With a subtitle of Freak Out Total, and the promise of a psychedelic instrumental tour-de-force, Ouba can only rate as a disappointment. Which is not the same thing as saying it isn't any good. For the time and place, it's a pretty fascinating record. Basically a rambling jam with organ, guitar, and a busy drummer (who manages to get in a four minute drum solo on a 26 minute album). There were a handful of these loose psychedelic groups out there in the late 60s and early 70s, many of them tied to the sound library industry. Ugly Custard, Blue Phantom, Hungry Wolf, The Free Pop Electronic Concept, and Roland Kovac Set are but a few examples. But while those groups managed to break up their premise-of-songs, Ouba goes with one theme for the duration. In some ways it recalls Maquina's 'Why' instrumental, or even Beat of the Earth - but without the gravitas the latter brings. So a lot of groups to digest here, and Ouba is in that mix. Don't expect anything revelatory though.
Ownership: CD: 2001 Gear Fab. Jewel case. Lengthy liner notes and interviews.
2002 (first listen); 9/3/16; 8/13/20 (review / new entry)
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