Monday, 30 November 2009

Apples and Oranges+Candy and a Currant Bun+Lucifer Sam-Pink Floyd


Sometimes some things are so obvious they just past you by, which is almost what I did with 'Syd's Pink Floyd' tracks here. 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn' was the album that got me into psych music and the possibilities for 'something a little differrent' in sound, lyrics and melody...these are the mono mixes of the tracks and they still have that magic and charm all these years later, shine on indeed...


Feathered Fish+Saturday's Child'-The Sons Of Adam


Absolute classic track from'The Sons Of Adam'. Feathered Fish was written for the band by 'Love' main man Arthur Lee...and it shows with it's punky riffs,obscure time changes and lyrics...not to mention top guitar solo...I've paired this with Saturday's Child...a kind of proto '7th son of a seventh son...

Friday, 27 November 2009

Ego Trip+Baroque Number One-Ultimate Spinach


Great name, great cover and great self-titled debut from Boston band, Ultimate Spinach.
The record is a real psychedelic treat and fairly easily available from the usual sources...




Thursday, 26 November 2009

In The Year 2525_Overture+During Rem+Candy MAchine-Zager and Evans


Pretty much everyone knows the monster smash that was 'In The Year 2525' by Zager and Evans but not so many are familiar with the superb album that accompanied it. So here are four tracks from a moog driven future concept pop-psych album of the highest order...it would have made a great film along the lines of Barbarella et all...



Artificial Energy+Space Odyssey-The Byrds

Artificial Energy has got to be one of the very best drug song's from one of the USA's very best bands, The Byrds. From early chiming Dylan-rock to spaced out cowboys The Byrds epitomize a lot of that 60's West Coast American dream....as well as turning out some amazing records...

Tuesday, 24 November 2009

Morning Sun Version 1-Cornucopia


Maybe a little too proggy for this post, but what the hell, we're all friends aren't we and it's a lovely sound and well, I really like the cover and name. Genius. This is perhaps the shortest track on a fairly rare album that's well worth a listen.


The American Metaphysical Circus+HArd Coming Love+Coming Down-The United States Of America

The United States Of America were an experimental electronic/psych band from LA. These three tracks are from the self titled classic from 1968. Great fuzz guitar, organ and electronic sounds.Great album.




Dreamworld+Shades Of Orange+Lovins Sacred Loving-The End


Three tracks from the superb album 'Introspection' by 'The End. Produced by Bill Wyman of The Stones it's a poppy, trippy record with great songs, strong vocals and a great sound. Shades of Orange is perhaps the best known track due to appearing on various compilations but the whole album is worth hunting down and checking out.




Monday, 23 November 2009

Children Of The Sun-The Misunderstood

Not quite sure how many 'greatest lost bands' they're are but 'The Misunderstood' claim to be one. I love this track and the first six tracks are great too...the rest is earlier, more basic Yardbirds type stuff and while good, not in the same league as the first few tracks.


In The Past+I Ain't No Miracle Worker-The Chocolate Watch Band

'Stonesy' psych from San Jose, California, The Chocolate Watch band here with two tracks. Rhey went through quite a few incarnations and appeared in a couple of films including 'Are you Gonna Be There(At The Love In?), well what else would you do on the West Coast...

Saturday, 21 November 2009

Heatwave-Ruby Rats

Not sure where this cover of Heatwave is from (Germany or France is my guess) or who Ruby Rats were but I love the vocals and reedy organ blasting through it.

Peculiar Hole In The Sky-The Valentines

Aussie Psych from 'The valentines' with 'Peculiar Hole In The Sky'...pretty good compilation featuring and named after this track, rounding up various Aussie bands of the period.Worth tracking down.


Friday, 20 November 2009

Come And Have Some tea With Me+Love Could Make the World Go Round-The Tea Company

I'll have a brew of what they're having...two tracks from 'The Tea Company'. Hailing from New York in 1968 comes this album which already places Lennon up there in pantheon of Gods (and yeah..even Dylan too) in their own words:
"an assemblage of possessed rock performers; retinue preparing the unusual; alternating with the roots of soul, whose purpose is to cause sensation, due to stimulation of the auditory centres of the brain"
Too right.




The Things That Concern You+If Not This Time+Cauldron+Bad Trip-Fifty Foot Hose


Been thinking we've not had enough acid on this post so here, all the way from San Fransico is Fifty Foot Hose with four tracks from their excellent 'Cauldron' album.
We start off fairly poppy with the first two tracks,pass through my favourite track 'Cauldron' then end on a bad trip...great cover too, quite ahead of it's time,very 80's!



Lady Of Attraction+Green Fly-Krokodil.


Krokodil were Switzerland's very first supergroup in a psych styling...making use of mellotron, flute, organ,harmonica and acoustic guitar to bring us a slightly prog sound from 1969. The blues base is still there but something other also...great drawings on the cover also...

Thursday, 19 November 2009

Another Day Another Lifetime+Tell Me More+Mirrors Of Wood-The David

Three great tracks from The David's 'Another Day Another Lifetime' LP from 1967. Nice orchestration, sounds and song-writing on this... Californian 'summer of love' psych.


Maria+Hey Old Lady And Bert-Hampton Grease Band


Two great tracks from Hampton Grease Bands 'Music To Eat' LP from 1971, apparently the second worse selling LP on Columbia records (apparently the worst was some Yoga record...ommm???)
Often dismissed as daft comedy rock, I think the Lp stands up really well in the 21st century with it's tales of teenage loss of virginity and refuse collectors as featured here...they're are obvious Zappa and Beefheart influences but that's no bad thing so grease on..


Wednesday, 18 November 2009

My Friend Jack-The Smoke

Another great psych single, this time from 'The Smoke'. See what they've done there on the cover...clever eh? 'My Friend Jack' alludes to the practice of putting liquid LSD onto sugar lumps, this was before microdots and the like and all those horrible binding agents... ah well...


My White Bicycle-Tomorrow

One of my favourite singles from the 60's is Tomorrow's 'My White Bicycle', it's just about perfect I guess, so there you go...I'll feature some Keith West stuff soon.
Joe Boyd's excellent book, 'White Bicyles' and accompanying cd should be sought also..it's top, though sadly the cd doesn't feature this monster track!

Talk About It+Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do+Hunters Of Heaven-Harumi


I've read a couple of reviews suggesting this album is bland and a bit average. Well, take no notice cause to these ears it's gloriously wonky and a psych gem. Yep, it's a bit derivative but it's a double album full of soul with sides 3+4 being taken up by one 'experimental' track each.Harumi, a japanese ex-pat who was 'found' by Tom Wilson and put on the Verve label, well worth checking out.




Tuesday, 17 November 2009

Optical Sound+Love At Psychedelic Velocity-The Human Expression

Couple of great tracks from 'The Human Expression'. I think these can be found on the various nuggets compilations which you all should have,pretty essential if you like this kind of stuff.
Particularly love 'Optical Sound', could listen to that all day...


Sweet Pea+Work Song+Fendabenda Ha Ha-Friar Tuck

Three great fun tracks from 'Friar Tuck and his Psychedelic Guitar', actually a bunch of session musician's making a freak out record. Which they do very well indeed. Great vocals,guitar and effects...particularly like the drones on 'Fendabenda'.




Monday, 16 November 2009

Egyptian Kings+Jardins-Brainticket

Krautrockers Brainticket here with 'Egyptian Kings' and 'Rainbow River' from their 1974 album 'Celestial Ocean'. Probably venturing into the land of prog/new age type music, it still does the business.
Great cover too.



Diamond Day+Rainbow River-Vashti Bunyan

Getting a lot more mellow with the afternoon sun and Vashti Bunyan. Psych folk? Maybe...wonder when Diamond Day will be used in an advertisement....




Yes I Need Someone+Captive In The Sun-Eire Apparent

Possibly best known for the album 'Sunrise' being produced by Jimmy Hendrix, Eire Apparent were a Belfast band(originally called The People) that moved to London and were subsequently renamed and managed by Chas Chandler. The Hendrix and Animals influence permeate what is a great album in it's own right. Well worth tracking down.

Friday, 13 November 2009

Journey To The East-Bill Plummer and the Cosmic Brotherhood


Well Bill Plummer was a jazz bassist who featured on around 62 album's, numerous TV show and soundtrack's but this is definately his psych-out trip. Quite like how he keeps it together with nice short hair and sensible suit whilst enjoying the cosmic brotherhood. Superb.


Seven & Seven Is+Orange Skies+Your Mind And We Belong Together-Love


Keeping it West Coast and another 'biggie' with three tracks from Love. According to legend they would have been far better off calling themselves 'Hate' considering the bad vibes and clashes within the band, although if it wasn't for Arthur Lee we may never have had The Doors as he was supposed to have recommended checking them out to Electra records...
Great lyrics, great sound,great band. Love.


Break On Through+Waiting For The Sun+Queen Of The Highway-The Doors

Well, what can be said about The Doors that hasn't already been said? Not much other than they seem to get a bit of a bad press these days, a bit over-familiar maybe...maybe the Jim Morrison persona...whatever, the records are still great.



Thursday, 12 November 2009

Fallin'+Can't Seem To Make You Mine-The Seeds



A couple of tracks from the inimitable 60's LA band The Seeds. Fallin' is a classic repetitive hypnotic blast from their album 'Future' whilst 'Can't Seem To Make you Mine' is a classic repetitive hypnotic blast fresh from use in a deodorant commercial. Both full of Seedy goodness.
Much has been said of The Seeds influence on The Doors sounds and I think that comes through here...enjoy!


Wednesday, 11 November 2009

Marihuana Mantra-Kuno and the Marihuana Brass

So who'd have thought it, swinging hip Germans singing about the virtues of marijuana!
Top track.

The Witch-Mark Fry


Psychedelic folk from Mark Fry and his superb 'Dreaming With Alice' album from 1972. Check out Mark's paintings, drawings and new music on the link above...

Tuesday, 10 November 2009

Walk Away Renée+Pretty Ballerina+There's Gonna Be A Storm-The Left Banke


Sometime a group has so much good material it's hard to whittle it down to one or two tracks so here we have three from the absolutely superb 'Left Bank'. Labelled 'Baroque pop', The Left Bank had top melodies, great vocals and superb arrangements on their super sharp psych-pop songs, the best of which are up there with the Fabs, Beach Boys et all for me.
P.s-You'll probably know 'Walk Away Renée' from the more famous 'Four Tops' version.



Speak Softly+2086-Bit 'A Sweet

From the West Coast to the East and New York with 'Bit 'A Sweet's' 'Speak Softly' and '2086'. I guess New York is now famous for The Velvet Underground and that Greenwich Village stuff, but listening to this we may as well be back in California, rich harmonies and tones, a sunny vibe and a little of 'The Lemon Pipers/Bubblegum' pop-psych thrown in for good measure.

P.s-2086 must be the only song apart 'Snooker Loopy by Chas and Dave' to use snooker balls as percussion instruments...unless you know better?



Monday, 9 November 2009

Girl In Your Eye+Taurus-Spirit

Legendary West Coast band Spirit here with two tracks. 'Girl In Your Eye' and 'Taurus'.
Girl In Your Eye is a perfect slice of laid back Californian psych, pretty hard to top to these ears. Taurus on the other hand has a more infamous heritage as 'inspiration' for the classic Led Zepplin track 'Stairway To Heaven'...you can decide for yourself if Jimmy Page nicked the guitar figure or not...



Money Man+Follow The Path Of The Stars-Skip Bifferty


A little bit of a lost classic here with a couple of tracks from Skip Bifferty's 1968 self titled album. (though it's been reissued many times, so just how lost I'm not sure) Quality songs all round, great sound and an album well worth tracking down.