The Millennium was a psychedelic rock band from California that only produced a single album, Begin (1968), which featured flavors of psychedelic rock and sunshine pop, according to what I’m seeing online at least. There’s not a whole lot that I can find about the band online. After this band split up, some of the members went on to record solo albums, one of whom eventually founded a music label in the 1990s, and one member went on to play in Crabby Appleton, another psychedelic rock group from the early 1970s that I checked out last year and really dug. I’m pretty curious what’s in store with this album, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Prelude” starts out with some very bright and flavorful harpsichord, which is soon joined by what nearly sounds like some vaguely raga-influenced hip hop beat, resembling something you might hear on an album by The Avalanches, and I really dig it. Oh wow, the bass notes of the piano bring some super sweet flavor at the end of the track. Great tune and a super sweet way to open the album.
“To Claudia On Thursday” begins super smoothly with a seamless segue from the previous track, and in a style that reminds me a bit of the Bananagun album I listened to earlier this month, The True Story of Bananagun (2020). Oh wow, the gentle flavors of the acoustic guitar rhythmically strumming along, while the vocals take on a psychedelic pop sort of sound really hooks me in, while vaguely reminding me of both The Beach Boys and a sort of sunshine pop version of The Beatles circa 1966. I really dig the strange squeaky instrumentation which almost sounds like animal noises and a creaky rocking chair. Great track.
Oh wow, “I Just Want to Be Your Friend” starts out with a super flavorful relaxed, flowing sound, which almost has a bit of jazz-like sound between the elevator music-like tones of the electric guitars, alongside the gentle swing coming from the cymbals in the background. Oh wow, this tune is super sweet. The track picks up intensity for a moment, picking up more of a gritty psychedelic rock sort of sound than necessarily psychedelic pop. Great tune.
“5 A.M.” starts out with some gently rolling guitar lines that immediately makes me think of The Beatles’ album, Revolver (1966). I really dig the different percussion instruments, with what sounds to be raga-inflected congas or bongos on one side of the soundscape (or possibly a tabla), and a more traditional rock and roll drum kit on the other side of the soundscape. Super sweet track.
Oh wow, “I’m With You” starts out with some super flavorful bass notes that immediately start churning the tune around from the background, while a gently flowing psychedelic pop tune with gentle drums, pleasant chorus vocals, and super sweet sounds from the different guitars, while a flute adds flavorful accentuations from the background. Super sweet tune.
“The Island” almost has a bit of a folksy feel with the acoustic guitar line and the sparse drums and tambourine, which gently beckon the tune along, while the different vocal lines create a breezy feeling throughout the soundscape. Oh wow, there’s even a bit of a pedal steel guitar that adds some wavy sounds, super sweet stuff. Super laid back, groovy track.
Oh wow, “Sing to Me” gets grooving right away with a super groovy rock and roll backbeat, while other instruments add what seem to almost be a funky soul sort of sound, vaguely reminiscent of a New Orleans sound mixed with sunshine pop, while what sounds to be a steel drum adds some island feels to the track. Super flavorful tune.
“It’s You” starts out right away with some really interesting effects, which almost have a countryfied Beatles sort of sound, with some momentarily reversed drums and some twangy electric guitar somewhat reminiscent of George Harrison on “Taxman”. Holy smokes, this tune is super sweet. The bright, jangling sound of the acoustic guitar rings out some nicely and creates a light, nearly bubblegum sound in the tune. There’s also some droning vocals that have a bit of a raga sound for a bit too. Wow, awesome track.
Oh wow, “Some Sunny Day” starts with a super smooth segue off of the heels of the previous tune with a bit of a sunshine bluegrass sound, created by a banjo playing the introductory licks and is soon replaced by a pedal steel guitar painting a bit of a country sky into the soundscape. Oh wow, I really dig the beat of this song, which definitely reminds me a bit of Ringo’s style, and serving the song very well. Wow, I’m really digging this track, and I’m pretty hooked into the album at this point. Great tune.
“It Won’t Always Be the Same” starts out with another introduction that has a bit of a sunshine pop plus country sort of sound, and I really dig it. As the tune progresses, the music gradually changes to a psychedelic pop sort of sound, and continues to remind me a bit of Revolver (1966) by The Beatles. Oh wow, there are some super tasty licks from the different guitars in this track. Oh wow, the keys or synth that seemed to rise up from the background are super flavorful. As I continue to listen, there’s some chorus vocals pushed through a talk box or something similar that seem to rain in from the top of the soundscape. Wow, great track.
Oh wow, “The Know It All” has a super groovy feel in this track, with the band picking up a more serious psychedelic rock sound, which gets gritty and even dark to some degree. Holy smokes, this sound is super groovy. I’m vaguely reminded of C.A. Quintet with the use and style of the horns in the track. Wow, awesome tune.
“Karmic Dream Sequence #1” starts out super smoothly off of the heels of the previous track with the sound of distant thunder, which is followed up by what sounds a bit like psychedelic folk music of sorts with the driven acoustic guitar sounds and the somewhat ballad-style vocals. Holy smokes, I dig the big bass kick being the only percussion for much of the beginning of the track, while the rest of the band fills up the soundscape with something that almost reminds me of an acoustic version of a shamanic TOOL tune. Oh wow, the soundscape lightens up at times while you’re continually carried by the flowing sounds of the band. Oh wow, the instrumentation gets chaotic for a moment, before becoming some ghostly sound combined with an old middle-eastern folk sounding line from a mandolin or oud or some other instrument. Wow, this ghostly outro is awesome. Oh wow, the outro brings back in some of the harpsichord from the introductory tune of the album, “Prelude”. Wow, awesome track.
“There Is Nothing More to Say” starts out super smoothly off of the heels of the previous track with an easy-going, flowing psychedelic pop sound that again reminds me of The Beatles circa 1966. Oh wow, the vocals seem to have gotten personal as they seem to be directed right at the listener, as though a guiding light has entered the soundscape. Holy smokes, the ending is super quick. Great tune.
Oh wow, “Anthem (Begin)” has a bit of a dark, shamanic sort of vibe and reminds me of the final track of TOOL’s EP, Opiate (1992). Oh wow, the music has changed from a dark, shamanic sound to a sound befitting of a church choir with the chorus vocals being the only instrument in the tune at the moment. Oh wow, things get dark and shamanic again, and seem to meld with that sweet choir vocal sound. Wow, great track.
“Blight” starts out in a nearly jazz-like manner with the acoustic guitar getting in some flavorful licks while the drums roll in a swinging beat at the start. Oh wow, eventually things get moving along with a bit of a flowing psychedelic pop sound. I really dig the chords from the acoustic guitar, which nearly take on a jazz-inflected parlor pop sort of sound. Super sweet tune.
“Just About the Same” starts out with some super sweet chorus vocals from the band, and the bass and drums soon join in with a super upbeat sunshine psychedelic pop sort of groove, while the electric guitar adds some super flavorful staccato’d accentuations to the soundscape. Oh wow, the reverberated clapping adds a super sweet sound to this groovy tune. Wow, great track and a great way to finish up this album.
Holy smokes, this album is awesome. Throughout the album the band retains a psychedelic pop sound that resembles The Beatles’ album, Revolver (1966), though the range in the music varies a ton, going between sunshine pop, a darker, more shamanic sound, to a country-inflected rock style, and the music even has flavors of jazz and folk at times. The flow of the album is awesome as well, as if you’re not paying attention to the track number, you might have listened to three songs before you realize it, as the segues between many songs are completely seamless. If you’re into psychedelic pop and rock at all, and enjoy some sunshine pop mixed with different psychedelic-inflected genres, you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A