vineri, 28 septembrie 2012

60s Psych Pop Treasures - vol 14: 33 obscure folk-rock janglers


33 obscure folk-rock janglers from the 60s. Non-stop 12-strings jangle pop action from start till end.


Download



01 The Paradox - There's A Flower Shop

02 The Night Crawlers - You Say

03 Solid Ground - She Played With Love

04 The Restless Feelin's - Hey, Mama, You've Been On My Mind

05 The Drones - When I'm With You

06 The Off-Set - You're A Drag

07 The Squires - I Don't Care

08 The Road Runners - Tell Her You Love Her

09 The Rogues - You Better Look Now

10 The Shan-Dells - Chimes

11 Poverty-Five - Cry Cry Cry (Over You)

12 His Majesty's Coachmen- I Don't Want To See You

13 Pat 'N' Al - I'm Still In Love

14 The Weads - Today

15 The Truths - Pending

16 The Scavengers - Always Travelling Around

17 The Dantes - Can't Get Enough Of Your Love

18 The Allies - Burning Flask

19 The Stillroven - Sunny Day

20 Sir Michael & The Sounds - Love Your Fellow Man

21 The Skunks - I Need No One

22 Brian Arthur - What Can You Do With A Broken Heart

23 The Beachnuts - Nature's Company

24 The Intruders - Ruins

25 The Maltees Four - You

26 The Senders - She Told Me

27 The Rovin' Flames - Seven Million People

28 The Novas - And It's Time

29 The Bethleem Exit - Walk Me Out

30 The Second Set - Picture Window

31 Dennis & The Times - Just If She's There

32 The Escorts - My Only Love

33 The Loved Ones - Being Here With You

marți, 15 mai 2012

60s Psych Pop Treasures - vol 13







Download


1. The Torero's - Come

2. The Shades Of Blue - The Time Of My Life

3. The Shaprels - A Fool For Your Lies

4. The Mirror - Mr. Papermaker

5. The Nicols - Lord I've Been Thinking

6. The Shanes - Faces, Faces

7. The Hustlers - If You Try

8. Tuesday's Children - Doubtfull Nellie

9. Evil Eyes - Mister Mystified

10. The Purple Canteen - If You Like It That Way

11. The Druids - Sorry's Not Enough

12. The Gremlins - Kingsforth Hemmingseen

13. The Bumble Bees - Maybe Someday

14. The Birdwatchers - Mary Mary (It's To You That I Belong)

15. Mustache Wax - I'm Gonna Get You

16. The Enfields - I'm For Things You Do

17. The Spectacles - I'll Be Satisfied

18. Things To Come - Good Day

19. The Spiffys - Dreams

20. The Gregorians - Dialated Eyes

21. The Motions - Miracle Man

22. Difference - Sweet Sounds Everywhere

23. The Lykes Of Us - Tell Me Why Your Light Shines

24. The Hellions - Tomorrow Never Comes

25. The New Yorkers - Mr. Kirby

26. The Chums - You're The Sweetest Girl

27. The Waters - Day In And Out

28. The Trips - At Least She's Happy

29. The Summer Set - Oh Miss Stone

30. The Last Words - I Symbolize You

vineri, 9 martie 2012

60s Psych Pop Treasures - vol 12




Download



1. The Black And Blues - Candy Castles

2. The Private Property Of Digil - Jewelry Lady

3. Weather - Jamboree Special

4. Mike Wallace - Daffodil

5. Substantial Evidence - Please Walk On By

6. The Baytovens - Waiting For You

7. The Tills - One Sided Love

8. American Zoo - Back Streets Thoughts

9. Zimmo's Thanatopsis - In A Dream World

10. Stix & Stonz - Take a Bus

11. The Esquires - Settle Down

12. Kate - Empty World

13. The Gants - Greener Days

14. The Waterproof Candle - Saturday Morning Repentance

15. The Excelsior Spring - Happy Miranda

16. The City Zu - I'll Find Another

17. The Fringe - Flower Generation

18. The Klan - Lonesome Gene

19. East African Fair - Lovin' Every Little Thing You Do

20. The Orbits - Don't

21. The Baroque Brothers - So Glad Was I

22. Something Else - Let Me Say Now Love

23. The Us Too Group - The Girl With The Golden Hair

24. Your Mother - Hello

25. Tonto & The Renegades - Anytime You Want Some Lovin'

26. The Peeps - Got Plenty Of Love

27. Peanut Gallery - Summer's Over

vineri, 30 decembrie 2011

60s Psych Pop Treasures - vol 11



Download


1. The Tikis - If I've Been Dreaming

2. The Basement Wall - Picture On Page 10

3. His Majesty's Coachmen - Where Are You Bound

4. The Baroque Monthly - You Are Your Only Mystery

5. A New Generation - She's A Soldier Boy

6. The Ragges - If I Had Something

7. The Epics - Just How Wrong You Can Be

8. The Knack - Dolly Catcher Man

9. The Heard - Laugh With the Wind

10. Benjamin Carry Ltd - Old Man

11. Jade Hexagram - Crushed Purple

12. Saturday's Children - I Hardly Know Her

13. Squires - Tomorrow Tomorrow

14. The Revolvers - Like Me

15. Glass Candle - Keep Right On Living

16. The Love Ins - That's All She Wrote

17. The Myddle Class - Free As The Wind

18. Grains Of Sand - Nice Girl

19. The Factory - Two People

20. Denny Laine's String Band - Ask the People

21. The Cannons - Day To Day

22. The Rainy Day Friends - Thru My Painted Window

marți, 13 decembrie 2011

60s Psych Pop Treasures - vol 10


Download


1. The Summer Set - What Are You Gonna Do

2. The Motleys - My Race Is Run

3. The Starlites - Good Morning Mr. Milkman

4. Fairchilds - Thinkin' About Me

5. The Brothers Cain - Pupil Alexander

6. The Jones Boys - Seashore Dreamin

7. Hogarth - Suzie Is Getting Married

8. The Bobcats - Can't See For Looking

9. The Imaginations - Summer In New York

10. The Art Movement - I Love Being In Love With You

11. The Trillium - Queen Alice

12. Science Poption - Lady Of Leisure

13. Playboys Of Edinburg - Sanford Ringleton V Of Abernathy

14. The Beauchemins - My Lovin' Baby

15. The Thomas Group - I've Got No More To Say

16. Pan Pipers - Stop

17. The Primates - She

18. The Golden Horizon - Dear Emily

19. Sky - The Weather Forecast

20. The Pop Art - Rumplestilskin

21. The Back Alley - Soda Pop Man

miercuri, 17 august 2011

60s Psych Pop Treasures - vol 9


Download


60s Psych Pop Treasures - vol 9

1. 49th Parallel - Twilight Woman

2. The Revelles - Little Girl

3. The Jackals - Linda Come Lately

4. The Breeze - The Rainmaker

5. The Julian Kirsch - Clever Little Man

6. The Actress - It's What You Give

7. Group Therapy - Magic In The Air

8. Tony Ritchie - Anybody At The Party Seen Jenny

9. The Full Treatment - Just Can't Wait

10. Sight And Sound - Little Jacky Monday

11. The Mongrels - Good Good Man

12. The Loot - Whenever You're Ready

13. Cat's Pyjamas - Camera Man

14. The Fourth Dimension - Rainy Day

15. The Fault Line - Did You Hear About The End Of The World

16. The Sound Carnival - I Wish I Could Tell You

17. Cat's Eyes - Where Is She Now

18. The Unforscene - Little Toy

19. The Cleves - Sticks And Stones

20. The Music Combination - Crystal

21. Jim Valley - Maintain

22. Pete Sully & Orchard - Evil Woman

23. Sweet Rolle - Squares & Triangle

24. The Look - In A Whirl

25. The Sidekicks - Miss Charlotte

26. The Us - How Can I Tell Her

duminică, 14 august 2011

60s Psych Pop Treasures - vol 8


Download


60s Psych Pop Treasures - vol 8

1. The Young Idea - Room With A Wiew

2. The Chocolate Watch Band (UK) - Requiem

3. Frabjoy & Runcible Spoon - I'm Beside Myself

4. The Virgin Sleep - Comes A Time

5. The Silver Eagle - Theodore

6. Dave Austin - You Outside

7. Cardboard Orchestra - Yes I Heard A Little Bird

8. The Act Of Creation - Yesterday Noontime

9. The Tate Gallery - Newspaper Man

10. The Symbols - (The Best Part Of) Breaking Up

11. Sandy Coast - Back To The City

12. The Outer Limits - Great Train Robbery

13. Fountain Of Youth - Sunshine On A Cold Morning

14. Phul Wainman - Going Going Gone

15. The Merseys - Dreaming

16. Roger Bloom's Hammer - Polly Pan

17. Dry Ice - Mary Is Alone

18. Katch 22 - Making My Mind Up

19. The Bunch - Birthday

20. Goldrush - Somebody's Turning On The People

21. West - Summer Flower

miercuri, 10 august 2011

60s Psych Pop Treasures - vol 7


Download


60s Psych Pop Treasures - vol 7

1. The Bystanders - Royal Blue Summer Sunshine Day

2. Prince And Walsh - The House Of Ilene Castle

3. Penny Peeps - Curly, The Knight Of The Road

4. Turnstyle - Riding A Wave

5. The Trodden Path - Don't Follow Me

6. The Mindbenders - Uncle Joe, The Ice Cream Man

7. Love Sculpture - River To Another Day

8. Shades Of Morley Brown - Pretty Blue Bird

9. Peppermint Circus - Keeping My Head Above Water

10. The Jensens - Deep Thinking

11. Pattern People - Take A Walk In The Sun

12. The Nerve - Satisfying Kind

13. The Epic Splendor - It Could Be Wonderful

14. The Everpresent Fullness - Darlin' You Can Count On Me

15. Sixpentz - Imitation Situation

16. The Flies (UK) - Alexander Bell Believes

17. The Hifis - Thread Softly For The Sleepers

18. The Roman Numerals - Matchstick In A Whirlpool

19. King Biscuit Entertainers - (The Courtship Of) Priscilla Brown

20. The Berkeley Kites - Hang Up City

duminică, 31 iulie 2011

60s Psych Pop Treasures - vol 6


Download

60s Psych Pop Treasures - vol 6
1. San Franciso Earthquake - Hold The Night
2. The Laurels - Threepence A Tune
3. Warm Sounds - Angeline
4. Pandamonium - Today I'm Happy
5. Central Nervous System - Alice In Wonderland
6. The Others - My Friend The Wizard
7. The Montanas - Take My Hand
8. Arnim-Hamilton - Pepperman
9. The Cadaver - Haven't Got The Time
10. Tim Andrews - Sad Simon Lives Again
11. The Trolley - Toy Shop
12. The Decision - Constable Jones
13. The Tuesday Club - A Goddess In Many Ways
14. Boystown - Hello Mr Sun
15. Ronnie Burns - Picadilly Pages
16. Six Mile Chase - Never In A Month Of Sundays
17. Rhubarb Rhubarb - Rainmaker
18. The Other Voices - May My Heart Be Cast Into Stone
19. The Sugar Canyon - On Top Of The World
20. The Empty Vessels - Low Toby
21. The Brentwoods - Yeah, Yeah, No, No

joi, 28 iulie 2011

60s Psych Pop Treasures - vol 5


Download

I made this compilation trying to combine elements from 3 albums that defined the 60s pop psychedelia: Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds", Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and Zombies' "Odessey And Oracle". Using only very obscure bands and songs that failed to reach the charts in that era. You'll be surprised to find the quality of this compilation, all the songs are carefully picked to create the ultimate 60s pop perfection experience and I really think this is one of the best 60s psych pop mix tape you'll find on the net. All the 26 songs are from 1967 and 1968. I consider this my "White Album" of obscure 60s pop psychedelia. It's hard to pick some obvious highlights, all the songs are very good and catchy as hell with harmonies, guitars and choruses that could stuck in your head for days. I put a lot of work and passion into selecting the songs that made the final cut, so I hope you'll enjoy this compilation.

Vol 5

1. Common Market - Wings
2. The Ravin' Blue - Colors
3. The Gibsons - The Magic Book
4. The Magic Ring - Little Mary Sunshine
5. The Proposition - Two Faced Madonna
6. Joyce's Angels - Flowers For My Friends
7. Forest Authority - Childhood Friends
8. The Milky Way - Sunshine Daffodils
9. Morning Sun - Let's Walk In The Woods
10. The Flower Pot - Mr Zig Zag Man
11. The Joint Effort - Mary On A Go-Round
12. The Conservatives - Miami
13. The "New" Sound Spectrum - Summer Girl (Now That Summer's Over)
14. The In-Keepers - Everytime
15. Harry's Group - Under My Umbrella
16. A New Generation - Sadie And Her Magic Mr Galahad
17. Particular People - What's The Matter With Juliet
18. The 13th Power - I See A Change Is Gonna Come
19. Milk - Angela Jones
20. The Marshmellow Highway - Loving You Makes Everything Alright
21. Bats - Listen To My Heart
22. Special Delivery - Hello Love
23. Living Daylights - I'm Real
24. The Chelsea Boys - Little Boy Blue
25. Dukes Noblemen - City Of Windows
26. The Nite People - Is This A Dream

miercuri, 27 iulie 2011

60s Psych Pop Treasures - vol 4


Download

60s Psych Pop Treasures - vol 4:
1. Circus - Do You Dream
2. The Brain - One In A Miliion
3. State Of Micky & Tommy - Sunday's Leaving
4. Pinkerton's Colours - Mum And Dad
5. Persimmon's Peculiar Shades - Coplington
6. The Virginia Wolves - Rose Peddles Everywhere She Goes
7. The Kytes - Frosted Pane
8. The West Coast Delegation - Mr Personality Man
9. Double Feature - Just Another Lonely Night
10. The Marianne - As For Marionettes
11. The Laughing Wind - The Bells
12. Tales Of Justine - Albert
13. The Neat Change - Sandman
14. The U.S. Males - Come Out Of The Rain
15. Crocheted Doughnut Ring - Happy Castle
16. Two & A Half - I Don't Need To Tell You
17. Toby Twirl - Romeo And Juliet
18. The Clockwatchers - Make Me Not Love You
19. The Truth - Jingle Jangle
20. Still Life - What Did We Miss

marți, 26 iulie 2011

60s Psych Pop Treasures - vol 3


Download

60s Psych Pop Treasures - vol 3:
1. Fargo - Sunny Day Blue
2. Lavender Hill Express - Visions
3. Strawberry Children - Love Years Coming
4. Hi-Revving Tongues - You'll Find Me Anywhere
5. The New Mix - Ever Brighter
6. The Cymbaline - Matrimonial Fears
7. The Castels - Rocky Ridges
8. The Magicians - Lady Fingers
9. Sounds Around - Red, White & You
10. Pop Workshop - Punch And Judy Man
11. Wishful Thinking - I Want You Girl
12. The Fox - Hey Mr. Carpenter
13. The Swinging Blue Jeans - Rumours, Gossip, Words Untrue
14. Kippington Lodge - Tomorrow Today
15. Gary Walker & The Rain - The View
16. Sidewalk Skipper Band - Cynthia At The Garden
17. The Orphans - This Is The Time
18. The Onyx - You've Gotta Be With Me
19. The Illusions - Wait Till The Summer
20. The Epics - Travelling Circus

sâmbătă, 23 iulie 2011

60s Psych Pop Treasures - Vol 2


Download

60s Psych Pop Treasures - Vol 2

1. The Mirage - Is Anybody Home

2. The Fredric - Henry Adams

3. Made In Sheffield - Amelia Jane

4. The Churls - Princess Mary Margaret

5. Glitterhouse - Princess Of The Gingerland

6. Barclay James Harvest - Mr. Sunshine

7. The Higher Elevation - The Summer Skies

8. The Hung Jury - Buses

9. Los Mac's - Anne Marie

10. Our Plastic Dream - Encapsulated Marigold

11. The Hinge - The Village Postman

12. The Vectors - Paisley Haze

13. Phluph - Doctor Mind

14. Carnival Connection - Alfred Appleby

15. The Escorts - Sitting By A Tree

16. Life 'N' Soul - Peacefully Asleep

17. Dantelian's Chariot - Sun Came Bursting Through My Cloud

18. The Lemon Drops - I Like You

duminică, 6 martie 2011

60s Psych Pop Treasures - Vol 1


60s Psych Pop Treasures is all about obscure psychedelic pop songs compiled for your listening pleasure. The songs are carefully picked to create the perfect pop compilation on each volume. So expect to find lots of melodic unknown gems inside the playlists.

Looking forward to know what you think of this and your comments are welcomed.


 Download


Vol 1

1. The Factory - No Place I'd Rather Be
2. Grisby Dyke - The Adventures of Miss Rosemary LaPage
3. Los Brincos - Peque? Pajaro
4. The Staccatos - Whisper Words
5. The Pussyfoot - Hasty Words
6. Bit 'A Sweet - 2086
7. The Fourmyula - Mr. Harris
8. Orange Bicycle - Amy Peate
9. Master's Apprentices - Elevator Driver
10. Saturday's Photograph - Gentle Lovin' San Francisco Man
11. The Merseys - Change Of Heart
12. The Daily Flesh - The French Girl
13. The Gloomys - Westend Station
14. West Coast Consortium - Colour Sergent Lillywhite
15. Chances Are - What Went Wrong
16. The British North-American Act - Baby Jane Days and Nights
17. The Avengers - Flower Girl
18. The Motions - Memories O' Fair Hired Lady

vineri, 28 august 2009

Focal Point - First Bite of the Apple: The Complete Recordings (1967-1968)

Focal Point released one fair pop-psychedelic single in 1968, "Sycamore Sid"/"Love You Forever." "Sycamore Sid" was typical of much British rock of the time in its sketch of an eccentric character, played out against a pleasant medium-tempo power pop arrangement combining hard rock guitar riffs, organ, and piano. "Love You Forever" was an altogether more romantic, dainty piece, like a woozy update of late-'50s/early-'60s teen rock ballads. A few other unreleased Focal Point tracks that have surfaced have similar fey, never-never land textures (indeed one of their songs was called "Never Never"), albeit with nice mild pop melodies and psychedelic-influenced organ/guitar arrangements.The Liverpool band's Beatles/Apple connection arose in 1967 when vacationing songwriters Paul Tennant and Dave Rhodes came across Paul McCartney, who was walking his dog in London's Hyde Park. McCartney actually gave them the name and number of Terry Doran, who was then starting Apple's music publishing company (Apple had yet to start its record label). After hearing the pair play some songs in his office, Doran was impressed enough to record some demos with the duo, which he played to Brian Epstein and John Lennon. Epstein suggested that the two form a band called Focal Point, and although he died shortly afterward, Tennant and Rhodes did form the group in Liverpool and sign a contract with Apple Publishing. Apple even rented the group a flat in London and gave them access to a recording studio in the Apple office for cutting demos. They got a contact with Deram and recorded their single, but after it made few waves, Apple's interest in the band seemed to peter out, and they never recorded again. (AMG).

Tracklist:
1. Miss Sinclair; 2. Sycamore Sid; 3. Hassle Castle; 4. Never Never; 5. Lonely Woman; 6. Far Away from Forever; 7. Love You Forever; 8. Tales from the Gpo Files; 9. McKinley Morgan the Deep Sea Diver; 10. Falling out of Friends; 11. Girl on the Corner; 12. Goodbye Forever; 13. This Time She's Leaving; 14. 'Cept Me; 15. Miss Sinclair [Demo Version]; 16. Miss Sinclair [Alternate Version]; 17. Hassle Castle [Demo Version]; 18. Never Never [Alternate Version]; 19. Reflections [Demo Version]; 20. Reflections

sâmbătă, 11 aprilie 2009

Horses - Horses (1969)

Not quite the forgotten gem that record-collector hype has long maintained, Horses nevertheless has a lot going for it, especially for a one-shot, studio-only curio. The nucleus of the group that created the LP had its genesis in the excellent mid-'60s bubblegum-psychedelic outfit the Rainy Daze, which had a minor, Top 100 hit with the camouflaged ode to marijuana, "Acapulco Gold," in 1967. Denver radio host David Diamond had moved to Los Angeles in 1965 to kick off a new rock format called "Boss Radio" and brought the band with him. The tightly formatted, hits-only nature of his new gig didn't sit well with Diamond, so he soon moved over to KBLA, where he quickly became one of L.A.'s hippest and hottest radio personalities with the development of the psychedelic program The Diamond Mine, the beginning of the looser, more free-form underground FM radio. Frank Zappa was a fan and frequent listener, and it was Diamond's suggestion to the Doors that resulted in an international hit with the edited version of "Light My Fire." He also was the first to spin such classic songs as the Seeds' "Pushin' Too Hard," Iron Butterfly's "In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida," Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'," the Stone Poneys' "Different Drum," the Rolling Stones' 17-minute "Goin' Home," and, yes, the Rainy Daze's "Acapulco Gold." Diamond played an important role during the band's life-span, convincing an increasingly erratic Phil Spector to sign them to a management contract and then, when the significant publicity push Spector had planned didn't pan out, arranging a deal with UNI, which released the group's fine LP. The quintet's catalysts were Tim Gilbert, the lead vocalist and guitarist, and John Carter, the lyricist. The two developed into one of the more interesting minor songwriting team's of the era. They scored a huge, Number One hit with Strawberry Alarm Clock's "Incense and Peppermints," and placed compositions with Yankee Dollar and the intriguing David Axelrod-produced West Coast outfit Hard Water (famous, fellow ex-Colorado surf/instrumental unit Astronauts in disguise), but Carter and Gilbert's pet project was the quasi-psychedelic, hard rock group Horses, which they built from scratch along with Diamond after all three relocated to San Francisco in 1969.
The Rainy Daze broke up following several post-LP singles on the Turtles' label, White Whale. Carter and Gilbert, meanwhile, had written an entire album, and now needed a band to record it. With Diamond, they held auditions and ultimately assembled Dave Torbert on bass, Scott Quigley and Matt Kelly on guitars, Chris Herold on drums, and lead singer Rich Fifield. Fifield was replaced midway through the recording sessions with an unknown 18-year-old kid, Don Johnson, in his first professional gig. The resultant, self-titled album was a strong effort, mixing tongue-in-cheek counterculturalisms ("Class of '69" was a carefully couched song about a sex act) and hippie-fied country elements into its hard rock, but also, unfortunately, came out on White Whale just at the moment that the label was beginning to come undone. (AMG).

Tracklist :
1. Freight Train; 2. Class of '69; 3. Birdie in a Cage; 4. Nothing at All; 5. Cheyenne; 6. Run Rabbit Run; 7. Country Boy; 8. Overnight Bag; 9. Horseradish; 10. Asia Minor; 11. Wind

duminică, 5 aprilie 2009

Picadilly Line - The Huge World Of Emily Small (1967)

The British group might be more famed for evolving into Edwards Hand, who had a couple albums produced by George Martin. Before that, however, Picadilly Line put out an obscure album on CBS, 1967's The Huge World of Emily Small, in the lightest and poppiest side of the British pop-psychedelic style. They also did a couple non-LP singles, one of which, "Yellow Rainbow," was written by then-Hollie Graham Nash.
The Picadilly Line's sole album is one of the recordings that most epitomizes what has been retrospectively dubbed the "toytown" school of British psychedelia by collectors. That is, the songs bounce along daintily; the vocal emphasis is on high harmonies; the lyrics are sometimes populated with observations of British everyday life and characters, sprinkled with a coat of whimsy; and the arrangements benefit from touches of baroque orchestration. It's executed here, however, with a fey, twee touch that makes the Zombies' Odessey and Oracle, for instance, sound rough 'n' ready by comparison. It's thus going to be too light even for some British psychedelic pop enthusiasts, but it's not quite the most saccharine entry in the genre, though it's undeniably precious. There's a folky lightness that keeps this from being too wide-eyed and childish, sometimes sounding a bit like Simon & Garfunkel gone toytown, though with some similarities to both the 1967-era Beatles and '60s California pop in the vocals and arrangements. The covers of Bob Dylan's "Visions of Johanna" and the Everly Brothers' "Gone, Gone, Gone," however, seem misplaced in these surroundings. (AMG).

Tracklist :
1. Emily Small (The Huge World Thereof); 2. Silver Paper Dress; 3. At The Third Stroke; 4. Can You See Me; 5. Your Dog Won't Bark; 6. How Could You Say You're Leaving Me; 7. Gone Gone Gone; 8. Twiggs; 9. Tumble Down World; 10. Visions Of Johanna; 11. Come & Sing A Song; 12. Her Name Is Easy

marți, 31 martie 2009

Plastic Penny - Currency (1969)

Plastic Penny were an unremarkable late-'60s British group who made the U.K. Top Ten in early 1968 with "Everything I Am," a labored ballad augmented by strings, that wasn't even one of their best songs. Much of their material was psychedelic pop with hints of encroaching prog-rock, sometimes recalling the Who a bit, elsewhere going into more fey story-songs. Their guitarist, Mick Grabham, would play with Procol Harum for a few years in the 1970s.
Plastic Penny's second album offers various shades of British psychedelic pop that aren't near either the top or bottom of the class. It left the impression of a group who were good musicians, but not ones who had exceptional material or a markedly identifiable style. Beatlesque psychedelic pop that was lighter than the Beatles was the main ingredient, perhaps with elements of the Bee Gees and the poppiest facet of the Who as well, though there was more organ involved in Plastic Penny's arrangements than there was in those of any of these other groups. Sometimes the keyboard-driven sound had shades of Procol Harum and Traffic. It's respectable listening, but not a record to win commendations for originality; "Give Me Money" in particular is a shameless imitation of the Who and the Move in their circa 1967 power pop days, albeit a pretty good one. The inclusion of a couple instrumentals (the closing "Sour Suite," lasting eight minutes, and "Currency") with a heavier, more improvised-sounding organ-grounded approach, as well as mediocre covers of "Hound Dog" and "MacArthur Park," raises the suspicion that the group really didn't have enough material ready to make an album, even though those instrumentals aren't bad. Serious Elton John fans, however, will be interested in collecting this record for the presence of an early Elton John-Bernie Taupin composition, "Turn to Me," that Elton John never recorded. The way Plastic Penny do it, it sounds like an early Badfinger track. (AMG).


Tracklist :
1. You Way To Tell Me Go
2. Hound Dog
3. Currency
4. Caledonian Mission
5. Mcarthur Park
6. Turn To Me
7. Baby You're Not To Blame
8. Give Me Money
9. Sour Suite
10. She Does
11. Celebrity Ball

joi, 26 martie 2009

The Paper Garden - The Paper Garden (1968)

A decent if somewhat candy-coated effort in the pop-psychedelic vein, combining cheerful sunshine pop sensibilities with some hard-edged psychedelic playing. It all falls somewhere between the Beatles' Revolver album and the Zombies' Odessey & Oracle (the latter especially on "Man Do You" and "Raven"), with some Sgt. Pepper-type layered choruses and overdubbed strings and other instruments. The question is how well it represents the sound of the Paper Garden -- and that begs the larger question behind the purpose of recording an LP; The Paper Garden dates from a period when the answer to that question was starting to change. According to the account of singer/guitarist Joe Arduino, the New York City-based quintet had a solid stage repertory established from performances at colleges in the Northeastern United States in 1967 and 1968, when they got the chance to cut this album under the auspices of British producer Geoff Turner, who was working at Musicor in New York at the time -- presented with that opportunity, the members ended up writing a whole new body of songs for the occasion; thus, the album become a new, self-contained artistic statement rather than a representation of the music by which they'd first attracted attention and defined themselves. The songs are filled with catchy tunes played on a mix of virtuoso electric lead and acoustic guitars -- with the occasional sitar, courtesy of rhythm guitarist Sandy Napoli -- and violin, string orchestra, trumpet, and trombone embellishment, and the lead singing coming down somewhere between Paul McCartney and Colin Blunstone with the backing usually very Lennon-esque. The group had three talented songwriters in their ranks whose work was worth hearing and the 27-minute running time isn't even a problem -- the content is substantial enough to make this a nicely full sonic meal and one of the most enjoyable albums of the psychedelic era. The 2002 Gear Fab CD reissue offers glittering sound and includes full annotation and credits, and is recommended to those who enjoy the Zombies' Odessey & Oracle album, or the Merry-Go-Round/Emitt Rhodes' releases. (AMG).

Tracklist :
1.Gypsy Wine
2.Sunshine People
3.Way Up High
4.Lady's Man
5.Mr. Mortimer
6.Man Do You
7.Raining
8.I Hide
9.Raven
10.A Day

marți, 24 martie 2009

Harmony Grass - This Is Us (1969)

A late-'60s band that anticipated Prelude's highly commercial harmony vocals, Harmony Grass evolved out of Tony Rivers & the Castaways. They were signed to RCA a year after being formed in Essex, and scored aTop 30 British hit with "Move in a Little Closer Baby."
Harmony Grass' sole LP has a few songs from their late-1960s singles (including "Move in a Little Closer," their only British hit), and it's also filled out by a few Tony Rivers originals and an assortment of covers. This odd, occasionally impressive and sometimes saccharine mix of pop/rock casts the group among the few British exponents of sunshine pop. Sometimes the airplane-commercial harmonies and cheeriness is vacuous. On the other hand, Rivers proves himself a competent emulator of the Beach Boys' most upbeat material on "Summer Dreaming" and "My Little Girl," as well as the Pet Sounds era on "I've Seen to Dream." On yet another hand, with "Chattanooga Choo Choo," "Tom Dooley," and the weird "(It Ain't Necessarily) Byrd Avenue," the group sounds like a college glee club, here to entertain for your social function, backed by extremely competent studio musicianship. On "Ballad of Michael," Rivers grapples with somewhat more serious lyrical themes in a tale of a philandering bachelor, but the song also finds him trying to squeeze too many words into too little space. (AMG).


Tracklist :
1. Move in a Little Closer Baby
2. My Little Girl
3. What a Groovy Day
4. I've Seen to Dream
5. (It Ain't Necessarily) Byrd Avenue
6. Chattanooga Choo Choo
7. Good Thing
8. Mrs Richie
9. Summer Dreaming
10. I Think of You
11. Ballad of Michael
12. Tom Dooley
13. What Do You Do When Love Dies

sâmbătă, 21 martie 2009

Blues Section - Blues Section (1967)

Blues Section is considered a seminal and ground-breaking band in Finnish rock music. They started in 1967, formed around the vocalist Jim Pembroke, a British expatriate song-writer now living in Finland. The other members of the band were Eero Koivistoinen (saxophone), Ronnie Österberg (drums), Hasse Walli (guitar), and Måns Groundstroem (bass). Their influences came among all from John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and Jimi Hendrix, who had played a sensational gig in Helsinki in May 1967. One can also hear in Pembroke's British-flavoured song-writing some echoes from The Beatles and The Kinks. Blues Section released a self-titled album late 1967 on Helsinki's Love Records. In 1968 Groundstroem and Pembroke left the band, being replaced by Pekka Sarmanto and (another British vocalist) Frank Robson, respectively. Also Koivistoinen would leave the band during the same year, and by the end of 1968 Blues Section was over. The Blues Section members would continue in such acclaimed progressive rock bands as Wigwam and Tasavallan Presidentti. Eero Koivistoinen was to become an internationally acclaimed jazz musician, and Hasse Walli would discover world music, playing in such bands as Piirpauke.


Tracklist :
1. Paint It Michael And Others, Maybe
2. Answer To Life
3. The Day The Bird Of Paradise Looked Down Trough A
4. Wolf At The Door
5. End Of A Poem
6. Please Mr. Wilson
7. Once More For The Road
8. The East Is Red
9. Carpets And Bags And Balls
10. Apartment 51
11. Call Me On Your Telephone
12. Hey Hey Hey

joi, 19 martie 2009

Kensington Market - Aardvark (1969)

The Kensington Market were a Toronto band that recorded two albums in the late 60s off the Warner Brothers label. Their first album, Avenue Road appeared in 1968 and was greeted with great acclaim. Avenue Road was a modest effort that was noteworthy for a few reasons, it featured decent pop instincts and solid songwriting. In 1969 the band released their final lp titled Aardvark. After the release of this disc the band broke up a few months later, leaving behind a much stronger lp than their debut.
Aardvark is a weird and wonderful mini masterpiece in which much of the Kensington Market’s reputation rests. This time out there were no silly jugband tracks and many of the album’s ideas are fully formed and well thought out. Some of the songs, like the beautifully trippy Cartoon and the ahead-of-it’s-time Help Me, use primitive synthesizer in all the right ways. Help Me sounds like a lost Flaming Lips track with its open arrangement and blissed out guitar playing. Side I Am would have had radio potential had it not been for the experimental Smile-era Beach Boys intro. It’s a stunning pop song with Penny Lane horns, fine vocals and that special, inspiring 60s magic. Other tracks like Think About The Times and If It Is Love have more of a meloncholy air but are equally excellent and reveal a more pessimistic side of the band. The experimental Americana of Half Closed Eyes is another standout composition that’s superb in an early morning folk-strum Dylan way with unusual synthesizer flourishes.
Aardvark requires a few close listens to sink in but it really is a great Beatles influenced pop album by an underrated band. (RisingStorm.net).


Tracklist :
1. Help Me
2. If It Is Love
3. I Know You
4. The Thinker
5. Half Closed Eyes
6. Said I Could Be Happy
7. Ciao
8. Ow-ing Man
9. Side I Am
10. Think About The Times
11. Have You Come To See
12. Cartoon
13. Dorian

miercuri, 18 martie 2009

The Shamrocks - Smoke Rings Around the Cadillac (1964-1967)

The Shamrocks were the most succesfull Swedish beat group in Europe during the 60's. They never made it into the Swedish charts, but they were popular in Germany, France, Netherlands and Japan. It all started in 1962 when the Shamrocks were founded. 1963 was the year of beeing part in several talent competitions. The result were a few bookings and the first recording for EMI - "Jag Har Bott Vid En Landsvag/Petite Fleur". In 1964 a new lineup (still with founding members Bjorn and Ian) won a competition: they were elected "The Beatles of Stockholm" and got a recording contract with "Karussell Records". They recorded "We Gonna Make It" and "A Lonely Man", both songs written by themselves.
In 1965 they became famous with the Renegades song "Cadillac". The song failed the Swedish charts but made it all over Europe. The band went on tour in Finland, Sweden and in 44 towns in Germany. In 1966, the band toured again on the continent and played 14 days in "Star Club Hamburg". In July, the band recorded in Hamburg, in three days, their first LP - "Smokerings". A lot of TV shows and gigs in France, Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and Germany were done in 1967.
To enter the UK market, a few songs were recorded in London and published later in '67 on the LP "Shamrock A Paris". Somewhere in the summer of the same year, founding member Jan Granaht (guitar) quit the band. The remaining band members decided to go on as a trio. Germany, France and Denmark saw the new Shamrocks shows with a lot of visual effects (fireworks, smoke-screens, bengal fires etc.).
In 1968, Kent Risberg (guitar) left the band to settle in Bonn, where the band spent a lot of time between their touring on the continent. Two weeks later, Shamrocks were back on the road again in Germany and France with Jonny Wallin on guitar. Then the band return home to Sweden and after a long due rest , Bjorn and Dieter (founding members) decided to make one last "thanks and farewell" tour in Germany. During this tour, Bertil Petterson was playing guitar. The story of the Shamrocks ended at the end of the 60's when the great beat era came to an end.


Tracklist :
1. We Gonna Make It
2. A Lonley Man
3. Skinny Minny
4. A Mountain Of Silver
5. Cadillac
6. Easy Rider
7. And I Need You
8. Zip-a-dee-doo-dah
9. La La La
10. Things Will Turn Out Right Tomorrow
11. Balla Balla
12. Oxford Street 43
13. Don't Say
14. Nobody Cares About Me
15. Days
16. Smokerings
17. See Me Coming
18. I'm On The Outside Locking In
19. Please Don't Cry (For Me)
20. Gipsy Lullaby at 1030
21. Missconception
22. I'm Ready For The Show
23. Cadillac (Paris version)
24. How The Time Flies
25. Travelin' Man
26. The Smiling Kind
27. Don't You Know She's Mine
28. Daytime Nightime
29. Rich Life

duminică, 15 martie 2009

The Tremeloes - Here Come the Tremeloes (1967)

It's difficult for anyone who has heard them not to like -- or even love -- the Tremeloes. They were one of the more prodigiously talented British pop/rock bands of the '60s, and they threw that talent into making amazingly catchy and well-crafted singles that lit up the charts and radio on both sides of the Atlantic for four years running, from 1966 through 1970.
Yet, the Tremeloes are also one of the least-known and least-respected of '60s English bands. The precise reason for the lack of respect is difficult to pin down, except perhaps that their timing was off, as far as making the most of their success. They generally didn't write their own material and they cut their best singles long after the British Invasion (and the mystique surrounding the bands that were part of it) had ended. Yet, ironically, the Tremeloes are also one of the longest surviving English rock & roll bands, still playing regularly more than 40 years after the group's founding.
Here Come The Tremeloes may be the best "forgotten" British album of the 1960's, at least for sheer fun. When Brian Poole quit the Tremeloes in 1966, the conventional wisdom was that the band would soon fold. Instead, with bassist Chip Hawkes and drummer Dave Munden handling the lead vocals, they put out a string of hit singles and this LP on British CBS, which made No. 15 in England (in America, it appeared as Here Comes My Baby on Epic Records). The music is a mix of upbeat rockers ("Here Comes My Baby"), "Good Day Sunshine"), covers of American soul ("Loving You (Is Sweeter Than Ever)"), and unexpectedly strong originals, highlighted by the psychedelic-garage textured "What A State I'm In," and even a killer rendering of "You," an early song by one Gilbert O'Sullivan that's not only catchy but features some fierce fuzz-tone playing from guitarist Rick Westwood. None of it was the most challenging music coming out of England in 1967, but it's all utterly enjoyable, catchy pop-rock with a sharp edges in some of the playing, tempos, and singing. (AMG).


Tracklist :
1. Here Comes My Baby
2. Run Baby Run
3. My Town
4. Round And Round
5. What A State I'm In
6. Loving You
7. Good Day Sunshine
8. You
9. Let Your Hair Hang Down
10. Shake Hands
11. When I'm With Her
12. Even The Bad Times Are Good

sâmbătă, 14 martie 2009

The Fredric - Phases and Faces (1968)

From Grand Rapids, Michigan, the Fredric issued a rare, limited-run album in the late '60s, Phases and Faces, that's highly valued in some collector quarters. It would be ultimately inaccurate to call this garage psychedelia; it's too clean-cut and poppy, with conscientious harmonies, guitar-organ interplay, and light lovelorn lyrics. They were a very young group, and it shows in the callow songwriting, despite the well-executed arrangements. The single "Red Pier" made some modest local noise, and by 1970 they were signed to Capitol, who changed their name to the Rock Garden. They disbanded shortly after beginning their relationship with Capitol; drummer-vocalist David Idema eventually had a hit as David Geddes, "Run Joey Run." (AMG).
Lead vocalist Joe McCargar and guitarist Bob Geis were high school mates playing in a local band. When their existing drummer and guitarist quit, shortly before a gig, they drafted in Steve Thrall, with whom they immediately struck up an accord. In the days that followed, David Idema - a family friend - and Ron Bera were added, and the band began to rehearse extensively.They soon caught the eye of a booking agent, who got them a support slot for U.K. duo Harper and Rowe, who were doing a U.S. promotional tour. Harper and Rowe, didn't want to be upstaged by a local support, so the band changed their name to The Fredric on their way to the first gig in Fredric, Michigan. They soon developed a good local reputation, and opened shows for The Box Tops, Tommy James and The Shondells, and Yellow Balloon amongst others.


Tracklist :
1. Federal Reserve Bank Blues
2. The Girl I Love
3. All About Judi
4. Henry Adams
5. Morning Sunshine
6. Taggin'
7. Cousin Mary Knows
8. My Yellow Tree
9. Red Pier
10. Old Fashioned Guy
11. Born in Fire
12. Saturday Morning With Rain

Tinkerbells Fairydust - Tinkerbells Fairydust (1969)

Originally known as the Rush, Tinkerbells Fairydust was a late 60s English pop-psych ensemble that changed their name in 1967 upon the release of their debut single (an outstanding cover of Spanky & Our Gang's 'Lazy Day' b/w 'In My Magic Garden'). Band members included Steve Maher (guitar, vocals), Stuart Attride (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Gerry Wade (bass, vocals), Barry Creasy (drums, vocals), Charlie Wade (drums, vocals), Eileen Woodman (organ, vocals) and Dave Church (vocals).
In 1968, they released a second single ('Twenty Ten' b/w 'Walking My Baby') which didn't chart high in the U.K., but managed to become a #1 hit in Japan. In 1969, they briefly worked with Idle Race and future ELO guru Jeff Lynn to release a final single ('Sheila's Back In Town' b/w the Lynn penned 'Follow Me Follow'). That same year they released a self titled LP, which had a limited issue of 500 copies and now goes for thousands of dollars on the collectors market. The album includes some original material as well as some great covers, including the previously released 'Lazy Day' and Joe Cocker's 'Marjorine'. Unfortunately, the group split soon after the record's completion.


Tracklist :
1. 20-10
2. In My Magic Garden
3. Marjorine
4. You Keep Me Hanging On
5. The Worst That Could Happen
6. Never My Love
7. Lazy Day
8. Every Minute Every Day
9. Whole World
10. They Didnt Believe Me
11. Happy
12. Sheila's Back In Town
13. Jeff's Boogie

miercuri, 11 martie 2009

Turquoise - The Further Adventures of Flossie Fillett: The Complete Recordings (1966-1969)

A quick listen to Turquoise with no knowledge of their background will surely bring two names immediately to mind: the Kinks and the Who. So, it should be no surprise that Turquoise were not only influenced by their British peers but were close associates, friends of Ray and Dave Davies, produced by Dave for their first demos -- when the band was still known as "the Brood" -- and produced by Keith Moon and John Entwistle for their second round of pre-professional recordings. Turquoise released two singles for Decca in 1968 before disbanding and those two singles, like much British pop-psych, earned them a cult of some size, eventually leading to Rev-Ola's 2006 release of The Further Adventures of Flossie Fillett: The Complete Recordings which collects both sides of those two singles -- "53 Summer Street"/"The Tales of Flossie Fillett" and "Woodstock"/"Saynia" -- along with all the other demos, unreleased cuts and alternate takes the group left behind. More than any other band from the late '60s, Turquoise modeled themselves after mid-period Kinks, circa Something Else and Village Green Preservation Society to the extent that singer/songwriter Jeff Peters (who wrote almost all of the band's recorded work, usually in collaboration with Ewan Stephens) even penned his own tune called "Village Green." Like the Kinks, Turquoise were distinctly, defiantly British in subject matter and approach -- among their unreleased items is a knees-up stomp-along called "Sunday Best" reminiscent of the Small Faces (and oddly prescient of Blur's "Sunday Sunday") -- often sounding fey and campy yet managing to stay away from being overtly twee, and even if their melodies could sigh and swirl in psychedelic colors, they never were that trippy: they were grounded by acoustic guitars that jangled like Ray Davies' on Something Else and they had ragged harmonies and a pop sense reminiscent of the brothers Davies. And when Turquoise broke free of the Kinks -- as on the absolutely terrific "Woodstock" which barrels forward on a moddish Motown beat and has a wicked Dylan impression on the chorus -- they're quite terrific, but when they were close to the Kinks, which they were for most of their career, they're merely good, even if not especially memorable. But for fans of British pop of the '60s that was obsessed with being British -- whether that means the Kinks, the Small Faces, mod-era Who or parts of the Move -- The Further Adventures of Flossie Fillett provides just enough unheard gems to be worthwhile. (AMG).


Tracklist :
1. Tales of Flossie Fillett
2. Flying Machine [Second Version]
3. Sister Saxophone
4. 53 Summer Street
5. Sea Shines
6. Village Green
7. Saynia
8. Sunday Best
9. Woodstock
10. Stand Up and Be Judged
11. Woodstock [First Reduction]
12. Flying Machine [First Version]
13. Leana [Backing Track]
14. What's Your Name
15. Mindless Child of Motherhood
16. You're Just Another Girl (As the Brood)
17. Wrong Way (As the Brood)
18. Turquoise 1968 Christmas Record

marți, 10 martie 2009

Rainbow Ffolly - Sallies Fforth (1968)

Thirteen examples of pleasant, mid-tempo, mildly amplified psychedelic pop, most of them owing some considerable debt to the influence of the Beatles' Rubber Soul and Revolver (though not their production), with some of the nutsy brand of humor that Giles, Giles, & Fripp later traded in. This is basically Paul McCartney-influenced psychedelia, not only in the tone and texture of the lead vocals, but the retro style of songs like "I'm So Happy," with some vaguely progressive touches that make one think of the more ornate tracks off of Bee Gees' 1st. "Montgolfier" is a folky/trippy, deliberately antiquated cut that intersects somewhere midway between the early psychedelic Bee Gees and the early work of Amazing Blondel. The group also had the temerity to write and record a bouncy number called "Drive My Car" that sounds McCartney-esque (even anticipating the scatting on the latter's "Heart of the Country") without ever sounding at all like the Beatles' song of that name. Other cuts, such as "Goodbye," contain elements that anticipate Simon & Garfunkel's "So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright." It's all under-produced, which makes the attempted guitar flourishes on "Hey You" seem a bit anemic, but imparts a nicely lean and trippy sound to "Sun Sing." Every track here was essentially a demo, a fact that may explain why the album never found an audience in an era when layer upon layer of overdub was the norm -- but it is pretty, in a minimalist sort of way. (AMG).
Obviously influenced by labelmates The Beatles, the sole album of Rainbow Ffolly is a psychedelic delight of the first order. Lush, inventive arrangements and sharp winning melodies are presented in a truly wide range of styles at once sophisticated and witty. It can be said without exaggeration that this album exceeds on musical grounds the period piece value of many of its contemporaries. Great use of sound-effects contributes to its excellence, while the feeling is so thoroughly English as on few other albums. A single with "Drive My Car" on the flip, which is not the Lennon/McCartney song, sank without a trace and no further recordings were made. The vast diversity and the great accessibility make it hard to understand why this album was completely ignored, but it makes completely clear why it is as sought-after as it is.


Tracklist :
1. She's Alright
2. I'm So Happy
3. Montgolfier
4. Drive My Car
5. Goodbye
6. Hey You
7. Sun Sing
8. Sun and Sand
9. Labour Exchange
10. They'm
11. No
12. Sighing Game
13. Come or Go

luni, 9 martie 2009

The Lemon Pipers - Jungle Marmalade (1968)

The Lemon Pipers were a 1960s /psychedelic pop band from Oxford, Ohio known chiefly for their song "Green Tambourine", which reached number one in the United States in 1968. The song has been credited as being the first bubblegum No.1 hit and ushering in the bubblegum pop era.
The band, formed in 1966 from two Oxford bands, Ivan and the Sabres and Tony and the Bandits comprised singer Ivan Browne (b. 1947), guitarist William Bartlett (b. 1946), keyboardist Robert G. "Reg" Nave (b. 1945), drummer William Albaugh (1948-1999), guitarist Ron Simkins (b.1948) and New Zealand-born bassist Steve Walmsley (b. 1949).
The band played a mix of blues and rock jams regularly in Oxford clubs and a Cincinnati underground rock venue, the Ludlow Garage, and released a single on the Carol Records label, "Quiet Please". In late 1967 they were offered a recording deal by a talent scout from Buddah Records and moved to New York.
Working with producer and songwriter Paul Leka, the group’s debut on Buddah was a Bartlett composition, "Turn Around and Take A Look". When the song failed to make the charts, the label approached Leka and his songwriting partner, Shelley Pinz, who were working out of an office in the same Broadway building as Buddah, to come up with a song. The pair wrote "Green Tambourine" and the band reluctantly recorded it. The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at the end of 1967 and hit No.1 in February 1968. The song peaked at No. 7 in the UK and was also a hit worldwide.
Its success led to pressure being placed on the band by the label to replicate the song with an identical follow-up and in March the band released another Leka/Pinz song, "Rice Is Nice", which peaked at No. 46 in the US and No. 41 in the UK in May. The band had little enthusiasm for either song, however, dubbing them "funny-money music" and recording them only because they knew they would be dropped by Buddah if they refused.
Their pop success created what Nave has described as "the duality of the Lemon Pipers": "We were a stand-up rock 'n' roll band, and then all of a sudden, we're in a studio, being told how to play and what to play."
The chasm between the label’s aspirations and the band’s own musical tastes became apparent on the Lemon Pipers’ debut album, Green Tambourine (1967). Produced by Leka, the album contained five Leka/Pinz songs and the band-written free-form and extended blues-inspired tracks "Fifty Year Void" and "Through With You" (the latter bearing influences of The Byrds and running to more than nine minutes). Writing in Bubblegum is the Naked Truth, Gary Pig Gold commented: "It was the Pipers’ way with a tough-pop gem in the under-four-minute category which was most impressive by far: 'Rainbow Tree', 'Shoeshine Boy' and especially 'Blueberry Blue' each sported a taut, musical sophistication worthy of The Move and, dare I say it, even the Magical Mystery Beatles."
The band recorded a second album for Buddah, Jungle Marmalade, which again showed both sides of the band – another Leka/Pinz bubblegum song, "Jelly Jungle", (released as a single and peaking at No. 51 in the US), a version of the Carole King/Gerry Goffin song "I Was Not Born to Follow" (released in 1968 by the Byrds) and an 11-minute, 43 second epic, "Dead End Street/Half Light".
The band left the Buddah label in 1969 and later dissolved.


Tracklist :
1. Jelly Jungle
2. I Was Not Born to Follow
3. Everything Is You
4. Catch Me Falling
5. Hard Core
6. Love Beads and Meditation
7. I Need Someone
8. Mirrors
9. Wine and Violet
10. Dead End Street/Half Light

sâmbătă, 7 martie 2009

The Young Rascals - Once Upon a Dream (1968)

After releasing three classic garage blue-eyed soul records, the Rascals felt a need to expand their sound, become a bit more ornate, and take in the influence of psychedelia. In early 1968 they released Once Upon A Dream, a vague concept lp inspired by recent albums Pet Sounds and Sgt. Pepper’s. The concept is a bit unclear to me but I believe each track is supposed to represent a different dream. The group’s vocal arrangements were some of their most ambitious to date and where the previous three albums had been excellent collections of album tracks and singles, Once Upon A Dream hangs together quite well as an album - a finished product if you will.
Once Upon A Dream opens up with a fairly well known track, Easy Rollin’. Easy Rollin’ is one of the mini classics on this album and stands out from previous Rascal outings in that it’s more roots influenced with edgy acoustic guitars, harmonica, and B-3. The production on this song is remarkable: one can hear birds chirping in the background and the band itself seems to have more space and breathing room. Other tracks like the dreamy Silly Girl and zany Rainy Day are psychedelic pop songs that have strings and horns in the mix. These sweet, confectionery treats give way to harder edged psych rockers Please Love Me and It’s Wonderful. Please Love Me harks back to the band’s mid 60s garage soul period but has wonderful flute and swirling fuzz guitar effects. Other great songs are the soul-blues of Singin’ The Blues Too Long which has a clear Ray Charles influence, and the great, overlooked blue-eyed soul classic, My World. My World is notable for including female backup singers as well as the Rascals’ own excellent vocal arrangement.
The Rascals would release other good albums after Once Upon A Dream but few pop records from the time are as instantly memorable and sophisticated as this. At the time, the album’s production and sound were considered a triumph. This is a true classic and should be part of any serious rock n roll collection. (RisingStorm.net).

Tracklist :
1. Intro/Easy Rollin'
2. Rainy Day
3. Please Love Me
4. It's Wonderful
5. I'm Gonna Love You
6. My Hawaii
7. My World
8. Silly Girl
9. Singin' The Blues Too Long
10. Sattva
11. Finale Once Upon A Dream