ALMENDRA (Argentina, Buenos Aires) / Psych-Rock-Folk

Almendra was one of the most important Rock & Roll group from Buenos Aires late 60's. Led by guitarist and lyricist Luis Alberto Spinetta, between 1968 and 1971, they released a few singles and two albums that revolutionized the sound of Argentina rock for the remainder of the 20th century. They reached stardom in 1969 after various shows including Mar Del Plata, Festival de la Canción in Peru, and Festival Pinap.
An innovative and creative group being always situated on the border between sweetness and fury. Very violent and inspired hard-Blues-psych tracks.

The first album, released in November 1969, proposes the magnificient "Color Humano" of 9 minutes. Great album where prevail cool, breezy & psychedelic atmosphere with some beautiful melodies delivered by Luis Alberto Spinetta, who is also one hell of a guitar player. They mined a territory that might not be too distant from its anglo-saxon counterparts but oozed a charm all of its own making.

Discography :

"Almendra" (1969) / RCA LZ 1160

"Almendra II" (1970) / RCA Vik LZ 6001

Personnel :
- Luis Alberto Spinetta (guitar)
- Edelmiro Molinari (guitar)
- Emilio Del Güercio (bass)
- Rodolfo Garcia (drums)

AGUATURBIA (Chile, Santiago) / Hard-Blues-Psych early 70s

AGITATION FREE (GERMANY,Berlin) / Experimental-Krautrock

AF is a german group which took root in Berlin,East-Germany, in 1967. Initially named Agitation (they chose at random from a dictionary !), and decided to change in Agitation Free as a reflection of their live performance style.

At basis, band consisted of 4 members but with the time, line-up knew many changes inside. Altogether, 18 musicians came through during 1967-74 period, plus a reunion in 1998.


Original LINE-UP :

- Lutz "Lüül" Ulrich (guitar,zither,organ,bouzouki,vocals)
- Michael "Fame" Günter (bass,tapes)
- Lutz "Ludwig" Kramer (guitar,vocals,1967-70)
- Christoph Franke (drums,synthesizer,1967-70)


The first released, "Malesch" (1972), was inspired by their
tour through Egypt, Greece and Cyprus and the same year, they performed for Germany at the Munich Olympic Games.
So, Agitation Free's music is psychedelic, experimental Krautrock with elements of spaced-out ambient, electronics and some drone. Many of their songs have a transe-inducing, Psychedelic feel with sections of driving rock fueled by fiery and melodic moving guitar lines and solid, propelling and intricate drumming and a prominent bass. All of AF's songs are instrumental apart from some recitation on "Haunted Island" ("2nd" LP).
Malesch is much more cosmic, creative, ethnically flavored (mainly by short interludes of recordings from Egypt), mysterious and densely packed with ideas whereas their second recording, simply named "2nd" (1973), is more laid-back and upbeat, with longer structure, much more of an emphasis on traditional style jamming like The Grateful Dead and a warmer and more straightforward sound.
On Malesch, songs blend together to make a seamlessly flowing, tangential and uninterrupted musical journey, whereas on "2nd", songs are more predictably structured, more varied in their sound and stand more as independant works.
The band broke up in 1974.

Discography :


- "Malesch" (1972) / Vertigo 6360 607
- "2nd" (1973) / Vertigo 6360 615
- "Last" (1976) / Barclay 80 162 (recorded live 1974)

AGE OF REASON (USA,Washington D.C./VA) / Garage-Psych

Few informations about this group whose take roofs, in all probability, in Washington D.C. and Virginia. Their style will be a mixture between garage and psychedelia. Mainly known by its single "Your Love is Like a Magnet" (also on "Ear-Piercing Punk" compilation) recorded three years before their sole album. Tracks are shorts but sharpy and catchy.
No relation to the N.Y. group who had a good 45.

DISCOGRAPHY :

- "S/T" (1969) / Georgetowne (self-released)

A.B. SKHY (USA,Milwaukee,WI) / Blues-Psych

Line-up :

- Dennis Geyer (guitar,vocals)
- Jim Marcotte (bass)
- Howard Wales (keyboards on first album only)
- Terry Andersen (percussion), then Rick Jaeger
- James Curley Cooke (guitar,vocals on second album only)

Formed in 1969 and disbanded a year later, A.B. Skhy is a blues band at first came from Milwaukee but settled in Frisco during 1968-70 period.
All through this 2 years, they played biggest San Francisco concert-halls and became a popular live attraction all around the bay.
Akin to "the Chicago Blues Sound", they developed, for all that, a peculiar kind of playing with organ and flute, especially on second LP "Ramblin' On". After this last record, the group split up.

DISCOGRAPHY :

- "S/T" (1969) / MGM SE 4628

Tracklisting :

- You Upset me Baby 7'09
- Just What I Need 3'30
- It's Love Baby, 24 Hours a Day 2'29
- Camel Back 5'06
- Understand 5'36
- Love Isn't 4'09
- Of All Sad Words 3'08
- Love May Cure That 5'09

"RAMBLIN' ON" (1970) / MGM SE 4676

A PASSING FANCY ("s/t",1968) / Beat-Garage-Psych-Pop

A Passing was a Toronto (Canada) band from the mid-60's.

DISCOGRAPHY

45 ; "I'm Losing Tonight" / "A Passing Fancy" (1967)/Columbia 2729
"You're Going Out of my Mind" / "Sounds Silly" (1967)/Columbia 2755
"She Phoned" / "I Believe in Sunshine" (1967)/Columbia 2772
"Your Trip" / "Island" (1967)/Boo 684

LP ; "A Passing Fancy" (1968)/Boo BST 6801

The first single is released in February 1967 and reached #22 charts the following month. The second one reached #37 with "You're Going Out of my Mind". The third single #28 in September 1967. Then, Steve Wilson (drums) left the band, Louis Pratile joined on drums.
During '67 summer, A Passing Fancy played at Expo '67 in Montreal where they jammed with a local band ; Les Têtes Blanches. But success ain't there in spite of an album released November 1968. June 69, the band had broken up.

Side 1 :

- I'm Losing Tonight 2'48
- A Passing Fancy 2'35
- You're Going Out of my Mind 2'35
- Sounds Silly 2'25
- She Phoned 2'10
- I Believe in Sunshine 2'25

Side 2 :

- Island 2'05
- Your Trip 3'05
- Little Boys For Little Girls 3'31
- Under the Bridge 2'38
- Spread Out 2'54
- People in Me 3'15

The album served to compile the A and B-sides from the five singles with two new tracks ; "Little Boys For Little Girls" and "Under the Bridge".

Line-Up :

- Brian Price (organ-vocals, 1965-68), then Fergus Hambleton (1968)
- Jay Telfer (guitar,1965-68), then Ron Forster (1968)
- Phil Seon (guitar,1965-68), then Brian Smith (1968)
- Greg Hershoff (drums,1965-66), then Steve Wilson (1966-67), then Louis Pratile (1967-68), then Wally Cameron (1968)
- Rick Mann (bass,1966-68), then Dan Troutman (1968)