This album is one I’ve had on my queue for a while, and tonight I’m finally giving it a listen. From what I can tell from a quick glance on the internet, this seems to be somewhat of a collector’s item among 60s psychedelia fans. There’s not a whole bunch more I’m finding, however, other than it seems this was mostly the work of a guitarist with that stage name, from New York, and it’s of the psychedelic garage rock genre. With that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Tune Up” starts out with some vague, discordant strings and possibly some horns, gently introducing you to the album.
“Doctor Paul Overture” has a really groovy taste to sparse guitar chops and the gently lifting organs from the background. Oh wow, I really dig the soft chorus vocals along with the gently swaying guitar chops while the drums and bass really ramps up the tune until it breaks through to a chorus. Oh wow, it teases a really nice guitar line until it drops back into a verse. I really dig the chorus vocals that almost get a bit of grit at times. There’s some really nice psychedelic work within the melody – I’m digging this album already.
“People Games Play” starts out with some deep and low bass drums that almost take a vague raga sort of feel as the guitar comes on, though this raga feel becomes greatly amplified as other instruments come in and things seems to meander and jangle around. I really dig this tune so far. There’s a really relaxed feel in the vocals with a flavor that almost reminds me a bit of Anton Newcombe from The Brian Jonestown Massacre. I really dig that raga electric guitar sound. The congas (or some other type of drum not on a tradition western drum kit) has a really groovy feeling while the bass bops things along. Oh wow, the low kick drums and the droning vocals with the lifting organs that gently swirl in the background all combine for a really awesome sound. The chanting and chaos at the end is super interesting. Super sweet tune.
“Cold Winter Sun Symphony in D Major” starts out in an almost discordant manner, until an almost cooling guitar rift gently swishes around while the bass gently moves the tune along. Oh wow, this is a great tune with a whole lot of flavor. This tune ramps up really nicely, but returns to a really soothing melody again too. Holy smokes, there’s some massive drums that introduce the song into a really groovy jam section. Another sweet tune.
“I Lived Tomorrow Yesterday” starts out with some really punchy guitar that is soon joined by some bright organs in the background. Oh wow, this is sweet. There might even be a reference to “Ticket to Ride” by The Beatles in the lyrics. This tune is definitely really sweet. There’s a whole lot of flavor in this one. I’m really reminded a lot once again of Anton Newcombe if The Brian Jonestown Massacre were a psychedelic garage band.
“Ballad of the Bad Guys” starts out with a lot of energy and some great flavors from the organs, piano, guitars, and the vocals too. The vocals really circle around nicely, but definitely bring the tune out there when they come on. Oh wow, this counterpoint in the couple guitars jamming out is absolutely sweet. This jam is absolutely awesome, wow. The layering of the vocals almost sound reminiscent of John Lennon to some extent. Oh wow, this false ending is absolutely awesome. Super sweet tune.
“Piano Interlude” starts out with some absolutely lovely piano that warmly and richly fills the whole soundscape. Oh wow, there are some pretty tasty lines in this one. Really nice tune.
“Introspection” starts out with some really stringy, nearly distant guitar chords that really swish around nicely. Oh wow, I really dig the tight rhythm section and relatively quick chops that continually build up tension. The quick rolls from the drum march the song along in a really syncopated fashion – really awesome. There’s some really clean guitar that seems to melt through the mix really nicely. This tune really builds up nicely and becomes really pleasant, especially with the soft touch from the vocals. Great tune.
“A Brand New Groove” starts out with some insanely tasty drums that really have a whole bunch of flavor in that beat. There’s some super tasty distortion on the guitar too. The organs really lift the song up nicely too. The vocals have some great layering to them, which definitely sounds like they take great influence from John Lennon’s styling with The Beatles. Oh wow, this tune has a really nice progression to it. Another great tune.
“On the Inside There’s a Middle” starts out with some really epic sounding, patient guitar work with some crashing of some cymbals and possibly even a gong. The vocals have an almost solemn feel to them in the first part of the tune. Oh wow, it almost changes into the sound of some sort of marching proto punk rock tune for a moment. I really dig this tune so far – there are lots of different flavors, and really abundant in each. Oh wow, the organs and second guitar line come on for some really strange sounding lines, reminiscent of some sort of Los Angeles based psychedelic rock band like The Doors or possibly St. John Green. The bass line really slowly bubbles from underneath quite nicely while the cymbals crash from the background as the vocals take on a warm, nearly shamanic approach to them. Really interesting tune.
“Don’t Hassle Me” takes on an almost bright sound after the somewhat introspective sound of the previous tune. There’s a really nice storytelling approach that still sounds personal in nature. This tune really builds nicely. Holy smokes, this tune is pretty sweet. Really sweet psychedelic rock tune that once again has a whole lot of flavor to it.
“Grand Finale” fades right in and almost immediately sounds like it’s unwinding the previous tune – I absolutely dig it. This was the original final tune of the album’s release, from what I can tell on discogs. Oh wow, this is awesome, it feels like it’s actually driving you up through all of the tunes from earlier in the album in a super far out manner. This tune is definitely a heck of a finale to the original album. The Explorers Club did something like this from their album, Together (2016), which I absolutely loved. Holy smokes, all these different strange, experimental sounds all blend together with some of the melodies used from earlier, with slight blending from other instruments, all sounding like it’s being vacuumed and zipped together. Oh wow, this song is sweet, and is pure psychedelic rock. Great tune.
“Stand Together in the End” comes on with some super gentle, clean acoustic guitar and some really soft, high vocals that really wash over the soundscape. The drums and bass have such a flavorful rhythm section going – really awesome. Oh wow, there are some string on the right adding some more flavor to the piece while the organs sound of gently echo the strings. Oh wow, there’s a slightly distorted line gently repeating under the vocals – really awesome. This is definitely a really groovy addition to the original tracks as a sort of outro for the album. Really pleasant, and great tune.
“Dr. Paul (Basic Rehearsal Track)” has a super raw sound to it, like these are from a demo reel or something. Really tasty tune, and definitely different from the earlier version. I really dig the studio chatter, or maybe those are super faint vocals – either way super interesting as this becomes more of an instrumental with the barely audible vocals. Really tasty playing by the band, with heavier organs than I remember from earlier, and the guitar has some super tasty flavor to it once again. Oh wow, this is super groovy. Really sweet tune.
“People Games Play (Basic Rehearsal Track)” starts out with that super strong drum beat, and this one definitely sounds super raw with a nearly tangible chaos. You can’t hear, or at least understand any vocals that might be present, but they still are likely adding to the overall soundscape. The organs are really prominent in guiding the melody in this one, from what I can tell, while the guitar sort of swishes around and plays some super tasty lines as the drums keep a super groovy, strong beat to this one. Oh wow, the band really gets into a pretty sizable jam in this version. Super sweet tune.
“Don’t Hassle Me (Basic Rehearsal Track)” has some great flavor in this one, and it almost sounds like the band is once again revisiting earlier tunes as the distinct melody from the official version and the melody from the unwound version in “Grand Finale” is still pretty fresh in my mind. The tune feels like it really builds upon itself really well. These massive jams are super groovy – it almost sounds like some strange combination of The Black Angels and The Brian Jonestown Massacre in the form of a raw, psychedelic garage rock band from the 1960s. Oh wow, this tune really gets out there ands almost unwinds on itself – almost like this was the foundation for what became the tune known as “Grand Finale”. Super raw sound and energy at the end of this one, and a super sweet way to end this album. Great tune.
Wow, this album was awesome. There was a lot of super flavorful sounds that particularly reminded me of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, though Faine Jade is most definitely the elder band of the two, and the album also seemed to carry a lot of different elements from The Beatles (especially the style of John Lennon’s vocals) and some other psychedelic rock groups from the era, while serving it together with some really tasty flavorings throughout the experience. If you enjoy psychedelic rock or psychedelic garage rock at all, this might be an album you would really enjoy. 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