pressing 

exists. There was also a children's LP titled 

"Faces" (Folkways, 1984) with Tina's vocals, guitar, 

and banjo playing. [PL] 

"Green Morning" 199 (RD Records 5, Switzerland) [500p] 

This is the Meltzers' unreleased 2nd LP, recorded in 

1970 for Capitol but never released except for an 

acetate. 

MENDELBAUM (Madison, WI) 

"Mendelbaum" 2002 (Shadoks 034, Germany, 2LPs) [450p] 

"Mendelbaum" 2003 (CD Shadoks 034, Germany, 2CDs) 

MERCURY MAGIC ( ) 

Previously unreleased material, one disc studio, one 

disc live, from obscure Midwest band who moved to the 

Bay Area and cut some demos and played the ballrooms. 

Most of this falls into an unexceptional late 60s 

rock-club sound, like you may expect from a Fillmore 

support act. Proto-heavy transition sounds with 

typical guitar/Hammond B3 mix, bluesy vocals, some 

Santana and Dead moves. The guitar-playing is above 

average but that's really the only thing of note 

here. The live stuff is slightly superior in my ears. 

One of Shadoks' more dubious releases, though some 

people have reported liking it. There was a local 45 

released in WI around 1968. Both guitarist Chris 

Michie (previously in the Grapes Of Wrath) and 

drummer Keith Knudsen went on to bigger things. [PL] 

"Mercury Magic" 1980 (Hughestone 557) 

MERKIN (Orem, UT) 

Flowing hippie & prog-rock with Jaggeresque vocals, 

moog, sax and flute parts too. Spaced out black and 

white cover art is a plus. Some copies came with a 

bonus non-LP 7". 

"Music From Merkin Manor" 1973 (Windi 1005) 

"Music From Merkin Manor" 1994 (Merkin, UK) [bootleg; 350p] 

"Music From Merkin Manor" 1997 (CD Gear Fab gf-109) [+3

tracks] 

"Music From Merkin Manor" 1997 (Akarma, Italy) 

A real enigma, popular with many psych fans despite 

being easy-breezy sort of 1970s pop-psych rather than 

the typical heavy guitar blowouts. Some have compared 

this to the poppier, non-jammy side of early Santana. 

I have heard it many dozens of times but can't really 

put my finger on it - there's nothing quite like it. 

The LP they play at seaside resorts when all the 

summer visitors have left! "Take some time" is a 

personal favorite with a simple yet memorable guitar 

hook, while the sad ballad "Goodbye" has lots of 

admirers. A marvy negative purple/silver sleeve adds 

to the appeal. Recorded in LA 1972 but not released 

until 1973. [PL] 

~~~ 

I recall feeling disappointed when I put this LP on 

the platter having eagerly purchased the first 

reissue. I had read descriptions of the two copies 

auctioned in lists that featured those four words 

heavy, psych, private and monster. This was not what 

I’d expected. My initial disappointment gradually 

gave way to love and wonder. It was certainly three 

of these overused descriptors and with that 

thunderous and yet twangy bass it was genuinely 

heavy. The impression left when the stylus reaches 

the end is that of very, very happy musicians playing 

together and having the times of their lives. Like 

their label mates Creation Of Sunlight this oozes 

good vibes from every groove. There’s a lounge feel 

on some tracks like "Ruby" and "Sweet Country". The 

sound is very professional, but those tunes, boy, 

they had some great and sometimes brilliant ones up 

their sleeves. You will be humming them all day. 

Nothing else really sounds like this LP, it is as if 

innocent sixties youths had been lifted out of their 

dream and placed in bed with a well-meaning whore 

with a heart. It occupies that fruitful transition 

phase between psychedelic pop and more ‘meaningful’, 

‘heavy’ music of the early seventies. Has the reverse 

negative sleeve to end all reverse negative sleeves. 

Special as it comes. [RI] 

MERRY AIRBRAKES (MA) 

"Merry Airbrakes" 1973 (St George International 06) [100p; 

insert; blank back cover] 

"Merry Airbrakes" 1999 (Shadoks 002, Germany) [450p; altered 

cover] 

"Merry Airbrakes" 2000 (CD Shadoks/NOrmal, Germany) 

Folk blues cooker with Vietnam concerns. Organ, slide 

guitar, harmonica. Some copies came without cover, 

others have handmade embellishments. [RM]

V.A "MERRY CHRISTMAS" (WA) 

"Merry Christmas" 1965 (Etiquette 025) 

"Merry Christmas" 1984 (Etiquette) 

Local Northwest X-Mas comp from label made famous by 

the Sonics. Gerry Roslie and the boys supply four 

unique tracks of which one has appeared on "Back From 

The Grave". All can also be found as bonus tracks on 

recent Sonics reissues. In addition there's some 

charming yuletide stuff from the Wailers and the 

Galaxies. One of the most expensive originals on 

Etiquette. 

LES MERSEY'S (Montreal, Canada) 

"Mersey's" 1967 (DSP 417) 

MESSAGE ( ) 

Well-produced French-Canadian pop/beat with Michael 

Pagliaro, sung in French. Several Beatles covers. The 

band also had many 45s. 

"It'll Be Awhile" 1981 (Black Gold) 

MESSENDGER (GA) 

The production on this private press hard rocker is 

crude, which makes the obvious 80s touches (mostly 

the lead guitar sound) somewhat less slick. They 

obviously have some prog aspirations, and have some 

interesting synth breaks and thoughtful 

instrumentals. The bass player obviously had listened 

to a lot of Yes albums. The lead guitar playing is 

often on the level of Id (of "Where Are We Going"), 

though, fast and spastic without any attention to 

melody or hooks. Basically their ideas are well 

beyond their ability or songwriting sense, which is 

kind of charming but not compelling on multiple 

listens. One song is a long acoustic guitar solo, and 

only about half of this album is vocal (and those 

vocals aren't particularly good). A bit different 

from your average hard rock album, but like, for 

example, Ixt Adux, it's not especially successful. 

The label was based in New Mexico. [AM] 

"Messendger" 1982 (Jab 111) 

This one is hyped as one of the best 80s rock albums, 

and usually described as sounding like a 70s band. 

That's just dealer hype, as it sounds completely 

1980s to me. The songs and playing are pretty good, 

but the guitar tone is annoyingly of its time and 

there's nothing here good enough to make it really 

rise to the top of the heap. [AM] 

MESSENGERS & GOOD NEWS (VT)

METZ (TX) 

"Born Again" 1971 (House VV 6285) [insert] 

Split LP of two Christian bands, both enjoyable, 

Messengers in a British 60s style with some fuzz and 

standout track "The right way", Good News in a 

acoustic folk duo direction. The sleeve uses the same 

Jesus face image as the first Agape LP. 

"Metz" 1974 (Chrome Star 1001) 

M.H.S ROCK (NJ) 

Very obscure Texas 70s bluesy rock with supposedly 

Johnny Winter guesting. There may be two cover 

variants for this title, one standard cover with 

large 'Metz' in script and a plain cover with stamped 

title. 

"On Record" 1981 (RPC 574292) 

MICAH (NY) 

Messengers.j 

(66853 

bytes) 

Seven tracks by seven different bands from Manasquan 

High School in New Jersey. Bands include Armadillo, 

Pegasus, Dead-End, Voyager, Runaways, Alternate 

Route, Mersey. Almost the entire LP has an early to 

mid 70's sound with some heavy psych tracks. Only a 

handful of copies have turned up and being released 

on RPC it's probably a micro pressing. 

"I'm Only One Man" 1971 (Sterling Award 1001) 

Depressing organ/guitar progrock with sidelong tracks 

and some interesting passages. The sound is a bit 

Santana-influenced, but mainly one for local prog 

hardrock fans. They also had a 45 edited from the LP. 

MICHAEL ANGELO (Kansas City, MO) 

"Michael Angelo" 1977 (Guinn 1050) [1000p] 

"Michael Angelo" 1997 (Guinn, Germany) [bootleg; 450#d] 

"Michael Angelo" 2005 (Void 036) [+1 track] 

Fabulous dreamy psych-flavored folkrock and anglo-pop 

shrouded in the early hippie vibe despite the 

vintage. Light and melodic in an L.A '67 & Donovan 

direction, while the lyrics hint at darker dimensions 

beneath the seductive surface. Possible points of 

reference are Bobb Trimble and the 2nd side of 

Marcus-House Of Trax, and don't doubt for a minute

MICHAELO (CA) 

this is just as good. Use of piano on some tracks 

bring in a singer/songwriter sound, while retaining 

the 60s feel. Very solid and well-written LP that is 

loved by many, one of the classics of the 

local/private press field, and one that may also 

appeal to fans of the Shoes and similar melodic mid- 

70s pop sounds. Sespite its deluxe profile the German 

reissue is somewhat inferior in sound. An album of 

previously unreleased material titled "Sorcerer's 

Dream" (Void, 1999) may be worth checking out for 

fans of the Guinn album. [PL] 

~~~ 

Side one of this album is as good as anything, a 

truly lovely blend of pop, folk-rock and light 

psychedelia. Like the best music, it's of its time 

but evokes many great artists from before its time. 

He has a terrific voice too. Like Anonymous this is 

just plain great songwriting and performance, and 

whatever may or may not be psychedelic is secondary. 

Side two is pretty great too, but repeats a few of 

the ideas from the first side, and overall this maybe 

ends up being a notch below Zerfas or Anonymous, 

which still makes it in the top 10 or so for private 

press LPs. It's something everyone should hear. A CD 

reissue would be very welcome. [AM] 

"Michaelo" 1976 (Tomorrow tvi-140) 

LUCINE MICHAELS ( ) 

Here's another cool album on a mysterious tax loss 

label (and by far the best album on Tomorrow). For 

the most part, it's singer-songwriter stuff with a 

strong Van Morrison influence, with a nice 

acoustic/electric mix and some tasty organ. The 

vocals are excellent and the songs, while simple in 

structure, hit some nice grooves and are quite 

hypnotic. What makes the album appeal to psych 

collectors is "Mystic Rider," which varies the style 

a bit with some great dreamy echo-laden lead guitar. 

It's the best song on a solid album. For those of you 

who can't find (or afford) the album, it was given a 

major label release on London Records #660, under the 

artist's real name, Michael O'Gara. It includes 

"Gunfighter" which is missing from this Tomorrow 

label release (despite being listed on the cover), 

but instead omits "Naked Circumstances," so you need 

both releases to get all tracks. [AM] 

"Turning Point" 196 (Koinonia 142626) [gatefold] 

Heartfelt album dedicated to the assassinated leader 

of the Koinonia organization. At times the lyrics are 

almost too sincere to take, but there’s real charm in 

the optimistic idealism here. I doubt you’d hear 

anything like it today, especially the song about 

poor little Leroy, a discriminated-against black boy. 

Lucine’s vocals are similar to a lot of Xian singers— 

pretty but without much soul. They don’t work for me, 

but do seem to fit with her songs. More of an 

interesting artifact and timepiece than an especially

good album. [AM] 

MICHAELS & HACK (MD) 

"Back To Back" 1978 (Mellow Magic 1) [insert] 

Trippy hippie duo doing spacy folk floaters with fuzz 

guitar, echoed vocals, and treated sounds. 

MICHELE (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Saturn Rings" 1969 (ABC s-684) 

"Saturn Rings" 199 (ABC, Japan) 

MIDNIGHT (IL) 

MIJ ( ) 

This hodgepodge of an album ranges from soft rock to 

heavy acid guitar freakouts. Three songs are taken 

straight from the first Sagittarius album, apparently 

the exact same takes but with additional 

instrumentation and Michele's lovely vocals. Some 

electric violin here and there is pretty cool, and a 

few songs have a really nice late-night dreamy vibe. 

It's not exactly consistent, but this is mostly 

terrific, to my ears as good as either Sagittarius 

album or the Millenium album, and much tougher. Some 

LA heavyweights help out. [AM] 

"Into The Night" 1977 (no label KM 1787) [1000p] 

"Into The Night" 1996 (no label) [bootleg] 

Local Chicago garage hardrock with a Doorsy '69-70 

sound despite the release year. Covers all the bases 

with lots of rocking stuff, some moody 

introspectives, boogie moves, a doomy Sabbathish 

attempt etc. Pretty decent for the genre and a cool 

mid-60s Vox organ sound all through is a plus. [PL] 

"Color By The Number" 1969 (ESP 1098) 

"Color By The Number" 199 (CD ZYX)

Jim Holberg doing mystic folk weirdness with spooky, 

echoed vocals that has dubbed him the "Yodeling 

Astrologer". Less art/avant and more genuinely 

strange than most ESP releases, worth checking out 

for fringe fans. Issued in a color by number cover. 

MILKWOOD see Under Milkwood 

MILKWOOD (CA) 

"Another Sunday" 1979 (no label) 

Folk with 12-string, flute and mixed male/female 

vocals. 

MILKWOOD TAPESTRY (NY) 

"Milkwood Tapestry" 1969 (Metromedia md-1007) [gatefold; wlp 

exists] 

Milkwood Tapestry’s only album is a weird mix of 

baroque ballads and frantic fuzz-guitar screamers. 

The combination doesn’t really work very well, 

especially since the ballads outnumber the noisier 

songs. The singer is a little too operatic to be 

appealing in either context, and overall this album 

is an interesting misfire. Still, a few songs, 

especially “Beyond The Twelve Mile Zone,” are pretty 

cool, and some of the arrangements are quite 

original. Close listens will be marginally rewarding, 

but also somewhat frustrating. Great song titles. 

[AM] 

MILLARD & DYCE (Baltimore, MD) 

"Millard & Dyce" 1973 (Century Kaymar Dyce 7-265) 

Mix of electric and acoustic folk blues, with three 

guitars and bass. A Century custom, sometimes listed 

as on Kaymar only. 

MILLENNIUM (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Begin" 1968 (Columbia cs-9663) [360 Sound label] 

"Begin" 1990 (CD Columbia) [+2 tracks] 

This is generally considered to be the 

Boettcher/Usher masterpiece, though like the 

Sagittarius albums it's pretty spotty. It does have a 

remarkable timeless production quality to it, and 

when it's good, as on the amazing "It's You," it's as 

thrilling as pop can get. Otherwise, though, there's 

a definite wimpiness to these albums, and the 

songwriting is inconsistent. My lingering feeling is 

that if the best songs from all of them were mixed 

together into one compliation it would be heavenly, 

good enough to make up for the lack of, um, rock. As

MILLENNIUM (TX) 

it is, this is definitely worthwhile and is 

recommended, but it's not a five star record. [AM] 

"Millennium" 1973 (Shekinah 1512) 

Christian quartet in a prog-rock direction with lots 

of keyboard. 

"MILLION DOLLAR MONKEY ON MY BACK" ( ) 

"Million Dollar Monkey On My Back" 1971 (no label) 

Spoken word anti-drug rap with ex-heroin addict, some 

musical background. 

MILL SUPPLY (Montreal, Canada) 

"Mill Supply" 1971 (Crescent Street 1860) 

"Satan won’t you help me get in, I’m coming on down". 

‘Satan’ opens Side 1 and left my jaw slack with 

amazement. It sounds like a lounge-crazed, heavier 

Dead making a pact with The Beast. The Christian 

lyrics on the track ‘Memories’ make you wonder if 

they are coming from Above or from Below. Sleeve 

notes about an interest in Choir singing and the 

Occult clarify nothing. This is a very solid LP with 

some exceptional vocals and nice twangy bass lines (a 

bit like Merkin in places). ‘Bedtime Stories’ is 

almost as unsettling as ‘Satan’. Side 2 is loungier 

and poppier, with ‘Voyage to Bhagdad’ and the drugged 

‘Spider’ being especially interesting. The LP closes 

with an amazing, sneering, downer ‘Henry was a 

Loser’. Well worth tracking down. [RI] 

V.A "MILWAUKEE SENTINEL" (Milwaukee, WI) 

"Milwaukee Sentinel" 1966 (Century 23214) 

MINETTE (NY) 

Battle Of The Bands LP with 12 obscure bands and 

terrible sound quality. Bands include the Radicals, 

the Patriots, the Ethics, the Woodsmen, etc. Mostly 

r'n'b and soul covers. 

"Come to me at Tea Time" 1968 (Collectors Choice CCR VOL 1) 

Rare LP of psychedelic cocktail lounge music by

MIKE MINGO (OH) 

female impersonator. 

"To All My Friends" 1976 (private) 

Strange folkrock/rock with wah-wah and organ by army 

veteran in a crude paste-on cover. 

MINSTREL STRING GUILD (WA) 

"The Nightbirds Are Screaming" 1976 (no label) [insert] 

MIRTHRANDIR (NJ) 

Folkrock and singer-songwriter from sibling duo with 

fuzz and some captivating female vocals. There is a 

second LP from 1977, "Music Swims Back To Me". 

"For You, The Old Women" 1976 (Mirthrandir 2276) [insert] 

"For You, The Old Women" 199 (CD Syn-Phonic) 

Symphonic progressive with good and heavy chaotic 

runs. Dual guitar, synth, flute. 

LES MISERABLES (Quebec, Canada) 

"Les Miserables" 1967 (Jupiter JDY-7011) 

"Les Miserables" 1999 (No Tyme, Italy) [+bonus tracks] 

MISSING LINKS (MA) 

Highly enjoyable garage & beat from moody French- 

Canadian punks, with dynamite 3-chord action on the 

best tracks, such as the two-fisted punch of 

"Chemises" and "Miserablement votre", both of which 

could have fit on any garage comp, with snotty 

vocals, a stripped-down garage sound, and a dynamite 

Bo Diddley mid-section on the latter. "Vivre avec 

toi" is another great track in the same fuzzed style, 

while the excellent "Ecoute-moi" brings in a driving 

Spencer Davis Group organ club groove. Although 

essentially a Brit-styled band, they are somewhat 

less Stones-inspired than Les Differents, with a bit 

of Yardbirds & Beatles influence reminiscent of 

upscale Euro-beat bands such as the Mascots or the 

Motions. Just to screw with this theory, there is a 

French-language version of "Tell me", and indeed the 

reissue CD contains a whole bunch of Frenchified 

versions of current hits like "The letter", "Western 

union" and (sadly) "When a man loves a woman". Some 

discrimination is needed when swinging with Les 

Miserables, but ultimately they were a respectworthy 

band that need to be checked out by any fan of prepsychedelic 

60s sounds, provided you can handle the 

French-only vocals. They also had several 45s. [PL]

"At The 5 O'Clock Lounge" 1965 (Fleetwood 3012) 

MISSION SINGERS ( ) 

Obscure LP from teen-beat top 40 cover band with a 

tight, rocking sound that suggests many months of 

playing at local clubs. Covers all through from what 

I can tell, with the usual mixed bag of r'n'b/soul, 

frat, crooner ballads and a few glances at the 

British Invasion. Band had enough selfconfidence to 

add small but significant personal touches to several 

numbers. Hippest selections are "Just a little" and 

"For your love" while "What I'd say" proclaiming that 

"the Missing Links are in town" packs plenty of 

charm. They also do the most credible whiteboy 

version of "Earth angel" around, although this may 

not wow hip garage fiends who bump into this album 

looking for "fuzz" and finding none. Comparable to 

the Justice and early prep-rock LPs and more 

professional than the genre average. [PL] 

"Everything's Just Fine... Or Is It?" 1967 (Catholic Relief 

Services) 

MISSISSIPPI (NY/CA) 

Four Catholic priests with electric guitars! The LP 

was issued to raise money for the Catholic Relief 

Overseas Aid Fund Appeal. Notable for the atypical 

closing track “Reconciliation”, a garage psych beast. 

There is a second LP with folkrock and probing 

discussion of the lyrics, "Disco-Teach" (Celebrities, 

1969). [RM] 

"Velvet Sandpaper" 1973 (Taurus 169) 

"Velvet Sandpaper" 199 (Taurus, Austria) [bootleg; altered 

cover] 

"Velvet Sandpaper / White Light" 1998 (CD Two Of Us 001, 

Germany) [2-on-1] 

Obscure LP from ex-White Light vocalist with unusual 

worldweary "older guys" sound and titles such as 

"Mistrust-Separation-Divorce". Hard to describe 

accurately, but traces of late-period Doors and Tim 

Buckley can be found on things like the excellent 

"Blue Love". Comparable to the experience of sharing 

a drink with a stranger down on his luck at a 

desolate nightclub, then seeing him actually get up 

on stage and sing a few songs about his misfortunes 

as the closing hour approaches. Also a harder fuzz 

edge with creeping menace on a couple of tracks such 

as the terrific "Light", and some hints of the 

barrock groove aspirations of White Light, but these 

are exceptions to the overall scotch-laden 

introspection Mr Mississippi projects. Pro-sounding 

band and vocals that hit just the right spot. This 

strikes me as a lot better than the White Light LP, 

and it's strange that it hasn't become more well-

MISSOURI DIRT ( ) 

known. Originally from New York, Gary "Mississippi" 

Abrams recorded this album in California 1973 with 

two completely separate sets of musicians. In 1980 he 

released another LP titled "Breaking Out". He worked 

with the Perron Brothers (White Light) for several 

years under various band names. There are also 3 non- 

LP 45s. [PL] 

~~~ 

Here we have two great albums in one. Side one, with 

one band, is a terrific singer songwriter album with 

mainstream tendencies and great songwriting (the 

Chris Isaak-like "Blue Love" and the funky "Heat 

Chills" are particularly good). Side two, with 

another band, rocks harder, has some freaky moments 

and is equally as well-written. Abrahms is a vocal 

chameleon, sounding like Johnny Cash one moment, Jim 

Morrison another, and also alternately sounding 50 

and 20. There's a pretty wide range of styles here, 

but it coheres. It has top shelf production for a 

private press, and both bands are hot. Highly 

recommended. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> White Light 

"It's For You" 1977 (Ilmo) 

MISTREATER (OH) 

This album looks like it’s going to be really sleazy, 

as it’s obviously the work of drunken rural dudes who 

are more in love with their shotguns and whiskey than 

their girlfriends, but unfortunately it’s rather 

bland and not very well played bar rock. It lacks the 

kind of heavy guitar that would have given the sleazy 

lyrics some bite. I wouldn’t say it to their face, 

but this music is disappointingly wimpy. Illinois 

label. [AM] 

"Hell's Fire" 1981 (no label CPI 1280) 

MISTRESS (CA) 

Hardrock/metal. The band also had a 45 on the 

wellknown 700 West label. 

"New Ground" 2005 (RD Records 17, Switzerland) [insert] 

Post-Country Weather band with a shortlived career, 

captured here with unreleased 1973 material of 70s 

post-psychedelic Bay Area rock. There was also a 1996 

release from Taxim ("Free Flyte", Germany) 

MIZZOURI FOXX (MO/CA) 

"Mizzouri Foxx" 197 (no label)

"Trapped Live" 1979 (Brother Studio) 

MOBIUS STRIP ( ) 

Hard guitar/organ bar-rock with a Deep Purple sound 

from band who moved to SoCal from small-town 

Missouri. The second LP is recorded live and was 

released on the same label as Chakra. 

"Mobius Strip" 1982 (Nervous) 

Basement AOR/ hardrock with high pitched vocals. 

MOCK DUCK (Vancouver, BC) 

"Test Record" 1969 (no label, acetate) 

"Test Record" 2001 (Gear Fab 154, 2LPs) [+bonus tracks] 

"Test Record" 2001 (CD Gear Fab 154) [+bonus tracks] 

"Test Record" 2001 (Gear Fab/Comet 4072, Italy) [+bonus 

tracks] 

One of several interesting bands from Vancouver's 

remarkable late 1960s freak scene. Unfortunately the 

45 "Do-Re-Mi" is about the only really good thing 

they did, the acetate material is disappointing 

jazzrock and blues excursions, as is the other live 

stuff added for the reissue. Rarity and legend factor 

may dictate certain releases, but a double LP was 

hardly called for. 

MOD & THE ROCKERS (MD) 

"Now" 1967 (Justice 153) 

"Now" 1994 (CD Collectables 0618) 

With a name like that you'd expect at least some 

recognition of "the new sound from England", and 

indeed these guys are really hip by Southeast 

standards, covering the Zombies and the Beau Brummels 

in addition to an unusual and great arrangement on 

"Gloria" that's based on Them rather than the Shadows 

Of Knight. The LP opens with a '66-sounding garage 

fuzz winner and the band has a tight club sound with 

organ and a strained soul-punk vocalist. The 

recording is better than most Justices and this could 

have been a winner, except that they manage to spoil 

the party with several lame ballads from a bygone 

era. Too bad. [PL] 

MODALITY STEW (Vancouver, WA)

"Modality Stew" 1978 (UMP) [booklet; 1000p] 

MODERN SOUNDS ( ) 

Predominantly instrumental acoustic raga folk with an 

improvisational bent and quirky humor in the song 

titles. Versatile playing and rich instrumentation 

with sitars, bells, tablas, flute and more creates an 

appealing soundscape although it does seem a little 

late for this type of music. Vocals on first and last 

track makes you wish they'd sung more, still a cool 

item and mandatory for genre fans; clearly superior 

to something like Peter Stark. Features ex- 

Spikedrivers member Sid Brown. [PL] 

~~~ 

Mostly intrumental, eastern-themed folk album that 

meanders quite a bit but has its moments. Ends with a 

really fantastic acid folk song. The singing is 

appealing; too bad there isn't more of it. This album 

is somewhat of frustrating because it's so off-hand, 

and some of it is pretty boring, but the good parts 

are better than most anything you'll hear in the 

style. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Peace, Bread, and Land Band; Spikedrivers 

"Famous Songs of Hank Williams" 1969 (Alshire S-5136) 

This is probably the most ridiculous of all of the 

60s exploito albums, and that's saying a lot. The 

album cover tells the whole story: "Famous Songs of 

Hank Williams; a return trip with Modern Sounds; with 

exciting vocals; in modern rock-acid sound." These 

words surround a photo of a hippie girl feeding red 

and blue sugar cubes to a horse. The liner notes 

appear to have been written by a marketing agent 

who's never actually heard rock and roll. The songs, 

which are very well played, transform Williams' 

compositions to organ-heavy rock-soul, kind of like 

what the Detroit Wheels would sound like if they 

replaced Mitch Ryder with a country singer and added 

a fuzz-happy guitar player. The fuzz on "Your 

Bucket's Got A Hole In It" and "Long Gone Lonesome 

Blues" is truly wonderful, and a few songs have 

effective raveups. Side two is better than side one, 

so stick with this and you're in for a heap of fun. 

The back cover notes say "the whole idea of this 

album is to bring Hank's great music to the modern 

young generation," but it's more intriguing to 

imagine this album bringing red and blue sugar cubes 

to the geriatric country music generation. See the 

Animated Egg entry for more LPs from this scene. [AM] 

DAN MODLIN & DAVE SCOTT (IN) 

"The Train Don't Stop Here Anymore" 1976 (700 West 760715) 

[500p] 

Interesting LP on the same label as Zerfas; 

ambitious, pro-sounding Americana/singer-songwriter 

in a westcoast style comparable to Dillard & Clark or 

Brewer & Shipley. Not psychedelic in any way, but not

MOFOYA (HI) 

quite countryrock either. Music has rich guitar and 

banjo tapestries, solid rhythm section, some stray 

keyboard flourishes and fine arrangements. 

Nevertheless this must rank as a bit of an aquired 

taste as the whole album is based on a romantic 

notion of a bygone hobo/drifter lifestyle which seems 

a bit clichéd to me. The band was serious enough 

about this concept to have a real life old-timer 

reminisce briefly in spoken word about the "good ol' 

days" in a thick Okie accent that's hard to decipher. 

At one point he sounds just like the bizarre spoken 

bit at the end of the Kaplan Bros' "Nightbird", and 

this is not a good thing. The band's vocals are good 

but suffer slightly from similar boxcar/bourbon 

posturing, and while the harmonies work they're not 

up to the level of the big LA bands in the style. I 

like this LP but am somewhat annoyed by the 

presentation. [PL] 

~~~ 

This highly regarded rural rock album really is one 

of the best in the genre. It's not country rock, but 

rather laid back 70s rock with strong vocals and a 

very mild nod in the country direction. The usual 700 

West high-quality production makes it sound as 

professional as an Eagles album. Though it's a 

concept album about hobos and drifters, these guys 

sound way too practiced and educated to know anything 

about the subject, and two spoken bits by a real hobo 

are incoherent and distracting. Other than those 

bits, though, you could listen to the whole album 

without noticing the theme, as most of the lyrics are 

smart enough to allow for multiple interpretations. 

This album is melodically sharp and instrumentally 

sound. It's very, very good. However, when people say 

it's "better than Zerfas," that's because they don't 

particularly like Zerfas, not because it actually 

*is* better. [AM] 

"Send A Message" 1979 (no label) 

Obscurity from Hawaii with melodic progressive rock, 

some hard guitar, flutes and female vocals. 

MOGAN DAVID & HIS WINOS (Boston, MA) 

"Savage Young Winos" 1973 (Kosher 001) [inserts] 

This band was led by Harold Bronson, who would go on 

to run Rhino Records. The album was released in 1973, 

upon the band's demise, and is a mishmash of whatever 

material they could pull together. The packaging is 

really cool and funny and worth the price of the LP. 

It's chock full of notes and inserts, all of which 

are a kick. The music on the LP is erratic, since 

they had to dig the depths for enough material to 

fill 40 minutes. The first four songs are from their 

last singles, and are by far the best songs on the 

album, terrific garage pop with funny lyrics and a 

proto-punk feel. Side one is filled out by four 

earlier recordings (one dating back to 1969) that are 

extremely low-fidelity and sloppily performed

MOHS (NM) 

novelties. One is called "Nose Job," and two others 

are obviously inspired by the Bonzo Dog Band. Fun, 

but not as exciting as the songs that came before. 

Side two is mostly a live performance of energetic 

but unimaginative cover versions of well-known songs. 

The final song is a home recording (even cheaper 

sounding than the live recording) of a comic blues 

song, which is OK but overlong. Obviously, only some 

of this is worth hearing, but the single sides and 

the liner notes make it a cool artifact. By the way, 

there's a little bonus at the end of side two, so 

don't lift the needle before it's over. [AM] 

"The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living" 1979 (no label) 

MOLES (FL) 

Little-known college project-type album that has some 

of the usual counterculture brainstorms of the genre 

but is dominated by excellent local hippiefolk sounds 

with obvious psych overtones. Male/female vocals are 

very good, as is the songwriting and the arrangements 

which include flute and violin. Mix of westcoasty 

folk and vintage Brit moves a la Shide & Acorn, plus 

a hispanic element that may derive from the New Mex 

locale. Two weaker tracks, rest is highly appealing. 

A worthwhile addition to the late 1970s folkpsych 

roster alongside Modality Stew, Yellow Autumn, etc. 

[PL] 

"Moles" 1971 (Bandwagon DRP-1566) [color portraits cover] 

"The Early Moles" 1973 (Sacrana NRS 5400) [altered cover] 

Guitar/Hammond-B3 bluesy and psychy rock with several 

good tracks and originals all through, some horns. 

The retitled second version is rare in its own right, 

although the press size has been reported as 

everywhere between 500 and 2000 copies. 

MOLKIE COLE (Cleveland, OH) 

"Demo" 1975 (Owl) [plain cover] 

Demo LP with 4 tracks of progressive rock and AOR 

with an eclectic mid-70s bag of tricks, guitar, some 

synth. The band played for many years and opened for 

national acts, and also had a selftitled LP on Janus 

in 1977. Only one copy known to exist of this demo. 

MOLOCH (Memphis, TN) 

"Moloch" 1969 (Enterprise ens-1002) 

"Moloch" 200 (CD Lizard Records LR 0712-2) 

Hard bluesrock with a lot of fuzz guitar and the

original version of the much-covered “Goin Down”. 

Pretty good stuff for the most part, though there are 

a few duds thrown in. The most effective songs are 

the shorter, more effects-laden ones. Don Nix was 

involved in this one. There was also a local post-LP 

45 in the same style. [AM] 

SCOTT MOMENTHY (Chicago, IL) 

"Way Past Time" 1977 (Pepperhead) [lyrics] 

Melancholy acoustic guitar loner folk with real 

people depth. Simple yet striking horror cover 

design. 

V.A "MONEY MUSIC" (Minneapolis, MN) 

"Money Music" 1967 (August 100) 

This legendary local Minneapolis area comp is where 

many 1980s garage compilers (especially of the 

"Changes" LP) got their stuff rather than the 45s. In 

retrospect it is totally unreal with a line-up 

including C.A Quintet, Bedlam Four, Electras, T.C 

Atlantic and other legendary garage & acid punks from 

the area. Among the less familiar stuff is some 

quickie garbage but also a good "Hey Joe" by the 

Stillroven. There you go - an original 60s sampler 

that blows most 1980s-90s comps away. Very rare. [PL] 

MONSTERS (Montreal, Canada) 

"Beat 'n' Hits" 1965 (Royal 3507) 

Seldom seen LP in the typical Quebec mid-60s 

Merseybeat style, with French vocals. "Le Theme Du 

Cimetiere" is as spooky as they got. 

CHRISTOPHER MONTGOMERY (CT) 

"Connecticut Elegy" 1971 (Burning Deck) [booklet] 

Little-known but interesting loner/fringe urban folk 

trip full of quirky snapshots from the bleak early 

1970s. Lyrics are offbeat with plenty of surprising 

Dylanesque twists but generally deal with garbage, 

city desolation, unhealthy relationships and 

religious apocalypse all radiating from the guy's 

bedroom. Stripped down demo sound with just

steelstringed guitar and a quite passable voice. 

Comparable to Perry Leopold's "Cold in Philly" track 

but not quite as heavy, yet clearly better than 

something like Geoffrey. Recurring sense of irony and 

overall artistic vision makes you sympathize with the 

guy's total obscurity. Sample lyric: "I saw eternity 

the other night/And I tell you, it scared me 

shitless". 50+ minutes of Connecticut agoraphobia. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

This certainly is a weird one. Montgomery is openly 

gay, and his lyrics are introspective and disturbed. 

Musically, though, it's utterly endless, just the 

same chord strummed the same way for 50 minutes, over 

which he sings in a monotone. It's like early Jandek 

if the guitar were in tune. If you connect with his 

world view, you may get something from it (I'm sure 

having the booklet to read along with it helps), but 

I find it numbingly dull. [AM] 

MONTREAL (Montreal, Canada) 

"Montreal" 1970 (Stormy Forest sfs-6002) 

MOODS (Luling, TX) 

Most of this album is straight ahead vocal folk/jazz, 

quite good (the woman has a beautiful, if 

unemotional, voice, and the band is outstanding), but 

unlikely to appeal to psych or folk-rock fans. The 

long closing song, though, is an absolute acid folk 

masterpiece, with a haunting melody, gorgeous vocal, 

backwards sound effects and a dreamy vibe that is 

completely out of this world. It doesn't exactly "fit 

in" with the rest, but it's a stunning song. The rest 

of the album is very good for what it is as well. 

Richie Havens produced and plays sitar and koto, 

while Buzz Linhart sits in on vibes. A Canadian 

pressing also exists. [AM] 

"Live at Turner Hall" 1969 (ACR Kno Bel 1002) 

Full color cover obscurity with late teenbeat club 

sounds. Basement soul covers with a couple country 

tunes and frat throwbacks. Has a short fuzz break on 

"Hey Joe". 

MOOLAH (New York City, NY) 

"Woe Ye Demons Possessed" 1974 (Annuit Coeptus) 

I can't for the life of me explain why I like this 

album so much, but I do. It's made up of long 

instrumentals with no melodies, no structure, 

disarmingly out of rhythm drums, and no guitars or 

bass. It sounds like it could have been made up 

entirely on the spot with no rehearsal by people who 

don't know how to play their instruments. But it also 

sounds like it every note could have been planned 

carefully with an unknown purpose in mind. All of the

songs have white noise backgrounds, and waves of 

synthesizer and piano creep in like a bad dream. Echo 

effects create a sinister, creepy atmosphere. 

Ultimately, it's fascinating and compulsive. Maybe it 

puts a hex on the listener. Often compared to 

Krautrock, but it's really a thing of its own. 

"Mirror's" (sic) is unrelentingly intense. [AM] 

TRAVIS MOON BAND ( ) 

"Big Train Rollin'" 1982 (Jammin' jlp-5001) 

Southern sound heavy guitar and organ jamming, some 

slide moves in the wake of the Allman Bros, some 

harder moves. 

MOONLIGHTERS (Nashua, NH) 

"An Evening With" 1964 (Century 29132) 

Alvin High School lounge prep rock instrumentals with 

trumpet from the Century vanity label. 

MOONLYTE (Philadelphia, PA) 

"Better Late Than Never" 197 (Astro 217) 

Early 70s Latino band doing half an album's worth of 

killer mysterioso groove late night funk/soul/rock, 

while the other half is latino material sung in 

Spanish. Very obscure album. [PL] 

MOON PIE DANCE BAND ( ) 

"Enchanted Mesa" 1978 (Goldust lps-174) 

MOONSTONE (Canada) 

Rural rock with flowing guitar housed in a striking 

color fantasy cover. Possibly from New Mexico. The 

cover actually says "Daince" rather than "Dance". 

"Moonstone" 1973 (Kotai 3003) 

Dreamy folk album from up north, sounds as cold as 

its place of origin. The female vocals are operatic 

and annoying, but when everyone sings together this 

has moments that can be quite compelling. Some of the 

songs are lovely and unique. I find it to be a mixed 

bag, with side two considerably better than side one. 

If you can stand the singing style you might like it 

more than that. [AM]

MOONSTONE (PA) 

"Moonstone" 1977 (Baldwin CS 8200) 

Hardrock/AOR with keyboard and some prog moves, has 

been compared to early Kansas. 

JEFF MOORE & FRIENDS (Canada) 

"The Youngest Son" 1974 (no label 07-42031) 

"The Youngest Son" 2003 (Orange Doubledome) [300p] 

High school project. Acoustic and dreamy folkrock, 

mixed vocals. 

LES MOORE (New Orleans, LA) 

"Yesterday" 197 (Natural 2154) 

Loner folk local recorded in his home direct to two 

track. just a guy his guitar and dark thoughts. some 

Leopoldian moments and a scary jump into the abyss 

long version of "A Day in the Life". [RM] 

R STEVIE MOORE (Nashville, TN) 

"Phonography" 1976 (Vital 0001) [b & w collage cover; blank 

back; 3 inserts; 100p] 

"Phonography" 1978 (HP 30734) [2nd press; b & w portrait 

cover] 

"Phonography" 1998 (CD Flamingo) [+bonus tracks] 

"Delicate Tension" 1978 (HP 30735) 

"Delicate Tension" 2004 (CD Cordelia 036, UK) 

R Stevie Moore is the all-time king of do-it-yourself 

recordings, as for thirty years he produced home made 

cassettes and sold them to his cult audience. He 

produced literally hundreds of 60 minute albums. 

Obviously anyone who never throws away a single idea 

is unlikely to have particularly consistent albums, 

but his occasional LP releases are best-ofs from his 

tapes. The two LPs that will be most of interest to 

Archive readers are "Phonography" and "Delicate 

Tension", his earliest LPs on his own label. Moore's 

music is basically guitar pop with quirky lyrics, 

even quirkier arrangements, and all sorts of 

weirdness (i.e. spoken sections, sound effects) 

thrown in between. He's comparable to oddball bands 

like, for example, Oho, except that he has much more 

of a knack for a pop hook than any post-Zappa or 

semi-prog weirdos. It's conceivable that he could 

have had mainstream success if the breaks went his 

way, but he also tended to sabotage such 

possibilities (i.e. his catchiest pop song is called 

"I Wanna Hit You"). He's a long-time favorite of 

Trouser Press editor Ira Robbins. "Phonography" is a 

great introduction to his music, with a number of 

strong songs, all sorts of weird interludes, and a

killer guitar-heavy cover of the Andy Griffith Theme. 

"Delicate Tension" is even better, a wild mix of pop, 

prog, short experimental rock and even punk. It's 

chock full of bizarre songs with clever lyrics. Moore 

has a bunch of later releases that compile music from 

the late 70s, and also a few 80s and 90s albums of 

varying quality. A mid-80s album entitled "Teenage 

Spectacular" is also very good. If you like these 

early albums, there's a world of R. Stevie to 

discover via his tape club. A 12" 4-track EP was also 

released from "Phonography" in 1978. [AM] 

MOOSETRACKS (Canada) 

"Moosetracks" 1972 (Barge) [200p] 

Introspective downer folk with psych moves and an 

echoey basement production. Mostly acoustic, one 

track has some wah-wah outbursts. All originals 

except one. Primitive packaging with stamped plain 

front cover and paste-on back. 

MOREY STORE BAND (MI) 

"Cry For The Dreamer" 1979 (Sound Machine 49007) 

Bluesy barband hardrock with ripping guitar and 

organ. 

MORGEN (New York City, NY) 

"Morgen" 1969 (Probe 4507) [gatefold; foldout insert] 

"Morgen" 199 (Probe, France) [bootleg] 

"Morgen" 199 (CD Eva, France) 

"Morgen" 2003 (Radioactive 008, UK) 

"Morgen" 2003 (CD Radioactive 008, UK) 

We've been referring to this LP a lot here in the 

Archives and it is a definite yardstick for the late 

60s guitar psych style. Despite its major label 

origins the sound is remarkably raw and garagey, with 

no compromises anywhere. Some rate it as the best 

major label LP all over and it sure blows a lot of 

mega-rarities away, as well as ALL the LA heavy psych 

competition from the same era, with an intense and 

genuinely psychedelic mood. Punky vocals, great and 

highly original material (especially on side 1), acid 

guitars that won't quit - I can't see anyone into 

psych not digging this. Incidentallly, none of the 

reissues are from mastertapes. [PL] 

~~~ 

It's easy to explain why this is *the* best heavy

psych album: It's a hard rock album that comes from a 

garage tradition with no blues or heavy metal 

influence at all. This results in two vocal styles, 

both of which are superior to anything else you'll 

hear on a 1968 hard rock record. The first, as heard 

on the aptly named "Welcome To The Void," is a punky, 

youthful snarl that suits upbeat hard rock better 

than any macho swagger. The second, as heard on the 

also aptly named "Of Dreams," is a breathy whisper 

that is sexual and eerie. Steve Morgen is one horny 

guy, and it's hard to tell whether he's more 

interested in hallucinating or getting laid, but both 

obsessions really create a kind of urgency here that 

is powerful and exciting. Even the obvious Who rip at 

the end of side one and the long jazzy guitar solo at 

the end of side two work in this context. And, of 

course, the songwriting and fuzz guitar are 

absolutely top of the heap. [AM] 

MORLY GREY (Youngstown, OH) 

"The Only Truth" 1972 (Starshine 69000) [1000p; poster] 

"The Only Truth" 1986 (Starshine) [counterfeit; poster] 

"The Only Truth" 199 (CD Twilight Tone, Germany) 

"The Only Truth" 199 (CD Flash 52, UK) 

I've always liked this LP for its successful mix of 

folkrocky westcoast and heavy guitar that few groups 

manage to pull off. Might be too proggy for those who 

want 1960s garage/psych sounds but to me it's 

definitely worthwhile, with strong songwriting, in 

your face hardrock action, and atmospheric moves on 

the sidelong title track. One of the classic privates 

from Ohio, with no weaknesses. The vinyl bootleg 

includes the original poster and is exact enough to 

look like a ripoff bid, but not many were fooled; 

easiest tell is that the original has a wraparound 

front cover slick with a tan background that extends 

onto the back cover, while the bootleg wraparound 

slick's tan background color ends at the seams and 

turns into white on the back cover. The boot also has 

some crackles on side 2 from the copy that was 

counterfeited. There were two 45s released from the 

LP, and also a rare pre-LP 45, "Sleepy Softness". The 

band also put out a 45 of previously unreleased 

tracks around 1990, with an art sleeve. [PL] 

~~~ 

Essential heavy psych rock with wonderful mix of 

heavy wailing and delicate wandering guitar leads. 

Fine vocals and drumming as well. highlighted by the 

anthemic title track, a 17 minute anti-war epic with 

watery sustain. The drummer Paul Cassidy was fired 

after the initial recordings. The group kept side one 

and re-recorded the title track with new drummer, Bob 

Lanave. [RM] 

~~~ 

Strong hard rock album with some very subtle moments 

and excellent production for a privately pressed 

album. At times they sound like they could have been 

an effective folk-rock band if they'd chosen that 

route. Interesting and creative throughout. The 17minute 

song is surprisingly effective, and this album 

has hooks galore. One of the best of its kind, that 

rare hard rock album that mixes subtle and heavy 

without ever sounding uncomfortable. [AM]

MORNING DEW (Topeka, KS) 

"Morning Dew" 1970 (Roulette 42049) [wlp exists] 

"Morning Dew" 1989 (Roulette) [bootleg] 

"Morning Dew" 2002 (Akarma 195, Italy) 

"Morning Dew" 2002 (CD Akarma 195, Italy) 

"At Last" 2004 (Roulette/Scorpio) 

MORNING GLORY (CA) 

Midwest legends who cut a handful of great garage 45s 

before this swansong hippierock LP, which 

unfortunately was issued way too late to make any 

impact. Rated highly by many, it's a solid trip 

through Airplane/Cream /Butterfly dimensions mixing 

early heavy moves with strong folkrock/psych 

material. Lack of macho vocals is a plus, and opening 

"Crusader's smile" is a classic. Reminds me of the 

Mainstream label sound, though this is more 

consistent. A good LP all over, but perhaps not 

enough of a mindblower to warrant the big price tag. 

True originals have "Bell Sound" stamped in the 

trail-off. An original German pressing exists. There 

is also a sampler LP of their great 45s and 

unreleased tracks titled "Cut The Chatter" (Caped 

Crusader, 1988), and a couple of CD releases from 

Collectables with the album, 45s and unreleased. 

Caveat: despite utilizing the original album cover 

art, and listing the album tracks on the sleeve, the 

Scorpio vinyl LP contains completely different music; 

unreleased material plus three alternate takes of LP 

tracks! All this material had earlier been released 

by Collectables on CD. [PL] 

~~~ 

Good but overrated album that sounds fantastic on 

first listen but comes down to earth once you get 

used to it. Mostly it's pretty mainstream, with solid 

vocals and performances and a few really great songs 

on side one. All of it is decent, but it lacks the 

kind of depth or originality that would give it 

classic status. [AM] 

"Two Suns Worth" 1969 (Fontana srf-67573) [promo exists] 

MORNINGLORY ( ) 

Typical westcoast Airplane/Mamas & Papas sound with 

male/female vocals and full-on hippie-psych vibes. A 

bit inconsistent, with 2-3 excellent tracks including 

the classic trance psych floater "Jelly Gas Flame" 

which must be heard, and a few duds. Not great, but 

better than some albums five times as expensive. 

Producer credit is "John Cale"! [PL] 

~~~ 

This is a slight bit wilder than most of the 

Airplane-wannabe albums, with some truly ripping fuzz 

guitar. As with a lot of these albums it's pretty hit 

and miss, but the best moments on it are more 

genuinely psychedelic and experimental than on albums 

like Yankee Dollar, Ivory, Spirits & Worm, and so on. 

[AM]

"Growing" 1972 (Toya tstlp-2001) 

MORNING SKY (NH) 

Harmony-rich rural rock with some mild blues 

tendencies. Pleasant and well done but not especially 

exciting or memorable. Recommended to fans of the 

genre, but unlikely to have much appeal to others. 

[AM] 

"Sea of Dreams" 1976 (SP 1110) 

MORNING STAR (MN) 

Spacy progressive with eclectic instrumentation and 

female vocals. [RM] 

"Message From the Throne" 197 ('Sound 80' s80-1071-4144s) 

Magnificent dreamy rural acoustic rock/psych gem from 

Minnesota trio. Even though there are no drums, or even 

electric guitar for that matter, these guys have a 

cutting-edge pastoral hippie/garage mood that’s like an 

unplugged version of Wilson McKinley or Maranatha (Soon). 

This album is an acoustic guitar lover’s dream, with long 

tracks that feature sharp 6-string leads backed by bass 

and hardy 12-string action. Mellotron adds a spacious 

Moody Blues/King Crimson-ish atmosphere to cuts like ‘The 

First Day’, ‘His Will’ and ‘The Ship Of Life’. Also some 

great slide guitar and peppy harmonica stirring things up 

in a bluesy country folk-rock way on ‘Steppin’ In & 

Steppin’ Out’ and ‘The Conversation’. The 12-string 

guitar gets a nice phased effect on the psychy opener 

‘You’re So Free’, also with slide guitar. ‘Shine On (With 

Jesus)’, ‘Joy In G Major’, every song a winner! Vocal 

harmony sounds real similar to Wilson McKinley, with 

straight-ahead Jesus-lovin’ lyrics to match. Totally 

homemade black-on-silver cover drawing of scroll in the 

sky floating above a cross on a hill, with the Biblical 

reference Revelation 22:16 written at the bottom. Back 

cover has a drawing of a van with “Jesus Lives” on the 

back, heading down The Straight and Narrow Pathway. Very 

rare custom record, mastered at Minnesota’s Sound 80 

studio. [KS] 

MORSE CODE TRANSMISSION (Quebec, Canada) 

"Morse Code Transmission" 1972 (RCA 4575) 

"II" 1972 (RCA 6092) [2LPs] 

The first album by this French-Canadian band (who 

would eventually change their name to “Morse Code”) 

mixes mainstream orchestrated pop with soulful hard 

rock. There’s great fuzz guitar on “It’s Never Easy 

To Do,” but for the most part the hard rock songs are 

unimaginative and the vocals annoyingly macho. The 

pop songs are short, but pretty complex, and actually 

are more successful than the rockers. I even like the 

one that starts out as a country-styled hoe-down and

MOSAIC (KS) 

then becomes sugary AM pop. Interesting. The lyrics 

on this album are in English. The rarer second album 

is a 2LP set which moves in a progressive rock 

direction and may appeal to genre fans. [AM] 

"Sea Caravan" 1972 (TAL Enterprises d-12977) 

Dark instrumental piano and acoustic guitar folk with 

classical shadings. Minor chords and moody strumming 

latenite sound. [RM] 

J MOSER & THE HOTS (AZ) 

"For Life" 1975 (Moco Records FIT 003) 

This unusual private press item comes from a distinct 

area of American 70s rock that strangely is not all 

that well documented. It has soulful but white vocals 

(somewhat similar to Willy Deville or Willie 

Alexander), mildly funky rock arrangements with as 

many pianos as rhythm guitars, and ragged harmonies. 

You expect a sax solo to appear at any moment, though 

these guys actually use some surprising moog instead. 

There were tons of bands who played this kind of barband 

rock, but somehow it's a genre that isn't as 

well chronicled on record as prog, hard rock, or 

folk; private press albums with this sound are rare 

indeed. Lyrics range from horny pickup attempts to 

near-suicidal ruminations on the meaning of life. 

There are some surprising production tricks 

throughout, and the long title track gets way out 

there, with sound effects, space age electronics, 

freaky backing vocals, phased drums and unrestrained 

lead guitar. That terrific song is probably what 

attracted collectors to this record, but the rest of 

the album, while more conventional, is nearly as 

good. Every song is performed as if Moser's life 

depended on it. This is a pleasant surprise, and a 

record that sounds like nothing else here in the Acid 

Archives. The back cover photo of Moser looking like 

a lounge singer gives a clue that the soulful vocal 

style developed from the many cover versions they 

played on the hopeful way up. I have a soft spot for 

bands like this. With a few breaks they could have 

taken the long road to stardom like, say, Bob Seger 

or REO Speedwagon. [AM] 

MOSES (Lethbridge, Canada) 

"End Of The Line" 1978 (Paradise Records) 

Moses were a four piece band from Alberta who 

recorded enough material for a long album (13 songs) 

between 1974 and 1977, and this release was the only 

one by the group and contained those songs. Being 

somewhat wary of mid 70s private press outings I can 

say I wasn't too sure about this one, It was 

described as heavy psych and there was only a very 

small press, but what really is on offer here is a

sometimes below average and sometimes decent brew of 

westcoast guitar rock with both a left field and a 

commercial edge exemplified in tracks like the opener 

"Ballerina Dance" and the best track "Wastin' My 

Time" which features an outrageous long guitar solo. 

There are 3 to 4 or 5 at most really killer tracks 

here out of 13, the rest being lukewarm, but you've 

got to give these guys credit for trying. I didn't 

like this one enough to keep it after about 8 

listens, and you are unlikely to ever find a copy of 

it. If you do, don't expect the usual boneheaded 

trash associated with private press rock LPs from 

this time, but don't expect a lost gem either. [Ben 

Blake Mitchner] 

MOTHER TUCKERS YELLOW DUCK (Vancouver, Canada) 

"Homegrown Stuff" 1969 (Capitol ST 6304) 

"Homegrown Stuff" 2000 (CD) 

"Starting A New Day" (1970) (Capitol ST 6352) 

The debut LP is excellent rural folkrock/psychrock 

that's still reasonably easy to score. Closest point 

of reference is probably Moby Grape and Kak, though 

this is less rocking and more mellow/stoned. Two 

duds, otherwise solid all through with a peak in two 

guitar-psych killers on side 2 that will blow your 

head clean off. Second LP is reported as being 

similar but not quite as good. They also had a great 

non LP 45. Some video material of the band performing 

five songs live on Canadian TV is in circulation and 

well worth tracking down. [PL] 

~~~ 

Canadian answer to Wizards Of Kansas and other hard 

rocking almost-rural late 60s/early 70s bands. Side 

two on the debut opens with “One Ring Jane” an 

absolute classic of out of control fuzz guitar and 

heavy rock riffing, and not surprisingly nothing else 

on the album is anywhere near as good. None of it 

rocks nearly as hard either, so it takes a while to 

put it all in context. When you do, you’ll probably 

think that the spoken poem falls flat, but the rest 

of it is reasonably good. Not great, but not bad. 

[AM] 

MOUNTAIN BUS (Chicago, IL) 

"Sundance" 1971 (Good 101) 

"Sundance" 198 (Good) [bootleg] 

"Sundance" 1998 (CD Gear Fab gf-115) [+5 tracks] 

"Sundance" 1999 (Akarma, Italy) [2LPs; +bonus tracks] 

One of the most well-liked albums in the post-Dead 

rural rock bag. Jammy and loose but well-played. The 

vocals are in the Dead style but a little more 

palatable to these ears. Long cover of “I Know You 

Rider” is probably the highlight, but all of this is 

quite good. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Sky Farmer

MOUZAKIS (Wilmington, DE) 

"Magic Tube" 1971 (British Main 90069) 

I have no idea where their name came from, but I 

suppose it wouldn't be easy to find an ideal moniker 

for this bargain basement mix of funk, soul, hard 

rock, 50's-style rock, jazzy prog and Christian rock. 

They're pretty ambitious, and the music has a 

contagious energy even though it isn't good. I can't 

figure out what the songs are actually about, but you 

have to appreciate a title like "Long Haired 

Bombardier." This album includes a spastic live 

recording of "Rock Around The Clock". Throughout, the 

cheesy-sounding organ is mixed way too loud, and the 

recording quality is awful. Most of the solos are 

really bad. The singer is better, but barely. Somehow 

this album isn't boring, but I wouldn't exactly 

recommend it. Demo copies were issued with a four 

page promo insert. [AM] 

MOVING SIDEWALKS (Houston, TX) 

"Flash" 1969 (Tantara 6919) [unipak] 

"Flash" 1980 (Tantara, Europe) [counterfeit; 300p] 

"99th Floor" 1982 (Eva 12002, France) [LP +bonus 45 tracks; 

altered cover] 

"Flash" 1993 (CD Afterglow 002, UK) 

"Flash" 1994 (CD TRC, Germany) 

"Flash" 199 (CD) [+bonus tracks] 

"Flash" 2000 (Akarma 117/2, Italy) [3-sided LP; +5 bonus 

tracks] 

"Flash" 2000 (CD Akarma 117, Italy) [+bonus tracks] 

If in the mood for guitar-driven late 60s blues-rock 

with psych moves, this is one of the best LPs in the 

style. For a debut album it's quite accomplished, 

showing a band with no weaknesses and a lot of heart 

in their music. The Hendrix factor becomes too heavy 

on tracks like "Pluto, Sept 31st", but after hearing 

endless generic "heavy psych" albums from the LA area 

it's a delight to encounter an album in the same 

style that sounds emotionally genuine, whether it'd 

be bourbon-soaked laments or acid-fried studio 

experiments. Though not a masterpiece, this LP has 

aged well. Their non-LP 45s are excellent. The 1980 

counterfeit is close, but the graphics are blurry and 

lack the machine stamped 'MR' (enclosed in a circle) 

in the trail-off. True originals also have title 

stamped on spine inside the gatefold. [PL] 

~~~ 

Well-known rarity outside of collector circles 

because of the ZZ top connection and because of the 

non-LP single on an early "Pebbles" comp. The album 

moves beyond the garage rock of that single to 

Hendrix-inspired heavy psych with lots of wild 

guitar. The last two songs are a complete freakout 

that surely baffled ZZ Top fans who dug this one up 

in the 70s and 80s. Most of this is very good, though 

it's marred the by one of those long blues jams 

typical of the genre. [AM]

MR FLOOD'S PARTY (NY) 

"Mr Flood's Party" 1969 (Cotillion sd-9003) [wlp exists] 

"Mr Flood's Party" 2005 (CD Synton, Austria) 

This is a tough one to describe, somewhere between 

dreamy downer psych and clever popsike. It’s not a 

masterpiece, but it’s a more interesting and 

evocative album than many that sell for quite a bit 

more money. Hard to find in strong condition, for 

some reason. The band later released an LP as Corbett 

& Hirsh, while another member went on to the Frogs. 

[AM] 

MU (Los Angeles, CA / Maui, HI) 

"Mu" 1971 (RTV 300) [lyric insert; wlp exists] 

"Mu" 1974 (CAS 100) [1000p] 

"Lemurian Music" 1974 (United Artists uag-29709, UK) [altered 

cover] 

"Mu" 1988 (Reckless 4, UK) 

"Mu" 199 (CD, UK) 

"Mu" 1997 (CD Sundazed sc-11037) [2CD box set; +bonus tracks] 

The band and LP that propelled Merrell Fankhauser to 

international stardom, at least on the rare psych LP 

collector circuit. Rated highly for decades, and less 

hippie:ish than his later Mu work. This mix of bluesy 

urban LA exhaust fume vibes and tribal desert 

mystique is as archetypal an early 1970s SoCal trip 

as you can find. Strong songwriting, pro-sounding 

recording all around, given a clearcut identity from 

the excellent slide guitar, harmony vocals, and 

occasional sax. Too bad not more bands followed this 

musical path. "Eternal Thirst" with spooky percussion 

and chanting goes deep into the ancient regions of 

your cranium. From a mainstream/classic rock 

perspective, this is Merrell's most significant work, 

although even better things were to follow for us 

hallucinogenic purveyors. The retitled British 1974 

version also came out in Brazil. [PL] 

"The Last Album" 1981 (Appaloosa 017, Italy) 

"Children of the Rainbow" 1985 (Blue Form 1) [#d] 

"End of an Era" 1988 (Reckless 7, UK) 

"The Band From the Lost Continent" 1995 (Xotic Mind xmcd-1, 

Sweden) [2CDs] 

Although not released until the 1980s, the 1974 Maui 

recordings may be even better than the debut LP. This 

is music as pure as you're ever going to hear, a 

seemingly effortless flow of tremendous melodic psych 

and folkrock most bands can only dream of attaining. 

This and the "Mu" LP are cornerstones in any decent 

psych collection. Hawaiian vegetarian UFO 

hallucinations! It should be mentioned that while 

this is seen mostly as a Merrell vehicle, many of 

Mu's best tracks were written or co-written by ex-

MARC MUNDY ( ) 

Beefheart Jeff Cotton. All releases above feature 

essentially the same material, the Xotic Mind CD 

being the most complete collection. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Merrell Fankhauser 

"Marc Mundy" 1971 (Tomarc) 

"Marc Mundy" 2006 (CD Companion) 

Mundy expected this album to make him famous. His 

songwriting actually is rather mainstream singersongwriter 

fare, but his sensibility is pretty weird, 

and most importantly, he sings in an unidentifiable 

accent (Asian? Eastern European? Gypsy?) that makes 

this a true love or hate proposition. There's no in 

between here, as the voice overwhelms everything: the 

songs, the lyrics, the arrangements, even the backing 

vocals. The whole thing has a very exotic feel, and 

his guitar playing is vaguely Eastern. There is some 

orchestration and much of this is barely "rock," but 

it's hardly like any adult contemporary you've ever 

heard. There are some transcendent moments here, like 

the falsetto on "Give Up Your Pride." Truly unique. 

[AM] 

ALAN MUNSON (Santa Barbara, CA) 

"First Light" 1979 (Parallax) 

West coast 1970s laidback folkrock with mix of 

acoustic and electric tracks. Munson was earlier with 

Cooley-Munson, and also released the cassette-only 

"Good Morning World" (1975, Parallax Records). 

~~~ 

"There are eleven original songs on the "First Light" 

album. The album doesn't easily fit into a music 

category box, since the songs range from Psych rock, 

to some fairly "laid back" folk-rock, and even a song 

with a country rock feel. Instruments played on the 

record include electric and acoustic guitars, 

electric bass guitar and drums. Lead solos are all 

played on electric guitar; there's a "clean" sound on 

the acoustic based songs and guitar effects were used 

on the Psych rock songs. Strong lead vocals and 

background harmony vocals. Lyrics are clear and 

meaningful." (Description supplied by Alan Munson) 

P J MURPHY QUINTET (Madison, WI) 

"P J Murphy Quintet" 1964 (Leaf 6475) 

University of Wisconsin, weak frat rock from preppylooking 

guys & a female member. This has been hyped 

as a rarity, so proceed with caution. Two cover 

variations exist. 

MUSHROOM (New York City, NY)

"Freedom You're A Woman" 1978 (Vulcan v-911) 

MUSIC (MI) 

Brooklyn hardrock recorded at The Record Plant, in 

nice toadstool cover. 

"The Book Of Music" 1972 (no label) [300p] 

"The Book Of Music" 2004 (Rockadelic 49) [300p] 

MUSICA ORBIS (PA) 

Although straightforward in style it required several 

plays for me to get a feel for this. "My side of the 

mountain" is the track people will talk about 10 

years from now, and a good example of the typical 70s 

teenage hardrock Rockadelic sound. The "lighter" side 

was the one I had to ponder, but it came out on top 

as well; the right vibe, good songwriting with some 

nice hooks, and arrangements and playing are fine 

throughout the LP. The original PR line of it 

sounding like "Led Zeppelin and Neil Young" I think 

sums it pretty well; oddly some of it sounds like a 

British band trying to sound like an American band. 

Possible local US references might be Top Drawer, 

Dryewater, Magi and other 70s exponents of US/UK 

melodic hardrock influences. I wouldn't rate this as 

high as Wailing Wall, which was quite unique and 

weird in a way I admire, but Music was obviously 

worth reissuing and I'm guessing it will have a wider 

appeal than W.W. among the general populace. The LP 

was originally sold at the band's high school. [PL] 

~~~ 

Side one of this album is solid CSN-inspired harmony 

folk/folk-rock, very early 70s in sound, though the 

crude production gives it a dark feel that mainstream 

music of this type lacks. Side two is a whole 

different story, opening with one of the best folkinto-heavy-rock 

anthems you're likely to hear. "My 

Side Of The Mountain" is a monster, and it alone 

makes this album essential. The rest is pretty strong 

too. A nice, surprising find. [AM] 

"To The Listeners" 1977 (Longdivity) [gatefold] 

This group of Swarthmore College graduates (they 

formed while still students, but recorded afterwards) 

is rather unique and somewhat ahead of their time. 

They’re not really a “rock” band, though most of the 

songs take rock forms. They seem like a bunch of 

music majors who were cool enough to go beyond their 

jazz and classical roots, and were also too smart to 

play mainstream pop or rock. This type of background 

could lead to some really pretentious stuff, but not 

in the case of Musica Orbis, who are more interested 

in thoughtful experimentation than in showing off 

their chops. Kitty Brazleton (who is still active in 

the NYC music scene and has been leader of some 

interesting experimental jazz/rock/chamber music 

bands in the 90s and 00s) is the voice of the band, 

and what a voice she is: reaching insanely high notes 

here, and achieving an impressive calm there. The 

chorus to “It’s Hard To Say,” where she really belts

MUSICAL THEATRE ( ) 

it out, is stunning. Side one of the album is much 

more experimental than side two, and includes a jazzy 

instrumental as well as some progressive-style rock. 

The instrumentation is diverse and unusual 

throughout, and while this side is all over the map, 

it’s pretty fascinating. If side one is a slightly 

qualified success, side two, which comprises five 

relatively short and accessible songs, is an 

unqualified success. It’s impressive how no matter 

what kind of experimentation they’ve got up their 

sleeve, the melodies are memorable and the songs 

sound like they could have been radio hits. The 

lyrics are pretty great too. “Home” is a feminist 

tale of self-reliance that predates the Waitresses’ 

“No Guilt” by five years. While they don’t go out of 

their way to remind you, you’ll continually notice 

how smart this band is. If only all progressive music 

could be this heartfelt and passionate. Highly 

recommended, even though the pressings are awfully 

noisy straight out of the shrinkwrap. [AM] 

"A Revolutionary Revelation" 1969 (Metromedia) [wlp exists] 

Exploito concept with a narrator asking in a God-like 

voice how to make the world a better place. The 

"answers" are these studio pop psych ditties with all 

sorts of gratuitous sound effects. 

MUSIC EMPORIUM (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Music Emporium" 1969 (Sentinel 69001) [die-cut gatefold; 

300p] 

"Music Emporium" 1983 (Psycho 11, UK) [altered sleeve] 

"Music Emporium" 199 (Afterglow, UK) 

"Music Emporium" 199 (CD Afterglow, UK) 

"Music Emporium" 1997 (CD Flash, Europe) 

"Music Emporium" 2001 (Action Records 304) 

"Music Emporium" 2001 (Sundazed) [+bonus tracks] 

"Music Emporium" 2001 (CD Sundazed) [+bonus tracks] 

This should be a wellknown item by now in view of the 

legendary status attributed to it over the years. 

Classy, seductive LA studiopsych with Bay Area 

influences, terrific use of organ, some powerful 

guitar leads, and beautiful male/female harmonies, 

like a better produced Serpent Power or a better 

composed Growing Concern. The band (who sported a 

female drummer) was influenced by Iron Butterfly but 

unlike most of their contemporaries turned this 

influence into something useful and occasionally 

truly haunting, be it dreamy floaters like "Velvet 

Sunsets" or the powerful acid drone of "Day of 

wrath". There are other LPs I rate higher but all 

over one of the true classics among rare westcoast 

60s psych LPs. The album used to be extremely rare, 

until a fortunate soul came across more than 100 

unplayed copies in a warehouse in the 1990s. As most 

people know, the Psycho reissue suffers from a major 

mastering screw-up and has one channel missing. The 

Afterglow boots have good sound. The Sundazed 

remastering job is OK but loses a bit of the

original's presence, in my opinion. Only the Action 

bootleg and legit Sundazed reissue retain the 

original die-cut gimmick sleeve[. PL] 

MUSIC MACHINE (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Turn On" 1966 (Original Sound 5015) [mono] 

"Turn On" 1966 (Original Sound 8875) [stereo] 

"Turn On" 1966 (CD Repertoire, Germany) 

"Bonniwell's Music Machine" 1967 (Warner Brothers w-1732) [mono; 

wlp] 

"Bonniwell's Music Machine" 1967 (Warner Brothers w-1732) [mono; 

gold label] 

"Bonniwell's Music Machine" 1967 (Warner Brothers ws-1732) 

[stereo; gold label] 

"Beyond The Garage" (CD Sundazed sc-11030) [+bonus tracks] 

MUSTARD SEED (CA) 

Well-known cult band that needn't be explained here. 

Often referred to as "garage" although they were perhaps 

more of a cutting edge LA band like the Doors and Love, 

with music so unusual and ambitious that it sometimes 

sounds more like late 1970s post-punk than "60s". The 

first LP is a mixed bag and can be avoided if you get the 

45s instead; the second LP is a more consistent affair 

allowing you a peek inside the unusual creativity of Sean 

Bonniwell. Still, I'm not a great fan of the band whose 

music often strikes me as overly intellectual and 

elaborate, but when they get it right the intensity is 

truly remarkable. Apart from the early 45s I think the 

tormented "I've loved you" on the second LP and the rare 

non-LP 45 "You'll love me again" are musts. The wlp mono 

contains a unique rough mix of "Eagle Never Hunts The 

Fly" not available anywhere else; probably included by 

mistake instead of "Double Yellow Line", which is listed 

but not included. The old Rhino "Best Of" sampler has 

some rare tracks, but these are unfortunately mastered 

slightly off-speed. There is a more recent Sundazed 

sampler titled "Ignition" which has much of the same 

rarities. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> T S Bonniwell 

"Mustard Seed" 1971 (Spectrum lps-3501) [plain cover with 

sticker] 

Here’s a weird one. I’ve listened to this one 

multiple times and I’m still not sure what to make of 

it. I think I like it. Not quite sure how to describe 

it either. There are some simple acoustic ballads, 

melodic rock with low-key psychy organ, pop horns on 

a couple tunes, an unusual psychedelic moody piece 

with wah-wah electric, trumpet, and reverbed vocals. 

‘Free People’ has a nice Doors-ish organ solo (sort 

of a poor man’s ‘Light My Fire’) and a brief token 

drum solo that all hip albums from this period were 

required to have. Has flashes of brilliance and edge 

that hearken to the “biggies” that sell in the 3digit 

figures, but overall it’s not quite up there 

with the rest. Well produced. [KS]

MUTHA GOOSE (IN) 

"Mutha Goose I" 1975 (Alpha Omega 26401) 

Heavy underground rock with surging leads, organ, and 

a progressive edge. "Freak Hitch-hiker" is a strong 

track. 

MYSTERIANS (Winslow, AZ) 

"Mysterians" 1967 (Indian Arts of America p-3005) 

American-Hopi Indian group doing frat, soul and beat 

covers with guitar band setting plus sax, some female 

vocals. "A Thousand Stars", "Money", "Wooly Bully", a 

couple of possible originals. No relation to the "96 

tears" guys, of course. 

MYSTERIOUS MINDS ( ) 

"Mind Over Matter" 1975 (no label) 

"Mind Over Matter" 2002 (Mystic) [300p] 

Great weirdo 1970s groove rock by Korea War veterans 

with unique vibe and using a custom-built pipe 

instrument, the "Brass Orchestra Cabinet", for added 

strangenss. Only a handful of copies known, good one 

for the fringe fans. 

MYSTERY MEAT (Carlinville, IL) 

"Profiles" 1968 (Director 7303) 

"Profiles" 2003 (Shadoks 041, Germany) 

"Profiles" 2003 (CD Normal, Germany) 

Extremely rare garage/folkrock LP whose existence was 

long doubted, until a few copies were unearthed some 

years back. The band came out of Blackburn College in 

Carlinville and existed mainly to record this LP. 

Great originals all through reminiscent of the Bachs 

and UK group Complex, chock full of organ-led teen 

atmosphere, tremendous melancholy vocals, and tunes 

that grow with each play. My current faves include 

the Dovers-like "Put me down" and "Girl named Sue", 

but it's really a wide selection of great sounds, 

enhanced further by the basement ambience. One of the 

best garage-era albums you can find, to me better 

than All Of Thus, Summer Sounds, etc. Primitive 

sleeve design shows a piece of "mystery meat". 

According to the band, the pressing was very small, 

maybe 25-100 copies. Due to the lo-fi nature of the

original, substantial sound processing has been 

applied for the German reissues, with mixed results. 

[PL] 

V.A "MYSTERY REVEALED" ( ) 

"Mystery Revealed" 1972 (Creative Sound 666/777) 

Christian rock compilation with tracks by Mike 

Johnson, Harvest Flight and Paul Clark, the reported 

highlight being a number by unknown Jay Larremore. 

MYSTERY TREND see S F O Music Box 

MYSTIC SIVA (Detroit, MI) 

"Mystic Siva" 1971 (VO Recording 19713) [gatefold] 

"Mystic Siva" 198 (no label, Austria) [altered cover; 385p] 

"Mystic Siva" 198 (Hablabel, Italy) [altered cover] 

"Mystic Siva" 199 (CD Mystic) 

"Mystic Siva" 199 (CD Anthology, Italy) 

"Mystic Siva" 199 (World In Sound rfr-002, Germany) 

[gatefold] 

"Mystic Siva" 199 (CD World In Sound wis-1002, Germany) 

The way I see it, this legend has four strong 

basement guitar-psychers, while the rest is either 

lame slow cuts or potential winners screwed up in the 

mixing (these guys admit being so stoned in the 

studio they brought the wrong channel up for the 

solos). "Supernatural Mind" and "In a room" are 

worldclass stoner killers, but I really have a hard 

time sitting through some of the weaker stuff. As 

this has many and loud advocates I've probably stuck 

my head out too far. Some unreleased live recordings 

from before the LP were released in 2003 as "Under 

the Influence" (World in Sound 017, CD & LP), and has 

garnered some fans. [PL] 

~~~ 

The mixing mistake (which, bafflingly, is never 

mentioned in reviews of the album) makes several 

songs on this album very distracting and annoying. 

The solo lead guitar is either so loud that it 

completely drowns out everything else or is so quiet 

that you can barely hear it. These solos, which are 

plentiful, aren't all that great, either, rambling 

endlessly with no apparent purpose. Otherwise, this 

is stoned teen hard rock with many of the hallmarks 

of the era: wah wahs, a few funky moves, prominent 

organ, and youthful but bland vocals. I find the 

slower songs, which have 12-string guitars and dreary 

drone-like paces, more interesting than the rockers. 

Even there, though, the weak vocals detract and keep 

the songs from being total keepers. Occasionally the

singer aims for a Jagger-like snotty tone that 

recalls 60s garage bands, and while he doesn't do it 

especially well, it's an improvement over the 

attempts at "melodic" singing. "Spinning A Spell" is 

my pick hit. Even its ear-busting solo is a step up 

from the rest on the album. A few other songs rise 

above, but there are a bunch of duds as well. It does 

have a mildly outrageous and spooky feel to it, and I 

think it would appeal more to 60s garage fans than to 

70s hard rock fans. Still, there are plenty of albums 

as good or better, and it's hard to see why it is 

rated so high in collector circles. [AM] 

MYSTIC ZEPHYRS 4 (Ventura, CA) 

"Maybe" 1974 (Two:Dot HRH-6873) 

Incompetent teenage family band with sincere pop 

songs and an extremely dated "have a nice day" 1970s 

feel a la the Brady Bunch/Partridge Family. The vibe 

is understated and nervous, as opposed to the in-yerface 

crudeness of the Shaggs. Some of the tracks are 

truly memorable, and this is a recently discovered 

biggie on the Fringe/Incredibly Strange circuit. The 

drummer is only 12 and she sucks! An obvious cult 

item, on the same label as Arthur and Hendrickson 

Road House. The band were: Lynne (age 18) - guitar, 

vocal, flute, songwriter; Keith (age 16) - bass, 

vocals; Gayle (age 14) - organ, vocals; Joyce (age 

12) - drums, vocals. There were also two 45s with 

non-LP tracks released on Two:Dot. 


DARRAGH NAGLE (Tempe, AZ) 

"Lapis" 1975 (Star Rider 1175) 

NAOMI (UT) 

Nature folk, mostly acoustic with flutes, some synth. 

The guy came out of the same pagan folk scene as 

Gwydion and is still active, with several later album 

releases. 

"Cottage Songs" 1975 (Cottage Records no #) 

Both Naomi albums are several cuts above your typical 

singer-songwriter private press. She has a lovely, 

clear voice, and the songs are intelligently 

arranged. The vocals are in a folk tradition, but the 

music covers a number of soft rock styles, with 

liberal use of woodwinds, keyboards, even occasional 

horn arrangements. Naomi's last name is Lewis. 

"Seagulls And Sunflowers" 1976 (Cottage Records) 

The second Naomi album is jazzier than the first, and 

has a bit more guitar (even fuzz on one song!) 

Otherwise it’s quite similar, and again there a few 

really choice songs: “Tupa Tupa Tupa,” with cool use 

of oboes (I think) and sly whispered backing vocals, 

the hippie-folk “Love Song,” the funky “Rock Me,” and 

the San Francisco-styled “There Will Be Music.” Her 

voice is really beautiful when double tracked. 

Overall, maybe a notch less enjoyable than the first 

album, but still pretty great. [AM] 

NAPOLEON XIV (Los Angeles, CA) 

"They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" 1966 (Warner 

Brothers w-1661) [mono; wlp exists] 

"They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" 1966 (Warner 

Brothers w-1661) [stereo] 

"They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" 198 (Rhino RNLP- 

816) 

The title track is one of the greatest novelty songs 

ever, disarming in its simplicity and complete lack 

of good taste. Samuels had one more great trick in 

his bag, as the B-side (also included on the album) 

was the entire song played backwards, possibly the 

first use of backwards recording in popular music. 

The rest of the album shows little imagination, 

unfortunately. It's basically just variations on the

one theme, without ever being anywhere near as clever 

as the original song. The stereo version may be 

preferrable to catch all the production tricks. A 

Rhino CD release entitled "The Second Coming" 

contains the album and some later Samuels comedy 

songs/bits that are more "adult" but not funny at 

all. [AM] 

LES NAPOLEONS (Quebec, Canada) 

"A Go Go" 1966 (Passe Temps PST-17) 

"A Go Go" 2001 (no label) [bootleg] 

Sporting a subtitle that says "music for dancing", 

Les Napoleons offer an engaging mix of snarling 

garage rockers and Mersybeat-inspired pop. While 

isolated ballads such as "Tu es Partie" and "La Vie 

Sans Toi" are okay, the band's at their best on uptempo 

rockers such as "Fou de Toi", "Reviens" and "Je 

M'en Fou". The set's low-fi production feel adds to 

the overall appeal. Translated covers of The Beatles' 

"I Feel Fine" and "We Can Work It Out" are great. 

Although all ten tracks are sung in French, the 

energetic performances more than compensate for the 

fact the lyrics are largely a mystery. Man, these 

guys were every bit as good as their Anglo 

competition. [SB] 

NAVIGATOR (Kansas City, MO) 

"Outlines" 1982 (Systems no #) [plain cover with handmade 

artwork; insert] 

Basement recording of late-stage 70s hardrock with a 

compressed, tinny sound, a tight band and lots of 

guitar leads. Early metal moves and even a punk feel 

here and there, while some tracks bring in out-ofcontrol 

synth runs for good effect. Unfortunately the 

vocals are weak and often inaudible, and the end 

result is mainly for local hardrock completists, 

although I must admit it had a certain wild DIY demo 

charm. A couple of tracks lay on proggy sci-fi drama 

moves typical for the era. Supposedly only 200 copies 

were pressed. Some copies have spray-painted logos, 

others are hand-drawn. [PL] 

NAZCA LINE (Lima, OH) 

"Outer Space Connection" 1979 (Nazca Productions RR1) [1000p] 

Another Ohio private press here, a hard rock album 

recorded in a barn. A lot of people like this, but I 

find it pretty pedestrian with lousy vocals and not 

very many hooks. The guitar has a nice metallic tone, 

similar to the album by Constellation. The nineminute 

“Stranger,” probably the best song on the 

album, steals the key guitar riff from Greg Kihn’s 

“Breakup Song” and Television’s “Elevation”. The 

lyrics throughout follow the outer space theme, but 

musically the only “spacy” moments are the sound 

effects on the first song, so space-rock fans

shouldn’t get their hopes up. [AM] 

NEGATIVE SPACE (NJ) 

"Hard, Heavy, Mean & Evil" 1971 (Castle NS-101) [plain cover 

with stamped title; 200p] 

"Hard, Heavy, Mean & Evil" 198 (Castle) [bootleg; 'trippy 

pattern' cover; 100p] 

"Hard, Heavy, Mean & Evil" 199 (Castle, Austria) [bootleg] 

"The Living Dead Years" 2000 (CD Monster mcd-009) [LP +10 

bonus tracks] 

TOM NEHLS (MN) 

Underground hardrock/guitarpsych from guys who 

probably lived in the same toxic waste sewers as St 

Anthony's Fyre. Opens with an extended killer fuzz 

track and has more in a Boa/Mystic Siva type bag, 

plus some "ballads" and odd covers. Hardly a classic, 

but worthwhile for those into the local '69-70 stoner 

longhair sound. The band leader Rob Russen also cut a 

solo 45 on the same label, with a different version 

of an LP track. [PL] 

"I Always Catch The Third Second Of A Yellow Light" 1973 (no 

label 7303) [paste-on; booklet] 

Spooky late-night urban 1970s fringe psych excursion 

that is surprisingly effective; covers a lot of bases 

but all of them moody and introspective, like eerie 

dreams rising to the surface. A Patron Saints-mood 

here and there, esp the guy's voice, but also phased 

fuzz-psych, Search Party downer trips with female 

vocals, weary 3 AM Las Vegas lounge-jazz, backwards 

effects, great use of vibes and moog; consistent and 

determined in its ambitions and atmospheres. Sounds a 

bit like 1990s guy St Mikael, actually. True 

psychedelia for experienced midnight-to-6 

trippers. The LP was recorded in Minneapolis and 

released in June 1973. [PL] 

~~~ 

Really nice 'production' LP with watery wah wah, 

phasing, and loads of effects. Delicate and trippy, 

not particularly arresting compositionally but lots 

of depth in the production -- good one to break out 

the headphones for. The echoed vocals and guitar 

parts have a submerged quality. A bit lightweight on 

the A-side but the flip gets hot and heavy. Two cover 

variations exist, a rarer one with a full-size pasteon, 

and one with a smaller paste-on. [RM] 

~~~ 

Difficult and highly personal folky weirdness here. 

At some points, it’s reminisicent of R Stevie Moore, 

though without any or Moore’s catchy melodies or 

sense of humor. I find it difficult, but complex 

enough to be interesting. It definitely sets a creepy 

mood. Too accomplished to be a “real people” album 

but too idiosyncratic to appeal to most. [AM] 

NEIGHB'RHOOD CHILDR'N (Ashland, OR)

"Neighb'rhood Childr'n" 1967 (Acta a-38005) [mono] 

"Neighb'rhood Childr'n" 1967 (Acta) [stereo] 

"Neighb'rhood Childr'n" 198 (Acta, Europe) [bootleg; thin 

glossy cover] 

-- this exact bootleg is a slightly noisy press 

"Long Years in Space" 1997 (Sundazed 5023) [2LPs; LP +12 

tracks] 

"Long Years in Space" 1997 (CD Sundazed sc-11041) [LP +12 

tracks) 

An album that triggers a wide variety of responses 

among listeners, and needs to be approached the right 

way. Inaccurately described as some sort of deep 

psych classic elsewhere, what I hear is trashy 

sunshine lytepsych with a garage production value. 

There are some starry-eyed acid moves that sounds 

like a bunch of runaway kids groovin' on their first 

week in the Haight, but it's undeniably teenybopper 

top 40 at the core. I still think it's fun and 

charming, with fuzz and organ and mixed male/female 

vocals that all help create an appealing surface 

straight out of an old AIP movie soundtrack. The 

Sundazed re adds some unreleased and non-LP tracks of 

shifting quality, but is recommended mainly for 

diehard fans. In addition to the various official 

releases there was a 4-track promo EP courtesy of 

Vegas Productions, which was released in April 1967 

and includes different versions of a few LP tracks. 

Two of these were included on the Sundazed set, but 

"Please please leave me alone" (1st vers) and 

"Maggie's Farm" remain unreissued. [PL] 

~~~ 

Newbies to this likeable album will probably learn it 

from the Sundazed reissue, which scrambles the song 

order, relegates their weird cover of "Over The 

Rainbow," (which is the weakest song on the album 

anyway) to bonus track status, and adds a mishmash of 

bonus tracks of varying quality. Often, when you hear 

an album like this in a way other than it was first 

intended, it comes off as less than it really is (the 

Blue Things is a good example.) In this case, though, 

the revamped song order makes sense, and the 

separation of the novelty song also improves the 

situation, as long as you can separate the bonus 

tracks in your mind from the album tracks. What you 

end up with is a co-ed 60s pop album with organ and 

fuzz guitar and one really freaked out song (which is 

effectively short). As is usually the case, they'd 

probably have been better off with the woman singing 

all of the songs, not because anything's wrong with 

the guys, but because she's much less appealing as a 

backing singer than a lead singer. Though this is 

basically pop, it does rock pretty hard here and 

there, and it's a few cuts above the average album of 

this kind. Yankee Dollar and Sapphire Thinkers 

comparisons are apt, though both of those bands seem 

to have a more consistent sound, while Neighb'rhood 

Childr'n seem to have adjusted their mainstream

songwriting style to the trends of the time and are 

more experimental. "Please Leave Me Alone," which is 

the wimpiest and least psychedelic song here, 

actually comes off to these ears as the best, as it 

is pure pop with a lovely melody and fresh spirit, 

untouched by any kind of pretense. The brief minor 

key ballad "Hobbit's Dream" is also very nice. [AM] 

AL NEIL TRIO (Vancouver, Canada) 

"Retrospective 1965–1968" 1976 (Lodestone) [200#d; gatefold] 

NETHERWORLD (CA) 

Very obscure collection of 1960s psych/jazz/avant 

recordings from band who played the legendary 1966 

Trips Festival in Vancouver. A variety of instruments 

used including a "vortexorola". 

"In The Following Half-Light" 1981 (R.E.M./ Silver rem-4441) 

[insert] 

Pretentious prog that strives for something great and 

comes off sounding like a poor cousin of many better 

and more well-known bands. The songs are complex in 

an annoying way: they shift gears every time a hook 

or good melodic idea begins to take hold. The last 

song attempts to be horrific, and ends up being 

almost laughable. There are some decent synthesizer 

bits scattered about and some of the album is 

reasonably heavy, but this isn’t a pleasant listen by 

any stretch of the imagination. [AM] 

NEURON (Chicago, IL) 

"For What We Are" 1980 (Erect 1000) 

Flowing jazzy progressive with acidic guitar work and 

a rural vibe. Some think it more pomp than prog, 

while the cover art is an all-out prog fest. The 

label had a few more releases around this time. 

NEUTRAL SPIRITS (GA) 

"Neutral Spirits" 1973 (Regency 101) [500p] 

"Neutral Spirits" 2003 (CD Gear Fab GF 198) 

Lost in time garage band with a primitive sound and 

very basic songs; should appeal to fans of Cykle and 

New Dawn. Prominent use of fuzz bass gives an 

original edge, while the lead guitarist and drummer

work frantically within their limited capabilities. 

Charming teen vocals and some atypical lyrics about 

Vietnam and dope legislation. Pretty cool, though 

mainly for fans of local early 70s amateur sounds. 

Very short playtime. According to the band, 350 

copies were destroyed in a house fire in 1981. The 

Neutral Spirits also appear on a gospel LP recorded 

the same day in 1972 as the Regency album; "Gospel 

Songs Old & New" by Dot Henry (Jayla Records 1020). 

[PL] 

NEW AGE (Atlanta, GA) 

"Neptuned" 1979 (Microdot no#) 

Excellent, dynamic progressive with doomy organ, 

violin and driving synth, housed in typical fullcolor 

prog fantasy cover. 

NEW BREED (Carlisle, PA) 

"The Many Moods Of The New Breed" 1970 (New Breed 13634) 

This local album offers up a mixture of nifty 

original numbers and popular soul and pop hits. 

Opening with a cover of "Shotgun" probably wasn't the 

most original move in the book, but propelled by 

frantic drumming and enthusiastic blue-eyed soul 

vocals, the result may be the best cover of the 

Motown classic I've heard. As good as the group's 

covers are, the five originals are even better. The 

only original on the first side, the molten 

"Rockbustin Blues" served to show these guys were 

rockers at heart. Showcasing a great lead guitar, 

side two started out with another winner in the form 

of "Mississippi Delta", while the other three 

originals on side two were just as good. The only 

disappointment was the closer "Never Ending Song of 

Love" which sounded like it was being performed for 

an audience of polka fans. All told, a nice obscure 

find. The band had won a Pepsi Cola contest and their 

rendition of the Pepsi jingle was used in an ad 

campaign; in addition they were given a recording 

contract for one year. [SB] 

NEW COLONY SIX (Chicago, IL) 

"Breakthrough" 1966 (Sentar 101) 

"Breakthrough" 1984 (Eva 12008, France) 

"Colonization" 1967 (Sentar St-3001) [mono] 

"Colonization" 1967 (Sentar Sst-3001) [stereo] 

"Colonization" 199 (CD Sundazed sc-6026) [+2 tracks]

"Breakthrough" is a rare early Chicago legend with 

marvy teen-beat/folkrock moves along the lines of 

the Rising Storm LP, even has a terrific "Frozen 

laughter" counterpart, plus some swinging upmarket 

Raiders-style garage and more. Easily one of the best 

mid-60s LPs from the Midwest. The similar-sounding 

and just slightly less outstanding "Colonization" has 

its share of fans as well, while their later LPs are 

universally despised top 40 fodder. Sundazed has done 

a great NC6 CD comp that I recommend, "At The River's 

Edge". There are also samplers on Rhino and Mercury 

Japan. [PL] 

NEW CREATION (Vancouver, Canada) 

"Troubled" 1970 (Alpha Omega no #) [insert] 

"Troubled" 2003 (CD Companion CR 1) 

Mindbending "real people" Incredibly Strange 

obscurity, featuring an essentially untalented trio 

of square Christian folkies diving head-first into 

the hippie revolution and all the bad stuff that came 

with it. Like Peter Grudzien or Charlie Tweddle you 

could write a whole book about the strange cerebral 

buttons this album pushes, the aggregated effect of 

which is truly staggering. The female vocalist is 

unsure of things such as rhythm and accents and opts 

for a very unusual half-sung/half-spoken style that 

sounds like a 1950s housewife humming to herself at 

K-Mart. The male vocalist has a flat, geeky voice 

that lends little weight to the apocalyptic and often 

quite bizarre lyrics about degenerate hippies, drugs, 

Sodom & Gomorrah, immoral adults, sinners and more. 

The most normal tracks sound like an off-key Guitar 

Ensemble, while the rest is so out of whack that 

proper comparisons can't be drawn. The LP opens with 

a long, hip collage with snips of voices and sound 

effects intended to put you in the buzzing chaos of 

"now"; oddly it sounds like it was recorded live with 

the three band members inserting their soundbites and 

cheesy sound fx on cue from prepared notes. There is 

also a ripoff of "Sky Pilot" that takes the latent 

monotony of the verse melody and shoves it into your 

face until time seems to stop. Many more examples 

could be made. True psychedelia, and like Grudzien 

and Tweddle flipped out enough to be enjoyed by folks 

otherwise uninterested in fringe sounds. Excellent CD 

reissue has celebrity endorsements from Paul Major 

and Ron Moore, among others. There are also two non- 

LP 45s. [PL] 

NEW DAWN (Salem, OR) 

"There's A New Dawn" 1970 (Hoot/Garland GR70 4569) [circa

1000p] 

"There's A New Dawn" 1994 (no label, Germany) [altered sleeve] 

"There's A New Dawn" 200 (CD Synton, Austria) 

"There's A New Dawn" 2001 (Akarma 152, Italy) 

"There's A New Dawn" 2001 (CD Akarma 152, Italy) 

NEW EXPRESSION (OH) 

It's generally a good sign when a record opens with 

the sounds of nature and this is no exception. The 

central theme seems to concern suicide or a deep 

seated sadness about Man's seperation from God. Maybe 

even both! dreamy downer xian LP rhythm centered 

(monotonic? monotonous?) drums, organ, and chiming 

guitar. Moody heartfelt vocals and buzz fuzz breaks 

fill out the claustrophobic soundscape. Full of 

despairing lyrics about dissatisfaction with life and 

feelings of hopelessness without God. No 'Up With 

People' plastic smiles from these guys! "Dark 

Thoughts" is the ultimate in doomy bumblebee with a 

message guitar tracks and the gloomy closer, "Life 

Goes On" is surely in the top ten of songs to check 

out to. Inspirational verse: 'I sit all day... and 

watch my hands. And feel self pity... ooze from my 

glands'. Too deep and dark for some but could be the 

pinnacle for xian sorrow. [RM] 

~~~ 

Some rate this as an all-time favorite, probably 

because it has such a consistently strong downer mood 

to it. The consistency works against it in some ways 

(all of the songs sound like they're in the same 

key), but the album is quite distinctive. Side one 

has stronger songs, closing with some great fuzzguitar 

on "Dark Thoughts." Side two moves in an 

almost rural direction, and isn't as compelling. 

Every time psychedelic music newsgroups have threads 

about "grower" albums this always seems to turn up, 

though I liked it reasonably well at first and 

haven't changed my mind about it. [AM] 

~~~ 


"Good Clean Rock'n'Roll" 1975 (Jewel 544) 

NEW HOBBITS (NY) 

Fuzz/organ/harpsichord mix of dreamy ballads and 70s 

rock in striking swirl design cover. 

"Back From Middle Earth" 1969 (Perception PLP-10) 

The "discovery" of this third Hobbits LP caused some 

excitement a few years back. Unlike the two preceding 

albums, this was released on Hobbit mastermind Jimmy 

Curtiss' own Perception label, and probably pressed

NEW LEGEND ( ) 

NEWS (CT) 

in few numbers. This could have made for an 

interesting story, but what the lyte-psych and softrock 

brigade neglected to mention is that "Back From 

Middle Earth" isn't a very good album. In fact, it 

sounds just like the $10 LP it would have been 

without the special circumstances. Jimmy Curtiss has 

penned most of the songs, and the "group" was 

probably just him plus some studio hacks. The opening 

track, the "top 40 pick", is a reasonably catchy pop 

number that might have worked even in 1969. The 

second track is a musically agreeable minor chord 

Association ballad, damaged by weak lyrics. It kind 

of continues downhill from there, with uninspired pop 

songwriting, throwaway arrangements, and a crude mix 

with the vocals too loud. A low-point is reached with 

a ridiculous Band ripoff that dissolves into 3rd rate 

saloon crooner sounds before your eyes. The quickie 

lameness of it all is hammered home by a 23-minute 

playtime. Most or all known copies are promo. The two 

preceding Hobbits LPs on Decca, "Down To Middle 

Earth" (1967) and "Men And Doors" (1968) have caught 

some interest in recent years. Curtiss was also 

involved with Velvet Night and The Bag, but his most 

memorable work might have been the fun "Psychedelic 

situation" 45. [PL] 

"New Legend" 1971 (Band'n Vocal 1269) 

Rare LP on the same label as Brigade, psychy early 

70s rock. 

"Hot Off The Press" 1974 (XPL-1045) 

Here’s a unique and outstanding 70s pop album. The 

lead instrument is a pedal steel guitar, played with 

more imagination than anywhere other than the 

Misunderstood’s studio recordings, often with some 

nice fuzzy distortion. It rarely sounds “country.” 

The songs are strong pop/rock, with Beach Boys-style 

harmony vocals on the softer songs, and tougher (but 

still melodic) singing on the rockers. Other than the 

opening “song” (three minutes of a guy fiddling with 

a radio dial), everything here is memorable, and no 

two songs sound alike. My pick hits are the powerful 

“Loser,” with a stunning steel guitar solo, and the 

long album-closer “New York City,” but this is 

consistent enough that any given listener could feel 

equally strong about any two others. This is exactly 

the kind of band a daring major label executive would 

have struck gold with in the 60s, but nobody would 

dare to touch in the 70s. [AM] 

~~~ 

Excellent and still fairly unknown LP on the same 

local CT label as D R Hooker. The bulk of it is 

terrific 1960s westcoast-flavored folkrock with a 

dreamy psych vibe and good vocal harmonies. I'm 

reminded of other 60s-in-the-70s trips such as Creme 

Soda or the good tracks on Spur more than anything 

else, with lyrics that show the retro feel to be

NEW TROUBADORS (CA) 

deliberate on the band's part, openly referring to 

old songs by the Byrds, the Beatles, etc. Not sure 

what they were aiming for with this, but it does 

produce an appealing sound. Another reference point 

is Merrel Fankhauser in his melodic '66-67 phase. 

Opening track of random radio chatter is unfortunate 

and may have turned some buyers off, and there is a 

so-so Creedence ripoff on side 2, but apart from that 

-- meaning 8 tracks out of 10 -- this is a delight. 

Recommended to any fan of melodic 60s sounds, and not 

terribly hard to find. [PL] 

"Winds Of Birth" 1974 (Lorian no #) 

New agey folky album tied in with the Lorian 

organization that has some lovely folk songs on it 

but a cheesy vocal style that really makes it 

unlistenable to these ears. Sounds a lot like The 

Trilogy "It Starts Again" album. You’ll like it on 

first listen but once you really start to pay 

attention to the singing, you’ll come to your senses. 

Not as good as the similar Susan & Richard Thomas 

album, and a lot of people hate that one. Both white 

and blue cover designs exist. This is not an 

expensive LP. [AM] 

NEW TWEEDY BROTHERS (Portland, OR) 

"New Tweedy Brothers!" 1968 (Ridon slp-234) [oversized 

hexagonal foil cover; maroon label; 1000p] 

"New Tweedy Brothers!" 1998 (Tweedy, France) [bootleg; altered 

cover] 

"New Tweedy Brothers!" 199 (CD Afterglow 004, UK) [hexagonal 

CD digipak] 

"New Tweedy Brothers!" 2001 (Shadoks 118, Germany) [inserts] 

"New Tweedy Brothers!" 2001 (CD Shadoks 118, Germany) 

[hexagonal CD digipak; bonus tracks] 

Often referred to as a "missing link" album, this 

band played the San Francisco ballroooms in 1966 

before returning to Oregon, leaving only a weak 45 

behind them, although they did make enough of an 

impression in S F for Jerry Garcia to mention them in 

a '66 interview. They continued to gig locally around 

Oregon in 1967-1968, when this LP was cut and 

released. In view of all the hype I've seen it's a 

bit patchy and disappointing, though the best tracks 

such as "Her Darkness In December" are awesome 

folkrock-psych transitions, and they hit an appealing 

rootsy Bay Area folkrock sound on a couple of others. 

But it seems to me the historical artefact value of 

the LP has led to its musical qualities being 

somewhat exaggerated. Judging by a local ad, the LP

NEW WAVE ( ) 

was released in early 1968. The supposed rarity of 

copies with cover is cast in doubt by the number of 

originals sold in recent years, all of which came 

with the cover. The German vinyl reissue is not from 

master tapes, while the German CD reissue is. [PL] 

"The Sound Of" 1967 (Canterbury 1501) [promos exist] 

Most of the album's 11 tracks are originals that 

showcase heavily orchestrated soft-pop moves. Lots of 

references list this as a "psych" effort but other 

than the cover art, be forewarned that it isn't. 

Tracks such as "Shadows of Good Bye", "The Evening 

Mist" and "In a Lonely Towne" aptly exhibit the duo's 

decent voices and nice harmony work. Most of the 

songs boast fairly attractive melodies, though the 

arrangements are occasionally overwhelming and their 

lyrics suffer from standard college student angst, 

which probably drove young female English majors 

crazy. Stuff like "Live for Today" and the dreadful 

"Autrefois" (the one non-original) are simply too MOR 

for my personal tastes, but anyone who likes late era 

Chad & Jeremy or Peter & Gordon (the phase where they 

started to get arty) might enjoy this lesser known 

act. [SB] 

NEW WINE (San Diego, CA) 

"Holy Spirit Express" 1972 (Anodyne) 

NEXT (Canada) 

Unlike most records of this ilk, New Wine is mostly 

solid with only a couple of weak songs but nothing 

horrible. The band is basically two guitars, bass, 

drums and vocals. The band consists of four stoner 

looking long haired dudes that would look more 

fitting on a Mothers album than a religious one. Then 

there's the lead singer: A woman that looks like your 

stereotypical mom from next door that spends more 

time in the kitchen than your average Frenchman. 

Don't let this generation gap between the band and 

the lead singer fool you into thinking this is some 

goofy unreal Jesus people record with vocal 

overkill... Nope, it's quite the opposite! Good 

vocals similar to Search Party but less powerful, 

with a touch of maturity in her vocal style. Three of 

the four guys in the band sing too with an occasional 

lead part on a couple of songs. As for the music, 

lots of nice electric guitar including some mild 

buzzy fuzz leads. The songs have a strong westcoast 

flavor and somewhat similar to Wilson Mckinley but 

not as heavy. They do a good version of Spirit Of 

Elijah, and most people would find this version 

stands on it's own fairly well when compared to the 

original. The album's production has a nice garage 

feel to it too. [JSB] 

"Dusty Shoes" 1973 (Warner Bros 9009)

This Canadian hard rock album has a sharp sound: a 

nice blend of electric and acoustic guitars. 

Unfortunately, though, it has undistinguished 

songwriting and singing, and ends up sounding like it 

should be a lot better than it is. One or two songs 

stand out enough for me to recommend it to genre 

fans, but this is nothing special. [AM] 

NEXT MORNING (New York City, NY) 

"Next Morning" 1972 (Calla 2002) [wlp exists] 

"Next Morning" 1999 (CD Sundazed SC 6150) 

I'll be the first to admit a fascination with black 

1960s/1970s hard rock/psychedelic bands such as Black 

Merda, Hendrix, Ernie Joseph and Purple Image. With 

the exception of Hendrix, these outfits were caught 

in an impossible Catch 22 situation whereby their 

music was simply too white for black audiences and 

too black for white audiences. Next Morning is 

another example of this dilemma. Propelled by insane 

keyboards and wicked feedback drenched guitar, selfpenned 

material such as "Changes of the Mind", "Life 

Is Love" and "Back To the Stone Age" offered up 

impressive slices of Hendrix-styled heavy rock. The 

comparison was underscored by the fact that on 

numbers such as the growling title track Lou 

Phillips' vocals bore a modest resemblance to 

Hendrix. Admittedly there wasn't anything 100% 

original here, but the overall performances were 

quite attractive, making for a first-rate set that 

should appeal to all guitar rock lovers. Dock it half 

a star for the butt ugly cover art. A French pressing 

on Roulette exists. [SB] 

B P NICHOL (Vancouver, Canada) 

"Motherlove" 1968 (Allied 3) 

One of the most obscure LPs on this label is yet 

another avant trip with bizarre spoken word dadaist 

and concretist excursions. Nichol was an avantgarde 

poet with several works published from 1965 onwards. 

This goes way into experimental art and sound-poetry 

and is included mainly because of the label it's on 

(Plastic Cloud, etc), unless you're a cerebral fringe 

specialist. 

NICKLES & DIMES see Victoria 

NICODEMUS [& MATCHEZ] (Detroit, MI) 

"Spacechild Squall" 1977 (Zedikiah 1069) [b & w graveyard 

cover] 

"Spacechild Squall" 1977 (Zedikiah 1069) [tan art cover] 

"Spacechild Squall" 1995 (Zedikiah zed-1069) [500#d]

"Backstreet Orange" 1978 (Zedikiah 1070-b) [photo inner sleeve] 

"What For?" 1980 (Zedikiah) [textured b & w cover; 150p] 

"What For?" 1995 (CD Zedikiah zed-334) [+bonus tracks] 

“What For” is a good place to start with Nicodemus, a 

solid rock and roll album, not “hard rock,” but 

definitely tough. He’s got a solid voice, equally 

suited for rock and folk. Despite his creepy biker 

image he has an impressive range of moods and styles, 

many quite mellow, and these songs have a lot of 

emotional depth. The production is bargain basement, 

but there’s still a pretty good variety of 

arrangements, and a few songs get a bit freaky 

(moreso the folky ones than the “rock” ones.) Not all 

of his albums are good straight through, and even the 

best have some failed experiments. A smaller 

discography might be a less daunting task, but he has 

an impressive body of work, and his music has a cool 

timeless feel to it. The CD re-release of “What For” 

has some good bonus tracks culled from his rather 

erratic 90s albums. [AM] 

"A Light In The Dark" 199 (CD Parallel World cd-3) 

Apocalyptic outlaw biker folk rock. "Spacechild 

Squall" and "Backstreet Orange" are in a moody 

acoustic folk style. On "What For?" he's into a 

damaged booze and drugs biker sound, like Circuit 

Rider with phased vocals. Fashion tip: He has rainbow 

tattoos on his forehead. The "Spacechild Squall" 

reissue is housed in leftover 'graveyard' covers from 

the original pressing. Among Nicodemus' later LPs are 

"The Strange Saga of Henryetta Flagetta" (1984), 

"Better Art Music" (1986), and "Antennae 

Moonlite" (1994), all on the Zedikiah label. The 

Parallel World CD is a retrospective sampler. [RM] 

NIGHTCRAWLERS (Daytona Beach, FL) 

"Little Black Egg" 1966 (Kapp kl-1520) [mono] 

"Little Black Egg" 1966 (Kapp ks-3520) [stereo] 

"Little Black Egg" 1984 (Eva 12042, France) [+6 bonus tracks; 


"Little Black Egg" 199 (CD Big Beat 203, UK) [+bonus tracks] 

Wellknown folkrock/garage LP from Chuck Conlon and 

pals who had a minor hit with the strange title 

track. The rest is pretty solid, all originals with a 

jangly local sound similar to the first Love LP. The 

Eva reissue has a new hippie collage sleeve which 

offended some moptops. Big Beat's CD comp is 

excellent and includes all their non-LP 45s. [PL]

NIGHTRIDERS (NC) 

"Introducing" 1967 (Justice jlp-157) 

"Introducing" 1994 (CD Collectables 0603) 

One of the last Justices is a straightforward mix of 

organ/guitar instrumentals way past their due date 

and classic frat sounds lifted from the Kingsmen 

catalog. The usual soul element has been reduced to a 

nervous cover of "Come see about me", while the band 

shows class in covering "Double Shot" and "Louie 

Louie". Only one lameass ballad makes this LP at 

least in theory an agreeable basement instro/frat 

excursion whose main fault is that it was made 3 

years too late. Very basic soundscape from these 16year 

olds who probably were pleased that they managed 

to play all songs through without mistakes on their 

newly purchased gear. Drummer sounds like he's only 

handled the sticks for a few weeks which messes up a 

few tracks, but they get all the elements right for a 

closing "Journey to the stars", the album's obvious 

highpoint which has also been comp'd on Relics vol 2. 

[PL] 

NIGHTSHADOW a k a LITTLE PHIL & THE NIGHTSHADOWS (Atlanta, GA) 

"Square Root Of Two" 1968 (Spectrum 2001) [bonus 45; poster; 

1000p] 

"Square Root Of Two" 1979 (Hottrax 1414) [remixed; altered 

sleeve; 200p] 

"Square Root Of Two" 199 (no label, Europe) [blue vinyl; +2 

tracks] 

"Square Root Of Two" 199 (CD Cosmic Mind, Italy) [+2 tracks] 

"Vol 3: The Psychedelic Years 1967-69" 2003 (CD Hottrax 60012) 

[LP +9 bonus tracks] 

And here's another longtime legend, reissued as early 

as 1979. The band was usually known as Little Phil & 

the Nightshadows and had roots in the pre-Beatles 

era, but changed their name due to legal 

complications at the time. Unlike the Litter LPs I 

think this really is as great as people would have 

you believe, particularly side 1 which is like 

listening to a comp of killer fuzz acidpunk 45s. 

Beyond Phil's showmanship and the blatantly druggy 

lyrics and sound fx the fact remains that the superb 

songwriting puts most "Nuggets" classics to shame, 

and the band is completely at home in a sound that 

was unusual for the deep South. Some silly songs 

close the LP but all over this must rank among the 

top early garage psych LPs. Apart from the LP they 

had some killer 45s in 1966-1967. [PL] 

~~~

The Nightshadows discography is very complex and 

includes multiple versions and remixes of the same 

recordings, as well as 45s released under aliases, 

withdrawn records, and more. Here's an attempt to 

sort "Square Root" out: 1) The 1968 original came 

with a bonus 45 that contained the band's risqué 

songs 'Hot Dog Man' and 'Hot Rod Song' on Banned 

records (both also on the LP); this with 900 copies 

of the LP. The poster was supposedly included with 

the remaining 100 copies that did not include the 45, 

although some subsequent finds of sealed copies have 

included both the 45 AND the poster. 2) The 1979 

Hottrax release is a unique remix with "So Much" 

having an extra guitar lead, while "60 Second 

Swinger" has a loud fuzz riff added throughout. 

"Anything But Lies" has been shortened by 1 minute. 

Both front and back cover have been altered, as well 

as the running order. 3) Both the European 1990s 

bootlegs are sourced from the 1979 remix rather than 

a 1968 original. 4) The recent CD series is the 

easiest way to get a complete picture of the 

Nightshadows. Vol 3 has all tracks from the LP except 

"Hot Rod Song", which can be found on vol 2. "So 

Much" is the 1979 remix version, while "60 Second 

Swinger" and "Anything But Lies" are the 1968 LP 

versions. The running order from the LP has been 

completely broken up. Some of the unreleased bonus 

material is very good. 

"Live At The Spot" 1969 (Spectrum 2002) [no sleeve; 100p] 

"Live At The Spot" 1981 (Hottrax 1430) 

Although it hasn't been properly documented, the live 

LP was pressed up in very limited quantities for demo 

purposes in 1969. As the band was falling apart at 

the time there wasn't anything left to demo, and it 

didn't come out properly until 1981 in a cartoon 

drawing sleeve. Three tracks are from a November 1967 

show, while the rest comes from a March 1969 gig. 

Opening with yet another version of "60 second 

swinger" followed by an excellent version of the 45only 

"The way it used to be", the album mixes 

familiar band originals with a few covers typical for 

a late 60s club band, a 13-minute "Season of the 

witch" and two Cream numbers among them. The 

recording is pretty good, with a nice live 

atmosphere, and the band is as tight, intense and 

driving as you would expect. There's also some 

humorous and raunchy between-song banter, as often 

with the Nightshadows, including Little Phil 

introducing sidekick Electric Bob as "a real 

acidhead". Essential to fans of this great band. 

Hottrax is band leader Aleck Janoulis' own label. 

[PL] 

"Invasion Of The Acid Eaters" 1982 (Hottrax 1450) 

This was intended as a reunion LP, but for whatever 

reason only one side was cut (reportedly not too 

shabby), while the other side was used for remaining 

tracks from the 1967 "Spot" club performance

partially reissued on the live LP above. Here we get 

only cover versions of Hendrix and Cream etc, not bad 

but obviously lacking that special Nightshadow acid 

teen mania. There's also some stage raps from Little 

Phil, one of which popped up on the "Vol 3" anthology 

CD. There was also a 45 sampler titled "Patriarchs Of 

Garage Rock" on the Spanish Penniman label in 2004. 

[PL] 

NIGHTWALKERS (Puerto Rico) 

"Introducing The Nightwalkers" 1968 (Inca, Puerto Rico) 

"El Gordo" 1968 (Borinquen, Puerto Rico) 

The first LP is laden with weak covers. "El Gordo" is 

better, half English vocals melodic jangle beat and 

harmony folkrock with nice twelve string and fuzz 

shadings. A fun pop beat Byrdsian charmer. [RM] 

NIHILIST SPASM BAND (London, Canada) 

NOAH (OH) 

"Nihilist Spasm Band" 1968 (Allied 5) [200p] 

"No Record" 1996 (CD Alchemy arcd 082, Japan) 

"Vol 2" 1979 (Music Gallery 13) 

"Vol 2" 1996 (CD Alchemy arcd 083, Japan) 

Experimental avant rock, freeform freakout with a 

variety of homemade instruments. Prior to the Allied 

LP the band released a flexi 7", "The Sweetest 

Country This Side Of Heaven" which was included in 

the Aug/Sep-1967 Arts Canada Magazine. It has been 

described as a "proto-dada assault". 

"Brain Suck" 2003 (Head 001) 

NOCTURNES (NJ) 

Posthumous release of early 1970s recordings from 

obscure hardrock/prog band with long tracks and lots 

of Hammond/guitar interplay. Overall vibe ranges from 

Iron Butterfly drama to a more jammy Deep 

Purple/Captain Beyond style. Worthwhile for genre 

fans, provided you can find a copy. [PL] 

"Slightly Delightful" 1964 (Cook 977) 

Military Academy fratrock band leaving a crude and 

primitive testament to their skills, although just 

what these skills were remains hard to tell. 

Distorted lower-teen vocalist sounds like Sky Saxon's 

younger brother on top of an energetic sub-Kingsmen 

fraternity house band. Pre-Invasion covers all 

through naturally, epic opening "Twist and shout" has 

been comp'd while frantic takes on "Mashed Potatoes"

and "Money" give a high reading on the Stupid-O- 

Meter. Most songs have crude fadeouts and the album 

as a whole displays a lo-fi $15 production value. Not 

bad at all for fans of local frat sounds a la "Ho-Dad 

Hootenanny" or Hipsville vol 2 & 3, although the 

total effect of a whole LP's worth is a bit mindnumbing. 

The cover has a color photo of the group (in 

matching red jackets) glued on. [PL] 

NOMADDS (Freeport, IL) 

"The Nomadds" 1965 (Radex 6521) 

Way above average local beat (read: Merseybeat) LP 

with five excellent originals and classy 

sound/performances; an appealing snapshot of the 

brief post-Invasion, pre-garage era. Songwriting is 

remarkably mature and ambitious, and the band is very 

tight after honing their craft on the local club 

scene. Superb Gerry Marsden-like vocals add further 

atmosphere, while a number of OK but more mundane 

covers can't help but damage the total impression 

somewhat. In another time and place, these guys could 

have hit the big time. [PL] 


NOMADS (Edmonton, Canada) 

"Hits of the Nomads" 1968 (Point 333) 

Later-day Canadian teenbeat LP with a variety of 

covers, including an average version of "Hey Joe" 

which was comp'd on Relics vol 2. There's also two 

Box Tops covers, a couple of originals, and odd for 

the time versions of "Stagger Lee" and "Dizzy Mizz 

Lizzie". 

NOONAN, LEVI & HOUSHMAND (CT) 

"East River" 1975 (Cavern Custom no #) 

Acoustic progressive folk trio with violin, good one.

DAVE NORDIN (CA) 

The band were students at Yale but recorded in the 

legendary Midwest Caven Custom studio. There is a 

more jazz-oriented second LP "Laurasia", released as 

by the East River Consort in 1978. 

"In My Mind" 1974 (Specification Records 27874) [blank back 

cover] 

Demo press of obscure all-acoustic loner folk/s-sw 

guy with titles like "All strung out again". Label 

shows a Kentfield, CA address. 

NORTH COUNTY ROCK ASSOCIATION (CA) 

"Sampler" 197 (Nuthouse no#) 

Recently discovered obscurity with a couple of great 

tracks that hopefully will be reissued down the line. 

A commune/friends & family type deal with different 

guys providing a few number each, yet the total 

effect is reasonably consistent. Main attraction is 

two tracks on side 1; the first a marvy mixed vocal 

Marin County folkrocker like the moodier tracks on 

Anonymous, the other a fuzzed out female vocal 

psychrocker with acid lyrics that sounds like the Bow 

St Runners at their best. Rest of the LP is 

listenable OK with a rural rootsy rock sound like 

"Time Fades Away"-era Neil Young; originals all 

through. Last two tracks are bluesy instrumentals 

with a "filler" feel, although they do have strong 

guitarleads. As far as unknown finds go, not bad, 

although I wouldn't pay big $$$ for it. Crude artwork 

on the cover, back cover has credits but no photos. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

I originally was kind in my assessment of this album, 

describing it thus: "amateurish but likeable mix of 

folk-rock and soft rock, with male and female vocals 

and a definite 70s West Coast (LA) feel." But a few 

more listens knocked some sense into me. This is 

absolute proof that *anything* can be an expensive 

collectable if hyped the right way. It's certainly 

rare, but most likely the reason it remained 

undiscovered for 25 years is that nobody in their 

right mind would think collectors would be interested 

in it. The band appears to have just learned to play 

their instruments last week, the songs sound like 

demos (many of them just end abruptly when the band 

decides to stop playing), and the album is padded out 

to almost full-length by two ridiculously dull 

instrumental jams at the end. One weird and strident 

anti-tax song is out of place on what otherwise feels 

like the work of idealistic hippies. Dealers can get 

away as describing this as "psychedelic" because they 

use a phase shifter here and there. So did every

NORTHERN FRONT (CA) 

other band in the 70s. [AM] 

"Presents Furniture Store" 1975 (Kader k-4321) [2 inserts] 

This humorous, proggy band falls somewhere between 

Broken Bow & Idabell and Oho, with the addition of a 

power pop edge. The style is reasonably appealing, 

the instrumentation diverse, the vocals pleasant, and 

the performances are nice, but the songs aren’t 

memorable, leading to a pretty bland album. It came 

with two inserts, and most copies are missing them, 

leaving the listener with no information at all other 

than song titles (listed on the labels). [AM] 

V.A "NORTHLAND SHOPPING CENTER" (Columbus, OH) 

"Northland Shopping Center 3rd Annual Battle Of The Bands 1967" 

1967 (Magna 71014) [gatefold] 

NORTHWIND (MI) 

Battle of the Bands 2 LP set, featuring 1 side of raw 

garage/psych covers by 4 O Clock Balloon. Classy FOC 

packaging with band photos. 

"Northwind Songs" 1974 (no label) [50p; plain sleeve; 2 

inserts] 

"The Woods Of Zandor" 199 (no label, Europe) 

NOSY PARKER (NY) 

Bearing no relation to the UK group of the same name, 

this nevertheless is folky progrock with strong 

British influences, especially from Jethro Tull. If 

you're still interested I can add that there's lots 

of "complex" tempo shifts, long moog solos and 

troubadorish vocals. Melodic and not overly selfindulgent 

but in my ears not as appealing as 

Thunderpussy, as an example. Should still be worth 

checking out for prog fans, although even the 

retitled reissue is hard to find. The original label 

is plain white with handwriting/logo. Back cover 

reads 'not for sale, for demonstration purposes 

only'. The band recorded (but never released) a 

second LP in 1977, one track from which was included 

on a local Detroit sampler called "Home Grown". [PL]

"Nosy Parker" 1975 (no label) [insert] 

"Nosy Parker" 199 (Breeder, Austria) [bootleg] 

"Nosy Parker" 2004 (CD Gear Fab gf-189) 

Rare but to my ears dull NYC busker-style 

folkrock/singer-songwriter LP with keyboards, some 

fuzz and a claustrophobic basement sound, comparable 

to the (much cheaper) Osh Sebrow LP. Wimpy Cat 

Stevens sound for most part, not much psych and not 

much of a fave for me. Guy has cited Ralph McTell as 

an influence, which is audible in the grooves. Some 

people seem to like it though. [PL] 

CHARLIE NOTHING see Charlie Nothing 

LA NOUVELLE FRONTIERE (Quebec, Canada) 

"La Nouvelle Frontiere" 1970 (Gamma 137) 

"La Nouvelle Frontiere" 2004 (CD Unidisc) 

NOVA LOCAL (NC) 

Dreamy French-Canadian folk rock featuring the Seguin 

couple, with crystal clear female vocals. There is 

also a less expensive second LP, "L'Hymne Aux 

Quenuilles" (Gamma, 1970). 

"Nova 1" 1968 (Decca 4977) [mono; wlp exists] 

"Nova 1" 1968 (Decca 74977) [stereo; wlp exists] 

"Nova 1" 2004 (Radioactive 063, UK) 

"Nova 1" 2004 (CD Radioactive 063, UK) 

Underrated middle-of-the-road lytepsych '67 trip 

that's enjoyable with excellent vocal harmonies, fat 

Eastcoast organ, and lots of fuzz leads for those who 

demand such. Brit-influenced Hollies/Bee Gees '67 

stylings mixed with the L A/Nuggets teen sound, 

bringing in some Vanilla Fudge flavor on top via a 

string of cover reworkings that display considerable 

talent and cojones. Comparable to LPs such as Orphan 

Egg, Phluph or Bold. The LP was also released in 

England (MCA) and Canada. The Radioactive reissues 

have some audible vinyl transfer noise. The band had 

a good non-LP 45 "Games" that appears on the Echoes 

In Time vol 2 compilation. [PL] 

NOVELLS (Los Angeles, CA) 

"That Did It! A Happening" 1968 (Mothers Records 73) 

"That Did It! A Happening" 2004 (CD Radioactive 128, UK) 

Boyce & Hart-produced harmony pop mixed with heavier

aspiration, covers of Cream, Lee Michaels' "Love", 

Otis Redding. 

V.A "NSS CAVE BALLAD COMPETITION" ( ) 

"Where Rain Never Falls" 1973 (no label BH3-1016) [plain cover; 

insert] 

This is a compilation of ballads in traditional folk 

styles (blues, mountain, even a rag). NSS is the 

National Speleological Society, the big caver group. 

The label indicates this is a 1972 competition but 

the credits on the insert indicate one of the songs 

wasn't even finished until April 1973 and the others 

vary in age from 1961-72. Maybe this ballad thing was 

a regular part of their conventions and they just 

took the best ones over the years? No idea, but first 

through third place are mentioned along with 

honorable mentions. Musically this is pretty cool. 

Fifteen songs, ten or so are dark, damp 

claustrophobic folk with stalactite sharp arpeggios 

and mazes of twisty harmony all alike... he-he... 

really though its mostly moody guitar (lotsa 12 

string minor chords) vocal numbers half with female 

vocals all about caving and several of 'em are tragic 

or cautionary tales. Guess these folks are 

pessimists. My fave is the nearly nine minute "Life 

is Like a Carbide Lantern/ Endless Cavern" sung to 

the hymn "Life's Railway to Heaven". Very stark and 

mysterious with the theme that the journey never ends 

because there's always more to map! "The Lonesome 

Death of Endless Cave" is sung to Dylan's "The 

Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" and is every bit as 

moving. "Histoplasmosis" is a terrifying cautionary 

tale about... histoplasmosis... let's just say 

there's better diseases to have. "Dedicated Caver" is 

a wonderfully nasal rewrite of "Long Tall Texan". The 

two 1961 tracks credit a Robert Novak as co-vocalist, 

including the beloved family chestnut, "I Smell Bat 

Shit". Could it be the conservative commentator he's 

about the right age? Anyways, all for some and not 

for all with absolutely no commercial potential but 

great fun for jaded ears. [RM] 

NUCLEAR DEBRIS (Adams, MA) 

"In Space No One Can Hear You Fart" 1981 (Rock House Records 

013) 

This weird neo-garage private press sounds like the 

improvised work of pre-teens, with crazy distorted 

guitars, lyrical obscenities and completely 

outrageous synthesizer noises. Among its 20 songs are 

five versions of a terrific Dylan-soundalike called 

“Poop From The Pope,” a country tune called “Al Haig 

Is A Pig,” a crazed fuzz guitar/synth workout called 

“Hydrogen Bombs Are Not Healthy For Your Health,” and 

an irresistible riff rocker called “Brown Spots On 

The Rim.” The highlight, though, is the epic folkrocker 

that closes the album, a ridiculously catchy 

song called “Wang In The Window.” Liner notes 

indicate that the album was “written as it was 

recorded, live at the Rock House.” Band member names

include Joey Scrotum and Johnny Scum. Only one copy 

of this oddity is in the hands of a collector, and 

the mysterious owner says he’s holding out for $13 

million before he will OK a reissue. This obscure 

label also released albums by The Generators, Liquid 

Sky and Pink Dolphin. [AM] 

NUCLEUS (Toronto, Canada) 

"Nucleus" 1969 (Mainstream s-6120) 

Despite a promising album cover, this is one of the 

real duds on Mainstream. It’s six long, dull proggy 

organ/guitar workouts with a bit of jazz, bit of 

blues, but not a whit of melody. If you can keep your 

attention on these songs from start to finish you 

might find one or two interesting moments in the mix. 

That’s not because this is any good, but because of a 

cool trick the human mind plays on you: when 

accustomed to bland boredom, minor pleasures take on 

major significance. Don’t let two or three minutes of 

distraction among 40 minutes of ill-advised noodling 

fool you. Also released in Canada. Pre-A Foot In 

Coldwater. [AM] 

NUMBERS BAND see 15:60:75 

NUN PLUS (OR) 

"Ljubimo" 1970 (Amato SLP 1) 

Fringe-strange fun in the "nun-folk" category, female 

vocal harmony folk with offbeat vibe and some spoken 

bits. For experienced purveyors only. The title is 

Croatian for "let us love". 


OASIS (Marin County, CA) 

"Oasis" 1973 (Cranbus no #) 

"Oasis" 2005 (CD Radioactive, UK) 

OBJECTS (VT) 

Professionally produced hippie folkrock with great 

male/female harmonies, strong tracks and a general 

uplifting quality about it. Pressed in Canada but the 

group was from Marin County and had help from David 

Crosby, who even on coke knew good music when he 

heard it. There is also a double CD "Retrospective 

Dreams" (Black Bamboo, 1995), which was issued by the 

group themselves under their alternate name R.J Fox 

and has about half the LP plus dozens of unreleased 

cuts including personal fave "Parallel trains". The 

LP was pressed in Canada but distributed primarily in 

California. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Cookin' Mama 

"Live At The Greatwood Cafe" 1980 (Gildersleeve) [insert] 

Vermont show from 1978. Garage punkish trio with 

Scott Gildersleeve (pre-Queers) and Marc Weinstein 

(pre-MX-80 Sound). The LP has been offered as "rare 

garage psych" by record dealers since the mid-1980s, 

but not many people seem to like it, and it's not a 

highly rated title today. 

JUSTEN O'BRIEN & JAKE (MN)

"Time Will Tell" 197 (no label S80-1556) 

"Time Will Tell" 2001 (Mystic, Europe) 

OCTOBER (MI) 

One of the more recent finds to be introduced to a 

wider audience, this is an atmospheric 1970s ssw/loungerock 

trip from the depths of Middle America. 

Somewhat reminiscent of the loungier side of D R 

Hooker, with idiosynchratic vocals and a glitzy mid- 

70s production with keyboards upfront and fairly 

professional playing. The total effect is like 

driving around in late-night Minneapolis looking for 

some action, but instead ending up alone in an 

airport hotel lounge; a desolate 2 drink-minimum neon 

light trip of creeping originality. I like it, but it 

may not be the first LP you recommend to psych 

newbies. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is a tough one to assess. I hated it on the 

first four or five listens, but a few months later 

played it again and found it surprisingly enjoyable. 

The vocals are very, very weak, and there’s an 

amateurish feel that doesn’t really work in its 

favor, but the songs are bizarre and occasionally 

surprising. It’s singer/songwriter stuff from a very 

bent perspective, with an unfortunate influence from 

70s top 40. A definite labor of love, and it took 

O’Brien about two years to complete it. There’s some 

sort of overriding theme about aliens and abduction, 

but I can’t figure it out. Not quite as far out as, 

say, Damin Eih, but certainly more unusual than, say, 

Richard Soutar. [AM] 

"October" 1979 (Charisma Sound) [insert] 

"After The Fall" 1979 (no label) [gatefold; 25p] 

Symphonic space progressive with acoustic guitars and 

lots of keyboard, including moog. "After The Fall" is 

excellent with spacy mellotron and hard guitar runs 

and comes in a handmade watercolor cover. 

OCTOBER COUNTRY (CA) 

"October Country" 1968 (Epic) [wlp; mono] 

"October Country" 1968 (Epic BN 26381) [stereo]

"October Country" 2003 (CD Rev-Ola 51, UK) [+6 tracks] 

"October Country" 2004 (Epic) [exact reissue] 

OCTOPUS (CT) 

This band was in the hands of Michael Lloyd, and they 

did two songs that would later be redone for the 

Smoke album. In some ways, this is kind of a lesser 

variation on that album, but it does contain one 

atypical fuzz-guitar blaster, “My Girlfriend Is A 

Witch,” which is totally great. It’s really a good 

album, but just a little redundant (i e: like the 

Michele "Saturn Rings" and first Sagittarius album). 

[AM] 

~~~ 

Anyone who enjoys "sunshine pop", the orchestrated, 

harmony rich material that makes bands such as The 

Association, Millennium, Orange Colored Skies and 

Sagittarius such a delight, will certainly find 

"October Country" a pleasure. That said, in many 

respects this album is almost a Michael Lloyd solo 

effort. In addition to producing, arranging, writing 

all eleven tracks and providing much of the 

instrumentation, Lloyd's distinctive creative 

fingerprints are found all over the album. While 

neither of the vocalists is much of a singer, in the 

confines of this album they're individual vocal 

shortcomings don't really matter that much. 

Surrounded by breezy melodies, complete with 

imaginative (and occasionally quirky) arrangements, 

material such as 'Painted Sky', 'Little Boy Smiling' 

and 'She's Been Away' just exudes a sense of joy and 

innocence. [SB] 

"Octopus" 1969 (ESP-Disk 2000) [color cover] 

"Octopus" 1969 (ESP-Disk 2000) [black & white cover] 

"Octopus" 199 (CD ESP, Germany) 

Bluesy melodic rock with organ, sax, fuzz. real 

amateur sound. A highlight is "U.S. Blues" with 

trippy dippy counterculture lyrics, basement vocals, 

and avant sax noise. 

ODA (San Francisco, CA) 

"The Black Album" 1973 (Loud 80011) [1000p] 

"The Black Album" 1998 (Void 10) 

"The Black Album" 2000 (CD Hallucinations 010) [+4 tracks] 

Strong local hardrock in the stripped down, riffhappy, 

non-bombastic style, comparable to the Estes 

Bros and Glory on Rockadelic. Guitar playing from 

Randy O is killer throughout, lyrical and fluent yet 

hard and no-nonsense. Randy also plays the organ in 

an unusual combination, while his brother Kevin plays 

drums. Art Pantoja's vocals are OK in the nonoperatic 

style common to these bands (though clearly 

not as good as on Dryewater and Top Drawer), and all 

over I have to rate this one of the better within the 

style. The CD bonus tracks show an impressive 

versatility with more melodic moves, as well as a 

very good take on Butterfield's "Mind to Give Up

KEVIN ODEGARD (MN) 

Living". Randy Oda later had a taste of mainstream 

success as member of Tom Fogerty's band Ruby in the 

late 1970s, then reformed Oda for a 1984 LP. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is above average 70s hard rock, with good guitar 

leads and memorable riffing. The vocals are 

uninteresting, though, and there’s not much variety 

or originality here. A few pleasant exceptions: the 

surprising funk/horn interlude on “Cheated,” and the 

poppy melody and hot guitar solo on “Give It Up”. The 

best songs are in the middle of the album, so give it 

a chance if the first couple of songs underwhelm you. 

The CD adds four bonus tracks that span more styles 

than the original album. [AM] 

"Kevin Odegard" 1974 (Wooff W4ST) 

Unexceptional album with a westcoasty folk/rock 

sound, one long Neil Young:ish track being the 

highlight. The cover shows a drawing of the guy. 

Odegard had at least one more LP, "Silver lining", 

but is more famous for playing on Dylan's classic 

"Blood on the tracks" LP, about which sessions he's 

also written a book. 

ALAN O'DAY (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Songs By" 1973 (Edwin WH Morris AO-100) 

Demo-only album from singer/songwriter who later 

would achieve fame & fortune both as an artist and 

composer. As few as 100 copies may have been pressed. 

ODYSSEY (Brentwood, NY) 

"Setting Forth" 1971 (Organic org-1) 

"Setting Forth" 1990 (Trip 1000) [new sleeve] 

"Setting Forth" 1995 (CD Timothy's Brain 103) 

"Setting Forth" 2000 (CD Odyssey) 

"Setting Forth" 2005 (Lion, Italy) 

Rare demo LP with East Coast mainstream guitar/organ 

hardrock sound. 

~~~ 

see -> Cathedral 

OFOEDIAN DEN (San Francisco, CA)

"The Birds" 1970 (Rock Bottom 2151) [4 inserts] 

Soundtrack of a collegiate tackling of the 

Aristophanes play. The play was connected to a 

College of Marin student protest of the Vietnam War. 

There is a bit of psychy guitar work on a couple 

tracks else the music is incidental and of little 

interest. [RM] 

OGANOOKIE (Santa Cruz, CA) 

"Oganookie" 1973 (Oganookie dsw-4154) [lyric inner] 

OHO (Baltimore, MD) 

Live recording of communal band playing modern 

bluegrass & rock with George Stavis, who had a solo 

LP on Vanguard and was in Federal Duck. Oganookie 

existed for years and its members collaborated with 

many name musicians, such as Jerry Miller of Moby 

Grape and Charlie Prichard of Conqueroo. 

"Okinawa" 1974 (Sky nr-4579) [book] 

"Okinawa" 1994 (Little Wing lw-3044/47, Germany) [800#d; four 

10" LPs in a metal film can; booklet; +bonus tracks] 

Cool artsy weirdness from a Baltimore band who 

actually are still around (and have several further 

albums.) They influenced a number of strange new wave 

bands and even appeared on the Bomp "Waves 2" 

compilation (one of the finest compilation LPs ever). 

Their first and most sought-after album is full of 

proggy experimentation, but the songs are short and 

often goofy. It's much more complex and creative 

than, say, Northern Front, and the lyrics reach some 

really far out (and often obscene) places. Zappa was 

probably an influence, but this is too unique and 

distinctive to make comparisons. Some of the songs 

are downright catchy, some completely impenetrable. 

Originally it was intended to be a 2-LP set, and the 

rest of the original recordings have since been 

reissued (the coolest reissue is a set of four 10inch 

records in a tin box). Not everything here 

works, but the songs are short enough for the 

failures to be harmless, and enough of it is 

wonderful so that if you're interested in music of 

this type, it's the first album I'd recommend. This 

breaks some of the same ground as the Residents, and 

may even predate them, which makes them pioneers of 

just plain bizarre rock and roll. There was also a 

1980 LP released as by Dark Side, and a 1984 LP on 

Clean Cuts titled "Rocktronics". "Vitamin Oho" from 

1991 (Little Wing, Germany) contains unreleased 1974- 

75 tracks. [AM] 

OJAS (Oklahoma City, OK) 

"Seven Levels Of Man" 1979 (Unity ur-703)

Densely layered cosmic synth progressive with sidelong 

tracks, on the same label as Iasos. Home studio 

one-man-band with lots of electronics and found 

sounds in the mix. Chakra-based concept somewhere in 

the burbling noises. Opinions differ on its merits. 

There may also be a slightly later pressing. Steve 

McLinn went on to release lots more music on tape and 

CD. 

OLD HICKORY & THE PIRATE (CA) 

"Old Hickory and the Pirate" 1977 (Hakim 1001) 

Laid-back cosmic cowboy countryrock and eastern moves 

with sitar and tablas. The LP was assembled from 

recordings spanning more than a decade, which 

explains its schizophrenic nature. The few folkpsychy 

tracks may be worth checking out, although this is 

not a highly rated LP at this point. 

OLD SALT (Rochester, NY) 

"Old Salt" 1976 (PTO 101) [1000p] 

Upstate New York rural rock album that’s more country 

and less inspired than, say, Cambridge. Typical 

lyrics include “women and whiskey, which one will be 

the death of me.” Catchy but in an annoying way. 

Pretty weak, really. The long jammy last track is 

probably the best thing here. Not an expensive LP. 

[AM] 

OLIVER KLAUS (Waterloo, Canada) 

"Oliver Klaus" 1970 (Captain Moze 8841/42) [poster; insert] 

"Oliver Klaus" 1996 (Captain Moze/No Exit) [booklet; insert] 

"1967-70" 200 (Captain Moze) [LP + 10 bonus tracks] 

The first side has six shorter westcoast/folkrock 

originals played with energy and an upbeat feel; side 

2 is a live recording of harder club rock/r'n'b 

sounds with an extended and not bad version of 

"Season of the witch". Appealing organic feel on both 

sides with inbetween song chatter and a loose rural 

freak vibe doing what is mainly 1967-68 type 

material. The live recording was made before a crowd 

of 280 people in Waterloo (Quebec), where "you don't 

often have that many people assembled". The rarity 

and dealer hype has made this an overpriced album, 

but at a low rate (or as a reissue) it is worth

checking out. There are also several later 45s with 5 

non-LP tracks between them. [PL] 

DENNIS OLIVIERI (CA) 

"Come to the Party" 1970 (VMC 130) 

HANS OLSON (AZ) 

Freeform folky psych rock with organ, rocksichord, 

sax, guitar, percussion. Weird, uncommercial LP 

produced by songwriter Tandyn Almer, this has been 

used for samples. Olivieri was primarily a TV actor, 

and this LP release parallels Rex Holman's in some 

ways. 

"Western Winds" 1973 (Joplin Records 3266) 

"Western Winds" 1980 (Marshall Records 10320) [reissue] 

"Blonde Sun Album" 1978 (Blond Sun Records 1002) 

OMEGA (IL) 

OMEGA ( ) 

Electric and acoustic blues on the debut, liverecorded 

loner folk/blues on the followup from this 

long-running performer, who has continued to record 

and release music and played with some success in 

both the US and Europe. 

"Omega" 1969 (Fellowship 100) [sprayed logo cover; insert] 

Mostly folk and blues covers on this debut LP, 

including Butterfield, "Violets Of Dawn" and even 

"Leaving on a jet plane", which indicates a 1969 

release year. Folkrock setting plus banjo and even 

some sitar. Some copies came in plain cover. 

"Michigan Avenue" 1969 (Fellowship 110) [300p; band photo 

cover; insert] 

Equally obscure second LP from this band; this time 

they do all originals, in a folkrock style. The LP 

has "grower qualities". It seems some copies came in 

the first album sleeve. Both LPs were pressed in demo 

runs of a few hundred copies. 

"The Timekeeper" 1979 (no label) 

Dual-lead hardrock obscurity from the Midwest in

primitive black & white cover. 

OMEGA SONSHIP (Austintown, OH) 

"Earth Ride" 1980 (Jeree) 

Dreamy Christian folkrock with mixed vocals, on local 

Northeast label with several releases. The band had 

two more albums out. 

OM SHANTI (Houston, TX) 

ONE ( ) 

ONE (CA) 

"We Are Home" 1977 (Solace 1001) 

Spiritual hippiefolk sextet with female vocals, 

tablas, mandolin. 

"Live At Joe's Fishmarket and Saloon" 1975 (Back Door Sound) 

Open mike quality melodic rock with comic interludes. 

The kind of group that plays for beer and gets kicked 

off the stage before their set is over. Covers of 

Beatles, Beach Boys, Righteous Bros, and more. 

Highlight: a basement fuzzed "Mr. Soul". 

"Creation Earth" 1977 (Children's Village) [2LPs; gatefold; 

inner sleeves; poster] 

Communal concept folk-psych with apocalyptic religous 

concerns. Nice organ and fuzz in spots, mixed vocals. 

One of the few communal groups that (at least here) 

didn't float away into guru love chanting or 

hedonistic atonal dreck. The first LP contains a 

reference to Lite Storm, which was an earlier 

incarnation of this spiritual outfit, with the same 

key members. All of it was done under the spiritual 

aegis of the guru, Sai Baba. The title is a k a "Who 

Am I?"; promo variants have been found with bonus 

45s. Later recordings exist, and shows the band 

moving into new age electronica while retaining a 

hippie folkpsych core. The commune still exists as of 

this writing, and offers CD and cassette reissues of 

most of their works from their Idaho base. No 

relation to the band and LP on Grunt. 

100% UNKNOWN FIBERS (Laguna Beach, CA) 

"Odd Lots" 1971 (no label) [plain stamped cover] 

"Odd Lots" 2004 (Little Indians, Germany) [10p]

Live recording from an outdoor festival with abysmal 

sound. Incredibly damaged over the top and down the 

other side sludge guitar, bass, and drums on the key 

tracks. A couple of dull jazzy noodlings, stage 

announcements, nearly inaudible vocals on most 

tracks. 10 copies only were pressed of the reissue 

and included in a Little Indians commemorative boxset 

of all their reissues with this item as a bonus. 

A proper reissue was planned but cancelled. [RM] 

~~~ 

The LP was recorded during the Laguna Beach Christmas 

Day "Happening" 1970, and probably released in early 

1971. No bands of note appeared, but newspaper 

articles from the time refer briefly to participants 

such as Sea, East Utopian Mission, Sound Spectrum and 

Primal Scream. The event was severely over-crowded 

and seems to have been a rather haphazard affair, but 

apart from a few drug freakouts from LSD and PCP 

nothing bad went down. The LP bears witness to the 

general drugginess with stage announcements such as 

"...Hello, we got to have some Thorazine at the 

medical tent immediately, some guy drank a whole 

bottle of acid". The music has been described as an 

amateur version of Cosmic Travellers, with crude rock 

jams and some jazz moves. Thanks to Stephan Colloredo 

for info. [PL] 

101 STRINGS (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Astro-Sounds From Beyond the Year 2000" 1968 (Alshire s- 

5119) 

"Astro-Sounds From Beyond the Year 2000 / Miracles" 199 (CD 

Request) [+bonus tracks] 

"Astro-Sounds From Beyond the Year 2000" 2004 (Licorice Soul 

LSD006) [+2 tracks] 

Classic exploito muzak sci-fi instro freakout psych, 

one of the true exploitation "musts". The best tracks 

combine spooky fuzz instros with swirling string 

arrangements for a unique experience, projecting a 

future in outer space as it was envisioned in the 

1960s, and is closer to "Barbarella" than "2001". 

This LP (masterminded by David Miller and Alan 

Sherman) comes out of the same stock recordings that 

were used for Animated Egg LP, without strings and 

under different titles, and the basic tracks appear 

on other exploitation albums as well. The countless 

other orchestral hack LPs released under the "101 

Strings" franchise are excluded here, naturally. 

~~~ 

see -> Animated Egg 

ONENESS SPACE see Love Band 

ONES (Unionville, CT / Boston, MA)

"Vol 1" 1966 (Ashwood House 1105) 

ONE ST STEPHEN (OH) 

Covers mostly on this rare LP, including "Diddy wah 

diddy", "Mr you're a better man", "Can't explain" 

etc. There was also a little-known 45 released around 

this time with two LP tracks ; Don't Make Me 

Over/Maybe it's Both Of Us (Contrapoint 9010). The Bside 

is an original. The band photo looks almost like 

a 1970s new wave band, but band member Jeff Costello 

has confirmed the release date as mid-1966. The Ones 

formed as early as 1964 and should perhaps be 

considered a club band rather than a garage act. An 

eBay copy of the LP sold for almost $3500 in 2006. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

Prep rock covers half ravers half slow dance doo wop. 

A fuller, more mature sound than most garage bands of 

the period with some great early psych playing on 

"Mr. You're a Better Man Than I" and a fine version 

of "I Can't Explain". Only one original but a great 

early garage effort. [RM] 

"One St Stephen" 1975 (Owl 553) [1000p; inner sleeve] 

"One St Stephen" 1987 (no label, Austria) [385#d; inferior 

sleeve job; +bonus tracks] 

"One St Stephen" 199 (CD no label, Austria) [+bonus tracks] 

Side 1 on this private press 1970s classic opens and 

closes with two extended moody psych tracks which are 

quite impressive. The LP has a couple of more strong 

tracks, plus 3-4 less exciting bluesy/rocking 

numbers. Edgar Allen Poe, heroin, and Jim Morrison 

all help shape Stephen's outlook, which results in 

one of the more distinctive late Autumnal moods 

manifest on vinyl. Good vocals, some howling fuzz and 

occasional use of moog in typical 1970s acidhead 

fashion. Above average, the reissue should be 

worthwhile. Both the Austrian bootlegs have bonus 

tracks by the totally unrelated St Steven from Boston 

(Front Page Review). [PL] 

ONSTAGE MAJORITY (Aurora, IL) 

ONYX (CT) 

"Solo Flight" 1971 (no label om-896) 

Way cool lounge rocker with insane bouncy moog, 

vibes, gravelly vocals, and kitchen sink efx ala the 

Kaplan Brothers. One third lame-o balladry, two 

thirds lounge psych monster! [RM] 

"Onyx also Featuring Wildwood" 1981 (Weathersfield) [insert] 

School project teen basement hardrock covers, some 

female vocals.

MICHAEL OOSTEN (WI) 

"Michael Oosten" 1974 (Hub-City 5191) [500p] 

"Michael Oosten" 2000 (Gear Fab Comet 411, Italy) 

"Michael Oosten" 2000 (CD Gear Fab gf-132) 

ORACLE (WV) 

Local weirdo 1970s folkie with long intense acoustic 

tracks and extended instrumental passages, like a 

second-tier Perry Leopold. His voice is OK and he's 

certainly not holding anything back. Mood and 

atmosphere dominates over songwriting, with lots of 

two-chord drone and half-spoken lyrics. Apart from 

Oosten's fine guitar-playing there is bass and 

occasional electric guitar, but no percussion. 

"Wavefaring boy" is a highpoint with a dramatic mood 

and an amazing section where the guy does a vocal 

imitation of the sound of the sea surf, and not a bad 

one either. After having heard many dozens of 

mediocre LPs in the style I would have to rate this 

above average, but can still only recommend it to 

genre fans. Silkscreened cover. [PL] 

"Nataraja Da Nada" 1989 (Paradise Lost) 

Freaky basement acid guitar excursions with flipped 

out biker redneck vocals. Side 1 is a bit 

disappointing, while side 2 is intensely psychedelic 

in a Yahowha 13/Strange-"Ruler of the universe" 

direction. This has been listed as a reissue, but is 

a 1985 re-recording of material originally laid down 

in 1976, which has led to some confusion. Later 

recordings in a similar style have been released on 

CD as by Skuldedog. A must for fans of fried basement 

cosmic drug guitar sounds, but not exactly for 

everyone. [PL] 

~~~ 


ORANGE COLORED SKY (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Orange Colored Sky" 1969 (Uni 73031) 

ORANGE PEELS (NJ) 

Pop psych floater, good one. The band was originally 

from PA and were called the Fabulous Epics, then 

moved to LA in 1968. One of several bands to claim 

being the model for the Tom Hanks 60s retro movie 

"That Thing You Do". 

~~~ 

see -> Cosmic Travellers

"Orange Peels" 1963 (Wight Audio Studios WAS 62075) 

"Orange Peels" 2000 (Mystic, Europe) 

Primitive surf/instro trip with a garage vibe, 

sometimes seen as a "prep-rock" artefact due to a 

Princeton connection. Covers of "Apache", "Runaway", 

"Honky Tonk", one band original. Superbly crude 

packaging. Cool one for pre-Beatle heads. 

ORANGE WEDGE (Baltimore, MD) 

"Wedge" 1972 (Wedge 3597/Contraband) [insert] 

"Orange Wedge" 1998 (Little Wing 3051-52, Germany) [2LPs; 

yellow vinyl; obi; insert; poster; 500#d] 

Local hardrock with an appealing directness and above 

average guitar-playing, even in a genre full of good 

guitarists. The vocals are somewhat strained, and the 

reverbed and sometimes doubletracked production 

enhances rather then reduces this factor. This is not 

a major problem, however. Songwriting isn't bad at 

all, while the lyrics go in a bonehead macho 

direction typical for the genre, which admittedly 

adds to the authentic teenage vibe. Good, understated 

use of piano and acoustic guitars make for a varied 

sound, with a brief throwaway boogierocker the only 

wasted track. The overall feel of a local club band 

reaching for an upmarket Aerosmith-type sound makes 

it reminiscent of the Magi LP, and none the worse for 

it. A so-so song such as "One night lover" still has 

a truly great solo, while the closing track has an 

impressive epic feel. Two release variations exist; 

one with a Contraband label designation and a stamped 

title cover, the other with a Wedge label and an unstamped 

cover. [PL] 

~~~ 

Noisy 70s hard rock that has its moments. Mix of long 

and short songs and lots of loud guitar. It sounds 

like it was recorded live in the studio. There's 

nothing here to really distinguish it, style-wise, 

from a million other local hard rock albums, but the 

songs and hooks aren't bad, and the sound is 

appealingly low-budget. Not good enough for a blanket 

recommendation, but good enough to recommend to fans 

of the style. [AM] 

"No One Left But Me" 1974 (no label 1434) [textured cover; 

insert] 

"Orange Wedge" 1998 (Little Wing 3051-52, Germany) [2LPs; 

yellow vinyl; obi; insert; poster; 500#d] 

Second album is slicker and has superior sound. In a 

few places that means it veers towards prog, but it 

also means the guitars sound sharp and powerful. I 

find it kind of dull, though, especially on the long

ORFEUS (KY) 

songs. The vocals are very 70s AM radio friendly, 

which isn't really a good thing. Which of their two 

albums you prefer definitely depends on your personal 

taste, but I prefer the first. [AM] 

~~~ 

The second LP (release as by Wedge) has a slightly 

more produced sound and more ambitious arrangements. 

Some keyboard has been added, and the vocal mixing is 

more successful. Other than that it's in a similar 

style to the debut, with agreeable songwriting and 

excellent guitarwork throughout. The epic last track 

has a melodic psych/prog feel unusual for the band. I 

rate this about equal with the debut: it seems to 

squeeze more out from the band's abilities and is a 

more varied experience, but is missing some of the 

raw directness. But the two are so close in quality 

and style that they're both best checked out as a 

package deal (as on the Little Wing reissue). [PL] 

"Lying To The Wall" 1973 (Lemco 721) [1200p] 

Fairly mediocre local rock LP in various early 1970s 

styles, promising start with a Tripsichordish title 

track but rest is derivative and/or dull barrock/prog 

rock/hard rock with a Brit slant, covers of Free, 

James Gang and a bizarre "We can work it out", plus 

some feeble attempts at Santana/Allman Bros jamming. 

Except for a slight whiff of basement charm you're 

not missing much. [PL] 

ORGANIZATION (Dartmouth, Canada) 

"Organization" 1970 (Music Stop 100) 

ORIENT EXPRESS (NY) 

Obscure soft-rock and lyte psych private press in 

primitive cover. 

"Orient Express" 1968 (Mainstream 6117) 

"Orient Express" 199 (Mainstream, Germany) [bootleg; 

boardprinted cover] 

"Orient Express" 199 (CD Head) 

"Orient Express" 2005 (Tripkick, Spain) 

Real cool trip out Middle East by three beatnik 

immigrants who brought some European savoir faire 

along with their strange instruments. Not the usual 

sitar exploitation but a real ethnic vibe, like 

standing on acid at the Istanbul Grand Central with 

too much stuff going on to ever fully comprehend. Up 

there with Ganimian & the Orientals and the good 

tracks on "Side trips" for dawamesk/belly dancer

vectors. French vocals on one track add a strange 

colonial twist. Despite occasional claims to the 

contrary, this band had nothing to with Liz Damon's 

Orient Express. One of my 3-4 favorites on the label. 

[PL] 

ORION EXPRESS (Sacramento, CA) 

"Orion Express" 1975 (Round Mound Of Sound 1001) 

If you listened to the prevailing hype on this LP 

you'd see nonsense like "Killer rural hard rock/psych 

rocker with acid guitar jamming!" or "Backwoods 

guitar rock with wailing leads." The fact of the 

matter is that the only thing psychedelic here must 

be the stuff people were ingesting when they listened 

to the album, or wrote such nonsense. So let's get 

down to the facts. "The Orion Express" offers up a 

decent set of original material and covers. While 

there's some nice guitar on tracks like 'Gotta Get 

the First Plane Home' and a cover of Steve Miller's 

'Mercury Blues' there's absolutely nothing 

psychedelic to be found here. Instead the general 

feeling is of competent (and occasionally quite 

talented) bar band who have a penchant for bluesy 

material such as "Down the Rail" and "Hard Goin' 

Down". The vocalist has a decent voice and he injects 

more enthusiasm into the material than most similar 

acts. The same is true for the rest of the band - 

they were probably a pretty good live act. Still, 

don't be fooled by the marketing hype! [SB] 

P J ORION & THE MAGNATES see P J Orion & the Magnates (under 'P') 

ORKUSTRA (San Francisco, CA) 

"Light Shows For The Blind" 2005 (RD Records 16, Switzerland) 

[insert] 

First ever release for this legendary 1966-67 Bay 

Area band, whose members would go on to various sorts 

of fame. Mainly instrumental music of a highly 

eclectic nature, mixing modal Eastern sounds with 

impressionist classical and plain old SF acid rock. 

Embryonic versions of two It's A Beautiful Day 

numbers can be heard. Somewhat challenging and with 

below average sound quality, but well worth hearing 

for purveyors of mid-60s freak sounds and of obvious 

historical value. The overlap with the Bobby 

Beausoleil CD is restricted to two short numbers. 

[PL] 

ORPHAN EGG (San José, CA) 

"Orphan Egg" 1968 (Carole 8004) [wlp exists] 

-- also released in Germany by Vogue 

"Orphan Egg" 2005 (CD Radioactive 146, UK) 

Typical '68 lyte-psych with an eclectic (or rag-tag)

assortment of "hip" sounds; at best an edgy melodic 

fuzz-psych presence a la Food, at worst a wimpy early 

Brit Invasion vibe. Strong UK beat-psych influences 

throughout (think early Status Quo), with some sideglances 

at the commercial psych sound out of LA. 

Obvious signs of talent, given another 6 months or so 

they probably could have made a really good LP. Neat, 

zit-faced freshman vocals and 3-4 tracks that hit the 

vintage teen-psych moves right on means the LP needs 

to be heard, while some poorly chosen covers and an 

unsuccessful "heavy blues" excursion seals its 

ultimate fate in a manner similar to the Rainy Daze 

LP. This seems to have been the last album released 

by this shortlived GNP Crescendo subsidiary. Also 

released in Germany by Vogue. The band appears on the 

"Cycle Savages" movie soundtrack (AIP, 1970). [PL] 

ORPHANN (Kansas City, KS) 

"Up For Adoption" 1977 (OMI 70021) 

Dual lead hardrock. There is also a second LP on OMI, 

"Don't Say No" (1980). 

OTHER HALF (Pottstown, PA) 

"The Other Half" 1966 (7/2 Records HS 1-2) [500p] 

"The Other Half" 1984 (Resurrection cx-1266) 

Post-Half Tribe garage wizards from Hill School with 

a solid Northeastern sound and a little more punk 

edge than their regional competition. Two cool 

originals and the rest top 40/British Invasion covers 

including "Gloria", Sam The Sham, "Time won't let 

me", and a whole bunch of Stones tunes. Some 

variation is offered as they run "Like a rolling 

stone" into the ground with fun consequences. It 

appears that most or all originals have the sleeve 

opening on the left. There was also a 45 released on 

the same label. [PL] 

OTHER HALF (Los Angeles, CA) 

"The Other Half" 1968 (Acta 38004) [stereo] 

"The Other Half" 1968 (Acta a-8004) [mono] 

"Mr Pharmacist" 1982 (Eva 12003, France) [LP + bonus tracks] 

"Mr Pharmacist" 1992 (CD Eva b-13, France) [LP + bonus 

tracks] 

"The Other Half" 2004 (CD Radioactive 025, UK) 

"The Other Half" 2004 (Radioactive 025, UK)

OTHER HALF (Canada) 

Well-known Randy Holden vehicle in the typical (and 

to me unappealing) LA psych/hard rock transition 

style, those growling vocals are always a drawback. 

Starts out very weak with a bad version of "Feathered 

Fish" and more, some better tracks on side 2. 

Blistering guitar (of course) and some unusual 

r'n'b/club influences, occasionally rocks but just as 

often slow and lead-footed. Holden fans will still 

want to get it, of course. Also released in Germany 

with a different sleeve. The non-LP 45 is the best 

thing they did in my opinion. [PL] 

"The Other Half" 1971 (DDTB 001) 

Mostly bland covers with organ upfront, "Summertime", 

Santana. 

OTTER CREEK (Long Island, NY) 

"Otter Creek" 1977 (Bolt b-3234) [500p] 

Long Island band with a New Riders type 

rural/country-rock sound, they played live frequently 

in the late 1970s with a local following. 

OUBA (Quebec, Canada) 

"Ouba" 1968 (A1 33-213) 

Westcoast and jazzrock jamming freakout with 

organ/fuzz, supposedly the Sinners or perhaps some 

other famous Quebecians in disguise. One long track 

stretched over two sides, with a 5-minute drum solo 

on side 2, some scat singing of mostly nonsense 

lyrics, and a general sense of abandon. Although 

nominally a private press, the label shows the Trans- 

Canada "t-c" logo. 

OUR GENERATION (Nyack, NY) 

"Dawning Of The Day" 197 (Generation LPM/S 500) 

What do you get when you combine the heavy fuzz 

guitar of Earthen Vessel, the swirling organ of 

Azitis and the joyous male/female harmonies of The 

Bridge? You get a humongous garage/psych monster by 

the name of Our Generation. This outfit’s debut is 

easily one of the top Jesus psych privates. Opens

with the hard-driving rocker "11th Hour", followed by 

the chilling downer minor-key "Near The End" with 

heavy droning distorted fuzz, eerie vocals and lyrics 

dealing with death and despair. ‘Love’ provides some 

animated ‘60s garage-rockin’ fun with a bratty 

abrasive fuzz riff that sounds like it came straight 

out of the Rhino Nuggets boxed set. Lots of dynamic 

organ throughout, as on the high-energy "Look – 

Out" (which again hits us with another venomous 

explosion of fuzz), "Jesus In Your Life" (coupled 

with nice wah-wah electric guitar) and "Can You Make 

It?" with its dissonant spoken-word psychedelic 

intro. Even the quieter melodic tracks like "Beyond 

Yourself" and "I Can See Forever" definitely have 

that sought-after tripped-out edge. The title track 

closes out the LP with a slow dreamy mysterious psych 

mood. All original songs and every single one is a 

winner, with creative vocal arrangements and sincere 

Jesus-centered lyrics. Faint yellow-on-white cover 

art with hills, sunflower and chain of figures 

holding hands. Raise your hands and worship at high 

volume. Awesome! [KS] 

"Praise And Prayer" 197 (Generation OG1072) 

Holy cow, they did it again! The gang delivers 

another first-rate psych juggernaut here, with some 

of their loudest moments on record. "Hello Friends" 

begins the album with drums and a pulsating bass 

line, soon joined by fierce fuzz, psychy organ and 

odd spacey choral harmonies. Likewise ‘Praise’ bursts 

forth with a vicious guitar riff worthy of Jefferson 

Airplane or Big Brother & the Holding Company. More 

high-powered fuzz on "Jesus Paid It All". Quieter 

moods are expressed on organ-backed ballads "Only A 

Man" and "Have You Tried This One Called Jesus", as 

well as covers of Paul Stookey’s "Hymn" and The 

Youngbloods’ "Get Together". The latter has a female 

lead vocal for a change, as does side two’s opener 

"Sacrifice". Also includes Blind Faith’s "Presence Of 

The Lord" where they super-size the guitar break into 

extended total fuzz mayhem. Closes with an acoustic 

ballad entitled "A Prayer". Both of these records are 

intensely rare small-press items. [KS] 

OVERSEAS HIGHWAY (Key West, FL) 

"Miles Away" 1979 (Alpha) [500p] 

This is essentially a bunch of short jams, in the San 

Francisco style, but with the addition of lots of 

reverb effects. The end result is a cool spacey 

sounding record, which benefits from the minimalist 

arrangements. It's simple, but appealing music. A 

little bit of synthesizer is a definite plus; a drum 

solo is a definite minus. There are vocals on only a 

few songs and those vocals are very weak. It's an 

enjoyable album, but nothing groundbreaking. A number 

of Overseas Highway songs are on the "Key West 

Psychedelic Daze" compilation, which has a photo of 

them as aging hippies on the front cover. Fun! There 

is also a retrospective sampler, "Prism Of Soul 

2" (no label, 1998). [AM]

OWEN-B (OH) 

"Owen-B" 1970 (Mus-i-col 101209) 

"Owen-B" 1988 (Mus-i-col, Europe) [bootleg] 

This falls somewhere between post-Beatles power pop 

and 70s hard rock. Occasionally it's described as 

"prog," maybe because of the long song on side one, 

but that's not accurate. The tinny production is a 

little unfortunate, but the lovely acoustic guitar 

sound on the folky songs and the great harmonies 

shine through nonetheless. Solid throughout-great 

songwriting and inspired guitar playing. Nothing 

"psych" about this, but it's a heavier album than 

stuff like "Faces of Jade," and points the way toward 

more experimental post-Beatles bands. Like Zerfas or 

Anonymous (or maybe a more well-known band like Crack 

The Sky), it feels equal parts 60s and 70s, and while 

it's not as good as those masterpieces it's still an 

excellent record. There are also two 45s with rocking 

non-LP tracks, and a less interesting second LP (Old 

Happy Places, "A Good Example") in the late 1970s. 

[AM] 

CHUCK "SNAKE" OWSTON see Snake 

OXEN OF THE SUN (WY) 

"Stations Of The Cross" 1969 (Calvary 666) [blank back; insert] 

50-copy demo press of intense X-ian Dead/Quicksilver 

dual guitar jammer, one of the earliest in the style 

made famous by Kristyl, "Spirit Of Elijah", etc. Side 

1 has four tracks in a Tripsichord bag, while the 

whole of side 2 is "Stations Of The Cross" a 

desperate messianic fuzz/wah wah desert guilt trip 

reminiscent of "Eye Of The Hurricane" by Fraction, 

except twice as long. Less than 10 copies known to 

exist. [PL] 

OXFORDS (Louisville, KY) 

"Flying Up Through the Sky" 1970 (Union Jac LH6498) [500p] 

"Flying Up Through the Sky" 2001 (Gear Fab gf-168) [+bonus 

tracks] 

This is one of the best soft rock albums of the era, 

akin to bands like the Free Design but not quite as 

lightweight. Nice male and female vocals and 

intricate songs. The Gear Fab reissue has a whole 

bunch of bonus tracks from various parts of their 

career, including some bluesy, funky and humorous

OZ KNOZZ (TX) 

numbers. Lots of interesting songs, and the female 

vocalist is really excellent on the later stuff when 

she gets a chance to belt it out. [AM] 

"Ruff Mix" 1975 (Ozone 1000) 

"Ruff Mix" 1985 (Ozone, Italy) [bootleg] 

KAREN H OZNICK ( ) 

You have to like a band that names three consecutive 

songs “Doodley Squat”. On the other hand, this weird 

mix of prog, hard rock, and jazz is full of clichés: 

there are synths and mellotrons, long guitar solos, 

jazzy instrumental breaks, high-pitched male singing, 

a long blues song, a soulful song with a horn 

section. Despite that (or partially because of it), 

there’s an appealing kind of energy and kitchen sink 

experimentalism. It works best when it’s most 

surprising (i.e. the loud, jarring way the guitar 

solo begins in “Peanut Butter Yoni,” some occasional 

stereo tricks), worst when it settles into long 

soloing or focuses on the weak melodies. Most of the 

vocals are pretty tuneless (or annoying in that hard 

rock high-pitched way), but occasionally they get 

kind of unhinged, which is great fun. The 

musicianship is pretty strong, and they probably came 

across very well on stage, where the vocal and 

melodic limitations are less obvious. If you’re in 

the right mood, much of this album provides dumb fun 

and excitement. Originals are on notoriously thin 

vinyl, similar to RCA's Dynaflex. [AM] 

"Karen H Oznick" 197 (no label) [plain cover] 

Demo LP of female folk/s-sw with mostly originals and 

covers of Judy Collins, Leonard Cohen. 


PACERS (AR) 

"Go Wild" 1965 (Razorback) 

Local obscurity tied in with the University of 

Arkansas' football team, The Razorbacks. The LP has 

been described as more country/rockabilly than 

beat/garage, and features topical songs such as 

"Quarterbackin' man" and the regional hit "Short 

squashed Texan". The Pacers were 1950s legend Sonny 

Burgess' backing band. There were also some 45s 

released during the post-Burgess era. Several 

pressings exist of this album. 

PAISLEYS (Minneapolis, MN) 

"Cosmic Mind At Play" 1970 (Audio City-Peace 944S-2809) 

"Cosmic Mind At Play" 1984 (Psycho 7, UK) 

"Cosmic Mind At Play" 199 (CD Afterglow, UK) 

"Cosmic Mind At Play" 2004 (CD Sundazed) [+bonus tracks] 

Late (1970) stab at 60s-style popsike with side two 

being an extended suite. There are a couple of songs 

on side one that use sound effects nicely, and there 

are a bunch of good melodies within the suite. 

There's a breezy, almost innocent feel that is 

appealing. Overall, though, it feels like they were 

trying too hard, and they didn't give up on a single 

idea, good or bad. The CD bonus tracks are of 80s 

vintage and are very weak. [AM] 

JOHN PALMER (Canada) 

"Shorelines" 1971 (Celebration 1868) [gatefold] 

Downer psych a la Skip Spence, with an echo-laden 

production, use of keyboard, some fuzz, and tormented 

lyrics. 

LUCIA PAMELA (Fresno, CA)

"Into Outer Space With" 1969 (Gulfstream) 

"Into Outer Space With" 198 (L'Peg) 

"Into Outer Space With" 1992 (CD Arf Arf 0037) 

PANDORA (NY) 

Legendary incredibly strange album of kooky woman 

with an elaborate delusional fantasy about people on 

the moon and how she visits them with her Cadillac. A 

must within the genre, although it's not "rock" music 

by a long shot. The L'Peg pressing is a reissue from 

Pamela herself. Gulfstream was a Florida label, but 

Lucia was based in California. She passed away in 

2002, 98 years old. 

"Pandora" 1975 (Evatone) [10" flexi; no cover] 

"Pandora" 200 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) 

Live glammy hardrock produced by Granicus' drummer, a 

promotional green flexi for a prospective LP. The 

Japanese CD reportedly contains longer versions of 

the tracks, which had been edited for the promo 

flexi. 

PAPA BEAR'S MEDICINE SHOW (Canada) 

"Papa Bear's Medicine Show" 1971 (One Shot 1001) [100#d; 

handmade cover] 

"Papa Bear's Medicine Show" 1998 (Little Indians 5, Germany) 

[+1 track; 4 inserts; 400p] 

PAPER GARDEN (NY) 

Reissued along with Butterfingers and sort of similar 

but decidedly better to my ears; laidback later-day 

loungey Doors moods with decent songwriting and a 

consistent sound. Has that typical early 1970s moody 

organ-led Canuck vibe. Side 2 is live with an 

extended nightclub jazzrock cover of "Soul Kitchen". 

Video material exists of the band doing 100% jug band 

material, unfortunately. [PL] 

"Presents" 1969 (Musicor 3175) 

"Presents" 1986 (Antar 3, UK) [altered sleeve] 

"Presents" 2004 (CD Gear Fab 194) 

This is one of the better Beatles-inspired US 

pop/psych albums. It’s a short album (ten brief 

songs), but still has a bunch of variety and melodic 

ideas to spare. Lots of sitar, some great fuzz 

guitar, even gypsy violins and calypso beats. A few 

good-timey songs at the end of side one may annoy 

some, but they’re good for what they are, and the

PARISH HALL (CA) 

rest is even better. Great cover, too. Also released 

by Columbia in Canada. [AM] 

"Parish Hall" 1970 (Fantasy 8398) [wlp exists] 

"Parish Hall" 1999 (Akarma 037, Italy) 

"Parish Hall" 1999 (CD Akarma 037, Italy) 

PATRON SAINTS (NY) 

Fantastic power trio hard rock that just about 

everyone likes. This is no-nonsense stuff, brief 

songs, killer riffs, strong but unpretentious 

singing, sparse arrangements. There’s a mild bit of 

bluesiness to it, but the songs are fast and the 

album isn’t full of long guitar solos. There’s a 

terrific ballad too. A really good one. Original 

French, British and Australian pressings exist. [AM] 

"Fohhoh Bohob" 1969 (no label JT-1001) [100p; booklet] 

"Fohhoh Bohob" 1994 (no label, Austria) [bootleg; 300p; 

altered cover; booklet] 

"Fohhoh Bohob" 1997 (American Sound 106202/3) [booklet; bonus 

45; 500#d] 

"Fohhoh Bohob" 1997 (CD Patron Saint PSCD-101) [+bonus tracks] 

PAT'S PEOPLE (MI) 

A truly unique trip and hard to describe, but it's 

atmospheric "real people" folk-singer/songwriter with 

an array of influences ranging from ragtime to 40s 

schlager sentimentality to hippie confusion, like 

tuning into a radio station from another world. Wellwritten, 

amazing and deep, you need to hear it. 

Member Eric Bergman has confirmed the original 

pressing as 100 copies. Note hidden message along the 

borders of the back sleeve. There are also two 

releases of unreleased material, "Proto-Fohob" and 

"The Latimer Sessions". [PL] 

~~~ 

This album was way ahead of its time, kind of like 

Virgin Insanity. Nothing else sounded like it then, 

but now there have been a bunch of 90s indie bands 

that cover the same DIY-type territory. The sloppy, 

somewhat inept performances will either appeal to you 

or they won't. The mix of old-fashioned musical 

styles is definitely interesting, though. This has 

the hallmark of a songwriter who had a million ideas 

but nowhere near enough musical talent to project 

them correctly, and the result is actually more 

original and fascinating than what they had 

hoped...or just boring, depending on your 

perspective. Not for everyone. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Eric Bergman

"Silver Rains Afar" 197 (no label) 

BOB PATTERSON (PA) 

UK style folk Recorded at Adell Studios in Novi, MI. 

"Instrumentalist" 1971 (RDP) 

BOB PATTERSON ( ) 

Obscure album from guy who presents himself as 

"singer/songwriter" on the James Taylor-inspired 

front cover, so no need to worry about the 

categorization. Tracks include "Trippin' to Boston", 

"I am abandoned". 

"Land Of The 12 String Song Man" 1977 (Conch Island) 

Countryrock from the South with pedal steel, flute, 

banjo. Possibly the same guy as above. 

PATTERSON & PULTS (TX) 

"Grand Tetons" 1977 (PPP 1178) 

Introspective acoustic folk duo. Nice dark playing 

and stark, heartfelt songs about loneliness and the 

wonders of nature. There is also a second LP from 

1984, "Second Time Around" with 1979-80 recordings. 

[RM] 

JOE PEACE (Cincinnati, OH) 

"Finding Peace Of Mind" 1972 (Rite 29917) [2000p; gatefold] 

"Finding Peace Of Mind" 2001 (CD World In Sound 1005, Germany) 

Light good-natured hippie folkrock LP comparable in 

sound to Brazda Brothers though less consistent. 

Obvious Neil Young influence typical for the bag, 

while crude guitar leads add some needed tension. 

Opens strongly but the last third of the LP is weak 

with strained vocals and a flower-embellished VW bus 

mood that becomes one-note. Warm and friendly in a 

1960s vibe, but apart from 2-3 excellent tracks 

mostly for completists. [PL] 

PEACE BREAD & LAND BAND (WA) 

"Liberation Music" 1970 (Red Yogis no #) [10"; 1000p; cover is 

a 10x13" envelope; insert] 

Communal left-wing hippie folkrock with female vocals 

and a strong political orientation, including a poem 

by Ho Chi Minh set to music and women's rights 

concerns. A mono recording.

"Bright New Dawn" 1978 (Olequa 7801) [1000p] 

PEACE PIPE (CA) 

Second and inferior LP of Northwest communal, 

political folkrock, led by ex-Spikedrivers member Sid 

Brown. There is also a 7" EP from 1973, "Mill Town 

Blues". 

~~~ 

see -> Modality Stew 

"Featuring The Human Equation" 1995 (Rockadelic 18) [600p] 

"Featuring The Human Equation" 2002 (CD Normal, Germany) 


STEPHEN PEGUES (TX) 

This unreleased late 1960s heavy guitarpsych classic 

is probably (along with Cold Sun) the Rockadelic LP 

with widest appeal among mainstream psych fans. 

Despite being just 3 guys with no bass player, a 

dense wall of hard psychedelia is erected with 

moments as intense as Fraction. The opening "Sea of 

nightmares" is one of the best heavy psych tracks 

ever laid down, while cool remnants of teen garage 

and lounge/schmaltz add to the LP's underground 

appeal. Powerful, non-macho vocals and Jon Uzonyi's 

triple-tracked feedback guitars makes this blow away 

20th Century Zoo, Savage Resurrection, Dragonfly, 

etc. Stunning in parts, solid as a whole. The band 

had a rare 45 back then; this is not included (as 

often with Rockadelics) on the LP, but added as bonus 

tracks on the excellent German CD version, which also 

benefits from the hi-fi nature of the original tapes. 

[PL] 

"Mellow Understanding" 197 (Harvest 06781) 

A nice cover photo of a dove with a cool blue 

background and shiny silver writing gives hope of a 

lovely folk/psych record within. Pegues isn't a wimpy 

folkie, though. Not only does he look like someone 

you wouldn't want to pick a fight with, he has a deep 

powerful voice that overwhelms the acoustic backing. 

The playing on his album is often crude, but the 

music is quite confident. The first few songs have a 

stark outlaw loner folk to them, though they also 

sport some noodly electric lead guitar. Side one also 

sports a song with a southern hippie feel (flute, 

female backing vocals, and a lyric line sung in 

Spanish) and two quiet ballads, one piano-and-voice, 

one guitar-and-voice. Side two starts with the 

album's best song, "Take The Devil," which has some 

great 12-string acoustic guitar and some dramatic 

mellotron-like string synth. Unfortunately the rest 

of side two isn't even by Pegues. It's a short guitar 

instrumental and two guitar-and-voice ballads by his 

friend Kevin Kine, and they're uninteresting and not 

especially well sung. Too bad that Pegues didn't do a 

full album on his own. As it is fans of the style 

should enjoy about half of this record. [AM]

JEFF PEKAREK (San Diego, CA) 

"To Each Their Own" 1982 (no label) 

Cosmic folkrock from classically trained bass player. 

Pekarek has continued to record extensively after 

this debut album. 

PENDULUM & CO (Boston, MA) 

"Pendulum & Co" 1971 (Perception 25) 

PENETRATIONS ( ) 

Here's another rare album on Jimmy Curtiss' obscure 

Perception label. It's an odd bird of a pop/soft 

psych album, sounding like several different bands 

(and, according to the band members, three songs were 

indeed by a later and very different incarnation of 

the band.) It's got a bit of orchestration, some 

horns, a country tune, and on a few songs, soulstyled 

singing. Some of this is too smooth for its 

own good, and the album is way too long. It does, 

however, contain a few strong, classy, downer melodic 

psych songs. The opener, the closer, and "Chrome 

Street Blues" are definite winners, and some good 

songs are scattered about elsewhere. Sounds like the 

recording budget was significant, which further makes 

the small press a mystery. Most of the sealed copies 

that have surfaced are somewhat damaged, with pops 

and tics on several songs. The album recording 

spanned a period of two years, beginning in 1969, and 

saw lots of personnel changes within the band during 

that time. [AM] 

"The Fantastic Penetrations / Octet" 1965 (no label) 

PAUL PENFIELD ( ) 

Mid-60s surf/teenbeat LP split with the Octet; 

possibly the same Octet choir who screwed up the 

Rasputin & Monks LP, which would place this LP at St 

Mark's School in NH. This is unconfirmed. 

"Inward Eye" 1975 (no label) 

PENNY BLUE (Canada) 

Acoustic folk/blues LP with about half instrumentals 

and some post-Vietnam concerns. Recorded in New York. 

"Upon Cripple Creek" 1969 (Paragon 240) 

Late 60s organ/guitar rural rock with about half 

originals. Two Creedence covers, "Suspicious minds" 

and the Band title track. Seldom seen title on this 

wellknown label, housed in a beautiful pasture and

RICK PENTA (OH) 

creek cover. 

"Hit The Road" 1977 (Jewel 737) 

Melancholic basement rock with a druggy downer 

atmosphere shifting from acoustic to electric with 

guitar leads weaving in. Titles include "Suzi 

Mesciline", "Who Is The Wise Man?". Nice color 

artwork. There was also non-LP 45 with PS. 

PENTWATER (Chicago, IL) 

"Pentwater" 1978 (Beef no #) [insert] 

"Pentwater" 2003 (CD Beef) [remix; +4 tracks] 

"Out Of The Abyss" 1990 (CD Syn-Phonic) 

This album starts with the completely insane 

"Frustration Mass," where the singer goes totally off 

the deep end. It gives hope that this will be the 

kind of highly creative weirdness that gives prog a 

good name, but the rest of the album is a bit more 

typical of the genre, with complex song structures, 

lots of time signatures, and some spacy 

instrumentals. There are plenty of good and highly 

creative moments here, from the mesmerizing guitar 

riffs on "Memo" to the innovative dual vocal lines of 

"Orphan Girl," and there are a number of highly 

melodic songs as well. Initially, it's a 

disappointment that the rest of the album doesn't 

live up to the weirdo potential of the opener, but 

multiple listens reveal all sorts of pleasures here. 

It's a bit long at 50 minutes, but this is a good 

one, and not something that you need to be a prog fan 

to enjoy. The "Abyss" CD contains unreleased 1970s 

material that some consider superior to the 1978 LP. 

[AM] 

PEOPLE "Rock Sounds" see Rasberry Jam 

PEOPLE'S VICTORY ORCHESTRA & CHORUS (NY) 

"The School" 1972 (People's Music Works) [insert] 

"Weltschmerzen" 1973 (People's Music Works 270) 

Communal eclectic bag of tricks of mostly hippie 

boogie and blues-rock from Long Island, also some 

eccentric folk, with one side femmes & one side males 

on "The School". Some promo copies of this came with 

a flexi 45 and 6 promo sheets. 

V.A "PEORIA FOLK ANTHOLOGY" (Peoria, IL) 

"Peoria Folk Anthology" 1970 (Webster's Last Word 3825)

Local hippie folk sampler on Chuck Perrin's label; 

Perrin and his sister Mary also contribute two good 

tracks. Other acts include Dan Young, Jennie Pearl, 

Lou Jendras, Bruce Brown. 

VICTOR PERAINO'S KINGDOM COME (Los Angeles, CA) 

"No Man's Land" 1975 (no label) 

"No Man's Land" 199 (no label) [bootleg] 

"No Man's Land" 199 (CD Digital, Japan) [+4 tracks] 

"No Man's Land" 2000 (CD St Thomas 112) [+4 tracks] 

Heavy synth and mellotron-laden progressive rock. 

Guitar, flute, efx. The band arose out of the ashes 

of Arthur Brown's backup combo, with US native 

Peraino retaining the band name. Reportedly only 100 

copies were pressed of the original, which has sold 

for four figures on occasion. The CD reissues add 

bonus tracks from a 1981 EP. 

LOS PERDIDOS see Los Perdidos 

LINDA PERHACS (HI) 

"Parallelograms" 1970 (Kapp ks-3636) [black label] 

"Parallelograms" 1970 (Kapp) [multicolor label] 

"Parallelograms" 199 (CD Wild Places) 

"Parallelograms" 2001 (Beatball, Korea) [600p; insert; poster; 

+2 tracks] 

"Parallelograms" 2001 (CD Merry Go Round, Korea) [+2 tracks] 

"Parallelograms" 2003 (CD Wild Places 005) [remaster; +6 

tracks] 

"Parallelograms" 2006 (Guerssen, Spain) 

"Parallelograms" is the unquestioned queen of the 

hill of female psychedelic albums. Fans of the genre 

are as unanimous in their praise of this album as 

mainstream critics are for Joni Mitchell's "Blue," 

almost to the point where it's unthinkable that 

anything else can be better. There are many reasons 

for this. To begin with, no other female folk/folkrock 

album is so genuinely psychedelic without also 

being unmusical (i.e. freakouts like Erica Pomerance, 

Amanda Trees). More importantly, though, this is a 

just plain solid piece of singer-songwriter music, 

mixing lovely and versatile vocals with evocative 

lyrics, creative and melodic songwriting, and an 

accessibility that makes it the kind of album that 

can draw mainstream fans into the world of odd 

collectables. Linda's arrangement ideas are ace, too. 

The black Kapp label variation is somewhat rarer and 

may be a superior pressing. The most recent Wild

Places CD is the best version of the album, with 

sound that is superior to the lousy Kapp presses, and 

some bonus material that shows she might have made 

the leap to a more commercial sound without 

sacrificing the originality and quality of her work. 

An essential album. [AM] 

~~~ 


CHUCK & MARY PERRIN (IL/IN) 

"Brother & Sister" 1969 (Webster's Last Word 2101) [500p; 

gatefold] 

"The Next Of Kin" 1969 (Webster's Last Word 2319) [500p] 

"Brother & Sister / The Next Of Kin" 2003 (CD Rev-Ola, UK) [2on-1] 

"Life Is A Stream" 1971 (Sunlight) 

“Life Is A Stream” 2004 (CD Rev-Ola, UK) 

Mellow 60s-style folk/folk-pop LPs from ex-Notre 

Dame/ex-Shaggs member and his sister. The debut is 

highly rated within the genre and has mostly 

originals plus a couple of covers. The second LP 

continues in the same style; these albums differ from 

the typical hippie folk sounds as they lean more 

towards vocal soft-pop. Perrin formed the Webster's 

Last Word record label which had a couple more 

releases, including First Friday and the "Peoria Folk 

Anthology" on which he and Mary appear. The LPs were 

recorded at Golden Voice in Illinois. [PL] 

~~~ 

The first two Chuck and Mary Perrin albums are very 

similar, pure acoustic guitar and voice duets with 

crystal clear vocals and sharp phrasing. The vocals 

are lovely, evoking the greatest joys and wonders of 

childhood. Some rate these albums at the very top of 

the solo acoustic genre, though I think they lack 

variety and the kind of challenging songwriting that 

would make them more than just vehicles for nice 

voices. "Next Of Kin" is slightly more complicated 

than the debut, though both are pretty much of equal 

quality. "Life Is A Stream" is a much more elaborate 

production, with a full soft rock band, and includes 

fleshed out remakes of a few songs from "Next Of 

Kin." The arrangements work well and give the album 

depth without sacrificing the innocent feel. About 

half of the songs are very good, and despite a few 

spots that are a bit bland or overly precious this 

could have been a big hit if the cards had fallen 

correctly. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Shaggs; Peoria Folk Anthology 

PEP PERRINE (Detroit, MI) 

"Live And In Person" 1969 (Hideout 1003) 

Comic psych rock LP from drummer for Bob Seger's Last 

Heard on noted local Motor City label.

PERSEPHONE BILLY see Billy 

PERSPECTIVE (RI) 

"Syllabub" 1970 (Gerry WCL-101) [insert] 

"2" 1971 (no label) 

College project LPs from longrunning RIU music 

workshop that would produce a whole bunch of private 

press albums over the years, such as Follies Bazaar. 

"Syllabub" is basement folk and rock with westcoast 

and prog moves, some jazz leanings, and so on in a 

typical mix. Some tracks have female vocals. 

Supposedly only 200 copies pressed. The second LP is 

even more obscure but reportedly similar in style. 

~~~ 

see -> Follies Bazaar 

PERTH COUNTY CONSPIRACY (Stratford, Canada) 

"Does Not Exist" 1970 (Columbia ELS 375) [gatefold; booklet] 

Terrific progressive folkpsych LP with a lot of 

brains and $$$ put into it, still underrated but 

really one of the best of its kind. Pretentious and 

theatrical but successful simply on strength of the 

talent and production value that went into it. A 

personal fave with several strong tracks and a peak 

in the deep acid introspection of "Crucifixation 

Cartoon". Richard Keelan had previously been in US 

1960s folkrock band the Spikedrivers. [PL] 

~~~ 


"Alive" 1972 (Columbia 90037) [2LPs] 

The live double is recommended to PCC fans, though 

not as good as the debut. Includes a Dylan cover, 

rest is originals in their typical hippie folk style. 

Like the first LP there are interludes of spoken word 

in a theatrical manner, which is less effective here. 

"Cabin Fever" 1973 (Rumour no #) [inserts] 

After leaving CBS there was a line-up shift with new 

arrival Bob Burchill becoming a key member, prior to 

his solo career. The discography becomes somewhat 

confused, but we've done our to best to get it sorted 

out. The two Rumour LPs are private releases and 

considerably rarer. "Cabin Fever" was released 

credited to "Bob Burchill of Perth County 

Conspiracy", and has one side of live recordings from 

Calgary. The sound isn't hippie psych, but rustic, 

realistic folk.

PerthCoRumo 

(43412 

bytes) 

"Perth County Conspiracy" 1973 (Rumour 2) [inserts] 

JOHN PETERSON ( ) 

Rumour #2 is also known as "Mushroom Music" and "What 

School Bus Tour", and is a live recording from 

various Canadian cities. Both copies with printed 

sleeves (showing a drawing of a school bus) or with 

only an inner sleeve with the same image have been 

found. Despite their joy of going independent, the 

music from their more commercially oriented CBS phase 

may be considered superior, or at least more 

creative. Around this time there was also a non-LP 45 

with picture sleeve on the Rumour label under the PCC 

name, which looks like a Richard Keelan solo release. 

The band was known as "Perth County Conspiracy Does 

Not Exist" for these later releases. Other PCCDNE 

releases include "Breakout To Berlin" (Rumour 5, 

1975), recorded in East Berlin for the Fifth 

International Festival of Political Song, and "Ten 

Lost Years" (Rumour, 1977), credited to Cedric Smith 

and Terry Jones. Bob Burchill would go on to release 

more LPs as well. 

"Where Does It Go From Here" 1976 (TJ Phoenix 11776) [1000p] 

"Where Does It Go From Here" 1998 (no label, UK) [altered 

sleeve; flyer; 300p] 

Tim Buckley-inspired mid-1970s busker/hippie folk. A 

couple of good psychy tracks and the rest 

singer/songwriter mediocrity. About average for this 

endlessly over-hyped genre. I'd settle for taping the 

best tracks, which include the melancholic "Summer 

magic is gone". The songs were written 1970-75 when 

Peterson was living in Europe. The reissue has an 

altered sleeve designed to resemble the Perry Leopold 

reissue cover. Nice try. [PL] 

CAROLINE PEYTON (IN) 

"Mock Up" 1971 (BRBQ 1) 

The first Peyton album is a drumless mix of Joni 

Mitchell-inspired singer songwriter tunes and free 

form freakouts. It's odd, to be sure, and the one 

song where she starts out singing opera is especially 

jarring. It's mostly awful, though, and the dead-on 

aping of Mitchell's singing quirks on a few songs is 

even more annoying than Mitchell herself at her most 

unstable. The lack of a full band hurts a lot too; 

the songs sound like demos. The unimaginative piano 

playing on many of the songs doesn't help. Psych, or 

oddball folk, fans will appreciate this album for 

"Lor el iii," which is seven minutes of jazzy guitar

weirdness and off-kilter singing from Screaming Gypsy 

Bandits bandmate Mark Bingham (who wrote all of the 

songs on the album.) Yoko Ono and otherwise noiserock 

fans will appreciate it for the two minute 

closer "Bill Monroe," on which Peyton imitates a 

saxophone and makes animal noises. But don't be 

fooled; those songs suck too. Even hearing Peyton 

sing about creaming in her jeans doesn't save this 

mess. She is a very talented singer, when presented 

with the right material and when encouraged to sing 

from her heart rather than to desperately ape others 

in hope of commercial success. There's little 

evidence here that her talent can be roped in, 

though. This album is unlistenable, almost to the 

point of being fascinating. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Screaming Gypsy Bandits 

"Intuition" 1977 (BRBQ 8) 

"Intuition" 2003 (CD Japan) 

P F FLYER ( ) 

Peyton's second album is a vast improvement, with a 

full band, a remake of an excellent Screaming Gypsy 

Bandits song, some dreamy folk-pop and cover photos 

that show her to be the cutest hippie in history. A 

few songs veer towards funk and disco, in a 

reasonably convincing way. It's clear that her heart 

is in some sort of sell-out attempt (she'd succeed 

many years later, becoming a voice in many Disney 

films, and releasing a Celtic Christmas album), but 

still this is a decent record with likeable moments 

for both folk and funk fans. [AM] 

"Play Gianchetta Jazz" 1970 (AVG 101) 

Instrumental psych jams with remarkable background 

story, intended as a dancing instruction soundtrack 

but the students turned in this drugged out 

fuzz/organ trip instead, to everyone else's dismay. 

PHAFNER (Marshalltown, IA) 

"Overdrive" 1972 (Dragon no #) 

"Overdrive" 1989 (Animus Oculus 101) [300#d; inserts; altered 

cover] 

"Overdrive" 1999 (Akarma 009, Italy) [altered cover] 

"Overdrive" 1999 (CD Akarma 009, Italy) 

Enjoyably crude hard rock unburdened by any notion of 

good taste. The dual lead guitars are gloriously 

sloppy. One wasted-sounding blues song is kind of 

dull, the songwriting isn't exactly subtle (i e: 

melodies mimic hooks and chord progressions, a la 

Black Sabbath), and the drummer can barely keep time,

ut this is tons of fun. Apparently all available 

reissues have excised a couple of songs that "don't 

fit in" with the rest; the Rockadelic inserts two 

unreleased tracks instead. This explains why the 

album runs only 26 minutes. [AM] 

~~~ 

Whiskeyed and smacked-out bluesy garage snarl. Heavy 

fuzz, pounding drums, basement warbling. Loaded with 

that Index and Mystic Siva cavern sound. Deep and 

damaged cruel world gimme-a-fix originals from the 

pit. The previously unreleased "Black Cat Claw" is 

unearthly... dissolving into raging white noise. Even 

beats Raven (OH) for checking out to. The first 

reissue is on an early Rockadelic subsidiary. 

Supposedly only 50 copies were pressed of the 

original. They also had a 45. [RM] 

PHANTASIA (Kansas City, MO) 

"Phantasia" 1971 (Damon 12918) [no sleeve] 

"A Psychedelic" 1994 (T.U.T 641, Austria) [partial reissue; 

300#d; gatefold] 

"A Psychedelic" 1997 (CD TUT/Syn-Ton, Austria) 

"Phantasia" 2003 (World In Sound rfr-18, Germany) [+1-sided 

10" disc; gatefold; poster insert] 

"Phantasia" 2003 (CD World In Sound 1015, Germany) 

Demo press LP that very few had heard of before the 

first reissue appeared. Powerful UK-influenced 

psych/prog-rock with strong, heartfelt vocals, some 

long fuzz excursions and recurring folk influences. 

The band obviously put a lot of work into this 

totally pro-sounding affair, and it's strange that no 

label picked them up. The Austrian reissue is a bit 

screwed up as it features only about half the 

original LP, adding several inferior tracks from the 

Trizo 50 LP, which was a later incarnation of this 

band. This is unfortunate as the original demo LP 

plays through like a fully realized and very 

impressive album, which is lost in that rag tag 

reissue. The more recent WIS releases correct this. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

Here's a comment from member Bob Walkenhorst from a 

web forum: "My first highschool band was Phantasia, 

1970-71. We played high school dances and a bi-weekly 

gig at the VFW Hall in Carrollton MO. We played 

covers, but also started right in doing originals 

that were heavily influenced by early King Crimson 

and Moody Blues. Considering how ignorant we were, we 

did some pretty good stuff. We recorded several 

tracks at Damon Studios in KC in 1971." 

"Walkenhorst & De Pugh" 1972 (Damon 12969) [1-sided; no 

sleeve] 

"I Talk To The Moon" 1996 (T.U.T 1096, Austria) [+bonus 

tracks; 300p; gatefold] 

"Phantasia" 2003 (World In Sound rfr-18, Germany) [+1-sided 

10" disc; gatefold; poster insert] 

"Phantasia" 2003 (CD World In Sound 1015, Germany) 

This 1-sided demo album has re-recordings of some 

tracks from the earlier LP, adds a couple new ones, 

and generally expands the folk/singer-songwriter 

moves from the first one on expense of the fuzz-rock,

which is unfortunate. Still a pretty impressive 

effort. The Austrian vinyl reissue of this one is 

less confused than the first one, including this LP 

in its entirety and adds most of the first demo LP as 

well. Two tracks are repeated from the earlier 

reissue. You need both T.U.T vinyl reissues to 

recreate the original demo LPs, but it seems the 

recent World In Sound CD contains all the Phantasia 

material on one disc, making the earlier recycling 

redundant. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Trizo-50; Walkenhorst Brothers 

PHANTOM (Rochester, MI) 

"Phantom's Divine Comedy" 1974 (Capitol 11313) [red label] 

"Phantom's Divine Comedy" 1989 (Capitol, Italy) [bootleg] 

"Phantom's Divine Comedy" 199 (CD One Way) 

"Phantom's Divine Comedy" 2003 (Radioactive 002, UK) 

"Phantom's Divine Comedy" 2003 (CD Radioactive 002, UK) 

Bordering on novelty sounds with overblown Lizard 

King vocals and a goofy fairytale concept, but is 

somehow well-done enough to be enjoyable. Lots of 

fuzz and dramatic mood changes plus almost inaudible 

spoken parts between the songs that few people have 

discovered (the vinyl re possibly omits these). Their 

manager claimed it to feature Jim Morrison on vocals 

which ensured a rapid journey down the cutout trail. 

In addition to this LP there is a "Lost Album" with 

recordings that may predate the Capitol album. The 

tapes have been bootlegged in Italy on vinyl (Ghost, 

1989) and CD (Flash, 1997) and display an 

unexceptional Brit-inspired prog/folk sound. [PL] 

~~~ 

Without the Jim Morrison rumors, it's likely nobody 

would have ever taken notice of this overly dramatic 

semi-hard rock album at all, though it is pretty 

outrageous. If you look at it with an open mind, it's 

got its appealing moments, especially when the lyrics 

are absurd (Spiders Will Dance On Your Face While You 

Sleep" is one song title) or when it veers into heavy 

metal territory. Not exactly good, but fun if you're 

in the right mood. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Happy Dragon Band 

PHANTOM RAIDERS (Concord, NC) 

"New Sound '67" 1967 (Justice 146) 

"New Sound '67" 1996 (CD Collectables) 

13 year old kids deliver a crude set of hit covers of 

the day, although one must wonder in what parallel 

universe "Walk don't run" represents the "New sound 

'67". Cool LP above the label average that should 

appeal to any fan of true garage sounds, meaning 

healthy doses of incompetence, enthusiasm and local 

charm. They weren't immune to the backwoods time lag 

of the area which makes for 3-4 instros that cut into 

the excitement but basement versions of "Stepping 

stone", "Day Tripper" and Mitch Ryder more than make 

up for this. An amazing highpoint is reached with

"Gloria" who's serenaded as being "4-foot-4" rather 

than the standard "5-foot-4", because these small 

kids reduced her height to their Junior High 

standards - genius! The recording is unusually good 

for the label, and if you think the lead guitarist is 

hot for a low-teenager, you should realize that he's 

only 11 years old. As reported in Kicks #5, the band 

sold the LP door-to-door after winning a talent 

contest with a Justice "contract" being the first 

prize. One band original, an instro. [PL] 

P H FACTOR (Portland, OR) 

"Merryjuana" 1980 (Piccadilly 3343) 

Obscure retrospective release on Jerry Dennon's 

mysterious label of a semi-legendary Portland/S F 

band's late 60s recordings, most of it previously 

unreleased. Historically relevant and musically 

fairly agreeable mix of jugband sounds and eclectic 

Bay Area moves recalling the US Kaleidoscope, should 

appeal to fans of that band; also hints of the New 

Tweedy Bros and Sons Of Champlin. Closing acid-rock 

raga/sax instro excursion is particularly good. Worth 

checking out, hopefully a more up-to-date release 

will appear some day. The band later went for a pure 

jugband sound, unfortunately. [PL] 

PHILOSOPHERS (Los Angeles, CA) 

"After Sundown" 1970 (Philo Spectrum 1001) 

"Getting Down" 199 (no label, France) [300p; altered cover; 

bonus tracks] 

Cool party LP with Hammond, fuzz and a swank r'n'b 

club groove due to a mixed lineup of brothers and 

honkies. Not psych or hardrock in any sense, more 

like what you'd hear if you strolled into a seedy L A 

discoteque in the late 60s. Enjoyable, but perhaps a 

bit misplaced in our Archive context. Although the 

band chose their own label name and design, it is a 

Century label custom pressing, and has the same 

generic sleeve as the White Light LP. There was a 

pre-LP 45 on Century/Philo Spectrum. [PL] 

PHOENIX SONSHINE (CA) 

"Shinin' In The Light" 1971 (Destiny) 

Christian vocal harmony folkrock with male/female 

vocals and CSN hippie sounds. "Broken Wing" is a 

standout track with terrific harmonies and a secular 

westcoast feel not unlike Oasis on Cranbus. 

PI CORPORATION (cleveland, OH) 

"Lost In The Cosmic Void" 2001 (Rockadelic 41) [500p] 

Unreleased 1973-76 experimental/avantgarde synth

dopehead recordings, enjoyable even if you're new to 

the style. Two structured "songs" on side 1 are 

really good, plus they retain a basement vibe 

throughout with a real live drummer and acid lead 

guitarist. Side 2 is mostly electronic noise, though 

not without a lot of thought put into it and various 

moods creeping in and out. The freakiest aspects of 

Stone Harbour might be one point of reference, though 

these guys had a somewhat bigger budget. Worth 

checking out, with grower qualities. The vocalist was 

formerly with Granicus. [PL] 

RAY PIERLE (Indianapolis, IN) 

"Time And Money" 1980 (no label) [300p] 

"Rhythm Of The Highway" 1981 (no label 1634) [300p; 

insert/paste-on] 

Among the three records (including McKay) with Ray 

Pierle involvement, "Time & Money" is the heaviest 

guitar LP. Both "Time & Money" and "Rhythm of the 

Highway" are one-man-band albums with Ray Pierle 

playing everything. One reason the McKay LP is rated, 

in general, the far better of these three is that it 

has the more organic feel of a record made by a real 

band, and one that had been playing together for a 

while. Pierle's solo LPs are more overtly 

singer/songwriter LPs and, musically, both records 

sound more like the early 1980s records they are, 

than McKay which is from 1977 but sounds as early as 

1972. Both above albums are rock records 

(descriptions like "psychedelic folk" are way off 

base) dominated by electric guitars, bass and drums. 

Both employ occasional flanging effects on the 

vocals, but the early-70s post-psychedelic charm of 

the McKay LP is, for the most part, missing. Among 

rare record collectors you cannot underestimate the 

appeal of an interesting record cover and "Rhythm of 

the Highway" has the sort of cover that just screams 

Private Press from across the room; the kind of cover 

that holds out enormous promise when stumbled upon in 

a thrift shop record bin. A blank white jacket, the 

LP originally came sealed with an 8 x 8 inch cover 

art sheet (white with a fairly psychedelic blue 

drawing) loose inside the shrink. The sheet was 

printed on "crack and peel" paper so the buyer could 

remove the backing and glue it to the sleeve. "Time & 

Money" has a printed cover with a color painting 

(also by Ray Pierle) of an hour glass. In addition to 

these 3 records by Ray, his late-brother Donnie 

Pierle was on a marginally interesting self-titled LP 

from Michigan by the band Bike. [SD] 

MIKE PINERA BAND (FL) 

"1 For All" 1978 (Illusion) 

Hard guitar rock from ex-Iron Butterfly and Blues 

Image member on (his own) mysterious Florida tax-loss 

label with dozens of releases around this time. 

Pinera would record and release more albums.

PIPER ( ) 

"Next Superstar" 1969 (Century) [insert] 

Obscure title on notorious custom label, light 

pop/folkrock with artrock keyboard and harpsichord 

moves judging by the descriptions seen. 

PIRANHAS (San Marino, CA) 

"Somethin' Fishy" 1965 (Custom Fidelity 1452) 

FRANK PISANI ( ) 

"Somethin' Fishy" was a little bit different than 

your standard surf band offering. First off, few of 

their contemporaries included a three piece horn 

section. Although the debut offered up a fairly 

standard mixture of popular covers and isolated 

originals, musically these guys were difficult to 

peg; falling somewhere in the cracks between surf 

outfit and garage genres. Horn-propelled 

instrumentals such as 'Peter Gunn Theme' and 'James 

Bond Theme' were enthusiastic, if not particularly 

innovative. Far more impressive were the band's vocal 

performances. Snotty and suitably raw, material such 

as 'Hitchhike', 'My Babe' (be sure to check out the 

hysterical spoken word segment) and a great cover of 

'Louie, Louie' were all worth hearing. Sure, it 

wasn't going to have a major impact on your 

lifestyle, but it's somehow uplifting to hear these 

guys struggle through the ten tracks - any group of 

11 year olds could probably handle 'Bubbles' with the 

same degree of professionalism. [SB] 

"Sky" 1977 (Dellwood) 

Another fun tax scam label item. Pisani's music is 

hard rock with both prog and AOR tendencies, equal 

parts keyboards and guitar. Some of the arrangements 

are quite creative and the songs are pretty strong. 

The manly but high vocals would have been very radio 

friendly in the late 70s-the sound is not too far 

from Foreigner, Montrose (with Sammy Hagar) or Bad 

Company. Pisani, though, is less refined and more 

unpredictable than those artists. Along with the 

heavy songs, the album includes a funky instrumental 

with great keyboard playing, a surprisingly good 

guitar-free ballad, and a song timed at "7:60." 

Pretty good stuff. [AM] 

P J ORION & THE MAGNATES (Groton, MA)

"P J Orion & The Magnates" 1967 (Magnate 122459) 

"P J Orion & The Magnates" 1984 (Eva 12023, France) 

"P J Orion & The Magnates" 1984 (Resurrection) [b & w cover] 

PLAGUE (MI) 

Local prep-garage LP with a folkrock sound a la 

Ha'Pennys but slightly more pro-sounding, adds some 

early 60s and UK R'n'B covers for good measure. 

Consistent in its $15 jangly Searchers/early Byrds 

sound, even on Stones and Animals numbers, with a 

folkrocked "Love Minus Zero" perhaps the most 

original thing on board. Nice live feel with 

appealingly loose drummer and amateur vocals. No 

selfpenned material and kind of short with only nine 

tracks, even as most of them cross the 3-minute mark. 

Recorded in New York. The band members belonged to 

wealthy Greek shipping families (hence "Magnates") 

and were students at the Groton prep school, which 

makes their tough greaseball stance on the supercool 

cover seem a wishful Spring break fantasy. [PL] 

"Plague" 1972 (no label 26907) [no sleeve] 

Basement-sounding folkrock cover LP with organ/guitar 

and horns, a few originals. 

PLANET OF THE APES (CT) 

"A Musical Trip" 1974 (TPI) 

Oddball concept LP from artist inspired by the 

classic movie, with crude prog and goofy spoken bits. 

Not without appeal due to its weirdness. Strange 

cover of monkey heads floating in space. The work of 

one Terry Phillips. 

PLASTIC CLOUD (Bay Ridge, Canada) 

"Plastic Cloud" 1968 (Allied 10) [insert] 

"Plastic Cloud" 1987 (BSF/Toadstool 2104, Italy) [bootleg; no 

insert] 

"Plastic Cloud" 1990 (CD Lazer's Edge 1002) 

"Plastic Cloud" 1999 (Void) [insert]

"Plastic Cloud" 2005 (CD Akarma 316, Italy) 

"Plastic Cloud" 2005 (CD Pacemaker/Lion 046, Canada) 

"Plastic Cloud" 2005 (Lion) [700p; gatefold] 

The Canadian scene produced several terrific LPs and 

here's one of the ultimates, with an appeal to both 

garage fuzz-heads and album psych collectors. The mix 

of dreamy WCPAEB-style vocals with ripping fuzz and 

sub-Dylanesque lyrics works better than one might 

imagine possible, and the LP gains appeal from its 

youthful basement edge. One of the big, mandatory 

pieces of the field, and a desirable item for 

decades, which has helped make it rare despite a 

sizable pressing run. Great sleeve too. Unfortunately 

this classic LP has been poorly served by the 

recyclers (much like the Bachs). Of the older 

reissues, the BSF is generally considered to have the 

best sound. The Lazer's Edge CD is noisy, while the 

Void reissue lacks punch. The recent Pacemaker/Lion 

job has been reported to sound good. A close 

counterfeit appears to exist; originals show "Record 

#10-A" in the dead wax on side 1, crossed out with 4 

lines. Next to this it is etched "Rec.No.10-S-1". 

Some originals came with additional promo inserts. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

Amazing album that combines wonderful melodic soft 

pop with utterly relentless fuzz guitar. The guitar 

truly doesn’t stop, blazing on behind and around the 

singing, and somehow it all seems to be with a 

purpose. The songs are terrific, and this would have 

been a great pop album even without all the fuzz (or 

the lyrics about “smoking cow” and “sniffing glue”). 

As it is, it’s a one-of-a-kind wonder that can warm 

the heart of even the most jaded popsike fan. One of 

the all-time greats. [AM] 

PLEASE FEED THE ANIMALS (Canada) 

"Please Feed The Animals" 1968 (Paragon PGS 572) 

"Please Feed The Animals" 1968 (Arc 755)

PLUM NELLY (NY) 

One track from this late Brit Invasion exploitation 

LP has been reissued on the "Nightmares From The 

Underworld vol 2" comp. The album contains covers of 

various UK bands, the Animals in particular, as the 

title implies. Also one track each from the 

Yardbirds, Cream, and Small Faces. The unexpected 

appearance of Sir Douglas Quintet's "The tracker" 

suggests this band was still believed to be English 

at the time! Pretty cool if you take it for what it 

is. The two original releases have different sleeves. 

"Deceptive Lines" 1971 (Capitol 692) 

P.O.A (IL) 

I have to admit that it took awhile for this album to 

reveal its charms to me. Featuring a series of 

extended tracks (only one out of six clocks in under 

four minutes), selections such as 'Deception' and 

'Carry On' were rather conventional rock, sporting 

occasional progressive and jazzy touches (the latter 

courtesy of Jeremy Steig's flute, of Jeremy and the 

Satyrs fame). The lead singer had a decent voice, 

though his performances were frequently a little on 

the shrill side for my tastes. More to my liking were 

the chunky lead guitar moves. Personal favorite; the 

intense 'Demon'. In terms of talent, these guys were 

clearly above most of their competition, but I still 

find the set lacking. [SB] 

~~~ 

Another hard to find Capitol release, and another 

solid one. It's progressive hard rock with a British 

feel. There are lots of guitars, powerful male 

vocals, and even a little bit of flute. The long 

songs develop some nice grooves, and the album rocks 

convincingly. Equally as rare as Head Over Heels and 

Landslide, and almost as good. [AM] 

"Home" 197 (Applause LPS-277-02) 

Christian 70s guitar-led rock/hardrock with long 

cuts, wah-wah, even some funky moves. Rated highly by 

some. 

PODIPTO (Bemidji, MN) 

"Homemade" 1973 (Minnesota Green 7304) 

Rural/country-rock LP from a locally popular band who 

also had a less obscure, selftitled LP on the GRT 

label. This one has been described as unexceptional 

within the genre, with short pop-format songs. A 

vinyl-sourced CD reissue of both LPs has been made 

for regional distribution. 

POLESTAR 1 (Baltimore, MD)

"Flying Through The Universe" 1980 (Rascal) 

POLYPHONY (VA) 

Heavy guitar and keyboard space rock and prog with 

Christian concerns, housed in an appropriate fantasy 

cover. 

"Without Introduction" 197 (Eleventh Hour 1003) 

"Without Introduction" 199 (Eleventh Hour) [bootleg] 

"Without Introduction" 2004 (CD Acid Symposium 008, Italy) 

"Without Introduction" 2004 (CD Radioactive 117, UK) 

Here's another fascinating album on the Eleventh Hour 

label (like Mason), and with a gorgeous cover. This 

is an early experimental prog band with definite scifi/fantasy 

tendencies. Some of the lyrics are pretty 

pretentious and aspire to a level of intellect they 

can't pull off, and even words with a more musical 

flow wouldn't have saved the blah melodies on side 

two (which comprises two long songs.) Side one, 

however, is great. It's mostly one 14-minute song 

with all sorts of surprises, including some really 

appealing and unique jagged guitar. About a minute of 

wild electronic noise follows, making for a really 

cool album side. Half of a killer album. [AM] 

ERICA POMERANCE see Erica 

POOBAH (Youngstown, OH) 

"Let Me In" 1972 (Peppermint 1015) 

"Let Me In" 199 (Peppermint, Europe) [bootleg] 

"Let Me In" 199 (CD Third Thunder, Germany) 

First and best LP by prolific outfit celebrated on 

the hard rock circuit. This is their most 

psych/underground effort and opens with some really 

good tracks firmly rooted in the late 60s sound. 

Unfortunately side 2 is more rootsy boogie and has a 

long dull power trio showoff including a drum solo, 

so I can't really recommend it unless you're a genre 

fan. Also has one of the worst covers of all time 

with a cheap b&w drawing of an old hippie throwing up 

- very nice. There was a 45 with a non-LP track 

around the same time. [PL] 

~~~ 

The first two songs are great—a hot loud hard rocker 

and a great moody psych tune. The rest of the album 

hints at the direction they’d later take, which is a 

more commercialized and less interesting hard rock 

sound. The last song has a typically dull drum solo. 

[AM] 

"US Rock" 1976 (Anchor 1) [poster] 

"Steamroller" 1979 (Peppermint 1180) [insert] 

Poobah's later albums are sought after by guitar hero 

collectors but may sound like loud, bland FM hard

POOR RICHARD (MI) 

rock to others, and are recommended only to genre 

fans. In 1980 there was a test press LP, "Live At 

Snug Harbor" (Cleveland Rec Co; no cover) with 20 

minutes of 'Poobah's Boogie' and nothing else. Poobah 

main guy Jim Gustafson has continued to perform and 

occasionally record. 

"Place Of The Sun" 1978 (Kazoo 4105) 

This unique and cool acid folk item is something you 

know is special as soon as you see the beautiful 

album cover. All of the songs are centered around 

heavy acoustic guitar, but some really rock out 

(three songs have drums and are all fab), while 

others set a stark mellow late-night or outdoors 

mood. Side one is solid from start to finish. Side 

two is more complex, starting with a song 

appropriately named “Funky Honky,” and then going 

into a twelve-minute suite which has lots of lovely 

acoustic 12-string and some neat moments, but doesn’t 

sustain interest like the short songs on side one. 

Richard’s vocals are strong and serious, well suited 

to this music. You’ll be surprised by the groove a 

few songs find. When the rhythm section enters half 

way through the otherwise sleepy “Ax of Good-Bye,” 

the effect is startling and magical. I wish the long 

song had a bit more strength, but this album is very 

good. [AM] 

POPCORN BLIZZARD ( ) 

"Explode" 1968 (De-Lite 2004) 

DAVE PORTER (WA) 

A seldom seen soft pop/lyte-psych LP that has some 

admirers. It appears that Meatloaf's first group of 

the same name was an unrelated combo, despite the 

unusual monicker. The De-Lite band also had two 45s 

out, and may have been from New Jersey. 

"Dave Porter" 197 (no label, no #) 

Loungey singer/songwriter guy looking like a happy 

outsider on the excellent front cover. Inside is a 

mixed bag of sounds, mostly unexceptional, but with 

solid entertainment in "I'm The Boss" with strange 

lyrics and inappropriate scat-singing, and the 

driving "Why I can't love you", while the memorable 

panoramic Vegas lounge-rock of "Where do clouds go" 

is just one notch from turning into full-blown 

psychedelia in the Bob Smith/D R Hooker school; 

outstanding. The album was recorded in Seattle with 

NW scenemaker Rick Keefer engineering, and pressed in 

Canada.

JERRY PORTER ( ) 

"Don't Bother Me" 1966 (Mirror 123) 

POUND (Chicago, IL) 

Acidy downer urban blues folk with guitar and 

harmonica, including lengthy track "LSD fixation" 

which is an early description of an acid trip. Worth 

looking up for early loner/freak folk fans. He also 

wrote books about the hobo lifestyle. Produced by NY 

upstate legend Armand Schaubroeck for his Mirror 

label, this was a "Capitol Custom" job with actual 

distribution. 

"Odd Man Out" 1974 (Audio Mixers 74840) 

STEVE POWELL (TX) 

Homemade 70s blend of basement folk and rock, not 

terribly impressive. The title track is worth 

checking out for a sample. Ex-Down From Nothing. 

"Revelation (The Party's Over)" 1974 (Wine Skin 259-02) 

POWER OF ZEUS (MI) 

Rainbow Promise main guy using his former band as 

back-up, a bit mellowed out bit still showing some 

basement jammy psych tendencies. 

~~~ 

see -> Rainbow Promise 

"The Gospel According To" 1970 (Rare Earth 516) [promos 

exist] 

"The Gospel According To" 2005 (Rare Earth) [bootleg; slightly 

diff back cover] 

"The Gospel According To" 2005 (CD Akarma 318, Italy) 

This is actually an early Christian hard rock album, 

though you might not know if you don’t listen too 

closely. It sounds great one song at a time, as the 

songs are powerful and have nice guitar/organ 

interplay. Yet over the whole 40 minutes it doesn’t 

seem as good, which is probably a case of the songs 

sounding too much alike and the ideas not being 

especially original. Recommended to junkies of the 

style. The powerful recording and instrumental breaks 

has made this a popular LP for DJ samples. The LP was 

also released in Germany. [AM] 

PRATT (Grand Rapids, MI) 

"Pratt" 1978 (Stentorian 38022) 

Midwestern guitar-driven hardrock in crude reverse

negative cover showing the drummer behind his kit. 

PRENTICE & TUTTLE (Boston, MA) 

"Prentice & Tuttle" 1970 (RPC AZ-59501) 

The first Prentice & Tuttle album is nowhere near as 

well known as the slightly more produced "Every 

Loving Day", but it will appeal to the same people, 

and just may well be a better album. It’s a 

distinctive and well-written collection of 14 short 

songs, starkly arranged in the best tradition of 1962 

Greenwich Village (they even cover a Fred Neil song) 

and with an old-timer kind of world-weary feel. Some 

pianos and acoustic 12-string guitars give the album 

some variety despite the simple arrangements. This is 

not “pretty” folk, but it is melodic nonetheless. It 

doesn’t get much more “real” than this album. Highly 

recommended to any fan of folk/loner folk. [AM] 

"Every Loving Day" 1972 (RPC Z-50172) [paste-on] 

Lost country folk duo with that fragile delicacy and 

despair that really hits home for this sort of lowkey 

local. Strong rural element in the lyrics with 

troubled tales, and a deep love of nature is evident. 

Good dark fingerpicking and strum folk with 

occasional piano. The deep vibrato vocals can be a 

bit tough on the ears, but all in all a nice glimpse 

of rural Americana. [RM] 

PRESSED DOWN, SHAKEN TOGETHER AND RUNNING OVER (OH) 

"Pressed Down, Shaken Together And Running Over" 1973 (Almond 

Tree 20423) 

The debut LP is melodic x-ian rock and psych, 

restrained acoustic guitar, keys, beautiful lead 

vocals and harmonies. Charming with a sedate CSN 

melodicism mixed with some uptempo numbers. 

Highlight: the moody "Bright and Morning Star" with 

its trippy organ and shuffling rhythm. The follow-up 

from 1979 ("Star Of The Show", WOW) is a bit of a 

letdown. [RM] 

PRIMEVIL (Indianapolis, IN) 

"Smokin' Bats At Camptons" 1974 (700 West 740105) [1000p] 

"Smokin' Bats At Camptons" 199 (no label, Europe) [altered 

cover] 

"Smokin' Bats At Camptons" 2006 (CD Radioactive 164, UK) 

It's funny to hear the acoustic guitars that begin 

and end some of these songs (and the 6-minute 

instrumental "composition"). It's almost as if they 

want us to take them seriously. Sorry, but they're 

just a rough-edged hard rock band with an angry 

vocalist and an ambitious rhythm section (i.e. some 

funky bits). Unfortunately the drummer's other

SUZANNE PRINCE (IN) 

tendency is towards Ginger Baker-styled tom-tom 

overuse. This has its moments, and sounds good due to 

the excellent 700 West engineering, but strives for 

virtuosity while barely reaching competency. In a 

way, that's kind of charming, and the instrumental 

parts are more fun to listen to than the growling 

vocals (except on the absurd "Hey Lover," with the 

inexplicable call and response vocals "Hey lover... 

hey tuna!") A lot of people like this one, but I 

think it's only a step away from Spinal Tap. Hmmm, 

maybe that means I do like it. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Buccaneer 

"Rusty Nails & Promises" 1978 (L'VY Records) 

Here's a completely unknown private press that should 

thrill fans of blues and/or powerful female singers. 

Prince has a sultry, resonant voice and is a strong 

songwriter. Most of the songs are steamy blues-rock, 

though a few are calm, almost folky. Some surprising 

and terrific fuzz guitar shows up on a few songs, and 

it's played by Suzanne herself. She's also assembled 

a pretty solid bar band for this album. A very nice 

find, much better than a lot of more well-known 

albums in the genre. [AM] 

PRINCESS FLOWER & THE MOON RAYS ( ) 

"Dreaming the Magic of Your Maya" 1968 (Akashic #22) 

website version: 

A group of American freaks hanging out in Paris who 

joined up with an exiled Daevid Allen post-Soft 

Machine to form what has been referred to as Proto- 

Gong (aka Banana Moon #1), existing from late 1967 

through 1968. They recorded this one LP in Paris in 

Spring 1968 before D.A. and Gilli Smyth did their 

Gong thing. The LP contains 6 tracks dominated by 

Standlee’s meandering flute and occasional vocals 

spewing out what appears to be free associative 

poetry. Daevid Allen is credited as being on only one 

track on Side 2; another guitarist, with the rather 

suspicious name of Fej Mornin, is credited with the 

guitar playing on Side 1, most of which does sound 

somewhat suspiciously like Allen’s style. The album 

opens with a short spurt of flute and laughter (male 

& female - could that be Daevid & Gilli?). It leads 

into the first song, “Lovin Spaceship”, a sort of 

Proto-Gong bluesy guitar strummer with Dylanesque 

stream of consciousness lyrics and a Booby D 

harmonica finale. Following is “Women of Moon”, 

another free association Dylanesque blues strum. Side 

1 winds up with a long track listed as two songs on 

the label. First is “Vanishing Rama”, a long krishna 

jam led by Standlee’s flute, echoed guitar sounding 

very much like Allen’s glissando guitar playing and 

crude “tin pot” drumming. Midway, a Spoonfull rhythm 

intrudes, leading into proto-Gong space avant 

wanking. This flows directly into “Guharam Rock”, 

more free association/guitar strumming, though this

time with a more rocking rhythm set by “shoe box” 

drumming. Standlee’s flute at its most meandering 

joins in toward the end. Side 2 opens with the one 

track that officially credits Daevid Allen, “Between 

Spirits”. This track is pure Gong; atonal flute over 

glissando guitar with nonsense vocals flitting in and 

out. The LP ends on the lengthy “Ancient Faces”. This 

is a raga-fueled flute and percussion instrumental 

with a female “chanter” Ziska Baum, described as 

Gilli Smyth’s “soul-sister”and sounds very much like 

her. The music is trancey, yet floating and a jew’s 

harp briefly floats into the mix about midway. As the 

harp fades away, the percussion intensifies, a male 

chanter is added and the now double-tracked flute 

engages in atonal sputtering until the LP ends as it 

began with a few seconds of laughter. Princess Flower 

and the Moon Rays dissolved in the spring of 1968 

when Paris was enveloped by student riots. Loren 

Standlee and Ziska Baum returned to the U.S. after 

she was busted for marijuana possession. Standlee, 

Ziska and percussionist Raja Samyana were members 

through the late 60s of The Universal Mutant 

Repertory Company, which also included original 

Velvet Underground drummer Angus MacLise and his wife 

Hetty. Samyana is listed as guitarist, though. This 

LP is believed to have been released in New York 

City, where Standlee was very active as the 3 or 4 

known copies have all been found there. This Akashic 

label does not appear to be related to any other by 

that name (Maitreya Kali, etc). [MA] 

book version: 

A group of American freaks hanging out in Paris who 

in late 1967 joined up with an exiled Daevid Allen 

post-Soft Machine to form what has been referred to 

as Proto-Gong (aka Banana Moon #1). They recorded 

this LP in Paris in Spring 1968. The LP contains 6 

tracks dominated by Standlee’s meandering flute and 

occasional vocals spewing out what appears to be free 

associative poetry. Daevid Allen is credited only one 

track; another guitarist, with the rather suspicious 

name of Fej Mornin, is credited with most guitar 

playing, much of which does sound somewhat 

suspiciously like Allen’s style. The album opens with 

a short spurt of flute and laughter which leads into 

“Lovin Spaceship”, a sort of Proto-Gong bluesy guitar 

strummer with Dylanesque stream of consciousness 

lyrics and a harmonica finale. Following is “Women of 

Moon”, another free association Dylanesque blues 

strum. Side 1 winds up with “Vanishing Rama”, a long 

krishna jam led by Standlee’s flute, echoed guitar 

sounding very much like Allen’s glissando guitar 

playing and crude “tin pot” drumming. Midway, a 

Spoonful rhythm intrudes, leading into proto-Gong 

space avant wanking. This flows directly into 

“Guharam Rock”, more free association/guitar 

strumming, though this time with a more rocking 

rhythm set by “shoe box” drumming. Standlee’s flute 

at its most meandering joins in toward the end. Side 

2 opens with the one track that officially credits 

Daevid Allen, “Between Spirits”. This track is pure 

Gong; atonal flute over glissando guitar with 

nonsense vocals flitting in and out. The LP ends on 

the lengthy “Ancient Faces”. This is a raga-fueled 

flute and percussion instrumental with a female 

“chanter” Ziska Baum, described as Gilli Smyth’s 

“soul-sister”and sounds very much like her. The music 

is trancey, yet floating and a jew’s harp briefly

floats into the mix about midway. As the harp fades 

away, the percussion intensifies, a male chanter is 

added and the now double-tracked flute engages in 

atonal sputtering until the LP ends as it began with 

a few seconds of laughter. Princess Flower & The Moon 

Rays dissolved in the spring of 1968 when Paris was 

enveloped by student riots. This LP is believed to 

have been released in New York City, where Standlee 

was very active as the 3 or 4 known copies have all 

been found there. This Akashic label does not appear 

to be related to any other by that name (Maitreya 

Kali, etc). [MA] 

JOE PRITCHARD & GIBRALTAR (MO) 

"Kendall" 1974 (Kendall-Lee 74201) 

"Kendall" 1996 (no label, Austria) [300#d; altered cover] 

"Kendall" 2004 (CD Radioactive 0062, UK) 

PROBE (IL) 

Pro-sounding 1970s rarity with ballsy rock sound and 

songs ranging from ambitious prog moves over bluesy 

bar-rock and into macho FM rock postures. Solid 

across the board with excellent guitar leads, soulful 

vocals, and a versatile band. Keyboards, woodwinds 

and ambitious arrangements provide a prog/AOR vibe 

that may turn some off, although there's enough 

groove to keep one's attention throughout the four 

long tracks. At its best it approaches the powerful 

sound of fellow Missourians Phantasia, and is also 

somewhat reminiscent of the 2nd Wedge LP. For 70s 

fans only, and ultimately a little too much 

mainstream rock for me, but still an agreeable 

testament to the remarkable production value of many 

local US albums of the time. [PL] 

~~~ 

Interesting and unusual private press hard rock 

album. Four long songs and a short experiment. The 

unusual arrangements augment riff rock and blues rock 

with saxes, synthesizers, and some poetic ideas. All 

of it is quite good and though the songs are long 

they have enough going on to keep them from dragging. 

A refreshing change from the usual bonehead 70s hard 

rock. Bizarre album cover is a bunch of writing -- 

political ranting by Pritchard. [AM] 

"Direction" 1971 (Eborp 21396) [200p] 

"Direction" 199 (no label) [bootleg; orange vinyl; inferior 

sleeve job] 

"Direction" 2004 (CD Mind's Eye, UK) 

This is pretty amateurish stuff, and falls into a 

category somewhere between Bachs/Mystery Meat garage 

and post-Iron Butterfly hard rock. There's lots of 

organ and wah-wah, phased drums, an energetic Steve 

Miller cover, a definite soul influence, and 

harmonies that don't quite cut it. The best thing 

about the album is the interplay between the lead

PROBE 10 ( ) 

guitar and the eerie-sounding organ. None of it is 

played particularly well, but the spirit is cool in a 

youthful way and the songs aren't bad. Best song: 

"Two Roads In The Night," which has a memorable 

guitar hook, varying speeds and a tricky chord 

progression. The songs are surprisingly complex; they 

have ambitions beyond their chops. "Direction" has 

its faults, but overall it's one of the more 

enjoyable albums of its style. A long bluesy cover of 

"Rock Me" is regrettable, though. Recommended to 

people who like prep rock but wish it was heavier. 

[AM] 

~~~ 

Bread'n'butter local basement longhairs who probably 

played high schools and clubs in their home-town 

without aspiring to a high level of artistry. The 

vibe is post-psychedelic, rootsy bluesy in parts, 

proggy hardrock in parts. Setting is typical 

guitar/organ interplay, with some surprisingly 

sophisticated jazzy guitarwork that doesn't quite gel 

with the bonehead feel of other parts of the LP; good 

old local LP idiosynchracy in other words. The vocals 

tend to fall in the unfortunate soulful macho style 

of the era which keeps this from attaining the full 

teenage realness of albums like Top Drawer or the 

Rockadelic roster. All over a difficult album to 

knock, but equally difficult to find reasons for 

people to pick up, unless they have some personal 

memories attached to the scene. Probe released this 

to get gigs and delight friends and family, and apart 

from the excellent "Two Roads", the "Direction" trip 

doesn't really extend beyond those humble ambitions. 

The small press size has been reported by the band. 

[PL] 

"There Is A Universe" 1975 (Blue Universe 92673) 

Progressive rarity of an eclectic, challenging 

nature, venturing into fusion with jazzy guitar runs 

and trumpet and flute interplay. Mostly instrumental. 

As with others of the era, there is a clear debt to 

Chick Corea's Return To Forever. 

PROFESSOR FUDDLE'S FANTASTIC FAIRYTALE MACHINE (Toronto, Canada) 

"Professor Fuddle's" 1974 (Periwinkle 7314) [textured cover] 

"Professor Fuddle's / Borealis" 2005 (CD Beatball, South 

Korea) [2-on-1] 

Lots of synthesizers can't disguise the fact that 

this album is bascially bubblegum, and in fact, the 

catchiest song on it is one that's definitely aimed 

at kids. Not that bad, really, but unlikely to appeal 

to psych fans or to prog fans who hear it described 

as a moog-heavy rock album. Very short album, under 

25 minutes. Vocalist Paul Bradbury was formerly with 

Borealis. [AM] 

PROJECTION COMPANY ( )

"Give Me Some Lovin'" 1967 (Custom cs-1113) 

PROMISE (CO) 

Extra cheesy exploito garage fuzz and organ fun. Half 

instro ravers with the trademark Jerry Cole guitar 

style and misleading titles like "Our man Hendrix". 

The offhand "soulful" vocals are a gas. Some of the 

tracks are backing tracks from the ID-"Inner Sounds" 

album sessions. One of the less common titles on the 

label. [RM] 

"Promise" 1980 (Cumulus) 

Seldom seen private press ranging from strong power 

pop to Beatles influenced pop-psych with an 

occasional heavier edge. 

PROOF (Anchorage, Alaska) 

"Proof" 1971 (no label) [500p; insert] 

"Proof" 200 (Akarma 236, Italy) 

"Proof" 200 (CD Akarma, Italy) 

Early bar-rock/roots/1960s revival band from 

Anchorage recorded live at two different 1970 

concerts opening for big US artists. Crude bluesy 

garage sound with good harmonica, fluid guitar work 

and some unusual arrangements of r'n'r standards 

makes this above average for the genre, though the 

genre admittedly sucks. A few group originals too. 

The press size has been reported as 300 copies. [PL] 

"5th Anniversary Phonograph Record" 1972 (no label) [125p] 

"5th Anniversary Phonograph Record" 200 (CD Akarma, Italy) 

PROPINQUITY (CO) 

Comp of '66-71 live material, a couple of tracks have 

strong westcoasty guitar jamming. 

"Propinquity" 1972 (Owl 23) 

PROSPECTUS (NJ/PA) 

1970s folkrock with its share of fans, female vocals 

on one track. 

"With Friends" 1971 (Bristol ee-1001) [2LPs; gatefold] 

Double LP of live funk and hippie rock covers. 

Barband basement jamming on James Gang, Janis Joplin, 

Blood Sweat & Tears and a bunch of tracks from the 

Joe Cocker repertoire. 

V.A "PSYCHEDELIC SIX-PACK SOUND" (IL)

"Psychedelic Six-pack Of Sound" 1968 (Summit 410) 

"Psychedelic Six-pack Of Sound" 199 (Lustbutt) [500p; blue 

marble vinyl] 

Obscure comp from local rural teenage bands, 

"psychedelic" only in name. Six groups do two cuts 

each, of which all on side one are pretty awful. On 

side two the Mavericks do decent Farfisa beat, Sound 

Of Fury do good beat/folkrock and finally there's 

great primitive garage/psych by Eighth Day. All over 

one of the lamer local comps though. Incidentally, 

many (or all) reissue copies have the cover slicks 

glued on the wrong way. [PL] 

PTARMIGAN (Vancouver, Canada) 

"Ptarmigan" 1974 (Columbia 90257) 

"Ptarmigan" 1991 (no label, Italy) [bootleg] 

Progressive folk with introspective psych moves, has 

a fabulous A-side with dark, almost hypnotic tracks 

travelling from mellow Eastern moods to intense 

hippiefolk and back. B-side is similar but less 

successful, though a great psych sleeve makes it a 

neat item all over. Not rated that highly, but I like 

it. The LP was recorded with session musicians (incl 

Papa Bear's guys) in 1972, but not released until 

'74. [PL] 

PUBLIC NUISANCE (Sacramento, CA) 

"Gotta Survive" 2002 (CD Frantic Records 1313) [2CDs] 

"Gotta Survive" 2002 (Shadoks 040, Germany) [2LPs; bonus EP; 

750p; gatefold] 

Public Nuisance never released a record during their 

time, but somehow made enough studio recordings to 

fill up this archival 2-CD collection. The recordings 

sound surprisingly modern, and the production quality 

is very strong. The songs are in a post-garage 

slightly psychedelic rock/pop mode, equal parts 

energy and melody. There are a number of standouts, 

and as a whole Public Nusiance is more impressive 

than many long-term major label bands of the era. 

Despite a reasonable amount of variety, 2 CDs is a 

lot. Particularly deadening is the inclusion of 

multiple versions of two tedious songs by an early 

version of the band. If the CDs had been arranged a 

little differently, perhaps to make the first disc a 

solid album of their best dozen or so songs, and the 

second to be like a set of bonus tracks, the "album" 

would have been a killer. As it is, this is a 

somewhat erratic and overlong compilation that's full 

of great songs, but the need to provide us with 

everything dulls the listening experience. I suspect 

most listeners will feel the urge to make their own 

CD-R of the best songs from both of these discs. [AM] 

PUGSLEY MUNION (Fitchburg, MA) 

"Just Like Me" 1970 (J & S slp-1001) [photo insert]

"Just Like Me" 2000 (CD Gear Fab GF-143) [+3 tracks] 

Excellent local power-trio sound with a ballsy Cream 

vibe, psych residuals, good guitar-playing. If there 

hadn't been 900 copies found in a warehouse in the 

early 1990s, this would be rated a lot higher. One 

member was formerly with Brother Fox & the Tar Baby. 

PULSE (New Haven, CT) 

"Pulse" 197 (Poison Ring 2237) 

"Pulse" 1996 (Poison Ring, Europe) [bootleg] 

"Pulse" 199 (CD Black Rose 144) 

This hard rock album has a crisp, clear production 

style that isn't really matched by the music. There's 

some decent guitar playing and a few catchy bits, and 

unlike a lot of the era's hard rock the songs are 

focused and well-constructed. Nonetheless, the 

histrionic bluesy wailing is pretty annoying, and 

despite the attention given to the songwriting 

there's not a whole lot that sticks. A significant 

amount of harmonica confirms the band's blues base. 

Recommended to hard rock fans who don't mind 

undistinguished macho singing. Sizeable quantities of 

this album were stashed in its Connecticut recording 

studio, and sealed copies still show up for sale 

reasonably often. Many of them have slight warps that 

don't seem to affect play. The album was also 

released in England by Major Minor. The band had a 45 

on Atco with a freaky non-LP track. There is another, 

unrelated Pulse who had an LP on Thimble, an Italian 

band based in New York. [AM] 

PURPLE IMAGE (Cleveland, OH) 

"Purple Image" 1970 (Map City 3015) 

"Purple Image" 2003 (CD Radioactive 041, UK) 

Sign-of-the-times hard drugged out funky guitar-rock 

from black 7-piece band with titles like "Living in 

the ghetto" and "We got to pull together". Typical 

mix of late-period Hendrix and Sly Stone, with 

wailing acid fuzz, wah-wah and feedback, loose 

male/female ensemble singing and revolutionary lyrics 

up the wazoo. Also some late 60s Marvin Gaye soul 

moves with sax. Definite psychedelic feel with stoned 

sound fx and a certain cheese flavor to it, as though 

they could have played the local Panther section in 

an AIP movie. "Lady" is the weakest track, while the 

opener and the 15-minute "Marching to a different 

drummer" sounds like the Chamber Bros on PCP. The 

50/50 mix of ghetto attitude and mind expansion is 

pretty successful in my ears, and while some people 

have expressed fatigue with hyped-up Hendrix/Sly 

derivations this one stands pretty well on its own 

bell-bottom clad legs. Great back cover photo from 

the grim streets of 1970 Cleveland. [PL]

PURPLE SMOKE ( ) 

"Vol 1" 1969 (Mark 1446) 

Seldom seen light psych/loungy fare with some appeal 

and a cool cheesy purple smoke drawing cover. 

JOSEPH PUSEY (Los Angeles, CA) see interview 

"In My Lady's Chamber" 1977 (Cerebella 1001) 

UK-influenced progressive folk with superb playing 

and some moody psych residuals. Not trad folk in the 

rural sense, more in a direction towards renaissance 

court music. Acoustic guitars, bells, gong, some 

flute; a cerebral, refined atmosphere. Vocals aren't 

impressive but OK while the instrumental passages 

will leave any guitar student with his mouth hanging 

open. Consistent LP with a strong identity and grower 

qualities. Epic "Red planet descends" is a highpoint. 

Pusey passed away in 2004. [PL] 


QUANTUM (Hartford, CT) 

"New World" 1976 (no label) 

QUASAR LIGHT ( ) 

Trippy progressive with electronics, stacked synths, 

electric guitar, and efx. Long tracks broken up into 

movements. The band has also been listed as coming 

from NY. 

"Experience This" 1981 (no label) 

QUILL (CA) 

Eastcoast band doing heavy space rock with mixed 

vocals, guitar leads, sound effects, and more. 

"Sursum Corda" 1977 (RTI) [testpress in homemade cover] 

"Sursum Corda" 2000 (CD Syn-phonic 10, Europe) 

QUOTH THE RAVEN ( ) 

Prog in ELP style. They define the title as "A 

complete and separate world which you can enter in 

and travel, but can return anytime you wish". It's a 

good sign when an album opens with the sounds of 

nature and this is no exception. A quite beautiful 

and at times eerie prog composition broken into two 

movements. Mostly featuring synth and drums with some 

piano and organ fills. Good dynamics as it shifts 

from delicate runs and organ washes to cascading 

synth blitzes. The vocals are a mite distracting but 

the music is quite complex and should appeal to fans 

of the mid-70s Italian driving synth groups. Original 

copies also exist with no cover. [RM] 

"Nevermore" 1972 (Triple G Records TGS 1-2) 

Little-known LP from Christian folkie/singersongwriter 

trio with mixed male/female vocals, in 

nice generic ocean sleeve. Rated highly by some, 

others are less impressed.


RABBLE (Montreal, Canada) 

"The Rabble Album" 1967 (Trans-World 6800) [mono; brown wall 

cover] 

"The Rabble Album" 1967 (Trans-World 6800) [stereo; band photo 

cover] 

"The Rabble Album" 1968 (Roulette sr-42010, US) [stereo] 

"The Rabble Album" 1995 (no label) [bootleg] 

This Canadian band truly sounds like nobody else. 

They have a matter-of-fact, almost comic vocal style 

and goofy lyrics, and music with a strong pop sense 

but plenty of quirks. They’re too professional to be 

called garage, the vocals not melodic enough to be 

“pop,” and too musically creative to be “novelty.” 

Comparisons to Zappa are way off the mark (though he 

would be just gross enough to write a song about 

lancing a boil). They’re closer to 70s prog and pop 

weirdos like Oho or R. Stevie Moore, or even 90s 

indie-pop bands like Pavement. Both of their albums 

contain some unexpectedly interesting guitar work and 

a few psychedelic songs. I like them a lot; they’re 

unique, the songs are memorable and they’re never 

dull. The pressing history is a bit complex: the mono 

includes 'Golden Girl', while the stereo mix includes 

'I can still hear them laughing' instead of 'Golden 

girl' and also has edits and voices not on the mono. 

The US press includes both these tracks. [AM] 

"Give Us Back Elaine" 1969 (Trans-World 6707) 

"Give Us Back Elaine" 1995 (no label) [bootleg] 

RADIANT SET (CA) 

RAIN ( ) 

The second Rabble album picks up where the first left 

off, but is maybe a tad bit less goofy. It’s equally 

good, if not better, and both of their albums are 

recommended. [AM] 

"Live" 197 (Five Star fsrs-1409) 

Early 1970s weird mix of Free Design pop, early Tex 

Mex, and horns. Fun incompetent jams to "La Bamba" 

and "Come Together", plus some originals. 

"Rain" 1972 (Project 3 PR 5072 SD) [wlp exists] 

This is the kind of record that has collectors 

tearing their hair out. It has that most horrible

RAIN (NY) 

combination of traits: 1) it’s scarce and has not 

been reissued, 2) it’s very, very good and 3) every 

known copy of the album is mispressed, which means 

that even if you find a copy of the damn thing, you 

won’t get to listen to it the way it was actually 

recorded. Two distinct problems exist: copies where 

side two is pressed on both sides of the album, and 

more commonly, copies where side one is pressed so 

badly off-center that the entire side sounds like it 

has a huge warp. As to the music within, it’s a 

fascinating blend of soft pop, folky psych and early 

prog. Some of the song structures and keyboard 

arrangements are certainly progressive, but this is 

one prog album that will appeal just as much to psych 

and pop fans, as the songs are brief and highly 

melodic. There’s experimentation here, but no excess. 

In fact, the proggiest songs give the album a nice 

lift, and the two best, “To A Dreamer” and “He Could 

Have Known,” really rock out. A few songs have clear 

Zombies and Beatles influences, while others remind 

the listener that Project 3 is the label of the Free 

Design. All are memorable and creatively composed. 

This is a great record. They evoke bands like Zerfas, 

who sound 70s but in a way that brings the best 60s 

music into the era. Now, please, somebody do a master 

tapes reissue! Some members were formerly with Rock 

Island, who also had an LP on Project 3. [AM] 

"Live, Christmas Night" 1974 (Whazoo usr-3049) 

"Live, Christmas Night" 199 (Whazoo) [300p; altered cover] 

RAINBEAUX (FL) 

Power trio with a Stones vibe and lots of hard guitar 

leads. 

"Reflections" 196 (Century - UMYC 11969) 

Late 1960s harmony folk trio look like frat brothers. 

Very moody, slow tempo tracks with delicate acoustic 

guitar, organ. A couple of stinkers but most of it is 

deep latenite folk and oddly rendered melodic rock "I 

Dig Rock and Roll Music", "Get Together", "She Loves 

You". Like the Four Freshmen going for a Mamas and 

Papas sound, without the gals. Beautiful Victorian 

psych cover. [RM] 

RAINBOW PRESS (New York City, NY) 

"There's A War On" 1968 (Mr G 9003) 

"There's A War On" 199 (Mr G, Europe) [bootleg] 

"There's A War On / Sunday Funnies" 1997 (CD Hipshaft) [2-on- 

1] 

"There's A War On" 2004 (CD Radioactive, UK) 

"There's A War On / Sunday Funnies" 2005 (CD Estrella, Spain) 

[2-on-1] 

Under-the-radar melodic psych LP which turns out to 

be surprisingly enjoyable, with wellwritten, often

moody tunes, OK vocals in the teen crooner style, and 

extensive use of acid fuzz leads. Nice organ-led 

minor chord progressions create a mock-serious feel a 

la Moody Blues, which is balanced by a snappy top 40 

enthusiasm that suggests the band still has one foot 

left in the "Nuggets" garage. Lyrics partly deal with 

"now" topics appropriate to the band's monicker, but 

apart for some bittersweet irony they go by pretty 

unnoticed. The slower tracks reveal that they weren't 

quite ready for Aggregation type pocket symphonies, 

but the midtempo lytepsych comes off well in a sound 

similar to Rainy Daze, and somewhere between those 

two bands is where I would place the Rainbow Press 

debut LP. The band was basically a studio-only outfit 

and reportedly sold several thousand copies of this 

debut album. [PL] 

"Sunday Funnies" 1969 (MR G 9004) 

"Sunday Funnies" 199 (MR G, Europe) [bootleg] 

"There's A War On / Sunday Funnies" 1997 (CD Hipshaft) [2-on- 

1] 

"There's A War On / Sunday Funnies" 2005 (CD Estrella, Spain) 

[2-on-1] 

Less successful but more pro-sounding second LP, 

released in the Spring 1969 although the band no 

longer existed. Beatles and Dylan covers alongside 

the originals. Canadian pressings of both LPs exist. 

RAINBOW PROMISE (TX) 

"Rainbow Promise" 197 (New Wine 259-01) [candelabras cover; 

inner] 

"Rainbow Promise" 1975 (New Wine 259-01) [marquee cover; 

inner] 

Christian melodic rock with a loose westcoasty vibe 

and sound a la Wilson McKinley, has three killers in 

a row at the beginning of side 1 up there with the 

best in the genre, another 3-4 numbers that are OK, 

and a couple of rather painful duds. Clearly above 

average for the style, and a popular item since many 

years. There is some confusion around the pressings 

of this LP, but the second version is credited to 

Steve Powell & Rainbow Promise and has a completely 

different cover (showing a pink old-style theatre 

marquee inside a black border). It also appears that 

at least some copies came with the 2nd pressing discs 

in the 1st press sleeve. Both runs are pretty rare. 

[PL] 

--- 

Excellent laid-back West Coast style Christian rock. 

Similar to Wilson McKinley, though not as good (what 

is?). The lyrical message is a tad awkward at times, 

but the vocals are strong and heartfelt, and the 

abundance of echo-heavy guitar is beautiful and often 

transcendent. The first song on side two is 

especially dreamy. A couple of good-timey duds dull 

the overall impact of this album, but the good stuff 

here is right at the top of this genre. [AM] 

---

see -> Steve Powell 

RAINWATER TOURING COMPANY ( ) 

RAM (NY) 

"The Theater Project Concerts" 1974 (Grinn 1003) 

Very obscure hippie folkrock jammer with a stoned 

westcoast vibe. Loose and organic with lots of 

atmosphere due to it being a live recording in front 

of an attentive audience. Mixed male/female vocals 

over an appealing soundscape ranging from quirky 

downer folk into all-out flowing psych folkrock. Hard 

to find any immediate comparisons, although the offbeat, 

piercing male vocals and late-night campfire 

feel had me thinking of Neil Young's "Tonight's the 

night" a bit. Also some instrumental guitar jamming. 

About half is a full rock setting with drums and 

snakey guitar leads and includes a couple of truly 

great tracks with an oceanic psych vibe, sort of like 

the first two tracks on the Robb Kunkel LP, or Sub 

Zero Band minus the violin. Closing "Gypsy lover" 

epic stretches out into vintage S F Ballroom jamming 

over a communal 1970s intensity. Good LP (provided 

you can handle some idiosynchratic vocals), killer in 

parts, and likely to blow a few minds when word gets 

around more. [PL] 

"Where In Conclusion" 1972 (Polydor PD-5013) 

"Where In Conclusion" 199 (CD Lizard Records LR 0710-2) 

RAM DASS (MA) 

At least to my ears this five track set featured one 

of the era's more engaging attempts to blend hard 

rock and progressive moves. So given the band's 

progressive leanings, including a penchant for long 

compositions (there's even a side long suite - "Aza") 

and an over-abundance of mellotrons and woodwinds, 

what makes lift this set above the norm? Tracks such 

as "The Want In You" and "Stoned Silence" showed that 

the band could actually rock out. It also helped that 

they had a pretty good singer, who occasionally 

reminded us of early Randy Bachman. The guitar 

playing is first rate, with a couple of blazing solos 

on material such as "The Want In You" and the bluesy 

"The Mothers Day Song". An added bonus; even at their 

most self-engrossed , the band never forgot to keep 

the melodies engaging. For whatever reason, this 

appears to be the band's only release, with original 

copies having become quite rare and sought after. 

[SB]

"Here We All Are" 1969 (Inner Sound, Canada, 3 LPs) [box-set; 

hindu artwork sleeve; insert] 

"Here We All Are" 1970 (Inner Sound, Canada, 3 LPs) [regular 

sleeve; blue title cover; insert] 

"Evolution Of Consciousness" 1973 (no label, 3 LPs) [boxset] 

"Love Serve Remember" 1973 (ZDA, 6 LPs) [box-set; booklet] 

RANDOM ELEMENT (NY) 

In the 1960s Richard Alpert was known as a Harvard 

professor and Timothy Leary LSD research associate. 

After a spiritual transformation into Baba Ram Dass, 

he went on to become one of the most wellknown 

East/West gurus during the 1970s, and a very popular 

lecturer. His natural gifts as a performer are on 

display on all these releases, with an off-beat and 

often selfdepreciating humor that works very well in 

conjunction with the loftier and more cosmic 

excursions. "Here We All Are" is unfortunately 

speeded up, perhaps not deliberately (although each 

side still clocks in at 35 minutes), giving Ram Dass' 

voice a rare Donald Duck edge. "Evolution Of 

Consciousness" is essentially the spoken word version 

of Dass' popular "Be Here Now" spiritual 

autobiography book. "Love Serve Remember" is notable 

on account of having several songs in a rather 

appealing spiritual hippie-folk style, with psych 

moves on things like "Floating Mind". It's the 

easiest to find of the three and features hindu 

fairytales, radio broadcast phone-ins, chanting, and 

more. Important documents of the fallout from the 

psychedelic era, and agreeable, non-phony 

introductions to Eastern spirituality as well. [PL] 

"Random Element" 1977 (Rocking Horse 5521) 

Heavy 70s progressive rock trio with some fuzz. 

RANDY & THE GOATS (Albany, NY) 

"On the Lam" 1981 (Broken) 

Randy Would is a singer/songwriter with the feel of 

punk era street poets like Jim Carroll and Richard 

Hell. He’s not much of a singer, but he uses a talky 

style and a soft, whispery style that both work well 

enough, and give his music a bit of a sleazy vibe. 

The music has a basement garage rock quality to it, 

and here and there is some quality fuzz guitar. This 

is pretty strong stuff. Song titles like “Nausea #2,” 

“Screwed,” “N.Y. Survivor” and “Murder By 

Programming” should give you the idea. This is a 

refreshing album; Randy has that bohemian indifferent 

cool personality but he’s not trying too hard to be 

trendy, as evidenced by one nice pop song thrown in 

the mix. "On The Lam" is recommended to those of you 

who miss the days when singer/songwriters had no 

interest in romance or self-pity. Note: Most copies

of this album have small dish warps, but the warp 

doesn’t affect play. [AM] 

RAPID RICHARD GROUP (CA) 

"Did I See What I Thought I Saw" 1977 (Home Spun RG 1000) 

[500p] 

RASBERRY JAM (NJ) 

You could call this the third Agape album and you 

wouldn’t be far off. Essentially a custom solo 

project from Richard Greenburg, bassist for "Victims 

Of Tradition", joined by fellow Agape drummer Mike 

Jungkman. Add to that token appearances by Jim Hess 

and Fred Caban and the line-up’s complete. One could 

speculate that while Caban was responsible for 

Agape’s blues and psych direction, Greenburg provided 

the more progressive elements. As you’d expect "Did I 

See..." is heavy duty hard rock. With lots of guitar 

and artsy keyboards it’s a sound not too distant from 

Victims, yet even more in the progressive rock 

direction and with more of a homemade feel. 

Greenburg’s rapid-fire guitar leads dominate this 

monster, catching our attention right from the start 

with a wah-wah and feedbacked exploration of a 

Beethoven string quartet opus! That track is ‘Ears’, 

the first of nine tales on this thematic project 

subtitled “an album of parables”. The pace doesn’t 

let up for the boogie-boppin’ "The Prodigal Ducks" 

spotlighting Hess’s jazzy keyboard licks. "The Hobo" 

sounds like a pure Caban track while "The Tempest" 

rocks slowly, halting midway for a detonating barrage 

of frenzied guitar explosives. Next is the ballad 

"The Obstinate Toy Soldier", followed by the 7-minute 

art rock masterpiece "Religion’s Pigeon". "Groundhog" 

has kick-butt Clapton-esque hard rock crunch while 

"The Sparrow" coasts with a Victims-like jazzinfluenced 

groove. "The Parables" sums up all the 

prior tales, explaining the spiritual angle of each. 

Apparently a lot of these songs were being performed 

by Agape at the time of their demise. For those 

thirsting for more of this groundbreaking Jesus rock 

band you’re in for quite a treat. [KS] 

"Rock Sounds Of People / Folk Sounds Of Rasberry Jam" 196 (no 

label) [split LP] 

The Rasberry Jam side on this split LP has been 

described as dull, while the People side has its 

moments, including a cover of "White Rabbit". The 

album is subtitled 'If Only We Have Love'. Supposedly 

an even earlier Rasberry Jam LP exists, but has not 

yet been found. 

"Here's" 197 (House Of Guitars) 

Octet with mixed male/female vocal harmonies doing 

mellow folk, rated highly by some. The band also 

appears on the Summer Of Service 2 LP set (see 

entry).

RASPUTIN & THE MONKS (St Mark's School, NH) 

"Sun Of My Soul / Octet" 1966 (Trans-Radio 200836) 

"Sun Of My Soul" 1984 (no label) [1-sided; altered cover] 

This is possibly the most inept of all local New 

England garage LPs with moronic 1-2 beat drumming, 

offkey harmonies and general mayhem all around. A 

teenage enthusiasm permeates all tracks to make for 

great listening - Back From The Grave fans will love 

it. Covers all through naturally, mostly from the UK 

R'n'B scene. The reissue contains the Rasputin side 

only. [PL] 

RATIONALS (Ann Arbor, MI) 

"Fan-Club LP" 1966 (no label) [no sleeve] 

RAVEN (OH) 

Unknown to exist for many years, this rarity works as 

a fine document of the band's early years, before 

they took a dubious turn musically. Three cool preinvasion 

instros from 1964, alternate takes on a 

number of vintage 45 tracks, and a wild 6-minute 

garagepsych rave-up add up to a solid pre-junkie 

Michigan 60s album. Too bad this wasn't released 

properly back then as it would have affected our 

perception of the band, more along the lines of the 

Remains or Paul Revere & the Raiders. Only two copies 

have been found of the LP, which has "Rationals" 

etched into the dead wax, and was put together by 

their manager in late 1966. Of course, the Rationals 

cut a more wellknown LP later on. [PL] 

"Back To Ohio Blues" 1975 (Owl 66X111) 

"Back To Ohio Blues" 199 (Rockadelic 15) [altered cover; 

1000p] 

RAW HONEY ( ) 

Messed up bluesy hard rock biker statement which I'm 

told comes straight from this guy's reality, no 

posing but the real thing. Great punky vocals relate 

stories on smack, sex, Ohio, Harleys and everything 

else that makes life worth living. Sample lyrics: 

"gotta get high/gotta get fucked/nail me to your 

cross". An impressive intensity especially on side 1 

and one of the few local white bluesrock LPs that 

truly works. A classic of mid-70s local hard stoner 

dementia; would make a good double bill with the 

Merry Airbrakes. [PL] 

"Ragweed" 1974 (RH 1057)

Live recording of hippie folk and Dead-inspired rural 

rock, with some female vocals. One of the listenable 

ones in the genre. 

RAY BRADBURY'S DARK CARNIVAL see Bob Jacobs 

JERRY RAYE & FENWYCK (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Many Sides Of" 1966 (DeVille 101) [split LP; red vinyl] 

"Many Sides Of" 199 (no label, Europe) 

Too bad Fenwyck didn't get a full album's worth 

instead of just one side, because all their tracks 

are good swinging Sunset Strip folkrock with psychy 

flashes. The well-known "Mindrocker" track gives you 

a taste of their sound. Jerry Raye's side (with 

Fenwyck as support) is mostly lame crooner stuff but 

has one great fuzz-garage tune. A decent item all 

over. [PL] 

RAYNE (New Orleans, LA) 

"Rayne" 1979 (no label R-358) 

"Rayne" 1994 (OR) [insert; 500#d] 

JERRY RAYSON (NY) 

After being discovered in the late 1980s this deep 

outlaw basement blowout has gained a reputation among 

all sorts of music fans. A mix of rural hardrock and 

mellow folkrock that's hard to pinpoint since it's so 

original, though Neil Young (especially the electric 

side on "Rust Never Sleeps") and angry cajun-mood 

Creedence are possible references. Great lyrics about 

booze, mass murder and underdog Americana attitudes 

with a solid consistency all through - side 2 is 

pretty devastating. A must. [PL] 

--- 

Like all of the great 70s bands that psych fans fawn 

over, Rayne successfully sound of their time and 

before their time. The rock with a punky attitude 

that’s pure 1979, and have a moody, not-quite-heavy 

style that is more like the direction some great 60s 

bands could have headed than like a direction any of 

them actually went. The songs are deep and grow on 

you, and there’s a depraved southern vibe here that 

can only be compared to the musically dissimilar 

Stonewall. A band that can be equally appreciated by 

those who long for the past and those who think rock 

started in 1977, neither knowing that their archenemies 

in musical taste would love the same album. 

Truly great. [AM] 

"The Weird Ming In Town" 196 (Psychedelic Records 523) 

Obscure and severely spaced out fringe folk with 

unusual inner-city vibe and Puerto Rican 

tangents. Subtitled "Let's go man rocbuafro".

V.A "READING '68" (Reading, PA) 

"Reading '68" 1968 (Empire 868-585) 

One of at least three local late 60s PA compilations 

on the Empire label. These are of great interest for 

local musicologists, but do not necessarily contain 

that much good music. One track from this volume has 

been comp'd on "Crude PA vol 2". There's also several 

soul covers as usual, a Doors cover, and possibly a 

couple of originals. 

REAL EYES (Flemington, NJ) 

"Real Eyes" 1981 (Wizard no #) [booklet] 

KIT REAM (OH) 

This early 80s LP seems to have been discovered about 

twenty years after its release, and was given some 

major hype by rare record dealers hoping to be the 

one to discover the next big thing. It came with a 

huge book of poetry and art, making it a real labor 

of love by the folks who released it. The music is 

pretty much mainstream rock, both acoustic and 

electric, with hard rock moves and quirky 

arrangements. It sounds like they were shooting for 

an AOR sound but didn’t have the budget to pull it 

off, and instead this ends up with a crude garage 

edge, especially when it gets heavy. The songwriting 

is pretty interesting and thoughtful, and as 80s 

private press LPs go, this is distinctive and 

memorable enough to explain why psych dealers jumped 

on its bandwagon. The singing is pretty weak, though, 

and the “poetic” lyrics are humorless and shoot way 

higher than this band’s actual reach. A lot of the 

lyrics are pretty stoned, which doesn’t exactly add 

brainpower to the poetry. That said, there is a lot 

going on here, with enough weird hooks and surprising 

moments to give any listener a fair amount of kicks. 

I like side two, especially the closing “Visions of 

Obscurity V,” better than side one. In the long run, 

whether this will be a keeper for any individual 

listener will probably be determined by the 12-minute 

“Madman’s Game,” an elaborate epic that encapsulates 

everything good and bad about this record. I’m not 

sure how strongly to recommend this album (I sure 

wouldn’t suggest paying the $100+ most dealers are 

selling it for), but it’s not boring or predictable. 

The booklet is 90 pages with drawings and lyrics. 

[AM] 

"All That I Am" 1978 (Creative) 

This one is pretty well-known by “incredibly strange” 

fans and has been raved over by Jello Biafra. To make 

the story short, Ream was a wealthy 1960s acid 

casualty and then mental patient whose album was 

actually released by the "Institute For Creative 

Living,” a conservative “spiritual growth” center. 

The spacy, jazzy music on the album is strikingly

similar to the equally bizarre Gary Wilson. Ream 

rants and raves in a completely confident and loungeinspired 

way, entreating us not to be so holy poly 

over his souly, among other things. As real people 

albums go, this is one of the most endearing, as his 

life philosophy is even more compelling than, say, 

Father Yod’s, and the music is never dull. One song 

has some unexpected female vocals, and a few others 

have cool and weird vocal arrangements. He grunts and 

groans and moves from sing-speak to crooning at the 

drop of a hat. This is absolutely wonderful. “Go down 

to the beach, baby, get naked at twelve 

o’clock!” [AM] 

REBECCA & THE SUNNYBROOK FARMERS (Pittsburgh, PA) 

"Rebirth" 1969 (Musicor MS 3176) 

This is an old-school cult LP out of Pittsburgh that 

in spite of all the recent interest in hippie freak 

music still remains pretty much buried in the "cult" 

section. It probably deserves more attention, not to 

mention a reissue, as it is appealing late 1960s head 

sounds with obvious signs of dropping out of straight 

society. The male vocalist goes for a sometimes 

unwanted Dylan/Zappa sarcasm while the female singers 

range from turned-on purrs into amazing primal 

therapy, not unlike the weird shit pulled by Buffy 

Ste Marie on her "Illuminations" LP. The band has a 

clubby, almost garagey sound which adds to the 

crashpad feel, and there's unexpected and quite good 

use of violin throughout. Except for the vocalists it 

sounds a bit like the non-orch folkrock tracks on the 

Common People LP. Wellwritten songs with eclectic 

folk and jazz moves, plus a couple of acid freakouts. 

Not to be confused with the zillions of late 60s 

femme-vox hippie bandwagon jumpers, "Rebirth" 

deserves a place among True Freaks such as Fear 

Itself and United States Of America; in fact it's 

almost like a satire over weekend hippies at times. 

Well worth checking out. [PL] 

--- 

Can you think of any other band in rock history with 

two members named Ilene?? This is an odd bird to be 

sure. It probably noses out the Fort Mudge Memorial 

Dump album as the co-ed record with the most annoying 

and pretentious male singer, so about half of the 

album is pretty unlistenable. But the songs with the 

women range from great to classic, and range 

stylistically from wonderful guitar pop to freaked 

out sex-blues to full-on psych, with some cool 

counterculture lyrics. Great odd album cover too. 

[AM] 

REBIRTH (Harrisonburg, VA) 

"Into The Light" 1970 (RCR) 

"Rebirth" 1970 (LeFevre Sound MLSP-3100) 

"Rebirth" 1972 (Avant Garde 135)

REBS (IA) 

"Rebirth" on Avant Garde is a compilation, pulling 

together material from the group's two vanity 

pressings; four from the debut and eight from the 

LeFevre LP. It also sounds like a couple of the 

tracks were either re-recorded or had some postproduction 

work done to improve the overall sound. 

The liner notes claim that "many people have 

repeatedly asked us for a record which they can give 

to their teenagers to play along with regular pop 

artist albums. We feel that what is needed is music 

with a good rock sound, that stimulates thought, and 

has a Christian message." Since this is one of the 

better Christian rock albums we've heard, that's 

actually a pretty good description. With largely 

original songs, most of it features a rather 

conventional folk-rock sound. Material such as 

"Everybody's Talking" (one of two covers), "Laughin' 

On the Corner" and "The Way That I Feel" sported some 

nice group harmonies and pretty if lightweight 

melodies. The results were occasionally a little too 

Up with People-ish for our tastes ("Lancaster 

County"), but for the most part the group's religious 

beliefs were understated, making for a set that 

mostly managed to avoid the usual in-your-face-sinner 

bombast one associates with so much of Christian 

rock. Highlights include the unexpected and totally 

atypical rocker "Into the Light" and an interesting 

contemporary update of the traditional hymn "They'll 

Know We Are Christians". Clearly not for everyone, 

but for the right crowd this will be a wonderful 

find. The artwork for the RCR debut is reused for the 

Avant Garde version. [SB] 

"Breakthrough 1968 A.D" 1968 (Fredlo 6830) [200p] 

Endearingly bad organ and three chord raveup covers. 

Amazingly bad vocals, the falsetto on "Gimme some 

lovin'" is guaranteed to leave you in stitches. [RM] 

RED BUD THUNDER (WI) 

"American Rock'N'Roll" 1979 (Feldergarb 41178) [lyric sleeve] 

RED CHEEK (FL) 

Hardrock with good guitar, twin leads. 

"Red Cheek" 197 (Armadillo 8032) 

Rootsy rural/countryrock with acoustic guitars, on 

same label as Magic-Enclosed. Has been hyped but 

according to a knowledgable source, it "sucks in a 

gentle way".

RED CRAYOLA (Houston, TX) 

"Parable Of Arable Land" 1967 (International Artists 2) 

[mono] 


[stereo] 


"Parable Of Arable Land" 1978 (Radar rad-12, UK) 

"God Bless The Red Krayola And All Who Sail With It" 1968 

(International Artists 7) 


(International Artists 7) 


(Radar rad-16, UK) 

Experimental art-school psych and avant featuring 

Mayo Thompson. The first LP is more listenable, a fun 

over-the-top freakout typical of the era, with some 

good songs buried in the chaos. It's not for 

everyone, but did help to cement IA: standing as a 

mythical weirdo label back in the 1970s. The box set 

reissues can be identified via a matrix # that begins 

"Ach...".. They changed spelling to Red Krayola by 

the time of their 2nd LP, which contains 19 

minimalist song fragments. Mayo moved to New York 

after his solo LP and took up the Red Crayola moniker 

again. In the late 1970s and early 80s the group 

recorded several interesting art rock albums, 

including collaborations with the group Art & 

Language, and Mayo has continued to put out 

challenging avant rock releases. The band has a few 

unreleased 1960s era tracks on "Epitaph For A 

Legend", and there's also a CD's worth of such 

material titled "Coconut Hotel" on the Drag City 

label (1996). Vinyl and CD reissues include Spalax, 

Collectables, Decal, and probably a few more. All 

reissues are vinyl-sourced as the mixdown masters 

were lost in the early 1970s. [RM] 

--- 

see -> Mayo Thompson; Epitaph For A Legend 

REDEMPTION (San Antonio, TX) 

"Look Up" 1974 (Evan Comm 553547) [1000p] 

Dreamy Christian rural 12-string folkrock, some fuzz 

and organ. Featuring Kemper and Bekah Crabb doing a 

mix of standards and originals. The band was also 

represented with two tracks on the comp "Gospel Ship 

2" (Destiny 2012, 1975). 

--- 

see -> Arkangel; Hill Country Faith Festival 

V.A "RED HERRING FALL FOLK FESTIVAL" (IL) 

"The Red Herring Fall Folk Festival" 1970 (Century 36387) 

Various artists local folk assembly including Louie 

Kotva (see entry), Dan Fogelberg, Peter Berkow, Nancy 

Fetters. Red Herring was a coffee house in Urbana,

IL. 

RED PONY (OK) 

"Red Pony" 1975 (Artco 1123) 

Local band doing hardrock and prog with female vocals 

and a Janis Joplin cover. 

RED SHADOW (Cambridge, MA) 

"Live At The Panacea Hilton" 1975 (Physical 21-005) [insert] 

Underground radical folkrock with mixed vocals and 

counterculture politics. Track titles include 

"Stagflation" and "Understanding Marx", a Ray Charles 

take-off with a spoken segment with a hip female 

explaining how she got turned on to Karl Marx. This 

bizarre LP still sounds like satire, but hardly in 

the way it was intended. There is a second LP, 

"Better red". 

REFINED BY FIRE (CA) 

"Refined By Fire" 1980 (no label) 

This is 70s sounding mellow Xian rock with some quite 

good (often jazzy) guitars and the genre’s usual 

pretty but soulless vocals (there are several female 

singers and one male singer.) Much of this is average 

bland AM-style pop, but a couple of songs have a 

dreamy beauty to them and the closing song has a cool 

heavy guitar solo that flows underneath a catchy 

repeated end chorus. Not a great album, but here and 

there it hits the spot. [AM] 

REFLECTIONS (Sidell, LA) 

"The Unique Sounds Of" 1970 (RSVP MC 1371) 

Atmospheric instrumental home recordings of 

trumpet/organ-led lounge duo, with a 13-year old kid 

on drums joining forces with a significantly older 

lady who manages to play bass, organ and trumpet at 

the same time! This low-rent circus act handles a mix 

of cocktail jazz and surf music standards, all of 

which must have seem totally dated in 1970. The most 

modern track is "Eleanor Rigby". There's two 

originals in a 50s light-jazz/exotica style. While at 

least half of this isn't "rock" by a long shot, the 

end result isn't that far removed from some of the 

more backwoods Justice label acts, right down to the 

somnabulent, strangely hypnotic melancholy moods. 

Unless made clear already, this is deep into 

Incredibly Strange, and needs the proper approach to 

work. A CD-R "reissue" exists. [PL]

REIGN GHOST (Toronto, Canada) 

"Reign Ghost" 1969 (Allied 12) 

"Reign Ghost" 198 (no label, France) 

"Reign Ghost / Featuring Lynda Squires" 1990 (CD Lazer's Edge 

1004) [2-on-1] 

"Reign Ghost" 2004 (CD Akarma 277, Italy) 

"Reign Ghost" 2004 (Akarma 277, Italy) 

Fuzzed basement mid-period Airplane hippierock sound 

with many great tracks like the opening raga ripper, 

"Travels of blue paradox". Lynda Squires' slightly 

operatic voice might put some off though there are 

many other elements here to make at least the reissue 

worthwhile. The band also shows some folk moves. One 

of the better LPs in a genre littered with local 

mediocrities. [PL] 

"Featuring Lynda Squires" 1970 (Paragon 19) 

"Featuring Lynda Squires" 198 (no label, France) 

"Reign Ghost / Featuring Lynda Squires" 1990 (CD Lazer's Edge 

1004) [2-on-1] 

"Featuring Lynda Squires" 2005 (CD Akarma 325, Italy) 

"Featuring Lynda Squires" 2005 (Akarma 325, Italy) 

Only Squires and Bob Bryden remain for this followup, 

which is similar but slightly less garage and 

more mellow. Bryden wrote only three tracks which is 

a pity as the other guys couldn't really compete with 

him. Some swear by the long closing fuzzrocker "Enola 

gay" but all over this is weaker than their debut in 

my ears. It is even rarer than the Allied album. [PL] 

--- 

see -> Christmas 

REJECTS (Ontario, Canada) 

"Rejects" 1969 (Toad no #) 

Coffehouse folk home-recordings from 1967, featuring 

roughly the same crowd as on the Jeremy Dormouse LP, 

with a similar primitive basement folk sound. After 

the Dormouse sessions and prior to the Rejects 

sessions there was also a rare EP with non-LP tracks, 

titled "The Entire Castle Illusion". 

RELATIVELY CLEAN RIVERS (CA) 

"Relatively Clean Rivers" 1976 (Pacific 17601) [gatefold; 

photo insert] 

"Relatively Clean Rivers" 2003 (Radioactive 020, UK) 

[gatefold] 

"Relatively Clean Rivers" 2003 (CD Radioactive 020, UK) 

Post-Beat Of The Earth classic in a melodic 70s 

westcoast style with an impressive crystal clear

sound. Has some killer tracks with acoustic/electric 

guitar tapestries and is of a high standard 

throughout, although a couple of tracks sound more 

like outlines than finished creations to me. 

Reminiscent of Neil Young at his most melodic, with a 

rare reflective desert mood. "Journey thru the valley 

of O" is sheer perfection. Much-loved LP with grower 

qualities. [PL] 

--- 

At its best, this album is worthy of the legend; a 

super-clean (the “band” is perfectly named) acousticflavored 

pop/folk-rock feel, in the 70s California 

vein but with a more innocent feel. A couple of songs 

here are surprisingly sloppy, which is a jarring 

switch from the crisp arrangements and lovely singing 

on the majority of the songs, but the experiments are 

interesting ones, whether they mesh perfectly or not. 

If you don’t come into this one believing the most 

outrageous hype, you should be very pleased indeed. 

[AM] 

RELAYER (Houston, TX) 

"Relayer Album" 1979 (HSR) [inner] 

ERIC RELPH (CA) 

Symphonic keys prog in Yes style. 

"Pretty Darlin'" 1978 (Evy Pollen 1-2-49) 

An odd album that‘s hard to pinpoint. There’s a 

definite lounge feel to it (mostly due to the reverbheavy 

vocals), but after a few listens you start to 

notice that it rocks out too. There’s some excellent 

creepy slide guitar on some songs and a high standard 

of songwriting. The overall style is a tough one to 

get around, as it’s too hard for soft rock fans but 

too floofy for hard rock fans, but it’s strange 

enough to be the ticket for someone who can 

appreciate both. [AM] 

REMAINS (Boston, MA) 

"Remains" 1966 (Epic ln-24214) [mono] 

"Remains" 1966 (Epic bn-24214) [stereo] 

"Remains" 1978 (Spoonfed 3305) [+bonus tracks; red vinyl; 

altered cover]

"Remains" 2002 (Beat Rocket) [+bonus tracks] 

These boys should need no introduction -- along with 

Paul Revere & the Raiders probably the finest 

exponents of the upmarket mid-60s US teen-rock that 

has aged as well or even better than the more famous 

UK groups they competed with. Great stuff, they 

should have been millionaires. Stereo originals are 

somewhat rarer than mono. The original LP was also 

released in South Africa by CBS. Of the reissues and 

repackagings, the Spoonfed release is considered to 

have very good sound. The Beat Rocket LP is at this 

point the only exact reissue around. There is a 

Transco acetate from 1966 with material that has been 

released by Eva Records in France as "Live In 

Boston" (1984) with fake applause added, and by 

Sundazed as "A Session With" (1996) in their original 

format plus some bonus tracks. [PL] 

RESEARCH 1-6-12 (Los Angeles, CA) 

"In Research" 1968 (Flick City fc-5001) 

Cool fun garage/psych album with an amusing “Adults 

only” disclaimer: “this album has been called dirty. 

This album has been called great.” The drug and sexrelated 

lyrics actually are quite daring for the 

time, but the musically edgy vibe is even more 

appealing. A little bit of good-timey goofiness 

annoys, but most of the album comprises punky garage 

rockers with cool fuzz guitar and folky psych tunes 

with echo effects, trippy lyrics, etc. Really a very 

solid album with just the one or two duds. The liner 

notes make these guys out to be, like Phluph, 

intellectuals who chose the low road. [AM] 

REUNION BAND & FRIENDS (KY) 

"Ocean of Love" 1977 (Living Love Productions) [gatefold] 

REVERBS (CT) 

The songs were written by Marcus Allen and Summer 

Raven and performed by The Reunion Band and Friends. 

Features many of the same folks on The Love Band's 

"The Oneness Space" LP, but is considered superior by 

some. Gentle folk with pretty femme vocals and 

cosmic, cultish lyric concerns. 

"Chalk Up" 1965 (RV Connection) [blank back cover] 

Obscure local teenbeat LP from Westport, featuring 

typical mix of frat, surf and British Invasion, with 

covers of Beatles and Stones numbers. 

PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS (Boise, ID) 

"Like Long Hair" 1961 (Gardena LP-G1000) [mono]

"Like Long Hair" 196 (Gardena LP-G1000) [mono; later press; 

green & red lettering on label] 

"Rock & Roll With" 198 (Gardena LP-G1000) [mono; bonus 

tracks; altered sleeve] 

Beginning in 1959, Paul Revere & the Raiders were one 

of the truly great bands of the 1960s, and a crucial 

influence for the "garage" bands of 1966-67. Their 

music has aged exceptionally well and radiates class 

and style from the very beginning. This debut LP is 

all instrumentals including five originals, the rest 

covers including two Wailers numbers. Originals have 

red and black lettering on the label. 

"Paul Revere & The Raiders" 1963 (Sande S-1001) [mono] 

"In The Beginning" 1966 (Jerden JRL-7004) [mono; new sleeve] 

"In The Beginning" 1966 (Jerden JRL-7004) [rechanneled stereo; 

new sleeve] 

"In The Beginning" 1969 (PickWick SPC 3176) [rechanneled 

stereo; tracks removed; new sleeve] 

"Paul Revere & The Raiders" 197 (Sande S-1001/Etiquette) 

[mono; thin cover] 

Only one original song on this one. The rest are 

covers of r'n'b/1950s classics. The Jerden jobs are 

repackaged reissues. The Pickwick budget release is 

missing two cuts and came in a psychedelic cover. It 

was also released as Sears SPS-493. The 1970s 

"Northwest Collection" box-set reissue has Etiquette' 

in the dead wax. With "Here They Come" on CBS in 1965 

the Raiders became a matter of national concern, 

which is well covered elsewhere. 

REVIVAL (Denver, CO) 

R.F.D ( ) 

"Music By Al Basim" 1979 (American Sound Recording) [300p] 

"Music By Al Basim" 1995 (CD AB 02) 

Al plays electric guitar and is joined by a trio on 

most of the tracks. Instro guitar flute prog with 

Middle Eastern themes and tonalities. Dense and 

chaotic trance. Al was a Bulgarian student working 

towards his master's degree in music at the 

University Of Colorado. Stories of him being Iranian 

and getting executed are not true. [RM] 

"Lead Me Home" 1971 (no label) 

Obscure Christian folkrock LP with an appealing, 

understated feel. Close male/female harmonies and

KEN RHOTEN (IN) 

ringing guitars create a secular, late 60s California 

sound, with strong songwriting that reaches back to a 

Byrds/Simon & Garfunkel hook sensibility. The 

intimate, low-key vocals and summery mystique also 

remind me a bit of These Trails. Enjoyable album with 

an unusual timeless quality, and as non-preaching a 

Christian artefact as you're likely to find. Weird, 

eerie cover design. [PL] 

--- 

On first listen I thought this album (which now 

fetches ridiculous prices) had a nice gentle feel to 

it with pleasant vocals. Subsequent listens made me 

come to my senses. It's wimpy soft folk with no vocal 

identity and not a wisp of energy or passion of any 

kind. It has a nice cover, yeah, but why spend $700 

on this when you can get the same thing for $15 by 

the New Troubadours or Oneness Space or Susan And 

Richard Thomas? Really, really weak. [AM] 

"Flying Saucer Man" 1979 (Neptune) [300p] 

A mix of sci-fi pop and folk in great cover art. 

RHUBARB'S REVENGE (NJ) 

"Confessions Of A Big Lanky Dope" 1973 (Pink Grass no #) 

[plain sleeve] 

"Rhubarb's Revenge" 2001 (Gear Fab/Comet 416, Italy) [new 

cover; +4 tracks] 

"Rhubarb's Revenge" 2001 (CD Gear Fab gf-128) [+4 tracks] 

Charming stoned college dorm hippie folkrock 

obscurity in the typical quirky Eastcoast style. 

Opens with excellent original in a Patron Saints 

direction, rest is mainly covers of classic tracks 

from the UK 1967-68 scene, giving the album an odd 

retro/tribute flavor. The Zombies, Kinks, and Move 

all get the Rhubarb treatment in a rather 

irresistable way with unpretentious vocals and the 

loose weedhead drumming in particular a treat. 

There's also a funny Star Trekked version of "Mr 

Spaceman" with ad libbed lyrics such as "you're a 

motherfucking good-for-nothing Spaceman". Band uses a 

full rock setting plus piano but create an intimate, 

spontaneous sound. I've seen this described as a 

"novelty" LP and while it's pretty entertaining I 

think it has as much worth as any other document of 

the early 70s Eastcoast, like the Georgie Leonard 

album or "Tool Shed". Not a great LP, but worth 

hearing. The CD bonus tracks introduce a more serious 

tone with an excellent anti-'Nam war track and a 

cover of Neil Young's "Ohio". [PL] 

RHYTHM AND BLISS (CA) 

"The Magic Is Back" 1978 (Rainbow Island)

Communal cosmic folk. Dreamy acoustic tracks with 

Eastern percussion. 

RHYTHM OF THE HIGHWAY see Ray Pierle 

RANDY RICE ( ) 

"To Anyone Who's Ever Laughed At Someone Else" 1974 (RR no #) 

[2LPs; 2 inserts; 550#d] 

LINDA RICH ( ) 

Very obscure double LP from talented but troubled 

hippie-folk/singer-songwriter guy with a lot of 

interesting aspects. You needn't look hard to see the 

demons in the guy's skull, as pleasant Lennonesque 

songs open doors into hateful lyrics knocking 

rednecks, feminists, vicious mothers, America, 

religion, his phony friends, and pretty much 

everything else until the meaning of "loner" folk 

shines bright and clear like an aura around his head. 

Some songs bring in a full rock band with howling 

feedback guitars a la One St Stephen, and there are 

also spoken bits with bad coffeehouse jokes, 

interviews with people on the street, and diary 

confessions probably from his mom's basement. 

References to Watergate and Vietnam send you right 

back to 1974. As far as loner/downer 2LP sets go, 

this is surprisingly strong and varied, with a good 

soaring voice, atmospheric recording and inventive 

arrangements and playing, mostly guitar, some with 

piano. References to babies and parenthood provide an 

unusual documentary feel. As a peek into an unknown 

guy's reality this is rather successful and clearly 

above average for the genre. [PL] 

"There's More To Living Than I Know So Far" 1969 (InterVarsity 

03498) 

"Patterns" 1970 (InterVarsity 8091-4498) 

"Apple Tree" 1975 (InterVarsity 279-598) 

Delicate acoustic Christian folk on the same label as 

Jonathan & Charles. Her poetic lyrics and stunning 

alto vocals have a dreamy quality that will certainly 

appeal to folk psych collectors. "Patterns" even 

features a trippy cover. [RM] 

RICHARD, CAM & BERT (NY) 

"Richard, Cam & Bert" 197 (Trilogy TS-91701) 

Late 60s or early 70s New York street musician folk 

blues. The three switch around on guitars and bass 

and sing mostly in harmony. They are occasionally 

accompanied by a drummer. Some nice soloing on what I 

believe are amplified acoustic guitars, rather than

REX RICHARDSON ( ) 

electric. Overall rather pleasant, but hardly earthshattering. 

Produced by Warren Schatz (Yesterday’s 

Children, etc). [MA] 

"Crescent Phase" 1980 (Sage 37360) [100#d] 

One side of guitar instros and one side with ISBstyle 

progressive folk with flute and hand 

percussion. The guy has a passionate troubador vocal 

style (typical for the genre) that may annoy, which 

mixes with showoffy guitar runs. Songwriting doesn't 

account for much, but the overall package may appeal 

to Joseph Pusey fans. [PL] 

~~~ 

Very rare outsider folk private press. The first side 

consists of Faheyesque acoustic guitar instrumentals, 

which are quite competent. The 2nd side is comprised 

of weird loner folkie ramblings. In addition to 

guitar, Richardson also plays flute on several 

tracks. The LP is housed in a homemade cover with a 

large paste-on front and a smaller paste-on back 

cover. [MA] 

KARL RICHEY (San Francisco, CA) 

"Karl Richey" 1969 (Studio 10 DBX 102) 

This album is on the same label as Day Blindess, but 

is quite a bit different. Richey is a stoned folk 

troubadour type, with a bit of a Dylan fixation, but 

with more of a youthful late 60s counterculture edge. 

Also without the songwriting talent. Richey might 

have been a bit more convincing as a rocker, but 

since this album is basically just guitar and voice, 

he'd need to have something more original and 

exciting to say to make these songs more memorable. 

[AM] 

RIGHT OF LITTLE REST (RI) 

RILEY ( ) 

"The Right Of Little Rest" 1975 (TN 1100) [blank back] 

Communal folk with one good psychy track with female 

vocals, "Am I not the one". Neat cartoon cover with 

sea dragon threatening a village at the edge of the 

world. 

~~~ 

see -> Follie's Bazaar

"Grandma's Roadhouse" 1970 (Mo-Funk) 

That, to my knowledge, there's only been one copy of 

this LP ever found certainly speaks to its obscurity. 

The immediate reference here is to The Band in terms 

of arrangements, instrumentation and vocals. The 

comparison is a loose one however, and the little 

odd, almost experimental, flourishes that pop up here 

and there, give the whole thing a certain noncommercial 

character that works to its advantage. In 

terms of musicianship, production and creativity the 

album sounds like it could have been a successful 

major label LP from the early 70s. "You Been Cheating 

On Me Honey" features a pretty heavy & ferocious 

fuzz-wah guitar solo that leads back into more Robbie 

Robertson territory with "East People." A New Dawnish 

fuzz returns for "Field of Green" though the 

vocals would never be mistaken for the vocals on that 

LP. When you spend your days rooting through junk 

shops and flea markets looking for something you 

haven't heard yet, it is just a record like this that 

provides that 1 in 10,000 jolt that keeps you going 

back. [SD] 

RIN ERIC see Eric, Rin 

RISING HOPE (Cincinnati, OH) 

"Farewell To The Shadowlands" 1975 (no label lp-s-726) 

Besides coming up with one of the coolest album 

titles of all time (taken from the final chapter in 

C. S. Lewis’ ‘The Chronicles Of Narnia’), this trio 

have managed to create a brilliant homemade release 

of contemplative acoustic/folk music. All three have 

nice soothing voices that harmonize well together 

(Susan Goldberg sounds a lot like Debby Kerner, 

especially on the briskly strummed "Psalm 27"). Quiet 

and acoustic-oriented for the most part, with some 

flute, piano and folky percussion, plus banjo and 

jew’s-harp for ‘The Lord Will Be My Snowtires’, a 

novelty bluegrass side-trip. Mostly originals plus a 

couple Martin Bell songs. Includes a lovely minor-key 

track "Help O Lord" that’s accompanied by flute and 

what sounds like a hammer dulcimer. Closes with the 

Narnia-inspired ‘Further Up’. Best cover art seen in 

years. Essential Jesus music classic. [KS] 

"Where The Songs Come From" 1978 (no label 8064N2) [insert] 

Top-rate second custom LP of gentle folkrock tunes, 

mostly originals. Pretty simple sound, but it’s the 

catchy melodies, creativity, beautiful arrangements 

(including some nice flute, mandolin, violin) and the 

overall atmosphere of charm and radiant joy that 

makes this one of my all-time favorites. The acoustic 

flute-backed folk rock opener "Here’s My Family" and 

the closing "A Wind In The Door" (which builds to a 

lively electric conclusion) are some of the most 

exuberant moving pieces of Jesus music to my 

remembrance. "Listen To The Singer" is an equally 

touching acoustic ballad, as are "Morning Song" and 

the delicate violin-backed "Friends & Lovers". "I

Want To Be" supplies a folksy fiddle/banjo number, 

while "Try To Run" boogies along with piano and 

electric guitar. "Run To California" introduces some 

steel guitar for its peaceful-easy-feeling country 

mood. Also includes covers of Suzanne Toolan and Noel 

Stookey’s. It’s albums like this that make this whole 

record collecting thing worthwhile. Attractive cover 

art by member Susan Goldberg. [KS] 

RISING STORM (Andover, MA) 

"Calm Before" 1967 (Remnant 3571) [500p] 

"Calm Before" 1984 (Eva 12012, France) [bootleg; altered 

cover] 

"Calm Before" 1992 (Stanton Park 001) 

"Calm Before / Alive Again" 1992 (CD Arf Arf 034) [2-on-1] 

Very good beat/garage LP of course, although its 

hallowed standing (due to it being an early collector 

discovery) may puzzle recent arrivals to the scene. 

One might have wished for even more originals and 

fewer cover versions, especially as the covers are OK 

but unexceptional, while the five originals range 

from good to killer. "Frozen Laughter" is an all-time 

spooky psych-flavored fave with lines stolen from T S 

Eliot, while "She loved me" is terrific rich kid 

garage. Local MA heroes the Rockin' Ramrods are paid 

tribute to with two obscure covers. The Storm's 1983 

LP "Alive Again At Andover" is above average for 

reunions, with a nice cheesy garage vibe intact, in 

addition to the overall oddity of the concept. The 

Arf Arf CD contains all of the reunion except for one 

track. There's also been some related releases in 

recent years. [PL] 

RISING SUN (Toronto, Canada) 

"Born To Be Wild" 1969 (Birchmount 515) 

"Born To Be Wild" 2004 (CD Radioactive 092, UK) 

RIST ROCKET (CA) 

Exploito fuzz and pop rock covers mixed with several 

originals, which is the main reason for this album's 

relative desirability. Side one is more garage, while 

side 2 brings in some horns for that special Blood 

Sweat & Tears touch. 

"Rist Rocket" 1978 (Sun West 2506) 

Guitar rock and AOR from goofy-looking Southern 

California club band. Not an expensive LP. 

RITTENHOUSE SQUARE (NC)

"Rittenhouse Square" 1972 (R2 no #) [paper sleeve with 

photo] 

"Rittenhouse Square" 1972 (R2 no #) [plain sleeve] 

This album is the holy grail to some power pop 

collectors, as the band contained Mitch Easter, Chris 

Stamey and Peter Holsapple, all of whom because major 

cult artists in the genre in the 80s. They'll be 

horribly disappointed by what they find, though, as 

there's no evidence of the kind of melodicism these 

guys would eventually show, or even the weird pop 

sensibility of the terrific 1976 EP by the 

Stamey/Easter band Sneakers. It's plain old rock and 

roll, with a slightly hard edge and a lot of lead 

guitar. The singing not only isn't full of harmonies, 

but it's not especially good. If fans of Stamey and 

Easter would hear this album they'd never in a 

million years guess who's singing. The album is 

unlikely to ever be reissued, as Easter is 

embarrassed by it. Frankly, I can see why, not so 

much for the music, which is crude but inoffensive, 

but for the ridiculous childish lyrics. These guys 

were in their late teens when they made this, but the 

intellectual level of these songs is far younger than 

that. You just won't believe "The Hots," which is the 

kind of "we're in the music business for the sex" 

song that makes David Lee Roth look intelligent and 

compassionate. Fans of low-fi post-garage rock will 

enjoy this a lot more than fans of Let's Active or 

the dB's. Still, it's pretty lame, no matter how you 

classify it. All copies are rare, the ones with the 

photo sleeve most of all. [AM] 

RITUAL ALL see Alan Sondheim 

RIVERSON (Canada) 

"Riverson" 1973 (Columbia CS 90136) 

Of all the zillions of CSNY-inspired westcoast hippie 

rock LPs from the early 1970s, this is one of the 

very best. Another feather in the cap for the great 

Columbia Canada office, with an excellent production 

bringing out the max from these talented longhairs. 

Clearly out of a "Deja Vu" corner (minus the sugary 

Nash crap, naturally), the songwriting here is very 

good, grabbing your attention without being overly 

commercial, while the band lays down a groove that is 

both relaxed and tight. You can hear early AOR moves 

creeping into the hippie stylings, and much like on 

Homer this is not a disadvantage but helps broaden 

the album's impact. Female vocalist Franki Hart of 

Freedom North handles a few tracks, but is given 

solid competition by the male vocalists who sing just

as well. Soaring, lyrical guitar leads recur 

throughout the LP, and there are some vague prog 

moves with flute on one track. Clocking in at 42 

minutes, this could have omitted 1-2 tracks, and 

it's a testament to Riverson's strength that the 

playtime seems warranted. Recommended to anyone with 

an ear for top-level, upscale 70s westcoast sounds. 

[PL] 

ROAD OF LIFE (Chicago, IL) 

"Newborn" 1974 (no label) 

Christian folk quintet with female vocal harmonies, 

acoustic guitars and standup bass. 

ROBBIE THE WEREWOLF (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Live At The Waleback" 1964 (no label) 

Live jawdropper bohemian folk comic "real person" 

with monster concept. Strummed guitar lunatic tunes 

about Frankenstein, the joys of werewolfdom, and 

Count Dracula. A cover to die for with serial photos 

of lycanthropic transformation. [RM] 

--- 

Remarkable early private press LP that manages to be 

a folk LP and a parody of a folk LP at the same time. 

Half of it is monster-fan piss-takes on standards 

such as "Tom Dooley", "Tip toe through the tulips", 

other half is Robbie originals of varying quality, 

hitting an unforgettable apex with the echo-laden 

Count Dracula track, which warns us to "...watch out 

for those vampires, some of them are QUEER". Also 

daring for the time marijuana and sex jokes, and a 

general bohemian counterculture feel to it all. Some 

of his in-between song jokes aren't all that funny, 

but the Santa Monica crowd had had enough red wine & 

weed to cheer and laugh at pretty much everything, 

creating a nice vibe. Unique artefact, made even more 

compelling by the fact that this guy later turned up 

in big time band Clear Light. [PL]

ROBERT E LEE BRIGADE (Canada) 

"Robert E Lee Brigade" 1970 (Columbia ELS 370) 

Organ/guitar folkrock and blues from up north, one of 

the lesser known titles on the renowned Columbia 

Canada label. 

V.A "ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON 1978-79" (New York City, NY) 

"Record Of The Year" 1979 (no label) 

DON ROBERTSON ( ) 

Heavy rock covers and femme folk from NYC prep school 

for "underachievers". 

"Dawn" 1969 (Limelight 86067) [wlp exists] 

"Dawn" 2003 (Akarma 240, Italy) 

"Dawn" 2003 (CD Akarma 240, Italy ) 

CHRIS ROBISON (NY) 

Eclectic, improvised Eastern trip from classically 

trained pianist. Harp, celeste and ethnic 

instruments, spoken segments, released on the same 

Mercury subsidiary as 50 Foot Hose. Beautiful 

psychedelic cover. 

"And His Many Hand Band" 1973 (Gypsy Frog) 

This early openly gay rocker put out this truly solo 

LP, playing all of the instruments and doing all of 

the vocals himself. The result is unique and 

wonderful. His tales of down and dirty NYC street 

life (characters include hustlers and runaways) are 

alternately sad and funny, always emotionally 

powerful. The music ranges from straight rock to folk 

to funky hippie weirdness, only going astray with the 

silly good-timey “Looking For A Boy Tonight.” “Doctor 

Doctor” (about psychoanalysis that attempts to “cure” 

homosexuality) and the heartbreaking “Italian Boy” 

are masterpieces. At times, Robison bites off a bit 

more than he can chew musically, and this long album 

could maybe have been trimmed a bit, but it’s still 

very, very good, and he has a marvelous range of 

vocal styles. It’s surprising that Robison remains so 

unknown. [AM] 

"Manchild" 1974 (Gypsy Frog 61974) 

This album is every bit as diverse as MANY HAND BAND 

but is arranged differently. Side one is a mishmash 

of Stonesy rockers, novelty numbers and funk, while 

side two is a much more consistent and coherent batch 

of folk and folk-rock songs. The novelty songs here 

range from amusing and clever to overlong and dull, 

the rockers are ace, and the folky songs are even

ROCKADROME (Canada) 

better. The lengthy “Only The Night” is a true marvel 

of 70s psychedelic folk, and a few of the shorter 

songs on side two are almost as good. The lyrics 

don’t have as many blatant references to 

homosexuality as those on MANY HAND BAND, but if you 

pay attention, the subject is there. “Soap Opera Day” 

would later be redone by Robison’s late-70s power pop 

band Stumblebunny. Overall, this isn’t quite as solid 

as the first album but it has enough greatness, 

including one entirely solid side, that it’s still 

highly recommended. [AM] 

"Royal American 20th Century Blues" 1968 (Sound Canada sc- 

7701) [color cover] 

"Royal American 20th Century Blues" 199 (no label) [b & w 

cover; 430p] 

"Royal American 20th Century Blues" 2002 (Shadoks, Germany) 

[+bonus 45] 

UK-influenced beat/folkrock/psych with some good 

guitar and an odd, goofy "magic banjo" concept 

running through. Not really a worthwhile LP to my 

ears, songwriting is a bit lame and the band has no 

real edge. To my ears it sounds like one of those 

budget psych LP on the UK Saga label. One extended 

track with good guitar leads is worth checking out 

for a sample. [PL] 

--- 

see -> Hyde 

PALMER ROCKEY (Dallas, TX) 

"Scarlet Love" 1979 (AB-Rock Music PR-1-LP) 

"Scarlet Love" 1980 (AB-Rock Music PR-2-LP) 

"Rockey's Style" 1981 (AB-Rock Music PRR-2-LP) 

Unbelievable lounge lizard "real people" con-man LP 

that defies description and has an amazing background 

story that needs to be known for full appreciation. 

The music varies from stale loungabilly to shakeyvoiced 

croonerisms into generic session musician 

"rock". I personally prefer the 1979 version on 

strength of the two unique and excellent C-grade 

Elvis-impersonator tracks. Fortunately the classic 

occult Holiday Inn "Scarlet Warning" track can be 

found on all three pressings. Let Palmer bring the 

smell of hair tonic and the sound of low-rent 

dishonesty into the privacy of your own hi-fi room. 

You will not regret it. [PL] 

~~~ 

Pressing details are as follows. The first version 

comes in a "1980" copyright PR-2-LP sleeve. The label 

has different fonts. Includes two tracks that are not 

on the other two pressings: "Lonesome Tonight" and 

"Sunday Love". These are replaced with "Love, Love 

Rock" and "Love Is Deep Inside", as indicated on the 

PR-2 cover. Most other tracks features alternate

ROCK ISLAND ( ) 

mixes. Presumably Rock never got around to printing 

covers for the 1979 pressing, and later put them in 

1980 covers. The second version has the same tracks 

and mixes as the 1981 pressing, except the first song 

is titled "Scarlet Love". Sleeve has different prints 

of the photos. They are smaller but clearer than on 

the others. Same font used on the titles on the 

labels as on the first version, but different font 

used on the songs. The re-titled third version has 

the same tracks and mixes as the 1980 pressing, 

except the first song is titled "Rockey's Style". 

Different album title and fonts used on the labels 

than for the previous versions. The sleeve looks like 

the 1980 version, except it doesn't say "Scarlet 

Love" on the back cover in the upper right corner. He 

apparently decided to change the name of the 

movie/soundtrack. 


"Rock Island" 1970 (Project 3 pr-4005) [wlp exists] 

It's surprising to find a hard rock band on Project 

3, but here they are. The record is a mix of 

psychedelic rockers, pure hard rock, heavy harmonyrich 

rural rock and hard blues. They're not smart 

(their attempt at a meaningful lyric:" "life is hard 

and never easy"), and at times they seem a little too 

studied for their own good, but this album is pretty 

good from start to finish. Even the obligatory 10 

minute blues workout isn't bad. It's kind of a less 

heavy variation on the Euclid album. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Rain 

ROCK SHOP (Los Angeles, CA)

"Mr Lee's Swing'n Affair" 1969 (Lee-Mo 1) 

"Rock Shop" (CD Radioactive 080, UK) 

RODAN (CA) 

Oddball release from moderately successful LA 

hairdresser/beauty parlor manager, giving the term 

"vanity project" a new dimension. Actually, the 

remarkable Mr Lee doesn't perform on the LP, 

relegating that task to a group of teen-club 

stalwarts he'd found somewhere. The LP could be 

viewed as a "1-killer-track" type deal, this being 

the opening fuzz-psycher "Soap suds & creme" (!) 

which is a quite successful take on the 

Butterfly/Steppenwolf bag, with a long killer guitar 

break. The rest of the LP (all originals) is more 

teenbeat-sounding and what you might expect from a 

3rd tier Sunset Strip band. Although light fare I 

must admit a couple of them have good, memorable 

hooks, and excellent fuzz leads keep recurring. For 

some reason I'm reminded a bit of Brain Police, 

although this is a more modest outing. Apart from the 

opener this is ultimately a completist artefact a la 

the Tormentors, albeit with some unusual angles. 

Sleeve notes have an enthusiastic endorsement from Mr 

Lee's wife, Monique. [PL] 

--- 

The band played mainly at Mr Lee's Covina nightclub, 

where the bulk of the LP pressing was sold. There 

were also some lounge gigs in Santa Cruz. The band 

existed roughly a year. Ex-member Alan Clark has a 

website with more info and images, such as the ad 

above. 

"Rodan" 1974 (Pandora no #) [200p] 

Pretty good LP ranging from prog with ripping guitar 

to horn-laden ballsy funk. The vocals are pretty out 

there. It appears that this band had roots with the 

Elastik Band of "Spazz" infamy! 

ROGER RODIER (Canada) 

"Upon Velveatur" 1972 (Columbia 90095) [booklet] 

"Upon Velveatur" 2005 (CD Sunbeam, UK) [+bonus tracks] 

This French-Canadian singer/songwriter (who sings in 

English) has often been compared to Nick Drake, and 

the folky style with creepy orchestration does 

somewhat resemble Drake, though there’s nowhere near 

the same level of loneliness and despair here. A few 

songs have some effective fuzz guitar, though mostly 

it’s fragile folk-rock of the highest order. It’s got

RODS (NY) 

the same kind of wonderful dreamy feel of the wellknown 

orchestrated 60s Capitol psych monsters, though 

through the mouth and mind of a gentle, wistful soul. 

This is really an excellent album, one of the finest 

acid folk items, and certainly a record that deserves 

more attention. Original copies came with an 18-page 

lyric booklet. [AM] 

--- 

Major label soft folk/pop with a very appealing 

surface, well-written and skillfully arranged. The 

moody folk tracks are excellent but only make up a 

minority of the album, which also goes into more 

ambitious domains with a European cabaret vibe a la 

Bowie, and some truly gentle musings that are too 

close to sugary 1970s soft rock for my tastes. The 

Nick Drake comparisons are indeed inaccurate, and I 

would expect this to appeal mainly to fans of soft 

femme vocal folkpop a la Margo Guryan. There is a 

certain kinship to the "Chris Lucey" LP as well. "My 

spirit's calling" is the standout track to me. [PL] 

"Rock Hard" 1980 (Primal p-1001) [1000p] 

ROGER & WENDY ( ) 

Rare hardrock/metal trio housed in a funny period 

cover; highly rated among genre fans. 

"Roger & Wendy" 1972 (Horny 71RW1) [handmade covers] 

Pre-Bermuda Triangle Christian folkrock rated highly 

by some, with Dylan and Beatles covers and a few 

group originals. It appears to have been a very small 

pressing aimed at friends and family, which is 

further indicated by the hand-drawn covers with 

personalized greetings from the couple. 

--- 

see -> Bermuda Triangle 

ROHRBACKER, HENDREN & KINGEN (OR) 

"Rohrbacker, Hendren & Kingen" 1975 (RA 2176 LPS) 

Exceptionally talented Oregon trio that blends the 

jangly energetic folkrock guitars and gentle closeknit 

harmonies of The Byrds with FM country rock, 

bluesy classic rock jamming and flowing summery CSNish 

soft rock sounds. Instrumental lineup is the same 

throughout with the dual electric guitars of Bob 

Rohrbacker and Bob Hendren vibrantly resounding on 

every track, including some superb lead work from Mr. 

Hendren. Mark Kingen handles bass while a couple 

friends alternate at drums. The opening salvo of 

"Look Towards Tomorrow", "You’re In My Life" and 

"Near To Me Now" is especially strong. An obvious 

professionalism and “true rockers” mentality at work 

here making this outing a quantum leap above most 

homegrown Christian projects. A virtually unheard of 

500-press mega-rarity. Phenomenal! [KS]

RON & SHIRLEY (NJ) 

"Rock And Scroll" (C & C 101277) [lyric insert; promo flier] 

This is an excellent 70s Christian rock album that 

really doesn’t sound like any other Christian record. 

It’s mainstream 70s rock, but with diverse 

songwriting and arrangements, and just a few prog 

moves. Sax and synthesizer are very well integrated 

into the sound, and little bits of heavy guitar add 

some exciting moments. Unlike a lot of other 

Christian records, the message is relatively subtle 

and unobtrusive, and the vocals, while unexceptional, 

have rock strength rather than gospel prettiness. 

Pure psych fans are often disappointed by this album, 

but that’s because the “psych” hype is misleading. 

The low budget production adds a garage-like strength 

to the loud guitar parts, but otherwise this is just 

plain old rock and roll. (There are a few cool spacy 

moments, especially on the great album closer “Bad 

Love Is A Demon.”) Occasionally their chops aren’t up 

to their ambitions, but this is a solid listen, with 

maybe one or two weak songs, and with the longest 

songs being the best. I love the cheap paste-on cover 

(which always ends up bubbling) and the cheesy drawn 

insert than makes then look more like a Tony Orlando 

cover band than a rock band. [AM] 

--- 

How can you avoid buying an album with liner notes 

that read "The time has come to probe into the soul & 

spirit of human kind & caress a new experience in 

sound. A sound that is as ageless as the universe!" ? 

Ah, human bliss is at hand. First off, I can't say I 

know much about this duo. Apparently from New Jersey 

(their album was recorded at C&C Studios in Glassboro 

NJ and released by the small Jersey-based C&C label), 

Ron and Shirley are singers/guitarists Ron Russo and 

Shirley Bristle. Co-produced by Russo and Ed 

Candelora, their sole release, 1977's "Rock and 

Scroll" offered up an interesting blend of Christian 

themes and rock instrumentation. Certainly a turnoff 

to many rock fans, the duo's religious agenda was out 

front and center on material such as 'Sealer Healer', 

'Christian Man' and 'Troubled Sea'. That said, with 

backing from the trio Universe (drummer Jay Baccile, 

guitarist Tom Boyer and bassist Jack Deluca), Russo 

and Bristle packaged all nine original tracks in 

surprisingly mainstream and attractive rock 

arrangements. The proceedings were certainly helped 

by the presence of guitarist Boyer's first-rate 

playing and the fact Russo had an attractive voice 

(Shirley's obtrusive and occasionally shrill 

supporting vocals took a little getting use to - 

check out her performances on 'Jude' and 

'Comforter'). Interestingly, we've seen the LP turn 

up on a number of big dollar psych sales lists. While 

the closing number 'Bad Love Is a Demon' boasted a 

distinctive psych edge (complete with weird time 

signature and oddball sound effects), it's an 

exception. The majority of the set, including 

selections such as 'Soul Winner' and 'Love Is Real' 

sport a more mainstream rock sound. Certainly not for 

everyone, but if you can live with the religious 

overtones, the LP's a pleasant surprise and something 

we play with surprising regularity. [SB]

RONNIE & THE POMONA CASUALS (Pomona, CA) 

"Everybody Jerk" 1965 (Donna do-2112) 

Excellent East LA interracial teen group doing 

uptempo soul rock proto garage ravers. Fine vocals 

similar to the best Justice label LPs. Features three 

'jerk' songs. It appears that Arthur Lee was involved 

with some tracks, and even sings. 

V.A "ROOF GARDEN JAMBOREE" (MN/IA) 

"Roof Garden Jamboree" 1967 (IGL 103) 

One of many local Midwest albums from the pre-hippie 

period. This various artist sampler contains a non-LP 

track by the Trashmen, Steve Ellis & the Starfires, 

Chateaux, Mad Hatters, South 40, Underbeats, and 

others. Iowa and Minnesota groups are featured. A 

couple of the tracks appear on the "IGL Rock Story 

vol 2" CD, but most have never been reissued. 

ROOTS OF MADNESS (San José, CA) 

"Girl In The Chair" 1971 (Dogmouth 1001) 

"Girl In The Chair" 2005 (DeStijl 045) 

Experimental weirdness that has been compared to the 

early Residents, but is perhaps more avant/collage 

and less "rock". 

JOE ROSANOVA & THE VINEYARD (TN) 

"In Dedication To The Ones We Love" 1968 (Astro Sonic 

Productions 4000) 

Given that it was distributed by Starday Records 

(known as a pay and press label), this appears to 

have been a vanity project. The opener leaves you 

with the impression this is going to be a Christian 

rock outing. Thankfully that's a red herring with 

most of the album bouncing between accomplished pop 

("Vicki" and "Now That I've Lost You"), more rockoriented 

numbers ("Mother's Brother's") and an odd 

nod at psych with the killer "Dreams of You", which 

is alone worth the admission price). As lead singer 

Fiori was quite good, particularly when he toughened 

up his delivery ("In Every Way"), where his growl 

recalled Rare Earth's singer. To be honest, had the 

set been a little more focused with a couple more 

psych and rock numbers, this'd be a major and highpriced 

item. Band originals all through. [SB] 

--- 

“Dreams Of You” is a bonafide psych classic, mixing 

overwhelming, spooky organ, dreamy vocals, hot fuzz 

guitar, a haunting melody and powerful sound effects. 

General consensus among collectors is that this album 

is worth owning only for that one song, but I think 

there’s plenty more to like here, from the bouncy

ROSEWOOD ( ) 

organ on the soulful “Lord, What’s Your Plan” to the 

catchy upbeat “In Every Way” to the slightly heavy 

“Since You’ve Been Away.” It is a spotty mix of 

styles, with about half of the songs being innocuous 

soft pop, but even the wimpiest songs here are pretty 

tuneful and have interesting arrangements. In Dave 

Clark Five fashion, the band is named after the 

drummer. Oh, and just the kind of thing to infuriate 

collectors: pretty much every copy of this album, 

even ones that look mint, play a bit noisy on just 

one track. Guess which song it is... [AM] 

--- 

While looking for an image of the LP, we stumbled on 

this little item from a former Vineyard bass player 

(I'll leave the person's name off of the quote): "Joe 

Rosanova - that dirtbag - still owes me one year's 

withholding tax which he withheld - PERMANENTLY. He 

was a real trip. He had polio as a child and it left 

him somewhat crippled although you really couldn't 

tell. He was the band leader and also the drummer. 

When he would have a bad day and his legs hurt he 

would yell furiously at the bass player. And then 

there was his gun..." 

"Rosewood" 197 (Martin Recordings PRP-29312) 

JOHN ROSPLOCK ( ) 

Early 1970s folkrock private in a Tim Hardin 

direction. 

"John Rosplock" 1974 (Johnny Dollar JD 101) 

Melodic folkrock/singer-songwriter LP, rated highly 

by some. 

ROUNDHOUSE (Wisconsin Dells, WI) 

"Handle With Care" 1976 (Claremont Records) 

ROUSERS (IA) 

This transitional hard rock album has AOR and prog 

(some mellotron) tendencies, but veers toward power 

pop too, and most of the songs are unfashionably 

fast. The riffs are somewhat pedestrian and the 

guitar playing pretty conventional, but the vocals 

are good and their heart was definitely in it. The 

album has 10 songs, unusual for a post-1968, pre-punk 

hard rock record. An obvious Beatles influence is a 

plus. This is a refreshing change from all of the 

dumb heavy albums of its era, but it’s not inspired 

or well-written enough to actually break new ground. 

More of a case of potential than actual quality, but 

not bad. [AM] 

"In Concert" 1965 (Fredlo 6520)

ROXX (MN) 

Local pre-Invasion teen-beat on famous Midwest label 

in primitive cover. 

"Get Your Rocks Off" 1976 (Sit On It And Spin) 

ROYALAIRES ( ) 

Crude boozy barband hardrock with keyboard/guitar 

prog moves. 

"Live vol 1" 1966 (RPC 76532) 

R P M (NY) 

R P S ( ) 

Rare teenbeat LP on famed custom label. 

"R P M" 1972 (Freeflow) 

Seldom seen private press of keyboard/guitar flowing 

progressive rock. It seems the band included Chris 

Robison, who had two solo LPs out (see entry). 

"R P S" 1976 (Mars) 

RUBBER MEMORY (LA) 

Midwest hardrock trio with a James Gang barband 

sound. 

"Welcome" 1970 (RPC 69402) [300p] 

"Welcome" 2000 (Loopden 002) [inserts] 

Post-Iron Butterfly organ-lead basement psychrock 

with a teenage vibe, pretty cool for what it is with 

mostly originals and one doomy killer track on side 

1. Side 2 is a bit on the weak side and has an inept 

drum solo. An insert with the classy reissue reveals 

that they still held Battle Of The Bands in Louisiana 

at this late stage. [PL]

ROGER RUBIN & ROTFREE ANDERSON (Atlanta, GA) 

"Atlanta Underground - Freek Music" 1971 (Purple Haze 1-71) 

Georgia acid strum damage realness. Like the British 

icon Ron Warren Ganderton. Tracks include "Redneck 

woman" and "Masters of society, while side 2 is 

dominated by a folk-freakout titled "Hallucinate". 

BECKIE RYAN (San Francisco, CA) 

"Beckie Ryan" 1977 (Blossom 101) 

This latter day hippie folk album is a hot ticket 

item in Japan. Like a lot of albums championed there, 

it’s gentle with beautiful vocals and clear 

songwriting. It’s quite good for its type and is 

recommended to fans of singer songwriter folk, but 

it’s too straightforward and lacking in excitement to 

turn the heads of loner folk or acid folk fans. 

Producer David Blossom is likely the guy from 50 Foot 

Hose. On the back cover photo Becky rivals Caroline 

Peyton, from her "Intuition" cover photos, for cutest 

70s hippie. [AM] 

COLLIE RYAN (Santa Barbara, CA) 

"The Giving Tree" 1973 (Rainbow CRGMC-1) [500p] 

"Indian Summer" 1973 (Rainbow CRGMC-2) [500p] 

"Takin’ Your Turn ‘Round the Corner of Day” 1973 (Rainbow 

CRGMC-3) [500p] 

Ryan's three LPs contain acoustic folk with female 

vocals and an appealing moody, mysterious 

(Theosophian) edge that scares off the trad spectre 

and invites the psychedelic spirits, although they do 

not quite enter the room. Ms Ryan has a good voice, a 

bit like Alisha of Magic Carpet, and writes songs 

with memorable melodies and minor chord progressions. 

The more upbeat and sing-songy tracks are slightly 

less successful. The albums were only sold locally at 

the "New Age Farms" fresh squeezed juice store. All 

three have full color covers painted by Ryan herself 

and make for an appealing trinity in the popular Judy 

Collins style, even while they're not the 

"mindblowing femme acid folkpsych" you may see them 

listed as. The third one may be the strongest 

overall, and is a good one to start with, although 

they're all quite similar. CRGMC stands for the

DENNIS RYDER ( ) 

Colorado River Gold Mining Company. [PL] 

"Let Me Take You To The Kingdom" 1973 (Hosanna 72873) 

JOHN RYDGREN (CO) 

Top of the heap for Christian folk. Ryder is a 

marvelous songwriter, and his enthusiasm for his 

faith is utterly infectious without being at all 

annoying. He simply shares, doesn’t proselytize. His 

vocals and melodies are brilliant, and the mild folkrock 

arrangements show them off beautifully. By the 

time of the gorgeous Beatlesque “Make It Right” even 

I’m ready to convert. Just a fantastic record. Two 

cover variants exist; one a landscape drawing, the 

other a portrait. [AM] 

--- 

Obviously inspired by the crystal clear folk sound of 

"Scarborough Fair", "Sounds Of Silence" etc, Dennis 

Ryder brings the liturgical Simon & Garfunkel vocal 

harmony trip full circle as he charges it with 

religious themes in the typical born-again Jesus 

movement style. The tracks with a full folkrock sound 

show an obvious CSN influence, and it's a testament 

to this album's strength and self-confidence that 

Ryder comes out with a consistent, personal statement 

despite these two commanding presences. Occasionally 

he strays into the bland, frictionless feel-good 

1970s praise heard on albums such as Chenaniah and 

Harvest Flight, but the spellbinding nature of the 

best tracks is what leaves a lasting impression. The 

recording is impressive with attractive guitar 

figures and multilayered vocals forming the base for 

overdubs of flute, organ and in some cases, drums and 

bass. Psychedelia creeps in via unexpected Eastern 

chord progressions and gliding, dreamy vocals, and on 

a track such as "Sound The Alarm" the otherworldly 

psych feel completely overtakes the religious feel in 

a way similar to Search Party and Trees-Christ Tree. 

Would make a good double bill with R.F.D, with this 

being the stronger and more distinctive of the two. 

[PL] 

"Cantata Of A New Life" 1967 (Sirl) [gatefold] 

Created for the 450th anniversary of the Lutheran 

Church, side 1 of this LP is an extraordinary 

psychedelic Christian cantata which is possibly 

Rydgren's crowning achievement. In cooperation with 

composer Robert Way, a 25 minute eclectic musical 

mass mixes superbly with Rydgren's raps on the 

existential confusion of youth in modern society, and 

how Christianity possibly holds the key. As with all 

his recordings, the questions are asked in such a 

mindbendingly cool way that the answers sort of get 

lost in the haze, which is part of the strongly 

psychedelic nature of this material. The music ranges 

from modernist classical over exotica to contemporary 

"rock", and is as impressive as Rydgren's dramatic 

narration. As good it gets within the Christian 

Incredibly Strange field. Side 2 contains variations

on his "Silhouette" radio spots. An oversize poster 

of the acid collage gatefold cover was created to 

promote the LP. [PL] 

"Worlds Of Youth" 1968 (Concordia 79-9066) 

One of Rydgren's rarest albums, this contains a 

series of two-person dialogues, pairing Rydgren & 

associate Herbert Brokering with a hip teen girl and 

a goofy teen boy. Typical period surf a-go-go and 

fuzz psych plays in the background, as the turned-on 

Christian brainwashing plays out. There's also a 

unique track of Rydgren singing. This is a lockedgroove 

disc, which means that you have to move the 

needle forward to get to each new track. 

"Silhouette" 196 (Lutheran) 

This is a single-disc radio program that should not 

be confused with the 2-LP "Silhouette Segments". Each 

side of the record is a single track, each 

approximately one half hour in length. This appears 

to be an actual broadcast of the Silhouette program, 

described as “a sound in the middle of sounds” and “a 

chance to think”. The record strings together songs 

from popular artists of the day (The Supremes, Lou 

Rawls, Buffalo Springfield, The Hollies, Simon & 

Garfunkel), but many of the selections are from 

obscure unknown artists (such as Japan’s The 

Peanuts). Rydgren speaks between the songs, 

interviewing Seattle co-eds, London teens, hit 

songwriters and authors on topics such as the church, 

Christianity, witnessing, petting, guilt, God and 

whether the Christian approach to sex makes any sense 

“in today’s go-go world”. There are a few brief 

sketches of the Silhouette Segments variety, 

including one killer tripped-out dramatic spoken 

prayer that melds into a psych track by The Animals 

called "When I Was Young". Worth it just to hear that 

ultra-groovy Silhouette jingle that pops up here and 

there. Front cover has the same picture of the miniskirted 

girl that’s on the back of Segments, plus 

there’s a different b&w shot of her inside. Don’t 

know if this is the only album in the series or if 

there might be others? A marvelous snapshot of late- 

‘60s hip radio. [KS] 

"Silhouette Segments" 1969 (American Lutheran Church 8-8531) 

[2LPs; gatefold] 

"Silhouette Segments" 199 (Mystic) [no gatefold] 

The most famous album from Christian radio DJ with an 

atmospheric, gravelly voice a la Ken Nordine rapping 

and doing spoken word designed to pull kids away from 

hippie drugs and into the even hipper Jesus trip. In 

line with Rydgren's radio show (first aired on WABC, 

then syndicated around the US), this 2LP set contains 

musical snips from various sources, some of it famous 

psych tracks, and also interviews with kids and 

celebrities explaining the dilemma of late 60s "now" 

lifestyles. "My head's torn up in the world of the 

plastic mushroom". Rydgren's superb turned-on 

monologues is what really carries this into the 

upmost echelon of Weird America, though. Drugs are 

frequently mentioned and needless to say this is a

smorgasbord for samples. Most people are hopefully 

familiar with this wonderama by now. The reissue is a 

single-LP condensation of highpoints from the double 

LP. [PL] 


SABRAS see Bezalel & the Sabras 

SACRED MUSHROOM (Cincinnati, OH) 

"Sacred Mushroom" 1969 (Parallax 4001) 

"Sacred Mushroom" 198 (Parallax, Europe) [bootleg; yellow 

vinyl] 

"Sacred Mushroom" 1993 (CD Eva b-30, France) 

"Sacred Mushroom" 2001 (CD) 

I occasionally see this on high priced psych lists, 

coupled with the usual dealer BS descriptions of 

"radical, mind numbing psych", etc. You probably 

won't be shocked to hear that most of the album isn't 

particularly psychedelic. In spite of the trippy name 

and great psychedelic cover art, the majority of the 

album found the band pursuing a fairly pedestrian 

blues attack. Unfortunately, overlooking a nifty 

cover of The Kinks' "I'm Not Like Everybody 

Else" (which stood as the album's highlight), none of 

the set's white-boys-singing-the-blues efforts were 

particularly original. Competent and professional, 

the isolated bits of excitement were largely a result 

of excellent guitar work. There was also a pre-LP 45, 

and an original Mexican pressing of the LP on Audio 

Fidelity. The 2001 CD is a reissue from the band 

themselves. [SB] 

~~~ 

This one's collectable more for the album cover and 

band name than for the music within. They're 

definitely hippies, but this is mostly straight 

blues, and not a particularly interesting example of 

it. Cool communal photo on the back cover, though. 

[AM] 

SADDHU BRAND (San Francisco, CA) 

"Whole Earth Rhythm" 1970 (Anna Chakraborty's Musical Sewing 

Machine 101) 

Cosmic communal sitar folk and psych, with female 

vocals, chanting in English and Hindu, lots of ethnic

SAGE (FL) 

instruments. An early example of a genre that would 

become common during the 1970s, not overwhelmingly 

interesting to my ears and curiously lacking the 

spiritual charge that can make these albums 

memorable. With Peter Van Gelder (ex-Great Society) 

after a long trip to India. The LP was picked up by 

UNI (73116) and re-released in 1971 with a new and 

less blatantly druggy cover. The UNI press is a good 

way to check out the LP cheap. 

"By Sage" 1977 (Illusion CM2004) 

"By Sage" 2004 (CD Radioactive 081, UK) 

Typical local mid-1970s Allman Bros/Dead rural 

groover, with a laidback mood and snakey guitar 

leads. Hard to find anything that makes it stand out 

within this rather common style, although the overall 

consistency of mood and playing makes it a good proxy 

for the genre. Vocals are OK, with some westcoast 

harmonies here and there, while the smooth flow of 

the playing is a bit like Kristyl (esp on "Morning 

Dove"), except a bit more swampy and not as 

spellbinding. Recording has an agreeable basement 

live feel, and it could be argued that these guys 

have everything in place to make a killer LP, except 

the songwriting, which relies too much on lines 

repeated like mantras and a lack of hooks and 

memorable chord progressions. Instead it becomes a 

working snapshot of the sound going round among 1000s 

of local club & bar bands in the American heartland 

at the time. Slightly stoned but not very 

psychedelic, except for the front cover acid drawing 

of a weird old sage with gigantic sheep eyes. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is average Southern-style rock with innocuous 

love-song lyrics. Some of the guitar playing is 

pretty cool, and the performances are fine, but until 

the very last song, the lovely "Morning Dove" (sic), 

this is unexceptional in every way. The LP sounds 

like a third-generation recording, the most fadedsounding 

album you'll ever hear. I know tax scam 

labels are low-budget, but this must have been 

mastered from the band's cassette recording of their 

studio sessions. The first song on side two starts 

part-way through the actual recording. The vinyl is 

pretty noisy too, and the album is only 28 and a half 

minutes long. Cool album cover considering the 

circumstances. [AM] 

"Rock It Out" 1978 (Illusion) 

"Shadows Of The Night" 1978 (lllusion 1050) 

"Freeport" 1978 (Illusion) 

"Rockin'" 1978 (Illusion) 

"Skyscraper" 1978 (Illusion)

SAGE (OK) 

As you can see, something weird was going on with 

this band and label. In his "release anything I can 

get my hands on" frenzy, Mike Pinera put out not less 

than six albums by Sage on his Illusion label, 

probably as a tax-scam. Too bad he couldn't find some 

lost recordings of his ex-bandmate April Lawson. 

These other five Sage LPs have been described as 

similar in style to "By Sage", although they tend to 

be seldom seen. "Rock It Out" has a photo of the 

band. 

"Sage" 197 (McCullar Sound no #) 

SAGE & SEER (CO) 

Good, laidback 1970s rock with some psychy 

guitarwork. The band recorded an LP under the name 

Lyra in 1979, also reputedly of interest. 

"Sage & Seer" 1969 (Stylist SA-600) [insert] 

Unusual item for a private press as it's an ambitious 

and elaborate lyte-psych effort that would have fit 

well on Epic or ABC. Influences are mainly British 

with obvious nods to 1967 Donovan and the Beatles. 

Arrangements bring in chamber music orchestrations 

and a baroque feel that has made for Left Banke 

comparisons, although I was more reminded of a 

second-tier Fredric. Unfortunately the slight 

weakness of the vocals is enhanced by an upfront and 

strongly channel-separated mix, something that would 

have been better handled with the major label 

treatment originally intended for the guys. 

Songwriting is good, and the lyrics typically 

poignant. One track has unsuccessful soul moves like 

Colorado colleagues Rainy Daze, rest is true to the 

clever pop genre credo. The experience of hearing a 

typical $10.000 LA album done as a local release is 

interesting enough to make this worth checking out, 

in addition to 3 or 4 memorable tracks. [PL] 

~~~ 

Cool album cover and lots of dealer hype make this 

one easy to mistake for a lost pop/psych masterpiece. 

In reality, though, it's a mainstream 60s pop album 

with lots of strings and horns (where'd these guys 

ever get such a big recording budget?). It starts and 

ends well: "Pictures Through A Sunday Afternoon" is a 

gorgeous baroque pop song that ends in a wash of 

psychedelic effects, and the closing "Farewell St. 

John" is a slightly lesser variation on the same 

musical theme. The rest is kind of a mixed bag, with 

a few nice soft rock songs and a few that are more 

forgettable. The album came with a lovely lyric 

poster. [AM] 

SAGITTARIUS (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Present Tense" 1968 (Columbia cs-9644)

"Present Tense" 1985 (Back-Trac) 

"Present Tense" 1997 (CD Sundazed 10053) [+9 tracks] 

"Present Tense" 2004 (CD Sony, Japan) 

This is one of the most beloved soft psych albums of 

the 60s, and it certainly has moments that show Curt 

Boettcher to have an extraordinary gift for a catchy 

melody. The album is kind of hit and miss, though, 

and commits the unpardonable sin of including an 

edited version of the masterpiece “My World Fell 

Down.” Unsuspecting 70s collectors who bought the 

album after hearing the song on the "Nuggets" 

compilation were understandably disappointed. 

Certainly this is worth owning, as there are about 

half a dozen wonderful pop tunes on it, but it feels 

more like an exploitation album than a coherent 

whole. [AM] 

“The Blue Marble” 1969 (Together 1002) 

SAHARAS (MI) 

The second Sagittarius seems like a more coherent 

attempt at an “album” than the first, with a more 

consistent melodic feel and some quite surprising use 

of moog (an instrument still in its infant stages in 

rock and roll.) It’s completely lightweight, always 

pretty but rarely a whole lot more than that. You’ll 

either love or hate the synths, though I can’t 

imagine even the most jaded hard rock junkie not 

appreciating the beauty of the voices. The high 

points aren’t as high as those on "Present Tense", 

but this is an enjoyable album for those moments when 

you want to wimp out for a while. [AM] 

"Saharas" 1966 (United) [10"] 

SAILOR ( ) 

Teenbeat rarity with female vocalist Lu. Supposedly a 

live recording from a Michigan college, in a fratrock 

style. This may be the same Saharas that had 45s 

on United and the well-known Fenton label. 

"Sailor" 1976 (700 West) [1000p; inner] 

Obscure light westcoasty sounds on the same Indiana 

label as Zerfas, receiving some hype of late. 

SAINTE ANTHONY'S FYRE (NJ) 

"Sainte Anthony's Fyre" 1971 (Zonk 001) 

"Sainte Anthony's Fyre" 1987 (Breeder 563, Austria) 

"Sainte Anthony's Fyre" 1996 (Void 03) [poster; 400#d] 

"Sainte Anthony's Fyre" 199 (CD, Europe) 

Rated by many as one of the ultimate local basement 

hardrock blowouts. An intense, compressed live feel

ST ELMO'S FIRE (OH) 

has the band going through a set of raw originals 

with a near-punk attack. Also shows obvious urban 

soul/funk inspiration a la Grand Funk, although this 

becomes an advantage in this context. A great echoey 

rehearsal space sound adds to the appeal. According 

to Jersey folklore the drummer OD'd after his brother 

had shot himself in the head. The Void reissue is 

inferior in sound compared to the original, or the 

earlier bootleg. [PL] 

~~~ 

Intense damaged power trio. Sludge fuzz behemoth in 

Bent Wind/Blue Cheer zone. No subtlety or restraint 

in evidence as Greg Ohm delivers powerful vocals and 

distorted leads from the other side. The side openers 

"Love over you" and "Lone soul road" are all time 

riff fests. [RM] 

"Live At The Cleveland Agora" 1980 (Corposant) [inner sleeve; 

#d] 

ROD ST JAMES ( ) 

Hard progressive guitar keys. Garagy King Crimson 

sound and Tolkien influence. Not an expensive LP. 

"Has Anybody Seen A Superstar" 1972 (Paula lps-2218) 

Nice one. Trippy organ, wailing fuzz, and wah-wah 

over a funky psych backing with 'laid-back cool' 

phased hippie vocals. Donovan meets Marcus 

(McDonald)! [RM] 

~~~ 

Interesting combination of funky guitar rock and some 

folk. The cover is mysterious and it’s impossible to 

tell from his singing if he’s white or black. There’s 

some hot guitar here and some pretty catchy songs. 

It’s a darn good mainstream 70s rock album, though I 

suppose some would say he’s trying too hard on the 

few folky songs on side two. There’s nothing 

“psychedelic” about this album, and other than the 

lead guitar, it’s not hard rock either, so the hype 

is sometimes misleading. Nonetheless it’s a very good 

album and is quite scarce, and I recommend it. [AM] 

SAINT JOHN GREEN (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Saint John Green" 1968 (Flick-Disc fls 45001) 

Trashy sci-fi bubblegum fuzz punk with Kim Fowley 

involvement, cheesy organ fun. Goofball concept about 

the end of the world. [RM] 

~~~ 

It's pretty cool to think that stuff this bizarre was 

getting released and distributed in the late 60s. 

Goofy comedy bits and fake Satanism mix with garagy 

pop to make for a fun album. There are a couple of 

excellent songs here too, and not a boring moment to 

be found. A nice companion piece for Kim Fowley's 

"Outrageous". [AM]

ST LOUIS HOUNDS (St Louis, MO) 

"St Louis Hounds" 1977 (Hounds 101) 

Rock with big band sound and violin. This is actually 

the third Pavlov's Dog LP, which had been rejected by 

Columbia. 

ST PIUS X SEMINARY CHOIR (CA) 

"Each One Heard In His Own Way" 1968 (Century 30441) 

Here’s one choir you definitely won’t want to miss. 

Notice that they’re directed by the Rev. Nicholas T. 

Freund, the same guy responsible for The Search 

Party’s "Montgomery Chapel", one of Christian music’s 

absolute top psych rarities. Although this 

male/female choir doesn’t really sound like The 

Search Party, they sure don’t recall any choir I’ve 

ever heard before. The rock, folk, psych and 

electronic influences heard here once again confirm 

that Freund was very much a part of the experimental 

late ‘60s. The choir itself comes across big and 

loud, and at more than one point it even sounds like 

they’re yelling at the top of their lungs. The 

instruments are loud, too: the electric bass, the 

organ, the acoustic guitars, the electric guitar, and 

especially the drums and percussion. "Meditation – 

Acts 2:1-12 – Pentecost Sunday" opens the album on a 

highly avant garde note, with liturgical readings, 

chanting and dissonant singing backed by a variety of 

harsh heavy grating electronic sounds. Covers of Ray 

Repp’s "I Am The Resurrection" and "Come Children 

Hear Me" follow, sounding like straightforward ‘60s 

Catholic folk as typically heard on the World Library 

or FEL labels. Bluesy harmonica joins with some cool 

electric guitar riffing on Sister Germaine’s "Who Is 

This Man". Next is an intense psychedelic version of 

"Get Together" with big drums, swirls of spacey organ 

and tripped-out Sgt. Pepper flutes, and a short 

modal/raga electric guitar solo. Side two is entirely 

taken up with a rocking performance of John 

Ylvisaker’s "Mass For The Secular City" (from Praise 

The Lord In Many Voices Part I), highlighted by 

psychy organ and electric guitar interaction. Very 

primitive looking yellow cover with red dove/fire 

design, along with newspaper clippings about the 

group on the back. [KS] 

ST RAPHAEL FOLK GROUP ( ) 

"Sabbath Prayer" 196 (no label) 

SAINTROCK (NY) 

Late 1960s typical Christian folk and folkrock with 

male/female vocals, in a nice color sleeve. Described 

as unexciting by some.

"Conceptual Orchestra" 1978 (CER) 

"Conceptual Orchestra" 2005 (CD) 

SAINT STEVEN (MA) 

Westcoast/rural-flavored religious folkrock with 

flute and fuzz from duo, highly rated by some. There 

is a second LP from 1984, "Second Coming", and 

further recordings from recent times. 

"Saint Steven" 1969 (Probe CPLP 4506) [gatefold; red label 

rim] 

"Saint Steven" 1969 (Probe) [bootleg; gatefold] 

"Saint Steven" 199 (CD TRC, Europe) 

"Saint Steven" 199 (CD BOD 102, Germany) 

SALEM MASS (ID) 

Ambitious and eclectic Boss-Town sound that's 

received some hype recently though I can't say I'm 

blown away by it. Fuzzed hippierock mixed with folkie 

bits and interesting lyrics but nowhere as freaky and 

arresting as the top psych LPs from the time and 

place, in my opinion. May appeal more to fans of 

early UK/Euro artrock and prog. Earlier recordings as 

the Frontpage Review have been made available (CD 

"Mystic Soldiers", Big Beat). Cataldo was later in 

the Nervous Eaters. The LP title is sometimes listed 

as "Over The Hills". A Canadian original pressing 

exists without gatefold; the album was also released 

in Peru for some reason. See also comment for One St 

Stephen. [PL] 

~~~ 

After Morgen, this is the key collectable on the 

label. Opinions are divided on it, but I think it's a 

good one. There's a mild theme to it, with background 

noise on several songs (political commentary, animal 

noises), and two distinct album sides: "Over The 

Hills" and "Bastich." I'm not really sure what it's 

about, but it has an appealing strange energy. The 

music is a mix of melodic pop/psych and heavy psych. 

The songs vary in quality but all have nice fuzz 

guitar and a few, notably "Bastich 1" and "Voyage To 

Cleveland," are quite memorable. Not a masterpiece, 

but an interesting album. Oddly enough, "Bastich 1" 

was covered by Whalefeathers. How in the world did 

they ever discover this song? [AM] 

"Witchburning" 1971 (Salem Mass slp-101) 

"Witchburning" 199 (Salem Mass, Europe) [bootleg] 

"Witchburning" 1998 (CD Gear Fab gf-117) 

"Witchburning" 1999 (Akarma 092, Italy) 

Cheap-sounding hard rock with lots of moog. For the 

first song, which is quite long, it's pretty cool, 

but overall this isn't anything special and doesn't 

cover any new ground after that one song. It's 

nowhere near as dark as the band and album title 

would imply, though the synth does get pretty creepy 

now and then. [AM]

SANDS OF TIME ( ) 

"Sands Of Time" 197 (Sands Of Time 2000) 

SANDSTONE (PA) 

Not to be confused with any other Sands Of Time, this 

is unexceptional hippie folk with male/female vocals. 

The cover shows the main couple in a field. 

"Can You Mend A Silver Thread?" 1971 (SA 2911) 

Little-known local folkpsych trip with a total UK 

sound, reminiscent of the Shide & Acorn album in 

particular. Male/female vocal harmonies, acoustic 

guitar tapestries, flute, piano and occasional violin 

all create a dreamy, wistful mood typical of the 

style. While not terribly original it is skillfully 

done and hits all the right spots, and is likely to 

delight genre fans in a big way. I might have opted 

for even more of the female vocals but it's a minor 

objection. Some trad moves here and there for an 

"authentic" feel, but really a trip off the lysergic 

Camelot magic first invoked by Donovan back in 1967. 

[PL] 

V.A "SAN FRANCISCO POP FESTIVAL" (CA) 

"San Francisco Pop Festival" 1968 (Colstar 5001) [poster] 

Obscure comp done to cash in on the San Francisco 

craze of '67-68. The marvy packaging (including a 

poster) is probably of more interest than the sounds, 

which apart from three or four OK garage/psych 

numbers is wholly superflous. S.F experts suggest 

that several of the groups listed actually represent 

various one-off studio amalgamations involving the 

highly active ex-New Zealander Ray Columbus. The 

track attributed to the Haight-Ashbury Blues Band was 

actually pre-Horses/Kingfish group New Delhi River 

Band. "Friendly indians" by Charolette Wood is the 

high point to me. [PL] 

SANSONE & McDONALD ( ) 

"Country Life & My Wife" 1976 (Acredited) 

SANTA FE ( ) 

Local folkrock obscurity with a 60s throwback sound.

"The Good Earth" 1972 (RTV 301) [wlp exists] 

DAVID SANTO (NY) 

This is a collectable because of the label, but it's 

not something many collectors will want to listen to 

more than once or twice. It's non-psychedelic rural 

rock, with a few good-timey rock songs and some 

horns. They try awfully hard but really don't develop 

an identity. Despite the variety of arrangements it's 

pretty bland. The band's earlier, self-titled LP on 

Ampex is highly rated by some. [AM] 

"Silver Currents" 1968 (Phoenix phs-101) 

"Silver Currents" 1969 (Sire ses-97004) [altered cover] 

Obscure Village folk-hippie guy with tremendous 45 

"Rising Of Scorpio", included on this LP in an 

alternate mix. Rest of the album is disappointing 

third-tier Donovan sounds with offkey vocals. File 

under "avoid" next to Marcus on Kinetic. [PL] 

~~~ 

Santo’s best known for “Rising Of Scorpio,” a cool 

tune that appeared on many psychedelic compilations, 

despite musically being pretty straight folk rock. 

The rest of his album is pretty similar, though no 

other song is quite as memorable. Santo has a warm, 

guy-next-door voice that’s more likeable than good. 

His songwriting is good but not great and the album 

is a fun but minor entry into the 60s 

singer/songwriter sweepstakes. This LP came out 

twice, once on a small label with a colorful cover 

photo with Santo’s face in a bunch of clouds, and a 

second time on Sire with a black and white photo of 

Santo in a cold-weather parka. Both versions are 

scarce, though the original generally goes for twice 

as much as the second issue. [AM] 

SAPPHIRE THINKERS ( ) 

"From Within" 1969 (Hobbit 503) [wlp exists] 

"From Within" 199 (Hobbit) 

"From Within" 2000 (CD Summer Of Love 2000-2) 

Surprisingly good CA-sounding melodic/harmony psych 

trip, instantly likable and strong enough to hold 

your attention for repeat plays. Elements from 

disparate sources are brought in -- Curt Boettcher 

sunshine pop, Bay Area teen top 40 psych like 

Neighb'rhood Childr'n, Sunset Strip organ/fuzz/flute 

a la Strawberry Alarmclock -- yet the end result is 

consistent and convincing, with plenty of strength in 

the songwriting and arrangements, and no major 

weaknesses. A few tracks point towards the relaxed

JOHN W SARGENT ( ) 

early 1970s psych sound of Kak and Bob Smith. 

Impressive, not unlike a junior Music Emporium. Ex- 

Merry Prankster Sandy "Dismount" Lehmann-Haupt was 

involved and may have contributed to the non-fake 

vibe of this LP. [PL] 

~~~ 

All the elements are here: cool organ, solid male and 

female vocals, catchy melodies, plenty of fuzz 

guitar, but somehow this album never really worked 

for me. I'm not sure if it's overlys formulaic, or if 

the songwriting is a little bland, or I find the 

flute annoying, or what, but I keep trying to 

discover what others see in this record with no luck. 

The album definitely lacks the kind of wildness found 

in, say, Neighb'rhood Childr'n, or the kind of 

songwriting excellence and diversity that makes 

Creation of Sunlight and the Strawberry Alarm Clock 

rise above their similar saccharine tendencies. [AM] 

"John W Sargent" 196 (no label) [no cover] 

Druggy lounge rock with guitar, organ, flute. Some of 

the vocals are unintelligible which may well be for 

the best. The label reads 'demonstration copy'. [RM] 

JOHN SASE see Aessence 

SATAN & THE DECIPLES (LA) 

"Underground" 1969 (Goldband grlp 7750) 

Mock-satanic swamprock with classic "theme" song that 

features unconvincing devilish laughter and a swank 

Sam The Sham occult party groove that needs to be 

heard. Made by stupid people for stupid people! [PL] 

~~~ 

This album is a riot. That doesn't mean it's good; 

it's not. It is, however, one of the most absurd and 

misguided attempts at exploitation you'll ever hear. 

The long opening "Satan's First Theme" is ridiculous 

beyond belief. The singer laughs and growls in a 

goofy way that wouldn't scare a two-year old, and the 

lyrics are equally tame. I mean, if you're trying to 

be Satan, wouldn't you be evil, or scary, or 

offensive? He doesn't go much further than suggesting 

he should have sued the writers of the bible for 

libel. This goes on for about eight minutes, as he 

sing-speaks and while the backup singers call him 

"the bugger man." Unforgettable! Another long (7 

minute) song ends the album, with the same 

singer/narrator teaching us about "The Book Of 

Alpha." It's more of the same and less entertaining 

only because it's the second time he's pulled the 

same schtick. The lousy garage pop songs and country 

ballads that come between these two "masterpieces" 

are mundane by comparison, even though they're pretty 

goofy too. Most of you will think this is a colossal 

waste of time, but some of you will treasure it for 

life. [AM]

"THE SATANIC MASS" (San Francisco, CA) 

"Recorded Live At The Church Of Satan" 1968 (Murgensturm MM 

6660) 

Satanic service with sinister organ and preaching. 

Conducted by church leader Anton Szandor Lavey. One 

side features a recording of his "Satanic Mass" 

recorded live, the other features LaVey's reading 

from "The Satanic Bible" over selected classical 

music. Reissued on CD several times by labels such as 

Amarillo, Mephisto, and Rare Recordings. 

SATANS (Andover, MA) 

"Raisin' Hell" 1962 (no label 3262) 

RICK SAUCEDO (IL) 

Instrumentals from the East-Coast prep rock scene, 

the renowned Phillips Academy (Rising Storm, etc) to 

be precise. Very crude sleeve artwork. 

"Heaven Was Blue" 1978 (Reality 55) 

"Heaven Was Blue" 2003 (Orange Double Dome) [300p] 

Elvis impersonator moonlighting as a psych genius in 

a nice blue haunted house sleeve. This is melodic 

1970s psych like Michael Angelo and Bobb Trimble with 

a great sidelong epic and two rootsy r'n'r numbers 

that stick out like a sore thumb. The good stuff is 

killer though, rich guitar textures supporting dreamy 

vocals carrying wellwritten songs through plenty of 

changes yet always with an eye on the ball; likely to 

appeal to any and all psych fans out there. All 

reissue copies came with loose, unglued cover slicks. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

This is the kind of album that makes collecting so 

much fun. Who in a million years would have guessed 

that this Elvis impersonator also was a tortured soul 

who real voice would be so pretty in a pop sense? The 

two regular length popsike songs on side one are as 

good as music gets, every bit as emotionally deep and 

chill-inducing as Michael Angelo or Bobb Trimble, 

packed with melody, hooks and dreamy guitars. The 

sidelong suite is almost as good, but suffers from 

sloppy rhythms. It sounds as if the drums were 

overdubbed, and several times the drummer struggles 

to keep up. The two good time rock & roll songs that 

close side one are nothing particularly exciting even 

for fans of the style, and couldn’t be more out of 

place. Still three quarters of a very special album 

is something to treasure, and everyone reading this 

needs to hear it. [AM] 

~~~


SAVAGE RESURRECTION (CA) 

"Savage Resurrection" 1968 (Mercury mg-21156) [wlp; mono] 

"Savage Resurrection" 1968 (Mercury mg-21156) [red label; 

mono] 

"Savage Resurrection" 1968 (Mercury sr-61156) [red label; 

stereo] 

"Savage Resurrection" 1988 (Mercury) [bootleg] 

SAVAGES (Bermuda) 

One of the classic heavy psych albums, this is one 

that every fan of the genre seems to like. What makes 

the album so cool is that they have not one but two 

wild guitarists, and the dual lead guitars spew fuzz 

and feedback brilliantly throughout. As much as I 

enjoy this album, though, I must say that after about 

twenty listens I still can't remember more than one 

or two of the actual songs without hearing them 

again. If the songwriting had been up to the level of 

the guitar playing this would have been as good as 

Morgen. The one common criticism is that it's yet 

another one of these records with a long blues jam on 

it, but the guitar playing at least makes the jam 

more enjoyable than most others in the style. As is 

sometimes the case, the mono promo has been reported 

as having the best sound of the pressings. [AM] 

"Live 'N Wild" 1967 (Duane 1047) 

"Live 'N Wild" 1984 (Resurrection CX 1330) 

"Live 'N Wild" 2002 (CD no label) 

SAVANNAH ( ) 

To me one of the best local garage LPs, an authentic 

live recording from a Bermuda rich kid hangout. Lots 

of Animals/Stones moves but also several great 

originals like "The world ain't round" and the 

sublime "Quiet town", three of which have appeared on 

comps. Tough garage sounds successfully mixed with 

atmospheric ballads in a stylish manner, my only 

gripe being the wasted "On Broadway" cover and the 

"manly" sub-Burdonesque vocals on a few tracks. "No 

no no" is a studio recording from a post-LP session 

and was inserted into the album with some fake crowd 

noise added. Original copies of this LP are hardly 

ever offered but by all means try to score the old 

vinyl reissue. The label was from New Jersey, but the 

band was mainly based in Bermuda. There is also a 

good non-LP 45 track. The vinyl-sourced CD reissue 

comes from the band themselves. [PL] 

"Crank It Up" 1977 (Chrome Thigh)

Hard guitar jamming dedicated to Tommy Bolin. 

SKY SUNLIGHT SAXON (Los Angeles, CA) see article 

"Lovers Cosmic Voyage" 1976 (Emerald Light GF 571231) [no 

cover] 

"Heavenly Earth - Live at the Orpheum" 1977 (Sunbow 001) [2 

inserts] 

"Masters Of Psychedelia" 1984 (New Rose, French) 

Still going strong (?) into his fifth decade of 

flipped out sounds, the great man's discography could 

fill a book of its own. We've narrowed it down to 

things immediately relevant to the Archives. Credited 

only to Sunlight, "Lovers Cosmic Voyage" is a new 

agey harp & piano meditation on space travel with 

dogs, quite surreal for the whole 15 minutes it 

lasts. "Heavenly Earth" is credited to Sunlight 

Rainbow Stars New Seeds and is a droning basement 70s 

psych trip that would fetch a lot more $$$ if made by 

unknown guys, the only drawback being the lack of 

guitar-leads. Although the sleeve bears no such 

credits, it appears that side 2 of "Masters Of 

Psychedelia" features Fire Water Air, circa 1975, 

from the same recording session that yielded the 

Yahowha-related "Golden Sunrise" LP. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Alright Family Band; Yahowha 13 

SAXONS (New York City, NY) 

"Love Minus Zero/No Limit" 1966 (Mirrosonic AM 1017) [mono] 

"Love Minus Zero/No Limit" 1966 (Mirrosonic AS 1017) [stereo] 

Baroque vocals and harpsichord folkrockers from duo 

doing three Dylan covers among others. 

SCHROEDER & FOREST (Canada) 

"Another Brand New Day" 1975 (no label) 

Hippie folk with flute and male/female vocals. May be 

a demo pressing only. 

JIM & CHERIE SCHWALL (Chicago, IL) 

"A Wedding Present From" 1971 (no label) 

Early 1970s, laidback mostly acoustic blues jamming. 

Made as a gift for friends. Jim was in the Siegel- 

Schwall Band. There was a later private press also, 

"Spring Vacation" (1978).

JOHN SCOGGINS ( ) 

"Pressed For Time" 1976 (Tiger Lily 14059) [promos exist] 

SCORPION ( ) 

Charming dreamy 1970s pop with an early new wave 

sensibility mixed with a warm, 1960s-style folkrock 

sound. Light, upbeat vocals fit the music perfectly, 

and the playing is fine with lots of ringing guitars. 

Several songs are superb 3-minute creations in the 

classic McCartney/McGuinn school, and the LP sticks 

close to this credo throughout, with only a jokey 

hillbilly tune wasted. While not a far out psych 

monster or hardrock blowout, most people who hear 

this like it, simply on ground of its talent and 

sunny feel. Too bad it came out on the tax-loss Tiger 

Lily label; on the appropriate label it could have 

been a Shoes-type cult classic. [PL] 

~~~ 

Along with Stonewall, this is the cream of the crop 

on this fascinating label. Pressed For Time is a very 

solid 70s pop album-hooky, highly melodic songs, 

jangly guitars, lovely high male vocals and joyous 

harmonies, and a significant Beach Boys influence. A 

bit of fuzz guitar, especially on "Somebody's Sad," 

adds a nice touch of energy. The format is varied by 

a goofy country tune on side one and a soulful 

Easybeats cover on side two, but otherwise it's just 

one memorable, hummable song after another, evoking 

the best summer feelings. Power pop fans will go 

insane when they discover this one. Oddly, there 

exist a number of copies of this album with stickers 

on the cover, some of which list the actual band 

members, implying that unlike other Tiger Lily albums 

at some point there was an effort on someone's part 

to actually sell the thing. [AM] 

"Scorpion" 1970 (Tower st-5171) [striped label] 

SCOTTI (CO) 

Black guys doing raw underground bar funk sounds, 

sometimes hyped by dealers but hardly the most highly 

rated LP in the style. 

"For Friends" 1973 (Strawberry) 

Folkrock obscurity in nice color cover. 

SCREAMING GYPSY BANDITS (Bloomington, IN) 

"In The Eye" 1973 (BRBQ) 

"In The Eye" 1996 (OR 014) [paste-on; insert; 375#d] 

Nice flowing rural rock with lots of little exotic 

world music touches, female vocals. Saddhu Brand 

meets Hickory Wind! Member Bob Lucas had a solo LP, 

"The Dancer Inside You" (BRBQ, 1974). [RM] 

~~~

This album sports a mix of styles and a communal 

feel. Not all of it is memorable but there are two or 

three excellent, resonant songs here. Horns are used 

to powerful purpose. It’s hard to classify this one. 

It’s not folk, not soul, not progressive. A nice find 

for jaded listeners. One of the highlights would be 

re-recorded for Caroline Peyton’s "Intuition" album. 

[AM] 

SEARCH PARTY (Sacramento, CA) 

"Montgomery Chapel" 1969 (Century 32013) [600p] 

"Montgomery Chapel" 1994 (Rapturedelic) [paste-on] 

"Montgomery Chapel" 1998 (CD Flash, Italy) 

"Montgomery Chapel" 200 (Void 22) [insert] 

"Montgomery Chapel" 2004 (CD Beatball 05, South Korea) 

SEBASTIAN (Canada) 

One of the more notable discoveries of the 1990s, a 

primitive Christian folkrock LP which isn't great all 

through but hits some truly unique moods and sounds 

on about 2/3rds of the tracks. Obviously inspired by 

the westcoast "psychedelic" sounds of the era, the 

Search Party take compositions by their spiritual 

mentor, a Catholic middle-aged priest, and turn them 

into primitive California garage folkrock and psych 

with fuzz leads and raw vocals! Most Christian 

"folkrock" LPs suffer from still having one foot left 

in Sunday School, but these young seminarians have 

definitely broken through to the other side. Side 1 

ends with an unparalleled 9-minute downer folkrock 

excursion with heavy soulsearching lyrics that alone 

makes "Montgomery Chapel" worth checking out, but 

beware -- it's crude, even the female vocalist has a 

strange edge. Unrehearsed confessions from a basement 

Music Emporium. [PL] 

"Rays Of The Sun" 1969 (MCA 7001) 

Most of this album is horn- and string-heavy AM pop, 

though two songs here, both self-produced, are from a 

completely different world. They are long folky 

ballads, dreamy and intense with powerful vocals. 

They're kind of humorless, but they're great anyway, 

precursors of 70s psych classics like the best songs 

on the Garrett Lund album. Elsewhere, one song opens 

with some terrific phasing, though everything else is 

much more conventional. The mainstream stuff here is 

quite good if you pay attention, but you'll probably 

be more likely to wonder what Sebastian could have 

come up with if he'd had full creative control. The 

self-produced songs are long and take up a third of 

the album's running time. [AM]

SEBASTIAN (Canada) 

"Head Roach" 1972 (Vintage) [booklet] 

"Head Roach" 2005 (Void 037) [500p; inner] 

OSH SEBROW (NJ) 

SEEDS ( ) 

A different Sebastian, with an LP of stoned folk and 

Zappaesque touches, supposedly banned upon release 

due to drug references. 

"Angels Are Falling" 1982 (Osty) [insert] 

Interesting early 80s pop album with folky leanings. 

Sebrow did the whole thing himself, which 

unfortunately means it has a drum machine. The songs 

are quite good in a post-Beatles pop mode, and Sebrow 

has a haunting voice. One song is a tribute to John 

Lennon, but unfortunately quotes from some McCartney 

songs that Lennon always hated. Lennon would be 

spinning in his grave! Otherwise, though, if you can 

get past the drum machine (which I can not), this is 

a nice album. Osh was an Eye Surgeon and gave out the 

"Angels Are Falling" LP to his patients. Due to a 

quantity find it's not a pricey album at all. He also 

did a much earlier LP, "I Can See Tomorrow" (Ame, 

1974). [AM] 

"Hymns For A New Age" 1978 (Whatever WA 101) 

Unrelated Seeds doing hippie folk. 

V.A "SEE/HEAR RECORD MAGAZINES" (Canada) 

"See/Hear Record Magazine #1" 1968 (See/Hear ST 55852) [folder 

with info sheets] 

"See/Hear Record Magazine #2" 1968 (See/Hear ST 56410) 

[inserts] 

Avantgarde publications including a 12" record and 

various inserts/magazines. Mixes avant music with 

poetry and electronic freakouts typical of the era. 

Issue #2 has some members from Mock Duck. Bill 

Bissett is also featured, and got to release his own 

LP as "See/Hear #3". 

~~~ 

see -> Bill Bissett 

SEICHE (Chicago, IL) 

"Dose After Dose" 1981 (no label) [plain cover; 100p] 

"Dose After Dose" 1999 (Hexamon 001) [500p; 2 inserts]

Highly regarded progressive hardrock trio with hard 

fuzz leads, mystical vocals, burnout vibes. 

SENSATION (Milwaukee, WI) 

"Sensation" 1976 (no label) 

SEOMPI (TX) 

Mid-70s Beatle throwback sound. 

"Summer's Comin' On Heavy" 1998 (Rockadelic 33) 

"AWOL" 2000 (CD Gear Fab gf-136) 

"Seompi" 2000 (Akarma 089, Italy) [2 LPs] 

SEQUOIAH ( ) 

A tasty selection of previously unreleased circa 1971 

material from an Austin-based band often referred to 

as the "Black Sabbath of Texas", a rather inaccurate 

handle as the bulk of the material is progressive 

hardrock with jazz leanings. It's still heavy and 

powerful stuff though, especially the awesome 

"AWOL/Elijah" blowout that closes side 1. Their two 

famous 45 tracks are included in alternate versions, 

along with a bunch of originals and a "Voodoo Child" 

take that's good but can't match Hendrix. Have to 

admit some of the avantgarde stuff goes over my head, 

but should be mandatory to Texas and/or hardrock 

aficionados. Odd packaging on the Rockadelic includes 

an outer rubber sleeve and plenty of pics. The Gear 

Fab and Akarma releases add some 45 tracks and even 

more unreleased material (on the Akarma only) to the 

Rockadelic album. An early, previously unknown 45 has 

recently been found with at least one track not 

reissued on any of these. [PL] 

"Sequoiah" 1975 (700 West) [2000p] 

Another little known title on the prolific Indiana 

label, stoned moody rural rock with violin. 

SEQUOIAH STREAM (Richmond, IN) 

"Sequoiah Stream" 1971 (no label) [no cover; insert] 

Half listenable live-in-auditorium college comp with 

a couple strong downer folk tracks and a smoking fuzz 

workout. The cover was not finished in time so a 

mimeographed insert contained all the info. [RM] 

~~~ 

Here's some background on this LP and the Earlham 

College scene courtesy of Todd Cerney: "The name 

Sequoia Stream was the title of a piano instrumental 

on the album from the year before or maybe 2 years 

before that I produced out of a series of live 

performances. It ended up as the album title. These 

albums were an extension of the yearly poetry book

that the school would produce. In fact the one made 

in 1971 was one of the reasons I decided to go to the 

school in the first place... There was a guy named 

Charlie Bleak who was incredible (sang like Paul 

Macartney) and wrote amazing songs. He and several 

students there did an album called Hoi Polloi. 

Charlie went on to get a record deal but never got on 

the radio for some reason. I didn't know him and he 

wasn't a student anymore when I got to Earlham 

myself...". 

~~~ 

see -> Attention Span; Hoi Polloi 

SERPENT POWER (San Francisco, CA) 

"Serpent Power" 1968 (Vanguard 9252) [mono] 

"Serpent Power" 1968 (Vanguard vsd-79252) [stereo] 

"Serpent Power" 199 (Vanguard, Italy) 

"Serpent Power/Poet Song" 1999 (CD Akarma 053/054, Italy) [2on-1] 

While all kinds of mediocre rarities are treated to 

pages of lip-service, this fine little LP still 

remains underappreciaed. It's a good early SF LP; 

stripped down folkrock a la the first Airplane with a 

slightly bohemian vibe and some David Meltzer poetry 

on the back cover. Not freaky or avantgarde, more 

like folky Bay Area pop. A couple of excellent tracks 

with female vocals on side 1, while the 13-minute 

"Endless tunnel" on sided 2 fails to reveal any 

metaphysical insights yet is still kinda cool, with 

noted banjo-master Jean-Paul Pickens guesting. 

Enjoyable and historically significant LP in a nice 

cover, and as the original's still fairly cheap, go 

get one. The LP was released in February 1968. An 

original Australian pressing exists. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is one of the best co-ed albums in the San 

Francisco style. The feel of the guitar and organ 

arrangements is just right, and Tina Meltzer's vocals 

are strong without being uncontrolled. Generally rock 

albums by poets can be pretty annoying, but this 

keeps its pretentions in balance and the songwriting 

is sharp and clever. The 13-minute closing track is a 

powerful vision of a personal apocalypse, and 

foreshadows "Hotel California" by almost ten years. 

[AM] 

~~~ 

see -> David & Tina Meltzer 

SCOTT SESKIND (Boulder, CO) 

"Scott Seskind" 1985 (no label 11785) 

SEVENTH DAWN (MD) 

Late phase downer/loner folk and singer/songwriter 

trip, mostly acoustic, some tracks with a small band.

"Sunrise" 1976 (Fantasy Worlds Unlimited) [200p] 

"Sunrise" 1994 (Project Aquarius) [275#d; insert] 

SEVENTH SEAL (VA) 

Local hippie folkrock and melodic prog few had heard 

of until the reissue appeared. Some people hate it 

and it is probably the only hallowed $1000 rarity to 

feature a Barbra Streisand tribute song. Nevertheless 

I dig this LP, it has a wonderful naive seriousness 

that makes me think of high school project records, 

with three brothers and a sister doing male/female 

vocals and an even mix of folky ballads and fuzzed 

prog hippierock. "Free" has a great late 60s Beatles 

feel and is a personal fave. The album was recorded 

in the electronic music lab at Virginia Commonwealth 

University. The small press size has been confirmed 

by the band. 25 copies of the reissue run came with 

leftover slicks and inserts from the original 

pressing. Some unreleased recordings from 1979 exist. 

[PL] 

"Reflections" 1999 (Justice 0) [insert] 

SEVENTH SONS ( ) 

30+ year belated addition to the Justice label 

catalog, via an album that was recorded but never 

released by the label back in 1967. Weighing it 

against the stablemates, this is clearly above 

average, with a number of band originals and a more 

genuinely contemporary (as in 1966) moody garage and 

folkrock feel than the usual Justices. The release is 

nicely done in a way that looks and feels like a 60s 

pressing, and anyone with an interest in local 

teenbeat albums may want to check it out, apart from 

the obvious completist angle. 

"4:00 AM at Frank's" 1968 (ESP 1078) 

"Raga" 199 (CD ESP 1078) 

"4:00 AM at Frank's" 1999 (Get Back GET 1038, Italy) 

Garagy trance raga jams with Buzzy Linhart on guitar 

and vocals. Basement Eastern stuff with percussion 

and flute, has been compared to Handgjort. 

SEVENTH TEMPLE (Canada) 

"Under The Burning Sun" 1978 (no label 7T) 

"Under The Burning Sun" 2004 (CD Radioactive, UK)

This LP was heavily hyped and priced when discovered 

a few years back, although the excitement cooled off 

once people found out that rather than some lost acid 

concept killer, it was 18 minutes of Canadian late 

70s basement prog, nothing more, nothing less. The 

short playtime suggests it may have been intended as 

a demo LP; in any event it's a symphonic-oriented 

trip with mid-tempo tracks, lots of mellotron and 

moog and the typical arch-pompous UK prog mood. You 

can still spot traces of decent melodies in there, 

and the amusement value of a Canuck teenager trying 

to sound like Jon Anderson shouldn't be understated. 

The opening title number is the best of the three 

tracks, with feedback leads and an occasional sci-fi 

cheese drama feel not unlike Eyes-New Gods. May 

appeal to fans of Autumn People, although more 

theatrical and less warm. Crude cover which along 

with the band name and album title makes this item 

look a lot cooler than it actually is. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Drama 

BECKY SEVERSON (St Cloud, MN) 

"A Special Path" 197 (no label) 

Christian teenage femme acoustic folk with short 

songs, inspired by the book of Jeremiah. One track 

appears on the "Ladies Of The Canyon" compilation. 

SEX (Montreal, Canada) 

"Sex" 1970 (Transcanada 775) 

"Sex" 199 (no label) [bootleg] 

"The End Of My Life" 1971 (Transcanada 785) 

"The End Of My Life" 199 (no label) [bootleg] 

"The End Of My Life / Lectric Music Revolution" 1997 (CD 

Hipschaft) [2-on-1] 

Unexceptional post-psych prog hardrock LPs from 

obscure French-Canadian band. Some jazzy moves on the 

second LP. 

V.A "S F O MUSIC BOX SET" (San Francisco, CA) 

"S F O Music Box Set" 1967 (no label CRS-1162) [4LPs; box-set; 

insert] 

Quite rare 4 LP box set of SF area songwriter demos 

connected to the Trident operation, released around 

X-mas 1967. Contains rare tracks by Blackburn & Snow, 

Mystery Trend, Sons Of Champlin, Randy Steirling, Ron 

Davies, John Stewart, and others. Only the 

songwriters are credited, not the performers, which 

makes figuring the actual credits out somewhat 

difficult, but folkrockers We Five play a number of 

tunes. Mostly folky stuff; Ron Davies' contributions 

are interesting in a 1965 Paul McCartney direction 

and remain completely unreleased from what I can 

tell. John Stewart is the ex-Kingston Trio guy and

SHADE TREE (KS) 

gets 3 full sides worth of uneven material. The 

Mystery Trend material (5 tracks) sounds better in 

this raw, non-cleaned up mix than on their Big Beat 

CD. For the Blackburn & Snow tracks (10 in total) the 

difference is less pronounced, but many 1960s fans 

are again likely to prefer the more living and less 

channel-isolated stereo mix of the box-set vs the Big 

Beat CD. [PL] 

"Shade Tree" 1979 (Buffarilla) 

Mediocre Southern/rural rock with a couple of good 

tracks. 

SHADRACK CHAMELEON (IA) see interview 

"Shadrack Chameleon" 1973 (IGL 4051-5) 

"Shadrack Chameleon" 1987 (no label, Europe) [250p] 

"Shadrack Chameleon" 2000 (CD Gear Fab 110) [+bonus tracks] 

"Shadrack Chameleon" 2000 (Gear Fab 202) [+bonus tracks] 

Wellknown Midwest rural rocker with a wideopen honest 

sound I find hard to resist. Long tracks with 

organ/guitar and warm basement vocals, sounds like 

Neil Young circa '69-70 or a less nihilistic Rayne. A 

true relic of the era with deep college dorm lyrics 

not easily penetrated, and strong songwriting from 

the very young band. Personal fave that sounds better 

with each passing year. Nice minimalist sleeve job a 

la St Anthonys Fyre. The CD has their good pre-LP 45 

as bonus. [PL] 

~~~ 

This album has an amateurish, laid-back feel that is 

very appealing, especially on the two or three songs 

with really strong melodies. Some of the lyrics are 

heavily counter-culture, but the band never comes off 

as having an attitude or a chip on their shoulder. 

It’s pretty intelligent, or at least pretty genuine. 

The feel of the sparse arrangements is one of great 

warmth. It’s the kind of album that at first sounds 

like it has nothing to it, but after a few listens 

really starts to sneak up on you. Fans of low-budget 

90s pop might like it too. [AM] 

SHAGGS (South Bend, IN) 

"Wink" 1967 (MMC 6311) 

"Wink" 1984 (Resurrection CX 1295) 

"Wink" 2004 (CD Radioactive 079, UK)

Local prep-rock LP on a folkrock/Beatles '65 bender; 

ambitious multipart vocal harmonies and fake 12string 

jangle make for a charming experience, though 

it's not "fuzz garage" by any means. These Notre Dame 

boys had enough cojones to tackle two Beatles tunes 

with reasonable success, but the highpoint of the LP 

is an atmospheric "If I were a carpenter". One group 

original (I think), other covers include Stones, Who, 

Beau Brummels, Byrds, Them, and a bizarre "Hey Joe". 

Disappointing sleeve well below the genre average. 

The album was financed by a local business college 

student who thought he was going to make big $$$ but 

ended up selling copies door-to-door! In addition to 

the LP, the band recorded an acetate 45 of two non-LP 

tracks which received some local airplay. Chuck 

Perrin (see entry) appears on this acetate, but was 

not in the band when the "Wink" LP was made. The 

1980s Resurrection reissue is mastered at an 

annoyingly low volume (as all Resurrection LPs seem 

to be) and displays cover wear on the front cover 

repro. [PL] 

SHAGGS (Fremont, NH) 

"Philosophy Of The World" 1971 (Third World 3001) 

"Philosophy Of The World" 1980 (Rounder 3032) 

"Philosophy Of The World" 199 (Red Rooster) 

Magically incompetent teen sister garage band who 

play and sing like ten year olds. Unreal plodding 

drums, out of tune guitars, and amazing off-key 

vocals. Jawdropper slice of life lyrics loaded with 

girl diary philosophies, Foot Foots, and parents who 

are always there. They were coerced into recording 

this by their father and their discomfort is clearly 

evident. This record is known to end parties in 

record time. The second LP "The Shaggs' Own 

Thing" (Rounder 3056, 1990s) is more monstrosities 

from the vault. Promo copies of "Philosophy" include 

an 8x10 photo, 2 wallet photos, and a business card. 

[RM] 

~~~ 

This is one of the most misunderstood albums of all 

time. It's one of the very, very few "real people" 

albums that appeals to people who don't appreciate 

those records in a condescending, or amused, way. 

Musicians tend to like it, which is also unusual for 

a record of this type. What makes these three sisters 

different from every other "inept" band is that they 

redfine the meaning of that word. This is not just 

another album by people who just learned to play 

their instruments last week. It's more like they 

taught themselves to play without having any 

instruction, and without having any knowledge of 

music theory. Once they figured out a way to play, 

which is unlike any "accepted" method, they worked on 

it and perfected it. Evidence of this is that a 

number of bands who wanted to cover Shaggs songs 

couldn't figure out how to play them. From the sounds 

of it, they even made up their own way of tuning the 

guitars, and rather than playing chords, they played 

patterns that follow along with the vocals. It's 

unique and impossible to duplicate. It also is one of 

the greatest ever expressions of pure love of music, 

and the joy and warmth of this album is irresistible. 

[AM]

DEL SHANNON (MI) 

"The Further Adventures Of Charles Westover" 1968 (Liberty lst- 

7539) 

SHANNONDOAH (WA) 

There aren't a whole lot of 50s or early 60s stars 

who gracefully made their way through the 60s, but 

this well-loved album is proof that it was possible. 

This isn't really a "psychedelic" record (way more 

strings than sound effects), but rather a case where 

a great talent (man, what a voice!) realized that the 

60s brought about a great step forward in the use of 

recording techniques and arrangements. Shannon warmly 

embraced the possibilities. At the same time, he 

wrote a fantastic batch of pop songs, and the mix of 

the great songs, the stunning voice and the ambitious 

sound makes for a truly wonderful record. Also 

released in England with a completely different 

cover. The rest of Shannon's vast output fall outside 

the scope of the Archives. [AM] 

"Ideas & Rhymes" 1977 (Blue Heron) 

SHANTI DAS (OR) 

Private press-looking LP from country rock/folk 

quartet with some female vocals and an a capella 

cover of "Come up the years". The Minstrel String 

Guild duo help out on one track. 

"Servant Of Peace" 1973 (no label) [insert] 

Communal hippie folk with male/female Harmony vocals 

and chanting, Eastern instruments. 

SHARKEY (San José, CA) 

"Signposts" 1975 (no label) 

Obscure post-Syndicate Of Sound LP, breezy westcoast 

rock with some guitar jamming. Issued with a 

songtitles sticker on the shrink. 

SHATTERS (Austin, MN) 

"Shatters" 1966 (Welhaven 63) 

Sleeve-less demo LP (or acetate) from garage band 

with a few 45s. The LP is mainly frat and r'n'b 

covers. 

SHAW, ALLEN & SHAW (MN)

"This Side That Side" 197 (Sound 80 s80s-40-1425) 

SHEKINAH (MI) 

Trio with acoustic guitar, electric bass, and drums. 

Mostly mellow acoustic folk covers with psychy 

shadings. 

"Shekina" 1982 (Eden 104) [insert] 

This is a mystical Christian folk album with 

beautiful vocals and an ethereal feel. Most of the 

songs aren't really structured, but just kind of 

flow. It's very mellow, but there are drums and nice, 

drifting electric guitar on some of the songs. The 

canon vocals on "Blessed Be" and "Jesus Eyes" are 

hypnotic and the use of bells, chimes, woodwinds and 

mandolins give this album a distinctive sound. The 

memorable melodies make this more accessible than 

similarly complex X-ian albums like The Christ Tree. 

Not for "rock" fans, but a lovely, special record. 

[AM] 

SHEKINA GLORY (Ilford, IA) 

"Have You Considered" 1976 (IGL 6045N1) 

SHILOH (TX) 

Very impressive custom obscurity from male/female 

outfit scoring high with their mix of dreamy 

mysterious folk/psych and west-coast rural rock. Some 

really breathtaking moments here. One listen to songs 

like "If I Don’t Let People Know", "Jesus", "Ask" and 

"Good Samaritan" and you’ll see these folks 

definitely knew how to weave in mood and texture 

alongside the heavier elements. One minute there’s a 

gentle eerie atmospheric melody with spacey flute 

accompaniment; next thing you know they’ve built up 

to a climax of blaring hard rock guitar. Some of the 

in-between moods reminded me of songs like The Way’s 

"Have you ever Heard" from the Maranatha Four LP. 

Closes with some joyous upbeat fuzz jamming a la 

Earthen Vessel on "Glory Glory". [KS] 

"Shiloh" 1971 (Amos aas-7015) 

SHILOH MORNING ( ) 

Early countryrock with steel and harmony vocals in 

Flying Burrito Bros style with Don Henley on vocals 

and guitar, pre-Eagles. 

"Shiloh Morning" 1974 (TRC 51053) 

Midwest male and female vocal harmony folk rock and 

pop with acoustic and electric guitar, bass, 

percussion, some mellotron. Includes versions of

"Nights in White Satin" and "White Bird" among 

others. 

SHIVA'S HEADBAND (Austin, TX) 

"Take Me To The Mountains" 1970 (Capitol st-538) [green label] 

"Take Me To The Mountains" 2005 (Capitol/Scorpio) 

This was one of the earliest countryrock LPs but 

never made the splash it should have, yet remains an 

enjoyable experience with a nicely balanced countryhippie 

mix and Spencer's terrific violin. Both tracks 

from their outstanding debut 45 are re-cut here in 

slightly less drugged versions. Anyone who likes Sub 

Zero Band ought to recognize Shiva's as the original 

masters of the style. An original Canadian pressing 

exists. [PL] 

"Coming To A Head" 1971 (Armadillo no #) [1000p; paste-on; 

handmade labels] 

"Coming To A Head" 1981 (Armadillo no #) [200p; printed 

labels] 

"Coming To A Head" 2003 (Akarma 250, Italy) [+1 track] 

"Coming To A Head" 2003 (CD Akarma 250, Italy) [+1 track] 

SHIVER (CA) 

Contrary to what you may read elsewhere, this was not 

their debut album but a privately released sequel 

after Capitol dropped them. Basically the same style 

as the debut, a little less druggy and a bit more 

western swing. The 1981 pressing is reportedly a 

better pressing than the first. Later LPs include 

"Psychedelic Yesterday" (Ape, 1981) and "In The Primo 

Of Life" (Moontower, 1984) as well as a number of 

cassette and CDs in more recent years. Spencer 

Perskin is alive and well and gigging locally. 

"Shiver" 2000 (Rockadelic 39) [600p] 

"Shiver" 2001 (CD Shadoks 023, Germany) 

SHOES (Zion, IL) 

As far as packaging goes one of my fave Rockadelics, 

superb color gatefold with cool liner notes detailing 

the adventures of this "tough as nails" early 1970s 

power trio. Music consists of long and mostly 

instrumental STP jams that are ferocious but not 

without subtlety, taking a cue from early Blue Cheer 

but stretching out into 100 MPH Hawkwind/Ash Ra 

Temple/Terry Brooks spacerock excursions. Not 

terribly varied and songwriting doesn't account for 

much, but should be of interest to fans of hard early 

70s guitar trips. The band had roots in Texas but 

played the Bay Area biker circuit. [PL] 

"One In Versailles" 1975 (Black Vinyl Records) [2 inserts] 

"As Is" 1996 (CD) [2CDs; bonus tracks; autographed] 

The first Shoes album was released by the band in a

limited number, some of which were ruined in a flood. 

Supposedly only between 200 and 300 survived. The 

homemade album is one of the rarest and most soughtafter 

power pop collectables, since the band would 

eventually become one of the most well-loved bands in 

the genre. As you might expect, this early offering 

by the band is quite crude. All of the elements of 

their sound are there, including sharp harmonies, 

quick-witted songs of love and seduction, and fuzz 

guitars (though these would get much louder and more 

frequent on their later albums.) They're clearly 

finding themselves as songwriters and as a band with 

an identity. Much of the album has a nice understated 

charm, and a few of the ballads are very good ("Do I 

Get So Shy," in particular, is irresistible.) What's 

yet to develop is their knack for the killer hook, 

and their ability to construct songs tightly and 

concisely. A few songs drag, and I have to think that 

a few years later Shoes would have shortened them, 

sped them up, piled on layers of guitar, and improved 

them dramatically. "Un Dans Versailles", thus, while 

a very enjoyable and melodic record, is a few notches 

below the band's best work (which is on the next 

three officially released albums.) The album's title 

refers to the fact that band member Gary Klebe was 

away in Versailles while the rest of the band 

recorded without him. In the 90s, Shoes put together 

a limited edition 2-CD set that included one CD of 

unreleased songs from throughout the band's career 

and a second CD comprising "Un Dans Versailles" and 

their unreleased second album "Bazooka". "Bazooka" is 

rather weak, unfortunately. [AM] 

"Black Vinyl Shoes" 1977 (Black Vinyl) 

"Black Vinyl Shoes" 1977 (PVC) 

The second Shoes album was a much larger private 

press than the first, and in fact was so successful 

that it soon was re-released on the larger PVC label. 

Shoes are one of the most well-loved and influential 

of all power pop bands, and it all starts here. It 

wasn't their first album, but it was the first to be 

heard my more than a handful of people. While the 

next few major label albums would be just as good, 

this holds a special place among their fans, as the 

self-production, despite elaborate attention to 

harmonies and guitar overdubs, gives it a fresh doit-yourself 

feel that they'd never again duplicate. 

The guitars are fuzzy, fuzzy, fuzzy and full of 

hooks, and while the lyrics are about love and 

romance, they have a certain kind of maturity and 

intelligence often missing from the genre. I don't 

expect most visitors to this site to love Shoes, but 

I'd think many garage-rock fans would get a kick out 

of the masses of fuzz guitars. [AM] 

SHORT CROSS (Richmond, VA) 

"Arising" 1972 (Grizzly 16013) [gatefold] 

"Arising" 1988 (Breeder, Austria) [no gatefold] 

"Arising" 1998 (CD Gear Fab 119) [+3 tracks] 

"Arising" 2000 (Akarma 079, Italy) [2LPs; gatefold; +3 tracks] 

Ballsy, pro-sounding early 1970s rural barrock/hard 

rock in an Allman Bros direction with great

organ/guitar interplay, OK vocals and a versatile 

keyboardist. Not for garage or psych fans but should 

appeal to those into the local early 70s style; "Till 

we reach the sun" is a particularly good track. Band 

had a pre-LP 45 as follows: "On My Own"/"Marching Off 

To War" (Colpar, 1970). The A-side is an alternate 

version of the LP track, B-side is non-LP. [PL] 

SIDETRACK (New York City, NY) 

"Baby" 1968 (no label SMIS-1) [no cover; 100p] 

"Baby" 2005 (CD Radioactive, UK) 

Demo press for a planned Elektra release that never 

happened. Baroque-pop/folkrock with lots of 

harpsichord and energetic vocals. Some copies came in 

plain covers with LP labels glued to the front 

containing the relevant info. 

SIDEWALK (New York City, NY) 

"Sidewalk" 1975 (C.D.) 

Cosmic jazz lounge duo, some wailing guitar parts. 

SILENT CHEER (Northfield, MA) 

"Learning Insipid Seal" 1969 (no label 202115) [blank back; 

insert] 

Late 60s garage rock covers with horns and some fuzz 

leads, from Mount Hermon school alumni. Mostly band 

originals. The same scene also produced the Knights 

band and the Led Balloon Jug Band LP. 

~~~ 

see -> Together 

SILENT PARTNER (Athens, GA) 

"Hung By A Thread" 1975 (Lucky Boy 32779) [insert] 

"Hung By A Thread" 1988 (Lucky Boy, Europe) [bootleg] 

I'd be shocked to discover than the guys in REM 

didn't grow up idolizing this band. This is the 

original blueprint for the much-heralded 80s Athens 

scene. It's not a psych or prog (long instrumental 

notwithstanding) album as dealers hype it, but an 

ahead-of-its-time guitar pop album with outstanding 

playing, clever songwriting, and a touch of mystery.

The title track is a killer-two overlapping melodies 

of equal beauty and an elaborate 

acoustic/electric/synth arrangement that gives way to 

a transcendent guitar solo. Nothing else on the album 

can match this amazing first song, but there's plenty 

to like, from the flange-heavy guitar on "Just Sail 

Around" to the surprising and weird metal-inspired 

bits in "From The Diary of H.R.H. 1975." Smart 

songwriting, thoughtful arrangements and excellent 

singing abound. They had so many great melodies that 

three songs actually double them up (one sung over, 

behind, or between the other.) A 10-minute mildly 

jazzy instrumental at the end manages not to ruin 

everything. This is a great album. Along with 

Arrogance's "Prolepsis", it's the 70s pinnacle of the 

new Southern Rock (i.e: made by guys you would 

actually let your daughter date) that would explode 

almost a decade later. [AM] 

SILENT STRANGERS (CT) 

"It's All Over Now" 1965 (no label BRS 390) 

JUDEE SILL (CA) 

Obscure local teen-beat LP in cool cover. Prep school 

album from Washington, CT with 12 songs, 5 of which 

are instrumentals. Despite some unexciting covers, 

this is a fairly rocking disc that stands up with the 

best of the genre, not unlike the Weekenders or an 

improved Davey & the Badmen. 

"Judee Sill" 1971 (Asylum sd-5050) [unipak; wlp mono exists] 

"Judee Sill" 2004 (Four MWB 120) 

"Judee Sill" 2005 (CD Water 158) 

Sill’s story is fascinating and sad. She was a heroin 

addict, even a part-time prostitute, her career fell 

apart just as it was getting interesting, and she 

disappeared so completely that for years after her 

death nobody could even figure out exactly when she 

died. You’d never know she was such a wild one from 

the music or the album cover photos, but close 

listens show this to be something much more intense 

and deep than your average singer-songwriter album. 

“Jesus Was A Crossmaker” is as good as any 70s song 

in the genre, and should have been a huge hit. 

Nothing else on the album reaches those same heights, 

but it’s very good stuff. Sill has gotten a lot of 

publicity lately, as the 90s and 00s really were a 

renaissance for troubled and dead 70s singers. Too 

bad nobody noticed her when she needed the attention. 

[AM] 

"Heart Food" 1973 (Asylum sd-5063) [booklet] 

"Heart Food" 2004 (Four MWB 121) [booklet] 

"Heart Food" 2005 (CD Water 159) 

Sill’s second album is more ambitious than the first, 

with complex string arrangements and a major gospel 

influence. The struggle between her strong religious 

beliefs and her “pagan” lifestyle are apparent here

and it’s pretty fascinating. Musically this isn’t as 

consistent as the debut and it occasionally feels 

like the ambitious ideas took precedence over the 

songwriting, but this is still a really interesting 

record. Both Sill albums were also released in 

England. [AM] 

SILMARIL (Milwaukee, WI) 

"Given Time... Or The Several Roads" 1973 (Ettinmoore) 

This is an American band, but they sure sound 

British, from the melodies to the lonesome feel of 

the songs to the male and female vocal styles to the 

upbeat song about pub life. It’s a pretty impressive 

recreation of across-the-pond folk. It’s a long 

album, and at times I wish it had some rock elements 

to it, but there are pleasures to be found 

throughout, and a few songs are downright creepy. 

[AM] 

SILOAM (St Louis, MO) 

"Siloam" 197 (Timbrel 47-248) 

Siloam is to American folkrock what groups like 

Presence, Aslan and Sanctus are to the British scene. 

Melodic textures of 12-string guitar, piano, 

percussion and male/female harmonies combine with 

compassionate songwriting and skilled musicianship to 

create a wonderful work of fragile beauty and 

homegrown charm. Gently strummed mid-tempo numbers 

like "Mystery", the minor-key "We Beseech You" and 

the breezy "For This Reason" all are sheer perfection 

for the genre. Tracks like "The Shepherd" and "Day Of 

The Lord" even have a dreamy psych edge to them. 

Others reveal a delicate VU "Femme Fatale" kind of 

quality. Very nice acoustic lead guitar work 

throughout. A seven person outfit from Dayspring 

Community in St. Louis. Not an expensive LP. [KS] 

SILVER (Milwaukee, WI) 

"Children Of The Lord" 1975 (Grammi Fonics) [plain stamped 

cover] 

This is one of the albums released in the "advance 

reviewer copy - confidential" album covers. It's the 

one in the series most likely to appeal to 

collectors, and it has a somewhat hard rocking organ 

and guitar sound, some Christian lyrics and a spacy, 

sparse feel to it. The production sound is pretty 

cheap, with seemingly no attention paid to which

instruments or vocals should be louder than the 

others. It sounds suspiciously like demos. Still, 

pretty cool. [AM] 

SILVER APPLES (New York City, NY) 

"Silver Apples" 1968 (Kapp KL-1562) [mono wlp exists] 

"Silver Apples" 1968 (Kapp KS-3562) [poster] 

Silver Apples will always hold a special place in the 

world of electronica, because there never was 

anything else remotely like them (except maybe 

Suicide.) The electronics weren’t from synths, but 

from the Simeon, their self-made instrument that made 

all sorts of wild noises. It was very limited in 

tonal scope, which means the songwriting is as sparse 

as the arrangements, and most of the variety here 

comes from the drumming and vocal rhythms, not from 

chord progressions. It’s the kind of thing that 

really isn’t likely to hold up for 40 minutes, so 

it’s quite impressive that this album is so 

enjoyable. It’s still fresher and more powerful than 

the years of synth music that followed. Some promos 

came with additional promo material; there are no 

mono sleeves. Numerous reissues exist and will be 

omitted here. [AM] 

"Contact" 1969 (Kapp KS-3584) 

"Silver Apples / Contact" 199 (CD TRC) [2-on-1] 

"Silver Apples / Contact" 199 (CD MCA 11680) [2-on-1] 

The second Silver Apples album sports longer songs 

and darker themes. It tends to be liked better by 

critics and fans, though I would suggest that if you 

like one you should like the other equally as much. 

"You And I" is probably their best song, the kind of 

thing that shows electronics to be every bit as 

sinister as the most distorted guitar. Along with 

United States of America and Fifty Foot Hose, this is 

essential listening for anyone who wishes to know how 

creative electronic music could be before a 

"traditional" use of synthesizers was established in 

the 70s. "The Garden" is a release of late 1960s 

outtakes (CD Whirlybird). [AM] 

SILVER LAUGHTER (IA) 

"Handle With Care" 1976 (Fanfare Records) 

This Iowa band put out two very obscure albums on 

their own label in the mid 70s. The first of the two 

is a mixture of Beatles-inspired 70s pop and 

backwoods rural rock. The power pop stuff here is 

very good, bringing to mind bands like the Hudson 

Brothers and Hollins Ferry. Their songcraft is 

strong, the singing excellent, and unlike most bands 

in the genre, there’s a reasonable amount of variety 

in their songwriting. Unfortunately, the more 

countrified and boogie rock songs are pretty bad, 

hitting a nadir with the album closer “Whiskey 

Heaven.” The result is that about two-thirds of this 

is very good. They should have stuck with their best

instincts. Look at the album cover photos -— these 

guys are geeky wanna-be pop stars with 70s hair, not 

redneck drunks. [AM] 

"Sailing On Fantasties" 1978 (Fanfare) 

JEFF SIMMONS (CA) 

Silver Laughter’s second album drops all of the 

backwoods aspirations of the first. As a whole it 

doesn’t rock as hard, but the harder rocking songs 

were the duds on the first album anyway. Here they’re 

simply a confident, inspired pop band and the album 

is solid straight through. The harmonies and hooks 

may be a little derivative for some, but these songs 

are really catchy and have a nice breezy summer feel 

to them. While the songs are very carefully 

constructed, the private press production keeps it 

from sounding too slick, something that really marred 

a lot of the better 70s power pop. The post-punk 70s 

freshness also makes this obscurity better than just 

about any of the 90s power pop revival albums I’ve 

heard. My only complaint is that as with most bands 

in this genre, the lyrics are inconsequential. [AM] 

"Lucille Messed My Mind Up" 1969 (Straight sts-1057) [wlp 

exists] 

This is one mess of a record, and it's hard to 

recommend it, but I think it's got a lot of fun 

moments on it. There's wacked-out guitar throughout, 

the great Zappa-penned doo-wop-ballad title track, 

and a couple of weird ambitious classical-influenced 

songs. Fans of the down and dirty will probably 

prefer something like 'Wonderful Wino" to "Aqueous 

Humore" or "Tigres." My favorite, though, is "I'm In 

The Music Business," the ultimate tale of the 

struggling rock wannabe. In the song Jeff refuses to 

get a haircut and lose his chance at rock stardom, 

and ends up so hungry and poor that he takes a part 

in a skin flick. Grungy and hairy. Simmons also 

contributed to the biker movie "Naked Angels", and 

was formerly with Easy Chair. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Easy Chair 

DAVID SINCLAIR (Vancouver, Canada) 

"Take My Hand" 1973 (SGM Records no#) 

Typical '73 fence-straddler between westcoast and 

singer/songwriter, with convincing moves in both 

directions and added credibility via strong vocals

TONY TAM SING (HI) 

and a quite professional sound. Sinclair sings and 

plays guitar but has a full rock band plus piano, 

which is skillfully employed for both introspective 

s/s-w and upbeat New Riders/Cambridge honkytonk 

digressions. Has been compared to Jackson Browne but 

to me it's really more of a Nor-Cal/Pacific NW trip 

with a fresh outdoors feel. The highpoint is an 

atypical but terrific Nick Drake-like folk brooder, 

"A tale of raven" which opens side 2. Not outstanding 

but enjoyable and recommended to genre fans. This LP 

would have deserved to come out on a real record 

label, such as Tumbleweed. [PL] 

~~~ 

Sinclair is Canadian, but he sounds like an early 70s 

California singer songwriter. The album has crisp 

production and pleasant vocals and some pretty strong 

songwriting. The dreamy “A Tale Of Raven” is the 

definite standout, but this is pretty consistent. 

It’s a pretty mainstream record, though, so beware of 

“psych” dealer hype. [AM] 

"Tony" 1975 (Shampton) 

Littleknown Hawaiian LP in a folk/folkrock style, 

with violin. Sing is a Christian minister. 

LES SINNERS (Montreal, Canada) 

"Sinerisme" 1967 (Rusticana 1243) 

"Sinerisme" 1989 (Hablabel, Italy) 

Wellknown French-Canadian band with several LPs, this 

one has half French and half English vocals in a 

garage beat style and is rated highly by many. 

"Sinnerismes" 1967 (Jupiter 7009) 

Different LP from above, despite the title 

"Vox Populi" 1968 (Jupiter 7015) [French vocals] 

"Les Sinners, vol 1" 1991 (CD Disques Merit 22908) [French 

vocals; +bonus tracks] 

"25 Succès En Anglais" 1991 (CD Disques Mérite 22922) [English 

vocals; +bonus tracks] 

"Vox Populi" is an ambitious but un-pretentious 

"concept" LP in the wake of Sgt Pepper, built around 

a theme of the "voices of the people", and a 

recurring musical signature that introduces different 

snapshots of everyday life and attitudes, such as a 

taxi driver's story. These snapshots are conventional 

3-minute pop songs, most of which are pretty terrific 

1967 UK-style beat-psych, well-written with hooks and 

vocal harmonies a la the Beatles/Bee Gees/Hollies. 

There's also some strong fuzz leads and interesting 

studio effects that give the trip a clear identity, 

and a stoned sense of humor which works well. 

Consistent and skillfully balanced between 

songwriting and concept, not unlike the Forever Amber 

album, and a lot better than Rockadrome, as an

SINNERS (Canada) 

example. The LP is strong enough to be enjoyable even 

with the French language barrier, but obviously those 

who don't speak French need the English vocal 

version, which wasn't released until the 1990s. One 

of the best psych LPs from Quebec, with a strong 

"1967" feel. The band later cut two unexceptional 

hardrock LPs in the 1970s, with a new line-up. [PL] 

"Sinners" 1970 (Transworld 6801) 

Artrock and prog with fuzz leads and flute. This is a 

different band from above, although they're often 

confused. 

SIVEL SOUND EXPERIENCE (NE) 

"Sivelization 1" 1968 (Rene 1107) 

SIXTH STATION ( ) 

Oddball local LP of teenbeat/blue eyed soul with 

horns. 

"Deep Night" 1982 (LPS 1588) 

Stunning soft rock set of dreamy celestial moods 

carried by a steady beat and rife with phased 

electric rhythm guitar for a wonderful unfiltered 

slightly out-of-tune quality. Lead vocalist sounds a 

lot like Neil Young with his fragile shaky delivery. 

Deep creative lyrics to match, with all original 

songwriting and plenty of solo leads on top of the 

rhythm guitar, sometimes two in tandem, sometimes 

with light fuzz or other effects, reaching some hardhitting 

moments on tracks like "Scar Of Love" or the 

powerful "Before The Snowfall". The only other 

instruments are bass and drums (no keyboards or even 

acoustic guitars from what I can tell). Some of the 

most beautiful selections are the ballads, like "Make 

A Way For Me" or the delicate title track. Catholic 

I’m guessing – the back cover has references to 

“nihil obstat” and “imprimatur”, plus a thanks to the 

Bishop of Peoria. Simple sunset cover photo. One of 

the most impressive post-1980 custom recordings I’ve 

heard. [KS] 

SKIP & THE CREATION (VA) 

"Mobam" 1967 (Justice 152) 

"Mobam" 1995 (CD Collectables 0602)

SKOGIE (MN) 

Organ-led combo with hip (relatively speaking) Myrtle 

Beach teen club vibe, band does unusual covers of 

Hank Williams and "Harlem Shuffle" plus one cool 

original. Bonus points for excellent organ sound but 

the muddy recording, weak vocals and abundance of 

soul covers places this among the less interesting on 

the label. The selfwritten tune, a semi-ripoff of 

"Time won't let me" (comp'd on "Good Roots") is worth 

hearing. "Mobam" supposedly means Makers Of Bad Ass 

Music, but the sounds on the record belie such an 

interpretation. [PL] 

"There's A String Attached" 1974 (General) 

SKUNKS (WI) 

This weird mix of funk, glam and straightforward rock 

is completely unique. They take Parliament's 

experimentation with synthesizers a step further (or, 

they may actually have used them first), with bubbly 

bass snyths galore. The album begins with its 

funkiest and most synth-heavy tune, giving a strong 

but not 100% accurate first impression. Apparently 

they were a rather comical live band, but other than 

a disgusting sound effect that accompanies a lyric 

about masturbation there's no blatant humor here. The 

songs flow together with no space between, creating 

the illusion of a concept, though there's no lyrical 

unity. Overall, this record is pretty neat. It's 

creative and energetic and there are a bunch of good 

songs. It probably won't appeal to psych fans, but if 

you're looking for an unusual 70s rock album, I 

recommend it. [AM] 

"Gettin' Started" 1967 (Teentown 101) 

SKY DANCER ( ) 

Here's one of the few local garage era LP that's 

never been expensive, partly due to copies being 

available, partly because it's lukewarm and difficult 

to hype. The band has an amateur folkrock sound with 

nothing that grabs your attention. Mostly originals, 

a couple of Beatles covers. The band had several 45s 

which again have failed to raise much excitement. 

"Alive" 1977 (All In One) 

SKY DOG ( ) 

Live hardrock with hard guitar and churning organ. 

"Just Want To Make You Happy" 1974 (Paw Records 5336) 

[1000p] 

Local Allman Bros-type combo with a pleasant rural

SKYEROS (MO) 

vibe, ranging from rootsy mellow rock to spacier 

jamming, just like their mentors. Sometimes too easygoing 

for its own good, though it's difficult to 

knock as background music for summer day cruising. 

Strongest appeal may be the Hammond organ which has 

one of the best sounds ever and is put to good use, 

while a couple of tracks (such as the title number) 

are too poppy for my tastes. An odd Middle-Eastern 

theme recurs through the LP for reasons unknown to 

me. Recorded in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Has the same 

generic rainbow cover as Euphoria-Lost in trance. 

[PL] 

"Skyeros" 1975 (no label 8637) 

Dual lead guitar, melodic psychy progressive. A bit 

spacy and comparable to Brimstone. 

SKY FARMER (Chicago, IL) 

“Amazing Grace” 2004 (Gear Fab 191) 

SKY-SAILS (Canada) 

1970s recordings of commune-vibration organic, 

borderline psychedelic, jazz-rock that hits some good 

spots. Very distinctive and beautiful vocals from 

Annie Hat. The strong prevalence of piano and 

saxophone could put rock heads (like me) off, but it 

has a happy-go-luck feel that makes it worth 

listening to. A pioneering, rock’n’roll, camp fire 

feel prevails on the better tracks. Overall, it may 

appeal more to those with a taste for jazz. They came 

out of the ashes of Mountain Bus and retained their 

capacity for free-form live jamming. Nothing here 

equals the heights attained by the Mountain Bus 

version of "I know you rider", but the first track 

"Okooch Farewell" is a joy to hear. [RI] 

"Sky-Sails" 1973 (no label MH-93) [insert] 

Obscure Canadian electronics, effects & poetry freak 

LP in the Bill Bissett/Intersystems tradition. 

SKYWALKER (Long Beach, CA) 

"Made In Flight" 1982 (Phax pr-2001) 

SLEEPY HOLLOW ( ) 

Hardrock trio with spacy Floydian moves. 

"Sleepy Hollow" 1972 (Family FPS 2708)

SLEEPY JOHN (ID) 

The first two songs here are the most uncanny Beatles 

soundalikes you'll ever hear. The first is the 

perfect blend of "Abbey Road" and "Plastic Ono Band" 

and the second mixes pure 1965-style harmonies with 

1969-style production. So this album gets big points 

for nostalgia value; like Blue Ash, Badfinger, 

Zerfas, Anonymous, We All Together, Jade and so on, 

it gives comfort to people who wish the Beatles never 

broke up. The vocals throughout are pure Lennon, very 

similar to Lazy Smoke but a bit more studied. The 

rest of the album is hit and miss, with the upbeat 

songs better than the ballads. Even the weak songs 

have that magical feel to them, though in some ways 

this feels like a McCartney solo album: everything 

sounds great, but there's something a bit (sorry 

about the pun) hollow to it. The long song that 

closes the album, unfortunately, is not especially 

compelling. If it had been up to the level of the 

best songs here, this would have been something truly 

special. As it is, "Sleepy Hollow" is definitely 

recommended for the three or four winners and, of 

course, the déjà vu factor. [AM] 

"Sleepy John" 1999 (Rockadelic 38) [600p] 

SLIGHTEST IDEA (IA) 

Haven't heard much buzz on this but clearly a 

worthwhile addition to the Rockadelic roster; crude 

early 1970s local NW basement hardrock with intense 

Hammond and fuzz excursions and a truly frantic 

drummer. Somewhat similar (though inferior) to 

neighbors Stone Garden but less Bay Area-influenced, 

delivering a dense wall of lo-fi blowouts plus some 

melodic/proggy ambitions on a track like "Seasons". 

Consistent, with agreeable songwriting, lots of riff 

hooks and clever breaks and an idiosynchratic 

vocalist a bonus. Should appeal to fans of Brigade. 

Gatefold cover with band story and pics. [PL] 

"Bring Your Own" 1973 (Pit 1019) 

Raw bar-rock with unusual basement vibe, covers of 

things like "Smoke on the water", plus one band 

original. 

SLOOPY & THE GUYS (Detroit, MI) 

"Somethin' Wild" 1966 (Mark 107449/50) 

SLY BOOTS ( ) 

Local teen-beat band with loads of reverb and cool 

amateur mid-tempo moves. 

"Notes On A Journey" 196 (Faithful Virtue fvs-2002)

[gatefold] 

SMACK (KS) 

Late 60s hippie folky rock group led by Michael 

Wendroff and David Greenberg. Deep thought lyrics and 

wistful acoustic jammy playing. Solid latenite 

charmer. Not an expensive LP. 

"Smack" 1968 (Audio House 14468) [blank back] 

"Smack" 1991 (Smack TS 9104) [altered cover; insert; 300p] 

BOB SMITH (CA) 

Surprisingly enjoyable guitar-psych top 40 cover LP 

with tunnelvision galore as these highschool kids 

blow through 4 Hendrix and 3 Cream numbers, making 

the additional Kinks and Buffalo Springfield tunes 

seem downright exotic. Somewhat mysteriously the 

guitarplayer achieves some of the best fuzz-tone I 

have ever heard, and isn't afraid to use it. The full 

band has the right power-trio directness, and are 

given an additional hand by an excellent in-yer-face 

recording. Vocalists do credible Jimi & Jack Bruce 

imitations and as a whole any sarcastic jokes aimed 

at this LP come flying back like a cream pie in the 

face of the listener. Only moment of stupidity is 

some funny incorrect lyrics in "For What It's Worth"; 

other than that this is the Rolls Royce of "Purple 

Haze" copy band LPs. The band met at a summer camp in 

Kansas but the four members came from all over the US 

and only rehearsed for a few weeks before releasing 

this LP on request of the other camp kids, even 

though their "acid rock" performance had been aborted 

by camp management! [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Young Prophecies '68 

"The Visit" 1970 (Kent 551) [2LPs; poster] 

"The Visit" 1996 (CD Virgo 1518) 

"Stop For A Visit Down Electric Avenue" 2000 (RD 6, 

Switzerland) [3 LP box set; poster; +1 bonus disc] 

Very good Bay Area forerunner of the epic 70s psych 

sound of Zerfas, Garret Lund, DR Hooker etc. A 2 LP 

set and except for one or two unnecessary 

"experiments" solid all through. Wellcrafted 

psychrock with strong, heartfelt vocals and marvy 

sound tapestries of fuzz, flute, mellotron and more. 

All psych collectors need this. The original came 

with a great poster that's often missing. The retited 

Swiss 3LP box-set features an LP of unreleased 

material featuring Bob's post-"Visit" band Stop, 

1971-72. This bonus material is remarkably good in a 

style close to the double LP, and should be checked 

out. [PL] 

~~~ 

It’s pretty ambitious to debut with a double album, 

but I’ll give Smith credit as he had enough ideas to 

fill four sides. His voice is a little serious/loungy 

but he does at least try to sing like a rock guy when 

he’s not trying to sound like a prophet. If you like 

D.R. Hooker’s singing, you’ll like Smith’s. The music

is in a wide range of late 60s/70s psych genres, from 

hard rock to upbeat folk-rock to jazzy 

experimentation. The arrangements are always 

interesting. Backing vocals, a range of keyboards and 

clever sound effects are used well. Smith’s band is 

excellent, and there’s plenty of hot guitar/keyboard 

interplay. A few songs have some pretty heavy 

mellotron. The 8-minute “India Slumber” might be a 

bit much for some listeners, but otherwise this album 

is surprisingly accessible. By the end of four sides, 

I wish Smith would have lightened up a bit, but this 

album is chock full of great songs and great moments. 

Even the requisite blues song is pretty good. As is 

the case with 99% of double LPs, side three is the 

weird one. Darryl Dragon began his “Captain” persona 

here; he’s listed as “Captain Keyboard.” It would 

have been cool to have heard Toni Tennille singing 

something like “Mobeda Dadelions.” [AM] 

GRANT SMITH & THE POWER (Toronto, Canada) 

"Grant Smith & the Power" 1968 (Boo 6802) 

KATHY SMITH (CA) 

Blue-eyed soul and r'n'b club sound with Hammond and 

sax, on the same label as A Passing Fancy. Includes a 

long instro version of "Ode to Billie Joe", lots of 

soul numbers, and a Beatles cover. 

"Some Songs I’ve Saved" 1970 (Stormy Forest 6003) 

Stormy Forest is Richie Havens’ label, and he 

presented the world a number of very interesting folk 

and folk-rock artists, of which Smith is probably the 

best and most evocative. Her debut album has some 

unusual orchestration, some of the most effective 

I’ve ever heard in the genre, and powerful singing in 

the Judy Collins style (I suspect Kathy listened to 

Who Knows Where The Time Goes a hundred times before 

recording this.) It also benefits from terrific 

acoustic guitar playing and subtly powerful drumming 

on a number of songs. A few other songs are just 

guitar and voice, and they’re pretty deep. The 

intelligent and moody lyrics about the not-so-sunny 

California of the time foreshadow Jackson Browne's 

career, which is apt because Browne was friend of 

Smith's. The album includes, along with Smith’s own 

songs, excellent compositions by her friends Pamela 

Polland and Jimmy Spheeris. The album improves with 

multiple listens, and has a number of chilling 

moments (the loud strings at the end of “Same Old 

Lady,” the circular vocal bit at the end of “If I 

Could Touch You.”) Both of Smith's albums are among 

the very best female singer songwriter albums of the 

70s, and should appeal to loner folk fans as well. By 

the way, despite the claims of several record dealers 

and reference books, she is most certainly not the 

same person as the Cathy Smith who was with John 

Belushi on the night of his death. It's appalling 

that so many people would make such a slanderous 

claim without first researching the matter. [AM]

"2" 1971 (Stormy Forest 6009) 

Kathy Smith's second album is in the same style as 

the first, and is every bit as good, if not better. 

The singing is equally strong, but here she's 

developed more personality and is less of a Judy 

Collins clone. The songs are uniformly strong: by 

combining her own songs with those of her like-minded 

friends, Pamela Polland, Jimmy Sphreeris, and Jackson 

Browne, she maintained a high standard while having 

the flow and continuity that is missing from albums 

where performers mix their own material with that of 

outside songwriters whom they do not personally know. 

The excellent orchestration from the first album has 

been replaced by a hot jazzy backing band that rocks 

out and occasionally jams in a highly appealing and 

appropriate way. The lyrics are, once again, deep. If 

Browne, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, and so on were 

able to make million-selling albums in the early 70s, 

it's a mystery why Smith didn't as well. This 

certainly blows away anything by Janis Ian or Joan 

Baez. By the way, both of Smith's albums were 

engineered by Val Valentin of Velvet Underground 

fame. [AM] 

SMOKE (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Smoke" 1968 (Sidewalk t-5912) [mono] 

"Smoke" 1968 (Sidewalk st- 5912) [stereo] 

"Smoke" 2004 (CD Acid Ray 5504, South Korea) 

SMOKIN' WILLIE (IL) 

This is certainly one of the best US popsike albums, 

straddling the edge of soft-rock popsike like 

Sagittarius, but rocking quite a bit more 

convincingly. There’s a definite Beach Boys 

influence, but the soaring vocal arrangements and 

guitar-based song structures move in a direction 

those Boys never dared tread. That said, it’s nowhere 

near as weird as the WCPAEB, and could easily have 

had mainstream success if the cards were right. Great 

songs like “Gold Is The Color of Thought” encapsulate 

the era perfectly. The stereo pressing exists with 

both Sidewalk and Tower labels. [AM] 

~~~ 


"Smokin' Willie" 1972 (Ulrich Studio 3999) [1000p] 

"Smokin' Willie" 1994 (OR 006) [375#d] 

"Smokin' Willie" 2004 (CD Radioactive 077, UK) 

An LP to match St Anthony's Fyre for outlaw booze & 

pills attitude and an even more echoey gymnasium 

fidelity. Five out of six tracks are covers but 

they're so off-the-wall it doesn't matter much. Dig 

"Whiter shade of pale" with half the notes missing 

from the familiar organ line. Loud fuzz and Hammond 

upfront, howling biker vocals and a thundering rhythm 

section. Not for everyone's tastes for sure, but 

entertaining to these ears. [PL] 

~~~ 

Heavy distorto fuzz biker cover band. Savage power

chord no-fi onslaughts that just pulverize the 

material. When they ease up on "Whiter Shade Of Pale" 

with the shimmering church organ and strained vocals 

you can see why their motto was Louder, Harder, 

Fuzzier. Most copies were destroyed at the local dump 

in 1988. Promo copies were made on 8-track tape. [RM] 

SNAKE (Pittsburgh, PA) 

"Mysterious Ladies And Midnight Queens" 1977 (Nite Owl) 

SNAKEGRINDER (DE) 

Chuck Owston has a long career in a variety of 

musical genres, though he rarely recorded. This selfreleased 

album contains country-rock, energetic 

roots-rock, folk, ballads, and an absolute spot-on 

Tom Waits impersonation/tribute. All of it is pretty 

good, but none of it is transcendent. If you like 

this style of music, it’s recommended. He has an 

appealing road-weary personality, kind of like 

someone whose whole life is music but doesn’t care if 

he ever hits the big time or not. Most songs are 

sparsely arranged, but the production is very crisp 

and his band is quite good. Nice mix of instruments 

including dobro and slide guitar. [AM] 

"And The Shredded Fieldmice" 1977 (Alligator Shoes 40-004) 

"And The Shredded Fieldmice" 2005 (CD Radioactive 102, UK) 

"And The Shredded Fieldmice" 2005 (CD) 

One of the more pleasant reissue surprises of 2005, 

this obscure Delaware (not many known LPs from there) 

private goes into a lot of unusual places and retains 

a friendly, upbeat vibe while doing so. I hear traces 

of mid-70s Dead, Santana, The Band and Zappa, but the 

end result is all Snakegrinder. The vibe I pick up is 

a bunch of local stoners who have been jamming for 

years, written some tunes, and finally gotten 

together for an album to delight their buddies. The 

sound is rich and n-dimensional with an impressive 

group-mind synchronization going, creating a vintage 

Bay Area vibe pretty much any time they zoom off into 

jams. At times it sounds a lot like Ray Harlowe & Gyp 

Fox, and anyone who likes the best tracks on that LP 

is going to flip out over this one. This is not a 70s 

hard guitar jammer, but real deal acidrock with a 

multichannel flow to rank among the best of them. 

Terrific musicians, floating THC vibe, and long 

snakey tracks -- what more could one ask for? The 

second CD is a master tape reissue from the band. 

[PL] 

~~~ 

This is a completely distinctive album that seems to 

wow everyone who hears it. It’s compared by most to 

the Grateful Dead, but some songs actually have a 

very professional jazzy 70s sheen and funky rhythmic 

sense that reminds me of Steely Dan. Unlike that 

band, though, the careful songwriting soon gives way 

to long jams, which veer from acid rock to jazz and 

back seamlessly. These sound like they have developed 

carefully over many live performances and rehearsals, 

and not like random improv. The playing is top-notch,

and the songs are full of surprising twists and 

turns. The vocals aren’t up to the level of the 

guitars, but they’re serviceable (and there aren’t 

very many of them.) Not at all what you’d expect from 

hippie jammers; this is the kind of unique mix of 

styles that takes a while to get used to but is 

ultimately more rewarding than the cruder and less 

complex laid-back jammy music more frequently found 

on private press albums. [AM] 

SNICKELFRITZ (Provo, UT) 

"Snickelfritz Wants You!" 1969 (Mormoney mm-666) [insert; 50p] 

Amazing dark folk rock excursion with creepy pipe 

organ interludes that would have been right at home 

in the film, "Carnival of Souls". The songs cover the 

downer bases of unrequited love and societal 

rejection with aching sincerity teen vocals. 

Meandering minor chord 12-string solos give the 

record a real lost-in-time feel like a moody New 

England prep rocker without the backbeat. Thick 

gatefold with demonic trivia insert. [RM] 

SIGMUND SNOPEK III (Milwaukee, WI) 

"Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf" 1973 (Waterstreet) [insert] 

"Trinity Seas" 1974 (Akashic) [insert] 

"Nobody To Dream" 1975 (Couth Youth 1001) [insert] 

Doorsy vocals prog psych with mellotron, synth, and 

whatever else was handy. There was also an instro 

artrock LP from 1982, "Roy Rogers Meets Albert 

Einstein". [RM] 

~~~ 

see -> Bloomsbury People; Jim Spencer; Major Arcana 

SNOW (Cleveland, OH) 

"Snow" 1968 (Epic BN 26435) 

"Snow" 2003 (CD Radioactive 056, UK) 

"Snow" 2003 (Radioactive 056, UK) 

Little-known item on the label with a sound placed 

right smack in the 1968 moustache sunshine Los 

Angeles & London pop-psych intersection of Mamas & 

Papas, Bee Gees, Hollies, etc. Not bad for the style, 

with nothing particularly objectionable and vintage 

zeitgeist charm. Male/female munchkin vocals, fuzz 

and harpischord flourishes, and an upbeat mood 

throughout. The production and vocals are LA while 

the songwriting style and whimsical fairytale lyrics 

are typical British. "Old Uncle Timothy's Flying 

Balloon" is the perfect lost track for the Rubble 

series. The closing psych-phased "Caterpillar" track 

has been hyped and is probably the best track here, 

but for fans of things such as the Smoke on Sidewalk 

or the Move/Idle Race the whole album could be worth

searching out. Not heavy or deep in any way, in case 

the description hasn't made that clear, although they 

do try and pull an Iron Butterfly on "Song of the 

Sirens". [PL] 

SNOW GEESE (Manfield, TX) 

"Feathers In The Wind" 1977 (Old Hat) [inner; insert] 

Rural hippie folk and country-rock with some 

Christian moves. 

SODBUSTERS (Vancouver, Canada) 

"Sodbusters" 1974 (Georgia Stock 71-01) 

Rural hippie folk LP with Huckle helping out. 

"SO IT GOES" (Atlanta, GA) 

"So It Goes" 1973 (no label 1701) [insert] 

SOJOURNER (LA) 

Also known as "Emory Almanac", this various artists 

project from Emory College is an above average mix of 

folk and psychy rock. 

"Wings Like An Eagle" 1979 (no label 017901) 

Christian proggy folk and rock mix, recorded at Magic 

City Studios in Bogalusa. Keyboard-heavy sound 

including synth, organ, clavinet, electric guitars 

and various percussion instruments. 

V.A "SOMETHIN' ELSE" (Canada) 

"Somethin' Else" 1966 (Roman drl-103) 

SOMETHING NEW ( ) 

Canadian teen-beat sampler including the Paupers, 

David Clayton-Thomas, the Shays. The latter's track 

("This hour has seven days") is good moody beat and 

has been comp'd. 

"Are You Looking" 1970 (Century 40499) 

Electric folkrock with female vocals on well-known 

custom label. 

ALAN SONDHEIM (Providence, RI)

"The Songs" 1967 (Riverboat rb-3) 

"Ritual All 7-70" 1968 (ESP 1048) [2nd press; altered cover] 

"Ritual All 7-70" 199 (CD ESP 1048, Germany) 

SONICS (Tacoma, WA) 

Pre-psych beatnik style freakout with exotic string 

and woodwind instruments and voice fragments. A 

classic of the early avant underground. The Riverboat 

version was credited to Ritual All 7-70, which became 

the LP title for the ESP pressing. Sondheim made a 

second LP for ESP with synth added, "Th 'Other Little 

Tune" (ESP 1082, 1969) which also is of some 

interest. 

"Here Are" 1965 (Etiquette etalb-024) [mono; red label] 

"Here Are" 1965 (Etiquette etalb-024) [stereo; red label] 

"Here Are" 1965 (Etiquette etalb-024) [stereo; purple label; 

2nd press] 

"Boom" 1966 (Etiquette etalb-027) [mono; purple label] 

"Boom" 1966 (Etiquette etalb-027) [stereo; purple label] 

Often inaccurately described as a "garage" era band, 

the Sonics emerged from the pre-Beatle Pacific 

Northwest scene as the final and perfected 

incarnation of the first 10 years of rock'n'roll. The 

debut LP is one of the best regional albums of the 

1960s, and while "Boom" has a few unexceptional cover 

versions, the originals are again utterly stunning. 

No need for lengthy discursions on these guys, you 

either own this or you're clueless. Cover variations 

of first LP originals exist as follows: 1) cat# top 

right; 2) cat# lower right; 3) 1/4" white border 

round the cover. Reissues of both albums are too 

numerous to list, but there were official, exact runs 

from Etiquette in the 1980s sporting a purple label. 

Poorly done bootlegs exist without spine printing and 

a botched b & w sleeve job on "Here Are". The 

reissues on New Rose are reported as having poor 

sound. The 1970s six-LP "Northwest Box" on Etiquette 

include both (stereo mix) albums in thin, flimsy b & 

w sleeves. There is also an original 1960s Canadian 

pressing of "Boom", distributed by London. [PL] 

"Introducing" 1967 (Jerden jrl-7007) [mono; wlp exists] 

"Introducing" 1967 (Jerden jrls-7007) [stereo] 

Repackaged early "hits" plus some later-day numbers, 

missing the nitroglycerin charge of the Etiquettes 

but still way above average. The original band was 

falling apart at this time. 

"Explosives" 1973 (Buckshot 001) 

Legit sampler of Etiquette material put together in 

the dark ages, available via mail-order ads in Bomp 

Magazine. Compiled by Mark Shipper, this features 12 

classic rippers in mono mixes. 

"Original Northwest Punk" 1977 (First American fa-7715) 

A couple early hits plus the later 1966-67 material,

in fact an exact retread of the 1967 "Introducing" LP 

repackaged in a new cover. First American was run by 

NW scenemaker Jerry Dennon, also behind the 

Piccadilly label from the same timeframe. 

"Unreleased" 1980 (First American fa- 7719) 

Jerry Dennon's second raid on the Sonics vault 

yielded a selection of later 45s and unreleased 

tracks, some from the post-Gerry Roslie era. The 

material pops up on recent CDs as well. For diehard 

fans only. 

"Fire And Ice" 1981 (First American fa-7779) 

Scraping the bottom of the barrel on "Fire & Ice" 

with really lame vault material. A later CD version 

also exists. There is also a reunion LP of sorts from 

1980, "Sinderella" (Bomp), which has a hideous cover 

and reportedly not very appealing contents. "Live 

Fanz Only" is a 1986 Etiquette release with a 1966 

Oregon show on one side and a 1972 show on the other. 

From the mid-1980s and onwards the Sonics became a 

matter of international concern, with a number of 

reissues and retrospective releases. Best of CD 

samplers from Etiquette and Big Beat are good, just 

make sure you get the early non-LP 45 tracks ("The 

Hustler"; "Keep-A Knocking") and the X-mas sampler 

tracks. Mono mixes are always preferrable. In the 

2000s there has again been a slew of releases, 

including early, pre-Etiquette recordings from Norton 

("The Savage Young Sonics"), and more. 

-- 

see -> "Merry X-Mas" 

SONS (San Francisco, CA) 

"Minus Seeds and Stems" 1971 (private 2126) [100p] 

"Minus Seeds and Stems" 1993 (CFS 2126) [2 inserts] 

Westcoast rarity featuring privately released live 

recordings by the Sons Of Champlin. This was made as 

the band had been dropped by Capitol, although they 

would reform for a couple more major label LPs later 

on. The sleeve has no song titles or credits, which 

were added via the 1990s reissue. 

SONS OF THUNDER (MD) 

"Till The Whole World Knows" 196 (Zondervan 754) 

Obscure late 1960s Christian album with surprisingly

hip sounds of mostly light femme-vocal folkrock like 

an upbeat Guitar Ensemble or John Ylvisaker's younger 

cousins; a couple of tracks with male vocals are less 

exciting but it still plays solidly through with 

folkboom leftover charm and marginal school-play 

moves. Side 2 is strong with 3 excellent tracks, one 

of which even features raga guitar and psych effects. 

A few covers, but mostly origs I think. A marginal 

item really, but worth checking out for fans of Holy 

Ghost RC#9. Band looks really eerie on the cover... 

straight out of "Stepford Wives". The album is not 

expensive. Later Sons albums include "Days Follows 

Night" (Bronte 1001, 1972) and the heavier "Live At 

Virginia Beach" (Bronte 1002, 1973). [PL] 

SORCERY (Chicago, IL) 

"Sinister Soldiers" 1978 (Century 45484) [2LPs; gatefold] 

"Sinister Soldiers - First Chapter" 199 (no label, Europe) 

[bootleg] 

"Sinister Soldiers - Second Chapter" 199 (no label, Europe) 

[bootleg] 

"Sinister Soliders" 199 (CD Monster) 

"Sinister Soldiers" 200 (Century) [2LPs; gatefold; 

counterfeit] 

Often described as an early metal/NWOBHM album, but 

in my ears closer in sound and mood to local early 

1970s hardrock bands like Top Drawer. Inane teen 

lyrics and thankfully non-screaming vocals, with 

plenty of guitarwork that occasionally goes into 

Terry Brooks territory, plus some mellotron and a 

proto-1980s drummer. Despite some negative feedback I 

think it's listenable all through, with a highpoint 

in moody long "Last goodbye" track. 2LP set in 

gatefold cover, although the total playtime barely 

exceeds 50 minutes. Apart from the reissues, there's 

a counterfeit in circulation which can be recognized 

by a white rectangle obviously inserted into the 

original cover artwork. [PL] 

"Til Death Do We Part" 1980 (Sentry) 

S O S FEVER ( ) 

The second LP is not so good. Is this the same group 

who did "Stunt Rock", the soundtrack to the film 

"Stunt" (Groovy, 1978, Holland)? [RM] 

"Live At The Outrigger Hotel" 1969 (Makaha 5001) 

SOUL INC (NC) 

Obscure beat LP in nice color cover, supposedly 

recorded live. 

"At The Cellar" 1967 (Emblem) 

A common band name, this particular branch cut a live

album in Charlotte NC with mainly blue-eyed soul 

numbers, as indicated by their monicker. Some 

originals, and covers of "Knock on wood", "You don't 

know like I know", etc. This is not the same Soul Inc 

as the prolific 45 outfit from Louisville, KY. 

SOULS OF INSPYRATION (Quebec, Canada) 

"The Souls of Inspyration" 1970 (Columbia ES 90061) 

"The Souls of Inspyration" 199 (Columbia) [bootleg] 

"The Souls of Inspyration" 2005 (CD Pacemaker 037) 

Like labelmates Jarvis St Revue and It's All Meat a 

very rare LP despite being on Columbia. Keyboarddriven 

artrock with a late 60s feel in the vocals and 

organ but also baroque and classical influences. Not 

overwhelmingly interesting to me. 

SOUND OF THE REIGN ( ) 

"Reigned Out" 1965 (Wilber) 

SOUNDSATIONS (MI) 

Teenbeat/garage. 

"Shout" 1966 (Phalanx 001) [1000p] 

If intended to capture the band's in-concert 

excitement, then this was totally missed. In spite of 

some lame audience sound effects, nothing here 

sounded live, nor particularly exciting. Featuring a 

mix of then-popular pop and soul hits the album 

deserved a 'D' for creativity, though the inclusion 

of one original ("Moody Love") saved it from an 'F'; 

this bluesy organ-propelled original was also the 

album's highpoint. Perhaps because they were so bad, 

the band's haphazard readings of "When a Man Loves a 

Woman" (I could read Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham" 

with more feeling), an equally inept "Midnight Hour" 

and a seemingly endless "Shout" (with a particularly 

disturbing drum solo) were fascinating in the same 

way a bad traffic accident captures one's attention. 

By no stretch of the imagination was this great 

music, but the band's misplaced enthusiasm helped 

compensate for the absence of originality and the 

rather flat production. The other saving grace came 

in the form of guest vocalist Patsy Stevens. While 

she wasn't even shown on the album cover, Steven's 

handled lead vocals on several tracks and her 

performances on "What Now My Love" and "Just You"

provided two of the LP highlights. [SB] 

V.A "SOUNDS OF CENTRAL HIGH" ( ) 

"Sounds Of Central High '67" 1967 (no label) 

"Sounds Of Central High '68" 1968 (no label) 

High-school project LPs of which the first is of no 

particular merit, while the 1968 instalment has some 

cool tracks and an extraordinary psychedelic cover. 

V.A "SOUNDTRACKS 1966" (Northfield, IL) 

"Soundtracks 1966" 1966 (no label 28573) 

SOUP (Appleton, WI) 

Very obscure school project LP from New Trier High 

School, features some brief teenbeat from the Maniacs 

doing "Little Latin Lupe Lu" as the main attraction; 

also has some students singing a mock "protest" tune 

to the melody of "Louie Louie". 

"Soup" 1970 (Arf Arm 1) [plain cover; blank labels; yellow 

insert] 

"Soup" 199 (Arf Arm) [counterfeit; insert] 

"Soup" 2000 (Gear Fab 144) [+bonus tracks] 

"Soup" 2000 (CD Gear Fab 144) [+bonus tracks] 

Crude local rural rock/hard-rock affair with melodic 

Marin County eclecticism on side 1 including jazz and 

country moves; ambitious guitarwork, unpretentious 

vocals and some nice hooks that may appeal in an Owen 

B direction. Side 2 is a live-recorded hard-rock 

blowout called "I'm so sorry" with the desperate teen 

vocals again an asset, as well as some of the more 

frantic guitar riffing you're likely to hear. Nice 

playing all around and a trip worth examining for 

those into the really local early 70s sounds, while 

the average psych fan can pass on it. The easiest way

RICHARD SOUTAR (CT) 

to identify an original is that the vinyl has a 

flatter, rounded edge while the fakes are sharply 

beveled. The fake insert was a lime green with 

thinner paper stock and 'new' looking. The group was 

previously known as garage-era band Private Property 

Of Digil, whose 45s are included on the reissue. The 

band had a second LP on a real record label, "The 

Album Soup" (Big Tree bts-2007, 1971) which has some 

excellent guitar and a couple of good songs opening 

side 1 but is otherwise unexceptional. [PL] 

"Episodes" 197 (Artsong) 

Pleasant surprise in store here as Soutar's more 

obscure debut LP turns out to be clearly better than 

"Lavender Daydreams", in fact I think it's on a whole 

other level. Songwriting is similar but superior, 

with a 1960s folkrock feel and lots of hooks and 

strong melodies. Recurring use of fuzz leads and 

enthusiastic live feel reminds me of the Joe Peace 

album but this is clearly better in my ears. Also has 

frequent use of flute and female harmonies supporting 

Soutar's own excellent vocals, wrapped in a full 

folkrock basement setting a la Gandalf the Grey. A 

couple of tracks hint at the generic 1970s 

singer/songwriter blandness that weighed down his 

later LP, but all over this is a fine trip comparable 

to a less moody Gary Higgins, or what you hoped the 

Arthur Lee Harper album would sound like. Too bad 

this didn't get reissued instead of "Lavender", but 

hopefully it will come round down the line. [PL] 

"Lavender Daydreams" 1976 (no label SD-72176) [lyric insert; 

200p] 

"Lavender Daydreams" 199 (Void 9) [insert] 

JOHN SOUTHERN (OK) 

Pro-sounding melodic singer/songwriter & hippie 

folkrock LP in the popular post-CSNY 1970s bag, too 

lightweight and easygoing to challenge the status quo 

of anything, including the listener's mood. 

Songwriting and performances are flawless, but a bit 

more heart and soul wouldn't hurt next time. The 

title track is a terrific dreamy folkrockpsycher in 

the Michael Angelo realm, but to get there you have 

to sit through 35 minutes of pleasantly forgettable 

s/sw material. Gary Higgins is a much better and more 

personal trip for this style. [PL] 

"Equinox" 1975 (Boyd 0001) [insert] 

Little-known mid-70s title in great color sleeve 

showing the man inside a giant sewer pipe. The LP 

features Southern's homemade string instruments and 

has one excellent long cut and a couple other decent 

ones.

SOUTHERN STEEL (Miami, FL) 

"Get On Through" 1974 (Earth Records 0003/04) 

SOWER (NM) 

Seldom seen Southern rock/hardrock with strong 

guitarwork and some outstanding tracks such as "Don't 

deny it". There was also a 45 released. Produced by 

Craig Leon, who went on to fame as a producer with 

Ramones, Suicide, and others. 

"Sower" 1977 (Grand Trine) [500p; inner] 

STEPHEN SPANO (MD) 

1970s style laidback rural folkrock with guitars, 

drums, flute and violin, reported as "lame" by one 

renowned critic. 

"Eye To Eye" 1974 (Adelphi ad-4103) [insert] 

Here’s a terrific private press rarity that’s 

completely fallen under the radar. It’s way better 

than multi-hundred-dollar singer-songwriter/folkrock/soft 

pop rarities like Richard Soutar or Mick 

Stevens and the entire brigade of albums inaccurately 

compared to Michael Angelo. Like all of those 

records, there’s scant amount of fuzz guitar or 

trippiness here. But there’s some excellent lead 

guitar, occasional use of hippie instruments like 

conga and flute, a bit of moog, unusual chord 

progressions and thoughtful, intelligent songwriting 

to go along with the requisite vocal harmonies and 

acoustic guitars. It’s also much less wimpy than your 

average CSN-influenced private press album. The 

highlights are “...and dream,” which has some great 

lead guitar, and “Eye to eye,” which rocks out (and, 

admittedly, veers a tad toward prog). The rest of the 

album is quite good too. Neat album cover; you’d 

think that alone would have attracted attention to 

it. Snap it up quick before it gets discovered and 

the price balloons. About 1500 copies were pressed. 

[AM] 

SPARE CHANGE BAND (MA) 

"Spare Change Band" 1977 (Tribute) 

SPARKS (Canada) 

Westcoasty folkrock jams and loungey blues, post-Tea 

Company. To my ears a dull, overrated LP with one 

good track in "Take me to your garden". 

~~~ 

see -> Frankie Carr

"Travelling With" 1965 (Fontaine) 

Obscure teenbeat. 

SPARROWS (Los Angeles, CA) 

"That Mersey Sound" 1964 (Elkay 3009) 

Exploito Beatles covers with monster garage guitar 

sound and hick vocals (like From Britain With Beat)! 

One of the best in the style. Rick Griffin did the 

cover art. [RM] 

SPEAK EASY (Kansas City, MO) 

"Speak Easy" 197 (no label) 

SPECKULATIONS ( ) 

Late 1970s hardrockers. 

"Walking The Dog In The Midnight Hour" 1966 (Justice 132) 

"Walking The Dog In The Midnight Hour" 1996 (CD Collectables) 

SPECTRE (WY) 

Crude frat/garage that differs from most Justice 

albums in being sloppily played, the rhythm section 

in particular. In fact, they're all over the place. 

Further garage ambience is provided by Index-like 

teen vocals and a selection of covers that are 

somewhat less soul/lounge and more standard '65-66 

fare than many of their local competitors. There may 

also be an original or two. A solid dose of vintage 

teen incompetence that makes for passable 

entertainment and is about the closest any Justice 

band came to the equally maligned North-East preprock 

sound. One of the rarer Justices. [PL] 

"Spectre" 1982 (Vedauwoo) 

SPEED LIMIT 35 (NC) 

Hardrock/AOR with lots of guitar, housed in an odd b 

& w cover. One of the few ones from Wyoming, this has 

been compared to Unison. 

"Speed Limit 35" 2004 (RD Records 14, Switzerland) [insert] 

Post-Ladies WC band with unreleased studio and live 

recordings from circa 1970 in a rural guitar-jam 

style.

ALEXANDER 'SKIP' SPENCE (San Francisco, CA) 

"Oar" 1969 (Columbia cs-9831) [360 label] 

"Oar" 199 (CD Sundazed 11075) [+10 tracks] 

"Oar" 199 (Sundazed 11075) 

"Oar" 199 (CD Sony Legacy 75031) [+5 tracks] 

As most probably know already this is the solo album 

Alexander 'Skip' Spence recorded after getting sacked 

from Moby Grape and spending six months in the 

Bellevue hospital. The songs were written while he 

was committed there and it kinda shows - it's 

fragmented and demo-like but at the same time filled 

with emotion and raw beauty. The album is often 

described as being very downer and depressive, which 

I think is extremely unjust. It's full of beautiful 

songs like "Little Hands", "Diana" and others, that 

easily would've fitted with the Grape. But the 

spectrum is much wider. There's the countryish 

"Broken Down", a tale of revenge, cheating and death 

which predates Johnny Cash's raw acoustic recordings 

by three decades. The influence of American folk 

music, or cosmic Americana maybe, runs through the 

whole album and keeps it together. There's off-beat 

humor in tracks like "Dixie Peach Promenade" and 

"Lawrence Of Euphoria". Great lyrics over all and 

possibly one of the best real psychedelic acid 

compositions/performances ever pressed into vinyl: 

"War In Peace" which is worth the price of admission 

alone. Alexander plays all of the instruments himself 

and the result is fantastic, if you like some offbeat 

playing and misses in synching, but also a total 

presence of this person who turns himself inside out 

to express his inner feelings. It's quite simply an 

awesome album, for me it has desert island status. 

He's been compared to Syd Barrett a lot, but I don't 

think that gives away what this LP sounds like. This 

is, first of all, more American. It's also less 

whimsy and to my ears more "real". There's nothing 

quite like it. "Oar" is one of the worst selling 

albums in Columbia's history; around 600 copies total 

of the 2000 pressed. The old Sony CD has lots of 

extra material, but I must warn about the sound on 

that issue. It's way too "cleaned up" and sounds dead 

compared to an original or a better reissue. [MM] 

JIM SPENCER (Milwaukee, WI) 

"Landscapes" 1973 (Thoth) 

Singer/songwriter and folkrock with an ambitious 

mainstream feel and Susan & Richard Thomas helping 

out. 

"2nd Look" 1974 (Akashic Records ast-1001) [poster] 

Before the Major Arcana album, Jim Spencer released 

two equally rare solo albums. The second has 

contributions from Susan and Richard Thomas, Sigmund 

Snopek III and Anonymous’ Ron Matelic (who wrote one 

song and co-wrote another.) The music is a more 

singer/songwriter variation on the Major Arcana 

album. Some songs are dead ringers for the Major 

Arcana sound. Others are in a more straight folk

and/or country direction. The more elaborate songs 

feature mildly jazzy arrangements including sax, 

flute, mellotron and synthesizers. The songwriting is 

reasonably strong, peaking on the somewhat sinister 

“The Devil Is A Fat Man.” Matelic’s contributions are 

almost baroque, sounding nothing like Anonymous (and 

nowhere near as good). This album isn’t quite up to 

the level of Major Arcana, but will certainly appeal 

to fans of that album and folk/psych fans in general. 

[AM] 

SPIDER & THE CRABS (KS) 

"Spider & the Crabs" 1967 (Audio House AH12267) 

Previously unknown to exist custom press on renowned 

Lawrence, KS label. Eight tracks, six of which are 

horn-laden crooneresque soul ballads of no 

identifiable merit. However, "Think" is a fuzzed out 

100 mph band original well worth investigating, and 

the LP closes with an agreeable "Stepping Stone". 

Press size has been estimated to 25-100 copies by 

Audio House management. The band, who were a popular 

live attraction in the Kansas showband style, also 

had a local non-LP 45. [PL] 

SPIFFYS (Annapolis, MD) 

"The Spiffys" 1967 (no label 242) [1500p] 

The weaker of the two LPs from Naval Academy recruits 

whose band kept going for decades, with members 

changing as new classes were enlisted. This one is on 

level with the average Justice LP and thus not very 

interesting beach club garage/soul sounds, all covers 

except one OK beat original. Nice sleeve. 

~~~ 


"Spiffys '68" 1968 (no label 12597) [2500p] 

Their better LP, two bad "soul" tracks while the rest 

is highly listenable, including fun covers of Procol 

Harum and the Doors. The great group folkrock/psych 

original "Dreams" is a must-hear and has been comp'd 

on Oil Stains vol 2. 

~~~ 


SPIKEDRIVERS (Detroit, MI) 

"Spikedrivers" 2002 (RD Records 10, Switzerland) 

"Spikedrivers" 200 (CD RD Records CD-3, Switzerland) 

Subtitled "Folk-rocking psychedelic innovation from 

the Motor City in the mid 60's", this is a rather 

terrific and much-loved retrospective sampler of 

official and unreleased recordings from this aheadof-their 

time band that blended westcoast folkrock 

with middle eastern psych sounds long before it was

SPIRITS & WORM (NY) 

trendy. The opening "Often I Wonder" raga psycher (a 

45 B-side from mid-1966) blows minds wherever it is 

heard, and the rest of the LP ranges from good to 

great. Two different line-ups of the band are 

represented. Along with Bob Smith my favorite release 

from the label so far, and simply essential to any 

60s psych fan. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Ted Lucas; Perth County Conspiracy; Peace 

Bread & Land Band; Modality Stew 

"Spirits & Worm" 1969 (A&M 4229) [brown label box logo] 

"Spirits & Worm" 1995 (Water Servant, UK) [paste-on; 375#d] 

"Spirits & Worm" 1995 (Sweet Herb, Europe) 

"Spirits & Worm" 2000 (CD Akarma 141, Italy) 

"Spirits & Worm" 2000 (Akarma 141, Italy) 

SPLIT DECISION ( ) 

Well, you can't get much rarer for a major label LP, 

although the reason for the rarity and the number of 

copies pressed differ depending on who you talk to. 

Unfortunately, and despite some excited ramblings 

I've read, this doesn't really deserve its legend. 

The music is your standard westcoast hippiepop/rock, 

pretty fun and enjoyable but by no means superior to 

many a $20 LP, with horns on two tracks. Despite what 

you might read, this sounds closer to the Fifth 

Dimension than Jefferson Airplane to my ears. A 45 

was released from the LP, and it appears the LP was 

also released in England, despite its utter 

obscurity. The band was from Long Island, except the 

female vocalist who was from NJ. Prior to the A & M 

signing they won a Battle Of The Bands sponsored by a 

shoe store which supposedly led to them recording a 

local 45, which has not yet been found. The Water 

Servant boot cover is a poorly done repro of the back 

cover with a different front, while the Sweet Herb 

job is an exact repro with some minor crackle. [PL] 

"Flight Of The Triad" 1981 (no label SD-1) 

Rather quirky hard rocking AOR private press I 

believe hails from New Jersey. There are occasional 

arena prog moves thrown in, mainly through the 

sporadic use of a synethesizer. There's some psych 

vibes as well, particularly in the first two songs on 

Side 2. The first is a heavy late psych sound with 

liberal use of fuzz on the guitar. It flows into the 

next track, a spacy guitar dominated instrumental 

with a bit of a rural Dead influence. Plenty of 

guitar leads permeate the LP, and a lot with effects 

(phased, synthesized, etc). Good musicianship 

throughout, though there is an endearing bonehead 

quality to the lyrics and vocals. Extremely rare; I 

know of only three copies, including the two I have.

[MA] 

SPOILS OF WAR (IL) 

"Spoils of War" 1999 (Shadoks 001, Germany) [+bonus 45] 

"Spoils Of War" 2000 (CD Shadoks 001, Germany) 

SPONTANES ( ) 

Late 1960s recordings, originally released on two 

local EPs at the time, from arty college outfit who 

later metamorphosed into prog-folkers Mormos. Really 

two bands in one, one being an introspective 

garage/folkrock band like the Rising Storm, the other 

a quirky electronics psych act in a Lothar & the Hand 

People/50 Foot Hose direction. Oscillator and sound 

fx become annoying at times but add an interesting 

intellectual finish for the most part. Well worth a 

release, and combined with the great cover design 

makes for one of Shadoks' better offerings. Includes 

a bonus 45, even though the playtime of the regular 

LP isn't particularly long. Shadoks followed this 

with a 2LP set (also titled "Spoils Of War", Shadoks 

55) of similar, slightly earlier material in lesser 

sound, which is recommended only to hardcore fans of 

this first one. [PL] 

"Play Solid Soul" 1965 (Hit Attractions 109) 

SPOONFED (AR) 

Obscure teen-beat/blue-eyed soul LP in crude cover. 

"Rock 'n Roll Rowdies" 1983 (Zanbeck ZSP 1001) 

Good Southern guitar-rock despite the late release 

date. 

SPRING FEVER (Canada) 

SPUR (IL) 

"Woodstock" 1970 (Paragon 302) 

Obscure power trio doing blues-rock with all covers 

except one instrumental, on the same label as Reign 

Ghost and Christmas. 

"Spur Of The Moment" 1969 (Cinema 1500) 

"Spur Of The Moment" 199 (Cinema, Europe) [bootleg] 

Pretty strange LP from rural Illinois band which is 

partly novelty-tinged garbage with rock'n'roll 

medleys, "funny" spoken bits etc, but also has some 

very good folkrock psychers on side 2 - too bad the

whole LP isn't that way. Can't really recommend it 

despite being pretty cheap, but try to tape those 

good ones. Spur also backed Father Pat Berkeley on a 

late 60s LP in the "Incredibly Strange" bag. The LP 

was distributed mainly around St Louis, which is why 

the band was believed to be from there. [PL] 

SQUARE ROOT OF NINE (MI) 

"Three" 196 (Pac Three) 

-- there is some confusion around the name of this band, as 

some believe them to have been called Three, 'Square Root Of 

Nine' being the album title. 

Little known folk with 2 guys & 1 gal looking square 

indeed. Mostly covers in a moody folk-boom style. 

STACCATOS (Ottawa, Canada) 

"Initially" 1965 (Capitol t-6158) [mono] 

"Initially" 1965 (Capitol st-6158) [stereo] 

Jangly pop and teen-beat from popular group, mostly 

originals. The band also released a split Coca Colabacked 

promo LP, "A Wild Pair" (1969, Nimbus 9), with 

Guess Who on the other side. Pre-Five Man Electrical 

Band. 

STACK (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Above All" 1969 (Charisma 303) 

"Above All" 199 (Charisma, Europe) [bootleg] 

"Above All" 1997 (Void 06) [die-cut cover; insert; +1 track; 

500p] 

"Above All" 1998 (CD Gear Fab 111) 

"Above All" 199 (Akarma 057, Italy) 

"Above All" 199 (CD Akarma 057, Italy) 

Early LA hardrock blowout with a British sound and 

Who and Led Zep influences; not everything works but 

the best tracks go into ferocious guitar excursions 

that are among the best anywhere. Teenage punk vocals 

work well and it's a LOUD upfront mother from start 

to finish. Almost glamrocky in its selfassured yet 

convincing "rock" postures, and indeed ahead of its 

time. Mandatory to any hardrock fan, although 

originals are genuinely rare. One member was in 

garage legends the Fabs before this. The band 

appeared in a Pepsi Cola commercial, supplied 

background music for the classic teen flick "Wild In 

The Streets", and had a major label contract within 

reach, but it didn't happen. The Void reissue has 

some crackles. [PL] 

~~~ 

Superb bluesy hard fuzz rocker with a Rush feel at 

times. Powerhouse vocals, tight playing, distinctive 

songs, and muscular guitar work with plenty of fuzz. 

This group had the whole package, it's really a crime 

they never hit the big time. The drums are up front 

and this record really pounds. One of the few early

STAGE FRIGHT (MO) 

hardrock locals with memorable songs and a first 

class vocalist with range. The anthemic "Only 

forever" and "Everyday" will blow heavy guitar fans 

away. Amazing LP at least five years ahead of its 

time. [RM] 

~~~ 

As the band say, “Laugh and point and stare at the 

boys with girls’ hair”. You can laugh and point and 

stare as much as you like, because Stack demolish 

most of their contemporary hard rockers and either 

predate or demolish most of what came after in the 

genre. The drumming on this LP stands out a mile but 

the whole band are great. No macho drivel or posy 

metal solos on this one –- this is the meat with no 

vegetables or potatoes in the mix. The shortest songs 

are the best (they’re all quite short apart from "Da 

Blues"). "Everyday", "Valleys" and "Cars" are 

wonderful songs delivered with such raw energy that 

you are left wondering how success eluded them. The 

LP does sound like it should have had significant 

mainstream appeal in all the right ways and yet 

amazingly it flopped. [RI] 

"D-Day" 1980 (Aardvark) 

STAINED GLASS (CA) 

Rural hardrock/barrock with a late 1960s vibe. Has 

been hyped, but not everyone is impressed with it. 

"Crazy Horse Roads" 1969 (Capitol ST 154) 

This album has a cool cover, with the band being hung 

from (obviously airbrushed) trees. The music doesn’t 

really have the outlaw vibe as advertised, though, 

being a pretty upbeat mix of pop/psych styles. A few 

songs are pretty strong, and overall it’s a pleasant 

listen, slightly above average for the genre. [AM] 

"Aurora" 1969 (Capitol ST 242) 

The second LP is rarer and considered superior by 

most. 

STAINED GLASS WINDOW (IL) 

"Stained Glass Window" 1975 (Sycamore 248) 

Downer folk with an Incredible String Band vibe, not 

terribly impressive. 

STALK-FORREST GROUP (Long Island, NY) 

"Stalk-Forrest Group" 1999 (no label, Germany) 

"Stalk-Forrest Group" 2002 (CD Rhino Handmade) [+bonus tracks]

"Stalk-Forrest Group" 2004 (CD Radioactive 019, UK) 

"Stalk-Forrest Group" 2004 (Radioactive 019, UK) 

STANLEY (TX) 

Also known as "St Cecilia" and "The California 

Album", these are legendary pre-Blue Öyster Cult 

recordings made for a 1969-70 Elektra LP that was 

shelved for reasons that remain obscure. Tapes of 

this material were going round already in the 1970s, 

but it wasn't until recently that it became 

commercially available. It's a tremendous westcoastsounding 

LP with a superb blend of songwriting, 

guitar excursions and above-average lyrics. Strong 

all through with outstanding peaks in "Gil Blanco 

County" and "St Cecilia". The album has a bit of a 

Love influence and could be considered an alternative 

(superior) development to "Four Sails". Essential to 

any westcoast fan, also reminiscent of "China cat 

sunflower"-era Dead and Truth/Them from Chicago. The 

German vinyl bootleg has unimpressive sound (about 

7/10) which admittedly brings a nice basement edge to 

the tracks, but ultimately isn't recommended. The 

Rhino Handmade on the other hand is almost too good 

in sound, with an unprocessed, widestretched 

soundscape that will appeal to sound engineers but is 

somewhat lacking in warmth and presence. The 

remastered Radioactive CD delivers a more alive, 

organic feel and also has a superior running order 

and should be considered the first choice for Stalkhunters, 

even though it is completely lacking the 

superb packaging of the Rhino CD. A promo 45 was 

released by Elektra, this 45 has been bootlegged. 

[PL] 

~~~ 


"Enemy Ave" 1981 (Rectangle) 

RICK STANLEY ( ) 

Obscure bonehead hardrock in primitive cover. 

"Song Of Life" 1970 (Jai Guru Dev) 

STARBLIND (CA) 

Spiritual meditation folk sounds from guy on the 

Maharishi trail, opens with a lecture on the virtues 

of transcendental meditation, followed with music in 

the expected style. Stanley later popped up with the 

Natural Tendency "Something Good Is Happening" LP 

(Ganesh, 1972) which has a full folkrock sound with 

keyboard mixed with Indian instruments. 

"Rock Is Our Business" 197 (LRS) 

One-sided LP on same custom label as Frolk Haven, 

typical 70s hardrock with mostly covers in an 

elaborate gatefold sleeve.

STARCHILD (Canada) 

"Children Of The Stars" 1978 (Axe 521) 

STARFIRE (CA) 

Metallic hardrock like German band the Scorpions. 

With Greg Hinz of Helix. The label had several more 

releases out. 

"Starfire" 1974 (Crimson 4476) 

"Starfire" 2004 (Void 033) 

"Starfire" 2005 (CD Radioactive 137, UK) 

Unexceptional local basement hardrock with guitar, 

organ and some prog ambitions. 

STARFIRES (Orlando, FL) 

"Play" 1965 (Ohio Recording Service 34) 

Typical mid-60s teenbeat from Florida band who 

recorded in Ohio due to a family connection. One 

member later went on to garage legends Little Willie 

& the Adolescents. 

STARFIRES (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Teenbeat A Go Go" 1965 (LaBrea LS 8018) 

PETER STARK (MI) 

Frat r&b covers, mostly in a pre-Invasion mood with 

"Money", "Peter Gunn", "Apache" and so on. The band 

later cut an all-time classic garage 45 in "I never 

loved her". Many years later, band member Sonny 

Lathrop popped up in Sweet Marie. 

"Mushroom Country" 1976 (Montagne no #) 

"Mushroom Country" 2005 (CD Radioactive 098) 

Second-tier private press hippie folk LP is a 

somewhat surprising pick for a reissue, although the 

great mushroom/flying saucer cover may have 

contributed. Stylistically pretty similar to the Ted 

Lucas LP with a mix of loner folk, bluesy folk, and 

acoustic ragas, the latter aspect being perhaps the 

most appealing as the guy gets a nice flow going. The 

vocal stuff isn't too shabby but a little bloodless, 

due in some part to a flat, lo-fi recording. Some 

unexpected cover versions take up space that could 

have been put to better use. Last track has full 

folkrock setting with guitar leads. A listenable 30 

minutes, but recommended mainly for genre fans and 

completists, and ultimately one of Radioactive's more 

questionable reissues. [PL]

STARLIGHTS ( ) 

"Triste-Payaso" 196 (Teardrop lpm-2015) 

STARLINERS (MN) 

Tex-Mex sound with some garagy r&b ravers. "Mustang 

Sally", "Stagger Lee". 

"Live At Papa Joe's" 1967 (Le Jac 1001) 

STARLITERS (NC) 

This little known garage/club LP is above average for 

the genre, due to a crazy Gerry Roslie-type screamer 

on vocals and some genuinely rocking takes on the 

standards; "Bo Diddley" in particular blows away any 

UK r'n'b act, while their "Satisfaction" is one of 

the best ever (better than the Stones). Six-minute 

take on "Caravan" has terrific Gene Krupa-style drum 

solo and the band is very tight. Not great all 

through, but if they'd let the wildman sing all songs 

and lost a couple of soul poopers this would have 

been a mindblower for any garage LP fan. Comparable 

to the Tony Lane LP on Justice. Seems to be an 

authentic live recording, though crowd noise is 

faint. "Broken engagement" is a band original, while 

"I feel good" is listed as "I got you". The press 

size has been reported as only 275 copies, due to a 

pressing plant problem. [PL] 

"Journey With" 1966 (Justice 124) 

"Journey With" 1995 (CD Collectables 0611) 

STARR (CO) 

Obscure one on the label, with four high school kids 

displaying their lack of "chops". They try burying 

the drummer's incompetence with an echo-laden 

production to no avail. Pretty fun and charming LP, 

closer to being real "garage" than most of their 

Justice colleagues, with three Animals covers 

including a memorable "Rising Sun"; the band also had 

enough chutzpah to try out "Ticket to ride". Three 

unexciting instros and a couple of half-assed 

r'n'b/beach music covers break the spell, but this is 

in no way inferior to the prep rock and local garage 

LPs from the Northeast. [PL] 

"Memories Never Die" 197 (no label) 

Late 1970s proggy hardrock a la Legend "From the 

fjords", with some AOR moves and synth. The LP is 

sometimes shown as self-titled as there is no title

on the front cover. 

GENE STEIKER & LARRY CHENGGES ( ) 

"Straywinds" 1973 (Shanyn-Alexus) 

ALEX STELZNER ( ) 

Most of us have a record or two that we believe in 

our hearts we are the only person to ever "get". For 

me, this record is utter magic and sits in a stack of 

well under ten records I won't put up on the block 

because I just can't be without them. The Grudzien is 

in that pile, so is the UK mono White Album. 

"Straywinds" is a whole lot closer to Grudzien than 

The Beatles. Two guys in a cavernous and empty 

auditorium (the natural echo here is phenomenal). One 

plays acoustic piano, the main instrument, the other 

some percussion and some clean electric guitar, very 

quietly. This is, in fact, a seriously quiet record. 

There are a few vocal parts that are sung, but the 

majority of this is spoken poetry with piano 

accompaniment. There is a naiveté and innocence here 

that I think is a common thread in my private stash 

of keeper records. This is as fragile a record as may 

have ever managed to get itself pressed and issued 

into the world. While the first side is heavily 

echoed vocals over sparse instrumentation (on tracks 

like "In Green Pastures" "Some Old Town" My Dreams, 

My Love"), the second side opens with "Beyond 

Forgetting." Under the right circumstances someone 

could play this track and, at the end, ask for $1,500 

and get it. A distorted and electronically effected 

vocal shouts over an electric piano and acoustic 

guitar bed. Still subdued but otherworldly and 

impossibly strange; I have never played this for 

someone and not had to scrape their jaw off the 

carpet. Like most of our secret records, this comes 

with the added knowledge that this will be reissued 

only after everything else is and so it will remain 

that little treasure just for us. Back in the time of 

mail order record lists this would show up 

occasionally for $35 to $75. Certainly not for 

everyone, and perhaps more a relic from the 

psychedelic age than psychedelic itself; I can't 

recommend this without reservation. In fact, I'm not 

really sure I want you listening to it at all. Forget 

I mentioned it. Move along. [SD] 

"Listen To The Changes" 197 (Century 32413) 

STENCIL FOREST (IN) 

Moody melodic folk and folkrock with baroque feel. 

Originals all through. 

"Opening Act" 1983 (Realtime RTA 1000) 

Styx-inspired melodic hard rock-AOR with professional 

sound and some progressive rock leanings, with 

keyboard and ace guitar leads.

JOE STEP ( ) 

"Sacrifice" 1982 (CCS) 

Guitar-dominated band somewhere between hardrock and 

metal. The cover shows stills from a slasher movie 

the band made. 

STEPHEN & THE FARM BAND see Farm Band 

STEPSON ( ) 

"Stepson" 1974 (ABC 826) 

This band actually descends from Touch and Blue 

Mountain Eagle, though this time they’ve gone towards 

moronic hard rock, including a song about their “Rude 

Attitude” and a hilariously crude power ballad. It’s 

not exactly hard rock at its most precise or 

thoughtful, but it really works for dumb fun. Pretty 

great, really. Marred slightly by an unnecessary and 

uninteresting Animals cover. [AM] 

JERRY & NANCY STEVENS (Austin, TX) 

"A Little Resolution" 1976 (Troll tr-12372) [insert] 

Gently baked hippie folk delicate peace and love 

tunes. Lots of backing instruments and nice vocals, 

right look but ultimately borderline crappy in a 

sleepytime way. [RM] 

LORA LEE & JANA LYN STEWART (Canada) 

"Have You Heard The News?" 1972 (Wonderland QCS 1033) 

Two wholesome hand-holding teen sisters who somehow 

ended up with a trippy psychedelic sound on a good 

third of their ultra-homemade LP. The songs to pay 

special attention to are "It Seemed So Easy", "Why Do 

You Keep Running?", "So Far To Go" and the sevenminute 

ballad "Fellowship", each of which features a 

sparsely-arranged late-‘60s combination of psychy 

organ, piano, electric guitar (including some fuzz), 

drums and bass. Not just the arrangements – the 

melodies themselves have a moody psychedelic nature 

with gloomy minor-key downer structures (the organ on 

a couple of these reminded me of Azitis). Even some 

subtle echo effects on the vocals in a couple spots. 

A few other songs like the title track, "Can’t You 

See?" and a cover of "Day By Day" also manage a 

pleasant underground light-rock vibe, albeit without 

the psych edge. Everything has a simple stark 

hypnotic loner tone overlaid with the gals’ delicate 

soprano/alto harmonies. Unfortunately the rest of the 

album consists of traditional piano hymns, but the 

good stuff (all of which was written by the girls) 

more than makes up for it. [KS]

A STILL SMALL VOICE ( ) 

"The Still Small Voice" 197 (Herald AM1596) 

TED STILLES ( ) 

Great underground psych-edged custom rock from 

male/female group of eight. Garagy electric riffs 

with wah-wah loudly roughing things up on "Mark Of 

The Beast" and the eight-minute opener "A Still Small 

Voice/A Future Time". The latter track also has some 

nice psychy organ, as does the trippy mysterious "The 

Night Has Come". Several songs target middle-ground 

plugged-in guitar/piano folkrock realms a la Wild 

Olive Branch Band, namely "Lord I’m Smiling In Your 

Love", "All The Days Of Your Life", "Rainbow" and 

"Same Old Feeling", all with good electric guitar 

presence. A couple pleasant acoustic ballads: "I Must 

Tell Jesus" and "Wherever He Leads I’ll Go", the 

latter with a spoken personal challenge to accept 

Christ. Crude b&w pen/ink cover drawing of a pair of 

hands reaching out toward three crosses on a hill. 

Creepy contorted photo of two faces on the back. 

Doesn’t say where they’re from, but mentions the 

album was recorded in Phoenix, Arizona. No relation 

to the better known Herald label out of South 

Carolina. [KS] 

"Bhang" 1980 (Telewbar TS-100) 

Six-track mini-LP debut in a hard fuzz Hendrix style 

fuzz, more primitive than heavy. Stilles second LP is 

less interesting. 

STING RAYS (Rochester, NY) 

"Take Off With" 1964 (Century 17867) [10"] 

RAY STINNET ( ) 

Garage surf and r&b stompers, 11 tracks in total. 

"Ray Stinnet" 1971 (A & M demo) [2LPs; no sleeve] 

Sleeveless double set demo album recorded with LA 

session pro:s, according to a reliable source it 

"sounds like the tail end of the Steve Young/Dillard 

and Clark impulse, clearly influenced by Neil Young 

but with a few druggier moments. If you took the best 

1/3 of it, you'd have a truly great 2/3's of an 

album." This appears to be the same Ray Stinnet that 

was in Sam The Sham's Pharaohs. 

BILLY AND SANDRA STINSON ( ) 

“The Merchant’s Ship” 197 (NRP NR 2924)

STONE CIRCUS (NY) 

Scarce and unknown private press folk LP with some 

mellotron, mixed vocals, dark lyrics. 

"The Stone Circus" 1969 (Mainstream 6119) 

"The Stone Circus" 199 (Mainstream, Europe) [bootleg] 

Westcoastish psych/hippie-rock, less elephantine than 

most later Mainstreams, with an unusual Strawberry 

Alarmclock influence a plus. Melodic and competent, 

fairly agreeable LP. Described as "strange" elsewhere 

but in actuality pretty straightforward, some odd 

spoken passages excepted. Most of the members were 

originally from Montreal, and were based in NY where 

they were known as the Funny Farm; the new band name 

was Mainstream's invention. In 1971 band member Larry 

Cohen aka Jonathan Caine recorded an orchestrated 

pop-psych album which included a version of a Stone 

Circus track. He hired one Yank Barry to handle the 

vocals, and Barry actually released this in the mid- 

70s, possibly without Cohen's knowledge. The whole 

thing was then reissued as a box-set in 2001, now 

credited to Stone Circus ("Diary Of Mr Gray", 

McConnell, Canada). The Yank Barry story is pretty 

amazing, see separate entry. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Yank Barry 

STONE CROW see Great Loose Band 

STONED CIRCUS (MO) 

"Stoned Circus" 1994 (Rockadelic 12) [insert; 500p] 

"Stoned Circus" 200 (CD World In Sound, Germany) [+bonus 

tracks] 

STONE GARDEN (ID) 

Unreleased 1970 tapes from band with rare 45, 

somewhat atypical for Rockadelic in its generic 

westcoasty Big Brother/Airplane style. Agreeable 

Hammond/guitar mix and a tough femme wailer, 

songwriting isn't terribly impressive however and the 

band sounds best on two jammy numbers on side 2 that 

suggest they may have been good live. Bluesy feel 

like the St Louis Touch, some stray folk and soulrock 

moves; all over like if the first Big Brother LP had 

been recorded in 1969. May appeal to fans of the 

Mainstream label sound. Worth releasing but not among 

the best Rockadelics in my opinion. Yet another find 

from the depths of Cavern Sound studios in KC. [PL] 

"Stone Garden" 1998 (Rockadelic 29) [insert; 500p] 

"Stone Garden" 2001 (CD Gear Fab 188) 

Popular title on the Rockadelic label and clearly 

above average transition document from late 60s S F 

Bay Area eclectisism into crude Northwest hardrock.

The band was once thought to be an early version of 

Fraction which is not true, although their 45 (on 

Fraction's label) packs a similar intensity and is 

present here in two versions, both excellent. The LP 

is enjoyable all through with highpoint in a couple 

of hard guitarpsych excursions on side 2, and the 

band shows more talent and variation than the 

standard basement outfits from the era. Extra points 

for obvious teen psych remains, and even the 

goodtimey track about being busted for pot in S F is 

agreeable. One of the best of the label's more recent 

releases. Very nice gatefold packaging although the 

Stonehendge image may remind some of "Spinal Tap". 

[PL] 

STONE HARBOUR (Youngstown, OH) 

"Emerges" 1974 (Stone Harbour 610) [500p] 

"Emerges" 199 (no label, Europe) [bootleg; b & w cover] 

"Emerges" 199 (CD Flashback, UK) 

"Emerges" 2004 (Void 32) [500p] 

STONE MOSES (IL) 

Extraordinary basement psych with two multiinstrumentalists 

creating a melancholic dreamlike 

state with songs fading in and out of the speakers, 

cavemen drums, primitive electronics and murky fuzz 

lurking in the background. The best tracks go into 

places no other albums reach. Actually closer to the 

heart of psychedelia than most other records listed 

here. The two hard rocking tracks that have been 

comp'd are not representative of the album as a 

whole, and add an unwanted "roots" feeling that 

disturb the trip somewhat. Still, one of the Ohio 

classics, with unparalleled artwork on the sleeve. 

Beware of an earlier "reissue" on Void (#20) titled 

"Re-emerges", which is new recordings of the 1974 

material. [PL] 

"Stone Moses" 1974 (Red Rock) 

STONEWALL (NY) 

Stoned rural rock. 

"Stonewall" 1974 (Tiger Lily 14013) 

"Stonewall" 1992 (no label) [bootleg] 

"Stoner" 199 (Akarma, Italy) [new sleeve] 

"Stoner" 199 (CD Akarma, Italy) 

"Stonewall" 2004 (Scorpio/Tiger Lily)

STOWAWAYS ( ) 

Very good teenage hard rock rated highly by many. 

Worth it for any fan of the genre, with energetic 

teen vocals and frantic guitarwork. Originals all 

through, with "Outer spaced" particularly intense. 

Only a handful of originals have been found, all of 

which have been DJ copies. Both Akarmas are retitled 

reissues with completely altered artwork and inferior 

sound. The Scorpio reissue is a nice job and 

recommended. [PL] 

~~~ 

This impossibly rare album (only a handful of known 

copies) ranks among the top few hard rock albums of 

all. Punky, snotty vocals, loud guitars, powerful 

riffs, relentless organ and drums, tight short songs 

without any wank factor... this has it all, along 

with an amazing amount of energy that keeps it from 

dragging the way the heaviest rock tends to. It 

really doesn't sound like anything else, and I 

imagine it would appeal just as much to punk fans as 

it would to blues-rock or heavy metal fans. The album 

is brief, with only eight short songs, and it goes by 

in such a breathless rush that you'll be begging for 

more. The key moment of this album to me is when they 

appear to be heading towards that album's first 

cliched misstep-a drum solo. Yet after a few seconds 

the rest of the instruments come crashing back in 

unexpectedly, so much so that you can hear if fifty 

times and still not anticipate exactly when they'll 

return. There's genius here, and the funny thing is 

that I suspect it's entirely unintentional. Who were 

these guys and why didn't they record again? The 

thought that this album could have been lost to the 

world if those scant few copies hadn't ended up in 

the hands of knowledgeable collectors/dealers is 

tantalizing. If what may be the greatest hard rock 

album almost had such a fate, is it possible that the 

greatest album in some other genre is still lost 

somewhere in a warehouse, its creators unaware (as 

all Tiger Lily artists were) that their music had 

even been put on plastic at all? [AM] 

"In Our Time" 1967 (Justice 148) 

"In Our Time" 1996 (CD Collectables) 

Apparently one of the rarest LPs on the label and to 

my ears also one of the more enjoyable. Cover photo 

shows the band in lengthy Peter Tork hairdos and 

indeed they seem to be more with the times than their 

colleagues. While they deliver obligatories like 

"I've been hurt" and "Sunny" there's also some 

unusual Stones and Beatles numbers as well as a 

daring, atmospheric stab at the Byrds and a spooky 

original called "Just a toy", which crowns them 

Justice's token folkrock act. Also has an excellent 

fake 12-string take on "Summertime" that rivals the 

Half Tribe. The r'n'b stuff that weighs down side 2 

is less convincing, but passable. Band isn't terribly 

tight and the recording has the label's usual early 

60s murkiness, but clearly an above average Justice 

outing. [PL] 

STRANGE see Terry Brooks

STRANGE (CA) 

"Strange" 1979 (Yantis) 

Legendary obscurity, the first copy of which was 

found in a garbage can. The LP has been described as 

a "journey through someone's personal hell" with 

bizarre lyrics, sparse piano interrupted by 

Baumstaum-like heavy guitar and backwards effects. 

The sound quality fluctuates wildly. Has been deemed 

"too disturbing to reissue", but we'll see about 

that. 

THE STREET AND THE SEA (PA) 

"The Street And The Sea" 1975 (no label) 

Folk/singer songwriter with female vocals on some 

tracks. 

V.A "STRICTLY CANADIAN" (Canada) 

"Strictly Canadian" 1969 (Birchmount bm-523) 

STROKE BAND (GA) 

STUD (TX) 

Compilation LP with a mixed bag, notable for 

including "High Flying Bird" by the Plague, one of 

the best versions ever (has been comp'd). 

"Green and Yellow" 1978 (Abacus 78-095) 

Bruce Joyner led group. Proto new wave basement 

realness with moog, fuzz, effects, and "big thought" 

lyrics. A funny bad aural disaster. [RM] 

"Stud" 1975 (Baron 002) 

DANE STURGEON (CA) 

Highly rated hardrock LP on local Rosenberg label. 

Only a handful of copies have been found, out of the 

300 supposedly pressed. 

"Wild'n Tender" 1967 (Stur-Geon TS 100) 

No other album had this particular sound, mid 60s 

folk rock instrumental backing with 50s/early 60s 

style vocals and lyrics (notably the horror tale 

"Ghost of Bardsley Road.") It's a throwback to people 

like Roy Orbison and Del Shannon, back when pop stars 

could really sing. Like Shannon's mid-60s work, it's 

terrific, and is proof that this era of rock and 

roller could easily have made the transition to the

MICHAEL STYERS (NC) 

60s and beyond without compromising themselves. 

There's some lovely 12-string guitar on a few songs, 

terrific falsetto vocals on "What's Comin' Z' 

Comin'," and even a little fuzz guitar on a couple of 

songs. Side one is listed as the "wild" side, and 

side two the "tender" side, but they aren't really 

all that different except that Sturgeon sings on side 

one and his soundalike David Cosby sings on side two. 

The song "Whip Of Love" somehow ended up on the 

"tender" side. A couple of the ballads are less 

exciting than the upbeat songs, but for the most part 

this is great. The cover calls this music "righteous 

folk-rock" and "folk-rock in a stone groove." Two 

sleeve variations exist, one with a statue design, 

one with a photo of Sturgeon. [AM] 

"Bearing A Gentle Message" 1980 (Myrddin 8007) [lyric insert; 

800p] 

Interesting LP that has received some attention of 

late. As the album title and a nice naked chick art 

sleeve suggest, the dominating sound is melodic, 

slightly rural folkrock/singer-songwriter not unlike 

Gary Higgins, or the less acidy tracks on Michael 

Angelo. Styers' voice is somewhat weak, but the 

arrangements and playing is fine, with rich, 

crystalline guitar tapestries that recall Relatively 

Clean Rivers on the best tracks. Female backing 

vocals and light string arrangements are put to good 

use. The countryrock moves convince, while the 

caribbean jungle excursion seems a bit superflouos 

given the 45 minute playtime, although it has a 

certain charm. Side 1 is uneven while side 2 is very 

good, peaking in the superb "Summer Evening Chant" 

with a Donovan vibe and excellent psychedelic guitar 

leads. A friendly, wistful mood persists, while the 

obvious talent and work that went into it holds your 

attention. While not a classic this, along with the 

first Bobb Trimble, T-Kail and Blackburn & Lauren 

show that the psychedelic era was alive and well 

around 1980. [PL] 

SUB ZERO BAND (Sacramento, CA) 

"Sub Zero Band" 1972 (no label) 

"Sub Zero Band" 1999 (Void 15) 

Good rural hippiefolk/countryrock with atmospheric 

violin and downer psych moves, similar to the first 

Shivas Headband LP but with female vocals. Couple of 

great moody psych tracks and the rural stuff is 

enjoyable too, my main objection being that some 

tracks are too long. Press size reports vary between 

500 and 1000 copies. A non-LP 45 exists. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is basically a crude, amateurish country/old 

fashioned rock and roll album. It has some charm, but 

beware any dealer who tries to tell you this sounds 

like a West Coast psych album. The frequent Shiva’s 

Headband comparisons are more appropriate. Neither 

band is exactly “rock”. There’s some violin on a few

SUDDEN DEATH (NY) 

songs, and lots of noodly lead guitar. The singing is 

decent, and there’s a pleasant hippie vibe. There are 

some duds on the album, but a few of the songs are 

strong (the long closer is the best, and would be a 

standout on any album) and this will appeal to the 

right listener. [AM] 

"Sudden Death" 1995 (Rockadelic 19) [600p] 

SUGAR BEAR (FL) 

Previously unreleased 1971 tapes of Long Island band 

on Led Zep bender, local hardrock with some pretty 

good tracks like "The zoo", operatic vocals and one 

of the best Rockadelic sleeves ever. [PL] 

"Sugar Bear" 197 (Gaff NR5392) [500p] 

"Sugar Bear" 2004 (CD Radioactive 59, UK) 

SUGAR CREEK (OH) 

Yet another Grateful Dead-inspired 70s rural rock 

obscurity with a professional sound and an unusually 

clear and well-engineered recording. Most distinctive 

feature are probably the expressive vocals which 

aren't necessarily great but have a nice showmanship 

to them. Music is song-oriented in a 

folk/country/swamprock mix rather than jammy, with a 

typically tight band and nice guitar figures 

throughout. One or two tracks are a little too close 

to Dr Hook for my tastes, but there are also some 

obvious psych moves with late 1960s remnants, 

especially on the stronger side 2. "Seasons For Love" 

has a MU/Fankhauser feel, while the SF psych 

Croz/Airplane-style "The Garden" is easily the best 

track. And the chorus to "Moccasin Mona" will eat 

into your brain in no time! Not a classic, but above 

the genre average to my ears. [PL] 

"Please Tell A Friend" 1969 (Metromedia 1020) [wlp exists] 

"Please Tell A Friend" 1999 (CD Lyrical SD 5004) 

"Please Tell A Friend" 2001 (Akarma 151, Italy) 

"Please Tell A Friend" 2001 (CD Akarma 151, Italy) 

Overlooked but appealing mix of late 60s westcoast 

and early 70s-style rock. Two outstanding psych 

tracks, the good news being that the rest delivers 

too, even the Butterfield-inspired blues aspects work 

on strength of the excellent vocals and an exemplary 

production. A couple of ballads are OK too. Almost as 

good as Christopher, if approached mainly as a postpsychedelic 

"rock" LP. As with some other Metromedia 

releases, promo copies seem to be more common than

stock. Apart from Jonathan Edwards' solo career, 

member Joe Dolce would go on to have a huge novelty 

hit with "Shaddap you face" in the 1980s. [PL] 

~~~ 

This professional-sounding hard rock/country blues 

band was led by "John Edwards", who would find fame 

and fortune as Jonathan Edwards with the hit 

"Sunshine". Fans of his folk and country career will 

be surprised to hear the copious fuzz guitar here. 

Some of the guitar has an Eastern style to it; the 

opening "A Million Years" adds to the exotic feel 

with chanting that ends the song. "Memory Tree" is a 

terrific slow psych tune with an equally otherworldly 

sound, and "Night Flash" is a terrific ballad. It's 

too bad that more songs don't try these approaches, 

as the acoustic-based blues songs are somewhat hit 

and miss, with the better ones sounding more folk 

than blues. One boogie styled rocker is goofy but is 

somewhat redeemed by loud fuzz guitar. The harmonica 

playing isn't bad, but hardly as attention-grabbing 

as the guitar. A mixed experience, but an interesting 

album with a bunch of fine moments. [AM] 

SUGAR CUBE BLUES BAND (MS) 

"Sugar Cube Blues Band" 1997 (Rockadelic 21) [500p] 

Folkrock/psych transition duo showcase their 

unreleased 1967-68 recordings. At best reminiscent of 

mid-period Beau Brummels or the Blue Things LP, 

though many tracks have desperate, strained vocals 

instead of the cool Sal Valentino moves I would have 

preferred. Others have reported enjoying the vocals 

in a Sky Saxon way - decide for yourself. I counted 4 

good tracks including an alternate version of their 

sole 45 release "My last impression", the flipside of 

which unfortunately is not included at all. [PL] 

SKY SULAMYTH (Canada) 

"Full Moon Light" 1979 (7th Ray 03721) 

Obscure 1970s hippie folk with titles like "Medicine 

Fire" and "Angels In Embryo". Sulamyth also worked 

with Huckle. 

JIM SULLIVAN (Los Angeles, CA) 

"U.F.O" 1970 (Monnie MR 0003) 

"Jim Sullivan" 197 (Century City CCR 5000) [remix; 

gatefold] 

Early singer/songwriter sounds with lots of 

personality and atmosphere. Setting is light folkrock 

with excellent vocals that seem almost too good for 

such an obscure title. This guy has lived, man, and 

seen a few things in life, which gives the album a 

certain country music vibe without actually sounding 

country at all. The presence of Earl Palmer and some

SUMMERHILL ( ) 

pretty advanced studio arrangements suggests that 

someone poured a sack of coins into this project. 

"Jerome", "Highway" and "Rosey" are standout tracks 

to me, but this is a surprisingly good westcoast s/sw 

LP all through.In an enlightened world Jim Sullivan 

would be in Bel Air while James Taylor would play $15 

tourist traps. The Monnie version is probably the 

earlier and has a somewhat awkward mix with drums 

upfront, while the self-titled Century City mix has a 

soundscape more typical for the genre. This is the LA 

session guy who did the "Sitar Beat" LP. [PL] 

"Summerhill" 1969 (Tetragrammaton t-114) 

This album goes for the kitchen sink approach, kind 

of like the Sundowners and Condello albums. It mixes 

over-orchestrated popsike with semi-heavy rock and 

sparkling guitar rock. The combination of styles is a 

bit off-putting, and by the time you get used to it 

you'll realize that only two or three songs really 

rise above, though those (especially the killer 

guitar pop tune "It's Gonna Rain") are very good 

indeed. I don't expect anyone to like the whole 

thing, but if you prefer a spotty album with a few 

great songs to a consistent one with no standouts, 

this is worth picking up. [AM] 

V.A "SUMMER OF SERVICE" (NJ) 

"Summer Of Service" 1968 (RPC 11461-11464) [2 LPs] 

2LP set local sampler of religious folk and folkrock 

from Elizabeth, NJ. Acts include The Nu Sounds of 

Chatham, Rasberry Jam, The Heartbeats, The Teacher 

and the Preacher, Whole Ensemble and more. 

SUMMER SOUNDS (Cambridge, MA) 

"Up-down" 1968 (Laurel 331098) 

"Up-down" 1996 (Laurel) [bootleg; 400p; insert] 

"Up-down" 2004 (CD Radioactive 78, UK) 

Good local concept beat-garage LP (a very obscure 

genre) relating a summer vacation love story with the 

moody/whiney Zombies-inspired New England sound 

explored to the max. Appealing basic songs, basement 

teenage vocals and only 2 covers - one of the better 

pre-psych LPs from the Northeast, though they don't 

show much "punk" cojones for sure. Cool sleeve. A 

couple of tracks have been comp'd. [PL]

SUM PEAR ( ) 

"Sum Pear" 1971 (Euphoria 1) 

“Sum Pair” 1977 (Guinness 36044) 

"Sum Pear" 2004 (CD Radioactive 67, UK) 

Eclectic, ambitious Eastcoast bag of tricks delivered 

from a UK-influenced post-psych melodic rock and 

singer/songwriter angle. Reminiscent of Westfauster 

in parts, other tracks are more fuzzed and rocking a 

la Whalefeathers. Serious lyrics deal with Vietnam 

concerns, drugs and more. Some minor horns. Harmless 

and skillful but not terribly interesting. Euphoria 

was one of several Jubilee subsidiaries. The Guinness 

release is the same album, but credited to 'Sonny & 

Doug' and with a new album title and the songs in a 

different order. More tax scam fun, and one of the 

rarest albums on that label. [PL] 

SUNDANCE (Chico, CA) 

"Sundance" 1971 (Kapp 3659) 

SUNDOG SUMMIT (IL) 

Early 70s hard rock album with a rural feel. Slightly 

above average for the genre, but not a stand-out. 

They’re from Chico, which may be California but isn’t 

the usual stomping ground of rock bands. “Chico 

Women” is a terrific song. Recommended to fans of the 

style. [AM] 

"On Sundog Hill" 1976 (Audio Mixers) 

This bizarre artifact is the missing link between 

rural rock and punk (I bet you didn't think such a 

thing existed!). It starts out in mundane fashion, as 

the second song is a dumb backwoods barefoot ode to 

dope-smoking, but after that they rip loose with some 

hot rootsy minimalist rockers. These songs have a 

cool counterculture edge that can appeal to freaks of 

all varieties. There's no distortion to the guitars, 

but certainly the music has the energy of punk (which 

was a year away from being noticed) while still 

retaining a hippie vibe…ne'er again would the twain 

meet. Surely they're the only band who could put a 

Johnny Cash song and a Velvet Underground song side 

by side and make them sound like two of a kind. This 

is a good start, but the real secret weapon here is 

Lee Groban, the self-appointed "high commissioner of 

Cyprus." His rantings and ravings are scattered 

throughout the album (and in the great liner notes), 

and take full fruition at the end, where we're 

treated to seven and a half minutes of jaw dropping 

"recitations" and "incantations" of a completely 

insane nature, backed by a driving rhythm. This is a 

wonderfully unique, fun album. They also released a 

4-track EP. [AM]

V.A "SUNNY SPRING FEVER" (CT) 

"Sunny Spring Fever" 1971 (Mark) 

Connecticut teen folk with live Burnt Suite track. 

The full title is "Canton High School presents - 

Sunny Spring Fever". 

SUNPOWER BAND (Seattle, WA) 

"Sunpower Band" 1977 (Right Now 11277) 

SUNSHINE (TX) 

Jammy rock with a mild funk feel. Poorly recorded and 

echoey. There’s some good guitar playing here but 

this album bored me. Not an expensive LP. [AM] 

"Here's Sunshine" 197 (Backbeat Records BLP #69) 

Downer/real people folk with lots of reverb, 

featuring Larry 'Sunshine' Rice. 

SUPERFINE DANDELION (Phoenix, AZ) 

"Superfine Dandelion" 1968 (Mainstream 56102) [mono] 

"Superfine Dandelion" 1968 (Mainstream 6102) [stereo] 

This is generally seen as one of the lesser 

Mainstreams, and while it's not especially original 

or unusual, it's better than its reputation. Mostly 

this band comes from a 1965-era Beatles vantage point 

with a little folk-rock mixed in. The rhythm guitars 

are acoustic and the lead guitars electric. Lyrics 

range from mild social commentary to silly love songs 

to folk-style murder ballads. The songs are as 

blatantly derivative as, say, Blue Things, with one 

completely ripping off the Beatles' "I'm A Loser," 

and another stealing the flute solo from the Moody 

Blues' "Nights In White Satin". These thefts aside, 

all songs are originals, unusual for this type of 

album. Side two is stronger than side one, ending 

with the album's three best songs. "Don't Try To Call 

Me" is a terrific pop song, "The Other Sidewalk" is 

the album's one psychedelic tune, and "What's The 

Hurry" is a pretty folk-rocker. Overall, this album 

is quite enjoyable. Kazoo haters beware of "It's 

Raining," however. The LP was also released in France 

on Vogue with an altered cover, and the band had a 

pre-LP 45 on a local label. [AM] 

SURPRISE (St Louis, MO) 

"Assault On Merryland" 1977 (Carousel 77) [booklet] 

"Assault On Merryland" 199 (CD Zarathustra) 

Prog fantasy concept, with heavy guitar, organ, moog,

flute. Deep Purple & ELP influences. 

SURPRISE PACKAGE ( ) 

"Free Up" 196 (LHI s-12005) 

SURPRIZE (NJ/PA) 

Pretty standard late-60s heavy psych: soulful vocals, 

lots of organ, loud fuzz guitars. As with most of 

these bands, it has its moments, and the guitar sound 

is very nice. Still, it doesn’t really offer much you 

can’t get from dozens of other albums. The long title 

track, which would have easily been the album’s best 

song, is extended beyond the bound of reason with a 

batch of dull solos. It has some nice feedback, 

though. [AM] 

"Keep On Trucking" 1971 (East Coast ec-104-s) [b & w cover] 

"Keep On Trucking" 1973 (East Coast ec-104-s) [2nd press; 

color cover; yellow label] 

From the Crumb ripoff album cover to the cheesy echo 

effects on “See The Light,” this album is unoriginal 

fun. It starts with some far out psych, moves into 

some impressive white boy funk, bluesy hard rock and 

ballads, all of which work well enough to make this 

an enjoyable listen. The playing is pretty tight, the 

guitar has a nice fuzz tone, and the organ is loud. 

There are only six songs, and maybe they try a little 

too hard to stretch a few of them out, but all six 

have something to offer. The album cover leads a lot 

of people to assume this is Dead-style jamming, but 

it’s not “rural” sounding at all. This LP supplied 

the unlisted heavy psych mystery track found on the 

old "Changes" compilation, titled "Earth Odyssey". 

[AM] 

SURVIVOR (Shreveport, LA) 

"All Your Pretty Moves" 1979 (no label) [insert] 

Good Thin Lizzy-like hardrock, recorded in Dallas. 

SWAMPGAS (Long Island, NY) 

"Swampgas" 1972 (Buddah BDS 5102) 

Overlooking the bland cover, the album's quite 

diverse and impressive. This comparison probably 

won't trigger everyone's imagination or interest, but 

on material such as the molten opener "Patato Strut" 

and "Trapped In The City" the combination of the 

vocalist's grizzly drawl and Hersey's guitar recalls 

38 Special, or Skynyrd had they been interested in 

pursuing a tougher, mildly psychedelic and 

progressive sound. Hersey's licks also make it an 

album that should appeal to folks who like Hendrixinfluenced 

guitar (check out the blazing "Eulogy").

The handful of ballads are equally impressive - 'The 

Waiting, E Train Blue'. Weirdest and coolest track 

here: the raga-influenced "Egg Shells". [SB] 

~~~ 

With Baird Hersey' permission (thanks Mr. Hersey), 

here are some comments on the LP: 

"We started out near the end of Long Island NY. About 

the time we were making the record two records came 

out with southern roots : Johnny Winter and The James 

Gang that had certain similarities. I think it's the 

heavy blues influences: Ray Charles in the vocals, 

early B.B. King and Muddy waters in the guitar, that 

pull us in that direction. We were plucked from 

obscurity by Artie Kornfeld who was one of the three 

producers of Woodstock. His wife saw us at a concert 

where we opened for the Gratetful Dead. We made the 

record, but Artie's record label had financial 

troubles. The record looked like it wasn't going to 

come out which tore the band apart. About a year 

after we broke up Buddah Records which was the parent 

company of Artie's label put the record out without 

even notifying anyone in the band. With no support 

budget and no band to play the music the album 

floundered and we all slid back into 

obscurity..." [SB -- excerpt] 

~~~ 

Baird Heresy has continued to play and release 

records in various styles. 

SWEET MAGNOLIA BAND (Little Rock, AR) 

"Sweet Magnolia Band" 1973 (Lardbucket 0001) 

SWEET MARIE (HI) 

Rural rocker with Band and Neil Young influences. Not 

rated that highly, although "10 days over 23 years" 

is an excellent track for genre fans. 

"One" 1970 (Yard Bird 770) 

"One" 199 (Yard Bird) [bootleg] 

"Stuck In Paradise" 1971 (Yard Bird 771) 

"Stuck In Paradise" 199 (Yard Bird) [bootleg] 

SWEET PANTS (PA) 

Hawaii trio. First LP is in westcoast blues rock 

style, second is more relaxed with funk and soul 

moves added. There were also several 45s released. 

"Fat Peter Presents" 1970 (Barclay 1141) [circa 1000p] 

Seedy organ fuzz with an underground rural vibe like 

Mary Butterworth, some pretty obnoxious vocals. 

Disappointing LP. 

SWEET SOMETHINGS (Montreal, Canada)

"Sweet Somethings" 1968 (Melbourne SMLP-4014) 

All-girl quartet done up in mid-60s style, with 

guitar/organ line-up playing pop. Obscure one for 

genre fans. 

SWEET TOOTHE (Bluefield, WV) 

"Testing" 1975 (Dominion 7360) [1000p; inner] 

"Testing" 199 (Dominion) [bootleg] 

"Testing" 1995 (Void 01) [lyric insert; photo; 400#d] 

Pro-sound rural rock/hardrock similar to Short Cross 

and Wedge, with strong songwriting and guitar/vocals. 

Three or four very good tracks with psychy westcoast 

hints, a few others are too rootsy barrock for me. 

Fans might also seek out Emerson (Conley) "The power 

of love" (CD 1992, LGM 2222), which is hampered by a 

drum machine but does have some good wailing guitar 

blues licks. [PL] 

~~~ 

Superb flowing dual fuzz hardrock with first rate 

vocals, including harmonies, and dynamic ensemble 

playing. The opening two tracks "Karen" and "Music's 

gotta stay" are especially fine melodic hardrockers. 

Bit of a backwoods barband edge with several songs 

about the music biz and life on the road. Nice bluesy 

restraint and the lyrics. [RM] 

~~~ 

On those rare occasions it shows up on sales lists, 

the LP is frequently billed as psychedelic. It isn't. 

Sure, there are occasional psych touches, the most 

notable being the lyric to "All the Way Home", but 

the majority of the album offers up more conventional 

hard rock structures. Propelled by attractive vocals 

and nifty fuzz guitar, tracks such as "Karen", 

"Music's Gotta Stay", "You Know How To Love Me" and 

"E.R." sport great melodies and a sense of enthusiasm 

that must have made these guys a great live act. Even 

their isolated stabs at country bar band material 

("Wind and Water" and "Swamp Fox") are likeable. Even 

more impressive, for a small private pressing the 

album has a wonderful, deep and full sound. Played 

loud on a quality stereo system, this LP rocks! One 

of my all time favorite rarities. [SB] 

SWIFT RAIN (El Paso, TX / Memphis, TN) 

"Coming Down" 1969 (Hi 32064) 

These guys were Southerners, but the album has the 

feel of a laid-back West Coast album, and a very good 

one at that. It's hooky, full of memorable songs, 

energetic guitar playing and breezy melodies. The 

songs are short and tight, kind of what a post-Dead 

band like Mountain Bus or the Walnut Band would have 

sounded like if they wrote pop songs instead of long 

jams. This end up being quite a bit better than those 

bands, and there's enough cool lead guitar here so 

that it may appeal to fans of harder music too. 

There's a great mix of guitar sounds here: acoustic, 

electric, wah-wah, dual harmony guitars, etc. Two 

songs are sung partially in Spanish and have a mild

SYN (PA) 

Latin feel to them. [AM] 

"Cast The First Stone" 1980 (Cheap Plastic) [inner] 

SYNOD (IL) 

Mixed vocals proggy psych with dramatic keys and some 

garagy guitar. 

"Nobody's Jukebox" 1971 (no label) [gatefold] 

This would be a decent 70s pop/rock album if it 

weren't for the overly cloying and out of tune 

vocals, which are not only lousy but are also mixed 

way too loud. The songwriting is pretty good, and the 

gatefold cover makes for a nice package for a selfreleased 

record, but the singing is really awful, and 

is worse because they try so hard to highlight their 

harmonies. The first song starts out in "harmony" a 

capella, so from moment one you know what's in store 

for you here. A few songs have Christian lyrics. [AM] 


JON TABAKIN (CA) 

"Jon Tabakin" 1975 (Larrow 100) 

TAILGUNNER ( ) 

The not-so-promising liner notes say that “his first 

album of love songs covers the total musical 

experience from ballads to bossa nova to rock.” 

Between that and the bland cover photo I can imagine 

collectors letting this album slip by, but if you’re 

not counting on something far out this is a very 

pleasant surprise. Tabakin is a creative, thoughtful 

and complex songwriter and has crafted a set of 

memorable and enjoyable pop songs. The obvious 

influences are the Beach Boys and his lookalike John 

Sebastian (interestingly, there’s no Beatles 

influence at all), though a few songs rock out in a 

way those artists rarely did. It’s a bit dorky at 

times, but unlike most albums of the type is 

consistently good on both sides. The vocals are just 

a bit imperfect (the highlight is the crazed section 

at the end of “Let’s Do It Again”) and the production 

low-budget, giving these otherwise accomplished songs 

a mild, likeable real people feel. It’s not really 

for everyone, but recommended to collectors with a 

soft spot for 70s pop. I think fans of the Shaun 

Harris solo album will like it. [AM] 

"Tailgunner" 1983 (Rapid no #) 

Despite the 1983 date, this album is well-loved by 

70s hard rock fans. Large quantities were bought by 

dealers and the album never shows up cheap, but if 

you’re a fan of noisy, aggressive hard rock, it’s a 

pretty great album. The guitar sound is really 

grungy, and the opening and closing songs are 

killers. I wouldn’t exactly say it sounds like it was 

recorded before 1983, but it doesn’t have the usual 

annoying 80s production tendencies. The lyrics are 

typically stoopid. [AM] 

TANGERINE (Pittsburgh, PA) 

"The Peeling Of" 1971 (Stephen Productions 001) 

"The Peeling Of" 199 (no label, Europe) [bootleg] 

"The Peeling Of" 1999 (Akarma 137, Italy) 

"The Peeling Of" 1999 (CD Gear Fab 131) 

Jammy hard rock with lots of rhythm section: drums 

way up in the mix, a prominent conga player, bass 

solos, and finally a 5+ minute conga-then-drumkit 

solo at the end of the album. Some reviews describe 

this as sounding like Latin rock, but I don't hear

it. Surprisingly for a heavy band, there's fuzz 

guitar on only a few of the songs. On others the 

guitars aren't distorted at all. Side two is just one 

epic song, but if you ask me, side one might as well 

be also, because all four songs sound the same. What 

little vocals there are on this album are competent 

but pretty typical of the genre. At times they get a 

solid groove going, but for the most part this album 

is dull. [AM] 

TANGERINE ZOO (Swansea, MA) 

"Tangerine Zoo" 1968 (Mainstream 56109) [mono] 

"Tangerine Zoo" 1968 (Mainstream s-6107) [stereo] 

"Tangerine Zoo" 199 (Mainstream, Europe) [bootleg; thin 

cover] 

One of the lesser albums on Mainstream. It’s soughtafter 

by collectors, but it’s got nothing that a 

hundred cheaper guitar/organ/semi-hard rock albums 

don’t do better. And who needs yet another long, 

drawn-out version of “Gloria?” A green label Canadian 

pressing also exists. [AM] 

"Outside Looking In" 1968 (Mainstream 6116) 

"Outside Looking In" 199 (no label) 

"Tangerine Zoo / Outside Looking In" 199 (CD) [2-on-1] 

TARBABY (FL) 

Their rarer 2nd LP, superior to the debut but still 

unexceptional. The sound is typical New England post- 

Butterfly/Fudge heavy psych rock with organ, fuzz and 

slow elephantine songs. The supposed drama they're 

reaching for simply doesn't enter, and after more 

than a dozen plays I'm having trouble recalling one 

single hook or line from the album. Listenable all 

over but nothing that grabs you. For New 

England/Mainstream label completists only. Great 

sleeve design like most LPs on the label. [PL] 

"February" 1974 (New South nr-4500) 

JEM TARGAL (MI) 

Garagy folkrock with some light fuzz in spots and a 

subtle, understated feel such as on the atmospheric 

instrumental "New song". Also some boogie tracks, as 

you'd expect from the time and place. 

"Luckey Guy" 1977 (S'Heavy) [gatefold; insert]

You know from the coloring book album cover and 

misspelled album title that Targal is one of a kind, 

and his album does not disappoint. It’s full of weird 

songs with freaky echo-heavy production, pained 

romantic lyrics, unrestrained high-pitched vocals and 

stark guitar or piano arrangements. There’s no clue 

here that he was once in the Third Power. Not only is 

this music not heavy, it’s almost not even rock. The 

songs are pretty repetitive and groove heavy, but 

pretty catchy. It’s more like 80s and 90s DIY albums 

than 60s or 70s acid casualty music (the Skip Spence 

comparisons are off the mark.) A few songs are 

completely incomprehensible. The piano ballads drag 

some, and Targals’ style wears a listener down by the 

end of the album, and there’s a drum machine here and 

there, but this is a unique record with some very 

cool songs. Recommended to those seeking adventure. 

[AM] 

BANASTRE TARLETON ( ) 

"Electric Women" 1979 (no label) 

TAROTS ( ) 

Weird mix of synth prog and hard guitar rock. There 

was also a 1985 LP, "No destination". 

"Knight In Blue" 197 (Arnold aw 14070) 

"It's In The Cards" 197 (Richard) 

Johnny Kitchen (Victims of Chance, Crazy People, 

Blues Train, etc) gets the songwriting credit for 

three tracks with the remainder by L Priessman. 

Indiscriminate mix of funk, rock, and e-z lounge 

moves. 

TAYLES (Madison, WI) 

"Who Are These Guys" 1972 (Cinevista 1001) [lyric insert] 

"Who Are These Guys" 2001 (Akarma 122, Italy) [2LPs; gatefold; 

+4 tracks] 

"Who Are These Guys" 2001 (CD Gear Fab 121, Italy) [+4 

tracks] 

A live effort recorded at Madison's Nitty Gritty 

Club. Heavily hyped by fans and reviewers, these guys 

were little more than your standard bar band. Among 

their shortcomings, even though all five members were 

credited with vocals, they lacked a strong singer. 

Musically they were certainly competent, though the 

flute bugged the hell out of me. With the band 

responsible for all of the material, the collection 

steered the middle ground between cutesy nostalgia 

numbers ("Did It"), standard blues-rock ("Baby 

DoughDough") and longer jam-oriented material 

("Bizzaro Ben"). Unfortunately, little on the ten 

track set was of repeated interest. At least "Angry 

with My Friend" had a little bit of meltdown guitar. 

A major disappointment, guess you had to be there.

[SB] 

ADAM TAYLOR ( ) 

"Adam Taylor" 197 (Tiger Lily TL 14024) 

Obscure one on this infamous tax-scam label, 

impressive 1970s rural folkrock sound with a rootsy, 

mature vibe. Longer review will follow. 

EMMETT TAYLOR (Kirkwood, MO) 

"Emmett Taylor" 197 (Kerygma 101) 

T C (Phoenix, AZ) 

Early 1970s Christian folkrock with 60s-sounding 

garage and psych moves, including "Men of delusion" 

with long fuzz guitar break. Highly rated by some. 

The LP is credited to Emmett Taylor with Stephan 

Eyre. 

"Lamanite" 1976 (Desert City 3002) 

Native American doing 1970s melodic rock and folk 

with mellotron and unusual vocals, also two heavy 

rock tracks. Has been hyped but not likely to blow 

you away. 

T C ATLANTIC (St Paul, MN) 

"Live At The Bel-Rae Ballroom" 1967 (Dove 4459) 

"T C Atlantic" 1983 (Eva 12014, France) [+bonus tracks] 

Charming live recording of legendary Twin Cities band 

that had several good non-LP 45s. This is not the 

thrilling acid psych of "Faces" but more of a typical 

club set from a top local act; bunch of r'n'b/soul 

standards plus a couple Brit Invasion tunes and two 

band originals. Good vocals, the right organ sound, 

excellent recording with plenty of presence, and 

solid performances all around -- sort of like what 

all those Justice LPs should have been like. Only 

weak spot is an endless rave-up on "Love light" that 

doesn't really work. File under "party" next to the 

Dimensions, the Kasuals and the Raiders' "Here they 

come" LP. [PL] 

T C B (Ottawa, Canada) 

"Open For Business" 1970 (Traffic) 

Jazzy horn rock with psych/prog touches and female 

vocals.

T C T BAND ( ) 

"Last Time Around Folks" 197 (no label) [2 LPs] 

TEA COMPANY (MA) 

A live performance by your typical southern hard rock 

band from the early seventies. Long jams with guitar 

and organ, mostly cover songs of the day and not one 

but two songs with the presumed drum solo (one sucks, 

the other is tolerable). It's a double album that 

comes in two glued together brown paper bags with red 

print. A period piece that works for people in my age 

group (mid-forties to early fifties) that remembers 

those free outdoor shows at a local park complete 

with jug wine, dirt weed and loose hippy chicks on 

Quaaludes. [JSB] 

"Come And Have Some Tea" 1968 (Smash srs-67105) [wlp exists] 

"Come And Have Some Tea" 2000 (CD, Europe) 

TEAKWOOD (NY) 

Pretty freaky stuff for a major label album. It’s got 

every bit as much reverb as The Bachs or Index or the 

Scorpio Tube. One song is just water sounds. There 

are lots of sound effects and spastic guitar parts on 

this album, and maybe the most bizarre cover of “You 

Keep Me Hanging On” yet. Not a very good record, but 

gets points for pure wildness. The band’s name is 

very clearly defined in the liner notes. [AM] 

~~~ 

Fronted by Frankie Carr, the album featured a rather 

over-indulgent set of self-penned era-psychedelia (be 

sure to check out the hysterical "As I Have Seen You 

Upon the Wall"). The lone non-original was a Vanilla 

Fudge-styled cover of The Supremes' "You Keep Me 

Hangin' On". Unfortunately, as lead singer Carr 

wasn't any great shakes. Moreover, burdened by dopey 

lyrics ("Make Love, Not War") and bland melodies 

("Love Could Make the World Go Round"), none of the 

eight originals proved particularly memorable. On the 

other hand, exemplified by tracks such as the 10 

minute plus "Flowers" and "Don't Make Waves (Water 

Sound Effects)" the band displayed an awesome 

affection for sound effects. Having missed the '60s, 

we can only report that "tea" was supposedly a 

reference to dope. Contrary to rumor, we can tell you 

the plant shown on the cover is not marijuana. [SB] 

~~~ 

see -> Frankie Carr; Spare Change Band 

"Teakwood" 196 (Century 34005) 

Bob Tupper and Greg Rita of Hamilton College doing 

late 1960s acoustic folk. 

TEMPEST (Houston, TX) 

"Tempest" 1979 (Earth Records 0378)

TEMPESTS (Canada) 

This privately pressed hard rock record starts 

weakly, with a mediocre AOR song and a mediocre blues 

song, but gets much better. There are a few really 

hot hard rockers and quite a bit of variety in its 

almost 50-minute length. The only problem is that the 

male singer is terrible, and he’s given the album’s 

very best songs. The female singer, Barbara 

Pennington (not to be confused with the soul singer 

of the same name), has real blues strength to her 

voice but not much in the way of subtlety or nuance. 

This is a frustrating album, as a lot of talent shows 

through here but they obviously didn’t know what to 

do with it. The best songs (especially the two sideclosers, 

which have really great hooks) could have 

been killers. What this band needed was a good 

producer or manager who would have made better 

decisions about who was singing and how. Strangely 

enough, this album was also released in Germany. The 

US release has a white cover; the German release has 

a silver cover. Pennington released an LP in 1982 

with Tempest as the backing band. [AM] 

"That's Right - Walk On By" 1965 (Arkon ACS 4) 

Teenbeat obscurity with moody cover shot of the six 

band members' heads arranged to form a human pyramid! 

TEMPOS (Sylacuga, AL) 

"Speaking Of The Tempos" 1966 (Justice 104) 

"The Tempos" 1987 (Crypt 010) [partial reissue+bonus tracks; 


"Speaking Of The Tempos" 1996 (CD Collectables 0601) 

TEMPOS ( ) 

Considered by many the best LP on the label, even 

rated by some as the best local garage album all 

over. Has a true garage edge throughout and an 

impressive number of great Stonesy originals such as 

the opening "Two timer" and "You're gonna miss 

me" (not the Elevators tune) along with 3-4 of the 

usual surf and R'n'B covers. One of the few, or the 

only, Justice band not to hail from the Atlantic 

seaboard states, this also sticks out due to an 

atypical recording with plenty of punch that reflects 

a Brit Invasion mindset among these Sylacuga High 

School punks. Either reissue is worth getting for any 

1966 garage fan. [PL] 

"Tempos" 1966 (no label WFC 595) [10"]

TEMPTERS (MI) 

No relation to the famous Alabama band, this is a 

very obscure 10-inch teenbeat LP from the same era. 

"Live" 1969 (AmCue) 

Primitive local release of late-period 60s club band 

doing Beatles and soul covers, along with a few 

originals. 

TENNESSEE FARM BAND see Farm Band 

JOHN TERLAZZO (York, PA) 

"Honor Among Thieves" 1983 (Beggar Recordings no #) 

TERRAPLANE ( ) 

Incredibly dark loner poet folk/rock. Very heavy 

Leonard Cohen influence, but makes LC seem cheerful 

by comparison. Even the one song that is upbeat, 

almost good-timey, has a dark undertone. Terlazzo is 

accompanied on many tracks by a beautiful haunting 

female backing vocal which is often wordless. Several 

tracks have fine electric guitar leads and solos. The 

poetic nature of his writing rather stark and often 

“esoteric” lyric images, brought out well by his 

rather limited baritone voice. I rate this at the top 

of the loner folkie heap. [MA] 

~~~ 

Enjoyable modern-sounding dark folk and 

singer/songwriter with a vibe similar to Bruce 

Janaway or Bob Theil. There is indeed a notable 

Leonard Cohen influence but Terlazzo needn't be 

embarrassed, as this is simply the genre he belongs 

too, and he does it well, with a personal voice and 

inventive arrangements including spooky female 

harmonies and sparse folkrock arrangements. I counted 

three excellent tracks with "Seven stars over Sicily" 

a favorite, several more good ones, and only one dud. 

Terlazzo would continue to record after this debut 

and is still active as a performer and poet. [PL] 

"Arrives" 1981 (Stress) [12" EP] 

Weak hardrock on a 5-track, 45 RPM 12-incher, some 

prog moves with keyboard. 

PETER TESSIER (Canada) 

"By Turning A Knob" 1973 (Columbia ES 90202) 

It’s a mystery as to why this major label release has 

become so rare, but it’s a very tough one to find. 

It’s an interesting 70s singer/songwriter record with 

occasional Christian lyrics strung together in a

thematic way (bits of two songs are repeated 

throughout the album.) Most of it is pretty 

straightforward acoustic guitar-based rock that’s 

pretty commercial (and some of it is kind of goofy), 

but there’s a stark feel to some songs and a bit of 

cool fuzz guitar, so it will appeal to some 

folk/psych fans. Excellent bass playing throughout, 

and nice crisp production. The quality of the 

songwriting is pretty hit and miss. I expect most 

listeners to like about half of it. Side two really 

mixes up the genres, some of which aren’t exactly 

rock or folk, and the last song on the album is sung 

in French. [AM] 

THEE MIDNITERS (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Thee Midniters" 1965 (Chattahoochee c-1001) [mono] 

"Thee Midniters" 1966 (Chattahoochee cs-1001) [stereo] 

"Bring You Love Special Delivery" 1966 (Whittier w-5000) 

[mono] 

"Bring You Love Special Delivery" 1966 (Whittier ws-5000) 

[stereo] 

"Unlimited" 1966 (Whittier w-5001) 

Mexican-American group doing an early mix of r&b and 

Stones-styled movers with horns and garagy guitars. 

One of the earliest and greatest of the latino soul/ 

rock groups, led by the outstanding soulful vocalist, 

Willie Garcia. The debut features their "Whittier 

Boulevard" hit original, alongside a mix of club 

frat, soul and British covers. The first Whittier LP 

has a similar mix plus cool band original "I found a 

peanut" and a version of "Love Special Delivery", one 

of the earliest songs with a possible LSD message. 

"Unlimited" is more geared towards their soul/dance 

side, and perhaps of less interest, despite several 

originals and a cool cover. The band's last LP on 

Whittier was "Giants" (1967), and features material 

from the earlier albums. There is a vinyl sampler on 

Rhino from 1983, and a later CD sampler. 

THEE MUFFINS (Lake George, NY) 

"Thee Muffins" 1967 (Fan-Club no #) 

THEM (UK / TX / CA) 

So-so local club/R'n'B act from upstate NY, has one 

track comp'd on "Oil Stains" but otherwise little to 

distinguish it. Bonus points for a hilarious sleeve 

of the group popping out of a toaster. [PL] 

~~~ 

Garage pop covers. Mix of lounge soul ballads and 

rhythmic garage covers. Fun tinny chiming rhythm 

playing. Of interest mostly for the fact that it got 

made at all. [RM] 

"Now And Them" 1967 (Tower t-5104) [mono] 

"Now And Them" 1967 (Tower st-5104) [stereo]

"Now And Them" 200 (CD Revola 29, UK) [+bonus tracks] 

The first post-Van Morrison Them album takes their 

gritty R&B sound a step into the future by adding 

fuzz guitar and some Eastern musical themes. A number 

of the songs are in a more straight R&B bag, and 

while they’re pretty good, this is certainly of more 

interest for the punky “Witch Doctor” and “Walking in 

The Queen’s Garden,” or the freaky sitar-heavy 

“Square Room,” than for horn-laden soul like “What’s 

The Matter Baby.” “You’re Just What I Was” is a nice, 

if slightly out of character, pop song. There’s a lot 

to like here. I could have done without their 

uninteresting version of “Nobody Loves You When 

You’re Down And Out,” though. [AM] 

"Time Out! Time In" 1968 (Tower t-5116) [mono] 

"Time Out! Time In" 1968 (Tower st-5116) [stereo] 

"Time Out! Time In" 200 (CD Revola 52, UK) [+bonus tracks] 

This time, they get even further out, with more 

sitar, more fuzz guitar, less R&B, stranger lyrics. 

My favorite line: “Buzz, buzz, it’s a wonderful 

feeling/to be upside down now and waltz on the 

ceiling.” A lot of this is pretty great. The overall 

songwriting isn’t as strong as on "Now And Them", but 

the consistency of style compensates. [AM] 

"Them" 1970 (Happy Tiger 1004) 

This is usually rated as the weakest of the band's 4 

post-Van albums. For a much more enjoyable, in fact 

quite outstanding Them-related outfit, check out "Of 

Them And Other Tales" by Truth, a retrospective CD 

release of westcoast-flavored circa 1969 recordings 

from Epilogue records 1995. 

"In Reality" 1971 (Happy Tiger 1012) 

By 1971 Them had been reduced to bassist Alan 

Henderson, lead guitarist Jim Parker and drummer John 

Stark (both formerly with the Kitchen Cinq and 

Armageddon). Anyone expecting a continuation of the 

psychedelic moves that marked the band's previous 

releases for Happy Tiger was in for a major shock. 

Musically the set started out with a blast; in this 

case an extended, fuzz guitar powered cover of Them's 

own "Gloria". While the remake may not have 

threatened Van Morrison's original, it boasted some 

killer lead guitar courtesy of Parker. While some 

folks will certainly disagree to our ears the band 

actually benefited from their new found direction. 

Stripped of the elaborate production that 

characterized their last couple of releases, material 

such as "Laugh" and "Lessons of the Sea" found the

THESE TRAILS (HI) 

trio turning in some roaring hard-rock sides. Kudos 

to Parker who was simply amazing on material such as 

"Baby Please Don't Go" and "California Man". [SB] 

"These Trails" 1973 (Sinergia 4059) 

"These Trails" 1998 (Pele 1, Germany) 

"These Trails" 1999 (Gates Of Dawn) 

"These Trails" 1999 (CD Gates Of Dawn) 

"These Trails" 1999 (CD Sinergia) 

Marvellous folkpsych and the best Hawaiian LP ever 

along with Mu. Like tripping out in a botanical 

garden and having the acid turn your casual stroll 

into a deep jungle exploration, surrounded by exotic 

birds and mystic noises, with old volcanos in the 

distance while ocean waves lap the back of your mind. 

Dreamy female vocals, surprising twists, and talent 

all through, courtesy mainly of Margaret Morgan, who 

sadly passed away recently. The song structures and 

arrangements are very unusual, and combine with the 

ethereal vocals to send you into uncharted mind 

spaces. "Share your water" is a personal fave. 

Psychedelic exotica doesn't come better than this. 

The Sinergia CD is from the band themselves. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is a wonderful and unique album that really 

defines Hawaiian psych rock. The music is 

folky/poppy, with clever arrangements that include 

surprising stop/start sections, little bits of 

synthesizer noises that feel like rain coming down, 

and exotic-sounding female vocals. The singing has a 

naïve charm that can't be beat, and the excellent 

songwriting is breezy and airy. Highly recommended. 

[AM] 

THINGS TO COME (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Things To Come" 1978 (W.P.I 1) 

"Things To Come" 1995 (Sundazed 5008) [altered sleeve; bonus 

tracks] 

"Things To Come" 1995 (CD Sundazed sc-11017) [bonus tracks] 

Here's one with a real story to it. For years known 

only for their outstanding first 45, this ultrarare 

(50 copies?) late 70s tax-loss LP featuring both 45 

tracks plus several more '66-67 recordings was 

discovered in LA in the early 1990s. Sundazed moved 

in with a classy reissue making this a household word 

soon after being found. Things like "Darkness" is 

true missing link garage-psych stuff everyone needs 

to hear, although the strongly derivative (esp from 

Them) nature of some tracks is a drawback. The 

monster acid tune "Speak Of The Devil" is in a 

different mix from the 45 version. After a line-up 

change the band released two good non-LP 45s not 

included on the reissues. [PL]

THIRD EDITION (LA) 

"Take 1" 1973 (Rapture 1236) 

Sometimes described as "garage" or "psych", but 

actually a lo-fi amateur lounge-rock trio with cheesy 

organ, some buzzing fuzz guitar and off-key vocals. 

Three Creedence covers tells you where they're coming 

from. 

THIRD ESTATE (Baton Rouge, LA) 

"Years Before The Wine" 1976 (Third Estate 1000) [500p; 

insert] 

"Years Before The Wine" 199 (no label, Austria) [150p] 

"Years Before The Wine" 199 (CD Mellow, Italy) 

"Years Before The Wine" 1997 (Void 07) [insert; 500p] 

One of my personal faves in the seemingly bottomless 

well of great local 70s LPs, this intricate folkrock 

prog-psycher blends a warm Southern summer sound with 

baroque-like song structures and graduate school 

lyrics inspired by the French Revolution! Not your 

average local barrocker and despite multitudes of 

spins I haven't grasped it all yet. Serious in mood, 

but rescued from the prog traps thanks to the strong 

songwriting and a light, flowing musical style. 

Excellent female vocals on one track. A must to check 

out, and loved by many. The Italian CD is the best 

introduction, while the old Austrian bootleg has poor 

sound. The band came together at LSU in Baton Rouge 

but the members hailed from elsewhere. [PL] 

~~~ 

A concept album about the French Revolution. Fetch my 

sawn off from the pick up Bubba, it’s time to teach 

these pretentious hippies a danged good lesson. But 

how wrong I would be to shoot first without 

listening. Often cited are the female vocals (from 

Fae Ficklin), “brought in” for the title track. Her 

singing is stunning, but even without it the LP would 

still richly deserve its legendary status. Plenty of 

fuzz, backwards soundscapes and beautiful acoustic 

guitar tunes from band leader Robert Everett make 

this into a total classic. Rewards repeat listening, 

multi-textured, the sound of exploration is apparent 

as the band spreads its wings and glorious harmonies 

flow forth. The sound and overall impression is 

highly reminiscent of another UK classic, Ithaca. The 

sound quality on the Mellow CD is superb and it comes 

with a highly informative booklet with band photos 

and lyrics. [RI] 

~~~ 

This is a complicated album that opens new doors with 

every listen. The production style is weirdly stark, 

with acoustic guitars that sound like they’re in the 

room with you. The low-budget recording creates a 

real sense of immediacy. Backwards bits and treated 

guitars are used to nice effect, and the leisurely 

pace of the songs works very well. This is unlike 

anything else I’ve heard, and is hard to 

characterize. It blows most people away, but even if 

you don’t love it, I suspect you’ll have a weird 

fascination with it and keep listening. A lot of

eviews mention the female vocalist, but it should be 

noted that she sings only one song. [AM] 

THIRD GENERATION (HI) 

"Third Generation" 1967 (no label) 

Lounge rock covers. [RM] 

THIRD POWER (Detroit, MI) 

"Believe" 1970 (Vanguard 6554) 

"Believe" 199 (Mr G no #) 

"Believe" 1998 (Akarma 033, Italy) 

"Believe" 1998 (CD Akarma 033, Italy) 

This is certainly one of the very best heavy psych 

albums, and also one of the best albums on Vanguard. 

It’s wild, frantic, surprising, diverse and 

uncompromised. The guitar playing is restrained and 

subtle in places, but blasts out with a fury when it 

needs to. On the slower songs the singing is 

downright eerie. As with all great albums, it isn’t 

just the sound and energy that kill, but the 

songwriting, which is great throughout. “Feel So 

Lonely,” which starts out slow and drifty, but adds 

intensity as it goes along, is my favorite, but the 

rest aren’t far behind. As with the Highway Robbery 

album, the ballads are as good as the rockers. A 

Canadian pressing also exists. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Jem Targal 

13th FLOOR ELEVATORS (Austin/Kerrville, TX) 

"Psychedelic Sounds" 1966 (IA LP 1) [promo; mono; blue/white 

label] 

"Psychedelic Sounds" 1966 (IA LP 1) [mono; yellow/green 

label] 

"Psychedelic Sounds" 1966 (IA LP 1) [stereo; coral blue 

label] 

"Psychedelic Sounds" 1977 (IA) [stereo bootleg; 'Masterfonics' 

in dead wax] 

"Psychedelic Sounds" 1978 (IA LP 1) [official stereo reissue] 

"Psychedelic Sounds" 1978 (Radar 13, UK) [stereo reissue] 

"Psychedelic Sounds" 197 (IA) [stereo bootleg; altered back 

cover without credits] 

Recorded over a 9-month period during 1966, the LP 

was assembled with some haste as "You're Gonna Miss 

Me" became an unexpected national hit in the early 

Fall. The mono mix is clearly superior, as is 

particularly evident on "Roller Coaster" and "Monkey 

Island", where the stereo mixes sound unfinished and 

should be avoided. The mono LP was released in late 

November 1966, thus competing with the Deep and Blues 

Magoos as the very first "psychedelic"-titled album. 

The music, in case anyone needs to know, is a 

firebreathing blend of garage, folkrock and embryonic 

psychedelia, the latter represented by the two

groundbreaking numbers "Roller Coaster" and "Kingdom 

Of Heaven". The LP was an underground hit and went on 

to sell some 40.000 copies. All promos and early runs 

of the mono stock have a slightly different back 

cover with a street address for IA and no credit to 

Gordon Bynum. Due to stamper degeneration this 

variation may be preferrable to later runs. Although 

1966 is the nominal release year for the stereo 

version, it probably wasn't mixed and released until 

a few months into 1967. No stereo promos exist. The 

IA box set reissue (also available as a standalone 

item) is identifiable via a matrix number that begins 

'Ach...'. Post-1980 reissues are too numerous to 

list; the crucial fact is that none of the re:s, 

including those above, are from master tapes. The 

mixdown masters were lost in the early 1970s and have 

never been found. The preferrable mono mix has been 

bootlegged twice in the late 1990s, all other 

reissues are the inferior stereo mix. [PL] 

"Easter Everywhere" 1967 (IA LP 5) [mono; wlp exists; lyric 

inner] 

"Easter Everywhere" 1967 (IA LP 5) [stereo; lyric inner] 

"Easter Everywhere" 1977 (IA) [bootleg; 'Masterfonics' in dead 

wax] 

"Easter Everywhere" 1978 (IA LP 5) [official reissue] 

"Easter Everywhere" 1978 (Radar 15, UK) [reissue] 

"Easter Everywhere" 197 (IA) [bootleg; orange-tone front 

cover] 

International Artists put substantial amounts into 

"Easter", which was supposed to establish the 

Elevators as a major force in rock music, after the 

unexpected underground success of "Psychedelic 

Sounds". Unfortunately it came out about 6 months too 

late (released in November), and lacked a strong hit 

45 to carry it. Nevertheless most Elevators fans 

rates it the best thing by the band (or indeed by 

anyone). The LP sold out its original pressing but 

was not reprinted, suggesting somewhat disappointing 

sales, perhaps around 10.000 copies. For some reason 

IA mastered it an unusually low volume, which 

contributes to the slightly muddy sound. The earliest 

run has a printing error on the back sleeve that 

lists "Posturos" instead of "Postures". The mono mix 

is an interesting experience, but clearly inferior to 

the hypnotic, elaborate soundscape of the stereo. The 

stock mono version is extremely rare and usually 

sells for four figures. The IA box set reissue ( also 

available as a standalone item) is identifiable via a 

matrix number that begins 'Ach...'. Again, post-1980 

reissues and bootlegs too numerous to list; the 

crucial fact is that none of these, including those 

above, are from master tapes. The mixdown masters 

were lost in the early 1970s and have never been 

found. The mono mix was bootlegged in the late 1990s, 

all other reissues are the superior stereo mix. [PL] 

"Live" 1968 (IA LP 8) [stereo; wlp exists] 

"Live" 1978 (IA LP 8) [IA box-set reissue] 

As the Elevators were falling apart, IA put this 

infamous pseudo-live LP together from old studio 

outtakes and added some very phony-sounding applause. 

The release date is somewhere around August 1968. The 

LP was not a success, and unsold copies were still

floating around 20 years later. For an Elevators fan 

this is still mandatory, and due to the strength of 

the material and performances, a lot better than its 

reputation suggests. No mono mix exists. Reissues and 

bootlegs are too numerous to list; the crucial fact 

is that none of these, including the IA box set 

reissue from 1978 are from master tapes. The mixdown 

masters were lost in the early 1970s and have never 

been found. The 1978 IA box-set reissue can be 

identified via a matrix number that begins "Ach...". 

All other reissues or boots are easy to identify as 

such. [PL] 

"Bull Of The Woods" 1969 (IA LP 9) [stereo; wlp exists] 

"Bull Of The Woods" 1969 (IA LP 9) [IA box-set reissue] 

This posthumous swansong was underrated for many 

years, but has been revaluated from the 1990s and 

onwards, and in fact rates as the band's best LP 

among some Elevators fans. Dominated by lead 

guitarist Stacy Sutherland, the band here has a dark, 

brooding intensity that has aged well. Roky appears 

on less than half the tracks, and there is no jug. 

The material was recorded during a chaotic 6-month 

period in 1968, with some horn arrangements added by 

IA and drummer Danny Thomas as the LP was put 

together in late 1968. As the original band was long 

gone, the LP didn't sell well, and unsold copies 

crowded Texas warehouses for decades. No mono mix 

exists. Reissues and bootlegs are too numerous to 

list; the crucial fact is that none of these, 

including the IA box set reissue from 1978 are from 

master tapes. The mixdown masters were lost in the 

early 1970s and have never been found. The 1978 IA 

box-set reissue can be identified via a matrix number 

that begins "Ach...". All other reissues and boots 

are easy to identify as such. All four Elevators LPs 

were also released on 8-track, the first two LPs both 

by IA and ITCC, the last two LPs only by ITCC. [PL] 

"Fire In My Bones" 1985 (Texas Archive Recordings 4) 

"Elevator Tracks" 1987 (Texas Archive Recordings 7) 

There is a wealth of bootlegs and obscure archival 

releases of unreleased Elevators material, but the 

two TAR albums should be considered mandatory. Both 

contain one side of unreleased studio material, and 

one side of live recordings. "Elevator Tracks" is 

somewhat difficult to find, and includes the 

devastating "I don't ever want to come down". Of the 

other vinyl retrospectives, by all means avoid the 

common "SF '66" boot on Lysergic, which has terrible 

sound quality. Other releases of the outstanding 

Avalon tape have better sound, but none come close to 

the source tapes, originally broadcast on KSAN in 

1977. "Original Sounds" (13th Hour, 1989) is a 

worthwhile boot, containing rough mixes from the 

first LP in excellent sound on one side, and a highenergy 

early live recording on the other. "Demos 

Everywhere" is a UK variant with this same material 

in an inferior pressing. Beyond these, dozens of CD 

releases exists, often recycling the same material in 

various combinations. 

~~~ 

see -> "Epitaph For A Legend"

31st OF FEBRUARY (Jacksonville, FL) 

"31st Of February" 1969 (Vanguard 6503) 

"31st Of February" 200 (Vanguard 6503) 

"31st Of February" 200 (CD Vanguard 6503) 

The buzz about this album is partially due to having 

a future member of the Allman Brothers in the band. 

The record, though, is actually quite good, with a 

nice dreamy folk-rock/popsike sound and consistent 

songwriting. There’s yet another version of “Codine,” 

but it’s an appealingly eerie one, and this record 

really hits all the right spots for fans of the 

style. All three band members would go on to bigger 

things in the 1970s. [AM] 

THIRTYONE FLAVORS ( ) 

"Hair" 1969 (Crown 492) 

One of the best psychploitation LPs with more fuzzzz 

than a dozen 1971 private press hardrockers. Opens 

with amazingly lame title track from "Hair", then a 

funny inept "Age of aquarius" with femme vocals, then 

a crude basement psych original with far out vocals. 

The rest of the LP is 100% fuzzploitation instros 

with studio hacks obviously delighted to run stone 

free like a stage jam by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. 

Great raw live feel, wild playing and excellent fuzz 

riffs. A good one to use as a proxy for the whole 

genre. The LP contains a couple of tracks listed but 

not present on the Firebirds album, which probably 

was recorded during the same 2-hour session. A couple 

of the best tracks have been reissued on the "Heavy 

Psych" CD compilation. [PL] 

~~~ 

If you wondered what happened to the two missing 

songs that were listed on the Firebirds album, here’s 

your answer. In wonderful exploito fashion, this is 

the same band from the same sessions, and despite 

something called “Free Drum,” it’s an equally great 

record. It’s got tons of grungy fuzz guitar and lots 

of spastic drumming; it’s a true hard rock wonder! A 

cover of the song “Hair” that doesn’t bother to 

follow the normal melody is just plain weird. You 

have to love the idea that these people were just 

fucking around and still managed to put together two 

albums that blow away most hard rock albums by “real” 

bands. [AM] 

SUSAN & RICHARD THOMAS (WI) 

"A Burst Of Life" 1973 (Blue Hour B.H 3-1017) 

Pro-sounding, dorky "up-with-people" 1970s hippie 

couple folkrock/ singer-songwriter trip. She has a 

nice voice and their enthusiasm and undeniably 

skillful compositions and arrangements make for 

passable listening, with a few showtune/musical moves 

adding a nostalgic charm. However I have a hard time 

seeing anyone but the most hardcore hippie folk

DON THOMPSON ( ) 

collectors really enjoying this obscurity. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is a bit of a joke in the collectors’ world, a 

record that, when found, sold for $100 to 

unsuspecting “folk-psych” fans, and has since become 

one of the hardest records for rare record dealers to 

unload. In actuality, as over-sincere hippie communetype 

folk goes it’s pretty good, and Susan has a nice 

voice. It has moments that are way too sweet, and 

certainly there’s nothing even remotely “psych” about 

it, but the songwriting is decent and it’s a heck of 

a lot more listenable than New Troubadours or Oneness 

Space. [AM] 

"Jupiter" 1975 (Sunday 5101) [gatefold; booklet; insert] 

"Jupiter" 1976 (Korona 5101) [gatefold] 

Delicate emphatic dark folk, sweet high trembling 

Marcus/Trimblesque vocal, orchestral backing. Sparse 

sound with spacey mellotron in the background. 

Flowing "seer with answers" damage. When he sings 

he's "going to the edge of the world" you gotta 

believe it's not the first time. Excellent LP. George 

Faber (Finchley Boys) helps out. Supposedly only 100 

copies were pressed of the first version, but the 

substantial number of copies traded in recent years 

makes this seem dubious. Some copies of the first 

press came with promo material and a bonus 7". [RM] 

~~~ 

One side is pretentious guitar-and-voice folk (with 

mild synthesized orchestral arrangements.) His 

singing style is way too sincere, and all of the 

songs sound pretty much the same. Though there are 

some neat little arrangement tricks (mostly with 

backing vocals), and creative lyrical ideas, the 

greatest impression he leaves is of someone who’s 

trying way too hard but doesn’t have the ideas to 

back up the ambition. Side two is more folk-rock, 

with bass, drums and electric lead guitars, sounding 

a bit like Cat Stevens. It suits him a little better, 

mostly because the singing isn’t so front-and-center, 

but this really isn’t a fun record. [AM] 

MAYO THOMPSON (Houston, TX) 

"Corky's Debt To His Father" 1970 (Texas Revolution 2270) 

[600p] 

"Corky's Debt To His Father" 198 (Texas Revolution) [reissue] 

"Corky's Debt To His Father" 1986 (Glass 015, UK) 

"Corky's Debt To His Father" 1996 (Drag City 49) 

Thompson’s singer/songwriter album is in many ways a 

lot more interesting than anything he did with the 

Red Crayola. He has a matter of fact singing style 

and a really unusual sensibility that rewards 

multiple listens. Some surprisingly blunt sexual 

lyrics are pretty funny. As with the Crayola, this 

isn’t exactly the most adeptly performed record, but 

unlike with the Crayola, it never sounds like 

Thompson doesn’t care deeply about his songs. 

Fascinating and memorable. Mayo relocated to England

JEFF THORNLEY (DE) 

in the 1970s, then returned to play with Pere Ubu in 

the early 1980s as well as continuing to record, with 

a variety of musicians, under the Red Krayola banner. 

His other releases fall outside the Archives. [AM] 

"Locked Inside" 1983 (Unique Records no #) 

Latter day album hyped by psych dealers, despite 

there not being anything “psych” about it. Some of it 

is heavy, some in a more refined pop style. One song 

is country/rockabilly. It’s pretty impressive that 

Thornley spans a bunch of styles without the album 

sounding disjointed. The reverb-heavy production does 

shout out “80s,” but not in as offensive a way as 

most albums from 1983. There are a few Xian lyrics 

here, lots of lead guitar, and some good hooks. One 

song has a guest female lead singer and she’s better 

than Jeff, though neither are especially distinctive. 

Frankly, I’m not sure how this got a $100+ price tag 

when there were hundreds of 80s private press albums 

of similar quality and originality, but it is a 

pretty good record. [AM] 

THREE see Square Root Of Nine 

THROWER SPILLANE MCFARLAND (MI) 

"Blue John" 197 (Ranger Records RLPS 412) 

"Boots & Bottles" 1975 (Black River Tunes 544N3) 

THUGH (OH) 

Obscure rural rock/singer-songwriter albums from the 

same crowd that did the Drendall, Thrower & Friends 

album. Similar in style with some outstanding tracks, 

though not as solid as "Papa". The second LP, 

released as by Blue John, features John Drendall, who 

is not on the Ranger LP. McFarland is not on the 

Black River LP. 

"Phase Tapes" 1981 (Earters) [insert; 200p] 

Inept, homemade primitive underground folk/avant 

tracks recorded '74-80 with an occasional psych vibe. 

Lots of phasing, synth, tape effects, some acoustic 

and electric guitar. 

THUNDERBIRDS (Albuquerque, NM)

"Meet The Fabulous Thunderbirds" 1965 (Red Feather TH1) 

THUNDERDUK (OH) 

Mostly pre-invasion frat and instros from teenage 

Native Americans dressed in goofy dance band gear. 

Notable Chuck Berry and Tex-Mex influences across the 

LP, which has been known for decades but is pretty 

hard to find. One track has been comp'd on "Oil 

Stains". 

"Thunderduk" 1996 (Rockadelic 23) [750p; insert] 

Band photos and raw opening track may tempt one to 

file this among the typical Rockadelic teenage 

basement hardrock blowouts, but in actuality this is 

a local prog/jazzrock affair that's a bit left field 

both for the label and my hi-fi. The uptempo, 

energetic excursions suffer from so-so songwriting 

and a dry, clinical soundscape that cries out for 

keyboards, fuzz and feedback, and jars with the 

distorted vocals. Liner notes claim they were a big 

draw live but it doesn't really sound like it, and 

there's an odd atonal and out of synch feel to the 

recording as a whole -- but maybe that's right for 

the genre. Couple of OK tracks, but too little 

guitar, and neither psych, folk nor hardrock; may 

appeal to fans of the UK hard prog scene. 1972-1974 

recordings. [PL] 

THUNDERPUSSY (Quincy, IL) 

"Documents Of Captivity" 1973 (MRT rl-31748) [insert] 

"Documents Of Captivity" 1987 (Breeder 561, Austria) [b & w 

sleeve] 

"Documents Of Captivity" 199 (CD Wild Places 002) 

Ah, Quincy's contribution to mid-1970s' progressive 

rock. Printed in minute quantities, this one's 

attracted a cult following and some glistening 

reviews. Curiously, most of the reviews we've seen 

have painted the album as being a hard rock with 

psych touches outing. Wrong. Written as a concept 

piece divided into a series of "six Documents" (which 

plotlines are largely lost on me), the result is 

conventional (if very good) progressive rock. I'll 

also be honest and admit that it took a couple of 

spins to warm up to the LP's charms. It's worth the 

effort since Morris has a nice voice and, in spite of 

the elaborate plotline, tracks such as the leadoff 

"Document of Enigma / Scream Inside", "Document of 

Security / Moonlite Ladies" and "Document of Latent 

Summation / In the Forest" offer up strong and 

surprisingly conventional melodies. The original was 

pressed on very thin vinyl, most copies have slight 

bowl warps. There is also a posthumous EP with 

unreleased tracks. [SB] 

~~~ 

This is the kind of 'prog' album that seems to go 

over pretty well with psych or hard rock fans. As I'm 

listening I always enjoy it, as it's full of weird 

ideas and cool guitar playing. It doesn't stick with

me once it's off, though, which probably means their 

ambitions are miles beyond their pop sense. This is 

the kind of thing that I can recommend to people 

looking for something a bit beyond their usual 

tastes, but I'm not sure I'd call it wholly 

successful. Where they got their name is beyond me, 

because this isn't especially thunderous or 

tasteless. [AM] 

THUNDERTREE (Minneapolis, MN) 

"Thundertree" 1970 (Roulette sr-42038) [wlp exists] 

"Thundertree" 2004 (CD Radioactive 096, UK) 

It's hard to say why this particular major label 

release is now worth double the price of a lot of its 

equally good peers, but there's no predicting 

collectors. Side one are individual songs while side 

two is a side-long suite. It's somewhat soulful rock 

with a mild psych edge. It mixes carefully 

constructed songwriting with a nice variety of 

sounds, ranging from quiet and mellow to moderately 

heavy. It's not exactly poppy, but not exactly heavy 

either. The singing is a bit pretentious, but the 

interesting production tricks compensate. Depending 

on how you look at it, it's either creatively 

arranged or gimmicky. Hardly the best of its type, 

but perfectly enjoyable for fans of major label 

psych. Starts with the great song title "Head 

Embers". [AM] 

~~~ 

This Roulette obscurity has a fair share of fans, 

although I was a bit put off by the weak, 

unconvincing vocals and too-busy drumming. Both the 

overall sound and mood shifts strangely over the LP, 

ranging from demo-like Steppenwolf macho rock to 

fullblown, sophisticated westcoast psychedelia. 

Songwriting is pretty good but the crude, unfinished 

feel of several recordings suggests that a 

significantly better LP from the same material could 

have been delivered by a different band. The 

dominating sound is a bit like the non-orchestrated 

tracks on the Common People LP, but less successful. 

On the plus side is good use of fuzz leads and some 

interesting studio tricks, once they were given time 

to fool around. The long suite on side 2 shows 

typical UK "Abbey Road" artrock ambitions a la 

Graffiti or Jasper Wrath, and is rather appealing 

within the genre. Worth hearing, but I'm not really 

prepared to join the cheering for this album. The LP 

was also released in Germany on Vogue. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Billy; "Gathering At The Depot" 

STEVE TIBBETS (St Paul, MN) 

"Steve Tibbets" 1977 (Frammis bzz-77) 

"Steve Tibbets" 199 (Cuneiform 55009) 

Guitar/home studio wizard. Eastern instro prog psych, 

tablas. The Frammis LPs were recorded in his house on 

an 8-track machine. Later pressings have 're' scribed 

in the trail-off. None of his releases are

particularly expensive, which is good news. 

"Yr" 1979 (Frammis 1522-25) 

"Yr" 198 (ECM) [altered sleeve] 

Instrumental album that’s just chock full of amazing 

guitar playing. The use of tabla gives it a unique 

feel and a kind of intimate charm missing from the 

works of better-known guitar heroes. This is the kind 

of album that could appeal to everyone from psych 

fans to folk fans to prog fans to hard rock fans. 

Very tasteful, very clever, often quite surprising. 

Highly recommended. Two sleeve versions exist, with 

"daytime" or "nighttime" scene. [AM] 

FREDDIE TIEKEN & THE ROCKERS (Quincy, IL) 

"Live!" 1964 (IT 2304) 

Early teenbeat and soul covers recorded live at TNT 

in West Quincy, Missouri. The band kept going for 

many years and was popular throughout the Midwest. In 

the late 60s, the Tieken brothers went on to Ilmo 

Smokehouse. 

TIFFANY SHADE (Cleveland, OH) 

"Tiffany Shade" 1967 (Mainstream 56105) [mono] 

"Tiffany Shade" 1967 (Mainstream s-6105) [stereo] 

"Tiffany Shade" 200 (Mainstream, Europe) [bootleg; thin 

cover] 

This used to be one of the less championed 

Mainstreams, but the persistent hype on the label has 

sent the rep of it soaring. Mainstream seldom spent 

much time on A & R once the artists had been signed, 

but Tiffany Shade must have been pushed through quick 

even by their standards. Hence a rather charming teen 

garage presentation of what is economy fare westcoast 

folkrock-psych sounds, plus a bunch of tracks that 

make no sense at all. LP opens strongly with several 

raw trips on the early Airplane style; cutting fuzz 

leads and excellent "Nuggets" vocals should appeal to 

anyone. Side 2 is less garagey & more goofy top 40, 

but listenable with class points reaped for a Love 

cover. All over a bit better than I expected, with 

some prime slices of 60s cheese-psych. Superb cover 

artwork, as always with the label. The album was also 

released in the UK by Fontana. [PL] 

~~~ 

Considered one of the second-tier Mainstream albums, 

but I can’t see any reason that Growing Concern is 

more well-liked than this. Tiffany Shade doesn’t have 

a female vocalist, but has the same general feel as 

Growing Concern, but with better songwriting and 

fewer covers. Most importantly, they have a youthful 

punky vocal style that’s ten times more appealing 

than the annoyingly syrupy male singer from Growing 

Concern. “Would You Take My Mind Out For A Walk” is a 

highlight. As with the Growing Concern album, side 

two is a bit weaker than side one, but this is a good 

album, recommended to fans of pop-oriented garage

ock. [AM] 

TIGHT LITTLE UNIT (TN) 

"Sings 'Just Send Her To Me'" 1966 (Orchid 6200) 

A (presumed) live recording from Liberty Lanes 

bowling alley in Millington, plain cover with 

stickers. Cover versions in an r'n'b/soul 

direction. The album title is sometimes listed as 

"Live at Liberty Lanes". 

TIMBERCREEK (Boulder Creek, CA) 

"Hellbound Highway" 1975 (Renegade jah-95014) [insert; 

2000p] 

The album cover gives hope that this rural rocker is 

going to be really wild, but the most I can say for 

it in that regard is that they’re pretty wasted (too 

much Tequila). There’s nothing heavy or angry here. 

It is good but not great rural rock in a Dead-meets- 

Eagles mode. The first song is a killer, with a 

psych-y lead guitar hook, a clever twist in the 

chorus and a great melody. The two side closers are 

very strong too. The rest of the songs are a bit too 

mellow, have too much steel guitar, and are too 

derivative to make this a great album. The laid back 

vocals are highly appropriate and surprisingly 

tuneful, by the way. The cover is cheaply made and 

extremely prone to seam splits. [AM] 

TIME (Toronto, Canada) 

"Before There Was Time" 2004 (Shadoks 054, Germany) [350p] 

"Before There Was Time" 2005 (CD Shadoks, Germany) 

Impressive late 60s art-rock with a strong British 

slant, holding a middle ground between the 

psychedelic '67 Pepper field and the cerebral 

excursions of the early prog era. Completely realized 

arrangements and recordings stand head and shoulders 

above most unreleased 1968 stuff you run across these 

days; if released at the time it would have been a 

classic. Atmospheric, understated vocals, wideranging 

use of keyboard, and excellent jazzy 

percussion all create a delightful trip for purveyors 

of sophisticated late 60s sounds. Not that far 

removed from classic high IQ American albums such as 

the second Fallen Angels or Freeborne, with a bit of 

Lothar & the Hand People college student avantgardism 

sprinkled on top. The second half of side 1 is 

particularly good, with a couple of psychedelic 

tracks that are truly outstanding. The refined 

atmosphere may be offputting for those in search of 

garage or hardrock type experiences, but a playful 

60s mood and strong songwriting keeps the dread UK 

prog-rock unicorns at bay. My only real objection is 

the somewhat short playtime. Released alongside 

Fingletoad, so Shadoks were definitely on a roll at 

this point. [PL]

CY TIMMONS (Atlanta, GA) 

"Cy Timmons" 197 (Erewhon no #) 

This isn’t any kind of loner folk record. It’s pure 

lounge/night club non-rock. This is the kind of guy 

who would be perfectly at home singing “Feelings”. Cy 

has one of those smooth voices that shows practice 

and polish but not soul or even natural skill. This 

isn’t something like Rick Saucedo’s venture into 

rock. It’s not music I could imagine appealing to 

fans of folk, rock, or even the softest soft rock. 

It’s collectable because it’s a private press, 

period. What’s next, hype for high school marching 

band records? Given what it is, by the way, it’s not 

awful, but he’s certainly no Tom Jones. Some copies 

of this debut came without sleeve. [AM] 

"The World's Greatest Unknown" 1976 (Erewhon 1001) 

Little-known singer/songwriter guy in the jazzy Neil 

Diamond nightclub direction. First LP is with band 

and smooth brass; second LP is acoustic solo and has 

been put down, despite the high going rate. 

TIMMOTHY (Bay City, MI) 

"Strange But True" 1972 (Pear LX 502/503) [300p] 

"Strange But True" 2001 (Rockadelic rfr 001) [300p; +1 track] 

TIN PENNY (NY) 

Post-Blues Company rural hippie folkrock LP with a 

bluesy undercurrent. Notable Neil Young influence on 

an album that's not at all as strange or eccentric as 

made out to be, could have been a major label item. 

Excellent opening track is a rather clever marriage 

of "Down By The River" and "Wooden Ships". The rest 

shows Timmothy trying out various loner folk and 

swampy folkblues moves, although the songwriting 

tends to be somewhat lacking and the personality 

isn't arresting enough to compensate. If you're in 

the right late-night mood this may sound quite 

atmospheric, at other times the two-chord drone and 

lack of hooks may annoy. Not a great album to my ears 

but should appeal to genre fans, and clearly better 

than LPs such as Geoffrey and Georgie Leonard. [PL] 

~~~ 

Stark-sounding singer/songwriter album with a very 

obvious Neil Young fixation. I think it's best when 

it's at its most electric, but even the mellow stuff 

is better than most in the genre. The album has a 

deep, personal feel to it and it will connect with 

the right listener. [AM] 

"Cycles" 1971 (Silver Crest Custom 112771) 

Upstate collegians, basement prog moves with horns 

and deep thoughts. On the same custom label as 

Collective Tools.

TINO & THE REVLONS (Detroit, MI) 

"By Request At The Swayzee" 1966 (Dearborn 1004) 

Popular Detroit area band does fratrock & teenbeat on 

this rarely seen LP, in color cover with band pic and 

cartoon go-go girls. 

BRENT TITCOMB (Vancouver, Canada) 

"Brent Titcomb" 1977 (Manohar mr-100) 

Long time Canadian folkie (he was in 3’s A Crowd) 

finally got around to making a solo album after the 

genre practically disappeared. The result is an 

interesting piece somewhat lost in time, with some 

eastern influence and an almost evil post-hippie feel 

to it. Strong songwriting and Titcomb’s deep voice 

make for a distinctive album. Only one song has a 

particularly psychedelic feel to it, but the album 

should appeal to fans of loner folk or moodier folkrock. 

Titcomb went on to release three more LPs. [AM] 

TITUS & ROSS (Marion, IN) 

"Titus And Ross" 1970 (no label) 

TITUS OATES (TX) 

Melodic folk duo with acoustic/electric guitar, bass, 

recorder and percussion and some fuzz guitar on 

"Cycle Thing". 

"Jungle Lady" 1974 (Lips 003) [1st version; blue gatefold 

cover] [circa 1400p] 

"Jungle Lady" 1975 (Lips no #) [2nd remixed version; red label 

and plain cover] [300p] 

"Jungle Lady" 198 (Hablabel, Italy) 

"Jungle Lady" 2004 (CD Radioactive 0026, UK) [defective 

mastering] 

Pro-sounding melodic 1970s rock with AOR and 

funky/proggy nightclub moves. Double (sometimes 

triple) crystalline guitar leads and snappy 

performances all around make for an attractive sound, 

with female vocals on one track. Keyboard and sax 

here and there are appropriate to the mid-70s style, 

while the upscale production gives all members a 

chance to shine. At best a fully-realized vintage 

westcoast trip, as heard on "Blanket", but ultimately 

there is too little that stands out and it's 

unfortunate the lady didn't get more songs to sing. 

Initial response to this was mixed due to its slick, 

non-basement nature but over time it has gained a 

fair share of fans, although it's not for everyone. 

Would make a good double bill with Corpus, although 

personally I think T-Kail is a better LP in a similar 

style. The 1975 remix was previously believed to be a 

test/demo press, but is in fact a later version,

T-KAIL (MN) 

remixed in Nashville. On this later version "Dream on 

a train" features a solo female vocal rather than a 

duet. The band also had a 45 (Lips 001). The 

Radioactive CD has a digital skip on track #6. [PL] 

~~~ 

A lot of this album is very mainstream 70s AOR, but 

more so on the initial listen than after you get used 

to it and start to pay attention. There are 70s 

clichés throughout, especially when they flirt with 

jazz and funk, and the string synthesizers and phase 

shifters scream out that it's a cheap production 

trying to sound like big budget AM radio fare. The 

two ballads are really schlocky, and the singing is 

bland in a way that characterizes bands who 

desperately wanted to be signed by major labels but 

just didn't have what it took. Female vocals on one 

song help a bit. She doesn't have much personality 

either, but at least her voice is pretty. Too bad the 

song is one of the ballads. Some cool angular guitar 

parts can be found on a bunch of songs here, though 

the riffs all pretty much sound the same. Almost all 

of the songs are more interesting during the solos 

than during the verses and choruses. At its best this 

has slight similarities to bands like Snakegrinder, 

who mixed the styles of the 60s west coast and the 

mainstream 70s more convincingly than this. Best 

songs: "Blanket," which has not only more lead guitar 

than anything else here but also some cool congas, 

and "Friend of Life," which overcomes out of tune 

harmonies with some nice riffing and an intense 

buildup. Half of me (the half that houses my brain) 

says this is the kind of thing collectors desperately 

try to convince themselves is unique and different so 

they can justify their purchase, but the other half 

says it's an enjoyable AOR record with enough quirks 

to make it kinda fun. It grew on me. [AM] 

"Somewhere Sometime" 1980 (Jade no #) 

Remarkable trip in time back to the late 1960s femmevox 

hippierock sound from this mystery band. Opening 

track in particular is a dead ringer for the fuzzed 

teen chick Yankee Dollar-Fear Itself style, while 

subsequent tracks show 1970s influences creeping in, 

both in terms of ambitious playing and arrangements, 

as well as an overall nightclub/singles bar 

atmosphere that I like. Sounds like it might be a pro 

loungerock band who wisely filled their sole chance 

at vinyl with originals rather than "Macarthur Park" 

and "Hair" medleys. Playing is very tight and both 

the gal and guys sing well. Unfortunately a 

completely misplaced disco track in the middle of 

side 2 breaks the spell a bit, but this is still one 

of the top 10 local psych-influenced LPs from the

1980s that I've heard. Recommended especially to fans 

of Titus Oates and the rocking stuff on Galaxy. 

Sleeve artwork utilizes the same Escher "stairs" 

design as Mandrake Memorial's "Puzzle", which is 

obviously a good sign. [PL] 

~~~ 

After Bobb Trimble's work, this is the best 80s psych 

album. In fact, at least for side one I'd go out on a 

limb and rank it the very best co-ed San Franciscostyle 

psych album, regardless of era. In the 

tradition of the best latter day psych, it clearly is 

influenced by the golden age of West Coast music, but 

sounds completely of its time as well. This is no 

simple throwback or derivative work; it's a wholly 

unique and distinctive album that combines a very 

wide and unlikely set of influences in creative and 

wonderful ways. The album's biggest criticism has 

come from the inclusion of a straight disco song on 

side two. The song is unlikely to appeal to the same 

audience as the garage-styled opener "Peace of Mind," 

but in the context of the album, which flows from 

song to song, showing subtle shifts in style, it 

actually makes perfect sense. Similarly, neither the 

new wave-styled synthesizer on the title track or the 

long jazz-funk instrumental opening on the final song 

sound out of place. There seems to be no attempt at 

attracting any particular type of audience here: no 

artifice, no pandering. It's a wonderful album. 

Highest among the many pleasures is the absolutely 

stunning title track, which benefits from a chillinducing 

vocal from Kathy Bass. The long guitar solo 

on "Bye Bye" is also a winner, in the best tradition 

of Quicksilver Messenger Service or Tripsichord Music 

Box. This is also one of the very few albums of this 

style where the male and female vocals coexist 

without stepping on each other's toes. If you can 

live with the disco tune, this is very highly 

recommended. The band is quite mysterious (no photos 

on the album cover) and sadly appear to have made no 

further recordings. Great Escher cover art. [AM] 

TOADS (Lawrenceville, NJ) 

"Toads" 1964 (K R Wight & Associates 64-021) 

Lawrenceville prep school instros and surf with a 

couple of members formerly in Davy & the Badmen, 

reportedly with some good tracks for genre fans. 

Typical period covers of "Baja", "You can't sit 

down", "Sleepwalk", "Penetration" etc, and one or two 

originals. 

TOGETHER (East Orange, NJ)

"Together" 1969 (Ransom Recording no#) [plain cover with 

stamped title] 

Folk blues, homemade sound. Ex-Hermon Knights. 

V.A "TOGETHER SOUND OF LEHIGH VALLEY" (PA) 

"Together Sound Of Lehigh Valley" 1971 (Red Barn 83071) 

Well-regarded local PA sampler which has supplied one 

primitive fuzz-psych track by Bitter End to a comp 

and has 3-4 more good moody basement tracks worth 

hearing. A bit later in the game than most LPs in the 

genre, with 1970s rural rock/AOR elements creeping 

in. About half is covers, including Neil Young, Three 

Dog Night and (yep) Ringo Starr. [PL] 

V.A "TOGETHER SOUND OF READING" (Reading, PA) 

"Together Sound Of Reading" 1970 (Airport 70870) 

TONGUE (WI) 

Mixed bag of post-garage and soul moves, with covers 

of Creedence, Chicago, "People get ready", "96 

tears" (!). For regional completists mainly, with 

only 9 cuts. 

"Keep On Truckin'" 1972 (Hemisphere 101) 

"Keep On Truckin'" 2004 (Comet GFC 418, Italy) 

"Keep On Truckin'" 2004 (CD Gear Fab 151) 

This odd mix of hard rock and rural folk-rock is on 

the same label as Clicker and Yancy Derringer. It has 

a few hot hard rocking moments to it, and 

uncompromising stuff like "Get Your Shit Together." 

Their cover of "Morning Dew" is based on Bonnie 

Dobson's mellow version, not the common and more 

rocking Tim Rose version. The album is uneven and 

rather sloppy, but it's interesting straight through. 

[AM] 

TOOL SHED (New York City, NY) 

"Skyscape Music" 1971 (RPC 19291) [500p] 

"Skyscape Music" 199 (no label, Austria) [300p; altered 

cover] 

Desoriented urban college dorm hippie-folk album with

TOO SMOOTH ( ) 

some good and strange tracks like "Angels in her 

walk" that go deep, and a pretty interesting LP all 

over. Actually a various artists college project LP 

from NYC but usually referred to only as "Tool Shed". 

[PL] 

"Too Smooth" 1976 (Tiger Lily) 

Southern rock with heavy guitar, one of the rarest on 

this notorious tax-scam label. 

TOP DRAWER (Mansfield, OH) 

"Solid Oak" 1972 (Wishbon 721207) 

"Solid Oak" 1984 (Wishbon/Resurrection) 

"Solid Oak" 199 (CD Austria) 

"Solid Oak" 2002 (CD Psychosound) 

"Solid Oak" 2004 (CD Red Lounge) 

Long time legend which opens with a tremendous 

introspective moody psycher, rest of the LP is more 

typical rural hard rock with 1960s remnants. 

Appealing, non-operatic teenage vocals, tough 

stripped down sound with organ and strong guitar 

leads not unlike Headstone (OH), plus some cool 

lyrics. The LP is very unassuming in its nature, 

which means that some songs and/or takes seem 

unfinished, which adds to the overall realness of the 

Top Drawer trip but may offend those looking for Led 

Zeppelin type professionalism. One of my personal 

favorites in the style, simply because it avoids 

being slick, macho, bone-head, phony or 

commercialized; a snapshot of a local stoner band 

without any posturing. Mandatory for 70s basement 

hard rock fans, with a wider appeal in that long 

first track. The band was long believed to be from 

Kentucky, but came from Ohio. The 1984 "second press" 

is unmarked but can be identified as a Resurrection 

label job by the 'CX' prefix in the dead wax. [PL] 

~~~ 

This starts out well, with the long “Song of A 

Sinner,” which mixes moody keyboards with equally 

moody lead guitar blasts. The rest of the album is 

more upbeat, more standard rock (not “hard” rock, as 

it’s usually described), and less interesting. The 

guitar solos are uninspired (except for the fun spazz 

attack solo on “Lies”) and many of the songs drag on 

about twice as long as they should. The vocals range 

from competent to awful. A lot of the melodies are of 

the “let’s just follow the chord progression” type, 

which makes for some really tedious listening. Much 

of this album is pretty bad (the ballad “Sweet 

Memories” is painfully so), but every once in a while 

something unexpectedly hits the spot. For example, 

“Baker’s Boogie” is standard boogie rock, with 

mediocre guitar playing and lousy singing, but has a 

wacky recurring organ pattern that’s just wonderful, 

and lyrics about “panties of lace” that are 

delightfully dumb. It’s not a good song by any means, 

but that organ part just drills its way into my 

head... The horns on “Messed Up” are surprisingly

TOPPER ( ) 

effective. Other than the first song, this is closer 

to a real people album than a real rock album. Some 

of you will like it a lot. You know who you are. [AM] 

"At Last" 1977 (Scot t-9548) 

This one may annoy a lot of people, but I love it. 

It’s synth-heavy 70s prog with a mild heavy tone, 

much more about hooks, melodies and creative use of 

Moog than about virtuoso instrumentation. The synths 

are inventive and intense, and the instrumental bits 

are carefully composed. There’s nothing offhand or 

boring about this album. The vocalist falls somewhere 

between 60s hard rock and 60s soul, and somehow fits 

this mix perfectly. All of these elements could add 

up to real dreck, especially on the song with a 

strong disco/funk feel, but somehow it works. The 

last few songs flirt with heavy metal-style 

devilishness, including electronically altered 

vocals, but there’s a surprising mildness to this 

music. The guitars are relatively sparse and 

tastefully low-key (no distortion on the rhythm 

guitars.) One song rips off “Stairway To Heaven,” 

something Led Zeppelin deserves for all of their own 

thievery, and adds mellotron to wonderful dramatic 

effect. This really doesn’t sound like anything else 

I know, and maybe there aren’t a whole lot of people 

out there who will react to it as positively as I do, 

but I sure can’t stop playing it. [AM] 

V.A "TOP TEEN BANDS" (MN) 

"Top Teen Bands, vol 1" 1966 (Budjet 311) 



TOR-KAYS ( ) 

Quickie series of local Minnesota acts with some neat 

frat and garage tracks. Vol 1 has lots of local Minn 

legends like the Muleskinners, the Avanties, the 

Underbeats, the Kan-Dells and the Deacons. Vol 2 has 

some of the same acts, adding the Novas and some girl 

group and blues outfits. Vol 3 again features familar 

names, with more focus on teen-beat/garage. As 

collections of local mid-60s sounds, these aren't bad 

at all, especially for those who enjoy the classic 

beer-soaked sounds of pre-acid Twin Cities. Most, or 

all, of the tracks also came out on 45s. All three 

LPs were reissued on vinyl some years back. 

"Tor-Kays" 1967 (Wild Enterprises WE 1003) 

Sleeveless LP of local unknowns doing mostly blueeyed 

soul covers, indicating an Eastcoast origin.

TORMENTORS (CA) 

TORO ( ) 

"Hanging 'Round" 1967 (Royal 111) [mono] 

"Hanging 'Round" 1967 (Royal s-111) [stereo] 

"Hanging 'Round" 1984 (Eva 12055, France) 

Rare but disappointing LP in various mid-1960s 

styles, ranging from pre-Invasion crooner pop to 

moody folkrock. Sounds like they came out of a square 

lounge/club circuit a la Jack Bedient & the Chessmen, 

with the sound only partially updated. The Roy 

Orbison/Neil Sedaka stuff makes up at least 1/3rd of 

the album and some of it is awful, with weak 

songwriting and mumbling vocals. There's a Beau 

Brummels cover, but otherwise originals from what I 

can tell. I counted two good tracks on each side, 

with the moody folk introspection of "Childhood 

memories" and the swell teenbeat of "Cause you don't 

love me" the best; the latter also came out on 45 as 

by the Odds & Ends. There's some fuzz where you least 

expect it, a muzak instro, and the LP as a whole has 

a strangely disjointed feel with a lot of seldom 

touched bases covered, while all the usual stuff such 

as the Stones and blue-eyed soul is missing. Could be 

hyped and probably has been, especially in light of 

the excellent cover artwork, but in actuality nothing 

to write home about. The band had a couple of 45s as 

well. [PL] 

"Toro" 1975 (Coco clp-106) 

Hispanic group with cool Santana sound heavy guitar 

rock (great leads) and latin groove on the melodic 

cuts. 

TORQUES (Phillips Academy, Andover, MA) 

"Zoom" 1964 (Wright & Associates 64-01) 

TORQUES (KY) 

Obscure one from the famous Andover prep school. The 

LP which utilizes a vast number of "clappers" has one 

original ballad plus covers including "Surfin' Bird". 

Possible George W Bush involvement, at least he was 

there at the time!

"Live" 1967 (Lemco 604) 

TOTENTANZ (Canada) 

Different group from the prep-rockers. Garage, frat & 

soul, half with good fuzz. Several band originals 

mixed with covers of the Rascals, Raiders, James 

Brown, etc. Recorded on New Year's Eve 1966. 

"Totentanz" 1972 (no label) 

TOTTY (Tulsa, OK) 

Obscure LP of minimalist electronic experimental with 

a spooky vibe. 

"Totty" 1977 (no label bt-205) [demo press; 50p; plain cover 

with sticker; lyric sheet; promo photos] 

"Totty" 1977 (Our First 205) [color cover; insert] 

"Totty" 2004 (CD Radioactive, UK) 

Christian powertrio hardrock out of Tulsa with some 

psych and prog flashes not unlike Truth & Janey. 

Incessant guitar riffing and soloing throughout, 

superb bass playing, only weak spot are the vocals 

which almost drown in the music. A few weaker 

barrockers, but 3-4 extended killer blowouts make 

this an essential item for local 70s hardrock fans. 

The closing 8-minute "Somebody help me" is about as 

good as it gets for me. The band also had a lesser LP 

"Too" in 1981 (Our First ofr-02). [PL] 

~~~ 

Interesting Xian hard rock album with mild jazzy 

touches to it. It’s not as in-your-face heavy and 

riffy as the best albums in the genre, but the songs 

are well-written and it does have its share of hooks. 

The lyrics are pretty interesting and sophisticated, 

not your usual Christian blandness. The guitar 

playing is pretty strong throughout. [AM] 

TOUCH (St Louis, MO) 

"Street Suite" 1969 (Mainline 2001) [gatefold; bonus 45s; 

100p] 

"Street Suite" 199 (Mainline) [bootleg] 

"Street Suite" 199 (CD Renaissance) 

"Street Suite" 1997 (Gear Fab 105) 

"Street Suite" 1997 (CD Gear Fab 105) [+9 tracks]

Local LP in a late hippierock mode, caught in the 

transition from flower power to counterculture 

"Volunteers"/"Kick out the jams" revolutionary 

attitudes. Cool female vocals, a bit bluesy in parts 

but also some no-nonsense westcoast rockers. Hardly a 

mindblower, but with a pretty high "artefact" value. 

Great lyrics like "You gotta get it on/With a gun in 

your pocket/And a capsule in your hand" - it must 

have been tough being the only hippies in St Louis 

back then. No relation to any other Touch. [PL] 

~~~ 

Bluesy psych-rock with an underutilized female singer 

and plenty of clichés. Lyrically, it definitely 

skates on the violent revolutionary edge of 

hippiedom, but in a rather awkward way. The bleak 

production is pretty powerful, but this isn’t a very 

good album. A couple of country-style songs don’t 

help. The CD includes some odd bonus tracks, 

including some 80s synth-rock by band member Ray 

Schulte and a 70s song with a pre-Pavlov’s Dog David 

Surkamp on vocals. [AM] 

TOUCH (Portland, OR) 

"20/20 Sound" 1969 (Coliseum ds-51004) [gatefold; poster] 

"20/20 Sound" 1993 (CD Renaissance rcd-1001) [+2 tracks] 

TOUCH (OH) 

Unique experimental album that anticipates prog. Long 

songs that rarely stick to any one theme or a 

verse/chorus structure are highly creative and 

somwehat erratic. Two are total killers, though. 

"Down At Circe's Place" starts with a killer piano 

hook and overlays all kinds of noise on it... 

irresistibly catchy! The epic closing "Seventy-Five" 

is a masterpiece, building slowly to an amazing peak, 

and featuring high male vocals that rival Tim Buckley 

at his most exciting. This is better on LP where the 

song runs into the groove at the end of the album 

side. Also, the CD is compressed and takes away from 

the ear-piercing peaks of sound on both of these 

great songs. Sometimes it's better not to follow the 

rules, and they understood that concept completely. 

Not a great album all the way through, but the good 

parts are unlike anything else I know. There is a UK 

pressing on Deram that sells for bigger $$ than the 

easy to find US pressing. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Stepson 

"Touch" 1980 (Jewel) 

TOUCHSTONE (VA) 

Local hardrock, includes cover of "Wizard" by 

Charlee. 

"Runes" 1978 (Jericho 1260) 

Folk with a dreamy feel, female vocals on one song.

Pleasant but not a real standout of the style. They 

released a second album as Eric and Kathryn Cowan, 

entitled "Long Through Time", in 1983 on cassette 

tape only. It's mostly in a jazzy soft rock/ballad 

mode with unappealing 80s-sounding production, but 

the closing "Mystical Journey" has a nice acid folk 

feel to it that makes it much more interesting than 

the rest of the album. This time around, the vocals 

have a pretty even male/female split. [AM] 

TOWER (New York City, NY) 

"The Tower" 1973 (Other World 1001) 

Post-nuclear holocaust story with audio collage of 

electronics, musique concrete, synthesized speech, 

and all sorts of sound effects. Sounds like the 

Dreamies doing the music for a Stephen King audio 

book! 

TOY FACTORY (Canada) 

"Toy Factory" 1969 (Avco ave-33013) 

Poppy studio lounge psych mixed group that's 

beginning to attract some attention. The male lead 

has a very feminine sounding voice. Mostly originals, 

and a far out "Summertime" cover. 

TRACKS (New England) 

"Tracks 69/74" 1974 (Tracks SBT 1) [3 LP box-set; booklet] 

TRANCE-FORM ( ) 

Three LP box-set rounding up a stack of recordings 

from band in a progrock direction with a jammy live 

feel, guitar-leads, organ. Band leader Russell 

Pinkston later became a noted researcher on 

computer/music interfaces. 

"Stranger In The Same Land" 197 (Hyde & Zeke) [insert] 

Genesis-style progressives. 

TRAVELER'S AID (San Bernardino, CA) 

"Corduroy Roads" 1970 (Rock 9001) [blank back; 100p] 

"Corduroy Roads" 2000 (World In Sound rfr-05, Germany) 

[insert] 

Rural rocking sounds with growling vocals and a 

rootsy sort of Creedence vibe - neither psych nor 

hardrock, more like an ambitious bar band. A title 

like "Rock'n'roll is spoken here" says it all. Real 

Americana sounds on a consistent level with a couple

TRAVIS (MI) 

of standout tracks and an appealing 

unpretentiousness, but not really my bag; songwriting 

doesn't impress (the "Hair" musical cover even less 

so) and the sub-Fogerty vocals seem one-note after a 

while. The droney "Making tracks" is the only cut I 

really like. Others rate this highly, and it's a 

pricey one when offered. The group is actually San 

Bernardino punksters the Torquays in a later 

incarnation and includes a version of "Harmonica man" 

appropriately replacing the London reference with 

Nashville. The miniscule press size has been reported 

by the band. They came back again with an oldies LP 

under another name in 1976, including alternate 

versions of two tracks from this LP. [PL] 

"To Be As Free As You" 1975 (Unity 001) 

TREE (Kalona, IA) 

Harmony vocal rural rock trio with jammy westcoast 

sound in a mellow Deadish vein. 

"Tree" 1972 (Goat Farm) 

The opening track here is: "Dedley Medley (including: 

Separate Ways, Oh Well, Captain Bobby Stout, Cranny 

Crow, Rattlesnake Jam, Mellowdown Easy, All Join 

In)", it is the first of three songs on side one and, 

given its title, surprisingly short at about four 

minutes. It involves what sounds like about eight to 

a dozen people pounding on various percussion and 

singing hard-to-decipher lines until "Mellow down 

easy...." gets repeated a few times and you find that 

you're farther along than you imagined you'd be. 

"Directly From My Heart" gets more coherent and 

sounds more like a standard band with a good bassist 

and drummer and an organ player/vocalist who tries to 

be Al Kooper with mixed results on both fronts. The 

first side ends with "Down the Rabbit Hole" and a 

return to more free jazz moves as a trumpet player 

and organist trade licks while the bassist plays 

walking bass runs behind them. As psychedelic rock, 

it just isn't, and as free (or modestly priced) jazz, 

it falls pretty far from the interesting bush. Put 

this in a historical context and it probably would 

have seemed incredibly cool for a bunch of hippies on 

a farm in Iowa to jam like Miles Davis' way less 

talented 3rd cousin. Not totally horrible, just 

horribly unnecessary. Side two also has three tracks: 

"Blue Cheese Gospel" is a stoned cross between a 

crazed evangelist and James Brown. If you can imagine 

a bunch of stoned hippies sitting around trying to 

improvise to that idea you can also imagine why you 

don't need to hear this. "Mind Spirit-Body Train" is 

a percussion/organ jam with female vocals that most 

closely resemble Yoko Ono's vocals on "Don't Worry 

Kyoko". And I don't mean that in a good way. The LP 

closes with the strongest cut, "Moonlight Couples 

Only" which gets closer to a "Jack Johnson" era Miles 

Davis sound than anything else. A repetitive bass 

pattern anchors the track, as a guitar and trumpet

TREE PEOPLE ( ) 

play off each other and the drummer colors in the 

empty spaces. It never plays with dynamics like Miles 

and John McLaughlin did, but it makes me wish they'd 

recorded the entire performance (it's a live track). 

[SD] 

~~~ 

see -> Iowa Ear Music 

"Tree People" 1979 (no label) 

TREES (NY) 

Flowing guitar & flute hippie folk with a rural 

British downer vibe, some instrumental tracks a la 

Modality Stew. 

"The Christ Tree" 1975 (Pomegranate 001) [lyrics insert] 

RYAN TREVOR ( ) 

Quite extraordinary religious progressive folk album 

that moves across time and space in a C.O.B-like 

manner yet never misses the beat. Dominated by three 

extended mindblowers that bring in deep Search Party 

brooding, Indian and Japanese instruments, advanced 

choral experiments, bells, gongs, hippie commune 

vibes, you name it; the shorter tracks are less 

eclectic and more traditionally catholic-liturgical. 

The constant motion from a good idea to an even 

better idea reminds me of the first Perth County 

Conspiracy album, if you imagine that one being about 

Christ instead of Shakespeare. A deeply spiritual 

feel emerges, yet the massive influx of ideas spells 

pure psychedelia for acidhead seekers. On the IQ 

scale this one's way up there. Personal fave, 

recommended to fans of Search Party, Extradition, 

Book Of Am and similar monastery head trips. The band 

was based in NYC but travelled a lot and had a second 

base in New Mexico. [PL] 

"Introducing" 1977 (Ryan Songs rf-1) 

Acoustic-based psychy folkrock with electric leads 

and some synth. 

VIC TRIGGER BAND ( ) 

"Electronic Wizard" 1977 (Sanctuary 12103) 

TRILOGY (FL) 

Hard prog-rock with long wah-wah and fuzz excursions. 

There was also a self-titled mini-LP in 1983 on 

Sanctuary.

"Two Sides" 197 (Strange Productions 101) 

Early 1970s lounge band with female vocals and bossa 

nova moves, includes an Emerson Lake & Palmer cover. 

Highly rated among genre fans, others may be less 

impressed. 

BOBB TRIMBLE (Worcester, MA) 

"Iron Curtain Innocence" 1980 (Vengeance no #) 

Locked in a timeless world of bittersweet 

folkpsychedelia, Bobb recorded this first ultraobscure 

LP at a time when absolutely noone made psych 

LPs. Hits roughly the same spot as his more wellknown 

2nd LP with three awesome tracks at the outset 

and other winners scattered about; a couple of weaker 

moments but all over a brilliant LP - blows almost 

all 60s psych LPs away. Side 1 is Bobb in 1980 with 

studio band the Violent Reactions, side 2 features a 

somewhat sparser sound, recorded in 1978. A rare 45 

was pulled from this LP. Most of it is reissued on 

the 1995 CD below, unfortunately two very good tracks 

on side 2 were omitted. [PL] 

~~~ 

Most people's introduction to the world of Bobb 

Trimble is via the CD, which starts with the amazing 

first three songs from this album. Those three songs 

are as good as anything; Trimble's music is an 

utterly unique blend of melodic songwriting, gorgeous 

high vocals, overwhelmingly echoey and warbly 

production, synthesized guitar and fuzz guitar, and 

it's mesmerizing and life-changing. Side two was 

recorded a few years earlier and is simpler in terms 

of production, but the songwriting is equally good. 

Over the years it has become apparent that this album 

has aged very well and is every bit as good as the 

more heralded second album. Trimble's music is 

utterly timeless, utterly distinctive, and utterly 

beautiful. [AM] 

"Harvest Of Dreams" 1982 (Bobb no #) 

"Jupiter Transmission" 1995 (CD Parallel World) 

Rated by most as the best psych LP of the 1980s. One 

of those obscurities (like Golden Dawn) that blows 

even non-psych fans away. Rooted in a '67-68 

"Strawberry Fields"-type deep acid psych sound with 

tapestries of acoustic guitars, multilayered vocals 

and halfburied sound effects, the total impact is 

like walking around in one of Bobb's dreams. 

Melancholic, moving but also hopeful - an essential 

experience. As with the debut, a very rare 45 was 

released. The CD reissue includes the entire LP, 

except for an atypical number sung by "the kids". 

There is also an LP "Life Beyond The Doghouse" with 

later recordings from Bobb (Orpheus, 2002) [PL] 

~~~ 

"Harvest" is equally as good as the debut, but has 

the edge for many because it packs such a powerful

and mysterious emotional punch. Those who know the 

majority of the album's songs from the CD will be 

surprised to find a brief punk song and two and a 

half minutes of silence on the album, but once you're 

used to them they make perfect sense and add 

immeasurably to the depth of the record. It's notable 

that amidst all of the despair here, both sides open 

with the most joyous songs you'll ever hear. Everyone 

reading this needs to hear both Trimble albums. [AM] 

~~~ 


TRIPSICHORD MUSIC BOX (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Tripsichord Music Box" 1970 (San Francisco Sound T4A-12700) 

[1st version; red label; plain cover with stickers] 

"Tripsichord Music Box" 1971 (Janus 3016) [2nd version; 

altered cover; brown label] 

"Tripsichord Music Box" 198 (no label) [white label bootleg] 

"Tripsichord Music Box" 199 (no label, Italy) [green vinyl] 

"Tripsichord Music Box" 199 (CD Eva, France) 

"Tripsichord Music Box" 199 (CD San Francisco Sound) 

"Tripsichord Music Box" 2000 (Akarma 077, Italy) [2LPs; 

gatefold; bonus tracks] 

"Tripsichord Music Box" 2000 (CD Akarma 077, Italy) [+bonus] 

To me one of the best LPs ever out of the westcoast, 

hits that awesome Fillmore live feel rarely found on 

studio LPs. Except for the unsuccessful boogie of 

"Short order steward" this kills from start to 

finish. Rather than describing this major classic I 

urge any newcomers to get it with no further delay. 

The band was originally from LA and known as Now (who 

did a 45), then moved to SF when Matthew Katz' eyes 

fell upon them. An early 1970s Christian LP "Sons of 

Mosiah" features one ex-member playing acoustic 

versions of a couple of Tripsichord tracks. The 

earliest version of the LP was possibly pressed only 

as a demo, and only a couple of copies have been 

found. It comes in a completely different cover than 

the familiar Janus "fairytale" design. It's been 

suggested that the somewhat lo-fi Janus pressing was 

mastered from this earlier vinyl demo, rather than 

from actual tapes. Two label variations exist of the 

Janus pressing, one with a "San Francisco Sound" 

logo, the other with only Janus logo. The 1980s 

bootleg is sometimes sold as an original, but there 

were no white label originals. The beautiful Akarma 

reissue has all their recordings including the "Fifth 

Pipe Dream" tracks and non-LP 45; very nice job. [PL] 

~~~ 

Other than the terrible blues-rock song "Short Order 

Steward," this is a completely solid SF album, with 

well-written, concise songs, evocative lyrics, 

creative guitar playing and appealing vocals. It 

rocks reasonably hard in spots, but has a folky moody 

feel to it as well. For some reason, people either 

seem to think of this album as generic or as the best 

of the genre. Usually the truth is somewhere in 

between, but in my opinion this really is one of the

est, and I have a hard time understanding why it 

isn't apparent to everyone who hears it. Maybe the 

best moments here aren't as exciting as those by the 

better known bands from the scene, but the songs are 

great, and this album is free of the excesses, ego 

trips, and recording studio discomfort of The Dead, 

Quicksilver and the Airplane. The singing is better 

than any of those bands, too. Highly recommended. 

[AM] 

~~~ 

see -> "Fifth Pipe Dream" 

TRIZO-50 (Kansas City, MO) 

"Trizo-50" 1974 (Cavern Custom 740142) [100p] 

"Trizo-50" 2003 (World In Sound 21, Germany) [+bonus tracks] 

"Trizo-50" 2003 (CD World In Sound 1021, Germany) [+bonus 

tracks] 

TROLL (Chicago, IL) 

Demo LP recorded in KC, this was a later incarnation 

of Phantasia with a different and more glamrockinfluenced 

sound. Some tracks appear on the "A 

Psychedelic" Phantasia sampler from the early 90s. 

There's a large number of unreleased recordings, 

although the WIS reissue takes care of many of these. 

Some people seem to like this but to my ears it's a 

let-down after the awe-inspiring, dynamic creativity 

of Phantasia. The recording quality is also a lot 

less impressive here. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Walkenhorst Brothers 

"Animated Music" 1968 (Smash srs-67114) [insert; ylp exists] 

"Animated Music" 1997 (CD Flashback 010) 

"Animated Music" 2005 (Radioactive 064, UK) 

"Animated Music" 2005 (CD Radioactive 064, UK) 

Interesting Sgt Pepperish bag of tricks from Chicago 

band who had some non-LP 45s as well. Opens with 

somewhat atypical raw fuzzrocker with growling 

vocals, while "Mr Abernathy" zooms you right into the 

expected Brit-style pop quirkiness, wellwritten and 

charming a la the Snow LP on Epic. This segues into 

the rather unfortunate "Fritz und Sweeny" which 

proves that applying the Ray Davies short-story idiom 

on the Third Reich is not a good idea, even as the 

music is pretty good. The LP continues in the same 

hit and miss fashion, but the entertainment factor 

remains pretty high. The token "Winchester 

Cathedral"-type music hall piece of shit is present, 

although the lyrics are unusually off-color. At best 

the band reaches the upscale post-Pepper cleverness 

of Mandrake Memorial and the 2nd Fallen Angels, 

especially on the great "Winter song". As is typical 

for the genre, the album closes with a "heavy 

freakout" track with Hendrixy feedback. "Animated 

Music" used to be overlooked and while not a 

masterpiece by any means it's a passable piece of 

late 60s UK-style studio art-pop with a few moves 

into grade A psychedelia. Incidentally, the 

Radioactive CD offers no track list except on the

TROYKA (Canada) 

cover reproduction, which is almost impossible to 

read. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is a highly ambitious psych album that has some 

killer freakouts (“Werewolf and Witchbreath”), some 

awful novelty tracks, and some attempts at social 

commentary. Obviously, it’s only semi-successful and 

is occasionally frustrating, but it has its moments, 

and gets downright creepy near the end. They were a 

band in need of an identity, and I think that if 

stuck with their wild instincts this would have been 

a really good album. As it is, it’s still worth a 

listen as long as you can deal with the mix of 

styles. [AM] 

"Troyka" 1970 (Cotillion) [red label] 

"Troyka" 2004 (Eroe Progressivo 005) 

TRUTH & JANEY (IA) 

Wonderful, distinctive album that follows none of the 

rules and is better for it. About half of the songs 

are instrumentals, built around catchy hypnotic 

patterns. Despite being a "power trio," they have 

surprising musical grace and dexterity. The songs 

with vocals are much heavier, as the "singer" mostly 

grunts and growls, making for some pretty wild stuff. 

It really feels like a big goof (there's not a single 

serious lyric on the album), but somehow it works as 

a mix of psychotic pre-punk zaniness and anti-prog 

instrumental creativity. A lot of albums have one or 

two "throwaway" songs that have an engaging looseness 

and somehow are more enjoyable than the "real" songs. 

Here's an entire album of those songs. [AM] 

"No Rest For The Wicked" 1976 (Montrose 376) 

"No Rest For The Wicked" 1988 (Montrose) [plain cover 

autographed by Janey] 

"No Rest For The Wicked" 199 (CD Recession) [+4 tracks] 

"Just A Little Bit Of Magic" 1979 (Bee Bee) 

"Live April 8, 1976" 1988 (Rock'n Bach) [2LPs; gatefold] 

"No Rest For The Wicked" is surely one of the 

greatest hard rock albums of all time. It's tightly 

constructed and tightly played, with more memorable 

riffs and solos than the entire careers of a dozen 

other similar bands. The bass playing is monstrous 

and the drumming solid but, believe it or not, 

tasteful. The singing is only average, and the band 

tends to compensate with multi-tracked, highly 

reverbed lead vocals, not really the worst way to 

deal with the issue. An song that illustrates the 

best features of the band is "The Light," which opens 

with a combination of low and high guitar riffs, a 

melodic bass line and precise rhythm guitar. Not too 

many bands could resist the urge to go crazy with 

extra solos or spastic drumming, but this just works 

its way through a cleverly composed pattern, creating

TRYAD ( ) 

the right kind of tension and intensity. It's 

perfect. The best song is probably the nine-minute 

"Remember," a complete smorgasboard of melodic and 

dissonant riffs and hooks. This album doesn't have a 

lot of overdubs, but the production is quite 

professional, and it's heavy from start to finish-not 

a wussy moment on it. Guaranteed to blow the mind of 

any mainstream hard rock fan, and, of course, it 

sounds equally good to those of us who enjoy Tin 

House and Sir Lord Baltimore as much as Blue Oyster 

Cult and Black Sabbath. This is one of those albums 

where you keep thinking "the next song can't possibly 

be as good as what's come before," but it always is. 

The 2nd LP isn't highly rated, but the live double 

has some killer tracks, four of which appear as bonus 

tracks on the Recession CD reissue. [AM] 

"If Only You Believe In Lovin'" 1972 (Storm King SKS 101) 

[insert] 

T S TRUCK (IL) 

Rare 1970s folker by 2-guys-1-girl trio, described by 

some as mediocre, despite the high going rate. 

"T S Truck" 1973 (Smokey Soul 062973) 

This LP offers up a mix of conventional rock, pop and 

light progressive touches. At least a couple of 

tracks like "Chance To Prance" and "Doc LaVay" melded 

all of those genres into one song. Merideth had a 

nice voice and the rest of the band displayed musical 

dexterity far beyond what you'd find in your typical 

bar band. Additionally several of the songs (which 

are probably all originals - no credits on the 

album), benefited from a distinctive Allman Brothersstyle 

twin lead guitar attack. Highlights include the 

nifty leadoff track "Khengis Gange" (the lyric was 

sung as 'ganja people'), the Allman Bros-styled "Let 

the Gunslinger Win" and the pretty ballad "Country 

Lady". To be honest, while none of the eight songs 

were particularly original they all benefited from 

enthusiastic performances and some surprisingly good 

production work (for a small studio). A pleasant 

discovery with more than its share of winners. [SB] 

MARK TUCKER (IL / CA) 

"Batstew" 1975 (Tetrapod Spools 64001) [200p; lyrics] 

"Batstew" 1996 (CD Tetrapod Spools) 

"Batstew" 2006 (De Stijl 037) [500p] 

Damaged, somewhat legendary acid folk/real people 

with lots of car noises, piano ballads, tape 

manipulation and general madness, housed in a 

handmade cover. The album was released in two runs of 

100 copies each, including one personalised edition 

for his former girlfriend Eva, where the title read

"Bataszew" (her last name). It should be pointed out 

that some people consider "In the sack" superior. 

Tucker also made a non-LP 45 in 1979. 

"In The Sack" 1982 (Tetrapod Spools 64009) 

TUMBLING DICE (KS) 

Apparently Tucker's second release, 1982's "In the 

Sack" was recorded after he'd suffered at least a 

couple of mental breakdowns, pulled himself back 

together and relocated to Encinitas, California. 

Self-produced under the pseudonym "T. Storm Hunter", 

it's largely a one man show with Tucker/Hunter 

responsible for penning all eleven tracks, as well as 

handling all of the vocals and most of the 

instrumentation. With that background you probably 

won't be shocked to learn that musically this is one 

mixed up and messed up album. Supposedly a concept 

piece having to do with karma and the postal system 

(I have no idea what the plotline is), the album 

offered up an indescribable mix of spoken word 

segments, experimentation, instrumentals, and 

surprisingly commercial numbers. Finding a 

comparative baseline for this one is pretty tough - 

perhaps Jonathon Richman had you put him on mood 

altering drugs for a year. "Everywhere with Sally 

(Ride)" is a great slice of pop, except for the fact 

it was recorded backwards. Cool, but typically 

strange. The snippet "Down the Pipeline" sounds like 

it was lifted from a video game. A mix of avant 

garde, tape manipulations and experimental ramblings, 

"The Importance of Making Molehills One of Specks" 

could have been mistaken for a slice of musique 

concrete. The pretty, pseudo-jazzy instrumentals 

"Shelly" and "Can't Make Love" sound like they were 

lifted from a Peanuts cartoon. Clearly not for 

everyone, but there are enough of you out there who 

are either brave enough, or sufficiently damaged to 

give this one a shot. [SB] 

"Tumbling Dice" 1973 (Century 42301) 

Guitar/organ band doing cover versions of Neil Young, 

Procol Harum, Grand Funk, on the well-known custom 

label. 

VELVERT TURNER GROUP (New York City, NY / Los Angeles, CA) 

"Velvert Turner Group" 1972 (Family FPS 2704) ['rock' mix; 

matrix # 16741] 

"Velvert Turner Group" 1972 (Family FPS 2704) ['soul' mix; 

matrix # 16951] 

"Velvert Turner Group" 2004 (CD Radioactive 040, UK) 

"Velvert Turner" 197 (Tiger Lily 14030) [remix; different 

cover; 1 new track] 

Generally cool hard guitar funkpsychrock from "close 

friend" of Jimi Hendrix, who if nothing else shows an 

impressive grasp of Jimi's best moves on this album. 

Although 100% derivative it still works, as the

songwriting, vocals and guitar leads are fine and the 

sharp groove of Turner's power trio (plus assorted 

guests on keyboard) stands up to any comparison. Fine 

recording with a tight in yer face sound is another 

bonus. The Experience influence means unusual traces 

of 1967 Swinging London such as highpitched mod 

harmonies on this 1972 NYC trip. One weird, silly 

track with singalong kiddy vocals sort of sticks out, 

though it too has soaring acid leads. Apart from the 

originals the LP includes a cover of Jimi's 

"Freedom", and should appeal to fans of Next Morning. 

Just like Del Jones there are two different mixes of 

this LP, a Rock Mix with lots of guitar and a Soul 

Mix with less guitar. A German pressing of the rock 

mix on Philips exists. The Radioactive reissues are 

of the rock mix. There is also a rare third version 

on the infamous Tiger Lily label, with (again) a 

different mix and a good track not on the Family 

label releases at all. [PL] 

~~~ 

Apparently, the soul version of this album was 

distributed to the East and Midwest, while the heavy 

version was distributed in the West. Hendrixisms 

abound on this record, but in my opinion it’s the 

best album in the style, to Hendrix what Badfinger 

were to the Beatles. The songwriting and playing are 

excellent, and this is not merely a copy (and is both 

funkier and poppier than prime Hendrix.) It’s 

arguable, by the way, that the soul version (which 

has plenty of lead guitar and rocks just as hard) is 

as enjoyable a listen as the heavy version. The bass 

playing on it is emphasized in an exciting way. Oddly 

enough, the other two members of Turner’s trio would 

become fixtures in the late 70s LA power pop scene, 

with drummer Tim McGovern joining the Pop and bass 

player Prescott Niles joining the Knack. [AM] 

V.A "TWAIN MUSIC SAMPLER" (NJ) 

"Twain Music Sampler" 1972 (Twain) [no cover] 

Obscure sampler of local Jersey rock bands. 

CHARLIE TWEDDLE (CA) 

"Fantastic Greatest Hits" 1974 (KM 1500) [500p; gatefold] 

"Fantastic Greatest Hits" 2004 (CD Companion CR2) [+bonus 

tracks] 

Incredibly strange (true, for once) real people 

artefact from a Bay Area guy who claims to be "king 

of the flying saucer people". Moves in a 

Grudzien/Skip Spence direction but without their big 

city vibes, more like if one of those inbred 

hillbilly degenerates in "Deliverance" made an LP, 

complete with pig oinks. First side is twisted 

backporch acid folkblues with amazing lyrics, side 2 

is mostly the sound of crickets, water and nightbirds

with fragments of music here and there, like if the 

tripper wandered off into the woods. It's hard to 

determine the angle Tweddle is coming from as the 

music is obviously retro yet has an undeniable 

authenticity to it, not unlike Bob Dylan's early 

1960s bootleg recordings. The "Alien Invaders" track 

rivals Grudzien for surreal mountain music, and the 

"sounds of nature" side sucks you into a forgotten 

movie inside your mind. One of the major pieces in 

the Fringe Of Everything genre, and a great foldout 

sleeve too. Apparently Charlie is a famous designer 

of $1000 cowboy hats! [PL] 

20TH CENTURY ZOO (AZ) 

"Thunder On A Clear Day" 1968 (Vault 122) 

"Thunder On A Clear Day" 198 (Line 5320, Germany) 

"Thunder On A Clear Day" 199 (CD Afterglow 016, UK) 

"Thunder On A Clear Day" 199 (Sundazed) 

"Thunder On A Clear Day" 199 (CD Sundazed 11063) [+8 bonus 

tracks] 

"Thunder On A Clear Day" 2003 (Radioactive 05, UK) 

"Thunder On A Clear Day" 2003 (CD Radioactive 05, UK) 

Fairly wellknown stoner fuzz bonanza with a couple of 

really good psych rippers like "Quiet before the 

storm" and two extended cuts in a "bluesy" style, 

though both stupid and cheesy enough to make for 

passable listening. A dumb teenage drugginess 

throughout puts this somewhere between Ultimate 

Spinach and Iron Butterfly, though with more guitars 

than either. Enjoyable OK for 2nd tier mainstream 

guitar-psych, they also had some excellent non-LP 

45s. For some reason, Sundazed and Radioactive also 

released picture disc versions of their respective 

reissues. [PL] 

21ST CENTURY SOUND MOVEMENT ( ) 

"21st Century Sound Movement" 1968 (no label 12877) [blank 

back] 

Recorded at Cavern Sound in Kansas City, very obscure 

garage-era LP that has been described as an above 

average item of heavy cover versions of the Beatles, 

Hendrix, Doors, etc. Cool sleeve. Some copies come 

with promo photos. 

25TH REGIMENT (Montreal, Canada) 

"25th Regiment" 1969 (Lero LS 767) 

A mixed bag, where tracks such as "Un Petit Bonhomme 

Avec Le Nez Pointu", "Roulez-Roulez" and "Mammy" are 

probably a little too MOR pop for true rock fans. On 

the other hand, "Lucie Sons in Ciel de 

Diamantes" (aka "Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds"), 

finds the band turning in one of the odder Beatles 

covers we've heard. Their "Hey Jude" cover is a 

little more mainstream, but just as odd with the 

French lyrics. Listenable, but certainly not what the

dealer hype would have you believe. [SB] 

"Ecology" 1970 (Trans-Canada 779) 

The rarer second LP abandons the pop for a more 

contemporary outlook; breezy folk/psych with fuzz 

breaks, organ, flute. The band was a k a Le 25eme 

Regiment. 

$27 SNAP ON THE FACE (Sebastopol, CA) 

"Heterodyne State Hospital" 1977 (Heterodyne 0001) [1000p; 

gatefold; blue vinyl; lyric insert] 

Despite what you will read, this album is not 

psychedelic or progressive or hard rock, and has no 

fuzz guitar. It does not sound like Frank Zappa. It 

is, however, an interesting and reasonably worthwhile 

album that will appeal to a wide range of DIY and 

weird rock fans, as long as they listen to it with 

the proper expectations. This is one of many new 

wave-era private press records that got some 

attention from punk and new wave fans (and magazines) 

even though musically it’s basically mainstream rock 

and roll with no particular punk edge (Armand 

Schaubroeck, Dorian and Just Water are other 

similarly non-punk artists who gained a “right place 

at the right time” punk audience.) The LP has a 

kooky, somewhat warped lyrical bent, and the lo-fi 

production gives the music a crude garagy feel that 

is appealing, especially since the songs rock 

convincingly despite the lack of loud, distorted 

guitars. The singer isn’t exactly tuneful, but he’s 

expressive in a way that works in the context of this 

music. The songs are pretty long and meandering (most 

of the overlong guitar solos sound pretty much the 

same and the drummer knows only two rolls), but the 

longest one, the 9-minute closer “Sleeping in a 

Technical Bed,” is the best, a two-section song with 

a solid hook and the best guitar solo on the album. 

Despite the bargain basement production, they go for 

a bunch of tricks, instruments going from speaker to 

speaker, weird percussion instruments, echoed 

laughter, and freaky echoed vocals on a couple of 

songs. In addition to “Sleeping In a Technical Bed,”

TWILIGHTERS ( ) 

my pick hits are “Tie Your Boots Tight,” which sounds 

anthemic even though I don’t have a clue what it’s 

about, and “Kicking Around,” by far the catchiest, 

tightest song on the album. It’s a long album and 

could have used some editing, but it’s full of energy 

and spirit and doesn’t sounding like anyone else. The 

LP came with a sticker that says the first 1000 

copies are pressed on blue vinyl. All known copies 

are blue. [AM] 

"Power & Peace" 1967 (Fleetwood 5069) 

DAVID TYSON (TX) 

Goofy-looking club band with sax and organ on 

wellknown New England label, packaged in great full 

color cover like most Fleetwood releases. 

"The Accepted Way" 197 (no label) 

Obscurity from the mid/late 1970's, recorded in mono. 

Distorted folkrock with some heavier moves and 

harmonica and synth here and there. 


UGLY DUCKLINGS (Toronto, Canada) 

UHF (FL) 

"Somewhere Outside" 1966 (Yorktown 50001) [white label] 

"Somewhere Outside" 1966 (Yorktown 50001) [multicolored 

label] 

"Somewhere Outside" 198 (BSF, Italy) 

"Somewhere Outside" 199 (CD Unidisc, Europe) [+bonus tracks] 

Very good upmarket teen-punk and r'n'b LP, essential 

to any garage collection. Has one of the best 

versions ever of "I wish you would", plus all their 

famous 45 tracks, and some unusual, ambitious tracks 

like "Windy City". The white label variant is pressed 

from a different stamper (i e: remastered), and is a 

slightly less "hot" pressing. There is some 

disagreement as to which pressing is the earliest, 

but the most credible theory suggests the white 

(which is not a promo) to be the earliest, after 

which there was a re-master with a newly designed 

multi-colored Yorktown label. It seems that some of 

the white label pressings were defective. [PL] 

--- 

One of the best Stones-inspired 60s garage rock 

albums, with a really professional feel, great snotty 

vocals, and powerful songs. It even has an 

experimental instrumental that’s ahead of its time 

and works well here. “Nothin’” is their most wellknown 

song, but many others here equal it. There is 

also a reunion LP "Off The Wall" (1980) and a 

selftitled sampler from 1983 notable for a freaky 

cover drawing of stoned ducklings. [AM] 

"Timeless Voyager" 1981 (Rofer Music) [insert] 

ULTRA (TX) 

Spacy hardrock. Good hard guitar runs, amateur synth 

moves. 

"Ultra" 1976 (no label) [1-sided acetate] 

"Ultra" 2000 (CD Monster) [+11 tracks] 

Impressive metallic hard rock with ex-Homer 

guitarist, no psych in sight. The guitar overload

eminds me of a less jamming, heavier Highway. On 

first listen I felt it lacked variety, but that’s not 

entirely true, they just ‘do the thing they do’ very 

well, and do a lot of it. ‘Lamp Black, White 

Fight’ (waking up feeling paranoid) and 

‘Android’ (chick made of metal messing with your 

mind) are stand out tracks, although it’s all 

thoroughly listenable. Progressive in places, ‘Ten 

Years Since’ features very flashy guitar, at their 

best when there’s plenty of ‘axe-duelling’ and paying 

their dues to ZZ Top. This review is of the reissue 

CD; the original acetate contains only 5 tracks. [RI] 

UNBEATABLES (Canada / NY) 

"Live At Palisades Park" 1964 (Fawn 5050) 

"Live At Palisades Park" 2003 (CD DFP, Europe) 

UNCLE (TX) 

Obscure pre-garage teenbeat LP with a pre-Young 

Rascals Gene Cornish. The band was originally from 

Canada and spent some time in NYC following their 

early Beatle novelty 45 "I wanna be a Beatle". 

"Up Against The Wall" 1979 (SSS) 

Heavy rural Southern blues rock. 

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD (New York City, NY) 

"Discovery Club #1" 197 (Discovery Club) [split LP] 

Little-known album that was part of a project 

supposed to help inner city black kids get in on the 

music scene. Side 1 is Underground Railroad, who have 

been described as a garage version of early 

Funkadelic and among other things do a gritty 

funk/rock number called "A song" with a superb, 

sample-friendly groove and raw guitar licks. This is 

a split LP with the less interesting Tree Of Life on 

the other side. 

UNDER MILKWOOD (San Francisco, CA) 

"Under Milkwood" 1970 (A & M 4226) [test press; plain cover] 

"Under Milkwood" 1993 (Fanny, Belgium) [500#d] 

"Under Milkwood" 200 (Akarma 095, Italy) 

"Under Milkwood" 200 (CD Akarma 095, Italy) 

This test press item opens with an enjoyable 

Tripsichordish number but the rest of the album 

ranges from weak to awful, with some uninspired sax 

excursions that makes you wonder how A & M ever saw 

anything in them. In any event they were right not to 

release it, and it should never have been reissued. 

The album came in a plain cover with title and 

catalog number. The Fanny reissue credits the band as 

Milkwood only. [PL]

UNFOLDING (NY) 

"How To Blow Your Mind And Have A Freakout Party" 1968 (Audio 

Fidelity aflp-2184) [mono; insert] 

"How To Blow Your Mind And Have A Freakout Party" 1968 (Audio 

Fidelity afsd-6184) [stereo; insert] 

"How To Blow Your Mind And Have A Freakout Party" 198 (no 

label) 

"How To Blow Your Mind And Have A Freakout Party" 1997 (CD Head 

3197, Europe) 

Crazed and hilarious acid exploitation album that 

goes far out enough to become genuinely psychy, like 

a second tier Deep. One side is cheesy garage psych 

including the classic "Play your game", the other is 

'meditation' featuring strange fairytales, Hare 

Krishna chanting, and more. The short spoken segment 

on Pebbles vol 3 that's puzzled many comes from this 

LP. A Canadian mono release exists. [PL] 

UNGAVA (Quebec, Canada) 

"Ungava" 1976 (Trente-six fh-36004) 

UNION (WI) 

Mostly instrumental heavy prog. Excellent guitar, 

some flute, vocals in French. 

"10 Jewels" 1976 (no label) 

UNISON (NY) 

Midwest dual guitar progressive with melodic powerpop 

angles. No keyboard on this one, progsters. 

"Unison" 1984 (no label) 

"Unison" 2002 (CD Synton 1780821, Austria) 

Dryewater run into Truth & Janey after a really nasty 

relationship breakdown. Essentially a concept LP 

about a relationship gone wrong, each song being a 

different aspect of how “his chick done him wrong”. 

Sounds terrible doesn’t it? But it is pretty good, 

with tracks like "Borderline" delivering that 

seventies chunk fuzz with insane lyrics and "Cookin’ 

for you" having so much phasing it could be Marcus. 

Dealers give the date on the LP as 1984, but the CD 

indicates 1976 and that fits the sound better. The CD 

sounds like it’s from mint vinyl, namely very good. 

[RI]

UNIVERSAL IGNORANTS (PA) 

"Transitions" 1968 (WFB Productions) [split LP] 

Split prep school LP with the Hilltones glee club 

unfortunately taking up 2/3rds of the space. The 

psychy Universal Ignorants were actually members of 

the Hilltones. They do 4 songs and a short 

instrumental, total time about 12 minutes. The sound 

is westcoast psychedelia. I hear a very heavy 

Quicksilver influence. I definitely felt the 

guitarist was trying to emulate Cipollina's staccato 

style. The Hilltones had a later LP "Rebirth" that is 

strictly a glee club sound. [MA] 

V.A "UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA STAGE BAND" (Las Vegas, NV) 

"Stage Band Festival" 1967 (no label) 

Very obscure Battle Of The Bands souvenir LP, of note 

for a track called "LSD '67" which has been described 

as a strange, chaotic instrumental aiming to simulate 

an acid trip. 

UPSIDE DAWNE (Lawrence, KS) 

"Upside Dawne" 1967 (Audio House 12367) [no sleeve] 

URSULA CREEK ( ) 

Surprisingly strong LP of local teen-club/top 40 band 

that stands head & shoulders above the pack, with a 

dynamite professional sound, strong vocals, fat 

roller rink organ and a local Hendrix epigon on 

guitar. Opens intensely with "7 & 7 is", after which 

a good "Heatwave" segues into an absolutely ripping 

cover of "Gloria" that's simply one of the best takes 

ever (and of course there's zillions). Rest of the LP 

is typical 50/50 late 1967 bag of Memphis/Motown on 

the one hand and emerging westcoast underground on 

the other, plus one good band original. "Somebody to 

love" sports a 70-second raga solo you won't believe 

and there's also a charming "Light my fire". Last few 

tracks lose a bit of energy but I would still rate 

this as one of the best in the style, and an 

excellent remedy for those bored with lukewarm 

Justice label & MA prep-rock artefacts. The Kansas 

kids must have loved this band -- better than 

Grandma's Rockers to my ears. The album may have been 

a demo press only. There was also a rare EP which 

highlighted the showband/soul side of the band. 

Terrific lead guitarist Jim Stringer and ace drummer 

Steve Hall left to form Tide (album on Mouth in 1971) 

in 1968. [PL] 

"Ursula Creek" 1976 (Richard Luft Music) 

Mid-70s hardrock, rated as above average by most.

US ( ) 

"It's Just Us" 1979 (no label) 

UTOPIA (CA) 

Guitar-driven rural stoner rock. 

"Utopia" 1971 (Kent kst-566) [gatefold] 

Bluesy heavy rock with Led Zeppelin influence and 

roots moves on things like "I just want to make love 

to you" and "Hound dog". Dual guitar line-up with 

harmonica, on the same label as Bob Smith and 

apparently recorded around the same time. This album 

was re-released on a major label (Discreet) under the 

band's new name Growl, a name that fits the singing 

style quite well. [AM] 


ROBERT VALENTE ( ) 

"No Hype" 197 (no label) 

Obscure loner/downer folk LP, rated highly by some. 

DINO VALENTI (San Francisco, CA) 

"Dino Valente" 1969 (Epic bn-26335) [bag; wlp mono] 

"Dino Valente" 1969 (Epic bn-26335) [bag; stereo] 

"Dino Valente" 1998 (CD Koch) [+2 bonus tracks] 

VALHALLA ( ) 

There’s a lot more wrong here than just the fact that 

the label spelled his name wrong on the cover. 

Valenti has one of the most annoying, self-centered 

singing styles on earth, and here these melody-less, 

formless songs drag on for 7 and 8 minutes at a time 

without going anywhere. The lack of actual 

arrangements (it’s all basically guitar and voice) 

adds to the monotony. A lot of people try to claim 

that this is some deranged scream from the soul like 

the Alexander Spence album or a deeply personal 

confessional like the Mayo Thompson album, but I 

think it’s just a bunch of self-indulgence. Robert 

Christgau once reviewed a Quicksilver album by saying 

that one of the reasons people hate hippies is that 

Dino Valenti is a hippie. He had a point. The LP was 

issued with an outer clear plastic bag with 'Dino 

Valente' printed in block letters, since there is no 

mention of the artist on the original front cover. 

Later Epic pressings add this in big letters, while 

the original British, Canadian and Japanese pressings 

added the name on the cover from the start. [AM] 

"Valhalla" 1969 (United Artists 6730) [gatefold] 

"Valhalla" 199 (CD Free 2006) 

Pretentious hard rock with a lot of organ. Influenced 

by the Doors and Iron Butterfly and similar to (but 

not as good as) the album by Julius Victor. It’s the 

kind of thing that can hit the spot if you’re in the 

exact right mood, but to be honest, it’s pretty 

average. Pompous sleeve of a viking ship on fire for 

the right bonehead vibe. [AM] 

BRUCE VANDERPOOL ( )

"Bittersweet" 197 (Raydar 115) 

Loner folk/folkrock in primitive paste-on cover. 

VARCELS (Thomasville, NC) 

"Hang Loose" 1967 (Justice 147) 

"Hang Loose" 199 (CD Collectables 0622) 

VARIATIONS (NC) 

One of the more obscure on the label, with a 

reasonable mid-60s teenbeat sound and less anemic 

than some of their colleagues. Hell, there's even a 

Standells cover! Opening title track original is a 

derivative sax instro, after which we go through 

typical top 40/club sounds from the era, with organ 

upfront and an OK recording. Beach music, ballads, 

instros, frat and 1950s all rolled into a big 

exciting parcel for Justice completists and local 

nostalgia collectors. Lacking the balls to go up 

against Eric Burdon, we get "House of the rising sun" 

in an instrumental arrangement, while band original 

#2, "I'm tired" is a nice 3-chord Motown/garage 

crossover and about the best thing on board, 

alongside the sloppy "Dirty water". The band is 

reasonably tight, amateur vocals have energy and 

atmosphere, and there's a nicely reverbed drum sound, 

if you want to single out high points. The worthwhile 

stuff is all on side 1. [PL] 

"Dig 'Em Up!" 1966 (Justice 112) 

"Dig 'Em Up!" 199 (CD Collectables 0615) 

Blue-eyed soul and pre-soul r'n'b covers all thru, 

not a whiff of 'the new sound from England' on this 

one. Atmospheric and charming for those interested in 

local non-garage mid-60s sounds, guttural teen vocals 

imitating Ben E King and the Righteous Bros are fun. 

Organ-led "Shake a tail feather" is a probably the 

most rocking track. Sax but no brass. Cool cover (the 

only Justice in full color) has them in Count Five 

vampire gear in front of their customized band 

hearse. [PL] 

VARIOUS ARTISTS LPs are listed alphabetically under their titles. In 

other words, "Fifth Pipe Dream" is listed under "F", etc. 

VELVET NIGHT (NY) 

"Velvet Night" 1970 (Metromedia 1026)

"Velvet Night" 1993 (no label) 

"Art Of Lovin' / Velvet Night" 200 (CD Hipschaft) [2-on-1] 

Disappointing hippie-rock LP with sloppy playing and 

no original ideas whatsoever. Forget the hype, this 

one sucks, with mostly turgid covers of Cream, the 

Band and so forth. The LP was reissued as "Would" on 

Perception in 1971, with 1 track replaced and track 

order rearranged. Lord knows why. An original Italian 

pressing of the Velvet Night LP exists. [PL] 

~~~ 

Most of the songs on this album are uninteresting 

covers of well-known 60s songs. A few of the 

originals (written by Jimmy Curtiss, the guy behind 

the Hobbits and a number of other bands) are decent 

and make an effort to be creepy and far-out. They’re 

not enough to make the rest worth listening to, 

though. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Would 

JACK VERONESI & FRIENDS (MA) 

"Farewell Album" 1971 (Japanezi) 

Wasted rockers and stoned hippiefolk. 

KEVIN VICALVI (Worcester, MA) 

"Songs From Down The Hall" 1974 (Starizon Studios 2065) 

[1000p; plain jacket with wraparound sheet] 

"Songs From Down The Hall" 200 (CD Left) [+7 bonus tracks] 

This varied singer/songwriter album runs the gamut 

from folk to pop to blues to flamenco to piano 

ballads, hitting the mark on pretty much all of them. 

“Letter to Michael Henchard”, a dirge with a 

dissonant chord progression and some stunning 

mellotron, is so good that anyone who hears it will 

probably run right out and buy the album. Nothing 

else matches it or sounds like it, but it’s still 

hard to imagine too many people being disappointed by 

the rest of the record. Other nice moments include 

the synth on “Another Day, Another Time” and the 

poppy guitar hook on “You Just Don’t Know". The LP 

also features one Dennis de la Gorgendiere. [AM] 

VICTIMS OF CHANCE (CA) 

"Victims Of Chance" 1969 (Crestview crs-3052) 

"Goin' Home Blue" 197 (no label 1014) 

Lounge psych freakout with brass featuring Johnny 

Kitchen. The followup (assuming it to be the same 

band) is more into westcoast rural rock sounds with 

some female vocals, and comes in the same generic 

mill wheel cover as Fifth Flight. 

~~~ 

see -> Crazy People; Jeremiah; Tarots

VICTORIA (NJ) 

"Kings, Queens And Jokers" 1971 (Dirty Martha 61471) [no 

sleeve] 

"Kings, Queens And Jokers" 1971 (no label) [different mix; 

plain cover with stamped title; photos; press clipping; 100p] 

"Victoria" 1996 (Little Indians 7, Germany) [400#d] 

"Victoria" 1998 (CD Little Indians, Germany) [+7 tracks] 

Reissued alongside Jungle in similarly great 

packaging and is to me less disappointing musically. 

An organ-based conceptual song cycle with mostly 

female vocals and a Khazad Doom/school-play vibe, has 

lots of good guitar but is too cheesy and uneven to 

live up to the hysterical hype, at least in my ears. 

Some horns, nice amateur vocals, and a confused mix 

of westcoast, eastcoast and teen drama. The 

outstanding closing track sounds like Strawberry 

Alarmclock's "World's on fire" with female vocals. 

Worth hearing, and despite reservations a must for 

fans of female psychrock bands. [PL] 

~~~ 

Band leader Greg Ruban found himself three capable 

young ladies to back him on his homemade musical 

fantasy. Greg himself is a pretty unusual guy... a 

professional volleyball player who at 6'6" was still 

playing into his 50's. Warning: Honky Hornaphobics 

Beware... this LP does make use of the dreaded horn 

section on 2-3 cuts and not necessarily always in a 

good way. Side 1 starts off with "Peace" a nice 

garagey ballad with echoey female vocals, spooky 

organ and those dang horns which will be hard to 

overcome for the average horn hater. "Cumberland" is 

even more low key with those cool echoey female vox 

and a Wendy & Bonnie feel but more amateurish. Cut #3 

is fantastic... "Gevaro" starts off like a Santana 

style jammer but actually gets a little Middle East 

vibe going... killer fuzz guitar and the dreaded 

horns but they're buried on this track and a very 

bizarre drum solo (I like the "style" of this female 

drummer). This is for the most part, an instrumental. 

"Ride A Rainbow" starts off like a lost Hendrix cut 

but quickly gets into a female vocal track about 

Wizards & Dragons & Incense & Stuff. Nice guitar 

break and bass line. I have to admit that I can't 

think of another female psych band that are as tight 

as this one (no pun intended all you perverts) and 

Greg Ruban's guitar really cuts through the smoke 

with a classic psych sound. "Never Knew The Blues" 

slows the pace again with a great organ sound and 

cool low key wah-wah pedal guitar... this is probably 

my favorite cut on the LP and is what I always hoped 

the Jade Stone & Luv LP sounded like. Last cut on 

side 1 is a throwaway... a lame attempt at AM Top 40 

drivel with horns from hell. Side Two is a totally 

different trip. Two long cuts starting with the 12 

minute+ "Village Of Etaf". Imagine an East Coast 

version of CA Quintet's "Trip Thru Hell" done by 

three chicks influenced by Joan Baez and a second 

rate Herb Alpert & The Marijuana Brass. The only 

redeeming thing about this track is the effects used 

in the last 4 minutes that do indeed remind me of a 

"Trip Thru Hell". The final cut is probably the 

highlight for most owners of this LP. "Core Of The 

Apple" is an upbeat, fuzz guitar 8 minute killer with 

that same Middle East feel that we caught a glimpse

VILLAGERS ( ) 

of on side one. Overview: The good cuts are GREAT but 

the lesser cuts really bring this LP down a notch or 

two. In the world of female psych bands this may 

still be one of the best. Greg recorded a bunch of 

material in the late 60's and early 70's and one day 

maybe another one of his LP's, the demo-only pressing 

"Nickels & Dimes", will see the light of day. [RH] 

"Homemade" 1971 (no label 584 N10) 

A folk quartet with mixed vocals, playing covers of 

CSN and "High flying bird", among others. Partly a 

live recording, housed in an elegant silhouette 

cover. 

JOHN VILLEMONTE (Madison, WI) 

"People Like You" 1976 (no label) [200p] 

Everytime someone describes David Crosby's "If I 

Could Only Remember My Name" LP to me, it is the best 

moments of this record I hear in my imagination. 

Lovely vocal harmonies, odd chords and phrasing, mix 

of quiet acoustic and electric jams, some perfectly 

placed flute ("Rain On Me") and piano ("Hours of 

Days") passages, decent writing (though, to be 

honest, I have no idea what they're saying most of 

the time). This reminds me of what music made on a 

perfect evening on the edge of the Hawaiian rain 

forest, stoked on primo weed and some nice Pinot 

Noir, might sound like. All the women look like Peggy 

Lipton, all the men like Merrell Fankhauser (or Kato 

Kaelin, or Jeff Spicoli... same thing). The first, 

rarest and best of three LPs this Wisconsin 

singer/songwriter made in the 1970s and early 80s. 

The songs here vary enough to hold your interest, but 

everything is sort of mid-tempo mellow and variations 

on tried & true 70s singer/songwriter romantic themes 

which does drop the grade a notch. The LP's second 

side opens with the very brief and very pretty "Why 

Do You Cry" which works as a lead in to "24 With 

Clancy," a floating and dreamy electric and acoustic 

instrumental jam that seems to take forever. It isn't 

that the playing is particularly good (though it's 

fine), it's more a matter of the gentle buzz it 

creates by stirring the collective memory of everyone 

who has ever sat up late with good friends quietly 

jamming until it starts to get light outside. 

Ultimately, there is nothing here that lifts the 

album into the A level of the private-press heavens, 

but it sits just below the standards set by better 

known LPs like These Trails. [SD] 

~~~ 

Here's a comment from John Villemonte himself: "When 

one considers how my first album was recorded, with a 

4-track TEAC tape deck with no signal processing and 

no mixing board, all instruments recorded with an $18 

Radio Shack mic - it certainly has seemed to weather 

the test of time. Though I went on to record 8 more 

albums, this first one still remains my favorite."

"This" 1979 (Some 905053-3520) [1] 

VINCENT (MA) 

Villemonte's second LP is similar in style and has 

been attracting much of the same clientele. There 

were several more albums from the man later on. 

"Wild Strawberries" 1976 (Audem AU 1004) 

VINDICATION (IN) 

Rarely offered private rural singer-songwriter folk 

rocker from Massachusetts. A number of the tracks 

have a country Grateful Dead influence a la 

Workingman's Dead, and Vincent's voice often sounds 

like he's trying to emulate Jerry Garcia's vocal 

style, though in a lower range. The LP is mostly 

acoustic, but some songs feature electric guitar (no 

fuzz though) and synthesizer (no fuzz on that 

either). [MA] 

"Vindication" 1973 (Custom Fidelity cfs-3570) [200p] 

VIOLA CRAYOLA ( ) 

If Fraction is the Holy Grail of psychedelic privates 

then the corresponding honors in the world of 

progressive rarities would hands down go to Indiana’s 

Vindication. This is bona fide five-star progressive 

rock from start to finish, quite unlike any other 

album in Christian music. Lengthy tracks are the norm 

here and every one of them is solid. The instrumental 

"Sonnet To Seagulls" starts things off in driving 

allegro fashion - and the energy level doesn’t let up 

for a moment throughout the whole LP. "Atop Of The 

Mountains" follows in classic art rock tradition with 

the trio’s trademark ELP-ish compositional complexity 

of constantly shifting mood and tempo changes. "Money 

Window" and "Satan’s Song" share a similar focus, as 

does the 11-minute epic "Master Law" that opens side 

two. Here Brad Garton takes on the Keith Emerson role 

of the group with skillful piano and synthesizer that 

reveals strong classical training. Patrick Kennedy 

also gets several opportunities to shine on guitar, 

showing agility in not only the fast-paced jamming 

stretches, but also the more graceful acoustic 

passages (in particular the beautiful closer "You And 

Me And God"). Geoff Pacheco keeps the ever-changing 

beat going and gets a nice little solo in ‘Master 

Law’. Intelligent lyrics and good sound for a custom. 

[KS] 

~~~ 

X-ian keys complex prog in ELP style. Dull and 

overblown to these ears, though this appears to be a 

minority opinion at present. [RM] 

"Music: Breathing Of Statues" 1974 (Fautna) [500p] 

"Music: Breathing Of Statues" 2004 (CD Radioactive 0093, UK)

Instrumental guitar excursions with a hard edge and a 

playful vibe despite the album's lofty pretensions. 

Progressive towards the fusion camp but most of the 

traps of the style are avoided, thanks in no small 

part to the jammy feel provided by the rhythm 

section, while lead guitarist and main guy Anthony 

Viola soars on top, playing with a raw metal edge and 

plenty of fx boxes to help him. The music is 

carefully structured and composed, as evident from 

the back cover which provides sheet music for the 

basic themes of all eight songs! Some tracks such as 

"The bus to New York" go all the way into avant 

jazzrock but even at that remains reasonably open to 

the listener. "The last one on earth" has a nice 

doomy intensity, like Black Sabbath with a Juilliard 

degree. All over I found this LP surprisingly 

appealing, especially in small doses, and if you want 

to check the genre out this should be a good entry 

point. The memorable LP title comes from a poem by 

Rilke, printed on the front cover. Recorded in New 

York. [PL] 

~~~ 

This isn’t the usual psych collectors’ fare, but 

never underestimate an album’s rarity as a factor in 

opening people’s minds to new genres of music. It’s 

instrumental progressive rock with some jazz 

leanings. Anthony Viola is a talented and creative 

guitarist, and at some points the soloing gets pretty 

wild. The songs are complex, full of odd time 

signatures and unusual riffs. I’m not especially 

knowledgeable about instrumental rock of this type, 

so I can’t compare the album to anything, but there’s 

no question that this is good stuff, instantly 

enjoyable. A couple of songs are really disjointed, 

while others flow smoothly despite the tricky time 

changes. The rhythm section keeps up nicely. The 

final song is a big goof, with the only vocal on the 

album, sped up Chipmunks-style and singing about 

sandwiches. Some of you will hate it, but after the 

rather serious music that preceded it, it’s kind of 

fun to end the album in a lighthearted way. Short 

album: 8 songs in about 25 minutes. [AM] 

VIRGIN INSANITY (Dallas, TX) 

"Illusions Of The Maintenance Man" 1971 (Funky 72411) [plain 

stamped cover; blank back; 200p] 

"Illusions Of The Maintenance Man" 2005 (DeStijl IND-046) 

[500p] 

"Illusions Of The Maintenance Man" 2005 (CD P-Vine, Japan) [+7 

tracks] 

Currently in vogue basement folk and folkrock with 

short songs and mixed male-female vocals. Hard to 

describe accurately (always a good sign), though 

comparisons drawn to the third Velvet U LP are not 

without merit, especially as the lady vocalist sounds 

as unschooled and earthy as Moe Tucker. The sound is 

disarmingly honest and stripped down, and indeed the 

concentrated minimalist vibe of the LP seems wholly 

deliberate. The album has strong grower qualities and 

eats its way into your brain, due in no small part to 

the excellent, understated songwriting and 

arrangements. Unlike the typical depression and 

claustrophobia of the genre, a rare warmth and 

closeness is projected here, and it's also a most

atypical record to come out of Texas. One of the 

flagship pieces for the private press 70s folk sound. 

Perhaps not for everyone, but I was impressed and 

keep returning to it. The band has recently been 

found and confirmed the press size as 200 copies. 

Following the "Illusions" LP the band recorded a 

second, unreleased album called "Toad Frog", which is 

less structurally coherent and has a more varied 

sound but otherwise is clearly similar in style, and 

contains excellent songs such as "Clifton T". There 

is also a third unreleased LP by band leader Bob Long 

called "The Odometer Suite". Some of this unreleased 

material appear on the Japanese CD reissue, and there 

is also a standalone CD release of the complete 

material (P-Vine, 2006, Japan). [PL] 

~~~ 

This album is years ahead of its time, sounding much 

more like an 80s/90s record on the K label or one of 

those cassette-only low-fi recordings that made the 

rounds before CDs started to dominate the market. 

They really want to be a pop band, but can’t quite 

figure out how, and some really sloppy drumming, loud 

acoustic guitars, untrained singing and tons of 

enthusiasm combine for a record that’s hard to 

dislike, but not really easy to listen to either. 

Unfortunately a number of songs are noticeably out of 

rhythm. A few attempts at clever vocal arrangements 

are charming. Some of you will like this a lot. You 

know who you are. [AM] 

VISITOR (Albany, NY) 

VIVA ( ) 

"Visitor" 1980 (Blue Elf/Arabellum AR 1033) 

Hard guitar prog/AOR, highly rated by genre fans. 

There was also a 12-inch EP "4 by 5" in 1982 and LP 

"Take It" in 1983, both on the Visitor label. These 

later releases sell for at least as much as the 1980 

album among AOR collectors. 

"Automobile Downstairs" 1977 (Mark Holly) 

Weird tax scam label LP that has connections with the 

movie "Gone In 60 Seconds" (original version). It’s a 

mix of 70s styles, none of them the kind collectors 

care about (except maybe a little funk.) The 

production is murky, there are huge gaps of time 

between songs, the song titles on side two are 

mislabeled, and the album is only 24 minutes long. 

It’s a typical tax scam obscurity (the “Album World” 

company, who released each of their albums under a 

different fake label name, have pulled all kinds of 

tricks, such as throwing together songs by more than 

one band under the name of one non-existent artist), 

a record that makes no sense at all and seems to be 

aimed at no actual audience. So, wouldn’t you know, 

despite all of the above, some of this is quite good 

unclassifiable 70s rock, with nice slide guitar, some 

haunting melodies, and a weird underground feel. Not 

a great album, but an interesting obscurity for jaded 

collectors. [AM]

VIZION (Dallas, TX) 

"Rock For Your Life" 1980 (Future) [lyric sleeve] 

Texas hard rock with an AOR vibe and a gruff female 

singer. It’s a little mainstream for my tastes, but 

as this kind of thing goes it’s quite good, and the 

singer has an appealing lack of femininity to her. A 

few songs have memorable hooks. They have some pop 

aspirations and overall it’s not too heavy, but rocks 

with enough energy to overcome their most FM-radiofriendly 

tendencies. [AM] 

VULCAN (Spencer, IA) 

"Meet Your Ghost" 1982 (North Star Productions ST 38456) 

[200p] 

"Meet Your Ghost" 1994 (13th Record) [bootleg; 300p] 

"Meet Your Ghost" 199 (CD Steece 13) 

"Meet Your Ghost" 199 (Steece 13) 

Basement hard fuzz, Hendrix-style riffs. Somewhat 

cult-ish, but not everyone is impressed with it. 

There are numerous label and cover variants among the 

homemade originals. All covers state "reissue", even 

the originals. Most or all of the originals have 

hand-made labels, while later pressings have real 

printed ones. Recorded in 1978. We've also seen 

references to a second LP "Hard As Rock, Vol 1", 

credited to main Vulcan guy Lyle Steece.

VYTO B (Chicago, IL) 

"Tricentennial 2076" 1976 (Clay Pidgeon cps-3012) 

This is Vyto Baleska, the force behind First Chips, 

doing an oddball one-man band spacy psych LP with 

some electronics. The cover design is priceless, and 

this may be one for the "outsider" crowd, in addition 

to the First Chips pedigree. 


WABASH RESURRECTION ( ) 

"Get it Off!” 1975 (Pepperhead 76294) [1000p] [2] 

“Get it Off!” 2005 (CD Radioactive 068, UK) 

TOM WACHUNAS (OH) 

Apparently they sound like Led Zeppelin, but I just 

can’t hear that. It’s probably been repeated once 

someone had written it, and it became "true”. At 

their best Wabash Resurrection sound like a garage 

Lynyrd Skynyrd after a heavy night with Crazy Horse. 

The best tracks are definitive shit-kicking-ruralmullet-toting 

pick-up-truck-drivin’ rawk. Naturally 

they look the part on the cover. Launches with 

“Pigsty Blues” which seems to be about “keeping yer 

sheeet good and your feet flat on the ground”, 

essential for one’s health and well being don’t you 

know. The second track, “A Soldier’s Lament” is 

perhaps the best, and could be straight off the Rayne 

LP, thudding drumming and really groovy Crazy Horse 

style guitar with perfectly subdued, downer vocals. 

On the amazing “In Heat” they really nail it on the 

head with the lines: “I dig those Rhythm and 

Blues/Don’t try to tell me ‘bout no astral 

projections/I got horse shit on my shoes". You can 

just picture the lead singer in his cowboy hat 

peering skeptically at the hippie chick as she 

warbles on about the Age of Aquarius. Very worthwhile 

reissue, and even if you’re not a fan of the genre 

it’ll make you laugh. [RI] 

"Spare Changes" 1975 (Owl 63701) [1] 

ALLEN WACHS (WA) 

The back cover says that this album is a “graduation 

project”. I assume that means college graduation, as 

he looks too old to be a high school student. In any 

case, this is a mix of guitar-and-voice folk and more 

elaborately arranged rock songs. A few of the songs 

are quite good, and the long closer has a terrific 

guitar solo. Both sides drag a bit in the middle but 

start and end well. He has a quirky enough 

personality to appeal to loner folk fans, though this 

is well-played enough not to be a “real people” 

album. Final verdict: not a great album, but an 

interesting one with a few memorable songs. Same 

label as Raven, about 1000 copies pressed. [AM] 

"Mountain Roads & City Streets" 1979 (True Vine) [1] 

Country-rock/folkrock with lots of string

instruments, pedal steel, some fuzz and female 

backing vocals. 

WAILING WALL (El Paso, TX) 

"Wailing Wall" 2002 (Rockadelic 47) [600p] 

Unusual and appealing circa 1970 recordings from a 

forgotten El Paso band that played military bases and 

clubs in the area; a worthwhile addition to the 

Rockadelic stable and clearly better than the 

preceding Iota LP to my ears. Needs to be heard 

rather than described, but reminiscent of Neil Young 

at his weirdest, Captain Beefheart, Circuit Rider and 

even Savage Sons of Yahowa. Long unpredictable tracks 

with earthy vocals and an eerie high desert El Paso 

vibe in the guitar excursions. Atmospheric, with a 

strong band presence. Response to this has been 

mixed, I think it a keeper. Packaging is a step up 

from the label's preceding releases. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Light Rain 

WALKENHORST BROTHERS (MO) 

"The Last Adventure" 1977 (Chapie 7113) [4] 

MIKE WALKER (WA) 

Obscure post-Phantasia LP in a song-oriented 

direction, retaining the more commercial ambitions of 

Trizo 50 mixed up with "angst", to quote one of the 

Walkenhorsts. "Autumn Song" is a possible high-point. 

~~~ 

Here's a comment from Bob Walkenhorst from a web 

forum: "Phantasia morphed into Trizo 50 when I had 

been in college a couple years. Our interest had 

shifted to T-Rex and David Bowie and the whole glamrock 

thing. We wore brightly colored satin tuxedos 

and makeup, and did a lot of home recording. I left 

my hometown buds and my songwriting partners in 1974 

and went back to college. And that's when I really 

got serious about songwriting. My brother Rex and I, 

appropriately called The Walkenhorst Brothers, 

performed around Maryville MO, St. Joseph, and KC. We 

recorded a homemade album "The Last Adventure". It 

was a bit angst-filled, but had some good ideas in 

it, and included "Autumn Song", which I still play 

now and then." 

"Mike Walker" 197 (no label) 

Obscure country-rock with a strange vibe on tracks 

such as "Mr Pruitt's Apple Farm". 

MARTIN WALL (Canada) 

"Metaphysical Facelift" 1977 (no label MW 1) [1]

Keyboard-driven progressive rock in crude packaging. 

Moog & synthesizers, mellotron, string ensemble, 

drums. 

WALNUT BAND (Boston, MA) 

"Go Nuts" 1976 (Appaloosa Records csl 452) [1] 

WANDERERS (CT) 

"Go Nuts" is one of the best Grateful Dead-style 

rural jammers. The Walnut Band had to be the only 

band of the type in Boston, especially in 1976 when 

punk had already taken hold there. Maybe being so out 

of place made them work all that much harder, but 

even so they're as relaxed and comfortable as you 

would expect from a top band in the genre. And the 

New England influence allows for one major benefit: 

there's no pedal steel or other overt nods to country 

music here. The sharp guitar playing is matched by 

some tasty organ, and there even a few creative 

bursts of synthesizer. The only problem is the 

vocals, which aren't lazy like the Dead, but just 

plain tuneless. Even so, this is a few notches above 

bands like, say, Timbercreek. The long jam on "Seat 

Belt" is especially good. The cool album cover 

implies Residents-style weirdness. Imagine the 

surprise of the unsuspecting early new wave fans who 

bought this… [AM] 

"Sing To The Lord... A New Song!" 1968 (Allen 108) [3] 

WANKA (Canada) 

This Christian teenbeat band has a few things going 

for it, including an opening program declaration 

spoken in a weak, nerdy voice similar to Mr van 

Driessen of Beavis & Butthead. The title track that 

follows is a blatant "Twist & Shout" ripoff despite 

its lofty theme. In order to get the kids to dance 

there's also "Knock on wood", "Testify", "Midnight 

hour" and so forth, all done in a limp, heavyhanded 

sub-Young Rascals style similar to the more mediocre 

Justice label acts. A highpoint is a revamped version 

of John Ylvisaker's classic "Who cares for the city" 

with the lyrics altered in a more explicitly 

Christian direction, while Jimi Hendrix' "Fire" with 

fuzz leads is a surprising choice. The album's legend 

rests mainly upon the closing "BSRS", a remarkable, 

spooky 9-minute acidrock excursion which sounds like 

"Spare Chaynge" as done by a group of depressed 14 

year-olds. If they'd skipped the Memphis soul covers 

and done more folkrock/psych numbers this would have 

been a cult LP, but there are still about 3 tracks on 

it worth checking out. [PL]

"The Orange Album" 1977 (Axe 520) [1] 

WARD 6 (Canada) 

Progressive hardrock with guitar/organ interplay and 

strong vocals. Neat cartoon cover. 

"Ward 6" 1971 (Cynda 1007) 

WARLOCK ( ) 

Obscure male vocal harmony folk with covers of Tim 

Hardin, Beatles, James Taylor, Woody Guthrie and a 

few originals. Cool cover. 

"Warlock" 1972 (Music Merchant mm-102) [promos exist] [1] 

Proggy funky blues rock, possibly from Michigan. 

WARPIG (Woodstock, Canada) 

"Warpig" 1970 (Fonthill 103) [unipak] [2-3] 

"Warpig" 198 (Fonthill) [bootleg] 

"Warpig" 2000 (CD Mason, Europe) 

Heavy metallic album with some Deep Purple influence. 

It sounds pretty good one song at a time but has a 

tinny production style that tends to grate. Prog 

aspirations make a few songs drag on longer than is 

necessary. A favorite of some, but this one didn’t do 

much for me. Also released by London Records (#13582) 

in the US 1971. [AM] 

JOHN WARREN (Winston-Salem, NC) 

"Land Of New Hope" 1973 (Icthus) 

Mix of rural rock and christian folk. 

WASHINGTON APPLES (WA) 

"Fresh Country Apples" 1970 (Delicious s-2430) [1] 

After starting their careers cutting a series of

adio commercials in support of Washington apples, 

the band got a chance to record some more 

conventional material and saw the release of a 1970 

album on the Seattle-based Delicious Records 

label. "Fresh Country Apples" is definitely 

different. The first side offers up a series of 

expanded versions of their earlier commercial 

jingles. Powered by excellent vocals, material such 

as the title track isn't half bad, the only major 

mis-step being the hokey "Applecore - Baltimore" (the 

title says it all). The flip side features the band 

in a more contemporary setting and is actually quite 

good. Highlights include a bluesy cover of 

"Summertime", "Blues for J" and Hadlock's pseudojazzy 

"Another Day". While some dealers have hyped 

the album as being a psych classic, most of the set 

sports a far more commercial orientation. The one 

exception is the extended closer "Ode To Cory". 

Complete with thunderstorm effects, squealing guitar 

and a dirge like tempo, this one sounds like it was 

torn out of some acid-tripping San Francisco band's 

catalog. Quite impressive. [SB] 

WASTED RANGERS (Portland, OR) 

"Wasted Rangers" 1978 (no label) [2LPs; insert; bonus 7"] [1] 

WATERFALL ( ) 

Rural rock jams in a Dead/Little Feat direction, 

issued in plain cover with song info pasted on. Press 

size report vary between 500 and 1000 copies. 

"Comin' Down" 1974 (USR 9533) [2] 

1970s folk, highly rated by some. 

DICK WATSON 5 see Dick Watson 5 

ALAN WATTS (UK / CA) 

"This Is IT" 1962 (MEA 1007) [3-4] 

"This Is IT" 2004 (CD Locust) 

"This Is IT" 2004 (Locust 048) 

Legendary underground counterculture artefact from 

the famous author, lecturer and LSD philosopher. 

Often referred to as "the first psychedelic LP", this 

is an extraordinary session of improvised free-form 

music, chanting and a few bizarre Watts monologues.

Recorded at a time when Watts' interest in 

hallucinogens was at its peak (documented in his 

"Joyous Cosmology" book), the mood is tribal and the 

energy level very high. Timeless testament from a 

wayout era, connecting the 50s beatnik and 60s freak 

eras. Watts had several other LPs that fall outside 

the scope of our Archives, mainly concerned with 

Eastern spirituality. [PL] 

WAX WIZARDS (Philadelphia, PA) 

"From Rock Mountain" 1982 (Buffalo Wings) [mini-LP] 

This mini-album (6 songs in about 23 minutes) wins 

the prize for most inaccurately described album by 

rare record dealers. It has a cool fantasy drawing on 

the front cover, so everyone hypes it as a prog 

album, which it is not. The album was put together by 

songwriter E.D. Ward to showcase his songs, though 

unlike a lot of albums of this type, he assembled an 

excellent band and the songs are very well played. 

However, since his songwriting style is all over the 

map, there are a few semi-hard rock songs, a reggae 

song, and some ballads, a mix that isn’t going to 

make the kind of people who buy it for the cover too 

happy. One song has some really nice dual lead 

guitars, but overall this is a pretty mild AOR album. 

[AM] 

KENNY WAYNE & THE KAMOTIONS (Texarkana, TX) 

"Kenny Wayne & the Kamotions" 1970 (Candy 1023) [2] 

"Kenny Wayne & the Kamotions" 200 (Candy) 

Rootsy bar-rock covers of Free, Ides Of March, 

"Stormy Monday", alongside a handful of originals in 

various styles, not rated very highly. The group had 

lots of 45s too and may be best enjoyed in that 

format. 

W D FISHER (Montreal, Canada) 

"W D Fisher" 1970 (Trans-Canada 1447) [1] 

Melodic rock and progressive moves with one extended 

track and extensive use of keyboards, as on many 

Canadian LPs from the era. 

WEDGE see Orange Wedge 

WEEKENDERS (Needham, MA)

"Spring Weekend '65" 1965 (Vogt 2015) [2-3] 

Obscure pre-garage item from the preprock circuit, 

Lawrence Academy to be specific. The title track has 

been reissued on a couple of comps and is a cool 

fratty original with one of the most deadpan vocal 

deliveries ever. The rest of the LP is mostly covers 

and more conventional in style, mixing pre-Invasion 

frat, surf and ballads, with a solid entertainment 

value. Closing original invokes the Spring break 

party mood once more, sure sounds like these rich 

WASP kids were on top of the world. Great cover. [PL] 

WEIGALTOWN ELEMENTAL BAND (Erie, PA) 

"Don't Hurt Yourself" 1976 (Old Ridge 761) [300p; insert; 

mailing coupon] [1] 

Underrated local charmer in the "East Coast Dead" 

1970s style, with a blue collar vibe that makes for 

an interesting marriage with the laidback westcoast 

rural rock. Opens with excellent 1960s-style 

folkrocker and maintains an appealing quality and 

directness despite the bold mix of styles. The 

tongue-in-cheek material is unusually strong and 

there's a dark, folky track with violin closing side 

2 in an excellent manner. A couple more tunes like 

that and the opener and this would have been a great 

mid-70s LP, but it's still strong enough to be worth 

hearing for genre fans, my main objection being the 

short playtime. Pressed in 300 copies, even though 

the handwritten numbering may indicate a bigger run. 

To cap things off, these guys were in wellknown 

teenbeat band Arkay IV a whole decade earlier. [PL] 

~~~ 

This plays like a "battle of the bands" with just 

about every song a new genre. It opens with a really 

nice jangly folk-rocker, and most listeners will wish 

similar songs would follow. Instead, it moves to 

country-rock, slow blues, old-style rock n' roll, and 

acoustic balladry. The closing moody ballad with 

drony viola is probably the highlight; this album is 

bookmarked by two songs you'll all like. The rest may 

not be exactly up your alley style-wise, but much of 

it is quite cool. All is in good spirits and good 

humor; this is a fun record. The recording is very 

crude, but the mix is smartly done: the vocals and 

guitars are loud. This is the epitome of a versatile 

but quirky local band making their own album for 

their small but devoted group of fans. Collectors 

tend to forget that most bands are this 

"normal." [AM] 

WEIGHT (Walnut Creek, CA)

"Music Is The Message" 1970 (Bertram International 104) 

DAVID WELSH (OH) 

Live garage lounge-rock from Rick's Lounge, half 

ludicrous Beatles covers. For genre fans only. 

"Blue Lightning Accent" 1980 (Blue Ash) [2-3] 

Half downer folk with idiosynchratic amateur vocals, 

half electric rocking sounds with a biker vibe. 

Overall a bit like a primitive DIY variant on the 

Michael James LP. 

WENDY & BONNIE (San Francisco, CA) 

"Genesis" 1969 (Skye 1006) [1] 

"Genesis" 199 (CD Sundazed 11089) [+5 bonus tracks] 

Much admired femme vocal harmony hippie pop LP from 

young San Francisco sisters. While obviously a 

pleasant and atmospheric experience I've never quite 

fallen for it -- the lack of personal expression 

creates a blanding effect, no matter how pretty the 

surface. Songwriting is fine as is the vocal blend, 

but I think this required a rich and elaborate 

Boettcher/Brian Wilson studio production on top. 

Instead it's bordering on generic top 40 material in 

my ears, but this seems to be the minority opinion 

out there. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is one of those albums I really expected to like 

but found quite dull, with the songwriting not taking 

any risks and with singing starting to grate after a 

few songs. It's no better than a lot of less 

expensive albums (for instance, Laurie Styvers' 

"Spilt Milk" or Mary Catherine Lunsford's album). The 

CD has bonus tracks and interesting liner notes. This 

album definitely has its fans, but you wont' find me 

among them. [AM] 

WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND (Los Angeles, CA) 

"West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band" 1966 (Fifo M101) 

"Legendary Unreleased Album" 1980 (Raspberry Sawfly) [altered 

cover; partial reissue] 

"West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band" 199 (no label) 

"West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band" 199 (Sundazed, 2LPs) 

[altered cover; +bonus tracks] 

"West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band" 199 (CD Sundazed) 

[+bonus tracks]

This is the score collectors dream of -- a previously 

unknown early LP by a major 60s group. Only a dozen 

or so originals have been found, and even a 

sleeveless copy goes for $1500, while a copy with 

sleeve sold for not less than $11.000. First hints of 

its' existence came via the odd "Legendary unreleased 

album" issue (from the band themselves) which 

unfortunately excludes some of the best tracks, 

although it does include some obscure 45-only tracks. 

There was also a magazine article around 1981 where 

the discovery was announced, but it wasn't until the 

1990s that people really became aware of the Fifo 

album. The music is dominated by crude Sunset Strip 

folk-garage cover versions, with some psychy moves 

added via early versions of two tracks from their 

fabulous Reprise debut. One of my all-time favorite 

groups, this is mandatory for WCPAEB fans, though 

admittedly not as outstanding and mature as their 

later albums. There was a Fifo 45 released with a 

non-LP B-side ("Sassafras"). After being taken under 

the bizarre wings of Bob Markley, the young band 

followed this debut with an outstanding run at 

Reprise including a couple of all-time classic psych 

LPs, but anyone reading this is likely to know those 

already. [PL] 

WESTFAUSTER (Cincinnati, OH) 

"In A King's Dream" 1971 (Nasco 9008) [1-2] 

"In A King's Dream" 199 (no label) [bootleg] 

DANA WESTOVER (CA) 

Dreamy UK-influenced eclectic psych-artrock with 

classical and jazz ambitions and a Moody 

Blues/Beatles vibe. Woodwinds and keyboards upfront. 

Not bad, with light almost feminine vocals and good 

production value. A bit dorky when the flutes get 

going but I prefer this over their Nasco buddies the 

Whalefeathers. [PL] 

"Memorial To Fear" 1972 (Wolf Music) [2] 

WE THE PEOPLE ( ) 

Acoustic loner folk LP. Supposedly he was a draft 

dodger and released this LP in Canada. 

"We The People" 1972 (United Sound) [1] 

Christian folk, no relation to the great 60s Florida 

band. 

WHAIL (Fostoria, OH) 

"Fresh Air" 1974 (Luv 701) 

Lounge rock with a wide range of styles from Gordon 

Lighfoot covers to a couple more psych tracks.

Occasional use of synth. The band, with roots in the 

60s garage era, was known as Fresh Air but changed to 

Whail to avoid confusion with another group, instead 

this became the album title. Pricing of this tends to 

be all over the map, but it's really a marginal item. 

A number of 45s and unreleased recordings exist. 

WHALEFEATHERS (Cincinnati, OH) 

"Declare" 1969 (Nasco 9003) [2] 

"Declare" 199 (no label) [bootleg] 

Ambitious (or pretentious) psychrock in a UKinfluenced 

Moody Blues/Procol Harum school with a bit 

of Vanilla Fudge thrown in. Some strong guitar leads, 

dramatic (or bombastic) keyboard changes, making the 

vocals sound a bit weak in context. Good production 

and mixing like on all Nasco albums. Has a bad halfspeed 

take on Moby Grape's "Omaha". The best track 

has been comp'd if you want a sample. The band had 

the same management as Westfauster. [PL] 

"Whalefeathers" 1970 (Nasco 9005) [1-2] 

Second LP has been described as "bluesier", including 

a cover of St Steven's "Bastich". Also released in 

England on Blue Horizon and in Germany by Vogue. 

WHEATSTONE BRIDGE (Kankakee, IL) 

"Bad Connection" 1976 (Sanron 200) [1] 

This impressive hard rock album was recorded in just 

17 hours and had a fresh, inspired feel to it. They 

obviously perfected these songs through many live 

performances, so this album is tightly played and 

professional sounding despite the quick recording. 

The sound is sharp: metallic rhythm guitar, upbeat 

rhythms, spastic leads, no keyboards, unpretentious 

vocals. The album has six rockers and two ballads. 

The only annoyance is that the lead guitarist 

overdoes it with the speed; some subtlety and variety 

would have been welcome. Otherwise, this is good 

stuff. The songs aren't especially complex, but they 

have hooks, are structured in occasionally surprising 

ways, and are short and to the point. It's not 

especially heavy, but it avoids most of the pitfalls 

of 70s hard rock and is quite a bit better than most 

of the albums I've heard in the genre. Weird album 

cover, by the way. [AM] 

TIM WHEELER (Dallas, TX) 

"Blues-Rock Fusion" 1980 (Duke 809-123) [1] 

Bluesy guitar-driven hardrock from young guy who 

credits Hendrix and Johnny Winter among his 

influences.

WHISTLER, CHAUCER, DETROIT & GREENHILL (Fort Worth, TX) 

"The Unwritten Works Of Geoffrey, Etc" 1969 (UNI 73034) 

RUTH WHITE (CA) 

This is one of the best albums on the Uni label, and 

it’s surprising that it has yet to get its due. It’s 

the pinnacle of the post-Buffalo Springfield/Moby 

Grape style (i e: somewhere between folk-rock and 

west coast rock), with completely solid songwriting, 

nice guitar playing and interesting arrangements. A 

bunch of songs sound like they could have been hits. 

There are some nice popsike moments too. The stereo 

production style is several years behind its time 

(vocals are to one speaker like on old Beatles 

records), which lessens the impact a little bit, but 

still this is a big winner. Every collection should 

have a copy. This album also gets major points for 

being the most obscure choice in “The Mojo 

Collection” and subsequently being mentioned on the 

US TV show “Gilmore Girls.” The band names are 

pseudonyms, but T-Bone Burnett is one member, and a 

few others went on to form Space Opera, who released 

a unique and occasionally wonderful album in the 

early 70s. [AM] 

~~~ 

This is one of those LPs (like the first Perth Co 

Conspiracy) that pretty much everyone who hears is 

impressed by, and yet remains overlooked in the big 

picture. From 1969 it's actually pretty advanced for 

its time, with a sound that would become more popular 

in the early 1970s, a mix of westcoast, folk and 

singer-songwriter. It opens with two killer tracks, 

the Fred Neil-ish folkblues of "The Viper" and the 

psychy "Day Of Childhood", which sounds like a lost 

track from the Bob Smith LP ("House Of Collection" 

has a similar sound). The rootsy folkrock sound 

dominates the album, with strong, world-weary vocals, 

appropriate use of violin and harmonica, and good 

songwriting. A couple of tracks that look back to the 

"Sgt Pepper"-era are hardly the highpoints but the 

album is strong enough to handle this diversity. For 

an unknown band the maturity and selfconfidence on 

display is remarkable. Essential... and not rare! 

[PL] 

"Seven Trumps Of The Tarot Card: Pinions" 1968 (Limelight 

86058) [promos exist; unipak] [1] 

"Flowers Of Evil" 1969 (Limelight 86066) [1] 

Avant garde electronics from unacknowledged, selftaught 

synth pioneer. The first LP is an occultelectronic 

impression of the Tarot deck. "Flowers Of 

Evil" contains readings from the poetry of Charles 

Baudelaire with electronically treated vocals, tapecollages, 

spooky synth drones, and dissonant 

electronic backdrops. There is also an LP "Short 

Circuits" on Angel where Ms White interprets various 

classical music themes. 

WHITE BOY & THE AVERAGE RAT BAND (Baltimore, MD)

"White Boy & the Average Rat Band" 198 (Tradewind) [3] 

WHITE HARVEST (OH) 

This is stretching the limits of the Archives here -- 

it's an 80s album and sounds much closer to the kind 

of post-punk hard rock that got college airplay in 

the late 80s than it does like anything else reviewed 

on this website. That said, it's speedy not-quitemetal 

hard rock with a pulverizing distortion sound 

(to call it "fuzz guitar" is to understate it by a 

mile). One song is acoustic, but mostly this is just 

an in-your-face blitzkrieg, and it's really great. 

[AM] 

"White Harvest" 1976 (Rite 36528) [insert] [3] 

Almost passed this one up at a flea market when I saw 

it contained the hymn "When The Roll Is Called Up 

Yonder". With no band pics on the cover it could just 

as easily have been some old-time gospel thing. 

Fortunately I risked my two bucks anyway, unaware of 

the way cool hard rock gem that lurked within. With 

female vocals, organ/synth backing and an overall 

exultant tone, White Harvest is similar in some 

respects to Servant or The Sheep, yet with a rougher 

quality. Not quite Earthen Vessel but darn close on 

slow boogie jammers like "I Can’t Understand" and 

"Let Him In", both of which display a fair amount of 

distortion and fuzz soloing. Other songs have more 

the direction of west-coast rock, sometimes managing 

a light psych edge. One ballad - other than that the 

electric angle is present throughout (no folk or 

acoustic stuff in here). All original material save 

their heavy rendering of the aforementioned hymn 

(which I’m sure ruffled a few feathers in their 

Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio community). Very attractive 

sleeve art of a 16th century black-on-white woodcut 

print. [KS] 

WHITE LIGHT (Los Angeles, CA) 

"White Light" 1970 (Century 39955) [2-3] [1st version] 

"White Light" 1971 (Century 40136) [2-3] [2nd version] 

"White Light" 198 (Vanita) 

"White Light / Mississippi" 2000 (CD Two Of Us 001, Germany) 

[two-on-1] 

Crude local barrock/hardrock that reminds me somewhat 

of Butterfingers, which is not a good thing. Reissued 

many years ago and thus a fairly wellknown title 

(apparently many people incorrectly thought they were 

related to the "William" 45 band), although it 

strikes me as rather marginal. Primitive recording 

with lots of fuzz, heavy Hendrixy riffs and growling 

vocals. Mainly cover versions including some odd 

choices such as Velvet Underground and the Fugs, 

along with soul, blues, crooner moves and even 

"Heartbreak Hotel". As a testament from a local scene 

this has its moments but if the main priority is good 

music, I would look elsewhere. Two different versions 

of this LP exist, the first with 11 songs including 

"Heartbreak hotel", the second with 9 tracks,

omitting "Heartbreak" and replacing some others. The 

LP has the same generic Century sleeve as the 

Philosophers LP. Most of the White Light album songs 

were recorded in 1970-1971 in the Perron 

brothers' (Joel & Kurt) basement. "But I Don't Know 

Why" and "Always Always," however, were recorded in 

New York in 1968 with vocalist Gary "Mississippi" 

Abram's earlier band members. [PL] 

WHITE LIGHTNING see Lightning 

WHITE NOISE (AZ) 

"Different" 1981 (WN 1001) [inner sleeve] [1] 

WHITE SUMMER (MI) 

This mixed gender hard rock band (the woman not only 

does half the singing, but plays half of the lead 

guitar) is the only band I know that are both 

skateboarders and bikers. Most of this album has 

cheap production, tuneless vocals, a lack of hooks, 

aimless lead guitar, pedestrian lyrics and a lack of 

melodic inventiveness, and after the first song 

you'll want to shut it off for good. Don't give up on 

it completely, though, because the songs written and 

sung by Susan Vickers not only rock harder than the 

guys' songs, but have a mildly sinister edge that 

makes up for a lot of the above-mentioned 

deficiencies. The 9 ½ minute suite that ends side one 

blows away everything here: it has hooks, hot solos 

and part two of it has a cool dramatic intensity. Too 

bad she can't sing any better than the guys, though. 

This is typical of private press hard rock; you have 

to overlook a lot of inadequacies to find the good in 

it. If you're willing to make the effort, about half 

of this is pretty enjoyable, but if you're expecting 

anything a millionth as good as, say, Bitch's 

Damnation Alley, you'll be disappointed. [AM] 

"White Summer" 1976 (no label 60343 N7) [3-4] 

"White Summer" 199 (no label) 

"White Summer" 199 (no label) [marble vinyl] 

"White Summer" 2004 (Void 026] [500p] 

Local hardrock not without ambitions, similar to 

Sorcery as a transition piece from the early 70s 

hippie/dope era into the metal sounds of the early 

80s. Opens with a psychy westcoast track, rest is 

pure guitar hardrock with minor prog moves; good 

vocals is a plus, while the drumming is a bit wrong 

both in terms of sound and playing. Closing epic is 

full of Led Zep drama and inane teen fantasy/SF 

lyrics. For 1970s fans only. Recorded at Uncle 

Dirty's. [PL]

WHITE WING (SD) 

"White Wing" 1976 (ASI 212) [insert] [1] 

WHITEWOOD ( ) 

Layered guitar, keyboard and mellotron progressive 

and hardrock, from band who later evolved into the 

"other" Asia. 

~~~ 

see -> Asia 

"Whitewood" 197 (Exotic EXS-1-91172) [plain white sleeve] 

"Whitewood" 1999 (Rockadelic 36) [600p; +1 track] [4] 

One of the more obscure Rockadelics is a crude, 

unpolished gem that deserves time to manifest itself. 

A reissue of one of those "we'll put music to your 

lyrics" song-poem artefacts, but this one breathes 

with an eerie dementia unlike the usual laugh riots; 

imagine a suicidal Boa or Ant Trip Ceremony with some 

fire up their ass. Title track is an instant classic, 

and 2/3rds is local late 60s garage psych the way you 

want it. The instrumental fillers include a roomclearing 

polka-rock fusion that could have been left 

off, though it does add to the spooky desolate Viet 

Vet vibe, as does the new front cover design. The 

bonus track comes from an inferior second LP from 

this same unsuccesful songwriter. [PL] 

DAN WHITLEY (Los Angeles, CA) 

"In Search Of Justus" 1969 (no label) [1] 

BILL WHYTE (MA) 

Pop/orch psych with mostly originals, a sitar cover 

of "Nature Boy" and some fuzz. Most of the originals 

are songwriting collaborations with one Bobby 

Morphis. Housed in a crude cover design, possibly a 

demo LP only. 

"Cold Sunshine" 1973 (Hub) [insert] 

WIDSITH (NJ) 

Hippie folk with psychedelic cover. 

"Maker Of Song" 1972 (Aleithia) [lyric insert] [1] 

Rural rock with some westcoast psych wandering. Great 

songs and vocals with mainstream appeal. Like if the 

Band had Van Morrison on vocals. "Singer in the 

market place" is a cool ripoff of the Moody Blues' 

"Nights in white satin"! [RM] 

~~~

This two man band produced a unique item here, a 

folk/folk-rock record with influences from every 

possible genre, finally sounding something like an 

American Van Morrison, or Graham Parker if he'd been 

reared on folk instead of soul. A couple of songs 

have some really effective spacy fuzz guitar, some 

others have a good-timey feel, and some a busker 

feel. About half have drums, and some have a mild 

jazzy influence as well. All are well-played and sung 

and this is a good LP that grows on you. Not hard to 

find for a private press; it must have sold pretty 

well. [AM] 

DAVID WIFFEN (Vancouver, Canada) 

"Live At The Bunkhouse" 1965 (International Records) [4] 

"David Wiffen" 1971 (Fantasy 8411) [1] 

JACK WILCOX ( ) 

Wiffen was in 3’s A Crowd with Brent Titcomb and 

other Canadian folkies in the 60s. His rare 

coffehouse folk live album preceded that band. The 

1971 effort was the first from his incarnation as a 

70s singer/songwriter, and it’s terrific. Unlike his 

later albums, this is quite hard to find, as 

purportedly only promo copies were distributed. Word 

has it that some of the album’s backing tracks and 

the final mix were done without Wiffen’s involvement, 

which is surprising because this album has such a 

personal, intimate feel to it. Wiffen has a powerful, 

deep voice somewhere between Tim Hardin and Lee 

Hazlewood, and he’s equally comfortable singing folkrock, 

mellow blues and straight old-fashioned 

ballads. His songwriting is intelligent and direct, 

again recalling Hardin. Among the highlights on this 

excellent record: “Never Make A Dollar That Way,” 

which has some eerie moog from Bernie Krause, and 

“Driving Wheel,” an instantly unforgettable song with 

a killer arrangement, including light fuzz guitar and 

perfect, tasteful use of horns. Wiffen (or whoever 

finished the mix) has an odd habit of fading songs 

out in the middle of verses, giving the illusion that 

his stories are unfinished. His most well-known song, 

“More Often Than Not,” especially benefits from this 

effect, due to its subject, alcoholism. This album is 

worth hunting down. Wiffen had one more LP on Fantasy 

in 1973. [AM] 

"A Marriage Of Clocks And Highways" 1977 (no label) [1] 

Melancholic introspective downer folkrock with angry 

guitar picking, desperate vocals and dark 

lyrics, recorded in an empty bar. 

WILCOX, SULLIVAN, WILCOX (NM) 

"An Album Of Original Music" 1973 (Golddust) [2] 

Hippie folkpsych/singer songwriter with Eastern

moves, housed in tremendous acid cover. There is a 

second LP, "Tomales Bay" (Goldust, 1975) which is not 

as good. Apparently some players here also appeared 

on the "I Love You Gorgo" LP from El Paso several 

years earlier. 

WILDFIRE (Laguna Beach, CA) 

"Smokin'" 1970 (Primo) [plain sleeve with sticker; 1000p] [4] 

"Smokin'" 1996 (OR 011) [500p; new sleeve; sides reversed] 

Guitar-driven early hardrock rarity. 

WILD OLIVE BRANCH BAND (KY) 

"Through A Glass Darkly" 1977 (Lifesongs LSR-001) [1] 

Christian folkrock with some fuzz leads. 

WILD & UNTAMED BLUES BAND ( ) 

"Wild & Untamed Blues Band" 197 (no label) 

Described by one fan as: "...ultimate kingpin White 

trash real people biker rock with male/female vocals, 

guitar, bass and drums. One of the crudest covers 

ever with a black and white photo collage of the 

greasy fat band members and the unattractive female 

singer wearing a "Spoiled Rotten" T-Shirt. 

"Motorcycle Rider" "Hey, Good Lookin Mama", "Baby", 

"Don't Ya Throw It Away" "Sunday morning Blues". This 

is the real deal and one of the scariest private 

pressings I have ever come across." 

WILKINSON TRICYCLE (Long Island, NY) 

"Wilkinson Tricycle" 1969 (Date tes 40016) [insert] [1] 

"Wilkinson Tricycle" 2005 (CD Synton, Austria) 

This album has a stark production style -- it’s 

basically the band’s live sound without overdubs, 

kind of like the albums by Help. In a way it doesn’t 

do the band justice, because they have definite 

leanings in an ambitious Beatlesque direction, as 

well as some hard rock moves. The songwriting is 

good, though not really top-notch. The best song is 

“What Of I,” which was effectively covered by 

Yesterday’s Children on an album even more obscure 

than this. [AM]

V.A "WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA" (PA) 

"Williamsport, Pennsylvania" 1968 (Empire 513/14) [1-2] 

Typical sound for these local late 60s PA samplers 

(there's at least a half-dozen such) with covers of 

Hendrix, Steppenwolf, Beatles, a couple of originals 

such as Something Else's "Caldwell Purple Wren". 

There's also a version of "Girl from Ipanema" to 

screw things up. 

WILLIE & THE BUMBLEBEES (Minneapolis, MN) 

"Honey From The Bee" 1976 (SJL 4107) [1] 

Raw bluesy & funky barband rock with horn section and 

a cover to match, and titles like "After my hard-on 

is gone". Willie Murphy went on to start the Atomic 

Throy label and is producing other artists, and also 

recorded a couple solo projects. 

WILSON McKINLEY (Spokane, WA) 

"On Stage: Live At Pender Audiotorium" 1970 (no label 27057) 

[1] 

Recorded live in Vancouver BC, "On Stage" sounds like 

it’s about one notch above an audience recording. The 

vibrant energy of the Jesus movement still shines 

through each song, making the album a cherished 

classic, even if it does check in well behind "Spirit 

Of Elijah" and "Heavens Gonna Be A Blast". The 

group’s brand of west coast guitar psych seems rooted 

in the San Francisco Haight-Ashbury culture. They’ve 

been likened to Quicksilver but also have some of the 

country direction of The Byrds and The Grateful Dead. 

One of their favorite tricks was to take songs from 

secular artists and subtly alter the lyrics to a 

Christian perspective. Examples from "On Stage" 

include un-credited re-workings of "He Was A Friend 

Of Mine" and "You Ain’t Going Nowhere". Groovin’ 

bongo action on the latter, as well as on "The Love 

Of My Savior", "I Know The Lord" and "He’s Coming To 

Take His Children". The primitive electric guitar 

riffs, the loose spirited harmonies, the impromptu 

acclamations of “thank you Jesus” and “hallelujah 

Jesus!” - all of it contributes to that enthusiastic 

garage-rocking hippie Jesus freak vibe. The packaging 

is definitely unusual: the album originally came 

housed in white pie boxes hand-stenciled with a color

and logo and a one way Jesus sign. There are a 

number of variations of this version which is 

sometimes referred to as Jesus People Army. Later the 

album was released in an oversized regular cover with 

orange and brown illustrations of the four band 

members’ longhaired heads. [KS] 

"Spirit Of Elijah" 1971 (Voice Of Elijah 27977) [2-3] 

Their really good one, west coasty Christian rock 

reminiscent of the best tracks on the Rainbow Promise 

LP and solid all through. Well-written songs combine 

perfectly with the jammy S F ballroom sound popular 

among the Jesus Music bands, recalling the mellow 

aspects of Moby Grape in particular. The epic, spinechilling 

title track is especially good. A loose, 

understated live in the basement recording adds to 

the appeal. I personally rate something like Kristyl 

even higher, but this album is undoubtedly one of the 

classics from the era. The band sells a CD 

compilation of their 3 albums, with the "Elijah" 

tracks reportedly losing some of their magic in their 

cleaned-up state. [PL] 

~~~ 

This isn't just the best Christian album I've heard. 

It may possibly be the best album in the laid-back 

West Coast late 60s/early 70s style I've heard, 

period. The crude recording style works in its favor, 

making it sound fresh and vital, like a great live 

recording (which it basically is.) While the fidelity 

isn't great, the instruments and vocals are 

completely clear, proof that expensive recording 

technology isn't necessary as long as something is 

recorded with common sense. The occasional bum note 

from the singers isn't enough to detract from the 

heartfelt and warm singing style, and the band really 

gets a groove going on every single song. The songs 

aren't heavy at all, but they rock with an energy and 

confidence that's completely arresting. A few songs 

are stolen (how un-Christian of them!) from wellknown 

sources (Moby Grape, Moody Blues) but are given 

new, Christian lyrics. It's an interesting and 

successful gimmick, and these songs fit nicely in 

with a batch of killer originals. There's a mixture 

of slow and fast songs, but my personal favorite 

moment is the rave up in "Tree of Life." My favorite 

overall song, though, is the ballad "I Need A 

Savior," with its harmonies and lead guitar playing a 

perfect ringer for Let It Be-era Beatles. 

Unfortunately no direct reissue exists. A self-made 

best of CD contains much of this album, but it's 

definitely best heard as one coherent piece. [AM] 

"Heaven's Gonna Be A Blast" 1972 (Voice Of Elijah 29005/6) 

[oversized day-glo cover] [1] 

Although nearly killed by a production snafu that 

sets the bass way out in front, this album happens to 

contain some of the group’s best songs. "Standin’ At 

The Crossroads", "He Made Us Free" and "Then I Fell 

In Love" all show the group in top form with lots of

ock & roll energy and enthusiasm for Jesus, along 

with touches of CSN vocals and Grateful Dead boogie. 

Same spunky attitude on the lively title track which 

features an electric bass solo followed by a drum 

solo. "I’m Only Smilin" includes some jamming piano, 

while the heavy percussive angle of "On Stage" 

returns for "I Wish I Had The Words To Tell You". The 

electric piano introduced on "Spirit Of Elijah" 

returns for several songs including a couple of 

ballads. "Almighty God" closes the album with a 

hypnotic 6/8 jazzy psych groove. As for the cruddy 

production, I’ve gotten to love this record so much I 

don’t even notice it anymore. Besides, the sound is 

still better than on their first LP. The oversized 

Day-Glo cover with the colorful exploding graphics is 

certainly an eye-popper. Both red and yellow label 

copies have been found. The group had two later 

cassette-only releases: "Country in the sky" and 

"Yesterday/Forever", and also backed up Frank Starr 

on his LP "You Can't Disguise Religion" (1971). 

Earlier some members appeared on an exploito 

California Poppy Pickers LP. [KS] 

BILL WILSON (Austin, TX) 

"Songs From the Catalog of Sonosong Music Company" 196 

(Sonobeat WEJ 285M / WEJ 286M) [about 100 pressed] [3] 

Texas folk songwriter's demo. The music is just Bill 

and acoustic guitar. Cindy Reynolds sings harmony 

vocals on one track. The sound is similar to Bob 

Dylan's "Another Side of" LP - imagist deep thoughts 

lyrics including a couple songs about the Vietnam 

War. Good LP with a behind the times sound. No label 

would have been interested at the time but it would 

have been a good release for Elektra or Verve 

Folkways in late 1966 or so! The front cover is plain 

with a small title stamp. The back cover is blank and 

came with a photo or info sheet taped on. [RM] 

~~~ 

see -> Mariani 

GARY WILSON (Endicott, NY) 

"You Think You Really Know Me" 1977 (Gary Wilson/MCM Records) 

[b & w cover; inserts] [2] 

"You Think You Really Know Me" 1990 (Cry Baby bh 03) [color 

cover] 

"You Think You Really Know Me" 2002 (Motel Records) [remix; 

color cover] 

"You Think You Really Know Me" 2002 (CD Motel Records) [remix] 

Gary Wilson is one of the most oddly endearing of all 

70s oddballs. This album is a stark mix of funk, pop 

and prog, a mix that could be a disatser but works 

very well here as Wilson is obviously doing what 

comes naturally to him. It's cool, but what really 

makes him so memorable are his lyrics. He's young 

here, and horny beyond belief, but afraid of girls at 

the same time, and his obsessions are unbearably real 

and often scary. Unique, unforgettable album and an 

absolute landmark in 1970s weirdness. When Gary was 

found 25 years later, sure enough, he was working in

WINDFLOWER (Alaska) 

a porn shop. Wilson had an earlier LP, "Another 

Galaxy" (GTW Records, 1974), which is in a DIY freejazz 

direction, including music taped from Coltrane & 

Miles records with Wilson's own piano overdubs! The 

1978 "Wedding Gown" EP is rated highly among fans. 

There's also a 2003 CD called "Forgotten 

Lovers" (Motel), a compilation of unreleased 70s 

stuff, and Wilson recorded a new album in 2004. [AM] 

"Windflower" 1974 (no label 2827) [insert] [1] 

WINDFLOWER (PA) 

This is somewhere between genuine acid folk and 

cringeworthy up-with-people commune folk. Over the 

full album the sweet, passionless, vocal style (some 

female) really starts to grate. A song or two at a 

time, though, this can be pretty appealing, and there 

are a few haunting tunes here. Not really 

recommended, but if you can get past the singing 

style you will probably like it. The group was 

connected to the Baha'i church and included Eskimo 

members. [AM] 

"Dreams" 1976 (McKee 36442) [500p] [1-2] 

"Dreams" 199 (Ton Um Ton, Austria) [new sleeve; 300p] 

WINDOW (Dallas, TX) 

Listenable but not more typical local mid-70s rock LP 

with some moog, AOR guitar and moody vocals. A couple 

of enjoyable songs but a far cry from the "heavy 

guitar monster" this has been described as. The loud, 

dishonest hype on this bland album caused a 

substantial backlash in which it came to signify the 

general overheated bullshit nature of the mid-late 

1990s rare record scene, when it was first 

"discovered". The reissue has a new cover design as 

the original was just a title sleeve. Not to be 

confused with the Alaska band of the same name. [PL] 

"Window" 1974 (New Life 0001) [booklet] [2] 

"Window" 2005 (CD Radioactive 144, UK) 

Mainstream femme vocal hippie-folk/singer songwriter 

with 2-3 excellent tracks with psych moves; some 

minor Christian concerns. 

WINDWORDS (Cleveland, OH)

"Shootin' The Breeze" 1979 (WW 1001) [1000p] [1-2] 

This Cleveland private isn't easy to figure out, 

which is usually a good sign. The basic trip is a bit 

like if the McKay "Into You" LP had been recorded by 

two angry Christians. Well-played and skillfully 

arranged in the typical 70s Dead/CSNY bag, but the 

usual breezy westcoast mood is charged with an 

atypical late-night intensity, as if the guys are 

getting impatient. This emotional input spills over 

into the lyrics which occasionally (as on "Fire") go 

into Fraction fire & brimstone domains, even as the 

music remains smooth and in control. As part of the 

commitment the guys tend to oversing a bit, 

especially David Arberman, although I suspect this to 

be a subjective call for each listener. Opening track 

"Wisdom" is a high-point with strong songwriting and 

hooks, and all over side 1 is superior, although the 

whole album displays an unusually finalized and 

clearcut style for a local LP. Guitarplaying is 

superb throughout, with obvious Garcia aspirations. 

Should appeal to fans of Ark, although that band 

never were this pissed off. The sound of Christian 

insomnia! The band also had a local non-LP 45. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is supposedly a Christian record, but it sure 

doesn’t sound like one. It’s got a pretty typical 

laid-back west-coast feel (despite the Midwest 

origins.) Most of it is acoustic, though the best 

couple of songs have significant amounts of electric 

lead guitar. A few surprisingly vicious lyrical 

moments add some appeal. This isn’t as good as the 

best stuff in this bag (i.e. it’s certainly no Wilson 

McKinley), but it is pretty distinctive. I think it 

would have been better if the songs were more concise 

and rocked a little harder, but this is still a 

worthwhile record. For years this went undiscovered 

by collectors, maybe in part because of the genericlooking 

cover. [AM] 

V.A "WINNIPEG" (Winnipeg, Canada) 

"Winnipeg" 1969 (Franklin 1000) [1-2] 

MARK WINOKUR (VT) 

Bluesy fuzz psych with local Manitoba hippie bands, 

including The Fifth, the Mongrels, Good Fortune, 

Triad, and others. Covers and originals, some tracks 

have female vocals. 

"God Fearin' Man" 1971 (no label) [2] 

Seldom seen debut LP from fringe outsider guy, here 

on a freaky DIY acoustic folk bender a la ESP label 

sounds. Liner notes declare: "Idiots of the world 

unite, you have nothing to lose but your illusions". 

A mono recording. 

"Jesus Christ Super Stoned" 1973 (Revolution) [1] 

Druggy guitar folk with crazed lyrics, hardly a

Christian outlook despite the title. Songs like "I'm 

addicted" and "The trip". 

WINTERHAWK (San Francisco, CA) 

"Electric Warriors" 1979 (Mother Earth 4) [3] 

"Electric Warriors / Dog Soldier" 2003 (CD Mother Earth) [2on-1] 

High-priced but unexceptional hard rock from Native 

Americans. Tom Bee of Lincoln St Exit/XIT produced. 

The band had a second LP in 1980, "Dog 

Soldier" (Mother Earth). 

WINTERHAWK (Chicago, IL) 

"Revival" 1982 (Lamda) [1-2] 

Power trio jamming bordering on metal, with no 

relation to the band above. 

WIT'S END (Garland, TX) 

"Rock And By God Roll" 1979 (Snowdrop) [1] 

WIZARD (Tampa, FL) 

This rare hard rock album fits squarely into 1979 

with the high vocals, phased guitars and manic punky 

intensity of the time period. It’s too stark to be 

classified as AOR, but with a little more polish this 

certainly could have appealed to mainstream audiences 

of the early 80s. My first thought upon hearing it 

was that these guys can’t actually be Christian 

rockers, as it rocked way too hard and had too much 

speed. They are... but you have to pay pretty close 

attention to tell, and a most of the lyrics cover 

standard rock themes. The rhythm guitarist’s nickname 

is “Bitch,” for what that’s worth. The songs are as 

fast as any punk of the era, which really makes this 

stand out among all the sludgy hard rock of the 70s 

and 80s. This isn’t earth shattering, but it’s fun 

stuff. [AM] 

"The Original" 1971 (Peon 1069) [3] 

"The Original" 199 (Peon) [bootleg] 

"The Original" 1999 (Akarma 070, Italy) 

"The Original" 2000 (CD Gear Fab 124) [+bonus tracks] 

Low-fi 70s hard rock with a rather generic sound. OK 

if you’re a huge fan of the style, but this isn’t 

especially original, nor is it wild enough to be very 

memorable. There is also a 45 with a non-LP track. 

[AM] 

~~~ 

Clearly a reflection of the trio's roots as a working 

band. Sporting a live sounding mix (there's minimal 

post-production work), tracks such as the opener

WIZARD (FL) 

"Freedom" offered up standard hard rock moves with 

then trendy lyrics -- anti-war, anti-mainstream 

society, religious philosophy, drugs (the non-toosubtle 

"What Do You Know About Mary?"). That said, 

the album's surprisingly diverse and enjoyable. The 

band had decent singers and effectively avoided the 

plodding white-boy blues that plague so many early- 

1970s' power trios. So what are the highlights? "Come 

and See the Bride" with its nod to The Who's 

"Pictures of Lily", the martial "Killing Time" and 

the country flavored "Going Away" are all great 

tunes. [SB] 

"The Spell Is Cast" 1977 (Illusion) [1-2] 

WIZARD (CA) 

An unknown LP on the Mike Pinera tax scam label. Nice 

wizard cover and musically in the 

hardrock/progressive vein with mostly (or only) 

versions of tunes by AC/DC, Sabbath, JUdas Priest, 

etc. They also had a second, similar LP on the 

Illusion label. The band was actually called Critical 

Mass, but were dubbed "Wizard" by Pinera for the 

album releases. No relation to the earlier Tampa 

band. 

"Wizard" 1979 (Future Track) [1] 

Hardrock/early metal trio. There was also a 45 on the 

same label. 

WIZARDS FROM KANSAS (KS) 

"Wizards From Kansas" 1970 (Mercury 61309) [wlp exists] [2] 

"Wizards From Kansas" 199 (Mercury) [bootleg] 

"Wizards From Kansas" 1993 (CD Afterglow 006, UK) 

"Wizards From Kansas" 2003 (Radioactive 009, UK) 

"Wizards From Kansas" 2003 (CD Radioactive 009, UK) 

Recently receiving a lot of interest and rightly so, 

cause these Midwest boys blow most Bay Area groups 

away on their own turf. Took me a while to get into 

it, now I rate it among the best late 60s psych-rock 

LPs. Powerful hippierock with prototype heavy moves, 

strong songwriting and brilliant performances - the 

rhythm section is awesome. There are many good albums 

in the epic psych genre but this one is charged with 

a special spirit that creeps upon you over time. And 

"Country Dawn" has to be one of the best rural 

rockers ever. [PL] 

"Still in Kansas" 2003 (Rockadelic) [insert] 

Previously unreleased 1968 pre-Mercury tapes from 

when they were still called Pig Newton. Contains 

several tunes also on the subsequent album but these 

earlier versions are clearly from another era, with a

lighter and airier sound that's very appealing. 

Vocals and some arrangements would later be improved, 

but a couple of tracks such as the opening "Flyaway 

daze" are superior in this embryonic stage, with a 

marvy Midwest/westcoast '68 blend comparable to the 

best aspects of HP Lovecraft. Also has a good take on 

"All along the watchtower" and a great closing 

original that's not on the Mercury LP at all. 

Essential to fans of Wizards and/or the late 60s CA 

sound. Packaging is pretty good, 3-D computer 

graphics may turn some off but I don't mind. [PL] 

WOLFMAN JACK & THE WOLFPACK (New York City, NY / Minneapolis, MN) 

"Wolfman Jack & the Wolfpack" 1966 (Bread 1070) 

"Wolfman Jack & the Wolfpack" 2004 (Bread) [bootleg] 

Border DJ and cultural icon supported by local 

Minneapolis band Jesse J & the Bandits, recorded at a 

time when the Wolfman was DJ:ing at KUXL in 

Minneapolis. Raw garage-frat in great cartoon cover. 

JOHN WONDERLING (NY) 

"Daybreaks" 1973 (Paramount 6063) [2-3] [inner] 

This is ridiculously rare for a major label LP, and 

as luck would have it is maybe the most interesting 

album on an interesting label. Psych fans know 

Wonderling because of the oft-comped single "Man Of 

Straw" (which, 5 years later, is here on this LP), 

and will be glad to find that the album is more of 

the same: singer/songwriter music with a druggy feel 

(lyrically and musically), acoustic rhythm guitars 

with electric lead guitars, and Wonderling's strong 

voice up front. The opening "Long Way Home" is an 

intriguing blend of hippie psychedelia and mainstream 

70s rock (for example, a female backing vocal chorus 

appears when you'd least expect it). Elsewhere spacy 

strings and drony sitars hold hands with poppy horn 

arrangements. As a whole it is the kind of elaborate 

production you would think the label wouldn't waste 

on an album if they were only going to distribute 10 

copies. This is one weird sucker, and overall very 

good, a singer songwriter album as distinctive as 

those by, say, John Braheny, Marc Jonson and Rex 

Holman. Wonderling earlier wrote "Midway Down", 

covered by Brit mod legends the Creation. [AM] 

V.A "WONE - THE DAYTON SCENE" (Dayton, OH) 

"WONE - The Dayton Scene" 1966 (Prism 1966) [2]

WOODBINE (WI) 

As with "Hillside '66" this teenbeat and garage 

sampler has received wide attention from compilers, 

the top number on it being Jerry & the Others frantic 

"Don't you lie to me". Other high-points include 

tracks by the Xcellents and the Gillian Row. Issued 

by the local WONE record station as part of a Battle 

Of The Band contest. 

"Roots" 1971 (Blue Hour 1-1010) [booklet] 

"Roots" 1978 (Tool Room 104) [reissue] 

WOODEN ELEPHANT ( ) 

Obscure live recording from Milwaukee, semi-electric 

folk with long tracks from quartet with standard rock 

setting. Band member Bill Camplin was involved with 

lots of other local music projects, and had several 

solo releases in a Dylan-inspired singer/songwriter 

style. 

"Wooden Elephant" 1978 (Jeree 771237) [insert] [1] 

ROBIN WOODLAND (CA) 

CSN/America style folk and rural rock from trio with 

drums and keyboard added for the album. The label 

indicates a North-east origin. 

"One Golden Moment" 1978 (no label, no #) [2 inserts] [1] 

WOOLY BEAR ( ) 

Fund raiser project LP of 70s rural melodic folkrock 

and singer/songwriter with electric leads and a happy 

hippie mountain air vibe. Some use of banjo, flute, 

violin. Opinions differ on it, and it may be one for 

genre fans mainly. 

"Wouldya" 1974 (Stereolab Sound) [1] 

THE WORKS BROS (AZ) 

Laidback hippie rural rock like Grateful Dead, with 

mandolin, flute, autoharp, and piano. 

"Meditation Works" 197 (no label) 

WORKSHOP ( ) 

Spiritual hippie folk oddity in primitive green cover 

design. 

"Workshop" 1972 (no label xpl-1030)

WOULD (NY) 

Sixteen member collective with mix of jazzy rock and 

deep folk. Mixed vocals, amateur moves worthy of the 

"Tool Shed" LP. At least half should appeal to fans 

of homemade, introspective folk LPs. 

"Would" 1971 (Perception 24) [2] 

Mysterious second release on Jimmy Curtiss' label of 

the Velvet Night LP in a new cover and title and with 

one new number replacing the "Velvet Night" track. 

See Velvet Night review for details on this 

disappointing album. 

DAVID WRIGHT'S ORIGINAL HOME BAND (AR) 

"David Wright's Original Home Band" 1975 (Own Spun) [1] 

Local electric folkrock with some psych moves. Labels 

state "yin" and "yang". 


XEBEC ( ) 

"Calm Before The Storm" 1981 (Desire) 

Oklahoma label. Southern hardrock with excellent dual 

and slide guitar work, housed in an atypical cover 

drawing of a schooner at sea. 

XENOGENESIS (Miami Beach, FL) 

XIT (NM) 

XXX ( ) 

"#1 - I Am That I Am" 1973 (no label) [gatefold] 

Philosophical psych spoken word realness, sampling, 

sound effects. One of the freakiest in this style. 

The artist name is sometimes listed as 

Sexxenogenesis. 

"Entrance" 1974 (Canyon 7114) 

"Entrance" 2005 (Sound Of America 145) 

Retrospective release of 1967-68 recordings by wellknown 

Native American band Lincoln St Exit, who had a 

couple of albums out in their later incarnation as 

Xit. This is good early melodic psych in a Love "Da 

Capo"/Strawberry Alarmclock direction, rated highly 

by many. Highpoints include "Orange benevolence" and 

their 45 psych classic "Sunny Sunday dream" 

Contemporary releases in the 1970s include "Plight Of 

The Red Man" and "Relocation". 

--- 

see -> Lincoln St Exit 

"Live - The First Legal Bootleg" 1973 (no label 73-101) 

Mix of rural and heavy drug rock, primitive and 

trashy. Later became the Elmer City Rambling Dogs. 


YA HO WHA 13 (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Kohoutek" 1973 (Higher Key 3301) [insert; 500p] 

"Kohoutek" 1994 (Higher Key, UK) [bootleg] 

"Kohoutek" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD box-set] 

This is their very first LP and not a bad one to 

start with if you want to get into their drugged out 

L.A runaway kids acid cult basement guitar jams. 

Inspired by the appearance of the comet "Kohoutek", 

the family's bearded, middle-aged guru/leader Father 

Yod digs deep into his bag of tricks: "It's a thought 

projection from God". Father raps and howls in his 

unrestrained manner as the music goes through its 

typical raw acid-rock chameleon moves, building 

towards a nice climax with a doomy fuzz riff as the 

truth is laid down from above. Although mandatory to 

Yahowans, this is hardly their best album, and not 

one of their rarest either. The LP was issued as by 

Father Yod & the Spirit Of 76; original copies have 

'3301' on the insert and '18574' in the matrix. [PL] 

~~~ 

The first album by Father Yod & co is an appropriate 

introduction to their music. I’ll be completely 

honest here -— I find his off-key, hysterical 

“singing” to be really annoying, and how much you 

enjoy this music (and which of the albums you’ll 

prefer) depends to a very large extent on your 

tolerance for him. A lot of times he’s not singing, 

but ranting and raving (almost preaching), but even 

in that context his voice is hard to take. The early 

albums were apparently recorded in the time it takes 

to listen to them. They all feel improvised, 

obviously, but the better ones sound as if a lot of 

thought and rehearsal was put into them before the 

recording session. The band really could play, and 

got better with time. There’s a neat combination of 

tight and loose in the music, and cool moments, 

whether they be female backing singers, hot guitar 

licks, or unexpected bursts of keyboards, abound. 

"Kohoutek" has lots of Yod and not really as much 

musical inventiveness as the next few albums, so it’s 

not high on the list, quality wise. It ends with a 

rather jarring emergency alert-type tone that should 

wake up anyone who hadn’t been paying attention. [AM] 

"Contraction" 1973 (Higher Key 3302) [color cover; 500p] 

"Contraction" 198 (Swordfish, UK) [b&w cover; 500p] 

"Contraction" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD box-set] 

"Contraction" 2006 (Swordfish, UK) [color cover] 

Of all the freaky Yahowha LPs nothing can match the 

dual mindfuck of "Contraction" and "Expansion". A 

really evil feel dominates as Yod pushes you through 

the stages of a Messianic acid trip, summing it up 

with "doesn't a lightbulb burn the brightest just

efore it goes out?". This must have destroyed a few 

young psyches and caution is definitely recommended. 

The music is aggressive, ominous and creative, 

constantly evolving and occasionally intense like 

nothing else I've heard. Incredible stuff. Issued as 

by Father Yod & the Spirit Of '76, and like all the 

early LPs sold only at "The Source", the family's 

health food restaurant on Sunset Boulevard. [PL] 

~~~ 

Again, lots of Yod here, but the music behind him 

shows a huge leap in creativity and inspiration. I 

love the female backing chorus. Sometimes this is 

funky, sometimes just plain freaky. The band gets a 

terrific groove going here, and while Yod’s squeaks 

and squeals knock it off kilter, they somehow seem to 

have a feel for where he’s going. This feels to me 

like I’m watching a really interesting movie and some 

annoying guy in front of me is wearing a large hat, 

won’t take it off, and spends half of the movie 

talking on a cell phone. Not surprisingly, the 

hottest moment of the album is the instrumental 

section that closes side one and opens side two, with 

some really great guitar noise that hits all of the 

right spots. When Yod starts singing again, in the 

middle of this mania, he’s thankfully at his most 

restrained and it takes a few minutes for him to kill 

the mood. The music is so intense that he doesn’t 

completely destroy it even when he starts calling 

some kid a “scaredy cat” and says “nyah nyah nyah 

nyah nyah nyah.” It ends with a gospel-influenced 

section of peacefulness. [AM] 

"Expansion" 1973 (Higher Key 3303) [color cover; 500p] 

"Expansion" 198 (Swordfish, UK) [b&w cover; 500p] 

"Expansion" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD box-set] 

The companion piece to "Contraction" is equally scary 

though less of a throat-attack, more like Yod trying 

to assemble what's left of his and your mind. Lots of 

the trademark raw acidrock but also some Grudzienstyle 

piano and ghostly female voices lurking in the 

background as Father continues his sexual/religious 

exploration into places you don't really want to go. 

Issued as by Father Yod & the Spirit Of '76. The 

1980s reissue is sourced from a noisy original. [PL] 

~~~ 

The ante is upped a little here as it’s the first of 

their albums to surpass half an hour (at 34 and a 

half minutes it’s almost ten minutes longer than the 

previous two albums.) Whereas "Contraction" is the 

guitar freakout album, this is the keyboard, backing 

vocal and feedback freakout album (though eventually 

there’s plenty of guitar too). There are at least as 

many great moments here as on the predecessor, and 

again they hit a really hot groove and push it for 

all it’s worth. The use of piano is surprisingly 

intense. The good news is that there’s not as much 

Yod this time, but the bad news is that his vocals 

are even worse, if that could be possible. The 

“destroy to build again” chant is pretty wild and 

hypnotic, but the whole point of Yod’s existence is 

stated early on with “in and out and in and out and 

in and out... is what it’s all about” and stuff about

ultimate climax and ultimate orgasms. Skeptics out 

there who think charismatic commune leaders like Yod 

are in it only for the sex are vindicated, to be sure 

(not that the obviousness of it scared away any of 

his free-loving disciples.) On the Yod-meter, this is 

a little less intense and a little more rambling than 

its predecessor, but is pretty comparable, qualitywise. 

[AM] 

"All Or Nothing At All" 1973 (Higher Key 3304) [500p] 

"All Or Nothing At All" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD 

box-set] 

Here’s a change of pace: a folky singer/songwriter 

album by Yod’s disciples, who revel in the Yod 

experience. The female singing (only on a couple of 

songs) is pretty nice and the songs are reasonably 

tuneful (some are very catchy, actually.) However, 

the sparse acoustic (guitar on some songs, piano on 

others) accompaniment doesn’t really make for a fully 

exciting listening experience, and the six and a half 

minute “Renaissance” is particularly tedious. At 

least Yod doesn’t sing. The goofy, upbeat “Party 

Song” is kind of cute. I think it’s nice to see that 

these folks actually have a sense of humor, but that 

song is certain to annoy some less tolerant listeners 

(this is not to suggest that intolerant listeners 

would even attempt to check out Yod albums!) Nice 

back cover photo of the whole clan. The CD from the 

box set includes four quite good bonus tracks in a 

pop/soul vein, and with a full band. One entitled “Do 

Me” is sung by Yod’s women. Does anyone know how and 

when these songs were first released? [AM] 

"2" 1974 (Higher Key no #) [inner bag; 5000p] 

"2" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD box-set] 

A k a "Ya Ho Wa 13" or (inaccurately) "Savage Sons of 

Yahowa" - this shows a big pic of Father wearing a 

robe and medallion on the cover, staring into the 

camera. He's on vocals and the LP is pretty freaky in 

a song-oriented style with a gritty 70s Stones-sound, 

crude and uncompromising. Not one of their finest 

hours, but certainly an unusual experience. According 

to band member Djin, this may have been pressed in 

5000 copies, unlike the others. [PL] 

~~~ 

This album, like "All Or Nothing At All", consists of 

actual songs. This time they're rock songs, with an 

obvious debt to the Rolling Stones. Some of them are 

kind of cool ("Because," with its minimalist rip on 

"Honky Tonk Woman," the hypnotic "Magical Lady," and 

the choppy, almost proto-punk, "Little Doggie" are 

the best), but the songs get less interesting as they 

go along. Most importantly Yod's singing is even more 

annoying in the context of attempted melodies than it 

is in the land of free form. Here I find him utterly 

unlistenable. [AM] 

"Penetration" 1974 (Higher Key 3307) [500p] 

"Penetration" 198 (Higher Key) 

"Penetration" 199 (CD)

"Penetration" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD box-set] 

"Penetration" 2003 (Swordfish, UK) 

This tribal acid fuzz monster trip seems to be many's 

favorite YHWH item (including some of the band 

members themselves). Intense, evil ritual scenes are 

projected as Yod pounds out the beat of the time on 

his kettle drum while Djin, Octavius and Sunflower 

elaborate brilliantly on top. In terms of sheer 

"music" this is probably the best and most ambitious 

of all theirs, and can be lined up against any German 

spacerock or S F acid jam with flying colors. I 

challenge anyone to come up with a more tortured, 

mindpiercing guitar tone than Djin delivers on both 

sides. Excellent recording with stereo effects and 

spooky vocal overlays, unlike their usual garage 

improvisations. What came across as "silence" on the 

old vinyl boot was in fact low-volume feedback 

ambience that contributes to the controlled, eerie 

mood. A deep and challenging artistic statement 

worthy of great respect. Has a superb sleeve of 

Father in full action as well. The 1980s bootleg is 

pretty close, but the label writing on the boot is in 

slightly less black ink than the (black) original 

writing. On the bootleg the names of Octavius and 

Djin have been cut off by the sleeve opening. [PL] 

~~~ 

This is the easiest Yod album to recommend, partly 

because Yod is barely on it at all, but mostly 

because it really is a great, powerful piece of 

music. There are four long songs, mostly 

instrumental, with a dark feel, heavy atmosphere and 

absolutely killer guitar playing. The opening song 

builds for several minutes; the sense of control they 

have as a band is second only to the lack of control 

Yod has as a singer. A few moans and mumbles and even 

some whistling from Yod are relatively inoffensive, 

thankfully. This album may not have the same kind of 

freak value as "Contraction" and "Expansion", but it 

has every bit as much musical strength. The 

monotonous pounding drum does grate a bit, though. 

[AM] 

"I'm Gonna Take You Home" 1974 (Higher Key 3309, 2LPs) [500p; 

gatefold] 

"I'm Gonna Take You Home" 1987 (vinyl) [bootleg; single LP; no 

gatefold] 

"I'm Gonna Take You Home" 199 (CD) 

"I'm Gonna Take You Home" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD 

box-set] 

"I'm Gonna Take You Home" 2002 (Swordfish, UK) [single LP; 

gatefold] 

Perhaps the most wellknown Ya Ho Wa-LP and one of the 

first to be reissued, you need only look at the 

unparalleled sleeve to know you got your money's 

worth! Some rate this very highly but musically I 

think it's only about mid-region for their LPs, it 

has the usual ripping basement Frisco-style jams and 

Yod howling, humming and whistling but can't really 

sustain the grip for a full 60 minutes. The total 

package is so freaky that the artefact value is high 

enough to make it essential anyway. Despite of being 

a double album, the playtime is short enough that the 

first bootleg compressed the music onto a single 

disc, and (unfortunately) removed the gatefold. The 

recent Swordfish release is a nice job. [PL]

~~~ 

This album starts with lots of Yod, and with a 50 

minute length, it appears that it could become an 

endurance test, but he mellows out quickly and most 

of this is instrumental. It’s not as good as 

"Penetration", but it certainly has its moments. At 

one point, some wacked out guitar backs Yod making 

buzzing noises, which is really intense, even when 

the buzzing morphs into some out of key screaming. 

The second song, in particular, has an almost 

mainstream heavy sound to it, kind of a 70s update of 

the best work of Quicksilver Messenger Service. It 

may be their best song of all, and it’s an easy one 

to play for newcomers because it doesn’t have a 

moment of Yod on it! [AM] 

"To The Principles, For The Children" 1974 (Higher Key 19393) 

[500p] 

"To The Principles, For The Children" 1994 (Higher Key, UK) 

[bootleg] 

"To The Principles, For The Children" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, 

Japan) [CD box-set] 

Last Yahowha outing with Father Yod in charge, not 

absolute top level for me but still essential for 

purveyors of the scene. Yod spells it all out for you 

on three long cuts with crude acidrock mixed with 

some quiter moments, and even the Ya Ho Wa family 

children get to pay tribute to Father on the closing 

track. Another great sleeve with Yod in full 

millionaire gear heading for his Rolls on the front 

and dressed up as Santa Claus on the flip. The family 

believed that the only thing that attracts people in 

LA is money, which explains the show-offy nature of 

these mid-period releases. [PL] 

~~~ 

This one begins with a spoken word Yod bit that 

cracks up his disciples, and goes on to have not only 

lots of Yod singing but also a whole bunch more of 

the pounding drums that were "Penetration"’s one main 

fault. Musically a bit mellower than past albums, and 

while the guitar work is still pretty cool, there’s 

not much of an edge here. The cutting, menacing 

guitar tone is here replaced by a phase shifter. Best 

lyrical moment: Yod singing about how you should 

never abuse a woman. Best musical moment: a gaggle of 

kids singing “oh ya ho wa we love you.” But basically 

this one is much more irritating than entertaining. 

[AM] 

"Savage Sons Of Yahowa" 1974 (Higher Key 010) [500p; inner 

sleeve] 

"Savage Sons Of Yahowa" 198 (Higher Key 010) [legit 2nd 

press?] 

"Savage Sons Of Yahowa" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD 

box-set] 

The most "commercial" or "normal" of their LPs though 

these terms are used in a strictly relative manner. 

Yod isn't here at all, instead we get vaguely Neil 

Young-influenced ramblings on 70s "aware" topics like 

environmental concerns and Red Indians. This has less 

freaky jams and is more song-oriented than their 

others with some really good tracks, plus the broken 

lament "I thought I was Jesus" over and over lets you 

know hanging out with Father Yod wasn't all fun and

games. At least two cover variants exist. [PL] 

~~~ 

More actual songs! This time Yod doesn’t sing, and 

the results are much more listenable. This is 

straightforward 70s rock, somewhere between Neil 

Young, Dr. John and the Stones. Basically, it’s 

decent but not great music with some excellent guitar 

playing in spots and an appealing sleazy vibe in 

others. Most of them get a nice groove going, even if 

the (probably one-take) feel of the thing is a little 

slipshod. Not their most interesting album, but 

probably their most listenable. [AM] 

"Golden Sunrise" 1975 (Higher Key) [8-track format only] 

"Golden Sunrise" 1982 (Psycho 2, UK) [marble vinyl; 300p] 

"Golden Sunrise" 199 (CD) 

"Golden Sunrise" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD box-set] 

Originally issued only on 8-track as by Fire Water & 

Air, Psycho picked this up for their first non-comp 

release. Probably recorded after Father left his body 

via a hang-gliding accident in Hawaii mid-1975, 

leaving Arelich/Sky Saxon, Djin and the guys free to 

elaborate on Red Indians, pollution, Atlantis and 

more in a great basement hippie psychjam context. On 

the Ya Ho Wa scale this lands somewhere between 

"Savage Sons" and "Take you home", in other words 

it's song-oriented yet pretty freaky. Those familiar 

with Sky Saxon's 70s work will recognize the moods 

and style, although the tracks here are longer and 

more acidrock-influenced. Some outtakes from this 

session appear as bonus tracks on the Yahowha CD box 

set. See also "Masters Of Psychedelia" under the Sky 

Saxon entry. Some copies of the Psycho release came 

with the original 8-track sticker attached. [PL] 

~~~ 

Due to the original release being on an 8-track tape 

only, this is the longest of all of the Yahowarelated 

albums, at 60 minutes. Since there’s no Yod 

on it, there aren’t any really awkward and earshattering 

moments, but whoever sings on this one 

isn’t exactly “tuneful” either, and it’s still a lot 

to stomach at once. The basic sound is pretty heavy, 

in the same manner as the tougher songs on "I'm Gonna 

Take You Home". Djinn truly is a guitar wizard, and 

the dark tone of this album really shows him off at 

his best. The nine-minute opener, “Time Travel,” is 

almost as good as the killer second song on "Take You 

Home", at least until it morphs into “Food For the 

Hungry” and the singing comes in. It even sounds 

(dare I say it) like they rehearsed it! Elsewhere the 

great moments are more thinly dispersed, but they’re 

there. Patient listeners will find a lot to like 

here, though it’s not consistent enough to match 

their very top works and gets less interesting as it 

goes along. Some songs here are surprisingly poppy. 

They’re not exactly mainstream, but could probably 

have gotten some radio play without freaking anyone 

out. [AM] 

"Yod Ship Suite" 1976 (Father) [no sleeve] 

"Yod Ship Suite" 199 (no label, UK) [new sleeve] 

"Yod Ship Suite" 1999 (CD Captain Trips, Japan) [CD box-set] 

Their last one, this includes Sky Saxon on vocals. 

Sounds like a lament/tribute to the (deceased) Father

in a burnt out hippie folk-psych setting with flutes 

and acoustic guitars and the usual trancey flow, 

another nicely freaky LP although decidedly low-key 

in mood, and perhaps mainly for the already 

initiated. This is the rarest of all Yahowha LPs, 

only a couple of copies are known to exist. [PL] 

~~~ 

The inclusion of Sky Saxon on this one obviously 

makes it (theoretically) of interest to a wider 

audience. Unfortunately, though, the music is in a 

flute-heavy folky mystical mode, rather than the 

guitar-heavy stuff they do best. Even more 

unfortunately, most of the vocals are pretty awful. 

Saxon doing a Yod impression? Most of this is 

rambling and chant-heavy, and while the lyrics may 

have been partially written ahead of time, the 

“melodies” were obviously improvised in a stream-ofconsciousness 

way. Music to try to meditate to except 

that much of it is so strident that you’d keep losing 

your focus. At one point a female backing chorus 

moans over a guitarist practicing his scales. It 

sounds to me like a rehearsal, not a performance. In 

case I haven’t yet made my point, this one is 

dreadfully dull. [AM] 

"Yod Ship Suite, pt 3" 1976 (Father) [1-sided LP] 

This obscure one-sided LP was left off the Japanese 

box-set, probably because noone remembered it. I was 

surprised to find a considerably more aggressive 

sound than the preceding LP. "Part 3" consists of 14 

minutes of music, the first half which is a 

successful variation on Yod sounds such as 

"Contraction", with a full-on psychedelic rock sound, 

evil guitars and Sky Saxon rambling like Fathers' 

lost son. The second half (crudely spliced on) is 

somewhat more introspective, like the mellower tracks 

on "Golden Sunrise". Djin Aquarian recently revealed 

that the "Part 3" recordings, although not released 

until 1977-78, were actually laid down in 1973 with 

the original Spirit Of '76 band, which explains their 

vintage sound. All over a very appealing piece 

despite its short play-time, hopefully to be reissued 

some day. The few copies found come in a crude psychy 

sleeve. [PL] 

"The Operetta" 2004 (Swordfish UK) [2 LPs] 

Spread over four sides of album this singular 

occurrence (recorded 1974) features some of the most 

crazed output from Father Yod and The Family. I was 

wary of this issue as I suspected the sound quality 

might be poor and that the barrel was being scraped. 

The sound quality is very good and the music 

definitely in the same league as their other 

releases. The gatefold LP comes with a pseudotranscript 

of the events in the San Francisco

warehouse where this was recorded early in the 

morning, documenting some of the spontaneous lyrics. 

So it is possible, although perhaps not desirable, to 

attempt to ‘make sense’ of it all. As the LP 

progresses the sound becomes increasingly liquid, 

pounding and intense. The sensation when listening is 

of becoming completely lost in the sound, utter 

dissolution occurs. There is always form in the 

chaos. However, all form is regularly lost, only to 

be pulled back from the edge by Father Yod mustering 

the might of His Sons from the Good Ship Yod. These 

fellows sail some dangerous high seas. The wild 

drumming really makes this recording stand out as it 

is right at the forefront. Hallmark feedback and 

demonic guitar solos vie with Father Yod on superb, 

raving, form. I would rate this somewhere between 

“Penetration” and “Golden Sunrise”. The demented 

trumpet of Golden Sunrise is deployed to devastating 

effect here, just where you least expect it. 

Occasionally, it sounds like a more ‘live’ version of 

“I’m gonna take you home”. And so, it only remains to 

be said: “It is time for a mating.” “Get it on with 

the tree.” [RI] 

YAMA & THE KARMA DUSTERS (Chicago, IL) 

"Up From The Sewers" 1970 (Euphoria Blimpworks/Manhole 1) 

[1000p] 

Pro-level mix of urban Dylan & Zappa-inspired 

counterculture and rootsy Dead '70 rural moves. 

Appealing sound with a fully electric folkrock 

setting, strong vocals, fine arrangements and 

ambitious lyrics. A bit left-field for fans of 

basement garage/psych, but should appeal to anyone 

with an ear for major label-style early 70s 

singer/songwriter sounds. Clearly superior to LPs 

such as Drnwyn or Nosy Parker. There are a few 

variants of this LP; a 'first version' with handmade 

covers in circa 150 copies; a version with a printed 

fist cover (350p); and a slightly later press with a 

rose image cover (500p). [PL] 

~~~ 

This is a pretty appealing folk-rock/rock album. The 

lyrics are smart and often funny, and the singer’s 

straightforward approach suits the song-stories 

within. There’s some nice restrained lead guitar and 

a laid-back hippie feel throughout. My favorite 

moment: the singer introducing a violin solo with 

“blow your harmonica, son”. This has a similar feel 

to the Greenwood, Curlee & Clyde album, but some of 

it rocks quite a bit harder and these guys seem more 

likely to actually join the revolution rather than to 

merely sing about it. No truly great songs here, but 

overall it’s pretty solid. [AM] 

YANCY DERRINGER (Madison, WI) 

"Openers" 1975 (Hemisphere 104) 

"Openers" 1999 (CD Gear Fab GF-129) 

"Openers" 2001 (Gear Fab Comet GFC 410) 

This ridiculous stoner hard rock album on the same

YANKEE DOG (CA) 

label as Clicker and Tongue has attracted attention 

because of the 7-minute “Weedburner”. It really is a 

great song (albeit with dodgy lyrics), with an eerie 

chord progression, some hot slide guitar and a 

terrific long spacy ending. The rest of the album is 

less heavy, more in a bar-band mode, with occasional 

boogie beats and pianos, and lots of lyrics about 

partying. They definitely have the feel of a 

massively popular local band. Though the guitar and 

keyboard solos are mostly pedestrian, the overall 

arrangements are clever and unpredictable, and the 

album spans a wide range of hard rock styles which 

fit together nicely. Most of the album rocks quite 

convincingly. The most peculiar song is “Rocket 

Roll.” It has a poppy melody and high vocals 

reminiscent of Rick Derringer’s “Teenage Love 

Affair,” but breaks the mood for a bizarre spacy 

interlude in the middle, probably just to make sure 

that there’s something druggy on every song. This may 

not be smart (though they claim pot gives them 

“insight”), but its rock and roll instincts are 

excellent, and overall this is a surprisingly solid 

album, without a dud in the bunch. [AM] 

"Yankee Dog/Aphazia" 1978 (no label) [insert] 

Obscure jammy westcoaster with guitar and organ. 

Formally a split LP, but the bands are basically the 

same except for a keyboard player. Crude cover with 

paste-on sheets front and back. The labels are blank. 

YANKEE DOLLAR (San Luis Obispo, CA) 

"Yankee Dollar" 1969 (Dot 25874) [mono promo] 

"Yankee Dollar" 1969 (Dot 25874) [stereo] 

"Yankee Dollar" 2000 (Action Records 305, UK) 

"Yankee Dollar" 2002 (Akarma 233, Italy) 

"Yankee Dollar" 2002 (CD Akarma 233, Italy) 

CHRIS YATES (NJ) 

Yet another early Airplane-Mamas & Papas tribute, 

though this one's better than most with a classy, 

powerful soundscape, fuzz and tough chick vocals on 

some (too few) tracks and a nice cheesy Vox organ 

used throughout. Folk influences and rich harmonies 

summon a Growing Concern spectre. Not a classic, but 

several good tracks, and the album is given 

additional boost by the strong sonic qualities of the 

Dot mastering/pressing. Only promo monos exist. A 

mysterious later release/bootleg from Peru exists, 

using Dot labels with track titles in Spanish. The 

non-LP 45 is pretty good too. [PL]

"New Born" 1977 (I.L.S.M) 

YAYS & NAYS ( ) 

Basement dreamy organ melodic folk rock. Copies have 

been around for years, not an expensive LP. 

"Yays & Nays" 1968 (Neo) 

YEAR ONE ( ) 

Extraordinary exercise in turned-on 60s cool from odd 

band with 3 guys and 3 gals performing a tongue-incheek 

Men vs Women thematic duel on most of the 12 

tracks. Takes obvious inspiration from the Lee & 

Nancy duets but with a tough garage folkrock edge 

added and bends the gents vs ladies concept at 

precisely the right places to create a unique, clever 

and funny experience. The women come out on top, at 

least the way I heard it. The gals sing ensemble, 

while the guys (or the main guy) is typically solo 

and often moves into a "manly" Elvis/Lee H crooning 

that's just right for the trip. Great, varied 

songwriting. Hard to describe accurately, needs to be 

heard by everyone. Cool cover shows the band clad in 

vintage gear in a swamp, probably some sort of 

subliminal message. [PL] 

~~~ 


"Year One" 1976 (no label yo-52347/8) [2 LPs; gatefold] 

Apparently this is Fantasy without the female singer. 

Why that band would jettison its best asset is beyond 

me, but she would have given some nice energy to this 

sprawling prog/jazz/rock concept piece. There’s a lot 

going on here and a lot of energy was put into this 

album, and it gets points for being an uncompromising 

mix of styles. Some of it works and some doesn’t; 

surprisingly a few jazzy instrumental pieces are 

highlights while the few bits of space rock don’t 

fare as well. Not a great album, but not a dull one 

either. [AM] 

YELLOW AUTUMN (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Children Of The Mist" 1977 (Vala vc 4599) [insert] 

Impressive late hippie folk album with male/female 

vocals, acoustic guitar, flute, violin - all the 

right ingredients. Raga-influence on several tracks 

including a spellbinding meditation on suicide that 

alone makes the LP, which also brings in some UK 

trad-folk. Comparable to Modality Stew but better, 

with obvious psych remnants. Band leader Gary

Creighton passed away from a heart condition only a 

few years after making this. [PL] 

~~~ 

As American approximations of UK folk go, this is one 

of the best. There’s an appealing hippie/gypsy vibe 

to it, and the long song about suicide is truly 

horrifying. Excellent acoustic guitar playing adds to 

the appeal. [AM] 

YESTERDAY's CHILDREN (CT) 

"Yesterday's Children" 1969 (Map City 3012) 

"Yesterday's Children" 2001 (Akarma 179, Italy) 

"Yesterday's Children" 2001 (CD Akarma 179, Italy) 

This is a good one for fans of really hairy, greasy 

hard rockers. The guitars are grungy as hell and the 

production style is appealingly loud. Two of the 

highlights are covers, Wilkinsons Tricycle’s “What Of 

I” and a short version of Spooky Tooth’s “Evil 

Woman,” but the originals are strong too. A good one. 

Highly recommended to fans of the first two Blue 

Cheer albums. The band had a good 45 in their earlier 

"garage" phase. An original Italian pressing of the 

LP exists. [AM] 

YETTI-MEN (Minneapolis, MN) 

"Yetti-Men / Uppa Trio" 1965 (KAL 4348) [split LP] 

Somewhat legendary 1-sided spooky Midwestern 

surf/garage album, the other LP side wasted on folk 

group the Uppa Trio. Three of the six Yetti tracks 

have been reissued on Hipsville Vol 3, giving you a 

taste of their unique understated vision - "High 

Himalayas" is too much, and there's some prototype 

garage moves on "My baby left me". Sounds like early 

Index on a freezing Winter night gig in Minneapolis. 

[PL] 

YEZDA URFA (Portage, IN) 

"Boris" 1975 (Universal Studios) 

"Boris" 200 (CD Syn-Phonic) 

Legendary local rarity with an interesting mix of 

styles. Opens like a late 60s westcoast folkrock LP, 

then moves into Yes-style symph/prog sounds with 

tempo shifts, moog leads and frantic playing. 

Basement recording with a live feel and plenty of 

enthusiasm saves this from the usual prog-rock traps,

JOHN YLVISAKER (MN) 

and the tongue-in-cheek, showtune feel that runs 

through it is an advantage in this context. 

Excellent, high-pitched vocals is another plus. Side 

1 is impressive throughout, while some of the unique 

dementia is missing on the too-proggish side 2. While 

no great fan of the style this is an LP I'll probably 

return to in the future. Their second LP "Sacred 

Baboon" unfortunately is prog at its worst and loses 

all the positive aspects of "Boris". Some unreleased 

tapes in the "Boris" style are in circulation. CD 

reissue is from master tapes. [PL] 

~~~ 

This private press prog album has a really 

professional sound, with ultra-high male vocals in a 

Yes mode (actually, they most resemble the singer 

from the obscure prog band Facedancers). A really 

cool, powerful synth sound is highly effective early 

on but gets used a bit too much without variation, 

and over the whole album the constant tempo and 

rhythm shifts fall into the usual prog trap: they’re 

trying too hard and sucking the life out of their 

(mostly instrumental) melodies. That’s not to say 

that this album doesn’t have merit, though. Despite 

its faults it’s one of the most interesting albums in 

the genre, and the first five minutes or so should 

blow away even the most jaded listener. Too bad they 

didn’t write a couple of actual songs to give the 

listener some breathing room between the epics. [AM] 

"Cool Livin'" 1967 (Avant Garde av-107) 

One of the first LPs by this celebrated Christian 

crooner, whose rich tenor voice makes for a 

remarkable experience when delivering well-written 

Lutheran messages over Grassroots type folkrock. This 

finds him in a more rocking context than "A Love 

Song", with excellent garage/psych tracks such as "Do 

You Know What I Have Done" plus lots of penetrating 

wisdom. Might be too far out for some, though 

everyone I know thinks it great. He was sort of 

ridiculed in one of the Re/Search books but I don't 

regard him as a joke at all -- in my ears his LPs are 

more clever and enjoyable than the average "real" 

psych LP. There is a sampler reissue on the Mystic 

label (circa 1997) with about ½ this LP and ½ "A Love 

Song", which is pretty well selected. [PL] 

~~~ 


"A Love Song" 1968 (Avant Garde av-112) 

The rarer second Avant Garde LP has fewer standout 

tracks but is more consistent so I'll call it a draw. 

The Christian lounge-folkrock-psych eclectics are 

brought to their conclusion with mindboggling results 

- sorta like if Elvis had returned as a TV reverend. 

Ylvisaker is a sharp guy with a clearer view than 

most, which combined with the pro-level music and 

powerful vocals create an impressive experience. 

"Noise Of Solemn Assemblies" and "Palm 

Sunday" (omitted on the Mystic sampler) are flowing 

studio psych-folkrock of the highest order, recalling 

the organ-led Northeast '68 sound in particular.

American culture at its finest. There is also a 

British release on Liberty. [PL] 

~~~ 


"Don't Cut The Baby In Half" 196 (no label S6-6687) 

One of Ylvisaker's rarest, "assorted biblical 

narratives" according to the sleeve. The LP was 

recorded live at a seminary gathering, and includes 

versions of some tracks also on his Avant Garde LPs. 

This may actually pre-date the Avant Garde run. Other 

Ylvisaker LPs include "Contemporary Sounds" with the 

Carillion Singers (early 1970s); "Praise The 

Lord" (Avant Garde 102, 1967); "Follow Me" (Avant 

Garde 111, 1968). He also appears with several 

acoustic tracks on the 3 LP set "Happening At The 

Gathering" (1968) and other LPs, going back to the 

early 1960s. He's still active today. 

"Recorded At A Housewarming For Fritzie" 1972 (Soular Module 

sm-251) 

Live-in-living room jamming with guitarist Blakeley 

and their friends pitching in for a homemade 

hootenanny. An intriguing mix of folk blues and 

spirituals. [RM] 

MICHAEL YONKERS (MN) 

"Microminiature Love" 2002 (De Stijl 028) [500p] 

"Microminiature Love" 2003 (CD Sub Pop sp 508) 

The discovery and phoenix-like ascension into cult 

status of Michael Yonkers is one of the more 

remarkable stories in the music underground of recent 

years, and one that few people could have missed. 

Yonkers appeared with two old tracks on the "Free 

Flight" sampler (1997), which is what put DeStijl on 

his trail. The 1968 recordings found on 

"Microminiature Love" are mandatory in outsider 

circles. Yonkers' 1970s releases are as follows: 

"Grimwood" (1974), "Michael Lee Yonkers" (1974), 

"Goodbye Sunball" (1974), "Borders Of My 

Mind" (1974), "Thy Will Be Done" (1976); all on his

YOUNG BROTHERS (IL) 

own self-titled label. Much of the material was 

recorded earlier than the release year. There is also 

a recent recording, "It's Only Yonkers". 

"High Energy Rock" 1978 (GDS 781136) [yellow vinyl] 

Midwest Christian fuzz hardrock with three brothers 

on guitars and Kenny Mooney on drums. 

YUKON RAILROAD CO (CA) 

"Yukon Railroad Co." 197 (Big Hole 75-001) 

Rural hippie rock and country-rock in a New Riders- 

70s Dead-Nitty Gritty Dirt Band direction. Possibly 

from Tustin. 

"YOUNG PROPHECIES '68" (KS) 

"Young Prophecies 68" 1968 (Audio House ah-9068) 

The 'official' record from the same teen music camp 

that Smack came out of. Directed by Bill Cline who 

also co-wrote several tracks. Mostly moody folk and 

light rock with a couple tracks touching on the 

Vietnam War experience. The highlight from an 

underground perspective is Phil Brown's "Super Sam", 

a druggy hipster cool, from a teenage prism, rewrite 

of Donovan's "Season of the Witch". Phil was a member 

of Smack. [RM] 


ZAHARAS (Hickory, NC) 

"Livin' Ain't Easy" 1977 (Vegas 9739) 

This hard rock album dates to the mid-70s but sounds 

more modern, almost 80s. On the first few songs, two 

of which are slower and more deliberate than your 

typical hard rock/southern rock fare, the songwriting 

and guitar playing are surprisingly subtle for this 

style of music. The hooks aren't exactly original, 

but they're effective. When they veer towards more 

common boogie stylings, though, they're less 

interesting, and the quality of songs disspates 

pretty quickly after the first three. Most of the 

lyrics are love song drivel, unfortunately. For an 

album that starts so well, the end result is kind of 

disappointing. [AM] 

"Blackbird" 1978 (Vegas) [plain cover] 

The seldom seen second LP is purportedly similar but 

with more personal and interesting lyrics, and 

according to a band member deals with death and 

occult themes on several songs. 

V.A "ZEBRA SELECTION" (IL) 

"Zebra Selection" 1967 (Drocer no #) [b&w paste-on] 

Mix of garage pop and soul. Produced for the local 

Junior Achievement chapter. The title refers to the 

fact that there are two white and three black groups 

represented. Bands are the Nightriders, the Junior 

Jive Kings, Johnny & the Impalas, the Cavaliers and 

the Knights Of Soul. [RM] 

ZENITH EFFLUVEUM (Rochester, NY) 

"Almost Made It In The USA" 1978 (Separate) 

This new wave era psych album has the feel of 

unrestrained teenagers getting stoned and recording 

everything they've ever written in one day. It's six 

songs that take up 48 minutes, and the messy 

arrangements include clarinets, synthesizers and 

unidentified noise. The songs ramble (the closing 13minute 

song is a suite of sorts, but doesn't exactly 

feel carefully structured.) The vocals are unmelodic

in the mode of 70s bands like MX-80 Sound or Debris, 

or 90s bands like Pavement and Built To Spill. The 

long guitar solo on "Opie" is a definte highlight, 

and the wild feel of this will appeal to some. I 

think a producer might have helped, though, and a 35minute 

album minus the entire closing song/suite 

would have been a more listenable record. [AM] 

ZERFAS (Indianapolis, IN) 

"Zerfas" 1973 (700 West LH 730710) [500p] 

"Zerfas" 1994 (700 west) [several inserts; 500p] 

"Zerfas" 199 (Atlas, Europe) [bootleg] 

"Zerfas" 2004 (CD Radioactive 050, UK) 

"Zerfas" 2004 (Radioactive 050, UK) 

One of the top local jobs in the 1970s epic psychrock 

bag with an awesome westcoasty panorama 

soundscape, strong vocals and brilliant late-Beatle 

style songwriting. The first side is as good as the 

A-side on Marcus and the vaguely progressive moves on 

the flip talented and focused as well, with a peak in 

the tremendous "Piper" closing track. The album sides 

open with what are arguably the two weakest tracks, 

which may turn some listeners off, but patience will 

pay off most gloriously. A Midwest masterpiece with 

wide appeal, firmly on my personal 70s top ten. I 

recommend the first, legal reissue from tapes for the 

best trip on this outstanding "Abbey Road" out of 

Indy. Unfortunately 125 copies of this reissue were 

defective so only 375 went into circulation. The 

Radioactive reissues have a poor mastering job and 

are not recommended. [PL] 

~~~ 

Stunning psych album can only be described as what 

might have happened if the Beatles had pushed the 

psychedelic experiments of Revolver into late 

60s/early 70s territory and re-discovered their youth 

at the same time. An album that is so chock full of 

ideas, great songwriting, and clever production 

tricks that I discover something new on every single 

listen. This is an example of ambitious kids setting 

out to make the world's greatest record, and pretty 

much succeeding. Among the many things to love about 

this album is the lead guitar sound, the most perfect 

I've ever heard. An album that pretty much blows away 

everyone, and that rare proof that with enough time 

and attention a private press can match any major 

label recording. [AM] 

~~~ 


ZETA RETICULI see Elliot, Walter & Bennet

LORRI ZIMMERMAN (Canada) 

ZINI (MO) 

"Lorri Zimmerman" 1969 (Crescent City) 

Zimmerman was a member of Life, but left before they 

recorded their album, opting instead for this solo 

LP. The result has been lost in space and time, 

missing from reference books and rare record dealers’ 

catalogues, and rarely mentioned by collectors or 

Canadian rock aficionados. Why it’s so unknown is a 

mystery, since it’s a completely terrific album, one 

of the very best 60s rock albums by a female singer. 

Think about all of those post-Airplane bands who 

jumped on the bandwagon by hiring a female singer and 

buying a fuzzbox. Then imagine that all of them 

pooled their best songs, had the good sense to let 

the woman sing all of them, and left out the acoustic 

ballads and wanky blues jams. Then they hired a 

producer who didn’t go overboard trying to be trendy 

and trippy. This is pretty much what you’d have. 

Zimmerman has a voice that’s alternately powerful and 

affecting; she’s as suited to folk-rockers like 

“Paint Me A Picture” as she is to tougher rock like 

“Bidin’ My Time.” The latter is an appropriate 

metaphor for her singing style, as she hits the high 

notes and brings on the power exactly when it’s 

needed most. The arrangement of these songs, and her 

timing as a singer, is ace. She’s not a songwriter, 

but the majority of these excellent songs were 

written by her collaborators, so there’s a feeling of 

consistency and comfort. Some of the guitar playing 

will hit the right spots for psych heads, but mostly 

this is just great unpretentious rock and roll 

without much experimentation. Needless to say, highly 

recommended. In the 70s, Zimmerman would join the 

bilingual group Toulouse. [AM] 

"Better Than A Kick In The Teeth" 197 (Cabin 38074) [500p] 

"Better Than A Kick In The Teeth" 2000 (Synoptik, Europe) 

"Better Than A Kick In The Teeth" 2005 (Breeder Backtrack 266, 

Austria) 

Obscure and somewhat underrated rural mullet-rock 

westcoasty AOR LP with good harmony vocals and a 

professional sound all around. Strong songwriting a 

la early Eagles and Poco with a Neil Young vibe on 

the best tracks; 2-3 wimpy tracks suck but all over a 

pretty good trip into 1970s Camaro cruising sounds. 

The excellent opening track gives a good idea about 

this album's strengths. Release year has been listed 

as both 1974, 1977 and 1980; could well be the 

latter. [PL] 

ZIPPER (Portland, OR) 

"Zipper" 1975 (Whizeagle 0001) [poster] 

"Zipper" 199 (Way Back, Germany) [+2 bonus tracks] 

Fred Cole’s mid-70s album is as uncompromising as 

anything he’s done. His vocal style is especially

ZIPPYR BAND ( ) 

strident on these hard rock songs, which don’t have 

the garage-style feel of Dead Moon or the occasional 

subtleties of Lollipop Shoppe. The first song is a 

bunch of raunchy double-entendres. Pretty twisted. 

There’s a kind of saminess as this album moves along, 

probably due to uninspired songwriting. Still, this 

is worth hearing. It’s unique and wild. The cover is 

handmade to the extreme. [AM] 

"Early Sunday Mornin'" 1977 (Castle TZB 10177) 

ZODIACS ( ) 

Midwest Allman Bros-style guitar rock with heavy 

moves. 

"Breaking Out" 1965 (Space 12-1965) [no cover] 

ZOLDAR & CLARK ( ) 

Seldom seen sleeveless teen-beat LP with guitars & 

piano. 

"Zoldar & Clark" 1977 (Dellwood 56013) 

I'm not a fanatical progressive collector so it's 

kind of a surprise that this rather obscure album has 

managed to worm its way into my heart. Propelled by a 

sea of synthesizers, musically the set's firmly 

entrenched in the progressive camp (check out the 

extended instrumental "Luner Progressions"), though 

tracks such as "Touch the Sky" and "The Ghost of Way" 

are surprisingly accessible. The group certainly had 

a knack for crafting catchy hooks and whoever handled 

the lead vocals had a nice and quite commercial 

voice. In fact with a little bit of editing, several 

songs would have given bands like Ambrosia, Kansas, 

Styx and even Yes a run for their FM radio play. 

Sure, it wasn't the year's most original offering, 

but give me these guys over Starcastle any day! Man, 

side two of this album seems to go by in a flash. 

[SB] 

~~~ 

The second of the two Jasper Wrath albums secretly 

released by Guinness/Dellwood is the better and more 

experimental of the two. It has a similar prog/AOR 

sound with a very obvious Yes influence (including a 

few blatant thefts). It has more synth, more 

mellotron, and more special effects than the Arden 

House album, and unlike Arden House, all seven songs 

here sound like they were recorded in the same 

sessions. The album may not appeal to fans of the 

Jasper Wrath album, or to psych fans, but as 70s US 

progressive rock goes, this is one of the best albums 

out there. Highlights include the truly awesome 

“Ghost of Way”, an epic with killer mellotron and an 

amazing host of instruments and structural surprises. 

It’s the kind of creative experimentation that I

think of when I call music “progressive” in a 

positive way. Elsewhere are unusual uses of time 

signatures, terrific guitar playing and complex ideas 

done so smoothly as to sound simple. This is a really 

great record. As with the Arden House album, the 

songs are arranged haphazardly, with side one 21 

minutes and side two 12 minutes. Jasper Wrath 

released a non-LP single, “You/General Gunther,” in 

1976 and it has the same production sound as these 

albums. Seeing as these albums were released without 

Jasper Wrath’s knowledge (and the fake names assured 

that Jasper Wrath wouldn’t have an easy time 

discovering them), it’s interesting to speculate why 

they had 80 minutes (including both albums and the 

single) of professionally produced material just 

sitting around gathering dust. Did they plan two 

albums? A double LP? [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Arden House; Jasper Wrath 

ZOO (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Presents Chocolate Moose" 1968 (Sunburst 7500) 

"Presents Chocolate Moose" 198 (no label) 

"Presents Chocolate Moose" 1993 (CD Big Beat wik-123, UK) 

"Presents Chocolate Moose" 2002 (CD Radioactive 010, UK) 

Sunset Strip club rock with soul and r'n'b moves, 

solid guitarwork and some psychy tracks on side 2. 

~~~ 

see -> Mad Dog 


The Attic 

JOHN HOWARD ABDNOR INVOLVEMENT (Fort Worth, TX) 

"Intro To Change" 1969 (Abnak ABST-2072) [ylp exists] 

Without trying to sound snooty about it, John Howard Abdnor probably owes his 

brief musical career to the auspices and generosity of his father. John Howard 

Abdnor Sr. was a well to do Fort Worth-based business who had made a killing in 

the insurance business. By the early 1960s Abdnor Sr. had turned his attention to 

music, where as the founder and owner of AbnakRecords, he enjoyed quite a bit 

of local success with acts such as soulster Bobby Patterson (who attended 

college with Abdnor Sr.'s son) and The Five Americans. Like a good dad, Abdnor 

Sr. also financed son John Howard Abdnor's own musical aspirations, which 

included a myriad of mid-1960s releases credited to a slew of alias including Jon 

and Robin (Robin being his wife), Jon Abnor, Jon and the In Crowd, Jon Howard, 

H. Rabon and The John Howard Abdnor Involvement. Much to my surprise, 

1969's self-produced LP is a fairly interesting affair. Backed by what are 

apparently sessions players and friends, Abdnor had a decent voice that 

combined with the album's sporadic horn arrangements, occasionally recalled 

Blood, Sweat and Tears David Clayton Thomas. If you doubt the comparison, 

check out the opening song 'How Do You Teach a Turtle To Fly' or 'Maintain'. 

Musically the set was all over the spectrum, including stabs at R&B ('I'll Come 

Running To You'), singer/songwriter ('J.D.') and country-rock ('Sandy, I'm Your 

Man'). Easily the weirdest (and longest) track was the psych-influenced 

'Relaxation'. Love the bizarre nuclear explosion ending. Barely clocking in over 

20 minutes, in length the album sported a likeable low tech sound and feel. 

Abnak also released a single off of the album - 'I'll Come Running To You' b/w 

'Sandy I'm Your Man' (Abnak AB-147). [SB] 

ABRAHAM'S CHILDREN (Toronto, Canada) 

"Time" 1973 (Gas 2001) [gatefold] 

"Time" 2004 (CD) 

Having listened to this one a half dozen times, I've got to tell you these guys 

barely qualify as a rock band, let alone a psych act. Quality pop outfit yeah, but 

psych? Definitively not... Guitarist Ron Bartley, bassist Jimi Bertucci , drummer 

Brian Cotterill and keyboard player Bob McPherson got their start in the late 

1960s with the Toronto-based Just Us. That outfit subsequently morphed into 

Captain Midnight's Dirty Feet (great name), but ran into a problem with Captain 

Midnight's publishers. The threat of legal action was enough to see the quartet 

opt for another name switch - this time around Abraham's Children. Signed to the 

small Toronto-based G.A.S. Records, the band enjoyed a Canadian top-40 hit

with their debut 45 'Goodbye-Farewell'. Their 1973 follow-up 'Gypsy' went top-10, 

leading G.A.S. to finance an LP. Unfortunately, by the time the group started 

recording the album, musical tensions had begun to flare. G.A.S. executes 

demanded the band continue to work in a commercial pop vein, while the band 

members were interested in a harder-rock sound. Guess which side won the 

fight? Produced by Paul Gross (who contributed a couple of tracks to the LP), 

1973's "Time" offered up a mix of the earlier singles and new studio material. 

Boasting three lead singers in Bartley, Bertucci and Contterbill, the entire set was 

enjoyable, with tracks such as 'Children's Song' and 'How To Be A Lady' 

showcasing the group's knack for writing and performing commercial pop. 

Imagine a Canadian version of Pilot, or The Raspberries and you'll get a feel for 

most of the album. The group also enjoyed a third Canadian hit with the bouncy 

'Thank You'. It's interesting that the two best songs are also the least 

commercial. Both 'Woman 'O Woman' and the group-penned 'Workin' for the 

Man' are thumping rockers, albeit with harmony vocals that make radio stations 

so happy.Following the album's release the band underwent an ongoing series of 

personnel changes that saw Bertucci, Cotterili and McPherson all quit. With 

replacements the band struggled on for three more years, during which time they 

shortened their name to 'The Children''. They also released one final non-LP 

single - 1974's 'Goddess of Nature' on Rampage. The group finally called it quits 

in 1976. Bartley, Dinardo and O'Shea subsequently formed Bang. Bertucci 

continued to record under the name 'Jimi B'. The band has reformed and 

continues to tour to this day, along with a retrospective double CD titled "30". 

[SB] 

ABSTRACTS (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Abstracts" 1968 (Pompeii SD 6002) 

One of the first (and last) acts signed to Atlantic's short-lived Pompeii subsidiary, 

the band's LP offered up a weird hybrid sounding like Association-styled MOR 

crossed with ARS Nova styled Baroque-psych. Yeah, we know it sounds odd. 

Exemplified by Peluso-penned material such as "Rich Young Heir", "O.D.D. 

Clown" and "Matter of Life and Death", the deep, thoughtful (aka pompous) lyrics 

were certain to have appealed to closet intellectuals. The album was also notable 

for including the year's oddest Gershwin cover ("Summertime"). In spite of those 

comments, the set wasn't acomplete waste. Peluso tended to over sing, but he 

had a decent voice and on songs with strong melodies, notably "See the Birds" 

and "Smell of Incense" the band proved quite listenable. [SB] 

THE AFFECTION COLLECTION (ID)

"The Affection Collection" 196 (Evolution) 

Here's one gaining attention of late that was always ignored and always rare to 

begin with, kind of like the now highly prized Afterglow album on MTA. The cover 

and liner notes suggest something very square, and not hip. Perhaps the music 

reflects that but transcends it, or sounds like an enjoyable albeit not outstanding 

period piece. The farfisa organ and garage pop vibe of both The Strawberry 

Alarm Clock and The New Colony Six are to the fore on most tracks, and while 

unlike the Alarm Clock they don't leave me wishing I'd never heard it unlike The 

New Colony Six or British North American Act they don't quite fulfill the promise 

shown here. There is some heavy fuzz, and some light psych touches, but for the 

most part this sounds more like an album that would appeal to fans of "sunshine" 

pop with a slightly creepier vibe. This is a good album don't get me wrong. The 

songs are good and the organ sound is very pleasant. However, like the sleeve 

this feels more like a rough draft of something interesting than a fully realized 

album. Worth investigation, but not a lost treasure. -- Ben Blake Mitchner 

SHAMIM AHMED (India) 

"A Web of Sound" 1969 (Monitor) 

Eastern sounds trio tanpura, tabla, and sitar. Three long tracks. [RM] 

LEE AKERS & ELECTRIC GENERATION ( ) 

"Heavy, Heavy, Heavy" 1969 (Crown cst-608) 

Exploito bluesy rock fun with cheesy organ and basement guitar. [RM] 

ALBERT ( ) 

"The Albert" 197 (Perception 4) [gatefold] [1] 

"The Albert" 197 (Perception 9) 

-- different LP from above 

Jazzy proggy funky rock with horns, conga. These LPs have appeal to both odd 

hippie jam fans and funky jazz collectors. 

The second LP (perhaps both?) recorded at Electric Ladyland Studios. [RM]

DICK & ANNE ALBIN (KY) 

"Mahathma Gandhi Spat Here" 1973 (Phonygraph ADA-1) 

"Que Asco!" 197 (Phonygraph ADA-2) 

"Red Roses, Green Briars and Milk-White Steeds" 1974 (Phonygraph ADA-3) 

[gatefold] 

"No Commercial Appeal" 1976 (Phonygraph ADA-5) [insert] 

Mid-1970s hippie folk with trad and bluegrass moves and various acoustic 

instruments used. There were several more LPs released, all on their own label. 

ALEXANDER RABBIT ( ) 

"Hunchback of Notre Dame" 1969 (Mercury 61291) [wlp also exists] 

Ostensibly a “band,” but the album cover appears to be four very different photos 

of the same guy. This guy had a vision, and this psych-prog mix is appealing on 

many levels. Lots of ideas here (some stolen), good mix of experimental, poppy, 

folky, and heavy sounds. The Otis Redding cover is way out of place, but the 

other styles mesh surprisingly well. Occasional mystical lyrics hint at some sort of 

concept that the album doesn’t explore in depth. [AM] 

~~~ 

Recorded in New York's Associated Recording Studios, the LP was co-produced 

by Irving Spice and Max Ellen, the eccentric Jerry Samuels (aka Napoleon XIV) 

engineering. In spite of the goofy title, the collection of original material (a rote 

cover of Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long" being the one 

exception), was diverse and surprisingly engaging. While the extended title track 

bogged down in Procol Harum-meets-Tolken art-rock mysticism is not a pretty 

combination, elsewhere the band displayed considerable versatility, capably 

polishing off nifty rockers (the scorching "Goin' Down"), Association-styled 

ballads ("My Woman") and decent pop-rock ("Faraway Man"). While it wasn't the 

year's most consistent release, the fact it was so diverse was part of its charm. 

Well worth looking for and you can still find the LP at a decent price... [SB] 

ALIVE 'N KICKIN' (NY) 

"Alive 'N Kickin'" 1970 (Roulette 42052) [wlp also exists]

"Alive 'N Kickin'" 199 (CD Collectables) 

The Tommy James-penned “Tighter Tighter” was a hit (and still gets some play 

on oldies radio), but the rest of the album is much tougher and more substantial 

than that. A nice surprise in the same way as the self-titled Ohio Express album 

or the Lemon Pipers’ GREEN TAMBOURINE. The guitarist is hot, and his style 

ranges from funk to blues to rock, with lots of wah-wah. The songs aren’t quite up 

to his level, but they’re not bad. “Mississippi Mud” is probably the best of an 

above-average lot. A great, powerful female singer is sadly underused, not 

singing a solo lead on any of the songs. [AM] 

~~~ 

Anyone hearing "Tighter and Tighter" (let along looking at the fun-in-the-sun 

album cover), would have justifiably concluded these guys were little more than a 

top-40 pop band. Wrong conclusion. Powered by Todler's tough voice (her 

bluesy delivery occasionally bore a startling resemblance to Joplin - check out 

"Kentucky Fire"), the set of largely original material rocked with impressive 

energy. While it may not have made for the year's most original set, tracks such 

as "Junction Creek" and "Mississippi Mud" saw the group displaying a penchant 

for above average blues-rock. [SB] 

AMERICAN REVOLUTION ( ) 

"American Revolution" 1967 (Flick Disc fls-45002) 

Signed by the MGM-affiliated Flick Disc label, the quartet's 1968 debut "The 

American Revolution" found the quartet working with four separate producers 

(Harley Hatcher, the team of Mike Lloyd and Mike Curb, and Larry Brown). 

Musically the collection was all over the spectrum, including haphazard stabs at 

Rascals-styled blue-eyed soul ("Come On and Get It"), Beatles-styled 

psychedelia (the hysterically inept "In the Late Afternoon" and "Opus #1") and 

Buckinghams-styled horns ("Love Has Got Me Down). Unfortunately, while all 

four principles sang, none could really hold a tune (be sure to check-out their 

attempt at close-knit harmonies on "Crying Eyes and an Empty Heart"). 

Combined with the fact they couldn't write worth a damn and their choices of 

outside material sucked, and you were left with an album that was largely 

unlistenable. Give them an extra star for the hopelessly dated album cover. Of 

course today the project's earnestness is hysterical. Richard Barcelona turned up 

in one of the later (post GNP Crescendo) line-ups of the Seeds. [SB] 

~~~ 

see -> Edge

ANCIENT FUTURE (CA) 

"Visions of a Peaceful Planet" 1980 (Beauty af-79) 

Eastern spiritual hippie folk with acoustic guitars, tablas, sarod, flute, and even 

sitar on two tracks. The band has several more releases and are still active. [RM] 

ANTHEM ( ) 

"Anthem" 1970 (BuddaH BDS 5071) 

Signed by Buddah this trio's self-titled 1970 album teamed them with producer 

Stan Vincent. Musically "Anthem" offered up a fairly entertaining mix of 

commercial pop (the title track) and slightly more experimental numbers (the 

extended "Misty Morns"). While it wasn't one of the year's most original offerings, 

all three members -- guitarist Bartholomew guess he didn't have a last name), 

bassist Gregg Hollister and drummer Bobby Howe -- were gifted with decent 

voices and on tracks such as "Florida" and "Queen" they displayed a knack for 

crafting some pretty harmonies. Not sure who it was, but one of the three had a 

voice that sounded uncannily like The Monkees' Michael Nesmith ("Anthem" and 

"New Day"). Needless to say, the album sold roughly ten copies, instantly ending 

up in cutout bins. [SB] 

AORTA (Chicago, IL) 

"Aorta" 1969 (Columbia cs-9785) [360 Sound label; gatefold] 

"Aorta" 197 (Columbia cs-9785) [later red label; gatefold] 

"Aorta" 199 (CD Buy or Die) 

The first LP showcased one of the better slices of late-1960s major label 

psychedelia. Almost a concept piece, the individual numbers were strung 

together by a series of segues ("Main Vein" sections I through IV). Featuring 

largely original material (three of the four members contributing songs), the 

collection offered up a nice mélange of poppier numbers (The Buckinghamsstyled 

"Magic Bed" and "Sleep Tight") and harder edged, more experimental 

efforts ( the psych-flavored "What's in My Mind's Eye" and "Catalyptic"). 

Columbia also chose to included a rerecorded version of "Strange" which b/w 

"Ode to Missy Mxyzosptik" was subsequently released as a single (Columbia 

catalog number 4-44870). Sure, it wasn't a major creative statement or 

something that would drastically change your life, but full of nice fuzz guitar, 

interesting melodies, and weird studio effects, it made for a solid player; every

track worth hearing. Besides, when's the last time you heard such a glowing 

review? A minor chart success, the album peaked at # 167. [SB] 

"Aorta 2" 1970 (Happy Tiger ht-1010) 


The second album also saw the band undergoing a major change in musical 

direction. All but abandoning their earlier psych leanings, track such as "Willie 

Jean", "Little Bonnie" and "Sandcastles" offered up a mix of lighter pop and 

country-rock sounds. Curiously, several of the compositions including "Beg For 

His Forgiveness", "His Faith In Man" and "Devil, Maggot & Son" featured rather 

blatant Christian-oriented lyrics. Taken on their own those efforts weren't half 

bad, full of of nice harmony vocals and engaging melodies, but when compared 

to the debut the results just didn't come close. This time around it was the 

atypical numbers that provided the highlights. The furious rocker "Beg for His 

Forgiveness" probably came the closest to recapturing the debut's meltdown 

sound, while "Pickin' Blues" was an okay boogie/blues number. [SB] 

ARCHITECT ( ) 

"Architect" 1978 (private) [2-3] 

Obscure 1970s progressive rock. 

ARNOLD (Seattle, WA) 

"Arnold – Cut The Crap" 1980 (First American) 

This obscure hard rock/AOR album has quite a sense of humor. Arnold looks 

absolutely demented on the album cover and his vocals (I wouldn’t exactly call 

what he does “singing”) are a mix of shouts, growls and interjections. He rants 

and raves to the left and the right of the melodies, which are all carried by a 

chorus of backing vocals. The style does eventually wear thin, but it’s a short 

album (25 minutes), so for the most part, it works. The music isn’t especially 

heavy (and some of it is old-style 50s-ish rock and roll) but it’s full of energy. It’s 

fast and raucous, has plenty of lead guitar and some funky bass here and there. 

There’s backwards guitar on one song. Kind of a novelty, but fun. [AM] 

ARNOLD BEAN (GA)

"Cosmic Bean" 1970 (SSS International 21) [promos also exist] [1] 

Here's one that almost makes it. It's got a perfectly nice folk-rock/pop feel, lovely 

arrangements with lots of well-placed organ and jangly 12- string guitars, and a 

fabulous psychedelic album cover. The vocals are a little weak, though, and 

rarely improved with harmonies. And while the songs are all pretty good, they 

lack that extra step that would take them toward greatness. A little more creativity 

might have helped: a wild guitar solo, unexpected tempo change, vocal 

histrionics, anything other than the albums's one attempt at a rave-up, the 

unfunny "Daddy's Got The Clap." So, while Arnold Bean show plenty of promise, 

this album is missing spark and intrigue. Just when you're ready to give up on it, 

though, the last three songs, "I've Got The Key," "Captain Marvel," and "Nature 

Boy," are the three best, so you put the album away thinking maybe it was pretty 

great. COSMIC BEAN is destined to disappoint those who get their hopes up and 

to be a pleasant surprise for those who don't. [AM] 

ARS NOVA (New York City, NY) 

"Ars Nova" 1968 (Elektra EKS-5002) [gatefold] 

"Ars Nova" 2004 (CD Sundazed) 

Classically training musicians living and working in New York City, in 1967 

drummer Maury Baker, guitarist Wyatt Day, bass Bill Folwell, guitarist Giovanni 

Papalia, vocalist/horn player John Pierson and bassist John Raskin decided their 

future (and their fortunes) lay in rock and roll. Several months of intense 

rehearsals and a series of well received concerts led to a deal with Elektra 

Records. Teamed with Doors producer Paul Rothchild, the band's 1968 self-titled 

aptly debut displayed the sextet's virtuosity. Musically diverse, "ARS Nova" found 

the band equally at home with classical inspired ballads (the Baroque-influenced 

single "Pavan for My Love"), precursor Blood, Sweat and Tears horn 

arrangements ("General Clover Ends a War") and prototype heavy rock ("And 

How Am I To Know"). With Day providing the majority of material (much of it cowritten 

with either Pierson or non-band member Gregory Copeland), the group's 

efforts to blend classical and rock elements was interesting, if occasionally a tad 

pretentious. Imagine a less bubble gummy version of The Left Banke and you'll 

get a feel for the set. Personal favorite, the popish single "Fields of People." In 

spite of decent reviews, including an extensive write-up in the June 1968 edition 

of Life, the set failed to sell. [SB] 

"Sunshine and Shadows" 1969 (Atlantic SD-8221) 

"Sunshine and Shadows" 1994 (CD Repertoire) 

In the wake of the album's release the band was torn apart by musical and 

personal disagreements. When things finally settled down, Day and Pierson

stood as the only survivors. Supported by a brand new lineup consisting of 

keyboardist Warren Bernhardt, guitarist Sam Brown, drummer Joe Hunt, Art 

Koenig and horn player Jimmy Owens the revamped band signed with Atlantic. 

Released in mid-1969, "Sunshine and Shadows" found the band working with 

producer Arthur Gorson. With Day providing the majority of material (trumpet 

player Owens contributed the instrumental "You Had Better Listen"), numbers 

such as the title track, "I was Once" and "She Promises Everything" retained the 

band's "arty" leanings, though with less impressive results. Pastorial melodies, 

folkish harmonies and thoughtful lyrics made for a decent album, though 

stretched over most of the first side, it began to sound alike. "Well, Well, Well" 

was far better, if only due to the atypical rock tempo and Brown's screaming fuzz 

guitar solo. Another commercial nonentity, the collection vanished without a 

trace. (In case anyone cared, Jon Borgzinner, who had authored the earlier piece 

in Life, contributed the liner notes.) Shortly after it's release the group called it 

quits. [SB] 

ASSEMBLAGE (Detroit, MI) 

"Assemblage" 1971 (Westbound wb-2004) 

Cool hippie jamming on renowned soul label with fuzz, funky moves, femme 

backing vocals, and crashing organ. [RM] 

ATOMES (Canada) 

"Va T'En Maintenant" 1967 (Capitol 70016, Canada) 

French-Canadian garage pop. [RM] 

AUM (San Francisco, CA) 

"Bluesvibes" 1969 (Sire 97007) 

Led by singer/multi-instrumentalist Wayne Ceballos, the little know Aum stand as 

also-rans in the lexicon of '60s San Francisco bands. With drummer Larry Martin 

and bassist Ken Newell rounding out the trio, the group's initial reputation 

stemmed from their jam-oriented concerts. Initially signed by the Londonaffiliated 

Sire label, as one would expect from the title, the group's 1969's 

"Bluesvibes" found them working in a distinctively blues-vein. Reflecting the 

band's live act, the Richard Gotthrer produced debut featured a series of seven

extended jams, (the shortest song clocking in at 4 minutes). With Ceballos writing 

the majority of the material, in spite of period excesses (e.g. aimless soloing), 

originals such as "Mississippi Mud" and "Chilli Woman" weren't half bad. 

Moreover, Ceballos proved a decent singer, injecting considerable energy into 

his performances. Among the few missteps, the band's ponderous cover of John 

Loudermilk's "Tobacco Road" would've been suitable for Vanilla Fudge. 

Commercially the set proved a non-entity; quickly vanishing into cutout bins. [SB] 

"Resurrection" 1970 (Fillmore F-30002) 

One of the first acts signed to Bill Graham's Fillmore label, 1969's "Resurrection" 

teamed the band with producer David Rubinson. As one might have guessed 

from the album title (let alone the back cover which showed three crosses), their 

sophomore effort found the band pursuing a pseudo-religious agenda. In spite of 

occasionally clunky lyrics and an irritating degree of echo, Ceballos-penned 

material such as "God Is Back In Town," the ballad "Only I Know" and " Today 

and Tomorrow" wasn't half bad. Boasting a nifty Ceballos guitar solo, the stately 

title track was our nomination for standout track. Elsewhere, the driving "Bye Bye 

Baby" and "Little Brown Hen" recalled Quicksilver Messenger Service. Certainly 

not likely to get top-40 airplay, but San Francisco certainly turned out worse 

sounding bands. Commercially the set did nothing; the trio calling it quits shortly 

thereafter. [SB] 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

BABY (TX) 

"Baby" 1974 (Lone Starr 8670) 

Described as average southern rock, sometimes hyped. 

BAG ( ) 

"Real" 1968 (Decca dl-75057) [white label promo] [1] 

"Real" 1968 (Decca dl-75057) 

We've always wondered about this quartet (keyboardist Joe Di Marzo, singer 

Danny Mahony, guitarist Jay Saving and drummer Al Esposito). A number of 

reviewers have categorized the band's sound as psychedelic, but to us they 

sound like Young Rascal clones. Released by Decca, 1968's "Real" teamed the 

quartet with producer Jim Curtiss. Showcasing a mixture of originals (Di Marzo, 

Mahony and Savino all contributing material) and two covers, the collection

offered up an enjoyable set of blue-eyed soul. Propelled by Mahony's crusty 

voice (baring an uncanny resemblance to Felix Cavaliere), tracks such as "I Want 

You By My Side", "Got Away" and "I'm Sitting By the Wayside of My Life" were 

melodic and highly commercial Okay, back to the psych label for a moment: 

admittedly "Red, Purple and Blue" had a nifty freak-out fade, while "It's All Over" 

benfitted from a tasty lead fuzz guitar. A commercial non-entity, the set vanished 

without trace. Within a matter of months the band followed suit. [SB] 

BALDWIN AND LEPS ( ) 

"Baldwin and Leps" 1971 (Vanguard vsd-6567) [gatefold] [1] 

"Baldwin and Leps" 2001 (Akarma-Vanguard, Italy) [gatefold] 

"Baldwin and Leps" 2001 (CD Akarma-Vanguard, Italy) 

These two "buskers" recorded their album pretty much as they played in the 

street (or subway): just violin, guitar and vocals. Side one is a semi-rock-opera 

about some drug dealing drifters. Interesting once, but not musically compelling 

enough to make it stand up with time. Unfortunately the best two songs on the 

album are the two where they augment their routine: one with a rhythm section 

and one with a bunch of sound effects. You gotta give credit to Vanguard for 

signing such an obviously uncommercial band, but the album is nothing special. 

[AM] 

BAMBOO ( ) 

"Bamboo" 1969 (Elektra EKS-74048) 

Music is a tough business and if you want to make a living in it, you have to be 

willing to adapt to the public's ever-changing taste. That said, Bamboo stands as 

one of the more dramatic changes I'm aware. Singer/guitarist Dave Ray had 

previously been a member of the folk and blues outfit Koerner, Ray and Glover. 

In the wake of that trio's collapse he built a recording studio in Minnesota and 

(judging by the album cover photo), decided to become a hippy. He also decided 

to get back into recording via a collaboration with singer/guitarist Will Donicht. 

While the cover of 1969's "Bamboo" only shows Ray and Donicht, this was 

apparently a full scale band with bassist Daniel Lee Hall contributing several 

songs to the collection. Produced by Allan Emig, the album finds Ray and 

company opting for a much more rock oriented sound that his earlier catalog. 

Tracks such as 'Girl Of The Seasons' (which sounds like something David 

Crosby might have written and recorded), 'Treehouse' and the rocker 'Blak Beri 

Cheri Blooz' offer up a competent, if pedestrian mix of rock, country-rock, lite jazz 

and even psych touches. There's nothing really wrong here, but by the same

token, there's nothing really right. I was going to give it three stars, but decided to 

dock it one for Donicht and Ray's horribly dated wardrobes. [SB] 

BANTAMS ( ) 

"Beware" 1966 (Warner Brothers w-1625) [mono] 

"Beware" 1966 (Warner Brothers w-1625) [stereo] 

Preteen kiddie garage covers. Fun basement raveups. [RM] 

STEVE BARON QUARTET (NY) 

"The Mother Of Us All" 1969 (Tetragrammaton T-123) 

This is one of many interesting releases on the Tetragrammaton label. It’s a 

distinctive mix of folk, rock and jazz and sounds like nothing else I know. In an 

obvious attempt to challenge the listener, the album starts with the album’s 

sparsest, moodiest track. About half of the songs are drumless acoustic 

numbers. They’re good, but the full band songs are even better, some with 

surprisingly poppy hooks. The 6-minute “Don’t You Hate The Feeling” and 11minute 

“Shadow Man” break out into excellent extended jazz guitar solos that 

work amazingly well in the folk-rock context. These songs blow away any of the 

bluesy guitar jams on the heavy psych albums of the era. Intriguing work that 

could have heralded a new, successful blend of genres had anyone heard it. 

Produced by jazz musician Mike Berniker, who would also work folk-rock 

wonders on the great album by Susan Pillsbury. [AM] 

"Sessions With Jef Lowell" 1971 (Otherway Records 101) [1] 

Here are some details from bass player Jef Lowell, who plays with Steve Baron 

on this little-known, privately released sequel: "... Steve and I had just come off 

the road from a four month tour as the opening act for a production of Jesus 

Christ Superstar. We thought it would be fun to invite a bunch of our Superstar 

friends, and do what would be basically a live album in the studio. They were all 

very talented musicians, and they joined in for chorus vocals on a couple of the 

songs, as well as contributing ambience. Their sax player played on a song 

called "Magic Magician". It was mostly sold by mail order, and never had any 

serious promotion. We sometimes sold copies at concerts, but never made a big 

thing of it. I suppose Steve had hopes that some record company might pick it up 

and release it, but that never happened. Musicly, it's a pretty straightforward 

presentation of what we sounded like as a live duo. But, in it, the jazz flavor is 

unfortunately gone. That element was largely the influence of Bill Davidson, the

lead guitarist, and Tom Weiner, the keyboardist. What remained was the two 

'folkies', so the album is strongly bent toward progressive folk." 

LYNDON BARTELL (MN) 

"I Feel A Strange Excitement In The Air" 197 (Eagle no #) 

Late 1970s Christian obscurity, details invited. 

BEAR (NY) 

"Greetings Children of Paradise" 1968 (Verve Forecast) 

Produced by Appletree Theatre's John Boylan, Bear featured the talents of 

keyboardist Eric Kaz, singer Steve Soles and guitarist Artie Traum (backed on 

their album by Autosalvage bassist Skip Boone and drummer Darius Davenport). 

In spite of the cheesy cover and title (thank Mr. John's Palace of Fashion for the 

cover photo), 1968's "Greetings Children of Paradise" was actually pretty good. 

With all three prime members writing (Soles penning most of his material with 

brother Michael), the ten tracks were varied, including competent stabs at 

country-rock ("The Hungry Dogs of New Mexico"), fairly conventional pop ("Don't 

You Ever Want To Think About Them?"), rock, psych and even jazz ("What 

Difference?"). Soles had a nice voice (occasionally recalling Squeeze's Chris 

Difford - we're not kidding, check out "It's Getting Very Cold Outside"). (Actually, 

on reflection, the set's quirky charms actually compare nicely with Squeeze.) 

Sure, it won't change your life, but it's an album we keep in the occasional play 

pile. A commercial non-entity, the band quickly called it quits, with Kaz 

reappearing in a series of bands, including The Blues Magoos, American Flyer, 

Mud Acres (with Traum) and with a solo career (see separate entries). All three 

members also became in-demand sessions players. [SB] 

BEAST (Denver, CO) 

"Beast" 1970 (Evolution 2017) 

Beast featured the talents of drummer Larry Ferris, keyboardist Gerry Fike, 

woodwind player Mike Kearnes, bassist Kenny Passarelli. singer David Raines, 

trumpet player Dominick Todero and former Super Band guitarist Robert Yeazel. 

Following the loss of horn player Todero and bassist Passarelli (replaced by 

Roger Byrant), 1970's cleverly-titled "Beast" was released on the Evolution label.

Continuing their partnership with producer Norman Petty the album was again 

recorded at Petty's Clovis, New Mexico studios. Musically the collection wasn't 

too different from the debut. Anyone familiar with Lighthouse or Sugarloaf styled 

horn rock will be pretty comfortable with most of the material. Slightly more varied 

than the debut, the flute propelled "Communication" and "Don't You Think It's 

Time?" reflected a quasi-jazzy feel, while the harmony rich "Inlook" sounded like 

an Association-styled slice of pop and "Move Mountain (You Got It)" found the 

band taking a stab at conventional hard rock. The overall effect was professional, 

if a little short on originality and inspiration ... Packaged in one of the year's uglier 

covers (credit to Charles E. Murphy), the set vanished without a trace, followed in 

short order by the band. Following the band's break up Ferris and Yeazel joined 

Sugarloaf, while Pasarelli hooked up with Joe Walsh in Barnstorm, followed by 

an extended career as an in-demand sessions player (see separate entry). [SB] 

DENNY BELLINE & THE RICH KIDS (Long Island, NY) 

"Denny Belline and the Rich Kids" 1966 (RCA lpm-3655) [mono] 

"Denny Belline and the Rich Kids" 1966 (RCA lsp-3655) [stereo] 

Garage and frat rock mostly covers. Good LP mostly uptempo ravers 'recorded in 

front of a dancing teen crowd at the Shore Club in Sayville, Long Island'. Denny 

is Perry Como's nephew. [RM] 

BELSHANNY MEN ( ) 

"Take It All In" 196 (Orco) 

Folkrock mix of acoustic and electric. [RM] 

BEETHOVEN SOUL (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Beethoven Soul" 1967 (Dot dlp-3821) [mono] [1] 

"Beethoven Soul" 1967 (Dot dlp-25821) [stereo] [1] 

Most “reviews” mistakenly list this forgettable soft-rock album as having female 

vocals. The woman pictured on the cover actually plays strings, which are the 

most interesting sounds on the album. Not quite bubblegum, not quite soft rock, 

but not really distinctive either. [AM]

BENGALI BAULS (India) 

"At Big Pink" 1969 (Buddah bds-5050) 

Purna and Luxman Das, the guys on the cover of Bob Dylan's "John Wesley 

Harding", play Indian soul music that should appeal to eastern psych fans. 

Produced by Garth Hudson and recorded at the Band's house in Woodstock. 

[RM] 

VINCENT BELL ( ) 

"Pop Goes the Electric Sitar" 1968 (Decca 74938) 

-- an Australian pressing on Festival exists 

Exploito sitar rock covers from noted session musician. He plays a Coral Electric 

Sitar which produces fuzztone; the design was named after him. [RM] 

JOHN BERBERIAN (NY) 

"Expressions East" 1967 (Mainstream 56023) [mono] 

"Expressions East" 1967 (Mainstream S-6023) [stereo] 


"Oud Artistry" 1967 (Mainstream 56047) [mono] 

"Oud Artistry" 1967 (Mainstream s-6047) [stereo] 

"Ode To An Oud" 1974 (Mainstream 802) [2LPs; gatefold] 

"Ode To An Oud" 2000 (MS 6023/6047, Europe) [2LP box-set; insert] 

-- these reissues combine the Mainstream LPs "Expressions East" and "Oud 

Artistry" 

"Music of the Middle East" 1968 (Roulette sr-25306) 

"Music of the Middle East" 2001 (Universe, Italy) 

"Music of the Middle East" 200 (Akarma, Italy) 

These early LPs go mainly in an ethnic Middle Eastern direction. The later LPs 

are listed in the main Acid Archives. 

BERETMUSIC (CT)

"Beretmusic" 1970 (Aries XPL-1011) 

From the liner notes I know their names were John Alvarez, Chip Navarro and 

Joe Salazar. Their sole album, 1970's "Beretmusic" was apparently recorded in 

New Haven, Connecticut with production by Martin Kugell and Samot Arikios. 

Largely written by Alvarez, this one's a challenge to adequately describe. 

Material such as 'On the Road', 'Back Roads of My Mind' and 'Yes I Love Her' is 

pretty poppy, but the album has a strange vibe to it, complete with occasional 

effects laden vocals and some of the most irritating backing vocals you'll ever 

hear (I was wondering if they were pulling people's fingernails out). Apparently a 

live track (it sounds like they were playing for about three people), the ballad 'My 

Woman' seems to confirm that these guys were really a lounge act at hearts. 

They also get a nod for turning in the lamest cover of 'Woodstock' I've ever 

heard. Hard to believe, but these guys manage to make it sound like a salad 

dressing commercial. Mind you, it's real person potential I would have earned it 

three stars, but there are horns on a couple of the tracks and 'Yes I Love Her' 

sports one of those irritating country twangs that sounds like a Commander Cody 

rip-off (guess they actually pre-date the Commander.). [SB] 

BERMUDA JAM ( ) 

"The Bermuda Jam" 1969 (DynoVoice DY 31907) 

If you go by the liner notes, this late-'60s quartet was a multi-national affair, the 

four members coming from Australia (James O'Connor), England (Paul 

Muggleton), Portugal (Glen Mello) and the States (Andy Newmark). In spite of 

the accents, one got the feeling this was little more than a goofball studio project, 

probably masterminded by Bob Crewe, whose DynoVoice label released their 

sole LP. Produced by Andy Denno, 1969's "The Bermuda Jam" was one weird 

affair. Complete with sound effects and spoken word snippets, musically the set 

found the quartet all over the spectrum. "Hold Me" and "Who Put the Sun In Your 

Eyes (Who Put the Fly In Your Soup)" offered up harmony rich top-40 pop; "Up 

Down, Turn Around" found the band turning in a decent blue-eyed soul effort, 

while "Forever Young" had a C&W feel. Nothing here was terribly wrong, nor with 

the exception of the meltdown "Good Trip Lollipop" was there anything 

particularly right. Back to "Lollipop" - complete with meltdown keyboards, LSD 

drenched vocals (the hysterical laughter and nursery rhyme fragments were a 

sweet touch) and crunching guitar, it was easily the most psych-oriented effort 

and the standout track, it's too bad the rest of the LP wasn't as memorable. As 

you'd expect, the set vanished without a trace, followed in short order by the 

band. (Nice pajamas guys ...). Within a couple of years Newmark reappeared as 

a member of Sly and the Family Stone. [SB]

KAREN BETH ( ) 

"The Joys Of Life" 1968 (Decca DL 75148) 

First album by new age singer-songwriter who is still active today is unlike 

anything she’d do again. The opener, with an annoying horn arrangement, is an 

obvious attempt at a hit, but the rest of the album is grade-A downer folk. Her 

odd voice is an acquired taste, but suits the material, some of which has the 

loose feel of Tim Buckley’s experimental phase or Van Morrison’s ASTRAL 

WEEKS. The longest songs are the best on the album; the title track and 

“Nothing Lasts” are both up there with the best in the genre by anyone. This 

album has subtle, dark, unexpected power. Possibly from New York state. [AM] 

BIG 3 (New York City, NY) 

"Big 3" 1964 (FM lp-307) [1] 

Rather good bluesy harmony folk with Cass Elliot (Mamas and Papas). Denny 

Doherty does not appear on this LP. [RM] 

BISCUIT DAVIS ( ) 

"Playing on the Moon" 1973 (Amsterdam/Flying Dutchman am-12014) 

Bob Thiele Jr.'s band. Rural hippie rock Deadish sound. Bob's dad ran the 

Impulse and Flying Dutchman labels. [RM] 

BITTER BLOOD STREET THEATRE (Cincinnati, OH) 

"Vol. 1" 1978 (Vetco lp-701) [1] 

Both Bitter Blood Street Theatre albums show up for sale often (as do those of 

their less “rock” offshoot band Blacklight Braille), so they must have had a pretty 

big local fan base. The band’s name implies some kind of cult ritual or 

performance art, but the “theatre” is limited to a couple of brief monologues and 

one song that’s recited rather than sung. This is straightforward rock with a few 

quirks (wild singing, some sax, a band member who plays a saw, which sounds a 

lot like a theremin.) Some of the guitar is pretty heavy; the rhythm guitars have a 

great punchy distortion sound that reminds me of the Stones’ “Monkey Man.”

There are three vocalists, two men and a woman. All of them are reasonably 

distinctive, and the woman sounds pretty eerie when she sings backup. All of the 

elements are there for this to be a cool band. With maybe two exceptions, 

though, the songwriting is uninteresting. In the end, this is one of those albums 

that seems like it’s going to be really great but just isn’t. [AM] 

"Vol. 2" 1978 (Vetco lp-703) 

Heavy rock. [RM] 

BIZ (Canada) 

"A Matter Of Time" 1981 (Bent WRC1-1749) [gatefold] 

Melodic hardrock/AOR with guitar and keyboard. 

ANNA BLACK ( ) 

"Meet Anna Black" 196 (Epic) [wlp also exists] 

Femme folk psych. [RM] 

BLACKWOOD APOLOGY ( ) 

"House of Leather" 1969 (Fontana) 

Odd rock concept album about the Civil War. Pretty good considering. [RM] 

BLADES OF GRASS ( ) 

"Are Not For Smoking" 1968 (Jubilee jgs-8007) 

Airy pop lite folk psych. [RM] 

CHARLIE BLEAK (IN)

"Let Me In" 1976 (Pickwick PIP) 

Solo LP from post-Hoi Polloi guy with minor hit title track, about 1/3rd is solid 

rural rock/singer-songwriter with pro sound and excellent arrangements, while 

most other tracks have unsuccessful soulrock moves with a Stevie Wonder 

influence. Worth checking out at the current (low) going rate. [PL] 

~~~ 

see -> Hoi Polloi 

DAVID BLUE ( ) 

"David Blue" 1966 (Elektra EKL-4003) 

"David Blue" 2002 (CD Collector's Choice) 

Produced by Arthur Gorson, 1966's "David Blue" is fascinating, if only for the fact 

it shows someone laboring with an overwhelming Dylan fixation (geez even 

Blue's haircut looks like mid-'60s Dylan). There's no doubt Blue was a talented 

performer. Unfortunately, those talents included being blessed (or cursed) with a 

gruff voice and a half-sung/half spoken delivery that bore more than a passing 

comparison to Dylan. As a writer Blue wasn't bad, but in the shadow of Dylan's 

best work, originals such as "So Easy She Goes By" and "Midnight Through 

Morning" simply couldn't compete. On the other hand, his debut is better than 

99.9% of material released by Dylan-wannabes. So what makes it so good? Give 

Blue credit for hiring a first rate backing band (including bassist Harvey Brooks, 

guitarist Monte Dunn and keyboardist Paul Harris - all had previously played with 

Dylan), and having the smarts to rock out. Up tempo numbers such as "The 

Gasman Won't Buy Your Love", "If Your Monkey Can't Get It", The Byrds-do- 

Dylan-styled "It Ain't the Rain That Sweeps the Highway Clean" and "It Tastes 

Like Candy" are great and literally save the album from the typical annoying 

angst of Dylan-inspired singer/songwriters. Anyone into Dylan circa "Blonde On 

Blonde" or "Highway 61" will be impressed (and have to wonder if these aren't 

simply Dylan outtakes). [SB] 

BLUEBEARD (CA) 

"Bad Dream" 1979 (Parliament 3661) 

Dual-lead hardrock with colorful fantasy death cover. [RM] 

BLUE BEATS ( )

"Beatle Beat" 1964 (A.A. 133) 

Exploito Merseybeat sound. [RM] 

BLUE SHOES (AZ) 

"Put on Blue Shoes" 1980 (Living Room) [12" EP] [1] 

Local powerpop. The band also had some 45s and an unreleased album. 

BODINE (Seattle, WA) 

"Bodine" 1969 (MGM se-4652) [gatefold] 

Great westcoast sound wide-open guitar rocker. mix of heavy riffs and dreamy 

rural tracks. Post-Daily Flash and post-Fantastic Zoo. [RM] 

JAY BOLOTIN (KY) 

"Jay Bolotin" 1970 (Commonwealth United 6002) [wlp only?] 

Loner folk. Bolotin is today a visual artist of some repute. [RM] 

BONNEVILLES (Milwaukee, WI) 

"In Action" 1963 (Drum Boy) [1-2] 

"Meet the Bonnevilles" 1964 (Drum Boy 1001) [1] 

-- same LP, repackaged and retitled 

Pre-Beatle sounds, mostly instrumental with a 12-year old lady guesting on 

vocals on two tracks. 

BORBETOMAGUS (NY) 

"Borbetomagus" 1980 (Agaric)

"Work On What Has Been Spoiled" 1981 (Agaric) 

"III" 1982 (Agaric) 

Experimental progressive avant jazz. The band had several LPs. 

BOSTON TEA PARTY ( ) 

"Boston Tea Party" 1968 (Flick Disc 45000) 

Cheese teen lyte-psych with good track "We have already died". 

--- 

see -> Highway Robbery 

TERRY BOYLAN (CA) 

"Alias Boona" 1969 (Verve Forecast fts-3070) [wlp exists] 

-- a UK pressing exists 

Boylan was half of Appletree Theatre and is doing fragile folk rock introspection 

here. [RM] 

BOYLES BROTHERS (Stevens Points, Wisconsin) 

"Introducing the Boyles Brothers" 1968 (International Artists iasc-6801) 

Hideous supper club lounge vocals only listed here because of the label (a 

vanity/custom job). The only International Artists LP not reissued with the box 

set. [RM] 

J D BRENNAN & GOLD FEVER (Boston, MA) 

"A Christmas Present" 1984 (Scyne VPA-LP-3012) [as Gold Fever only; 200p] 

Weaker but still haunting effort by J.D. Brennan and his gang. [SK] 

"Pot of Gold" 198 (Scyne) [200p]

By the mid 1980s Brennan was already in his mid 50s when he decided that his 

calling was to become a rock star. Gathering up a collection of similarly selfdelusional 

musical misfits, as J.D. Brennan and Gold Fever, they began playing 

the local Boston club circuit. 1984's self-produced "Pot of Gold" (the LP was 

reportedly recorded in Brennan's basement), is an odd collection of mostly 1950s 

covers, rounded out by four period sounding originals and a cover of Bruce 

Springsteen's 'Pink Cadillac'. Rather than try to describe the album, here's what 

the back cover liner notes say: "...'Pot of Gold' is a collection of some of our 

favorites tunes that we have played and liked over the years. Early artists like 

Elvis Presley, Jimmy Reed, [...] and Rochelle and the Candles influenced our 

style as well as that of perhaps Bruce Springsteen, whose "Pink Cadillac" has a 

definite fifties ring to it. We hope to flash to the past and our own tunes, "Ninety 

Pound Weakling", "See Me Tonight" and "Gold Fever Rock" will let you know 

without a doubt: "Chantilly Lace" is here to stay." Gawd only knows how the 

collaboration came to pass, but Grammy winning guitarist Luther Johnson 

provides a nifty solo on 'Be Bop a Lula'. Having listened to this set a dozen times, 

I can't decide whether Brennan's simply goofin' around (especially on tracks such 

as 'Is It So Strange' and 'It's Only Make Believe' when he kicked into his pseudo- 

Elvis vocal mode), or if he was deadly serious ... Definitely different and should 

appeal to real people aficionados even if it's a little outside of the typical 

timeframe! [SB] 

"Stratosphere" 1987 (Scyne VPAG-LP-4196) [200p] 

"The Unknown Soldiers of Vietnam" 198 (Scyne) [200p] 

"Thru The Years" 198 (Scyne) [200p] 

"Guitar Slinger" 1990 (Scyne VPAG-LP-5283) [200p] 

Amazing 50 year old "real people" rocker who manage to sneak in a powerful 

psychedelic edge to his echoed rockabilly twist that only adds to the overall 

haunted lysergic feel. Mr. Brennan plays a mean guitar and sings and is backed 

by a full band called Goldfever. This is real emotional, the guy really puts himself 

on the line and sings and plays as if every note would be his last. The LPs were 

done in pressings of 200 copies only. [SK] 

BRETHREN (NY) 

"Brethren" 1970 (TFS-0013) 

1970's "Brethren" teamed the band with producer Jay Senter. With three of the 

four members contributing material (Cosgrove was the mainstay composer), the

album featured a mix of what a friend has labeled "white boy blues" ("Hitchin' To 

Memphis" and "Everybody In the Congregation") and country-rock numbers (a 

nice cover of James Taylor's "Don't Talk To Me Now" and "Mississippi 

Freighter"). Cosgrove had a nice raspy voice, well suited to the up tempo 

material. He was also a capable guitarist (check out his sterling performance on 

the funky "Outside Love" and the meltdown instrumental "Success Brand of Oil"). 

While much of the set recalled something out of the early-'70s Bobby Whitlock, or 

Delaney and Bonnie catalogs, nothing here was particularly original or 

commercial. To our ears, the Gospel-influenced rocker "I've Been Provided For" 

provided the album's highlight. The album's also interesting for it's bizarre mix of 

guests - The Blossoms (providing backing vocals), Dr. John and Poco's Rusty 

Young. [SB] 

--- 

This debut has attracted some attention as the track "Outside Love" has been 

heavily sampled in recent years. The band had a 2nd LP, "Moment Of Truth". 

BRITISH CASUALS (UK) 

"Hour World" 1968 (Mainstream 6124) 

-- the British release was on Decca as by the Casuals 

Weak pop psych, one of the least desirable rock LPs on the label. Listed here as 

they're often assumed to be from the US. They also recorded singles on 

Mainstream as "The Casuals". [RM] 

JEANNIE BRITTAN ( ) 

"Gentle Explosion" 1969 (Decca dl-75054) [also exists as mono wlp] 

Described as orchestrated AM pop. 

B BROCK & THE SULTANS ( ) 

"Do the Beetle" 1964 (Crown 399) 

Exploito beat by a really good group. [RM] 

TERRY BROOKS & STRANGE (Orlando, FL)

-- for Brooks' earlier work, see Acid Archives "B" section 

"No Exit" 1980 (Rock City rcr-88001, Germany) 

"Blastin' Through" 1980 (Rock City rcr-88003, Germany) 

"Star People" 1980? (Star People spr-0005) [yellow vinyl] 

"High Flyer" 1981 (Criteria) [test pressing; gold vinyl; 75#d] [2] 

-- autographed demo with the 'Space' side of the LP on both sides. Issued in an 

orange cover with gold 'Criteria' logo. 

"High Flyer" 1981 (Criteria) [test pressing; orange vinyl; 100#d) [2] 

-- this demo has the full lp. issued in an orange cover with gold 'Criteria' logo. 

"High Flyer" 1981 (Star People spr-0013) [colored vinyl] 

"Criteria Demo Album" 198 (Criteria) [red vinyl; autographed by Terry; 100 

pressed] [2?] 

BROTHER FOX & THE TAR BABY (Boston, MA) 

"Brother Fox and the Tar Baby" 1969 (Oracle ors-703) [gatefold; wlp exists] 

"Brother Fox and the Tar Baby" 1969 (Capitol st-544) 

We've seen this item show up on a number of high priced psych lists, but if you're 

expecting oodles of Fender feedback and drug scorched personas, this one's 

going to be too pop oriented to appeal to you. One of the era's isolated bi-racial 

bands, the group were signed by the small Oracle label, the result an odd hodgepodge 

of musical styles. Quite diverse, the set includes stabs at conventional 

hard rock ("We All Love Him"), Tom Jones-styled MOR ballads ("I Start To Cry") 

and the plain bizarre ("Maxie the Meanie"). The first time I listened to it, I was a 

little underwhelmed, but repeated playing reward the listener. Clearly not the 

year's most innovative album, there are still numerous tracks worth hearing. To 

my ears the highlights included "Metal Soldier", "Three Tots and a Man" and their 

most psych-oriented track "Mr. Sleepy". The band has ties to a couple of other 

wellknown Boston area outfits. [SB] 

~~~ 

see -> Pugsley Munion 

BOB BROWN ( ) 

"The Wall I Built Myself" 1970 (Stormy Forest sfs-6007) [promos exist]

"Willoughby's Lament" 1971 (Stormy Forest sfs-6008) 

Dreamy guitar and cosmic keys folk. [RM] 

SCOTT BROWN & THE TEMPESTS (Portland, OR) 

"Tenspeed" 1975 (Fish Creek 4002) 

Rural guitar rock from band that had been going since the early 1960s. [RM] 

"Rattlesnake Joe" 1975 (Fish Creek 4003) 

-- released as by Scott Brown only 

BROWNSTONE (TX) 

"Brownstone" 1973 (Playboy) 

Heavy blues rock with acid leads and fine vocals from Barbara Lopez. [RM] 

--- 

Barbara Lopez has a powerful voice but doesn’t know how to do much with it, 

and that’s the best that can be said about this album. It’s essentially hard rock, 

with Barbara belting it out for all she’s worth, but it comes off as awfully wimpy 

anyway, and there isn’t a memorable tune here. The FM-friendly sound doesn’t 

help any. Weak. [AM] 

BUBBLE GUM MACHINE ( ) 

"Bubble Gum Machine" 1967 (Senate) [1] 

This seems to have been a studio project for producer/writer Wes Farrell. 

Released by the ABC affiliated Senate label, their self-titled 1967 album featured 

a decent mix of Farrell-penned originals ("Wha'Cha Gonna Do For Me Now" and 

"I Wonder") and popular covers (Beatles, Buffalo Springfield, The Bee Gees, 

whose "To Love Somebody" was mis-credited to Robert Gibb). To be honest, 

"The Bubble Gum Machine" isn't going to drastically change your life. The 

uncredited male vocalist had a decent enough voice, while their attractive female 

singer ('Vicki' - no last name) had a voice that bore a passing resemblance to 

Cass Elliott. Unfortunately, as far as mid-1960s music goes, nothing here is 

particularly original or inspiring. 'Bout the best you can say is that "The Love of a

Woman" has a certain top-40 charm and they would have made a great bar 

cover band. [SB] 

BURTON & CUNICO ( ) 

"Strive, Seek, Find" 1971 (Family Productions pas-6013) [promos exist] 

-- a Dutch pressing on Philips exists 

Rural rock with Sneaky Pete guesting, has been compared to Brewer & Shipley. 

JOE BYRD [& THE FIELD HIPPIES] (Tucson, AZ / Los Angeles, CA) 

"The American Metaphysical Circus" 1969 (Columbia Masterworks ms-7317) [1] 

"The American Metaphysical Circus" 1996 (One Way 26792) 

"The American Metaphysical Circus" 199 (Columbia) [bootleg] 

"A Christmas Yet to Come" 1975 (Takoma c-1046) 

"Yankee Transcendoodle" 1976 (Takoma c-1051) 

Experimental acid psych, electronics pastiche with female vocals on the debut; 

one of the few "rock" LPs released on Columbia's classical/art music imprint. The 

Takoma LPs are less acidic but still into proggy, experimental stacked synth 

explorations. [RM] 

~~~ 

This is harder to find that the United States of America album, and while it's got a 

bunch of interesting experimentation on it, it's mostly disappointing. Dorothy 

Moskowitz' vocals are sorely missed, and the songwriting is pretty bland. The 

lyrics are reasonably evocative, but the tunes just aren't memorable. The addition 

of guitar to the mix actually works against the electronics, making this sound a lot 

more ordinary than United States of America. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> United States of America 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

CALDERA ( ) 

"Moog Mass" 1970 (Kama Sutra ksbs-2020)

The appeal of this one is obvious and it is somewhat hard to find. Their later LPs 

had some commercial success and are not nearly as interesting from an 

underground perspective. [RM] 

--- 

This is avant/synth, more than underground pop/rock. 

CALIFORNIA POPPY PICKERS (WA) 

"Honky Tonk Women" 1969 (Alshire) [1] 

"Honky Tonk Women" is known to feature members of the group Wilson 

McKinley and is quite good exploito hippie underground rock. 'Sabre Dance' uses 

envelope follower to great effect and 'Brick Walls' is an outstanding anti-war 

anthem. The CPP also released a "Hair"-sploitation LP on Alshire with Beatles 

and Desmond Dekker covers! [RM] 

"THE CAMBRIDGE CONCEPT OF TIMOTHY CLOVER" ( ) 

"The Cambridge Concept of Timothy Clover - A Harvard Square Affair" 1968, 

Tower st-5114) [tan label] 

And what a concept it is, Boston as a hippie haven! Studio psych laugh-along fun 

for whimsical flower popsikers. [RM] 

CANNIBAL & THE HEADHUNTERS (Los Angeles, CA) 

"Land of 1000 Dances" 1965 (Rampart rm-3302) [mono] 

"Land of 1000 Dances" 1965 (Rampart rs-3302) [stereo] 

"Land of 1000 Dances" 1965 (Date tem-3001) [mono] 

"Land of 1000 Dances" 1965 (Date tes-4001) [stereo] 

Frat soul rockers who hit with "Land of 1000 Dances". The album is rather weak 

overall. [RM] 

CAPTAIN MATCHBOX WHOOPEE BAND ( ) 

"Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band" 1973 (ESP Disk esp-3009) [gatefold; quad]

Backporch hippies cosmic bluesy jamming. [RM] 

CARGOE ( ) 

"Cargoe" 1972 (Ardent ads-2802) [laminated cover] 

Here’s another power pop treasure on the same label as Big Star and the Hot 

Dogs. Cargoe feels much more “Southern” and laid back than either of those 

groups, but have much more melodic vocals than most “rural rock” bands. The 

arrangements are creative and thoughtful, including some mild psychedelic 

touches and some tasty backwards guitar. Overall, it feels like they were 

reaching for greatness and only falling a rung or two short. The laminated album 

cover is annoying and usually peels the second you touch it. [AM] 

ALVIN CASH & THE REGISTERS (St Louis, MO) 

"Twine Time" 1965 (Mar V Lus 1827) [1] 

Alvin Cash's big break came in late 1964 when producer Andre Williams asked 

him to provide some nonsense vocals for a track he was working on. Hoping to 

capitalize on the public's current interest in various dances, including the Twine, 

Williams had Cash record "Twine Time" with support from his own backup band 

The Nitelighters. Released by One-der-ful's Mar-V-lus subsidiary, and credited to 

Alvin Cash and the Registers, the single became a national hit, eventually selling 

close to a million copies. More than anxious to capitalize on the unexpected hit, 

the label rushed Cash into the studio to cut a supporting album. Released as the 

cleverly titled "Twine Time" the set offered up a hastily recorded set of sound 

alikes ("Twine Awhile" and "Bump"), supported by isolated covers (Sam Cooke's 

"Shake" - the credits listing 'Sam Cook' as the writer) and a couple of throwaway 

instrumentals ("Do It One More Time" and "Burn Just a Hair", the latter sporting a 

hysterically inept attempt to edit in after-the-fact audience sounds). As a singer 

Cash wasn't a major presence; most of his performances limited to groans and 

screeches, brief spoken word segments and call and response sections with a 

female backing chorus - check out "You Shot Me Thru the Grease" for a perfect 

example. The whole affair had a loose, throwaway feel sounding something akin 

to a hybrid of Archie Bells and the Drells meet Junior Walker. Released as a 

single, 1965's "The Barracuda" b/w "Do It One More Time" saw Cash repeat his 

earlier success, though on a much smaller basis. All told, it wasn't something that 

would drastically change your life, but made for an interesting addition to the mid- 

'60s Chicago music catalog. It's also increasingly hard to find... [SB]

MICHAEL CASSIDY [& JOHNSTON] ( ) 

"Nature's Secret" 1977 (Golden Lotus gl-1) 

-- there are two different covers. One features a large crystal ball and the other 

shows Michael holding a rabbit. 

"Take Me Back" 1979 (Golden Lotus) 

Eastern folk psych floaters with some heavy rock tracks too. "Nature's Secret" is 

a good one for the guru love rock bag. [RM] 

CATCH (CA) 

"Catch" 1969 (Dot DLP-25956) 

Here's another unknown late 1960s outfit... Apparently a California-based quintet, 

their self-titled 1969 album doesn't even provide performance credits. Produced 

by J.R. Shankin, "Catch" has it's moments. With the 11 tracks credited to M. 

Collings and R. White, most of the set sports a modest country-rock feel. In this 

case that's meant as a compliment since tracks such as 'Amber' and 'Come Near 

Me' emphasize the genres' best characteristics - tight harmonies and some 

catchy melodies. 'Storm' and 'The Dandelion and the Butterfly' offer up more 

orchestrated pop, but are just as good. Unlike anything else on the album, 'Crash 

and Burn' is a take no-prisoners slice of fuzz guitar rock. It's easily the stand out 

track. Also worth hearing is the moody eight minute 'Nine Roses'. Too bad they 

didn't have more of these in their catalog. Two 45s were also released from the 

album. [SB] 

PETER CHALMERS (Canada) 

"From There To Just About Here" 1975 (Old Road 375) 

"The Lady And The Stranger" 1976 (Old Road 33976) 

"Sooner Than Today" 1978 (Moonshine MS 101) 

Obscure folk guitarist with mix of originals and covers. 

CHAMELEON CHURCH (MA)

"Chameleon Church" 1968 (MGM se-4574) 

"Chameleon Church" 2000 (Akarma 130, Italy) 

"Chameleon Church" 2000 (CD Akarma 130, Italy) [digipak; +2 tracks] 

Soft-rock Bosstown album that hasn’t attracted much attention from collectors, 

despite the Chevy Chase involvement. Generally it’s pleasant but uninspired, 

listenable but safe. The album’s few trippy moments seem like an afterthought. A 

few good melodies on side two tend to float away beneath the overall blandness. 

Orpheus fans might like it. Not horrible, but not memorable. Members of this 

band were in the Lost and the later version of Ultimate Spinach (on their third 

album). [AM] 

LES CHANCELIERS (Quebec, Canada) 

"Les Chanceliers" 1967 (Citation cn-16010) [1] 

Garage pop featuring Michel Pagliaro who went to a successful career as a pop 

vocalist. Mostly French vocals. One band original. The band released several 

45s and a 1968 EP. 

CHARITY ( ) 

"Now" 1969 (Uni 73061) [gatefold] 

Mix of rock, psych, and even funky moves. 

CHARLATANS (San Francisco, CA) 

"Charlatans" 1969 (Philips phs-600-309) [wlp also exists] [1] 

"Charlatans" 198 (Eva, France) 

"Charlatans" 199 (CD Beggars Banquet) 

"Charlatans" 199 (CD One Way) [+2 non-LP 45 tracks] 

"Charlatans (unrel LP)" 1979 (Groucho, Italy) 

-- also pressed as picture disc 

"Alabama Bound" 198 (Eva, France) 

"Charlatans/Alabama Bound" 199 (Eva, France) [2-on-1] 

-- the Groucho and Eva releases both contain the band's unreleased 1966 Kama 

Sutra tracks; the Groucho also has two live tracks from 1969

"The Amazing Charlatans" 1996 (CD Big Beat 138, UK) 

-- the Kama Sutra tracks + lots of other material 

Rootsy folkrock and jugband. Terribly overrated though they did record a few 

trippy cuts. The group was far more important historically than musically, for 

planting the seeds of the psychedelic revolution. [RM] 

BOBBY CHARLES (MI) 

"Bobby Charles Invades The Wells Fargo Lounge" 196 (Fenton fs-321) [2] 

Live recording of local lounge act, with Danny Gatton. Ethnic jazz guitar versions 

of "Malaguena", "Zorba The Greek" etc, incl brass section. Of interest because 

of the label. 

LOS CHIJUAS (Mexico) 

"Los Chijuas" 1968 (Musart) [300p] [2] 

-- the Musart pressings are US pressings with English vocals. There was also a 

Mexican and Guatemalan pressing of the first album with vocals in Spanish. 

"Los Chijuas, Vol 2" 1970 (Musart) [2] 

-- actually their third LP; there was a second one only released in Mexico on 

Trebol 

Melodic teen garage like a lesser Summer Sounds. Organ, jangle guitar, 

harmonies. Two excellent teen-garage tracks from the first LP appear on the 

"Psychedelic Moods pt 2" compilation. [RM] 

CHIMPS ( ) 

"Monkee Business" 1967 (Wyncote SW 9199) [1] 

"Monkeys A-Go-Go" 1967 (Wyncote SW 9203) [1] 

Exploito Monkees covers and pop fuzz originals. One track from the 2nd LP was 

reissued on the "Lyte Psych" compilation on Arf Arf, which lists the band as being 

from PA.

RON CHRISLOCK ( ) 

"Ode to A Warrior" 1977 (Silent Thunder c-1007) 

Moody folk rock singer-songwriter. Acoustic and electric guitars, piano, drums, 

cello, congas. [RM] 

CHROME (San Francisco, CA) 

"The Visitation" 1976 (Siren demo) [two inserts] [2] 

-- demo version issued in a plain cover with titles spray painted on. One insert 

has lyrics and the other just reads "Chrome?". 

"The Visitation" 1976 (Siren) [1] 

"The Visitation" 199 (Dossier, Germany) [clear vinyl] 

Garage psych throwback. On later LPs, they became more of a noise outfit. This 

LP was not included in their box set. [RM] 

C K STRONG ( ) 

"C.K. Strong" 1969 (Epic bn-26473) 

Lynn Carey’s first group, pre-Carrie Nations. Pretty standard blues rock, which at 

first seems better than it is because her vocals are so hot. Three songs sung by 

one of the guys fall into the “what were they thinking” category. Includes some 

entertaining lyrics and a mildly ambitious suite about “John The Baptist”. Neil 

Merryweather haters should pick up this album because it’s Lynn’s only one 

without him. [AM] 

~~~ 

see -> Mama Lion; Ivar Avenue Reunion 

CLIQUE (Houston, TX) 

"Sugar On Sunday" 1968 (White Whale wws-7126) 

One of the few 60s bands to cover the 13th Floor Elevators, Clique later had 

some chart success with their light UK-style pop-psych sound. Only the first two

singles feature the original band, the White Whale material is just Randy Shaw 

singing over L.A. session musicians. 

CLOCKWORK ( ) 

"Clockwork" 1973 (Greene Bottle) [gatefold] 

Clockwork is an album that will undoubtedly remain obscure and rise and rise in 

value when more people hear what is in these grooves. The band, probably from 

the American westcoast, number 7 members, but there is no horn rock or soft 

commercial trite pop here. This album may be the record that is the last rural 

heavy psych into rural melodic intense rock/prog crossover to come out before 

the 60s were more than just a memory. The sound is killer throughout, with lots 

of heavy wah-wah/fuzz guitar blasts, strong melodramatic harmonies and a lead 

voice that are very similar to Wizards From Kansas, and 3 clever rearrangements 

of cover tunes including a storming heavy psych version of "Hazy Shade Of 

Winter." The few tracks that head off into a mellow acid CSNY vibe are done 

tastefully and when the harpsichord comes to the fore reminiscent of The 

Mandrake Memorial. With every track at least really good and a bit over half of 

this totally killer this album lives up to the amazing creepy die cut sleeve. I 

recently saw this for 125 on an online list, I also saw it gone when I wanted to 

check about it again, so this will be one that climbs up fast ala the also excellent 

and slightly similar LP by Fresh Air. For progressive fans who also want hooks 

and melody, and for psych heads who want a late flash of the westcoast vibe this 

is essential. -- Ben Blake Mitchner 

BILL COMEAU ( ) 

"Gentle Revolution" 1969 (Avant Garde avs-122) [gatefold] 

"Fragments From an Unknown Gospel" 1970 (Avant Garde avs-123) [gatefold] 

Christian flowery dreamy folk pop on "Gentle Revolution" including Beatles, 

Byrds, and Joni Mitchell covers. On "Fragments From an Unknown Gospel" Bill 

recites his poetry with odd piano backing by Carmel Signa. One of those 

Christians that is kind of 'out there' with hippie crossover appeal. [RM] 

COMFORTABLE CHAIR ( ) 

"Comfortable Chair" 1969 (Ode z12-44005)

What little attention 1969's "The Comfortable Chair" has gotten seems to stem 

from the fact The Doors' Jim Morrison discovered them, while John Densmore 

and Robbie Kreiger served as producers for their sole 1969 album. That's 

unfortunate since this set is actually quite impressive in its own right. Featuring 

all-original songs (virtually every band member contributing to he writing chores), 

the album bounces all over the musical spectrum. Lead singers Bernie Schwartz 

and Barbara Wallace are both quite good, navigating through the different genres 

without any trouble. Highlights include the opening rocker 'Ain't No Good No 

More', the sweet ballad 'I'll See You' and ''Let Me Through. Exemplified by 'Some 

Soon, Some Day' and 'Stars In Heaven' much of the set features a lazy, dreamy 

aura that's quite captivating. Had it been a little more original and the band 

churned out a couple more rock numbers, and the album could have been a 

classic. As is, the album makes for a fascinating game of 'spot theinfluence'. My 

ears hear bits of David LaFlamme and It's a Beautiful Day (luckily without the 

violins) and even The Jefferson Airplane ('Be Me'). Ode also tapped the album 

for a pair of instantly obscure singles. [SB] 

COPPERHEAD (CA) 

"Copperhead" 1973 (Columbia KC-32250) 

Wow! I guess I wasn't expecting all that much from Quicksilver Messenger 

Service's lead guitarist John Cipollina. I was wrong... By the late 1960s Cipollina 

had grown increasingly dissatisfied with his role in Quicksilver Messenger 

Service (QMS). Friction with Dino Valenti and a desire to stretch out beyond the 

constraints imposed within the band (specifically a lucrative sideline playing 

sessions) saw Cippolina finally strike out on his own in 1970. Copperhead started 

out as a fairly unstructured enterprise; essentially Cipollina and friends jamming 

on the local club circuit but by 1972 the line-up consisted of Cipollina, ex-Stained 

Glass bassist Jim McPherson, former Freedom Highway guitarist Gary Philippet 

and drummer David Weber. Word of mouth support led Michael Lang to sign the 

group to his newly formed Just Sunshine Records. The band actually began 

recording material for an album tentatively entitled "Sealed For Your Protection". 

Unfortunately, the label's lack of financial resources doomed the project and by 

late 1972 they'd been picked up by Clive Davis and Columbia Records (for what 

was then a reportedly staggering five year, $1.5 million contract). Released in 

1973 (with the line up expanded to include bassist Hutch Hutchinson), the selfproduced 

"Copperhead" offered up an excellent set of west coast rock. With 

material such as 'Roller Derby Star' and 'They're Making a Monster' spotlighting 

Cipollina's instantly recognizable sinewy fret work, the set was quite a bit more 

focused and commercial than QMS's latter stage releases. With Cipollina, 

McPherson and Philippet responsible for the majority of the album, the collection 

had a fairly varied sound, including straightforward rockers ('Pawnshop Man'),

country-rock (the wonderful 'A Little Hand') and even a touch of Steely-Danesque 

jazz-rock ('Kamikaze'). Elsewhere, Columbia tapped 'Roller Derby Star' 

b/w 'Roller Derby Star' as a single (Columbia 4-45810). Unfortunately, the band 

lost their prime mentor when Davis was unexpectedly fired from Columbia. The 

group had already recorded a follow-on set, but Columbia executives promptly 

shelved it, dropping the band from the company's recording roster. The band 

subsequently called it quits. [SB] 

CORBETT & HIRSH ( ) 

"Mike Corbett & Jay Hirsh with Hugh McCrackin" 1971 (ATCO SD 33-361) 

Here's another example of the old adage about judging a book by its cover ... I 

found this one at a yard sale, but was so put off by the Hirsh-drawn cover (is it a 

turkey?) that I put it back. I eventually went back to get it. Thank goodness it was 

still there. Mike Corbett and Jay Hirsh had previously recorded an album as part 

of Mr. Flood's Party and while some references describe this as Mr. Flood Part 2, 

it's anything but. Co-produced by the pair, 1971's cleverly-titled "Mike Corbett & 

Jay Hirsh with Hugh McCrackin" abandoned the formers' mild psych moves in 

favor of a first-rate collection of CSN&Y-styled folk rock. Largely penned by Hirsh 

(Corbitt's credited with co-authoring two tracks), tracks such as 'Gypsy Child', 

'Uncut Diamonds' and 'The Mighty Emerald' were full of great melodies and 

wonderful vocal harmonies that withstood a comparison to such stalworths as 

CSN&Y. Hirsh had a voice that was quite attractive and even the trio's occasional 

forays into country-rock such as 'Seashore' and 'Goodnight My Lady' were 

enjoyable. The secret ingredient may well have been guitarist McCrackin whose 

tasty guitar ensured that the other two never got overly goopy (okay 'Swan Song' 

was kind of lame) - check out his slide work on 'Sweet Virginia' and the blazing 

rocker 'Agatha's Raven'. One of my favorite recent discoveries and (at least to 

my ears) better than their Mr. Flood work. [SB] 

CORNBREAD ( ) 

"Cornbread" 196 (Mega 31-003) [wlp exists] 

Heavy guitar bluesy rural rock. [RM] 

CORPORATE BODY ( ) 

"Prospectus '69" 1969 (MGM SE-4624)

Well, one look at the cover on this obscurity is all you need to figure out that 

these guys weren't a mob of drug dependent draft dodgers... Featuring a line up 

consisting of keyboardist Bob Jacobs, singer Peter James, drummer Rob 

Mathebey, bassist Rick Riccobono and guitarist Walt Meskell, the band debuted 

with the 1968 single 'Soul Owner's Song' b/w 'Nickels and Dimes' (Music Factory 

MU-416). While the single did nothing commercially, it attracted the attention of 

MGM Records, which subsequently signed them to a contract. Produced by Mike 

Post, 1969's "Prospectus '69" isn't a half bad set of blue-eyed soul and 

commercial pop. Largely written by guitarist Meskell and propelled by James' 

likeable raspy voice, material such as 'Sunshine Grove', 'World Full of Changes' 

and the fuzz guitar drenched 'Wait and See' is quite catchy. Elsewhere, the 

album includes the earlier 45 'A" side 'Soul Owner's Song'. Written by Meskell the 

song features some nifty acoustic slide guitar (also courtesy of Meskell) and is 

probably the album's standout song. The LP's also notable for some exquisite 

harmony vocals. Their performances on tracks like 'Every Thursday Evening' and 

'What You Need' are simply great. MGM also tapped 'Annabelle' b/w 'Wait and 

See' as a single. Had the band been able to avoid Post's occasionally suffocating 

production touches and lost a couple of the more pedestrian and MOR songs 

(the previously mentioned 'Annabelle') and this could have been a real treasure. 

As it is, to my ears it's better than most of the material recorded by such 

contemporaries as mid-career Association, The Marshmallow Way, or Orange 

Coloured Skies. Can't say I know much about their follow-on efforts other than 

Meskell went on to enjoy some mid-1970s success as a producer and 

songwriter, placing material with the likes of The DeFranco Family, C.W. McCall, 

and The Outlaws. Riccobono spent almost twenty years working for BMI 

including a stint as a vice president for the organization, and now works for an 

outfit called Supertracks. [SB] 

LARRY CORYELL (WA) 

"Coryell" 1969 (Vanguard Apostolic VSD 6547) 

I'll be the first to tell you that my knowledge of Larry Coryell is pretty limited. I've 

heard some of his later career jazz-rock offerings and while quite accomplished, 

most of it doesn't do much for me. What I didn't realize is that Coryell also had 

some rock roots in his past. As a teenager growing up in Washington State, he 

played in a number of rock bands and by the late 1960s he'd become an admirer 

of Cream and Jimi Hendrix. All hyperbole aside, his second solo endeavor, 

1969's "Coryell" is a guitar players dream. Produced by Danny Weiss, tracks 

such as "Sex" and the blazing instrumental "The Jam with Albert" serve as a 

wonderful showcase for Coryell's instantly recognizable playing. It's hard to 

describe, but he's incredibly versatile, able to effortlessly handle all types of 

genres. He also plays with what may be rock's most biting tones. Full of razor

sharp, machine guy bursts, even at this early stage of his career, material such 

as "Beautiful Woman" and the pretty "Elementary Guitar Solo #5" displays a 

jazzy-orientation, but it's never overwhelming and never without attractive 

rhythms and melodies. The album also sports a couple of Coryell vocal 

performances. As a singer he won't shake your world, but on selections such as 

"No One Really Knows" he's much better than most reference works would have 

you believe. Besides, backed by an impressive catalog of jazz buddies, including 

Bernard Purdie and Chuck Rainey, this is easily the most rock-oriented effort in 

his catalog. Certainly not a typical Coryell offering and not meant to tell anyone to 

go out and buy his whole catalog, but an interesting, early career side trip. [SB] 

"At The Village Gate" 1971 (Vanguard VSD 6573) 

I am a long-time fan of Larry Coryell and have a good solid crate of LPs by him or 

LPs with his involvement. While the bulk of that catalog falls outside the interest 

of this site, there are some early recordings from the 1968-71 period that fans of 

Jimi Hendrix and Robin Trower psychedelic guitar excess will find of enormous 

pleasure. The other two reviewed here are quite good from that perspective, but 

if there's only one you're going to pick from the dollar box (which is where you'll 

find most of these, other than the Free Spirits there aren't any real Coryell 

"rarities") I want to strongly recommend you make it this one. Recorded January 

21 and 22, 1971, four months after Jimi Hendrix's death, this New York club date 

recorded live before an enthusiastic audience is more a psychedelic rock power 

trio outing than anything else. The rhythm section of Harry Wikinson on drums 

and Mervin Bronson on bass are totally reminiscent of Mitch Mitchell and Billy 

Cox-era Experience. Side one is just about a perfect non-stop display of this 

across the three tracks, Coryell's "The Opening" (6:10), "After Later" (5:45) and 

Chick Corea's "Entardecendo En Saudade." Coryell's guitar, warmly distorted 

and with regular forays into wah-wah territory, drives the proceedings really well 

and at no point do you find yourself thinking, "Hey! Wait a minute... this is jazz!". 

Side two begins with Coryell at the mike, "Now we'd like to do a tune by the 

Scottish composer, Jack Bruce." "Can You Follow?" starts with Harry Wilkinson 

playing solo and channeling Ginger Baker for about 40 seconds before the bass 

and guitar enter. This is Coryell at his "jazziest" on this LP, but that translates to 

lightening quick single note lines always anchored by the rock solid rhythm 

section. As Coryell adds distortion and a wah-wah pedal the track sounds like 

what the live disc of "Wheels of Fire" might have sounded like if it had been 

recorded at a club gig. Larry backs off a bit and the track becomes introspective 

for a moment again, but these shifts in dynamics work in its favor and help hold 

your attention throughout the 9:20 length. The LP closes with "Beyond These 

Chilling Winds" composed and sung here by Larry and his wife (and sometimes 

writing partner), Julie Coryell. The lyrics have a nice cosmic bent to them and the 

vocals are fine, but the bulk of the 7:50 length is spent in a pretty furious work out 

in power trio mode. Fans of "heavy psych" guitar rejoice. This is the real deal. 

[SD]

“Barefoot Boy” 1971 (Flying Dutchman FD-10139) 

In addition to the 1969 “Coryell” LP, Larry at his most Hendrixy can be found on 

the 1971 LP “Barefoot Boy.” Produced by Bob Thiele (who also produced the 

1967 Free Spirits LP), engineered and mixed by Eddie Kramer (who engineered 

every Jimi Hendrix Experience LP), and recorded at Electric Lady Studios. The 

album has 2 tracks on side one and one on side two (rarely a bad sign when 

searching for psychedelic guitar excess). Side one opens with Larry’s 11:50 

reading of Gabor Szabo’s “Gypsy Queen” and Coryell’s solo that enters about a 

third of the way in is an explosion of distortion and phenomenal speed. Rocksteady 

soul bassist, Mervin Bronson (also bassist on the 1969 “Coryell” LP) is 

added to the rhythm section of Roy Haynes (drums), Lawrence Killian (conga) 

and Harry Wilkinson (percussion) for “The Great Escape” (8:39) that features 

Larry working with a wah-wah pedal for his extended solo. The real gem here is 

the 20 minute “Call to the Higher Consciousness” that takes up all of side two. 

The guitar soars and dives while remaining connected to the other players 

throughout, never falling into the fusion trap of technique-for-technique's-sake. 

The interplay between Coryell, Haynes and Bronson keeps the track from ever 

getting bogged down regardless of its length. [SD] 

~~~ 

see -> Free Spirits 

DEBBY CRISS ( ) 

"Plant Bones" 1980 (Shadrack Studios lp-1280) [1?] 

Bisexual hippie femme deep amateur folk get back to nature sound with several 

excellent, moody introspective tunes. [RM] 

CROWE BROS BAND ( ) 

"Crowe Bros. Band" 197 (TCB) 

Hillbilly southern rockers with covers of "Cocaine Blues" and "The Breeze", 

housed in cool cover of spooky crow. 

CRUSADERS (CA) 

"Make A Joyful Noise With Drums And Guitars" 1966 (Tower t-5048) [mono] 

"Make A Joyful Noise With Drums And Guitars" 1966 (Tower st-5048) [stereo]

Southern California Christian beat, twang and punky riffs. Underrated funfest, this 

is Love Exchange sans the female vocalist. [RM] 

V.A "THE CYCLE SAVAGES" (CA) 

"The Cycle Savages" 1970 (American International st-a 1033) 

-- original movie soundtrack 

B-movie soundtrack with Orphan Egg and Boston Tea Party. 

CYMARRON ( ) 

"Rings" 1971 (Entrance 30962) 

Rural psych rock. [RM] 

CYNARA ( ) 

"Cynara" 1970 (Capitol st-547) [green label] 

Santana sound heavy percussion, keys, soulful rock. Ex-Listening. [RM] 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

DAMNATION OF ADAM BLESSING (Cleveland, OH) 

"Damnation of Adam Blessing" 1970 (United Artists 6738) 

"Damnation of Adam Blessing" 2000 (Akarma, Italy) 

This first album is more of an introduction than a fully formed album. Adam 

Blessing’s vocals are among the best in the hard rock genre, versatile, powerful, 

and full of true passion. The original songs here are only OK, and a cover of 

“Morning Dew” attracted most of the attention. The production style suits them 

very well; it’s hard but doesn’t resemble heavy metal at all. [AM] 

"The Second Damnation" 1970 (United Artists 6773) 

"The Second Damnation" 2000 (Akarma, Italy)

Damnation reached their peak on this second album, one of the great hard rock 

albums of all time. The band’s performance and the songwriting match the 

quality of Blessing’s vocals, and the production is 100% suited to their strengths. 

The guitar hooks, the cymbals and the vocals all shimmer and shine. Side one is 

aces all the way, closing with the masterpiece “Back To The River,” a song with 

perfect hooks, a perfect guitar solo, and, of course, perfect vocals. Side two isn’t 

quite up to the same level, ending with two long songs that are only OK, one 

merely a guitar workout and one merely a bluesy vocal workout. But for what 

came before, this is on par with anything you can name in the hard psych field. 

[AM] 

"Which is the Justice, Which is the Thief" 1971 (United Artists 5533) 

"Which is the Justice, Which is the Thief" 2000 (Akarma, Italy) 

Perpetually in name confusion, they shortened their moniker to Damnation for 

this third album, which finds them experimenting with ambitious songwriting, 

strings and a less heavy sound. Some of it is excellent, but overall it doesn’t 

really work, muting the obvious strength of their sound and Blessing’s vocals. 

Had it not followed such a masterpiece this album would seem pretty good. As it 

is, it feels like a disappointment. [AM] 

"Glory" 1973 (Avalanche AV-LA148-F) [released as by GLORY] 

Akarma reissued this album as a Damnation album, but by this time they had 

changed their name completely to Glory, and the original LP obviously tries to 

present them as a “new” band. The material, however, isn’t new at all. It’s trite, 

lyrically dumbed down, and without a spark of any kind. Even Blessing (here 

using his real name, Bill Constable) lacks energy. Despite the return to hard 

rock instrumentation, this album sounds “soft” in all of the wrong ways. “Hot 

Momma” is probably the nadir. It’s hard to tell if this was an attempt at 

commercial acceptabilty because it’s a failure even on that level. [AM] 

DAMNATION ARMY BAND (Beloit College, WI) 

"Damnation Army Band" 1969 (no label) 

Comic folkrock. 

DAN AND DALE (CA) 

"Sensational Guitars" 1966 (Tifton 8002) [mono; inner sleeve] [1]

"Sensational Guitars" 1966 (Tifton 78002) [stereo; inner sleeve] [1] 

-- The inner sleeve has the same graphics as the front cover. 

"Sensational Guitars" 2001 (Universe) 

"Sensational Guitars" 2001 (CD Universe) 

Actually Sun Ra on keys backed by Blues Project guys. Instro rock exploito 

themed around the hit Batman TV show. There are a few other Dan and Dale 

LPs on Diplomat, it is unclear if Sun Ra and crew were involved with those 

releases. [RM] 

BARBARA DANE ( ) 

"FTA! Songs Of The GI Resistance" 1970 (Paredon p-1003) 

Noted leftwing folk blues singer. This LP was recorded at military bases with 

active duty GI's protesting the military effort in Vietnam. Dane had several LPs, of 

which this one is the rarest. 

DAVE & THE SHADOWS (Grand Rapids, MI) 

"Two Sides Of Christmas" 1963 (Fenton 961) [2] 

Weak early instro rock sound and Christmas tunes. Not garage at all, only listed 

here because of the label. 

DAUGHTERS OF ALBION ( ) 

"Daughters Of Albion" 1969 (Fontana 67586) [3 inserts] 

Possibly a lost pop masterpiece, and at the very least an irresistable twig on the 

McCartney/"Pet Sounds"/Move tree, with 12 songs as clever, elaborate and wellwritten 

as any of the big guys. Like all classic pop its nature is essentially 

timeless, and the abundance of psychedelic studio tricks are there as a signpost 

of the times, not the album's raison d'etre. If you imagine an LP that takes the 

snappy 45 picks from the Millennium and Sagittarius albums and grow those into 

a full-blown LP, skipping the sleepy interludes and fillers, and then charges the 

music with unusual and occasionally razorsharp lyrics, this could be it. Excellent 

female vocalist keeps the songs from collapsing under the influx of ideas, and the 

arrangements manage to both make sense and surprise. Vaudeville, easy

listening, Spector girlsounds, the Beatles, Brian Wilson, JFK conspiracy theories, 

Mamas & Papas, parodies of Dylan & Lennon -- it's all in there, tightly wrapped 

and neatly packed. A splendid time is guaranteed for all. [PL] 

~~~ 


DEADLY NIGHTSHADE ( ) 

"Deadly Nightshade" 1975 (Phantom blp 1-0955) [gatefold] 

Femme trio rural folkrock with nice vocals. Produced by Felix Cavaliere. 

DECAYES (New Zeeland / Long Beach, CA) 

"Ich Bin Eine Spigelei" 1978 (Imgrat 2400-001) [100#d; sprayed cover; 4 inserts; 

fake obi] [2-3] 

-- each sleeve was individually decorated 

"Accidental Musik" 1979 (Imgrat 2400-002) [sprayed/stamped cover; inserts; 

300p] [2] 

-- each sleeve was individually decorated 

"Not Yet" 1980 (Imgrat 2400-003) [insert] [2] 

-- the covers were decorated individually with stamps and stencil 

"horNetZ" 1981 (Imgrat 2400-004) [300p; no cover; 2 inserts] [2] 

-- inserts sometimes pasted on the plain cover as artwork 

Avant garde electronics freakout, given additional boost by their inclusion on the 

Nurse With Wound list of inspirators. Imgrat stood for 'immediate gratification'. 

DEEP SIX ( ) 

"Deep Six" 1966 (Liberty lrp-3475) [mono] 

"Deep Six" 1966 (Liberty lst-7475) [stereo] 

"Deep Six" 2003 (CD Rev-Ola, UK) [+bonus tracks] 

Melodic rock covers with female vocal. Nice version of "Paint it Black". [RM] 

~~~ 

see -> Dunn & McCashen

DEEP WATER [aka DEEP WATER REUNION] (St. Paul, MN) 

"DWR" 1969 (Jerral 1009) 

Mellow pop folkrock covers, male and female vocals. Several Dylan songs. As 

“Deep Water Reunion.” The album cover is the info sheet from the master tape 

box. [RM] 

"Deep Water" 197 (Deepwater 161) 

More folkrock covers, from a slightly later vintage. This album was recorded live 

and apparently has two different cover variations. [RM] 

CLAUDE DENJEAN ( ) 

"Moog" 1970 (Phase-4) 

Cheesy moog rock with some psychy electric guitar parts. [RM] 

DEL-COUNTS (Minneapolis, MN) 

"Del-Counts" 196 (Dove Recording Studio acetate) [4] 

-- no vinyl pressing exists 

Mid-1960s acetate of album from band with several 45s, reported to be excellent. 

PRAHBA DEVI (Seattle, WA) 

"Sitar Goes International" 1968 (Kaybee kxls-110) [1?] 

Female sitarist of Indian (?) descent. Mix of ragas and 60s pop hits including 

Dylan, Rolling Stones, and kiddie songs! [RM] 

DEVILED HAM ( )

"I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night" 1968 (Super K 6003) 

Exploito-feeling psych/garage album. Side one is full of unnecessary cover 

versions, while all of side two is devoted to a medley of the title tune, the theme 

from “Rosemary’s Baby,” and Poe's "The Raven." This bizarre suite is pretty fun 

stuff, and is as far a departure from the Super K label’s spirit of bubblegum as is 

the Queen’s Nectarine Machine’s album. A full side’s worth of it eventually gets 

pretty dull, but before it does it’s a kick. [AM] 

CHERYL DILCHER ( ) 

"Butterfly" 1973 (A & M A&M FLY-003) [unipak; die-cut cover] 

With two tremendous late 60s style femme-psychrock tracks this is Dilcher's most 

interesting LP, and while the rest of the album goes in an eclectic 

singer/songwriter direction the entire LP is enjoyable with excellent lyrics and a 

cool attitude. Packaging is apex for 70s fans too. Dilcher made several LPs that 

fall outside the scope of the Archives although it should be noted that her debut 

"Special Songs" from 1971 marks the first known appearance of Bette Midler! 

[PL] 

~~~ 

This is by far Dilcher's best album, and due to the inclusion of the two hot funkrock 

songs "All Woman" and "High" on the "Hippie Goddesses" compilation, the 

one that has received the most attention. Those two songs are musically unlike 

the rest of the album, but still fit as part of a cohesive thematic whole. The overall 

musical style retains a few remnants of her folk rock debut SPECIAL SONGS, 

but is more electric and melodic. At times it would almost resemble bubblegum if 

not for Dilcher's tough, gravely voice. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though, 

because this is a wholly well-written and extremely catchy record, one that grew 

on me and stayed in regular playing rotation for a long time in my home. The 

blend of styles (pop and singer/songwriter) probably puzzled listeners who took 

themselves too seriously, which is the only logical explanation for the album's 

commercial failure. It's hard to imagine fans of, say, Janis Ian's BETWEEN THE 

LINES, loosening up and enjoying a song like "Chocolate Candy," even though a 

close look at the lyrics reveals intelligence and depth beyond Ian's more 

calculated album. Besides, Ian hadn't written a hook like that in "Good Morning 

World" since she was 15. Finally, the harder rocking appeal of "All Woman" and 

"High" give this album an edge that other singer/songwriters sorely lacked. In a 

way, the closest comparison is early Melanie, as she also combines a gravely 

voice with a sweet demeanor, and her first few albums occasionally rocked out 

("Uptown And Down," "Lovin Baby Girl,") Dilcher is a little bit wilder and more 

dangerous, though, as BUTTERFLY came after the flower child dream has been 

destroyed, not while it was still within reach. BUTTERFLY is one of the finest 

singer-songwriter albums of all, an explosion of talent where least expected.

Dilcher's other albums, most of which compromised her style in hope of 

achieving commercial success, are spotty and nowhere near as good as this, but 

all of them have an interesting moment or two. [AM] 

TOM DISSEVELT / KID BALTAN (Netherlands) 

"Song of the Second Moon" 196 (Limelight 86050) [gatefold] [1] 

"Song of the Second Moon" 198 (Limelight 86050) [counterfeit; gatefold] 

- The fine print is somewhat fuzzy on the bootleg. 

Melodic spacy electronics now sound action. Dissevelt cut lots more records. 

FRED DIXON & THE FRIDAY AFTERNOON (Canada) 

"Fred Dixon & the Friday Afternoon" 197 (Banff SBS 5408) 

Obscure local LP by countryrock band with originals all through and a couple of 

tracks described as having a vintage Byrds sound. 

TOD DOCKSTADER ( ) 

"Organized Sound" 1966 (Owl 6) [1] 

"Eight Electronic Pieces" 196 (Folkways fm-3434) [1] 

Owl is a Boulder, Colorado label. Experimental electronic tape montages. The 

Owl LP was recorded in 1964. [RM] 

DICK DODD (Los Angeles, CA) 

"First Evolution of Dick Dodd" 1968 (Tower st-5142) [wlp exists] [1] 

Standells' drummer doing blue-eyed soul rock similar to the Boxtops. 

DOG OF NAZARETH ( )

"It's Not the Heat... It's the Humidity" 1975 (Unigon) [insert] 

Nostalgic 1930s pop moves and a few weird garagy tracks. 

DOGWOOD (CA) 

"After The Flood, Before The Fire" 1975 (private) 

Described as folkrock with religious moves. Not a rare LP. The band had a 

second LP in 1977. 

BRENDAN DOYLE ( ) 

"Musical Mystical Bear" 1978 (Alba House) [insert] 

According to the liner notes, "a moving blend of jazz, folk-rock, Mozart and 

meaningful lyrics". 

DREAMS AND ILLUSIONS ( ) 

"Dreams and Illusions" 1968 (Verve Forecast) 

Orchestrated soft psych, effects. [RM] 

DRED SCOTT (CA) 

"An Instrumental Accident" 1981 (Red Spot) [1?] 

Side-long tracks from CA punk band; out of place here. 

FRANK DUMIN ( ) 

"Another Dawn" 1970 (Avant Garde 124) 

Folkrock by an ex-seminarian. [RM]

DUNN & MCCASHEN ( ) 

"Mobius" 1968 (Capitol st-285) 

"Dunn and McCashen" 1970 (Capitol st-565) 

This duo mixes popsike and singer-songwriter folk and have put together a pretty 

solid album here. It’s most well known for “Lydia Purple,” which would be covered 

by the Collectors and the Giant Crab, but there are a number of equally good 

songs beside it. My favorites are “Hitchcock Railway,” (also known via a cover 

version, by Joe Cocker), which has a killer bass part and cool trippy percussion 

effects, and “Rindy,” which has lovely harmonies. A few of the songs have iffy 

horn and woodwind arrangements that contribute to a music hall feel that doesn’t 

really work. Otherwise, though, this is a strong genre piece that would be worth 

hundreds if it was a private press. The lyrics are a cut above the norm too. Ex- 

Deep Six. [AM] 

DUST BOWL CLEMENTINE (NY) 

"Dust Bowl Clementine" 1969 (Roulette sr-42058) [wlp exists] 

-- stock copies may be rarer 

Rootsy outdoors sound with counterculture concerns. With Chuck Laskowski (= 

Faine Jade) and Nick Manzi of Bohemian Vendetta. [RM]

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