Magic Lantern
Haymarket Square
Gear Fab GFC 417
1968
This record has a big rep (and an even bigger price if you can find an original copy) in psych record collecting circles, but it seems to me that is just because it is rare. This is no lost classic, it is more of an interesting artifact. It was originally released on Chapparal Records in 1968 and reissued by Gear Fab in 2001 in a very handsome gatefold package with informative liner notes. It is the sole recording by Haymarket Square and was originally created as a soundtrack for a light show/happening/art performance called the Baron and Bailey Light Circus at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art in June 1968. This is basically about an album side worth of material stretched out over two album sides through mediocre soloing and lots of repetition. That sort of thing might work at the light show/happening but it doesn't work for me spinning the record at home. Just because the music is trippy doesn't mean you should have to be tripping to enjoy it. "Amapola" is a really nice song, but it clocks in at nearly 11 minutes even though it is essentially a four minute song. There are a couple of verses and some lengthy choruses and then it fades out only to resume with about 2 or 3 minutes of soloing and stuff and then they repeat the song in its entirety, same exact words, for another 4 minutes. It is a good song, but it is not that good a song. Their cover of "The Train Kept-A-Rollin" is also unnecessarily elongated. It basically copies the Yardbirds' version, the guitarist, Marc Swenson, even imitates Jeff Beck's solos. They stretch out the song by playing the verses over and over. It begins with a few passes through the verses without any singing at all, when I first heard it I thought it was going to be an instrumental. I love this song and they do a decent job on it but seven minutes of it is too much. If I wanted a bloated self-indulgent version of this song, I'd put on Aerosmith. According to the liner notes the group was heavily influenced by Jefferson Airplane, but I don't hear it that much. Lead singer Gloria Lambert's song "Elevator" seems the most influenced by the San Francisco sound and I like it the best of all the songs on the album even though the tune is not nearly as memorable as "Amapola." Nice vocals, hypnotic drumming and some interesting instrumental passages, it has many of the features I like best about the San Francisco groups. If the whole album were as good as this, I would be happy but unfortunately there are some stinkers as well. "Funeral" is a 9 minute dirge that feels almost as long as "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida." I tune out way before it is finally over. "Ahimsa" is easily the worst song on the record, an eight minute long instrumental dominated by John Kowalski's overlong, boring drum solo (is there any other kind?) bookended by some tedious guitar solos. It is exactly the kind of self-absorbed noodling that gave acid rock a bad name. You spin this record a few times and it will have you reaching for your Stooges records for some relief. If I paid $2,000 for an original pressing of this, I'd be pretty pissed, but I didn't pay anything (it was a gift) so I'm glad to have it. I'm a huge acid rock fan, but I don't play it much. I like Lambert's voice and I like the overall sound of the record, but ultimately it is just too derivative and too dull to generate much enthusiasm in me. Recommended for It's A Beautiful Day fans who hate violins.
Happy Is The Sunshine Company
The Sunshine Company
Imperial Records LP 12359
1967
I have a bit of a sweet tooth for sunshine pop. It used to be a guilty pleasure, but of late this stuff has been gaining in popularity, even respect, with lots of reissues and comps devoted to the genre. There is a thin line between sunshine pop and bubble gum that has always made me a little uncomfortable, but I have no qualms about liking the Sunshine Company despite their embarrassing name. They did plenty of upbeat, commercial songs, but they also had a more serious side. From what I've read about them there was a conflict between the demands of the record label and the group's management and the direction that band actually wanted to follow, a familiar story in the 1960s. This was their debut album and I like it quite a bit. There is some saccharine stuff here, but there is also a lot of folk-rock styled seriousness as well. Their cover of the Beatles' "I Need You" is a chamber pop gem that I prefer to the original. It is brilliantly arranged by folk singer Mary McCaslin who also arranged their cover of the Beatles "Rain" with less success. That arrangement is similarly elaborate but it removes the psychedelic edge of the Beatles version and it ends up sounding like the Association. They also cover "Four In the Morning" which was written by Robin Remaily of the Holy Modal Rounders. Jesse Colin Young recorded a version on a 1964 solo album and then brought the song to the Youngbloods for their debut album the same year as this. I love the Youngbloods' version, but this is just as good with some killer fuzz guitar running all the way through it. Anyone who thinks this is just a lightweight group, should hear this dark and atmospheric song, it is terrific. They had a modest hit single with a folk-rock cover of "Back on the Street Again" which also appeared on the second album by the Stone Poneys around the same time. Both versions are really good but I give the edge to the Sunshines. The only number penned by a group member is "A Year of Jaine Time" by rhythm guitarist, Maury Manseau. It is a quiet, gloomy song that is mildly ambitious and beautifully sung. Of course there are a lot of lighter songs as well. Their version of "Up, Up and Away" was recorded before the hit version issued by the 5th Dimension and I prefer this version. Although the arrangements are similar, the Sunshine Company's version is a bit rawer. "Just Beyond Your Smile" is classic sunshine pop with its soaring chorus and upbeat lyrics. I wish I could say the same for "Love Is A Happy Thing" but instead I find it embarrassing. It is so corny and overdone that it sounds almost like a parody of sunshine pop/bubble gum. The band rebounds with the other single from the album, "Happy" which is really charming and full of everything I like about sunshine pop, harmonious vocalizing, upbeat romantic lyrics and a catchy memorable melody. I suppose some people would find this record pretty corny, but if you give it a chance I think most 60s rock buffs will find something to like on this record. Recommended for fans of the Mamas and the Papas or the Jan Errico era Mojo Men.
British Lions
British Lions
RSO RS-1-3032
1978
I was given this record by a friend who was a big Mott The Hoople fan. She was paring down her collection and didn't want it anymore. I can see why, even though 3 of the members, Buffin, Overend Watts and Morgan Fisher, came from the Ian Hunter-era Mott line-up and a fourth, Ray Major, comes from the post-Hunter Mott, this doesn't sound much like Mott. Probably because the fifth guy, John Fiddler, wrote most of the songs and sings them. He came from a band called Medicine Head that I've never heard and judging from this I don't know that I really want to. On the picture on the inner sleeve the boys are all well-coiffed and made-up, looking like five lads on their way to a hairdressers convention, so I expected some glam-rock, but in fact this is mostly generic 70s hard rock. I have a bit of an appetite for that stuff but this is pretty marginal. Fiddler isn't much of a singer. He sounds like he's trying to be Lou Reed on "One More Chance To Run" and he imitates Ian Hunter on "International Heroes." Unfortunately he could be Ian Hunter himself and that wouldn't improve this album much. The two best songs come from outside the band, Garland Jeffrey's "Wild In the Street" and Kim Fowley's "International Heroes." "Fork Talking Man" rocks pretty nicely in a mundane sort of way but the lyrics are dreadful. "My Life's In Your Hands" has a nice power riff and reminds me a bit of Blue Oyster Cult. Fiddler's weak vocals and crummy lyrics drag down "Big Drift Away" which is a power ballad reminiscent of Bad Company. It could have been a decent song but it falls short and goes on way too long. "Booster" is my favorite of the group's originals, it even sounds like a Mott the Hoople song. I like the call and response vocals. Unfortunately the goodwill it generates in me is completely undone by the album's closing song, "Eat The Rich." As much as I approve of that sentiment, it is a really stupid song, even by hard rock standards. This is not an unpleasant record, it sounds sort of nice in the background, but it is instantly forgettable, I can hardly remember a song on it, minutes after it is over. I think the most interesting about it is that Terry Jones and Michael Palin of Monty Python are thanked in the sleeve notes. When the day comes when I have to pare down my record collection, there is a good chance that this record will be on the move again. Recommended for Mott the Hoople fans who dislike Ian Hunter.
Are You Experienced
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Reprise RS 6261
1967
Are You Experienced
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Experience Hendrix/Sony Legacy 88765441751
2013
This is the American debut album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience and a recent mono reissue of the British debut album that was originally released by Track Records. The American debut was the first Hendrix album I owned. I bought it at Tower Records in Berkeley about 1979. I was a late convert to Hendrix. I saw "Woodstock" while I was in high school and Hendrix's performance gave me a headache - too many close-ups and too much noise. I also saw "Monterey Pop" as a young teen and thought his performance was self-indulgent and gimmicky. Fortunately I've since realized the errors of my ways and Hendrix is now my favorite guitarist and one of my favorite performers. This is one of the great debut albums in rock history, particularly in its U.S. release version on Reprise - for once the U.S. record company made a better version than its U.K. counterpart. I prefer the psychedelic record cover that Reprise used and I approve of substituting the classic singles "Purple Haze," "Hey Joe" and "The Wind Cries Mary" for "Can You See Me," "Red House" and "Remember" although if it were up to me, "Third Stone From the Sun" or "May This Be Love" would be the songs coming off the album instead. "Red House" is a great performance, but it is pretty much a straight blues song and disrupts the flow of an otherwise psychedelic album. "Remember" is one of the worst songs that Hendrix ever wrote, I find it lackluster and dull. "Can You See Me" on the other hand is terrific, I wish Reprise had kept it on the album. As for the issue of mono versus stereo, I prefer the stereo versions for the most part. Maybe I'm just used to hearing the stereo versions having been listening to them for 35 years, but they sound more expressive to me particularly on the more expansive psychedelic numbers like "Are You Experienced" or "I Don't Live Today." The reissue sounds very crisp though, they did a great job mastering it. In either version I think the most remarkable thing about this record is that it represented something entirely new, nothing like this had ever been heard before. I'm a little envious of people who bought this in 1967 and heard it for the first time. How astonishing it must have sounded, I'll bet they were blown away. Admittedly when I listen to "Love or Confusion," I am reminded of the Yardbirds in the Jeff Beck era and prior to Hendrix's arrival, Jeff Beck was the most inventive and creative guitarist in rock. Certainly the Yardbirds explored the heavy psychedelic blues before Hendrix did, but they were just as likely to deliver silly pop ditties as well. Hendrix was a far superior songwriter and a more consistent artist. As inane as "Third Stone From the Sun" may be, it is still far more interesting than "Hot House of Omagarashid" or "Little Soldier Boy." Besides, nothing in the Yardbirds catalog (great as it is) can really compare to "I Don't Live Today" or "Purple Haze." This is the boldest and heaviest rock music ever, played with unprecedented skill and passion. This isn't just lumpen heaviness like Blue Cheer, this is heaviness with a purpose. Even now, 44 years later, it still sounds impressive, state of the art heavy rock. No metal guitarist will ever approach Hendrix at his zenith. Every riff he touched turned to gold, the man was one of the few bona fide geniuses in rock. Aside from "Remember," "Third Stone From the Sun" or "May This Be Love" every song on either version of the album is brilliant and even those three are enjoyable. This is a record with intelligent and poetic lyrics and dazzling playing throughout, what more do you want from a rock album? 1967 was such an amazing year, so many great albums were released that year but I have yet to hear a better one than this. Recommended to anyone who has never been experienced.
Greatest Hits
The Byrds
Columbia CS 9516
1967
I bought this at Raspberry Records in Salt Lake City around 1975. At the time I was only buying Beatles or ex-Beatles records, but I became infatuated with the Byrds after seeing a vintage clip of them on TV doing "Turn! Turn! Turn!" and when I saw this album cover I had to have it. It was one of my favorite album covers for quite some time. It is a premature compilation, it only covers their first four albums and it is pretty skimpy too with only 11 tracks clocking in at a little over 30 minutes. Gene Clark gets short shrift, as does David Crosby (not that I'm complaining) and Bob Dylan is over-represented with 4 cuts, one of which wasn't even a single. The liner notes by Dave Swaney are quite good for their time although somehow he finds a way to mention band publicist Derek Taylor while ignoring Gene Clark and Chris Hillman. Most casual fans would probably prefer a more comprehensive overview of the band, but for folk-rock fans, this sums up that period of the Byrds' career pretty nicely. As befits a greatest hits package, there is not a bad song on here and until I bought the first four albums, I played it a lot. I rarely play it at all anymore, but it certainly had a big influence on me, I owe a lot of my interest in folk-rock to this record. My favorite cut is "Eight Miles High", its Coltrane infused blend of folk-rock and psychedelia is irresistible to me. My other favorites are "Mr. Tambourine Man," "So You Want to Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star" and "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better" which I find endlessly listenable. At the time I didn't like "5D" at all, I've come to like it somewhat but I'm sure the only reason it is on here is because it has a McGuinn copyright. I think this album would have been more valuable if it included some non-album cuts like "She Don't Care About Time" (a better song than most of the ones on this record in my opinion), "Lady Friend" or the original version of "Why". Basically if you are a Byrds fan, you own the first four albums, all of which are essential, so you don't need this record. Recommended for folk-rock dilettantes.
Unhalfbricking
Fairport Convention
A&M SP 4206
1969
I bought this in Berkeley around 1980. It was the third album by Fairport Convention. I wish I had held out for an import copy of the Island Records version of this record with the charming cover image of Sandy Denny's parents in front of their home. Presumably some genius at A&M decided that an image of old people on a record cover would discourage youthful record buyers and substituted a picture of circus elephants instead - brilliant! By 1980 Fairport records were getting tough to find so I grabbed this when I had the chance. This is one of my favorite records, I've played it a lot in the last 30 years. I would have a tough time choosing between "Unhalfbricking" and the second Fairport album (entitled "Fairport Convention" in the American market) as to which one is better, I love them both and consider them both masterpieces. This was the last Fairport album to feature original members Iain Matthews (only on "Percy's Song") who quit for a solo career, although not without some pushing from elements in the band, and Martin Lamble who was killed when the band's van crashed shortly after the album was recorded. It also marks the debut of future member Dave Swarbrick as a guest performer on nearly half the album. Swarbrick would go on to have a big influence on the future direction of the band, a direction I'm not a big fan of, but I appreciate his contributions to this record and at least he doesn't sing. There are only eight songs and every one is a gem. The record begins with Richard Thompson's "Genesis Hall" which I think is among the best of his early songs. This is followed by one of three Dylan covers on the record, "Si Tu Dois Partir", a French language version of "If You Gotta Go, Go Now." It is a rollicking, jug band styled interpretation that produced the group's only hit single in the UK. Sandy Denny's "Autopsy" comes next. It is a rather cold song, particularly the first verse which is almost vicious. I like the jazzy feel of the backing though. Side one closes with "A Sailor's Life" which is the song that gets this album labeled a transitional album so often. It is the only traditional song on the album, the rest of which adheres to the style of the second Fairport album (which actually had two traditional songs on it.) It is an extraordinary performance, Sandy Denny sings with great passion and the guitar-fiddle interplay between Richard Thompson and Dave Swarbrick is as mesmerizing as anything you will ever hear on a rock album. Thompson's soloing is just magnificent, he established himself as a front rank guitarist with this song. As all folk-rock fans know, the contemporary treatment of traditional music was not new, but "A Sailor's Life" took it to a new level, the rock/folk synthesis is dazzling in its effectiveness. In my opinion nothing on "Liege and Lief" surpasses this epic song, in fact I would venture to say that no song in the folk-rock canon surpasses this song. When I first heard it, it floored me and to this day when I listen to it, I'm enthralled, by the time it is over I'm mentally spent. Just a great, great song. Side two kicks off with Thompson's "Cajun Woman" which is lots of fun, I love the slide guitar and the accordion, it demonstrates the eclecticism that made the early Fairport so awesome. Sandy Denny's signature song "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" is next, if it is not the best song she ever wrote, it is certainly the most famous. I sometimes find Denny's lyrics to be excessively remote or obscure, but that is not the case with this song, a genuine classic and truly beautiful. Dylan covers close out the record. "Percy's Song" boasts a tremendous heartfelt vocal from Denny that lifts what would otherwise be a rather mundane and tedious song. I may be in the minority in that opinion, but it is easy for me to see why Dylan never released the song himself (until "Biograph" anyway.) The gloom of that song is lifted by "Million Dollar Bash" which is another rollicking, humorous song. It is the only song where Denny is not the lead singer, various band members take turns with the verses as well as guest singer Marc Ellington. It is a great way to close the album. Thus ends the happiest chapter in the Fairport saga, tragedy, break-up and mediocrity lay ahead. This is a classic album, one that everyone should hear. Recommended for people who think folk music is boring and old-fashioned, prepare to be blown away.
Blues and Haikus
Jack Kerouac
Rhino RI 70939-B
1959
This was Jack Kerouac's second album, originally on Hanover Records, it was re-issued by Rhino in 1990 in a handsome box set, "The Jack Kerouac Collection" along with his other two albums and an album of outtakes. This is my favorite of the three original albums. I bought the box at Aron's Records in Hollywood around the time it came out. I couldn't really afford it, but I was a huge Kerouac fan at the time so I splurged. I used to be involved in indie filmmaking and had a script based on the Beat Generation so I figured this could be justified as research. As I've gotten older, Kerouac appeals to me less, he seems more narcissistic and immature to me now, but I still enjoy his style. This album features Kerouac reading his poetry backed by saxophonists Al Cohn and Zoot Sims. In the first track "American Haikus" the poetry and jazz basically alternate, Kerouac recites his three line poems in silence and then Cohn and Sims alternately improvise a few bars and then Kerouac recites the next poem. I like the poems quite a bit but I'm not convinced that the jazz really enhances them all that much. The next track "Hard Hearted Old Farmer" tries to mix the music and poetry more closely. Kerouac basically sings the poem while Cohn plays piano in the background. Kerouac isn't much of a singer, but I'm kind of charmed by his awkwardness. I think as far as jazz/poetry synthesis goes this is perhaps the most successful track. It is followed by "The Last Hotel" which Kerouac recites over Cohn playing piano and Sims blowing sax. I think in this instance the music does enhance the poetry and it seems to inspire Kerouac to a more passionate reading. Side two features "Poems from the Unpublished 'Book of Blues'" for the entire side. I like this track the best, particularly since it is about San Francisco, my favorite city. Cohn and Sims duet in the background throughout the poem. Sometimes I find the music distracting and sometimes it seems to elevate the poetry. I think it would be interesting if there was a rhythm section that propelled the reading. It would deny Kerouac some of his freedom perhaps, but I think the propulsive effect might give more force to the reading. Regardless this track does feature Kerouac's most exciting reading, I find it very engaging. The music is also very stimulating on this cut, that is why it is distracting, I find myself listening to Sims and Cohn instead of the poem at times. I like this record quite a bit, it works both as music and poetry. If you have any interest in Beat poetry or even just the possibilities of spoken word recordings, it is worth checking out. Recommended for Dharma Bums with a taste for be-bop.
