Joint Happening (2007)
This was to be the last album I picked up from Mushroom, a long running band from San Francisco that continues to this day. Technically listed as Mushroom with Eddie Gale, the latter provides trumpet and is a key component of this album's sound. I had a very high rating on this from my only listen upon release. I'm curious if it holds up some 18 years later.
The opening track 'Peace' by itself is something to take notice of. Sounding every bit like Tangerine Dream's Phaedra, complete with flute mellotron. Then Eddie Gale provides the Miles Davis styled muted trumpet layered on top. Bitches Brew meets Rubycon is a cocktail I'll drink all day. Track 3 is Mushroom at their Krautrock deep groove best. Laying down the Can groove with flute, trumpet, piano, organ, and whoever else wants to jam on top. It can get intense at times. At 18 minutes, it's the centerpiece of the album. It isn't until the sixth cut 'Our Love' that the psychedelic guitar kicks in. This leads to the other lengthy track and closer 'The Spirit'. Similar in construct to the third song, it's band leader and drummer Pat Thomas laying down a repetitive groove and letting the others jam on top. On this cut the music has more of an Embryo feel minus the rhythms which remain firmly in the Can camp.
Joint Happening is a tough album to categorize. The instrumentation and loose feeling belong to jazz. The hypnotic groove and psychedelic nature are more space rock oriented. I probably did have this one a half star too high, only in that the tree could have used some trimming. Where to trim? That's the tough question and why jazz improv is jazz improv. Great album all the same.
Ownership: 2007 Hyena (CD). Booklet with recording details.
11/11/07 (acquired); 8/25/25 (review) 
Cream of Mushroom (1998)
The hype sticker on the casing states "Debut CD from Mushroom with Krautrock, psychedelic & jazz fusion influences. Their sound is similar to Tortoise, Miles Davis, Can, Soft Machine." And with that Mushroom threw down the gauntlet. This was in the early days of the American Krautrock revival, and where better to start than San Francisco. Of course only Can above could be considered Krautrock but it is the centerpiece of the CD - namely the 24 minute 'The Reeperbahn'. This track has Can written all over it with its hypnotic repetitive groove and analog sounds dropped on top. As it turns out, the CD incorporates Mushroom's true debut, 1997's LP of the same name as the lengthy track, along with four new compositions. From the LP we also hear 'On the Corner (Part 2)' which of course covers the Miles reference. And there's some fuzz bass, so I guess that's to be the Hopper nod. Graham Connah is the keyboardist here, and his next venture would be Jettison Slinky, one of the few American bands who paid homage to the Canterbury scene. In the end what you get with Mushroom are all the obvious pop culture references and musical influences. As a listener, it would be easy to write it off as hipster imitation. But what I hear is an innovative band taking in all the influences and creating something wholly unique. Mushroom would continue to be a fascinating band for the next ten years or so before fizzling out. If curious, this CD debut would be as good as any place to start, though not their very best.Ownership: 1998 Normal (CD). Booklet with recording details.
The hype sticker on the casing states "Debut CD from Mushroom with Krautrock, psychedelic & jazz fusion influences. Their sound is similar to Tortoise, Miles Davis, Can, Soft Machine." And with that Mushroom threw down the gauntlet. This was in the early days of the American Krautrock revival, and where better to start than San Francisco. Of course only Can above could be considered Krautrock but it is the centerpiece of the CD - namely the 24 minute 'The Reeperbahn'. This track has Can written all over it with its hypnotic repetitive groove and analog sounds dropped on top. As it turns out, the CD incorporates Mushroom's true debut, 1997's LP of the same name as the lengthy track, along with four new compositions. From the LP we also hear 'On the Corner (Part 2)' which of course covers the Miles reference. And there's some fuzz bass, so I guess that's to be the Hopper nod. Graham Connah is the keyboardist here, and his next venture would be Jettison Slinky, one of the few American bands who paid homage to the Canterbury scene. In the end what you get with Mushroom are all the obvious pop culture references and musical influences. As a listener, it would be easy to write it off as hipster imitation. But what I hear is an innovative band taking in all the influences and creating something wholly unique. Mushroom would continue to be a fascinating band for the next ten years or so before fizzling out. If curious, this CD debut would be as good as any place to start, though not their very best.Ownership: 1998 Normal (CD). Booklet with recording details.
4/5/98 (acquired); 8/27/20; 1/19/21 (review)
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Other albums I own and need to review: Hydrogen Jukebox; Analog Hi-Fi Surprise; Foxy Music; Glazed Popems
Other albums once owned: Leni Riefenstahl; Yesterday, I Saw You Kissing Tiny Flowers
1/19/21 (new entry)
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