AGGREGATION (The) - Mind Odyssey, 1967 (psych-jazz-rock, Los Angeles, CA., USA) (LHI 12008)

One of the greatest US psych records with a dreamy, surreal quality of the super rare lone psychedelic LP from the band 'Aggregation'. The music is sophisticated and controlled, replacing the teenage mantra that had charged rock'n'roll with a wider palette drawing on cool jazz, movie soundtracks, light classical music and easy listening.

This group of talented and diverse musicians played Disneyland in the late '60s and was picked up for this one excellent Concept album by Lee Hazlewood on his LHI label in 1968. Unusual and atmospheric early art-rock/psych item based on an acid trip amusement park concept from classically trained band who held a residency at Disneyland ! This LP could be seen as a precursor to those extraordinary 1970s private press artefacts, and reveals its classiness and coherence over time. Worth investigating !

Personnel :

LeWayne Braun - guitar, vocals
Dale Burt - organ, piano, vocals
Bayard Gregory - drums, timpani, bongos, tambourine, vocals
Richard Jones - rhythm guitar, vocals
Leo Potts - flute, clarinet, saxophone, recorder, kazoo, vocal
Bill Sissoev - bass, trombone, vocals

Lemoyne Taylor - flute, clarinet, saxophone, recorder, slide whistle, vocals

Tracklisting :
A1. The Lady at the Gate   4:45
A2. Looking for the Tour Guide   2:13
A3. The Long Windy Tunnel   6:15
A4. Flying Free   3:05
A5. White Light   2:00
B1. In the Garden   3:05
B2. Reflections   2:55
B3. The City of Toys and Games   3:23
B4. Change   2:50
B5. Life's Light   6:00

LINK  (no pass)

ADVANCEMENT (The) - s/t, 1969 (psych-jazz-rock fusion, Los Angeles, CA, USA) (Philips PHS 600-328)

After collaborating with Gabor Szabo on such superb efforts as More Sorcery and Dreams, bassist Louis Kabok and drummer Hal Gordon further embraced jazz-rock fusion under the Advancement aegis, issuing their sole LP in 1969. The opening "Juliet" establishes a dark, moody atmosphere immediately bolstered by the intriguing "Painful Struggle," with its eerie vibes and Kabok's extended bass bridge. "Moorish Mode" is Gordon's star turn, highlighted by an impressively restrained drum break. But it's the most overtly rock-influenced cuts that make Advancement worth seeking out, in particular "Fall Out," an impressively heady mixture of jazz, hard rock and psychedelia.

A sixties Hollywood outfit whose album is one of those strange late sixties barrier-breaking experimental efforts trying to fuse different musical genres. Orient Express, Autosalvage and John Berberian are other similar projects which spring to mind. This particular one is an attempt to fuse jazz with folk, rock and acid. Interesting but its success is debatable. Lynn Blessing also released a solo album in 1969, Sunset Painter and Lou Kabok went on to play with Gabor Szabo.

Personnel :

Colin Bailey - drums, percussion
Lynn Blessing - vibes, harmonica, organ
John De Rose - classical guitar
Hal Gordon - conga, drums, percussion
A.A. Johnson - guitar
Lou Kabok - bass
Richard Thompson - organ, harpsichord

Tracklisting :

01 - Juliet
02 - Painful Struggle
03 - Stone Folk
04 - Grass Mass
05 - Sunflower
06 - She
07 - Moorish Mode
08 - Hobo Express
09 - Child At Play
10 - Fall Out

LINK (no pass)

STOOGES (The) - s/t, 1969 (hard-garage-punk, Ann Arbor, MI, USA) (Elektra EKS 74051)

1. 1969
Chanson brûlante avec la guitare de Ron Asheton qui dévaste tout sur son passage, à grands coups de fuzz et de pédale wah-wah. Iggy est ici dans un exercice vocal qui met tout le monde d'accord : sa voix est transcendantale.

2. I Wanna be your Dog
Ces mecs viennent d'ailleurs. Ils ont dû lire en profondeur le marquis de Sade ou Anne Rice...le titre est sans équivoque. Un brûlot, oserais-je dire presque gothique, un lancinant riff de guitare, et sur la fin la fuzz envoie la sauce.

3. We Will Fall
La drogue commence à faire son effet pour ce morceau de plus de 10 minutes ! On est plongé en plein dans les abymes du trip halluciné ici. "We Will Fall" (littéralement "on tombera"), le titre parle de lui-même..

Les comparses ont dû mettre le paquet côté champignons et la marie-jeanne parce qu'on peut sentir les effluves de la fumée parvenir jusqu'à nous !

4. No Fun
On est en 1969 et cette chanson sonne comme les groupes garage du milieu des 60s, à la manière des Kinks. Toujours un son de guitare distordu, bien entendu. Commme cela pourrait-il en être autrement ?

5. Real Cool Time
La Terre commence à s'embraser lorsque la guitare entame la chanson avec des effets en veux tu en voilà, l'explosion est imminente.

6. Ann
Posée, un peu de douceur dans cette ambiance de malade mental.

7. Not Right
Son qui n'a pas la puissance d'un 1969 ou d'un I Wanna be your Dog, mais qui envoie des flêches empoisonnées aux tympans de l'auditeur téméraire.

8. Little Doll
"Little Doll" ou comment terminer un album incendiaire en beauté !

Après avoir écouté ce premier opus des Stooges, j'ai encore les oreilles qui sifflent !

Caravan's third album

CARAVAN - In the Land of Grey and Pink, 1971 (prog rock, Canterbury, UK) (Deram SDL-R 1)

One side composed of four songs and the second side consisting of one track containing eight different sections but conceived as an entity. To describe the music would take up far more space than is available here but those of you who have heard Caravan live and on their previous records, will know the quality to expect although you may not have heard all the numbers before. Those of you who haven't heard the group before are in for a very enjoyable initiation.







Personnel :

Richard Sinclair - bass guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
David Sinclair - organ, piano, mellotron, harmony vocals
Pye Hastings - electric guitars, acoustic guitar, vocals
Jimmy Hastings - flute, tenor sax, piccolo
Richard Coughlan - drums, percussion
David Grinsted - cannon, bell and wind

Tracklisting :

A1 Golf Girl 5:01
A2 Winter Wine 7:36
A3 Love to Love You (And Tonight Pigs Will Fly) 3:04
A4 In the Land of Grey and Pink 5:00

B Nine Feet Underground 22:44
a. Nigel Blows a Tune
b. Love's a Friend
c. Make It 76
d. Dance of the Seven Paper Hankies
e. Hold Grandad by the Nose
f. Honest I Did !
g. Disassociation
h. 100% Proof

- Their Story -

The years 1966 and '67 were very active and creative on the Canterbury semi-pro group scene. Several of the groups and musicians who started their musical careers in those years are now nationally known. It was at the end of this period that Caravan was formed by Pye, Richard, David and Richard, all of whom had played together previously in various bands but primarily in the Wilde Flowers. They started their professional careers in the glamorous world of show business with a six month sojourn in a house at Whitstable, close to their home town of Canterbury ; six months which they spent writing, rehearsing and trying to find out where their next meal was going to come from. In june of '68 they had to leave their Whitstable home and they spent the summer living in tents at Graveney and rehearsing in the church hall. By this time they had come to the attention of a record company executive and in october '68 they made their first album for MGM Verve. When the weather became too cold for them to continue their spartan way of life at Graveney, they moved up to London, staying with friends, but after only six weeks they decided to return to the more relaxed and healthier atmosphere of Canterbury, where they still live.

Their record company had introduced them to a leading London management company at the beginning of 1969 and this led to their getting regular work at last. Thanks to their year of virtually nothing but practice, they were one of the most musically proficient and original bands in the country, playing their own distinctive form of British rock ; a rarity in those days in the land of a thousand blues bands. After 10 months of gigging up and down the country building up a reputation they signed a new recording contract with Decca (after parting from MGM Verve when that company curtailed its operation in the U.K.) and their second album, released in September 1970, was enthusiastically received by all, both here and abroad, and was in the charts for 6 weeks. At last, they were getting the acclaim that they deserved so well and worked so hard for.

LUCIFER'S FRIEND - Toxic Shadow (taken from "Lucifer's Friend" LP, 1970)

THUNDER & ROSES - King of the Black Sunrise, 1969 (USA, Philadelphia, PA., heavy psych blues)(United Artists UAS 6709)

Ce trio basique du rock (guitare, basse, batterie) est dominé par la personnalité de Chris Bond et se situe dans la lignée des Cream et du Jimi Hendrix Experience. D'ailleurs dans cet album, la seule composition qui ne soit pas due à la plume de leur guitariste/chanteur, Chris Bond, est "Red House" et elle est bien sûr empruntée au répertoire de Jimi Hendrix. Comme on peut s'en douter, pédale wah-wah, distorsion et autres effets de guitare sont les mots-clés de ce 33 tours au rythme enlevé. "White Lace and Strange", une composition en tout point digne des Cream, offre une ouverture dynamique à souhait, avec un son énorme et une belle montée d'adrénaline en perspective pour l'auditeur. Le ton est donné et on ne décèle aucun baisse d'intensité tout au long des plages suivantes, jusqu'au long blues final, "Open Up your Eyes", qui sonne encore une fois très Cream. L'album des Thunder and Roses est donc hautement recommandable.

Personnel :
Chris Bond - guitars, vocals
Tom Schaffer - bass, vocals
George Emme - drums

Tracklisting :
A1 White Lace and Strange 3:15
A2 I Loved a Woman 4:37
A3 Country Life 2:43
A4 Red House 5:37
B1 Moon Child 4:10
B2 Dear Dream Maker 3:28
B3 King of the Black Sunrise 3:47
B4 Open Up Your Eyes 7:18

LINK (no pass)

LADIES W.C. - s/t, 1969 (VENEZUELA, Caracas, heavy psych) (Souvenir SLP-13-50)

This late-’60s Venezuelan band is another fine discovery from Shadoks, who seem to be unearthing an endless stream of worthy, neglected psychedelic albums. The liner notes leave many questions unanswered, but the story appears to begin with Venezuelan-born American Steve Scott. A bassist and singer, he found two Venezuelan brothers, Mario and Jaime Seijas, and they then completed a foursome with Adib Casta. Inspired by the times, they recorded one album and became quite popular, playing regularly to large crowds. There’s no information, though, about where the strange name came from, or what happened to the group. In any case, drummer Mario Seijas and Scott lay down a strong, solid rhythm section, with the bass more prominent than usual on records of this time. Jaime Seijas’ rhythm guitar generally lies low and lets lead guitarist Casta wah and wail his way around the songs. That turns out to be a good idea, because Casta can really shine, whether playing clear melodic lines, warbly wah-wah, or intense fuzz leads. The 10 songs here represent, for the most part, prime acid rock. Recorded in 1969 , it feels like it, with wah and fuzz represented in spades. Scott’s vocals are strong and clear, with that high-end wail you can hear in so many Nuggets-era bands. Showing some of their blues heritage, they pull out the harmonica for emphasis on a number of songs, with "Put That In Your Pipe and Smoke It" a particularly good example of Scott’s skill there. The 34 minutes range from "I Can’t See Straight" and its harmonica and guitar lead to the vocal harmonies of "And Everywhere I See The Shadow of That Life," with a break featuring some truly blazing psych lead guitar. In general, actually, this album belongs to Casta’s lead guitar displays. From brittle, high-end twangs to watery wah and, best of all, totally space-bound fiery fuzz, he makes me wish the band had recorded more albums. A few of the songs veer from the blues-centered rock. "To Walk On Water" is really a pop song, slow and more orchestrated than most of the others here. The vocals are more in a crooner style than the usual rock feel, but it still works. "The Time Of Hope Is Gone" feels somewhat more calculated, very much of its time. With organ and ending with a portentous spoken-word section, it’s a reasonable attempt at overtly mystical psychedelia. The studio work throughout the album contains a number of nice touches, as they toss in sound effects to liven things up. From the opening toilet flush to a baby crying, they were clearly having fun with it.

Personnel :
Steve Scott - bass, vocals
Mario Seijas - drums
Jaime Seijas - guitar, vocals
Adid Casta - guitar, vocals

Tracklisting :
1. People 2:40
2. I Can't See Straight 3:21
3. To Talk on Water 3:21
4. Heaven's Coing Up 4:19
5. And Everywhere I See the Shadow of That Life 3:18
6. Searching for a Meeting Place 2:45
7. Put That in your Pipe ans Smoke It 3:01
8. The Time of Hope is Gone 2:34
9. W.C. Blues 2:49
10. I'm Gonna Be 5:48

LINK (no pass)

MAJORITY ONE - s/t, 1971 (ENGLAND, Kingston upon Hull, psych pop) (Pink Elephant PE 888 010)

Originally known as The Mustangs they went in 1965 to London and changed their name to The Majority. They released eight singles from 1965 to 1968 and also backing Barry Ryan on his international chartbuster "Eloise". They toured France in early 1969 and as the trip turned out to be very successful they finally moved over there and never played in England again. They got a contract deal with Pink Elephant and changed their name to Majority One. They did two 45's for their new label and especially their first single "Because I Love You" became a hit. This song was also included on their only album that was finally released in 1971 . There are a few throwaway cuts on it like the totally schmaltzy "I Nearly Died" or the nasty "Glass Image" but most of the material is pretty good late sixties Pop and Psychedelic with a strong Bee Gee's influence sometimes. The re-issue on Synton (Synton OL 5682 / 2005 ) gives no further information but is an exact repro with one bonus cut. There's also an eighteen track compilation from RPM-Records called "Rainbow Rockin' Chair".

Personnel :
Robert Long
Peter Mizen
Ian Sutherland
Barry Wigley
Walter Andrews

Tracklisting :
1. Feedback 3:28
2. Rainbow Rockin' Chair 2:25
3. A Cigarette, A Cup of Tea 2:50
4. I Nearly Died 3:34
5. Looks Like Rain 2:51
6. Glass Image 2:45
7. Because I Love 2:11
8. Love Came Today 2:41
9. Depths of my Mind 2:17
10. I Don't Mind the Rain 3:32
11. I See Her Everywhere
12. Roger La Frite 5:46
13. Revelation 0:40
14. Get Back Home 2:45 (bonus track)

LINK  (no pass)

MARIANI - Perpetuum Mobile, 1970 (USA, Austin, TX., heavy psych blues ultra rare LP) (Sonobeat HEC 411)

Eric Johnson, né le 17 août 1954, fait ses débuts au sein de The Id. Il enregistre en 1975 un LP sur le label Discreet de Frank Zappa avec le groupe Electromagnets (1000 copies). La découverte de Jimi Hendrix et Jeff Beck sera décisive. "Perpetuum Mobile" pressé à seulement 100 exemplaires (!) met en scène le jeune prodige texan âgé alors de 16 ans (!). Le disque est l'un des plus grands albums de hard-blues-psychédélique de l'époque avec des titres surboostés comme Re-Birth Day, Things are Changing, Euphoria, véritables monuments de technicité et de génie guitaristique. Akarma a réédité l'album en format digipack avec deux titres additionnels (Re-Birth Day, Things are Changing) en 2000.
Ce groupe est particulièrement difficile à suivre dans ses pérégrinations discographiques. Les enregistrements étant parus sur un label texan à faible rayon d'action, il est bien sûr plus facile de se procurer des rééditions (même à tirage très limité) que des originaux quasi-invisibles où les informations y fugurant demeurent pour le moins succintes. Cette formation d'Austin semble avoir à son actif au moins un simple "Memories" / "Re-Birth Day" (Sonobeat 118), publié en 1970. Eric Johnson, guitariste, compositeur et chanteur, en est la figure centrale et y fait une demonstration éblouissante de ses qualités. Profondément influencé par le Blues ("Baby, I Want to Sing the Blues...And Get Free") et par Jimi Hendrix, il nous régale de solos extraordinaires de maîtrise technique, de virulence, de feeling et d'inventivité ("Searching for a New Dimension", la suite "The Unknown Path / Euphoria", "First Song", "Third Song", "Pulsar" sur le 33 tours. Les morceaux, habilement composés, sont longs pour permettre un développement maximal des parties instrumentales ("Boots"). A noter que la réimpression de Perpetuum Mobile n'aurait pas dépassé 150 exemplaires, tous numérotés, ce qui en fait déjà un collector en soi.

Personnel :
Eric Johnson - guitar, vocals
Vince Mariani - drums, vocals
Jay Podolnick - bass, vocals

Tracklisting :
1. Searchin' for a New Dimension 5:40
2. Re-Birth Day 5:52
3. Thing are Changing 4:42
4. Lord, I Just Can't Help myself 2:55
5. The Unknown Path 5:59
6. Euphoria 11:24
7. Windy Planet 2:19

Bonus Tracks :
8. Re-Birth Day 3:06
9. Thing are Changing 2:08

LINK (no pass)