Yet another album I added to my queue of albums to listen to the other night, I can’t find much information on this album or this band via a quick google search. It seems the band broke up soon after its release back in 1968 when some of the band was drafted for Vietnam. It seems the album is in a psychedelic pop/rock sort of playing style, so I’m excited to give it a listen. That being said, the artwork was enough to get me interested. With that, I suppose I’ll jump on into the music.
“Hard Hard Year” has a very soft intro to it, that right away gives me a strange impression of Manfred Mann meets The Beach Boys in terms of instrumentation. It’s played so delicately, it’s really interesting to listen to. Oh wow, when the song drops into place it’s got almost a medieval sort of folk feel to it, reminding me a bit of Caedmon a bit. That organ is awesome – it’s not quite like Ray Manzarek, but it reminds me a bit of his playing. Wow, I think that’s a clavinet or something. Wow, this guitar work is awesome. Definitely a sort of psychedelic pop vibe. That bass playing is so smooth and reliable, and coupled with the drums you have something that can really put you at ease. I love the keyboard work in this song, I’m completely hooked right now. That outro is so smooth and gentle too, wow.
“Edge of Time” starts out with an angelic-like voice playing within a church really almost beckoning you away from war. I really dig the effects on the guitar. Oh wow the vocals really change up quite a bit, and brings a whole completely different texture to the song. I’m super impressed at this album so far, only two songs in. I really dig what’s going on with the electric guitar and that sort of tremelo effect going on. This song is definitely dressed in psychedelia, though it’s not so overt as it might seem – having more subtlety to it than one might expect. That being said, the playing is absolutely superb. I really dig the electric organ faintly highlighting what the electric guitar is playing. Meanwhile that bass is keeping the song smooth and steady with its tone. Oh wow, that voicing from the beginning is back for the outro, so serene.
“Tomorrow Has Been Cancelled” feels like a late 60s pop rock song. There’s a lot of neat 60s type sound in this one. I really dig the bass and drums keeping the song grooving and grounded. Wow, that electric guitar solo is super awesome – and the swirling of the electric organ as the solo comes to a finish really adds a great flavor. There are so many different voices singing throughout the song – I’m really digging the wide range in textures. The woman singing has an absolutely serene voice that sort of reminds me of a European folk singer mixed with a 60s rock singer – really awesome combination.
“A Boy I Once Knew Well” has that almost medieval folk rock feeling buried in its 60s pyschedelic pop rock sensibilities. Oh wow, I really dig the counterpoint between the electric guitar and the bass. And the drums have a super interesting rhythm to them in this one. The conglomeration of voices really creates a unique soundscape for the band. Wow, I’m really digging what’s going on with the guitar right now too.
“All I Really Want” is probably the most overtly psychedelic playing from the band that I’ve heard with the energy and the swirling from the organ and the interplay of voices. That staccato’d guitar riff is really sick. Oh wow, this electric guitar solo is face-melting. Wow, that solo made me want to pick up my own guitar and practice – awesome.
“Mister You’re A Better Man Than I” has an awesome opening chord to it. This one is a bit more psychedelic than the first few songs as well. The background vocals sort of seem to fade into aether, really giving a sweet soundscape to the track. I really dig the guitar work, and the drums are super sweet. There’s like an almost marching feeling to the drums, but not necessarily either. Oh wow, this track hangs loose with the electric guitar solo, and you can feel the energy of the bass and drums keeping the song held up. This is pretty sweet, not going to lie. Wow, this solo keeps on giving. Things sort of fall back into place as the organ picks up a bit again, and things fall right back into that little shuffle march that the drum beat is creating. This song is pretty sweet. I’m really grooving to this one as the song starts coming to a conclusion.
“What Kind Of Life” has a very familiar feel to it – it might be cover, or at least have the melody of a song I know. If it does, however, I can’t think of it at the moment. Oh that instrumental break is super groovy – I’m really digging the fuzz on the electric guitar and the speed of the bass. Oh wow, that electric organ comes on right before the vocals come back on and they’re super tasty. The song doesn’t let up momentum at all – really awesome.
“Other Side Of This Life” starts out with some organ and vocals that are coming from another dimension. Oh wow, then the song comes in with a different feel altogether and the electric guitar really starts going to town. That drum and bass combination really has me super intrigued at what’s being played. The harmonizing in this one is really awesome. I feel compelled to keep listening closer to the drums and bass as the electric guitar and organ swirl around on the other side of the soundscape – really sweet. Oh wow, the electric guitar plays a few super tasty licks. I didn’t realize it until the vocals came back on, but there was a decently long little instrumental jam/break in there. Oh wow, the electric organ gets some super tasty playing in during the short time between the electric guitar jam and the vocals coming back on. The outro is totally blissful too, really interesting and awesome song.
“I Know A Girl” sort of reminds me of a sort of cross between early 60s Grateful Dead and Them. This song feels like it’s building up a really sweet momentum that continues building especially during the vocals, yet it feels like there’s a lot of tension that’s released at the same time during the vocals. Really interesting use of all the great vocals in the tune.
“Sit Down I Think I Love You” has a really neat 60s blues-inflected psychedelic pop rock feel. The feeling and texture in the vocals really puts me at ease in a certain way. This song feels like a very conclusive song to the album – like it’s a fun song for the band to play on the way out for an encore of sorts. Great song and really fun ending for a great album.
I’m honestly disappointed that there’s so little information about the band, and that this is their only album. This album showed a great outing by the band, with plenty of range and musical talent to have something of a career with music like this. That being said, fans of late 60s pop rock might enjoy this one, and though there is some psychedelia, it’s still quite approachable for fans of other types of music. I certainly enjoyed listening to this one tonight, and hope that if you decide to give it a listen that you enjoy it at least as much as I did.
-A