Gandalf formed in New York in 1965, and has an unfortunate history with the release of their one and only album. Capitol Records waited until 1969 to release their record, at which point they shipped the wrong record inside the sleeve. These copies were recalled, but this unfortunate move almost definitely hurt recognition of the band. I’m incredibly intrigued after finding out that little bit of information from a quick google search. The psychedelic rock group disbanded sometime after making the album. I’m pretty interested to listen to this one, so with that said I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Golden Earrings” has a very nice psychedelic organ that brings things into a gentle swing with the chops from the guitar and the paced out strikes from the drums. I really dig the orchestration in this one – it almost reminds me of some of The Doors’ earlier work. Oh wow, the distortion on the vocals really gives this nearly enchanting feel to it. Oh wow, the flute and strings really give a nice feel of innocence while the drums and bass gently move this tune forward. Great intro to the album, and I’m excited to hear the rest of the album.
“Hang on to a Dream” has a really familiar background melody to it from some song from the mid 2000s, I think. There’s a really sweet bluesy sort of psychedelic waltz-like swing to this one. The bright alternating piano notes really create a dream-like sound while the vocals seem to be a guiding voice in the mix. Oh wow, the tune changes up the feel for a moment before returning back to that bluesy psychedelic ballad-like tune. I really dig this tune and its gradual evolution throughout. Oh wow, this organ at the end is awesome, really amplifying the song with a different dimensional sound. Really groovy tune.
“Never Too Far” starts out with some patient, and waiting bass notes that gradually bring in this groovy psychedelic rock tune as things sort of land in place. I really dig this tune – the distortion in the vocals along with the dream-like harp contrasts well with the jamming by the distorted electric guitar and the swirling organs along with the vocals that nearly plead into the soundscape. Really groovy short tune.
“Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)” has an incredibly gentle, nearly lullaby dream-like feel with the caressing vocals and the dreamy percussion. Oh wow, now there’s some harpsichord to give a really baroque feel to this really pleasant mix. The vocals reverberate through the soundscape and melt into some chimes, creating some really groovy effects in this tune. I really dig the pacing in this one. Really groovy tune.
“You Upset the Grace of Living” seems to be a really overt tune in terms of psychedelic lyricism. Oh wow, the instrumentation is absolutely delicious. The mix between the jangling percussive strumming of the acoustic guitar alongside the swirling electric guitar creates an absolutely lovely contrast that works extremely well. Oh wow, some drum strikes come through really nicely and seem to accentuate the rest of the playing by the organs very well. Great tune.
“Can You Travel In the Dark Alone” starts out with a sound that nearly flirts with raga for a moment, until the band drops into a really groovy psychedelic jam between the jangling acoustic guitar and the lifting organs. I really dig the shifting style in this one between the droning bass raga influenced part that brings the jam out there, to the groovy and tasty psychedelic jam where everything snaps into place. I’m really digging this tune a lot.
“Nature Boy” has a very baroque sounding psychedelic influence with the gentle chops of the acoustic guitar and the nearly hollow percussion sound. Oh wow, this tune breaks through to something that reminds me of some southern California psychedelic rock from that approximate time period. There’s a bit of a mystical feeling from this one as the vocals nearly get whispered at times. Holy smokes, the electric guitar solo comes on super strong and tasty while the acoustic guitar frames out the solo a bit. Wow, this song is super sweet.
“Tiffany Rings” has a very playful, nearly carnivalesque feeling from the harpsichord and the cheery sounding chorus vocals along the gentle and simple drum beat. The bass line has a really mellow sweetness to it in this one too. Really pleasant song.
“Me About You” has some really otherworldly vocals that seem to kaleidoscopically find their way into the song and introduce a really groovy and epic sounding psychedelic jam from the band. The playing mellows out to the style of the intro after the jam, before jumping right back into that epic jam. The organs have a really flooring sound, while the bass moves the tune about with the drums propelling things forward. Oh wow, there’s a really nice and delicate line played by the guitar the seemingly melts into the background of the song. Oh wow, the tune really builds up to a really nice finish that reminds me a lot of Spiritualized. The tune keeps giving as the jam continues to build until it starts to fade out. Great tune.
“I Watch the Moon” has a really nice strangeness and a certain mysticism to it before the band gets into this absolutely awesome and somewhat wicked sounding psychedelic jam. I really dig the organ in this one and the way it rambles about during the jam while a normal piano accentuates the chords. Oh wow, this jam is absolutely awesome. I really dig the layer of distortion that seems to drape over the entire thing, nearly confounding where some instruments start and others stop. Oh wow, the soundscape is absolutely whirling around itself at the moment in a really groovy way. Holy smokes, this jam is absolutely awesome and the band lays some heavy lines into this one. Great song and awesome jam to end the album with.
Wow, this album was super groovy. There’s a whole lot of great psychedelic jams in it that bring together creativity, good songwriting, and a very nice progression of orchestration throughout the album. If you dig psychedelic rock, you might want to consider checking this one out. It’s an absolute shame that this album shipped with the wrong record in its sleeve when it was first released, but really adds a certain mystic element to it. If you do decide to give this one a listen, I do sincerely hope that you enjoy the experience at least as much as I did.
-A