Traffic - Heaven is in Your Mind. 1967 England

Heaven is in Your Mind is essentially the US version of Mr. Fantasy (and was originally released that way here in the States). Psych era classic from one of England's most inconsistent groups. You all know how I hate to throw the term overrated around, but damn this band gets a lot of praise for a lot of mediocrity. But their debut was really something special, tapping into the nascent UK psychedelic movement perfectly. 

Ownership: CD: 2000 Island. Thrift shop find from a year ago (2021). Another excellent CD with full liners, and 4 bonus tracks, two of which are the missing songs from the original UK release. It must have been awful to be a collector the late 60s. You see this with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones (and others I'm sure) where the UK and US releases were different, forcing people to consider importing the other version (which was a bloody fortune in those days).

12/2/21 (CD 2.15); 11/23/22 (new entry)

The Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed. 1967 England

Days of Future Passed is not an album that needs an enormous amount of commentary. Without a doubt it's a groundbreaking work. Yet it's all done within the confines of easy listening music. Side 1 in particular is strings led pop, of the kind that thrift shops have piles of for 10 cents each. Side 2 has the slight psychedelic edge, and this is the side with the memorable mellotron line. The powerful closer 'Nights in White Satin' is what made this album famous, and it does pack a wallop. Few will argue against that this is the album's masterpiece, and I'm joining the chorus on that observation.

Ownership: LP: 1978 Deram (Japan). I've owned this album on LP continuously since high school. Looks like I picked this copy up online in 2000, which would have replaced the US 80s commodity press. In the last 3 years I picked up an early 70s UK press, but this copy is in better shape, so I moved it out. It's still in the record show box, as it hasn't sold yet. Never owned on CD interestingly enough.

9/6/22 (new entry)

The Free Design - Kites are Fun. 1967 USA-New York

I absolutely adore soft pop like this (with psych harmonies and overtones). This contains an unbelievable innocence that is hard to recreate when you're damaged goods. This is the real thing! They're singing about kites for crying out loud! And wait until you hear the tune they crafted about their 8 year old brother Woody, playing football, climbing trees, and his sundry goofs. If the sun isn't shining in your room after listening to this album, it's time to exorcise your death metal collection.

Ownership: LP: 1967 Project 3. Wonderful thick colorful gatefold, typical of the label. Online acquisition (2009)

CD: 2003 Light in the Attic. Chockful of liner notes, vintage photos, and two bonus tracks. This was my introduction to the album (2005).

12//05; 2009; 9/25/21 (new entry)

The Union - Love?? / Good Things. 1967 USA-Texas

One more completely obscure 45, this time from Houston, that proves the 60s were loaded with great talent, and not enough outlets for them all. 'Love??' is really great and has that tranced out psychedelic sound with doomy fuzz organ. Think of a post-Animals song mixed with the Group 1850 singles. Awesome. 'Good Things' is more groovy, also featuring organ (not fuzzed though) and jangly guitars with a great hummable tune. Definitely these guys should have made it past the minor leagues.

Ownership: SP: 1967 Radel. Online acquisition (2020).

6/7/20 (first listen); 3/7/21 (review / new entry)

Pat Martino - El Hombre. 1967 USA-Pennsylvania

I was a little bit familiar with Martino as his name has been bandied about when talking the kosmigroov genre, a style that I'm tangentially interested in. The one previous album I heard didn't leave much of a mark, though a relisten most certainly is in order. But this one did leave an impression. Immediately I was reminded of Gabor Szabo and Wes Montgomery, as Martino gently leads these jazz instrumental tracks with his fine lightly amplified guitar style. Complementing him on the album are a 5 piece including no less than three on drums and percussion. But the two members that put this one into the excellent category are organist Trudy Pitts (check out the cover of Introducing the Fabulous Trudy Pitts - my kind of woman!) and Danny Turner on flute. The latter is known more for his saxophone work, but the instrument is not to be found on El Hombre. Wonderful late evening listening, a superb chillout close to the night. This was Philadelphia native Pat Martino's debut, though as the original liner notes point out, he was a veteran by this point. 

Ownership: LP: 1985 Prestige. Single sleeve. As mentioned in my last commodity update, I found a pretty good pile of rare jazz at a thrift shop late last week. Most of them were originals, which makes this reissue that much more curious. But the positive side of the situation is this album is in NM condition - both cover and vinyl. Off to a good start - hope to find more treasures like this in that batch.

Le Stelle di Mario Schifano - Dedicato A... 1967 Italy

As noted below, yet another 20+ year delay in hearing an album. My score was pretty high on this one, so I expected to lower it as my tastes have changed on items such as this. Not at all! I still enjoy the side long freakout, though I found myself admiring more the second side, which contains some fine psychedelic pop tracks with excellent melodies. Groundbreaking album in so many ways, especially for Italy.

Ownership: LP: 1999 Akarma. Originals are famously expensive, a true 4 figure rarity. This is one of those albums where I bought the CD (Mellow) and shortly thereafter picked up the LP (2000?) - likely at Amoeba in San Francisco - mainly for the cover. Wow - glad I did. What an amazing package this is to behold (original libretto; liner notes). I never heard the LP copy until this past week. Sounded great to me. By most accounts, this one falls into their legit release category.




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The Moving Sidewalks - The Complete Collection. 1967-1968 USA-Texas

The Moving Sidewalks were the Houston, Texas based psych band that gained fame later as the breeding ground for Billy Gibbons, he of ZZ Top fame. What becomes evident rather quickly is the influence of a one Jimi Hendrix, during the Experience years of course. There are photos of Hendrix and Gibbons together, and the former was known to have praised the latter's guitar work. It must have been quite the ego boost to be surrounded with such great company at an early age.

Flash would be their only album before ultimately disbanding and Gibbons forming ZZ Top. The music is a cross of high energy psychedelic with that of the blues, the latter being more the influence of Gibbon's next career. The album starts off incredible strong, but does wheeze out at the end with the somewhat traditional and lengthy 'Joe Blues', and the wacky and seemingly drug induced 'Eclipse' / 'Reclipse' segment.

Their singles were an indication of where the band was headed, and all are worthy as well. For example  'I Want to Hold Your Hand' is probably the last track from the Beatles' canon I would pick for a psych cover, but my goodness, did they absolutely destroy this track in effects - almost beyond recognition. Best version ever - at least that I've heard!

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The Moving Sidewalks were the Houston based psych band that gained fame later as the breeding ground for a one Billy Gibbons, he of ZZ Top fame. 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' is probably the last track from the Beatles' canon I would pick for a psych cover, but my goodness, did they absolutely destroy this track in effects - almost beyond recognition. Best version ever - at least that I've heard!

'Joe's Blues' is a solid electric blues number, with excellent guitar and organ. And yes, the guitar here can be quite psychedelic sounding. It's the full 7+ minute version, so far beyond the usual single length. And yea sure, they do have the blues real bad. They got 'em. Yeaaa they do.

An incongruous single, but very good all the same.

CD: 2012 Rockbeat (The Complete Collection)

The CD (and 2LP) reissue is superb and collects everything The Moving Sidewalks - and precursor group The Coachmen - ever did. This includes alternate takes on both singles and album tunes. There are many great archival photos, and excellent discography information. What's strangely missing is an accompanying essay and/or historical notes. It's kind of baffling really. All the same, if the American late 1960s psych experience interests you, this collection is a can't miss acquisition.

Group 1850 various 45s, singles / Mother No-Head. 1966-1975 Netherlands

Overview

I'm redoing this post with better formatting - and since more data has emerged considering the new Purple Sky box set.

First let's talk about the availability of these singles and how to obtain them, and then we'll follow these singles chronologically.

The first to market was Pseudonym's fantastic CD reissue of Agemo's Trip to Mother Earth (1997) - which contained no less than 13 bonus tracks. You even get the 3-D cover and glasses!

Second was the individual CD/LP release of the singles (plus demo varieties) known as Mother No-Head (2012).

Third, and the most inconspicuous, is a double CD release called The Golden Years Of Dutch Pop Music (A&B Sides And More) (2017). Not only does this CD contain all their released singles, but it also has reissues of Paradise Now (which already had multiple releases) as well as the very first legit CD reissue of Polyandri.

And now fourth - and the most complete Group 1850 package by far - is the 8 CD Purple Sky box set (2019). Included with all 5 of their albums (plus one Sjardin solo work), we also get 2 full discs of Group 1850 singles. It's a bit misleading though, as many are just mono/stereo variations of each. There are some deviations though, that we will cover below.

1966

Group (native Groep) 1850 were always ahead of their time by at least 2 years. Peter Sjardin is no doubt one of the creative geniuses of our era, a man with no commercial ambition whatsoever, but one who never lost his mojo until the end of the 70s. The fact 'Misty Night' came out in 1966 demonstrates the point at hand. This track could have easily fit on the Agemo's opus that was to arrive 2 years later, and it too is a pioneering effort. This is prog psych, before the former term existed and the latter term was just entering the lexicon in regards to music. 'Look Around' is a bit more typical for the era, in a punk garage sort of way. It's still very good for the style.

1967

I'm not quite sure why the psychedelic era had so much infatuation with the French nursery rhyme Frere Jacques*, but Mother No-Head is Group 1850's interpretation. Apparently the name is a bastardization of the Dutch "Vader Jacob" with some free association to English. OOKAAY then. Uncut drugs I presume. In any case, from what I understand this was Group 1850's most successful single. It definitely is a unique variation of the jingle and is quite good. 'Ever, Ever Green' is the most normal song Group 1850 ever did, and the only one I'd probably skip over in their entire ouevre.

* The German psych band Bokaj Retsiem dedicated their name (Meister Jakob spelled backwards) and their one album to the rhyme.

Another brilliant pair of tracks from these Dutch cosmic travelers, well on their way to blowing minds everywhere.

1968

The pinnacle of Group 1850's singles. 'Little Fly' is the same version as on Agemo's Trip to Mother Earth, and is brilliant. And 'We Love Life' is the perfect encapsulation of Group 1850's ability to consolidate many psychedelic ideas into 4 and a half minutes.

The second best of Group 1850's singles (after Little Fly/We Love Life), this captures the band at their peak (and probably peak experience if you know what I mean).

1969

While the band were quite active in 1969 - especially considering their best work Paradise Now was released then - there was no formal singles activity. However on the Purple Sky box, two lost recordings emerge, both single edits of tracks found on Paradise Now: 'Friday I'm Free' and 'Purple Sky (part 1)'.

1970

Group 1850 returned in 1970 with 'Don't Let It Be' and 'Sun is Coming', though ironically this would be the only recording to emerge from the band during the year. This would also be the only single left off the Agemo's Trip to Mother Earth CD reissue. And they are not to be missed either. Just two more great tracks (especially 'Don't Let it Be') from Group 1850!

1971

Based on the sheer level of activity, it appears that 1971 was to be a breakout year for Group 1850. But alas it never happened and they more or less broke up for 3 years afterward.

I think there can be no doubt Arthur Brown was on their mind when they did 'Fire'. It's not just the song title, but also the style. A surprising copycat move from a band who were always innovators. It's still a great track despite this. The highlight here though is 'Have You Ever Heard', which basically consolidated the '?!' track from Paradise Now into a song with lyrics. Of course it doesn't have the long trippy organ and guitar parts, but it's great to hear how they recycled some of the themes.

What would appear to be the only original tracks on Purple Sky, are really variations on the above. 'Falling Mountains' is yet another variation of '?!', though to be honest I'm open to hearing any number of variations of this most brilliant song. The other track here is 'Liar' which rhymes with - c'mon guess - right, 'Fire'. It's basically the same tune with different lyrics.

In addition to the above activity in 1971, Group 1850 also recorded '1000 Years Before' and 'Dream of the Future', neither of which were ever released in their day. These two songs - both excellent - first appeared as bonus tracks on the Agemo's reissue. They were also both left off the Golden Years CD.

1975

The only single from Group 1850 than can be ignored, if you already have these two tracks from earlier releases (1967/1971 respectively). This appears to be a cash-in job recycling their most known hit 'Mother No-Head', but this time sung in half-French, which is where this single was released (and as we learn from the Purple Sky box, it was recorded way back in 1967). 'Fire' is the exact same as the 1971 single. By 1975, Group 1850 were barely a cohesive entity anyway, though they recovered to release the excellent Polyandri and Live On Tour albums. After this, Sjardin basically imploded with inane attempts to stay relevant in the marketplace throughout the late 70s and early 80s. He ultimately became a recluse for some 30 odd years, and passed away in 2015 at the age of 68.

CD: 1997 Pseudonym (reissue of Agemo's Trip to Mother Earth)

CD: 2019 Pseudonym (as part of an 8 CD box set called Purple Sky)

9/1/19 (new entry)

Burt Bacharach - Reach Out. 1967 USA

Burt Bacharach seemed to corner the market on all the excellent melodies and arrangements of the 1960s. How one person could generate so much creativity, within the tight space of pop music, will go down as one of the great mysteries of our time.

Bacharach is famous for his hit making songs. But on album, under his own name, not so much. It's telling he only had 10 albums by the end of the decade he helped define in pop culture terms. Reach Out is one of those, perhaps his most known. It's basically an orchestrated version of his top hits. For anyone else, this would be a yawn fest, 101 Strings' Hymn to the Great Elevator. In the hands of Bacharach, the most adept of arrangers, all of his songs come to life in different and inspiring ways. There are no star studded vocalists here, though it's not entirely instrumental. You will recognize most of these songs, but not in the same way as you might think.

Ostensibly this falls into the Easy Listening genre. This a term Bacharach bristled at. Yes, it's easy on the ears for sure, but it's hardly easy to compose or perform. I could not agree more. The depth of composition here is astounding, and was copied by thousands of aspiring songwriters. Most fell way short of achieving it.

Did you know, as I write this, that Bacharach is 91 and still writing songs? Somebody should take a blood sample. I bet a wire comes out instead...

Personal collection
LP: 1967 A&M

An easy album to find. Not so easy to find in Mint condition, which I recently did.

The Sound Sandwich - Apothecary Dream / Zig Zag News (single). 1967 USA-California

You gotta like a band with a name such as The Sound Sandwich! The Los Angeles based band, however, hated the moniker (they were originally known as The Chosen Few). Apparently they started as a horn rock band, but the producers didn't want anything to do with them, stating they don't belong on rock albums (ha! I know a lot of people who still feel that way). I would have loved to hear that version myself. In any case, The Sound Sandwich fell apart like so many bands, due to Vietnam, and their guitarist was killed 3 weeks into duty. The others were always going to do a comeback, but it never came together.

'Apothecary Dream' is just simply great. The organ, harmony vocals, and fuzz guitar effects are awesome. There's a bit of The Electric Prunes sound here. A seriously great melody too. Apparently the band spent 2 weeks working on this track, and it was meant to be played on American Bandstand, but the druggy references knocked it out of contention. Apparently they didn't know what 'Zig Zag' meant then... (lol)

And it was the flip side that indeed did the get the exposure. They only spent one day on this track. 'Zig Zag News' starts off in jangly mid-paced garage form. Then it picks up the pace considerably, before slowing down... and picking back up for the finale. Despite this, there's not much of a song here to grab onto. It's a decent track, but the other side is far better and it's too bad it didn't get the radio airplay.

'Apothecary Dream' is part of the compilation above titled 30 Seconds Before the Calico Wall!

10/18/18 (new entry)

The Brain Train - Me / Black Roses. 1967 USA-California

The Brain Train were from Los Angeles, and later renamed themselves to the more known band Clear Light (I prefer the former honestly). 'Me' is one of the most forward thinking of the psych singles I've heard (hence, the appropriate band name I think). The driving organ and guitar with raspy vocals are fairly typical, and then the chorus goes gothic, while furious drum rolls create a racket in the background (they had two drummers which becomes apparent). Sounds like something from 1973 Italy!

'Black Roses' isn't near as inventive as the predecessor, but certainly is quality 1967 era psych. There's a couple of mid section breaks, though the guitar soloing is more avant garde than intense.

Ownership: CD: 2016 Big Beat (UK). Both tracks are bonus' on this fine reissue of the Clear Light album.

10/18/18 (new entry)

The Looking Glasses - Visions / Migada Bus. 1967 USA-California

The Looking Glasses were a band from Los Angeles that time has forgot. They also used the name The Clouds as well. 'Visions' is an extraordinary psych single, capturing the exotic nature of the times, with incredibly tripped out harmony male voices, and fuzz guitar shards everywhere cutting right through the wall. The haunting organ only adds to the vibe. If looking for that perfect "opium den" 1967 soundtrack, then hear you go. Brilliant in every way. One hopes that out of the blue, a canister full of tapes shows from this session!

Despite having a cool name like 'Migada Bus', the flip side can only be considered a disappointment when compared to the tripped out front. It's mostly an acoustic guitar lead instrumental rock song, with some harpsichord and a bit of fuzz toward the end.

'Visions' is part of the compilation above titled 30 Seconds Before the Calico Wall!

10/18/18 (new entry)

The Ceyleib People - Tanyet. 1967 USA

From Los Angeles, The Ceyleib People released this one 23 minute album of instrumental psychedelic music with a heavy emphasis on looking eastwards toward India, which was quite the trendy thing to do in 1967. So if the idea of mixing sitar with the Chamberlin (precursor to the Mellotron) is an exciting concept for you, then The Ceyleib People will certainly satisfy. I quite like it myself, though it is a bit of musical wallpaper to be honest. Conditionally recommended. I'll probably hold onto to it for a few years more, though not likely to make it for the long haul.

Personal collection
none

The second scan is the German original, which appears to have had wide distribution in Europe. The Dropout CD is the only legit reissue and doubles the length by adding a mono mix, which certainly does sound better in this case. The stereo version is lacking... something.

Feb 2018 update: As hinted above, I decided to  move out the CD.

Baby Grandmothers. 1967-68 Sweden (archival)

The first two tracks presented here are from an extremely rare 45 single, and can only be considered a truly extraordinary example of what was going on in Northern Europe during this time. Incredible psychedelic guitar from future Kebnekaise guitarist Kenny Hakansson, with otherworldly voices taking you to another universe. This first track is from master tapes and is, by itself, a reason to own this CD (beyond the excellent liner notes from Reine Fiske of course). The second one is from vinyl, but no less interesting musically. A bit slower, but it's a pot boiler! The remainder of the album is made up of live guitar-fronted jams preserved for the ages in variable sound by some foresighted folks. The musical quality is hit and miss, and as with all jam albums, there are peak moments - and ones that get stuck in the ditch for far too long. So 15 minutes of 4.5 star (Gnosis 12) material and 45 minutes of 3 stars (Gnosis 9). But given the historical perspective, and that it's been presented with great care by Subliminal Sounds, this one goes into the "must own" column. If you're looking for the Swedish version of Cream, then you'll find it here.

Ownership: CD: 2007 Subliminal Sounds

12/18/12 (new entry)