Rhinoceros was somewhat of a supergroup from the late 1960s formed by Elektra Records instead of some musicians coming together naturally, which never gained too much traction commercially. Paul Rothschild, one of the producers for The Doors, and Frazier Mohawk, another producer, helped get the group together. The group ended up containing members of different bands from Jon and Lee & the Checkmates, to Iron Butterfly, The Electric Flag, and The Mothers of Invention. This seems like it ought to be an interesting listen, so with that said I’m going to jump on into the music.
“When You Say You’re Sorry” starts out with some super tasty playing from the different guitars and those groovy drums. Oh wow, those vocals really get drawn out nicely. Wow, this is super sweet. I can definitely hear a little tasty heaviness from Iron Butterfly, but it’s definitely got a poppier approach in general. The song has certainly evolved a lot through great use of swirling organs and tasty distortion on the guitars, with the bass stringing the groovy drums together with the rest of the instrumentation. Wow, this is one groovy tune. Holy smokes, those organs at the end are super tasty. I’m looking forward to the rest of this album.
“Same Old Way” starts out with some really tasty, nearly lonesome bass that cues the rest of the instruments into the mix. There’s somewhat of a bluesy lonesome desperado sort of feel from this one at first, until the song gets into an almost country-like gallop with some twangy guitar and a tasty backbeat. Holy smokes, this tune is sweet.
Oh wow, “Apricot Brandy” starts out rockin’ hard with some super tasty guitar chops and a plucky bass line tying those groovy drums in. Wow, this tune is super groovy. I really dig the guitar tone on both guitar parts. Oh wow, those organs are going in for a really tasty solo at this point. Really tasty instrumental.
“That Time of the Year” starts out with some massive weight in the soundscape with this bluesy sound from the piano and the meltingly clean guitar. Oh wow, there’s some really great flavors that build up with the song as the tune gains some momentum. Oh wow, this little jam is super tasty. The tune does a really great job of building up a lot of tension and releasing it in a really musically pleasing manner, while still keeping up momentum as the tune continues rolling along. Holy smokes, the piano and guitar really dig in and play off each other really nicely in an almost gritty way with the bass notes of the piano underneath that nice distortion of the guitar.
“You’re My Girl” starts out really quickly and almost has a bit of a country rock twang to it with a bit of an r&b sort of approach. I really dig those nearly shimmering swirls of the high notes on the electric organ while the guitar gradually churns the tune around with the quick chops of some licks and chords. Holy smokes, the instrumentation really keeps on giving with some tasty licks in the jams underneath the smooth, bluesy vocals.
Oh wow, “I Need Love” starts out strong with some conglomeration of instruments in the guitars and organ that nearly sound like horns when played together – super sweet. This tune seems to be a fast-paced r&b/blues rock sort of tune that sort of has the same tempo as “Killing Floor”, a blues standard that Jimi Hendrix played from time to time along with other bands like The Electric Flag. Wow, this song is really cruising and grooving along at this point – really tasty. Really tasty bluesy jam track.
“I’ve Been There” starts out with some super tasty bright piano and some twangy, somewhat bluesy guitar lines. The vocals are mixed really interestingly in this one, and never really resolve on the note you expect them to in a really awesome way. Holy smokes, the piano jam is absolutely delicious. The organs really drive the jam further out and the bass really goes in on a jam along with the piano and guitar. Holy smokes, the jamming from the band is absolutely awesome in this one.
“Belbuekus” starts out with a super tasty bluesy groove/jam with the electric guitars and that super tasty bass line. Oh wow, the drums have a great beat in this one. The vocals get nearly guttural and dig deep into this tune. The guitars have a really groovy jam going at this point with the rest of the band. The organs really drive the jam further out there with the drums and bass giving the tune something really sturdy to play off of. Really tasty tune.
“Along Comes Tomorrow” starts out with some really pleasant playing between the clean guitar tones and the super bright, swirling organs. Oh wow, I really dig this little gallop that the drums and bass have going in the song now, with the guitars getting into a bit of a jam with twangy distortion. Holy smokes, this is super tasty. There’s definitely a bit of a country rock feel with this 60s bluesy rock tune. There’s a really wide variety of genres present in this song, and even more throughout the rest of the album. Holy smokes, this is super groovy. It’s like an r&b, bluesy country rock, and 60s pop rock all mixed together. The chaos at the end is really awesome. Really sweet tune.
“I Will Serenade You” starts out with some really tasty, bluesy piano with some soft, crooning, caressing vocals. The organs come in softly to bring in a super tasty, nearly gospel quality to the tune. Oh wow, the tune sort of dropped into a bit of country rock tune with the backbeat and sturdy bass line along with that twangy guitar. This tune is super sweet. Great tune, and really groovy ending to this album.
Wow, there are such a wide variety of genres mixed together in this album. If you dig 60s pop rock, country rock, r&b, and blues rock, you might want to consider checking this album out. Though the band never attained the commercial success that Elektra Records seemed to had hoped for, this is certainly an album full of tasty tracks. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely hope that you enjoy it at least as much as I did.
-A