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 !

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)

McCully Workshop Inc. - s/t, 1969 (SOUTH AFRICA, Cape Town, pop psych folk) (Trutone STO 727)

Original sleeve notes from album back cover :

An angel must have been passing overhead. In McCully Workshop the silence was deafening. While it lasted Bill Forrest said, "Could happen."

It did happen. It's still happening and we hope it will go on happening for a long time to come as more addicts become 'hooked' on McCully Workshop sound.

Producing it wasn't all that simple.

"Tully, put the cans on," comes through the speaker in Billy's dulcet tones. Everybody puts the cans on. What they hear is Tully telling them with a good deal of candid soul-searching why he couldn't do that particular number. General collapse and recording adjourned for some canned compensation.

Rich embellishes the interval with a few ninths and diminished chords while Tully murmurs, "That won't fit," or Mm, maybe," or suddenly "Hell, that's great. Do it again." Ian is heard muttering that in America the brass section has it scored for them and promptly scores a big nil by tripping over the nearest mike.

"Could happen," says Billy.

"How about this before the lead comes in?" says Mike and the peace is shattered by a furiously intricate four bar roll. "Lousy!" comes back the chorus in four party harmony with a vulgar noise from the trumpet. Billy leaps to his feet and smashes another globe in the ceiling.

"Ridiculous. Man, it's a gas. We'll use it."

Personnel :
Tully McCullagh - Vocals, bass, guitar
Mike McCullagh - Vocals, drums
Richard Hyam - Rhythm and acoustic guitars, vocals
Glenda Wassman - Organ, vocals
Ian Smith - Trumpet, flute, flugelhorn

Tracklisting :
1. Why Can't It Rain 4:12
2. Hardcase Woman 2:34
3. Ice Lover 3:05
4. Four Walls 2:40
5. Stargazer 2:48
6. Rush Hour at Midnight 3:42
7. Jackin' Around 2:04
8. Head for the Moon 4:00
9. The Circus 4:00
10. Years of my Life 3:19
11. Fast Car 3:41
12. Séance 3:05

LINK (no pass) 

MOTHER TUCKERS YELLOW DUCK - Home Grown Stuff, 1969 (CANADA, Vancouver, psych blues rock)(Capitol ST 6304)

Formed in Vancouver in 1968 , their first 45 has become their most sought-after item. Described on their second album as a "happy mixture of psychedelic rock, blues-rock, jazz-rock with an overall country flavour" their material is an enjoyable and diverse mixture of styles. The first album is the stronger of the two, being the less country-influenced and more psychedelic. Crammed with excellent guitar-work throughout and fine harmony vocal arrangements, the highlights include the uptempo "Times are Changing", the great country-rocker "One Glass for Wine", the dynamic lick-laden "One Ring Jane", the sublime melancholy of "Funny Feeling" and the climatic slow-burning finale of "Somebody Think", which can also be appreciated on Echoes in Time, Vol. 1. Recommended - an album to savour. The group was slated for inclusion on the Cool-Aid Benefit album but either Capitol or their management put the nix on it ! This album was re-issued on CD in 2000.

Line-up

John Patrick Caldwell - vocals, harp
Charles Faulkner - bass
Les Law - guitar
Roger Law -guitar
Hugh Lockhead - drums
Donnie McDougall - guitar, vocal



Tracklisting

1. Times are Changing 2:43

2. No One in Particular 3:46

3. Little Pony 2:14

4. One Glass for Wine 3:14

5. Elevated Platform 2:39

6. Walk Your Head Around 4:36

7. One Ring Jane 4:22

8. Pot of Gold 3:27

9. Intermission Poetry 3:10

10. Funny Feeling 3:38

11. Blue Dye 2:43

12. Someone Think 3:55

NEW YARDBIRDS - London Blues, 2005 (live performances, 1968) (Led Zeppelin)(ENGLAND, hard rock blues)

While founding members Relf and McCarty wanted nothing more to do with the Yardbirds name, Jimmy Page felt otherwise. With a touring commitment slated for the fall in Scandinavia, the lead guitarist saw the break-up as an opportunity to put a new lineup together, a heavier band that would feature Page as producer and Grant as manager. Procol Harum's B.J. Wilson, Paul Francis, and noted session man Clem Cattini, who'd guested on more than a few Yardbirds tracks under Most's supervision, were considered for the vacant drummer's throne. Young vocalist and composer Terry Reid was asked to replace Relf, but he turned down the offer because of a new recording contract with Most. He did, however, enthusiastically recommend to Page and Grant a then-unknown singer from the Midlands by the name of Robert Plant.Plant, in turn, recommended his childhood friend John Bonham on drums.Dreja bowed out to pursue a career as a rock photographer; enter bassist/keyboardist/arranger John Paul Jones, who, like Cattini, had worked with Page on countless sessions, including several with the Yardbirds. Rehearsals began in August; in early September, Page's revised Yardbirds hit the road. Fans at the Scandinavian shows were confused by new members, expecting to see Relf up front, but the band quickly found themselves clicking. After this brief tour, Page and his new bandmates returned to England to produce, in a very short time, a landmark debut album. Interestingly, what was to become Led Zeppelin was still being billed as "Yard Birds" or "The Yardbirds Featuring Jimmy Page" as late as October 1968 ; indeed, some early studio tapes from the Led Zeppelin album sessions were originally marked as being performed by "The Yardbirds." One song from the album, "Communication Breakdown", was a re-tooled version of a Yardbirds song, "Nervous Breakdown". However, a very different band was soon working under a very different identity — a change reportedly hastened, in part, by a cease-and-desist order from Dreja, who claimed that he still maintained legal rights to the "Yardbirds" name. The moniker 'Led Zeppelin' was an old inside joke among Page and his closest musical friends, several of whom would later take credit for the idea. Coined as early as 1966 , "Lead Zeppelin" was The Who's Keith Moon's tongue-in-cheek description of the prospective "supergroup" that would have comprised himself, John Entwistle, Steve Marriott, Beck and Page, because he felt they would go over "like a lead balloon." Once the idea was revived, the band elected to change the spelling of "lead" so that the name wouldn't be mispronounced, effectively closing the books on the Yardbirds for the rest of the century.

Line-up

Robert Plant - vocals, tambourin
Jimmy Page - guitar
John Bonham - drums
John-Paul Jones - bass


Tracklisting

1. I Can’t Quit You
2. I Gotta Move
3. Communication Breakdown
4. I Can’t Quit You
5. Killing Floor
6. Fought My Way Out Of The Darkness – Hush Little Baby
7. She Wants You – London Blues
8. Dazed And Confused
9. White Summer / Black Mountain Side

Tracks 1-2 : Tivoli Gardens, Stockholm, September 20, 1968
Tracks 3-9 : The Marquee, London, October 16, 1968

ORANGE BICYCLE - Let's Take a Trip on an Orange Bicycle, 1988 (compilation 1967-1968)(ENGLAND, London, psych)(Morgan Blue Town MBT 5003)

This rather lightweight vocal harmony outfit, evolved out of Robb Storme and The Whispers. They started playing quasi-psychedelic pop music in 1967 . They had a No 1 in France with their debut single Hyacinth Threads although their future singles including a cover of The Rolling Stones' Sing This All Together did not happen at home. Their album was produced by John Peel and was largely comprised of cover versions of Elton John/Bernie Taupin material such as Take Me To The Pilot, which was also released as a single. It also included Dylan's Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You and Denny Laine's Say You Don't Mind. A revitalised Morgan Bluetown label produced an album, Let's Take A Trip On... (Morgan Blue Town MBT 50003) in 1988. Containing 16 tracks in all, it includes all the Columbia 'A' and 'B' sides (except the third), but none of the later Parlophone ones. Sadly there are no sleevenotes at all to suggest where the other tracks originate from. Wilson Malone recorded a self-titled solo album as Wil Malone in 1970 for Fontana and was also in Motherlight.

Line-up

John Bachini - bass

Bernie Lee - guitar

Wilson Malone - keyboards, vocals

RJ Scales - vocals


Tracklisting

1.1 Hyacinth Threads 2:55
1.2 Dropping Out 2:45
1.3 Renaissance Fair 3:02
1.4 Sing this song all Together 2:40
1.5 Amy Peate 2:07
1.6 So long Marrianne 4:11
1.7 Jenskadajka 3:32
1.8 Soft Winds 2:50

2.1 Laura's Garden 3:16
2.2 Trip on an Orange Bicycle 3:32
2.3 Competition 2:40
2.4 L.A. 3:09
2.5 Nicely 2:59
2.6 Sister Sharon 2:23
2.7 Box 49 2:16
2.8 Lavender Girl 2:20

VALHALLA - s/t, 1969 (US, New York heavy psych/hard rock) (United Artists UAS 6730)

Early psych / prog from a one record band. Songs start out rather simple and turn into massive fusion / psych / hard rock jams. Somewhat similar to pre-Gillan Deep Purple.

United Artists managed to sign several good groups (Thunder and Roses, Boffalongo, Pookah for example) but never gave them much promotion. Led by Mark Mangold who composed their material, Valhalla is another of these forgotten groups and their album deserves to be rediscovered. It mixes heavy rock, prog and psych with a predominant organ and powerful vocals on tracks like Psychedelic Minds Going Nowhere and Overseas Symphony Valhalla's only album was a rather haphazard mix of end-of-the-'60s psychedelic and heavy rock influences. Even if it's not particularly outstanding or original, however, it has its enjoyable aspects, especially for those who enjoy late-'60s combinations of bluesy hard organ and bluesy hard rock guitar. In its slightly overreaching, over-serious feel with a hint of religious pomposity, it's often slightly reminiscent of early Deep Purple and -- more distantly, especially in the fairly penetrating organ -- The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Graham Bond, and Lee Michaels. Throw in some more guitar-oriented hard rock with songwriting and riffs reminiscent of Cream and the "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago"-era Yardbirds, and it's a little surprising to learn that this band came from Long Island, not Britain. At times, too, the record takes strange right turns into more orchestrated, skewed pop and jazzy tempos, as if they were trying to get a little more mainstream but couldn't quite iron out their more uncommercial aspirations. Some faint symphonic pretensions both add and detract in some ways, but there are some pretty commanding lead vocals and organ, which put it a notch above many other secondary psychedelic albums of this kind.

Personnel :

RICK AMBROSER: bs, vocals
BOB HULLING: vocals
DON KRANTZ: guitar, bs
EDDIE LIVINGSTON: drums
MARK MANGOLD: organ, percussions, vocals

Tracklisting :
1. Hard Times
2. Conceit
3. Ladies in Waiting
4. I'm Not Askin'
5. Deacon
6. Heads are Free
7. Roof Top Man
8. JBT 9. Conversation
10. Overseas Symphony