Bo Grumpus was a short-lived psychedelic rock band formed in Boston in 1967, and was first known as The Bait Shop. The group started out as a ragtime group, but eventually became associated with anti-war themes and psychedelic rock. The band released this album, Before the War (1968), and began running into legal issues. There were some disputes over the band’s name, so the group changed their name to Jolliver Arkansaw, under which they released one more album together before splitting apart. I’m always excited to listen to some psychedelic rock from the 60s, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Sparrow Tune” starts out with a really groovy bass line that is soon joined by some twangy, raw-sounding, mellow guitar work and a sweet beat. Oh wow, the mellow vocals are super groovy as they echo one another on each side of the soundscape. Oh wow, the organs really amplify the psychedelia of the track in a really groovy way. Oh wow, the bass (or possibly a synth of some sort) picks up a really interesting and crunchy distortion for a moment, producing a nice contrast to the smoothness of the rest of the soundscape. Great track, and I’m super excited to hear more.
Oh wow, “Think Twice” starts out with some really sweet piano that seems to dance with the bass and guitar work in a manner that almost makes the tune feel vaguely country with a really groovy psychedelic feel. The beat keeps the tune moving forward nicely, while the guitar seems to chug the tune along the proverbial tracks that the bass guitar provides to the soundscape. Wow, another great track.
“Yesterday’s Streets” starts out with such a serious tone with the big, droning bass notes combined with the gentle, airy swing in the drums and the mixture of gentle guitar work and a really flavorful harpsichord. The tune ventures into a sort of soft psych territory that reminds me of Chamaeleon Church, a soft psychedelic rock band from Boston around the same time period. Oh wow, the vocals meld with the bass line in a really interesting manner that almost creates distortion as the two parts seem to harmonize with one another. The tune almost reminds me a bit of the British folk revival to some extent, and now that I think of it reminds me a bit of Earth Opera, yet another psychedelic band from Boston in the same era. Super sweet tune.
“The Breath O’ Love” starts out with some wah-pedal’d guitar and a groovy beat, and then jumps into a sort of psychedelic garage rock movement that I’m really digging. Oh wow, I’m really digging the wah-pedal’d guitar, as the flavor feels both increasingly psychedelic in the context of the rest of the track, and is done in a manner that seems rather unique for the time period that this was released. I really dig the little piano line in the background during the buildup to the chorus, which brings some classic rock and roll vibes to this track. Wow, awesome track.
“A Knowing Young Touch” starts out with a clean guitar chord that is soon joined by some sweet orchestral strings as the guitar chords continue along. This track feels almost as though it’s reminiscing about the summer of love in 1967. I’m reminded a bit of The Glass Family in this track, as well as Chamaeleon Church again with the sweet orchestral strings. Super sweet track.
“Ragtimely Love” starts out with an anticipatory beat before getting into a sweet tune that has a feeling somewhat reminiscent of the sweet, pop-oriented songs of The Beatles. Oh wow, the ragtime piano comes in and really pulls me even further into the listening experience, as the background vocals and percussion become increasingly psychedelic. Super groovy tune.
“Travelin’ In the Dark” starts out with some meandering, twangy electric that almost has a bit of folksy feeling in the tone. There’s a really interesting sweet and somewhat dark psychedelic mood to the playing with the orchestral strings, chorus effect on the vocals, and the piano accentuations. Super sweet track.
“Brooklyn” starts out with a guitar line that has a classic psychedelic rock feel as it seems to meander about with an optimistic and somewhat whimsical sound. Oh wow, there’s a really crunchy guitar for a moment that catches my ear really nicely. Oh wow, the organs become more prevalent in the track as the music continues. I really dig the background vocals in this track, which really add to the psychedelia nicely. Super groovy tune.
“The Moon Will Rise” starts out with some super sweet vocals, as though the singer is singing directly to you, and is joined by some warm and mellow guitar and bass work to set a tone. Oh wow, the tune gets into a more uptempo movement that retains the pleasant sweetness of the intro to the song. Oh wow, a flute or woodwind of some sort comes in, and brings in a really folksy sound that almost sounds as if the notes are bubbling up from underwater to invite you across some sort of hidden field. I really dig the even-keeled tempo in the track. The meandering and continuous vocals with the folksy sounds in the track give me vague visions of Bob Dylan in a very roundabout manner. Great track.
Oh wow, “If I Came To You” starts out with a really gentle, psychedelic sound that feels as though the band is wrapping up the album in a really sweet manner. I’m reminded again of the sweet, soft psychedelic stylings of Chamaeleon Church mixed with the somewhat folksy psychedelic rock stylings of Earth Opera. I really dig the horns in this track, which really amplify the conclusory nature of the tune. Super sweet track, and a great way to wrap up the album.
Wow, this album was a super sweet listening experience. There was a really nice medley of mostly psychedelic stylings, ranging from psychedelic folk rock, to psychedelic garage rock, to psychedelic soft rock, classic psychedelic rock and blues rock, and there even ragtime elements mixed in at times. If you’re into psychedelic soft rock and psychedelic folk that you might hear from Boston groups like Chamaeleon Church and Earth Opera, both of which are from around 1967 and 1968, then 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