I reckon it’d be relatively difficult to find a fan of hard rock that hasn’t listened to, and furthermore, enjoyed listening to Iron Butterfly’s 1968 hit song, “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”, off of the album of the same name (or at the very least, the single/radio edit version). I figured tonight might be a good night to explore Iron Butterfly’s debut album. Their debut album hasn’t sold nearly as much as their 4x platinum sophomore album from the very same year – and that’s part of why I want to check it out tonight. Plus the album artwork is pretty sweet. With that said, I’m going to go ahead and jump on into the music.
“Possession” starts out with a low, almost ominous organ sounding keyboard that sets this journey in motion. There’s a shaking of a tambourine that sounds almost like a rattlesnake, definitely setting a tone for the song. The guitar tone is somewhat familiar, though takes a somewhat subtle approach in the distortion and level in the soundscape. Definitely a pretty groovy tune to open the album with, and definitely sets a tone for what things may be to come.
“Unconscious Power” has a super interesting feel to it – and I dig it. It’s got like a Los Angeles psychedelic rock sort of sound, combined with some sort of post-surf rock sound. That bass is awesome – it’s featured front and center and really does a great job of keeping the song rolling. Holy smokes, there’s an instrumental break in the song that felt like a quick short climb up a hill, only to unleash at twice the intensity at the top of the proverbial musical hill. I really dig the organs in this one too – pretty stoked for the rest of the album.
“Get Out of My Life, Woman” has an interesting, psychedelic dream-like organ that sounds like music from an ice cream truck going down some psychedelic dark alleyway in the city. Oh wow, this one is totally groovy. There’s a super tasty bluesy feeling to it, which is further accentuated by the little licks from the electric guitars and the organs. That bass is so smooth and gentle and rolling – definitely a super tasty line. Wow, this bass line is super simple, but it’s providing so much to the song – it really makes me want to learn the bass. Oh wow, there’s this twangy psychedelic blues rock guitar lick that comes in every now and again. There’s little melty accentuations from the electric guitar that provide a whole lot of feel to the song by doing so little. The vocals have a pretty strong intensity the whole way through, and can really have a great little howl to them at times. Super groovy tune.
Oh wow, “Gentle As It May Seem” has a super groovy psychedelic rock feel. This one doesn’t feel too heavy in nature, but definitely is dripping with some fuzzed up psychedelic rock guitar. The organs have this super playful nature to them – I’m honestly reminded a bit of the super early days of the Grateful Dead. I really dig the sound of the snare combined with the cymbals in the percussion.
Oh wow, “You Can’t Win” feels like hard rock meets garage rock meets psychedelic rock – definitely super interesting. I really dig the groove to the percussion on this one – it sounds like there’s a bunch of low muffled kick drums that serve as a rapid background heartbeat to the song in a certain sense. The organs have a super groovy playful feel to them again, while the electric guitar drips with psychedelic fuzz. Super cool tune.
“So-Lo” has a somewhat ominous start with the triangles sort of starting things out, but then you’re transported to an almost psychedelic circus of sorts with the chromatic bass line and the marching feel to the drums. The vocals are super interesting in this one with the chaotic mix of background vocals hitting you from many different angles. The organs have a super interesting, almost distorted feel to them that remind me of music for a psychedelic circus ringleader. Oh wow, the bass line just keeps rocking up and down the neck and gives a really playful vibe. The electric guitar takes on a somewhat almost gilded tone with the richness to the sound. Great little tune.
“Look for the Sun” has a super groovy feel to it – definitely has a California psychedelic rock feel. Oh wow, the organs in this one sort tease having a swirling sensation to them, but never quite swirl around while they take the lead. The electric guitar picks up where the organ left off and really adds to that line. The bass line was really providing a great foundation for that solo-ish jam earlier. Definitely a groovy little tune.
“Fields of Sun” definitely has a sound that invokes images of field with the playful innocence of the piano at the beginning. Oh wow, the vocals have a really heavy depth to them at times that seem to hint at the general direction the band might take for their next album. Oh wow, there’s a super loose, acid rock feel for a moment in this one. The bass line is absolutely groovy to hear – I’m focusing on listening to it right now and the playing from the electric guitar and piano on the other side of the soundscape feel like they’re washing over me – absolutely awesome. There’s some almost primal moments of music in this tune with the drums and general arrangement – definitely an awesome tune.
“Stamped Ideas” has a super groovy feel to it – and the chord progression sounds like Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”, but there’s a certain chaotic, nearly panicky energy to it that the band channels through their instruments to get a super high energy tune with a great and interesting vibe. That bluesy ending is super cool too – definitely a groovy song.
“Iron Butterfly Theme” has a super low, very deliberate feeling from the bass, organs, and the drums, while the electric guitar has an even more distorted tone than I can remember at the moment from anywhere else in this album, and has a droning feeling in general. Oh wow, this is super interesting. It feels like the song is both unraveling things with the electric guitar, while tying things back up at the same time with the reliable rhythm on this one, while the organs serve as a midpoint between the chaos of the fuzzed out droning electric guitar and the sturdy, reliable drum beat. There are background vocals that are like ghosts singing through another dimension into the song, giving things a conclusory feeling in that there’s some grand meaning the song and album can provide. The ending is totally chaotic, even more so than earlier in the song, and things end very gently in a way that’s like waves washing over sounds from a UFO of sorts. Very groovy tune.
Wow, I’m certainly glad I listened to this one tonight. I don’t think I had actually listened to any other songs by Iron Butterfly other than “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”, and can safely say that I will certainly check out more by them soon. If you enjoy psychedelic rock, or even the sound of Los Angeles rock from the late 60s, this album is worth considering, especially at only just over 30 minutes long. If you do decide to give it a listen, I do sincerely hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A