The Guess Who is a Canadian rock band that has been active since 1965 with different iterations of band members, except for a relatively brief period from October of 1975 to around November of 1977. The group started out as a garage rock band, but evolved to incorporate pop rock and psychedelic rock over time. This album, Wheatfield Soul (1969), is the fourth studio album from the group. Though not generally considered to be a commercial success, the album did make it up to #45 on the Billboard charts, and is also The Guess Who’s first foray into psychedelia on a studio album. I’m pretty stoked to listen to this album, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“These Eyes” starts out with some super groovy keyboards that seem to introduce the soundscape in a somewhat Yardbirds-like, psychedelic sound. Oh wow, the quick, staccato’d notes from the electric guitar bring about a bit of a garage rock sound. Holy smokes, the acoustic guitar comes in, and is soon joined by some orchestral strings, both of which bring a ton of sweetness to the soundscape. Wow, the vocals are super sweet, and have a really cool, relaxed, sleek sound that match up with the orchestral movements really pleasantly. Wow, this is sweet. The tune has developed a sort of psychedelic baroque pop rock sort of sound, and I’m really digging the resulting soundscape. Wow, great track, and I’m excited to listen to more.
Oh wow, “Pink Wine Sparkles In the Glass” starts out with a nearly dark psychedelic tone in the electric guitar and vocals, but this soon evolves into a bit of a lighter groove when the acoustic guitar comes into the soundscape. I really dig the beat in this tune, which seems to get the tune grooving nicely with a psychedelic shuffle during the more upbeat movement in the track. Wow, great tune.
“I Found Her In a Star” starts out with a super light sound from the descending melody coming from the acoustic guitar and somewhat airy drum beat, while the bass seems to guide the soundscape into some super sweet territory, and the garage rock electric guitar adds some super flavorful accentuations into the soundscape. Holy smokes, another electric guitar comes in with a super fuzzed-out, nearly acid-rock-like tone, which contrasts in a super pleasant way with the light and sweet orchestral instrumentation from the background. Oh wow, I really dig this tune. Great track.
“Friends of Mine” starts out with a super interesting chord that has me hooked right away. Holy smokes, this track feels super psychedelic at the start of the track, as the electric guitar seems to guide you along from the left side, while the keyboards play the same melody a couple of octaves higher from the opposite side of the soundscape, and the percussion in the track is comprised of a spacious bass kick and some shakers. Holy smokes, the tune has entered a second movement that feels like some super groovy British-influenced psychedelic blues funk sort of sound, with a wah pedal’d guitar that seems to drip into the soundscape. Oh wow, there are some direct references to The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour (1967). Holy smokes, this tune gets pretty far out there. The tune has evolved into some Jim Morrison and The Doors type of tune that The Doors might end an album with, in which Jim would meander about a story in the form of long-verse poetry, with plenty of embellishments throughout the story, and I’m really digging the sound. I’m also reminded of St. John Green a bit, another psychedelic rock band based in Los Angeles, akin to The Doors, with the meandering poetic verses and soft jamming in the background. Holy smokes, the vocals have dropped out and the band has gotten into a super groovy, far-out jam for a moment. Holy smokes, the tune seems to effortlessly return to the introductory riff from the song, and I’m really digging it. Wow, the band seems to slowly bring the track to a false end, at which point the band gets grooving into a full-on psychedelic jam, with some electric organ and galloping guitars and drums. Wow, awesome tune.
“When You Touch Me” gets grooving in a super pleasing way off of the heels of the previous tune, and seems to have that somewhat darker style that reminds me The Doors, in both the instrumentation and the subject-matter of the lyrics. In fact, the song seems to be The Doors meets some British psychedelic bands from the era, such as The Yardbirds or Cream, and I’m really digging the sound. Holy smokes, I’m super into the track by the end of the tune, as the music feels like psychedelia with a heart of pure rock and roll. Holy smokes, the guitar solo at the end of the track is super tasty. Wow, awesome track.
“A Wednesday In Your Garden” has a bit of a mellow sound right away with the light acoustic guitar, airy drums, and groovy electric keyboard. Holy smokes, I’m really digging this track. The first measure of the tune made me think of The Byrds a bit, but the tune seems to explore and venture throughout the soundscape in a somewhat jazz-like manner. Wow, I’m really digging this song a lot, and the album a ton too; I think I’m going to try to pick this album up on vinyl sometime soon. The vocal performance has a somewhat gruffer McCartney sort of sound that I’m really digging. Great tune.
Oh wow, “Lightfoot” has such a light feel in the acoustic instrumentation, a very plucky electric guitar, and a sort of relaxed sound in the vocal performance. Honestly, the tune reminds me a lot of Gordon Lightfoot, which might be what the band is going for, though I can only speculate so much before I get captured back into the music. Holy smokes, the guitar part (or possibly keyboard?) nearly squeals into the soundscape, and I really dig the result. Wow, great track.
Oh wow, “Love and a Yellow Rose” has a very overtly raga sound with the droning chord at the beginning that is followed by what sounds to be a spacious rhythm on a tabla, while a super fuzzed-out electric guitar seems to anchor the tune with a psychedelic sound that seems to drone into the soundscape in a very raga-like manner. Oh wow, the vocal mix on this one is super interesting; the lead singer’s vocals seem to be layered on each side of the soundscape, singing nearly the same thing, but with variation that makes the resulting sound incredibly dynamic. Oh wow, the band gets into a bit of a raga-inflected psychedelic groove for a moment. Oh wow, the marching section of the tune has a super interesting sound; a traditional drum kit performing a marching beat, background vocals that drone into the soundscape in a Gregorian chanting style, and a tabla that gives the tune a sort of raga sound. Holy smokes, the jam at the end of the track is awesome. Great tune.
“Maple Fudge” starts in a somewhat whimsical sound with the keyboard that sets a tone for the track. Oh wow, the track feels very influenced by The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967). Wow, great track.
“We’re Coming to Dinner” starts out with a bit of an airy beat from the drums, almost as if the band is setting the tone for a pretty bluesy finish. Oh wow, the guitars gradually come in with some accentuations to the vocals, as the vocals seem to travel about the soundscape in a way that seems to get the soundscape in a whirl. Oh wow, this is sweet. This sort of bluesy psychedelic rock instrumental breakdown was introduced by a very Morrison-esque grunt, resulting in a sound that reminds me a fair deal of the later work of The Doors. Wow, great tune and a super sweet way to finish the album.
Holy smokes, this album is awesome, and is one that I definitely wouldn’t mind owning on vinyl. Two bands that I could always listen to are The Beatles and The Doors, and this album feels very influenced by both of those bands, as well as some other bands from the British psychedelic rock realm like The Yardbirds or Cream. There was baroque orchestration in some tracks, and some raga-style arrangements in other tracks, both of which kept the album feeling quite dynamic while still in line with a psychedelic sound. If you’re into psychedelic rock, and if you are fans of bands like The Doors and The Beatles, you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A