Elmira ~ Denmark

Lady of the Mountain (1973-1976 / 2001)

Elmira's sole release is the archival Lady of the Mountain and is "recorded live at rehearsals between 1973 and 1976". Similar to the Polyfeen on the same label, it's basically a bootleg audio quality album, but musically interesting all the same. Long tracks with plenty of space given to Hammond organ and guitar solos. Downer vocals remind me of Procol Harum. Certainly not in vogue with the era, and sounds every bit like music one would hear in 1970. Worth a couple of listens, but not essential.

11/16/18 (review / new entry)

Robin Runge ~ USA ~ Texas

Don't Give Up the Ship (1977)

Here's Runge's second, and better album. Though his name is Robin Runge, the male / female duo on this album is known as Robin. The album was recorded and released in 1977 on the DIY Century. The album overall is primarily an acoustic, but sophisticated folk rock work, with plenty of synthesizer to add color. The guitar playing is clearly inspired by Steve Howe and the vocals have a pleasant lilt like Jon Anderson. Could have been a song based Yes album from the same time period (1977-78), with overt Christian, rather than Eastern religious / mystic based lyrics. A good progressive folk album from an unlikely source.

Former ownership: 1977 Century (LP). Gatefold. Acquired in 2012. Downsized in 2020.

1/19/12 (review); 11/16/18

Don't Give Up the Ship (1974)

Apparently Mr. Runge decided to skip his Creative Writing class or he really, really doesn't want you to give up on the ship (though perhaps a recent Italian captain would have benefited from such sound advice). Regardless of the motivation, these two distinct albums caused quite a bit of confusion for this author anyway.

The 1974 album is considerably more raw and amateurish than the follow-up as might be expected from a one man band - though there still is plenty of keyboards, including a cool mellotron blast to open the album, which continues on through most of the track. Of interest to DFW readers - one track is recorded live at Six Flags over Texas in Arlington.

Former ownership: 1974 QCA (LP). Acquired in 2012. Downsized in 2020.

1/19/12 (review)

No reissues exist for either as I update this post (5/24/26)

11/16/18 (new entry)

Uludag ~ Germany

Mau Mau (1988)

Uludag's sole album consists of two side long tracks that crosses various Asian styled music with that of avant prog. The album is entirely instrumental and unlike anything else I've heard. One can tell quite a bit of thought went into this, and the music is intricately composed. Groundbreaking on the whole, though not necessarily that enjoyable, once the novelty of the sound wears off.

Former ownership: 1988 Review (LP). Acquired in 2006.

As of 2/23/25, the album remains without a reissue of any kind.

2006; 3/13/12 (review); 11/16/18 (update / new entry)

Junipher Greene - Friendship. 1971 Norway

Junipher Greene asks of the listener: "Try to understand, we think you can". This is how Friendship blasts out of the gates, and it doesn't stop that momentum to the last note some one hour plus later. With lethal fuzz guitar, stuttering flute, impassioned vocals, and a hyper rhythm section, Friendship is one of the gems of the Continental European progressive rock scene of the early 70s. Isolated in faraway Norway - especially for the era - it's an extraordinary 2 LP release, and is arguably the Nordic country's first progressive rock album. And quite possibly the very best too until modern times.

You'll often read that due to the length of the album, there are weak tracks or filler throughout. I just cannot agree, and do not hear what those tracks might be. Well, OK, 'Attila's Belly-Dance' is a bit silly, but at 39 seconds I think we can survive that. The worst song here, in my estimation, is 'Witches' Daughter', and after a molten guitar lead mid section, it just merely falls to excellent verse sublime. The stretch from 'Music for Our Children' through 'Magical Garden' is absolutely divine, each one diverse, but still energetic and highly melodic. Then comes the album's one-two punch. 'Maurice' is at the very top of what I call "flute groovers". The listener is mesmerized as one great melody after another is introduced while maintaining a head bobbing and ever changing rhythm. A masterpiece, only to be followed (after silly bit as mentioned above) by the brilliant 'Prelude: Take the Road Across the Bridge', with its killer Hammond/guitar combo. Interesting to note that Freddy Dahl covered this track later with his next vehicle Saluki, a decidedly more jazz and funk oriented band, and yet it remains a 5 star classic there as well. All this leads to the multi-part "side 4" title suite, which recalls the run of tracks starting with 'Music for Our Children'. In conclusion, Friendship is one of the all-time greats and is not to be missed.

Ownership: LP: 1971 Sonet. 2xLP gatefold. Online acquisition (2022) from a dealer in Norway. 

CD: 1989 Sonet. Standard jewel case release and was my first exposure to the album (1995). 

1995; 3/7/10; 11/9/18 (new entry)

Julian's Treatment ~ England

A Time Before This (1970)

Julian Jay Savarin is something of an enlightened individual. He is a writer and a musician, and was very much a member of the London avant garde of the late 60s, even though he was only a teenager at the time. Mostly known for his science fiction novels, he decided to cobble a group of fellow minded individuals to put words to music. Taking in the music of the day, and given his predilection for creativity, it comes as no surprise Savarin embraced the oncoming progressive rock movement. In addition to his Hammond organ, the band featured the usual guitar, bass, and drums backup. The two key sound elements that distinguish his new band were the addition of flute (the sole reason he chose Del Watkins as his guitarist was because he could double up on flute), and most importantly the vocals of Australian Cathy Pruden. Apparently, along with her distinctive voice, she was just as striking looking (there are scant pictures of her, but what one can find she does add a couple of degrees to the room), and was considered the perfect front person for the band. And she was quite "active" on the stage as well. According to those who saw them live, the concert left many a male in a cold sweat afterward.

I consider A Time Before This one of the cornerstone albums of my Post psychedelic, proto progressive with female vocals list. What does that mean really? Basically their sound borrows from the late 60s psychedelic movement of Jefferson Airplane et al, and takes the idea a few steps further in the creativity department. Every track here is excellent, but highlights include 'The Black Tower', 'The Terran', and the lengthy closing title track. Essential listening.

Much is made of the difference between the UK and US releases, given the former is a double LP. I don't agree that it's that jarring. The UK version is 52 minutes, which is quite short for a double. The American release is 42 minutes. Where did the 10 minutes ago? Trimming, shaving, and editing. I think they did a masterful job at capturing the essence of the recording, and I was hard pressed to notice the difference on a back to back listen of both versions. 

Ownership: 1970 Decca (LP). Uni-pak gatefold. One of the very rare cases where the US cover supersedes the original in terms of artwork. Acquired in 1988.

1988; 1996; 11/9/18 (review)

Also own: Waiters On The Dance

11/9/18 (new entry)

Pizzicato Five - Playboy & Playgirl. 1999 Japan

1999 was our very own Fin de siècle. It was a time of irrational optimism, buoyed by disposable incomes, crazy hopes, utopian dreams, and... lots of parties - celebrating... something. Anything.

Playboy and Playgirl is the soundtrack to that place and time. It's a mashup of the Y2K/Dot Com software craze; The ever intriguing Japanese fascination with Western culture; And the recognition of a one Burt Bacharach, arguably the most sophisticated pop songwriter of our time.

And perhaps the icing on the cake - and believe me Pizzicato Five can only be described as icing - the whole album is sung in Japanese. What? Except the title track where our key female protagonist dogmatically states over and over PRAYBROY PRAYGRR - do dadoodoo do - PRAYBROY PRAYGRR.

It appears everyone takes away a different favorite from here. My two are 'La Règle du Jeu' and 'The Great Invitations'. But every track here is very good to excellent.

Pizzicato Five, on Playboy & Playgirl, was about immortalizing Swinging London and Carnaby Street. Images of Jean Shrimpton and Bond. James Bond. Shaken not stirred. And yet the album perfectly represents a time exactly 30 years later. Good memories.

Ownership: CD: 1999 Matador. The CD is housed in an excellent tri-fold digipak, with plenty of fun photos of our duo acting-out in a late 60s English way. Online acquisition (2004)

12//04; 11/9/18 (new entry)

The Seventh Seal ~ Japan

The Seventh Seal (1997)

So it pretty much starts here for Makoto Kawabata, mastermind behind the Acid Mothers Temple franchise (though technically Kawabata was in Toho Sara and Musica Transonic prior to this). To be honest, I wish I was a big fan of his work, as he is involved with scores of albums - all in a style that I happen to love. Except he has no sense of restraint. Everything goes through the wringer so that there isn't one drop left for the imagination. Guitar feedback overload for 40 minutes makes one nauseous after while. It's like those bad SNL skits, where the first 30 seconds are funny and the next 5 minutes are painful. Good thing Kawabata didn't jam with Terry Brooks in the mid 70s. Ay-chee-wah-wah. Of course, it would be a false statement for me to say I've heard all of the albums he's been involved with. Only a small fraction truthfully, and there are a couple of albums by AMT that are pretty decent. And as a guest musician, his hit rate is even better (most recently with the French group Aquaserge). Essentially he's a good guitarist when parameters are set.

All of this to say that his stint here with Seventh Seal was most promising indeed. His chance encounter with Gary Ramon (Sun Dial, Quad, owner of Acme Records) must have proven to be highly enlightening for Kawabata (in both sound and label activity). The side long opening 'Spiritual Springs' Slavering with Circling' does in fact sound somewhat like Quad, with wordless female vocals, which also recalls Floating Flower (yet another one of Kawabata's early era groups). The guitar soloing does get a bit excessive though. Side two features a fetching psychedelic ethnic Japanese track before launching into the closer, our first indication that Kawabata didn't have much use for an editor. Still, an overall delightful psychedelic effort.

Former ownership: 1997 Acme (LP)

1997 (first listen); 11/9/18

Dull Knife - Electric Indian. 1971 Germany

'Plastic People' is a monster track of heavy organ driven Krautrock. Sadly, it's not representative of the album as a whole. Much of the album is a mix of gospel and blues, with painfully depressing vocals, and one imagines a 70 year old lady with a bun playing the church organ through some of these snoozers. 'Tumberlin' Down' and 'Day of Wrath' hearkens back to the killer opener, offering up just enough to make it worth an attentive listen every few years.

The original Philips LP has some strange dynamics - where it gets louder and softer over large swaths of time. Weird. This was not noticeable on the Second Battle CD that I once owned.

CD: 1994 Second Battle

Lumerians - Call of the Void. 2018 USA-California

I concluded the review of the Lumerians last album The High Frontier with "While none of the songs are what one would call deep, the overall portrait remains excellent". And really, Call of the Void isn't that much different, even though 5 years have passed. They maintain their patented early 70s Motorik meets late 60s psychedelic style, while clearly being a product of the 2010s. As with any Lumerians album, it would be easy to state this is nothing more than superficial hipster music, and is more icing than cake. But there's some actual songwriting going on here, and Call of the Void finishes stronger than it starts, especially on the superb 'Ghost Notes', a direction I'd like to see them pursue further. Overall the album is much more than background music, though if they did decide to add more twists and turns, the results would likely be mind blowing.

I had to laugh at the opening track. That's a West Texas phrase right there. As I've mentioned in a few places, I spent my college years in Lubbock. Now Texas Tech was one of those universities Playboy would hang out at looking for beauties, as the region is well known - and deservedly so - for having an abundance of gorgeous ladies. Many from the farms and ranches nearby. So way back in 1984 or so, we were at the dorm cafeteria, enjoying the company of one such beautiful lass. Being the dorks I'm sure we were, we all had to say something (likely very stupid) to try to gain her attention. At some point we crossed the threshold (of course we did - morons). So this tall, beautiful, and classy blonde stands up, and elegantly looks at us and states very politely "Fuck All Y'All'. Boom.

Ownership: CD: 2018 Fuzz Club

11/4/18 (new entry)

Bubu ~ Argentina

El Eco del Sol (2018)

Bubu's debut album Anabelas is considered by many as Argentina's finest progressive rock album. Released in 1978, it combined complex compositions with an energetic rock style, that makes the music timeless.

40 years later, they return with the followup album. Not a moment too soon. What's most interesting is that El Eco del Sol sounds every bit like a followup to the debut. So, yes, it could have been released in 1979. The first thought one might have here is, OK, then it must be a retro prog album right? Nope. And the reason for that is Anabelas is not a record that "dates" itself. What that means to my ears at least, is there isn't an overabundance of period instrumentation like Hammond organ, mellotron, or wah-wah fuzz guitar leads. Anabelas could have come out yesterday, and still sound contemporary. And so does El Eco del Sol.

What makes Bubu so special is their (or in reality chief composer and only original member Daniel Andreoli's) uncanny ability to mix complexity with melody and warmth. It's these latter two elements that is mostly missing in what is now known as "avant prog", a made up designation from the late 90s to distinguish a sound from what was more commonly known prior as RIO (Rock In Opposition, which was an event, not a movement as it were). This is not the cold, clinical, and angular sound that the style now calls for. And there are no free improvs or cartoonish bits to make it seem superficially fun.

All of this to say, there are no obvious comparisons for Anabelas, nor El Eco del Sol. But it's most certainly a breed of progressive rock. And with no less than seven full participants, some guests, and a choir, the album is chock full of various sounds, all within a familiar context. Prominent melody instruments such as violin and flute go a long way in assisting with that feeling. And make no mistake, this album is rocking hard. The rhythm section is on fire, and the electric guitar can be fierce at times. There are some vocals in Spanish, which gives it a Mediterranean flare, similar to what we experience often in Italy. Every track is excellent, and a couple are exceptional, most notably the title song and the closer.

One of the best comebacks of our time. Don't miss it.

Ownership: 2018 Viajero Inmovil (CD)

10/27/18 (review)

Also own: Anabelas

10/27/18 (new entry)

Schicke, Führs & Fröhling / SFF ~ Germany

Ticket To Everywhere (1979)

Ticket To Everywhere is the final album from the trio of Schicke Fuhrs & Frohling. It is also likely to have been the last album heard by most collectors and fans, whether they were following real time in the 70s, or tipped to the band via The Laser's Edge complete collection 2xCD set of the early 90s.

In my case, Ticket to Everywhere came first. One of those albums I found in my initial buy-every-70s-import-that-looks-interesting record collecting phase of the mid to late 1980s. It's an important sequence of events, because as a first exposure to the band, I quite liked it. I didn't think it was great mind you, but I found it to be a fine collection of instrumental progressive rock. It was only a couple of years later that I discovered their brilliant first two albums. And as such, somewhere down the line, I fell into the trap of listening to the mass opinion, and decided it wasn't very good after all. It's been over 25 years since I last heard this album, which would have been via the above CD that I bought immediately upon release. And that CD was pulled down from the shelf for this event as well.

Ticket to Everywhere has no chance of impressing if one is to listen to this album immediately after the predecessors, as the CD invites one to do. I recommend an independent listen, and without the comparison. Think of it as a one-off album. Now going in with that mindset, Ticket to Everywhere has really aged well in my case. The instrumentals tend to be more atmospheric, even majestic at times. The drums can be a bit over synthesized, and the compositions do not possess a ton of depth, but it's still far from throwaway background music. I find all the songs have nice melodies, and one could also view this as an electronic album, but rocked out with real drums and electric guitars. I find all the tracks to be excellent, save perhaps the middling 'Song From India', though none are extraordinary either. 

I even enjoy the album cover, as I've come to appreciate more and more  "real time" art. An airline ticket drawer with a Pan Am voucher is a view into our past, one that has disappeared without warning.

Ownership: 

1979 Brain (LP). Acquired in 1988.

1993 The Laser's Edge (CD) as part of The Collected Works Of Schicke • Führs • Fröhling. Acquired in 1993

1988; 1993; 10/26/18 (review)

Sunburst (1977)

SFF's sophomore release represents a mix of three different aspects of the band: Symphonic progressive, jazz fusion, and electronic. The former is shown via 'Troja', a track that is as great as anything on Symphonic Pictures. 'Wizzard' opens the album in fusion fashion, with a catchy synth line, and a mad rhythm section. 'Artificial Energy' recalls Jade Warrior at a similar time. And so it goes. 'Explorer' plagiarizes Yes a bit, and is the only demerit of an otherwise great album. One that is often overlooked by collectors of 70s progressive rock.

 
Ownership:

1977 Brain (LP). Acquired in 1990.

1993 Laser's Edge (2xCD) with Symphonic Pictures and Ticket to Everywhere. Acquired in 1993.

1990; 1993; 1996; 3/11/10; 11/1/15 (review)

Also own: Symphonic Pictures

7/13/16 (new entry)

Scherzoo - Scherzoo 04. 2018 France

When it was announced that Scherzoo 04 was to be a departure from their recent avant prog past, and rather more toward a traditional Canterbury sound, I pounced on the new album first chance. With a quartet that consists of two musicians focused solely on electric piano, organ, and mellotron, I had envisioned a Soft Machine II meets 'Nine Feet Underground' Caravan meets In The Court of the Crimson King. Fuzz organ, gymnastic meters, and lush mellotron. Bzzt. Nope. OK, time to get another beer and try this again...

So what do we have here then? Is it Canterbury at all? Yes, yes it is. The electric piano is the dominant instrument (both keyboardists are credited with it as primary), and the organ plays a key role in the melody lines. Mellotron is definitely relegated to cameo status. The music is quite pleasant, with excellent songwriting, and fine melodies. Most of the tones are played straight, so there's no raucous fuzz solos, or crazy time changes, though it's far from static. Every track is excellent in its own right, though there are no standouts either. It does take a couple of listens to penetrate through, so it takes patience to appreciate for certain. Something akin to Gilgamesh, but more exciting than that may imply.

Scherzoo - and band leader Francois Thollot - are tough to figure out. Thollot has a history that includes Heldon like fierce guitar/electronics, Zeuhl, avant prog, and now Canterbury. Would be most interesting to hear a combination of all the above. And I'm more than fine leaving the squonking sax of album #2 out of the picture, as they have done here.

Ownership: CD: 2018 Soleil Zeuhl

10/26/18 (new entry)

Malo. 1972 USA-California

In late 1997, while still a "road warrior" consultant, I had a 2 month gig at California State University Los Angeles (CSULA). Go to Google Maps and check out where that fine institution resides. Exactly. The only "motel" nearby (at the time) that was remotely safe, was an ancient Quality Inn in Alhambra that still sported their trademarked 1960's sunburst logo. A nice motel - if this were the Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice era. I had been transported back 25 years in time. It was a most surreal experience.

As I was cruising the streets of East Los Angeles in my 1972 El Camino Super Sport (no silly, it was a 1997 Chevy Shitty from Hertz, but I have good story cooking here...), there was a radio station, which I now forget the call letters, that basically played "Lowrider Classics", and yes that was their tagline. Its signal didn't seem to last past the immediate area. 'Suavecito' received regular airplay. For us traditional males who love women, and like to woo them, this song is ground zero for that emotion (note album cover). For the modern emasculated man who cannot get his nose out of his smart phone, and doesn't even notice Miss America standing next to you, you will not understand (most of my nieces are beauty queens, and I've witnessed this over and over - it's ridiculous!). For this track alone, Malo is worth the money. But there's so much more.

You can skip over the opening 'Pana' which is banal Mexican Rock (no, not the generic Latin, I mean Mexico proper). This is the worst track and an inauspicious start IMO (worth noting that I see this and 'Cafe' more highly rated among those who enjoy this album - so there you have it). 'Cafe' is similar, but does possess some nice guitar work from Jorge Santana. 'Peace' is the closer, a bizarre mix of hard and soft rock, and is excellent on the whole.

That leaves the album's two big winners other than 'Suavecito'. We'll start with 'Nena', which has the most killer horn charts combined with machismo singing, pounding percussion, jamming Hammond, and molten guitar solos. A must hear.

And then we get to 'Just Say Goodbye', one of God's gifts to music. Now you're in the car with me cruising down Whittier Blvd. It starts off mellow, setting the mood for... no not that.... out comes the Santana guitar heritage, mixed with a Chango like intensity. Screaming guitars which then leads into a... WAR CALL. The hair goes right up on the back of the neck at this moment. What an amazing sequence. Then the music just inexplicably shuts down. We're now transported to a bar with a name like The Silver Dollar, and out comes the Beach Boys mixed with the 5th Dimension. This harmonic lounge 60's soft psych thing. It's placement within the song is stunning. And then... back to raucous heavy Santana styled rock to close the song. What a masterpiece.

Ownership: 1972 Warner Bros. (LP); 1995 Warner Bros. (CD)

Jody Grind - Far Canal. 1970 England

Far Canal is Jody Grind's second album, and is an excellent example of the kind of innovative trios that were coming from the UK in 1970. Starting out with a Baroque medley, it doesn't take long to hear the main theme, sounding every bit like something that would come from a band like Caravan or Web during this time. 'Bath Sister' continues though more in the blues rock vein. What comes across on both tracks is the quality of the band's songwriting, which is definitely a cut above. 'Jump Bed Jed' is the highlight of the album, and it's one true masterpiece. A lengthy track, it combines both the band's songwriting acumen with a keen sense of hard rock jamming containing energetic guitar and Hammond solos, with many peak moments throughout. 'O Paradiso' continues in a similar manner, even recalling Santana and appears to be yet another home run. But it contains the album's one misstep, a lengthy mid-section percussion/drum solo that is entirely boring and ruins the overall flow. Pity. 'Plastic Shit' demonstrates that Jody Grind could have competed on the world stage as one of the hard blues rock arena headliners. The swaggering vocals and guitar riffs would not have been out of place on either of the first 2 Led Zeppelin albums. From here, the band shuts their trap and goes instrumental with varying styles, all excellent. 'Red Worms & Lice' seemingly picks up where 'Jump Bed Jed' left off. And 'Ballad for Bridget' is a very fine jazzy piano/guitar piece, and a perfect closer to an overall excellent album.

Personal collection
LP: 1970 Transatlantic
CD: 1988 Line (Germany)

My first exposure to Far Canal was the Line CD that I picked up not long after release. A very basic reissue, like all on the label, the album has never been treated to a specialist release. Many years later I picked up the original LP, as I tend to do for favorite albums.

Lumerians - The High Frontier. 2013 USA-California

The High Frontier is essentially the Lumerians' second album, and is largely a continuation of Transmalinnia. The band continue to straddle the line between early 70s motorik styled Krautrock combined with a songcraft and vocal style that sounds every bit like the 1968 American psychedelic scene. There's even the odd Zeuhl bass riff, which is probably unintentional. The production is modern, though the sound is decidedly analog. Fat and fuzzy keyboards remain the centerpiece, with inventive but rigid rhythms and wailing guitar providing the perfect trimming. While none of the songs are what one would call deep, the overall portrait remains excellent.

Ownership: CD: 2013 Partisan

10/26/18 (new entry)

Blå Lotus - Tube Alloys. 2018 Sweden

Blå Lotus are a new trio from Sweden who play music in a decidedly retro prog style. There are no guitars, so it's the Hammond organ that does all the heavy lifting. Blå Lotus have successfully tapped into the 1970 UK mindset that produced bands like Atomic Rooster, Aardvark, and of course first album ELP. I also detect a distinct Swedish take on the sound ala Bo Hansson or even the debut by Solar Plexus. If looking for modern references, probably Italy's Areknames comes the closest. I quite like the progressions here, and as such hear unique sounds within a familiar context. This contains some of the best old school organ based prog I've heard in years.

The full album is available on Bandcamp as I write this. I suspect it's a bit lo-fi compared to the official release. The band has been signed to Melodic Revolution Records (USA), but no word of them releasing this on CD. The vinyl - as mentioned in a few places - actually didn't get released as the band couldn't raise enough money via crowd-funding to support. Better they release it on CD anyway...

Of Petra - So Onto Itself. 2018 England

Of Petra is currently an unsigned band from London, England and So Onto Itself is their second album. The band themselves list Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, and Herbie Hancock as influences, so its something of the "usual suspects". However, as is usually the case, a band like Of Petra finds their own voice within these parameters. The music is instrumental, slight jazzy - even funky - but with a strong psychedelic streak. This is most notable with guitarist Cyril Meleiro's decidedly acidic tone. I feel he does a fantastic job throughout the album, giving it the rough-hewn sound the band needs. There's a distinct UK festival styled neo psych here, though not near as slick and synthesized as say Ozric Tentacles, but more toward some rundown club in East London. The heavy use of samples recalls the 90s UK group Ship of Fools. The instrumental psychedelic nature of the music also points me to fellow countrymen Lunar Dunes. Of the big name artists the band lists, I would say Led Zeppelin is the least influential, and Pink Floyd and early 70s Miles (minus the trumpet of course) is the most.

Bandcamp

10/18/18 (new entry)

The Loose Enz - The Black Door / Easy Rider. 1968 USA-Pennsylvania

Right in the heart of Amish country Pennsylvania, The Loose Enz recorded one of the most electric (oh the irony) 60s psych singles. And I mean electric both literally and figuratively.

The Loose Enz had me already by second number 3, with its gothic chorus. On 'The Black Door' these guys absolutely nail the Doors sound - especially the variation that closed their first 2 albums, which is of course my favorite aspect of Morrison and Co.

'Easy Rider' is heavy fuzz guitar, snarling vocals (what happened to the Morrison imitation?), and carnival organ. Great guitar solo toward the end too. This track sounds more like early 70s hard rock, than late 60s psych.

Someone needs to start rummaging through the farms near York to see if there are more tapes... What an archival release that would make!

The Black Door' is part of the compilation above titled 30 Seconds Before the Calico Wall!

'Easy Rider' is part of the 1997 compilation above titled An Overdose of Heavy Psych

10/18/18

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)